ARABESK - Barbara Nadel

Arabesk by Barbara Nadel

When you travel do you try to read books that relate to your destination?  I've done it a few times but it always had to do with Great Britain (surprise).   My friend, Liz, directed me to Barbara Nadel who writes murder mysteries that take place in Istanbul. I downloaded her book, Arabesk, to my Kindle and read it during my visit there last summer.

Lots of fun to read about real neighborhoods and sites in a fictional book as I roamed around Istanbul. The star of the series is Inspector Cetin Ikmen, who is home on medical leave and getting pretty antsy.  So his, protege, Mehmet Suleyman, is in charge of the newest murder investigation.  Normally, these exotic names would be hard to keep track of but they became the norm during my travels.

The story is about the murder of a young mom with connections to a famous music star and an aging actress.  Lots of interesting characters who I think are part of the series with a few side stories that also kept my attention. I'm needing an Istanbul fix so I will add another of Nadel's to my reading list.

WOLF HALL - Hilary Mantel

Taking a little break from nonstop posts about my recent summer travels to bring you a book review.

Okay--I'm a little late to the game.  Some of my favorite bloggers read Wolf Hall two years ago.  I finally started reading it last month and just finished.

It started out strong, and then I lost track of  few characters and suddenly after about 100 pages it all started clicking and it was hard to put down (even harder to hold since it is a little over 500 pages).  Rarely do I read historical fictions--I prefer the real thing.  But, boy, did Hilary Mantel get it right.  The fun part is she tricks you into forgetting that you do actually know how how it all ends.

The story focuses on Thomas Cromwell and Henry VIII moving toward establishing the Church of England due to the king's desire to divorce his Queen, Katherine of Aragon, to marry the devious Anne Boleyn.  Brutal climate, intrigue, and enough historical facts to make you believe you know what's going on. Glad I read it.

My only complaint is the length of the book--532 pages. 

FINALLY TO CHATSWORTH - INTERIORS

What a gorgeous day at Chatsworth.  Just look at those colors!

Certainly, we were meant to be there on a day like this.

           I suspect you know that Chatsworth is home to the Duke and Duchess of Devonshire.
And, of course, you are fully aware that Chatsworth was used for the exterior shots of the 2005 film Pride and Prejudice.  

                           The famous Georgiana, Duchess of Devonshire, lived at Chatsworth.
                     You probably read all about her in Amanda Foreman's excellent biography.

                       Deborah Mitford Cavendish, the current Dowager Duchess of Devonshire
                                        Her biography Wait for Me!: Memoirs is a delight.
                                                     

               How about a tour of the interiors of this majestic estate?  The artwork is astounding.
Paintings, sculptures, tapestries, wood carvings, metalworks, and more fill Chatsworth up to the attics.

         Paintings by Thomas Gainsborough, John Singer Sargent,  and Pierre-Auguste Renoir, are just a      few of the artists in the Chatsworth collection.

                                          Paintings fill up the walls along the hallways

                                                 and on the ceiling of the grand entrance hall.

       And tucked under those gorgeous stairs in the entrance hall is a ping pong table for family fun.
                                                       

                                                      Dazzling porcelains all lined up
                           Perfect illustration as to why grouping collections has such impact

                                                   Hand painted Chinese wallpaper from 1830
               I loved this so much that I bought several items in the gift shop depicting this pattern

                                                      The Mary, Queen of Scots room
                                                        A little cramped but I'll take it

                                            Picture taken in honor of my sweet niece, Ellie.

                                           Different chair but love the fabric combination

    Don't you just want to crawl into that bed, pull tight the bed hangings, sleep the sleep of the just,
                                and then be awakened with tea and toast served on a tray?

                                                       

                                         And how about ending the day in the library?
Sitting in one of those cosy chairs (I'm thinking the dark green velvet chair on the left side would be            perfect), reading a good book in the middle of a 'dark and stormy night' is my idea of heaven.

                                                            "A Veiled Vestal Virgin"
                                                                by Raffaelle Monti    
                                                               Marble, yes, marble

               
                                                                   The dining room

                     
                                                                The dining room
                                      (Couldn't decide which shot to use so I posted both)

               
                                                  Entering into the sculpture gallery

         This is how I felt after touring Chatsworth, with hand to heart and a wistful look on my face.                                            
                                           Next post: The Gardens of Chatsworth

NECESSARY AS BLOOD - Deborah Crombie

I love this series! Of course, I have only read two (well, three, I read one several years ago but can't really remember much other than I liked it). But Mary's Library notes all the books are good in this series. I'm taking her word for it as I happily read through.

This is the 13th in the Duncan Kincaid and Gemma James series by Deborah Crombie.  No Mark Upon Her (which I reviewed here) is Crombie's last book to date (#14).  Necessary as Blood is #13.  So, once again I read it out of order which didn't bother me a bit.

The story takes place in the East End of London where a beloved local  artist goes missing, her husband is found murdered months later, and the future of their sweet young daughter is unsure.  All this while Gemma and Duncan try to get married.

Not sure which book in the series I will read next, but I've downloaded book #1, A Share in Death, as well as #12 Where Memories Lie.

CAMBRIDGE BLUE - Alison Bruce

My friend, Lisa, recommended so I had a sample sent to my Kindle, finished reading the sample and immediately pressed "buy this book".  The opening chapter grabbed me and pushed me onward.

Cambridge Blue, written by Alison Bruce, is the first in a series depicting the young Gary Goodhew as a detective constable in Cambridge, England.  Fast paced, good plot, although I did figure out the murderer (which always makes me feel super smart) I still enjoyed the book.  More explicit than I usually read so fair warning if you prefer more glossing over of the details, if you know what I mean.

Also, the Kindle version has lots of mistakes which I probably should report to Amazon.

NO MARK UPON HER - DEBORAH CROMBIE

Another murder mystery series that some folks think should be read in order.  I didn't and still loved it.  No Mark Upon Her is a Duncan Kincaid and Gemma James detective mystery written in current time.  Kincaid is a Scotland Yard Detective Superintendent and his wife (finally!) Gemma James is a Detective Inspector from the Notting Hill police station in London.  Love these two.

This time, they are called in to resolve the case of another senior police officer who is found dead in the waters of the Thames while  training as a rower for the Olympics.  Very good stuff.  This series is well-written, not grisly or too graphic, and there is nice thread of personal relations between Kincaid and James that I enjoy.

Thanks to Mary's Library I'm going to read more of the books in this series working backwards.

THE HOUSE OF SILK - ANTHONY HOROWITZ

After hearing the very funny (and British) Anthony Horowitz speak at an author's luncheon here in Phoenix, I bought two of his books, one for me and one for a friend.  I was first impressed that Horowitz is the creator and writer of Foyle's War and I love that series.  You may be familiar with his other television creations such as Midsomer Murders and Poirot.  He also writes the popular Alex Rider novels (a teenage adventure series) which didn't ring a bell with me but has sold over 12 million books worldwide.  As you can see the guy is talented.

Horowitz was asked by the Arthur Conan Doyle Estate to write a new Sherlock Holmes novel. The House of Silk  is fast paced and the voices of Holmes and Watson ring true. Mycroft and Lestrade are involved as is Mrs. Hudson.  The plot is interesting which turns to disturbing when the real meaning of "The House of Silk" is revealed.

If you are a diehard Holmes fan, I think you will enjoy.

THEN AGAIN - Diane Keaton

Diane Keaton is quirky and classic and I've always liked her acting--even when the movie was terrible. Her recently published  biography, Then Again, begins with excerpts from her mother's journals which Keaton uses throughout as a comparison of their two lives. She was very close to her mom and this book pays honor to her. I listened to this book on audio CD narrated by Diane Keaton which made it all the better. Keaton's voice at times was emotional but it always fit the subject matter (usually talking about her mom or dad).

This woman loves and enjoys her family--her parents, sisters, brother, and now her children.  I didn't realize Keaton grew up in Orange County, California.  She always struck me as the New York type.  It was fun to hear her mention various places around Orange County since I love the place and have been there a zillion times.

Keaton describes her relationships with Woody Allen, Al Pacino, and Warren Beatty with enough detail to make it interesting but always respectful. I would have loved more information about her success at restoring houses and more behind the scene stories from movie sets.  But all in all I enjoyed this book.

ARTISTS IN CRIME - Ngaio Marsh - Book Review

I had completely forgotten about Inspector Roderick (Rory) Alleyn until my friend Lisa reminded me.  Dame Ngaio Marsh wrote over 30 books with British detective Alleyn as the superstar.

I'm not one to necessarily read a series in order (which surprises me since I like order). Years ago I read Death in a White Tie written in the late 1930's and liked Marsh's style but then forgot about her.  Last year I enjoyed the book Last Ditch written in the late 70's which is about a drug smuggling case and includes Inspector Alleyn's son.

This year, I read Artists in Crime, the story that introduces Rory to his future wife, the painter Agatha Troy. What fun to see a very confident and sure of himself Alleyn get a little wobbly and doubtful when paired up with no nonsense Troy.  The story opens with Alleyn meeting Troy on a ship somewhere around Fiji.  It doesn't go well and they split once they return to England.  Their next meeting is rather grim.  A model posing for Troy's art class is murdered and every member of the class, including Agatha Troy, a suspect.  And, of course, Inspector Alleyn is assigned the case.

The detective work is interesting, the characters very well-developed (I could always tell who was doing the talking), and the usual folks that surround Alleyn are in force.  The relationship between Alleyn and his mother, Lady Alleyn, reminds me a bit of Lord Peter Wimsey and his mother, the Dowager Duchess of Denver.  A solid murder mystery, excellent returning characters, humor, and a bit of romance equals a good read.

KNIVES AT DAWN - Andrew Friedman - Book Review

My friend Liz gave this to me for my birthday so I jumped into the whole new crazy world of intense cooking competitions.  Wow.  I had no idea.

Knives at Dawn written by Andrew Friedman tells the story of well known chefs, Daniel Boulud and the French Laundry's Thomas Keller,  working to improve the United States chances of winning the Bocuse d'Or, considered to be the most prestigious cooking competition in the world, and one that heavily favors European chefs. It's about creative technique, taste, presentation, and timing. When you see that description in print it doesn't seem like such a big deal.  But it is and it takes months if not years to prepare.


What I found most interesting was the background of the chefs themselves.  Especially the ones I was more familiar with such as Boulud and Keller.  They in turn bow to the great French chef, Paul Bocuse, now 85 years old.

For as long as I can remember chefs have been treated like rock stars so I was surprised to read it was not always the case.   Friedman writes the following about Bocuse, "he is widely recognized as the first of his comrades to march proudly into the dining room to commingle with the clientele, an act of emancipation that helped his professional brethren migrate from the heat of the kitchen to the glare of the spotlights."

Quoting Alain Sailhac, another living French culinary legend, "We chefs and celebrity chefs owe so much to Bocuse; we were domestiques, now we are nobility," said Alain Sailhac.  "Sailhac remembers that when he was a young cook in France, before the Bocuse reformation, he would conceal his profession from young women he was courting; if forced to confess that he worked in a restaurant, he would claim that he was a chef de rang, or dining room captain, which had more cachet."

While this book is about the competition itself, it also covers the culture of some of the top kitchens and training of its staff.  There is also little tidbits such as this one, "in competition a combination of textures is essential: the three primary ones being 'crisp/cruchy, meaty, and soft.' By way of illustration, ....apple pie a la mode,..the most popular dessert in the world, has all three: the crust is crunchy, the apple is meaty, and the ice cream is soft."   Doesn't apple pie sound good right now?

If you are interested in the culinary world this book is worth reading.

WICKED AUTUMN - Malliet - Book Review

First, never read two murder mysteries in a row set in an English village with the vicar playing amateur detective.  I had to frequently stop to straighten out the characters and their backgrounds.  What was I thinking?

G.M. Malliet's Wicked Autumn was a fun read with a few of the characters a little too stereo-typed for my liking.  The over-bearing woman who terrorizes everyone into submission (has victim written all over her), the classic village gossip line, the flirty divorcee, etc.  But, I liked the vicar's background--former MI5 agent turned priest which added a new twist. And the plot was clever and clipped along pretty fast with a good wrap-up ending.

I read this on my Kindle and one of the downsides is that I couldn't easily skim through finding the quote I wanted to use in this review, so hence: no quotes. Bottom line: worth a quick read.

TWELVE DRUMMERS DRUMMING - Benison

As is my usual practice, I finished a serious book and quickly jumped into some fiction. Specifically, a British cozy called Twelve Drummers Drumming by C.C. Benison.  I found this little gem from Mary's Library.

I've not read anything by Benison before (aka Doug Whiteway from Canada) and this book introduces us to Father Tom Christmas, the first in the Father Christmas mystery series.  A very likeable chap (as is usually the case in British cozies) who is recently widowed and is raising his nine year old daughter in the small English village of Thornford Regis.

There is a serious undertone to the story which I liked and the characters were not over blown.  And I figured out who the killer was early on (which made me feel super smart).  A worthwhile read.

CHARLES DICKENS: A LIFE - Tomalin - Book Review

Claire Tomalin knows how to write a biography, that's a fact. If you haven't read Tomalin's Jane Austen and Samuel Pepys biography, I hope you will.  Both were excellent.  Tomalin's books are well-researched, thoughtful, and she's good at putting all the pieces together.  But Charles Dickens A Life was a bit painful and I think it was because frequently Dickens was a monster (Samuel Pepys was no boy scout but I didn't have any expectations that he was). Dickens could also be more generous than anyone in his position.  Meaning he wasn't landed gentry, had a wife and ten kids to feed, parents and siblings to assist, yet he was always looking to help or mentor others when he wasn't being vindictive or cruel.

If you have this warm fuzzy picture of Charles Dickens in your mind and you don't want that to change, then don't read this or any other of his biographies.  The less known the better. The facts aren't pretty but they are very interesting. I'm sure you've heard people say, "you either love him (or her) or hate him", but in this case lots of people both loved and hated Dickens including his own children. 

What I liked was knowing how many failures Dickens had yet he kept writing.  Some books were genius (Great Expectations) others considered terrible, and still others considered half good, half worthless.  But he was good at his craft, believed in his ability, and so kept on going to produce some of the greats in English Literature. That's a good lesson for all of us attempting anything we believe worth doing.

His daughter, Katey, said to Bernard Shaw "that she wished someone would correct the prevailing view of Dickens as 'a joyous, jocose gentleman walking about the world with a plum pudding and a bowl of punch'." This book takes care of that wish.

READING ISSUES

Reading four books at once but can't seem to finish any.  Do you do that?  Having more than one book going at a time?  It usually happens for me when a book that I'm reading is too big to tuck inside my handbag and a trip is looming ahead and I'll want to have something good on my Kindle.  Charles Dickens A Life is a good example.  Too big to lug around (for me, anyway) and  I should have downloaded to my Kindle.  But I like to have the serious books on hand to add to my library.  There have been a few times I've purchased the book AND downloaded it to my Kindle but I try not to do that too often.  All very conflicting, don't you think? The more options we have the harder it is.

By the way, Dickens is excellent but I seem to be irritated with Dickens the more I read about him.  His wife is a saint (so far anyway).  I'm not quite halfway through so maybe I should withhold judgment.  Well-written, of course since it's by Claire Tomalin.  If you haven't read her biography of Samuel Pepys, please do so.  It's a treat.

On my Kindle, I have the latest P.D. James which is a departure from her usual blood and gore.  The clever Ms. James has picked up with the lives of Elizabeth and Mr. Darcy where Jane Austen left off.  Death Comes to Pemberley is great fun although some sentences don't ring quite true. But good for James for giving it a go.

Daily Lit is bringing me The House of Seven Gables bit by bit and it is getting creepier and creepier.  Love it. Nathaniel Hawthorne is brilliant at the details and leading the reader down the path of suspense.

And finally, Napoleon Hill's Outwitting the Devil is making me rethink some things--especially about fear keeping us from pursuing our dreams.  My friend, Robby, brought this to me at the end of my recovery from knee surgery.  Hill's interview with the Devil is fascinating, similar in a sense to C.S. Lewis' The Screwtape Letters.  This is a book you can pick up after a few days and read a few pages--there isn't a plot line other than to read the various ways our souls are stolen (you know, no big deal).

Oh, and thanks to Mary's Library, I just downloaded Twelve Drummers Drumming by C.C. Bennison.  It is a traditional British village cozy.  Yay!

So, a little reading here and a little reading there adds to life's interest but doesn't work so well when you are someone who likes to eventually finish a book.

THE ATTENBURY EMERALDS by Jill Paton Walsh

Yes, I finally finished a book!  I've been a bit laid up recently (but am now on the mend) and for some reason could not plow through my current read, Charles Dickens: A Life by Claire Tomalin.  Which is a bummer since I had hoped to finish reading the 400 remaining pages!

However, light reading was no problem.  So, I loaded The Attenbury Emeralds onto my Kindle and read away.  As I've mentioned before, I have a crush on Lord Peter Wimsey and am so happy that Jill Paton Walsh has continued the series created by Dorothy Sayers.

The aftermath of World War II, missing emeralds, murders, and the Wimsey family keeping up with societal changes makes for a satisfying read.  I recommend.

A RED HERRING WITHOUT MUSTARD - Alan Bradley - Book Review

Flavia de Luce is a smart little chickadee.  A Red Herring without Mustard is the third in the Flavia de Luce novels and I find the stories to be a treat.  I want to swoop in and tell her bratty sisters to stop it and play nice.  I would like to smack her detached Father and tell him to wake up! Yes, your wife has moved on to the next life but, really, get a grip and start paying attention to these three girls you have.  In other words, I become an engaged reader and that is usually a good sign.

You don't have to read the books in order but I do think it helps since 11 year old Flavia looks back a few times at previous incidents.  She snoops around on her trusty bicycle, Gladys, solving crimes in her little village of Bishop's Lacey and spends time in her laboratory at her ancestral home, Buckshaw, plotting ways to seek revenge on her two older sisters. Anyway, Alan Bradley has written a fine series that I recommend.

THE GREATER JOURNEY - David McCullough

Loved this book. I am asking you, pretty please, go and buy/checkout/download this book.  Anything David McCullough writes works for me.  The Greater Journey Americans in Paris is his latest work that I had a hard time putting down.  We learn about the Americans who visited Paris for various lengths of time between 1830 and 1900 to perfect their craft.  The list of recognizable folks is eye-popping.  Name after name of people you will recognize makes it so much fun to read: Samuel Morse; Henry James; George Healy; James Fenimore Cooper; Nathaniel Hawthorne; Mary Cassat; Augustus Saint-Gaudens; Henry Wadswroth Longfellow; Oliver Wendell Holmes; Harriet Beecher Stowe; and John Singer Sargent.  The list goes on and on.

Getting to know about the relentless work of American minister to France, Elihu Washburne, was in itself worth a read.  Even the source notes are interesting.  I highlighted many quotes in this book but instead of noting them in this review (because I would end up quoting the entire book), I promise you will enjoy this book.  If you don't, you'll learn something anyway so it won't be a waste of  your time.

Five stars from me.  (Of course, I don't really review on a "star" basis, but if I did.....)

THE PROVINCIAL LADY IN AMERICA - Delafield - Book Review

After reading three of E.M. Delafield's "Provincial Lady" diary books, I'm thinking the BBC should produce a television series based on these light hearted stories (written in the 1930's) so that we could all settle down to watch on a Sunday night via our local PBS stations.  I'm not good at casting (except I've always thought Gabriel Byrne would have been the best Sirius Black in the Harry Potter movies) so I don't have a particular actress in mind (any thoughts, please share).

Written in diary format, our "PL"observes all the goings on with her dry humor comments thrown in for a bit of a laugh. This time, PL is on her way to America for a book tour.  We're never told what the book is about (or her name, for that matter) but it is fun to read her interactions  with the various people she meets while touring.

Sprinkled throughout the book is a series of queries and  memo's to herself, such as this one: "Take cast-iron resolution before I sleep never to make either of the dear children subjects of long conversations with strangers. ( Mem: To let Robert (husband) know of this resolution, as feel sure he would approve of it.)

The Provincial Lady in America was the perfect book following the serious read about William Pitt the Younger.

As an aside, I bought a used copy of this book through Abe Books.  But when I opened the book and saw "DISCARDED" in big bold letters, I gasped.  What?! Discarded?! That kind of hurt my feelings--the book condition was almost perfect and the story delightful.  Well, all I can say is thank the dear  heavens for Abe's and all those glorious second-hand bookstore owners.  Discarded indeed.

THE LUNATIC EXPRESS - Hoffman - Book Review

My friend, Alison, thought the premise of this book was so crazy and interesting that she recommended it as a must read.  Carl Hoffman's The Lunatic Express is ludicrous and a fun read (as long as you don't picture yourself on the various modes of transportation described as I sometimes did).

Mr. Hoffman is a journalist who has traveled the world for his craft.  Then, because life wasn't challenging enough, he came up with the idea to travel the most disaster-ridden modes of transportation in the most underdeveloped and poor countries on the planet.

Did you know that Latin American roads are considered the most dangerous with 1.2 million people a year killed in accidents?  I did not.  "The buses of Peru, Ecuador, and Bolivia were particularly legendary for horrific crashes, often involving coaches plunging off cliffs, like the one in Peru in December 2006 in which a packed bus plunged into a 1,640 foot gorge, killing forty-five of the forty-seven passengers."  So, of course, he takes a bus ride but at least selects Bogota, Columbia where the bus companies have to post accident and fatality reports publicly.  What a comfort.

Hoffman takes the planes that have no maintenance inspections, the boats that overload beyond capacity, the crime-ridden trains (also overloaded), and of course the buses which routinely slide off cliffs in mudslides. The people who board these death-traps are poor and have no other choice to get to their jobs or wherever they need to be going.  And combine the high risks with the discomfort of overcrowding, cigarette smoke, heat, humidity, trash, and what I would imagine to be pretty heinous smells, makes one appreciate any length of commute here in the U.S.A.

Most of Hoffman's fellow passengers are pretty good natured (not the thieving criminals who are often on board) and at times are helpful to him--sort of taking him under their wing.  But, really, I am missing that risk-taking gene that Hoffman must have in abundance. Because there isn't one ride in this book I would want to experience.

Also included are interviews with the passengers who survived some of these horrific accidents.  And those stories are heartbreaking.

While at times the stories seem repetitive, overall I enjoyed reading about Hoffman's experiences and grateful I didn't have to live them.

WILLIAM PITT THE YOUNGER - Hague - Book Review

I've always been intrigued by William Pitt, the youngest Prime Minister (age 24) in the history of England.  My friends, Lisa and Vic, recommended this book to me and I received it in near perfect condition from Abe Books (love that site).

William Pitt was Prime Minister for 19 years during tremendously turbulent times in Britain.  Starting in 1784, he picked up the mantle just as the American War of Independence (funny, we commonly refer to it as the American Revolution) was ending and during his leadership had to deal with the broken down finances from that war and then head right into the French Revolution, Napoleonic Wars, Irish rebellion, and the disaster of the East Indian Company.  Oh, and let's not forget the madness of King George.

So many familiar names from that era are scattered throughout the book: William Wilberforce,  Charles James Fox, Georgiana the Duchess of Devonshire, Admiral Nelson, Warren Hastings, Catherine the Great, really too many to name.

What I like about Pitt is his discipline and focus to help his country.  He loved his country and did not view his work as a sacrifice.  He was a serious minded leader who rarely took time off. His speeches and writing were eloquent.  In a speech in the House of Commons in 1797 attacking the French Directory (French leaders), Pitt declared, "There is one great resource, which I trust will never abandon us, and which has shone forth in the English character by which we have preserved our existence and fame, as a nation, which I trust we shall be determined never to abandon under any extremity...that we know great exertions are wanting, that we are prepared to make them, and at all events determined to stand or fall by the laws, liberties, and religion of our country." He died far too young, at the age of 45, from terrible stomach issues that would be easily treated in this day.

Some history books read as a homework assignment.  But, this was not tedious.  I did have to re-read paragraphs at times because of direct quotes which when written in the 18th century style are sometimes hard to understand the first time around. I highly recommend this book.

William Hague, the author, is the current British Foreign Secretary and an excellent writer. William Pitt the Younger was published in 2004.