Books Bought on Vacation

 A Ball, A Dog, and a Monkey, Michael D'Antonio -- 1957, the space race begins

 From Birdwomen to Skygirls, Fred Erisman -- about aviation as portrayed in girls' books in the early 20th century

 Pledging Allegiance: American Identity and the Bond Drive of World War II, Lawrence R. Samuel

 Picturesque Story of Bronner's CHRISTmas Wonderland -- This is the story of the store itself. I also bought Sharing Joy 365: An Autobiography of Wally Bronner

 The World of the Trapp Family, William Anderson -- Lovely book with lots of photos!

 An Old-Fashioned Christmas: Tinsel, Gingerbread Men & Raggedy Ann, Rochelle Pennington and Nicholas Pennington -- Nostalgic photos and text...what else could you want in a Christmas book?

Oh, and the new Christmas Ideals, which I've previously only bought at Borders. ::sob:: (We went past a closed Borders as part of our travels...sad.)

Fall Library Book Sale Tally

•  New England: Land of Scenic Splendor, National Geographic Books

•  This Fabulous Century: 1870-1900, Time-Life Books (I bought this, thinking I might already have it, and I do...but the copy I have is almost 100 pages fewer...not sure if there are parts cut out, print made smaller, or what...)

•  A book for James: S.M. Stirling's Ice, Iron and Gold (short stories from different times)

•  June Allyson, by June Allyson (Heavens, I had to...how many times have I sat through Strategic Air Command with James? Anyway, I like June Allyson!)

•  Tales of the New England Coast (This is a compilation of stories from old magazines from the turn of the 20th century; I used to look at it at Oxford Too, that's how long it's been around!)

•  The Literary Guide and Companion to Northern England, Robert M. Cooper (apparently there's one for Southern and one for Middle England as well; anecdotes about literary locations and writers)

•  American Country Christmas, Mary Emmerling and Chris Mead (A little gift book, with wonderful old-fashioned home decorations)

•  Dear America books: Journey to a New World (Pilgrims), Winter of the Red Snow (Revolutionary War), When Will This Cruel War Be Over? (Civil War)

•  Anna All Year Round, Hahn DeGroat (based on a true story, Baltimore before World War I)

•  Sword of the Wilderness, Elizabeth Coatsworth (Colonial era; Coatsworth always treated her Native American characters with more respect than many writers of her time)

•  A Christmas Companion, Maria Robbins and Jim Charleton (this is mostly recipes, but does have some customs around the world)

•  Say It With a Simile, William Safire (Which I've taken out before; I can tell the way the pages are riffled)

•  The Night Journey, Kathryn Lasky (based on a true story)

and a book I already have, but I know someone who will love it. And my best find:

•  More All of a Kind Family, Sydney Taylor

You could get the All-of-a-Kind Family books for less than a dollar years ago, in Yearling book editions. Then they went out of print, and when they did reprint them, they were $17 apiece. Now you can't find them again, except at conflated prices. (The cheapest one of them is selling on Amazon Marketplace is $17! One is going for over $100! Good heavens!)

All for $22.50!

Books Finished Since September 1

Rick Steves' London 2011
Ah, wishful thinking! Enjoyable tour book with the usual offbeat Steves jokes, covering historical and artistic sights (Steves even talks about significant pieces of art in each of the museums covered), along with day trips to Windsor, Greenwich, Stonehenge and Bath. Fun inserts include places to see out of Harry Potter, pub history, free and inexpensive sights, St. Paul's Cathedral during the Blitz, and more, and there's a handy packing list, British to American dictionary, notes about where to get essentials, and more. Fun reading and looks useful for traveling. Maybe someday...

The Worlds of Back to the Future, edited by Sorcha Ní Fhlainn
Given the humor of Back to the Future and its sequels, you might believe the only serious discussion about the trilogy would relate to the physical process of the making the films. But here thirteen different authors present an alternative to that point of view: a dozen essays plus introduction about the three films, with an emphasis on Future's cultural themes.

The dozen essays in this book range from the very scholarly to slightly lighter pieces, but all are serious in their intent: how the series was a definitive product of the Reagan era, discussion of incest and racism themes in the films, Thomas Wilson's portrayal of each of the films' villains, the Western trope as used in the third film, how Marty was allowed to correct his own timeline without repercussion while other time changes were seen as needing repair, the narrow role of women in each story, etc. One of my favorite pieces discussed how the score enhances the storyline. Back to the Future fans should enjoy this multi-viewpoint examination.

Thunder Dog, Michael Hingson
One of the most miraculous stories to come out of the terrorist attacks on September 11, 2001, was the story of Michael Hingson, a blind man who was unerringly led out of the World Trade Center tower by his guide dog Roselle. In addition, the presence of a blind man and his dog in the staircase of Tower 1 helped keep others calm and probably saved additional lives.

Hingson retells his memories of that day interspersed with stories about his life. Diagnosed as blind at six months old, Hingson's parents refused to treat him as some fragile creature who could only function with supervision. He was treated no differently than any other child and even bicycled alone much of the time (something that many of today's parents would blanch at even with a sighted child), and to meet the world fearlessly.

Hingson's story is well-told and inspiring, but the title of the book implies that his guide dog would be the pivotal character in the story. Instead, in much of the book, Roselle is a peripheral character, especially when Hingson spends some time talking about the problems still faced by the blind, which are eye-opening and infuriating, but still seem to be a digression from the stated intent.

Robert A. Heinlein, Volume 1, William H. Patterson Jr
Everything you wanted to know about Robert Heinlein, and were never able to ask.

This is a very dense biography of Heinlein, beginning with his family (including a portrait of his grandfather, who inspired Ira Johnson, grandfather of "Lazarus Long"). Mr. Patterson seems to know every little detail about Heinlein's life, down to specific details of infections he had, and as a Trivial Pursuit source, it can't be beat. We learn of Heinlein's real first wife (a high-school classmate, who married him and then promptly refused to leave home), his tempestuous marriage to Leslyn Macdonald, his first attempts at writing and first sales, his friendship with editor John Campbell, his short naval career and of the new work he found during World War II (along with fellow future science fiction writers L. Sprague DeCamp and Isaac Asimov). It is during World War II that Heinlein meets Virginia Gerstenfeld, who will provide the next chapter in his life.

I discovered many things in this volume—the regular routine of a student in Annapolis, that Heinlein ran for public office and enjoyed going to nudist camps, stories about the Heinleins and their friends (Ray Bradbury, Forrest J. Ackerman, the DeCamps, etc.), his quest to find publishers for his stories and how they changed from inception to final publication—but in the end I never felt I touched the "real" Robert Heinlein. The many facts seem to hold the man at arms' length. Nevertheless, I will buy the second volume. I just hope Patterson doesn't go the way of Blanche Wiesen Cook—will we ever see the third volume of Cook's Eleanor Roosevelt bio?

The Romeo and Juliet Code, Phoebe Stone
Felicity Bathburn Budwig arrives in Bottlebay, Maine, to live with her father's family when her parents Danny and Winifred are called away. She has lived all her life in London (her mother's home) and doesn't know what to make of the wild seaside town, the old Victorian house, and her relatives: her grandmother, known as The Gram, her eccentric Aunt Miami, and her uncle Gideon, who appears to dislike her father and who has nailed the family piano shut. Adrift among friendly strangers, she clings to her stuffed bear Wink, and wonders about the other resident of the house, a mysterious person called "Captain Derek" who never leaves his room.

As Felicity unravels one mystery, another presents itself. Why does Uncle Gideon go off by himself, and where? Why haven't her parents contacted her since she was left behind? Why does her family sometimes "try too hard"?

I enjoyed this book but had problems with Felicity's voice. She didn't sound like a real English child to me, at least an English child of that era, and her words and narration are often stilted. She also takes a stunning piece of news much more calmly than seems realistic. The mystery is well-paced, and the slowly-revealed backstory also well-done, although if you have read anything about the 1940s you may recognize Uncle Gideon's visitor and guess the truth somewhat early. Still, the characters are fairly likeable, there is a lovely old-time feeling to some of the passages, and the well-described Maine setting is a definite plus.

My main objection to this book is its supposedly "vintage" cover which is more 1950s than 1940s—girls didn't wear sneakers like that back then, let alone pink sneakers! Plus it makes the story look like some type of goopy teen love tale. A more moody, windswept beach with the small figure of a girl holding a stuffed bear against an old Victorian house with people peeking out at her would have been much more evocative and appropriate.

The Last Illusion, Rhys Bowen
Still torn between her love for police officer Daniel Sullivan and her own need for independence, private investigator Molly Murphy and Sullivan attend a vaudeville performance where the famous Harry Houdini will perform one of the acts. But during the act before Houdini's, the magician's assistant is mortally wounded. It is through this gruesome crime that Molly meets Bess Houdini, who wishes to hire Molly to protect her husband—Bess fears this violent act is a further threat to her husband, whom she feels is being followed. Although Daniel tells her not to get involved, Molly complies with Bess' wish. And, sure enough, at the least someone appears to want Houdini dead—or at least out of business.

I usually gobble these stories up, but I found I had a lot of trouble getting through this one. Not sure if I just wasn't interested in the Houdini storyline or was a bit weary with Molly's waffling between her job and her man, although I find her predicament understandable given the era. Perhaps it was just because her friends Sid and Gus had so little time. Many interesting facts were included about Houdini and his family, including the technique of several magic tricks (fans of Remember WENN will be familiar with at least one), and at least one facet of his life I found very surprising; not to mention Bowen's descriptions of the New York heat wave were very evocative. Just was a bit ambivalent about the story as a whole. YMMV!

Arctic Autumn, Pete Dunne
Some people like beaches and sprawling in the sun. Me, I am drawn to cold places, which explains my delight with this small volume about the author's trips to various Arctic locations, from Bylot Island during the summer solstice, to Churchill, Manitoba in late October, with his wife Linda. From an expedition to see caribou to another for an encounter with polar bears, from a leisurely canoe trip to an introspective hunting trip, Dunne attempts to capture all facets of the Arctic tundra: its wildlife, its threat from climate change, the lives of its first human inhabitants, the influence of "civilization" on its ecosystem, but most of all the beauty of the region. At times thoughtful, humorous, solemn, and offbeat; always informative and pleasant to read. Like the dreamy child dreaming of snowy climes in the first chapter, this book makes me long for a trip to the tundra.

The Technologists, Matthew Pearl
Pearl returns to Boston for his fourth 19th century-set mystery thriller, where a mysterious technological attack on the city—the disabling of all compasses in Boston Harbor on a foggy night, leading to destruction and carnage—begins to point a finger at the newly-opened Massachusetts Institute of Technology, which is feared and despised by its rivals at Harvard and its charismatic and temperamental notable naturalist Louis Agassiz. Marcus Mansfield, a Civil War survivor at 22 and the charity pupil at the new institute, plus members of his graduating class, the first at the Institute, including a lone woman who must study chemistry cloistered from the other pupils because science is not considered a "womanly" study, slowly become ensnared in the machinations of the twisted genius who continues to torment the city. When glass melts from windows and off watchfaces, the Institute's students decide to take matters into their own hands to hunt down the perpetrator.

This is a dandy Dickensian-like Gothic (and borderline steampunk) mystery-thriller, not quite so dense as Pearl's Dante Club (which is referred to). It also portrays the early days of MIT when its students and their studies were distrusted, and of the hardships a young woman incurred when trying to obtain a higher education; when the rich boys of Harvard held sway in society and the rise of technology both awed and frightened the population. I found this a page-turner from beginning to end, but be forewarned that you must be happy to read Dickensian-like prose to get the full enjoyment of this novel.

Marie-Grace and Cécile
Meet Marie-Grace
Meet Cécile
Marie-Grace and the Orphans
Troubles for Cécile
Marie-Grace Makes a Difference
Cécile's Gift
I'm a sucker for history, which means I can't resist each new incarnation of the American Girls. This new series puts a different twist on the usual progression of each girl (an introduction, school story, holiday story, etc.). Instead both characters are introduced in a paired set of books that tells of their meeting from each girl's point of view, then follows the girls switching points of view through one year and a pivotal point in time: the 1853 yellow fever epidemic in New Orleans. Marie-Grace Gardner is a doctor's daughter newly returned to her late mother's hometown of New Orleans, where her father sets up a medical practice, who meets Cécile Rey, daughter of a noted New Orleans stonemason, when she takes singing lessons. The Reys are gens de couleur libre, free persons of color, whose lives are much different than that of the slaves in the remainder of the South.

The epidemic is the main focus of the stories, but the girls also help out at orphanages overflowing with children whose parents have died of disease, and save a baby who is being sought by slave traders. (Parents, please note: a regular character does die in the epidemic.) As in all the American Girls books, the language is simplified for young vocabularies, which often makes the narrative a bit stilted. I also don't like the illustrations on the new books as well as I did the older ones; the expanses of flat color—gouache?—make the faces appear artificial most of the time, although there is at least one lovely illustration of the two girls at church.

All in all, I enjoyed the era as it was portrayed and the child's-eye-view of race, sickness, and sacrifice, but this is not my favorite entry in the series.

Vintage Notions, Amy Barickman
This is a nifty craft book with a focus more on sewing than anything else; nevertheless I really enjoyed it due to the vintage illustrations and text taken from Mary Brooks Picken's publications for the Women's Institute. Chapters are divided by month, with an inspirational essay, notes on attitude, fashion, and food, and one "magic sewing pattern" for each month, plus seasonal tips, and, as I mentioned, delightful 1920s illustrations from Picken's newsletters. Anyone into vintage women's crafts who wants a peek into the past should enjoy this volume. Just be aware it's a bit expensive; I bought it with a coupon!

Lessons from the Mountain, Mary McDonough
When she was ten years old, Mary McDonough won the role of Erin Walton in the television movie The Homecoming, which later was picked up as the television series The Waltons. McDonough played Erin for ten years (and then in six subsequent television movies) and had an almost universal positive relationship with her television co-stars.

Unfortunately behind Erin's sweet smile there lay a person who was beset by doubts, from childish fears to troubling teenage worries about her body and appearance. As an adult, she opted for breast implants to help her have a more positive body image and boost her career. Instead, it was just the beginning of massive health problems that endangered her life and the care of her daughter.

McDonough writes in a stream-of-consciousness style that may bother people who prefer more traditional narratives. As a Walton fan I enjoyed her memories of the series, and I was dismayed at the negative effect the implants had on her later life. I personally believe breast implants for cosmetic reasons are ridiculous and unnecessary, and felt bad that McDonough so disliked herself that she would opt for this "solution" to her image problems. It is yet another sign of the unrealistic ideas we have given to young women for years, that somehow having big breasts will make them feel "more womanly" and solve their problems. I wish her a brighter and healthier future.

Please note that this is not simply a memoir of McDonough's time on The Waltons. Several reviewers seemed disappointed that this was not the book's only focus. McDonough uses the word "mountain" to not only refer to the series' setting, but to the "mountains" she faced in growing up and with her illness.

Mockingbird, Charles J. Shields
Nelle Harper Lee, whose To Kill a Mockingbird became a classic upon publication, has been all her life an intensely private person. So author Shields was handicapped by not having the input of his subject in writing this memoir, relying on articles and other people's impressions of her to form his text, and I'm sure Miss Lee did not approve.

Nevertheless, I enjoyed this book because I liked the woman that emerged from Shields' research: an individualist, not concerned with fashion, perceptions of young women at the time, or criticism. She forged her own path despite family disappointment in her choices, and friends, classmates, and other acquaintances who thought her "an odd duck." We learn of the real-life town, Monroeville, AL, which inspired the fictional Maycomb, of Miss Lee's childhood with an emotionally troubled mother, her college years in which she honed her writing, and the gift of time she was given by friends to write To Kill a Mockingbird. A good part of the book addresses her friendship with mercurial Truman Capote, and the assistance she lent him while researching his book In Cold Blood. Capote pretty much comes off as I remember him from television talk shows: aggrandizing and flamboyant, yet with a veneer of insecurity.

If nothing else, you get some interesting glimpses behind the scenes of the film version of To Kill a Mockingbird.

Books Finished Since August 1

 The September Society, Charles Finch
I have to admit I was not completely thrilled with the first book in this series. Characters acted like no Victorian characters would act and the hero was continually complaining about his boots when he clearly has enough money to buy new ones. But I quite enjoyed this outing, in which Charles Lenox investigates the disappearance of an Oxford student, his one clue a reference to the mysterious "September Society," while trying to raise the courage to propose to his old friend Lady Jane Grey. The mystery is excellent and kept me guessing, but for me the main draw was the lovely portrait of Victorian Oxford, its various colleges, gathering places, and out of the way alleys.

As always, Finch allows modernisms to sneak in his dialog, which really removes me from the story. Characters say "Terrific" or that another character "is a wreck." I expect "Swell" around a corner someday. YMMV. And the fact that Lenox's lady love is named after a famous historical figure has always disconcerted me. But neither deterred me from the enjoyment of following Lenox through Oxford on the trail of clues. A period mystery that is recommended.

 The Eighty-Dollar Champion, Elizabeth Letts
As a kid I delighted in Whitman Books, frugal "hardcover" (cardboard covered with cellophane-covered color art) volumes with non-acid free paper that is now yellowing, sold in the five-and-ten for 29 cents. They published classics like Little Women and Call of the Wild, TV-tie ins based on everything from Lassie to Wagon Train, series mysteries and adventures (Trixie Belden, Timber Trail Riders, etc.) and a final small category known as "Real-Life Stories" which featured sports stories, military stories, etc—including my favorite, a book with alternating chapters about real-life dogs and horses. It still sits in my library, the cellophane curling off the covers, the spine partially cracked, all due to loving reading and re-reading.

So it was with delight that I saw this book on Amazon Vine and the first thing I exclaimed was "It's Snowman from More Than Courage!"

I really enjoyed this story of riding school teacher Harry De Leyer and the stocky horse he rescued from the glue factory as much as I did the brief passages about the story so long ago. The author does pad the tale a bit, continually commenting on Snowman's stature or attractiveness, or the fact that he'd been a plowhorse at one time, but this did not deter me from the rest of the story about the De Leyer family's struggles and triumphs, Snowman's career, behind the scenes at horse competitions, and Harry's other equine hopefuls. I read the book in one sitting and would definitely recommend it for horse lovers.

 Changes, Jim Butcher
It all begins with Harry Dresden receiving a telephone call from his old lover, Susan Rodriguez. Their daughter has been kidnapped by vampires of the Red Court.

It is a revelation to Harry, as he had no idea they had a child together. But Harry knows the Red Court, and he intends that their daughter should not stay in captivity long. But it will take every friend he has to accomplish a rescue.

One word review: nonstop. I think at some point Harry gets a few hours sleep. Otherwise he is marshaling his friends, gathering information, planning an attack, and trying not to run afoul of Government types who appear to be after him as well. Old friends and enemies make renewed appearances as the suspense builds and builds—and a further familial secret is revealed.

It is not exaggerating to say that Harry's life is turned in an entirely new direction due to the discovery of his child. If you've been following his adventures during the previous dozen novels, this story will be exciting, exhausting, and ultimately startling.

 A Renegade History of the United States, Thaddeus Russell
Every once in a while it's fun to read an off-the-wall history book, and this certainly is one. According to Russell, it wasn't the founding fathers, those supposed bastions of freedom, who actually made the United States free: instead it was the outcasts of society—prostitutes, "Negroes," Jews, the Irish, Italians, drunkards, adulterers, homosexuals, fops, entertainers—who fought for our freedoms, against a society that would restrict them. There's an examination of the American work culture, which so many of these people flaunted (Russell makes the certainly inflammatory statement that slaves actually worked less than the religious- and work-constrained free citizens), and that society tried to mould them into. The first independent women were not educated "bluestockings" like Abigail Adams, but tavern-keepers and madams. Other chapters deal with how shopping and gangsters improved the United States, and how New Deal iconography and actions paralleled Nazi Germany.

This is definitely "not your father's history book."

Whether or not you think Russell is speaking rot or sense, this book tackles segments of society that you rarely see portrayed in history books: not the Big Names, but the everyday Joes. For that examination alone this book is worth reading.

 The Victoria Vanishes, Christopher Fowler
Still troubled by the events in the previous White Corridor and Ten Second Staircase, elderly and eccentric police detective Arthur Bryant fears he's lost final touch with the world and his investigative sense as well. He's planning to hand in his resignation, and events aren't helped when he apparently sees a long-vanished pub during an investigation into a killer targeting middle-aged women at pubs.

Once again the Peculiar Crimes Unit tackles an unusual string of crimes while facing its own mortality; certainly this time they will be shut down, especially when dour Sergeant Renfield is assigned to "keep an eye" on them. Fowler mixes his usual offbeat humor and characters with the history and lore of the classic—and vanishing—English public house. Not as "meaty" as some of the other books, but a worthy entry in the series which sees the team facing an uncertain future.

 Ad Nauseam, Edited by Carrie McLaren and Jason Torchinsky
This is a series of often tongue-in-cheek, but even more disturbing essays about the influence of advertising on our everyday lives and how it has permeated every corner of society, even down to children's elementary school textbooks. (Just the fact that more children could identify typefaces used in advertised products more quickly than they could birds and trees in their own backyards, and the comparison of tests from 1964 and 1988 will make you weep for modern students.) Articles cover how advertising changed over the years, how photos are truly worth a thousand words (and no ideas), how young people perceive advertisements posing as public service statements, how supermarkets are arranged to sell expensive luxury foods rather than staples, and more, with pop quizzes strewn among the chapters. At once depressing and infuriating.

 The Native Star, M.K. Hobson
It begins when Emily Edwards, an accomplished herbalist, makes a love spell: her foster father isn't getting any younger, and their business of selling magical herbs and charms is slow due to a new mail order product, so Emily thinks marriage to a successful timberman who's always been a little sweet on her would be the best thing to provide for "Pap's" old age in their tiny Western town of Lost Pine.

But Emily's plan backfires spectacularly after she tries to help out at a zombie-run mine gone out of control; not only is she is rescued by the insufferable Dreadnought Stanton, a formidable warlock, but she ends up with an odd magical rock embedded in her right hand. When Stanton talks her into going to New York to consult with his mentor, strange things begin happening: pursuit, an encounter with a mysterious Native American spiritual guide...and that's only the first third of the book.

This is a delightful mix of opposites-clash romance story, steampunk Western, and world-in-which-magic-is-common, with Emily as the plucky heroine and Stanton as her reluctant guide. If fantasy and steampunk intrigue you, this may be just your cup of tea; while I bought it not sure I would like the plot, I immediately snatched up the sequel once I was finished!

 Re-Read: The Number of the Beast, Robert A. Heinlein
I finally bought myself a copy of this book after reading it many years ago. It's from Heinlein's "sex is fun" period and there is an intriguing idea behind the story: not only alternate universes, but ones in which the worlds created in novels are real.

The story starts out (literally) with a bang: talented Zebediah Carter meets the beautiful and brainy D. T. (Dejah Thoris), a.k.a. Deety, Burroughs and her professor father Jake at a party given by sharp-tongued Hilda Corners. It's love at first sight for Zeb and Deety (and later Jake and Hilda), and the four plan a dreamy getaway—until Jake's car is blown up just before they get into it. Escaping in Zeb's nifty little flying car, nicknamed "Gay Deceiver," the foursome discovers the kerfluffle is all about Jake's time machine, an invention an alien entity is determined to kill them for. Next thing they know, the foursome are trading quips, endlessly arguing over who should be in charge, and exploring alternate universes—including a Mars radically different from their own and even the magical land of Oz—in fleeing from the "Black Hats." (Oh, yeah, and having lots of sex.)

Unfortunately, the story loses its focus and then strays into all-too-familiar territory when Heinlein's ubiquitous "Lazarus Long" and his family show up. (Surprise...more sex.) The very end is a jumbled mess.

Still, bits are to be enjoyed. And I want "Gay Deceiver." "Gay's a good girl!" "I bet you say that to all the girls." Yes, indeed.

 Service and Style, Jan Whitaker
I read Remembering Woolworths some time ago, and have had a copy of The Grand Emporiums (a chronicle of department stores, most now, sadly, gone) for many years, so I was delighted to find this new history of department stores available. Whitaker covers the rise and fall of the department stores quite thoroughly, with rare but occasional bland prose, well illustrated with advertisements and photographs within the text (and with a color centerfold), including all the changes the stores attempted to make with the times, and the special promotions the stores ran over the years and through the seasons. It's a nifty history starting back in the days when stores had overworked "cash children" and then pneumatic tubes to make change, stores delivered your purchases with horse and wagon, and the ladies' wear department consisted of bolts of fabric, trim, and sewing supplies (only men wore "ready to wear" clothing in the 19th century), and continues through the years when womens' ready-to-wear made the department store, the tea rooms flourished, and Christmas windows became famous.

It's a pity someone can't write a history of the other "five and tens" to match this history of department stores! (This is a hint, someone!) Woolworths wasn't the only player out there...

 Dangerous to Know, Tasha Alexander
Lady Emily, recovering from injuries suffered while trying to help an English girl in Constantinople, is not herself. Knowing her previous actions may have caused her miscarriage, she is moody and depressed, not impressing her imperious new mother-in-law, who wonders what her dashing son Colin saw in this listless woman. Then, while out riding in the Normandy countryside, Emily discovers the dead body of a young woman who appears to have been abused. Later, making the acquaintance of the neighbors George and Margaret Markham, she sees what she thinks may be a ghost.

One could not expect Emily to endure the ordeal of her previous adventure (Tears of Pearl) without being slightly changed. However, I wish Alexander had not rushed the marriage of Emily and Colin. Emily was just discovering her true self after her first husband's death, defying convention by studying Greek and drinking a "man's drink" (port), when she fell in love with Colin. However, Colin, despite his efforts to not restrict Emily's freedom, cannot help reverting to gallant Victorian gentlemen due to his love for her. So Emily spends a good deal of the book mourning her loss, and Colin being overprotective. While it makes it less satisfactory for the fans of a strong Lady Emily, it does intensify the air of Gothic suspense swirling through the plot, despite the distraction of an old friend and the puzzle of a missing painting. The end indeed gets quite creepy.

Just don't expect Emily at her best in this offering.

 Harry Potter and History, edited by Nancy R. Reagan
This is a fun collection of essays about the Harry Potter universe and how it compares to actual history. While it strikes me that as a book more geared to adults it could use a little bit more history of "magic" and "witchcraft" in the actual world and a little bit less referral to events in the Potter books, it didn't keep me from enjoying each discussion. Essays I found particularly of interest were one chronicling the parallels between the Death Eaters and the Nazis, another talking about the use of parchment and scrolls, and especially the two concerning Hogwarts in comparison to actual British boarding schools, and the parallels of two Inquisitions: that in the Potterverse and the real-life persecution of Jews during the Spanish Inquisition. History buffs who are also Potterphiles probably will enjoy this volume.

 Rin Tin Tin: The Life and the Legend, Susan Orlean
We children of the 1950s and the early 1960s remember him well: the courageous German Shepherd dog who protected the boy Rusty in the days of the Old West. But "Rinty" had an earlier life, as a German Shepherd puppy rescued from the carnage of "the Great War" by Leland "Lee" Duncan, a dog whose hit adventure films saved the Warner Brothers studios.

I was almost as fond of The Adventures of Rin-Tin-Tin as I was of Lassie, so in general I found this book enjoyable. We go behind the scenes of the original Rin Tin Tin's silent career, and of the sound serials done by his son, and then into the story is woven the tale of Herbert Leonard, the man who brought Rin Tin Tin to television. It is occasionally a sobering tale, as in the hardscrabble, bleak childhood of Duncan, the thwarting of Leonard's dream to create a new Rin Tin Tin series, and Daphne Hereford's problems in retaining the Rin Tin Tin name. For the canine lover there is also an examination of the changing role of dogs in the 20th century and a look at dogs in motion pictures. And for those fans of the television show, there is much material contained about this now-forgotten series, including the bizarre tale of a man passing himself off as Lee Aaker at autograph events, and some secrets about the dog himself.

My biggest complaint was that I thought the author inserted her own personality into the narrative a bit too much. Some of this stemmed from her own childhood recollections of Rin Tin Tin (including a statue of the dog owned by her grandfather), which I found understandable; still, I wish there had been less of it. However, to anyone who loved Rin Tin Tin in any incarnation, who is interested in movie dogs, or German Shepherd fans, you may find illumination, knowledge, and interest in Rinty's story.

Books Finished Since July 1

 UnSpun, Brooks Jackson and Kathleen Hall Jamieson
Thinking critically about "spin," whether it be political or the product of advertising. I saw this last year among the "required summer reading" books. Apparently some people wanted more specific things to investigate, like websites, politicians, and books, according to the reviews I read. This isn't a book that is partisian. Rather, it gives you examples of words, emotional triggers, and other propaganda tools that should make you "look twice" at a statement of "fact."

 Trolls in the Hamptons, Celia Jerome
Willow Tate, graphic novelist, lives in her family's old New York apartment, envies her cousin Susan, and tries to cope with her odd family, who all have special gifts (grandma's a herbalist; Mom is kind of a "dog whisperer"). Belatedly, Willow discovers she has her own gift: working on a new idea, she draws a red troll—who promptly appears in real life, wreaking havoc on her neighborhood.

Via a sexy British representative of a hush-hush Department of Unexplained Events, Willow learns she's a Visualizer, someone who can bring a fantasy world alive. And, though desperately reluctant, she becomes involved with a kidnapped child, a boy Agent Grant tells her is being forced to break the barriers between the magic world and the human world. The more Willow tries to ignore the threat, the more it is brought home to her.

This is pleasant fantasy fluff with a strong romance novel element (Chapter 24 has a really steamy sex scene). Willow is a plucky but flawed heroine, Grant lends the proper male romance counterpart, and there are some funny quirky characters, including Willow's crusty mother, the deceptive "super" of the apartment building across the street from Willow's apartment, and even a three-legged Pomeranian. I'll definitely pick up the sequel, but be warned: if you're looking for hard fantasy, this isn't it.

 The Penderwicks at Point Mouette, Jeanne Birdsall
In this newest outing with the Penderwick girls, the four sisters are separated for the first time in their lives. While Mr. Penderwick and his new bride (and her baby) are in England for a belated honeymoon, eldest Rosalind will be spending time with her friend Anna in New Jersey while Skye, Jane, and little Batty accompany Aunt Claire to a cottage in Maine.

It's a fun, but occasionally stressful adventure for them all: a guest they were told would not be accompanying them does arrive, Skye feels overwhelmed by her responsibilities as now oldest sister, Jane runs into an unexpected roadblock while doing research for her new "Sabrina Starr" book, and little Batty gets addicted to golf balls—and music! A neighbor and his dog add another spark of interest to the story, and, although at a certain point, as in the proceeding book, a plot point becomes very obvious, by then you are so drawn into the story you are eager to see how it all comes out.

This is such a delightfully old-fashioned book: although it's definitely the present (Aunt Claire and other adults have cell phones, and the books the children are reading are modern), the girls aren't overwhelmed by television and other technology, they explore, fight but don't cat-fight, and aren't drowning in girly "princess" stuff. As much as I hate sports, I wouldn't mind playing a game of soccer with the Penderwick family, and then discuss astronomy with Skye, writing with Jane, and take Batty to see a moose and her calves on a misty summer morning!

 A Woman's Guide to a Healthy Stomach, Jacqueline L. Wolf
Since I occasionally suffer from various types of digestive problems, I was interested to see what this book had to say. It was a bit comforting to read the case histories in this book and to learn that "I am not alone," and that so many women felt embarrassed or frustrated by their conditions.

As this book illustrates, sometimes there are no "easy fixes" with digestive, reproductive, or elimination problems. Dr. Wolf takes various conditions—endometriosis, acid reflux, diarrhea, constipation, bowel irregularities, etc.—chapter by chapter, discussing causes and treatments for each. I found the charts, such as the one for fiber foods, and the one for which bacteria causes what type of food poisoning, very useful. I wish there had been a little more information on diets, but I suspect this can be solved by a more specialized book.

In summary, I found this a satisfactory overview about the subject, a good jumping off point for discussions with a doctor or further research on a particular issue (like celiac disease or IBS.

 The Orchid Affair, Lauren Willig
In the present, perpetual grad student Eloise Kelly and her boyfriend Colin Selwick are in Paris, visiting Colin's mother and his odious stepfather, his cousin Jeremy. But in the world of Eloise's historical investigation of the British spy ring of the "Pink Carnation," Laura Gray, one of the newest graduates of the Selwick spy school, is sent on a delicate mission: to pose as governess to the two children of French official Andre Jaouen. Jaouen was once an ardent revolutionary, but, unknown to the Pink Carnation, is disillusioned at how the freedoms he dreamed of have been turned around by a new "aristocracy" ruled by fear.

Since this is a Pink Carnation book, you can possibly guess the outcome; the "fun" is the ride there, as Laura is endangered by the machinations of Gaston Delaroche and becomes friends with the enemy, including her two charges and their handsome father (shades of The Sound of Music). There's a deceptive lack of tension during a change of venue that builds to a corking ending, while Laura and Andre slowly pull back each other's layers to discover the real person within. A solid entry in the Carnation series. So when's the next? :-)

 Unnatural Issue, Mercedes Lackey
Elemental Earth Master Richard Whitestone goes mad with grief after the death of his wife in childbirth and gives the raising of the child over to his faithful servants, until the day he sees eighteen-year-old Susanne from his window. She is the image of her late mother, and Whitestone's mad mind conceives the idea of bringing back the spirit of his wife and lodging it within his daughter's body. Luckily Susanne discovers the plot and flees; while the White Lodge detects traces of evil magic and sends Lord Peter Ansley to investigate.

There are several things to like about this book, the main being Lackey's Lord Peter Wimsey avatar, Peter Ansley. He and his faithful Bunter stand-in, Garrick, conceive a plan to track down the evil magic, and then to help Susanne, with the help of his landowning friends. I did think it a bit much that the avatar of Peter is also named Peter, and his friend is Charles, the same as in the Wimsey mysteries. Like the other female leads in these Elemental Master novels, Susanne is resourceful and no shrinking violet, and the portion of the book that deals with her service in the war is quite good. I also enjoyed the way Whitestone's real character was revealed as the story progressed. I did find Susanne a bit dull, however; not as compelling as Maya Scott, for example. I would get this from the library first, or wait until the paperback release.

 Hallmark: A Century of Caring, Patrick Regan
Okay, it's a bit of a Hallmark shill, but it's supposed to be. This is a big coffee-table book packed with information about the founding, innovations, and family running of Hallmark Cards. If biographies of executives aren't your thing, there are special pages devoted to the different decades of card designs, insights into the artists behind the cards, including several pages about White House Christmas cards, several pages about J.C. Hall's parallels with Walt Disney, who was also raised in Kansas City, a chapter about television's Hallmark Hall of Fame, and more. This book can be bought at bargain prices, and at those, it is a worthwhile indulgence.


 Queen of the Road, Doreen Orion
What do two successful psychiatrists do when they want a change of place? In the case of Doreen Orion, self-proclaimed home and possessions worshipper, and her husband Tim, they buy a custom-built bus and take a year off to tour the country (after a few months of working the bugs out of the vehicle's custom gadgets) with their standard poodle and two cats, including the one that starts out hiding the moment the bus moves. They travel to 48 states, discover the good and the bad about campgrounds, take in tourist attractions and the joys of visiting relatives, and encounter crickets and other "wildlife." Along the way, Doreen, who initially comes off as self-absorbed, agoraphobic, and frivolous(you'll certainly wonder how she ended up as a practicing psychiatrist), comes to realize that life in the great outdoors, without television and in the company of family and friends, is quite worthwhile after all.

This book can be quite funny, but you may wonder if Ms. Orion has an alcohol problem, given her penchant for concocting a martini for every occasion. She does touch on some neat places and personalities discovered in their cross-country odyssey, but your enjoyment will depend on how well you cope with her quirky personality.

 Discounts, Deals & Steals, Readers Digest Books
For people over 50, advice on bargains for grandparents, for travelers, for everyday spending. A good book if this is what you're looking for.

 Picturing Rhode Island, Maureen A. Taylor
I saw this book in Borders last year on vacation, but the high price tag made me gape. I found an excellent copy used instead, and in general I am pleased, but I wish they'd cut three-quarters of the "esthetic white space." The author advises you to use a magnifying glass to check out the details of the photos; I'd advise making them larger in the first place. This is a book, not a modern art gallery. The photos themselves are super; so many I've never seen before, or angles I've never seen before, of Downtown Providence and Newport, including a sequence of the State House being built, and the cleared landscape before I-95 was built.

What this book needed? Twice as many pages! :-) I couldn't believe there wasn't a picture of the old meeting house in Cranston, or the exterior of the old Normal School, or more of the downtown shopping district, or a few more modern photos of the amusement parks.

 Into That Silent Sea, Francis French and Colin Burgess
When I read In the Shadow of the Moon (a book about the Gemini era in the American space program) three years ago, I didn't realize it was part of a series called "A People's History of Spaceflight" until I bought the volume about the Apollo missions. This is the book about the Mercury era—but what I found most fascinating was that fully half the book concentrates on the Russian Vostok program, with biographies of each of the Soviet astronauts, including Yuri Gagarin, Gherman Titov, and Valentine Tereshkova. Even more intriguing was a chapter about "the Mercury 13," thirteen women pilots, including the famous Jackie Cochran, who attempted to get the space program opened to women.

This is a super series of books for anyone interested in the space program; there is also a volume called To a Distant Day about the rocket pioneers, and books about unmanned spacecraft and Spacelab. Highly recommended!

 Requiem for a Mezzo, Carola Dunn
Daisy Dalrymple only knows one of her neighbors is a gifted mezzo-soprano who lives with her husband and sister. But when she goes next door to borrow a baking item, she finds herself propelled into the lives of the narcissistic parents' favorite Betsy "Bettina" and her plain sister Muriel, Bettina's put-upon husband Roger, and their music students. Still, when Daisy and her Scotland Yard beau Alec Fletcher attend Bettina's performance in Mozart's Requiem, no
one's more surprised than Daisy—or more frustrated than Alec—when vain Bettina is poisoned onstage.

This adventure propels Daisy and Alec into the histrionic world of opera, where each of the suspects has a good reason for wanting Bettina dead, and dozens of alibis as well. There's an entertaining supporting cast, including Alec's faithful sidekick Sergeant Tring, the members of the opera company, and even a brief glimpse at Alec's little daughter Belinda, whose acceptance of "Miss Dalrymple" in Alec's life shows a preview of things to come. Another sprightly adventure in the Dalrymple series, although I guessed early who the real culprit was.

 The Reading Promise, Alice Ozma
Alice's librarian father loved to read to his children's classes, and to his daughters. When Alice was ten, she and her father made a promise that he would read to her every night for one hundred days, no matter what. The one hundred days became a thousand, through colds and adolescence and arguments, then continued into a nightly habit until Alice's first day at college.

This is a book about a bond between a father and a daughter that seems to come about partially to compensate from problems with home life. Her parents' marriage was fragile and eventually her emotionally-troubled mother left, leaving her father to bring up two daughters. Her father held himself aloof from a social life so his daughters would not feel they had been abandoned. So their reading "streak" became a coping mechanism as well as a loving tradition.

Despite the melancholy behind this volume, there are several magical moments in this book, including Alice and her father watching a thunderstorm that reminded me of my own childhood. My mother kept me from being afraid of thunder by telling me it was "the angels bowling," and each loud clap became a strike, a softer one a spare. This chapter had a similar feel. For those who love books, or who have used books to get through those tough moments of their life.

(Note to the editors of this book: why is Alice selling her bicycle door-to-door? Oh, you meant she was pedaling her bicycle, not peddling it! Why didn't you say so?)

 The Dime Novel in Children's Literature
I thought it about time I got to this one, which I bought with interest last year at DragonCon. McFarland is known for publishing narrow-interest, but excellent nonfiction, so I was a bit dismayed as I got into this one. There is much good information about the predecessors of books for children (hornbooks, broadsides, chapbooks, religious tracts) and the way dime novels/series books/pulp magazines were treated the way the internet is vilified today, television was in the 1960s, comic books in the 1950s, radio serials in the 1940s, and the movies in the 1920s, as bad influences on children. (Indeed, even novels were suspect in the 1700s.)

However, the book is pretty badly written, with stiff prose, repeated information, and often conflicting data. In one paragraph, five sentences one after the other begin with the same three words. There are noticeable typos, like "Blumfeld" for "Plumfield" in a list of significant children's books, and the author even states that Nathaniel Hawthorne created the character of Natty Bumppo (I've never read Cooper, but even I know who created one of the most significant early leads in American fiction!). If you are truly interested in dime novels and their influence and appeal to children, I suggest you find a used copy of the book.

Books Finished Since June 1

 A Dog's Life, a "Chicken Soup for the Soul" book
Enjoyable reading for the dog lover, with 101 stories following dogs from puppyhood to old age. Several are amusing, but most are touching, and many will make you cry. If you are familiar with the "Chicken Soup" format, you will know what to expect. Sentimental scoffers need not apply.

 Treason at Lisson Grove, Anne Perry
While Thomas Pitt and his partner Gower head to France in pursuit of a murderer of an important informant, Pitt's superior in Special Branch, Victor Narraway, is dismissed in disgrace for embezzling money that should have bought an Irish informer's freedom and instead spelled his death. When Charlotte is told what has happened, she realizes she must help Narraway since Pitt's professional future depends on his keeping his post. Posing as his sister, she accompanies him to Ireland, where he hopes to ferret out the person from his past who blames him for a family death and who would gain the most satisfaction from his dismissal. It is not long before Narraway, Charlotte, and Pitt all learn they don't know who to trust, as it becomes evident both men were lured from London for some nefarious purpose.

One would not have expected Pitt's career to stay static, and after some years social gossip would have given away the identities of Charlotte and her sister Emily helping Pitt on the society-crime cases of the earlier books. Still, the stories have lost appeal since Pitt went from police detective to national security investigator. Missed is the investigative interaction between Pitt and his former partner Tellman (now married to Gracie Phipps, who makes a welcome cameo in this book), and the ways Charlotte, Emily, and the imperious yet sympathetic Lady Vespasia found to assist him. It also seems out of character for Charlotte to take matters in her own hands to quite the level she does, and the characteristic Perry examination of the supporting characters' underlying emotions, strengths and weaknesses has become quite superficial. For those of you joining this series on this, or the previous book, Buckingham Palace Gardens, please go back to the initial Pitt/Charlotte novels, starting with Cater Street Hangman, to read what this series had going for it in the past.

 Demon Ex Machina, Julie Kenner
Once upon a time Kate and Eric Crowe fought demons together, but they abandoned that life for a normal life raising a child. But there was a secret Eric never told Kate: a demon had been bound to him from childhood. And then Eric was killed when their daughter was nine years old.

Now Kate is remarried and she and her husband Stuart, an attorney, have a toddler son together, and daughter Allison is nearly fifteen. Some time earlier demons had come back into Kate's life and one by one Allison, Kate's best friend, and finally Stuart became aware of it. And Eric returned, his spirit reborn in schoolteacher David Long. And now the demon inside Eric is growing stronger, and with the help of a Demon Hunter gone rogue, is about to escape.

This is a nonstop—except for past exposition—action entry (it looks like the final book) in the series of Kenner's "demon-hunter soccer mom," where Kate realizes that to eliminate the demon she will probably need to kill Eric as well. Repercussions to Kate's marriage, to her relationship with her daughter; to Allison's relationship with her best friend and with her father are all into play here. Definitely suspenseful, although for regular readers of the series the exposition may become tiring.

 Angel With Two Faces, Nicola Upson
In this second of Upson's mysteries based on the real-life mystery writer Josephine Tey, the author is visiting friends in Cornwall for the summer while starting work on a new mystery. Nearby, her friend Inspector Archie Penrose has come back to home soil to attend the funeral of a friend, an accidental death which seems less accidental the more he investigates. Both Josephine and Archie become entwined with those closest to the case: the victim's twin sister and younger sister, a well-loved neighborhood schoolteacher, a young minister full of doubts, and more.

I did not like this second book so well as the first. One of my delights about the first book was how much like a 1930s-written book it was in language and attitude. This one seemed less so, and several events happen which all the characters, including Archie and Josephine, treat with a modern-day sensibility instead of the way people of the 1930s would have reacted. I did find the mystery fairly absorbing, and also enjoyed the description and information about Cornwall and the real-life Minack Theater, but there were reactions to relationships that I didn't understand the protagonists' calm acceptance of.

And while I hate to give spoilers, even though the relationship was consensual, this is NOT a book I would give to read to someone who has familial sexual abuse in their past. Please be warned about this aspect if you purchase this book for yourself or another.

 Once and Future Giants, Sharon Levy
History is about to repeat itself. The prehistoric giants, mammoths, dire wolves, aurochs, saber-tooth tigers, etc., all met their end the same way, at the hands of the two-legged predators known as man. And now man is once again encroaching on the last of the giants, like elephants and whales.

I was raised on theories of mammoths and other megafauna having been made extinct by climate change, so the theory that man may have caused their demise was a new one to me. I used to devour books like this as a child and was similarly absorbed by this theory, plus the concept of rewilding to possibly return damaged ecosystems back to a healthy status. The idea of transferring endangered African species like elephants, lions, and cheetahs to replace their extinct counterparts in North America was intriguing. Also of interest were the chapters about the extinct megafauna of Australia, something I had done little reading about, and a surprising chapter about Nazi attempts to breed aurochs (wild cattle, whose forms were painted by prehistoric hunters) and tarpans (wild horses).

 Rebirth of a Nation: The Making of Modern America, 1877-1920, Jackson Lears
The period of history that this book covers is my favorite in American history, with its combination of the progressive ideas of a group of reformers and the inventions and urbanization that changes the United States from an agrarian to an urban nation. I own several other books covering this period of history and was looking forward to the paperback publication.

In seven chapters, a prologue and a conclusion, Lear examines the highlights and issues of the era: the turning of the Civil War from a conflict chiefly to do with slavery to a romantic vision of battle, the deterioration of the rights of the freed slaves until "Jim Crow" firmly holds them in its grip, the rise of the wealthy industrialists and the "trust busting" that did little to break them, the "taming" of the West (and the inevitable subjugation of the native tribes), the sting of the eugenics movement, the rise of leisure time in the middle class, efforts to help the poor, the jingoism of rising imperialism, women's rights, and finally the destruction that was World War II. It's all presented with numerous anecdotes of the figures of the time, not just Theodore Roosevelt, John Rockefeller, Jane Addams, and William Jennings Bryan, but little mentioned but then well-known personalities like William James, Henry Adams, and the progressive southerners Tom Watson and Henry Grady.

Despite all this, I got the impression it was rather tossed at me pell-mell; not confusing as much as bouncing from one thing to another without taking a breath. Also, a running theme of the militaristic effects of "muscular Christianity" tied much of the anecdotes together.

 A Bitter Truth, Charles Todd
This third in the Bess Crawford mysteries has returned to the complexity of the first volume, after what I thought was a disappointing second book. Bess has briefly returned to her London flat on Christmas leave, preparatory to joining her parents for Christmas. But as she arrives home, she finds a battered woman trying to warm herself in the doorway. Lydia, as Bess discovers through questioning, has been struck during an argument with her Army officer husband; Lydia also immediately clings to Bess and persuades her to accompany her back to her husband's home to confront him. Bess has no sooner arrives than she realizes Lydia's family by marriage is haunted by the death of a child years earlier. But it is when a man is murdered after a family gathering that Bess is drawn into something much deeper than dysfunctional family members.

This is a happy return to a complex family mystery as in the first volume. Bess' investigation into the family mystery seems much more natural than in the previous volume, and she is joined in a search in France by an intriguing Australian soldier. Her father's assistant Simon Brandon is again pivotal in the novel as well. I also enjoyed the atmospheric descriptions, whether it be of Bess' cold return to London, the bleak country surroundings she finds in Sussex, or the smoky battlefields and appalling fate of the war wounded. Bess herself is a favorite of mine; she is practical, if with a tendency to get caught up with anyone who asks her help, and reminiscent of Maisie Dobbs without as much of the introspection.

 A Boston Miscellany, William P. Marchione
This is the delightful anecdotal book I first saw in the National Park Service bookstore in downtown Boston, and bought for myself at the Harvard Coop, a short history of the Hub from its founding to the 1920s, starting with William Blackstone, who later fled to Rhode Island and had several geographical landmarks named after him. Did you know that Beacon Hill used to be a very unfashionable address, containing the town workhouse and jail? That railroads began as a way to haul granite for building? That the prestigious addresses of Newbury and Marlborough Streets were once a fetid swamp? You'll read about Lafayette's visit to Boston, the construction of the first bridges to span the Charles River, the destruction of all but one of the hills upon which Boston was built, and more.