Daisy Fay and the Miracle Man by Fannie Flagg
Flagg (Fried Green Tomatoes) is the funniest female writer of the day. Her stories are right up there with my very favorite funnies -- Patrick Dennis (Little Me, The President's Lady). Her story telling mesmerizes me. She is The South personified and narrates as the insider that she is. Her character's of the 1950s seem so real and vulnerable. She can turn the most mundane action into a hilarious event. Mrs. Dot (what a name) is a former socialite who tries to plan a Jr. Debutant ball in the back of the bait shop. Daisy Fay (what a name) helps her scheming dad "create a miracle" to fix a mortgage. Laughing is such a healthy thing to do ... and her stories make me laugh and laugh.
The Defector by Daniel Silva
The last Silva book that I read was not very good and I noted that I'd give him a change to redeem himself before I quit reading his works. Well, he has done so in "The Defector." Gabriel Allon is back in fine form to lead the action through Moscow, Italy and London in an attempt to find a former Russian spy who once saved his life. The pace is fast and tense. Good read.
Michael McGarrity 3 novels
Tularosa, Mexican Hat and Serpent Gate are 3 novels set in New Mexico. "Mystery fans shouldn't miss Tularosa" is what Tony Hillerman says about Tularosa. And Hillerman certainly know something about the Southwest. McGarrity's lead character is Kevin Kerney, a retired Santa Fe cop who was wounded on duty and forced to retire. But after 2 years on his remote ranch he is lured back into service to help his ex-partner who is also the father of Kerney's godson. Finding that godson, now a soldier, who disappeared from White Sands Missile Range take the reader on a great trek though mountains and valleys and into the back alleys near the Mexican border.
In "Mexican Hat" we find Kevin Kerney spending a season as a forest ranger in the Gila Wilderness when a tourist is murdered. That leads to the discovery of a tangled, 60-year old feud between two brothers. Kerney's life is put in danger as we learn about New Mexico's militia groups, cattlemen, poachers, land-grabbers and more.
"Serpent's Gate" sends Kerney after a small town cop killer and a murderer of a woman at a millionaires's mansion. The clues lead him to Mexico and people with powerful government connections that want Kerney out of the way.
Since I love the descriptions of the Southwest states, these stories are very appealing. Like Hillerman, McGarrity can describe the rough and dry desert and the lush green of the high mountains with fascinating detail. His writing is crisp and all the parts of the formula are included -- desire, greed, dogged pursuit, risk and danger and a fair outcome in the end. I hope there are more stories to come from McGarrity.
In "Mexican Hat" we find Kevin Kerney spending a season as a forest ranger in the Gila Wilderness when a tourist is murdered. That leads to the discovery of a tangled, 60-year old feud between two brothers. Kerney's life is put in danger as we learn about New Mexico's militia groups, cattlemen, poachers, land-grabbers and more.
"Serpent's Gate" sends Kerney after a small town cop killer and a murderer of a woman at a millionaires's mansion. The clues lead him to Mexico and people with powerful government connections that want Kerney out of the way.
Since I love the descriptions of the Southwest states, these stories are very appealing. Like Hillerman, McGarrity can describe the rough and dry desert and the lush green of the high mountains with fascinating detail. His writing is crisp and all the parts of the formula are included -- desire, greed, dogged pursuit, risk and danger and a fair outcome in the end. I hope there are more stories to come from McGarrity.
ROGUE ANGEL Destiny by Alex Archer
1431 Joan of Arc fate lay in the hands of Roux who misjudged the times and arrived too late to save her. In present day France we find Annja Creed, also a fearless woman on an insatiable quest. She is trying to find the ancient beast LaBete thought to still roam the deep caverns of the mountains near Lozere. The beast is the least of her problems. She encounters human monsters more menacing than any giant beast. One man and his toadies (the predictable sort) are relentless in pursuit of her every move. It's the secretive order of monks who create the interest in this story. Why are they living deep below ground in hostile rock caves, apparently quite willingly? Then there's the mysterious old man who helps her escape from the mountain and talks as if he is 600 years old. A strange bird ... but they hang out together quite nicely -- for a while. Could he be the Roux of old who missed his appointment with Joan of Arc? In Annja heading for a similar fate? Could this be his chance to make amends? Annja has all the muscle, brain and technical training of the greatest ninja and she has the opportunity to show it off throughout the story. It's light, it's fun, it's silly, it is a pretty good book. I think I'll read another one of Archer's stories.
"BORN TO RUN" and "LAST TO DIE" by James Grippando
Never heard of the author but I needed something to read and grabbed "Last to Die." It was really good, my kind of who-dunit. I like a character who lives throughout a series of stories and Jack Swyteck is the man. His sidekick, Theo, becomes a pain in the neck, a bit too silly for me. I'd like to just slap him and get on with the story. But there's a lot of interplay between Jack and Theo in both of the books. So I assume Theo is here to stay.
The Long March by Sun Shuyun
The full title of the book is "The Long March, the True History of Communist China's Founding Myth." China's Communist history is glorified by the 8000 miles trek made by party members and the Red Army to avoid being overrun by Chang Kai-shek's nationalists in 1934. Led by Mao Zedong, villagers were forced to join the march to the barren land in the north from which Mao developed himself into the tyrant that created the horrific Cultural Revolution. On the 200,000 on the forced march, only 1 in 5 arrived. Most were starved, shot, deserted, and diseased. Of those that did survive, many lived in deprivation throughout the rest of their lives.
The author interviewed many of the aged survivors and was able to peel away the "glamour and glory" that became enshrined in the Chinese minds. And while many suffered terribly during the march, they maintained that the suffering was worth the effort. The author reveals the nationalism that is deep in the psyche of many who lived through the 1930s and '40. An excellent read.
The author interviewed many of the aged survivors and was able to peel away the "glamour and glory" that became enshrined in the Chinese minds. And while many suffered terribly during the march, they maintained that the suffering was worth the effort. The author reveals the nationalism that is deep in the psyche of many who lived through the 1930s and '40. An excellent read.
JUST WRIGHT starring QUEEN LATIFAH
As movie critic Roger Ebert stated, "sure, the movie is a formula. A formula that works reminds us of why it became a formula."
It is a good, clean, fun movie with Queen in her familiar "strong woman with gentle heart" role as a no-nonsense, physical therapist, Leslie Wright. She is really, really ready for a boyfriend, but there doesn't seem to be anyone on the horizon - sigh.
Her childhood girlfriend is a hoot --- focused only on finding a rich husband. The male basketball star is believable and some real live basketball action is thrown in for kickers --- fans like me love it! It's sweet, sad, mad, predictable and she gets the guy in the end...you knew she would from the beginning. Go see it --- enjoy. 10/28/10
It is a good, clean, fun movie with Queen in her familiar "strong woman with gentle heart" role as a no-nonsense, physical therapist, Leslie Wright. She is really, really ready for a boyfriend, but there doesn't seem to be anyone on the horizon - sigh.
Her childhood girlfriend is a hoot --- focused only on finding a rich husband. The male basketball star is believable and some real live basketball action is thrown in for kickers --- fans like me love it! It's sweet, sad, mad, predictable and she gets the guy in the end...you knew she would from the beginning. Go see it --- enjoy. 10/28/10
"ZORRO" by Isabel Allende
In the preface the author states the very reason that I love stories of swashbuckling heroes. "There are all too few heroes with a romantic heart and a fun-loving nature." So when I find them from Dumas and Perez-Reverte for instance, I cherish them. Allende's Zorro has joined my club!
There is a 2 page map of the Pacific and North Atlantic Oceans that shows the route of the Gulf Stream to Spain and return of the Trade Winds. Included is an inset of the Franciscan Missions along the Camino Real and an inset of the Barrataria, the swamps and forests south of New Orleans from which Jean Lafitte raided the Caribbean with impunity. Lafitte plays an interesting part in the story when he
There is a 2 page map of the Pacific and North Atlantic Oceans that shows the route of the Gulf Stream to Spain and return of the Trade Winds. Included is an inset of the Franciscan Missions along the Camino Real and an inset of the Barrataria, the swamps and forests south of New Orleans from which Jean Lafitte raided the Caribbean with impunity. Lafitte plays an interesting part in the story when he
"THE PRINCES OF IRELAND" Edward Rutherfurd
This New York Times bestseller is a story of Dublin written in the mode of James Michener. The author is a master storyteller because I felt like I was right there viewing the significant events from 430 through 1535 A.D. The book begins with a couple of maps and a family tree which comes in handy to keep track of the tribes and their movements. Each character is well defined physically and mentally which defines their purposes and intentions. While the reader is caught up in the immediate character, it's the events going on around him or her (or in the background) that reveal how the country evolved.
The Celtic tribes were pagans with many gods. Some priests were druids, and human sacrifice was
The Celtic tribes were pagans with many gods. Some priests were druids, and human sacrifice was
"I'M STILL STANDING" Shoshana Johnson
Remember the "other" female soldier that was taken captive by the Iraqis at the beginning of the 2nd invasion of Iraq? I always wondered what happened to her when she was rescued and came home. How did she adjust after being in captivity and then returning home to live her normal life?
She tells her story simply and succinctly. Technically, the writing done by M.L.Doyle is a little boring. I think a better writer could have made this a more compelling story.
Shoshana legs were seriously damaged and she could not walk at times. She and some of the other injured prisoners received surgery from an Iraqi doctor. She says the concern for her health
She tells her story simply and succinctly. Technically, the writing done by M.L.Doyle is a little boring. I think a better writer could have made this a more compelling story.
Shoshana legs were seriously damaged and she could not walk at times. She and some of the other injured prisoners received surgery from an Iraqi doctor. She says the concern for her health
KEY TO REBECCA by Ken Follett
I read this book many years ago and really liked it. But when I read it this time nothing was familiar to me, like I was reading it for the first time (this quirk of mine has advantages and disadvantages). And it wasn't particularly good. The ending was downright drippy. He has written some great books - my favorite so far is Eye of the Needle. So I give Key to Rebecca a so-so rating.
"THE ALCHEMIST" by Paulo Coelho
There are many things to like about this 167-page story of self-discovery for a boy who yearned to see the world.The author is Brazilian, and I am enthralled with the way he, and many South American, Spanish and Mexican authors tell stories in a way that captivate me. They instill a lovely lyrical quality into the voice of their young narrators, like Anaya's Antonio and Perez-Reverte's Inigo. Here, we meet Santiago, an Andalusian shepherd boy, who takes us with him on his journey to see the Great Pyramids.
'HOMER & LANGLEY" E.L. Doctorow
I highly recommend this book. Doctorow has a wonderful style that describes his characters so completely I feel like I know them. There is a combination of humor and tragedy in the lives of these two brothers. In the forefront Homer and Langley go about their daily business while in the background ominous signs slowly become evident. I experienced humor, sadness, compassion and a bit of frustration as the characters became more bizarre, yet more dear. I resigned myself that no bright, happy ending would occur, but I wished for it anyway. This is the second of Doctorow's books that I've read (World's Fair) and both are very very good. He has written some others that have been turned into movies. I plan to read more.
"WHEN RED IS BLACK" by Qiu Xiaolong
As I had noted in my sidebar, there was a good review of the "Detective Chen" novels and I wanted to read them. The two that I recently read are excellent. This one was written in 2004, four years after introducing Detective Chen Cao in "Death of a Red Heroine." I really like the story and particularly appreciate the writer's use of authentic, recent, cultural, history as the backdrop in the Shanghai murders.
Chen enjoys writing and reading poetry, a talent that he once considered as his vocational calling. But China's cultural revolution propelled him into police workChen uses his vacation time to moonlight as a translator for a well-connected businessman. Only later does he realize that he has purposely been sidetracked to keep him from being the lead investigator in a murder with political overtones.
Chen enjoys writing and reading poetry, a talent that he once considered as his vocational calling. But China's cultural revolution propelled him into police workChen uses his vacation time to moonlight as a translator for a well-connected businessman. Only later does he realize that he has purposely been sidetracked to keep him from being the lead investigator in a murder with political overtones.
"THE LAST BUFFALO HUNTER" JakeMosher
Some of my favorite novels have been written from the perspective of a young narrator. Although this story isn't in a league with "Bless Me, Ultima," or "I Heard the Owl Call my Name," or "Captain Alatriste," the author, Jake Mosher, is just as good as the famed authors in the technique of narrating the story from a young boy's point of view.
A dream came true for 14-year old Kyle when his parents gave him a bus ticket to spend the summer in Montana with his paternal grandfather. Though he had dreamed of the "wild West" full of buffalo, cowboys and Indians, he wasn't prepared for the reality of his hard drinking, foul-mouthed, trouble-making grandfather and his friends.
The author skillfully weaves the boy's life into that of the local population in the small town of Mistake, MT
A dream came true for 14-year old Kyle when his parents gave him a bus ticket to spend the summer in Montana with his paternal grandfather. Though he had dreamed of the "wild West" full of buffalo, cowboys and Indians, he wasn't prepared for the reality of his hard drinking, foul-mouthed, trouble-making grandfather and his friends.
The author skillfully weaves the boy's life into that of the local population in the small town of Mistake, MT
"THE BRIDGE OF SAN LUIS REY" by Thornton Wilder
I saw the movie of this story when I was a kid and yet I can still see the swaying cable bridge breaking loose and people falling into the canyon below. Funny the things that memory holds onto. Wilder won the Pulitzer for this story of the local monk's persistent quest to find out why God allowed those particular five people to be on that bridge when it collapsed that day in Peru. The author has each of the five victims move into the first person to narrate their life stories up until the point of their deaths. And their lives are interesting. In the beginning of the last chapter we begin to understand Brother Juniper's alarming obsession with fate. He goes so far as to develop a chart to diagram the value of people's souls which he graded based on their goodness, religiousness and other qualities. As he saw the enormity and uselessness of the chart he unconsciously realized a great chasm between faith and fact. Unfortunately for him, he comes to the attention of the Inquisition
3 MOVIE REVIEWS
RECKLESS. This is a "Masterpiece Theatre" production (2004) starring two of my favorite British actors, Robson Green and Richard Kitchen. It is a lighthearted story with sad undertones. Young doctor (Green) takes job at new hospital to be near his aging, ill, grouchy, -yet endearing - father (a role Clint Eastwood could play well). Then the young doc falls in love with an older woman who turns out to be the wife of the head of surgery (Kitchen) -- his boss!
Unfortunately the story moves so slow that my impatience won out. The actors play their parts skillfully and are good enough to carry a poor script. It's just a shame they had to.
PS: The accents are a real challenge, but that's part of the charm of British movies.
TRACES OF STONES. This is an old (1966) German movie with English subtitles. Although it won a critics award at the Berlin Film Festival, it isn't a very good movie. It's a rather trite, predictable, chauvinistic love triangle that I could do without.
NINE QUEENS. A movie from Argentina about some small time "grifters" planning "the big heist." Movie reviewer, Roger Ebert, called it "A thriller that can best be described as a more complicated 'The Sting'" which doesn't say that it is a good movie, only a complicated one. I didn't finish it. If the movie doesn't grab my attention in the first 20 minutes or so, I don't finish it.
Unfortunately the story moves so slow that my impatience won out. The actors play their parts skillfully and are good enough to carry a poor script. It's just a shame they had to.
PS: The accents are a real challenge, but that's part of the charm of British movies.
TRACES OF STONES. This is an old (1966) German movie with English subtitles. Although it won a critics award at the Berlin Film Festival, it isn't a very good movie. It's a rather trite, predictable, chauvinistic love triangle that I could do without.
NINE QUEENS. A movie from Argentina about some small time "grifters" planning "the big heist." Movie reviewer, Roger Ebert, called it "A thriller that can best be described as a more complicated 'The Sting'" which doesn't say that it is a good movie, only a complicated one. I didn't finish it. If the movie doesn't grab my attention in the first 20 minutes or so, I don't finish it.
"Midnight in Sicily" by Peter Robb
Sadly, the 17th & 18th centuries' sumptuous Sicilian palazzi that once dotted the city were neglected and left to decay. Some say they were actually encouraged to decay. The dwellings of the poor people were cheap, ugly cement block houses built by the mafia. People who had money were urged to live in the fancier cement block house that spread over the ruins of the ancient city. Construction and property development were completely in the hands of the mafia who cared about profit, not people. The iron-fisted mobsters kept the citizens in near poverty and
Coming Up Next "Midnight in Sicily" by Peter Robb
7/24/09 My draft is done, I'll proof it tomorrow and get it published here.
Salam Pax: The Clandestine Diary of an Ordinary Iraqi
On Saturday, Sept 7, 2002 a blogger living in Baghdad wrote, "I'm preparing my emergency list these days -- any suggestions are welcome. At the moment I have: Candles, alcohol (maybe red wine), good books, crunchie-munchies. I think that will get me through the bombing quite nicely."
Salam Pax is the name used by an ordinary Iraqui guy who began writing a blog to stay in touch with a friendin Jordan. Just as we watched TV news as the US prepared for war, so did Salam Pax watch the Iraqi news stations. From his family home, right in the path of impending bombings and fighting, he blog a daily record of what was going on in his life.
Salam Pax is the name used by an ordinary Iraqui guy who began writing a blog to stay in touch with a friendin Jordan. Just as we watched TV news as the US prepared for war, so did Salam Pax watch the Iraqi news stations. From his family home, right in the path of impending bombings and fighting, he blog a daily record of what was going on in his life.
As if I don't have enough to read ....
... a "follower" suggested that I look into author Joanne Harris' work. I thought I'd just take a quick look at her website and so opened her "articles" section ... and was immediately hooked.In my meager way I have supported "Doctors Without Borders" (Medecins sans Frontieres-MSF) for years as one of the very best humanitarian organizations in the world. So what is the first article my eyes lock onto? "Journey to the Land the World Forgot, Joanne's account of her visit to Congo for Medecins sans Frontieres." She writes a good descriptive article about what MSF is doing for the people there. So, of course, in addition to reading some more of her articles, I will read one of her novels. Who know, maybe I have another favorite author brewing. http://www.joanne-harris.co.uk/pages/articles.html
Please look at MSF website and consider supporting their work. http://doctorswithoutborders.org/index_alt.cfm"STALIN'S GHOST" by Martin Cruz Smith
Excellent book. This crime-writing, prize-winning author has gained a cadre of loyal readers since the sensational "Gorky Park." It is in my all-time-favorites-category. Stalin's is not the only ghost to inhabit this story. As the story progressed and the battlefield was dug up, I could sensed a gauzy shroud of ghosts hovering over the landscape -- ghosts of the millions & millions of people that Stalin killed. The vastness of the war, the landscape, the starvation, the misery is described with enough objectively that the reader's emotions are spared. Yet
"Eat, Pray, Love" by Elizabeth Gilbert
The author's autobiography is subtitled, "One Woman's Search for Everything Across Italy, India and Indonesia." It's a fun travelogue because she has a talent for vividly describing the places & people that she engages in her search for self-acceptance & enlightenment. I was pulled right in with her characters as if I was actually there listening to the conversations. I enjoyed her obsession with learning the Italian language. Her encounter with God in Chapters 3 and 4 ends with the funniest punch line I've ever heard.
She's a drama queen who confronts life without reservation. But the drama gets old fast as she frequently breaks into laments about her bad marriage and moribund rebound boyfriend.
There are only two points that I didn't like.
1) I found it incongruent that she was able to traverse foreign countries with unflinching courage and yet was continuously in weepy self-reproach about leaving her disabling relationships.
2) I couldn't help but feel envious of her that her carefree adventures were bankrolled by her financial success. MEOW!
She's a drama queen who confronts life without reservation. But the drama gets old fast as she frequently breaks into laments about her bad marriage and moribund rebound boyfriend.
There are only two points that I didn't like.
1) I found it incongruent that she was able to traverse foreign countries with unflinching courage and yet was continuously in weepy self-reproach about leaving her disabling relationships.
2) I couldn't help but feel envious of her that her carefree adventures were bankrolled by her financial success. MEOW!
"SOMETHING BORROWED" by Emily Giffin
“After tonight my twenties will be over, a chapter closed forever,” moans Rachel, the story’s narrator, describing the eve of her 30th birthday. She is down-hearted because she has no boyfriend, is getting too old to have children, is disappointed with her career choice, and as far back as she can remember has always felt “second best.”But then, who wouldn’t feel second best with a friend like Darcy. Best friends since childhood, Rachel was always in the shadow of pretty, perky, popular & totally self-centered Darcy. “My mother once said, uncharacteristically, Darcy has the world by the balls,” explains Rachel. Even so, their friendship was solid and they confided in each other as only best girlfriends can do.
Until, that is, Rachel who is to be maid of honor in the September wedding falls in love with Darcy’s fiancée and, unexpectedly, ends up in bed with him. Suddenly, the balance of the friendship shifts and Rachel finds herself in an agonizing battle between right and wrong.
The author’s style is refreshing and light, full of fun. I empathize with poor Rachel’s anguish but from the beginning there is a hint that she will somehow be o.k. in the end. Giffin doesn't need a highly descriptive setting for her characters because their words and actions are the story. She has created characters that we’ve all known at some point in our lives, making it very easy to relate to them and their foibles. I couldn't help but chuckle at their ups and downs and the way they dealt with the zany but prickly love triangle.
“Something Borrowed” is the first of Giffin’s four books published since 2004 with another one due out in 2010. The second book, “Something Blue” starts where this one leaves off incorporating some new characters into Rachel and Darcy’s story. Ordinarily I prefer “chick movies” to “chick lit,” but this one was quite entertaining. I’m curious to see what happens in the sequel.
Until, that is, Rachel who is to be maid of honor in the September wedding falls in love with Darcy’s fiancée and, unexpectedly, ends up in bed with him. Suddenly, the balance of the friendship shifts and Rachel finds herself in an agonizing battle between right and wrong.
The author’s style is refreshing and light, full of fun. I empathize with poor Rachel’s anguish but from the beginning there is a hint that she will somehow be o.k. in the end. Giffin doesn't need a highly descriptive setting for her characters because their words and actions are the story. She has created characters that we’ve all known at some point in our lives, making it very easy to relate to them and their foibles. I couldn't help but chuckle at their ups and downs and the way they dealt with the zany but prickly love triangle.
“Something Borrowed” is the first of Giffin’s four books published since 2004 with another one due out in 2010. The second book, “Something Blue” starts where this one leaves off incorporating some new characters into Rachel and Darcy’s story. Ordinarily I prefer “chick movies” to “chick lit,” but this one was quite entertaining. I’m curious to see what happens in the sequel.
'STRANGER IN PARADISE" by Robert Parker
Love that Jesse Stone! I've read several of the "Jesse Stone" novels now and really like them. Unfortunately I read them in two days (they are not rocket science) and then look around for more.
It helps that I've watched Tom Selleck play Stone on some TV episodes, so my image of the Chief of Police of Paradise is a cool and handsome guy. None of the dialog is lengthy, rather short sentences that convey the story well. The other main characters are well developed and each has his/her peculiarities that we can all relate to. Paradise is a small town but there is plenty of murder and mayhem.
The author weaves together an Apache paid killer, a 14 year old foul-mouthed punker whose gang leader boyfriend kills her mother, a mob boss and his hit men from Miami, a overworked & underpaid social worker, a school bus full of pre-school kids, and assorted people sleeping around. Yet the good guys win in the end. Yay.
It helps that I've watched Tom Selleck play Stone on some TV episodes, so my image of the Chief of Police of Paradise is a cool and handsome guy. None of the dialog is lengthy, rather short sentences that convey the story well. The other main characters are well developed and each has his/her peculiarities that we can all relate to. Paradise is a small town but there is plenty of murder and mayhem.
The author weaves together an Apache paid killer, a 14 year old foul-mouthed punker whose gang leader boyfriend kills her mother, a mob boss and his hit men from Miami, a overworked & underpaid social worker, a school bus full of pre-school kids, and assorted people sleeping around. Yet the good guys win in the end. Yay.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
