Gee-Gee's bookshelf: Book Reviews
Thursday,
July 25, 2013
I have read several books in the Mary Russel series by Laurie R
King. I have thoroughly enjoyed each one. So when I had an opportunity to
preview The Bones of Paris, I agreed. I was not disappointed.
The setting is Paris during the summer and early fall of
1929. The story takes place mostly in Montparnasse and Montmartre, areas
of ex patriots from England and America and the art community of
Paris. The lead character, Harris Stuyvesant, is a former FBI agent working as
a private detective across Europe. He has been hired to look for a young
American women who has been missing since the end of March. He has a personal
vested interest in finding her because he had had a brief affair with her, and
had wanted to reconnect and develop a more long-term relationship. He was
conflicted because he was also in love with a women he met in England and had
wanted to marry. But after a terrible event, she did not want to see anyone and
did not want to pursue their relationship.
There are many colorful people and locations, both real and
part of Ms King's imagination. She has woven together a highly suspenseful
story, beautiful and hideous settings, and participants
from quirky to psychotic. Paris is as much a character in the story
as any of the people.
This book is intelligent, challenging, filled with interesting
(at times frightful) characters and a story with more twist and turns than a
ride in the Alps. If you like mystery and suspense, historical settings and
colorful characters, this book is for you.
As an aside, Harris reminded me of the venerable Toby
Peters of the mysteries by Stuart M Kaminsky: hard-headed, a tough exterior
with a romantic heart, and continually charging into physically abusing
situations to find the person in distress.
Wednesday,
June 19, 2013
This
book was written in 1938 and reads like a 30's movie. I could hear the
"tough guy" accents and the "doll's" flirtatious
"innocents". Some attitudes and words were not politically correct,
something I wouldn't excuse in a current book, but take time and culture into
account with this book. In my mind's eye, I could see the art deco style of the
museum and other buildings mentioned.
The mystery was clever and took
interesting twists and turns. The repartee between school teacher Hildegarde
Withers and Detective Oscar Piper was fun, sexist on his part and not talking
it on her part, and mildly reminiscent of Topper, Tom and Tuppence, and Hepburn
and Tracey.
I found this interesting enough, I am planning to buy the next book in the
series to see if it improves in complexity. For a quick, light read, it was
entertaining, perfect for a summer vacation read.
Wednesday,
June 12, 2013
I have always been intrigued by
stories of time travel. I have often wished that I could time travel, and I
love to see what new way of travel has been invented by each author.
Ms Price starts the story with a
21st C divorced woman, self-employed, with 2 young children. She lives in
Oakland and takes periodic forays into San Francisco. She begins to have odd
dreams, and over a few days begins to sense she is entering into another time
in San Francisco. I found the first 20% of the book a bit tedious and slow. Ms
Price put so much time into describing what Robin was seeing and experiencing,
but was very short on plot movement. If I hadn't made a commitment to write a
review, I may not have finished the book. But I am very glad I stuck with it.
Robin begins to recognize that she
enters into another body when she awakens in 1900. Without giving away any more
of the plot, I found the story to be creative and interesting, filled with
heart-pounding moments, and episodes of caring and sensitivity. Robin searches
for her purpose in moving between the two time periods, and learns that her
actions can have effects that she cannot foresee. She and her love interest in
1900, move cautiously to try to prevent a catastrophe caused by 2 people trying
to rob a bank. I found it very satisfying that their first few attempts did not
turn out as they had hoped, and, the consequences increase with each attempt to
intervene. From a gentle strolling pace, the story begins to gradually
accelerate until it becomes a heart-pounding race to save the potential
victims. And as the story concludes, Ms Pace creates a very satisfying full
circle to the story.
This is one I highly recommend.
Another review alludes to other books in this series, and, if true, I will be
first in line to get the next book!
Thursday,
June 6, 2013
Death in the Vines has just been
published. As an amateur reviewer, I received a free copy. I did not initially
realize that this book was the third one in a series. But I had no difficulty
completely enjoying this story.
It takes place in Provence, France, and area about which I know almost nothing.
So the cultural practices and scenery descriptions were wonderful. I felt as if
I had literally seen a small glimpse into the area, and I would definitely like
to visit it now.
The story inter-weaves three plot
lines in a masterful manner. There are a series of rare wine thefts at one
winery, there are two disappearances of an elderly lady that ends with her
being found dead after her second disappearance, and, there seems to be a
serial killer starting a spree.
One knows there are interactive relationships between these three plots, but it
is not clear in what ways until the very end.
One element that I liked especially
is that all the plot lines were not resolved in a neat package at the end, but
each one resolved in it's own time over the last third of the book.
I am highly recommending this book.
It is a good piece of literature. It is a finely crafted mystery. There are
interesting, multi-layered characters. And then there is the setting of
Aix-en-Provence, the wine country, and small town life. I am going to find the
first two books in the series and finish those as well!
Saturday,
May 25, 2013
The book focuses on Joanne, her husband, Zack
Shreve, and their daughter, Taylor. Taylor has come to live with Joanne and
Zack through partially reveal circumstances that have probably been more fully
explained in earlier books in the series. Taylor is a soon-to-be 15 year old
with considerable artistic talent. She is the birth daughter of a famous artist
and there is much concern by Joanne and Zack that Taylor follows a much less
destructive path that her mother.
The story is set in Regina, Saskatchewan, and the beauty of
the area is deftly folded into the narrative. Taylor has had two paintings
chosen for a charity art auction, her first public showing. She is well aware
of her birth mother's life and talent, and is very afraid of not living up to
her mother's standards. (Her mother died when she was only 4 years old, and
came to live with Joanne and Zack when she was 11 years old.)
Taylor's model for one of the paintings is a 19 year old
fellow artist in the same art school. At the art auction, it becomes obvious to
all that he is having an affair with the sponsor of the auction. Taylor is
clearly upset. Her parents are concerned because little is know about him and
he is beginning to have a strong influence over Taylor. When the older woman is
found dead Joanne and Zack confront the older woman's husband, one of Zack's
best friends. Who killed the socialite? Zack's friend? The young model/lover?
And how can Joanne and Zack shield Taylor form all the gossip and danger?
This is not a high-speed chase, bloody, action story. This
is an exploration of who is "family", how the past informs the
present, what friendship means, and can our love protect those we love. Ms
Bowen is a skilled writer. She is explores family dynamics, informed parenting,
life-style decisions, and the gray areas between "good" and
"evil". I was "hooked" very early on in the book and
followed all the twist and turns with interest, at times, anxiety, and always a
desire to find out how all is resolved. It felt as if I was watching a movie; I
was very much drawn into the story.
I highly recommend that if you like a good mystery without all
the gore and violence, you read The Gifted. It is available for pre-order.
Friday,
May 17, 2013
The Orphan Master's Son, by Adam
Johnson, is one of the most compelling books I have ever read. It is the story
of a man's journey from childhood throughout his entire life. It is a story of
North Korea in the recent past. It is a story of evil, brutality, the human
need to connect with others, the meaning of love, and ultimate triumph.
This book is not for the faint of
heart. In it, unspeakable atrocities are described in vivid detail. What is
more disturbing to me, is the cold determination of the abusers, and their
ability to justify what they do in the name of loyalty and national security.
It makes me weep for the slippery slope we have embarked upon in our
owncountry. Photos of our own soldiers torturing and humiliatingcaptured
"enemies" too often came to mind.
But Mr. Johnson is a master
storyteller, weaving glimpses of hope, humanity, and even love, into the story
so that one is compelled to continue. I began to feel I was in the story, and
it was very hard to put it down to do mundane things like laundry, grocery
shopping, and cooking dinner. It is easy to see why he won a Pulitzer prize for
this book. The picture of North Korean life reinforced my gratitude for
living in this wonderful country, but it also highlighted areas where we have
so much to improve: the poverty and lack of decent education of so many of our
citizens, the high rate of people incarcerated compared to the rest of the
Western world, and the level of violence in our country. There are large areas
of our country where people live with just as much fear and despair as the
citizens of North Korea. This book has compelled me to do more to work toward
improvement here at home.
I highly recommend this book, but
warn that it is not an "easy" read. I had to pray constantly as I
read; for the millions (billions?) of people throughout the world for whom the
life described is a reality, for the wisdom to see whatever part I play in
creating this awful reality, and for the courage to work toward peace and safety
for all.
Wednesday,
May 1, 2013
If you like period stories (WWII), intrigue, strong women and danger, this is
the book for you. Publishing date in May 21, but can be pre-ordered now.
Wednesday,
April 24, 2013
This is
the first book in the Vejay Haskell series. Years ago I read several books in
the Julie Smith series and thoroughly enjoyed them.
I enjoyed
the book and will read others in the series, but there is a BUT… I found Vejay
a bit annoying at times. For someone so accomplished and self-reliant, she
could be incredibly immature (her opening argument with Frank, the character
who is murdered), and ignorant (taking dangerous risks on her own). What is it
about smart women that cause them to think they know better than the police in
a case? I know, there wouldn’t be a story without Vejay going off on her own.
But I know there are other authors who keep suspense alive without the main
character acting as ignorantly as Vejay does. (China Bayles, Maisie Dobbs,
Maxie of Maxie and Stretch, to name a few) I found myself annoyed with her
immaturity or know-it-all attitude to completely immerse myself in the book.
The setting is Paris during the summer and early fall of 1929. The story takes place mostly in Montparnasse and Montmartre, areas of ex patriots from England and America and the art community of Paris. The lead character, Harris Stuyvesant, is a former FBI agent working as a private detective across Europe. He has been hired to look for a young American women who has been missing since the end of March. He has a personal vested interest in finding her because he had had a brief affair with her, and had wanted to reconnect and develop a more long-term relationship. He was conflicted because he was also in love with a women he met in England and had wanted to marry. But after a terrible event, she did not want to see anyone and did not want to pursue their relationship.
There are many colorful people and locations, both real and part of Ms King's imagination. She has woven together a highly suspenseful story, beautiful and hideous settings, and participants from quirky to psychotic. Paris is as much a character in the story as any of the people.
This book is intelligent, challenging, filled with interesting (at times frightful) characters and a story with more twist and turns than a ride in the Alps. If you like mystery and suspense, historical settings and colorful characters, this book is for you.
As an aside, Harris reminded me of the venerable Toby Peters of the mysteries by Stuart M Kaminsky: hard-headed, a tough exterior with a romantic heart, and continually charging into physically abusing situations to find the person in distress.
The mystery was clever and took interesting twists and turns. The repartee between school teacher Hildegarde Withers and Detective Oscar Piper was fun, sexist on his part and not talking it on her part, and mildly reminiscent of Topper, Tom and Tuppence, and Hepburn and Tracey.
I found this interesting enough, I am planning to buy the next book in the series to see if it improves in complexity. For a quick, light read, it was entertaining, perfect for a summer vacation read.
I have always been intrigued by stories of time travel. I have often wished that I could time travel, and I love to see what new way of travel has been invented by each author.
Ms Price starts the story with a 21st C divorced woman, self-employed, with 2 young children. She lives in Oakland and takes periodic forays into San Francisco. She begins to have odd dreams, and over a few days begins to sense she is entering into another time in San Francisco. I found the first 20% of the book a bit tedious and slow. Ms Price put so much time into describing what Robin was seeing and experiencing, but was very short on plot movement. If I hadn't made a commitment to write a review, I may not have finished the book. But I am very glad I stuck with it.
Robin begins to recognize that she enters into another body when she awakens in 1900. Without giving away any more of the plot, I found the story to be creative and interesting, filled with heart-pounding moments, and episodes of caring and sensitivity. Robin searches for her purpose in moving between the two time periods, and learns that her actions can have effects that she cannot foresee. She and her love interest in 1900, move cautiously to try to prevent a catastrophe caused by 2 people trying to rob a bank. I found it very satisfying that their first few attempts did not turn out as they had hoped, and, the consequences increase with each attempt to intervene. From a gentle strolling pace, the story begins to gradually accelerate until it becomes a heart-pounding race to save the potential victims. And as the story concludes, Ms Pace creates a very satisfying full circle to the story.
This is one I highly recommend. Another review alludes to other books in this series, and, if true, I will be first in line to get the next book!
Death in the Vines has just been published. As an amateur reviewer, I received a free copy. I did not initially realize that this book was the third one in a series. But I had no difficulty completely enjoying this story.
It takes place in Provence, France, and area about which I know almost nothing. So the cultural practices and scenery descriptions were wonderful. I felt as if I had literally seen a small glimpse into the area, and I would definitely like to visit it now.
The story inter-weaves three plot lines in a masterful manner. There are a series of rare wine thefts at one winery, there are two disappearances of an elderly lady that ends with her being found dead after her second disappearance, and, there seems to be a serial killer starting a spree.
One knows there are interactive relationships between these three plots, but it is not clear in what ways until the very end.
One element that I liked especially is that all the plot lines were not resolved in a neat package at the end, but each one resolved in it's own time over the last third of the book.
I am highly recommending this book. It is a good piece of literature. It is a finely crafted mystery. There are interesting, multi-layered characters. And then there is the setting of Aix-en-Provence, the wine country, and small town life. I am going to find the first two books in the series and finish those as well!
The book focuses on Joanne, her husband, Zack Shreve, and their daughter, Taylor. Taylor has come to live with Joanne and Zack through partially reveal circumstances that have probably been more fully explained in earlier books in the series. Taylor is a soon-to-be 15 year old with considerable artistic talent. She is the birth daughter of a famous artist and there is much concern by Joanne and Zack that Taylor follows a much less destructive path that her mother.
The story is set in Regina, Saskatchewan, and the beauty of the area is deftly folded into the narrative. Taylor has had two paintings chosen for a charity art auction, her first public showing. She is well aware of her birth mother's life and talent, and is very afraid of not living up to her mother's standards. (Her mother died when she was only 4 years old, and came to live with Joanne and Zack when she was 11 years old.)
Taylor's model for one of the paintings is a 19 year old fellow artist in the same art school. At the art auction, it becomes obvious to all that he is having an affair with the sponsor of the auction. Taylor is clearly upset. Her parents are concerned because little is know about him and he is beginning to have a strong influence over Taylor. When the older woman is found dead Joanne and Zack confront the older woman's husband, one of Zack's best friends. Who killed the socialite? Zack's friend? The young model/lover? And how can Joanne and Zack shield Taylor form all the gossip and danger?
This is not a high-speed chase, bloody, action story. This is an exploration of who is "family", how the past informs the present, what friendship means, and can our love protect those we love. Ms Bowen is a skilled writer. She is explores family dynamics, informed parenting, life-style decisions, and the gray areas between "good" and "evil". I was "hooked" very early on in the book and followed all the twist and turns with interest, at times, anxiety, and always a desire to find out how all is resolved. It felt as if I was watching a movie; I was very much drawn into the story.
I highly recommend that if you like a good mystery without all the gore and violence, you read The Gifted. It is available for pre-order.
The Orphan Master's Son, by Adam Johnson, is one of the most compelling books I have ever read. It is the story of a man's journey from childhood throughout his entire life. It is a story of North Korea in the recent past. It is a story of evil, brutality, the human need to connect with others, the meaning of love, and ultimate triumph.
This book is not for the faint of heart. In it, unspeakable atrocities are described in vivid detail. What is more disturbing to me, is the cold determination of the abusers, and their ability to justify what they do in the name of loyalty and national security. It makes me weep for the slippery slope we have embarked upon in our owncountry. Photos of our own soldiers torturing and humiliatingcaptured "enemies" too often came to mind.
But Mr. Johnson is a master storyteller, weaving glimpses of hope, humanity, and even love, into the story so that one is compelled to continue. I began to feel I was in the story, and it was very hard to put it down to do mundane things like laundry, grocery shopping, and cooking dinner. It is easy to see why he won a Pulitzer prize for this book. The picture of North Korean life reinforced my gratitude for living in this wonderful country, but it also highlighted areas where we have so much to improve: the poverty and lack of decent education of so many of our citizens, the high rate of people incarcerated compared to the rest of the Western world, and the level of violence in our country. There are large areas of our country where people live with just as much fear and despair as the citizens of North Korea. This book has compelled me to do more to work toward improvement here at home.
I highly recommend this book, but warn that it is not an "easy" read. I had to pray constantly as I read; for the millions (billions?) of people throughout the world for whom the life described is a reality, for the wisdom to see whatever part I play in creating this awful reality, and for the courage to work toward peace and safety for all.
If you like period stories (WWII), intrigue, strong women and danger, this is the book for you. Publishing date in May 21, but can be pre-ordered now.
Bel Canto by Ann Patchett
I have been completely enthralled by this book. I am writing this review at 2am because I couldn't stop reading until I finished the book, and now I can't get to sleep; I am so filled with the characters, the opera singing, the unfolding of life and love. The story was first conceived during the Japanese Embassy take-over in Peru in the mid-1990's. The idea of how the terrorists and the captives would interact intrigued Ms. Patchett. There is a gentle unfolding of trust, friendship and even love. Hidden gifts bloom is this space where it seems there is nothing to do. If you love explorations of characters, the struggle to understand those who are different from us, and then to discover similarities, this book is for you. I felt as though I was taken to the heights of what is good in humankind, and plunged to the depths of hell that is created when fear reigns.
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