Movies: Where the Crawdads Sing,White Bird, A Wonder Story, TV's The Secret Life of Groceries and the Tower, Quote of the Day, RIP Kathie Coblentz, The Water Dancer by Ta-Nehisi Coates, The Loveliest Chocolate Shop in Paris by Jenny Colgan and Storm Watcher by Lilith Saintcrow

 It's almost May already, and things are starting to look up for post-pandemic activities...I even got a haircut for the first time in nearly 2 years last week, and I went grocery shopping with my son Nick, which was a real pleasure. There has been a lot going on, both with my Crohns, which hasn't been great at all, and with my friends and family getting vaccinated and planning on meeting up in the near future. Meanwhile, here are some tidbits and long overdue book reviews.

I read where the Crawdads Sing, and while I didn't think it was all that great, I look forward to seeing how the plot plays out on the silver screen.

Movies: Where the Crawdads Sing, White Bird: A Wonder Story

Garret Dillahunt (Fear the Walking Dead), Michael Hyatt (Snowfall), Ahna O'Reilly (The Morning Show), Sterling Macer Jr. (Dragon: The Bruce Lee Story) and Jojo Regina have been added to the cast of Where the Crawdads Sing http://www.shelf-awareness.com/ct/uz3642037Biz48200422, based on Delia Owens's novel, Deadline reported. They join Daisy Edgar-Jones, Taylor John Smith, David Strathairn and Harris Dickinson

Olivia Newman is directing the film from a screenplay Lucy Alibar. Reese Witherspoon and Lauren Neustadter are producing for Hello Sunshine, and Elizabeth Gabler, Erin Siminoff and Aislinn Dunster are overseeing the project for 3000 Pictures.

Movie: White Bird, A Wonder Story

Participant has joined Lionsgate and Mandeville Films as executive producer and co-financier of White Bird: A Wonder Story http://www.shelf-awareness.com/ct/uz3642037Biz48200423, the companion film to 2017's hit YA feature Wonder, based on R.J. Palacio's book. The movie stars Gillian Anderson, Helen Mirren, Ariella Glaser, Orlando Schwerdt and, reprising his role from Wonder, Bryce Gheisar.

Marc Forster is directing White Bird, which is currently in production. The screenplay adaptation is by Mark Bomback (The Art of Racing in the Rain, War for the Planet of the Apes). Mandeville Films' David Hoberman and Todd Lieberman, who produced Wonder, are also producing the new film, along with Palacio.

Participant CEO David Linde commented: "Wonder is a shining example of what inspirational storytelling can achieve, and we are thrilled to partner again with our friends at Lionsgate and Mandeville Films, as well as R.J. Palacio and Marc Forster. Compassion for each other is the first step in bridging divides and we look forward to continuing that legacy of kindness and understanding with White Bird: A Wonder Story."

These book to movie/series adaptations sound absolutely fascinating! 

TV: The Secret Life of Groceries, The Tower

Benjamin Lorr's nonfiction book The Secret Life of Groceries http://www.shelf-awareness.com/ct/uz3642037Biz48234533: The Dark Miracle of the American Supermarket will be turned into a TV docuseries. Deadline reported that producer Truly Original (The Real Housewives of Atlanta, Ink Master) optioned the book and is developing the project.

Through a blend of investigative journalism and travelogue, Lorr "will go even deeper, offering an inside-out perspective of a world he describes as 'Alice in Wonderland-like surreal' and 'claustrophobically secretive,' whose gatekeepers would prefer to keep out of sight at all costs," Deadline wrote.

Lorr said: "I want to upend how we think about buying food. Retail grocery is a reflection, and this is going to be a 'warts and all' look in the mirror. We have a massive industry carefully calibrated to consumer demands, and it's been doing a damn good job. But how? And at what cost? This show will be an entertaining exploration of a system that's way too good to be true, unveiling every hero, villain, beauty and blemish behind it."

Truly Original's co-CEOs and executive producers Steven Weinstock and Glenda Hersh added: "Ben's expertise, wit, deep curiosity and empathic nature make him an ideal tour guide through what he cites as the 'miracle' of the American supermarket. Coming off a year when appreciation for grocery stores is off the charts, and rightly so, we think this project will amaze viewers and really hit home."

The Tower

Gemma Whelan (Game of Thrones, Killing Eve) has been cast as the lead in ITV's drama series The Tower http://www.shelf-awareness.com/ct/uz3642037Biz48234534, writer Patrick Harbinson's (Homeland) three-part adaptation of Kate London's Metropolitan Police novel Post Mortem, Deadline reported.

With filming scheduled to start this month, The Tower is produced by Harbinson's new production company Windhover Films and Mammoth Screen, the ITV Studios-owned producer behind BBC/Netflix series The Serpent and Poldark. It is made in association with ITV Studios, which distributes internationally.

 

Though I didn't manage to get out to an independent bookstore on Saturday, I followed many of my favorite indies online, and I love that this Iowa bookstore was flooded with customers! I look forward to going to a bookstore one day soon and just browsing and enjoying the ambiance of my fellow book lovers.

Quotation of the Day

'It Was, Hands Down, Our Best Sales Day Ever! I'm not usually an emotional person but after closing shop last night I was on the verge of tears. You see, running an independent bookstore is a tough business. Maintaining inventory (even in a small space), meeting financial obligations (which at times seem overwhelming), and offering legit customer service (call me out if I ever drop the ball) constantly wears on my mind. Don't get me wrong, I wouldn't trade this life for anything. I'm a small business owner who's living the dream.

"Anyway, the response we received Saturday for Independent Bookstore Day was off the charts. It was, hands down, our best sales day ever. Seriously. I cannot thank everyone enough for showing up and supporting the shop. By the end of the day, I had the wickedest case of 'register finger' I can remember. The shelves are looking a wee bit depleted, but I'll correct that in no time.... Now, excuse me, but I need to get back to work!" --Bart Carithers, owner of Next Page Books http://www.shelf-awareness.com/ct/uz3642037Biz48303827, Cedar Rapids, Iowa, in a Facebook post

 The NYPL lost one of it's greatest librarians recently, an amazing woman who was gone too soon. RIP.

Obituary Note: Kathie Coblentz

Kathie Coblentz http://www.shelf-awareness.com/ct/uz3642037Biz48335670, "a Renaissance woman who read or spoke 13 languages; collaborated on books about the directors Woody Allen, Clint Eastwood and Alfred Hitchcock; and, during her day job, cataloged rare books for more than 50 years at the New York Public Library," died April 3, the New York Times reported. She was 73. Coblentz was the library's third-longest serving employee, working most recently in the 42nd Street research library's special formats processing department of the Miriam and Ira D. Wallach Division of Art, Prints and Photographs.

Anthony W. Marx, NYPL's president and CEO, said Coblentz was recruited for a library job in 1969 before she graduated from the University of Michigan: "She thought she'd work at the New York Public Library until she figured out what to do next. Well, she never left."

Deirdre Donohue, her supervisor, described her as the "matriarch of our work family," who cataloged hundreds of items "that were the products of detective work, deep research and skepticism about facts."

Coblentz collaborated with her former teacher from the 1990s at the New School, Robert E. Kapsis, on researching (including translating avant-garde European criticism into English), editing and indexing books. She also edited anthologies of interviews with contemporary filmmakers.

Coblentz's 900-square-foot apartment housed 3,600 books, which had served as inspiration for her The New York Public Library Guide to Organizing a Home Library (2003). The Times noted that "her system of classifying her own collection of books at home defied library science and was ripe for parody. Ms. Coblentz had 16 bookcases holding more than 200 feet of shelf space in her one-bedroom apartment. The books were arranged by country of origin, size, sentimentality and personal obsession."

"Your system doesn't have to be logical," she told the Times in 2005. "It just has to work for you."

The Water Dancer by Ta-Nehisi Coates is the May book for my library book group. Let me start by saying that the prose in this novel wow-ed me from the first page onward, and the plot, though a bit serpentine, was a real page turner, and the characters riveting. I think this would qualify as magical realism in many ways, and yet the meat of the story has to do with the limits of the human spirit under slavery, not with the magic of the underground railroad. Here's the blurb: Young Hiram Walker was born into bondage. When his mother was sold away, Hiram was robbed of all memory of her—but was gifted with a mysterious power. Years later, when Hiram almost drowns in a river, that same power saves his life. This brush with death births an urgency in Hiram and a daring scheme: to escape from the only home he’s ever known.

So begins an unexpected journey that takes Hiram from the corrupt grandeur of Virginia’s proud plantations to desperate guerrilla cells in the wilderness, from the coffin of the Deep South to dangerously idealistic movements in the North. Even as he’s enlisted in the underground war between slavers and the enslaved, Hiram’s resolve to rescue the family he left behind endures.

This is the dramatic story of an atrocity inflicted on generations of women, men, and children—the violent and capricious separation of families—and the war they waged to simply make lives with the people they loved. Written by one of today’s most exciting thinkers and writers, The Water Dancer is a propulsive, transcendent work that restores the humanity of those from whom everything was stolen.

“Ta-Nehisi Coates is the most important essayist in a generation. The Water Dancer . . . is a work of both staggering imagination and rich historical significance. . . . What’s most powerful is the way Coates enlists his notions of the fantastic, as well as his fluid prose, to probe a wound that never seems to heal. . . . Timeless and instantly canon-worthy.”—Rolling Stone Magazine 

This is a timeless classic novel that I believe future generations will read and be amazed by. I laughed, cried and often had to set the book aside because mans inhumanity to man (and to women and children) was so staggering that I felt incapacitated by the horror of slavery, and by the aftershocks that had such a terrible effect on future generations. SPOILER ALERT: I was left with the question at the end of what happened to Hi, Sophia and little Carrie? Did he get her out of Virginia and into the North to freedom? Were they able to then be a family? Yet even with this important question looming at the end, I'd give this magnificent novel an A, and recommend it to everyone. 

The Loveliest Chocolate Shop in Paris by Jenny Colgan was a sometimes delicious, sometimes tedious romantic women's lit novel that I had high expectations of. I was destined for disappointment, however, when I discovered that all the cliches were here, especially with the women in the novel, all of whom loathed themselves, were super insecure and cowardly, and always relied on men to shore themselves up, until the end, when the older female protagonist, fulfilling her dying wish, finally goes against her fears and flies to meet the man she's loved for decades in Paris, after discovering that he's just had open heart surgery and nearly died himself. This was mainly due to his weight, which was a theme in this book, full of fatphobia and medical inaccuracies, that thin means you're healthier and more likely to live and fat means you've got a death sentence...except, of course, when you're thin due to cancer and chemotherapy. (but even then, much is made of how chic the older female protagonist is in a gown draped over her emeciated frame). Sad that so many authors still believe the diet industry BS over actual medical science. Anyway, here's the blurb:

Award-winning author Jenny Colgan takes her charming romances to Paris in this heartwarming, bittersweet story of life, love and chocolate.

Anna Trent may be a supervisor in a chocolate factory...but that doesn't necessarily mean she knows how to make chocolate. So when a fateful accident gives her the opportunity to work at the most elite chocolatier in Paris―Le Chapeau Chocolat―Anna expects to be outed as a fraud.

After all, there is a world of difference between chalky, mass-produced English chocolate and the gourmet confections Anna's new boss creates. While she may never match him in the kitchen, Anna thinks she might be able to give him a second chance at love.

And with a bit of luck and a lot of patience, Anna's learning that the sweetest things in life are always worth working for.

Anna's room mate, a flamboyant gay man, is really a more interesting and satisfying character than Anna, who consistently berates and second guesses herself, and of course the son of the famous chocolatier is really the only one who has talent in creating chocolate, because men are better at everything than women, especially French men! (actually this novel made the case that Frenchmen are even more sexist and egotistical than American or British men). But the writing was fairly smooth, as was the plot, which plodded with redundancy only a couple of times. All in all, I'd give this novel a B-, and recommend it to anyone who likes stories of Paris romances with English women abroad and lots of discussions of what makes great chocolate. 

Storm Watcher by Lilith Saintcrow is the second book in the Watcher series, this one outlining the story of Mari the water witch and Hanson the watcher. Saintcrow's prose is strong and effective, and her plots zip along like a drone on steroids, but her characters in the Watcher series are a bit too cliched for me. Her witches are all sweet and petite and completely ignorant of danger and self defense, so they of course rely on their watchers to protect them, and get all bent out of shape when these same men want to follow them around and try to keep them from taking stupid risks with their lives. Mari, like all her witch sisters, doesn't like herself at all, and is of course modest and shy, full of blushes and giggles and swoons whenever confronted by bloodthirsty monsters. She doesn't want her watcher to get hurt just for little old her, so she goes out by herself and nearly gets abducted or killed several times before she willingly accepts Hansons help. UGH. Insert eyeroll here. Or, better yet, here's the blurb:  

The Witch:
All Mariamne Niege wants is to finish her thesis and get a job. Unfortunately, she’s a Guardian now, and her visions of the future have grown so intense she’s blind to the world while in their grip. Her Watcher, Hanson, is sleeping on her couch and scaring her roommates when he’s not shepherding her through the visions and calming her worsening nightmares. Then the earthquakes start, warning of an even bigger disaster—a cataclysm that could level her beloved city and claim countless innocent lives. A disaster her visions say are triggered by Hanson, even though he’s sworn to protect her . . .

The Watcher:
Hanson joined the Watchers to atone for a life of lies, but the only way he can stay close enough to Mari to protect her is to use some of his less-than-honest talents. She is the only witch who can ease the agony of being a Watcher, and the only woman in the world he wants. Then Mari’s house is broken into and her roommates slaughtered, and in order to save his witch, Hanson is going to have to become more vicious than the Dark—even though it might mean losing her forever.
 

Of course it all ends nicely, or as nicely as it can, and I have already downloaded book 3, Fire Watcher, to see what happens next. But I really, really wish Saintcrow would allow her witches to have more agency of their own, more spine and guts and less whiny infantilized feminine romance novel protagonist. I know she knows how to do this because I've read all her other series, many of which have kick-butt women in them. So please join us in the 21st century, Ms Saintcrow, where real women don't blush or giggle, and where most are not petite or sweet and innocent at all. How about a larger woman protagonist, pagan loving and full of brio, who kicks monster arse with her witchy magic?! At any rate, I'd give this book a B, and recommend it to anyone who read the first book in the Watcher series.

Amazon Workers Vote Against Union, The 39 Steps on TV, Hugh Laurie Produces Agatha Christie Novel, The Last Bookshop in London by Madeline Martin, The Plastic Magician by Charlie N Holmberg, The Tethered Mage by Melissa Caruso and The Maharani's Pearls by Charles Todd

This past week has been a difficult one, but also surprising. I was able to trudge through the pain of a long-running Crohn's flare (usually my flares resolve themselves in days, while this one has lasted over two weeks) while also dealing with health insurance woes and allergies. I also got a tote bag from KCLS Maple Valley branch (library) in thanks for my volunteer work, when I've been a volunteer for over 15 years. Then suddenly, out of nowhere, a nice note and a tote! Wow. Which made me wonder...why now? Still, it's lovely and I am thankful for the recognition. Meanwhile, here are some tidbits and news bits, in addition to the usual book reviews. I've been reading more ebooks because my Kindle Paperwhite is easier to bring to the bathroom with me...sorry if that's TMI.

I really think that there were some underhanded tactics used here to undermine the union and what they were trying to do for Amazon workers. I grew up in a union family (my father worked for the state branch of the National Education Association, which is a teacher's union) so I know what rich corporate CEOs and administrators can do when they want to keep workers downtrodden.

Amazon Workers in Alabama Vote Against Union

Workers at the Amazon warehouse in Bessemer, Ala., voted by more than a two-to-one margin against unionization in a highly contested, widely watched election. Amazon had fought the union effort bitterly, and its nearly one million U.S. workers continue to have no union representation, even while many of its operations in Europe are unionized. The result was a painful loss for the union and its many supporters, who believed that a pro-labor administration, pandemic safety concerns and solidarity among workers would lead to a growth in union representation in the private sector, particularly at a huge retailer like Amazon.

The result was announced on Friday when the minimum threshold for rejection http://www.shelf-awareness.com/ct/uz3642037Biz48130315 of the union had been reached, even though not all ballots had been counted at that point.

The union that led the drive, the Retail, Wholesale and Department Store Union, said that it would fight the result. Its president, Stuart Appelbaum, said in a statement, "We won't let Amazon's lies, deception and illegal activities go unchallenged, which is why we are formally filing charges against all of the egregious and blatantly illegal actions taken by Amazon during the union vote."

Those actions included forcing workers to attend anti-union meetings, sending many anti-union text messages to workers, and putting up anti-union posters in the warehouse bathrooms and elsewhere.

In a press release after the result, Amazon said in part, "Our employees heard far more anti-Amazon messages from the union, policymakers, and media outlets than they heard from us. And Amazon didn't win--our employees made the choice to vote against joining a union."

Senator Bernie Sanders, who enthusiastically endorsed the unionization effort, tweeted, as recounted by the Guardian, that he wasn't surprised http://www.shelf-awareness.com/ct/uz3642037Biz48130316, adding, "The willingness of Amazon workers in Bessemer to take on the wealthiest man in the world and a powerful company in an anti-union state is an inspiration. It takes an enormous amount of courage to stand up and fight back, and they should be applauded." Many observers saw the vote as a major victory for Amazon and doubted that unions would press again soon to unionize at its more than 100 warehouses in the U.S. But others pointed out that, as Sanders mentioned, the election was held in one of the most virulently anti-union areas in the U.S. In addition, because of the relatively poor local economy, Amazon's entry level wage of $15 a year and benefits had to appear more attractive than in other regions.

Many believe that renewed emphasis will be placed on national efforts to break up Amazon or force it to change some practices, or both.

 I love Benedict Cumberbatch, and I am really looking forward to seeing what he does with this material.

TV: The 39 Steps; Five Days at Memorial

Netflix "has landed The 39 Steps http://www.shelf-awareness.com/ct/uz3642037Biz48130353, a limited series star vehicle for Benedict Cumberbatch," Deadline reported. Edward Berger (Patrick Melrose) will direct and Mark L. Smith (The Revenant) will write the series, based on the classic novel by John Buchan that was previously turned into Alfred Hitchcock's classic 1935 film. Cumberbatch will executive produce with his producing partner Adam Ackland under their SunnyMarch banner.

Deadline noted that "there will be six or more hourlong episodes, most likely to shoot next year in Europe when schedules clear. Netflix moved most aggressively and committed to make the series when Anonymous Content took the package to the marketplace in late February."

Cornelius Smith Jr. (Scandal) will star with Vera Farmiga and Adepero Oduye in Five Days at Memorial http://www.shelf-awareness.com/ct/uz3642037Biz48130354, Apple TV+'s limited series based on the nonfiction book by Sheri Fink, Deadline reported. The project will be written and executive produced John Ridley and Carlton Cuse, who are also directing the limited series. ABC Signature is the studio. Author Fink will serve as producer.

 I've been a big Hugh Laurie fan since his days as a comic on "A Bit of Fry and Laurie" and "Blackadder." So of course I was thrilled when he landed on an American show called "House, MD" which ended too soon. It should be fascinating to see what this multi-talented actor does with an AC novel...I'm sure his dry sense of humor will be prevalent.

Hugh Laurie Produces Agatha Christie Novel

 Hugh Laurie will write, direct and executive produce an adaptation of

Agatha Christie's novel Why Didn't They Ask Evans? http://www.shelf-awareness.com/ct/uz3642037Biz48132710 for BritBox in North America. Deadline reported that the three-part limited series "represents the BBC Studios and ITV-owned streamer's biggest U.S. commission to date.... No word yet on whether Laurie will take a starring role in the show."

"The hairs on the back of my neck haven't properly settled down from the first time I grasped the beauty of the essential mystery," Laurie said. "Since then, I have fallen deeper and deeper in love with the characters, and feel immensely honored to have been given the chance to retell their story in this form. I will wear a tie on set, and give it everything I have."

Emily Powers, head of BritBox North America, added: "Hugh Laurie's writing pays homage to the brilliance of the original Agatha Christie mystery while adding fresh wit, humor, and creativity that will appeal to all audiences."

The Last Bookshop in London by Madeline Martin was an interesting historical romance novel about a young woman finding herself during the London Blitz (bombing) of WWII. Though it had a methodical and fast moving plot, the prose used to get the novel moving along was often amateurish and stilted/stiff. Here's the blurb: “An irresistible tale which showcases the transformative power of literacy, reminding us of the hope and sanctuary our neighborhood bookstores offer during the perilous trials of war and unrest.” Kim Michele Richardson, author of The Book Woman of Troublesome Creek

August 1939: London prepares for war as Hitler’s forces sweep across Europe. Grace Bennett has always dreamed of moving to the city, but the bunkers and drawn curtains that she finds on her arrival are not what she expected. And she certainly never imagined she’d wind up working at Primrose Hill, a dusty old bookshop nestled in the heart of London.

Through blackouts and air raids as the Blitz intensifies, Grace discovers the power of storytelling to unite her community in ways she never dreamed—a force that triumphs over even the darkest nights of the war.   

Even though I had trouble with the stuffy prose, I really enjoyed the characters here and the descriptions of the aftermath of the bombing of London, how the people came together to help one another and the genuine need of everyone, from children to elders, for good reading material, or for someone to read them a story to keep their minds off of the horrors of war. For that reason, I feel this book deserves a B+ and I'd recommend it to fans of Lilac Girls and other WWII historical novels.

The Plastic Magician by Charlie N Holmberg is probably the 7th book of hers that I've read. Holmberg has a way with fantasy that is somehow grounded in basic science that makes her books loads of fun to read, because you can actually imagine the gadgets and inventions coming to life, as if by magic. I've read the rest of her "material mages" series, and I'd say this one was as riveting as the first book of the series, the Paper Magician. Here's the blurb:

Wall Street Journal bestselling author Charlie N. Holmberg returns to the enchanting world of The Paper Magician.

Alvie Brechenmacher has arrived in London to begin her training in Polymaking—the magical discipline of bespelling plastic. Polymaking is the newest form of magic, and in a field where there is so much left to learn, every Polymaker dreams of making the next big discovery.

Even though she is only an apprentice, Alvie is an inventor at heart, and she is determined to make as many discoveries—in as short a time frame—as she can. Luckily for her, she’s studying under the world-renowned magician Marion Praff, who is just as dedicated as Alvie is.

Alvie’s enthusiasm reinvigorates her mentor’s work, and together they create a device that could forever change Polymaking—and the world. But when a rival learns of their plans, he conspires to steal their invention and take the credit for it himself.

To thwart him, Alvie will need to think one step ahead. For in the high-stakes world of magical discovery, not everyone plays fair.

Holmberg's prose is sleek and supple, while her plots are so full of adventure and mystery that they whiz along on electric roller skates. Alvie was kind of a doofus, but I still enjoyed all of her triumphs and tribulations. I'd give this novel an A, and recommend it to anyone who has read any of the other books in her "paper magicians" series. I guarantee it will fascinate even the most jaded Steampunk fan.

The Tethered Mage by Melissa Caruso is a YA fantasy that surprised me in it's serious storyline that asks questions about freedom of powered individuals over the need for safety of the masses, and the raising of "magical" children in a somewhat isolated environment to become soldiers, which on the face of it is reprehensible. Here's the blurb: A mage with coveted magic and the scion of a powerful family are magically bound together in service to the Empire in the first book of a spellbinding fantasy trilogy from David Gemmell Award-nominated author Melissa Caruso. 

Magic is scarce in the Raverran Empire, and those born with such powers are strictly controlled -- taken as children and conscripted into the Falcon army, to be used as weapons in times of war.

Zaira has lived her life on the streets to avoid this fate, hiding her mage mark and thieving to survive. But hers is a rare and dangerous magic, one that threatens the entire Empire. Lady Amalia Cornaro was never meant to be a Falconer. Heiress and scholar, she was born into a treacherous world of political machinations.

But fate has bound the heir and the mage. And as war looms on the horizon, a single spark could turn their city into a pyre. 

Zaira has every right to be suspicious and angry at the nobility for "tethering" her, like a falcon, to a noble who can control her use of her powers. Yet when left to her own devices, Zaira has burned down entire towns and killed her parents with fire power that she cannot control once she's in it's throes. But while this dilemma seems to run afoul of class lines, the whole "mad/bad Russian lord" thing got to be a bit too moustache-twirly for my tastes. Still, the prose was clean and crisp while the plot marched along in a metered fashion. I'd give this book a B-, and recommend it to anyone who is interested in classism and power issues played out in a fantasy, swords and sorcery setting.

The Maharani's Pearls by Charles Todd is a Bess Crawford prequel novelette that I happened across in ebook format for a song. I've read all the Bess C mysteries written by the mother and son team of Charles Todd, and while some moved a bit quicker than others, I have enjoyed Bess's adventures as a nurse and part time sleuth during The Great War (WW1). Here's the blurb:

Living with her family in India, young Bess Crawford's curiosity about this exotic country sometimes leads her into trouble.

One day she slips away from the cantonment to visit the famous seer in a nearby village. Before this woman can finish telling her fortune, Bess is summoned back for an afternoon tea with the Maharani, a close friend of her parents'. The seer's last words are a warning about forthcoming danger that Bess takes as the usual patter. But this visit by the Maharani has ominous overtones that mark it as more than a social call. Her husband has political enemies, and she has come to ask Bess's father, Major Crawford, for help.

As the Maharani is leaving, Bess notices that there is something amiss with the royal entourage. Major Crawford must set out after them—but will he be in time?

And what will happen to Bess, and the household left behind, when a vicious assassin circles back to take hostages?

Here is an extraordinary glimpse into the childhood of the Bess Crawford we know from her service in the Great War.

Todd's prose is, as usual, stalwart and sublime, while their plot, especially in this short novella, moves along at a clip. I'd give it an A, and recommend it to anyone who has read any of the other Bess mysteries...you won't be disappointed.

 

Swamp Fox Bookstore in Marion, Iowa, Expands, Powell's Books Clashes With Union, A Single Girl's Guide to Wedding Survival by Melissa Borg, Namesake by Adrienne Young and Dusk, Night, Dawn: On Revival and Courage by Anne Lamott

Howdy fellow book dragons! I'm feeling anxious and somewhat upset about my latest reading choices. When I read a book that isn't as advertised, I feel swindled, and that makes me angry. Anyway, this post will likely be a bit shorter since I am only reviewing three books instead of four. 

This is such a great idea, especially for a small town like Marion. 

Swamp Fox Bookstore Expands, Launches Swamp Fox Kids

Swamp Fox Bookstore http://www.shelfawareness.com/ct/uz3642037Biz48091897 in Marion, Iowa, has launched a children's division called Swamp Fox Kids. Both are "micro shops" located within the West End Marion, with Swamp Fox Bookstore now occupying a new, larger space while Swamp Fox Kids occupies the space in which Swamp Fox Bookstore used to reside.

Thanks to the creation of Swamp Fox Kids, the main bookstore now carries an expanded selection of books and gifts for adults and young adults. The children's store, meanwhile, carries books for kids, educational games and gifts for children and families.

Owners Ursla Lanphear, Terri LeBlanc and Amanda Zhorne founded Swamp Fox Bookstore last July. Both shops are currently open for business, and a grand opening celebration and ribbon cutting are planned for Saturday, April 24, the same day as Independent Bookstore Day.

 

My father was a mediator/arbitrator for the National Education Association/Polk Suburban Unit for much of his professional career, so I grew up in a very democratic, pro-union household. That's why I am finding it hard to believe that the CEO at Powell's is telling the truth here, and not just trying to save money by hiring new workers who would work at a lower wage and not have as many benefits. But I guess we shall see. I suspect that a lot of store unions are clashing over rehiring their original staff.

              **    **

Powell's Books and Union Clash over Staff Rehiring

On Tuesday, Patrick Bassett, CEO of Powell's Books, Portland, Ore., issued an open letter outlining the latest steps in the gradual reopening of Powell's stores and expanding staff (which was cut severely last year). The move will involve advertising open positions, which the staff's union is objecting to vociferously.

In the letter, Bassett noted that last summer, "as safety permitted, we were able to gradually reopen stores with limited hours. This allowed us to honor our labor contract and recall more than 170 employees who were previously laid off due to the economic impact of COVID-19." (The union has represented 400 staff members at Powell's before than pandemic began.) "Now that vaccination rates are increasing, and signs of economic recovery are starting to appear, Powell's will begin hiring additional employees," Bassett continued.

He said the rehiring process is "not as straightforward as we'd hoped" because under the contract between Powell's and the union "seniority and employment rights have expired for laid-off former employees, including any rights under the recall process."

He said Powell's "reached out to the Union on two occasions to find solutions that go above and beyond the labor contract, without success. Our most recent proposal would have temporarily extended former employees' access to the recall process for a period of six months as well as reinstate their previous paid time-off accrual rate, which would be significant to our longer-term former employees. We appreciate the working relationship we have with Local 5 and our joint efforts to creatively find an agreement beyond the contract. Unfortunately, the Union did not accept this offer. This means the original contract language regarding loss of all seniority and employment rights applies, and we will begin to advertise job openings."

He stated that "former Powell's employees whose seniority and employment were lost under the labor contract remain eligible to apply for new positions. Our hope is that many will express interest in these opportunities and secure reemployment with the company. It is also our goal that when former employees are hired for the same or a similar position that they held before, we will return them at their previous wage."

Bassett added that "Powell's has adhered to the labor contract at all times and fulfilled our commitments as described in the collective bargaining agreement, including maintaining employee benefits and wage increases during the pandemic without requesting mid-contract relief from the Union. We are proud of this work and our commitment to our employees."

In a statement, union representative Myka Dubay responded in part: "We are appalled at Powell's decision to eliminate the recall list and force laid off employees to apply for their former jobs. This action comes nearly a year after the Union and Company had reached mutual agreement, in writing, that the recall list would be maintained without timeline restrictions. The Union is looking into every avenue to hold Powell's to their contractual obligations as well as the moral imperative to treat workers ethically and not use the pandemic as an opportunity to reduce wages and benefits for longtime employees."

In addition, Dubay told the Oregonian that the union had been in talks with Powell's for the last two weeks http://www.shelf-awareness.com/ct/uz3642037Biz48094382 and didn't know that an open letter would be released.

A Single Girl's Guide to Wedding Survival by Melissa Borg is a self published book that looks like it was published traditionally. Add to that that it's supposed to be about a larger gal who learns to accept herself and has a great romance, and I was on the hook for a copy for an early Mother's Day gift. Imagine my disappointment on learning that this glacially plotted, redundant book didn't even get off the ground until well after page 110. The plot, though it speeds up a bit, starts to rattle and fall apart soon after page 170. The low-quality prose is consistently hampered by typos and grammatical mistakes that only an amateur author could make. If any editor worth their red pen were to read this painfully awful novel, I would hope that they would recommend the author to a basic novel writing class. Of course a lot of romance tropes are used here, which is just lazy, and the main character loathes herself so much, she's a doormat for her mother and nearly everyone else she encounters. Here's the blurb: Love thy sister. Unless a wedding’s involved. Even in always sunny Arizona, Victoria Shaw has lived under the shadow of her stunning but self-important younger sister, Dessie. When Dessie announces she’s getting married in three short weeks, Victoria’s single status and routine job suddenly seem like failures instead of choices. To make matters worse, Dessie expects, not asks, Victoria to help. Unable to deny her sister, Victoria soon becomes the bride-to-be’s wedding planner, chauffeur, roommate, and doormat, all while navigating family insanity and blind-date hell.Victoria tries to cope with the help of ice cream, humorous retorts, and her best friend’s sassy reality jabs, but it’s not enough. Faced with a tidal wave of family dysfunction, disastrous dates, and plummeting self-esteem, Victoria is forced to discover who she is, what she wants, and how to live her life not under a shadow, but out in the sun.

The protagonist's sister "Dessie" is a monster, a narcissist who uses everyone around her for her own gain, and of course, her sister just keeps letting her do so, like a spineless coward. Victoria's mother is no better, bullying her daughter and forcing her to go on blind dates with losers. "Tory" continues to let her evil mother and sister abuse her mentally and physically without consequence because she's weak and can't muster the gumption to say NO. Her father is also a LAME and wimpy coward who does nothing to help the daughter he supposedly loves. Then there's all the ridiculous tropes that romance authors foist on their female protagonists, the blushing, the giggling (which should be considered a crime for any female over the age of 5) and the virginal innocence and childish attitude of the grown-ass female protagonist (this makes all the grown male protagonists seem like pedophiles, which is disgusting). The ending was unsatisfying, rushed and predictable.  I'd give this sad tale a C-, and I'm being generous. I can't really recommend it to those who are looking for stories of larger women's self acceptance, because this protagonist is such an idiot, she's not at all inspirational. 

Namesake by Adrienne Young is a YA romantic adventure/pirate story that is the sequel to Fable, the original book in the series. I was expecting great things from this book, and was, again, disappointed with the choices made by Fable, the female protagonist who is not only anorexic (and considered sexy for being skeletal) but a complete idiot when it comes to the men in her life. Here's the blurb: Following the Hello Sunshine Book Club pick Fable, New York Times bestselling author Adrienne Young returns with Namesake, a captivating conclusion to the duology, filled with action, emotion, and lyrical writing.

Trader. Fighter. Survivor.

With the Marigold ship free of her father, Fable and its crew were set to start over. That freedom is short-lived when she becomes a pawn in a notorious thug’s scheme. In order to get to her intended destination she must help him to secure a partnership with Holland, a powerful gem trader who is more than she seems. (Editors note: Holland is her controlling, evil grandmother).

As Fable descends deeper into a world of betrayal and deception, she learns that the secrets her mother took to her grave are now putting the people Fable cares about in danger. If Fable is going to save them then she must risk everything, including the boy she loves and the home she has finally found. 

Other than the never eating anything and constantly having a churning stomach that makes her want to vomit (so there's an element of Bulimia to add to her general insanity), Fable is, after being abandoned, nearly starving to death and being roughed up and nearly murdered several times, still something of a sweet and innocent gal, who for reasons that make NO SENSE AT ALL loves her creepy murdering father Saint enough to bargain with her life to find a rare mineral for her grandmother, so wealthy old granny won't have anyone assassinate dear old dad. WHY? You got me...Saint has, over the course of two books, thrown Fable to the wolves more than once, and has told her that he doesn't care about her or love her at all. He has been cold and ruthless toward her, and makes it clear that he wouldn't risk his life for her, after abandoning her on the Lord of the Flies Island for over four years, while sending one of his young minions/assassins to just "watch" her try to survive, but not interfere. So of course she falls in love with the minion, West, sent to watch her, though he hasn't helped her until she finally broke free of the Island.  She forgives him being a killer for her dad, and then, in the most ridiculous turn around of a character ever, Saint suddenly comes through for Fable, acknowledges that she's his daughter, and they have a chat where they cry all over each other and her dead mother. Wow...this all happens in the final few chapters of the book, and readers are given no warning and no reason for Saint's dramatic lean-in to fatherhood and "loving" his daughter. He claims he loved her all along, but the way he treated her belies that claim. Saint's a thug, murderer and an asshat, and the last person who should ever be a parent.  Fable's grandmother is even worse, if that's possible, and in the end, Fable finds the famed gem her mother hid, but doesn't bring it up for some murky reason. Anyway, the lame plot and the stupidity of the characters brings this book's grade down to a C, and I would only recommend it to those who have to finish a series.

Dusk, Night, Dawn: On Revival and Courage by Anne Lamott is yet another one of her inspirational memoirs that delves into how to deal with everyday crisis with "courage" and "revival." I've read three of Lamott's other non fiction titles, and while I liked two of them, her famous Bird by Bird struck me as more of a guide to being petty and vengeful than as a guide to writing. Lamotts prose is about as exciting and colorful as dishwater here, and the book meanders from anecdote to anecdote. Here's the blurb: In Dusk, Night, Dawn, Anne Lamott explores the tough questions that many of us grapple with. How can we recapture the confidence we once had as we stumble through the dark times that seem increasingly bleak? As bad newspiles up—from climate crises to daily assaults on civility—how can we cope? Where, she asks, “do we start to get our world and joy and hope and our faith in life itself back . . . with our sore feet, hearing loss, stiff fingers, poor digestion, stunned minds, broken hearts?”

We begin, Lamott says, by accepting our flaws and embracing our humanity.

Drawing from her own experiences, Lamott shows us the intimate and human ways we can adopt to move through life’s dark places and toward the light of hope that still burns ahead for all of us.

As she does in Help, Thanks, Wow and her other bestselling books, Lamott explores the thorny issues of life and faith by breaking them down into manageable, human-sized questions for readers to ponder, in the process showing us how we can amplify life's small moments of joy by staying open to love and connection. As Lamott notes in Dusk, Night, Dawn, “I got Medicare three days before I got hitched, which sounds like something an old person might do, which does not describe adorably ageless me.” Marrying for the first time with a grown son and a grandson, Lamott explains that finding happiness with a partner isn't a function of age or beauty but of outlook and perspective. Full of the honesty, humor, and humanity that have made Lamott beloved by millions of readers, Dusk, Night, Dawn is classic Anne Lamott—thoughtful and comic, warm and wise—and further proof that Lamott truly speaks to the better angels in all of us. 

I was surprised by how much protestant religious tenants are discussed in each chapter of this book...it becomes "preachy" after the first 10 pages, which I had hoped would be only temporary, and that her insights would include more world religions and other faith practices. But no, Lamott is a Sunday school teacher who admits that she only keeps the preteen and teenage students coming to her class with the promise of junk food. She consistently goes on about how wonderful she is, how beautiful and youthful, and yet how controlling and judgemental and downright mean she is to those around her. If you can get through this book without wanting to slap Lamott upside the head, hard, you're a better person than I am. I grew bored with her revised (to be humorous in a juvenile way) bible stories and her constant breakdowns over not being able to summon the strength to just say NO to her husband or anyone else who was asking her to attend an event or do something she didn't want to do. Seriously, Anne, if you're having a nervous breakdown over the boredom of listening to other people's stories at an open mike night, GET UP AND LEAVE! It's obvious that any story that doesn't revolve around you and your escapades will bore you into a huge anxiety attack anyway, so why your husband didn't pick up on this and take you home is a mystery to me. You ramble on and on about what a perfect man he is, how he deals with your childish churlishness on a daily basis, so why didn't he pick up on this, when you were practically rocking and tapping like Rainman before intermission?! Though it was a short book, it was very thin on actual tips of revival and courage, and I grew bored and irritated with Anne's rampant egotism. I don't plan on ever reading any more of her memoirs, so I will give this drek a C, and recommend it to Christians who want to read about what a mess Lamott is and therefore feel good about themselves by comparison. Do not waste your money purchasing this book, get it from the library.

 

 

 

 

Glennon Doyle Indie Bookstore Ambassador, RIP Larry Mc Murtry and Beverly Cleary, GRRM Inks Huge Deal with HBO, Pieces of Her on TV, Spellmaker by Charlie N Holmberg, The Consequences of Fear by Jacqueline Winspear, Dark Watcher by Lilith Saintcrow and Damage, A Ghost Squad Novel by Lilith Saintcrow

Welcome! April showers have begun, as well as warmer weather and sunshine, which somehow makes the days seem more bearable during this last phase of quarantine. I've been fully vaccinated, and so has my husband, but now we are just awaiting our son's vaccination before venturing forth out into the world again, even on a small scale, like shopping for purses in the department store. The new normal is going to be quite a culture shock for me, as I've not been in a store for well over a year now. But my Easter basket was full of books (16 of them!), a beautiful hand made book bag, chocolate and one large seal-shaped pillow named Egg, so I've been happily noshing and reading this past week. Here are the latest reviews, tidbits and obits.

I loved Glennon Doyle's Untamed, and I have watched her being interviewed on podcasts and TV shows recently. I think it's great that she's the face of Indie Bookstore Day!

Indie Bookstore Day Author Ambassador: Glennon Doyle

Glennon Doyle will be the 2021 Author Ambassador for Independent Bookstore Day http://www.shelf-awareness.com/ct/uz3642037Biz47949592, which will be take place Saturday, April 24. Doyle is the author of Untamed, a Reese's Book Club selection that has sold more than two million copies; Love Warrior, an Oprah's Book Club selection; and Carry On, Warrior; and is a champion of independent bookstores, Bookselling This Week noted.

"I have been to one million independent bookstores. I have met the booksellers who founded them and own them. I have fallen in love with them," she said. "Zero jerks own independent bookstores. They just don't. They are--always--people who believe in and deeply invest in communities and art and ideas. And during this pandemic, in which we have lost one local indie per week, we need to prioritize investing in these local businesses who invest so much in us."

 Two obituaries for great authors of vastly different genres, McMurtry for his romantic Westerns and Cleary for her wonderful Ramona children's books. Both will be sorely missed.

Obituary Note: Larry McMurtry

Larry McMurtry http://www.shelf-awareness.com/ct/uz3642037Biz47949596, the prolific novelist and screenwriter--and legendary bookseller--"who demythologized the American West with his unromantic depictions of life on the 19th-century frontier and in contemporary small-town Texas," died March 25, the New York Times reported. He was 84. McMurtry wrote more than 30 novels and several books of essays, memoir and history. His work also includes over 30 screenplays, including the Oscar-winning Brokeback Mountain (with Diana Ossana, his friend and writing partner).

His greatest commercial and critical success was Lonesome Dove, which won a Pulitzer Prize in 1986 and was made into a popular TV mini-series. The Times noted that from the beginning of his career, McMurtry's books "were attractive to filmmakers," including Horseman, Pass By (Hud, directed by Martin Ritt and starring Paul Newman), The Last Picture Show (starring Jeff Bridges and Cybill Shepherd, directed by Peter Bogdanovich) and Terms of Endearment (directed by James L. Brooks and starring Shirley MacLaine, Debra Winger and Jack Nicholson), which won the best picture Oscar in 1983.

For 50 years, McMurtry was also a serious antiquarian bookseller. While living in the Washington, D.C., area, he opened Booked Up http://www.shelf-awareness.com/ct/uz3642037Biz47949599 in 1971 with a partner, and in 1988 launched a much larger bookstore in Archer City, Tex., which he owned and operated until his death. Booked Up "is one of America's largest," the Times wrote. "It once occupied six buildings and contained some 400,000 volumes. In 2012 Mr. McMurtry auctioned off two-thirds of those books and planned to consolidate. About leaving the business to his heirs, he said: 'One store is manageable. Four stores would be a burden.' " His private library held about 30,000 books, spread over three houses. He called compiling it a life's work, "an achievement equal to if not better than my writings themselves."

From 1989 to 1991, McMurtry served as president of PEN America. The AP noted that the group's current president, Ayad Akhtar, said McMurtry was "through and through a vigorous defender of the freedom to write." In 2014, President Obama presented him with a National Humanities Medal for work that "evokes the character and drama of the American West with stories that examine quintessentially American lives."

Obituary Note: Beverly Cleary

Beverly Cleary http://www.shelf-awareness.com/ct/uz3642037Biz47949607, creator of Henry Huggins and his dog Ribsy, bratty Ramona Quimby and her older sister Beezus, and Ralph S. Mouse--whose books sold more than 85 million copies--died on March 25 at age 104. The New York Times wrote that "Cleary, a librarian by trade, introduced a contemporary note into children's literature. In a humorous, lively style, she made compelling drama out of the everyday problems, small injustices and perplexing mysteries--adults chief among them--that define middle-class American childhood.... Always sympathetic, never condescending, she presented her readers with characters they knew and understood, the 20th-century equivalents of Huck Finn or Louisa May Alcott's little women, and every bit as popular."

In an article in the Horn Book, Cleary recalled as a child being disappointed by children's books, which seemed to feature "aristocratic English children who had nannies and pony carts, or poor children whose problems disappeared when a long-lost rich relative turned up in the last chapter." Thus, she said, "I wanted to read funny stories about the sort of children I knew, and I decided that someday when I grew up, I would write them.

After graduating from UC Berkeley and the University of Washington with bachelor's degrees in English and librarianship, respectively, Cleary became a librarian and worked at Sather Gate Book Shop in Berkeley and continued to be disappointed by books for children.

In her acceptance speech upon winning the Laura Ingalls Wilder Medal from the American Library Association in 1975, she remembered this problem again: "Why didn't authors write books about everyday problems that children could solve by themselves? Why weren't there more stories about children playing? Why couldn't I find more books that would make me laugh? These were the books I wanted to read, and the books I was eventually to write."

"She began telling her own stories, along with fairy tales and folk tales, at schools and libraries," the Times wrote, which led to her first book, Henry Huggins, published in 1950. The popularity of the book led to sequels--including Henry and Beezus, Henry and Ribsy, Henry and the Paper Route, Henry and the Clubhouse and Ribsy--as well as spinoffs focusing on some of Henry Huggins's friends, including Ellen Tebbits and Otis Spofford.

From this group, Ramona Quimby "emerged as a superstar," the Times wrote. After Beezus and Ramona, she starred in Ramona the Pest, Ramona the Brave, Ramona and Her Father, Ramona and Her Mother, Ramona Quimby, Age 8, Ramona Forever and Ramona's World.

Ralph S. Mouse starred in The Mouse and the Motorcycle, Runaway Ralph and Ralph S. Mouse.

 GRRM, who once taught English lit at my undergrad college (where I met him my freshman year) has become even more rich and famous with yet another deal for programs produced for HBO. Hopefully, these adaptations will be less bloody/gory than the previous ones, so I can watch them (I can't abide horror adaptations with politics thrown in, too depressing and disgusting).

George R.R. Martin Inks 'Massive Overall Deal' with HBO

George R.R. Martin "is founding a new content kingdom at HBO" after a signing a "massive overall deal http://www.shelf-awareness.com/ct/uz3642037Biz47949639 to develop more programming for the network and its streaming service, HBO Max," according to the Hollywood Reporter, which cited sources who said the contract "spans five years and is worth mid-eight figures."

HBO currently has five projects based on Martin's A Song of Ice and Fire fantasy world in the development stage and one (House of the Dragon) that's been greenlit to series. He is also developing for HBO the series Who Fears Death (an adaptation of Nnedi Okorafor's 2011 postapocalyptic novel) and Roadmarks (adapted from Roger Zelazny's 1979 fantasy novel), both of which he will executive produce.

Noting that Martin "first struck a deal to license his A Song of Ice and Fire novels to HBO in 2007," THR wrote that that deal led to Game of Thrones, the network's "biggest and most award-winning series of all time." He also has several projects in the works beyond HBO.

 I'm really looking forward to this series, created and produced by an all-female team.

TV: Pieces of Her

Nicholas Burton (Damaged) and Aaron Jeffery (X-Men Origins: Wolverine) will play recurring characters in Netflix's dramatic thriller series Pieces of Her http://www.shelf-awareness.com/ct/uz3642037Biz48059562, starring Toni Collette and Bella Heathcote. Deadline reported that the eight-episode series, based on the 2018 book by Karin Slaughter, "comes from an all-female creative team led by Charlotte Stoudt, Bruna Papandrea, Lesli Linka Glatter and Minkie Spiro, who will direct the season."

Written by Stoudt, who serves as showrunner, Pieces of Her's cast also includes Jessica Barden, David Wenham, Joe Dempsie, Jacob Scipio, Omari Hardwick, and guest stars Terry O'Quinn, Gil Birmingham and Calum Worthy.

Spellmaker by Charlie N. Holmberg is the second and final novel in a duology that began with Spellbreaker, which I reviewed last month. Set in the latter days of alternative Victorian England, This book follows a talented young spellbreaking mage who is being hunted by an insane master magician out to steal a spell that would turn the world's population into her puppets. Here's the blurb:

England, 1895. An unsolved series of magician murders and opus thefts isn’t a puzzle to Elsie Camden. But to reveal a master spellcaster as the culprit means incriminating herself as an unregistered spellbreaker. When Elsie refuses to join forces with the charming assassin, her secret is exposed, she’s thrown in jail, and the murderer disappears. But Elsie’s hope hasn’t vanished.

Through a twist of luck, the elite magic user Bacchus Kelsey helps Elsie join the lawful, but with a caveat: they must marry to prove their cover story. Forced beneath a magical tutor while her bond with Bacchus grows, Elsie seeks to thwart the plans of England’s most devious criminal—if she can find them.

With hundreds of stolen spells at their disposal, the villain has a plan—and it involves seducing Elsie to the dark side. But even now that her secret is out, Elsie must be careful how she uses the new abilities she’s discovering, or she may play right into the criminal’s hands.

While I appreciated Elsie's determination to find and stop the evil master magician from killing more people or enslaving them, Elsie's constant self-abegnation and self-loathing, along with her feelings of unworthiness made her seem weak and silly and blind to the love that her friends and family had for her. She seemed determined to always see the worst in herself and her situation, and was pretty spineless and whiny about it all through the book. Still, Bacchus stood by her and loved her throughout all that nonsense, though she tried even his loving patience. The author left us hanging as to whether or not Elsie and her brother Reggie were reunited with their little sister, but that was a minor problem in the end. Holmberg's prose is snappy and clear, while her plot glided along like skates on an icy pond. I'd give the novel an A, and recommend it to anyone who read the first book in the duology.

The Consequences of Fear by Jacqueline Winspear is the 16th Maisie Dobbs mystery in this wonderful series that I began reading years ago. Maisie is a smart and capable sleuth who now has an adopted child to raise and a handsome American beau to deal with, on top of working for the SOE during WWII in 1941 (just before America joined the war after Pearl Harbor, which is the day after her wedding day). Here's the blurb:

As Europe buckles under Nazi occupation, Maisie Dobbs investigates a possible murder that threatens devastating repercussions for Britain's war efforts in this latest installment in the New York Times bestselling mystery series.

October 1941. While on a delivery, young Freddie Hackett, a message runner for a government office, witnesses an argument that ends in murder. Crouching in the doorway of a bombed-out house, Freddie waits until the coast is clear. But when he arrives at the delivery address, he’s shocked to come face to face with the killer.

Dismissed by the police when he attempts to report the crime, Freddie goes in search of a woman he once met when delivering a message: Maisie Dobbs. While Maisie believes the boy and wants to help, she must maintain extreme caution: she’s working secretly for the Special Operations Executive, assessing candidates for crucial work with the French resistance. Her two worlds collide when she spots the killer in a place she least expects. She soon realizes she’s been pulled into the orbit of a man who has his own reasons to kill—reasons that go back to the last war.

As Maisie becomes entangled in a power struggle between Britain’s intelligence efforts in France and the work of Free French agents operating across Europe, she must also contend with the lingering question of Freddie Hackett’s state of mind. What she uncovers could hold disastrous consequences for all involved in this compelling chapter of the “series that seems to get better with every entry” (Wall Street Journal).

What I loved most about this novel was that Maisie was in top form, and that though she was stretched pretty thin with so much going on in her life, she refused to give up on Freddie's case, because she chose to believe a poor abused boy over the admonitions of her fellow calloused adults who wanted her to sweep the murder under the rug and get on with their war work. Maisie finds the culprit and though he gets his just desserts, the best part is that she ensures that Freddie's mother and sister,who has Downs Syndrome, have a decent place to live and enough food on the table so they won't starve. She also makes sure that Freddie has a therapist to help him make sense of the violence in his life. Winspear's prose is elegant and accessible, while her plot flies along on swift wings. I was glad to read that Maisie's innate intuition was back in action, and it served her well in sussing out the truth. I'd give this stalwart novel an A, and recommend it to anyone who has read any of the other mysteries in this series.

Dark Watcher by Lilith Saintcrow is the first book in "The Watchers" series, which reminds me of several other series I've read that basically have a tall hot guy with special powers, big muscles and ninja combat skills who is sent to watch over some sort of magical petite woman, either a witch/fairy or a mage, who is in danger from the evil forces of darkness. Said watcher, who is not supposed to get involved with the beautiful petite (but bosomy, of course) witch/fairy/mage totally ignores that prohibition and falls madly in lust/love with the female protagonist because she's just so darn good/angelic and irresistible, his dark heart senses that she can save him from himself and of course provide mind-blowing sex as a bonus. The fact that these female protagonists in paranormal romances are always child-sized and act childishly naive and innocent, thereby making the big guy protagonist into a pedophile, seems to be completely fine with the authors who repeat these tropes and stereotypes in every single book in their various series. Blech...utterly nauseating. Here's the blurb: 

The Lightbringer:

Theodora Morgan knows she’s a little strange. Her talent for healing has marked her as different all through a life spent moving from town to town when someone notices her strangeness. Now she has a home, and she doesn’t want to leave—but she’s been found. The Crusade wants her dead because she’s psychic, the Dark wants to feed on her talent, and then there’s Dante. Tall and grim and armed with black-bladed knives, guns, and a sword, he says he’s here to protect her. But what if he’s what Theo needs protection from most?

The Watcher:

Dante is a Watcher, sworn by Circle Lightfall to protect the Lightbringers. His next assignment? Watch over Theo. She doesn’t know she’s a Lightbringer, she doesn’t know she’s surrounded by enemies, and she doesn’t know she’s been marked for death by a bunch of fanatics. He can’t protect her if she doesn’t trust him, but how can she possibly trust a man scarred by murder and warfare—a man who smells like the same Darkness Theo has been running from all her life?

Boo freaking hoo...poor Theo, who heals drug addicts and street people in the University District of Seattle, is just a green witch who doesn't know who to trust, even though the big guy who is her watcher repeatedly saves her life and, though it's obvious he has the hots for her, he doesn't lay a finger on her unless he's carrying her from a dangerous situation. Seriously, this paint by numbers plot is beneath an author of Saintcrow's considerable writing talents. The prose is clean and concise, but it's wasted on the trope-filled story, full of ridiculous situations/characters. I'd give this book a C+, and only recommend it to those who like their romances bland and unsurprising. 

Damage, A Ghost Squad Novel by Lilith Saintcrow was an ebook that I got for cheap with a code from a discount website. This book was a 'military romance' novel, which is what kept it from being as trope filled as the Watcher's series book, reviewed above. Since Saintcrow is a military brat, she would doubtless know something about PTSD and it's effect on soldiers coming home from war and finding it difficult to fit back into society. Still, there was the whole "big guy watches over frail woman/nanny" plot that once again felt overused and predictable. Here's the blurb:

Keeping her safe will be his hardest assignment yet. . .

Reeling from trauma and divorce, Cara Halperin takes what should be a simple job with an expensive agency. As a nanny to rich children, she shouldn't have much to worry about, and her job is just complex enough to keep her from brooding. Unfortunately, the agency's sent her into a trap.

Vincent Desmarais wants to go back into the field, but instead, he's put on leave. The diagnosis? PTSD. No problem--he can pick up security work on the side to keep himself sharp--that is, if the side work isn't just as dangerous as the bloody places he's longing to get back to.

When the lights go out, Cara and her young charge have only one option: to trust the new security guy. Vincent finds himself unwilling to abandon them to fate or let them out of his sight. If the trio wants to stay alive, they've got to trust each other. . .

. . .but that may just be what their enemies are counting on.

Cara, the female protagonist, has more spine than most romantic heroines, probably because she adores the little "sensitive" boy who is her charge as she navigates the high stakes world of wealthy misogynist drug lords and their greedy minions. Vincent manages to save her and the little boy from a deadly fate, while also falling in love with both Cara and the little boy, which softened his character somewhat. While I liked Saintcrow's muscular no-nonsense prose and juggernaut plot, I felt the characters were still a bit too stereotypical. So I'd give it a B-, and recommend it to those who find military stories of redemption interesting.