Book of the Month - August

My top book of the month for August 2020 is a graphic novel I Will Judge You by Your Bookshelf.  This book made me happy.  The silliness inside its pages brought enough laughter that I had to read it 3 times consecutively.  I read it a 4th time the next day and a 5th time one week later. It is a humorous glimpse at bookaholics and their issues with books  i.e., how to store them, write them, etc...

Stepping Stones

Stepping Stones is Lucy Knisley's newest graphic novel. It is the story of Jen, her mother and new boyfriend Walter who have moved to a farm in the country. Jen is unhappy there and wants to live with her father in the city.  However, her mother wants her to stay and become acclimated to this new environment. Jen is given enough chores to keep her busy all day while her mother and boyfriend always have excuses to bow out of the hardest work. A few weeks later, to make matters worse, Walter's two snobby daughters arrive for the summer. 

I felt sorry for Jen. She seemed to be used as a work horse. She was also mistreated by Walter who wouldn't even call her by her correct name. His daughters likewise mistreated her, calling her names and ridiculing her country clothes.  Over the summer they became friends though. The author's note at the conclusion of the book acknowledges that Jen is really Lucy Knisley who grew up on her mother's farm. I wondered about this when I began reading because the drawings of Jen are the same as drawings of Lucy in earlier books.  

The artistry was a little different than prior graphic novels by Knisley. The introduction to all of the chapters was done with a kid's handwriting on those old composition book pages. It didn't work for me but since Jen was a child, this approach matched the story. The remainder of the drawings were consistent with the author's style, colorful panels drawn in a primitive fashion.

4 out of 5 stars.

Something New

I have read all of Lucy Knisley's graphic  memoirs but missed this one. Something New: Tales of a Makeshift Bride is about Knisley's engagement and marriage to her long time boyfriend John.  It is a humorous look into the world of all things bridal, illustrated with colorful comic strips by Knisley herself.  

As an artist Knisley wanted a DIY wedding that reflected her and John's personality. Her mother is a retired caterer who insisted that she not only get married at home but that her mother would build a barn to hold the festivities in. Knisley and her mother had built many things together before and both of them thought the barn would be easy to accomplish.  It wasn't. Nor were all of the decisions that needed to be made on items such as linens, dresses, decor, and music.  Mom basically got her way though.  

Something New is a fabulous graphic memoir and I enjoyed the author's journey to adulthood. Especially recommended for the newly engaged woman. 5 out of 5 stars.

The Queen's Vow

I thought that I had read every book written by C. W. Gortner but I missed this one.  It did not disappoint.  I was engaged from the first page until the last and enjoyed every bit of the story.  

The publisher's summary:  

"Isabella is barely a teenager when she becomes an unwitting pawn in a plot to dethrone her half brother, King Enrique. Suspected of treason and held captive, she treads a perilous path, torn between loyalties, until at age seventeen she suddenly finds herself heiress of Castile, the largest kingdom in Spain.  Plunged into a deadly conflict to secure her crown, she is determined to wed the one man she loves yet who is forbidden to her - Fernando, prince of Aragon.  As they unite their two realms under "one crown, one country, one faith," Isabella and Fernando face an impoverished Spain beset by enemies.  With the future of her throne at stake, Isabella resists the zealous demands of the Inquisitor Torquemada even as she is seduced by the dreams of an enigmatic navigator named Columbus.  But when the Moors of the southern domain of Granada declare war, a violent, treacherous battle against an ancient adversary erupts, one that will test all of Isabella's resolve, her courage, and her tenacious belief in her destiny."

I did not know much about Isabella before reading this novel.  In the beginning she seemed to be a sympathetic character but her decisions later in life were guided by something other than what was good for Spain. Perhaps it was the pursuit of power, perhaps she did not know herself.  The author shows that her ultimate decision to allow the Inquisition to go forward was based on her desire to be faithful to her Catholic religion.  In my opinion, she did it to maintain personal power.  This is not exactly a glowing attribute.  Her earlier decisions were based on what was good for Spain. She and Fernando had just succeeded in uniting all of the Spanish realms into one country. With such a fantastic accomplishment one might think that they could settle in for awhile. Allowing the Inquisition was not good for Spain. It ruined an already ruined economy by expelling the money makers who had loaned her the money to fight the wars that united Spain. I can't imagine why she decided to expel them when she owed her success to them. It shows Isabella to be an unscrupulous woman.

The writing was smooth making the book a joy to read. I naturally expect this from C. W. Gortner as every book of his is written in a first person narrative. I think that's what makes the pace of a novel quick.  If there is any criticism of the book it would be that the mention of Christopher Columbus at the end of the story has nothing to do with the part of Isabella's life that Gortner has chosen to tell us. Columbus is a footnote.  Why is he in the book?

5 out of 5 stars.

Drawing the Vote

Tommy Jenkins has written an informative graphic novel with the history of voting and voting rights in the United States.  Voting rights issues have been debated by Congress since the Continental Congress era, even before the passage of our Constitution. Originally, only white male land owners were allowed to vote.  Now we are fighting to keep the rights that were previously granted by earlier generations.  Much of the book is about the Trump era, the suffragette era and the civil rights era in the 1960s.  It shows that not much has changed in the politics over voting through the years from the 1780s to the present. This is a sad judgment on my country. 

The artwork was done by Kati Lacker. She primarily used blue tones in her drawings but there are also red drawings. Is there a red, white and blue theme here? Drawing the Vote is her first graphic novel. 

The book is well suited for younger readers. It gives the history of a topic that is current in our politics in a way that is easy to understand.  Adults would likewise benefit. It offers a reminder of what has gone past and why we are still stuck in very muddy ground. 5 out of 5 stars.

Landmarks of Malaysia Sketchbook

I was so pleased when this book arrived in the mail today as it has 360 pages, 5 times the length of the other watercolor sketchbooks that I have.  Most of the drawings are full page drawings printed on actual watercolor paper that enhances them.  It is unusual for watercolor sketchbooks to have this many full page drawings. In fact, there are many two page spreads too. Artist Chin Kon Yit has a style that is detailed, similar to Fabrice Moireau who I believe is the best watercolor travelogue artist at this time. 

The drawings are divided by area.  The areas are the capitals and Selangor, the northwest peninsula, the south, the east coast, and Sarawak, Sahab and Labaun.  I was surprised that Malaysia has so many areas with exquisite architecture. I thought that Kuala Lumpur was the only modern city but I was wrong. There is so much to see in this country that I could spend a few weeks there. Before I read this book, I thought that there was only a small area in Kuala Lumpur that was modern. Travel companies only give their customer a half day in Malaysia, which is where I got my view of this gorgeous country.  

A paragraph is written to describe each drawing.  I love the font used for these paragraphs.  It is a handwritten font and makes it look like the artist handwrote the descriptions himself.   Lim Take Bane wrote the descriptions as well as the introduction.  I have Kon Yit's Penang and Kuala Lumpur sketchbooks.  They are just as gorgeous as this book is. He has become one of my favorite artists.

5 out of 5 stars.

I Will Judge You by Your Bookshelf

New York Times writer Grant Snyder  has given us a humorous glimpse at those of us who are addicted to books. The bright colors used in his illustrations further enhance the light feel of the book. I could not stop laughing throughout this graphic novel and had to read it twice consecutively because I didn't want to forget any of his comedic jabs at readaholics. On my third time reading, I took notes to assist me in writing this review. 

Poetry and the writing experience are prominent themes. At times I felt that I was reading a Dr. Seus book as his rhyming words sounded silly.

May your future be dystopian

May your myths be true

May your fairy tales be grisly

May your poems be haiku

May your self-help be helpful

May your heroes be tragic

May your quests be epic

May your realism be magic.

Comic strips on books taking over your home, what to do with  unfinished books, organization of your books, and issues about writing are all included along with information on several genres.  This is a silly book that will make you smile.  I have now read the book 4 times since I purchased it one week ago and highly recommend it.  5 out of 5 stars.

4 Riverside Close

Wow!  This is one freaky story.  4 Riverside Close has a creative plot. Bored wife Caroline Swinton creates a social media dating website called "Join Me" that her neighbors in the cul-de-sac where she lives become involved in.  No one knows that Caroline is behind the website including her husband.  As creator, she is able to see what each member has posted about themselves and who they are meeting. All of these neighbors are married so there is a lot of adultery going on. 

The blurb:

"When residents of a North London cul-de-sac enrol in a seemingly innocent social network, they soon find themselves embroiled in a murky web of sinister manipulation and murder.  From the outside, Caroline and Jason Swinton have an idyllic life.  But when the cracks start to appear the residents of Riverside Close are drawn into a dangerous game. When Jason's body is discovered in a house on the close, everyone becomes a suspect.  Could his lovely wife be responsible for murder?  Or do the neighbors have a motive for wanting him dead?

The only problem that I had with the book is that the murder did not occur until page 220 of this 300 page book.  Usually this would make me bored with the book but the dating among the four couples kept me fully engaged. In fact, I did not expect a murder to happen at all. I thought that the dating/adultery was what the plot was all about and it could have carried the book. Frankly, I am disappointed that one of the characters died. It takes away from the main theme of the book - adultery.

4 out of 5 stars.

The Pilgrim Conspiracy

The Pilgrim Conspiracy is a tantalizing story about the lives of the Mayflower Pilgrims while they were still living in exile in Leiden, Netherlands. What made me excited about this novel is the author's use within the story of historians' methods for reconstructing and interpreting the past.   In addition, the question of what makes historical fiction is part of the plot.  A historical fiction writer's job is to deceive the reader into believing that the false world created in the novel is a real world while also showing a chronological history, culture and people.  The novel is also part epistolary as the plot is slowly revealed by characters reading a newly discovered set of letters written by one of the Leiden Pilgrims.  This newly discovered set of letters are real and they were newly discovered as well.

The publisher's summary of the book: 

"The normally quiet Dutch town of Leiden is horrified when the chairman of the local Masonic lodge is brutally killed.  Almost simultaneously, an old manuscript is discovered in which an anonymous author tells the hidden story of the Pilgrims - the Founding Fathers of the United States.  From 1609 to 1620 they lived in exile in Leiden, after which some of them left for America.

University teacher Peter de Haan is drawn into the mystery.  Why did so many of the Pilgrims stay behind in Leiden?  What involvement do the Freemason's have?  And what relationship did Peter's girlfriend have with the murdered chairman?

At breakneck speed, this story sweeps you away to the narrow alleys of Leiden to the vast waters of Cape Cod to the scorching hot Sinai desert in Egypt.  And every step of the way, you'll discover that history is never the way the books want us to believe."

An engrossing plot is just one of the factors that set this book apart from others.  The characters are interesting and given that there is a an unusually flamboyant villain, I couldn't wait to read the chapters where he appeared.  The story is told alternately between the past, written in letter format, and the present, written as fiction.  

While the book is not a treasure hunt, fans of Dan Brown will love this book.  In fact, Robert Langdon would have been helpful to the characters who are trying to figure out what a particular symbol means.  Also, fans of religious fiction will likewise love the book.  The religious controversies of the era are discussed in detail.  In addition, the current political atmosphere in the U. S. to question our past by offering alternative facts can be seen to be something that has been on-going in our history.  I was rather uncomfortable with some of these alternatives while believing others.  I must admit, however, that changing history to suit the author's beliefs annoyed me.  

5 out of 5 stars.

Favorite Mystery Series

Mysteries have been my favorite genre ever since I began reading.  It is wonderful that many sub-genres have evolved since the beginning of the mystery novel.  Political and spy mysteries used to be my favorite sub-genre but the medical mystery, psychological thriller, historical and treasure hunts have taken over my top spot.  My favorite authors include:

Michael Palmer - medical mysteries

Robin Cook - medical mysteries

Brad Thor - spy novels

Steve Berry - treasure hunt mysteries

Dan Silva - spy novels

Vince Flynn - spy novels
Mary Higgins Clark - suspence
Clive Cussler - military mysteries
Tom Clancy - military mysteries
Peter May - murder mysteries
Chris Culver - Ash Rashid detective mysteries
Preston and Child -  action/technothrillers

James Rollins - action and adventure 

There are 32 sub-genres that I have counted.  They include straight murder mysteries, cozy mysteries, medical mysteries, historical mysteries, military novels, spy novels, political mysteries, treasure hunts, police procedurals, private detective stories, forensic mysteries, supernatural/fantasy mysteries, action, adventure, hard-boiled, noir, classic/golden era, western, techno thrillers, magic realism, gothic, amateur sleuth, legal, paranormal/urban, suspense, thriller, romance, science fiction, locked room, psychological thrillers, young adult and religious thrillers.  Newer sub-genres are still being created by authors who combine sub-genres, i.e., medical treasure hunts, cozy amateur sleuths, etc . . .  The most recent sub-genre was created by Dan Brown when he wrote The DaVinci Code. It is a treasure hunt novel and has sparked other writers to write their own treasure hunts.  The mystery novel is always evolving.

What are your favorite mysteries?

Popular Book Series That I Have Never Read

I am always looking for my next read. Friends give recommendations and become shocked when learning that I have never read their favorite series or favorite authors. I am a fan of many series in the cozy, mystery and historical fiction genres. However, I seem to have bypassed these twenty popular ones:

Janet Evanovich - Stephanie Plum Mysteries
Anne Perry - Charlotte and Thomas Pitt Mysteries
Elizabeth Peters - Amelia Peabody
Tana French - Dublin Murder Squad
Sue Grafton -.Alphabet Series
Ellis Peters - Brother Cadfael
Patricia Cornwell - Kay Scarpetta
Faye Kellerman - Decker/Lazarus Series
MC Beaton - Agatha Raisin Mysteries
Laurie R. King - Mary Russell Mysteries
Elizabeth George - Inspector Lynley Mysteries
Alexander McCall Smith  - Ladies Detective Series
Rhys Bowen - Her Royal Spyness
Ruth Rendell - Inspector Wexford
Diana Gabaldon - Outlander
Nancy Atherton - Aunt Dimity
Donna Leon - Commissario Guido Brunetti Series
Bernard Cornwell
Toni Morrison
Louise Penny

I make no apologies here. I am just too busy reading other books to get involved in these popular serieses. With my favorite authors publishing a new book every year it is unlikely that I will ever have the time to read them. Ciao!

The Sadist

The Sadist is one scary book.  It is described as a dark, psychological thriller.  This is an understatement. Carol McMahon is now one of my favorite authors and I cannot wait to read her earlier three novels.  The blurb:

"Things are going well for Sara.  She's starting to get lots of followers on her new You Tube series, True Crime Tea, where she does makeup tutorials while discussing true crime cases.  At first she isn't sure it will work.  It's just an idea to stand out from the crowd.  But her channel blows up, and she's thrilled. 

But stories are never anywhere near as frightening as reality.  Sara finds that out when her own life starts to fall apart, and the darkness she's always talked about seeps in.  Her life is starting to feel just like the stories she tells in her videos.  Along with the followers she gets unwanted attention.  She knows that's expected for a woman on the internet these days, but things are getting weird. Strange messages, a picture of her boyfriend's car at home when he's usually at work.  Then suddenly, she is willed a house by a father she never knew. 

In a desperate attempt to keep her career and life from falling apart, Sara moves into the musty, cluttered house.  As she goes through her father's possessions to clear space to do her work, she uncovers dark secrets she never wanted to know. Secrets about her father, mother, and about herself."

The twists and turns in the plot were unbelievable.  I was shocked by most of them as the truth was slowly revealed in the latter half of the book. The ending was as much a surprise as I have ever read in any book.  As I began reading the book I thought to myself that the author dreamed up one heck of a plot.  To come up with a main character who does makeup tutorials on You Tube along with true crime stories was creative.  How did she visualize a character who combined two different types of You Tube channels into one?  I couldn't imagine how that character could be involved in a dark, psychological mystery either.  Reading chapters that alternated between the points of view of three characters whose lives did not seem to be related only enhanced my curiosity.  I could not figure this one out.

I highly recommend this thriller but take my advice and don't read it in the evening.  5 out of 5 stars.

The Queen of Paris

This Coco Chanel historical novel covers her life in Paris during the Nazi occupation.  I thought that I knew a lot about her life but I was wrong.  I was shocked to read about her collaboration with the Nazis as well as how her company was run.

The blurb:

"Legendary fashion designer Coco Chanel is revered for her sophisticated style - the iconic little black dress - and famed for her intoxicating perfume Chanel No. 5.  Yet behind the public persona is a complicated woman of intrigue, shadowed by mysterious rumors.  The Queen of Paris, the new novel from award winning author Pamela Binnings Ewen, vividly imagines the hidden life of Chanel during the four years of Nazi occupation in Paris in the midst of WWII - as discovered in recently unearthed wartime files. 

Coco Chanel could be cheerful, lighthearted, manipulative, even cruel.  Against the winds of war, with the Wehrmacht marching down the Champs-Elysees, Chanel finds herself residing alongside the Reich's High Command in the Hotel Ritz.  Surrounded by the enemy, Chanel wages a private war of her own to wrestle full control of her perfume company from the hands of her Jewish business partner, Pierre Wertheimer.  With anti-semitism on the rise, he has escaped to the United States with the confidential formula for Chanel No. 5. Distrustful of his intentions to set up production on the outskirts of New York City, Chanel fights to seize ownership.  The House of Chanel shall not fall. 

While Chanel struggles to keep her livelihood intact, Paris sinks under the iron fist of German rule.  Chanel - a woman made of sparking granite - will do anything to survive.  She will even agree to collaborate with the Nazis in order to protect her darkest secrets.  When she is covertly recruited by Germany to spy for the Reich, she becomes Agent F-7124, code name:  Westminster. But why?  And to what lengths will she go to keep her stormy past from haunting her future?"

The is an engrossing novel with plenty of political intrigue.  While I was reading I wondered what part of the book was true.  The Note From the Author at the end of the book explained all of that. Chanel's life was much more interesting than I could have ever imagined.  From her lowly beginning in life she always had to fight in order to survive.  I believe that this sense of needing to always fight made her make decisions that she shouldn't have made.

I have always been encouraged to look to her  for inspiration because she was a successful woman. However, after finding out about her involvement with the Nazis I don't know why anyone could ever believe that she was an inspiration to women.  After a lifetime of needing men for a place to live, she naturally fell into an affair with a Nazi soldier for four years.  The soldier resided with her at the Ritz where the Germans had taken up occupancy.  She did it for a place to live.  I find her decisions to be repugnant.  A woman should be able to stand on her own.

I do not want anyone to feel that the book was bad because the primary character was bad.  The writing was crisp and the chapters ended with suspense, which resulted in my reading the novel in one sitting.  Chanel's life was fascinating to say the least.  It is unfortunate that she made such bad choices in life.

5 out of 5 stars.

Viking: The Plains of Althing

I enjoyed reading this historical novel of tenth century Iceland. It is the first book in a norse adventure trilogy.  However, there were a few problems that affected my enjoyment of the book. The blurb:

"A corrupt chieftain plots to rule all of Iceland and his steward Kel Coessen may be the only man who can stop him. But there's a catch: if Kel dares to defy his leader, Kel's love Aldis will be killed. A fearless slave called "The Black Mountain" starts Kel down the treacherous path of treason-and when the chieftain commits a loathsome crime, Kel snaps.  An unforeseen force draws Aldis to a place she vowed never to return, forcing her to confront her past-and a long buried secret threatens her future.  As strife grows, others meddle: a bishop eager to convert pagans, and a foreign jarl's furtive agent with her own designs on the country's young democracy."

The first third of the book was enchanting. I loved the characters and looked forward to reading more about them. However, the middle of the book was about additional characters instead and I quickly lost interest. I finished the book to find out what happened with Kel, Aldis and Tor, the "black mountain" slave. I am curious about their future stories, which makes me want to read book 2. Tor's story in particular is compelling but I am not yet sure whether I will take the plunge.

Favorite Bookstores

When I was young, I used to spend hours browsing the stacks at the now defunct Kroch's and Brentano's. There were many locations throughout Chicagoland and I regularly visited several of them. I remember on one occasion my mother remarked to me that Mr. Duncan Hines had just walked past us as he roamed the store at Randolph and Wabash in downtown Chicago. I said "who?" I didn't know that he was a famous art and food critic for one of our local newspapers or that the Duncan Hines cake mixes were named for him.  I remember following him because my mother said he was a famous person and all the customers stopped browsing to watch him. In my mind he was just another old man with a cane. When I grew older and wanted to learn a foreign language, I was introduced to 2 ladies who managed the foreign language tapes section. For each language there were between 5 and 10 companies who made the audiotapes. These ladies knew the ins and outs of each product within each brand. Their knowledge was unparalleled and I cannot think of any other bookshop providing service as Kroch's and Brentano's did.

After Kroch's went out of business in 1995 we were lucky to get a Waterstones to open in the gold coast neighborhood.  The main thing that captured my attention with Waterstones was the prevalence of poetry books. I spent alot of time picking out which ones I would buy during each visit. Waterstones carried types of books that I had never seen before as well as categorizing them in different ways. I remember a section on medieval books.  I always spent time perusing this section.  It was a pretty busy area too. This store was huge, three stories I think. I was devastated when it closed.

After a few years with no bookstores in my area, Borders came to town.  It was the first bookstore to have a cafe inside it and it was always packed. The only way to guarantee finding a seat was to run up the escalator when it opened up in the morning. The few leather seats were always taken and folks spread out their coats and bags to save the seat when they used the restroom or searched for more books. This bookstore sold items other than books and the fancy paper section always drew me in. The primary Borders that I shopped at was at Randolph and State in downtown Chicago. It was close to where I worked and I could shop there on my lunch hour. On weekends I would shop at the Clybourn Corridor location. This location had half of the first floor devoted to magazines. Being a magazine addict, I spent way too much money there.

The only bookstore left after Borders went bankrupt was Barnes and Noble. I particularly liked the branch in Old Town. It carried many types of art books that the downtown store didn't sell. Last October the Old Town store lost their lease and closed. The downtown store remains open for business but due to the COVID-19 pandemic it only offers curbside pickup services. Barnes and Noble was already in fiscal trouble before the pandemic. I doubt it will survive.

It is depressing to consider that the era of bookshops is over. There is always Amazon but it just isn't the same.

Lisbon Sketchbook

I have all of Fabrice Moireau's travelogue sketchbooks. His Lisbon Sketchbook was published last month and I couldn't wait to receive it in the mail.  When it finally arrived I was delighted to view its pages, printed on actual watercolor paper as were all of his earlier watercolor sketchbooks. This fantastic book is just like his Paris, Provence, Loire Valley, Brittany, Gardens of Paris, Rooftops of Paris, Rome, Florence, Venice, Sicily, New York, and Berlin sketchbooks.

The bucolic scenes of Lisbon are described in written word by Gonzalo Tavares. Moireau always has a 2 page spread showing the colors of the city he has drawn.  It is interesting that Lisbon is the most colorful of those cities, something that I wasn't expecting. As an artist myself, I view his books frequently as I learn alot from them concerning perspective and how to draw details in architecture. Moireau is the most detailed watercolor artist I am aware of. Britain's Graham Byfield and Malaysia's Chen Voon Fee and Chin Kon Yit as well as Singapore's Gretchen Liu all have looser watercolor styles. Moireau's detailed sketching style is perfect for drawing his native France with all of the intricate features of its buildings.

Lisbon Sketchbook is a wonderful book to display on a coffee table. I have several of them on my coffee table and visitors always love flipping through them. I highly recommend this book for artists and art lovers. 5 out of 5 stars.