Teaser Tuesday: Marrying the Mistress

"You can't write her off as a gold-digger or a marriage-wrecker or a legal groupie or a sex bomb.  You can't write Dad off, either, as a classic male menopause victim wanting to reassure himself that he could still double the world's population if he wanted to."

-- Marrying the Mistress by Joanna Trollope.

These are the comments of one of the Judge's children when discussing their father's announcement that he is going to marry his long-time lawyer girlfriend.  Unfortunately, he's still married to their mother. 

Teaser Tuesdays is hosted by Should Be Reading, where you can find the official rules for this weekly event.

Happy Memorial Day!

Opening Sentence of the Day: The James Joyce Murder

James Joyce's Ulysses, as almost everybody knows by now, is a long book recounting life in Dublin on a single day: June 16, 1904.

 -- The James Joyce Murder by Amanda Cross.  This is the second in her series featuring English professor Kate Fansler. I haven't read the first one yet, so I am breaking with my usual rule of reading a series in order. I feel so wild.

I think I am really going to like this one. It was published in 1967, so satisfies my recent yearning for vintage mysteries (even if it is past the 1960 cut-off date for the Vintage Mystery Challenge), it has a literary theme (even if I have mixed feelings about Joyce after tackling Finnigans Wake), and it takes place in the Berkshires. 

Opening Sentence of the Day: Marrying the Mistress

 

"It would be advisable," the court official said to the security guard, "just to keep the laddie up here for half an hour."

-- Marrying the Mistress by Joanna Trollope.

I've never read any of her books and am looking forward to this one as pure guilty pleasure. A perfect weekend book. It is about a judge who does, in fact, decide to marry his mistress. And she's a lawyer to boot. Well, well.

Review of the Day: We Have Always Lived in the Castle

It is hard to review a book that I so horribly misinterpreted that I ruined it for myself.

Shirley Jackson's dark masterpiece, We Have Always Lived in the Castle, is a physiologically chilling little novel about the remnants of the Blackwood family, living in their mansion, ostracized by the villagers in their small New England town.

The completely unreliable (unhinged) narrator is 18-year-old Mary Katherine, known as Merricat, who floats around acting like a spooky 12-year-old while her older, long-suffering sister Constance spends her days cooking, putting up preserves, caring for their ill uncle, and otherwise tending the house she is too agoraphobic to leave. Meanwhile, poor demented old Uncle Julian obsesses over his memorialization of the day, six years earlier, when most of the family died.

This is a terrifically creepy book; not scary, but a real psychological study of family madness.

Unfortunately – and this is not a spoiler – I thought it was about ghosts. I thought that Marricat, or maybe all three of the Blackwells – were ghosts and that this was a ghost story. So when people came to visit them, or Merricat went into town, I pondered whether the people could really see them, or just the things they moved around, or just what was going on.

I was completely wrong. The Blackwells aren't ghosts. This isn't a ghost story. I have no idea where I got such a notion. But because I was looking at the story through such a distorting prism, I missed the opportunity to experience the book as it was intended. Drat!

OTHER REVIEWS

If you would like your review of this book listed here, please leave a comment with a link and I will add it.

NOTES

This is on Erica Jong's list of Top 100 20th Century Novels by Women.

Opening Sentence: Knockdown

Mrs. Kerry Sanders looked like no Angel of Death.

-- Knockdown by Dick Francis.

I am on a real Francis jag, but kept avoiding this one because the cover on my copy was off-puttingly cheesy.I'm glad I got over that, because the story is particularly good.

Teaser Tuesday: Brazzeville Beach

Then, in the distance, I heard more hooting and barking.  The other chimps hooted in response.

-- Brazzaville Beach by William Boyd.

This is a great book about a "primate researcher" in Africa.  I am completely sucked in, just like with every Boyd book I've read.

I am reading this as one of my James Tait Black Memorial Prize picks for the 2011 Battle of the Prizes, British Version, Challenge.  William Boyd is one of my favorites.

Mailbox Monday

Thanks for joining me for Mailbox Monday! MM was created by Marcia at A girl and her books (fka The Printed Page), who graciously hosted it for a long, long time, before turning it into a touring meme (details here).

MariReads is hosting in May. Please visit her wonderful blog, where even the banner picture will inspire you to read a good book.

I got two books in my mailbox last week, both review copies. This is bad for my Guilt List, but good for my reading enjoyment.



The First day of the Rest of My Life by Cathy Lamb.

Lamb has something like eight books already and this one coming out in July, but I have not read any of them yet. I am fortunate to get a review copy and look forward to reading a new-to-me author.




Very Bad Men by Harry Dolan.

This is the second in a mystery series set, so far, in Ann Arbor, Michigan and featuring David Loogan.

I loved the first one, Bad Things Happen (reviewed here) and can't wait to dive into this one.  I've recommended the BTH to about 12 people who were just looking for something good to read.

Opening Sentence of the Day: The Chatham School Affair

My father had a favorite line.

-- The Chatham School Affair by Thomas H. Cook.

This won the Edgar Award in 1997. It takes place in a small town on Cape Cod and looks like it is going ot be really good.

Opening Sentence of the Day: Brazzaville Beach

I never really warmed to Clovis -- he was far too stupid to inspire real affection -- but he always claimed a corner of my heart, largely, I suppose, because of the way he instinctively and unconsciously cupped his genitals whenever he was alarmed or nervous.

-- Brazzaville Beach by William Boyd.

I started this one about a year ago, but never got past the first page, despite that attention-grabbing opener.

I am reading this as one of my James Tait Black Memorial Prize picks for the 2011 Battle of the Prizes, British Version, Challenge.  William Boyd is one of my favorites.

What's With the Skimpy Content?

There have been a lot of "Opening Sentence" posts here on Rose City Reader lately. 

My excuse is that I have been so hectic at work and with a landscaping redo at home that I haven't had time to review any books. I blame child abusers and poodle trees.

When I get crazy busy like this, I don't have the attention span for heavy books. I keep reading because it relaxes me, but I've been reading mysteries, chick lit, and other lighter stuff that I read for entertainment. I don't need anything thought-provoking right now -- the point is to let my brain calm down, not rev up!

So I am going through books very quickly, hence all the Opening Sentence posts, but not reviewing or otherwise posting with much substance.  Please bear with me for a while.

Review of the Day: Clouds of Witness

Clouds of Witness is Dorothy L. Sayers' second Lord Peter Wimsey mystery, following Whose Body? In the first, Lord Peter had sprung full-grown from the mind of Sayers, a cross, she said, between Fred Astaire and Bertie Wooster. His backstory included success as an amateur detective in cracking several high-profile crimes. His involvement in solving the murder of an unidentified man found in a bathtub was clever, but somewhat formulaic.

Sayers hit her stride in Clouds. Lord Peter and the other characters are formed more fully and the plot is more intricate, making for a far more satisfying story.

When the fiancé of Lord Peter's sister is found shot dead at a weekend house party, Lord Peter's brother, the Duke of Denver is arrested for murder. Lord Peter, assisted by his intrepid valet Bunter and his police officer buddy, Charles Parker, eventually unravel the mystery, but only after a series of near-misses and nail-biters involving gun-toting Socialists, a violent and jealous husband, a harrowing trans-Atlantic flight, and quicksand. The airplane adventure alone must have given Lord Peter James Bond-like status when the book was first published in 1926.

With her mix of intricate plotting, humor, and style, it is no mystery why Sayers and her hero Lord Peter have remained popular through the decades.

OTHER REVIEWS

If you woudl like your review of this or any other Dorothy L. Sayers book listed here, please leave a comment with a link and I will add it.

NOTES

This is one of my choices for the Vintage Mystery Reading Challenge.  hosted by My Reader's Block.

I am reading Sayers' Lord Peter series in order. I look forward to reading them all. 

Teaser Tuesday: Locations

I do not much like the songs of Edith Piaf, the boulevards of Baron Haussman, the furniture of Louis XIV, the sound of Gertrude Stein, the vainglory of Napoleon or the conceit of Charles de Gaulle.  I distrust, at one level, people who turn ideas into movements; at another, ideas themselves too pressingly articulated.

-- Locations by Jan Morris.

This is Morris explaining the "insular prejudices" that limit her visits to Paris. It is an example of what makes her travel writing so very, very good -- an extraordinary gift of analysis and observation and a willingness to express blunt opinions.

Teaser Tuesdays is hosted by Should Be Reading, where you can find the official rules for this weekly event.

Mailbox Monday

Thanks for joining me for Mailbox Monday! MM was created by Marcia at A girl and her books (fka The Printed Page), who graciously hosted it for a long, long time, before turning it into a touring meme (details here).

MariReads is hosting in May. Please visit her wonderful blog, where even the banner picture will inspire you to read a good book.

I only got one book last week, but it looks like a good one.  This came from the LibraryThing Early Reviewer program:

The Reluctant Detective by Martha Ockley.  It sounds like it is a British version of Julia Spencer-Fleming's Clare Furguson's series -- a female Episcopalian (Church of England) priest in a small town.

Opening Sentence of the Day: Meet me in Venice

Ana Yuan, a plain young woman in a summery blue dress and sandals, never felt even a hint of danger when she boarded the double-decker train from Shanghai to Suzhou on the borders of the Tailhu Lake.

-- Meet Me in Venice by Elizabeth Adler.

I recently read Alder's Invitation to Provence and enjoyed it for the pure entertainment of it. This one caught my eye because I had just put together my list of Venice books.

It is light and fluffy, but that is just what I need right now.

Opening Sentence of the Day: We Have Always Lived in the Castle

My name is Mary Katherine Blackwood.

-- We Have Always Lived in the Castle by Shirley Jackson. This is a crazy weird book. Very funny in a creepy way.

This is on Erica Jong's list of Top 100 20th Century Novels by Women.

Opening Sentence of the Day: Locations

It is a truism that the world grows smaller, and a truism especially obvious to anyone like me, who earns a living by perpetual wandering and writing.

-- Locations by Jan Morris.

Her book on Venice, The World of Venice: Revised Edition, is my favorite armchair travel book of all times.  Oxford was also quite good.

This, instead of Morris's usual exhaustive analysis of one city, is a collection of pieces about 13 separate places.  Her unrivaled eye for detail and willingness to render judgment make each essay a treat.

Teaser Tuesday: The Master Butcher's Singing Club

After a few days of shock and strangeness, days in which people in Argus could talk of nothing else and strained after each detail, explanations stalled.  Just as Roy predicted, Clarisse had disappeared.

-- The Master Butchers Singing Club by Louise Erdrich. How's that for a tease!

Teaser Tuesdays is hosted by Should Be Reading, where you can find the official rules for this weekly event.

Mailbox Monday

Thanks for joining me for Mailbox Monday! MM was created by Marcia at A girl and her books (fka The Printed Page), who graciously hosted it for a long, long time, before turning it into a touring meme (details here).

MariReads is hosting in May. Please visit her wonderful blog, where even the banner picture will inspire you to read a good book.

I hit a couple of library sale shelves when I was out and about last week, snagging an Anthony Powell I've been searching for, filling in some of my books lists, and finding some new mysteries to try:

Afternoon Men by Anthony Powell. His Dance to the Music of Time is my favorite "book" if you can call a 12-volume series one book. I've been looking for this non-Dance book for quite a while.




Death of an Expert Witness by P. D. James (the 6th Adam Dalgliesh mystery; mine has a different cover than the one below).



Death in Holy Orders by P. D. James (the 11th Adam Dalgliesh mystery).



Hangman's Holiday (1933) by Dorothy L. Sayers (published in 1933; short stories, 4 with Lord Peter Wimsey).



Rough Country by John Sandford (a new one for me; I know nothing about it or the author).



Arctic Chill by Arnaldur Indridason (another new one for me; part of a series set in Reykjavik, Iceland).

Happy Mother's Day, Mom!

Bayerische Bücher

I am in love with Bavaria and all things Bavarian, right down to the Griebens in the Schmalz. My Grandpa Fritz came over to America in the 1930s, but we still have many relatives living in Bavaria, including my sister, who is working as a chef at a fancy hotel in Bad Wörishofen.

I'm working on my final plans for our upcoming vacation to beautiful Bavaria.  I've got housesitters lined up, the car rented, and hotels books, now it is time for the really fun stuff of planning activities and sights to see.

It will be my husband's first visit, and it ends with a big family reunion at the mountain inn my Dad's cousin still runs.  That's a lot of family time for Hubby, so I am planning the things he likes to do for the others days -- lots of alpine hikes, charming villages, and a couple of spa days.

So I have my books out today and am planning. I don't have as many travel guides to Bavaria as I thought I did.  These are the books I have, but suggestions would be welcome:

Bavaria by Rodney Bolt.  Mine is an outdated copy of this Cadogan guide, but I don't mind outdated. How much can a Baroque chapel or an Alp change in 10 years?



Karen Brown's Germany: Exceptional Places to Stay and Itineraries.  Brown's guides are always my first place to start when planning a trip, so I did this time too, even though only one of her itineraries covers Bavaria.  We are spending three nights at one of her recommended hotels.



Germany's Best-Loved Driving Tours, published by Frommer's.  Eight of the 25 tours are in Bavaria.  This one has given me several ideas.



Germany, an Eyewitness Travel Guide.  Another great source for what to see in the villages where we will be. I love all the pictures.  

Review of the Day: A Plague of Secrets

A Plague of Secrets is John Lescroart’s latest Dismas Hardy book in a series that keeps getting better and better.

As with most of the books, San Francisco lawyer Dismas Hardy is hired to represent a client accused of murder and, in the course of proving his SODDIt defense (Some Other Dude Did It), must find the real killer before the jury returns its verdict. In this case, the politically connected and wealthy Maya Townshend is on trial for two murders following the deaths of her pot-dealing coffee shop manager and another of her old college buddies.

There is a lot of meat on the bones, with multiple leads, suspects, motives, and possible outcomes, all culminating in an edge-of-the-seat finale. It also has more than great action and a complicated mystery – Lescroart weaves in some bigger ideas about marijuana use and trade, civil forfeiture law, and the scope of personal responsibility.

Lescroart presents portrait of San Francisco that, although run by an imagined cast of politicians, police, judges, lawyers, and civic leaders, is absolutely believable. The same characters people 19 books so far, with Chief of Homicide Abe Glitsky, Hardy's law partners Wes Farrell or Gina Roake, or private investigator Wyatt Hunt stepping into the spotlight in six of them.

Aficionados will appreciate the further development of Lescroart's fictional network. Newcomers can jump right in and enjoy the story even if they haven't read the other books in the series. The mystery stands alone, and Lescroart weaves in just enough background to bring new readers up to speed without spoiling the earlier stories or bogging down the narrative for seasoned fans.

OTHER REVIEWS

If you would like your review of this or any other John Lescroart book listed here, please leave a comment with a link and I will add it.

Author of the Day: John Lescroart

John Lescroart (pronounced "less-kwah") writes intelligent mysteries set in San Francisco. The series features Dismas Hardy as the lawyer/bartender protagonist, but involves an elaborate cast of regulars.

There are even a couple books where Dismas steps aside and other characters take the protagonist role.  These are not technically part of the series, but I include them because they are spin-offs and Dismas always makes a cameo.

These are meaty, character-driven stories with strong plots. Definitely enjoyable.

As a bonus, Lescroart uses San Francisco as more than a pretty backdrop for his stories.  The city -- and its fictionalized but realistic politics, foibles, and history -- plays a major role.  Characters eat at real restaurants, live in real neighborhoods, and drink at real bars, including the Little Shamrock partly owned by the protagonist.  Anyone who knows San Francisco will appreciate the details.

I have read all but the last two. The list starts with the first book in the series:

Dead Irish (Dismas Hardy)

The Vig (Dismas Hardy)

Hard Evidence (Dismas Hardy)

The 13th Juror (Dismas Hardy)

A Certain Justice (starring Abe Glitsky and Wes Farrell)

Guilt (starring Wes Farrell)

The Mercy Rule (Dismas Hardy)

Nothing But the Truth (Dismas Hardy)

The Hearing (Dismas Hardy)

The Oath (Dismas Hardy)

The First Law (Dismas Hardy)

The Second Chair (Dismas Hardy)

The Motive (Dismas Hardy)

The Hunt Club (starring Wyatt Hunt)

The Suspect (starring Gina Roake)

Betrayal (Dismas Hardy)

A Plague of Secrets (Dismas Hardy) (reviewed here)

Treasure Hunt (starring Wyatt Hunt)

Damage (starring Abe Glitsky and Wes Farrell)

The Hunter (starring Wyatt Hunt)

NOTE
Last updated on April 19, 2012.

Opening Sentence of the Day: The Man Who Knew Too Much

Harold March, the rising reviewer and social critic, was walking vigorously across a great tableland of moors and commons, the horizon of which was fringed with the far-off woods of the famous estate of Torwood Park.

-- The Man Who Knew Too Much by G.K. Chesterton.

I downloaded this to the kindle app on my iPhone as my "emergency" book, so that I would never be without something to read in a pinch.  It is free on amazon.

This is a collection of eight related short stories, all mysteries featuring an amateur sleuth named Horne Fisher. I read the first one today and, although I thought the plot was rushed, it was still entertaining.  Chesterton is better known for his Father Brown series, which I haven't read, but think I would enjoy.

I'm on a vintage mystery jag.

Teaser Tuesday: The Autobiography of Alice B. Toklas

In those days Picasso having lived rather sadly in the rue Schoelcher was to move a little further out to Montrouge.  It was not an unhappy time for him but after the Montmartre days one never heard his high whinnying spanish giggle.

 -- The Autobiography of Alice B. Toklas by Gertrude Stein.

This book is terrific for giving the feel of being part of the avant-garde in Paris before WWII. But it is all little snippets like this in an endless stream: a dinner party in Montmartre, a house party in England, a painting exhibition of the new school, afternoon tea with a famous person whose name no longer rings a bell . . .

It is entertaining, but too rich to read more than a few nibbles at a time.  

This book is on several of the lists I am working on: Erica Jong's list of Top 100 Novels by Women, the Radcliffe list of Top 100 Novels of the 20th Century, and my own French Connections list. 

Teaser Tuesdays is hosted by Should Be Reading, where you can find the official rules for this weekly event.

Mailbox Monday

Thanks for joining me for Mailbox Monday! MM was created by Marcia at A girl and her books (fka The Printed Page), who graciously hosted it for a long, long time, before turning it into a touring meme (details here).

MariReads is hosting in May. Please visit her wonderful blog, where even the banner picture will inspire you to read a good book.

Last week was an exciting week for me because my complete set of Kate Atkinson's Jackson Brodie books arrived.  Thanks go to Hachette Book Group for such a wonderful giveaway.

Case Histories (2004)



One Good Turn (2006)



When Will There Be Good News? (2009)



Started Early, Took My Dog (2011) (reviewed here)

Non-Bookish Stuff

My blogger silence the last couple of days is because I am under the gun to get out some invitations to my parents' 50th wedding anniversary celebrations.  The whole family is going to Bavaria, where my father's family came from or still lives. 

Inspired by a collection of scrapbooking and card making books, I came up with these two invitations. One is for a formal dinner on the Friday night.  That will take place at the restaurant at Berggasthof Geiß, the mountain inn still owned by my dad's cousin.

 

The second is for an informal "grillfest" on the Saturday night.More of our Bavarian friends and relatives are coming that night, so the invitation is in German.  My sister, who is working as a chef at a fancy hotel outside of Munich, had to help me with this one.

It doesn't show in the scan, but the words of the invitation are the same green and blue as the front of the card. And, yes, that is my thumbnail in the scan. Oops.

As soon as I get the rest of the envelopes printed, I am hitting the books!