The Barren Grounds by David Robertson

Morgan has been shuffled from one foster home to another in Manitoba, Canada since she was three years old.  Even though the adults in her most recent home are trying to be nice, she still feels mistrustful and angry all the time.  When another foster kid, Eli, joins the home, they don't really get along well at first. Then one day they find a secret door in their attic that leads to a mythical land, Misewa.  To Eli, who was raised in an indigenous community, the land feels like home, but they are not in the land long before they discover that the talking beasts of the land have been stuck in perpetual winter for many years. Morgan and Eli have to decide if they will risk everything to try to help the creatures of Misewa.

Robertson has borrowed a bunch of tropes from The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe. There is the magic door, the perpetual winter, talking beasts, and a different timeline when you are in the mystical land. In both books there is the epic struggle of the good vs evil.  In  the Narnia Books, the White Witch represents evil or Satan, but in this book the bad guy represents Europeans. It is also interesting to compare Ochek, who is the hero/mentor of this book to Aslan in the Narnia book. (spoiler alert) When Ochek first meets Arik, a talking squirrel,  he wants to kill and eat her, even though she is a sentient being. The children have to stop him. In other words, the big hero, the savior character,  is, in a way, a confessed cannibal. I could see some people having problems with that and the anti- "white man" message. If, however, you just take it as a middle-grade fantasy, it is actually pretty good. The writing is artful and the characters as are well drawn and complex. It is a book that would make a good young reader stretch and contemplate some really hard questions. It would also be an interesting book for a parent/child book club. (2021, 256 p)

The Truth about Miss Ashbourne by Joanna Barker

 Cassandra Ashbourne is surprised when she finds out she has received a generous inheritance in her maternal grandfather's will. The only stipulation is that she go and stay with her family for a month. Her family has been estranged from that side of the family ever since her mother, a rising aristocratic debutant, eloped with a naval officer. Since her mother's death, Cassandra has supported herself as a governess, but when that goes sour, she decides to accept the inheritance and meet her maternal relatives.  She worries that they will be critical of her, a working class girl, but is pleasantly surprised when most of them are warm and welcoming. When she first meets Wm Rowley, the heir to the estate, she thinks he is a merciless tease, but as they spend time together their relationship starts to warm up as well. He is a rich, handsome, and charming gentleman, and she a poor governess.  Will she ever feel at home in his world?

As you can tell from the summary, this is not an original storyline, but Ms Barker does a good job of telling the story in an appealing way.  It is a bit like eating a favorite dessert.  Even though you have eaten it dozens of times before, you still enjoy eating it again. Cassandra is a mixture of reserve and spunk.  William is a charming tease. The relationship between Cassandra and her new found grandmother is sweet, and even her first experience with a ladies' maid is cute.  Ms Barker has a good sense of humor, and there are some delightfully lighthearted scenes.  I look forward to reading more by Ms Barker. (2018, 272 p.)

Royal Heir by Traci Abramson

 Princess Cassandra of Sereno is just starting to take on some of the roles that she will inherit as the king's oldest child. When an assassination attempt seems to be aimed at her, rather than at her father, her father sends her into hiding at the summer palace of their neighboring kingdom and long-term allies, the Meridians. In order to keep her true identity secret, she pretends to be the girlfriend of her new bodyguard, Levi Marin. Levi has worked for the rulers of Meridian for several years, but has secrets of his own.  As he works with Cassandra to try to figure out who is trying to kill her, their pretended relationship begins to feel more real. Levi knows he shouldn't fall for the princess, especially because he has not been entirely truthful with her, but he finds his attraction to the beautiful, brave, and intelligent royal is hard to resist. Will their growing closeness lead Princess Cassandra into even more danger?

When I picked this off the shelf I didn't realize it was the 4th in the series but it works fine as a stand-alone.  Abramson is not a NYT best selling author, but the story line is solid and the characters are, if a little too perfect, at least likeable. Ms Abramson's books often include mysteries involving the intelligence community, and I discovered that she actually worked for the CIA for a few years. This book demonstrates her understanding of the complexity of creating personal security systems. The book is by Covenant, and is squeaky clean. I was a little distracted by the narrator, who was trying to use an Italian accent, but it came out sounding like a Russian accent, but I generally enjoyed the book anyway. (2020, 304 p)

Skandar and the Unicorn Thief by A.F. Steadman

 The people of the Mainland used to think that unicorns were sweet with rainbow colored poop.  Then they saw footage of the fierce and bloodthirsty wild unicorns of the Island. The only way to tame the terrifying predators is to have them bond to a human at the moment of hatching. Skandar has always wanted to be a unicorn rider, but is afraid to hope after his older sister fails the hatchery exam.  When his time comes, mysterious circumstance bring him to the Island and he is bonded to a rare and outlawed "spirit" element unicorn. The Island the the Mainland are threatened by the Weaver, a terrifying spirit element rider, so Skandar must try to hide is elemental affinity while still gaining the trust of his young and strong-willed unicorn. As the threat of the Weaver mounts, Skandar begins to understand that he, with the help of his new friends, might be the only one who can end the Weaver's reign of terror.

At first I was amused by the premise of this middle-grade novel. It is clearly a pushback against all the unicorn merchandising of the last few years. As I read on, however, I got caught up in the story and characters.  This is an above average "magic school" novel with complex themes and interestingly flawed characters. The world building has a few holes, but the setting, particularly the Eyrie,  is a lot of fun and I think would really appeal to the target audience. There are some humorous passages, and a lot of good action writing. This book has a satisfying ending, but leaves enough unanswered questions to lead the reader to the second in the series (which I am likely to read sometime) (2022, 448 p)

Meditations for Mortals, by Oliver Burkeman

In this self-help book Burkeman writes short chapters meant to be read one each day for four weeks.  Each one gives suggestions, quotes, and perspective about how to let go of toxic perfectionism and unrealistic expectations, and embrace natural limitations in order to live a fuller life.  Burkeman suggests that the reader follow generous promptings, pay attention to their own needs, finish the projects they start, prioritize things that fulfill their "life task," and reject the notion that all important things are difficult. He advises the reader to recognize when things really are too hard and impractical and to accept defeat with good grace. The goal of the book is to help the reader remove anxiety and stress due to worrying too much about things we can't control or do, and spend time on things that bring more joy and meaning.

This is a good choice to hand to the person in your life who wears busyness and stress like a badge of honor. Burkeman has a lot of good advice and the book is written in an accessible tone and length.  I didn't read the book as it was intended, i.e. a chapter a day for four weeks, but I still feel like I got something out of it.  That being said, when I started to write this review just a few days after finishing the book, I had a hard time remembering the specific topics he covered--so not super memorable. A lot of the principles he promotes have similarities to American Buddhist ideas of non-striving and being present but he doesn't use that terminology at all. This has much more of a "put your feet up and sit a spell" vibe. I think it is a message needed in current American society. (2024, 208)

An Unwitting Alliance by Anneka R. Walker

The Matchmaking Mamas are at it again.  This time they have arranged a marriage between teasing Tom (Lord) Harwood and Cassandra Vail, the oldest daughter in a family of many children and dwindling funds. Both victims of the matriarchal mechanatons resist being forced into matrimony...at first.  But as they spend more time together they find more to admire in each other.  Tom is working with the Rebels to try to reform a deplorable workhouse. Cassandra is trying to support her family as her mother struggles through a difficult and dangerous pregnancy. Will their struggles bring them together, or tear them apart?

This is the second in the Matchmaking Mamas series and is very like the first.  Walker strikes a good balance between humor, drama, and romance. Tom can be a little annoying at times, but that makes his moments of sweetness even more appealing. I liked how Cassandra, at the end, is so emotionally overloaded she hardly knows what to do with herself.  I remember that stage in my own courtship. This is not Pulitzer prise level writing, but I am looking forward to the next installment in the series which is coming out later this month. (2023, 272 p)

Greenwild: The World Behind the Door by Pari Thomson

 Daisy Thistledown is happy with her life following her exuberant mother around the world chasing the next big news story. Daisy adores her mother, and is never happier than when at her side, so she is very concerned when her mother decides to put her in a boarding school for a short time while she goes after a story in the Amazon River basin.  Daisy hates the school and when her mother doesn't return by the end of term, she senses something has gone wrong. She goes to a garden her mother and she always went to together, and there finds a magic door into another world. She soon discovers that this new world which is a botanical paradise, is connected to her family, but is also in danger. She teams up with other children her age and together they try to figure out which of the adults is the traitor trying to bring an end to all they love. 

The "through the magic door" is a pretty common trope for middle grade fantasy, but this book does it better than most.  It is clearly a "save the environment" book, but the author really does seem to have a genuine connection to and love of nature that shines through in her writing.  It is almost worth reading for the nature descriptions and world building alone. Daisy, and even the secondary characters, are fully developed, interestingly flawed, and show good character development through the course of the story. The plot twists are a little predictable to me who have read literally hundreds of middle grade fantasies, but I didn't ever get bored and will probably read the next in the series. (2023, 333p.)

The Librarian of Boone's Hollow by Kim Vogel Sawyer

 Addie Cowherd is doing well in college and looking forward to her senior year.  Then she discovers that her father has lost his job and she will have to quit school and find work to  help her parents out of their financial bind. She takes a job as a packhorse librarian to a backwards mining community in the hills of Kentucky.  It is very different from the city where she grew up and the townspeople are suspicious of the newcomer. Emmett Tharp went to the same college as Addie, but grew up in the small mining town.  He has graduated and is looking for work but at the height of the depression there is not much work to be found. They end up working together, and strike up a friendship, but not everyone is happy with their city ways and budding romance. Will the community prejudice and superstition put an end to all they are trying to do to make life better for everyone.

I thought this was going to be a sappy romance, but it turned out to be more about overcoming ignorance in an impoverished community than it was about their romance.  I have read several books about the packhorse librarians now.  The Giver of Stars was a bit more gritty, but really well written. The Book Woman of Troublesome Creek is still probably my favorite.  This one isn't bad, though, and quite clean.  The writing is not spectacular, but just fine, and the plot is interesting. The romance between Addie and Emmett is understated, but it is still a romance, and they are both really likeable characters. If you are interested in the topic and are looking for something inoffensive, this is a good choice. (2020, 368p)

The Truths We Hold by Kamala Harris

Kamala Harris was born in October 1964 (12 days before me) in California.  Her mom was a cancer researcher and her dad was a Standford professor.  Pretty early in life, her dad was out of the picture and she was mostly raised by her mother. She grew up in a community with a strong black pride culture, and developed a strong drive to right the wrongs of the world.  This desire lead her to become a district attorney.  As she progressed in her career she kept coming up against bigger and bigger problems.  In response she kept seeking and obtaining higher and higher office, from district attorney, to California Attorney General, to state Senator. The issues that she highlights in the book are sexual abuse and exploitation, urban revitalization, the mortgage collapse of 2008, immigration, and others. In each chapter she includes an anecdote from her life related to the topic, efforts she made to fight for justice, and editorializing on her moral convictions related to the topic. 

Kamala Harris wrote this book when she was considering a run for president.  It is about 1/4 autobiography and 3/4 campaign tract. As we now know, she was not successful in her presidential bid, but did well enough to be elected as Vice President under Joe Biden. Now, of course, she is the Democratic nominee for President. This book made me think a lot and understand why some people have reservations about Ms Harris becoming President. She is definitely a crusader, and has a lot of grit and drive, but her focus has always been on the downtrodden minority. That is very admirable and I came away from the book feeling like she is a woman who really does care about helping the marginalized parts of society. The thing that gave me pause is that she is so eager to help this group or that group, she doesn't stop to consider where all the money for per proposed programs is going to come from. She also seems to take a strong arm approach to forcing changes through the system.  Will that approach work with Congress? Does she understand how to use diplomacy and compromise?  I couldn't help but wonder how this book might be different if she were writing it now.  What has she learned in four years working as the VP with Joe Biden?  Full disclosure: I still plan on voting for her in November, and consider her as a better choice than the alternative. It will be interesting to see how and what she does if she becomes President next January. (368 p. 2020)

The Marvellers by Dhonielle Clayton

 Ella Durand comes from a long line of Conjurors, magical folk who can gain access to the underworld.  They have been excluded from interacting with Marvellers, magical people who gain their power from the stars.  Ella's father is the foremost "High Stepper" among the Conjurors, and arranges for Ella to be the first Conjuror to be admitted to the Marveller school, the Arcanum Institute.  She is very excited to go, but is met with more prejudice and fear than she was expecting. She manages to make two friends who are also misfits, Brigit, and Jason, but they all become concerned when their favorite teacher who is sympathetic to Conjurors, Masterji Thatker goes missing. Meanwhile a prisoner escapes from magic prison, and threatens all the Marveller world.  Can Ella defy prejudice and become the hero the Marvellers need?

This is an interesting book.  Ella is a cross between Ruby Bridges and Harry Potter. There are a lot of the now very familiar magic school tropes; the two best friends, the wise teacher mentor, the rumors of the rising force of evil etc.  There is also a lot in there about being the first to cross the lines of segregation and the cruelty of child to child prejudice. There is also lot of southern black folk tale references in the book, which reminded me of Disney's The Princess and the Frog which my husband and I watched recently. I generally liked the book, but I thought it was too long and the pacing was a bit slow.  It could have used a 25% edit. Ella is also a little too perfect.  She is facing hard stuff, but she, herself, doesn't have many (or any) personality flaws. Brigit, with her grumpy disdain for the Marvellers, is a more interesting character than Ella. That was one of the strengths of the Harry Potter books. Harry was not at all perfect. In the first book he isn't the top student, and got stuck looking at the Mirror of Erised every night because he is messed up about his parents.  It is hard to write a flawed character that is still endearing but when a writer can manage it, the book is better. There are two more in the series, and I might read them, or I might not. (416 p. 2022)

The Lost Library by Rebecca Stead and Wendy Mass

 A little free library appears in the middle of the town overnight.  Evan looks at the books, and is astonished to find his father's name on the check out lists of many of them.  They were clearly from the Martinville Library that burned down many years previous, but what did his father have to do with that?  As Evan and his friend dig into the mystery, the Ghosts of the Martinville History House are starting to fade. AL and the yellow cat try everything they can think of, but in the end, it may be Evan who can solve the mystery and save the spirit of the library.

What a sweet little story!  It was like an ode to the power of libraries to bring people together.  I loved that Evan has a functional family and a true friend in Rafe. The mice and the cat are adorable too.  It is so rarely that you find a book that is truly wholesome, and also engaging. It would be interesting to know how the two authors collaborated. I wonder if one author wrote the Evan chapters, and the other wrote the chapters about the residents of the History House. I could feel the style of Ms Stead, but I am not as familiar with Ms Mass. (224 p. 2023)

This Side of Murder by Anna Lee Huber

As WWI draws to an end, Verity Kent is still grieving the death of her husband 15 months earlier.  She is reluctant to accept an invitation to a houseparty to celebrate the engagement of one of her husband's friends until she receives a mysterious note telling her that she must go to the party to find out details about her husband that prove he was a traitor. On the way to the party she meets another of her husband's friends, Max, who was the commander of his battalion during the war.  They soon discover they are looking to solve the same mystery.  Then one of the guests is found dead, and everything becomes more ominous. 

Here is another gothic mystery romance from Huber. She is a good writer, and her books add a nice variety to my historical romance diet. I am glad she didn't cave to the "sunshine and roses" kind of happily-ever-after ending, opting, rather, to keep things complicated. The mystery plot was pretty good as well.  I was impressed that I didn't really see how everything would work out until the end. That being said, I thought she wimped out a little by having a the culprit give a long confession to explain all the details. Still, I am sure I will be revisiting Huber's books in the future. (2017, 304)

The Rivers of London by Ben Aaronovitch

Peter Grant is a multi-racial constable-in-training in London. At the end of his two-year probationary training, he is about to be assigned a desk job, when he happens to meet a ghost who is a witness to a brutal murder. His ability to see the ghost brings him to the attention to the head of Detective Thomas Nightingale, who is part of a secret department in the London police charged with investigating supernatural phenomenon.  As Grant and Nightingale start investigating the murder, more brutal murders follow, and eventually they discover a disturbing pattern.  Peter is hastily accepted as a wizard apprentice to Nightingale, and his training is put in overdrive to try to get him up to speed to meet the new threat.  Not all police approve of the supernatural investigators "mucking around," but they eventually have to admit it will take something pretty magical to solve the huge problem that is threatening to bring London to its knees.

I have been looking for something fun and fresh to read.  I found it in this book which is like Percy Jackson crossed with Lockwood and Co. for adults. There is a lot of snappy patter and humorous pokes at London culture and folklore. Grant is a likeable chap and the magical characters they encounter are cleverly drawn. Full disclosure, this book is solidly PG-13, (or even R because of frequent use of the F word) with a lot of language and sexual references in the dialog. There isn't, however, on-screen sex, and most of the violence also happens off-screen. I am trying to decide why the content didn't bother me more than it did.  I think it is because it was all done in a sassy, sarcastic way. If language and sexual references bother you, though, this is definitely one to skip. (2011, 392p)

P.S.  I enjoyed this as I read it, but I realized a few days after I finished it that it left a bad taste in my mouth. It was like enjoying a rich dessert, but then getting a stomach ache from it. It is a bit too edgy for me after all.

No Other Will Do by Karen Witemeyer

 Emma Chandler runs a community of women in late 18th century Texas. It is a safe haven for women who are escaping from the unrighteous dominion of men. When an anonymous enemy starts threatening the women of the community, Emma turns to a man for help.  Malachi Shaw is a orphan that Emma's aunts took in for a while when he was a teenager. Malachi has harbored a secret love for Emma for more than a decade, and so when she asks for help, he comes running. They are old friends, but when they see each other as grown adults, it soon becomes clear that their relationship goes beyond friendship. With Emma's dream in peril, and Malachi's career with the railroad on the line, can the take time to look for their own "happily ever after?" 

Still looking for something light and uplifting to read, I turned to Karen Witemeyer. She is on the more "preachy" side of Christian historical romance writers, but I was totally up for it last week. The writing is decent, the plot is interesting, and there is a whole cast of colorful characters. It's a bit saccharine, and I wouldn't want to read Witemeyer every week, but this week, it was just the thing. (2016, 366 p) 

Chester Keene Cracks the Code by Kekla Magoon

Chester lives with his mother, but he is convinced that his father works as a spy for the government. Chester knows how hard his mother works to keep food on the table, so he hides from her trouble he is having from a bully at school. One day Chester receives a mysterious note that seems to be a clue to a mystery.  Chester believes it must be from his spy father and sees it as a chance to help him and make him proud.  A girl from school, Skye, also gets a clue, and Chester finds himself the unwilling partner to a girl who is opposite from him in almost every way. As they work together on the clues, they form a friendship, but that friendship is strained by Chester's feeling of urgency to find and help his father. Soon they are in more trouble than either of their could dream of, and only team work, patience and friendship can get them out of it. 

After reading The Night Letters I was looking for something much lighter to read.  This one was listed as "humorous" so I thought I would give it a try.  It wasn't really very humorous, but it was well written and I am not sorry I read it. Chester is a authentic character, trying so hard to believe something despite all the evidence to the contrary.  He is also on the spectrum, and the author clearly has had experience with kids who can't abide changes in their schedule, or need the familiar and routine to feel safe. Skye is also a very endearing character, and the picture of the "ideal friend."  This is a good choice for kids who like the "social issues" kinds of books like Wonder or Fish in a Tree. (2022, 304 p.)

The Night Diary by Veera Hiranandani

Nisha and her twin brother, Amil, live with their father who is a doctor, their grandmother, and a servant, Kazi, in what is about to become Pakistan. Nisha's father is Hindu, and Nisha and her brother have been raised to be Hindu, but their mother, who died in childbirth, and Kazi are both Muslim.  When India gains its independence from England, they partition the larger country of India into India for the Hindus and Pakistan for the Muslims.  Violence erupts, and people who used to be their friends, are suddenly trying to drive Nisha's family from their home. The politics are confusing to the children, and they are upset to have to leave their home and friends.  On the trek across the desert to the border they face starvation and violence, but their struggles also bring their family together. 

I don't know how I missed this book back in 2019 when it won a Newbery Honor. (Actually, I was so caught up with being a new library director that year, I missed a lot of things.)  This is a beautifully written but heartrending historical fiction.  Both Nisha, who is shy and studios, and Amil, who is active but has learning disabilities, are sympathetic characters. Every character in the story is fully drawn and the reader can feel their internal struggles.  Before reading the book I was not really aware of what happened when they partitioned off Pakistan from India, and it made me wonder, as Nisha did, why freedom from England should have created such discord in India. An author's note at the end explains more about the humanitarian tragedy. (304, 2019)

DaVinci's Ghost by Toby Lester

One of the most famous drawings of all time is DaVinci's Vitruvian Man.  This book, written by an art historian, explains the philosophical and religious symbolism of this famous image which began with Greco/Romans and carried on into Christianity. He explains how the idea of inscribing the human form within a square and a  circle was described by Vitruvius, and then passed from one major philosopher/artist to another until it was finally embodied by DaVinci. He also gives a brief history of DaVinci's life and work and how the drawing fit into his own world view. 

Here is another book I read to get ready for my trip to Italy in November. It may seem strange to have a 300 page book discuss just one piece of art, but here it is.  It is well written too, and I learned a lot about the symbolism behind the drawing.  I had never heard of the idea that the human body could be seen as representing the whole world.  I find if fascinating that both pagans and Christians found this idea compelling. The Romans saw the Roman Empire as an extension of the body of the Emperor. The Christians reasoned that if God created Adam in his own image, and if God is perfect and fills the universe, than the human body must be a representation of the universe.  There is a lot more about the symbolism of the square and the circle, and also about the proportions of the perfect body. I think a lot of people who love the humanities would enjoy this book. (320 p. 2012)

The Siren of Sussex by Mimi Matthews

 Evelyn Maltravers needs to find a wealthy husband so she can lift the situation of her whole family. They had hoped her older and more beautiful sister would be their salvation, but she ended her first London season in scandal. Evelyn is not as beautiful, but she is an accomplished horsewoman, so she decides to try to make her mark by riding beautifully the latest fashion.  She enlists the assistance of an up-and-coming habit-maker, Ahmad Malik. He is half Indian and has struggled against prejudice  his whole life.  He hopes that, if he can make striking enough clothes for Evelyn, it will secure his place as a dressmaker for the aristocracy. As they became partners in what they hope is a mutually beneficial venture, they are forced to acknowledge their growing attraction for each other. Can Evelyn abandon her duty to her family to follow her heart?

This is the second book I have read by Ms Matthews, and I didn't like it as well as the first. The story line was fine, the characters were written well and there was some interesting historical detail.  What I didn't like was that is was very hormonal.  There was way too much time spent on describing how his touch made her belly feel, and how she felt when he had to adjust a fitting on her bodice. There was so much focus on the physical, that the reader feels that their attraction is merely physical.  I also didn't like that they constantly flaunted the rules of propriety for the time period and believed there wouldn't be any consequences. Somehow was no big deal that she stripped down to her knickers for a fitting without a female chaperone present. There are certain social rules in these books.  I don't know if they are based on reality or just a literary creation, but people who write in the Victorian romance genre are accepting those rules when they select the genre.  Ms Matthews ignored the convention in order to give the readers yet another scene of suppressed sexual tension. Granted, the couple never cross the line, but they were teetering on the brink the whole book. I debated with myself, but I finally removed Ms Matthews from my Clean Romance Writers list. It just isn't what I want to read. (432 p. 2022)

The Unselected Journals of Emma M. Lion by Beth Brower Volumes 1&2

 Emma is an orphan and an heiress, so why has she been relegated to the garret room in her own home?  It has to do with her step-cousin Archibald and The Incident that gave him The Scare. Since The Incident, Archibald has had it out for her, and used his guardianship of her finances (until she comes of age) to purchase dozens of expensive silk dressing gowns and to purposefully lose at the races.  Emma must use her considerable force of will to regain control of whatever fortune she has left, and find a way to support herself on a very limited income.  She is recruited to become the less attractive foil of her very wealthy friend, and by that gains entrance into the center of London Society.  She also rents out part of her domicile to a mysterious stranger whom the neighborhood ghost called "a man of war." She finds she likes the brooding tennant, and looks forward to the notes that get passed under the garret dividing wall. But he is not the only man of intrigue in her life.  There is the sham cousin of her friend, Jake, and the charming and commanding Lord Islington. What is an education deprived, impoverished, heiress to do?

My daughter, Diane, recommended these to me.  They are not available in audio yet, so I waited until I was going on a trip to read a print-based version.  They are unusual books.  Each volume is quite short, and all the chapters are written as entries in Emma's journal. Both short volumes ended quite suddenly without any satisfying conclusion.  Emma has a irreverent, sarcastic personality, world weary but delighting in the ridiculousness she sees in the people around her. They are super fun to read, mostly because of the snappy patter between characters. Now that my vacation is over and I have only read the first two of the seven in the series, I have to decide whether to press on and read the others, or wait until my next vacation. (V. 1, 2022, 119 p.  V. 2. 2022, 160 p)

Mrs Quinn's Rise to Fame by Olivia Ford

 Jenny Quinn is 77 years old and a great fan of the Britain Bakes TV show.  She is, herself an accomplished baker, and so decides to apply to be on the show. She has been a stay-home wife of Bernard for almost 60 years, and is embarrassed to tell him that she has applied.  Instead she makes excuses for trying out new and ever more complex recipes.  As her journey toward fame goes forward, the old family recipes she bakes bring up memories of a single devastating mistake from her past. Will her success in the kitchen give her the courage to face the bitterness of the past?

A friend recommended this to me and I really enjoyed it.  After all the shallow, self-centered characters of the previous book, the deep rich relationships in this one are as sweet and Jenny's treacle tarts. The writing is lovely, and Bernard is the most unlikely but likeable of all love interests.  I also enjoyed the "behind the scenes" view of being in a televised baking show.  I wonder if the author was allowed to visit and research what it is like to be on the British Baking Show (for that it what it was) or if she just has a very vivid imagination. The book was very sweet and poignant, but also delightful. I will be recommending this one to a lot of friends who like clean reads. (284 p. 2024)

The Secret of Platform 13 by Eva Ibbotson

 Kings Cross Station has a magical door between the world of the humans and the world of the Fey.  Every nine years it opens for just one week.  One year four creatures of the Fairy Realm come through the door looking for their prince who was lost through the door nine years earlier.  Ghosts direct them to a horrible boy named Raymond who is unkind and thoroughly spoiled. Duty bound, and with the help of the servant boy, Ben, they try various tactics to try to convince the boy to return to his native land and his royal parents who have mourned him for so long. 

I thought I had read this book years ago, but as I went through it, I had either totally forgotten it, or I never read it in the first place.  Ibbotson is a wonderful storyteller. This is classic children's literature at its best.  The conflicts are straightforward and there is a healthy heap of humor in every chapter.  Good is good and evil is evil and you are always sure right will win out in the end. Raymond is deliciously horrible and one can't help but wonder if he was a model for Dudley Dursley when Rowling wrote Harry Potter three years later. Odge is also an endearing character. I enjoyed it and now I am tempted to go back and read more Ibbotson. (256 p. 1994)

Winter in Paradise by Elin Hilderbrand

 Irene is spending New Year's Day alone because her affectionate but often absent husband is away again for work. Then she receives a call that he has been killed in a helicopter crash. She calls her two grown sons and together they rush to the Caribbean island of St John.  There they discover that their father/husband owns a villa where he kept a young local woman for company, who was also killed in the same accident.  As they piece together the mystery of their fathers/husband's death, they start to be charmed by the local culture, and people. Abandoning the search for truth, they instead each go on the hunt for romance and companionship.

This book was recommended to be by one of my patrons, but I will admit that I only got through 4/5th of it.  It was not only too spicy for my taste, but I also realized that all the main characters where pretty shallow and I didn't really like any of them. Even though I was mildly interested in what actually happened to the husband (it was clear that he wasn't really dead, but that he had faked his death to get out of some kind of trouble with the law), the author wasn't focusing on the mystery at all, but instead on how quickly the mother and both brothers (one of which was married with a child) abandoned their whole prior life to go chasing after people they had just met. Maybe if I had spent the final two hours to see how it turned out I might have liked it better, but after I had to skip several steamy pages a second time, I decided it wasn't worth it. Sorry, Ms Hilderbrand, you are going on my "Authors to avoid" list. (2019, 336 p)

The Camel Club by David Baldacci

 Oliver Stone spends much of his time watching the White House.  He and four friends meet together weekly as the "Camel Club" to discuss anything strange and to chase conspiracy theories. Then one night, by chance, they witness a brutal but very professional murder.  Each of them have a checkered past with the government or the military, and therefore don't believe they will be taken seriously if they come forward with what they saw. Instead, they decide to try to solve the mystery of the murder on their own.  Meanwhile, one of the President's CIA guards, Alex, is assigned to investigate the death, but is taken off the case when he refuses to accept the FBI ruling that it was a suicide.  He and a DOJ agent team up with the Camel Club to dig deeper and by doing so expose a plot that may threaten the peace of the entire world.

Here is another political thriller by Baldacci.  Like the other books by him that I have read, it is relatively clean but contains a fair amount of language and violence. Baldacci is good at intricate plotting with a large host of characters, and as you are reading you have to stay on your toes to keep track of all the different names and backstories. Baldacci gives each one a personality and motivation. He also sneaks in a fair bit of social commentary. (At one point I skipped to the end of a chapter because I got a little tired of it.) The book is old, so the politics it deals with are dated. Also, the series of events at the end of this book are pretty improbable.  As I was reading, I thought to myself, this is a fantasy as much as  a realistic fiction. Still it was fast paced, mostly engaging, and interesting, and I am glad to have another book to recommend for our middle-age-plus male patrons. (2006, 624 p)

Grace and the Preacher by Kim Vogel Sawyer

 Grace is an orphan but helps her widowed uncle with his duties as the minister of a small Iowa town. When her uncle decides to retire he picks from the stack of applicants from the divinity school a single man in hopes that Grace will find a long awaited match.  Grace corresponds with the new minister, Reverent Rufus Dille, for several months before his scheduled arrival and their relationship develops through their letters. Theophil Garrison works in a livery station in Missouri and lives with uncaring relatives.  When he discovers that his hateful cousins are getting out of jail, he decides he is in danger and must flee. On the way, he finds Reverend Dille sick by the side of the road and takes him to a doctor.  When Dille dies, Theo decides, in order to be safe from his murderous cousins, that he will take on the preacher's identity and go to Iowa. He soon discovers he knows nothing of how to be a proper preacher.  Grace, thinking Theo is Rufus, is surprised by his unpolished manners, but she, along with the rest of the town, comes to recognize he has a good heart. Theophil soon has everything he ever wanted--a good job, people who respect and care for him, and a beautiful girl who loves him--so why does he feel so bad?

I haven't read something by Sawyer is quite a while, and I had forgotten how overtly religious her books are. There is a lot of preaching going on in the book, and not all by the minister. Neither Grace or Theophil has any degree of wit or even intelligence.  I usually don't like reading about people who are stupid, but even though Grace and Theophil aren't particularly intelligent, they are not stupid.  They are making good choices based on their knowledge. They are simple souls trying to make their way in the world and everyone is trying very hard to do what they think God wants them to do. The book has a different kind of vibe from most of the historical romances I read, but I enjoyed it nonetheless. I am, myself, pretty overtly religious and I was Ok with them spouting scripture and repeating
admonition to turn to the Lord. I would not want to read this style of book every week. It is not great literature, but it suited my mood this week. I will probably read more from this author when I again need a break from the grit I find in other books. (2017, 352 p.)

Harry Potter and the Cursed Child by J.K. Rowling, Jack Thorne, John Tiffany

 Harry and Ginny's youngest son, Albus, is starting at Hogwarts. He has never been close to his famous father, and when he makes friends with Scorpius Malfoy, the gap between them widens. One day he overhears his father talking with Mr. Diggory who is pleading for Harry to use a time twister to go back in time to save Cedric. Albus decides to go back himself and right some of the wrongs he believes his father has committed. With the help of Scorpius, they go back to the year of the Tri-Wizard tournament and try to keep Cedric from winning, but their meddling has disastrous results. Once again Harry, Ron and Hermione must jump into action and try to put the timeline back before it is too late. 

When this play script was first released as a book I made a decision not to read it.  I had heard that it wasn't that good, and I didn't want to mar my memories of the series with a below par sequel.  Recently, however, I heard that they were considering making a movie of the script so I decide I better read through it. I actually think the plot wasn't too bad.  The plot had some of the feel of the books, and some of the interpersonal relationships were in keeping with might be suggested in the books.  The thing that wasn't so great was the characterizations of the original characters.  They felt counterfeit.  Harry was kind of like Harry but not quite. Ron was a caricature of Ron, instead of the real Ron. Draco Malfoy was perhaps the worst.  He was one of the really deep and complex characters in the book, but in the play he is almost comic relief. 

After I read the play I found out that the rumors about the  movie are false.  The original cast is not willing to come back as their adult selves, and it wouldn't really work without them. After reading the script, if they had made the movie, I would have gone to see it. (2016, 343 p)

The Princess Protection Program by Alex London

 Rosamund has been asleep in a tower, surrounded by thorns for 100 years.  Then suddenly she is awakened by someone with body odor and chapped lips kissing her, Yuck!  Prince Percy proclaims his undying love in a carefully prepared speech, but Rosamund isn't ready to commit to marrying someone she just met. She runs to the castle bathroom, where she finds a magic door that leads to a place where fairytale princesses can escape the unpleasant parts of their stories.  At first, it seems like a great place.  She gets to know Cinderella, the Little Mermaid, Snow White and other princesses (and one prince) who didn't like the choices their stories where giving them.  The head mistress is a fairy godmother, and seems to have the fairytale refugee's best interests a heart. Outside the gates of the "school" is another story.  There are teenagers who spend their whole time eating pizza or looking at the cell phones but also monsters that want to return the royals to their stories. Although Rosamund knows the dangers, her natural curiosity compels her to explore this other world, and as she does, she learns things that suggest her new sanctuary is not all that it appears. 

This is a story aimed at the kids who like the "Whatever After" series or the "Descendants" books. It is cute, but also deals with serious questions like, "what if following your dreams means hurting someone else?" and "How much freedom are you willing to give up to be safe?"  Some elements of the story make it appropriate for fairly young readers.  For example, nobody actually gets hurts or kills anyone, and their is a pretty strong idea that no one is truly evil, they are just misguided. One of my favorite parts of the book is a battle between some unicorns and a dragon. The unicorns are the sparkly kind with brightly colored manes whose flatulence smells like freshly baked cookies.  Protective parents should be aware, however, that the reason there is one prince at the academy is because he prefers to find another prince, rather than a princess, for his happily-ever-after.  If you are not ready to expose your third grader to that concept, then you might want to avoid this book.  Otherwise, it is a fun addition to the fractured fairytale genre. (224 p, 2024)

Faith by Beverly Watts

 Faith third of the many Shackleford sisters.  The other two have married well above their station, but Faith doesn't have her sister's stunning looks or vivacious personalities.  When her father finds he needs time to recover from an injury, Faith agrees to accompany him to Torquay for his recovery.  While there she meets sees a light bobbing around the derelict mansion next door to the one they are renting.  When her father finds out about it, he is sure there is a treasure there, and convinces Faith to go and search for it.  What she finds is a ring, still on the previous owner's severed finger.  The discovery plunges her and the owner of the house, a recently returned sea captain, into dire trouble. As they try to solve the mystery of the ring, they reluctantly admit their attraction to each other. 

When I checked this book out, I forgot that the first one in the series had more sexual element than I was comfortable with.  The true was the same with this book.  98% of the book was just fine, but one chapter suddenly depicts them jumping into bed together.  The description was at a level some might not object to, but it was too much for me. Actually, the references to sextual arousal, though pretty tame, were throughout the book.  I think I need to start a companion list to my "clean romance writers" list.  This one will be "Not so clean romance writers to avoid."  Watts will be my first addition. (2021, 254)

Heroes by Alan Gratz

Frank and Stanley's fathers both serve in the Navy Air Corps at Pearl Harbor in 1941.  The boys, one white and one Japanese American, enjoy making up comic book characters and plots together.  One Sunday the boys go with Frank's sister's boyfriend to tour the USS Utah, when suddenly bombs start dropping all around them.  As the boys struggle to get to safety through all that happened during the attack on Pearl Harbor, and afterward, they both have hard lessons on what it really means to be a hero.

I saw this one on the shelf, and being someone who enjoys WWII historical fiction, decided to give it a try. It is a pretty historically accurate description of trauma and destruction of that event. Gratz doesn't sugar-coat anything.  The reader sees soldiers get shot, blown up, even body parts fall from the sky.  Even though Gratz doesn't spend a lot of time describing each scene of blood and gore it was enough that it gave me, a 59-year-old lady, bad dreams. Not only does Gratz describe the battle, he also deals with the instant prejudice Stanley's family suffers after the battle is over. I can imagine a certain set of young readers who would really like this book, and another set who would be really upset by it. This is way more hard-core than the "I Survived" novels.  I suggest a parent/teacher/librarian read the book before handing it to a child. (272 p. 2024)

Spy Camp by Stuart Gibbs

 Ben Ripley has survived his first year at Spy School, and even thwarted a an evil plot to kill a lot of people. Now it is summer and all Ben wants to do is go home and hang with his old friends.  It is not to be. Someone failed to tell him that in Spy School summer camp is mandatory. Not long after he arrives at camp, he starts receiving threatening communications from SPYDER. The camp's leadership's attempts to protect him play right into SPYDER's plans.  Can Ben and his friends outsmart SPYDER again, even when it seems they are always one step ahead?

It has been several years since I read the first in this series, but in keeping with the "spy" theme of my previous reading, I thought it would be fun to revisit it. It was fun.  I enjoyed the characters, and was pretty impressed with the mystery plot.  I didn't really see the solution until quite near the end.  I found it even more amusing that they also openly mock James Bond (see previous post:).  I have rarely been disappointed by Stuart Gibbs.  He is a really solid middle grade writer and I need to remember to recommend him to my young patrons more often. (352 p. 2014)

The Great Cool Ranch Dorito in the Sky by Mark Oshiro and Adam Silvera

Brett has moved in with his best friend's family while his adopted mom battles cancer. The loss of his home with her has thrown Brett into deep mourning which he deals with by binge eating and drinking. His best friend, Reed, tries to support him as much as he can, but is dealing with his own feelings of loss about his parents' divorce. As Brett's mental state swirls deeper into destructive behaviors, his only life line is a girl, Malory, who is a "super fat" and is struggling with self acceptance. The three are a hot mess but eventually find the path to healing and acceptance. 

One book that I have thought about writing is either a fiction or a memoir of my own teenage eating disorder, so I was interested to read this one.  It was clearly written by someone that has gone through the experience. Bretts thoughts, feelings and mood swings are authentic and sympathetic.  The reader comes to respect and admire his steps to get help, even when he makes one stupid choice after another.  There were some really poignant scenes and some laugh-out-loud ones.  One part of the story that is heartwarming is the amount of affection and devotion between Brett and Reed.  It was nice to read about, but I kept wondering, would two teenage boys really be that warm and fuzzy to each other?  I hope Reed is based on someone the author had in his life as he was going through his disorder but I think it is more likely it is a depiction of someone the author wished he had had in his life.  The reader should beware that this is a fairly gritty book.  The dialog between the kids contains a lot of language and explicit discussion topics.  It sounded authentic to me, not gratuitous, but it was still hard for me to listen to. Still, I would certainly recommend this book to anyone looking for a story on this topic. (313 p. 2024)

The Gentle Art of Swedish Death Cleaning by Margaret Magnusson

 When you die, do your really want your children or others to have to clean up your mess?  That is the driving question behind this charming little self-help book.  Ms Magnusson tells us she is "between 80 and 100) and would like to share with us the important practice of "death cleaning". Death cleaning is going through your things, getting rid of many and deciding what will happen to the rest after you die.  She has some wonderfully practical advice for dealing with clothes, photographs, pets and keepsakes.  She also gives tips about what to tackle first, and suggestions like starting early so that you won't feel rushed at the end. 

The book is incredibly charming.  It is as if the reader has flown to Sweden, and sat down in a small, clean sitting room to chat with a wise and lovely octogenarian. The writing is completely free of pretence, and Magnusson states things frankly, but with sensitivity.  As an example, when talking about pets, she says something like, "if you want a pet for your final years, choose an elderly dog or cat that won't need a lot of exercise, and is unlikely to outlive you.  If you can't be sure you will be able to care for the pet until the end of your life, you should consider not getting one at all."  I think everyone who has aging parents would like their parents to read this book. It gives the reader permission to respectively discard things that are usually hard to get rid of.  It also depicts preparing for death, not as a drugary, but as an opportunity to review your life-long memories and serve your surviving family members. One charming thing about the book is occasionally Magnusson goes off on a memory tangent. The little stories she tells of her life make the whole book feel personal and friendly. This book is quite popular right now.  It is a more palatable approach to dejunking and organizing than Marie Kondo's book, The Life-changing Magic of Tidying Up, and one I hope I will remember as I move deeper into senior citizenship. (2020, 144p)

Great Courses: The Secret World of Espionage

 Espionage has been a part of society as long as there has been society.  This fairly new Great Courses recording explores the nature and history of espionage focusing on the last two hundred years in Europe and the US. There are lectures on misconceptions about spies, women spies, coding and decoding, famous spies, and double agents. The course concludes with a discussion of new challenges to espionage in the modern computer and internet age. 

This Great Courses offering is different from others I have listened to because it isn't a set of lectures given by one professor. Instead, there are short discussions with a variety of professors and one x-CIA officer on each of the topics. The format was engaging and I found the lecture series very interesting and entertaining.  There were some of the historical figures and events that I recognized, but many that the speakers assumed people know about that I had never heard of.  I was a bit amused that they kept on bringing up James Bond and how unlike that fictional character real intelligence agents are. The recording is only four hours long, and I think it would be a great choice for a couple to listen to on a road trip. (2023)

Mortal Arts by Anna Lee Huber

When Lord Sebastian Gage left Lady Kiera Darby at the end of their first investigation together, Kiera thought she would never see him again. A few short months later, she meets him again at the estate of an old friend, Michael Dalmay.  While there, they are sucked into investigating the disappearance of a local girl.  The chief suspect is Lord William Dalmay, Michael's older brother, who suffers from PTSD.  Michael had been one of Kiera's early art mentors, but now he draws disturbing images on the walls about his time at war, and subsequent confinement in a mental hospital. The investigation drives a wedge between Gage and Kiera, but is it stronger than the attraction they both keep denying exists between them? 

When I finished the first "Lady Darby Mystery" I put the next one on hold.  It became available pretty quickly, while I was already listening to the Influencers book below.  I must admit, I stopped listening to that book and listened to this one all the way through before going back and finishing Influencers.  Mortal Arts is another fun gothic mystery very reminiscent of the first.  I like Lady Darby's quirky social awkwardness and Gage's evasiveness about his own past.  They seem less like dimensionless cut-out characters than many in this genre.  The mystery is maybe not as clever as in the first novel--I was pretty sure who the culprit was about 1/3 of the way through the story--but Huber still does a good job of dropping clues that you don't seem like clues until the story progresses. I just looked it up and there are 12 Lady Darby mysteries!  I wonder if I will read through them all. (2013, 384 p) 

Influence by Robert B Cialdini

 How do people try to influence you do to something?  In this book Cialdini goes over seven ways influence "ninjas" try get you to do what they want: Reciprocation, Commitment, Social Proof, Liking, Authority, Scarcity, and Unity.  He gives lots of examples of each principle, most of them involving scammers who are using the techniques maliciously.  He also gives advice how to recognize and avoid such tactics. 

I must admit I picked up this book hoping it would give me advice on how to influence people to do positive things, like support my library, not how to scam people. Also, as I read it I realized that most of the book was written decades ago. He added a chapter at the end about influence and computers, but even that was written eight years ago.  A lot of his ideas are timeless, and apply as much as they ever did, but the internet has changed the tactics of would-be scammers. It has even changed vocabulary.  "Liking" has a totally different meaning than it did in 1984.  I am glad I read it, since I think it is something of a classic, but I was disappointed that the "updated" version was not really very updated. (2016 ed, 336 p)

The Anatomist's Wife by Anna Lee Huber

 Lady Kiera Darby accepted her father's choice for a husband. Only after they were married, did she find out that Dr. Darby wanted her to act as clinical illustrator to record his human dissections. When her husband died unexpectantly, the truth came out that she was the artist of his work, and she was shunned in society as an "unnatural" female. She escaped to her sister's home in Scotland where she lived peacefully with her art for over a year. When the mourning period was over her sister begged her to join a house party she would throw for her aristocratic friends. Soon after the guests arrive, one woman is found murdered in the garden.  Knowing her experience with anatomy, her brother in law asks Kiera to help with the investigation of the murder. She is teamed up with an insufferable rake named Sebastian Gage whose father is a famous investigator. As they work together they become more tolerant of each other's eccentricities, and more impressed with each other's intelligence and courage. As they grow closer together, and closer to the killer, they also get closer to  mortal danger. 

This is my first novel by Anna Lee Huber and I am impressed.  The mystery plot is well crafted with enough clues that the reader believes the solution, but with enough red herrings that the conclusion isn't obvious. The characters are more dimensional than in many of the novels I have read from the same genre, but what makes the book stand out even more is the occasional really nice use of language. There were a few passages that made me pause and think to myself, "wow, that was nicely written."  This is the first in a series, and I am excited to put the next one on hold. (2012, 357 p)

When I was the Greatest by Jason Reynolds

 Ali, age 15,  lives in the Bed Stuy neighborhood of Brooklyn, New York with his mom and sister.  His dad is an ex-con who his still working a "hustle" to support himself. Ali befriends two brothers who live in a nearby tenement.  Noodles is toughened by a hard life, and his brother, Needles, deals with Tourette's. Ali tries to steer clear of the worst elements of his environment, and Ali's family try to support Noodles and Needles because they often don't have enough food to eat. Ali takes boxing lessons from an old Vet in exchange for cleaning up his place. One day the boys find themselves in the wrong place at the wrong time, and Ali has to use his boxing skills to keep them from being beaten up. As a result, some bad dudes are after all three of them. What can a basically good kid in a bad "hood" do?

This was Jason's Reynold's first book and his genius was already evident. His portrayal of life in the "hood" is authentic, and his characters are sympathetic.  He doesn't sugar coat anything. For example, even though he never states it, it is clear the Noodles and Needle's mom is a sex worker. He lays out what the temptations and dangers are, and then tries to model how someone can successfully navigate them. He also deals with issues about friendship, and how far should you go for a friend. I am so grateful that a writer like Jason Reynolds exists.  I can only imagine all the good he has done in the world. (256 p. 2014)

note: this book is squarely YA.  There are some elements that aren't appropriate for middle grade. 

Of Jasmine and Roses by Jill Warner

 Anna Beasley had an English mother and a Indian father.  She was raised in India until her mother died in an epidemic and then was sent to live with her aunt, who was a baronet, in England.  She was raised along side her cousin to be a proper aristocratic young lady, but when their steward made off with the family fortune, Anna felt obliged to make her own way and became a governess. Even as a governess, her mixed heritage caused problems.  She bounced from household to household until she finally landed where the lady of the house had recently moved up from the merchant class into the aristocracy through an advantageous marriage. At a house party, Anna meets William Thaxton, a third son hoping to make a name for himself in politics. Of all the Englishmen Anna has ever met Mr. Thaxton is the only one who treats her like he would any other lady. They strike up a friendship that then starts to mature into something more.  Then tragedy happens, and they budding regard for each other meets its greatest test. 

Here is a new historical romance writer from Covenant Communications.  She does a decent job.  The fact that Anna isn't a blond, blue eyed beauty is refreshing and I feel like the challenges the couple face are realist, and not just the result of some petty miscommunication. Both main characters have pretty good character development, and both have to sacrifice to make their relationship work out in the end. There is a different ending that I thought the author was leading up to and I thought would have been more satisfying, but the author's ending was fine. This is the first book I have ready by Jill Warner, but it was good enough she has won a tentative place on my Good Clean Romance Writers list. (2023, 256 p)

Tiger Daughter by Rebecca Lim

Wen Zhou's parents immigrated to Australia looking for a better life.  Instead, Wen's father gave up his medical training and is working at a Chinese restaurant.  There is not much money in the house, but Wen's father expects everyone to maintain appearances even if their clothes are threadbare and discretely mended. He rules the home with an iron hand and has a sometimes explosive temper. Wen is a constant disappointment to him, and she finds solace from his verbal abuse in her friendship with Henry, a first generation Chinese immigrant in her class.  Even though his English isn't very good, he is smart and has dreams of qualifying to attend an exclusive charter school. He and Wen are working together toward that goal with tragedy strikes in Henry's family.  Wen wants to reach out and help her friend, but her mother is afraid of the retribution they would both receive if her father found out. Can Wen find the "tiger" within to help her friend, and maybe heal her own family?

This got a ton of starred reviews when it was first published in the US In 2023. Lim creates such an authentic voice for Wen that one must wonder how much is autobiographical.  I have read many immigrant stories about Chinese Americans, but never of Chinese Australians.  If this story is accurate, the immigrant situation for Chinese people in Australia is just as bad, if not worse, than in America. It was a little different to have the book narrated by someone with an Australian accent, and it made me remember that the US is not the only place where immigrants struggle to adjust to a new life. I thought Lim did a good showing how a girl can realistically stand up to a domineering father.  I also liked seeing Wen's mother be inspired by her daughter's show of strength. This is a good choice for kids who like reading books from other cultures, but young reader beware that it deals with some heavy issues. (192 p. 2023)

Watch Your Back by Clair M. Poulson

 Gage Tipton is police detective working on murder case. His girl friend is the legal secretary of the lawyer defending the accused.  They try to keep work and personal lives separate, but then the chief witness in the case disappears, and Gage gets threatening calls urging him to stop his investigation. Then his girl friend disappears tand Gage begins to fear that the lawyer she works for is more deeply involved with the crime than anyone suspects.The hunt for his girlfriend leads to Las Vegas, where Gage teams up with a local atorney on the case. Can Gage work at the clues, and his conflicting feelings about the two women in his life, before more people get killed? 

When I have taught writing classes to kids and teens, I teach that the elements of a story are plot, character, setting, and style. Some stories are better than others in each of the categories, but each needs to be good enough in one area so that people ignor the faults of the other areas.  I have read several Clair Poulson stories and it seems like he is actually pretty good at plot, but not that great in any of the other areas. His characters are likeable, but not very dimentional.  His settings are fine, (and a little bit fun for me since many of his stories are set in my home state and all feature people from my religous faith.) But his style is...well..., it isn't that great. It is almost charmingly bad. Once you just accept the fact that he never really learned the the "show, don't tell," rule, or how to write natural sounding dialog, then his books are pretty entertaining. They are almost folksy and I will probably read more of them on days I am waiting for something else I have on hold. (272 p. 2019)