AudioFile's Best Books of 2020

Road warriors have long loved the audio book, a wonderful innovation that makes miles in a car, train, or plane, fly quickly by. Although 2020 curbed travel, having a book read to you is still soothing whether you are riding a stationary bike, puttering around the house, or taking an extended dog walk. 

For audiobook fans, here is a link to AudioFile's list of the best audiobooks of 2020. Check it out!

Approaching noon in the Coronado National Forest.

The Week That Was - November 2020

 It has been quite a week.

Based on all that has happened, and all that is to come, now is a good time to re-read a profile of Stacey Abrams which appeared in The New Yorker in August, 2019. 

Happy Sunday, everyone.

New Book in November from David Sedaris Because We All Need a Laugh

 

A new book from humorist David Sedaris is coming out in November. The Best of Me is, as the title implies, a collection of previously released material. Because Sedaris is so very funny, and considering all that is going on in the world, this type of collection simply screams 'potential holiday gift', so check your shopping list, folks. We need more smart and funny in this world. Let's support it where we find it.

Last spring I read his 2019 book Calypso and really enjoyed it. Many of the essays in Calypso focus on the author's family and life with his partner. Because this is not a book by Emma Bombeck  (remember her?), some of these essays address the sorrows of life and the reader is shown a great deal about tough, personal topics. 

Yet these difficult personal essays are interesting to read because the events within are shown to us with the honesty mixed with wit, style, and singular voice that is the magic of Sedaris. There is also enjoyable silliness (his Fitbit obsession) and some juvenile matters concerning swearing and, ahem, the stomach flu. Quite the mix of stuff and great to read. Highly recommend checking out Calypso.

As always, links to Amazon are provided for your convenience. As an Amazon Associate, I may receive a small commission if, after clicking a link, you subsequently make a purchase. Muchas gracias, amigos. 

New Book from Tana French

 

A new book from Tana French was released this month, The Searcher.  According to the book's page on Amazon, it is currently a #1 Best Seller in Witch and Wizard Thrillers. I have no idea why that is the case; and whether or not that is a recommendation is up to you, my friends.

I am a fan of the six books in French's Dublin murder squad series, crime novels featuring  a loosely connected set of Irish detectives. Her seventh book, The Witch Elm  (well-off young man's life in downward spiral) is not part of that series. 

I didn't really enjoy The Witch Elm, although everyone else apparently did as it was a New York Times Notable book in 2018 and an NPR Best Book of 2018. For me, the story was too creepy without being engaging; does that make sense?

Although The Witch Elm didn't tick my boxes for a good read, I plan to read The Searcher. The Searcher, according to the publisher's web site, is about a retired Chicago police officer who lives in Ireland. When a local boy goes missing, he gets drawn into investigating. What could possibly go wrong?

As always, links to Amazon are provided for your convenience. As an Amazon Associate, I may receive a small commission if, after clicking a link, you subsequently make a purchase. Muchas gracias, amigos. 

Currently Reading: Novels, Mysteries and Short Stories

So much has happened in the world since my last post. I don't know about you, but for me it has been tough to find time for reading when there is so much going on with respect to the future of our country. In fact, the fly on VP Mike Pence's head at this past week's debate had a greater attention span than I have had for books recently.

Nonetheless, in tough times a good book provides a welcome space for relaxation, escape, and entertainment, so I have been doing some reading. Below is a quick look at a few of the books I've read in the past few weeks and months. Let me know in the comments if there are any particular books you recommend.

Yee Haw! The Recently-Read Round-Up 

Deep Dive (Sam Acquillo Mysteries Book 9) by  Chris Knopf 

Snap Review: Love it.

I'm a huge fan of Chris Knopf and his series featuring Sam Acquillo is my favorite. In this episode, a suspicious death occurs at the home of Sam's wealthy friend Burton Lewis. When it looks like the police are looking to put Lewis in the frame for the death, Sam steps in to investigate. His investigation takes him to Puerto Rico and a stealth look at the maybe shady charity that employed the deceased. 

There are lots of twists in this entertaining read, accompanied by the dry humor author Chris Knopf always provides. Highly recommend all Knopf's books.

Pizza Girl  by Jean Kyoung Frazier 

Snap Review: It was okay.

After reading a write-up about this book in the New York Times, I thought I'd give it a whirl. Kyoung Frazier does a great job of putting down on paper a portrait of young woman. Let's tick off the some of the demographics: the protagonist is 18, pregnant, finished with school, has a wee bit of a drinking problem, and is working as a pizza delivery driver. She misses her dead dad and is living with her mom and her boyfriend, the expectant father. Boyfriend has given up dreams of college in order to support his new family. 

Our protagonist doesn't seem to have any plans beyond those which circumstances have thrust upon her. Then, Pizza Girl becomes obsessed with one of her customers, Jenny. And from there the tale develops. 

The book is successful in bringing forth fresh characters and a memorable plot. So why didn't I love it? Maybe there was just too much going on for this character; and maybe that was the point as this book is a loud shout about youth. If that interests you, give it a read and let me know what you think.

The Mist by Ragnar Jonasson

Snap Review: Scandinavian mystery. Strange stuff, but interesting.

This is book three in a series. I jumped in without reading the two earlier books and had no trouble with the plot. The story is set in Iceland. There is a double murder at a remote farmhouse. There is a snowstorm. And our investigating detective has shattering developments in her private life. 

All together, everything is a bit creepy, making this one of those undemanding, interesting mysteries that take your mind off the world. 

The Shooting at Chateau Rock  by Martin Walker

Snap Review: I love reading all things Martin Walker, including this book.

This is another entry in the series by Martin Walker featuring Bruno, the police chief of a small village in France. After there is a suspicious death in the village - suspicious because the deceased disinherited his children in favor of purchasing continuing care at a retirement home -- Bruno investigates as only he can do. In addition to shady insurance companies, there are Russians, rock stars, all of Bruno's friends and, of course, food. 

I love this series and being inside this world created by Martin Walker. 

  

Dear Life by Alice Munro

Snap Review: I loved it.

Dear Life won the Nobel Prize for Literature in 2013 and, not that the Nobel people need me to say it, rightly so! These stories about the relationships and brief encounters of ordinary folks are burning, quiet, and spare. I loved it. Check it out. 

As always, links to Amazon are provided for your convenience. As an Amazon Associate, I may receive a small commission if, after clicking a link, you subsequently make a purchase. Muchas gracias, amigos. 

  

A New Challenge: Reading all the Edgar Nominees for Best Novel before April 30, 2020

The Edgar Awards will be presented this year on April 30. My favorite category is the award for Best Novel. Typically, all the books that are nominated for an Edgar in this category are enjoyable to mystery fans, but of course there can only be one winner. So, in the manner of the Academy Awards for movies, I'm going to read all five nominees before April 30 in an effort to anticipate who that winner might be.

Reading all five books within this timeline is a bit easier for me as I've already read two: Peter Heller's The River and Elly Griffiths's The Stranger Diaries. The remaining three are Fake Like Me by Barbara Bourland, Good Girl, Bad Girl by Michael Robotham, and Smoke and Ashes by Abir Mukherjee.

Smoke and Ashes is the third book in a series. Although I am a wee bit disappointed that I won't be reading these books in order, sometimes sacrifices must be made.

If you've read any of these books, or are up for joining me in reading all five by April 30, give a shout out in the comments.

Relaxing when you should be reading: A Dramatization.

Epidemics! Pandemics! Read all about it!

Looking for another topic of concern that can race through your brain at three in the morning, robbing you of sleep and roiling your stomach? Well, with the spread of coronavirus, the loud and angry voices of the anti-science crowd, a President and Republican Party that don't believe in government and public health, it seems like a pretty good time to get worried about a global pandemic.

And while worrying is a given in this day-and-age, there are also smart and interesting books that help us understand what is going on with respect to global health threats. Here are a few titles that have been recommended to me on the topic of viruses - where it goes and how it flows - and the biology and politics of it all.

Spillover: Animal Infections and the Next Human Pandemic by David Quammen: Author David Quammen tackles the subject of the movement of viruses from wildlife to humans.

The Great Influenza: The Story of the Deadliest Pandemic in History by John M. Barry. Mr. Barry looks at how biology and politics combined to result in the 1918 Influenza.

Pandemic: Tracking Contagions, from Cholera to Ebola, and Beyond by Sonia Shah. Sonia Shah examines the dangers of pathogens by examining the spread of cholera.

And on the fiction side of things:

Station 11 by Emily St. John Mandel: In this novel, a virus takes off, an apocalypse occurs, and the world as we know it falls apart.

The Earth Abides by George R. Stuart: Originally published in 1949, this classic novel is about a global pandemic that wipes out all most all of humankind. How will the few survivors fare?

And from the fiction that I have read and highly recommend:

The Dog Stars by Peter Heller: A flu pandemic wipes out a man's family. With his dog by his side, he seeks to find what is left in the world. I love this novel. You might, too. If you've read The Dog Stars, share your thoughts about the book in the comment section. If you haven't read it, please try it out.

Global pandemic, illustrated.

Put the American West in Your TBR Pile: An Obvious Fact by Craig Johnson and Walk on Earth a Stranger by Rae Carson

I'm behind on reading Craig Johnson's mystery series featuring Walt Longmire. I recently finished An Obvious Fact featuring the Wyoming sheriff and his good friend Henry Standing Bear. It was an entertaining story with the wit and action we expect in this series. But still out there to be read are The Western Star (2017), Depth of Winter (2018), Land of Wolves (2019). Boy-howdy! Some good options ahead for books.

Another interesting series set in the west came to my attention recently when I read Walk on Earth a Stranger by Rae Carson. This time the action is set during the California gold rush. I have no idea how this YA book ended up in my to-be-read pile, but I'm so glad it did; it was very engaging.

The protagonist in Walk on Earth a Stranger is a young woman, Leah, who can sense where gold is located - whether it is in someone's pocket or a nugget in a stream. This is a useful, and dangerous, talent. After a horrible disaster hits her family, she disguises herself as a young man and joins a wagon train traveling to California. There are lots of adventures - most of them dangerous - along the way. How Leah manages to survive is exciting to read. This is the first book in a series and I am looking forward to reading more of the Gold Seer Trilogy, including Like a River Glorious and Into the Bright Unknown.

There is a lot of reading pleasure in a good series of books. If you've taken a flyer on something off the latest bestseller list and find that it just isn't clicking, turning to an enjoyable series is a great option. And there is lots of entertainment in the Craig Johnson series, or with Rae Carson if you are interested in YA reads. Read on!

An Arizona sunset to inspire your reading.

Four (and more) for February 2020

On the road into 2020.

Sometime at the end of 2019, I saw an interview with NFL quarterback Aaron Rodgers in which Rogers said that he was setting a resolution to read more books in 2020. 'Hell fire,' I thought, 'If a busy guy like the Green Bay Packers star is setting an intention to read more, than I can set an intention to read more - and blog about it.'

So, let's go!

Four books have caught my attention for February 2020. The first is The Splendid and the Vile by Erik Larson. I'm a fan of Larson, starting with the first of his books that I read, The Devil in the White City (nonfiction account of the 1893 World's Fair in Chicago and a serial killer at large).

In his new book, Larson looks at Winston Churchill and London during the blitz, the bombing campaign waged against England by Hitler. Having just finished reading A Woman of No Importance, I'm in the mood for another nonfiction read about World War II. Stories of real people acting heroically are inspiring. (Actually, I may do this book as an audio book. Is that cutting corners? Nah.)

Second on my list for February is Weather by Jenny Offill. Based upon the summaries of the plot, I'm anticipating that this novel is one that is read more for the unique literary experience than for the hard-charging plot. The story is about a librarian named Lizzie. Lizzie's mentor, Sylvia, is a national expert on climate change. Sylvia is fed up with her fans and wants Lizzie to take over answering her mail. Lizzie does so. According to Kirkus Reviews, the ensuing "tension between mundane daily concerns and looming apocalypse, the "weather" of our days both real and metaphorical, is perfectly captured in Offill's brief, elegant paragraphs, filled with insight and humor."

On third base, as it were, is The Cactus League by Emily Nemens. Set in Arizona during spring training, this novel is about a baseball team and its star outfielder, handsome and talented Jason Goodyear - who is falling apart. I'm a baseball fan and since players will soon start reporting, this book sounds like it may be a good warm-up to the season.

Note also that if you want are interested in more books with a baseball hook, check out The Art of Fielding by Chad Harbach. Also, author Steve Hamilton has a good mystery series featuring Alex McKnight, a former minor league baseball player and former Detroit cop, who moves to Michigan's Upper Peninsula where he occasionally works as a private eye and always finds trouble. This is a very entertaining series; I suggest reading the books in order, starting with A Cold Day in Paradise which won Hamilton both an Edgar and Shamus award.

Moving along from baseball, the last book in this list of four for February is The Man in the Red Coat by Julian Barnes. This historical biography interests me a great deal because I'm a huge fan of the painter John Singer Sargent (1856 - 1925). One of Sargent's most famous portraits is of Samuel-Jean Pozzi, entitled Dr. Pozzi at Home. The huge painting (about 80" by 40"), is a dramatic, full length portrait in which Pozzi appears standing in a red dressing gown. In The Man in the Red Coat, Barnes writes about Pozzi's life in Paris during the period at the end of the 1800s to before the beginning of World War I, know as the Belle Époque or beautiful era. John Singer Sargent fans may also enjoy reading Strapless: John Singer Sargent and the Fall of Madame X by Deborah Davis, which is another nonfiction read about Sargent and one of his most famous, and at the time scandalous, portraits.

To conclude, if Aaron Rodgers and I were chatting right now, here is what I'd recommend to him for February reading: 1) A Cold Day in Paradise by Steve Hamilton (good entertainment), 2) The Devil in the White City by Erik Larson (engaging nonfiction), and 3) The Cactus League by Emily Nemens (new fiction for 2020).

For me, I'm starting with The Man in the Red Coat.

Recommended Reading: A Woman of No Importance by Sonia Purnell

A Woman of No Importance is Sonia Purnell's biography of Virginia Hall, an American who was an extraordinary spy in Vichy France for Britain, and then later for the US, during World War II. Purnell tells Hall's story with verve, suspense, and in detail that is engaging.

During the war, Hall built a network in France that provided information and resources needed to construct an effective resistance to the Germans and their collaborators and also provided critical intelligence to Britain and the US. Everything she accomplished was done while living with unrelenting tension, danger, and even maddening, bureaucratic nonsense. In addition to learning about Hall's story, which is fascinating, reading about the horrifying acts committed during the war is again shocking and an important reminder that today we cannot take our rights for granted.

This true story of the enormous influence exerted by one woman with tremendous personal courage is a great book to read in these times.

Be inspired. Check out A Woman of No Importance.

The Three Evangelists Books by Fred Vargas

French author Frédérique Audoin-Rouzeau, who uses the pen name Fred Vargas, has been writing novels since the 1990s, but her work is new to me. During the many, many, many rainy days of April, I worked my way through a series of her books: The Three Evangelists, Dog Will Have His Day, and The Accordionist. I began with The Accordionist, the third book of this particular series, because it was shorted listed for the 2018 CWA International Dagger Award. That recognition from the Crime Writers Association was warranted as The Accordionist was a highly entertaining read.

Like all the books in this series, The Accordionist is set in Paris. Two women are murdered. The police suspect a young man, an accordionist named Clément, who was seen outside their respective apartments prior to the killings. Clément flees to the only person he knows in Paris, old Marthe, who for a time was a mother figure in his turbulent childhood. Marthe, a former prostitute, in turn calls upon her friend for help, ex-special investigator Louis Kehlweiler. And so the investigation begins.

Kehlweiler seeks assistance on the case from three friends, history scholars who share a home. These three are the evangelists first introduced in book one, The Three Evangelists (and which won the 2006 CWA International Dagger Award). Reading these books in order is not absolutely necessary, but it will help make more sense out of The Accordionist  and the relationship between all the characters.

This is an interesting series of mysteries, with The Accordionist being the best of the bunch, in my opinion. The books have somewhat of a gritty atmosphere, the characters are unique and the stories are engaging with unforeseen twists and turns. Perfect reading for rainy days.

The Golden Tresses of the Dead by Alan Bradley (The Flavia de Luce Mysteries)

Are you a fan of the Flavia de Luce books by Alan Bradley? The series started out with a bang with The Sweetness at the Bottom of the Pie (2009). Since then it's been a mixed bag for me, some enjoyable and some not as much. Despite this inconsistency, I persist with this series.

These books are set in 1950s England.  Flavia, the pre-teen protagonist, is a budding scientist living in a crumbling family estate with her two older sisters and widowed father. Flavia's mad chemistry skills and flare for detection get her involved in solving the various murders that occur in her village of Bishop's Lacey. The vibe in the books is, on the one hand, familiar for fans of Agatha Christie and Martha Grimes and, on the other hand, fresh with these characters and their interest in science, literature and music.

The most recent addition to the series is The Golden Tresses of the Dead, and it is an entertaining book. In this outing, the game is afoot when a finger is found in a wedding cake - much to the bride's horror. With good atmosphere and lots of twists and turns, this is a fun read. Fans of Flavia should greatly enjoy it.

Because so much has changed in Flavia's life over the course of this series, readers new to it would, I think, be wise to start from the beginning. Have a book-reading binge! As Ben Dolnick wrote in the NYT recently:

[T]he mind — for all its endless rationalizations and solemn prohibitions — is in fact a ceaseless pleasure hound. Once I’m actually enjoying a book, it really does feel as if the pages are turning themselves; I find myself reading in all the little pockets of time that were once reserved for the serious business of checking to see if my dishwasher pods have shipped.

And pleasure is, after all — once I scrape away the layers of self-image and pretentiousness — the reason that I read. When I’ve found the right book, and I’m reading it the right way, reading is fun — head-tingling, goosebump-raising fun. It’s a vivid and continuous dream that is somehow both directed from without and cast from within, and I get to be awake for it. Netflix can wait.

Ben Dolnick, The New York Times, May 4, 2019

Check out Flavia. Binge on some books and enjoy!

The Power of Reading: Earth Day, Sports, Mueller.

In 1962 Rachel Carson's book Silent Spring was published. Her book detailing the poisonous effects of pesticides on our natural world ignited public concern and helped launched an environmental movement that led to Earth Day and legislative efforts at stopping the polluting and poisoning of our world.

Decades later, pesticides are, sadly, still a problem (e.g., Pesticides Are Harming Bees in Literally Every Way Possible, by Liza Gross, Wired, 1/24/2019). But think about the work and courage behind Rachel Carson's book and its impact on all who read it; where might we be now if she hadn't acted?

The power and influence of books is amazing, and that power is influential not just in the broad world with works like Silent Spring or, say, the Mueller Report ("[I]f we had confidence after a thorough investigation of the facts that the President [Trump] clearly did not commit obstruction of justice, we would so state. Based on the facts and applicable legal standards, we are unable to reach that judgment." Report on the Investigation into Russian Interference in the 2016 Presidential Election, Vol. II, p. 182). Books connect with individuals, too. For example, this interesting story came from soccer star Abby Wambach in an interview that appeared in the NYT Book Review yesterday:

I never read as a child. I was confident on the field, but I was lost in the classroom . . . Although, it is true that I found my way to soccer because of a book. My sister Beth told my mom she wanted to learn to play soccer so my mom went to the library and checked out a book called "How to Play Soccer." Our family read it, signed us all up for teams, and I scored 27 goals in my first three games. I guess I do owe it all to books.

The New York Times Book Review, p. 7, April 21, 2019.

What a great story: Mom gets a library book and the potential for her daughter's fabulous career is unlocked.

Reading and writing are powerful tools. Enjoy the magic!

New Louise Penny Book Coming in Late Summer

Mark you calendars fans of Chief Inspector Gamache (that includes me): A new book in this series will be published in August. The novel is called A Better Man and will be released August 27, perfect for Labor Day weekend reading.

Music We Like: The Rumba Foundation by Jesse Cook

Perfect for Sunday morning, the rumba flamenco music from Jesse Cook is uplifting and infectious. The Rumba Foundation will get you moving and smiling. Check it out.

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Hey! Spring is Coming!

The current weather conditions may not reflect it, but spring is coming. For now, let's find something good to read inside. Here are three new books to check out this March.

 

The Rules of Magic by Alice Hoffman

Set primarily in the late 1950s and early 1960s, Alice Hoffman's novel is a coming of age story about three siblings who can trace their ancestry back to the 1600s and a woman deemed a witch in Salem, Massachusetts. This 2017 novel, a prequel to Hoffman's 1995 book Practical Magic, puts a witchy spin on themes such as parents trying to do their best and young people coping with new experiences in love and launching their adult lives. The Rules of Magic is an easy to read and entertaining novel.

Weekend Read July 28-29

This weekend I'm digging into Persons Unknown by Susie Steiner. The novel is a man-stabbed-and-murdered who-done-it mystery featuring Detective Manon Bradshaw. Put the tea on; this police procedural is set in the town of Huntingdon in England.

Weekend Read

Highly Recommended Reading: Force of Nature by Jane Harper

Jane Harper knocks it out of the park again with her new book, Force of Nature. In Force of Nature, Federal Agent Aaron Falk, whom we met in The Dry, is under pressure from his superiors to obtain key documents that will support charges of money laundering against members of a family-run accounting firm.

To obtain the documents, Falk and his partner recruit/coerce (as law enforcement does) one of the top management employees at the firm who is not a member of the family, Alice Russell. This setup runs smoothly until Alice disappears while on a weekend corporate retreat, hiking and camping with her co-workers in the wilderness.

Told in chapters which alternate between events occurring during the retreat and the investigation into Alice's disappearance, Force of Nature quickly turns into a suspenseful page turner. Did Alice disappear by choice or was she murdered? If she was murdered, was that related to her work with Agent Falk or was it related to heinous crimes which took place in that same wilderness, decades ago? Chilling!

An entertaining read with lots of contemporary florishes, Force of Nature is highly recommended.