Silver Pigs by Lindsey Davis

 

Reviewed by Jeanne

Rome, AD 70:  Marcus Didius Falco is an informer for the Emperor, which is a somewhat precarious occupation given that Vespasian loathes informers.  Actually, what he does is more what modern audiences would recognize as being a private eye. But more about that later.

While making his way through the streets of the city, he sees a very pretty, very young, very obviously patrician woman being followed by two toughs who are just as obviously up to no good.  Falco makes a snap decision to save her even though she hasn’t asked to be saved, and takes her to what passes for his office—the six floors up in a building in one of Rome’s slums.  Not only is the potential client not impressed, she tries to give him the slip.  It turns out she’s been kidnapped; but why, and by whom are just the start of the mystery.  If Falco weren’t the curious sort, he could have just returned her, collected a reward, and gotten drunk (again). But he is the curious sort, and that is going to land him in a heap of trouble involving embezzlement, stolen silver, conspiracies, and murder.

These books had been on my TBR list for quite some time.  I confess I was a bit hesitant because I thought they might be Ponderous Tomes, requiring total attention.  I was delighted to find that Falco is a quick talking, wise-cracking character albeit with his own moral code, and very much reminded me of some of the classic private eye characters like Archie Goodwin or Sam Spade. 

Davis makes good use of her supporting cast, some of whom will be regulars in the series. 

I also learned some fascinating facts about ancient Rome, such as that Emperor Vespasian imposed a tax on urine—urine being the secret ingredient to get those Roman togas so impressively white, and so a commodity of some value.  Davis makes ancient Rome come vividly to life, from what people wore and what they ate to political machinations of the times, and does so in a most entertaining way.

I was hooked from the start of this book and by the end I was eager to follow Falco on to his next adventure.

   1. The Silver Pigs
   2. Shadows in Bronze
   3. Venus in Copper
   4. The Iron Hand of Mars
   5. Poseidon's Gold
   6. Last Act in Palmyra
   7. Time to Depart
   8. A Dying Light in Corduba
   9. Three Hands in the Fountain
   10. Two for the Lions
   11. One Virgin Too Many
   12. Ode to a Banker
   13. A Body in the Bath House
   14. The Jupiter Myth
   15. The Accusers
   16. Scandal Takes a Holiday
   17. See Delphi and Die
   18. Saturnalia
   19. Alexandria
   20. Nemesis

New Fiction in November!

 

November

Afshar, Tessa  The Royal Artisan

Andrews & Wilson Tom Clancy Executive Power (Jack Ryan)

Armstrong, Jess The Devil in Oxford (Ruby Vaughn)

Baldacci, David  Nash Falls

Baldree, Travis  Brigands & Breadknives (Legends & Lattes)

Bowen, Rhys  From Cradle to Grave (Royal Spyness)

Braithwaite, Oyinkan Cursed Daughters

Child, Lee  Exit Strategy

Coble, Colleen  Prowl

Constantine, Liv My Sister’s Daughter and Silent Echo: Two Thrillers

Elliott, Kate  The Nameless Land (Witch Roads)

Evanovich, Janet  The King’s Ransom (Recovery Agents)

Evans, Richard Paul  The Christmas Stranger

Forsyth, Frederick  Revenge of Odessa

Griffin, Laura  Innocence Road

Harrow, Alix E.  The Everlasting

Irving, John  Queen Esther

Islington, James The Strength of the Few (Hierarchy)

Karp, Marshall  NYPD Red 8: The 11:59 Bomber

Lupica, Mike Robert B Parker’s Showdown (Spenser)

Mallery, Susan  Otherwise Engaged

Maden, Mike  Clive Cussler Quantum Tempest

Margolin, Phillip  False Witness

O’Connor, Carlene  Come Through Your Door

O’Nan, Stewart  Evensong

Patterson, James  Return of the Spider (Alex Cross)

Pearson, Mary E.  The Last Wish of Bristol Keats

Reichs, Kathy Evil Bones (Temperance Brennan)

Roberts, Nora  The Seven Rings (Lost Bride Trilogy)

Rushdie, Salman The Eleventh Hour:  A Quintet of Stories

Scalzi, John  Constituent Service

Spencer-Fleming, Julia  At Midnight Comes the Cry (Clare Fergusson)

Steel, Danielle  The Color of Hope

Yagisawa, Satoshi  Days at the Torunka Café

Overdue by Stephanie Perkins

 

Reviewed by Kristin

Ingrid and her boyfriend Cory have been together for eleven years, since their literal first day of community college. They have never dated other people, like EVER, and have settled into a life where they are real adults who live together, but haven't actually considered whether marriage is in their future. When Ingrid's sister announces her engagement to a woman she's been dating for a mere two years, Ingrid and Cory decide they should explore their options. In other words, take a month to see other people, and then come back together to either move toward marriage, or...not.

Ingrid is a library clerk in a small branch in a North Carolina mountain town. She enjoys her job, but possibly more because she enjoys working the circulation desk with her co-worker Macon, rather than having a true calling to be a librarian. Macon is her friend, but there has always been something between them and Ingrid's mind goes straight to him as soon as the possibility to date other people opens up. But of course, Macon is way too much of a gentleman to take advantage of her.

Obviously, the story continues with Ingrid and Macon figuring out their feelings, but to say more on that would be a spoiler.

This was good, but could have used some editing for length. The audiobook was almost 13 1/2 hours long, and it dragged on in places. I never was tempted to put it aside, but there were points where I was wondering how in the world Ingrid could take the long way around the metaphorical block AGAIN as her life took several twists and turns. This title is described as the adult debut of a bestselling young adult author, so maybe she (and her publisher) thought that adult books required more.

I do have one very specific issue with something that Ingrid did. While scoping out potential dates in her time away from Cory, she checked to see if the men had library cards, and if so, what were they reading. (At this point, library people should be shocked and appalled!) We would NEVER invade someone’s privacy like that for personal reasons. Borrower records are sacred, and library staff will defend your right to privacy practically to the death. The author’s bio says she used to be a librarian and a bookseller, so I found this very much out of line with what I expected from the main character. Overreaction on my part? Maybe, but you can rest assured that your reading records are safe here at your local library.

I still enjoyed the book with its vivid descriptions of books, libraries, bookstores, plants, food, paint colors, and Edmond the cat. Every book needs a cat.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Ghost-Hunting for Dummies by Zak Bagans

 

Reviewed by Jeanne

 

Yes, there is a “for Dummies” book for just about anything, including Ghost-Hunting.

Bagans, the host for Ghost Adventures and curator for The Haunted Museum, has produced a guide for all those who wish to seek out spirits.  Divided into four major sections, the book begins with “The Basics of Ghost Hunting.”  This includes a brief history of spirit beliefs going back to the ancient Egyptians, and then follows up with retellings of some of the most famous ghost tales including The Bell Witch.  He then goes through some of the history of ghosts, including scientific exploration, early researchers and believers, etc.

The second section deals with getting ready to search for ghosts, offering tips on where to look (cemeteries are a good option), researching reputably haunted places, equipment (FYI: BPL has a thermal imager for checkout in our Library of Things), and –perhaps most importantly—what dangers a ghost hunter might face.  These are not limited to angry spirits or trespassing charges, but also things like mold, asbestos, and histoplasmosis.  He also advises to take a first aid-kit, leave children at home, and don’t chew gum while recording.

The next section brings it all together, when it’s time to start the real investigations. Bagans covers capturing ghosts on film, evaluating evidence, contacting ghosts (Ouija boards, ghost boxes, table tipping, automatic writing, and so forth), interviewing witnesses, building case reports, “building a presence” in the ghost hunting community (don’t know if pun was intended or not), and what to do when things go wrong.

The final section contains lists of haunted places and signs that your own house is haunted.

Even if you don’t decide to open your own paranormal investigations, you’ll have a better idea of what these intrepid souls have gone through when you watch Ghost Adventures or Ghost Hunters or other such programs.

Nevermore Book Club

 

We refer to the Nevermore Book Club as our “free-form book club.”  Members read whatever they like and they talk about the book with the group.  Fiction, non-fiction, new books, old books, adult books, YA books, children’s books, picture books—you name it, they read it.  Just to give an idea of the breadth of the members’ choices, here is a list of recent books read.

 

The women  by Kristin Hannah

 

Al Capone does my shirts by Lisa Kurkov

 

How to hide an empire : a history of the greater United States by Daniel Immerwahr

 

The library of lost dollhouses : a novel by Elise Hooper

 

The girl who lived twice by David Lagercrantz

 

The girl who takes an eye for an eye by David Lagercrantz

 

The white dawn : an Eskimo saga by James Houston

 

The last gentleman adventurer [electronic resource] : coming of age in the Arctic by

Edward Beauclerk Maurice

 

The snake scientist by Sy Montgomery

 

Inside animal minds : the new science of animal intelligence by Mary Roach

 

The octopus scientists : exploring the mind of a mollusk by Sy Montgomery

 

Jayber Crow : a novel by Wendell Berry

 

Demon Copperhead : a novel by Barbara Kingsolver

 

The crystal cave by Mary Stewart

 

Shantaram : a novel by Gregory David Roberts

 

One hundred years of solitude by Gabriel Garcia Marquez

 

Missing sister by Joshilyn Jackson

 

Mrs. Nash's ashes by Sarah Adler

Why I Love Horror: Essays on Horror Literature edited by Becky Siegel Spratford

Reviewed by Jeanne

I am not really much of a horror reader.  I am definitely not a horror movie fan.  I will read and watch atmospheric things, like Something Wicked This Way Comes (both book and movie) or We Have Always Lived in the Castle. But when Halloween rolls around, I find myself wanting to read something a bit spooky. That’s why this book caught my eye. With horror being such a popular genre, I’m interested in why people want to write horror, and why people want to read it. This book has a lot of answers to that question.

Editor Spratford brought together nineteen contemporary horror writers and let them write a personal essay on what moves them to write this genre.  These are the newer authors; don’t expect Stephen King, Dean Koontz, F. Paul Wilson, or any of the long-established writers.  Even so, there were many names I knew, including Grady Hendrix, Alma Katsu, Tananarive Due, Jennifer McMahon, and Stephen Graham Jones. Some I didn’t, but all had interesting things to say. Many wrote to make sense of the world, often in response to childhood trauma; others wrote about the influences that led them to write horror, such as a particular movie or book.  Some speculated on the purpose horror plays in our lives and why people are drawn to it as a genre. 

I enjoyed the different ways the authors approached the question, and the different writing styles. Most of all, I enjoyed learning about some of the new authors.  Reading the essays of the ones I knew gave me some insight into their books; the others either sounded intriguing or else let me know that we weren’t on the same page (no pun intended.)  

I found this to be an interesting and entertaining read.  I will say that Grady Hendrix’s story raised a few hairs on the back of my head, too.

Bloody Mary: A Graphic Biography of Mary Tudor by Kristina Gehrmann

 

Reviewed by Jeanne

People are still fascinated by the Tudors.  Not only did they reshape parts of Europe, but there were so many complicated and charismatic characters involved, none more so than King Henry VIII, Mary’s father.  The book begins in 1518, when times were happy for two year old Mary.  Her parents, Henry and Catherine of Aragon, were (apparently) happily married, though Henry still wants a son and heir.  A daughter is not going to cut it.  He does have Mary educated as befits a ruler but his attention soon turns to another woman—Anne Boleyn. 

Told from Mary’s point of view, this book covers a lot of British history in a personal way.  It deals with Mary’s relationship with both her parents, and reflects Mary’s deep Catholic faith.  When her father breaks with the Catholic Church and becomes head of the Church of England, she is devastated, both emotionally and spiritually.  Yet she survives, and goes on to become the Queen of England after her brother’s death. The way that she rules is a reflection of that faith, and the belief that it is God’s will that she eradicate heretics. It’s also how she became known as “Bloody Mary.”

I know there are some who are not sold on the graphic novel format for non-fiction but I have to say I have seen some excellent ones. My personal favorite is The Twilight Man: Rod Serling and the History of Television by Koren Shadmi.  (Christy's review of that title can be read here.) This one, while drawn in a somewhat more cartoon style, still does an excellent job of presenting the facts.  She includes scenes which may reflect opposing views of Mary as a way of showing what others thought or passing on bits of gossip, such as when a very young Mary learns that her father is having an affair.  While these instances may not have a specific source to back them up, it would be reasonable to assume that such things occurred.

While I’m not really well versed in Tudor history, the book did back up what I did know.  I have long been interested in King Henry VIII and his six wives, and this book gives the reader a good feel for the “behind the scenes.” I did read the end notes, and while the author doesn’t cite her sources, some of the text reads as if it has been quoted.  The author, who is German, does explain some of her artistic techniques and that she used as well as references and illustrations for clothing, buildings, etc.

I found this to be an informative and attractive way to learn more about Queen Mary and the Tudor family.