Murder With a Twist: Review

Murder with a Twist by Tracy Kiely features wise-cracking, drink-swilling Nic and Nigel Martini. Nic (Nicole) was once Detective Landis of the NYPD--until the wealthy Nigel swept her off her feet into retirement and off to the West Coast. They return to New York City to spend Christmas with with family and to attend the gala birthday party that dear Aunt Olive is throwing for Nigel's cousin Audrey. A wrench is thrown into the works when Audrey's lounge-lizard, gold-digging husband does a disappearing act.

Considering how well-loved Leo is, you'd think the family would say good riddance and that the holidays would be even more festive without him. But Audrey is an emotional mess and refuses to play guest of honor at her own party unless her beloved is there to share the fun. So Aunt Olive and Nigel's other cousin Daphne rope Nic into donning her detective disguise one more time to track down the errant playboy. She and Nigel soon learn that Leo owed a bundle to a loan shark named "Fat Saul"--a man whose has an unusually low tolerance for welshers. Equipped only with their rapier-keen wits and a bull mastiff named Skippy who’s big enough to swallow Asta in one gulp, Nic and Nigel set off to interview Frank Little, an enforcer who works for the loan shark. But they find few leads. Then when "Fat Saul" and  Leo’s girlfriend, Lizzy Marks, are both found dead, Nic and Nigel realize that even the sharpest of wits may not be weapon enough to keep Audrey safe.

This is a hilarious homage to Nick and Nora Charles of the movies. The snappy one-liners come fast and furious--almost as fast as Nigel can down a martini. And Skippy makes for a terrific third to the comic family. The supporting characters are all well-done, though leaning a bit towards caricatures. Aunt Olive is perfect as the snobbish member of NYC's upper crust with specific ideas of how the wealthy elite should behave. 

The mystery is light and breezy. The perfect read for when you want something fun that doesn't require a lot of brain power. Several plot twists keep it interesting and Nic & Nigel take the Nick and Nora roles right through to the dinner party wrap up scene at the end. I look forward to future installments. ★★★★

The Ghost Writer: Review

Well...that took much longer than anticipated to finish. John Harwood's debut novel, The Ghost Writer, started off really well. Gerard Freeman and his family live in the fictional town of Mawson, Australia. When Gerard Freeman is young he sneaks into his mother's room to open a drawer that has been locked as long as he can remember. He's dying to know what's inside...but all he finds is a picture of a beautiful woman he has never seen before. His mother catches him red-handed and launches into a tirade and whirlwind of beating that he'll never forget. From that moment on the few stories she's told him of her childhood in far-away England stop. She refuses to discuss England or her childhood home of Staplefield or her grandmother Viola who raised her. Gerard has never been told much about his English heritage and now it seems he'll not find out more. His mother becomes more secretive than ever, telling her son that she is only trying to protect him. But from what? Or who?

Not long after this he begins a "penfriend" relationship with Alice Jessel through a penpal service advertised at his school. Alice is his age and has been crippled ever since an accident that killed her parents. She wants to know everything about Gerard and asks for pictures of him and his family, but won't send him pictures in return because she doesn't want him to think of her as crippled. The friendly letters turn romantic...from "penfriends" to "invisible lovers" and Gerard is determined to make his way to England to see Alice. She doesn't want to see him unless the doctors can find a way to cure her so she can walk again.

Interspersed in the narrative are ghost stories written by Gerard's great-grandmother. As he grows to adulthood, he finds more and more stories and pieces of stories that showcase Victorian ghosts and ghouls. But there seems to be more to these stories than just a peek at Viola's Victorian mind. When Gerard finally makes a trip to England, he starts investigating his past and the number of incidents in his family history and present life which mirror the events in Viola's ghost tales is disturbing. And what the stories seem to be telling him about his mother's past is very disturbing indeed. Gerard efforts to solve the mysteries of the past will involve him in a mysterious present.

I enjoyed the first few chapters of The Ghost Writer very much. It set a very convincing stage of a frightened woman doing her best to shelter her son from some unknown danger. It was also convincing that Gerard would be curious--both about his family history and about England. Alice provides a link to the land of his heritage. I also enjoyed Viola's ghost stories. In fact, I think I could have read a whole book of just those stories. But Harwood lost me at about the mid-point. Jumping back and forth between the stories and Gerard's present was confusing. The connections made at the end seemed far-fetched and conclusion did not make any sense to me at all. I don't want to give the ending away--but I cannot figure out how the person behind everything could have stage-managed it all. There's no way s/he could have known where Gerard was. No one knew his mother had gone to Australia. It just doesn't make sense. 

I'm giving this three stars--for a good intro, good ghost stories, and the promise of a really good over-all plot that just didn't quite work for me. Others have rated this quite highly, so your mileage may vary.  ★★★

Paris in the Twentieth Century: Review

Did she love Monsieur Boutardin and was she loved by him in return? Yes, insofar as these businesslike hearts could love; a comparison will complete the portrait of the pair: she was the locomotive and he the engineer; he kept her in good condition, oiled and polished her, and thus she had rolled forward for a good half a century, with about as much sense and imagination as a Crampton Motor.

Unnecessary to add that she had never derailed. (p. 32)


Paris in the Twentieth Century is the "lost" novel by Jules Verne. It was written in 1863, rejected by his publisher as portraying a far too unrealistic view of the future, and languished in a family safe for over 100 years. Inside the safe, opened by Verne's great-grandson, was a sheaf of handwritten pages detailing a dystopian France of the 1960s. Verne's mid-Twentieth Century is a bleak place where culture, literature, and the arts have been shoved aside in favor of commerce and technology. A place where efficiency and monetary gain rule supreme in a bustling, overcrowded metropolis where the homeless starve and shiver on the well-lit streets teeming with horseless carriages. Sound familiar?

The [Academic Credit] Union statues followed, carefully expressed in financial terms. As is apparent, no scholar's or professor's name appeared on the Board of Directors, a matter of some reassurance with regard to the commercial prospects of the enterprise. (p. 6)

In Verne's world, we follow the fortunes of Michel Dufrénoy who wins prizes in Latin verse from the Academic Credit Union (which has replaced the standard universities and colleges), but soon learns that his gifts have no place in a world of finance and industry. He has inherited his artistic abilities from his father--who was (as his prosperous uncle reminds him) a good-for-nothing musician. 

...for form's sake, some classes in literature were still taught, though those were sparsely attended and inappreciable--indeed anything but appreciated. (p. 7)

Upon his graduation from the Union, his uncle tells him that he must give up his unfortunate artistic pursuits and find himself a practical job. He tells him, "You are without fortune, which is a blunder...I have decided that you must enter the Casmodage and Co. banking house...Work to become a practical man!" But Michel cannot apply himself to practical work and winds up moving from job to job trying to find one that he can manage well enough to support himself so he can write the poetry he loves in the evening. However, even work that was once grounded in the arts--such as theatre--has been turned into a mere mechanical industry and Michel has difficulty finding anything that he can do even adequately. He finds others like him and a girl to love, but will he ever become practical enough to be able to marry and support her?

The notes tell us that the reason Verne's publisher turned this down was because of his far-fetched vision of the future, but there are more "practical" reasons why this might not have done well. While I was impressed by how many of Verne's predictions turned out to be correct--the advent and spread of electricity in all walks of life, the rampant use of "gas-cab" horseless carriages, elaborate subway systems, and a form of fax machines, computers, calculators, I was less impressed by the plot. With Verne stories, I am used to grand adventures. Voyaging round the world in 80 days. Diving under the ocean in the Nautilus . Or making a journey to the center of the earth. There are usually dangers to overcome and a strong story arc. This is far less apparent in this novel.

Paris in the Twentieth Century is far more a book of ideas and commentary than readers of Verne are used to. He examines everything from man's growing reliance on mechanical and electronic gadgets to wealth in the hands of commercial and industrial giants to the lack of human contact created by a world that values language, literature, and the arts less and less. Men and women have few real emotions (see opening quote) and are referred to throughout the book in mechanical and commercial terms. Verne's vision of the future is a bleak, emotional wasteland. 

Working in a university, I have to say that passages referring to the Academic Credit Union strike a chord. The sciences and business-oriented programs on campus receive the lion's share of the recognition and financial support. More and more, the arts and humanities find themselves scrambling to prove themselves relevant to the modern world. Verne definitely got more than a few things right in his prediction of the future.

This is an important work--perhaps not his best story, but an excellent commentary on a proposed future that has all too much in common with our present. ★★★

The Poe Shadow: Review

So...the common saying is that "the third time's the charm"--right? Not necessarily. A couple of challenges asked us to give a book we'd never been able to finish another try. So, I decided on The Poe Shadow by Matthew Pearl. I tried to read it a couple of times and just couldn't finish it. This year was the chance to change that. For good measure, I also added it to my TBR Pile list for Adam's challenge. That would ensure that I read the darn thing.

Okay. So, I did. And I didn't like it any better than the other two times I tried. The first attempt came after reading Pearl's The Dante Club--which was an excellent serial killer mystery. I enjoyed it so much that I went right out and got The Poe Shadow from the library and started to read it....and came to a screeching halt about 40 pages in. Then when Patty, my friend, gifted me a copy I gave it another go. I managed to get a bit further to my standard 100 pages and gave it up as a lost cause. This time round I finished it. And all I can say is....I'm glad that's over. 

Here's your basic peek at the plot: It's 1849 in Baltimore, Maryland. Edgar Allan Poe has just been buried, virtually unmourned, and his friends and family have all written him off as a drunken sot. Nobody seems to think there was anything odd about what happened to Poe. Except for Quentin Clark. Clark is a young lawyer who thinks Poe was the greatest writer ever and becomes obsessed with investigating the truth of Poe's death. He sets out to find the real August Dupin--the man Poe based his detective upon--to help him get to the bottom of a plot that seems to involve international political agents, a female assassin, and the dark, corrupt slave trade. Quentin will be marked insane and have to prove not only that his suspicions are correct but also that he has all his marbles. Otherwise, he's going to lose his friends, his career, his reputation, and the girl he loves....

This is such a disappointing book after The Dante Club. It's poorly plotted with a pace that moves about as quickly as a herd of turtles. It also makes no sense. Quentin's motivation for his intense obsession and willingness to give up his livelihood is murky at best and not really explained at all. It's very unclear whether all the plots and machinations are really happening or if he's imagining things. Pearl makes a great deal out nothing. And in the end, I just plain didn't care what happened to Poe and whether Quentin could prove it and get on with his life. Not because I don't think the death of Poe wasn't mysterious and that there couldn't be a story in it--but because as far as I can tell, Pearl didn't really make it into a story interesting enough to be worth telling. 

Quentin is also an extremely unsympathetic protagonist. He's annoying and creates difficulties and adversaries where he has no need. And for a lawyer, he's not terribly bright. The Dupin proto-type is constantly pointing out the most obvious things to him. He doesn't just miss the connections that a great detective would make--he misses connections that are all but labeled  "Look at THIS, this is important." One has to wonder why the girl would wait around for him to come to his senses and get his head out of the Poe problem. She can do much better for herself. Not recommended at all to anyone. ★

The Name of the Wind: Review

In which I once again thoroughly dislike a book that my bestest friend in the whole world loved and sent me as a present. I'm sorry to have to let the team down, Paula...and Ryan and Carrie and Michelle (and all my other friends who read and loved this book), but I'm just not feeling it. I wanted to. I really did. It sounded like a spectacular premise. Y'all seem to think The Name of the Wind by Patrick Rothfuss was amazing (and so did a bazillion folks on Goodreads). But...

Who doesn't give a flying fig about Kvothe, who is perfect at everything? Um...that would be me.

I spent nearly 800 pages waiting for Kvothe the Wonder Kid to impress me as much as he's impressed with himself and searched in vain for any real plot structure. Yes, I realize that this is the first book in a trilogy. But there really ought to be a sense of a story arc within this book. Here's what happened: Kvothe (pronounced like Quoth) has been living incognito as an innkeeper for the last so many years with his bestie Bast. Along comes a storyteller called Chronicler (aka Devan Lochees) who recognizes the humble innkeeper as the Awesome. Legendary. Perfectly Heroic. Kvothe. Kvothe, after a bit of wrangling, agrees to tell his story. 

So...Kvothe grows up with a troupe of performers--not just any performers: THE Greyfallow Players. Where he learns ALL the things about performing. He's the best singer and the best actor and the best...well, you get the idea. They hook up with a man Kvothe calls Ben who teaches the young man about magic and science and all things. And Kvothe learns ALL the things much faster and more perfectly than anybody else has ever done before. Until Ben falls in love and leaves the troupe. Then along come some bad guys (Chandrians, we think) and they kill everybody in Kvothe's troupe, including his parents, and almost kill Kvothe, but he's spared. 'Cause he's the hero. He goes off and lives in the woods for a while and survives because once upon a time a man traveled with them who taught the boy (he's not even 15 yet at this point in the story) ALL the things about living in a forest--how to trap and dress animals, what plants to eat, what's good for boo-boos, how to move soundlessly, blah, blah, blah.Then he moves on to a town where he has to live off the streets and he teaches himself how to beg most effectively and how to pickpocket without getting caught and how to pick locks and blah, blah blah. And he's the BEST at ALL the street-smart things. Because he is. And then...he goes off to "Magic University" (where Ben always knew he'd go and be awesome) and even though he hasn't enough money to get in and is still only about 15 he takes the entrance exam and answers ALL the things in the most perfect way possible. And they let him in as the only student ever on fellowship. Because he is AWESOME (in case you haven't been paying attention). And he learns ALL the things better than anybody else has ever learned them because...(you know, AWESOME). And--sure, he has people beat him up and he runs into a dragon-like thing and he has to rescue a girl (Because that's what the women-folk are for in this story--to have babies (specifically Kvothe's mom to have Kvothe) OR to be rescued and/or drool over Kvothe)....but he always triumphs. Why? Because he's AWESOME. There is that pesky Ambrose at the university who takes a huge dislike to our wonder boy and plots revenge--but we won't find out about that until the next 800-page book (maybe--I don't know. I haven't read it and don't plan to). And by the end of this book the plot (if you want to call it that) has gotten us exactly to this point. Wonder boy is still at university and there are hints of Ambrose's revenge to come. Ta Da!

I realize that epic heroes are a thing in fantasy. I'm good with that. BUT I might have swallowed Kvothe's awesomeness a lot easier if A. His best pal Bast had told the story and it didn't come off as Kvothe's ego trip. "I'm awesome. I've always been awesome. My whole family and the troupe and the instructors at university and just about everybody (except Ambrose) thought I was awesome."  and B. The backstory had been condensed WAY down. Give us a condensed version of Wonder Boy's history and get on with the really interesting bits that are hinted at: Who or what are the Chandrians? Why--really (I know why Kvothe decides)--did they kill Kvothe's whole troupe? What are those evil spider-like critters that are introduced at the beginning of the story and what happens NOW with Kvothe and those things? Why does the book open with Kvothe waiting to die? He seems to be only in his twenties--why not send him off on a current adventure and show us right now why he's so awesome. SHOW--don't tell us "once upon a time when he was 15" stories. 

I'm sorry. But I was completely underwhelmed by this "epic" fantasy story. Bast and the Chronicler and their interactions were WAY more interesting than Kvothe. When Kvothe first started telling his story, the actual storytelling was pretty good. I was ready to settle down and be entertained. But then when the story seemed to consist of him telling how perfect he was at learning everything--he always learned whatever it was much quicker than anybody else--and very little real action took place, Rothfuss lost me. When I finished and still didn't feel like I had even the first hints of why this character becomes SO legendary, I felt let down. I wish I had spent 700+ pages reading something else. ★★ for the hints of a good story, the occasional bursts of good prose and fair storytelling, and the few quotes that I gleaned.

Quotes
A poet is a musician who can't sing. Words have to find a man's mind before they can touch his heart, and some men's minds are woeful small targets. Music touches their hearts directly no matter how small or stubborn the mind of the man who listens (p. 113)

My parents danced together, her head on his chest. Both had their eyes closed. They seemed so perfectly content. If you can find someone like that, someone who you can hold and close your eyes to the world, then you're lucky. Even if it only lasts a minute or a day. (p. 120)

There's no good story that doesn't touch the truth. (p. 202)

I made my choice and I regret it to this day. Bones mend. Regret stays with you forever.

Music is a proud, temperamental mistress. Give her the time and attention she deserves, and she is yours. Slight her and there will come a day when you call and she will not answer. So I began sleeping less to give her the time she needed.

Briar Rose: Review

Briar Rose by Jane Yolen is dark re-telling of the story of Sleeping Beauty. Ever since she can remember, Rebecca Berlin's grandma--called Gemma because one of Becca's sister's couldn't say "grandma"--has told her family the story of Sleeping Beauty. But Gemma's version is much darker than the standard versions with no one but Briar Rose waking from the hundred year's sleep and several of Becca's friends no longer want to hear it when they all are young. But Becca always loved the story and Gemma always told her that she was the only one who understood.

So it's no surprise that when Gemma is close to death she makes Becca promise to find her castle and her prince. And then, once she is gone, the family finds a box of papers, photographs, and odd keepsakes among Gemma's things. The more Becca digs into the materials the more she realizes how little they knew about the woman they called Gemma. And the more connections she makes between what she learns and the Briar Rose story her grandma used to tell. She works through the story with Stan, a friend and fellow journalist, until it becomes clear that she will have to make a trip to Poland to make sense of the clues she's found. The clues lead her to one of the horrific extermination camps of the Holocaust. Chelmo--a place of which it is said no woman ever made it out alive.

This was a reread for me. I first read it back at the end of high school when I had recently discovered Jane Yolen. I thought it a terrific and haunting use of the classic fairy tale to represent one woman's negotiation of the terrible experiences she endured during the Holocaust. By masking the events in a fairy tale she told to her daughter and then to her daughter's daughters, by using this particular story to entertain children she was able to bring joy out darkness. She was able to emphasize the very specific happy ending--hers with her family in America--that came out of all grief and loss of the second World War. As the dust jacket flap tells us: "This is a tale of life and death, of love and hate, despair and faith. A tale of castles and thorns and sharp barbed wire." It is a tale of a beautiful princess saved by one brave prince and loved by another even braver and the way love can grow out of the harshest, thorniest soil. I gave it ★★★★★ in high school. I have no changes to make in that rating now. 

The Giver: Review

One of my reading challenges requires that we read a book that we were supposed to read in high school, but didn't. I'm afraid that I was one of those goody-two-shoes, nerdy book-lovers who read all the books I was supposed to in high school. Even when I was hating it (Moby Dick...I'm looking at you). So, instead, I chose a book that has often been assigned in the local high schools that I've never read--The Giver by Lois Lowry.

Lowry's story follows Jonas as he attends the annual Ceremony when children who are twelve (and now adults!) find out what their life's work assignment will be. His friends receive such familiar assignments as Caretaker for the Old and Assistant Director of Recreation and Instructor of Sixes. But Jonas is skipped and his assignment is saved for the very end because his assignment is out of the ordinary. He has been chosen to be the new Receiver--the Elder who holds all of the memories for the community. This is Jonas's journey--to experience every memory from the times before and the times before that and to learn the wisdom of memory which will help him guide his community. But Jonas will also discover the darker side of the community that has seemed to be so peaceful.

"The life where nothing was ever unexpected. Or inconvenient. Or unusual. The life without color, pain or past."

The Giver presents what at first seems to be a perfect, Utopian society. There is no disease, no war, no poverty, no overpopulation. But it is also a society under strict regulation. The community is governed by The Elders who decide everything for the settlement--everything from names to life partners to the jobs assigned. There are strict rules for interaction with others and the worst offense seems to be rudeness--which covers such things as being late, expressing inappropriate emotion, and using imprecise language. All people look the same--no, they're not clones, but everybody has the same "color" eyes, the same "color" hair and they wear the same "color" clothes. I use quotation marks because I''m not sure you can say they have "color" in a society that has no concept of what color means. I'm not quite sure how the world of the Giver looks--but I imagine it as a world of black and white. Very bland.

Behind the perfect, safe facade, their lurks a different kind of evil, however. There is the whole concept of being released. Everyone has been taught that those who are released--whether that is the child who doesn't quite fit in or the person who repeatedly breaks the rules or the older person who no longer can be cared for...those people are sent to Elsewhere. It all sounds so gentle and innocuous. But Jonas, our hero, soon learns that being "released" isn't the pleasant journey he has always imagined. 

“The community of the Giver had achieved at such great price. A community without danger or pain. But also, a community without music, color or art. And books.” 

The Giver shows us what the possible costs of Utopia could be. It may be possible to get rid of war and conflict, pain and sorrow. But would that world be worth it if we also gave up joy and love and the power of choice? Humans may not always make the right choices--in fact, it seems like we don't quite a lot of the time, but would we really want to give up our freedoms and individuality in exchange for safety and a "perfect" world?

Since this book was published in 1993, it has been one of the most controversial books in U. S schools. The most common reason that parents want it pulled from reading lists and libraries is not language or violence or sex--it is because it is deemed "inappropriate for the age group". In other words, not suitable for children. Certainly there are concepts which might disturb certain children, but I think we are becoming a society which is inordinately afraid of allowing ourselves to face difficult subjects. Colleges--the very institutions that are supposed to produce critical thinkers--are being asked to provide "trigger warning" because (gasp!) there might be subject matter that will offend or disturb. How very appropriate that this book is about a world where everything that might offend or disturb or cause conflict has been removed from society.  I don't think I'd want to live in the world of The Giver--that's why it's important to read about what those worlds are like so we can attempt to make our world a better place.   

★★★★ for a thought-provoking read. The ending is a bit ambiguous--firming that up and a bit more character development would have earned it a full five stars.

Alias Grace: Review

Alias Grace is Margaret Atwood's fictional retelling of the true story of Grace Marks. Grace was a Canadian maid who was convicted in 1843 for her involvement in the murder of Thomas Kinnear, her employer, and she was also suspected of the murder of Kinnear's housekeeper and mistress, Nancy Montgomery. James McDermott, the outside man who tended the animals and did the rough work around the house, was also charged. He was found guilty and hanged. But the decision on Grace was not so clear-cut. There was disagreement about whether she was a full participant in the murders or if she was an unwilling or unwitting accessory. Her sentence was commuted to life imprisonment. Because of her pretty face many thought her a wayward siren with designs on her employer and believed that jealousy of Nancy's relationship with Kinnear was the driving force behind the murders. There were a few people who believed in Grace's innocence and petitioned regularly on her behalf for a pardon. After being imprisoned for nearly thirty years, Grace finally received her pardon and left Canada for northern New York where she faded into the surroundings of her new land. 

This book follows the efforts of her supporters in one of their many attempts for a pardon--revolving primarily around the fictional psychiatrist Dr. Simon Jordan and his sessions with Grace Marks. Her supporters have asked Dr. Jordan to help them find evidence that will support Grace's innocence. His methods are simple--win the patient's trust, bring objects for her to identify and make associations with, and coax her into to telling her story. Grace has long claimed that she cannot remember what happened that fateful day at the Kinnear house--that any statements or confessions she made were prompted by her lawyer in an effort to get a lighter sentence. Jordan's goal is to find the key to unlock those hidden memories. Dr. Du Pont, another doctor who favors hypnotism as a treatment,  is also interested in Grace. And it is through a hypnotic session that the most startling memories are revealed. But will the efforts of the doctors really be useful in procuring Grace's pardon--or will they do more harm than good? 

Atwood, it seems to me, has two purposes in Alias Grace. The first, and of course most obvious, to tell us Grace's story in an entertaining manner and to fill in with speculation where the bald facts of history are lacking. She tells us in the afterword that there were many portions of the story where the facts were simply not known. She weaves a very convincing tale from the threads she has. Or, to use a theme from the book, she patches together a very pretty quilt-story indeed. Secondly, Atwood examines the nature of memory and truth. Truth as it is connected with memory and truth as it is connected with intention. 

As Jordan works on unlocking Grace's memory, he often wonders how truthful she is with the story she's telling. And our omniscient look into Grace's thoughts tells us she's holding back and sometimes deliberately telling Jordan what she thinks he wants to hear. So at the conclusion, we're left wondering if the answer Atwood has given us is any nearer the truth than the incomplete story which history has left behind.

We also have to wonder at the truth of Jordan's intentions as well as those who are seeking Grace's pardon. Do they really care about Grace or merely seeing their own work recognized? Jordan wants to set up his own clinic someday and needs some new and astonishing results to get the funding he'll need. The minister who is leading the committee working on Grace's behalf may only want earthly recognition for his good works. 

This is a well-told tale of true crime, giving a voice to the perceived culprit and leaving the reader to determine just how culpable (if at all) Grace was. The research and historical detail are impeccable. A very absorbing piece of fictional history. ★★★★ 
 

The Witch & the Hysteric: Mini-Review

The Witch & the Hysteric: the Monstrous Medieval in Benjamin Christensen's Häxan by Alexander Doty and Patricia Clare Ingham is an academic chapbook by two outstanding scholars which examines Christensen's 1922 film and the representations of women as both witches and hysterics (and, ultimately, as the monstrous) in medieval times and in the early 20th C. The accusers may change from religious conservatives on witch hunts to early psychiatrists diagnosing the causes of women's mental illnesses, but the stigma of the monstrous remains. Christensen's film would seem to make the claim that the modern--scientific--viewpoint is better than the religious fanaticism of the medieval period, but Doty and Ingham point out that the juxtaposition of images in Häxan encourage the viewer to believe that very little has changed.

The appeal of this book was, I must admit, primarily due to my friendship with one of the authors--Patty Ingham. I was most curious to read one of her works and (sorry, Patty) not likely to read one her longer books more heavily anchored in the medieval period. I'm just not that into medieval. This chapbook was an ideal chance to sample her work (as well as that of the late Alexander Doty). Well-written, as expected, it was accessible to me as a non-scholar. And it has made me very curious to see Christensen's film. For someone more well-versed in medieval or film studies, I'm sure it will be even more accessible. ★★★ and a half.

[Patty Ingham is not only a friend--she also shares my birthday, July 1. This allows me to count this book for the I Dare You Challenge and Birthday Month Challenge--both which call for an author born in July.]

The Lack of the Irish: Review

The University of Notre Dame in South Bend, Indiana is gearing up for a highly anticipated football game. Baylor University, the country's preeminent Protestant college, will meet the Catholic football powerhouse for the first time. Game day, most ironically, falls on Reformation Day--the day recognizing the historic moment when Martin Luther nailed his 95 Theses to the door of the Schlosskirche (castle church) in Wittenberg in 1517.  Off the field, scholars prepare a theological conference featuring participants from the rival schools that will address Catholic and Protestant history. And a female pastor (who seems to be a bit of a loose cannon) plans to protest the game as some sort of statement about Protestantism's superiority over Catholicism. She hopes to stir up a religious fervor to eclipse the football fanaticism. 

Sparks seem to be flying everywhere. Even the campus event coordinator is stirring up trouble--she seems to believe it her duty to throw as many obstacles in the path of conference directors as possible. When she is found strangled shortly before the big day, there seems to be no shortage of candidates for the role of murderer. Roger (a professor) and Philip (a private eye) Knight use their various skills to help search for the killer. But there are no definite clues until Notre Dame's famed, brilliant, and troubled quarterback mysteriously disappears and evidence links him to the crime. But did he do it....or does he just know who did? 

The Lack of the Irish is a fairly solid mystery offering from the late Ralph McInerny. Very light, cozy feel with the academic setting and most of the mystery-solving provided by the professor half of the brothers Knight rather than the private eye. Interesting characters and a realistic motive for the culprit. Not really in the fair-play tradition...either that or I was asleep at the wheel when it came to noticing clues, but it was a fun, quick read and I do enjoy Professor Knight and his brother.  ★★★

The Crime & the Crystal: Review

Septuagenarian and retired biology professor Andrew Basnett heads south of the equator to Australia for the third novel in Elizabeth Ferrars's series starring the academic amateur sleuth. One of Basnett's former students, Tony Gardiner, and his wife Jan have invited him to spend the Christmas holidays with them at their home in Adelaide. Basnett was initially thrilled to have the chance to see his former pupil and to leave the cold, dreary English winter behind for the warmth of the southern hemisphere. But it immediately becomes clear that something is bothering Tony and that there is a tension between him and his wife. Basnett wonders if perhaps he should shorten his holiday and move on to another former pupil who has invited him to visit after the Christmas festivities are over.

Tony assures Basnett that they don't want him to leave and explains the primary reason for  their unease. Jan was married previously and lives under a cloud of suspicion following her first husband's murder. To all appearances, Jan has an alibi for the critical time and even if that were to prove untrue it would seem that she is physically incapable of moving the body in the way in which the murderer must have done. But still the sergeant responsible for the investigation seems intent on wearing her down with constant questions and proving her responsible somehow.

On Christmas Day most of the likely suspects are gathered for a beachfront party at Jan's sister's house. When Kay [the sister] is killed in similar circumstances on Christmas Day and Jan disappears from the scene, suspicion again is focused on Tony's wife. It's up to Professor Basnett to spot the clues that will lead to the villain of the piece.

The Professor Basnett mysteries comfortable cozies that satisfy the mystery reader without a lot of blood and gore or psychological thrills and tension.  Believable characters are a stock-in-trade for Ferrars and she gives those characters believable motives as well. The plots aren't terribly intricate and the culprit here is easily spotted--though it's a bit more difficult to figure out how they might have managed the first one. I always enjoy a mystery with an academic twist to it and having the good professor as the sleuth provides just enough academic atmosphere to count. A good day's read.
★★★

Published in 1985, The Crime and the Crystal counts for the "Amateur Detective" square on the Silver Vintage Bingo care...and gives me my first Silver Bingo (finally!).

Harlan Ellison's City on the Edge of Forever:Mini-Review

Harlan Ellison's The City on the Edge of Forever is a graphic novel adaptation (by Scott & David Tipton) of Ellison's original screenplay for arguably Star Trek's best television episode. According to Ellison's introduction, the Tipton's have done a perfect job representing his original vision: "I could not have pictured it as perfect as it has turned out." And perfect it is. Ellison's vision, per usual, is a bit darker than the televised episode, but it also digs even deeper into Captain Kirk's psyche and the loneliness he feels as the man in charge. Ellison has presented readers with an intelligent story with meaning and he does us the great courtesy of assuming that we are fairly bright people who don't need absolutely everything explained. He lets the story speak for itself. That's a great gift from a writer.

There are a few differences between the screenplay and the episode that I'd like to point out. First, there is very little McCoy here. The character who goes a bit crazy and winds up going back in time to change history in the teleplay is a drug-dealing, murderous rogue lieutenant, not our favorite doctor accidentally injected with a full hypo. McCoy shows up just once, to attend to the man Lieutenant Beckworth attacked...and then not by name. And, of course, having a drug-dealer on board the flagship of the Federation is another change. It is also nice to see Yeoman Rand represented as a competent, serious member of the crew and not just secretarial eye candy for Kirk. The other biggie is the role of Trooper, the down-and-out WWI soldier who helps Kirk and Spock find Beckworth. 

Trooper, it seems to me, was a huge loss for the televised version. The contrast between his historical value and the value of Edith Keeler is vivid and poignant. It makes a statement about sacrifice as well. Spock's sacrifice in Wrath of Kahn is important--but he makes the sacrifice for his friends and his shipmates. Trooper also sacrifices--but his sacrifice benefits strangers...and ultimately humanity's future. Hard-hitting stuff from a master story-teller.

As far as the graphic novel goes--it is gorgeous. The teleplay has been expertly adapted for the graphic novel and the artwork is impressive. Most of the regular crew members look as we expect--McCoy's brief appearance being the only exception, but perhaps since he wasn't center stage he was given quite the attention that Kirk, Spock and Rand received. Overall, a fantastic graphic novel that any Trek fan should make part of their collection. ★★★★★

Call for Michael Shayne: Review

On the night of June 8, Arthur Devlin, a quiet and unassuming insurance man, went to a bon voyage party. His bon voyage party--as he prepared to leave on a two-week Caribbean cruise. A number of his friends got together to wish him well and to drink to his health and good travels. They all had a great many drinks. When Art wakes up on the morning of June 20th, he finds himself in a room he has never seen before, in a set of clothes that he would never have picked out for himself, and no memory whatsoever of the past twelve days. Further investigation reveals a beauty of a goose egg on his head.

As he tries to gather his thoughts and sort out his last memory (that would be of the party), he notices another man in the room. But he can't ask him any questions....because that man is quite dead. With blood on his unfamiliar clothes and a blackjack nearby, it looks like Art may have lost control as well as his memory. Then there's the strange woman named Marge who calls the room, addresses him as "Joey, Darling," and wants to know if he got the money off of "that louse, Skid." When Art hesitates over his answers, she asks, "Did you kill him?" Well, that's what he wants to know.

He gets out of the hotel as quick as he can and heads home. He calls up his friend and doctor to come help him--hoping that if he really did kill a man during his black-out period that he won't be held responsible for what he did during a bout of amnesia. Dr. Thompson, while he wants to believe his friend, can't quite make his knowledge of amnesia fit the story Art has to tell. He suggest that Art go away for a bit and let it all blow over--after all who would connect a mild-mannered insurance man with a murder in that dive of a hotel? But Art is determined to get to the bottom of it all. He remembers a red-headed private detective who once said, "Murder is my business" and asks Mike Shayne to find out what really happened during those twelve days. But will he like what Shayne discovers?

Call for Michael Shayne is another trip into the private eye world for me. I don't make these trips often, but the Shayne series by Brett Halliday is always enjoyable. This was another fun romp and it's always good to watch Shayne one-up that annoying Miami Beach Chief of Police, Peter Painter. You'd think that Painter would learn that Shayne generally delivers the goods--and it's never the solution that the Chief has selected. This is a fast-paced story that I easily finished in a couple of hours. Halliday's descriptions of the Miami area are deft and transport the reader direct from 2015 to the beach city of the late 1940s/early 50s. My one disappointment with the book was that I spotted the main villain right off--others with a fair amount of detective fiction under their belt will probably do so as well. But Halliday had a second surprise lined up that made the ride worthwhile.  ★★★ for a solid afternoon's entertainment.

First published in 1949, this fulfills the "Author with same first or last initial as you" (or in this case both initials) square on the Golden Vintage Bingo card.

The Cavalier in White: Review

The Cavalier in White is the first book in a trilogy by Marcia Muller (1986). The short series features art security expert Joanna Stark and revolves around her efforts to track down Anthony Parducci, a brilliant art thief who has managed to elude the authorities for years. In Cavalier, Joanna is brought out of retirement--a self-imposed seclusion really--by her partner when the eponymous work of art, a painting by Frans Hals, is stolen from a San Francisco gallery. A gallery that was wired for security by their company. And the son of her long-time friends, the Wheatleys, is trying to cut a deal with the insurance company for the safe return of the painting. A security guard from the gallery, a man who also has connections to the Wheatleys, disappears and the investigators have to wonder if he's involved. Joanna spots clues that make her think Parducci might be involved--but why is he interested in a group of people who might possibly have an adopted son? And why did Mike Wheatley (the aforementioned son) give Parducci the address of Joanna's apartment? She will have to find all the missing links before she will retrieve the painting--but not before murder is done and she is forced to confront her past.

This was a strong opening to the series. Joanna has some issues that she needs to work through and it was enjoyable watching her on that journey. The mystery elements were fairly played and fairly intriguing. While it is fairly obvious fairly early that some of Joanna's suspicions about the the theft are correct, there is a surprise in store that gives the wrap-up a good twist. It was, however, frustrating to watch Joanna repeatedly get herself into a situation that she knows she shouldn't be in, then get out of it, and turn around in time to plunge into another one. It wouldn't be quite so bad if she did it without thinking. But she tells us that she knows she shouldn't and then does it anyway. It was interesting to see her make some progress with her issues by the end of the story. But it is obvious she has a long way to go. Good solid beginning. ★★★

This fulfills the "Crime Other Than Murder" on the Silver Vintage Bingo card. There is a murder--but that is not the focus of the story. Joanna's purpose is to strack down the art thief and determine whether Parducci is that thief.

**Edited 9/1/15: I have not yet used this square for a Bingo and will be transferring The Cavalier in White to the "Color in Title" square.

The Ringmaster's Secret: Review

Yesterday I finished a walk down memory lane. I had recently picked up a copy of the Nancy Drew The Ringmaster's Secret by Carolyn Keene at a local flea market. Not that I didn't already have a copy--I do. But this was the tweed-style hardcover book that matches the original set of six books that my mom handed down to me when I was seven. I'd like, at some point, to have all 38 of the titles which were published in tweed to match Mom's set. Since I bought it, I decided I ought read it for old time's sake. This edition of the book has the original 25 chapters (instead of the truncated, yellow-spine version I already had from 1974). If my other Drew books weren't buried in storage, I'd dig out the 1974 edition just to see what changes had been wrought (beyond transforming Nancy from a blonde to a titian-haired beauty).

But enough about that. How did the book stand up after more than thirty years?

The story is an interesting one. It begins with Nancy taking trick riding lessons from a former circus performer and a mysterious package arriving in the mail from Nancy's Aunt Eloise. Aunt Eloise is aware of her niece's horseback riding lessons and sends her a golden bracelet with five horse charms--with a place for a sixth charm. Aunt Eloise also presents Nancy with a bit of a mystery, telling her in an accompanying letter that the shopkeeper told her that the bracelet had originally been given to a circus performer by a queen. The performer was forced to sell the bracelet and would not reveal her true identity. Nancy is immediately intrigued and wonders what secrets the woman was keeping. 

Then the Sims circus comes to town and Nancy discovers that the young circus star, Lolita, is very unhappy--practically a prisoner of her foster parents, Ringmaster Kroon and his wife. The Kroons took custody of Lolita when her parents were in an accident and reportedly killed. But Lolita wears a charm that looks remarkably like those on Nancy's bracelet and Nancy goes undercover (as a bareback rider) in the circus to look for clues connecting Lolita and her charm to the woman who sold the bracelet. Her investigations will take her to England, see her and George Fayne kidnapped and left aboard a speeding freight train, and finally straight into the lion's den (well, cage) before the mystery is finally solved.

I had a good time with this. How likely is it that Nancy, after a few lessons,  would be expert enough at trick bareback riding to sub for a regular performer? Not very. But it also isn't very likely that one young woman would be an expert horsewoman, airplane pilot, dancer, code-breaker, speedboat driver, sailboat sailor, tennis and golf player, seamstress, gourmet cook, etc. and etc. Nancy is a super-girl--just the way we like her. She doesn't represent reality. She represents possibility. The possibility that any young woman who is determined and confident enough can do anything she wants to do. That's what Nancy meant to me when I read her stories originally and I see that meaning for girls now.

A thoroughly enjoyable trip to the past. ★★★★

First published in 1953, this qualifies for the "Amateur Detective" square on the Golden Vintage Bingo card.

Murder in the Wind: Mini-Review

In Murder in the Wind (aka Hurricane) by John D. MacDonald (1956) we have a suspenseful tale of natural disaster and man-made murder. Hurricane Hilda, a storm of terrifying intensity is headed straight for Highway 19 in Florida. In its path, a half dozen cars carrying a disparate group of people--headed out of Florida on business of their own and trying to outrun the storm. When they are forced to detour off the main road and the storm blocks their path, they must seek shelter in a rickety, abandoned house. The ragtag bunch includes an undercover agent who has just taken revenge for a personal tragedy, a small-time criminal in over his head with sidekick and girlfriend in tow, a beautiful young widow trying to start over, a young family returning north after a failed attempt to make a living in Florida, a gold-digging ex-tennis player and his wealthy young wife, and a businessman whose life's work is crumbling before his eyes because of the inadequacy of his subordinate (also along for the ride). Their refuge from the awesome power of nature becomes a sort of grand and grisly hotel - especially once the invisible hand of flying death descends.

Less a mystery than a survival story, most of the suspense comes from the looming storm rather than from any doubt about who was murdered and why or by whom. When it happens, we know the full story. The only question in regards to the killer is whether s/he will make it out of the storm alive and escape justice. More than half the story is focused on each of the six cars headed towards zero hour in the abandoned house. Told from various points of view, we get to know who each of the characters is, their back story, and what events have set them on Highway 19 headed north out of Florida and into one of the most violent hurricanes to hit Florida (at least until the 1950s). There are tensions of all sorts--from the normal tensions of people facing a natural disaster to tensions between the couples to the tensions between small-time crooks and the law (the federal agent). The storm will prove who are heroes and heroines and who are cowards and who will take advantage of the storm to do a little murder.

Overall, a well-told tale by a master stylist with well-rounded characters. My only disappointment was going in expecting a mystery and not finding much mystification.  ★★★ and a half

This fulfills the "Multiple Title" square on the Golden Vintage Bingo card.

Challenge Complete: I Dare You To....

Image Credit

The "I Dare You To" Challenge has no time limit or required commitment, so I was able do as much or as little as wanted in whatever time I wanted. I started this challenge last year and my overall goal was to read at least 70 books to meet challenges--with a sub-goal of at least 10 by the end of the year (so I ccould count it towards my 2014 challenges fulfilled). Since there is no time limit, you could still join in (click the link--you know you want to). I Dare You.

I DARE YOU TO 
(sponsored by Joanne♥~Bookworm Extraordinaire at All Challenges, All the Time)

Goal of Ten Dares for 2014 Completed: 9/28/14
Total 70 Dares Completed: 4/5/15  


Here is a list of Dares completed. For a full list of dares, please see the challenge link. I may complete a few more--but my commitment has been fulfilled.

1. Read a book in one day: Death on Allhallowe'en by Leo Bruce (started and finished on 10/11/14) 
2. Read a book over 450 pages: Two for Sorrow by Nicola Upson [482 pages] (9/27/14)
4. Read a novella (under 200 pgs): A Death for a Dancer by E. X. Giroux [180 pages] (9/28/14)
5. Read a book from a listopia list (link the list): The Day of the Triffids by John Wyndham (1/22/15) [Best Dysopian & Post-Apocalyptic Fiction]
6. Read a book on one of your GR friend's shelf: Nor Live So Long by Sara Woods [on my friend Abbey's To-Read shelf] (10/26/14)
7. Read a book released this year (2014): Death by Hitchcock by Elissa D. Grodin [released March 2014] (10/6/14)
8. Read an ARC book: The Edison Effect by Bernadette Pajer (9/20/14)
9. Read a book with a one word title: Panic by Helen McCloy (2/22/15)
10. Read a book with at least 5 words in the title: The Curious Affair of the Third Dog by Patricia Moyes (11/24/14)
11. Read a book where the author's name is above the title on the cover: The Labors of Hercules by Agatha Christie (10/11/14)
12. Read a book where the author's name is below the title: Oxford Knot by Veronica Stallwood (11/20/14)
13. Read a book where the title and the author's name are two different colors: Only a Matter of Time by V. C. Clinton-Baddeley (10/13/14)
14. Read a book from your favorite genre: Sick to Death by Douglas Clark [mystery] (12/17/14)
16. Read a book whose cover is your favorite color: Tzimmes by Arthur Marshall Fell [blue] (12/31/14)
17. Read a book whose cover is a color you don't like: Poison Jasmine by Clyde B. Clason [yellow & gree] (4/5/15)
18. Read a book in a male POV: Red Cent by Robert Campbell (9/10/14)
19. Read a book in a female POV: The White Dress by Mignon G. Eberhart (12/15/14)
20. Read a book with two or more POV's (multiple POVs): Past Encounters by Davina Blake [3 POV's, Rhoda, Peter, & Helen] (11/29/14)
26. Read a book set in a country/location/state that is different from yours: Mayhem in B-Flat by Elliot Paul [set in France] (12/4/14)
27. Read a book that is set in the same hemisphere as where you live: Trick or Treat Murder by Leslie Meier [Northern Hemisphere] (11/12/14)
29. Read a sequel: A Curtain Falls by Stefanie Pintoff [#2 in Simon Ziele series] (12/10/14)
30. Read a standalone: Guest in the House by Philip MacDonald (11/2/14)
31. Read a book with less than 1,000 reviews: Bleeding Maize & Blue by Susan Holtzer [91 ratings on Goodreads] (9/30/14)
33. Read a book that starts a new series: A Dead Man in Trieste by Michael Pearce [1st in a new-to-me series] (1/27/15)
35. Read a book that was originally written in a language that is not your own: The Dark Ring of Murder by Misa Yamamura [Japanese] (11/19/14)
38. Re-read a favorite book: Death of a Tall Man by Frances & Richard Lockridge (1/31/15)
40. Read a book by your favorite author: The Underdog & Other Stories by Agatha Christie [one of my favorites--I cannot pick ONE favorite author] (3/17/15)
41. Read a book by a new to you author: The Mind-Murders by Janwillem van de Wetering (10/30/14)
43. Read a book on your TBR list: The Pavilion by Hilda Lawrence (11/17/14)
44. Read a book that you own: Lament for the Bride by Helen Reilly (11/24/14)
45. Read a book that you borrowed from a library: Wednesday the Rabbi Got Wet by Harry Kemelman (9/8/14)
46. Read an ebook: The Scarlet Pimpernel by Baroness Orczy [from Project Gutenberg] (9/21/14)
51. Read a non-fiction book: American Eve by Paula Uruburu (11/11/14)
52. Read a book outside of your comfort zone: The Witch's Grave by Philip DePoy (10/5/14)
53. Read/Listen to an audio book: Ten Little Indians (aka And Then There Were None) by Agatha Christie [read by Norman Barrs] (9/11/14)
54. Read a (auto)biography: Glenn Ford: A Life by Peter Ford (3/9/15)
55. Read a hardcover book: Two Men in Twenty by Maurice Procter (11/14/14)
56. Read a paperback book: Death of a Dutchman by Magdalen Nabb (11/18/14)
58. Read a book that will help you with a challenge: Death by Sheer Torture by Robert Barnard [final book needed for Vintage Mystery Bingo] (11/15/14)
59. Read a book recommended to you: The Poisoner's Handbook by Deborah Blum (3/22/15) [Recommended through Book Bloggers Recommend Challenge]
61. Read a book set somewhere you have gone on vacation to: The Final Deduction by Rex Stout [New York City] (11/10/14)
62. Read a book set in a place where you would like to go on vacation to: Death of a Dwarf by Harold Kemp [England] (1/25/15)
63. Read a book set in the country your ancestors are from (if your of a dual heritage you can pick whichever country yous like): Brighton Rock by Graham Greene [England] (3/2/15)
64. Read a book with a main character who has a silly/weird name: Black-Headed Pins by Constance & Gwenyth Little [character name = Berg Ballister] (12/7/14)
66. Read a book set in the past: The Lady in Black by Anna Clarke [written in 1977; set in 1882] (11/1/14)
71. Read a book with people on the cover: Words for Murder Perhaps by Edward Candy [5 people on cover] (12/16/14)
72. Read a book with an animal on the cover: The Footprints on the Ceiling by Clayton Rawson [Bunny on cover] (9/25/14)
73. Read a book with some kind of scene on the cover (beach scene, night scene, ect): The Haunted Lady by Mary Roberts Rinehart [Spooky scene] (10/19/14)
74. Read a book with an inanimate object on the cover: Roast Eggs by Douglas Clark (10/25/14)
75. Read a book with only one person on the cover: Madman's Bend by Arthur W. Upfield (10/24/14)
76. Read a book with a person from the waist down ONLY on the cover: Lament for a Maker by Michael Innes (10/8/14)
77. Read a book where the title's font is bigger than the author's name font: Alone Against Tomorrow by Harlan Ellison (11/30/14)
78. Read a book where the author's name font is bigger than title's name font: Head of a Traveller by Nicholas Blake (10/29/14)
79. Read a book (novel) by two authors: A Crossworder's Holiday by Nero Blanc [pseud. for co-authors Cordelia Frances Biddle & Steve Zettler] (12/21/14)
81. Read a book by an author who uses at least one initial in their name: Murder on Mike by H. Paul Jeffers (10/15/14)
82. Read a book by an author who doesn't use any initials in their name: Star Wreck III: Time Warped by Leah Rewolinski (12/26/14)
83. Read a book by an author who has at least 3 names (first, middle, last; middle name must be spelled out): The Unfinished Crime by Elisabeth Sanxay Holding (9/8/14)
85. Read a book by a male author: The D. A. Breaks a Seal by Erle Stanley Gardner (11/16/14)
86. Read a book by female author: The Circular Staircase by Mary Roberts Rinehart (11/4/14)
88. Read a book by an author who has at least 10 books published: Appleby's Answer by Michael Innes [81 books] (10/17/14)
89. Read a book of short stories: Ten Thousand Light-Years from Home by James Tiptree, Jr. (1/2/15)
90. Read a book by an author who is from the same country/state/location as you: The Secret of Magnolia Manor by Helen Wells [U.S. author] (2/24/15)
91. Read a book by an author who is from a different country/state/location than you: Death & Mr. Prettyman by Kenneth Giles [British author] (3/6/15)
95. Read a book in a series that has at least 10 books in it: The Finishing Stroke by Ellery Queen [26th in the series] (12/13/14)
97. Read a book from a series that you have been meaning to get back into or that you forgot about: Malice Domestic by Sara Woods [Antony Maitland series] (3/26/15)
98. Read a book that you just found out about and want to read: The Secret of the Gondola by David Alan Brown (12/7/14)
100. Read a book with an author whose last name starts with the same letter as your last name: Into the Valley by John Hersey (2/28/15) "H" for Hankins
101. Read a book with an author whose first name starts with the same letter as your last name: Too Many Doctors by Holly Roth (10/22/14) "H" for Hankins
102. Read a book with an author whose last name starts with the same letter as your first name: Death Takes a Sabbatical by Robert Bernard (9/16/14) "B" for Bev
103. Read a book whose title starts with the same letter as your first name (exclude A, An and The): Blood on the Stars by Brett Halliday (10/4/14)
105. Read a book of your choice: Top of the Heap by A. A. Fair (3/11/15)