Career of Evil by Robert Galbraith

by Carol7 Comments
Career of Evil is good, let me say that first off. The mystery, even with its limited suspect pool is engrossing and the episodes from the killer's point of view are disturbing. The characters are well-drawn and I am invested in their personal stories, in addition to the crime-solving aspect, thanks to having read the previous two in the series. And I do think this is a series where it helps to read them in order. But I didn't particularly enjoy Career of Evil. If it wasn't a series I like, with people, fictional though they might be, who I care about it, I probably wouldn't have read it, or at least not finished it. First, I just don't like serial killer books. I read a lot of mysteries, but I avoid that particular trope. I think it has something to do with motive. Revenge, anger, greed, jealousy, need to protect oneself or one's secrets, are all understandable, their normal feelings taken to extreme....
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Morning the Burned House by Margaret Atwood

by CarolNo Comments
I've read several of Atwood's books over the years, but that's not why I picked this one up, even though I do enjoy the short pieces of hers I've read. When we heard Louise Penny speak, she said that several pieces of the poetry in her Gamache series come from Morning in the Burned House. The poems are lovely and dark and sad. They are full of feminine power and grief, truth and mythology, anti-war messages and pro-environment. I love how the words sounds and feel, how the phrases at times are just perfect, although not always. Not every poem struck me, but enough did to make this worth reading. I wanted to give you a few bits, but taking out a few lines from the poetry doesn't really give you the feel, takes away the meaning and most of the feel of the poems. I will give you a middle bit from "The Loneliness of the Military Historian", but you can find the whole...
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Gingerbread Kisses by Beate Boeker

by Carol2 Comments
  Michelle's Christmas Spirit Reading Challenge doesn't start until November 23, but I'm already in the mood for Christmas stories. Gingerbread Kisses is a novella in the Sweet Christmas Kisses 2 collection. Carol is baking cookies for her sister's wedding in a beautiful hotel in Italy. She practically raised her sister and is feeling a little lost at the thought that she will be losing her. Of course, the fact that the sister is over-demanding and subjects Carol, and everyone else, to her whims, makes the idea of marrying her off a little easier. Whoever heard of skinny gingerbread men? Tom is the manager of the hotel and best friend of the groom.  It's a sweet romance. Tom has bit of a temper, but is really a nice, thoughtful guy. I like Carol, too, she's pretty and curvy and nice, but when she has to confront people she can. It made me smile. Granted the romance was quick but it's a novella, that's expected. The...
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The Scam by Janet Evanovich and Lee Goldberg

by Carol10 Comments
Some books are like good meals, rich and worth savoring. Some are more like popcorn, light, fun and forgettable. I like both, but The Scam definitely falls into the second category. The plot is a bit over-the-top as are the characters, but that's part of the charm. And the writers/narrator know it. They take us on this trip from Hawaii to Vegas to Macau with a sense of humor even in the midst of dangerous situations. It's funny and action-filled and just a blast. Brick does a great job at the narration, keeping a light edge and letting us know that even the though the characters may take themselves seriously, we shouldn't. This is the fourth in the series and we know the formula pretty well by now. Kate and Nick have a bad guy in their sights. they get a team of together, including Willie, who can drive anything, and Boyd, an actor who takes his parts very seriously, Jake, Kate's dad,...
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The Nature of the Beast by Louise Penny

by Carol10 Comments
I love Penny's Gamache series. I may want to live in Three Pines and be friends with the characters - as long as I didn't get murdered; it's one of those towns where you don't want to be a minor character or a new arrival. Actually, there are a lot of new characters in this one and we know one (or more) is the killer. The Nature of the Beast is set in Three Pines, where Inspector Gamache has now retired with his wife Reine Marie, but of course life can't be quiet for Gamache. A young boy is killed in the village and by not believing what the boy had told him, Gamache feels partly responsible for the death. At the same time, the local amateur theater is planning on producing a play written by a serial killer. As readers, or listeners in my case, we know the two have to be connected, but the question is how. This time, the...
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Pride, Prejudice, and Cheese Grits by Mary Jane Hathaway

by Carol3 Comments
Pride, Prejudice, and Cheese Grits is clearly based on Pride and Prejudice - many of the characters share similarities and there are Austen quotes at the opening of each chapter, but it's a sweet romance in and of itself. It's a very Southern story and although I'm not much of a history buff, I've known enough to appreciate the fascination with the Civil War that weaves in and out. I listened to the audio version and the narrator uses a Southern drawl very effectively, not overdoing it, just adding the right flavor to the reading. Shelby is our Elizabeth, of course complete with mom and sisters, and Fielding is out Darcy. Fielding was a wonderful character, patient, handsome, intelligent. Yes, they start out on the wrong foot, but I have to admit Shelby drove me crazy for a lot of the book. She jumped to conclusions and was quite rude on occasion. He is clearly trying his hardest and yet she constantly...
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