Shucks!

(another cross-post)

"The best-laid schemes o'mice an' men/ Gang aft agley..." Well said, Robbie Burns. The movie plan (from earlier post) did, indeed, go awry, as Amelia had something else scheduled that would have made the timing difficult.

We had a wonderful brunch, however, with Eggs Benedict and Mimosas--mmmmm. Then Amelia took off for Rachel's, and Fee and I did a quick turn around Sam's to pick up a few things.

I've done a little embroidering to meet my "creative every day" goal -- oh, and I bought some flowers at Sam's and (grinning satirically) arranged them. Alas, I am not a creative flower arranger, but the flowers themselves are beautiful.

Now, on to some reading. I'm finding Resolute: The Epic Search for the Northwest Passage and John Franklin, and the Discovery of the Queen's Ghost Ship an excellent read so far. One of my goals for my Renaissance Mind self-challenge is to do further research on arctic exploration and the search for the Northwest Passage. (discussed in this and other posts)

So far, this account is proving interesting and informative. Some of the events that I thought might have been fiction in The Terror were not (the threatened duel over the Indian (not Innuit) girl on Franklin's earlier expedition. I'm already learning more about some of the characters mentioned in the novel and individuals who were earlier explorers or whalers.

Two other books that I hope to get around to reading: Frozen in Time (also about the Franklin Expedition) and Endurance: Shackleton's Incredible Voyage by Alfred Lansing (recommended by Bybee) about Antarctic exploration. Checked online, and our library has the Shackleton, but not Frozen in Time. I'll try interlibrary loan for that one.

On the yoga study, which will naturally proceed more slowly, I'm almost finished with Chakra Yoga, but think perhaps I need to slow down and try to absorb a bit more. And, uh, maybe re-read? Or not...this is my personally designed course study, and I may decide that a completely superficial reading is fine. Yeah, I think that is probably right.



I'm liking Hatha Yoga: Illustrated much better.

Sunday

Cross-post - originally on Bayou Quilts, but with alterations.

OK - Creative Every Day Challenge -- (a challenge for the quilting blog) -- as usual, I'm making my own rules, and I've decided that going to see The Reader at the Robinson Film Center counts as creatively appreciating creativity.

I'm not sure if I'm excited or apprehensive about seeing it. Read the book when it was first published, and it definitely made an impact, but any book that deals with Nazi Germany is inherently stressful. The movie version may be even more so. Love Kate Winslet and Ralph Fiennes and being nominated for four Golden Globes must mean something. You can watch the trailer here, but I'm not going to. I'll wait.

This fits into the Renaissance Mind category, too, I think. As I mentioned, I make up the rules to suit me.

Jan. 4 - A Year of Living Your Yoga: "Laugh More.... Children laugh dozens of times a day. Laughing decreases blood pressure and relieves tension. Find something funny in your life today and laugh at it. Better yet, find something about yourself to laugh at."

(When I commented on Kim's blog this morning, the word verification was "crock." I laughed at that because I lot of what I write and say is a crock, and I felt like I'd been found out by the w.v. robot!)

The 4th Estate!

This is just marvelous!

Favorites and a New Direction

My Very Favorites of 2008

The Amazing Maurice and His Educated Rodents - F, YA -Terry Pratchett
A Pigeon and a Boy - F- Meir Shalev
Eden's Outcasts: the Story of Louisa May Alcott and Her Father - NF, B -John Matteson
The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Society - F- Mary Ann Shaffer & Annie Barrows
The Intention Experiment - NF- Lynn McTaggert
The Wasted Vigil - F- Nadeem Aslam

There were others that I truly enjoyed, but when I went back through, from January - December, the above books stood out.

My goals for next year will reflect a new approach. I want, as I mentioned in this post at Bayou Quilts, a Renaissance Mind, or as Ingrid E. Cummings describes it, a more vigorous mind. I've always loved the concept of the Renaissance Man - soldier, scholar, courtier. When discussing the Renaissance Man with my students, I put it in contemporary terms as well: athletic, well-read & knowledgeable on a variety of topics, and socially capable of carrying on interesting conversations.

I have tried to pursue athletics through tai chi and yoga; I certainly read abundantly, but lately, not with discrimination; I fall quite short in conversational skills, more so now, because I have become more insular.

Although I read a lot, my reading itineraries have become less and less organized in the last couple of years. Bringing more focus to these itineraries will take precedence in 2009; I want to be more selective. Examining my long list of books read was a disappointment; so much time spent on books with so little to recommend them.

No regrets on spending so much time on fiction (although I do intend to include more nonfiction this year), but regrets about the time spent on mediocre (at best) books. I am not an advocate of reading only educational books, classics, or "award-winning" fiction; books that are simply great entertainment should always be in the mix, even dominate the mix.

There will always be mystery, fantasy, and science fiction in my reading because I love those categories-- and from well-written books in those genres, I also learn something.

This year, however, I want to direct some of my reading in ways that broaden my horizons. (...and do more than just think about doing it--I have dozens of great books on my TBR list that have been neglected).

I've begun a list of topics that interest me and/or that I know very little about. :) Not surprisingly it is quite long and growing! Some of these topics merit a more organized study (yoga is one that I intend to study in a more orderly manner), others I'd like to explore just to gain a broader understanding, and then, perhaps, decide to devote greater effort.

My "curriculum" for a more well-rounded, Renaissance mind includes reading, study, yoga practice, physical fitness in general, watching documentaries, reading magazines, stepping outside of my comfort zone, being more socially involved, attending more art exhibits.... In small increments of time, one baby step after another.

stats (updated)

January

Consequences - Penelope Lively -258
Death of the Fat Man- Reginald Hill -404
Interred With Their Bones- 416
Baltimore, or The Steadfast Tin Soldier and the Vampire - Mignola & Golden - 285
Hunting Fear - Kay Hooper -338
Outlander - Diane Gabaldon - 627
An Absolute Gentleman - R.M. Kinder -288
Dedication - Emma McLaughlin/ Nicola Kraus - 278
Forgive Me - Amanda Eyre - 234
The Winter Rose - Jennifer Donnelly -707
total pages Jan. - 3835; 10 books

February

Immortal - Traci L. Slatton - 513 pages
Raven Black - Ann Cleeves - 376
The Amazing Maurice and His Educated Rodents - Terry Pratchett - 241
Standing Still - Kelly Simmons -262 pages
War of Honor - David Weber - 861
Why Mermaids Sing - C. S. Harris - 342
Silent in the Grave - Deanna Rayburn - 552
The Sonambulist - Jonathan Barnes - 353
Nameless Night - G.M. Ford - 338
total pages Feb. -3838; 9 books


March

In an Instant - Bob & Lee Woodruff - 292 pages
The Devil's Bones -Jefferson Bass - 309
Shadow of Saganami - David Weber - 755
Notorious - Michele Martinez - 336
The Serpent's Tale - Ariana Franklin -i371
The Book of Old Houses- Sarah Graves -294
Dance of Death - Douglas Preston, Lincoln Childs - 451
Letting go of the Person You Used To Be - Lama Surya Dad - 210
Christine Falls -Benjamin Black/John Banville- 340
Zel - Donna Jo Napoli- 227
Mystic and Rider -Sharon Shinn - 440
East -Elizabeth Pattou - 494
The Dream-Maker's Magic - Sharon Shinn - 261
The Vanishing Act of Esme Lennox - Maggie O'Farrell - 245

March - 5,025 pages; 14 books

April

An Ice Cold Grave - Charlaine Harris - 280 pages
The Ghost Brigade - John Scalzi - 314
New Moon - Stephenie Meyer - 563
City of Bones - Cassandra Clare - 485
Aphabet of Thorn - Patricia A. McKillip - 314
Mad Kestrel - Missy Massey - 320
Book of a Thousand Days - Shannon Hale - 305
Death Walked In - Carolyn Hart - 293
Cauldron - Jack McDevitt - 373
A Flaw in the Blood - Stephanie Barron - 286
American Bloomsbury - Susan Cheever -200
Assassins at Osprey - R.T. Raichev - 222
The Pandora Prescription - James Sheridan - 414
The Fault Tree - Louise Ure - 336
The Girl with No Shadow - Joanne Harris - 444

April - 5,149 total pages; 15 books

May

The Forgery of Venus - Michael Gruber - 318 pages
A Lady Raised High - Laurien Gardner - 284
Belong to Me - Marisa de los Santos - 388
Late Night Talking - Leslie Schnur - 308
Shadow of Power - Steve Martini - 390
Garden Spells - Sarah Addison Allen - 290
Souls of Angels - Thomas Eidson - 286
A Pigeon and a Boy - Meir Shalev - 311
The Stone Gods - Jeannette Winterson - 207
May - 2,782 pages; 9 books

June

The House at Riverton - Kate Morton - 473
A Fatal Waltz - Tasha Alexander - 289
Dreamers of the Day - Mary Doria Russell - 253
Eden's Outcasts - John Matteson - 428
Rubicon - Lawrence Alexander - 295
Blue Smoke and Murder - Elizabeth Lowell - 404
Ivory - Mike Resneck - 315
The Year She Disappeared - Ann Harleman - 306
Go Green - Nancy H. Taylor - 135
The Chameleon's Shadow - Minette Walters - 370
A Charmed Life: Growing Up in Macbeth's Castle - Liza Campbell - 321

June - 3, 589 pages; 11 books

July
Dark Summit - Nick Heil - 251 pages
A Pale Horse = Charles Todd - 360
The Sorcerers' Plague - David B. Coe - 393 pages
The Pajama Girls of Lambert Square - Rosina Lippi - 351 pages
Shadow Gate: Book Two of the Crossroads - Kate Elliot - 475 pages
The Poisoner of Ptah - P.C. Doherty - 378
The Crows - Maris Soule - 262
Light of the Moon - Luanne Rice - 386
A Magic of Twilight - S.L. Farrell - 526

July - 9 books, 3,382 pages

August
Touchstone - Laurie R. King - 548
A Slice of Organic Life - Sheherazade Goldsmith, ed. - 347
Moving Forward: Taking the Lead in Your Life - Dave Pelzer - 192
The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Society - Mary Ann Shaffer & Annie Barrows - 274
The Calling - Inger Ash Wolfe - 371
Alice: Alice Roosevelt Longworth - Stacy Cordery - 483
The Invention of Hugo Cabret - Brian Selznick - 533
Hand of Evil - J. A. Jance - 384
An Advancement of Learning - Reginald Hill - 288
The Primrose Convention - Jo Bannister - 267
By Schism Rent Asunder - David Weber- 494
Fathers and Sins - Jo Bannister - 201

August - 12 books; 4,382 pages

September
The Blood of Caesar - Albert Bell - 252 pages
A Clubbable Woman - Reginald Hill - 255
In Fury Born - David Weber - 828 pages
Pharmakon - Dirk Wittenborn - 403 pages
The Intention Experiment - Lynn McTaggert - 222
At All Costs - David Weber - 864
Calling Home - Janna McMahan - 307
Written in Blood - Sheila Lowe - 306

September 8 books; 3, 437 pages

October
Exit Lines - Reginald Hill -255 pages
The Blackstone Key - Rose Melikan - 435
Wild Life - Molly Gloss - 255
O'Artful Death - Sarah Stewart - 277
Mesmerized - Gayle Lynds - 451
Dark Celebration - Christine Feehan - 301
The Crystal Skull - Manda Scott - 365
Live Bait - P.J. Tracy - 204
I Am Legend - Richard Matheson - 170
A New Earth - Eckhart Tolle - 309
My Lady of Cleves - Margaret Campbell Barnes - 328
The Mindful Woman - Sue Patton - 219
Mansfield Park Revisited - Joan Aiken - 201
The Society of S - Susan Hubbard - 304
In the Woods - Tana French - 429
The Likeness - Tana French - 466
The Poet of Lochness - Brian Jay Corrigan - 302
Dead Run - P.J. Tracy - 324
Snow Blind - P.J. Tracy - 320
Still as Death - Sarah Steward -304

October: 20 books; 6,219 pages

November
March to the Stars - David Weber & John Ringo - 526
Laced - Carol Higgins - 352
How We Choose to Be Happy - Rick Foster & Greg Hicks - 228
The Wasted Vigil - Nadeem Aslam - 320
Blasphemy - Douglas Preston - 416
The Reluctant Widow - Georgette Heyer -316
Brother -James Fredericks - 410
The Book of the Dead - Patricia Cornwell - 511
Regency Buck - Georgette Heyer - 392
Dune - Frank Herbert - 517

November - 10 books; 3,988 pages

December
The Grift - Debra Grinsberg - 329
Still Waters - Nigel McCrery - 275
The Broken Window - Jeffrey Deaver - 414
The Terror - Dan Simmons - 776
Pardonable Lies - Jacqueline Winspear - 352
An Incomplete Revenge - Jacqueline Winspear - 320
Second Hand Smoke - Karen E. Olson - 259
Water Like a Stone - Deborah Crombie - 407
Careless in Red - Elizabeth George - 640
The Mermaid Chair - Sue Monk Kidd - 332
The Book of Lies - Brad Meltzer - 344
Last Post - Robert Barnard - 241
The Keepsake - Tess Gerritsen - 368
On Account of Conspicuous Women - Dawn Shamp - 304
The Mephisto Club - Tess Gerritsen - 448

December: 15 books; 5, 809 pages

------
total pages read: 47,846
total books:142

books by female authors: 90
books by male authors: 52

fiction: 128
nonfiction: 14 (OMG - how sad is that?)

Caught Up

I have caught up with my reviews. Yes!

I have several non-fiction books in progress and am still trying to formulate my reading plan for next year. Fiction will still probably be the largest part of it with healthy doses of mystery, science fiction, and fantasy. It is the nonfiction that I'm contemplating right now and with the goal of pursuing some interests with more organization than previously.

Lately, I've had a run of very poor mystery choices, but I will continue to pursue new authors to accompany my old favorites: Reginald Hill, Peter Robinson, Carol O'Connell's Mallory novels, Deborah Crombie, Jacqueline Winspear, James Lee Burke (haven't read one of his in a long time), Jan Burke, Laurie King, Colin Dexter, Minnette Walters, P.D. James, Elizabeth George, P.J. Tracy, and Charles Todd.

New discoveries this year have been Tana French and Robert Barnard. Winners, both!

Oh, yeah, the nonfiction...I've ordered several books about yoga and checked out some at the library. The goal is to study this a little more thoroughly--adding the intellect to the physical.

Biographies -- there was some serious slacking in this category in 2008 which definitely needs to be remedied. I think I'll look for a biography of Richard Feynman first.

Because I enjoyed The Terror, a novel about the real Franklin Expedition, I'm going to look for nonfiction on the subjects of Arctic exploration and the search for the Northwest Passage widening perhaps to other adventurous exploration. I've no problem with mixing fiction with the nonfiction, either, as fiction often leads to other digressive topics. :)

Stefanie at So Many Books (who instigated my reading of The Terror) mentioned that she might order the Nova documentary about the Franklin Expedition. I put it in my que yesterday. :) Another "reading itenerary" in the works!

The Mephisto Club

Gerritsen, Tess. The Mephisto Club.

I reviewed The Keepsake, Tess Gerritsen's latest novel, the other day and you may remember that I enjoyed it.

Wouldn't you think that another one would be appealing? Maybe it would have been if I'd read it first, but it was the same formulaic plot. It was, however, the book preceding The Keepsake, so I guess The Keepsake was following the formula, which is--

a) a serial killer
b) several bizarre murders
c) a little supernatural
d) a beautiful young woman of 26 being stalked by the killer
e) the same detectives and medical examiner

There is a resemblance to the Agent Pendergast series by Douglas Preston and Lincoln Child, but a hurried and more formulaic version.

Also, it would be best to dump the bits about Jane Rizzolo's parents and Father Daniel Brophy, the lusty priest.

So maybe it is time for me to give the mysteries a rest.

Fiction. Mystery/Supernatural/Suspense. 2007. 448 pages.

On Account of Conspicuous

Shamp, Dawn. On Account of Conspicuous Women.

I was all over the place about this book. Loved the title, loved the cover. Read the first chapter and put it down, fully expecting never to pick it up again. Ran out of books, began again. Persisted, and found myself liking the characters after several chapters. Read rapidly and happily until the end, which was disappointingly bland.

The language is full of wonderful idiomatic speech, but so overdone (especially in the beginning) as to become annoying.

For: eventually, some interesting characters; the author has an ear for language; great title; interesting time period; good small town and historic detail; great cover. :)

Against: takes too long to get to the meat of either the characters or the plot; the language is forced--too many too clever sayings, idioms, dialect, and phrases; plots of the different characters never seemed to coalesce in a satisfactory manner; conclusion disappointing and predictable in a bad way.

Bertie completely turned me off in the first chapter, but later, I came to like her a great deal. Actually this was true of Ina, as well, although I kind of liked Doodle and Guerine from the beginning. All of the stories and characterizations kind of dissipated toward the end, though. And the turkey thing should most definitely have been omitted.

Maybe a good editor would have helped produce a better novel. On the other hand, there were parts of the book that I really enjoyed.

Fiction. 2008. 304 pages.

The Keepsake

Gerritsen, Tess. The Keepsake.

A suspenseful tale involving archeology, museums, a stalker, a medical examiner, and a couple of detectives.

A very fast-paced thriller that involves a spooky serial killer stalking a beautiful young woman. Maura Isles, a well-known medical examiner, has been invited to be present at an X-ray scan of an Egyptian mummy recently discovered in a private museum. The body, although mummified, is not that of the ancient Egyptian called "Madame X," but that of a much more contemporary young woman.

This discovery unnerves young archeologist Josephine Pulcillo, recently hired by the museum. Then more bizarre discoveries are made, including one found in the trunk of Josephine's car.

It is suspense thriller lite--a fast, entertaining read. The characters are not especially well-developed and the plot is pretty fantastic and in many ways cliched; nevertheless, I enjoyed the novel.

Fiction. Suspense/mystery. 2008. 368 pages.

Barnard, Robert. Last Post.

After the death of Eve McNabb's mother, a letter arrives from someone unaware of May McNabb's death. Puzzling statements make Eve aware that regardless of how well she thought she knew her mother, there are many things that she does not know, including much about her father who died when Eve was small.

Eve finds herself curious and begins trying to discover the truth about remarks the mysterious letter writer has made. With only a blurry postmark to go on, Eve begins by attempting to discover the individual who wrothe the letter, and then finds herself seeking other answers involving both her mother and her father. An interesting twist at the end answers her final questions.

This mystery is not the run-of-the-mill mystery in many ways, but was all the better for its unique approach.

Fiction. Mystery. 2008. 241 pages.

Another Lovely Christmas

I hope you all had a wonderful holiday!

As usual, I'm still behind in reviewing books, but I'm trying now to catch up.

One book that I'm currently reading, The Vigorous Mind, is helping me formulate goals for the coming year. This book was send by TLC Book Tours and my review is scheduled for Jan. 20th. I am finding it fascinating reading and am already trying to activate the process in my life. What reader wouldn't want to become more of a Renaissance mind?

Well, more about that later, I guess; I'll include the steps I'm taking (and considering for the future) after I publish the review. The book will certainly be influencing my reading for the coming year; in fact, it already is! I made a trip to the library today and kept The Vigorous Mind in mind :) when choosing my books. There is also that order from Amazon that I made yesterday.

I also picked up Amy Bloom's Away -- a result of this review at A Life in Books.

One of the best gifts I received this year is a book of photographs of my granddaughter Bryce Eleanor's first year. My daughter made it through Shutterfly, and it is a marvelous photographic unfolding from birth to first birthday!

Looking forward to spending 2009 sharing books with you.

Meltzer, Brad. The Book of Lies.

Hooey. I kept reading only because of the connection with Jerry Siegel, the originator of Superman; however, nothing much could have saved this book. Silly plot, one-dimensional characters.




Fiction. Mystery. 2008. 334 pages.

Happy Holidays

Wishing everyone a Merry Christmas! Thank you all for visiting and for commenting throughout the year. The online community is such a wonderful way to share, and I love the book sharing that goes on. I get so many great titles from reading your blogs and have been educated and entertained as a result. Browsing your blogs is always an important part of my day, like a virtual book club with no rules. Drop in anytime, discuss anything, and have a cuppa' while doing it--pretty marvelous, eh?

Peace and Joy and Good Books to all of you for the coming year!

Careless in Red

George, Elizabeth. Careless in Red.

I was all set to give up on Elizabeth George after With No One as Witness. However, enough time has passed that I couldn't resist giving her another try, so I guess I've recovered from the fact that she eliminated Helen.

Fortunately, I enjoyed this latest novel. It may not be the best of George, but it certainly is more up to standard than her two previous works.

Thomas Lynley, grieving intensely from the loss of his wife and unborn child, has gone for a very long walk. When the novel opens, he has been trekking stoically along the rugged coast of Cornwall for 6 weeks. His walk comes to an abrupt end when he discovers the body of a young man, who has fallen from the cliffs in an apparent climbing accident.

Lynley is a witness and a possible, although not likely, suspect when it is determined that the young man's climbing equipment has been tampered with. Detective Inspector Bea Hannaford, however, intends to make as much use of the New Scotland Yard's Lynley as possible. I liked Hannaford's character, especially when Barbara Havers shows up and the two work as an interesting pair.

Many of the other potential suspects are not especially likable; the character of Dellen Kern was a bit over the top, and perhaps her husband should have been committed for staying with her.

Soooo...I found Careless in Red involving, and I had no difficulty hanging in there, but it is certainly not her best.

Fiction. Mystery. 2008. 640 pages.

The Mermaid Chair

Kidd, Sue Monk. The Mermaid Chair.

I really wanted to like this one. Kidd's prose is lovely and there are places that seem to be longing to be read aloud. The plot, however, and the characters seemed too pat. Annoyingly so.

The novel seemed three-dimensional only in the sense of a diorama. (As I wrote that, I remembered that Jessie used the term diorama in an attempt to describe her art). There was apparent depth, but it lacked resonance.

Religious and mythical symbolism is all over the place, and while it is great fun to pick up on symbolism, when the symbolism is spoon-fed over and over, it becomes difficult to swallow.

Was that all that annoyed me? No. The plot itself grated.

[SPOILER] Falling in lust with a monk is one thing, but love at first sight? And a monk? How wonderful that this interlude allowed her to regain her "self" and inspired her art and gave her marriage a new lease on life and somehow leads to an understanding of her mother's penchant for self-mutilation, but only after her self-absorption has kept her from recognizing her mother's increasing desperation resulting in the loss of another digit, and...

Fiction. Romance? 2005. 332 pages.

Water Like a Stone

Crombie, Deborah. Water Like a Stone.

I've always enjoyed the Duncan Kincaid and Gemma James series, and I enjoyed this one as well. Scotland Yard superintendent Duncan Kincaid and Gemma, along with his son Kit and her son Toby, are spending the Christmas holidays with Kincaid's parents in Cheshire.

As usual, however, murder and mystery interfere when Kincaid's sister Juliet discovers the mummified body of a child interred in the wall of an old barn. This is the first of several intertwined complications involving family tensions, manipulation, deceit, and more murders.

The information about narrow boats and the canal systems provide an interesting and informative side note. Of course, atmosphere is always a large part of Crombie's skill in bringing the reader into the story, and this novel fulfills all expectations for narrative and atmosphere, both.

I can't wait for the next one!

Fiction. Mystery. 2007. 407 pages.

Catching Up

I've had a bad cold for the last 6 days, so I've been doing little besides sleeping and reading, reading and sleeping. Coughing, blowing my nose, sneezing, and sniffling. Some whining.

Now I have 4 more reviews to get caught up on! I'm going to get started on these today and see how long my energy lasts.

Olson, Karen E. Secondhand Smoke.

6 words (or less than): Attempts at hard-boiled, foiled.

A beloved Italian restaurant burns down and there is a body inside. Whose? Annie Seymore, investigative reporter is from the neighborhood and on the scene.

I don't know...this one didn't really capture me. Characters seemed a bit cliched, the romance between Annie and Vinnie seemed forced--his lips twitched several times too often.

Fiction. Mystery.2006. 259 pages.

An Incomplete Revenge

Winspear, Jacqueline. An Incomplete Revenge.

6 words: A village shares a secret shame.

Now I'm caught up with this series.

Working for James Compton, son of her benefactor, Maisie seeks to discover the origin of some mysterious fires in the village of Heronsdene. The villagers act as if the fires are accidental, but they occur annually in September, and are both deliberate and symbolic.

Winspear seems to be closing out the WWI angle and preparing to introduce increasing concerns about Hitler and Germany. One chapter is closing, and another about to begin.

I did enjoy this book, but found it a bit didactic. The information about the rigid class system of the time seems forced and a little preachy. The same with the prejudice against those who are different (introduced in at least 3 circumstances in this novel). A more subtle approach to these problems would have been better. It didn't have to be spelled out again and again.

One of the positives in this series is that the characters change and grow. They respond to circumstances, to social customs that are in the process of change, to economic pressures, and to the frailties of human nature. Winspear is laying the groundwork for future novels with her references to Germany, various kinds of prejudice, economic depression, and Oswald Mosley.

Her characters have been molded by one war and its aftermath; they will soon be forced to respond to the encroaching shadow of a second war.

Looking forward to the next in this series.

Fiction. Mystery. 2008. 320 pages.

Pardonable Lies

Winspear, Jacqueline. Pardonable Lies.

6 words: Three mysteries for price of one.

As I've said before, I enjoy Jacqueline Winspear's Maisie Dobbs mysteries. Winspear develops the characters well and allows them to change and grow. In this novel, Maisie has 3 cases: a young girl accused of murder, a father who wants proof that his son died in the war, and a friend who wants to know the circumstances surrounding her brother's death during the war.

Maisie, a nurse during WWI, has suffered emotionally from her war experiences and must confront some of her demons when two of her cases require her to travel to France where she served in a field hospital. In addition to the emotional stress of revisiting the region where she experienced war's horrors, Maisie finds herself at odds with her mentor.

Winspear does an excellent job relating the devastating effects of WWI on the British and, in this novel, the French. Both countries are still, 13 years later, dealing with the suffering and loss inflicted by the war. Winspear also manages to slip a 4th minor mystery that I will leave as a surprise, but that involves the psychic phenomenon that occured during that period.


Fiction. Mystery. 2005. 352 pages.