TV and Books

I'm embarrassed to admit - so it's a good thing no one reads this blog - that I'm a reality tv addict.  Not those survivor shows where people live on a deserted island, except for the director, producer, cameramen, soundmen and their entire tech. crew.  That's not reality.  Nor am I a fan of the "Please marry me cause there's nothing desperate about auctioning myself off on national tv" dating shows.  That's not reality either.  The ones I have a secret fetish for are the talent competitions - American Idol, Top Chef, Project Runway, Next Food Network Star, Dancing With the Stars, and occasionally America's Got Talent (at least after they've weeded out the 75-year-old hip-hop dancers and the precocious preschoolers).  I love to get my family involved and make wagers on who'll survive another week, or quietly gloat when a professional chef burns his entree and mumble "See, it's not just me". 

Each summer I vow to shut the tv off and devote more time to reading - which is usually a pretty simple accomplishment because there's not much on except re-runs.  But even the most enticing book or beautiful day for porch reading can't keep me from being sucked back to the couch by the 21st century version of the game show. 

With the invention of DVR, I can record all the shows and watch them whenever it's convenient and without commercial interruption.  Did you know that you can watch a one-hour elimination episode of American Idol in under ten minutes if you skip the commercials, guest performances and hype?  But this technological nirvana (don't get me started on how much I love DVR) has fed my obsession because it's so easy to keep up with multiple shows.

They say the first step is to admit you have a problem, so maybe I'm on the way to weaning myself from reality tv - but probably not.  Maybe I should work on my General Hospital addiction instead.

Death by Darjeeling by Laura Childs

Part one of the T&T Bookclub June assignment is complete. The three steps were to read Death by Darjeeling (the first book in the Tea Shop Mysteries series), to sample some darjeeling tea and to visit the Huckleberry Tea House in Concordia, KS with my mom and sisters.  As of yet, I haven't located any darjeeling tea, but then, the only place I've looked is Wal-Mart.  Southwest Kansas is rather short on tea shops.  Part three will have to wait until after wheat harvest when Daughter and I can make the trip to Mom's.  In the mean time - part one was a success.

Ordinarily, Charleston's Indigo Tea Shop is an oasis of calm. But when tea shop owner, Theodosia Browning, caters the annual Lamplighter Tour of historic homes, one of the patrons turns up dead. Never mind that it's Hughes Barron, a slightly scurrilous real estate developer. Theodosia's reputation is suddenly on the line. Aided by her friends and fellow tea shop entrepreneurs, Theo sets about to unravel the mystery of the deadly Darjeeling and encounters a number of likely suspects. (from author's web site)

What a perfect summer read! I immediately fell in love with the Indigo Tea Shop and it's employees.  I've never been to Charleston, or anywhere near there unless you count changing planes at the Charlotte airport, but the elegant tea parties, the southern wit and the beautiful gardens made me want to go immediately. 

The story is pretty typical "cozy mystery" fare - local business owner turns amateur slueth - but Ms. Childs managed to avoid my pet peeve of cozies.  Frequently, mystery authors write "down" to their readers by stopping the action of the book to rehash what has happened and all the possible suspects.  This is usually accomplished by having the hero/heroine stop to ponder all this in their head.  My problem with this method is that, not only does it kill the action of the story, but it assumes I'm not able to follow the story and make these connections on my own.  I once heard a popular mystery author speak at a convention and she admitted "When I need to recap the story, I have [heroine] go in her kitchen and cook and think things through."  (Not an exact quote, but as close as I can remember.) This is not to say that Theodosia's thought processes are not developed in this story, but they are woven into the action in small doses so as not to interrupt or annoy.

I will definitely be reading further in this series and checking out Ms. Child's other series, the Cackleberry Club Mysteries, which I have already purchased for the library:

In a rehabbed Spur station outside the small town of Kindred, three semi-desperate, forty-plus women have launched the Cackleberry Club. Eggs are the morning specialty here--fluffy omelets, slumbering volcanoes, toad in the hole, and eggs on a cloud. This cozy little café even offers a book nook and knitting nest--and business has been good. But two murders, a runaway girl, a vicious widow, and a messianic cult leader just might lead to their undoing. (from author's web site)

And the Scrapbook Series - the story of Carmela Bertrand, owner of Memory Mine, a scrapbooking shop in the French Quarter.  I'm not a scrapbooker, but I can overlook that for a well-written cozy mystery.

Now if I could just track down some darjeeling...

My Mind and a Book Review

Here's a sample of what life is like in the world of confusion and randomness that I call my mind:  Yesterday Daughter drove half-way to Nebraska to pick up a friend that is coming to visit for a few days.  Before she left, she commented - ever so politely - that I might want to clean the downstairs bathroom before she returned because "It's disgusting!" and she didn't want company to see it.  Two important points here: 1.) OUR bathroom is upstairs.  The downstairs bathroom is used by two teenagers, one of whom was looking at the counter filled with her toothbrush, toothpaste, facial cleanser, washcloths, lotion, saline solution, contact cases, glasses, etc and complaining because I hadn't cleaned the counter and sink.  And 2.) saying she was polite is stretching things.  Anyway, after a brief mother/daughter "discussion" on the ages of the bathroom users and their abilities to clean up after themselves, I agreed to clean it for her THIS TIME because she needed to get on the road and she's right, it was disgusting.  So Hubby kicked in (he cleaned the top of the shower where I can't reach) and we got everything back into proper shape - or as close as it's gonna get. 

Fast forward a few hours to where the confusion and randomness comes in.  I was sitting on the couch reading a book (go figure) and said to myself, "Self, your daughter will be home soon with her friend and if she didn't want said friend to see her disgusting bathroom, she would probably prefer that Friend also not see Mother sans make-up and hair un-coiffed." So I started upstairs to our bathroom to remedy the problem.  As I passed through the dining room, I noticed three shirts that had been carried in from the clothesline and draped over a chairback awaiting hangers.  Yeah, I don't know where the hangers were magically going to come from either, but there they were.  So I picked them up to carry upstairs and hang since I was going anyway.  

Once the shirts were properly hung and I was exiting the closet, I noticed the overflowing pile of laundry next to the door and realized I had enough time left in the day to get at least one more load run so I sorted the clothes into categories, selected the load I wanted to wash (in other words, MY clothes) and started downstairs.  Are you seeing the problem here?  Sure enough, as I was leaving the room I went past the bathroom door which reminded me that I had originally come up here to fix my hair and make-up.  So, I sat the laundry down and went in to primp.  It occurred to me that, being so near to turning 50, I would need to use the facilities before I could stand still long enough to do my makeup without having lipstick where the mascara should be.  So I did.  Can you guess what happened next?  Exactly!  I walked out the door, re-gathered the laundry and started down the stairs again.

Three stairs down I had a flash of a vague memory about hair and makeup, so retraced my steps to the bathroom, re-deposited the load of laundry on the floor, fluffed my hair, applied a little foundation and lipstick and called it good.  I then re-re-gathered the laundry and started down - for real this time. 

Back in the dining room, which I had to pass through to get to the basement laundry room (and you're right, there are WAY too many stairs in this house), I propped myself and my laundry against a chair to laugh with Hubby about my trip to the twilight zone of my brain, then headed on downstairs.  Naturally, there was laundry in the washer waiting for the dryer and laundry in the dryer waiting for the sucker who wanted to use it bad enough to fold the previous load.  So, being the sucker that I am and also being out of pants to wear to work, I folded clothes, moved the load from the washer to the dryer, started dryer, carried basket of folded clothes up the stairs with me and returned to my book - leaving the load of pants sitting on the floor next to the washer.

This is what it's like living in my head.  It's a wonder I find my way to work.  It also explains why I have conversations in my head like Tatersmama - If I didn't have a running dialogue with myself to keep me on track, I would just spin in circles.  After reading this, it should come as no surprise that if I don't write a book review within a rather short period of time after completion, I can no longer remember what I wanted to say about it.  This is what has happened with Mary Higgins Clark's The Shadow of Your Smile.   I read it a few weeks ago, then forgot that I hadn't reviewed it.  Now I can barely remember the story, much less what I thought of it.  And yes, I did write a post about my intention to use the Read, Remember, Recommend journal to keep track of such things - but I forgot.

Honestly, all you need to know is that Mary Higgins Clark hasn't lost her touch.  It's another solid story with a little suspense and a little romance.  I do recall that I thought some of the family connections were a little hard to follow, but obviously that could just be me.    Fans of Ms. Clark's books will certainly want to add this one to their TBR list.  I give it 3 1/2 stars - enjoyable read, but nothing that will remain in the somewhat foggy recesses of my brain.

Summer Reading

I am not a fan of summer.  In fact the only things I like about summer are my flower bed, fresh produce, capri pants and sandles, and reading on the porch swing with a tall glass of iced peach tea.  Just as scorching summer temperatures call for lighter meals, porch reading calls for lighter fare, so when these three titles arrived at the library yesterday I snatched them all. 

Ok, quick sidebar for the non-librarians out there.  The biggest perk of working in a small-town library (never held this position in a large library, so don't know how it works there) is that I am allowed to shop for books with library funds - can it get better than that?  Yes, it does actually - because the other half of my job is to process new books when they arrive (enter them into the computer, print labels, apply covers - you know, the ones that annoy you because the cover flaps are taped down so you can't use them as bookmarks).  Since I am the first one to handle new arrivals, I also have the chance to be first to read them. 

Sidebar #2-for those who are questioning my librarian ethics.  No, I do not spend the entire library budget on books I want to read.  Occasionally I purchase science fiction, James Patterson, westerns and even the rare non-fiction even though I don't comprehend wanting to read them.  See how magnanimous I am?  Besides, you all are responsible for these three purchases because of the wonderful reviews you wrote that tempted me into having to have them.

Also, I do not hoard all the new arrivals in my TBR pile for months (ok, there was that one time). I do make an effort to get them onto the shelf in a timely manner.  However, many of the books we receive are shipped prior to their publication date so that they can be ready to go on the shelf on release day.  Since it is against Librarian Code, and maybe some laws, to put them on the shelf early, and since there's no law that says I can't read them in the interim (at least I don't think there's a law...but just to be on the safe side, please don't tell the Library Police), this is actually incentive for me to get my work done quickly leaving me time to read before I have to pass the books along to those pesky patrons.  It's basically a win-win.

Anyway, back to my original point...I snatched these three new arrivals.  Don't the beautiful covers just scream Summer Reading?  And they are all in paperback so I can hold them in one hand and have one hand free for iced tea/chips and fresh guacamole.  So now you know my plan for this weekend!  Here's my question to you:  Does your reading appettite change with the seasons?  Does your desire for a certain type of story go up and down with the thermometer?  What are you reading this summer?

Love is Monumental by Annalisa Daughety

This is the story of Vickie Harris, newly-turned-30 park ranger, struggling to rearrange her priorities and have a personal life as well as a career.  But it's also the story of Thatcher, history professor fighting for career advancement and escape from the past; Katherine, college student caring for a mother with cancer; Kristie, nervously preparing for her wedding after being left at the alter; and Ainsley, recently widowed new mother.

Vickie and Thatcher begin with a business collaboration, then stumble through a series of crossed wires in search of a personal connection.  The interplay of the other storylines helps to create some action, but still the first three-quarters of the book seemed rather slow and predictable.  The backdrop of the National Mall and the various monuments - one of my favorite places - added a spark and the characters were surprisingly well developed considering the number of major players.

Thankfully, the final portion of this story made up for the slow beginning.  When the various stories began to play out and connect to each other, my connection to the story grew as well.  Love is Monumental is a good, clean tale of seeking love, keeping friendships, and receiving more than you expected.  I appreciate the Christian values displayed in the story and recommend it to fans of simple love stories.

I received this book through the Goodreads First Reads program.  A big thanks to Barbour Publishing.

Literature vs. Entertainment

On the landing at the top of our stairs, are our bookcases - crammed with lots of old favorites, a few new finds (we get most of our books from the library), and some classics that we're determined to read some day.  Three shelves - stacked double in places - are dedicated to Old Faithfuls, those books that we return to again and again when we want an easy, comforting, reliable read.  On Dave's side it's the entire Louis L'Amour collection - always a clean story where good defeats evil.  A few years ago for Christmas I went on a scavenger hunt through e-bay, used book stores and library castoffs to complete his set, and he's read them all - and frequently quotes them to me.

On my side, it's the Cat Who... series by Lilian Jackson Braun.  I have read and re-read all twenty-nine installments several times.  Admittedly, the later books showed signs of Ms. Braun's advancing years (she's now 97) but I feel at home in the fictional town of Pickax City.  The residents have become my friends and it's a relaxing trip. 

These are the type of novels that tend to be frowned on in bookish circles so you hesitate to name them among your favorite authors - the guilty pleasure that you don't admit chosing in place of the summer's hottest bestseller to sit on the porch swing and read with a glass of tea - the books that make bibliophiles look at you over their half-glasses, with a piercing glare and pursed lips.  But while neither L'Amour nor Braun may ever be listed among the giants of "literature", they are fantastic storytellers so we proudly admit to loving them and they keep their prominant spots on our top shelves. 

What "old faithfuls" with worn covers and cracked spines are on your bookshelf?  When you find a story you love, do you re-read?  Are there any books you secretly love, but don't admit to?  Bloggers, do you feel pressure to review "literary" titles rather than fun reads?

Cocktails for Three by Madeleine Wickham

At the first of every month, when the office has reached its pinnacle of hysteria, Maggie, Roxanne, and Candice meet at London’s swankiest bar for an evening of cocktails and gossip. Here, they chat about what’s new at The Londoner, the glossy fashion magazine where they all work, and everything else that’s going on in their lives. Or almost everything. Beneath the girl talk and the laughter, each of the three has a secret. And when a chance encounter at the cocktail bar sets in motion an extraordinary chain of events, each one will find their biggest secret revealed… (from book cover)

I expected this tale of three friends to be similar to Ms. Wickham's (aka Sophie Kinsella) other novels.  In fact, that's why I chose it - I needed something light and fun to listen to in the car while making a mall run over the weekend - but I got much more than I bargained for.

Candice has a chance meeting with a friend from high school who's family was damaged by a business deal engineered by Candice's father.  Her guilt blinds her to her "friend's" machinations and nearly costs her everything.

Maggie gives up her position as editor of a fashion magazine to move to the country and raise a family.  She finds her normally in-charge, capable self completely unprepared for the challenges of motherhood.

Roxanne's long-time relationship comes to an unexpected end, but not for the reason she believes. 

All three of these plots come to a head at the same time and actually made me feel sick about the circumstances that were taking control of their lives.  I think part of the effect this book had on me came from the author's reading on this audio version.  She did an amazing job of conveying the frustration, fear, bewilderment, and grief.  Maybe too good since it was making me physically suffer through it all right along with the heroines! 

Fortunately, all comes right in the end, but in unexpected ways, and again I felt all the emotions right along with the three friends - relief, hope, amazement.  This is a touching, humerous story of friendships that outlast whatever life brings.