A Small Hotel: A Novel by Robert Olen Butler

My rating: 4 of 5 stars


Instead of showing up in Pensacola to finalize her divorce, Kelly Hays checks in to the Olivier Hotel in New Orleans, where she first met her husband Michael, with a bottle of Scotch and a bottle of pills. Unaware of this, Michael is driving to Oak Alley Plantation, an hour west of New Orleans, with Laurie, his new girlfriend. Through the alternating viewpoints of Kelly, Michael, and Laurie, Butler teases out incidents to show the fraying of a marriage. It is a poignant study of miscommunication in human relationships that will have readers holding their breath for the outcome. I wish I had started this while I was in New Orleans for ALA instead of on the plane home! Thanks to Grove Press and Publisher's Group West for the ARC of this novel.



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As Always, Julia: The Letters of Julia Child and Avis DeVoto by Julia Child

My rating: 5 of 5 stars


Fans of Julia Child will welcome the insights offered by this correspondence which began when Julia Child wrote Bernard DeVoto, responding to an article he wrote about knives. Avis DeVoto, his wife, replied and thus began a friendship. This is a fascinating collection of letters which not only covers the evolution of MASTERING THE ART OF FRENCH COOKING, but also offers commentary on the political issues of the day, a peak into the life of Avis and Bernard DeVoto, and an insight into Julia's experiences living in various European postings through Paul Child's work for the government. Thank you to netgalley!







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Drawing Conclusions: A Commissario Guido Brunetti Mystery by Donna Leon

My rating: 4 of 5 stars


When a woman reports her neighbor's death, Commissario Brunetti can't resist investigating further, even though the cause of death is ruled a heart attack. There is a suspicious bruise on the woman's neck and a couple things about her apartment are odd. This is Donna Leon's 20th Brunetti mystery and here there is a mystery about whether there is something to investigate. A pleasant twist for Leon fans!



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A Lesson in Secrets by Jacqueline Winspear

My rating: 4 of 5 stars


It is 1932 and Maisie Dobbs is recruited by Scotland Yard's Special Branch to go undercover as a junior lecturer at a Cambridge college to observe activities “not in the interests of His Majesty’s Government.” And sure enough, the college President is found dead in his office, another professor is secretly skulking off to London, and whisps of communism and nazi gatherings are in the air.



Winspear skillfully evokes England at the fulcrum between the wars: Hitler's seductive nationalism, the desperate desire for peace among nations, the hope for a better tomorrow. Observant, beguiling, astute and humorous by turns, Maisie is a delightful and multi-layered character---the perfect companion to lead the reader through these events.



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The Attenbury Emeralds by Jill Paton Walsh

My rating: 4 of 5 stars


Lord Peter Wimsey sleuths again through the pen of Jill Paton Walsh. I thoroughly enjoyed this mystery which follows the Attenbury family emeralds as they are misplaced, stolen, swapped for paste copies, gambled away and recovered over several generations. I think Paton Walsh stays true to Dorothy L. Sayres' original characters and is adept at creating the witty repartee' and literary references so often found in the original Wimsey mysteries.



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The Distant Hours by Kate Morton

My rating: 4 of 5 stars


Edie Burchill is intrigued by her mother's emotional reaction to a letter, arriving 50 years after it was posted during World War II. Her mother, Meredith, has said little about being evacuated from London as a young teen, or her time with the Blythe sisters of Milderhurst Castle. Events bring Edie close to Milderhurst, and she cannot resist the temptation to look into the secrets and mysteries of the Blythes and this phase of her mother's life. This is a marvelous read if you appreciate intricate character study and tracing the interwoven threads of people's lives. The truth about these lives is seldom what it appears to be at first. Chapters alternate between points of view: Edie, Meredith,the three Blythe sisters, as well as alternating time periods: the present, the childhood years of the Blythes, the years of World War II, and a particular fateful night in 1941. Morton has penned another expansive novel that plumbs the depths of intertwined family history in a similar vein to her The Forgotten Garden.



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The Good, the Bad, and the Barbie: A Doll's History and Her Impact on Us by Tanya Lee Stone

My rating: 4 of 5 stars


I am a 'victim'(?)of Barbie's cult of fashion! At age 9 I considered adding 'modeling' to my other career goals which included cattle driver, ballerina, and poet. After saving my allowance, and profits from a door-to-door potholder 'business,' I was able to buy Barbie's "Solo in the Spotlight" and was thoroughly convinced that fashion was attainable with a little planning.

It was delicious fun to pour over the pictures and read the history of Barbie, her appreciators, detractors, and all her incarnations over half a century.



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The Black Cat
The Black Cat (Richard Jury, #22)The Black Cat by Martha Grimes

My rating: 4 of 5 stars


Richard Jury is back and crossing mental swords with his nemesis, Harry, over the murder of woman at THE BLACK CAT pub. Once again, Melrose Plant is enlisted to help Jury in the investigation and the interplay of these old friends provide a touch of irony and humor amid the murder investigation.

No spoilers here . . . Grimes fans will welcome the Chief Inspector's return along with other familiar characters. I especially enjoy the return of Mungo, Harry's dog, who has his own caper in this book . . . engineering the return of a kidnapped cat to THE BLACK CAT pub.

Revolution by Jennifer Donnelly

My rating: 5 of 5 stars


Andi is raging against the world. She is depressed over the death of her brother, angry that her geneticist father is pouring himself into his work, frustrated with her mother's inability to cope, and jeopardizing her education. Forced to accompany her father to Paris, Andi starts to research her college application essay when she finds the diary of Alexandrine, a young woman living in France during the French Revolution and becomes obsessed with her story. This is a terrific read that recalls the 'mystery across time' conceit in such titles as Tey's DAUGHTER OF TIME or Byatt's POSSESSION.



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Nemesis by Lindsey Davis

My rating: 5 of 5 stars


The normally wiscracking Marcus Didius Falco is subdued at the start of this novel: it is 77 C.E., his infant son has died, he worries about his wife, then his father dies as well, leaving Falco to execute his affairs. While trying to settle one of Pa's contracts, Falco learns the statue maker and his wife has disappeared; possibly because of a disagreement with the Claudii clan. Falco & friends begin to investigate, then are called off the case when Anacrites, Chief Spy for Caesar, takes over.



I have been a fan of Falco for a number of years and eagerly await each new opportunity to vicariously sleuth around Ancient Rome with this "informer". Despite the darker mood here, the wit, humor, family intricacies, and political intrigue of Rome still surface; but the dark twists continue throughout ... inevitable with "Nemesis" as a title.



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When I Was Joe by Keren David


My rating: 4 of 5 stars
Ty and his mother, Nicki, are taken into witness protection after Ty witnesses the death of a young boy in a London park. In his new persona as Joe, Ty is able to reinvent himself. He makes friends at his new school, attracts the attention of Ashley, the clique queen, and starts training as a runner. But living a lie proves difficult for both Ty and his mother, because Ty hasn't told the police the whole truth.

The novel vibrates with tension. There are several attempts on Ty's life, his Gram is attacked, and school personnel treat him with suspicion because they've been told 'there was some trouble at his old school.' David uses Ty's point of view to frame the narrative. This effectively highlights the tension between playing the role of Joe and reflecting on exactly who Ty really is. This is the first of several novels about Ty; a teaser chapter to the next book is included. David has created an interesting young adult who must navigate his journey of self discovery while caught up in truly suspenseful game of cat and mouse. I look forward to the next installment of his journey. This book was reviewed from the ARC.

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Here's a little end of the week fun!

The Red Pyramid by Rick Riordan


My rating: 5 of 5 stars
Riordan takes off on a new series featuring a brother and sister who discover they are descended from the bloodline of the Pharohs, opening them up to being conduits for the Eygptian gods. Here is adventure, humor, magic and quite a bit of hieroglphs and mythology as the kids battle for their lives and an understanding of their place between the current world and ancient mythology.

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George Washington has been racking up considerable late fees at New York Society Library during the past two centuries. The Daily News reported that a pair of books borrowed by the father of our country had been due November 2, 1789, but were never returned. Head librarian Mark Bartlett said they are not pursuing the $300,000 fine.

spotted in Shelf Awareness, April 20, 2010.
shelf-awareness.com

One Crazy Summer by Rita Williams-Garcia


My rating: 2 of 5 stars
This title has received a lot of hype recently as a possible Newbery contender, but I have mixed feelings about it. Williams-Garcia does a brilliant job of capturing the point of view of Delphine, the young narrator who is shepharding her two younger sisters on a cross country visit to Nzila, their mother who walked out on the family seven years ago. Both humor and poignancy come through the narration and Williams-Garcia evokes the Black Panther movement and the 1960's with a deft hand. But I am tripped up by the characterization of Nzila; she is not merely distant and self absorbed, but negligent [not even thinking about feeding the girls:] and cruel [taking all the money away from Delphine:]. This is a woman who is a poet, supposedly probing how events and relationships have effected her life .... and yet, she denies any consideration toward these three girls. She seems more sympathetic to the Panthers, although it is clear she is not an activist in their cause. I suppose the case can be made that she knows the Black Panther community center will feed the girls, and Delphine is capable of looking out for Vonetta and Fern. Yet, given what we learn by the end of the book about Nzila's early life, I can have no sympathy for her inflicting similar burdens on Delphine.

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Where the Mountain Meets the Moon by Grace Lin

My rating: 4 of 5 stars
Minli's desire, to find the Old Man of the Moon and ask him how to change her family's fortune, sparks her quest to find Never-Ending Mountain. Grace Lin evokes folklore motifs to frame Minli's journey, and everyone Minli meets also has a tale to tell. These folktales within a folktale comprise a very enjoyable read, as each tale informs the larger story of Minli and her village. Full color illustrations by Lin add to the reader's enjoyment.
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The Reading Chair

I covet this chair and wish I could plant one in my library!

The Reading Chair is now at Steynberg Gallery at 1531 Monterey. If you live in San Luis Obispo, do drop by -- you're welcome to sit and read. And take a picture: There's a disposable camera in the ottoman :)

Designed by Chris Allen for the Reading in Public project in San Luis Obispo, California.

Eyes Like Stars by Lisa Mantchev

My review

rating: 4 of 5 stars
With Eyes Like Stars Lisa Mantchev opens the door to the Theatre Illuninata where all the characters of literature live, just waiting to act their parts. Amid the dramatis personae lives Beatrice Shakespere Smith, an orphan who has grown up in the theatre. Prone to getting into mischief with the help of Moth, Peaseblossom, and other Midsummer Night's Dream faeries, Beatrice must prove her worth and find her role in the theatre or face being expelled out into the wider real world. I appreciate authors who create a world that is so appealing I hate to disengage my imagination and put the book aside; I am already craving the sequel. (reviewed from the ARC)


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