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)

Great Courses: How the Medici Shaped the Renaissance by William Landon

 Some scholars have argued that the Medici family of Florence Italy were the main force behind the Italian Renaissance. In this 6 hour series, Professor William Landon attempts to give an unbiased picture of the different members of the Medici family from Giovanni di Bicci to Anna Maria Luisa  and their impact on history. 

I have long been fascinated by the Medici family.  On the one hand they were minor rulers.  Florence in the 1500's only had about 40,000 residents.  On the other hand, they made a big enough impact on the world that almost everyone in the Western world have heard of them.  This series is a good introduction to the dynasty, but because of the other lecture series about Italy I have listened to this year, there wasn't much new information.  I was interested to learn about Anna Maria Luisa, who was the last recognized leader of the family's dynasty, who willed all of the Medici property and art collection to the city of Florence.  It is because of her that much of their collection has stayed intact, and delights visitors to Italy to this day.  Landon focus's primarily on the family's political roles and impact.  I would have liked to have heard more about their interactions with the prominent artists and scholars of their day. Still, Dr. Landon's presentation is well organized and interesting and I would recommended it to anyone interested in the topic. (2021, 12 1/2 hour lectures)

The Weight of Air by Kimberly Duffy

 Mabel MacGinnis' mother is a petite aerialist but her father is a mighty strongman in a Euopean circus in the early 1900's.  Although Mabel adores her mother, she takes after her father and by the time she is 10 years old it is clear she won't be a trapeze artist like her mom.  Her mother leaves Europe to visit her own mother in United States and never returns, so Mabel trains with her father and they develop a successful act as a strong duo. Then Mabel's father dies. Mabel decides to search for her long lost mother in the United States and her best friend, Jake Cunningham. Since they are of similar age, they decide they must wed as they travel to preserve Mabel's character, but it is a marriage in name only.  Once in the US they plan to find Mabel's mother, and then get an annulment so Jake can return to his family in Kansas. It doesn't work that way.  They get sucked into the circus life again in New York, and when Mabel does find her mother, she learns more about her parents and their past than she ever wanted to face. Can Jake leave his best friend right when she is so emotionally vulnerable?  Are they really, "just friends" anymore?

This story started out promising.  I thought the relationships of Mabel and her father, Mabel and Jake, and Mabel with her mother were all interesting and authentic. They all had demons in their past that got in the way of healthy relationships but they were trying to work through them.  About 3/4 of the way through I began to feel tired of the story.  The pacing slowed down and the story devolved into one uncomfortable conversation after another. By the end I was pretty dissatisfied, and the final resolution didn't help any. Since finishing the book I tried to think of what it was that I didn't like, and I realized the book was a feminist wish-fulfillment fantasy.  Mabel starts out very insecure and dependent on men.  By the end she has all of New York admiring her beauty, she is physically stronger than any man, and her love interest decides she is so wonderful he will give up his own plans and stay in a lifestyle he doesn't really like so she can keep her career. Mabel, herself, never considers giving up any of her plans for him.  With her it is "my way or the highway."  I decided that I would have liked the story much better if they were both willing to sacrifice for each other.  It was very one-sided and I felt that if it were a real relationship, the chance of them splitting up and getting divorced later was high. The author needs to go back and read the old story of "The Gift of the Magi" by O Henry. For a relationship to work, both members of the couple need to put the other first. (2023, 400 p.)

Lost in Darkness by Michelle Griep

 Amelia Balfour has made a life for herself as a single woman in the early 1800's by writing travel articles for a leading magazine. Just as she gets an offer to travel to Cairo to do an article, her father dies and she must go to her home estate to look into the care of her younger brother.  He was born with Acromegaly and is very large and has oversized brow and hands.  In addition, he suffered scars on his face from a fire when he was a boy.  Before his death, Amelia's father had arranged for a prominent surgeon to operate on her brother.  He promises to change his appearance and give him a new life.  The surgeon has a new assistant, Graham Lambert, who is worried about the safety of the procedure. At first he follows the surgeon's instructions, giving the brother electroshock treatments for weeks to "prepare him" for the surgery, but as time passes, both he and Amelia worry about the effects of the treatment on her brother. Do they dare question the renown doctor? And can they ignore their growing attachment to each other?

This was a fun riff on the Frankenstein story.  I say "fun" but it is actually fairly dark.  The surgeon character is evil, and the author describes the mental torment the brother goes through with a "stream of consciousness" kind of prose. Still, the romance is good, it is clean, and the portrayal of Mary Shelley is delightfully gothic. Actually, "delightfully gothic" is a good descriptor of the work as a whole. I picked this book in a rush when I was waiting for other books I have on hold to come available, but after listening to it I am looking forward to reading the next in the series which is based on the story of Dracula. (320 p. 2021)

Twelve Caesars by Mary Beard

 Suetonius, a Roman historian, wrote a very influential book called De Vita Caesarum that included biographical sketches of twelve Caesars from Julius to Domitian. His writing has caught the attention of artists from early in the Roman imperial age until the present. Mary Beard is a professor and researcher who has studied the "theme" of the twelve Caesars in art and its implications in different periods and settings. She starts out explaining the difficulty of even identifying the Caesars because no contemporary portraits of them survive except inscriptions on coins. Then she focuses on some famous representations of the Twelve Caesars theme in art, including Titan's Room of Emperors, and Henry VIII Caesar tapestries and many others.  She sees in each political messages, misidentification, and the power people feel when gazing into the faces of the famous and powerful. 

This book is published by Princeton University and is based on a series of lectures given by Dr. Beard.  I think most people would find it dry, but being both an art aficionado and a classical history buff, I found it fascinating. The book is read by the author, and her enthusiasm for her subject is evident throughout.  I had never thought deeply about the difficulty in actually identifying people in ancient art.  Some of the faces we currently associate with Julius and Augustus, are from artworks that may not have any connection to those men at all. I was also interested in what political messages the different images might suggest and how most modern viewers will miss them because they are unfamiliar with history. It made me want to read Suetonius before I travel to Italy in the fall. I appreciated her chapter on the Emperor's wives which explored both how they are portrayed in art, and what influence they wielded in life. If you are a humanities nerd like me, you may enjoy this.  If not, you might want to give it a pass. (2021, 392 p.)

The Eyes and the Impossible by Dave Eggers

 Johannes is a stray dog who lives in a large park in a large city. The bison watch over the park to maintain the balance, and Johannes acts as "eyes" for the bison who are confined in an enclosure. Whenever Johannes sees pet dogs, he is proud of his freedom, but the thing he is most proud of is how he can run "at the speed of light". Things start to change in the park.  There is a new building, a boatload of goats, and new kinds of visitors that bring trouble.  All these start to change Johannes' view of the world, and of himself.

This is the Newbery winner for this year, and oh, does it deserve it.  The writing is fresh and vibrant and the story is original.  Most of all, Johannes and the other animals in the park have wonderful voices. Johannes sounds "doggy," the Bison sound "bison-y" and the squirrel sounds "squirrel-y".  What's more, the reader does a wonderful job performing all the different characters, capturing, especially, Johannes' exuberance for life. As soon as I read this book I wanted to order a copy for my grandkids.  I really think it will take its place among other great animal classics like Charlotte's Web and The One and Only Ivan. (2023, 256 p.
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The House at the End of the Moor by Michelle Griep

 Opera star, Maggie Lee, has escaped the unwanted advances of a rich and powerful man and has hidden herself, disguised like a widow, on a isolated estate on the moors. One night her maid finds a man on the grounds who is injured and near to death.  Oliver Ward has escaped from prison where he been for 9 months after having been wrongfully accused of theft of a emerald necklace. As Oliver starts to recover, he and Maggie discover that they have both been wronged by the same powerful man. Together they have to decide if they will seek for justice and exoneration, while risking re-incarceration or worse, or take the safer route of hiding out indefinitely. 

After reading the heavy Olivetti book, I was ready for another escapist historical romance.  This one fit the bill nicely. The plot is well crafted and the main characters have realistic flaws they need to overcome. I have decided that the historical romances I like most are the ones where the couple have to overcome outside forces that are pulling them apart, instead of those where they are plagued with miscommunication and misunderstanding.  This is an example of the good ones, and I found the mystery element, and the obsessed whacko jailor character to be interesting.  The reader should beware that this author puts more overtly Christian passages in the book.  They sound very "born again" and I am not sure their attitude toward religion is very historically correct. Actually, there were several parts of the story that didn't sound very historically accurate, but they didn't bother me. I don't read these novels to learn about history.  I read them as a means of entertainment and escape. (320 p. 2020) 

Olivetti by Allie Millington

 Some of Ernest's early good memories involve playing with his mother's old electric typewriter.  He and his brother and sister used to make a game of making up stories and having their mother type them out. Then they all went through a terribly hard time and because of the trauma have drifted apart.  Ernest has stopped talking to his family very often, and struggles at school.  The typewriter, named Olivetti, is sad that no one types on him any more, but still watches over the family silently hoping that time will heal them and they will start using him again.  Then one day Ernest's mother takes Olivetti to a pawn shop and sells him for $126 dollars. How could this happen to him and who will look after the family?  Olivetti feels sure that if the family could read what their mother has typed with the typewriter over the years, it might help reunite the family, so he decides to break the cardinal rule of typewriters.  He decides to communicate with Ernest. 

I don't remember why I put this one on hold.  Maybe I was just intrigued by its cover.  It is an interesting book and the premise of making a typewriter a POV character is clever and original.  The writing in the book is good and all the characters are fully drawn and sympathetic.  It is, I think, an realistic portrayal of how hard it is for a whole family to overcome a shared trauma. That being said, it is a very heart wrenching book, and it was a little hard to read. (spoiler alert.) We find out later in the book that the mother has gone through cancer treatments that were hard on both her and the family. They think she is healed, but then two years later she finds out the cancer has returned.  There is a scene in the book when a bad guy has the typewriter and starts to take it apart. In the book the typewriter is a sentient being and the description of the man taking the typewriter apart feels really brutal. As I was reading it I thought, oh, the writer is using this scene to show how brutal cancer surgery and treatment are.  It was all really well done but really heavy. I could see a situation where this book could be helpful for a child trying to process their own or a loved one's trauma, but I think a parent should read through the book first before giving it to a sensitive child. (2024, 256p.)

PS. I will be surprised if this doesn't end up on a lot of "Potential Newbery" lists this year.

The Second Mountain by David Brooks

 For 40 years David Brooks has been a writer and columnist for several of the most famous newspapers in America. During his years of observing and analyzing what is right and what is wrong with American he has come up with a theory of how to move from self-centered isolation to a fuller, richer life.  In the first part of the book he describes his theory with the analogy of two mountains. As we climb the first mountain we are seeking for success with our careers, money and fame. Once we reach the pinnacle of that mountain we realize that it isn't as fulfilling as we hoped, and fall into a valley. Then we start climbing the second mountain, which focuses on serving others and building nurturing and supportive community connections. He spends the rest of the book explaining how we can achieve the goal of the second mountain and gives examples of "second mountain" jobs, marriages, and communities. 

I found this book very in-line with my personal world view.  I think he is spot-on as he describes the problems with modern society and how we got them.  I liked that he debunked the modern ideal of throwing off convention to "follow your dreams," or "find the real you."  Instead he is advocating for focusing on making the world better for the community instead of always pleasing ourselves. He has a lengthy section on creating a lasting marriage based on commitment, which was a little poignant since his own marriage of many years ended in divorce.  Of course, having been a columnist for decades, his language is engaging and accessible. I expected that, but was surprised at how often he was willing to be vulnerable and tell experiences from his own life. I think I will be recommending this book to several of my friends. (2019, 384 p.)

Viaje a Madrid por Cristina Lopez

 Marta lives in Spain with her long-standing boyfriend, Pablo, and works as a maternity nurse. When her family plans a reunion in Madrid, she is excited to attend, but is frustrated when Pablo doesn't make much effort to get up and ready on time to catch the train. Her frustration with him grows as he spends all his time on the train looking at his phone, so when he gets stranded on the platform when they stop to refuel, she isn't super upset. Instead she strikes up a conversation with a young handsome English student, Alex, who is studying in Spain for the summer. Even though she has a boyfriend, she gets Alex's number before they part, thinking they might meet up as just friends later. At the reunion, her relationship with Pablo gets even worse and finally they split up. Marta is heart broken about the breakup but her cousin convinces her to get into contact with Alex.  Can Marta risk her heart again so soon after breaking up with Pablo?

After finishing Orgullo y Prejuicio, I thought I would look for another book to read in Spanish. I was hoping to find another classic with the English/Spanish format. I didn't find one, but decided to try this one instead.  It is written is simple Spanish specifically for new Spanish learners. I found the Spanish so much easier than Orgullo y Prejuicio, and was able to read it without looking up very many words. It is a short novela, with a vanilla plot, but it was gratifying to be able to get through it in just a week. This series is written to be used in a class, and there are a bunch of study aids.  I am trying to decide if I will read another one.  They are easy for me, and not great literature, so they don't really stretch me that much.  Still, it is a way to practice Spanish in a whole language environment.  (2021, 173 p)

The Alchemist by Paulo Coehlo

Santiago, a shepherd from Andalusia, stops one night in a ruined church. There he dreams of finding treasure.  He visits a fortune teller who confirms that the dream is a prophecy, and that he will find a treasure near the great pyramids. Santiago decides to go in search of the treasure.  On the way he meets an old man calling himself Melchizedek, who gives him advice and two prophetic stones. He continues his travel, eventually crossing into Egypt. There he meets more people has more experiences, and faces more danger until he finally comes to the end of his quest. 

I checked this book out not knowing what it was.  I just had a vague idea that it was a classic. It turned out to be fascinating and very thought provoking. It is an extended parable, intended to communicate a specific philosophy of life. The thing that was intriguing was that I couldn't be sure what that philosophy was until I reached the end.  If the book ended well, I could guess that the philosophy was optimistic.  If it ended in disaster, then I would know it was a satire. I really couldn't tell which way it was going to go until the last chapter.  The writing is very lyrical, almost poetic.  The whole thing comes across as rather mystical.  It is interesting that it was published in the 1980's, and that the author is still living, as it feels much older. This one would be a great choice for a book group. (1988, 208 p.)

The Danger with Diamonds by Traci Hunter and Sian Ann Bessey

 Cole Bridger is American and works for the CIA.  His cousin, Lars, lives in Vienna. Lars is dating a model, named Merit, and Cole has dated a fellow CIA agent, Isabelle, who also lives in Vienna. When some diamonds seized in a CIA smuggling ring bust are again stolen, along with heirloom jewels from Cole and Lar's family, the two couples are pulled into the investigation.  Cole is hoping to rekindle his relationship with Isabelle, but she is angry that he didn't make any effort to stay in contact with her after his assignments took him away from Vienna. As they work in the case together, her anger begins to thaw. Lars and Merit don't know they are with the CIA, but get pulled into the action and begin to suspect Isabelle and Cole are more than they seem. Can Isabelle and Cole maintain their covers and rebuild their relationship without getting killed by the evil forces behind the jewelry thefts. 

Traci Hunter books seem to be heavy on relationships, but a little weak on plot.  This was much more of a romance than a mystery.  The characters are not super well developed either.  They are pretty two dimensional, and lack any kind of quirk or personality flaw that would suggest they are real people. Still, it isn't a bad book. It is totally clean and devoid of bad language. There are enough plot twists and action scenes to keep me engaged.  I enjoyed listening to it, about like someone might enjoy snacking on a bag of popcorn. (2022, 341 p.)

Orgullo Y Prejuicio por Jane Austen (trans. por Jose Jordan de Urries Azara)

 I am mostly writing this post to brag a little. One of my New Year goals was to read a novel in Spanish.  I decided to read Pride and Prejudice because it is one I have read many times before in English so I am familiar with the story and language. I found a bilingual copy, with English on one side of the page and Spanish on the other.  It would have taken me much more time to get through it if the English hadn't been right there to refer to. Some paragraphs I could read fairly fluently but others I was looking over to the English on every sentence.  It took me nearly 6 months, but I finished it in the hospital on the day of my husband's surgery.

I thought the translation was pretty good.  I learned some new idioms I hadn't heard before.  I don't know enough Spanish to know if they were historically accurate idioms, but the translation was done early enough they could be. One the translator used a couple of times was "I don't care a pumpkin about that."  The meaning is clear, but I hadn't heard it before. Overall it was a fun and effective way to expand my Spanish fluency. (1924 translation, 331 p.)

Elf Dog and Owl Head by M.T. Anderson

 Clay and his family is in lockdown during a world pandemic. Clay and his siblings squabble over use of the computer, and his parents are worried about money. To escape, Clay goes into the forest behind his house.  There he finds an unusual looking dog. He does not know that the dog, Elphinore, is from the fairy realm. At first Elphinore wants to return to the royal kennels in the Fairy Court, but she soon comes to enjoy playing with the boy and being part of his family. While he is with Elphinore, Clay can enter and explore the fairy realm.  They go on adventures together and make both friends and enemies, but Clay's adventures help heal his lonely heart, and his relationships with his family. 

It is kind of fun that M.T. Anderson has finally won a Newbery Honor. My kids and I really enjoyed his fantasy series when they were teens, and he has also done some picture books and historical fiction.  Most of his novels are YA, but this one is squarely middle grade. It is an unusual choice for Newbery.  It is amazing that it doesn't have a single LGBTQ character, and the only social issue it deals with is the strain that the global pandemic had on families. It is, in many ways, just an old fashion fantasy, with some funny scenes and some intense scenes.  There is a bit of common wisdom that when they world is tough, the Newbery choice is gentle, and when the world is gentle, the Newbery choice is tough.  I think we are seeing that here.  There is so much strife in the world, I think the committee liked that the book was about family healing. As difficult as the pandemic was, I have heard several people say how staying home with their families during the pandemic brought them closer together.  Even though this is a fantasy with a magic dog and fairy people, that is what this book captures. (2023, 240p)