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| Mopple, er, Melon waiting for a story. Or a snack. Preferably both. |
Showing posts with label Melon. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Melon. Show all posts
Wednesday, July 20, 2011
Books in Brief: Three Bags Full
I belong to DorothyL, a mystery listserv where folks discuss, among other things, mystery novels. Recently some have read Three Bags Full by Leonie Swann, a sheep mystery. I'm not kidding. The sheep try to solve the mystery. Of course, they don't quite understand the mystery--they're sheep, after all, and therein lies the delight. Their shepherd has met with foul play and they really aren't sure what will become of them but he was a rather nice shepherd who read aloud to the sheep, which is why they had some grasp of human doings. One sheep, the cleverest, was Miss Maple and while there was an explanation of how she got her name (involving syrup) I am fairly sure the resemblance to Miss Marple was not unintentional. My favorite sheep was Mopple the Whale, who was very large and while he was not terribly bright, he never forgot anything. He reminded me of someone. I can't think who.
The book is clever and very well written. Even more astonishingly, this sheepish story set in the hills of Ireland was written by a German. True, she was studying English literature at the time, but still it's pretty amazing. She's done a sequel in which the sheep get to travel to France. Alas, it hasn't been translated into English yet.
Friday, May 13, 2011
Volunteers & Events
First of all, we wanted to mention a special program at the library this weekend. Dr. Annette Wszelaki from the University of Tennessee will be here to talk about growing your own vegetables in containers. You'll be amazed at how much you can grow in a small space! The program is Sunday, May 15 at 3 pm and it's free to the public. For a bit more information (and a link to the wonderful "Homegrown Tomatoes" song) click on the link below.
http://bplstafflounge.blogspot.com/2011/05/likes-fresh-really-fresh-vegetables-you.html
The new Teen Club at Bristol Public Library needs volunteers! Under the direction of the dynamic Pam Neal, the club has expanded. Ms. Neal has an exciting summer program planned, and volunteers would be welcome. If you think you'd be interested, please pick up a volunteer application at library.
Teen and Children's Summer Reading Clubs will be starting soon! Information will be available in the Children's Library and in the Teen area.
Meanwhile, the Nevermore Bookclub meets every Tuesday at 11 am in the Frances Kegley Conference Room. Doughnuts are provided by the Blackbird bakery! Come and tell us what you're reading!
http://bplstafflounge.blogspot.com/2011/05/likes-fresh-really-fresh-vegetables-you.html
The new Teen Club at Bristol Public Library needs volunteers! Under the direction of the dynamic Pam Neal, the club has expanded. Ms. Neal has an exciting summer program planned, and volunteers would be welcome. If you think you'd be interested, please pick up a volunteer application at library.
Teen and Children's Summer Reading Clubs will be starting soon! Information will be available in the Children's Library and in the Teen area.
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| "I don't know which I like better-- books or doughnuts!" |
Friday, October 9, 2009
Shades of Grey
Shades of Grey by Clea Simon
Reviewed by Jeanne
It’s a sensation known to many who have loved and lost a pet: a glimpse out of the corner of the eye of a familiar furry shape, the scratch of claws walking down a hallway at night when there’s no one left to walk, the sudden weight of something jumping on the bed, only there’s nothing really there but memories.
That’s the situation for Dulcie Schwartz, still grieving the loss of her beloved cat, Mr. Grey. The rest of her life isn’t going any better. She’s a struggling graduate student at Harvard, trying to come up with a topic for her dissertation. She’s working as a temp at an insurance company, doing endless data entry. Her best friend and roommate Suze has taken a job out of town, so Dulcie is having to share space with Tim Worthington, a spoiled rich kid.
Things are about to get worse.
On her way home, Dulcie is startled to see a cat resembling her late pet and seems to hear a voice say, “I wouldn’t go in if I were you.” She turns, but sees no one except the cat who is now placidly washing its face.
Whatever the source, it turns out to have been good advice, because once inside she finds Tim has been murdered—with Dulcie’s mother’s second best carving knife, no less.
What follows is well-crafted mystery with numerous suspects and several intriguing (and topical) subplots that dangle in front of the reader like ribbons teasing a kitten. Readers who enjoy an academic setting will have a field day with Dulcie’s struggle to find some new reading of an early novel that might keep her grant money flowing, not to mention the wonderfully atmospheric library, nicely juxtaposed against modern computers which hold key clues.
Then there’s a hint of the paranormal with the mysterious messages from someone, offering cryptic advice. Is it the ghost of Mr. Grey, still looking out for Dulcie? Or is it only her subconscious, desperate to hold on to some part of her beloved pet? Or has the stress and strain finally gotten to Dulcie, and she’s losing her grip on reality, just like a heroine in a gothic novel?
There are some interesting secondary characters as well. My favorite is Lucy, Dulcie’s flower child mother who advises burning sage to clear out the bad vibes from the apartment and offers tarot readings but whose love is unconditional. Let me amend that: Lucy is my favorite human, because Mr. Grey, alive or deceased, is also quite the star. (Tidbit: Mr. Grey is based on Simon’s beloved Cyrus, who crossed the Rainbow Bridge some years ago.)
One observation I am compelled to make: Dulcie obviously has not been reading the BPL Bookblog. If she had, she would have read Nancy’s review of Behind Bars, Surviving Prison by Jeffrey Ian Ross and Stephen C. Richards (365.6 ROS Main) and she would have known to KEEP HER MOUTH SHUT. (Dulcie’s best friend, a law student, repeats this information but too late.)
The only real complaint I have is that the print is a bit small for my taste. A sign of my advancing age, I know. Alas, there doesn’t seem to be a large print version available as yet. Let’s hope the publisher takes the hint. However, my plus sized feline supermodel Melon wished to lodge a complaint about the lack of scenes with cats eating. I pointed out to him that Mr. Grey is deceased, but he considered that quibbling.
This is the first in a new series for Simon, who also writes the Theda Krakow mysteries, reviewed here in July (look for “A Muse Named Musetta” in the archive). She knows her setting, her English majors and music, and her cats, which gives the books an authenticity that some mysteries lack. There are a few comments about modern scholarship and the desperate quest to find something fresh about a topic that brought back memories of college papers past.
Grey Matters, the second book in the series, has been written and is due out in March 2010.
Reviewed by Jeanne
It’s a sensation known to many who have loved and lost a pet: a glimpse out of the corner of the eye of a familiar furry shape, the scratch of claws walking down a hallway at night when there’s no one left to walk, the sudden weight of something jumping on the bed, only there’s nothing really there but memories.
That’s the situation for Dulcie Schwartz, still grieving the loss of her beloved cat, Mr. Grey. The rest of her life isn’t going any better. She’s a struggling graduate student at Harvard, trying to come up with a topic for her dissertation. She’s working as a temp at an insurance company, doing endless data entry. Her best friend and roommate Suze has taken a job out of town, so Dulcie is having to share space with Tim Worthington, a spoiled rich kid.
Things are about to get worse.
On her way home, Dulcie is startled to see a cat resembling her late pet and seems to hear a voice say, “I wouldn’t go in if I were you.” She turns, but sees no one except the cat who is now placidly washing its face.
Whatever the source, it turns out to have been good advice, because once inside she finds Tim has been murdered—with Dulcie’s mother’s second best carving knife, no less.
What follows is well-crafted mystery with numerous suspects and several intriguing (and topical) subplots that dangle in front of the reader like ribbons teasing a kitten. Readers who enjoy an academic setting will have a field day with Dulcie’s struggle to find some new reading of an early novel that might keep her grant money flowing, not to mention the wonderfully atmospheric library, nicely juxtaposed against modern computers which hold key clues.
Then there’s a hint of the paranormal with the mysterious messages from someone, offering cryptic advice. Is it the ghost of Mr. Grey, still looking out for Dulcie? Or is it only her subconscious, desperate to hold on to some part of her beloved pet? Or has the stress and strain finally gotten to Dulcie, and she’s losing her grip on reality, just like a heroine in a gothic novel?
There are some interesting secondary characters as well. My favorite is Lucy, Dulcie’s flower child mother who advises burning sage to clear out the bad vibes from the apartment and offers tarot readings but whose love is unconditional. Let me amend that: Lucy is my favorite human, because Mr. Grey, alive or deceased, is also quite the star. (Tidbit: Mr. Grey is based on Simon’s beloved Cyrus, who crossed the Rainbow Bridge some years ago.)
One observation I am compelled to make: Dulcie obviously has not been reading the BPL Bookblog. If she had, she would have read Nancy’s review of Behind Bars, Surviving Prison by Jeffrey Ian Ross and Stephen C. Richards (365.6 ROS Main) and she would have known to KEEP HER MOUTH SHUT. (Dulcie’s best friend, a law student, repeats this information but too late.)
The only real complaint I have is that the print is a bit small for my taste. A sign of my advancing age, I know. Alas, there doesn’t seem to be a large print version available as yet. Let’s hope the publisher takes the hint. However, my plus sized feline supermodel Melon wished to lodge a complaint about the lack of scenes with cats eating. I pointed out to him that Mr. Grey is deceased, but he considered that quibbling.
This is the first in a new series for Simon, who also writes the Theda Krakow mysteries, reviewed here in July (look for “A Muse Named Musetta” in the archive). She knows her setting, her English majors and music, and her cats, which gives the books an authenticity that some mysteries lack. There are a few comments about modern scholarship and the desperate quest to find something fresh about a topic that brought back memories of college papers past.
Grey Matters, the second book in the series, has been written and is due out in March 2010.
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