A Mind to Murder

One of my goals in 2020 is to read more. See other books I've read or listened to here.

I cannot get enough of PD James and her lead detective, Adam Dalgliesh. A Mind to Murder is his second mystery.

The doctors at Steen Psychiatric Clinic are used to dealing more with the mind than with the body, but when the corpse of their administrative assistant is discovered, freshly murdered in the records room, they can no longer deny the physical. A young Inspector Dalgliesh, poet copper, is called away from his editor’s party to begin the investigation.

After reading the first few pages of A Mind to Murder, I thought I was in for a book very similar to many of James’ stories. I figured the writing style and plot would follow closely to many of her other novels. I’ve said before that many of her mysteries are intensely remenicent of each other. She loves to ruminate of the repercussions of murder on small isolated communities. I would never call her writing lazy, and each book, although following a surprisingly similar plot, are compelling and interesting in their own way. But with this book, I was surprised that she did not follow the same plot, plot points, or character development. I was getting used to the idea of not really knowing what was going on inside the minds of the suspects, but this book gives insight into that, which is different than her other novels. I found that in some ways this made it hard for the reader to decipher who the murderer would turn out to be. If you’re a fan of James’ books, I think you’ll like this earlier version of her style. I would also recommend this book to those interested in 1960 medical dramas and techniques, those who like mysteries set in hospitals or medical wards, and any fans of a dashing lead detective.

Do you read medical related mysteries?

Food Rules

One of my goals in 2020 is to read more. See other books I've read or listened to here.

Food Rules by Michael Pollan is a quick read, and a little outdated.

After writing several books on food and eating, Michael Pollan boils down his knowledge into simple Food Rules.

In this book, each rule is only about a page. They have been culled from the author’s other work, his personal history, family, friends, science and cultural traditions. All are stated in a simple and easy to read way. Cutting thru complicated jargon and making the science easy and approachable or the cultural truism simple to understand and universal, as well as that each entry are very brief, makes this book super quick to read. Some of the rules are what you might expect like “avoid food with high fructouse corn syrup” or “eat mostly plants…”. Some are a little more interesting like “avoid products that make health claims” or “eat your colors”. And some are about how you eat like “eat slowly” or “break the rules once in a while”. There were definitely a lot that I would say I had already known, but there were also a few that were new to me. I found some to be dated, having to do with old food trends, even tho this book is not really very old. But it was easy to apply each rule to current times or take it’s essence and see how it fits into life today. Although this was a very simple to read book, it didn’t really inspire me to read any more of his books. However, I would recommend this book to those who like to read books about food, diets, traditional eating, or cookbooks.

Do you agree with Pollan’s over all eating statement: Eat Food, Mostly Plants, Not Too Much? Have you read any of his books?

Something Wicked This Way Comes

One of my goals in 2020 is to read more. See other books I've read or listened to here.

The second Ray Bradbury book I’ve read over the last few months, Something Wicked This Way Comes was also made into a Disney movie in 1982.

When the desire to grow up comes between two young boys on the verge of moving to manhood, their friendship is tested. When an evil soul sucking carnival arrives in town, things get worse.

I sorta kinda knew what this book was about, by pop culture osmosis, I guess. I have known people who grew up on the novel and the movie, and loved it. Although written somewhat like a young adult novel, there are many adult themes and scary parts to this book. And a lot of existential thought. As with Let’s All Kill Constance, I sometimes found Bradbury’s writing style difficult to read. In a totally different way than that novel, tho. In some ways it makes me want to read more of his books, and it some ways I never want to read another. I enjoyed the themes of the evils inside oneself: what greed, desire and envy will do to a person over time. I made sure to watch the movie after reading the book. A Disney Film from the 1980s, it was pretty slow and perhaps boring by today’s standards. But I could see, watching this at that time as a child, that it could have been very frightening. Mostly staying very true to the novel, there were a few parts where they diverged, especially in the case of Pam Grier’s performance of the side show witch. Something Wicked is, at it’s heart, a coming of age story of young men, and it seems to appeal mostly to men and boys. But I would recommend this book to anyone who likes books about circuses and sideshows, people who like books about hidden evils, coming of age stories, or books about small town adventures.

Have you read this book? Have you seen the film?

Shroud for a Nightingale

One of my goals in 2020 is to read more. See other books I've read or listened to here.

Another novel by PD James, A Shroud for a Nightingale is one of Detective Dalgleish’s earlier books.

Having read several of the Adam Dalgliesh mysteries now, with no intention of stopping, I sort of wish I had read them in order. This is the 4th in the series.

When one student at the foreboding Nightingale House School for Nurses is murdered during a student practice role-play, and another is found dead of apparent suicide, only Detective Dalgliesh and his team can untangle the mysteries and complexities of this private community with it’s own rules and moral codes.

Reading these novels out of order sometimes means that you are reading books set in very similar places, or with similar plots right in a row. Having read quite a few, I think that if I had read them in the order intended I would not see such glaring re-occurences. That being said, I actively enjoy that James’ revisits themes. She seems obsessed with the idea of murders in small isolated communities. She obviously finds what someone one would do to protect that community compelling, and her readers do too. I found Shroud for a Nightingale particularly jarring as the deaths were of bright young people full of potential. Another interesting aspect of this book is that the community in question is almost entirely women. James’ victims come in all shapes and sizes and non are totally morally good or evil and the same can be said of her killers. Most of the time. To find out who the murderer is in Shroud For A Nightingale is and the motive for their crimes, you’ll have to read it for yourself! I would recommend this book for those who are interested in medical mysteries, fans strong leading detectives, those who have read any other of James’ work (this one had a few interesting differences than the other’s I have read) and of course, mystery fans everywhere!

Do you like mysteries set in hospitals or medical fields?

Wildlife

One of my goals in 2020 is to read more. See other books I've read or listened to here.

I have no idea where I got this book or why I picked up Wildlife by Richard Ford but it was once housed as a used book at The Strand. I really enjoyed the feeling of this book and that the cover is slightly scratchy.

In a town in Montana, where wildfires are raging just near by, a man loses his job. At the same time his son loses his perfect image of his parents.

I liked this book. It wasn’t groundbreaking or brilliant. But I enjoyed it for it’s straight forward, unfettered, coming of age story. I liked the background setting of a nervous town in Montanan and the atmosphere it provided. The characters were not all entirely fleshed out, but some aspects were surprising poignant. Joe, the 16 year narrator, is quiet and solemn. His mother is distantly mean. A slice of life story revolving around one small tragedy, this book is also quiet. It reminded my of the movie The Ice Storm, and the idea that everyone has a whole world of their own that they rarely show others. I would recommend this book for those who like coming of age stories, stories about boys growing up in America, or period slice of life novels.

What is your favorite coming of age story?

Dayworld

One of my goals in 2020 is to read more. See other books I've read or listened to here.

I have long been a fan of Philip Jose Farmer’s Riverworld Series and when I found a copy of Dayworld I was excited to read it! I love the cover!

Now you only get to live one day a week. Now you get put in stasis, “stoned”, for 6 days a week. Now you belong to an underground organization that breaks stoning. Now you live for seven days a week. Now you are a different person each day. Now you are seven people. Now you are on the run.

The other day a friend said to me, “you only read old books”. That is pretty much true. There’s something comforting about old novels, especially old sci fi stories. Yes, they are usually racist, sexist, bizarre, and outdated but they also have such a strange sense of hope for the future and nostalgia for a future that never came to pass. This one was especially poignot, being about people who were forced to live only one day a week due to restrictions put on them from the government and world. In some way, it stragely mirrored the lifestyle change of having to stay home under lockdown. The most compelling idea of Dayworld is not the destruction of the planet at the hands of humans (inevitable), not the control of life by the government (already true), not the uprisings that ensue from this control (no brainer), and not the fact that those uprisings are also lead by the corrupt (clearly) but the idea of how you survive and flourish thru those trials. The pursistence of life is not a new theme, of course. But this take on it, and all the lives that persistence touches, is a very interesting part of this book. I would recommend this book to all those who like vintage sci fi, rebellion stories, and stories about multiple personalities or disguises.

Do you like vintage sci fi? Who’s your favorite author?

Joy in the Morning

One of my goals in 2020 is to read more. See other books I've read or listened to here.

I started Joy in the Morning by P G Wodehouse last summer as my beach book. In May 2020, while waiting at the vet for 5 hours, I finished it.

Bertie Wooster reluctantly accepts an invite to the village of Steeple Bumpleigh where Lord Worplesdon (Aunt Agatha’s second husband) lives, as he knows there will be a fancy dress party he can attend. His man, Jeeves, wants to do a little fishing. Little do they know they’ll be pulled into Nobby and Boko’s engagement, Florence and Cheesewright’s disengagement, all the misadventures of Edwin the Boy Scout and more…

I’ve read several of the Jeeves and Wooster Series, having grown up on the Fry and Laurie version form the BBC. These are books that make me laugh out loud; a very rare thing. They are silly and irreverant, with great imagery. But I do find them hard to get into sometimes. The language is unique, which is partly what makes Wodehouse’s books great, entertaining and intelligent, but also difficult to break in to. I almost feel like you have to prepare yourself to go back in time to the roaring 20s and you must act and listen accordingly. But once you’re there, it’s a great joyous ride, with reference to poets, Shakespeare, activities, fashion and songs of the time, almost impossible predicaments, a host of odd and funny characters, frightful Aunts, and a whole lot of silliness. A word that comes to mind is uproarious. I highly recommend Joy in the Morning, and any PG Wodehouse books I’ve read, for those who love humorous novels, silly characters, books about the teens and 20s, and all those who love distinctly British comedy.

Who are your favorite humorous novelists?

I really loved this little illustration on the back of this novel. Hilarious, once you’ve read the book!

Man in the Dark

One of my goals in 2020 is to read more. See other books I've read or listened to here.

I avoided reading this book for a while, as it looks vaguely political (it is) and violent (it really is), but last month I finally read Man in the Dark by Paul Auster.

August Brill can’t sleep. After his wife dies and he gets in a car accident, after he goes to live with his daughter in Vermont, after his granddaughter’s boyfriend is killed and he can’t help her heal, after he can’t finish his memoirs from grief and self loathing, August Brill can’t sleep. So he tells himself stories at night instead.

Theres something I find comforting about Paul Auster’s books, even though many of them have deeply disturbing aspects. I think it’s his plain writing style but also that his books are often set in places that are familiar to me. We both lived in Brooklyn, we both visited the same areas in Vermont. When I read his books, I feel like I know where they are set, like I’ve been there, and that makes them all the more compelling. I struggled to get into this book, and once I did, I struggled to know that there would be a violent event that would be hard to read. But I ended up really enjoying Man in the Dark. This is the most outwardly violent book I’ve ever read of Auster’s, although I would say that City of Glass is strangely violent. I thought it was interesting that this book takes place in two stories, one in real life (although this book is fiction) and one in a frictional story that the main character is creating within the book. I’m not sure I have ever read a book with this devise that reads so smoothly. I would recommend this book for those who feel comfortable with reading about violent acts, those who like stores about people reflecting on thier lives, and those who like alternate history stories. But I would also give a warning that this book has disturbing graphic violence, military violence and should not be read lightly.

Have you ever put off reading a book bc it was political in nature?

The Black Tower

One of my goals in 2020 is to read more. See other books I've read or listened to here.

I have several copies of The Black Tower by PD James. They mostly came from book sales, as I recall. At the point in April when I read this book I was on a roll of reading! I read this book in less than 24 hours, something I haven’t done since I was young.

On the day that Detective Dalgleish is told he doesn’t have cancer after all, he makes a serious decision to quite the police force and change his life. But first he must visit a friend who has written for help.

James’ writing is so effortlessly inviting, so smoothly enticing, I’m always surprised at how easily I’m sucked in to each book. Especially since the plot of the last three I’ve read are basically exactly the same. In this book, a small isolated town near the sea is rocked by death and suicide. But were either of them natural? Although I have read other books by James with this basic plot, this one was unique bc she had put the seed of doubt in the mind of her main protagonist. It was interesting to read about a detective actively trying to discourage his detective nature. It’s an interesting literary device to have a hero so torn over his role in the proceedings. If you’ve read any of PD James’ other novels, I would suggest this one as an interesting balance But one that still contains all of her amazing talents for writing and engaging the reader. This book has it’s fair share of mystery, intrigue, and suspense. I would highly recommend The Black Tower for those who are already fans of Detective Dalgleish, those who love detective novels with strong male leads, people who like suspense, and those who like mysteries set in small communities.

Have you read any of the Adam Dalgleish books? Do you read them in order? Or as I do, when they come your way?

Last Chance to See

One of my goals in 2020 is to read more. See other books I've read or listened to here.

I couldn’t remember if I had ever read Last Chance to See by Douglas Adams and Mark Carwardine all the way through: Now I have. I’ve had this copy which I’ve, ahem, borrowed, ahem, from The New School of Monmouth County’s library for many years.

Acclaimed sci-fi comedy writer Douglas Adams had long been interested in conservation but when he met up with Mark Carwardine, things really got cooking. Together, with various guides, BBC photogs and producers, as well as a host of random characters, they travel the world in search of rare and endangered animals. They even find a few.

Once I had completed this book, I realized I had read it before and I realized why I probably couldn’t remember having done so. This book is depressing.
Here’s some history about me and Douglas Adams; I’m obsessed with him. I have been since I was a kid. I listen to his voice almost every night and have done so for as long as I can remember. That’s pretty weird. But Adams shaped a lot of who I am and still does. Reading (or I guess, rereading) Last Chance to See, I was struck by his humor, but also his pessimism and his perseverance. Mostly remembering his comedic work, I didn’t really think that that is how the tone of this book would be. In Last Chance, Adams travels to amazing places, sees amazing animals, and meets amazing people doing amazing work, but all the stories end the same, with doubt and uncertainty. And the crazy thing is, reading this book 31 (!!!) years later, the story is still the same. Recently the kakapo parrot, which Adams got to visit at essentially the beginning of their preservation, is still holding on by a thread. And that’s one of the best cases.
Despite it’s depressing nature, I would highly recommend this book to anyone interested in conservation, animal studies, environmentalism, or those who want to learn about the human impact on the world. This book holds up amazing well, bc so much of the information is still relevant on all these subjects. I would also recommend this book for Douglas Adams fans.

Do you enjoy books on nature or environmental issues?

Lady Celestina's Book Reading Method

My friend, Lady Celestina, reads a lot of books. When I asked them how they did it, they let me in on thier special method. It’s quite simple, really, but I was excited to try it, especialy bc I have more time to read than in many years. After using this method since the end of March, I can say that this totally works! I’ve read 8 books in about 7 weeks as of writing this.

Lady Celestina’s method has more to do with commitment and a mindset change than it does with an elaborate trick.

Simply, take the total number of pages of your book, divide by the number of days in which you want to read it (7 is suggested), and read that amount each night rounding up to the nearest chapter or page break.

Super easy, right? But if you stick with it, it gives you the right motivation to get thru books super quickly while being attentive and engaged. My previous problem was that I would read only a few paragraphs or pages at a time. I thought any reading was better than none. Reading so little never gave me enough to sink my teeth into. I was easily distracted, and would put the book down right away. Once I was on to The Lady’s trick, once I committed to trying it and using it, it allowed me to really get into each session and often times I would read more than the allotted number of pages. Having a method to rely on, I found it easier to put away distractions. I would highly recommend Lady Celestina’s Method for anyone trying to read more productively!

Do you have any tricks for reading?

My Favorite Books | Get Ready for the Apocolypse

One of my goals in 2020 is to read more. See other books I've read or listened to here.

It was fun to recommend a few of my favorite books last month and I thought the apocalypse was a an appropriate theme for this month’s round up!

Bunny Modern by David Bowman
In the not too distant future, electricity has been wiped out by the Millennial Blackout. This makes childbearing and much more out of wack. Nanny’s take drugs to do their jobs, shrines to the current are everywhere, and one child actor has psuedo-psychic powers.
I love this book. Just thinking about it makes me want to read it again even though I have probably read it a dozen times before. I don’t know where found this book, but I still have my original beloved copy.
While researching this blog, I was sad to find out that David Bowman passed away in 2012. One novel was released posthumously, so I’ll have to get my hands on that. It made me want to check on some of my other favorite living authors and make sure they are OK.

Cats Cradle by Kurt Vonnegut
Told from isolation after Ice Nine, a deadly compound discovered by the father of the atom bomb, destroys the world, Cat’s Cradle is a unique look at the apocalypse and it’s aftermath.
I have’t read this book in a while and it might be time to reread it. As I recall it has all the compelling writing and irreverence of Vonnegut’s best works with a more forward sci fi nature. I highly recommend this as a jumping off point for those who have never read him, or those who have only read Slaughterhouse Five.

World War Z by Max Brooks
Written as an oral history 20 years after the Zombie War started, we see how the war was started and how people are recovering in different parts of the world.
I’m shocked that during this pandemic more people aren’t talking about zombies in general and about this book in particular. What I really liked about this book was that it was more about how the world would recover from a global eco political pandemic than about monsters. Here’s an excerpt from the Wikipedia plot recap: “The United States does little to prepare because of its overconfidence in its ability to suppress any threat, and the desire to not cause a panic during an election year. Although special forces teams contain initial small-scale domestic outbreaks, a widespread effort never starts: the US is deprived of political will by "brushfire wars", and a widely distributed and marketed placebovaccine, Phalanx, creates a false sense of security.” Seems like the perfect time to read this book.

What are your favorite post apocalyptic books?

Six Feet Under

One of my goals in 2020 is to read more. See other books I've read or listened to here.

I’m sure I picked up Six Feet Under by Dorothy Simpson bc it has this tagline: Murder Most British. How could I resist?

Hardworking, honest, family loving, and empethetic, Detective Thanet sometimes wonders if he’s in the wrong career. But he is a fine detective and when the murder of a seemingly insignifigant and mousy house cleaner with a vile and overbaring mother is broght to his attention, he will do everything in his power to solve it. Even if that means uncovering a whole twon of secrets and some shortcomings of his own.

I have the feeling that I got this book at a by the bag book sale, but I can’t remember when or where. This is the second in the series and like I said, I know I picked it for the tagline. I had never heard of the author before, but it seems she had 15 novels in her Inspector Thanet series. Why this novel is called Six feet Under, words which are never uttered in the book, and have no baring on the story, is a mystery to me (haha). It seems that in 1982, this might have seemed a thrilling and enticing name for a mystery novel. I love dry British cop shows and novels and if someone made a handbook on how to create them, it might be this book. Tough, brilliant, loving, rye, and firm lead detective? Check. Eager, green but determined, not all put together but trying his best, young sargent? Check. Secretive, cloistered, looks perfect from the outside but everyone has their own agenda and allgeince, country village. Got it. Gruesome murder of a seemingly innocuous occupant. Killed it (her). So if you like those things, this is the book for you. It wasn’t the greatest mystery novel I’ve every read, and I wouldn’t seek out more of Dorothy Simpson novels but if I found one randomly again, I would pick it up. I would recommend this book for those who like novels set in small English towns, cop mystery novels, or anyone interested in comparing this to other books of it’s ilk.

Had you heard of this author before? Are you a fan of British Detective novels?

Let's All Kill Constance

One of my goals in 2020 is to read more. See other books I've read or listened to here.

I might have gotten Let’s All Kill Constance by Ray Bradbury on a stoop, or at a library sale, or off a shelf in a coffee shop. I can’t remember. But I’m sure I picked it up bc of the author and I know I’ve had it for many years.

“It was a dark and stormy night….” The audacity of using this as the opening line isn’t taken lightly by the narrator, an author himself. When the storm blows in an old flame and a murder mystery, it’s our narrator’s duty to investigate.

I realize that I have never read any Ray Bradbury besides Farenheit 451, which is an amazing book (one I should probably reread soon). I have a few of his books in my to-be-read pile, the Martian Chronicles, Something Wicked This Way Comes, but this is the first I’ve actually taken the time to read. I must say it’s not what I expected. Bradbury writes in a very stylized manner for this book, which is almost all in conversation. Set in 1960s California, every character has an individual dialect, but all speak in a halting, in-the-know manner that can be sometimes hard to follow. Since this is not a straight forward mystery and is a bit confusing in plot, the language makes it even more so. The chapters are extremely short, which, while they make you feel accomplished (I’ve read 6 chapters today! even though that’s only about 20 pages), makes the story even more broken up. The vagueness of story, constant switching of internal and external monologue and dialog, half expressed thoughts in both, and the strange speech patterns make this read a bit of a jumbled mess. The book’s saving grace is probably that it’s short and quick. It’s not that I didn’t enjoy this book, but it’s not one I’ll think too much on or ever pick up again, I think. Sometimes an avant garde style of writing will grab the reader, entice them into a different world, but I found this book too confusing to really dwell on. That being said, I would recommend this book for those who like quick mysteries, odd writing styles, Ray Bradbury novels, or books set in California.

Have you read this book? Have a different take on it than I do? Share your thoughts in the comments.

Loafing Down Long Island

One of my goals in 2020 is to read more. See other books I've read or listened to here.

I can’t remember exactly how I found Loafing Down Long Island by Charles Hanson Towne. Maybe I was searching for books about walking? Or books similar to The Great Gatsby? I do remember buying this book online and then setting it aside for a few years.

I remember looking for and buying this book online, but it’s one of the strangest printings I’ve every seen. The text is set differently on almost every page, clearly copied from an older test, but no care was taken to make each page match up. The cover is also of a strange dry itchy sort of plastic coating that is the first I’ve ever come across. The feeling is extremely unpleasantly dry to me, but once I got into the book, I forgot all about it.

Follow Towne on a Summer jaunt from one end of Long Island, NY, to the other. Even in 1921, or there abouts when this book was published, Long Island was a popular Summer destination. But Townes astonishes and amazing his friends and aquiantences by going on his Summer adventure on foot!

The moment I opened this book, I knew it was a book for me. The first few lines read as follows: “When I speak of the difficulties of walking, I do not refer to the infirmities of age, to flat feet…Not at all. I mean that it is hard indeed in these rushing times to go afoot…without being considered eccentric.” A problem I can relate to today, I thought immediately! I love to travel by foot, it is one of my favorite modes of transport and a favorite past time, so I was right away hooked. People always look at me askance when I turn down a ride in a car, or end up somewhere wet, from a sudden rain storm, or choose to take a longer route so that the walk is extended. Towne, considered the quintessential New Yorker of his time, writes like a cross between F Scott Fitzgerald, PG Wodehouse, with a little bit of Bill Bryson. He is free with his opinions, and can be a bit judgemental, but Loafing reads like a diary, including thoughts, conversations, ideas, and songs or poems. But it’s also a bit of a guide book: Towne points out areas of interest, shares history and suggests sights to visit. It’s clear that he has a deep love for NY in general and Manhattan specifically. The way he write reminds me of so many things I love about Brooklyn and other areas of Long Island and how special a place it is. I would highly recommend this book for those who also love NYC and Long Island, those who like travel tales, fans of F Scott Fitzgerald, or those who really like to walk.

Do you like to read books about activities? Walking, hiking, sailing, etc… What book like this have you read?

My Favorite Books | Going Places

One of my goals in 2020 is to read more. See other books I've read or listened to here.

Recently Treehugger posted an article about some of their writer’s favorite books about travel or different parts of the world. Since we are all sequestered in our homes (hopefully!! Stay Home!) for a while, I thought this was a great idea. If you are like me, you’re taking this time to read more and recommendations for books are always good! Here are my favorite books about travel and domestic or foreign lands.

Travels with Charley by John Steinback
Steinback wrote books that are about America. In 1960, he decided that he hadn’t actually seen America in a long time. He sets off with his dog, Charley, and his modified camper truck, Rocinante, to see the country again.
One of my favorite books of all time. If you like Steinbeck’s writing style, this travelogue is the real life version of his novels, and you will love it. One of my favorite things about traveling in America, being American, is that every place you go is both exactly the same, and totally different to, where you are from. It’s amazing to see that that tis has been true for many years.

Travels with my Aunt by Graham Greene
When Henry Pulling, drab and conventional, meets his estranged Aunt Augusta, he doesn’t expect his world to be turned upside down. But being drawn to his mysterious and outrageous aunt, this is exactly what happens.
I haven’t read this one in a long time, maybe it’s time to revisit. Written in 1969 this is an imaginary jaunt in Europe and beyond from a master of overseas observation, Graham Greene.

The Big Oyster: History on the Half Shell by Mark Kurlansky
This non fiction follows the history of oysters and how we eat them. Told from the perspective of New York through history, this is a good reminder about how everything is connected.
This isn’t a travel book, but it is a facsinating look at the Manhattan estuary and it’s history. When I want to read a book about a place, I often come back to reading about places I love.

What are your favorite books about travel or set in wonderful places that you can travel to with the book? I would love to read more books about places taht I love, while I know I can’t travel there. I’m always looking for books about or set in Brooklyn, New Orleans, Bermuda and many more places. Where is your favorite setting for books?

If you have some favorite books on this subject leave them in the comments!

Break Shot: My First 21 Years

One of my goals in 2020 is to read more. See other books I've read or listened to here.

Audible gave me Break Shot: My First 21 Years by James Taylor for free. How did they know I’m a James Taylor fan?!

Although I’ve listened to James Taylor basically all my life (my mother is a fan), I didn’t really know much about his life. I knew some of the big points, like that he was a heroin addict, and that he was married to Carly Simon, that he had a cameo on The Simpsons, and that I loved his music, but that was basically it.

James Taylor came up with the title for his first autobiography while walking in the woods. He thought the idea of the first move in any game of pool, the break shot, was a perfect metaphore for his early life. The move that got everything else started.

The first thing that struck me about this book was the reading. I cannot believe how awkward a reader JT is! Stiff and mechanical, not at all conversational like he is in his concerts. This audio book reading is interjected with music and singing which can be distracting. Once I got over the reading style, or lack there of, and could focus a little more on the story, I like that his writing style is very conversational. In this book JT goes thru his life from early childhood in chronological order, pretty much. Talking about one thing will remind him of another story from years later and he will interject with that later memory recalled. But he always finds a smooth and easy way to bring you back to the present moment in the time line. Telling his childhood in time order, but sometimes installing moments from the past, and more often the future, makes this very interesting to listen to. His early life torn between the North East Coast and South Carolina, his struggles with depression and drugs, his fall to heroin addiction, and his climb to making his first record with the Beatles is all recorded in Break Shot. I might not have picked this book up on my own, so I was pleased to have gotten it unexpectedly and I will be waiting for the next era of James Taylor’s life to be written down. I would highly recommend this book for readers who like books set in New England, readers who are interested in mental hospital stories, those who like easy autobiographies, and all James Taylor fans.

Have you read any autobiographies lately?

Magical Herbalism

One of my goals in 2020 is to read more. See other books I've read or listened to here.

I borrowed Magical Herbalism by Scott Cunningham from my BFF when I visited Arizona in December and I’ve been slowly reading it ever since.

If you are new to practicing magic, or you are a long time witch, this guide is vital for your library. With instructions for creating magical objects and alters, simple spells and detailed info on many many herbs, this book will help you on your way.

Although this is an instruction manual, filled with very practical information about herbs and how they are used in magical practice, this book can be read by all. The style is very simple and easy to read and digest. If you are a magic practitioner you will find the beginner’s guide here, but if you are not a witch at all, this book is still very interesting. One might not choose to make a magic knife with which to perform spells, but the underlying themes of mindfulness, purposefulness, sustainability, and taking great care to never do harm, should be heeded by all. Besides having instructions for spell and magical objects, this book is mostly a guide to picking and using wild and cultivated herbs, flowers and plants. It has a long and thorough list of herbs and plants, their uses in magic, the element they are associated with, if they are edible or not and more. I felt very inspired each time I picked up this book, not so much to practice magic, but to practice cultivation, foraging, preservation, nature knowledge, mindfulness, and slow living. I also like that this was an instruction book not a narrative, which meant it was easy to read while reading other books as well, or in bits and pieces. I do think that this is a beginners guide, but it may contain items or terms that you have never heard of or used. This is the kind of book that sparks you to investigate further. I would highly recommend this book for those interested in magic, practicing witches, gardeners, and plant lovers.

Have you read any instructive books on obscure subjects? What is your favorite?

The Wench is Dead

One of my goals in 2020 is to read more. See other books I've read or listened to here.

The Wench is Dead is the 8th book in the Inspector Morse novels by Colin Dexter, and the 8th that I have listen to read by Kevin Whately.

Morse’s bad habits catch up with him and he lands himself in hospital. Between ogling the nurses, and pestering Lewis to bring him some scotch, he discovers a murder mystery to solve from his bed.

When I read the synopsis of this short novel, I was pretty convinced that I was going to be disappointed. But it turns out that The Wench is Dead has been my favorite Inspector Morse book so far. The grand inspector, taken down by illness of his own devising, gives him a more human side. But even with feet of clay, he cannot ignore a murder, long thought solved. The way the mystery unfolds, both in a book retelling the crime and in Morse’s musings on it, is really compelling and his curiosity becomes yours. This novel has Dexter’s healthy dose of womanizing, lamenting old age, intellectual bravado, and over indulgence, but it frames it in a more accessible way than many of the previous novels. As always, Kevin Whately’s reading really adds to my enjoyment of these books. He played Morse’s sidekick in the BBC series and seems to have a unique take on the characters. Although I would not suggest people read this book first, but I would highly recommend this novel for those who like boat books, historical mysteries, and detective novels with a twist.

Death in Holy Orders

One of my goals in 2019 is to read more. See other books I've read or listened to here.

I picked up this copy of Death in Holy Orders by PD James at the book sale of the Allentown, NJ, Library.

Inspector Daleglish is surprised when a rich and powerful man asks him to look into a death that was ruled an accident. But when he discovers that it took place at a remote seminary school that he himself visited as a child, he takes the unexpected opportunity. Even more surprising is that reinvestigating on death leads to many more.

I would say that PD James is one of my favorite authors but I think that this is actually only the 4th book I’ve read. When I started reading this book, it seemed so familiar to me, I thought I might have read it already and forgotten. I had to search around after a chapter or two as it was driving me nuts. I realized that there was a TV version I might have seen, but I also noticed that the were many similar plot points to another PD James book I had read, The Lighthouse. I pressed on once I figured that out, whether I saw the mini series or not, I couldn’t remember what happened.
Although I would call this book a murder mystery, it’s more a book about meeting characters and seeing how they interact. Each person involved is a fleshed out and explored enough to give you a sense of how each impacts the other. Since Daleglish is one of James’ main detectives, each book also has insight into his life. This book explored his background and upbringing, as well as his early love life.
I love James’ style of writing and I find it totally captivating. I liked that this book was set in a religious college although that was just a small aspect of this book. It was a very interesting setting: a tight knit community revolved around morality, now involved in the tumult of murder.
I would recommend this book to anyone who likes murder mysteries, calm and serious detectives, books about small towns.

Have you read any books set in religious backgrounds and settings? Or any books set in a unique community?