2020 Library Love Challenge Wrap Up

This challenge was challenging this year! My public library, and probably yours, was closed for several months due to the coronavirus shutdown. I was lucky that I did not have to pay any fines on those books I had borrowed before the shutdown that were due to be returned after the shutdown began. When I signed up for the challenge a year ago, I selected the Thrifty Reader Level which required me to read 24 books from the library.  I managed to surpass that challenge and took 36 books out of the library to read and review.  

Here is what I read:

The Other Woman by Daniel Silva

The Crow's Call by Wanda Brusnstetter

Opium and Absinthe by Lydia Kang

The Night Tiger by Yangtse Choo

Singapore Sapphire by A. M. Stuart

The Stone Doors by Brendan Baker

Paying the Land by Joe Sacco

I Know Your Secret by Ruth Heald

Viking:  The Plains of Althing by Katie Aiken Ritter

Mozart in Paris by Frantz Duchazeau

Wicked Things 1 and 2 by John Allison

The Low Road by A. D. Scott

The Queen's Vow by C. W. Gortner

A Bend in the Stars by Rachel Barenbaum

Stepping Stones by Lucy Knisley

The Bone Fire by S. D. Sykes

Filmish by Edward Ross

The Draper's Daughter by Ellin Carsta

Lockdown by Peter May

Rage by Bob Woodward

The Lover's Portrait by Jennifer Alderson

The Evening and the Morning by Ken Follett

Revenge in Rubies by A. M. Stuart

The Girl She Wanted by K. L. Slater

The Cipher by Isabella Maldonado

The Cold Millions by Jess Walter

The Night Portrait by Laura Morelli

This Was Our Pact by Ryan Andrews

Notes on a Thesis by Tiphaine Riviere

Shanghai Dream by Phillippe Thirault

Something New by Lucy Knisley

The Pilgrim Conspiracy by Jeroen Windermere

The Queen of Paris by Pamela Binnings Ewen

Last Wool and Testament by Molly MacRae

Too Much and Never Enough by Mary Trump

Since I did so well with this challenge I have signed up for next year. 12 books are required to be read and reviewed.  There are no other reading levels in the 2021 challenge.

The Girl She Wanted

The Girl She Wanted is an engrossing psychological thriller that will satisfy all mystery lovers. The main characters are sisters Carrie Parsons and Alexa Ford. Alexa and her husband Perry have a one year old daughter named Florence.  Carrie adores Florence and spends a lot of time with her, especially since Carrie moved in with the Fords eight months ago after her marriage fell apart. Perry, however, wants Carrie to move out. Carrie is an ER nurse at a local Nottinghamshire hospital. After a junior doctor files a complaint with the hospital management over two mysterious deaths in the ER, Carrie is arrested as a suspect in the deaths and suspended from her job.  An eighty year old man and a one year old baby died in the ER. Soon thereafter Carrie disappears with baby Florence. The plot then thickens as many twists and turns uncover a myriad of of secrets and lies.

I loved the connection between the two sisters.  Alexa is a timid woman who relies on Carrie to help her raise her daughter.  Alexa is afraid to go outside on her own and only goes out with Florence if Carrie is with them.  Their abilities to handle stress become reverted as Alexa gains in confidence and Carrie seems to have internal problems. The tension between the two sisters ratcheted up throughout the book. Of course, there were other strong characters and all of them were women!  Carrie's two best friends are also nurses at the hospital and one of them has a secret too.  

I loved this thriller.  5 out of 5 stars.

The Cipher

 

FBI agent Nina Guerrera escaped a serial killer's trap when she was sixteen-years-old.  Eleven years later when she is jumped in a Virginia park, a video of the attack goes viral. Thousands of new Nina fans are not the only ones impressed with her fighting skills. The man who abducted her eleven years ago was watching also. Determined to reclaim his lost prize, he commits a grisly murder designed to pull her into the investigation. However, he also uses the Internet to invite the public to play along. The killer's coded riddles have made him a social media star dubbed "the cipher." In Nina's eyes he is a monster who preys on vulnerable women. Partnered with the FBI's most prominent mind hunter, Jeffrey Wade, Nina tracks the killer across the country. Nina follows each clue as she races to stop the killer while the world watches online.  

The Cipher is a by-the-seat-of-your-pants crime thriller. It's frequent plot twists keep you reading from the first to the final page. It is a great start for a new series featuring Nina Guerrera as the heroine. While being repeatedly assaulted throughout the book, she quickly bounces back and continues her fight to save other women from the killer. I particularly enjoyed reading about all the different forensic analyses done by the FBI as well as trying to figure out all of the killer's riddles.  

It's about time we had a serial killer mystery that involves social media. It makes the genre more contemporary and believable.  We all know that in today's society social media plays a role both in resolving crimes but also in committing them. Writing social media into novels is a must for the twenty first century author.

I loved this crime thriller. 5 out of 5 stars!

The Cold Millions

Jess Walter's newest novel follows the adventures of two brothers, Gig and Rye Dolan. Their story is set in Spokane, Washington during the free speech protests that occurred in 1909 and 1910.  The Dolans live by their wits, jumping freight trains to apply for day jobs at crooked employment agencies.  These agencies demand money from workers up front for the possibility of obtaining a job.  Rye wants a permanent job and a home but Gig is more interested in doing work for the Industrial Workers of the World (IWW).  Gig's fight for better pay and working conditions gets him into a lot of trouble with the company owners and the politicians.  Dubious of Gig's idealism, Rye is drawn to19-year-old activist Elizabeth Gurley Flynn.  However, Gig has a relationship with a vaudeville actress Ursula the Great.  Ursula introduces both brothers to mining magnate Lem Brand who uses both Ursula and Rye in order to maintain control over the success of his company.  After Gig winds up in jail, facing a six month jail sentence for union activity, Rye becomes a willing spy for Brand.  He reports back to Brand on union activity in exchange for his brother's release from jail.  The story continues with the fight between the company owners and the IWW.  The book was published in October 2020.  

What struck me most about this book was that the dialogue sounded like a John Wayne movie.  It was a little off-putting to me in the beginning but I did begin to enjoy the book as the action increased.  However, this historical fiction novel read more to me like a western which is not a genre that I like.  When I selected this book to read, I thought that the author was female. I expected more of a traditional historical novel.  That said, I believe that reading the book would be beneficial to a younger audience who might not be familiar with stories of the Gilded Age or the founding of the unions in America.

3 out of 5 stars.

The Evening and the Morning

This is the fourth book in Ken Follett's Kingsbridge series.  It is a prequel to The Pillars of the Earth and concerns the founding of the town of Kingsbridge.  At 916 pages it is definitely a chunkster but I love chunky books.  It was a fast read though.  I read it in two days. The Evening and the Morning was published last month on September 15, 2020.  

The story begins in the year 997 CE with the family of Edgar, his brothers Erman and Eadbald, and his parents living in Combe, Shiring Parish, in the west of England. Edgar's father is a well respected boat builder and Edgar hopes to inherit the business one day.  However, after a Viking raid, fire destroyed the entire town of Combe, including the boatyard. Edgar's father is also killed in the raid, leaving the family destitute.  Relying on the good graces of the Dean of Shiring, the family is given swamp land to cultivate and they start over as farmers in Dreng's Ferry. The farm is a mess and they can barely grow crops but they are able to eke out an existence during the rest of the year. Edgar plans to get his family settled and then leave two or three years later to find a job as a boat builder. The book is Edgar's story.

Among the four Kingsbridge novels I like this one is the best.  The Pillars of the Earth is my second favorite. While I loved Pillars, there were lengthy passages on construction that did not interest me. Given how much I liked Pillars, it just goes to show how well The Evening and The Morning was written. Also, the plot moved more smoothly with this novel than with Pillars. The period of time covered is only ten years and the lives of the characters are more entangled together. 

There were two other characters who were prominent to the novel. Brother Aldred is an English monk at Shiring Abbey. He joins the story while on his way home to England, after purchasing books on the continent for the scriptorium at his abbey. Ragna comes from a noble family in Cherbourg. After accepting a marriage proposal from the Ealdorman Wilwulf she travels to England to marry and live with her soon-to-be husband. Aldred and Ragna's lives intersect frequently as they share a common enemy with Edgar:  Bishop Wynstan, the main but not only villain and Wilwulf's brother.

The Evening and the Morning is a must read. 5 out of 5 stars!

Revenge in Rubies

Revenge in Rubies is the perfect whodunit. This second Harriet Gordon Mystery, following 2019's Singapore Sapphire, is a superbly plotted mystery. The fact that it takes place during a historical period, 1910s Singapore, is secondary.  I love that the murdered body of Sylvie Nolan was found on page three so that the remainder of the story can be about finding the killer.  Sylvie is the very young wife of  middle aged Lieutenant Colonel John Nolan, an army officer in the South Sussex Regiment. When Inspector Robert Curran of the Straits Settlements Police Force Detective Division begins to investigate, the military families stationed in Singapore come together to thwart his investigation.  They prefer to keep their truths in-house.  Amateur sleuth Harriet Gordon works as a typist for Inspector Curran. He has come to rely on her for advice and assistance with his investigations as she has proven herself adept at finding clues in the past.  Her friendship with the victim's sister-in-law, Priscilla Nolan, proves to be useful and she is able to learn many family secrets from Pris. Harriet lives with her brother Julian Edwards, an Anglican priest stationed in Singapore. Together they run a school for young boys, the St. Thomas School.

I love the names of the characters, names which can only belong to the British. Lavinia Pemberthey-Smythe is perennially British and I had to laugh when I saw her name in the book.  How did the author create this one? Some of the names of the Asian characters are true to life such as Huo Jin, Sergeant Gursharan Singh, constable Tan Jian Ju and constable Musa Bin Ahmed.  One interesting thing that I like about this series is that all of the characters are strong.  They have interesting backgrounds too, which could come into play in future books in the series.  

Author A. M. Stuart has created a Pinterest board for Revenge in Rubies that is worth checking out. Here she has pinned photos of grand mansions, churches, vehicles, maps, clubhouses, fashions and famous military men who were stationed in Singapore. It is pretty cool for an author to have created this type of advertising for a novel. Now I have to wonder if other authors whom I have read are doing the same thing.

The third book in the series, Evil in Emerald, is scheduled to be published some time in Spring, 2022.  I cannot wait!  I love this new series.  5 out of 5 stars.

The Night Portrait

Laura Morelli has changed her usual historical period from the Renaissance to 1930s and 1940s Germany with The Last Portrait. It includes an account of the Butcher of Poland Hans Frank's acquisitions of stolen art from Polish families and museums. He is an historical figure who was executed at Nuremberg in 1946 for his war crimes.  Frank is known for killing six million Poles during WWII. Morelli's fictional characters were not likable but, of course, they worked for the Nazis.  The story alternates between the WWII era and 1490s Milan.

The blurb summary reads:  

"Milan, 1492:  When a 16-year-old beauty becomes the mistress of the Duke of Milan, she must fight for her place in the palace - and against those who want her out.  Soon, she finds herself sitting before Leonardo da Vinci, who wants to ensure his own place in the ducal palace by painting his most ambitious portrait to date.

Munich, World War II:  After a modest conservator unwittingly places a priceless Italian Renaissance portrait into the hands of a high-ranking Nazi leader, she risks her life to recover it, working with an American soldier, part of the famed Monuments Men team, to get it back.

Two women, separated by 500 years, are swept up in the tide of history as one painting stands at the center of their quests for their own destinies."

I am not sure how I feel about the Edith Becker character who was a conservator at an art museum.  I believe the author tried to portray her in a positive light. I just don't buy it. While I understand that it is hard to go against the political tide, especially when that puts your life in danger, she did in fact participate in stealing artworks in Poland for the Nazis.  She got off easy.  Edith was never tried for war crimes.  She was retained as an adviser to the Allies when the war ended.  I don't know if this is plausible or not. Likewise, I don't know if it is plausible for a German citizen to have felt sympathy for those whom the Nazi's targeted as Edith did.  My history education showed that the Germans were enthusiastically behind Hitler. They were crushed when he died and the war ended.  I wish that I could find out what the author intended for her characters and her plot.  Did she just want her readers to think? I would love to interview her to find out.

I am always suspicious when WWII stories are told by characters who were German but never felt the love for Hitler. If this many people opposed Hitler in real life would he have been successful? When am I going to see a WWII story about a German who loved working and killing for Hitler? I guess this protagonist would not be sympathetic to readers but neither are the white washed characters in current historical fiction. With 68% of American youths disbelieving that the Holocaust happened, these stories are not helpful. 

The Cecelia Gallerani character was more believable. She had no choice in life other than to enter a convent or become a kept woman. I respect her decision. This is the type of character Morelli is good at writing about. She excels in writing Renaissance novels.  In addition, I had a slight problem concerning the promotion of the book. It is advertised as a novel of DaVinci's Italy. However, DaVinci was not central to the plot. Also, the WWII subplot overshadowed the Renaissance era subplot. The WWII story covered 70% of the book and I did not feel that I was reading a DaVinci plot as advertised. The horrors of the second world War made me feel overwhelming sadness as I read the book.  For example, Morelli explicitly details Allied soldier's thoughts as they liberated one concentration camp after another.  One striking fact that I never thought of before is that someone (soldiers) had to clean up the emptied camps; such a gruesome thought.

I usually love a Laura Morelli book but this one left me with many questions.  As I contemplated Edith more and more I realize that I just did not like her. I did enjoy following the plot even though half of it left a bad taste in my mouth. I hoped that Edith would get her act together but she never did.  An unlikable protagonist is death to a novel.

I don't know how to rate this book.  It was an emotional journey.  It certainly made me think and my misgivings affected how I feel about the book.  My personal biases concerning the actions of the German people during WWII  were challenged, which made writing this review difficult.  If the author intended to create such a flawed and unlikable character, she just wrote the book of the year. 

Rage

"I bring rage out.  I do bring rage out.  I always have.  I don't know if that's an asset or a liability, but whatever it is, I do."  Donald Trump, March 31, 2016.

Rage is the second book Bob Woodward has written about Donald Trump's presidency.  It is a sequel to Woodward's 2018 book Fear and covers Trump's entire first term in office. I was thrilled to get one of the first copies of the book.  While reading I sensed that much of the information presented in the book I already knew about, but it seemed new. Trump fatigue has affected my ability to remember. 

The first third of the book concerns all of the scandals, foreign policy problems, impeachment and all of the discord among staffers. Woodward then begins to talk about COVID-19.  Since I am a news junkie I will only mention information that is new to me that I feel is noteworthy. The timeline of events was one of those things new to me. Two U. S. government offices, the Center for Disease Control (CDC) and the National Institute of Health (NIH), received notice about the coronavirus on December 31, 2019. Robert Redfield immediately began working on a memo.  On January 1, 2020 he distributed the first internal report regarding the virus within the CDC.  On January 3, 2020 the U. S. was aware that it spread from human to human contact by deciphering the lies it was told by a Chinese representative over the phone. On January 5 Chinese social media sites were using #WuhanReportedMysteriousPneumonia and the posts indicated community spread of the virus.  By January 10, 2020 when the Chinese posted online the virus's genome, a vaccine began being worked on by Dr. Anthony Fauci at the NIH. This timeline is vastly different from what the media has reported. Essentially, the U. S. government knew everything it needed to know to act by the end of the first week of January. The problem with acting swiftly was that Trump was not on board. He did not want to act. Trump did not declare a national emergency until March 13.

Another interesting piece of information is how Trump son-in-law Jared Kushner behaved in his role as senior advisor to the president. He stated that the Administration's communication strategy was called "intentional wrongness persuasion."  He was quoting the Dilbert cartoon.  Kushner also told Woodward that "controversy elevates message."  He was further quoted saying "Trump would say that he is going to respect the One China policy, that is wasn't that big if a give because you can always say you wouldn't respect it a day later." Whew!  Is Kushner just as nuts as Trump or is this something he came up with to explain why Trump behaved as he did?

The timing of the publication of Rage is perfect for reminding voters of all we have been through with Trump. Whether you like Trump or not, Rage is the reminder we need in order to determine how to cast our ballots. After all, all of us have Trump fatigue.

5 out of 5 stars.

The Lover's Portrait

 

The Lover's Portrait:  An Art Mystery is the second book in Jennifer Alderson's Zelda Richardson Mysteries. Three additional books have been published and all of them are art mysteries.  The author also writes the Travel Can be Murder cozy mystery series.

The Lover's Portrait alternates between the WWII era and the present day. The story opens with Philip Verbeet and Arjan van Heemsvliet storing artworks in a secret location to keep the Nazis from finding them.  The scene then flips to the present day Germany with Konrad Heider perusing his computer for sightings of paintings from his late father's lost art collection. The scene changes one more time to Amsterdam in the current year. Zelda Richardson has just been hired as an intern at The Amsterdam Museum and tasked with revising the website for an exhibition of over 3,000 stolen artworks that have gone unclaimed since WWII. When the exhibition opens one month later, Zelda is invited to attend with her boss. There she meets Rita Brouwer, an American who is claiming that her father owned one of the lesser known paintings that she calls Irises. Zelda falls in love with Rita's family story and wants to help her prove that she is the owner of the painting. When a photo of Rita and the painting appear in the newspaper the next day, another claimant comes forward. Who is the owner? The Museum meets with the claimants as an investigation into the ownership of the painting begins. 

I loved this art mystery. Zelda's extensive investigation into a stolen artwork was fascinating. Before reading the book I did not know the process that museums follow to determine the history of a painting. Alot of research has to be done concerning the artist's business and personal life. Business records, mortgages, leases, letters, birth and death records, new articles, exhibition catalogs, and government documents are reviewed to become familiar with the artist. Likewise, a claimant's background is similarly reviewed to see if it matches up with the artist's background. 

Zelda is a great amateur sleuth. With an art history baccalaureate degree, she is seeking to be admitted to a master's program in museum studies. Zelda is ambitious enough to defy her superiors at the museum. She wants to come up with new facts to impress her bosses and has to take risks to find them, even if that puts her in danger.

The other two books in the series are now on my tbr list. This mystery was that good.  5 out of 5 stars.

This Was Our Pact

This Was Our Pact is a children's graphic novel completely illustrated in shades of blue.  Five friends decide that they will meet on their bikes and follow lanterns that have been placed in a river as they float downstream. They have many adventures along the way, with friendships being cemented throughout the journey.

The publisher's summary:

"It's the night of the Autumn Equinox Festival, when the town gathers to float paper lanterns down the river.  Legend has it that after drifting out of sight, they'll soar off to the Milky Way and turn into brilliant stars, but could this be true?  This year, Ben and his classmates are determined to find out where those lanterns really go, and to ensure success in their mission, they've made a pact with two simple rules:  No one turns for home.  No one looks back.

The plan is to follow the river on their bikes for as long as it takes to learn the truth, but it isn't long before the pact is broken by all except for Ben, and (much to Ben's disappointment) Nathaniel, the one kid who just doesn't seem to fit in.  Together, Nathaniel and Ben will travel farther than anyone has ever gone, down a winding road full of magic, wonder, and unexpected friendship."

This Was Our Pact is a great fantasy quest for kids. Kids will love the adventures that the boys come across on their journey. Every now and then science facts are thrown in but the quest to follow the lanterns is the main story. The adventure itself is mesmerizing but the artwork with all its blue hues accentuates their escapades. The storyline also includes the quest of a bear that the boys meet so this book is definitely all about the exhilaration of following a quest.  

5 out of 5 stars.

Notes on a Thesis

French cartoonist Tiphaine Riviere's graphic novel covers the life of Jeanne Dargan during her 6 years as a PhD student.  While the book is satire, her story is sad and discouraging as well. Jeanne's life during those years was so disjointed that I would not choose to work one a PhD myself.

The publisher's summary:

"When Jeanne is accepted on to a PhD course, she is over the moon, brimming with excitement and grand plans - but is the world ready for her masterful analysis of labyrinth motifs in Kafka's The Trial?  At first Jeanne throws herself into research with great enthusiasm, but as time goes by, it becomes clear that things aren't quite going according to plan.  Notes on a Thesis is a reminder of the strangeness of academia, of every awful essay, every disastrous exam, and every insanity-inducing dissertation."

The artwork in Notes is interesting.  As Jeanne becomes more and more discouraged by her lack of progress, she is drawn with an increasingly wilted body.  Some of the other characters are drawn the same way, especially the lazy administrator Brigitte who I think resembles a government employee more than an administrator. I think I know her! She looks like my department's secretary.

The story was funny but also discouraging. I have thought about getting an advanced degree but Jeanne's experience makes me think twice about it. Jeanne got bogged down in teaching grad students and spent years just working on her thesis idea and creating the writing plan. This is not something that I want to do. 

Riviere is known for writing satire. She certainly excelled with Notes. She has Jeanne reading 3,200 books during the research phase of her degree and Jeanne wrote a 69 page outline of her thesis. Unbelievable!

5 out of 5 stars.

Shanghai Dream

Shanghai Dream is a sad book.  It is well written and illustrated but because the story concerns Jews running away from Nazis, and then the Japanese, in order to save their lives.  It ends abrultly without a denouement and I feel the rest of the story should be told in a subsequent novel. Luckily, Shanghai Dream is Book One.

The publisher's summary:  

"A young German Jewish filmmaker escapes the Nazi threat in Shanghai, where he is forced to adapt to a new land and cope with familial loss through the magic of filmmaking.  In 1938 Berlin, aspiring filmmaker Bernard Hersch works at the UFA studios and dreams of one day directing the screenplay he and his wife Illo are writing. But as a Jew in Hitler's Germany, Bernard faces increasing danger and discrimination, and is soon forced to accept deportation to Japan as his only hope.  However, Illo, disconcerted at having to abandon her elderly father, leaves Bernard behind at the last minute and returns to Berlin, where she and her father are shot by Nazis.  Rerouted to China, a heartbroken Bernard struggles through grief and vows to bring his and Illo's screenplay to life as a tribute to her legacy. Along the way, he finds love in a city under siege."

I was spellbound by the storyline. It was an emotional roller-coaster to read how the family made one choice after another, all of them lose-lose choices. I fell in love with the Bernard and Illo characters and felt like I knew them, perhaps because I have friends who lived this reality. The writing was suspenseful. A fast pace increased the suspense but it was also written with a sense of dread as the family had to make decisions quickly if they were going to survive the antisemitism directed at them. 

The artwork was drawn in comic strip panels. Some pages were colored by Delf in sepia tones and others were in black and white. All of the pages that referenced the writing of Illo's screenplay were drawn in black and white. 

Shanghai Dream is an accurate retelling of a part of WWII history. I highly recommend it, especially for young people.  5 out of 5 stars!

Filmish

Filmish:  A Graphic Journey Through Film offers the reader a history of the film industry.  Drawn in black and white comic panels, author Edward Ross teaches readers about the biases that are built in to the movies that we watch.  He focuses on seven aspects of filmmaking. They are the eye, the body, sets and architecture, voice and language, time, ideology, and technology and a separate chapter addresses each of these topics. The information he gives is beefy enough to be a textbook on films. The words and writing style that he used are also typical of a textbook. I certainly see it this way. Knowing nothing about movies before reading Filmish, I have come away with a long list of movies that I need to watch in order to see more clearly what Ross is talking about in each chapter. 

The first films were only a few seconds long and were created by putting several photographs together. The human eye will see movement where there is none and a new type of entertainment was born. Subsequent filmmakers improved upon this technique with new technologies. One aspect of filmmaking that has never changed is "male gaze." In the early days of the movies, producers purposely used storylines that could be enhanced with female subjects in situations that men like to watch. While several films have been made recently showing male muscle and nudity so that women could have "women gaze," the author states that men primarily watch these films to determine what women want from them. Nothing has changed here in a hundred years of making movies. One interesting fact about the use of sets is that heroes are shown in natural environments and villains are shown in stark, monochromatic environments. I never noticed this before and can't wait to watch a movie to see this for myself. Censorship is an issue covered at length in Filmish. The author writes that filmmakers will sign a contract with the Pentagon agreeing to only show the military in a positive light in exchange for the use of their machinery in a film. Producers see this as a way to save money as they can be assured of making an "approved" movie that will not be banned by theaters. 

I have learned so much about films from reading this book. I can't recommend it more highly. Anyone who loves movies as well as students who concentrate on studying filmmaking should read this book. 5 out of 5 stars.

The Bone Fire

I have been anxiously awaiting S. D. Sykes' latest installment of her Oswald de Lacy historical mystery series, not being aware that it was published almost one year ago.  This series takes place in the mid 1300s England with this installment taking place in 1361 when the plague was making its second round through England.

Our protagonist Oswald de Lacy is taking his family to a castle on the remote Isle of Eden where his friend Godfrey, Lord Eden, resides. Godfrey is sympathetic to the reformers and is housing several same thinking friends for the next six months to prevent them from being exposed to the plague.  Once the portcullis to the castle is raised up,  no one can leave the castle until the six months is up. Food has been hoarded and stored in a warehouse on site so they won't starve. The day after the de Lacys arrive, Lord Eden asks Oswald to visit him in his library to discuss a confidential matter. Upon meeting, Godfrey hands Oswald 2 sealed envelopes that Oswald should deliver if Godfrey dies. One letter is addressed to a reverend and the other is addressed to the Archbishop of Canterbury. He tells Oswald that he will be leaving the castle early the next day to pick up 2 more people but won't tell him where he is going or how he will get outside without lowering the portcullis. The next morning Godfrey is found dead. Godfrey's lazy, alcoholic brother Edwin becomes the new Lord of Eden and promises to find his brother's killer.  Knowing that Edwin is not capable of investigating, Oswald offers to help. He begins by interviewing all the occupants including a court Fool, an old priest who is Godfrey's uncle, a couple and their mute daughter, Edwin, two Dutchmen who are building an astronomical clock for Godfrey and a former soldier who is protecting the castle. 

This 4th installment of the series was an exciting read. It is a stand-alone novel but it would be helpful to read the series in order as there are some events from the past that are referred to here. It is a locked room mystery with a medieval twist. The  title comes comes from the history of plague survivors burning the bodies of those who died from the plague. The smell of burning bones had a distinct smell that everyone could identify. It is also where the word "bonfire" comes from.

5 out of 5 stars.

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.

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.

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.