Christmas Reading

Here we are, gifts wrapped, cookies made, baked goods delivered and now it’s time to kick back and read. It’s also time to share some of the books I’ve selected and stacked up to read this next week.

Is it possible to fall in love with a bookstore? Well, I certainty did – I fell hard for the Mysterious Bookshop in New York City – claims to be the oldest mystery specialty bookstore in the world. Just look – sigh…

A few weeks ago, (perhaps, again, under the influence) I ordered the bookshop’s exclusive and newest Christmas crimes collection directly from the store and signed by the owner. The little volume arrived the other day (below left) and I am not disappointed. Then I had to dig out my older collection from 2011 (out of print, but found in a used bookstore out here)

Both books contain a collection of crime stories gathered from a wonderful tradition at the Mysterious Bookshop. For most of its forty-five-year history Otto Penzler, the owner, has commissioned an original short story as a holiday gift for its customers. These tales are written exclusively for the store, never published elsewhere, and were given as a holiday booklet to its customers as a thank you for their business — handed out or mailed between Thanksgiving and New Year’s Day. These booklets are rare and hard to find – click to make bigger.

Mr. Penzler’s requirements for these stories were based on three elements: that it be set at Christmastime, that it involve a crime of some kind, or the suspicion of one, and that it be set at least partially in the Mysterious Bookshop.

Many famous authors happily complied, including such notables as Jeffery Deaver, Laura Lippman, Lawrence Block, Ed McBain, and Donald E. Westlake – just to name a few.

I’ve already dipped in, and tales are as diverse as the authors. Perfect cozy crime reads for the holiday season.

And while I’m in a Christmas crime mood, here are two more I put on my stack to read this year. Both dug out from my stash of Christmas books — you see, I can’t get rid of them as the covers are so fun – wish you could see the sparkly cover on the Val McDermid book.

Again, short stories of crime set at Christmas – with a cup of tea or cocoa – well I’m all set…

Wishing you a cozy, warm and peaceful holiday week, filled with loved ones and some good books.

Hugs and happy reading ~~ Book Barmy

Reading Under the Influence

My recovery from knee replacement is going well, but for the first two weeks I was on pain drugs – which I found made some reading a challenge. I was close to the end of the latest Louis Penny novel, but the complex plot and clues became a jumble – as I say – under the influence.

Putting it aside for now, I read three very effortless Christmas books.

Perhaps you too, while not on drugs, are a bit scattered this time of year and want something easy to read right before bed ~~ try these, I enjoyed them all.

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Brightly Shining by Ingvild Rishoi

Brightly Shining is a Norwegian Christmas tale that has been critically acclaimed across Europe. I was drawn in by the sparkly cover.

This story is reminiscent of the fairy tale, ‘The Little Match Girl’ – so fair warning – not a happy Christmas story. Take two young girls, an alcoholic father, and all of them barely surviving on a cold Norwegian Christmas.

The little girls’ father gets a job selling Christmas trees, but it’s not long before he falls back into poor choices. The girls survive by helping out at the Christmas tree kiosk and make enough money to buy food and fuel. They survive on their dreams. Dreams of warm cabins, food, better times, and hope. But it’s hard to keep dreams alive when they, too, lose their gigs selling trees and the father is no where to be found.

While certainly sad, I found Brightly Shining compelling – the magic of dreams, the beautiful writing (it doesn’t read like a translation), and the girls endurance kept me turning the pages. In the end, no one saves the day which is very Norwegian realistic — and I will let you decide what you think of the ending.

A digital review copy was kindly provided by Grove Atlantic via Netgalley.

Christmas with the Queen by Hazel Gaynor & Heather Webb

Ms. Gaynor/Webb’s previous Christmas book – Last Christmas in Paris was one of my favorite holiday reads so I was very (very) pleased when the publisher sent me her newest – Christmas with the Queen.

This delightful novel opens with the beginning of Queen Elizabeth’s reign and her trepidation over her first Christmas Day Speech from Sandringham.

The dual story line opens in London when BBC typist Olive Carter, her best friend Rosie, and another girl Andrea meet Jack Devereux, a Seabee cook trained by his Louisiana grandfather, and pilot Peter Hall. The newly bonded young friends meet weekly at a pub to share their lives, hopes and dreams, flirting and settling into their new jobs and lives.

Seven years later Olive, now a single mom, is a junior reporter with the BBC and is sent as a replacement for her ill and stogy boss to cover the new Queen’s Christmas day speech at Sandringham. Once there she re-encounters Jack, who has lost his wife Andrea in an accident and has been recruited to help out in the royal kitchen for the holidays. Old sparks reignite, but their lives go in separate ways.

Christmas with the Queen goes on to follow the young Queen’s early Christmas broadcasts and Jack and Olive’s involvement with the royal household from 1952-1957. Times were changing in those post war years and the newly crowned Queen Elizabeth was facing a changing world. There is a special highlight on her actual Christmas Day speeches, and while the events that lead Olive to become her personal speech advisor may strain credibility, the interaction between these two mothers of young children, doing their duties in previously male held posts was insightful and heartwarming.

Jack becomes more than a valuable helper cook for Sandringham at Christmas, he becomes a permanent chef at Buckingham Palace, and joins the royal family on the royal yacht Britannia during the Queen’s commonwealth tour. I found the descriptions of the operation of the various royal kitchens fascinating and Jack, being an open and friendly American, develops a good matured and chummy relationship with Prince Philip.

As with their previous Christmas book, these two authors’ writing style drew me in and I fell headfirst into the story. (Again under the influence). It didn’t hurt that I’m a sucker for books about the royals. And, unlike the bleak Norwegian novel above – Christmas with the Queen has a heartwarming and magical ending — perfect for the holiday season.

A digital review copy was kindly provided by William Morrow via Netgalley.

Two minor quibbles: The authors obviously wanted to extend Jack and Olive’s romance over the years in the story line and so they loaded their relationship with miscommunications, set backs, and misunderstandings — which felt a little strained towards the end of the novel.

As I read, my teeth grated over the authors’ use of the grammatically incorrect ‘between Philip and I’ and ‘carefree days with Philip and I’. Arghh it should be between Philip and me and with Philip and me. Correct me if I’m wrong?

Christmas Crumble by M. C. Beaton

The more intellectual followers of this little blog, are most likely aghast at my fondness for the Agatha Raisin series, but there it is – I love these often silly, always funny mysteries.

Here’s what Goodreads said:

At home alone for the holidays, Agatha Raisin decides to host a dinner party for the elder residents in her Cotswold village . Agatha’s never been able to cook, but she’s dead-set on making this the perfect holiday for local “crumblies”. She’s decorated a tree while fending off her cats Hodge and Boswell, and even made a (lumpy) Christmas pudding in between swigs of rum.

When Agatha dumps the pudding on the head of the local self-proclaimed lothario—an eighty-five year old with a beer belly and fingers like sausages—his death by dessert proves more than a trifle as mysteries mount higher than the season’s snowfall. So much for trying to do good by her neighbors. Now Agatha needs no less than a Christmas miracle to get herself out of this one...

This little 36 page novel packs in a lot, and, as always, Agatha provides much merriment as she struggles to gain acceptance and love, fails miserably, but always pulls herself back up. And that, folks, is why I enjoy this character.

I’m now off the pain killers, just Tylenol – so I feel equipped to get back to Three Pines and the wonderful world of Louise Penny. But wait, look over there – more Christmas books to consider.

Tis’ the season after all…

Daily life is a bit different…

So, I have new knee! Yup, early last week I had a total knee replacement. I’d been putting it off for far too long. It was only during our recent trip, when I could hardly hobble over the cobblestones, and had to wait in a cafe while Husband went exploring. It was then I made my decision to finally have it done. We have too many trips in our future and all involve walking.

I’ve known about this surgery since September and have my moods have varied between angst, anticipation, worry, hope, dread and pure fright. You see, I’ve never had an operation before, let alone been in a hospital. (I know!)

In the end, It went really well. I was extremely well taken care of, all the nurses and doctors were kind, understanding, and comforting~~and as to the actual surgery – I remember nothing. And, I was home that same afternoon. So, all that pre-surgery worry and emotions was for nothing – a waste ~~ will I learn from this? Probably not.

I must admit the first three days were the worst, but here I am on Day 5 and every day is getting easier. To explain the title of this post — daily life has been reduced to exercises, walking around with walker, visits from the physical therapist, icing the knee, light meal, read, sleep – and repeat. Big shout out to Husband (and my favorite cabana boy) – coaching me with my exercises, preparing all the meals, fetching an afghan here, my book over there. He’s applied his Eagle Scout training to my care and rehab — to the point he sets his alarm to give me my meds exactly on schedule (at the sometimes ungodly 4am). He’s totally rocking the ‘for better or worse” vow. Getting choked up just writing about it – love that guy.

But enough of this about me – I want to talk about something else – not a book, per se, but another PBS Masterpiece series (bravo PBS!).

This series is based on the mystery novel of the same name written by Robert Thorogood . I’ve never read this book even though it has been on my to be read list. But,during the days leading up to the aforementioned surgery, I needed a good distraction so decided to watch it anyway.

The series is based in the village of Marlow* in (of course) England, and stars one of my favorite actresses, Samantha Bond who plays a former archaeologist Judith Potts. Judith unexpectedly comes across a murder in her very back yard when she overhears her neighbor being shot.

Initially, the police brush her off but when she successfully recovers the missing body, they launch a full police investigation, warning Judith to not get involved. Well, you know where this is going, Judith however immediately starts digging around , enlisting the help of dog-walker Suze, and the Vicar’s wife, Becks along the way.

Each of these women are keen to solve the murder and bring some excitement to their lives. Each has their own wonderful skills which they bring into the sleuthing. Suze being a dog walker, goes unnoticed as long as she has a dog at her side. Becks, the Vicar’s wife, is welcome into private homes and is privy to all sorts of tantalizing gossip and key clues.

This sleuthing trio soon uncovers another two dead bodies and realize that a serial killer is at large in Marlow. But what connects the three victims and how is it that the prime suspect in each instance always had the perfect alibi? With so much to figure out Judith, Suze, and Becks have their work cut out for them but if anyone can do it it’s the newly appointed Marlow Murder Club.

This is a extremely well done production (again bravo PBS) with beautiful local settings and lavish sets. I really enjoyed the multi-layered mystery, as our sleuthing trio tries to tackle a nearly impossible mystery. The story line develops across the four episodes — as one murder soon turns nto three and we get to dive into the past, as well as the present to find out how it was pulled off.

A great watch from start to finish, the casting is just great, the writing sharp and fun. The Marlow Murder Club is an homage to the golden age crime era with a touch of modern spunk.

Here’s the trailer~~

And here’s a bonus story — on a business trip in the late 1990’s, I was fortunate to stay at the hotel featured in the PBS series ~~

It’s The Compleate Angler in Marlow – a magical hotel with all the amenities one could ever want. (For me it was tea and scones room delivery – sigh). The hotel is named after the1653 literary nature classic by Izaak Walton. I hated to leave – but of course, there were those pesky business meetings I had to attend. Someday I’ll go back and never leave – except to go on long walks along the river with my new knee!

Here’s the book and a sequel, if you’re interested – available at your local library, of course. I may stick to PBS as they are reportedly filming a second series based on the sequel.

Moonflower Murders by Anthony Horowitz

This is the second mystery in a series, the first was Magpie Murders.

And again, there is the book, and the PBS Masterpiece adaptation.

And once again, I found myself enjoying the PBS version more than the book.

I know, heresy. I make it a firm rule, to read the book before I watch any film or television adaptation. And in the past, I almost always prefer the book, but once again with this author — not in this case.

First the book:

I eagerly awaited Moonflower Murders despite being a hefty 608 pages. I very much enjoyed the cleverness and humor in Horowitz’s Magpie Murders.

Susan Ryeland, introduced in the first book, has returned to solve another mystery. She is now retired from publishing, living with her fiancée, Andreas, on a Greek Island, owning and managing a small hotel.

Being in a financial bind, Susan accepts an offer from the Treharnes to travel to London to analyze a murder mystery book, one written by her former client, Alan Conway. They hope it will provide clues about the recent disappearance of their adult daughter. They claim the idea for the book ‘Moonflower Murders’ had been modeled from a murder that occurred at their hotel eight years ago. The Trehearnes believe Susan’s knowledge of the book and her ties to the now deceased Alan will shed light on Cecily’s disappearance.

Susan just so happens to have edited the book that inspired by this murder (Alan Conway’s Atticus Pünd Takes the Case). The Trehearnes’ daughter, Cecily, disappeared after telling them that Alan’s novel holds the truth behind the 2008 murder.

Similar to Magpie Murders the novel is divided between Susan’s narrative and Alan’s novel. And just like before the book-within-a-book is peppered with obtuse anagrams, puzzles within puzzles, lots of clues, and many, many, characters to keep straight. I ended up spending so much time trying to connect the characters in the inner mystery to those in the outer that it I found it difficult to stay immersed in the story.

Full disclosure, I ended up not finishing the book, knowing that I had recorded the PBS series.

Now the PBS Masterpiece Series:

Just like with the television version of Magpie Murders, Moonflower Murders crosses back and forth in time allowing for a reprieve from the more classically-paced 1950’s mystery manuscript.

Atticus Pünd, the fictional detective from Alan Conway’s book in question, appears to her in the modern day mystery to advise and counsel Susan as she tries to solve Cecily’s disappearance.

And again, wonderfully, the same actors play dual characters in the manuscript and current day.The back and forth between fiction and reality is expertly done so much cleaner than the written book. I found the series so much less confusing and even liked the on screen characters better than in the book. (Leslie Manville is perfectly cast as Susan Ryeland.) As an added bonus, because I hadn’t finished the book – the ending was a complete surprise.

I eagerly watched, and fully enjoyed, every episode of the television series, and donated the book to my neighborhood little free library.

You can watch Moonflower Murders on PBS (on demand or stream HERE)

Here’s a taste

One final note, the book portrays the gay characters as predators and as perverts, not just in this book, but also in Magpie Murders. It’s predictable, offensive, and out of date. The PBS series avoids all of that.

Abandoned Books

Every so often I have to post about the books that I did not finish Abandoned books? I know, appalling for someone who’s barmy about books. 

But I admit it, I sometimes don’t finish books – even those well-reviewed best sellers thrust upon me by bookish friends or praised by other book bloggers.  It’s happening more and more often as I get older — you know the so little time, so many books theory.   

The 50 page rule prevails — I’ll give any book at least 50 pages before I put it down…sometimes more.  This cold rejection of an author’s herculean effort always tears me apart a little bit, and I put off writing one of these posts – as it feels somehow heartless.

But that’s why you’re here folks, so here goes.

Slipsworth by Simon Van Booy

This book was enthusiastically touted by Ann Patchett on her bookstore’s (Parnassus Books) Instagram feed. Ms. Patchett is one of my favorite authors, so I gave it a try.

From the book blurb: Following the deaths of her husband and son, Helen Cartwright returns to the English village of her childhood after living abroad for six decades. Her only wish is to die quickly and without fuss. Helen retreats into her home on Westminster Crescent, becoming a creature of routine and habit. Then, one cold autumn night, a chance encounter with an abandoned pet mouse on the street outside her house sets Helen on a surprising journey of friendship.

I got about 50 pages in and was struck by two things; the melancholy of this elderly woman without family or friends became just too sad and overwhelming, and then, when she becomes enamored with a mouse she lets into her home as a pet, I had to stop. It just became too silly and dare I say, trite.

Note: Also, I detest mice and I couldn’t get over the fact that she could care for one.

Lolly Willowes by Sylvia Townsend Warner

This book has been on my shelf and I took it down to read as it was recommended somewhere as a good Halloween read. It was written in 1926 and is considered a classic feminist novel…okay, I thought I’m in…

From the book blurb: When Laura Willowes’s beloved father dies, she is absorbed in the household of her brother and his family. There, she leaves behind “Laura” and enters into the state of “Aunt Lolly,” a genteel spinster indispensable to the upbringing of her nieces.

For twenty years, Lolly is neither indulgent nor impulsive, until one day when she decides to move to a village in the Chilterns, much to her family’s chagrin.
 But it’s in the countryside, among nature, where Lolly has her first taste of freedom. Duty-bound to no one except herself, she revels in the solitary life. When her nephew moves there, and Lolly feels once again thrust into her old familial role, she reaches out to the otherworldly, to the darkness, to the unheeded power within the hearts of women to feel at peace once more . 

I actually got more than halfway through this book, and found the prose beautifully written, and appreciated the biting humor describing Lolly’s/Laura’s predicament — being suffocated by controlling and overbearing relatives. Then when she finally breaks free, the descriptions of her newly found English countryside are wonderful. But wham! – the novel fell apart for me once she turned to witchcraft and even converses at length with the devil. It’s almost as if the first half of the book was written by one author and the other by another who hijacked the narrative and turned it into magical realism. Not for me after all.

The Lost Bookshop by Evie Woods

Now you all know I’m a sucker for books about books and bookshops, so I was pleased to get this from the library a couple of weeks ago. Again I gave it 50 or so pages and had to give up. Once again I stumbled into magical realism.

The premise held great promise – a lost bookshop in Ireland, a missing work from a Brontë sister, antique book dealing, and even a bookish romance at the ‘Shakespeare and Co.’ bookshop in Paris.

But there were just too many bizarre scenarios — magical tattoos, invisible characters, and shape-shifting houses — just to name a few. These elements jump in and around the narrative without much cohesion. I kept waiting for the plot to come together, but I kept getting more frustrated and returned it to the library unfinished.

The Life Impossible by Matt Haig

While, I adored Mr. Haig’s first novel How to Stop Time , I was not a fan of his second, The Midnight Library. So perhaps I only have myself to blame, had I read the reviews, of The Life Impossible, I might have realized I was getting into another novel of magical realism. But instead I was drawn in by the book’s blurb (I’m often susceptible and should know better).

When retired math teacher Grace Winters is left a run-down house on a Mediterranean island by a long-lost friend, curiosity gets the better of her. She arrives in Ibiza with a one-way ticket, no guidebook and no plan and searches for answers about her friend’s life among the hills and beaches of the island.

The Life Impossible is a one-sided conversation as Mr. Haig employs Grace’s 300 page email to a student describing all her experiences in Ibiza. The reader has to try to go along with it. The conversation is sweet and the message is a good one… but it’s all a bit wordy, a bit convoluted, and a weirdly out there.

We are asked to suspend belief with a tale of a magical light source found deep in a lagoon, and how the light transformed her and how she now sees her life in a whole new way. The reader tries to pay attention but in the end you are bored out of your gourd.

The Diary of a Provincial Lady by E. M. Delafield

Okay, I was sick of magical realism, so turned to my shelves to find something real, something I could sink into. Written in 1934, the day to day life of this provincial lady is not very exciting, she manages the household budget (badly), tries not to upset the staff or dote on her children too much, gets annoyed with the local ‘bigwig’, gets involved in local fundraising efforts, meets friends and enters writing competitions.

It is all told with a wry humor, which makes the book enjoyable, but I had to put it aside, after I read the first four chapters, it was just too slow and actually not very interesting.

I have since learned, this was never meant to be a novel, but was originally published in a women’s magazine as a series of anecdotes. I am undecided on whether to keep it or not – perhaps to dip into once and awhile. Yes, I am shallow and may hang on to it just for the lovely cover.

So that’s my sad story, a good pile of books to drop off at my various little free libraries around my neighborhood.

But wait, just wait – I’m saved! I purchased this just the other day from my favorite independent bookstore. Oh pure book barmy joy!

So, I’m going to sneak away — leave the unfinished books, and politics (sigh) – behind for awhile.

See you later. Hoping you also have a good book to take your away.

A Handful of Dust by Evelyn Waugh

When laid low with Covid, I watched the film – “A Handful of Dust”, with a great cast ~~ Kristen Scott Thomas, Judy Dench, Stephen Fry and Alec Guiness ( just to name a few). I very much enjoyed this sad, and yet, beautiful film. The story lingered on my mind days afterwards.

Later, I remembered I had a copy of book by Evelyn Waugh and pulled it down from my shelves

(People, this is why I have so many books I haven’t read – there it was, just waiting for me – oh what pleasure!)

I started this book version just thinking I would browse through it, but soon found myself equally immersed.

The book opens with this quote:

. . . I will show you something different from either
Your shadow at morning striding behind you
Or your shadow at evening rising to meet you;
I will show you fear in a handful of dust.”
——-The Waste Land, T.S. Eliot

Published in 1934, A Handful of Dust is a satirical novel that offers a social perspective of life among the upper classes in England in the early twentieth century. The socially privileged thrive on club membership, nightly parties, and the latest gossip. They keep up a charade of manners, a seemingly glamorous existence to which the poorer classes aspire.

Brenda and Tony Last have been married for five years, when we meet them. Tony adores his ancestral house, Hetton, his young son, John Andrew and his wife, Brenda. But it soon becomes apparent, the beautiful Brenda is bored to tears.

After a half meant invitation for the weekend, John Beaver appears at the door of Hetton. Beaver is a scrounging young man, who hangs around bars hoping to be brought a drink, has no job and little income, but is a useful ‘spare man,’ ready to drop everything for a free lunch, or dinner party. After the weekend visit, Brenda begins an affair with this dull and idiotic social climber even going so far as to rent out a flat in London, telling Tony that she’s studying economics while she’s carrying on this affair — which everyone in their social circle knows about except her dim-witted husband.

When tragedy strikes – I won’t spoil things by revealing the event and the astonishing reaction to it – Brenda insists on a divorce.

Tony devastated, sets off on an expedition to look for a lost city in Brazil organized by a chap he met and was instantly intrigued. Tony finds himself reading Dickens in the jungle for a truly insane explorer. I can’t tell you any more, but it is harrowing. (I read that Mr. Waugh drew on his own experiences from a trip to Guyana to write this second part of the book.) Even thought I knew what was going to happen from the film, the book’s conclusion was still devastating.

Seldom do I watch a film before I’ve read the book, but in this case I found both equally riveting. The film is well acted and beautifully filmed. It follows the novel fairly closely but it was a sad and desperate story

The book is deeper, with a more satirical (and often funny) critique of the social classes in Britain during that time period. Mr. Waugh seems to both criticize and admire English aristocrats, and he is especially fascinated with their homes and architecture — not to mention the Catholic church. This makes for a seductive combination, which left me feeling I had inhabited the society described.

Where the book fell a little flat, was the characters didn’t come to life as well as in the film. Or, perhaps I just couldn’t help visualizing the actors in the film. The book does do a wonderful job of mixing both the tragedy and comedy. The characters are so hapless and awful but with Mr. Waugh’s brilliant writing and descriptions you can’t stop reading. (It was also interesting to read the alternative ending Waugh wrote.)

As I put the book back on my shelf next to my other Evelyn Waughs’, I noticed my copy of Brideshead Revisited, and realized I had done the same thing with that novel. First I saw the infamous and beautiful film, and was so transformed by it, I had to immediately read the novel.

From the book blurb:

“The most nostalgic and reflective of Evelyn Waugh’s novels, Brideshead Revisited looks back to the golden age before the Second World War. It tells the story of Charles Ryder’s infatuation with the Marchmains and the rapidly-disappearing world of privilege they inhabit. Enchanted first by Sebastian at Oxford, then by his doomed Catholic family, in particular his remote sister, Julia, Charles comes finally to recognize only his spiritual and social distance from them.”

Both novels/films are about human relationships gone awry — sad, desperate, and cynical. And like a train wreck – one can’t stop watching/reading or look away,

Either are a good place to start with Evelyn Waugh.

Pure coincidence, Ann Patchett just recommended the same two novels.

You can view her video HERE