Jolabokaflod!

 

 

Ramblings by Jeanne 

 In Iceland, there's a tradition of giving books on Christmas Eve. Everyone then spends the evening reading their new acquisitions.  It's called Jolabokaflod, meaning Christmas Book Flood:  a fine name for a fine tradition.

I sometimes travel at the holidays and I have my own book tradition:  I visit the Gift Shop at the Bristol Public Library where there is a lovely selection of books at rock bottom prices.  I buy three or four books that look interesting but I probably wouldn't read otherwise and I take them with me to read during layovers.  I can then jettison whatever books I finish and lighten my luggage.  (I'm just not into ebooks; even if I were, the charging stations enroute are sometimes less than reliable.) 

This year I really hit the jackpot.  Every book I picked turned out to be memorable and made the time fly by-- no pun intended.

Serafina and the Black Cloak by Robert Beatty had piqued my interest awhile back because it was set at Biltmore. The story revolves around a young girl who lives on the grounds with her father, who works for the Vanderbilts.  Serafina sees a disturbing encounter one night and becomes convinced that there is a dangerous man on the premises. The question is, can she prove it? This was a well done juvenile historical fantasy that made excellent use of its setting and introduced the reader to intriguing characters. It's the first in a series as well.

Squeeze Me by Carl Hiaasen was an impulse choice.  I had only read one of Hiaasen's books previously, but was hoping for a return (or at least an update) on some characters from the previous books and I wasn't disappointed.  Hiaasen is known for his ecological themes, and this time the focus is on the pythons who are multiplying rapidly. His humor may not be for everyone, but this time some lines made me laugh out loud.

 As should be obvious from my reviews, I read a lot of mysteries but somehow I never started reading the Kinsey Millhone books. That was remedied when I found  A is for Alibi by Sue Grafton. I was hooked from the first chapter and since have gone on to read two more in the series.

It was like a Christmas stocking full of unexpected goodies!

For about $2, I had hours of entertainment.  Yes, that's right:  $2. The BPL Gift Shop is a treasure trove!   And believe it or not, they are now having a sale with prices cut even more:  paperbacks are 10 for $1, hardback books are 50% off. You can't beat that.

So if you're still looking for gifts, do your pocketbook a favor and check out some of the bargains at the Gift Shop.  You may find just the perfect coffee table book for Uncle Joe or a great cookbook for Grandmother. Or you may be like me, and just find stuff for yourself.   At those prices, you can treat everyone!

Nevermore: Cuba, Myth of Normal, Baron in the Trees, Beyond That the Sea

 

Reported by Kristin

 

A Nevermore member seeking to expand horizons and wishing to understand more of Cuba’s modern history, picked up DK Eyewitness Travel: Cuba by Irina Bajini. This travel guide browsing was inspired by reading a historical fiction book set in Cuba. As with all DK guides, this one is very comprehensive with fabulous pictures, maps, and a little history for each area described. VC

 

Sparking much discussion, another reader mentioned The Myth of Normal: Trauma, Illness & Healing in a Toxic Culture by Gabor Maté and Daniel Maté. Written with the layperson in mind, Dr. Gabor Maté has used his decades of experience to examine how Western living and medical care can sometimes hurt more than heal. As stress manifests itself in our physical bodies, we are seeing more autoimmune diseases, especially in women. Our reader said that listening to the audiobook was “kind of stressful” hearing about all the things that might kill us, but that the author clearly challenges what we hear from society. HM

 

The Baron in the Trees by Italo Calvino was a big hit with one of our readers. Living in 18^th century Italy, young Cosimo di Rondó is part of the landed gentry. Rather than live as he is expected, the boy decides to live in the trees. This whimsical story was much enjoyed as the boy grows to be a man while still living high, even though our reader did comment that “it gets kind of grim when he gets older.” AH

 

One of our usual Nevermore attendees was unable to come today, so she emailed a report. In her own words, here is a review of Beyond That, the Sea by Laura Spence-Ash. “I give it 5 (FIVE!!!!) stars. I loved this book and was sorry when it ended. It begins with a 9-year-old girl from England who came to the US to live with a family during WWII, and followed them into the ‘80s. The way it was written and flowed reminded me of “Olive Kitteridge.” I cared about each of the characters, and life sometimes dealt them harsh blows. How they went on made me love them even more.” CD

 

Also Mentioned:

 

Deaf Republic by Ilya Kaminsky

The Last House on the Street by Diane Chamberlain

When I am an Old Woman I Shall Wear Purple edited by Sandra Martz

A Feast of Eggshells by Florence Stevenson

Someone Always Nearby by Susan Wittig Albert

The Women of Chateau Lafayette by Stephanie Dray

Moomin by Tove Jansson

The Ancient Greeks: Their Lives and Their World by Alexandra Villing

The Autobiography of Benjamin Franklin by Benjamin Franklin

Final Girls by Riley Sager

This is How It Always Is by Laurie Frankel

 

New Books:

The Last Outlaws: The Desperate Final Days of the Dalton Gang by Tom Clavin

Founding Partisans by H.W. Brands

Emperor of Rome: Ruling the Ancient World by Mary Beard

Buffalo Bill in the Limelight Across Virginia by John Flood

Buried in a Book by Lucy Arlington

 

Reviewed by Jeanne

Journalist Lila Wilkins’ life is upended when she suddenly loses her job. To make matters worse, her son has been caught joyriding with a couple of friends on the local high school’s football field, leaving damaged bleachers in his wake.  Now not only is Lila unemployed, but she owes a lot of money.  With no other alternative, she applies for a job at the Novel Ideas literary agency, puts her house up for sale, and moves in with her mother—not something she’d planned to do at age 45.

Her job at the agency consists mainly of reading and largely rejecting query letters which come in at an alarming rate.  At least they mostly arrive via email, but then one actually shows up in person.  The man’s clothing is disreputable looking, he has an unpleasant odor, and he’s carrying flowers.  Apparently, he’s something of a regular and possibly homeless; no one pays him any attention except to tell him to leave.

When he turns up dead, no one seems to care except for Lila who can’t help but feel she should have at least taken a look at his query letter. . . which seems to have disappeared.

This is a first in the Novel Ideas series, and it handled being a first in series book very well.  It never really bogged down while introducing the characters and setting.  I liked Lila and some of her cohorts at the agency; I thought her mother, Althea, was a hoot—she does psychic readings and is always warning Lila about potential disasters.  I was less enchanted with her son, Trey, who seemed to feel he could do no wrong; at least by the end he seemed to be growing up a bit.

This was a light, cozy mystery with some literary references and a vaguely North Carolina setting of “Inspiration Valley.” It’s all a bit wish fulfillment, which made perfect sense to me when I realized that “Lucy Arlington” was actually a pseudonym for Ellery Adams (who has other idealized locales in her books) and Sylvia May.  I’m definitely interested in reading more, though I did notice that they wrote only the first three books before handing the series over to Susan Furlong.  I’ll be interested to see if I detect a difference.

The books in the series are:

Buried in a Book

Every Trick in the Book

Books, Cooks, and Crooks

Played by the Book

Off the Books

A is for Alibi by Sue Grafton

 

Reviewed by Jeanne

Yes, I’m very late coming to the Kinsey Millhone party! When I first became aware of Sue Grafton’s series, she was well into the alphabet, so I just kept putting off reading.  I’d heard about how Grafton chose to keep the series grounded in the 1980s, making later entries turn into historical novels.  I’d read about how tough Kinsey was and how the character blazed a trail for female PI characters.  I’d read about all the awards and accolades. I still didn’t pick up the series.

When Grafton passed away suddenly, leaving the series to end at Y, I rather felt there would be no ending and maybe I shouldn’t even start the series.

Recently I was getting ready to go out of town, so I was browsing the BPL’s wonderful giftshop.  I found a copy of the first book, A is for Alibi, for a quarter so I decided I’d take it.  If I didn’t like it, I could leave the book behind.

Thirty pages in, and I knew I was not leaving the book behind.

Not only was this a good mystery, but I loved the ambiance. Grafton’s descriptions brought the scenes alive, and her character sketches were deftly done.  Most of all, I discovered I really liked Kinsey.  She’s someone I’d like to have as a friend, though she doesn’t really encourage close ties.  I admired her tenacity, her integrity, and her intelligence.  I love the way that she analyzes situations and people, without sentiment. She’s cool-headed, but not perfect.

In this first entry, Kinsey is approached by a woman who has just gotten out of jail for murdering her husband.  She hires Kinsey to prove she didn’t do it, leaving Kinsey to start digging up information about a very cold and very closed case. And Kinsey doesn’t rule out the possibility that her client might have done it after all.

It was a fascinating ride that ended in one of the best endings I can recall reading in a while. All I can say is, “Wow.”

I consulted with a friend who says the series doesn’t have to be read in strict order, though of course one would not want to skip to Y immediately.  I picked up C is for Corpse and immediately was drawn into that story as well.  I can see I’m going to be reading the whole series!

Nevermore: Heartbreak, Old Babes, Healing

 

Reported by Rita

Can grief literally break a heart? Heartbreak: A Personal and Scientific Journey by Florence Williams explores the effects of grief on the human body on a cellular level where it appears loss can effect physical health. The story is the author’s own personal experience of loss and discovery. Full of scientific research and interesting information, our reader gave this title 5 stars. KM

If life was hard for the average teenage girl growing up with a single mother in the 1950s, imagine what it was like if that single mother was a witch. My Evil Mother by Margaret Atwood is a humorous coming of age novella that shows what that life would be like. Our reader had only two word to express their feelings for this story…LOVED IT! This novella is included in Atwood’s Old Babes in the Woods:  Stories. MH

Not all of the books discussed in Nevermore get positive reviews. Healing: When a Nurse Becomes a Patient by Theresa Brown is one such book. The author chronicles her journey from cancer nurse to cancer patient. Our reader found the author to be self-absorbed and entitled, giving the title 1 star. CD

Also mentioned:

Jack by Marilynne Robinson

The Last Chairlift by John Irving

A World of Curiosities by Louise Penny

Empress of the Nile: The Daredevil Archaeologist Who Saved Egypt's Ancient Temples from Destruction by Lynne Olson

In the Distance by Hernan Diaz

Birds Without Wings by Louis de Bernières

A Haunting on the Hill by Elizabeth Hand

I Could Pee on This: and Other Poems by Cats by Francesco Marciuliano

 

New books:

 

The Wind Blows in Sleeping Grass by Katie Powner

Mary and the Birth of Frankenstein by Anne Eekhout

Making It So: A Memoir by Patrick Stewart

Mountains of Fire: The Menace, Meaning, and Magic of Volcanoes by Clive Oppenheimer

The Christmas Guest by Peter Swanson

 

Reviewed by Jeanne

There’s a long tradition of mystery stories set at Christmas; in addition to Christmas mysteries, the British also have a tradition of ghost stories set at that festive time, and Peter Swanson quotes from arguably the most famous of these stories just before the start of this novella.  The story opens with a woman preparing to spend her usual solitary Christmas with a bit of housecleaning. She finds an old familiar diary and soon finds herself immersed in a Christmas time some thirty years earlier when she was a student.

Californian Ashley Smith is studying art in London and planning on spending Christmas alone when she is asked to be a guest at a country house in the Cotswolds. Fellow student Emma Chapman issued the invitation, knowing that Ashley wouldn’t be returning to America for the holidays.  It’s something out of a fairy tale, a wonderful English village with the manor house, Emma’s handsome brother Adam, and evenings by the fireplace.  But Ashley confides to her diary that she’s a little uneasy. Maybe instead of a fairy tale, she’s in a dark gothic tale.  After all, a girl was found murdered nearby just a few months earlier and the killer is still at large—and Emma’s brother Adam is considered a suspect.

This is a shivery tale, told from the points of view of a somewhat naïve student and then from a mature woman.  Some of the surprises come early, but there’s a twist at the end that made it memorable for me.  If you like Christmas mysteries, this is a good choice: the English setting, the dark undercurrents, and the secrets. At just over 90 pages, it makes for a relatively quick read, which is what I’m looking for at this very busy time of year.  Swanson is the winner of numerous mystery awards, and from this book I would say there are well deserved.

A Foxfire Christmas: Appalachian Memories and Traditions

 

Reviewed by Jeanne

Many people are familiar with the Foxfire series of books which collected oral histories of Appalachian traditions.  Students in Georgia interviewed people about folkways from planting by the signs to butchering hogs to caning chairs.  A collection of books ensued, and then specialized collections such as this one which features holiday memories.

The book is divided up by topics: Preparation and Decoration, Gifts and Santa, Food and Menus, and so forth.  One that surprised me was Serenading, which I took to mean caroling.  Not exactly! Serenading was done at Christmas when groups of young people would get together and slip off to someone’s house to create a ruckus until the people inside would invite them in.  Cowbells, firing shotguns, beating buckets, anything to make a noise.  Mind, this was mostly done at night and some people even said they would wait until the lights were out in the house before they started.  More than one compared it to modern day Halloween, with tricks and treating. 

I remembered hearing about Christmases of long ago when people strung popcorn and made paper chains to decorate trees, so I was interested to read what other things were popular.  The section on food included recipes such as Black Walnut Pound Cake and Syrup Candy made for sorghum. 

Most of all, I just enjoyed the stories and memories.  Carolyn Jones’ will stay with me for a long time; simply told but powerful. Some stories had echoes of things I had heard from older people in the community, others I wondered if they were just local to that area.

For me, this is a good book choice for this time of year, because I can pick it up and read a bit, then get back to all those little things that need to be done for the holidays.  And, honestly, it’s nice to read about a time when Christmas wasn’t so over-scheduled and didn’t start in October.