What I Read In 2021

 155 books total, but 82 of them were historical mysteries.  Hmmmm...... I really think I need to try to broaden my focus for 2022.

Below are the lists, as divided by genre.  The total will be more than 155 because some books are really in more than one genre and thus appear on more than one list.

 

Cozy Mystery (24 total)
The Thursday Murder Club by Richard Osman **** (good mystery, sad book) mystery, almost a cozy 1/18/21
Murder in the Mystery Suite by Ellery Adams **** cozy 1/23/21
Suddenly Psychic by by Elizabeth Hunter **** cozy 2/28/21
Death By Chocolate by Sally Bearnathy ***** (excellent cozy) cozy 3/22/21
The Spies of Shilling Lane by Jennifer Ryan *** (stock characters, too easy solutions, preachy, but funny) cozy/historical 3/28/21
The Broken Spine by Dorothy St. James ** cozy (mousy, wimpy protag, lying love interest, obvious villain, predictable use of cat) 4/6/21
His Right Hand by Mette Ivie Harrison (2nd time) **** edgy cozy 5/29/21
For Tine And All Eternities by Mette Ivie Harrison (2ndtime) **** edgy cozy 5/30/21
Not of This Fold by Mette Ivie Harrison (2ndtime) **** edgy cozy 6/2/21
 A Study in Stone by Michael Campling ** (very juvenile writing) cozy w/male protag 6/10/21
 The Postscript Murders by Elly Griffiths ***** sort of cozy mystery 6/11/21
 The Box in the Woods by Maureen Johnson **** (too pro-pot, has teens as overnight camp counselors in ’78) YA mystery 7/9/21
 Murder, She Edited by Kaitlyn Dunnett **** (much better than ave cozy) Cozy Mystery 8/14/21
  Penned In by Linda Cahoon ** Cozy Mystery 9/1/21
 Haunted Hibiscus by Laura Childs **** cozy 9/17/21
 Fleece Navidad by Maggie Sefton *** (obvious killer) 9/21/21
 The Coloring Crook by Krista Davis **** cozy mystery 10/4/21
 Murder Ink by Betty Hechtman **** cozy mystery 10/11/21
 Writing a Wrong by Betty Hechtman *** (writer hates commas & question marks, uses UK punctuation for direct quotes but US spelling, is cliche about cliches) cozy 10/13/21
  The Man Who Died Twice by Richard Osman *** cozy 10/27/21
 Bad Housekeeping by Maia Chance **** cozy mystery 11/5/21
 Bad Neighbors by Maia Chance **** cozy mystery 11/6/21
  Death At High Tide by Hannah Dennison *** cozy mystery 11/15/21
 Death In Castle Dark by Veronica Bond *** cozy 12/29/21


Historical Mystery (82 total)
A Presumption of Death by Jill Paton Walsh **** historical mystery 1/27/21
Callendar Square by Anne Perry *** (no denouement) historical mystery 1/28/21
The Cater Street Hangman by Anne Perry *** (no denouement) historical mystery 1/29/21
The Late Scholar by Jill Paton Walsh *** historical mystery 2/3/21
Thrones and Dominions by Sayers and Walsh *** (143 pages/7 chapters of exposition before the murder. Ugh.) historical mystery 2/6/21
Resurrection Row by Anne Perry *** (no denouement) historical mystery 2/8/21
Rutland Place by Anne Perry *** (has a denouement, but justice is not served) historical mystery 2/9/21
Bethlehem Road by Anne Perry (finally! a denouement and a satisfying end!) historical mystery 2/10/21
Highgate Rise by Anne Perry *** (no denouement) historical mystery 2/13/21
 Belgrave Square by Anne Perry **** historical mystery 2/15/21
 Farriers’ Lane by Anne Perry *** (obvious villain) historical mystery 2/19/21
 The Hyde Park Headsman  by Anne Perry ***** historical mystery 2/21/21
 Bluegate Fields by Anne Perry **** historical mystery 2/22/21
 Death in the Devil’s Acre by Anne Perry **** historical mystery 2/22/21
Traitors’ Gate by Anne Perry **** historical mystery 2/25/21
 Pentecost Alley by Anne Perry **** historical mystery 2/26/21
 Paragon Walk by Anne Perry **** historical mystery 2/27/21
 Ashworth Hall by Anne Perry *** (really good until the end; murderer not revealed/caught) historical mystery 3/1/21
 Brunswick Gardens by Anne Perry **** historical mystery 3/3/21
 Bedford Square by Anne Perry **** historical mystery 3/5/21
 Half Moon Street by Anne Perry *** (unrealistic motive for crime) historical mystery 3/8/21
 The Whitechapel Conspiracy by Anne Perry **** (she finally made a denouement!) historical mystery 3/10/21
 The Dark Heart of Florence by Tasha Alexander **** (villain was evident from 1st murder, treasure spot less evident, timely side plot designed to show terror of religious right & destruction of art & critical thinking) historical mystery 3/27 21
 The Spies of Shilling Lane by Jennifer Ryan *** (stock characters, too easy solutions, preachy, but funny) cozy/historical 3/28/21
 Maisie Dobbs by Jacqueline Winspear (2nd time) **** historical mystery 4/10/21
 Birds of a Feather by Jacqueline Winspear (2nd time) ***** historical mystery 4/11/21
 Pardonable Lies by Jacqueline Winspear (2nd time) ***** historical mystery 4/12/21
 Messenger of Truth by Jacqueline Winspear (2nd time) **** historical mystery 4/14/21
  An Incomplete Revenge by Jacqueline Winspear (2nd time) ***** (superb!) historical mystery 4/16/21
 Among The Mad by Jacqueline Winspear (2nd time) **** historical mystery 4/18/21
 The Mapping of Love and Death by Jacqueline Winspear (2nd time) **** historical mystery 4/19/21
 A Lesson in Secrets by Jacqueline Winspear (2nd time) **** historical mystery 4/21/21
 Elegy For Eddie by Jacqueline Winspear (2nd time) **** historical mystery 4/22/21
 Leaving Everything Most Loved by Jacqueline Winspear (2nd time) **** historical mystery 4/23/21
 A Dangerous Place by Jacqueline Winspear (2nd time) **** historical mystery 4/24/21
 Journey To Munich by Jacqueline Winspear (2nd time) *** (based on assumption that every woman wants to be a mother) historical mystery 4/25/21
 In This Grave Hour by Jacqueline Winspear (2nd time) **** historical mystery 4/26/21
 To Die But Once by Jacqueline Winspear (2nd time) ***** historical mystery 4/27/21
 The American Agent by Jacqueline Winspear (2nd time) **** historical mystery 4/28/21
 The Consequences of Fear by Jacqueline Winspear **** historical mystery 4/29/21
 An Unexpected Peril by Deanna Raybourn *** historical, A/A 5/3/21
 The Huntress by Kate Quinn ***** WWII/Cold War historical, crime 7/12/21
 Death Below Stairs by Jennifer Ashley **** historical mystery (London, 1881) 7/25/21
 Scandal Above Stairs by Jennifer Ashley **** historical mystery (London, 1881) 7/26/21
 Death in Kew Gardens by Jennifer Ashley **** historical mystery (London, 1881) 7/27/21
 Murder in the East End by Jennifer Ashley **** historical mystery (London, 1882) 7/28/21
 A Soupcon of Poison by Jennifer Ashley **** historical mystery (London, 1880) 8/1/21
 The Lamplighters by Emma Stonex *** (lame ending) historical mystery 8/20/21
 Death At The Crystal Palace by Jennifer Ashley **** historical mystery 8/23/21
 Mrs. Jeffries and the Yuletide Weddings by Emily Brightwell **** historical mystery 9/23/21
 Mrs. Jeffries and the Feast of St. Stephen by Emily Brightwell **** historical mystery 9/25/21
 Mrs. Jeffries and the Alms of the Angel by Emily Brightwell **** historical mystery 9/26/21
 Mrs. Jeffries and the Three Wise Women by Emily Brightwell *** historical mystery 9/28/21
 Mrs. Jeffries Takes The Stage by Emily Brightwell *** historical mystery 10/1/21
 Mrs. Jeffries Takes The Stage by Emily Brightwell *** historical mystery 10/1/21
 Mrs. Jeffries Forges Ahead by Emily Brightwell **** historical mystery 10/2/21
 Mrs. Jeffries Delivers The Goods by Emily Brightwell **** historical mystery 10/7/21
 The Secrets Of Wishtide by Kate Saunders **** historical mystery 10/8/21
 Laetitia Rodd and the Case of the Wandering Scholar by Kate Saunders **** historical mystery 10/15/21
 Mrs. Jeffries Demands Justice by Emily Brightwell **** historical mystery 10/16/21
 The Right Sort of Man by Allison Montclair ***** historical mystery 10/19/21
 A Royal Affair by Allison Montclair ***** historical mystery 10/20/21
 Portrait of Peril by Laura Joh Rowland *** historical mystery 10/22/21
 Mrs. Jeffries and the Mistletoe Mix Up by Emily Brightwell 10/23/21
 Mrs. Jeffries Defends Her Own by Emily Brightwelll *** historical mystery 10/25/21
 Mrs. Jeffries on the Ball by Emily Brightwell **** historical mystery 10/29/21
 An Old, Cold Grave by Iona Whishaw ***** historical mystery 11/7/21
 A Sorrowful Sanctuary by Iona Whishaw ***** historical mystery 11/9/21
 A Deceptive Devotion by Iona Whishaw **** historical mystery 11/11/21
 The Mystery of the Sorrowful Maiden by Kate Saunders **** historical mystery 11/13/21
 Death In A Darkening Mist by Iona Whishaw **** historical mystery 11/19/21
  A Bitter Draught by Sabrina Flynn **** historical mystery 12/6/21
 Death Comes To The Nursery by Catherine Lloyd **** historical mystery 12/8/21
 Death Comes To The Village by Catherine Lloyd **** historical mystery 12/10/21
 Death Comes To London by Catherine Lloyd **** historical mystery 12/ 11/12
 Death Comes To Kurland Hall by Catherine Lloyd **** historical mystery 12/12/21
 Death Comes To The Fair by Catherine Lloyd **** historical mystery 12/15/21
 Death Comes To The School by Catherine Lloyd **** (historical mystery, best in series so far) 12/17/21
 Death Comes To Bath by Catherine Lloyd **** historical mystery 12/20/21
 A Lethal Lesson by Iona Whishaw ***** historical mystery 12/21/21
 The Midnight Hour by Elly Griffiths *** historical mystery (anachronisms, poor research) 12/23/21
 Death Comes To The Rectory by Catherine Lloyd **** historical mystery 12/26/21



Crime (9 total)
A Song For The Dark Times by Ian Rankin ***** crime, Tartan Noir 1/16/21
The Stranger Diaries by Elly Griffiths ***** crime 6/12/21
The Zig-Zag Girl by Elly Griffiths ***  crime 6/13/21
The Blood Card by Elly Griffiths **** crime 6/16/21
Now You See Them by Elly Griffiths **** crime 6/17/21
 Smoke And Mirrors by Elly Griffiths **** crime 6/18/21
The Vanishing Box by Elly Griffiths **** crime 6/20/21
The Huntress by Kate Quinn ***** WWII/Cold War historical, crime 7/12/21
 The Night Hawks by Elly Griffiths  **** crime 10/10/21


Historical (12 total)
Dear Mrs. Bird by AJ Pearce **** historical, WWII, chicklit 3/30/21
The Last Bookshop In London by Madeline Martin *** historical, WWII, chicklit 4/30/21
The Lost Apothecary by  Sarah Penner **** historical, chicklit 5/4/21
The Rose Code by Kate Quinn ***** (predictable “surprises” but still really good) historical 5/13/21
The Kitchen Front by Jennifer Ryan *** (cute, but characters not in depth, problems solved too easily, too didactic) historical, WWII, chicklit 5/14/21
The Alice Network by Kate Quinn *** (very dark WWI & II) historical, A/A 5/26/21
The Doomsday Book by Connie Willis (again) ***** sci-fi/historical time travel 6/24/21
To Say Nothing Of The Dog by Connie Willis (3rd time) ***** sci-fi/historical time travel 6/28/21
The Paris Apartment by Kelly Bowen ***** WWII, Historical 7/5/21
 The Huntress by Kate Quinn ***** WWII/Cold War historical, crime 7/12/21
 The Personal Librarian by Marie Benedict *** Historical Fiction 9/4/21
 The Mystery of Mrs. Christie by Marie Benedict ***** historical 12/30/21

Chicklit (4 total)
Dear Mrs. Bird by AJ Pearce **** historical, WWII, chicklit 3/30/21
The Last Bookshop In London by Madeline Martin *** historical, WWII, chicklit 4/30/21
The Lost Apothecary by  Sarah Penner **** historical, chicklit 5/4/21
The Kitchen Front by Jennifer Ryan *** (cute, but characters not in depth, problems solved too easily, too didactic) historical, WWII, chicklit 5/14/21

Sci-Fi (2 total)
The Doomsday Book by Connie Willis (again) ***** sci-fi/historical time travel 6/24/21
To Say Nothing Of The Dog by Connie Willis (3rd time) ***** sci-fi/historical time travel 6/28/21

Fantasy (3 total)
House of Hollow by Krystal Sutherland *** (no research on setting, dialect) YA Fantasy 6/7/21
The Empire of Dreams by Rae Carson ***** YA fantasy 7/15/21
The Witch Haven by Sasha Peyton Smith *** (predictable) YA historical fantasy 9/11/21

Realistic (4 total)
Sourdough: or, Lois and Her Adventures in the Underground Market by Robin Sloan *** (disappointingly dull climax, end) realistic 3/13/21
Prodigal Daughter by Mette Ivie Harrison * (NOT a mystery, just a #MeToo rant with stock characters and no real plot) 6/25/21
Take Me Home Tonight by Morgan Matson **** (unnecessary hate for teacher, clueless parents) YA realistic, A/A 7/8/21
Lucy Clark Will Not Apologize by Margo Rabb ** (caricatures, not characterization, bad teachers) YA, “realistic” 7/29/21


Steampunk (3 total)
Romancing The Werewolf by Gail Carriger ***** steampunk/paranormal 1/19/21
Meat Cute by Gail Carriger **** steampunk, paranormal 2/11/21
How To Marry A Werewolf by Gail Carriger ***** paranormal, steampunk 2/28/21

Paranormal (5 total)
Romancing The Werewolf by Gail Carriger ***** steampunk/paranormal 1/19/21
Meet Cute by Gail Carriger **** steampunk, paranormal 2/11/21
How To Marry A Werewolf by Gail Carriger ***** paranormal, steampunk 2/28/21
The Witch Haven by Sasha Peyton Smith *** (predictable) YA historical fantasy 9/11/21
Undead Girl Gang by Lily Anderson **** YA paranormal 11/4/21

Action/Adventure (3 total)
An Unexpected Peril by Deanna Raybourn *** historical, A/A 5/3/21
The Alice Network by Kate Quinn *** (very dark WWI & II) historical, A/A 5/26/21
Take Me Home Tonight by Morgan Matson **** (unnecessary hate for teacher, clueless parents) YA realistic, A/A 7/8/21

Non-Fiction History (14 total)
The Pinks: The First Women Detectives, Operatives, and Spies with the Pinkerton National Detective Agency by Chris Enss **** non-fiction, US, 1800s, history 1/2/21
How To Behave Badly In Elizabethan England by Ruth Goodman *** (has some glaring errors) non-fiction, history, English Renaissance 1/5/21
Interior Desecrations by James Lileks ***** non-fiction, 70s, decorating, history, humor 1/29/21
Tudor Monastery Farm by Peter Ginn, Ruth Goodman, and Tom Pinfold **** (poor editing) non-fiction, historical, Tudor, agriculture 2/5/21
The Doctors Blackwell by Janice P Nimura **** non-fiction, history, biography, women’s issues 2/7/21
American Rose: A Nation Laid Bare: The Life and Times of Gypsy Rose Lee by Karen Abbott *** non-fiction, biography 3/12/21
Wartime Farm by Peter Ginn, Ruth Goodman, Alex Langlands **** (missing whole topics covered in BBC series) non-fiction, history 3/21/21
A Season With The Witch by JW Ocker (2nd time) ***** non-fiction, travel, history 4/7/21
Fifty Foods That Changed The Course Of History by Bill Price *** non-fiction, food, history 5/7/21
 Victorian Pharmacy by Jane Eastoe **** (does not explain why some recipes are poisonous)  non-fiction, history 5/9/21
Elements of a Home by Amy Azzarito **** non-fiction, history 6/7/21
 America’s Women by Gail Collins ***** non-fiction, history, women’s issues 7/22/21
 Black Tudors by Miranda Kaufmann *** (kind of dull) NF history, Tudors 8/7/21
 The Secret Lives of Color by Kassia St. Clair ***** NF art, history 12/31/21

Non-Fiction Travel (2 total)
A Season With The Witch by JW Ocker (2nd time) ***** non-fiction, travel, history 4/7/21
Gastro Obscura; A Food Adventurer’s Guide by Cecily Wong and Dylan Thuras ***** Non-Fiction, Food. 12/22/21


Non-Fiction Food/Cooking (4 total)
Beating the Lunchbox Blues by JM Hirsch ***** non-fiction, cookbook 1/10/21
 Fifty Foods That Changed The Course Of History by Bill Price *** non-fiction, food, history 5/7/21
Truly Madly Pizza by Suzanne Lenzer. * non-fiction, cookbook (but it’s really a rambling memoir) 7/19/21
Gastro Obscura; A Food Adventurer’s Guide by Cecily Wong and Dylan Thuras ***** Non-Fiction, Food. 12/22/21


Non-Fiction Biography/Autobiography (4 total)
The Doctors Blackwell by Janice P Nimura **** non-fiction, history, biography, women’s issues 2/7/21
A Woman’s Crusade: Alice Paul and the Battle for the Ballot by Mary Walton **** non-fiction, biography 2/23/21
American Rose: A Nation Laid Bare: The Life and Times of Gypsy Rose Lee by Karen Abbott *** non-fiction, biography 3/12/21
Truly Madly Pizza by Suzanne Lenzer. * non-fiction, cookbook (but it’s really a rambling memoir) 7/19/21

Non-Fiction Women’s Issues (4 total)
The Pinks: The First Women Detectives, Operatives, and Spies with the Pinkerton National Detective Agency by Chris Enss **** non-fiction, US, 1800s, history 1/2/21
The Doctors Blackwell by Janice P Nimura **** non-fiction, history, biography, women’s issues 2/7/21
A Woman’s Crusade: Alice Paul and the Battle for the Ballot by Mary Walton **** non-fiction, biography 2/23/21
America’s Women by Gail Collins ***** non-fiction, history, women’s issues 7/22/21

Non-Fiction Art, Crafts (3 total)
Interior Desecrations by James Lileks ***** non-fiction, decorating, history, humor 1/29/21
Wire-O-Mania by Klutz *** non-fiction, crafts 6/14/21
The Secret Lives of Color by Kassia St. Clair ***** NF art, history 12/31/21

Non-Fiction Writing (1 total)
1. Monster, She Wrote by Lisa Kroger *** non-fiction, writing 3/22/21

Humor (1 total)
1. Interior Desecrations by James Lileks ***** non-fiction, decorating, history, humor 1/29/21

YA (8 total)
House of Hollow by Krystal Sutherland *** (no research on setting, dialect) YA Fantasy 6/7/21
Take Me Home Tonight by Morgan Matson **** (unnecessary hate for teacher, clueless parents) YA realistic, A/A 7/8/21
 The Box in the Woods by Maureen Johnson **** (too pro-pot, has teens as overnight camp counselors in ’78) YA mystery 7/9/21
The Empire of Dreams by Rae Carson ***** YA fantasy 7/15/21
Stef Soto, Taco Queen by Jennifer Torres **** MG realistic 7/23/21
Lucy Clark Will Not Apologize by Margo Rabb ** (caricatures, not characterization, bad teachers) YA, “realistic” 7/29/21
The Witch Haven by Sasha Peyton Smith *** (predictable) YA historical fantasy 9/11/21
Undead Girl Gang by Lily Anderson **** YA paranormal 11/4/21

 

What I Rejected in 2021

Here's the list of books I just couldn't stand to finish in 2021.

1. Into The Wild by Jon Krakauer.   I’d read Under the Banner of Heaven years ago, so I thought this would be interesting. But, from the first chapter, I could tell that the author intended to excuse and glorify a whiny, immature 25-year-old man who refused to listen to anyone about the dangers of living rough in the Alaska wilderness, claiming he “knew” how to handle any eventuality. As we are now in the middle of a pandemic fueled by the willful ignorance of many, and as sane Americans are currently battling against MAGAts who refuse to listen to any sort of reason, I have less than zero sympathy for anyone who behaves like an overgrown 13-year-old.  I cannot tolerate a book which excuses someone like that.  1/5/21
2. Silence in Hanover Close by Anne Perry . Most of this series is readable because, even though the author has very little concept of a denouement and ends nearly every book at the climax, leaving many problems unsolved, her characterization is excellent and her plots are fairly clever.  However, in this particular novel, Charlotte (the protagonist) begins to behave in a stupid manner, which I cannot tolerate. 22% 2/10/21.
3.The Attenbury Emeralds by Jill Paton Walsh.  SO MUCH BACKSTORY!  Ugh.  And, finally, when jewels are stolen, it’s so boring.  There’s no urgency in solving the crime at all. 44%  I’m too bored to finish. 2/21/21
 4. The Lost Manuscript by Cathy Bonidan.  So much hype, so little action.  I waited weeks for this ebook to be available, but it’s incredibly dull.  So, there’s a manuscript.  OK. But the characters are dated and dull beyond words.  There’s no driving reason why they should care about the ms, and the plot is drifting.  12% is all I could stand. 2/24/21
 5. Agatha Christie: The Murders at Kingfisher Hill by Sophie Hannah. I’ve read the others in this series, but this one was sooo slow! 25% of the way through and nothing has happened except Poirot and friend take a bus ride to some fancy estate and two women act up to get attention. Dull. 3/12/21
6. Dial A For Aunties by Jesse Sutanto.  I wanted to like this.  In fact, I did like the beginning in which the 20-something gal is set up on a date because her mother has been pretending to be her on a dating app.  But, when the protagonist accidentally kills the date, she turns into an idiot, tampering with the body instead of reporting it to the cops, even though she clearly was not to blame, as he’d basically kidnapped her.  I cannot abide stupid, silly, helpless women in real life, and I refuse to waste my time reading about fictional ones.  17% 6/10/21
 7. The Historian by Celia Ekback. So many names!  Maybe if I’d been reading a physical book where I could continually flip back to the “cast list” at the front of the book, I could have tolerated it, but this was a library ebook, and I was confused and bored by 3%. 8/24/21
 8. Lobizona by Romina Garber. I picked up this YA paranormal in order to check out more diversity in protagonists for my students. And since it has an undocumented Argentine girl as its protagonist, that checks out.  It’s not bad; the writing’s ok.  It’s mostly that the plot is such a tired one: teen discovers special powers and must use them to save the world.  But what really got me is that the author is one of those women on a quest to “normalize” menstruation by talking about it incessantly.  I happen to be another sort of woman, the sort who feels that it’s a miserable time of the month for most women and really nothing to be glorified, but rather something to be discussed academically in hopes of better treatments and/or more control.  Thus, the fact that Garber ties the protagonist’s werewolf condition and powers to her (really awful) periods, I found myself rolling my eyes. 80 pages. 6/30/21
9. Hour of the Witch by Chris Bohjalian. I waited weeks and weeks for this ebook to be available -- and then was bored.  Also, I realized I didn’t want a book which dwells so much on the domestic abuse bur rather one about a woman who escapes/beats/rises above it/gets revenge.  3% 7/7/21
 10. Luck of the Titanic by Stacey Lee.  One would think a tale about the world’s most famous doomed ship would be interesting, but this is not so in this case.  At 14% into the book, I am bored and confused.  Lee never mentions what job Valora’s brother Jamie has that brings him with other Chinese men onto the ship, and she never explains why Valora has a ticket (which she can’t use) through the presumably wealthy Mrs. Sloanes.  Does Valora work for her?  If so, why is she dressed as though she’s wealthy?  None of this is clear, yet the author proceeds as if it is.  Then she spends pages and pages of Valora hunting through third-class to find her brother, a poor method of introducing the reader to that area of the ship.  The characters feel like types: the poor, half-breed kid experiencing racism; the suspicious man in charge who will cause trouble later; the mysterious, glamorous, helpful woman; the older men stuck in their ways who distrust all Westerners; the brother who thinks his sister is incapable.  Add to that the fact that the reader knows the boat will sink, and the plot is already predictable at 14%.  7/12/21.
  11. First: The Life of Emma Smith by Jennifer Reeder I was expecting a biography as good as Mormon Enigma, but I was severely disappointed.
First of all, the book is very slim; there's just not much there for a biography written for adults.  And then it reads like a Relief Society manual, skimming over anything controversial.  Clearly, this book seeks NOT TO OFFEND.
It's disappointing.  Emma was not a bland woman; this book washes out all the color.
I became suspicious upon finding both a horrendously garbled sentence (a misplaced modifier made it laughable) and a misused word ("genres" where "roles" was needed) in the first paragraph of the introduction, as it was obvious there was no careful editing in the book. By ten pages in, I was bored.
So, if you want a bland, inoffensive, short read about Emma Smith, go ahead and grab this one.  Otherwise, read Mormon Enigma; it's much better.  7/15/21
12. The King’s Guard by Rae Carson.  I’d just finished Empire of Dreams by Carson, and this was just too similar a tale.  7/20/21  35%
13. Scorched Eggs by Laura Child.  The building next door blows up, showering glass everywhere, and the protagonist is unhurt, although only a few feet away when it happens.  And no one else in the building notices the explosion.  Riiiiiiiight.   So stupid.  Yes, cozies are supposed to be light and fluffy, but sometimes they’re just plain ridiculous and cartoonish.  30 pages. 7/24/21
14. Her Royal Spyness by Rhys Bowen.  The characterization is good, but the crime (murder) does not occur until the very end of chapter 11.  A murder mystery should not take half the book to get to the crime.  There is so much unnecessary detail for a murder mystery! Does Bowen think she’s Victor Hugo or something?  I’m surprised this even got published; it’s so rambling.  7/25/21
 15. A Fiancee’s Guide To First Wives and Murder by Dianne Freeman.  In real life, I cannot stand lying, scheming women who get away with things because they’re pretty, and I don’t waste my time reading about them.  Roughly three chapters. 8/2/21 historical mystery
16. The Dictionary of Lost Words by Pip Williams.  This book sounded so very good, but the description failed to mention that the protagonist is a self-styled victim who never, ever stands up for herself.  I loathe women like this in real life, and after 145 pages of a simpering Fanny Price-type wimp, I could stand no more.  She is ghastly.  Ugh.  9/18/21
 17. The Princess Diarist by Carrie Fisher memoir. It was interesting until she actually started reprinting the diaries; then it was all starry-eyed drooling over Harrison Ford and not much about the filming. 155 pages.  11/2/21
18. A Castle in the Clouds by Kerstin Gier. YA The setting (a hotel is Switzerland) was interesting, but the protagonist was so dumb and the other characters were so very cardboard.  Ugh.  Mediocre YA drivel.  107 pages. 11/3/21
19. A Conspiracy of Silence by Sabrina Flynn. So much gratuitous violence and so many characters with no backstory!  95 pages. historical mystery. 12/20/21
20. The Mitford Murders by Jessica Fellowes.   I don’t do books which portray rape as “sexy.” Ugh. Internalized misogyny, anyone? 59 pages. 12/27/21

Review of House of Hollow by Krystal Sutherland

 

 

 

House of Hollow by Krystal Sutherland is a perfect example of how an author’s lack of research can undermine an otherwise decent book.
Let’s note the good in this book first: 1) The depth of characterization is really quite decent for YA. 2) The plot and pacing are good.  There are some surprise twists, and there is plenty of action.  Nothing drags, nothing is jammed in awkwardly, and nothing is confusing.
The basic conflict in the book is that three sisters (of the Hollow family) disappear at the stroke of midnight on New Year’s Eve, in the liminal moment between worlds, then reappear a month later -- but they’re not quite the same girls they were.  This is fine.  The reader gets to wonder if this is a kidnapping, a changeling situation, or something else.
The problem is that Sutherland has the Hollow family from London, but they speak American English, not British English.  And worse than that is that the initial disappearance of the girls and a significant part of the action when they try to return to the general area of their disappearance to try to solve the mystery takes place in Edinburgh, Scotland.  And it’s extremely apparent that not only has Sutherland never set foot in the city before, but also that she didn’t bother with more than five minutes of Google.
She gets two things right: 1) she describes the ruins of St. Anthony’s and the location (in Holyrood Park) well enough, and 2) she identifies St. Giles Cathedral as being in Old Town.  But the rest is ridiculously off.
The most ridiculous thing of all is that she has the girls disappear on an apparently otherwise deserted “lane” on Edinburgh’s Old Town on the stroke of midnight on New Year’s Eve. Five seconds with Google tells anyone that Edinburgh’s Hogmanay celebration is huge and jammed with people.  True, Prince’s Street Gardens are the most jammed, but Old Town is not going to be “deserted.”  If the girls had been sucked into a crowd of people and then disappeared, this would be understandable, but they’re not; there’s no one around when it happens, which is just stupid.  With this, the hingepoint for the entire plot becomes weak and silly.
Sutherland also has the Hollow girls grandparents live in a “house” in Old Town, and they disappear into the doorway of a burned-out “house” as well.  But the only actual houses in Old Town now are museums.  There are flats above stores and such, but there are no houses, not like she describes.  She also repeatedly refers to bricks in these houses and cobblestone streets, but most of the buildings of Old Town are stone, and the streets are set stone, not cobblestone.  Plus, she refers to a “warren” of “lanes” in Old Town.  Any map or map app will show that 1) they are not “lanes” but narrow alley-like walkways called “closes” (so nope, that ambulance didn’t drive down one as she has happen), and 2) these closes stick out from The Royal Mile like fishbones off a spine; they don’t curve and wander about at all.
Granted, some of what I listed is my being picky.  But all of it, and especially the fact that she has Edinburgh deserted at night -- and on Hogmanay no less! -- shows laziness and lack of research on the author’s part, and on the editor’s part as well.  A couple of hours’ research could’ve cleared up most of these problems.  Or, if the author is too lazy even for that, she could’ve solved the whole problem by creating a fictional Scottish village ( See Also: Brigadoon) where all this happens instead of assuming her readers are all as ignorant and lazy as she is.

Why Connie Willis' The Doomsday Book Is Relevant Again In 2021

 

 

The Doomsday Book is nearly 30 years old now, and I read it the first time when it was new.  I loved it!  The characterization is so incredibly in-depth and realistic, even for the children and pre-teens in the story (so many “adult” writers have real problems writing believable young characters), for one thing.  And the plot structure is amazing.  Not only does Willis create parallel health crises in two separate time periods (the first half of the 14th Century and the middle of the 21st Century), but she also creates parallel characters who deal with these crises.  (For example, Lady Imeyne and “the Gallstone” are highly-irritating, bossy older women who love to criticize; Father Roche and Mr. Dunworthy are both father figures for Kivrin, who seems to have no parents of her own; and Gawyn and Badri seem to have all the answers which would solve the problems, yet each is inaccessible for most of the novel, badly frustrating Kivrin and Dunworthy, respectively.)
I got this book approved by the school district for which I work and used it as a sci-fi option for years with my 9-grade gifted classes.  In the ‘90s, kids loved it.  But, by about 2008, they began to complain.  Teens simply couldn’t get past the fact that Willis had not envisioned either the Internet or cell phones, and thus the fact that several major plot points hang on the lack of communication in the future (2054, to be exact) overshadowed for them all the fabulous writing.
By 2015 or so, I gave up.  I still loved the book (and its incredible sequels: To Say Nothing Of The Dog, Black Out, and All Clear), but it wasn’t worth listening to kids whine about the lack of cell phones.
 But it’s now 2021, and it’s time to look at The Doomsday Book again and be astounded at what Willis did predict -- entirely too well.
Of course, the historical plot, wherein Kivrin deals with a village devastated by the Plague, Willis did with research.  And she describes a realistic variety of suffering and death.  All this readers could appreciate from the time the book was published.
But Willis has a parallel plague: a flu epidemic in the Oxford area in 2054.  And she anticipates so very much about a 21st Century epidemic/pandemic that it’s well-past time readers stopped brushing off the book as somehow bad because she didn’t predict cell phones.  Let me list for you a few things Willis did predict:
1) In the book, there has been a deadly pandemic in 2014.  She was only 5 years off for the beginning of the real one.
2) In her 2054 epidemic in Oxford (which remains a localized epidemic because of lessons learned from the 2014 pandemic), Willis has the following happen, all of which eerily anticipate what actually occurred in the COVID-19 pandemic:
2a) Racism. Badri, a 3rd-generation Englishman of Pakistani descent, is the first-known victim of the disease. In various scenes, crowds protest, holding signs about the “Indian flu.”  This anticipates the “China virus” rants of RW Americans in 2020.
2b) Shortages.  Almost immediately, there is a shortage of toilet paper in Oxford, and this fact becomes almost a running gag throughout the story. However, it’s uncanny that Willis predicted what became the first major shortage of the real pandemic.  Other shortages in the novel which mirror real life include what we call PPE and masks, as well as fresh food items.
2c) Anti-maskers.  True, in Willis’ story, there aren’t groups protesting masks specifically, but many characters forget or refuse to wear them, which, of course, causes much faster spreading of the virus.
2d) Protestors.  Willis has several scenes which include people protesting government quarantines and ranting about their rights.  These characters always seem to feel that their own freedom to do whatever they want should not be even temporarily curtailed in the interest of their own health and that of others.  This is so very much like the anti-maskers and anti-vaxxers still ranting away well into 2021 that it’s almost scary.
2e)A leader who ignores science in order to gain popularity with a vocal minority.  In the novel, it is impossible for a virus to travel from the past to the future or vice versa if it would change the course of history.  In this fictional world, this piece of science has been repeatedly proven.  Yet, Gilchrist, the acting head of the Oxford University department running the time drop, loves his power so much that he takes up the anti-science position that the flu virus causing the epidemic in the city of Oxford somehow arrived in 2054 when Kivrin travelled to the past, so he closes down “the drop,” shutting off the computer system and stranding her in the past, because, by so doing, he can claim to have taken decisive action to “prevent” the worsening of the epidemic.  He happily sacrifices Kivrin’s safety in order to boost his power and role in the perception of an anti-science minority.

That’s a long list of predictions that Willis DID get right; it’s time for readers to get over their hang ups about her not envisioning cell phones (although she did envision Skyping, just on a dial-up desktop rather than a cellphone) and realize that she did a really great job with predicting other things in the midst of her fabulous plot and character skills.

Book Review: How To Behave Badly In Elizabethan England by Ruth Goodman

 

Like many people, I've been absolutely enthralled with the BBC historical videos featuring Ruth Goodman, Peter Ginn, and Alex Langlands living in historically recreated situations, generally for a full year at a time (Tales From The Green Valley, Victorian Farm, Edwardian Farm, Wartime Farm, etc.).  Once I realized that Goodman was the same "historian" from those videos, I couldn't wait to buy and read this book.

Note: I put "historian" in quotes for a reason.  Goodman presents herself as a historian and calls herself one, and she has a long list of ways in which she has been used as an "expert" on history, but, in a December 13, 2020, podcast on Everyday Life In Tudor England, she revealed that she is not actually a trained historian, but rather a person who has read a lot of history.  And the difference is quite apparent in this book.

First of all, there's the title. The book claims to be about Elizabethan England, but Goodman covers a period of time from Henry VIII to the Roundheads vs. the Cavaliers, in other words, not just the reign of Queen Elizabeth I, but a nearly 200-year period of time.   That's an odd mistake for a so-called historian to make.

I shrugged off the title at first, but then I began to notice little details in her assertions which did not agree with details about history I've read in numerous other books.  (Side note: Since I teach Shakespeare, I read A LOT about Tudor and Stewart history from a wide variety of authors.)  For example, when Goodman talks about customs regarding men's removing their hats when bowing, she  ignores/seems unaware of the importance of the TYPE of hat a man wore, which was a very important class distinction. (See, for example, Neil MacGregor's Shakespeare's Restless World.)  And when she talks about which different colors of dye in clothing were popular and how the wearers were viewed for choosing those colors, Goodman never even mentions Elizabethan sumptuary laws, which literally spell out who could wear what type of clothing.  How can a writer calling herself a historian omit such obvious and well-known information?

But what really irritated me was her errors on Shakespeare, possibly the easiest source to check.  When Goodman claims that all the sword fighting in Romeo and Juliet was done with rapiers because swashbuckling was out of style by the 1590s, she completely disregards research that's been around since the 1990s on the subject AND Shakespeare's own script.  Mercutio has lengthy speeches making fun of Tybalt's newfangled Italian rapier fighting; he clearly uses the older style, likely with a bastard sword and a buckler.  But Goodman seems unaware of this, as if she, a person who as been hired as a historical resource for the Globe Theatre in London, has not even bothered to read the play.  Then, later in the book, she refers to the duel between Cesario (really Viola) and Sir Andrew Aguecheeck in the play 12th Night, but claims that the fight is broken up by the arrival of Viola's brother.  Three minutes with a Wikipedia summary of the plot will tell a reader that the fight is broken up by the arrival of Antonio, Viola's brother's friend, who believes the cross-dressed Viola is actually her twin brother.  If Goodman cannot be bothered to check such an easy-to-find source and is that casual with details, I cannot really trust her on her other claims in the book.

Thus, while Goodman is a delightful presenter in the numerous videos and podcasts in which she appears and has a light, easy-to-read style in her writing, I question her claims now.  She has revealed her lack of training and her lack of attention to both others' research and details in the sources she does mention.  She gives a bibliography in this book, but she gives no endnotes, footnotes, or citations for the claims she makes.  I would suggest reading her work with caution, as she seems to write rather like a first-year university study who is confident s/he has ALL the information when, in reality, s/he has only scratched the surface.

What I Read And What I Rejected In 2020

 I've been keeping these lists since 2007.  Usually, I read right around 120 books a year, an average of 10 books a month.  But this year, because of the pandemic, I read 200 books.  As usual, they are mostly mysteries: historical, crime, and cozy.  These are my "entertainment" books, and I do read a LOT of them, but there is plenty of non-fiction and a little steampunk mixed in.

Following my very thorough list of what I read is a list of books I rejected, but I'm not as thorough here, and there are probably at least another 2 dozen books I began and then tossed aside because they were awful.  Sometimes I forget to update that list.

Unfortunately, the numbers won't copy over.  Please trust me that there are 200 books on the list of what I read and 19 on the list of what I rejected.

What I Read:

2020
Behind the Shattered Glass by Tasha Alexander ***** historical mystery 1/1/20
 A Crimson Warning by Tasha Alexander **** historical mystery 1/3/20
Only To Deceive by Tasha Alexander **** historical mystery 1/5/20
Amid The Winter’s Snow by Tasha Alexander * historical “mystery” 1/5/20
Maryellen, the One and Only by Valerie Tripp **** MG historical 1/6/20
Maryellen Taking Off by Valerie Tripp **** MG Historical **** 1/6/20
Shot Through the Hearth by Kate Carlisle **** cozy 1/11/20
An Edible History of Humanity by Tom Standage **** non-fiction, food 1/12/20
 Farm Fresh Murder by Paige Shelton (again) **** cozy 1/13/20
 Fruit of All Evil by Paige Shelton (again) ***** cozy 1/14/20
 A Poisoned Season by Tasha Alexander **** historical mystery 1/19/20
 A Fatal Waltz by Tasha Alexander ***** historical mystery 1/20/20
 Tears of Pearl by Tasha Alexander ***** historical mystery 1/21/20
 Dangerous To Know by Tasha Alexander **** historical mystery 1/23/20
 Etiquette and Espionage by Gail Carriger (2nd time) **** YA steampunk paranormal 1/26/20
12 Angry Men by Reginald Rose (again) (2A) **** drama 1/27/20
 12 Angry Men by Reginald Rose (again) (1B) **** drama 1/28/20
 Curtsies and Conspiracies by Gail Carriger (2nd time) ****YA steampunk/paranormal 1/28/20
 Waistcoats and Weaponry by Gail Carriger (2nd time) **** YA steampunk/paranormal 1/29/20
 Manners and Mutiny by Gail Carriger (2nd time) **** YA steampunk/paranormal 1/31/20
 Death In The Floating City by Tasha Alexander **** historical mystery 2/3/20
 Hand on the Wall by Maureen Johnson **** YA mystery 2/4/20
 The Counterfeit Heiress by Tasha Alexander **** historical mystery 2/9/20
 The Adventuress by Tasha Alexander **** historical mystery 2/10/20
 How To Be A Tudor by Ruth Goodman **** non-fiction, history 2/13/20
 That Silent Night by Tasha Alexander **** historical mystery 2/14/20
 Black Tie Murder by Sara Rosett **** historical mystery 2/16/20
 A Terrible Beauty by Tasha Alexander *** historical mystery 2/16/20
 Danger at the Drawbridge by Mildred A. Wirt **** MG mystery 2/17/20
 Star of the East by Tasha Alexander *** historical mystery 2/17/20
 Uneasy Lies the Crown by Tasha Alexander ***** historical mystery 2/19/20
 Mr. Churchill’s Secretary by Susan Elia MacNeal **** historical A/A 2/22/20
Artist Trading Card Workshop by Bernie Berlin **** non-fiction, crafts 2/23/20
 Mormon Hierarchy: Extensions of Power by D. Michael Quinn ***** non-fiction, religion, history 2/29/20
 The Green Door by Mildred Wirt **** MG mystery 3/3/20
 Tiny Treasures  by AG Library *** non-fiction, crafts 3/7/20
 Salt Dough by AG Library **** non-fiction, crafts 3/8/20
 Fairies by Rachel Haab **** non-fiction, crafts 3/8/20
 Making Mini Books by Sherri Haab non-fiction, crafts 3/8/20
 Homicide For The Holidays by Cheryl Honingfor ** historical mystery 3/18/20
 Same-Sex Dynamics Among 19th-Century Americans: A Mormon Example by D Michael Quinn  (2nd time) ***** non-fiction, history 3/20/20
 Broken Bone China by Laura Childs cozy mystery *** 3/22/20
 In The Shadow of Vesuvius by Tasha Alexander **** historical mystery 3/26/20
 Felicity Carrol and the Perilous Pursuit by Patricia Marcantonio ****historical mystery 3/29/20
 Prudence by Gail Carriger (2nd time) **** steampunk 3/31/20
 Imprudence by Gail Carriger (2nd time) **** steampunk 4/4/20
 Princess Elizabeth’s Spy by Susan Elia MacNeal **** historical mystery 4/8/20
 Competence by Gail Carriger **** steampunk 4/11/20
 Reticence by Gail Carriger **** stampunk 4/12/20
 The Decent Inn of Death by Rennie Airth *** historical mystery 4/15/20
 Murder in the Manor by Fiona Grace *** cozy mystery 4/16/20
 Tale of the Witch Doll by Mildred A Wirt *** YA/MG mystery 4/17/20
 Poppy Redfern and the Midnight Murders by Tessa Arlen **** 4/19/20
Digging Up History by Sheila Connolly ** cozy mystery 4/20/20
 Good Mail Day by Hinchcliff and Wheeler *** non-fiction, crafts 4/21/20
 The Mystery of Black Hollow Lane by Julia Nobel *** MG mystery 4/22/20
 A Beautiful Blue Death by Charles Finch **** historical mystery 4/23/20
 The September Society by Charles Finch **** historical mystery 4/24/20
 Forest Feast by Erin Gleeson non-fiction, cookbook **** 4/26/20
  The Fleet Street Murders by Charles Finch **** historical mystery 4/26/20
 The Woman in the Water by Charles Finch **** historical mystery 4/30/20
 A Stranger in Mayfair by Charles Finch **** historical mystery 5/3/20
 Burial at Sea by Charles Finch **** historical mystery 5/3/20
 American Sherlock by Kate Winkler Dawson  **** non-fiction biography 5/4/20
 A Death in the Small Hours by Charles Finch **** historical mystery 5/4/20
 An Old Betrayal by Charles Finch **** historical mystery 5/7/20
 The Laws of Murder by Charles Finch **** historical mystery 5/9/20
 Home By Nightfall by Charles Finch **** historical mystery 5/10/20
 A Murderous Relation by Deanna Raybourn ***** historical mystery 5/19/20
 Dead Man’s Bones by Susan Wittig Albert **** cozy mystery 5/21/20
 London: A Travel Guide Through Time by Dr. Matthew Green ***** non-fiction, history 5/24/20
 Revenge of the Barbary Ghost by Virginia Hamilton *** historical mystery 5/25/20
 The Vanishing Houseboat by Mildred A Wirt. *** MG mystery 5/27/20
 Foods That Will Win The War And How To Cook Them 1918 by Charles Houston **** vintage cookbook 5/20/20
 At Wit’s End by Kirsten Weiss **** cozy mystery 5/31/20
 Pressed To Death by Kirsten Weiss **** cozy mystery 5/31/20
 Deja Moo by Kirsten Weiss **** cozy mystery 6/1/20
 Chocolate a la murder by Kirsten Weiss **** cozy mystery 6/2/20
 The Quiche and the Dead by Kirsten Weiss **** cozy mystery 6/3/20
 Bleeding Tarts by Kirsten Weiss **** cozy mystery 6/4/20
 Writing the Cozy Mystery by Nancy J. Cohen *** non-fiction, writing 6/7/20
 Dread Nation by Justina Ireland **** YA paranormal alt-history dystopia 6/8/20
 A Murder For The Books by Victoria Gilbert **** cozy mystery 6/10/20
 The Inheritance by Charles Finch **** historical mystery 6/11/20
 The Vanishing Man by Charles Finch **** historical mystery 6/13/20
 Gone Before Christmas by Charles Finch **** historical mystery 6/14/20
 Murder At The Breakers by Alyssa Maxwell **** historical mystery 6/15/20
 An East End Murder by Charles Finch ** historical mystery 6/16/20
 The Winter Garden Mystery by Carola Dunn **** historical mystery 6/17/20
 A Lady In The Smoke by Karen Odden **** historical A/A 6/18/20
 Requiem For A Mezzo by Carola Dunn **** historical mystery 6/19/20
 Murder on the Flying Scotsman by Carola Dunn **** historical mystery 6/19/20
 Damsel In Distress by Carola Dunn *** historical mystery 6/20/20
 Dead in the Water by Carola Dunn *** historical mystery 6/21/20
 Styx and Stones by Carola Dunn **** historical mystery 6/21/20
 Rattle His Bones by Carola Dunn **** historical mystery 6/22/20
 Murder on Astor Place by Victoria Thompson *** historical mystery 6/23/20
 To Davy Jones Below by Carola Dunn **** historical mystery 6/24/20
 The Case of the Murdered Muckraker by Carola Dunn ***** historical mystery 6/24/20
 Mistletoe and Murder by Carola Dunn ***** historical mystery 6/25/20
 Die Laughing by Carola Dunn **** historical mystery 6/26/20
 Mourning Wedding by Carola Dunn **** historical mystery 6/27/20
 Fall of a Philanderer by Carola Dunn **** historical mystery 6/27/20
 Gunpowder Plot by Carola Dunn **** historical mystery 6/28/20
 The Bloody Tower by Carola Dunn *** historical mystery 6/30/20
 Black Ship by Carola Dunn **** historical mystery 7/1/20
 Sheer Folly by Carola Dunn **** historical mystery 7/4/20
 Anthem For A Doomed Youth *** historical mystery 7/6/20
 The Last Passenger by Charles Finch *** historical mystery 7/8/20
 Gone West by Carola Dunn **** historical mystery 7/10/20
 Heirs of the Body by Carola Dunn **** historical mystery 7/11/20
 Superfluous Women by Carola Dunn **** historical mystery 7/13/20
 The Longest Yard Sale by Sherry Harris *** cozy 7/16/20
 The Secret Library by Oliver Teale *** non-fiction 7/18/20
 All Murders Final by Sherry Harris *** cozy 7/19/20
 A Great Deliverance by Elizabeth George **** crime 7/20/20
 Payment in Blood by Elizabeth George **** crime 7/22/20
 The All-Girl Filling Station’s Last Reunion *** historical fiction 7/23/20
 Butch Cassidy by Robert Patterson *** non-fiction, biography 7/24/20
 A View To A Kilt by Kaitlyn Dunnett *** cozy mystery 7/31/20
 Tart of Darkness by Denise Swanson *** cozy 8/1/20
Well-Schooled in Murder by Elizabeth George **** mystery 8/2/20
  Leave No Scone Unturned by Denise Swanson ** cozy 8/5/20
 Silent in the Sanctuary by DeAnna Raybourn **** historical mystery 8/15/20
 The Encyclopedia of Herbs, Spices, and Flavorings by Elizabeth Lambert Ortiz ***** non-fiction (again) 8/15/20
 A Suitable Vengeance by Elizabeth George *** mystery 8/16/20
 The Bishop’s Wife by Mette Ivie Harrison **** (3rd time) mystery  8/18/20
 The Cabinets of Barnaby Mayne historical mystery by Elsa Hart *** 8/19/20
 The Mystery of the Blue Train by Agatha Christie mystery **** 8/21/20
 Peril at End House by Agatha Christie **** (again) mystery 8/21/20
 The Last Seance by Agatha Christie **** 8/24/20
 Silent in the Grave by DeAnna Raybourn historical mystery **** 8/25/20
 Silent on the Moor by DeAnna Raybourn historical mystery **** 8/25/20
 Midsummer Night by DeAnna Raybourn historical mystery **** 8/27/20
 Dark Road to Darjeeling by DeAnna Raybourn historical mystery **** 8/28/20
 The Dark Enquiry by DeAnna Raybourn historical mystery ** 8/28/20
 Silent Night by DeAnna Raybourn *** historical mystery 8/30/20
 Feral Attraction by Eileen Watkins **** cozy 8/30/20
 12th Night by Deanna Raybourn **** historical mystery 8/31/20
 The Persian Always Meows Twice by Eileen Watkins cozy 9/1/20
 Bonfire Night by Deanna Raybourn **** historical mystery 9/1/20
 The Bengal Identity by Eileen Watkins **** cozy 9/3/20
 Gone, Kitty, Gone by Eileen Watkins **** cozy 9/4/20
 Lady Rogue by Jenn Bennet **** YA A/A 9/8/20
 The (Dis)Appearance of Nerissa MacKay by Lisa Shafer (again) ***** YA paranormal 9/8/20
 Nerissa MacKay and the Secrets of the Seventeen Scrolls (again) by Lisa Shafer ***** YA paranormal 9/9/20
 For The Sake Of Elena by Elizabeth George **** mystery 9/10/20
 Missing Joseph by Elizabeth George **** mystery 9/11/20
 Deadly Curious by Cindy Anstey ** YA historical mystery 9/13/20
 Playing For The Ashes by Elizabeth George ** mystery 9/17/20
 In The Presence of the Enemy by Elizabeth George ***** mystery 9/19/20
 Deception On His Mind by Elizabeth George **** mystery 9/20/20
 In Pursuit of the Proper Sinner by Elizabeth George *** mystery 9/22/20
 A Traitor To Memory by Elizabeth George **** mystery 9/24/20
 With No One As Witness by Elizabeth George **** mystery 9/26/20
 Murder on Amsterdam Avenue by Victoria Thompson **** historical mystery 9/30/20
 Killer Kung Pao by Vivien Chen *** cozy 10/3/20
 The Janus Stone by Elly Griffiths *** mystery 10/4/20
  The House At Sea’s End by Elly Griffiths *** mystery 10/5/20
 Careless in Red by Elizabeth George *** mystery 10/7/20
 This Body of Death by Elizabeth George **** 10/9/20
 Believing the Lie by Elizabeth George **** mystery 10/13/20
 Wicked Autumn by GM Malliet **** cozy mystery 10/19/20
 Fatal Winter by GM Malliet **** cozy 10/23/20
 800 Award-Winning Scrapbook Pages ed by Lisa Bearnson *** non-fiction, crafts 10/24/20
 Pagan Spring by GM Malliet **** cozy 10/25/20
 The Decorated Page by Gwen Diehn (again) **** non-fiction, crafts 10/26/20
 A Roomful of Bones by Elly Griffiths **** crime 10/27/20
 A Dying Fall by Elly Griffiths **** crime 11/3/20
 The Outcast Dead by Elly Griffiths **** crime 11/4/20
 The Ghost Fields by Elly Griffiths **** crime 11/7/20
 Case Histories by Kate Atkinson *** crime/mystery 11/8/20
 The Woman in Blue by Elly Griffiths **** crime 11/9/20
 The Chalk Pit by Elly Griffiths **** crime 11/10/20
 The Dark Angel by Elly Griffiths **** crime 11/11/20
 Kahlo by Andrea Kettenmann *** non-fiction, biography 11/13/20
 Getting the Most From Your Rice Cooker by Colleen & Bob Simmons **** non-fiction, cookbook 11/14/20
 Captain Dave’s Boathouse by Andrew Culver ** mystery 11/14/20
 Ruth’s First Christmas Tree by Elly Griffiths * mystery  11/16/20
 No Ordinary Sound by Denise Lewis Patrick **** MG historical 11/22/20
 Never Stop Singing by Denisse Lewis Patrick **** MG historical 11/22/20
 The Stone Circle by Elly Griffiths **** crime 11/27/20
 A Demon Summer by GM Malliet **** mystery 11/30/20
 The Lantern Men by Elly Griffiths **** crime 12/2/20
 The Haunted Season by GM Malliet *** mystery 12/3/20
 Devil’s Breath by GM Malliet *** mystery 12/5/20
 In Priory Wood by GM Malliet *** mystery 12/6/20
 Monarch: The Life And Reign Of Elizabeth II by Robert Lacey **** non-fiction, biography 12/8/20
 How To Make Christmas Wreaths And Garlands by Maddy Shaw *** non-fiction, crafts 12/9/20
 Thin Ice by Paige Shelton (2nd time) **** mystery 12/10/20
 Cold Wind by Paige Shelton **** mystery 12/12/20
 Real Food, Fake Food by  Larry Olmstead ** non-fiction 12/15/20
 Arsenic in the Azaleas by Dale Mayer *** cozy 12/17/20
 Victorian Farm by Peter Giin, Ruth Goodman, Alex Langlands ***** non-fiction, history 12/20/20
 The Wickenham Murders by Amy Mayers *** cozy 12/21/20
 The Hound of the Baskervilles (again) by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle ***** mystery 12/22/20
 Pepper: A History of the World’s Most Influential Spice by Marjorie Shaffer *** non-fiction, food history 12/28/20
 Salsas and Moles by Deborah Schneider **** cookbook 12/28/20
 The Valley of Fear by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle (3rd time) *** mystery 12/30/20
 Edwardian Farm by Peter Ginn, Ruth Goodman, and Alex Langlands ***** non-fiction, history 12/30/20

What I Rejected:

2020
The Shadow of Death by James Runcie. THE most invertebrate “detective” ever!  No personality, does everything everyone asks of him.  Also, the writing style is almost entirely all short, simple declarative sentences, subject/verb/complement.  It’s like reading one of those Hi-Lo books for adults who never learned to read higher than a 3rd grade level.  Absolutely exasperating.  198 pages historical mystery 2/13/20
The Masterpiece by Fiona Davis. I read about half of it and kept thinking it would start moving faster.  It never did. 3/5/20
The Adventure of the Peculiar Protocols by Nicholas Meyer. So much running around with nothing happening. No tension. Lots of racism.  Not at all in the style of Conan-Doyle, although the author seems to think he’s doing a pastiche, he’s not even close. About 40% of the book read 3/21/20
 The Chess Queen Enigma by Colleen Gleason. I know steampunk isn’t supposed to be historically accurate, but when the author has England growing cotton and importing wool in the 1880s without any explanation (like a huge climate change), I’m left to assume that the author is just plain stupid. Four chapters. 3/23/20
His Majesty’s Hope by Susan Elia MacNeal. I liked the first two books in the series, but in this episode, the protagonist is sent into Berlin in the middle of WWII, and it was just far too stupid.  I cannot abide stupidity in a protagonist.  Five chapters.  4/5/20
Lady Anne and the Howl in the Dark by Victoria Hamilton.  About two chapters was all I could take.  It was so hilariously bad!  The author has tried to write a Gothic thriller, but it just does not work in the 21st century!  It’s simply too stupid.  I’ve seen 9th graders write better plot beginnings than this. 4/20/20.
Murder in Millionaires Row... stupid protagonist.  April, 202
How To Be  A Heroine.  I grew bored after chapter one. May, 2020
The Art of Theft by Sherry Thomas  I’ve liked others in this series, but she’s made the characters into caricatures of themselves now, and I’m irritated 33%. May 15, 2020
 The Year 1000 by Valerie Hansen.  OK, but it drags a bit, and I ran out of time on ebook loan.  May 15, 2020
 The Anatomist’s Wife by Anna Lee Huber.  I waited SIX WEEKS for this ebook to become available, and then I found out it’s Outlander fanfic.  Sooooooooo bad!  Huber clearly knows NOTHING about Scots or Gaelic or Scottish English.  Then the protagonist is weak and  timid and the love interest is a pretty boy jerk.  Spare me.  I made it through two chapters before I gave up. 5/2020
 The Plot Is Murder by VM Burns. Trying to find more diverse authors for my classroom library and needing mystery genre books, I decided to read this cozy.  But the protagonist is a wannabe cozy author, so the reader is given pages and pages of the cozy the protag is writing before the plot even starts!  Ugh. 38 pages 6/6/20
 Shelved for Murder by Victoria Gilbert. 4 chapters.  The author knows nothing about either artists or dancers, yet she blissfully writes about artists and dancers.  She confuses linseed oil with turpentine and has the victim stabbed with a palette knife.  A palette knife might work for slicing an artery, but they’re too flimsy to use to stab someone in the chest. 6/14/20
Ranger Confidential by Andrea Lankford  about five chapters.  It was actually pretty decent, but it was a bit gruesome, and I just wasn’t in the mood for it.  Maybe later. 6/20/20
 A Snapshot of Murder by Frances Brody.  The author is in love with telling instead of showing; the whole murder scene (with the murder happening right next to the protagonist) is TOLD.  Everything is passive.  Also, the author switches between first person POV and 3rd person omniscient POV, a combination which really does not work.  The writing style is choppy.  I made it through 48% and gave up when a murder was described in a passive manner.  8/1/20
 woven In Moonlight by Isabel Ibanez  dull
 The Downstairs Girl by Stacey Lee 16%. I waited weeks for this to be available and it’s dull.  8/14/20
 Mexican Gothic. I really liked this at first, as it seemed to be that the heroine was going to be the rescuer instead of the victim (like in traditional gothic fiction), but then she began doing stupid things that made no sense with her personality and the circumstances.  As I cannot abide a stupid, weak protagonist, I stopped reading at 57%. 9/7/20
 Last Chance For Murder by Estelle Richards.  Cozy mysteries can be really good or really awful.  This one seemed promising....until the protagonist began making dumber and dumber decisions.  I cannot abide a stupid protagonist, particularly a female one. I stopped reading at 52% and deleted the whole (thankfully FREE) series from my kindle app. 12/26/20

Book Review: Cold Wind by Paige Shelton

 

Cold Wind is the sequel to Paige Shelton's first Alaska mystery, Thin Ice.
In spite of the fact that the first volume in the series ends with the cliff hanger of finding a body unrelated to the mystery in that book, this one opens five months later....and the identity of that body has not yet been found.   This is... a bit of a stretch.  I can only guess that Shelton really wanted to use wintery weather in this book to make the plot work and thus had to leave that body in the morgue for months.  Other than that, there is really only one other bit which bothered me: in the climax of the story, as the sequence of killings --- and there are MANY killings and bodies in this tale -- is being revealed, the reader is never told why on earth the first murder happens, only that it tips off the chain of events which follows.  This is irksome.
However, this is still an excellent book.
Shelton continues the drama of protagonist Beth Rivers' unsolved attacker from the first book and weaves it nicely into the background of the intricate plot (multiple murders and surly loners who just don't want to talk) of this one.  To the cast of tough gal Viola of the halfway house, Gril the sheriff and his assistant Donner, Orin the pot-smoking librarian who looks like Willie Nelson, and Benny from the diner, Shelton now fleshes out the characters of Randy who runs the mercantile, Lane the loner who's not telling his past, and Tex the surly guy from the next village who's clearly keeping secrets.  These characters have lots of layers, so no one seems fake.
The basic plot line is that a recent mudslide opens up an old logging road about which most of the locals had forgotten, and this road allows for the finding of a body in a shed, a body which seems to have been frozen for a while.  Then a couple of mysterious and silent children wander into town, strange screams are heard, and someone is doing a very good Big Foot impersonation in the woods.
Who is Lane, really?  Why won't he talk about his past?  What is he hiding?  Why can't the little girls talk?  Who is their mother, and if they're really sisters, why are they of different races?  Why does Randy have an apartment in NYC that hasn't been lived in in years?  Where is his wife?  And how does the body found in the water connect to all this?
This is not a simple plot.

Shelton is best known for her cozy mystery series, but the Alaska series is a bit harsher, a bit closer to crime.  It's still not bloody or horrific, but this series isn't as light as her cozies; there are no punny titles and no recipes at the end.
Thus, if you like crime novels but feel like something not quite so harsh, this is a good series.  Or, if you like cozies but want to edge a little closer to more realistic crime, this is a good series.

Give Cold Wind a try; you'll like it.

Research This Week

 1) Make and drink herbal tea from raspberry leaves.

2) Watch videos of coyotes howling.

3) Compare maps of abandoned mines in Utah.

4) Study differences between piñon pine and Douglas firs.

5) Hunt for purslane in the garden. (Why is it always there but not now when I need it?)

6) Sketch out building layouts.

7) Email friend for cabin photos.

8) Message former police officer with questions.

9)  Watch kitten videos.     Oh wait.....

My Favorite Mystery Genre Series

I read mysteries (historical, true crime, cozies) for fun. I like smart heroines, good research, plots that surprise me, realistic characters, and detailed settings. Here are some of my favorite authors and/or mystery series. I recommend ALL of these. :) 

Historical or set in the past because they're older books: 

 1. Pretty much anything Sherlock Holmes. OK, well, you can skip A Study in Scarlet because the plot structure stinks and Conan Doyle really screwed up geography and history. But The Sign of Four is fabulous, and nothing matches Hound of the Baskervilles. And, of course, the short stories are wonderful. If you only know Sherlock Holmes from movies or TV, it's time you picked up the originals.

 2. Anything by Agatha Christie. I particularly like Sleeping Murder, The Seven Dials Mystery, Murder on the Orient Express, and Mrs. McGuinty's Dead. 

 3. The Maisie Dobbs series by Jacqueline Winspear. These are set beginning in post-WWI England, and they are fabulous. Maisie is my favorite kind of female protagonist: smart and able to rescue herself. The research behind these books is meticulous as well. My favorite of the series is An Incomplete Revenge -- but don't start there; you need to read them in order.

 4. Not quite as good as the Maisie Dobbs series but still very good is Tasha Alexander's Lady Emily series. These have fine plots in various European locations and are well-researched, but Alexander is often forgetful about minor details from past books and has real trouble creating believable children or teen characters. Also, Lady Emily's husband is rather a male Mary Sue; he's just too perfect to be credible, and he almost comes off as a joke. 

5. An excellent self-published series of historical mysteries comes from M. Louisa Locke, who is a historican and sets her books in turn-of-the-century San Francisco. Each one focuses on a real scandal/social problem/political issue of the time and shows careful research. I know that many self-published books are sub-par, but these are not. In fact, they are far better than many books published by the big names of publishing. 

 6. Alan Bradley's Flavia DeLuce series. This is set beginning in 1950 in a fictional village in England. They are funny and tightly-plotted. Plus, they appeal to many ages, as Flavia is a pre-teen genius who has no trouble concocting a poison or looking at a corpse, yet who still believes in Father Christmas. 

7. The Veronica Speedwell mysteries by DeAnna Raybourn. These are very much action-aventure stories as well and aren't quite meant to be realistic, but the plots are great and the characterization is superb -- no Mary Sues or cardboard characters here! 

8. The Art Oveson series by Andrew Hunt. There are, sadly, only three of these. Oveson is a cop in Salt Lake City during the depression, and these feel very real. Occasionally, Hunt makes a historical blunder (he has Oveson's pregnant wife teaching school in one book, and I know that female teachers were fired if they were married -- so that a man could have their job -- in SLC at the time, and he also can't remember what subject the wife teaches from book to book), but overall, they're gritty and gripping. I do wish there were more of them.

 9. The Three Investigators series. These are MG novels, but they are far superior to Hardy Boys or Nancy Drew. Set in the early 1960s in a fictional suburb of Los Angeles, these tales are great for young readers and still good for adults who don't mind MG. Jupiter Jones is a realistic character: fat, very smart, from a non-traditional family (raised by his aunt and uncle), and determined. The main problem with these is that they are out-of-print and can be hard to find. It took me several months to track down copies of all the volumees when I decided to buy the whole series. 

 10. The Charles Lennox series by Charles Finch. The plots of these are good, but Finch is a bit sexist and into benevolent patriarchy, sooooo.... they're not my favorites. They are set in the mid-Victorian era, mostly in London. 

11. Also good but not fabulous for the same patriarchal reasons are the Tony Hillerman books about various cops on the Navajo Reservation in Utah/Arizona. Set in the 1990s, these are a wonderful introduction to Navajo culture and life. 

Cozy: 

 1. Paige Shelton's cozies. They're light, they're fluffy, but they're good. Some cozies --- and I read a LOT of cozies -- are just so very....nothing. But Shelton's feature excellent characterization and good plotting. I like her Dangerous Type series the best, but her Farmers' Market and Southern Cooking Class mysteries are good, too. And she's just started a new series, set in Alaska, that is less cozy and more true crime. 

 2. Also straddling the border of cozy and crime is The Bishop's Wife series by Mette Ivie Harrison. Harrison tackles BIG issues of Mormonism from an insider's POV: polygamy, homosexuality, women's equality, transpeople, etc. while penning tight mysteries. These are good. Really good. 

 Crime: 

1. Ian Rankin is hands-down my favorite crime writer. Technically, his genre is Tartan Noir, but the reader need not have been to Scotland to understand the books. I own an entire shelf of his books: all but the last two of the Rebus series and several of the others as well. There's a reason why Rankin is so well-liked in the City of Literature; he's just that good. 

There you go. These are my favorites. If you're in the market for a good mystery, you might give one of these series or authors a try.

Beginning Again

I am writing again. It's been a long time, I know. I changed from teaching junior high to teaching high school, we've had a very disruptive change in government, my family situation has changed dramatically, COVID 19 hit, and Utah had a sizeable earthquake. All this made me give up writing fiction. But now I'm on a gap year. The risks of teaching school right now outweigh for me the benefits. Besides trying to improve my health (read: exercise), taking care of family members, and cleaning house (ugh), I have time to .....write. Thus, I have begun again. Right now I have three WsIP: a memoir, a re-write/reworking of The Chocolate Smuggler's Notebook, and a mystery genre novel. Just to remind you all how much work goes into writing something: I worked for two weeks outlining, sketching out places, and researching (foraging for foods, virus timelines, plant life in various elevations of the desert) before I actually began typing the first words of the tale. It's a lot. I'd almost forgotten. So, what are my plans? Well, once I get drafts finished, I think I'll try again with getting an agent. It's been years since I tried, and I know a lot of it isn't how well one writes but how lucky one is in contacting the correct agant at the correct time and catching her/him and her/his assistants in the right mood for the particular work. It's a bit of a crap shoot, really, but I think it's time I tried again.

What I Read And What I Rejected in 2019

And, once again, here are my lists!  (I've been doing this on various blogs since 2007.)
In 2019, I read 136 books. Cozy mystery: 27  Other mystery/crime: 44 Historical A/A: 4 Alternate History: 1 Realistic: 6  Shakespeare plays: 8 Other drama: 1  Fantasy: 7  NF travel: 4  NF History: 3  NF cookbooks: 11  NF Food/Cooking: 7  NF Crafts: 3  Other Non-Fiction: 7
Totally unsurprising: I read more mysteries than anything else. Again.
Totally surprising: I read no biographies, no sci-fi, and no steampunk.  Wow.  I hadn't realized that.

My list of books I began and then rejected follows the list of what I read.

2019
X Marks The Scot by Kaitlyn Dunnett *** cozy mystery 1/1/19
Mary Poppins by PL Travers **** MG fantasy 1/3/19
Mary Poppins Comes Back by PL Travers **** MG fantasy 1/5/19
Mary Poppins Opens The Door by PL Travers **** MG fantasy 1/6/19
Latino Cuisine & Its Influence On American Foods by Jean Ford non-fiction *** 1/10/19
Scrapbook of Secrets by Mollie Cox Bryan cozy mystery **** 1/13/19
Hungry Planet: What The World Eats by Menzel & D’Aluisio ***** non-fiction 1/19/19
Button Holed by Kylie Logan **** cozy 1/20/19
In A House of Lies by Ian Rankin ***** crime 1/22/19
 Images of America: Salt Lake City Cemetery by Mark E. Smith non-fiction **** 1/26/19
 Hot Button by Kylie Logan *** cozy 1/26/19
 The Golden Tresses of the Dead by Alan Bradley ***** historical mystery 2/1/19
 The Woman in the Camphor Trunk by Jennifer Kincheloe *** historical mystery 2/7/19
 The Essential Vegetarian Cookbook by  **** cookbook, non-fiction 2/8/19
 Easy Chinese Cooking by Betty Crocker **** cookbook, non-fiction 2/9/19
 Cloche and Dagger by Jenn McKinlay *** cozy 2/14/19
  52 Weeks of Trivia by Sharon Lindsay *** non-fiction 2/15/19
 12 Months of Trivia by Sharon Lindsay *** non-fiction 2/16/19
 Smash & Stash by Cindy Shepherd ** non-fiction, crafts 2/18/19
 I Can Make It With Chex **** cookbook 2/20/19
 Saints 1815-1846: The Standard of Truth. by various authors of the LDS Church *** non-fiction, history 3/3/2019
 Tess of the Road by Rachel Hartman YA fantasy ***** 3/5/19
 Food That Harm; Foods That Heal by Readers’ Digest *** non-fiction 3/10/19
 Truly Devious by Maureen Johnson YA mystery ***** 3/12/19
 The Vanishing Stair by Maureen Johnson YA mystery ***** 3/13/19
 The Mystery of Three Quarters by Sophie Hanna mystery **** 3/18/10
 Underground by Will Hunt *** non-fiction, urban exploring/spelunking 3/22/19
 Eggs on Ice by Laura Childs *** cozy mystery 3/24/19
 A Dangerous Collaboration by Deanna Raybourn YA/NA historical mystery ***** 3/27/19
 Cultured by Katherine Harmon Courage non-fiction, food **** 3/20/19
 The Wizard’s Cookbook by Aurelia Beaupommier non-fiction, cookbook *** 3/31/19
 Iced Under by Barbara Ross cozy *** 4/4/19
 Hunting Prince Dracula by Karri Maniscalco *** YA historical A/A 4/14/19
 Escaping Houdini by Karri Maniscalco *** YA historical A/A 4/19/19
 100 Things to Do in SLC Before You Die by Jeremy Pugh ** non-fiction, travel 4/20/19
 The American Agent by Jaqueline Winspear ***** historical mystery 4/23/19
 Language Visible by David Sacks **** non-fiction, linguistics 4/23/19
 MacBeth by Shakespeare (4A) ***** tragedy 4/25/19
 12th Night by Shakespeare (4B) ***** comedy 4/26/19
 MacBeth by Shakespeare (2A) ***** tragedy 4/29/19
 MacBeth by Shakespeare (4A) ***** tragedy 4/29/19
 12th Night by Shakespeare (1B) ***** comedy 4/30/19
 12th Night by Shakespeare (3A) ***** comedy 5/1/19
 Becoming Brigid by Lisa Shafer ***** YA paranormal 5/3/19
 Dark Days Club by Alison Goodman (again) YA historical fantasy 5/8/19
 Assault and Beret by Jenn McKinley *** cozy 5/19/19
 The Sherlock Holmes Handbook by Ransom Riggs *** non-fiction about fiction 5/27/19
 The Melted Coins by Franklin W. Dixon (original) **** MG mystery A/A 6/1/19
 Invisible Women: Data Bias in a World Designed for Men by Caroline Criado Perez ***** non-fiction, women’s issues 6/3/19
 The Short Wave Mystery by Franklin W. Dixon (Original) MG mystery A/A **** 6/4/19
 The Twisted Claw by Franklin W. Dixon (original) MG mystery A/A *** 6/6/19
 The Nowhere Emporium by Ross MacKenzie MG fantasy *** 6/7/19
 The House on the Cliff by Franklin W. Dixon (original) MG mystery A/A***** 6/7/19
 Just One Damned Thing After Another by Jodi Taylor A/A time travel *** 6/9/19
 The Short Wave Mystery by Franklin W. Dixon MG A/A **** 6/11/10
 The Squad: Perfect Cover by Jennifer Lynn Barnes  *** YA spy/thriller 6/12/19
 The Yard by Alex Grecian historical crime **** 6/13/19
 Greenhaven Press Literary Companion to British Literature: Readings on Twelfth Night  **** essays 6/14/19
 The Black Country by Alex Grecian historical crime **** 6/14/19
 A Conspiracy in Belgravia by Sherry Thomas ***** historical mystery 6/19/19
 The Spook in the Stacks by Eva Gates *** cozy 6/20/19
 Murder Once Removed by SC Perkins **** cozy 6/24/19
 Thin Ice by Paige Shelton mystery **** 6/27/19
 By Book Or By Crook by Eva Gates **** cozy 6/28/19
 Reading Up A Storm by Eva Gates **** cozy 6/30/19
 The Hollow of Fear by Sherry Thomas ***** historical mystery 7/1/19
 Worldwide Ward Cookbook by Diana Buxton non-fiction **** 7/3/19
 Past Perfect Life by Elizabeth Eulberg YA realistic  **** 7/8/19
  Call It What You Want by Brigid Kemmerer YA realistic **** 7/9/19
 Panic Button by Kylie Logan **** cozy 7/13/19
 Wicked Stitch by Amanda Lee **** cozy 7/14/19
 Marriage, Monsters-in-Law, and Murder by Sara Rosett **** cozy 7/14/19
 Murder Knocks Twice by Susana Calkins **** historical mystery 7/18/19
 The Stitching Hour by Amanda Lee *** cozy 7/19/19
 Better Off Thread by Amanda Lee *** 7/20/19
 Buttoned Up by Kylie Logan **** cozy 7/22/19
 Murder At Rosamund Gate by Susana Calkins  historical mystery *** 7/23/19
 From The Charred Remains by Susana Calkins historical mystery *** 7/24/19
 The Masque of Murder by Susana Calkins historical mystery **** 7/24/19
 The Rosemary Spell  by Virginia Zimmerman *** YA fantasy **** 7/26/19
 The Hound of the Baskervilles by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle (3rd or 4th time) mystery ***** 7/28/19
 The Valley of Fear by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle (2nd time) mystery **** 7/30/19
 Death by the River Fleet by Susan Calkins historical mystery **** 7/31/19
 Lethal White by Robert Galbraith (JK Rowling) crime ***** 8/2/19
 The Beholder by Anna Bright YA A/A alternate history *** 8/5/19
 Murder At Archly Manor by Sara Rosett historical mystery **** 8/11/19
 And Then There Were Crumbs by Eve Calder cozy **** 8/17/19
 Murder At Blackburn Hall by Sara Rosett historical mystery **** 8/18/19
 The Egyptian Antiquities Murder by Sara Rosett **** historical mystery 8/19/19
 Milk: A 10,000-year Food Fracas by Mark Kurlansky non-fiction ***** 8/21/19
 Haunted Salt Lake City by  Laurie Allen et al  urban legends * 8/21/19
  The Bookish Life of Nina Hill by Abbi Waxcman realistic fiction ***** 8/25/19
 How The Beatles Changed The World by Martin W. Standler *** non-fiction 8/27/19
 The Readaholics and The Gothic Gala by Laura DiSilverio *** cozy 9/6/19
Twelve Angry Men (again) drama ***** 9/6/19
 Sense and Sensibility (rewrite)( 2nd time) by Joanna Trollope ***** updated classic 9/7/19
 Eligible by Curtis Littenfeld (2nd time) ***** updated classic (P&P by Austen) 9/8/19
 Northanger Abbey by Val McDermid (2nd time) ***** updated classic 9/12/19
 Capturing The Devil by Kerri Maniscalco YA historical A/A **** 9/20/19
 The Hummingbird Dagger by Cindy Anstey YA historical mystery ***** 9/30/19
 Handmade Halloween by Country Living non-fiction, crafts * 10/2/19
  The Shadow of Death by Jane Willan cozy mystery **** 10/6/19
 The Hour of Death by Jane Willan cozy mystery **** 10/8/19
 A Different Kind of Evil by Andrew Wilson historical mystery ** 10/13/19
 A Midsummer Night’s Dream by W. Shakespeare (again) ***** drama (2A) 10/15/19
 Better Off Read by Nora Page cozy mystery **** 10/16/19
 The Gifted School by Bruce Holsinger *** realistic fiction 10/17/19
 Molten Mud Murder by Sara Johnson *** mystery/crime  10/26/19
 Mormon Hierarchy: Origins of Power by D. Michael Quinn ***** non-fiction 10/31/19
 Holmes on the Range by Steve Hockensmith (2nd time) ***** western historical mystery 11/2/19
 On The Wrong Track by Steve Hockensmith (2nd time) ***** western historical mystery 11/4/19
 The Conspiring Woman by Kate Parker *** historical mystery 11//8/19
 The Detecting Duchess by Kate Parker *** historical mystery 11/10/19
 Monument Park 4th Ward Cookbook (c. 1960) *** non-fiction 11/14/19
 Cooking Class Global Feast by DeAnna F. Cook *** MG non-fiction 11/16/10
 Oakhills Neighborhood Cookbook (c.1980) **** non-fiction 11/17/19
 Much Ado About Nothing by Shakespeare (again) ***** drama (2A) 11/20/19
 The Black Dove by Steve Hockensmith ***** (2nd time) western mystery 11/23/19
 Dear Mr. Holmes by Steve Hockensmith ***** (2nd time) western mystery 11/24/19
 A Crack in the Lens by Steve Hockensmith ***** (2nd time) western mystery 11/24/19
 World’s Greatest Sleuth by Steve Hockensmith *****(2nd time) western mystery 11/26/19
 Power Hungry: The Ultimate Energy Bar Cookbook by Camilla Saulsbury **** 11/27/19
 The Double-A Western Detective Agency by Steve Hockensmith ***** western mystery 11/29/19
 Food Of A Younger Land by David Kurlensky ***** non-fiction 12/4/19
  Oak Hills Neighborhood Cookbook II **** non-fiction 12/7/19
 The Food Explorer by David Stone **** non-fiction, biography 12/12/19
 In The Hall With The Knife by Diana Peterfreund YA mystery ** 12/16/19
 Farm Chicks Christmas by Serena Thompson (again) **** non-fiction, crafts 12/19/19
 Merry Market Murder by Paige Shelton (again) ***** cozy 12/21/19
 Julie Stories by Megan McDonald  MG realistic **** 12/22/19
  A Killer Maize  (again) by Paige Shelton cozy **** 12/22/19
 A Bushel Full of Murder by Paige Shelton (again) **** cozy 12/23/19
 Crops and Robbers by Paige Shelton (again) **** cozy 12/25/19
 Maisie Dobbs by Jaqueline Winspear **** historical mystery 12/28/19
 Death in St. Petersburg by Tasha Alexander **** historical mystery 12/30/19
 American Girl Character Encyclopedia *** MG non-fiction 12/31/19



Books I Rejected in 2019

2019
The Gilded Wolves by   Chokshi When reading a fantasy book, I like the author to ease the reader into the new world, not drop them in suddenly, with completely different systems left incomprehensible.  In other words, when an author introduces 3 plots in 10 pages, uses French in every paragraph, and does not explain or even hint as to the meaning of key ideas (“Forging”) used repeatedly, I cannot engage with the book.  And when I cannot engage, I toss it aside.  Life is too short to read poorly-written material.  I wonder how many people buy this merely because the cover is pretty. 2/3/19
 Ecological Imperialism by Alfred W. Crosby 17 pages ZZZZZZZ   mid-Feb, 2019
Dark, Witch, and Creamy by HY Hanna. About three chapters.  I was writing better stuff at age 11. 2/16/19
From Bad To Wurst by Maddy Hunter. 7 chapters in and still no mystery.  Not much of a cozy. 3/2/19
A Christmas Peril by JA Hennrikus 5 chapter, so much telling, so little showing.  All backstory, not mystery. bleah. 7/22/19
 Those Who Go By Night by Andrew Gaddes historical crime.  90 pages.  Poor research on food of the time period, likely poor research on everything else.  Also, the author clearly enjoys writing about men controlling, gaslighting, and punishing women.  He’s misogynistic and rather sadistic.  8/10/19
Have Yourself a Beary Little Murder by Meg Macy. Cozies aren’t supposed to be great literature, but this was soooo bad.. In 30 pages, I found numerous punctuation errors and just plain bad writing: the introduction of at least 20 characters! Ugh.  One chapter. 12/26/19

Review: The Utah Shakespeare Festival's 2019 Season

Information on the Festival, plays, and tickets can be found at www.bard.org.

The Utah Shakespeare Festival is in its 58th season this year.  It is held in Cedar City, Utah, and it is my favorite place to attend plays, especially Shakespeare plays.
I have seen Shakespeare plays in Salt Lake City, in London, England (the Globe), in Straford-on-Avon, England, in Scotland, and in Ashland, Oregon.  But none of these places match what happens at USF.  Let me list a few reasons:
1) The actors are top-notch, big names in the stage acting world, yet they freely do seminars and interact with the public.  They do not hold themselves aloof.  If you want to talk to one of them about a show, it's very easy to do so.
2) The Festival hosts literary seminars the morning after every play.  Several times a week, they host actor seminars, prop seminars, and costume seminars as well.  During the opening week of the shows, the directors will attend the seminars.  These are all completely free.
3) There's plenty of free parking near the Festival complex.  (Parking in Ashland was a joke.)
4)  Cedar City has plenty of motels and restaurants for Festival goers.
5) The Festival also offers classes wherein young or not-so-young students can earn university credit through Southern Utah University.

The new building complex which debuted at the 2016 Festival is still ugly, but it's more comfortable than it was at first.  There are now plenty of restrooms, a tiny, open-air cafe, two gift shops, and more shade.  The Shakespeare sculpture garden is looking good now, although the barren, cement-and-gravel thing behind the Arts Museum has no more charm than a Walmart parking lot.
This year's line-up of plays is a really good one.  I saw seven plays and attended six seminars in three days. Below are my reviews for those plays, done in the order I recommend them.  For example, if you can only see one play, I recommend Twelfth Night, so I review that one first.

1.  The best offering this year is Shakespeare's Twelfth Night.
(Click here to see official Festival photos of this play.)
I know this play well, as I teach it to my high school seniors, so I'm well-qualified to make a judgement on this production, and I say it's a winner!
Orsino, played by Rene Thornton, Jr. is a fabulous, over-grown Romeo.  He flops himself about like a love-sick teenager, and it's hilarious!  Orsino's lines are very much like Romeo's, and I've long told my students that Orsino is just a 30-something Romeo, so Thornton is perfect in this role!
Other winning actor portrayals are Betsy Mugavero's Olivia, Chris Mixon's truly repulsive and unlikable Malvolio (this is the first time I've ever felt Malvolio deserved his punishment), and Trent Dahlin's Fool (very good, but I have seen others I liked better).  Also, I was worried that Josh Jeffers could not possibly match Quinn Mattfeld's performance as Sir Andrew Aguecheek a few years ago, but Jeffers is fabulous and hilarious!  Sebastian and Viola are pretty good, much better than the Viola from last time.
Less good are Sir Toby (who is far, far too likable) and Maria.   One of the biggest problems is that the director cut the part of Fabian and gave 90% of Fabian's lines to Maria, which completely changes her role and her personality.
The set of this play is fantastic, which huge statues of the twins Apollo and Artemis dominating the stage.  The costumes are vaguely Three Musketeers, but this works, and they are lovely to behold.
One interesting note is that at least six of the actors are persons of color, with Orsino, Viola, and Sebastian all being African-American in appearance.
Twelfth Night is a hilarious play with a love triangle, a cross-dressing young woman, and twins mistaken for one another.  It's a fabulous and fun romp, and this production is a real win.  If you can only see one play at the festival, choose this one.  If you'd like to introduce your kids or your non-Shakespeare-loving friends to the Bard, this is a great play to have them watch.

2. The next play I'd recommend seeing is The Book of Will, a two-year-old play by Lauren Gundersen.  (Official photos here.)
This play, according to the dramaturg, is fairly historically accurate, but it does add in the delightful character of Alice Heminges (brilliantly played by Betsy Mugavero), who is fictional. (John Heminges had plenty of children, but not much is known about them.)
The play tells the story of John Heminges, Richard Burbage, and Henry Condell (played by the fabulous Rene Thornton Jr), Shakespeare's actor friends/colleagues who put together the First Folio (the first authorized publication of his plays) a few years after his death.  The story is bittersweet in parts and funny in others.  It is well-costumed, and the set is constructed to look like the Globe Theatre.  The scene with the printing of the book is almost a dance, and the addition of the pages flying like flags is really lovely.
This play is easy to understand, a good history lesson, delightfully acted, and heartwarming.  Don't miss it!

3. If you have the time and the money for a third play, make it Hamlet.
(Official photos here.)
Quinn Mattfeld plays the title role this year, and he is a comic genius.  He brings out the humor in Hamlet's feigned madness, how he taunts and torments Polonius as well as Rosenkrantz and Guildenstern.  If you've avoided Hamlet in the past because it's too serious, you ought to try this production; it's the funniest Hamlet I've ever seen.  (Note: all the sexual jokes are glossed over, though; this is a very Utah Hamlet.)
That being said, this is also the most violent Hamlet I've ever seen.  Director Brian Vaughn added in extra violence.
*SPOILER*SPOILER*SPOILER*
In a visual reference to MacBeth, Vaughn has Hamlet wash his hands of Polonius' blood -- and then Claudius forces his head into the basin and tries to drown him.
Even more off-script, due to Vaughn's misunderstanding (which he didn't admit) of the fact that no one rescues the drowning Ophelia because almost no one could swim -- not even sailors -- in Elizabethan England, Vaughn has palace guards drown Ophelia on stage.
Not violent, but also not in the text, Vaughn adds a mistress for Polonius.
*END SPOILER*
I did like the fact that Vaughn did not cut the invading Norwegian army, as many directors do.
Mattfeld's Hamlet is fantastic, probably the best I've ever seen. Claudius is hypocritical, violent, paranoid, and evil (Vaughn hinted in the literary seminar that Claudius is Trump, which is, no doubt, why this production has Russian costumes showing up in it.). And the play-within-a-play is acted brilliantly.  Horatio is boring and not as likable as he should be, however.  And Gertrude and Ophelia are rather dull.
The set is an opulent Russian palace, which is gorgeous, but it has snow all over the interior.  This is stupid, in my opinion.
The costumes are Czarist Russia and are gorgeous.
Hamlet is not for everyone, true, but this is a very good production.

4. MacBeth is next.  (Photos here.)
This production of MacBeth had both good and bad in it, and I've seen a LOT of versions of MacBeth with which to compare it, as I teach the play to my sophomores.
The not-so-great:
a) Wayne T Carr was great as Othello last year, and he's very powerful in several of his roles in the Henry VI plays (see below) this year, but it wasn't a great MacBeth.  He didn't seem evil or conflicted or haunted or ambitious or anything MacBeth might be.  He just sort of was there.  His "tomorrow and tomorrow and tomorrow" speech was lame; I've seen 9th graders perform it better.
b) Because a black actor was cast as MacBeth, a lot of the costumes had African vibes.  The men wore battle clothing in black and gold stripes.  The witches were made up and tattooed to look like voodoo priestesses from New Orleans.  This was an odd choice for a play wherein the setting of Scotland is crucial to the plot.  The whole point is that it is SCOTLAND.  Some plays, such as Midsummer or Tempest or Twelfth Night, can be set almost anywhere, but MacBeth doesn't really work that way.
c) Lady MacBeth wasn't really great either.  In fact, the only parts that were really good with the leads were the hints of romance between the two.
d) So much of Malcolm's speech with MacDuff was cut that it made no sense, and MacDuff's answers made no sense.  Plus, this kept Malcolm from developing any sort of personality.
e) Most of the porter's speech was cut, so there was less humor there.
What was good:
a) The director added in three little Wednesday Addams girl witches who spied on MacBeth and helped out in the cauldron scene.  This made it clear that this director wished to emphasize that MacBeth is not controlled by the supernatural, but makes his own choices.
The girl witches were highly creepy and definitely added to the vibe of the production.
b) Act IV scene i ("double, double, toil and trouble") was very well done.  True, the director cut the racist line about Jews ("liver of blaspheming Jew") but left in the ones about Turks/Tartars, which was an odd choice.  But she had realistic-looking props for the witch girl acolytes to throw into the steaming trapdoor "cauldron" while the grown-up witches chanted and moved about.  Also, actors presented the apparitions.  So many directors leave this out and just have the audience imagine what MacBeth sees, but Anderson leaves it in -- even the line of kings.
c) The banquet scene with the ghost of Banquo was well-blocked and very creepy, even though the humor of the scene was completely ignored.
d) The director actually chose to have MacDuff bring in MacBeth's bloody head (in a bag)!  So many directors leave this out; the last time the Festival did this, the director just had MacDuff stab MacBeth on stage, for example.  But Anderson followed the script.
e) Anderson also adds in supernatural elements I've never seen before.  In both the scene wherein Lady M calls on the spirits ("Unsex me here") and when MacBeth does, the director has them kneel or stand in a conjuring circle and actually commune with the supernatural.  Lighting changes are used to show it.  I'd never thought of its being done in such a way before, and I really liked this.
Overall, it's a pretty good production of MacBeth.

5. Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat (See photos here.)
 This musical, like Fiddler on the Roof, resonates strongly with Mormons, and, as a result, it has been insanely popular in Utah since about 1990.  I've seen it 8 times live (four of those professionally, one of which was the famous Donny Osmond live production), the video about 20 times, and I've listened to 2 different CD versions more times than I can count.  And this USF production is the blandest I've ever seen (including two high school productions).
The director, Brad Carroll, said in the seminar that he wanted the narrator to be only a narrator, for her not to interact with the other characters or the audience.  Well, he got that, and as a result, the narrator has zero personality.  She might as well sing offstage for all that it matters in the show.
Joseph also interacts very little with the other characters, and never with the narrator.  In other productions, I've seen the actor playing Joseph try to figure out Pharaoh's dreams by reading the Bible or by praying.  Not this Joseph; he does nothing to figure anything out.
Add the lack of character interaction to the extreme cuts in dance numbers and costuming, and you get a cartoonish Dreamcoat.   It's there.  It sounds good.  It's entertaining....enough.   But there's no character arc whatsoever.   It has all the character depth of an episode of Scooby Doo. When Joseph sings "Close Every Door," it's not poignant or heart-rending; it's just a pretty song.  When he meets up with his brothers again after decades of separation, it's like football buddies seeing each other the day after a big game.   There's no emotion at all when he frames his only full brother Benjamin.
Plus, the sixties references and go-go dancing are gone from "Go, Go, Go, Joseph."  And the actor who plays the Pharaoh is the same dude who played him twenty years ago at the festivals, so he plays an OLD Pharaoh -- and it's not really funny.
The good parts?  Well, it's Joseph; the music and lyrics are fabulous!   And the scene with the brothers traveling to Egypt is done as a drill number with a micro-cameo Chorus Line gag, and it's the best I've ever seen that scene done before.
Who should go?  Well, it's kid-friendly.  And if you've never seen Joseph before or haven't seen it in years and years, you'll probably like this just fine and not notice all that's missing.
I was underwhelmed with it.

6.  Henry VI parts 2 & 3 is last because it's not for everyone.  (See photos here.)
The Henry VI trilogy is among Shakespeare's earliest works.  It was wildly popular in its time, but it's not often produced now.  The reason is that it's long and that it's the story of the War of the Roses, which is complex and full of political intrigue.   The seminar leaders recommended it be compared to Game of Thrones and Hamilton for reference.
The Festival did part 1 of the trilogy last year, and this year, parts 2 &3 are done back-to-back in a small, black-box theatre (up close and personal) with a 30-minute intermission between the plays.  Twelve fabulous actors play 82 different roles with dozens of costume changes.  It's fabulous but it's INTENSE.   This is not a play production for the Shakespeare newbie or for a child.   This is a play for history buffs, English teachers, and theatre lovers.
That being said, it's getting hard to get tickets for this, as it's proving to be quite popular.
The costumes begin in the 1400s and end in the modern era.  This is done to show that bad leaders and political intrigue hasn't changed all that much over the centuries, but some people attending the seminar were very bothered by this.  I personally thought it was a bit helpful in keeping track of everyone.
There's a LOT of beheading in this play: four heads are brought on stage.  (One of them is of the same actor who plays MacBeth, so this dude gets beheaded in both his major roles this year!)
The most outstanding actors in this are Jim Poulos as Henry, Stephanie Lambourn as a super-bitchy but effective Queen Margaret, and Emelie O'Hara, who plays a twisted, evil, scary future Richard III extremely well.
This is really an excellent production, but I list it last as it is simply not as appealing to the average theatre-goer.  However, if you love history, Shakespeare, or really good theatre, do NOT miss this!

That's it, folks.   Check out www.bard.org for dates, times, prices, more about each play, and tickets.