Bury Your Dead by Louise Penny

Title: Bury Your Dead
Author: Louise Penny
ISBN: 9780312377045
Publisher: Minotaur Books, 2010
Hardcover, 384 pages
Genre: Police Procedural, #6 Armand Gamache mystery
Rating: A+
Source: Amazon Vine

First Line: Up the stairs they raced, taking them two at a time, trying to be as quiet as possible.

Chief Inspector Armand Gamache has come to the beautiful old city of Quebec during Winter Carnival to recuperate from an investigation gone horrifically wrong. He stays with a dear friend, he takes his dog for walks along the streets, he frequents favorite restaurants, and he does a bit of research at the English-operated Literary and Historical Society. But death intrudes even in that sanctuary, and everyday a letter arrives from the village of Three Pines which tells Gamache, "He didn't do it, you know."

I was absolutely thrilled with Penny's first novel, Still Life, and-- incredibly-- each book in this series has grown stronger and stronger. Readers new to Penny will rejoice that they don't need to start with book one. Although characters from previous books make appearances in Bury Your Dead, it isn't necessary to read the other books in order to enjoy this one. Readers who are well aware of Penny's talent will simply rejoice that there's a new book to read. (We know the treat we have in store.)

At the beginning of this book, we are told that Gamache and other members of his team have been seriously injured in a previous investigation, but Penny wisely doles out the information about this in a slow but steady stream. A strength in this book is that-- although I was dying to know everything about this investigation-- I didn't become angered by the author's slipping away into other plot threads. The other plot threads themselves are very strong.

There is information about the French and English communities in Quebec, both past and current. The treasure hunt revolving around Samuel de Champlain is fascinating. Gamache sending his second-in-command, Jean Guy Beauvoir, to Three Pines to reopen an investigation introduces new readers to that marvelous village of characters that is so beloved by those of us who already know it.

This series is consistently excellent, and is one that I always recommend to others. Many mysteries seem to focus so strongly on death and past mistakes that they never rise above the two. There are two sentences in Penny's acknowledgments that tell readers a great deal about the series as a whole: "Like the rest of the Chief Inspector Gamache books, Bury Your Dead is not about death, but about life. And the need to both respect the past and let it go." This is why these books rise above: they have a humanity that so many of the others lack.

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Treasure of the Golden Cheetah by Suzanne Arruda

Title: Treasure of the Golden Cheetah
Author: Suzanne Arruda
ISBN: 9780451227898
Publisher: NAL Hardcover, 2009
Hardcover, 368 pages
Genre: Historical, Amateur Sleuth, #5 Jade del Cameron mystery
Rating: A
Source: Purchased from Bookcloseouts.

First Line: The woman astride the poppy red Indian Power Plus motorcycle would have been considered beautiful in many cultures.

When I saw that there was a new Jade del Cameron mystery out, I knew I was running behind. Sure enough, there was Treasure of the Golden Cheetah sitting on my shelves staring balefully out at me. Although I do try to keep one unsampled volume of favorite mystery series on hand, I don't want to get too far behind the story. Off the shelf came the book, and I began to read.

It's Kenya in 1920, and Jade finds herself hired on as second-in-command on a safari run by Harry Hascombe. Hascombe has agreed to take a Hollywood film crew to Mt. Kilimanjaro to make a movie based on an ancient legend of King Solomon's lost treasure. Before they even have a chance to leave Nairobi, the producer is stabbed to death by a native who then commits suicide. This death throws a pall over the entire expedition which, once it begins to climb Kilimanjaro's slopes, is beset by deadly hoaxes and serious accidents. Before this is all over, Jade will be glad that she's accompanied by the young healer Jelani and her pet cheetah, Biscuit.

At one time I referred to these books as a guilty pleasure and my "Saturday Matinee Reading". It is past time for me to say that they have involved into much more than that. Jade-- although still talented, beautiful and headstrong-- no longer behaves as though she's ten feet tall and bulletproof. Arruda has done an excellent job in researching the area and the era. (For example, this book had the added bonus of showing us what train travel was like in the Africa of 1920.)  The character of the young Kikuyu, Jelani, not only gives us a look at native life and customs but allows us to see how natives were treated by the white people who ruled the roost.

I enjoy the early motorcycles and airplanes, and being on safari with a Hollywood crew of actors and technicians was in turn funny and exasperating, as Jade discovered: "Sweet Millard Fillmore. Can't these people be left alone for more than five minutes without someone having a hissy fit?"

An added, enjoyable, plot thread is the relationship between Jade and pilot/ filmmaker Sam Featherstone. Both of them are a bit too stubborn for their own good. Neither of them want to live alone. They love each other. But Sam won't think outside the box and Jade refuses to even look inside the box as far as making that final commitment to each other.

This entire series has been a fascinating journey, and I can't wait for it to continue in the next book, The Crocodile's Last Embrace.

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Scene of the Blog Featuring Judith of Leeswammes' Blog!

Sometime this summer I found myself at Judith's blog reading one of her reviews, and I really liked what I saw.

Judith lives in the Netherlands and has only been blogging since April 2010. Her favorite genres are contemporary fiction, dystopia, historical fiction, chick lit, and mysteries/thrillers. I really enjoy her reviews, but I have to admit that my favorite feature on Leeswammes' Blog is Judith's Book Bloggers Abroad where once a week a book blogger writes about their country and their blogging life.

If you haven't had a chance to visit Judith at Leeswammes' Blog, please don't forget to stop by and say hello. Chances are you will turn out to be just like me-- a subscriber!

Now it's time for her to show us her blogging spaces. Don't forget that you can click on each photo to view it full size.

This is the sofa where I write most of my blog posts, read other people's blogs, etc. I only ever use my laptop for blogging and usually sit here on the sofa. It means I can watch TV while I blog (only in the evening, though!) and I find it comfortable. You can see my laptop on the table next to one of my favorite mugs from Emma Bridgewater (an English pottery factory). I sit in the corner and my current book is always there too. The notebook on the glass table is really only for to-do lists, so it will tell me to continue with more urgent business from time to time.

Sometimes when I feel in a "serious" mood, I'll sit at the dining table (at the opposite side of the room from the sofa) and work there. It seems a little less relaxed than the sofa, so I tend to get on with things more when I'm there.

This is one of two bookcases that is overflowing with books. There are books behind the books as well! I'm waiting for some "nice" bookcases that we bought last month. They should arrive at the end of this month. The new bookcases will get pride of place downstairs, in the living room. The old ones are upstairs in the attic. They are not nice enough to look at so they're hidden away!

As a consequence, I have no evidence that I'm a reader in the living room (which is the room where guests go when they visit). Except for that book on the sofa!

I'm also using a bookcase in my son's room, which contains my TBR (to-be-read) pile. My TBR is everything that you see in that square. It's 24 books at the last count, which some people find ridiculously little. I'm at a constant battle to keep the TBR down, though. I try not to borrow or buy any books until I no longer need to put books behind books hiding behind books (yes, it's 3 levels deep!).

Thanks, Cathy, for letting me show off my blogging space and my books!

How well I know the constant Battle of TBR! My own TBR books number well over 300. Since I am purging books from our house, I don't really put any limits on the size of my own TBR-- just that there is absolutely no double-stacking on the shelves or book piles on the tops of flat surfaces or on the floor.

Judith, your home looks so modern, sleek and uncluttered-- yet very welcoming and comfortable. The table and dining room chairs are lovely! Of course, since you mentioned new bookcases, you have to know that we're all interested in seeing them when they're in place and the shelves are filled. Do you have any plans to show them off to everyone?

Thank you so much for allowing us this glimpse into your home and your blogging world. I will be participating in Book Bloggers Abroad; I'm just having a terrible time choosing the photographs!

Who will be sharing her blogging space with us next Wednesday? Don't forget to stop by and find out!

Wordless Wednesday

Click on photo to view full size. More Wordless Wednesday.

The Day of Small Things by Vicki Lane

Title: The Day of Small Things
Author: Vicki Lane
ISBN: 9780385342636
Publisher: Dell, 2010
Mass Market Paperback, 432 pages
Genre: Suspense
Rating: A
Source: The author, in exchange for an honest review.

First Line: On the evening of the third day of labor, the woman's screams filled the little cabin, escaping through the open door to tangle themselves in the dark hemlocks that mourned and drooped above the house.

When life hands them lemons, some people are incapable of making lemonade. Death, war, poverty, sickness, children marrying and moving away... everything seems to be conspiring against Miz Fronie up in Dark Holler. She has become a bitter and twisted human being. When her last child, a little girl, is born, she calls the baby Least and leads everyone in the area to believe that the child isn't right in the head. If no one else wants her, Least will have to stay in Dark Holler with her mother.

Least's first glimpse of salvation is when Grandma Beck comes to live with them. Grandma Beck is crippled with arthritis, but she can help Least make rugs, and she can teach Least all she knows about the stories, the healing and the magic of their ancestors, the Cherokee. Least can see things that no one else can, and Grandma Beck brings her the balm of understanding what's happening to her.

A few years later, Least finds herself making a choice between her heritage and a young man who is a devout Christian. She makes him promises and never looks back-- until she is an old woman and an evil man has put an innocent young boy in mortal danger.

When Vicki Lane asked if I'd like to read a galley of her latest book, at first I was embarrassed. I'd read her first Elizabeth Goodweather mystery, Signs in the Blood, and really enjoyed it; however, like so many other mystery series I've started, I have yet to further my acquaintance with Ms. Goodweather. When Vicki told me that the book was about my favorite character, Miss Birdie, and not another book in the Goodweather series, I jumped at the chance to read The Day of Small Things.

I am so glad I did. Like another talented author who writes about Appalachia with love and lyricism, Lane brings the area and the people to life. I don't think there was a single character who did not engage my emotions in some way. To watch Least grow into Miss Birdie over the span of time was a privilege, and to see two old ladies forget their years and step out to battle for what's right was, quite simply, a joy.

If, like me, you are a fan of Sharyn McCrumb's Ballad novels and you'd like to read more quality fiction set in Appalachia that features wonderful characters-- by all means, read Vicki Lane. You won't regret it!

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The Happy Smiley Test

You Are Kind

You have a broad perspective on life. You are very understanding and forgiving. You prefer a quiet, peaceful existence. You don't like noise in your head - or in the world around you. For you, there's no such thing as too much calm. Having time to think is a gift that you treasure.

The Happy Smiley Test

Good News About One of My Favorite Mystery Series!

I received some very good news from author Paul  L. Gaus, who writes one of my favorite mystery series. Plume, a division of Penguin, will be reprinting his Amish-Country Mysteries in trade paperback editions.

Starting with the very first, Blood of the Prodigal, one book will be released every six months, beginning September 28.

I know there's a lot of fiction available that features the Amish, but it's easy to be led astray if you're looking for an honest depiction of the people. I grew up just a few miles from a large Amish settlement in central Illinois, and I really appreciate Paul Gaus's sensitivity and insight.

If you haven't read any of his books, I certainly hope you'll give them a try!

Mailbox Monday--- Keeping Me On My Toes

Mailbox Monday is on tour! That's right-- my favorite weekly meme is out and about. For the entire month of September you'll be able to find Mailbox Monday on Bermudaonion's Weblog. If taking a look at the books other people discovered in their mailboxes intrigues you, and if you'd like to participate, this just might be the meme for you. Thanks for hosting, Kathy!

Autumn is still on hold here, with the strong possibility of more records being broken this weekend. Summer has decided to hang around, but then it's known to love the Sonoran Desert.

Other Paperback Swap (PBS) members certainly kept me on my toes this past week. While I received 4 books, I sent 15 books to new PBS foster homes. I hope they all enjoy the books as much as I did.

Here's the rundown on the four books I found in my mailbox:

1. King Leopold's Ghost: A Story of Greed, Terror, and Heroism in Colonial Africa by Adam Hochschild (PBS). "King Leopold of Belgium, writes historian Adam Hochschild in this grim history, did not much care for his native land or his subjects, all of which he dismissed as 'small country, small people.' Even so, he searched the globe to find a colony for Belgium, frantic that the scramble of other European powers for overseas dominions in Africa and Asia would leave nothing for himself or his people. When he eventually found a suitable location in what would become the Belgian Congo, later known as Zaire and now simply as Congo, Leopold set about establishing a rule of terror that would culminate in the deaths of 4 to 8 million indigenous people, 'a death toll,' Hochschild writes, 'of Holocaust dimensions.' Those who survived went to work mining ore or harvesting rubber, yielding a fortune for the Belgian king, who salted away billions of dollars in hidden bank accounts throughout the world. Hochschild's fine book of historical inquiry, which draws heavily on eyewitness accounts of the colonialists' savagery, brings this little-studied episode in European and African history into new light."
2. The Blind Man of Seville by Robert Wilson (PBS). "Inspector Jefe Javier Falcón is called out during Spain's Semana Santa festivities to probe the death of a prosperous Seville restaurateur, Raúl Jiménez. The deceased was found strapped to a chair with his eyelids removed, facing a television on which had been showing a video of him entertaining prostitutes. Jiménez's heart had failed as he struggled to escape. Falcón embarks on an investigation that will lead to the slayings of a hooker and an art dealer, and force the homicide cop into a game of wits against a killer obsessed with the contradictions between illusion and reality. Meanwhile, Falcón is himself obsessed with the long-secreted journals kept by his late father, a famous painter, whose brutal acts during the Spanish Civil War and subsequent hedonism in North Africa shaped Javier's life... and will make him the killer's next target."
3. A Timely Vision by Joyce and Jim Lavene (PBS). "Dae O’Donnell is the appealing heroine in this new mystery series by the Lavenes. She runs a collectible shop known as Missing Pieces, is the mayor of the small town of Duck, North Carolina, and specializes in finding lost things. She manages the latter because, on top of being a savvy and compassionate businesswoman, Dae also happens to be psychic. By simply touching the owner of lost things, she is able to find whatever is missing. One of the oldest residents of Duck, Miss Mildred, asks Dae to find her missing watch, but when a body turns up, Dae becomes involved in finding a murderer instead—and in proving that Miss Mildred couldn’t have been responsible for the crime."
4. The Adventures of Allegra Fullerton: Or, A Memoir of Startling and Amusing Episodes from Itinerant Life-- A Novel by Robert J. Begiebing (PBS). "A historian taking inventory of a Massachusetts archive stumbles across a kunstlerroman (artist novel) written by feisty Allegra Fullerton, who details her adventures as a traveling portrait painter in 19th-century New England. Begiebing presents Allegra's memoirs in formal, lustrous period language, and his meticulously evoked settings, dialogue and characters provide a seamlessly authentic entry into the era. Widowed in 1836 at the age of 20, Allegra returns to the New Hampshire farm where she was raised, but rather than endure the drudgeries of farm life, she decides to use her gift for creating 'true likenesses.' Accompanied by her brother Tom, who serves as her 'assistant-promoter-protector,' Allegra takes to the road to earn their livelihoods by 'limning' the features of both the living and the dead (through then-fashionable memorial portraits). Though clients are initially skeptical of the idea of a woman painter, Allegra's work speaks for itself, and soon they are flush from her commissions."

 Although King Leopold's Ghost fascinates me, I wouldn't be at all surprised if I picked up A Timely Vision first. I've been reading two extremely slow-moving chunksters in a row, and I desperately need something light and fun to cleanse the old palate!

How about you? Have you read any of these books? Would you recommend them? If they're new to you, do any of them look good enough to add to your own wish lists? Do tell!


Now comes the fun part: checking all the books other participants received last week. I always find something to add to my own wish list!

Dancing at the Movies

I love musicals; I love dance; and I love this video! It's almost impossible to believe that an amateur put this together....

Weekly Link Round-Up

This week the crime lovers here at Casa Kittling have been enjoying the premieres of some of their favorite television series: Castle, NCIS, Criminal Minds, and Hawaii 5-0. There's more to come, and I've been spending pleasant evenings with my honey watching handsome folks catch the Bad Guys while I stitch away on my needlepoint. My honey (AKA Denis) also found an absolute gem of a UK television series, New Tricks, about three retired police detectives who are drafted to solve cold cases. Veteran British actors handle a very enjoyable blend of comedy and drama with aplomb. The first two seasons are available in the US if you'd like to give it a try.

Sheesh, you'd think I'd forgotten all about the links, eh? Here they are!


Bookish News & Other Fun Stuff

• Flavorwire has a very funny article about promotional author photos.
• 20 Brilliant Bookcases. (The rafter shelves got my mind whirring. Call me old-fashioned, but I prefer straight shelves that don't wedge my books together at odd angles. Dammit, Jim! I'm a reader, not a fashionista!)
• Cathy Cassidy's top 10 stories about sisters.
• A truly bookless library.
• eReader users buy more-- and read more-- books. (According to the statistics they quote, me 'n' my Edsel-- paper books-- get much better mileage. But then I usually escape the statistics colander.)
• Call me weird, but sometimes I like learning folks' real names: Pen names in literature.

Blogging & Social Media Tips

• 10 Controversial Twitter 'How To' Issues.
• 18 Types of Posts That Get More Comments.
• How to customize your blockquotes in Blogger.

Around the Water Cooler in the Book Blogosphere

• On Reading With Tequila: Have you been participating in Harry Potter Week?
• On Hey Lady! Whatcha Readin'?: Avoiding Phone Calls.
• On Lynne's Book Reviews: (1) We need to get back to Blogging without Obligation, and (2) Does your family support your blogging and reading addiction?

New to My Google Reader

• The Sleepless Reader
• Life Happens While Books Are Waiting
• Silver's Reviews

That's it for this week. I hope you found a treasure or two in there somewhere. Don't forget to stop by next Friday when I'll have a fresh batch of links for your surfing pleasure. See you then!

Have a great weekend!

Rounding the Mark by Andrea Camilleri

Title: Rounding the Mark
Author: Andrea Camilleri
Translator: Stephen Sartarelli
ISBN: 9780143037484
Publisher: Penguin, 2006
Paperback, 272 pages
Genre: Police Procedural, Humorous Mysteries, #7 Inspector Salvo Montalbano mystery
Rating: A
Source: Paperback Swap

First Line: Stinking, treacherous night.

Salvo Montalbano is going through a rough patch at work. He wants to quit, even though he loves his job. One night he can't sleep and since he lives right on the beach, he goes for a swim. Unfortunately he bumps into a dead body while he's out there and has to haul it back to shore. In his quest for the cause of death, Montalbano realizes that this death coincides with the hit-and-run death of a young boy who may have been victimized by human traffickers. When Montalbano realizes that he may have inadvertently helped the boy's abusers, he is sickened and even more determined to get to the bottom of this mystery.

This (and the entire series) is far from a run-of-the-mill police procedural. There aren't many authors like Camilleri who can turn a creepy scene like finding a badly decomposed body at sea into a scene that can make a reader laugh out loud. (I refuse to tell you how. That should be part of your fun.)

The ingredients that make this series so special are Camilleri's gallows humor and his cast of characters-- Montalbano's "soldiers". They are a wonderful bunch of very different personalities, and even though they may drive each other to distraction on a regular basis, I don't think they'd want to work with anyone else-- especially when they have a boss who allows them to tell him when he's being the southbound end of a northbound horse.

The characterizations are brilliant; there is such a sense of Sicily as you read; the humor is often laugh-out-loud funny; and there are the unexpected jewels. Rounding the Mark had one of those gems: the grouchy Montalbano being genuinely heartbroken at being an unknowing accomplice in that young boy's death can bring a tear to the eye.

In roughly 250 pages, Camilleri can deliver a masterful piece of work that many other authors would take 400 pages to accomplish. Each book is a gem, and I intend to savor every single one.

For any of you who may be hesitant to read a translated book, don't be. Sartarelli has won awards for his translations, and those awards are deserved. He manages to imply dialects in a way that isn't confusing, and for anyone who needs a little extra information, the back of each book contains a few pages of notes that deal with any historical references, language, food, and previous books in the series.

If at all possible, this is one mystery series that you should sample. If I had four thumbs, they'd all be pointing at the sky. (I'm sure Camilleri would have something pithy to say about that....)

Buy from Amazon.

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Russian Winter by Daphne Kalotay

Title: Russian Winter
Author: Daphne Kalotay
ISBN: 9780061962165
Publisher: Harper, 2010
Hardcover, 480 pages
Genre: Fiction
Rating: B+
Source: Amazon Vine

First Line: The afternoon was so cold, so relentlessly gray, few pedestrians passed the long island of trees dividing Commonwealth Avenue, and even little dogs, shunted along impatiently, wore thermal coats and offended expressions.

Nina Revskaya, prima ballerina of the Bolshoi Ballet in Stalinist Russia, is spending her remaining years in Boston. Crippled by arthritis and feeling that her body has betrayed her, Nina has become a bitter, secretive old woman. When a man shows up on her doorstep with a piece of jewelry and questions, Nina puts her entire jewelry collection on the auction block rather than part with the answers to his questions. Little does Nina know, but protecting her secrets won't be that easy. Drew Brooks, an associate at the Boston auction house, is researching the history of Nina's jewels, and Grigori Solodin, the man on her doorstep, will not take no for an answer.

When you get right down to it, there's not all that much that's new in the plot of Russian Winter. Girl dances. Girl falls in love. Girl suffers heartbreak and betrayal. Girl runs away and begins a new life. But it's what Kalotay weaves into this plot that makes this novel special.

In many ways, Kalotay's book was right up my alley. I enjoy reading about ballet, and jewelry collections and their histories can fascinate me. Both of these things were very satisfying in Russian Winter, but the best piece of all was showing life in the Russia of Stalin-- where a prima ballerina lives in a communal apartment shared with her husband, mother-in-law and thirty-three other people. Each family has one room. There is one telephone for all. There is one toilet and one washroom for all. There is one kitchen with three stoves and six tables. It is a world where secrets can kill you, so you learn to lock away pieces of your soul until the lock rusts and the key no longer works.

Once characters like Nina are seen in the setting in which they became adults, they change right before your eyes and become multi-dimensional. It doesn't matter that the basic plot has been used before. This may be Kalotay's first novel, but I hope it isn't her last.

Buy from Amazon.

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Buy from an Indie Bookseller.

Scene of the Blog Featuring SuziQ of Whimpulsive!

I'm really excited to introduce this week's guest on Scene of the Blog because I think she's got the coolest blog name around. Whom am I talking about? SuziQ of Whimpulsive, of course!

I enjoy all the bookish things on her blog, but the icing on the cake for me is her sense of humor and her photography, whether it's for Wordless Wednesday or an appearance by Howie the Cat (who deserves his own Facebook page).

If you've never visited Whimpulsive, I hope you take the opportunity soon, and please remember to say hi. As always, you can click on each photo to view it full size. Take it away, SuziQ!

I'm honored to be included in Scene of the Blog.

Two days a week I work from home and on those days I hook up my laptop in the den to a second monitor.  I've found that much of the actual posting and formatting of blog posts and photos is much easier with two monitors.  I typically have a blog related to do list that I tackle when I'm set up here in the den.  I didn't have to tidy it up at all because I rarely have much on the desk when I'm working from here.  All my work and most of my blogging is online so there's not a lot of paper involved.  There's not much of a view from here, either.  About the only thing I can see from here is into the living room to the left and our fence and neighbors house out the window to the right.  I don't mind the lack of view though because I only use this room when I'm working.  As you can see, Pirate Bendy is there reminding me I need to work on a post for his blog too.

I do most of both my reading and blogging in my corner of the family room.  As you can tell it's my reading, crocheting, blogging, Internet surfing, football watching haven.  My laptop lives on the desk in the kitchen, but I rarely actually use it there because the desk it too small and not a comfortable place.  I like my corner of the family room much better.  Howie is usually nearby waiting for the sound of a laptop being closed so he can get some lap time.  I do the majority of the drafting of posts and blog reading and commenting here in the family room while watching TV.  As you can see, I like to have my books, beverage of choice, book buddy pillow and my lap quilt handy.

There's a lot to be said for having a workspace that doesn't have a view: you can get in there, get the work done, and get out instead of gazing out the window daydreaming. (Ask me how I know.) But don't you just love her corner of the family room? By the fireplace and the window, a comfy chair, what looks like two Adirondack chairs outside... and is that a little gnome in the corner of the garden? If you don't click on the family room photo to enlarge it, you're going to miss the expression on Howie's face. (I'm beginning to think he's one of the most photogenic cats in the US of A!)

Thank you so much, SuziQ for allowing this glimpse into your world. We certainly do appreciate it!

Who will be the next guest on Scene of the Blog? There's only one way to find out. See you then!

Wordless Wednesday

Click on photo to view full size. More Wordless Wednesday.

Finger Lickin' Fifteen by Janet Evanovich

Title: Finger Lickin' Fifteen
Author: Janet Evanovich
ISBN: 9780312383299
Publisher: St. Martin's Paperbacks, 2010
Mass Market Paperback, 352 pages
Genre: Humorous Mystery, #15 Stephanie Plum mystery
Rating: D+
Source: Purchased at Barnes & Noble.

First Line: When I was a kid, I was afraid of spiders and vegetables.

Lula witnesses the beheading of a popular TV chef and finds that she's being followed by two of the most inept hitmen in the business. She and Grandma Masur then get the bright idea to enter the barbecue sauce contest that the dead chef was in town to promote. On the Stephanie front, she's behind in rounding up her skips, she and Morelli are on the outs, and she's moonlighting for Ranger trying to solve a series of break-ins at properties under the protection of Rangeman Security.

I think I've finally hit the wall. I thought this series was brilliant through the first six or seven books, but since then it's been limping along like a woman with a pebble in one of her stilettos. Evanovich's recycling has truly angered me for the first time. It would be heaven to read a Stephanie Plum mystery and not have her blow up a car, have her apartment set on fire, have her get something icky in her hair, or need help with all her skips. If I worked with this woman, either I'd be gone... or she would be. Everyone should be a sort of Peter Pan in some of their outlook on life, but not to the extent that they never learn, they never grow, they never change.

The only part of this book that was relatively humorous for me was Lula and Grandma Masur trying to make barbecue sauce. That plot line did have its moments, but for the most part, Finger Lickin' Fifteen is just Evanovich going to the barn to milk the cash cow again. If she'd only put that milking stool by the bull, perhaps we'd be treated to something new, fresh and truly hilarious.

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Buy from an Indie Bookseller. 

Which of the Ten Commandments Are You?

You Are "Thou Shalt Not Covet"

You believe that people are too materialistic and too envious these days. No matter what, the person who ends up with the most toys still dies. You think it's important to deal with your own life and spiritual path - not how you stack up against your neighbor. Comparing yourself to others always brings problems. You try bring your focus inward.

Which of the Ten Commandments Are You?

Mailbox Monday-- Autumn Is On Hold

Mailbox Monday is on tour! That's right-- my favorite weekly meme is out and about. For the entire month of September you'll be able to find Mailbox Monday on Bermudaonion's Weblog. If taking a look at the books other people discovered in their mailboxes intrigues you, and if you'd like to participate, this just might be the meme for you. Thanks for hosting, Kathy!

I know many of you are familiar with putting books on hold at your local libraries, but here in the Sonoran Desert, it seems that someone put a season on hold. Although it's supposed to be autumn in a couple of days, we're breaking records. We'll break another one today if Mother Nature has her way-- 108°F. (42°C.). Stay in the pool with a good book and a cold drink, eh?

This week I started hauling myself back up on the restraint-in-book-buying wagon. I sent 12 books to new Paperback Swap (PBS) foster homes and received 4. Here's the scoop on the four that I pulled out of my mailbox:

1. Slipknot by Linda Greenlaw (PBS). "Jane Bunker gave up her law-enforcement job in Florida to become a marine consultant in Green Haven, Maine. She was hoping for a little quiet time, inspecting businesses for insurance-code violations, but what she found instead was a dead body, a murderous conspiracy, and a town where everybody seems to have a secret. The author, who lives in Maine (where she operates a lobster boat), does an excellent job of portraying a small town and its citizens. Her handling of the mystery elements of the story is less solid—she's guilty of a few rookie mistakes, such as making key plot points just a little too obvious—but she's a smooth writer, and Jane is a likable protagonist. Given room to grow, this series could enjoy a long life."
2. Buck Fever by Ben Rehder (PBS). "County game warden John Marlin and Sheriff Herbert Mackey lock horns when two dumb-and-dumber poachers accidentally shoot another idiotic guy wearing a deer costume. The poachers also wound a particularly rambunctious big-antlered buck, which just happens to be Marlin's former pet. Elsewhere in the county, a body is discovered beneath a shoddily repaired bridge, and a slick, drug-dealing Colombian comes looking for a game, ranch-owning, crooked lobbyist. This is a wild and crazy first novel, crowded with weird people, unusual relationships (both animal and human), and frequent humor that will appeal to fans of Carl Hiaasen, Tim Dorsey, and other comic mystery writers."
3. A Small Death in Lisbon by Robert Wilson (PBS). "The real star of this gripping and beautifully written mystery (which won the British Crime Writers' Golden Dagger Award for Best Crime Novel last year) is Portugal, whose history and people come to life on every page. Wilson tells two stories: the investigation into the brutal sex murder of a 15-year-girl in 1998, and the tangled, bloody saga of a financial enterprise that begins with the Nazis in 1941. Although the two stories seem unrelated, both are so strong and full of fascinating characters that readers' attention (and their faith that they will eventually be connected) should never waver. The author creates three compelling protagonists: middle-aged detective Jose Coelho, better known as Ze; Ze's late British wife, whom he met while exiled in London with his military officer father during the anti-Salazar political uprisings of the 1970s; and Ze's wise, talented and sexually active 16-year-old daughter. The first part of the WWII story focuses on an ambitious, rough-edged but likeable Swabian businessman, Klaus Felsen, convinced by the Gestapo to go to Portugal and seize the lion's share of that country's supply of tungsten, vital to the Nazi war effort. Later, we meet Manuel Abrantes, a much darker and more dangerous character, who turns out to be the main link between the past and the present. As Ze sifts through the sordid circumstances surrounding the murder of the promiscuous daughter of a powerful, vindictive lawyer, Wilson shines a harsh light on contemporary Portuguese society. Then, in alternating chapters, he shows how and why that society developed. All this and a suspenseful mystery-- who could ask for more?"
4. Waking the Ancients: A Novel of the Mogollon Rim by Gail Wanman Holstein (PBS). "Leah Ellis has been disturbed by her husband's behavior ever since they moved to Phoenix. Heir to a fortune back east, Branson now denounces his Philadelphia family. He is captivated by the ruins of ancient people who disappeared centuries ago and speaks of the Anasazi as if he knows them personally. His only possession is his medicine bundle, a spooky heap of fetishes, feathers, and bones. Branson's new mentor, a charismatic renegade archaeologist, does little to calm Leah's jitters. She remains devoted and supportive, however, until a camping trip to the massive Mogollon Rim with their children and her best friend turns into an outrageous experiment. Suddenly Leah must learn new skills: how to hunt with stone-age tools, how to live with ghosts. Most of all, she must control her fear and resentment. As nights turn frigid and the ponderosa forest grows lonelier, the little tribe's existence becomes a desperate struggle for survival. But Leah has her 'magic' from a cave, which might be powerful enough to summon the ancients to her rescue—if she lives long enough to use it." 

Have any of you read any of these four books? Would you recommend them? If they're new to you, did you add any of them to your own wish lists? Which ones? You know I'm nosy!

Now comes the best part: visiting all the participants to see what goodies they discovered in their mailboxes!

See you next Monday with another batch of lovelies from my mailbox!

BBAW #5-- Future Treasure

This entire week has been a blur for me, with my husband training for a new job and having a completely different work schedule (which made me scramble for blogging time), learning that Casa Kittling may be having lots of winter visitors, and plenty of other bits and bobs.

This last Book Blogger Appreciation Week topic is:

We want to hear all about your FUTURE treasures.  We’ve been visiting each other and getting to know each other better…now is your chance to share what you enjoyed about BBAW and also what your blogging goals are for the next year!

The highlight of any BBAW for me is wandering around the community and discovering new-to-me bloggers, as well as reading interviews so I can get to know better new and familiar faces. Anything else has always been icing on the cake. 

One thing that I particularly enjoyed this year is the seeming lack of controversy. This can be attributed to a monstrous amount of very hard work from all those volunteers behind the scenes. All complaints from previous years were listened to and solutions were found. With this hard work and dedication, BBAW can't help but improve and grow for many years to come.

What are my blogging goals for next year? I tried something new this year and have participated in a few reading challenges. My favorite has been the 2010 Global Reading Challenge which has really encouraged me to read books set in other countries. Since I limited myself to crime fiction, it's been fun finding mysteries set in countries I haven't "visited" yet.

Although I have had some fun with reading challenges, if I do participate in any in 2011, it may be my own. I've been batting around the idea of hosting my own reading challenge. We'll see what happens!

I'll be continuing my weekly Scene of the Blog, the Weekly Link Round-Up, and the monthly new mystery releases, and I have a couple of ideas for other weekly/monthly features that I'm working on. I have to be careful. I don't want this blog to attempt to stage a coup. If it becomes Work or takes up way too much time, I'll scale it back. 

People have said that reading is sexy, that reading is an adventure. I won't argue with either of those. For me reading has always been fun, and at the first sign of it no longer being fun, I'll find the party pooper who's spoiling my fun and kick it out of Casa Kittling!

This week has been very special to me for one reason in particular. Someone discovered Kittling: Books this week and has fallen in love with it-- going way back into the archives, exploring every nook and cranny, and commenting like mad.

It's a blogger's dream, to have someone fall in love that way. I thank that person for making this week so special, and I want to make it known that I intend to do as much as possible to continue the love affair. 

Life is good! Long live BBAW!


 

Weekly Link Round-Up

Many of us are probably reeling from Book Blogger Appreciation Week. Although it's a blast discovering new blogs, reading interviews, finding great books to read... all that link following can wear calluses on your eyeballs.

I debated even having a link round-up this week, but decided to go ahead so I wouldn't get out of the habit. This post and these links aren't going anywhere, so you can always come back for a visit and a surf when you've recuperated from this week's festivities.

Bookish News & Other Fun Stuff

• Want to know the difference between mass market and trade paperbacks?
• I wondered when this would happen: ads in your eReader?
• Perhaps you young whippersnappers may not be interested, but some of the rest of us might: 41 novelists who were over the age of 40 when their first books debuted.
• Some of Chuck Hogan's favorite local movies and books (Boston).
• I may be weird, but I think this library information desk made of recycled books is beautiful.
• Seven curious facts about Dr. Seuss books.
• A fun quiz: Who said it-- Jane Austen or Steve Austin?
• I wish this article had more photos! A remodel for the books.

Social Media Tip

• Why it's important to watch what you say in your status updates for Facebook or any social media program. Common sense, people!

Around the Water Cooler in the Book Blogosphere

• Found on Bev's blog, My Reader's Block: Who's Sitting at Your Table?
• On The Bumbles Blog, Molly had an excellent article which talks about what readers expect to find in a book review. 
• Rebecca of The Book Lady's Blog talks about why we should abandon our to-be-read lists. 

New to My Google Reader

These are a few of the blogs I've discovered through Book Blogger Appreciation Week and elsewhere!

• My Favourite Books
• Park Benches & Book Ends
• Unputdownables
• Lisa's Other Bookshelf
• Tony's Reading List
• Marks in the Margin
• Sam's Book Blog

That's it for this week. I hope you'll stop by next Friday for another freshly chosen batch of links for your surfing pleasure!

BBAW #4-- Forgotten Treasures

Today's topic for Book Bloggers Appreciation Week is Forgotten Treasures:

Sure we’ve all read about Freedom and Mockingjay but we likely have a book we wish would get more attention by book bloggers, whether it’s a forgotten classic or under marketed contemporary fiction.  This is your chance to tell the community why they should consider reading this book!

I had a difficult time with this one because so many of the mysteries I enjoy aren't well-known (or known at all) here in the United States. I finally decided that I'd turn to my Favorite Mystery Series page on my blog and just choose one. A bit like closing your eyes and sticking a pin in a map, you might think. I wouldn't disagree.

My pin in the map landed on a wonderful series that most mystery readers will probably be... well... mystified over-- Fidelis Morgan's splendid four-book historical mystery series featuring the Countess Ashby de la Zouche and her buxom maid, Alpiew.

It is the end of the seventeenth century, and sixty-something Lady Ashby de la Zouche, Countess of Clapham (a former mistress to deceased King Charles II) is more than a bit down on her luck. Living in a crumbling mansion in London with her quick-witted maid, Alpiew, and a manservant that reminds me of Lurch from The Addams Family, the Countess manages to eek out a living by writing for a scandal sheet.

Not only are these books a sparkling window to the seventeenth century-- to the point where you feel you're walking the streets of London with the characters-- they are so outrageously funny at times that it's been known for Denis to hear me laughing all the way down at the other end of the house. (Naturally he had to come find out what he was missing out on.) 

The setting, the characters, the plots, the humor-- all of these elements combine to form four very special books:


 

Unnatural Fire
The Rival Queens
The Ambitious Stepmother
Fortune's Slave




In them, there are not just interesting mysteries to solve and living, breathing characters to connect with, but tidbits to be learned about 17th-century life, acting on the London stage, even a trip to the court in France. Never once do I feel as though I'm learning something dry, dusty and dead, and I always close these books with a smile on my face. 

These four mysteries are so much fun that I just can't understand why more people haven't read them. I certainly hope you'll give one a try! 


 

A Song for You by Betsy Thornton

Title: A Song for You
Author: Betsy Thornton 
ISBN: 9780312380625
Publisher: Minotaur Books, 2008
Hardcover, 304 pages
Genre: Private Investigator, #5 Chloe Newcomb mystery
Rating: A-
Source: Paperback Swap

First Line: I'd heard stories and there is always something worse than what you are going through right now but it was the worst monsoon in my memory.

To those living elsewhere, the knowledge that Arizona has a monsoon season probably sounds more than a bit humorous-- until you realize that  "monsoon" means "seasonal rains". The deserts of southern Arizona only receive a miserly seven inches of rain per year (in a good year), and those rains are very seasonal: winter and summer. In summer, a monsoon storm can be very fierce with dust storms, strong winds, and an inch of rain that wants to fall in five minutes or less. A lot of water falling that fast on hard-packed dirt can cause torrential run-off.

The Barnetts, newcomers to Dudley, bought themselves a lovely little cottage but weren't prepared for the ferocity of monsoon season. In no time at all they learned that many of the restored features of their home were merely cosmetic. Just skin deep. They were less than pleased when they were told that a retaining wall had to be repaired-- and they were horrified when a dead body is dug up.

The body had been there for quite some time, and when Rachel Macabee reads about it in the local paper, she becomes convinced that the dead man was a member of the rock band her mother sang with when Rachel was a little girl. The man had disappeared a few days before her mother was killed. Not trusting the police (since they'd gotten it wrong the first time), she hires private detective Brian Flynn, a former police officer and Chloe Newcomb's former lover.

Chloe, a victims advocate for the Cochise County Attorney's Office, is becoming more and more disenchanted with her job-- mainly due to her new boss, who's really good at attending meetings only to come back and drive everyone in the office crazy:

I went back to my desk. I couldn't see that victims had it any better now that everything was online. I couldn't see that I had any more time to serve them either. It was more like I had less. I was just a leftover, I thought, from the days before computers, and now the great wheel of technology juiced up by master's degrees in business administration had rolled over me and squished me-- a mashed-up relic-- a human being.

Though Netflix was awfully convenient.

Brian asks Chloe for her help, and although she has misgivings, she agrees. Her career as a victims advocate means that she's a perfect listener; she can deal with highly emotional people and situations and glean the facts. This also means that she approaches Rachel's case from a different perspective than Brian Flynn, so there is conflict between the two. But with both of them on the case, there's little doubt that Rachel will finally learn what happened to her mother and be able to put the past behind her.

Since Brian and Chloe have a history, the dynamics between the two in the workplace makes for some interesting interactions, and as always, Chloe's voice, both interior and exterior, can be very amusing. Rachel, scarred by her mother's death when she was a child, is a very sympathetically drawn character even though some of her behaviors-- and the way the two men in her life treat her-- can be annoying to say the least.

I've enjoyed Betsy Thornton's books since the first, The Cowboy Rides Away. Chloe is a woman with a past that you don't learn about all at once. As a victim advocate her approach to each crime is slightly different than the norm, and she lives in an area-- Cochise County, Arizona-- that's filled with characters and stories. Thornton's characterizations, stories, and use of the wonderful setting of a thinly disguised Bisbee, Arizona, makes this one of my favorite mystery series.

Buy from Amazon.

Buy from The Book Depository.

Buy from an Indie Bookseller. 

The Crazy School by Cornelia Read

Title: The Crazy School
Author: Cornelia Read
ISBN: 9780446582599
Publisher: Grand Central Publishing, 2008
Hardcover, 336 pages
Genre: Amateur Sleuth, #2 Madeline Dare
Rating: A-
Source: Paperback Swap

First Line: Halfway to Christmas, Forchetti stated the obvious: "You can't teach for shit."

This second outing of Madeline Dare finds her escaping the rust belt of Syracuse, New York, for the Berkshire Mountains in Massachusetts. Her husband's job offer fell through, and Madeline is now teaching at the Santangelo Academy, a boarding school for disturbed teenagers.

From day one, Madeline has felt uneasy about Dr. Santangelo, but whenever she questions some of his rather bizarre methods, she finds her fellow teachers more willing to turn on each other than protect themselves or their students. A tragic event has Madeline joining forces with a small band of the school's most rebellious students in an effort to save them all.

I loved Madeline's irreverent voice in A Field of Darkness, and nothing has changed in this second book. Madeline is equally adept at jokes or description, and I particularly liked this one of her "sick-unto-death" husband:

Dean drew the blanket closer around his head and pressed his lips together, looking for all the world like an old woman disappointed by the sight of Ellis Island after a month in steerage.

After reading about Dr. Santangelo and several of the other teachers and mentally joining in with Madeline and her very small band of like-minded teachers, I had to know what in the world was going on at that school-- and how it could even be open. Once again Madeline had me well and truly hooked by her dilemma. When tragedy strikes (as she feared it would), the school has such a reputation that she knows she's going to have to conduct her own investigation if justice is going to be served:

"If the police think they did," I said, "they're not going to look at anything else. Because then it's just a couple of crazy kids up at that crazy school. That's not what happened. They have to know."

Uncovering the truth behind Dr. Santangelo and his academy, seeing Madeline interacting with her husband and friends, and watching her insist on doing what was best for the students all made for a very satisfying trip back to the early 1990s. Madeline is the type of character that has captured my imagination with her wit and perseverance, and I look forward to reading more about her.

Buy from Amazon.

Buy from The Book Depository.

Buy from an Indie Bookseller. 

Scene of the Blog Featuring Erika of Moonlight Book Reviews!

I was out and about on Twitter one day, whining for participants, when who should appear but my hero, Erika of Moonlight Book Reviews.

As so often happens in the world of book blogging, I received a message from Erika that basically asked, "What is Scene of the Blog, and what do you need?" See? Ask for help, and you get it.

Having never visited Erika's blog, I quickly took care of that oversight. I'm impressed by this Michigan book blogger who is now a junior in high school. She loves all things bookish, and that enthusiasm shines through on her blog. Would you like to know how much?

I've been seeing endless posts about The Hunger Games and Mockingjay, and to be honest I didn't care if I never read those books. After reading posts on Moonlight Book Reviews, Erika had me interested. As cantankerous as I am, that's pretty darned good! If you haven't visited Erika's blog, please take the opportunity to do so-- and please don't forget to say hi!

It is now time for Erika to take over and show us her blogging and reading spaces. Don't forget that you can click on each photo to view it full size!

I like to blog on the couch upstairs overlooking the Rabbit River. I usually have my books spread all around me when I am reviewing them. If I need more battery in my computer then the plug is just a short reach away. I do most of my blogging here because it is convenient, and the laptop is the family laptop so the computer rarely leaves this area. I'm just 16, so I still live with my parents as you can guess. If I could change one thing about this room I would add a big comfy leather chair.

Here I am in my room. You may recognize some of it from my vlog posts. I usually try to vlog in this area so you can see all my books. Most of them are double stacked, and the ones in the picture are in just one area of my room. The other books in my room are non-fiction. They are ACT books, calculus and biology texts and career choice books. Basically everything a nerdy teen could want.  I read a lot in this room, just ask my parents!

I would like to add a trap door in my closet that leads to a secret vault. After entering a series of codes, I would enter a room that is indestructible! I would shelve the room floor to ceiling and fill it with my books... leaving some space so I could expand. I would also have those ladders attached to the shelves that you can slide around on. I would add old looking furniture that is comfy and a huge rug! This is my perfect room!! A girl can only dream!!

I don't know about any of the rest of you, but the deck I can see through the window in the first photo looks mighty inviting. I'd probably be sitting sideways on the couch, looking out of the window at the river and never getting any blogging done!

And Erika? That dream about the secret vault? I like it. I like it a lot! (By the way, what is the name of that short, dark, and handsome stranger you're holding in the last photo?)

Thanks so much for answering my distress call. I've had so much fun looking at your blogging and reading spaces, and I know I won't be the only one!

Who will be the next blogger to be featured on Scene of the Blog? All I'll say is that she owns my favorite blog title. Stop by next Wednesday to check out her space!

Wordless Wednesday

Click on photo to view full size. More Wordless Wednesday.

BBAW #3-- Unexpected Treasures

Wednesday's topic for Book Blogger Appreciation Week is...

Today we invite you to share with us a book or genre you tried due to the influence of another blogger.  What made you cave in to try something new and what was the experience like?

I quite literally grew up in a library, and I'm hard pressed to think of a genre of books that I haven't tried reading. (My librarian mother taught me at an early age to be adventurous!)

When it came time to respond to this topic, there's only one answer for me. I love reading crime fiction, and many of the recommendations I receive have been from book bloggers and authors who belong to the Crime and Mystery Fiction group at FriendFeed.

Many of the people in this group have their own blogs where they review the books they read, and most of us visit each other's blogs to leave comments and suggestions, but FriendFeed is the one place where most of us can be found.

If you're interested in crime fiction, you might want to join this group. I've never seen a more helpful and caring group of people who are well-read and give excellent reading recommendations. Due to their influence, I now read much further afield than just North America and the UK, and I've read some marvelous books. For a bookaholic like me, that's Pure Gold!

Are You Adventurous?

You Are Adventurous

You are quite adventurous and brave, but you are also reasonable about it. You don't have to be on an adventure 24/7. You have good judgment and balance. You like to try new and exciting things, but you also pay attention to risk. You're not the type of person who would throw your life away just to go on a new trip or have a new romantic partner. You like your thrills in small, safe doses. You are gutsy in all aspects of your life from career to relationships.

Are You Adventurous?