The Books of August

"Resew" by Jenny Wilding Cardon features fashions made from thrift store finds, mostly women's clothing--except for a rug, a quilt, and a unisex hat, mitten and scarf set. My favorite is the diner dress, made from a top and three men's dress shirts, made to resemble the classic diner waitress uniform. It's a hard look to pull off it you're over thirty.

Blood Hina by Naomi Hirahawa
The Wave by Susan Casey
Fellowship of fear by Aaron Elkins
Lost in my own backyard: a walk in Yellowstone National Park by Tim Cahill
The killings on Jubilee Terrace by Robert Barnard
Oxmoor House Christmas gifts of good taste Betty Crocker easy everyday vegetarian 30 minute vegetarian grilling
Busy woman seeks wife by Annie Sanders
Better Homes and Gardens Christmas all through the house
Taste of Home busy family favorites Mix 'n' Match meals in minutes by Linda Gassenheimer
Mind your own beeswax by Hannah Reed
Perfect paragon by M.C. Beaton
Dying flames by Robert Barnard
Cold vengeance by Douglas Preston and Lincoln Child
Buzz off by Hannah Reed
Taste of Home almost homemade
ReSew: turn thrift store finds into fabulous designs by Jenny Wilding Cardon
All the pretty hearses by Mary Daheim
Taste of Home Potluck! I have nothing to wear by Jill Martin
Too afraid to cry: Maryland civilians in the Antietam campaign by Kathleen Ernst

Life by Keith Richards

In ten words or less: Keith Richards tells all--drugs, ex, rock 'n roll, and more drugs.

Review: That Keith Richards is still alive to tell it all is something of a marvel. The lead guitarist for the Rolling Stones has been in the business for fifty years, and even though this book is over 500 pages long, it barely scratches the surface of his life.

A good portion of the book deals with Richards' use of drugs, attempts to get clean, and brushes with the law. He spends a lot of time talking about his craft--his influences, how he writes a song, and technical details of the music. Very little is said about the other members of the band; most of it is about his falling out with Mick Jagger, but there are more pages devoted to Chuck Berry than to Bill Wyman and Charlie Watts.

His complicated personal relationships with his children and grand children are revealed without bitterness toward former lovers. There's even a recipe included--Keith Richards' own recipe for bangers and mash!

Why bother? Rolling Stones fans will find lots of eye opening, behind-the-scenes anecdotes told here. Not a narrative history of the Stones, but a look inside the mind of one of the best known rock musicians of all time. He just keeps on ticking.

Drive Time by Hank Phillippi Ryan

In ten words or less: Boston TV reporter investigates two mysteries while facing personal issues.

Review: TV investigative reporter Charlie McNally is at a crossroads. Her career is going great--so great, in fact, she has an offer to go to a New York station. She's currently working on a hot story involving the cloning of automobile vehicle numbers and the theft of air bags.
But when her fiance tells her of a suspicious death at the exclusive private school where he teaches, her instinct is to investigate. He wants her to promise not to start digging around at the school, but she can't help it. She also hasn't told him about her New York job offer. Will her private life crash and burn?

Why bother? Charlie takes on two mysteries at once, and tries to keep peace with her fiance. A page turner with an insider's view of the TV news industry, and lots of local Boston color.

SATURDAY AT THE FARMERS' MARKET

Keeping ahead of the cucumbers? Here's a quick-fix refrigerator pickle.

Lightning Pickles

6 large cucumbers, sliced
3 medium onions, sliced
3 cups sugar
3 cups cider vinegar
4 teaspoons kosher salt
1 1/2 teaspoons mustard seed

In a large bowl, combine all ingredients except the cucumbers and onions. Stir until sugar is dissolved. Add cucumbers and onions and mix well. Cover and refrigerate overnight. Will keep for up to two weeks in the refrigerator. Yield: about 2 1/2 quarts.

The Highly Effective Detective Goes to the Dogs by Richard Yancey

In ten words or less: Bumbling PI Teddy Ruzak investigates murder of a homeless man.

Review: After the state shuts him down for practicing without a license, Tedd Ruzak should be studying to pass his private investigator's license. But he discovers the body of a homeless man outside the office, a man he had befriended just a few days before.
Ruzak investigates, even though he's not officially a detective and has no client. His assistant Felicia warns him not to get involved, but he can't seem to leave the case alone.

Why bother? Readers who enjoy the humorous mysteries of Lawrence Block and Donald Westlake will find much to like about the bumbling, clueless, but big-hearted Teddy Ruzak. With likeable characters and a fast moving plot, this book will appeal to anyone looking for a fun and witty read.

The Killings on Jubilee Terrace by Robert Barnard

In ten words or less: Soap opera actors are killed within days--coincidence?

Review: Former music hall performer Vernon Watts landed a cushy role on the long running soap opera "Jubilee Terrace." When he was hit by a car in city traffic, it looked like an unfortunate accident. But the show must go on.
Program director Reggie Friedman recruited an actor formerly with the show, Hamish Fawley, to return to his role. Fawley was universally hated by everyone with the show, and were glad to see him go. Why would Friedman ask him to return?
That was the question the police were asking the actors the day after Fawley's body was discovered in the remains of a fire--along with the body of a woman assumed to be the wife of one of the cast members.
Why bother? Author Robert Barnard has won just about every award there is . There are always plenty of suspects to go around, lots of interesting characters pulled out of all walks of British society, and a plot worthy of Agatha Christie herself.

The Fellowship of Fear by Aaron Elkins

In ten words or less: Physical anthropologist Gideon Oliver gets caught in international intrigue.

Review: Gideon Oliver, a new widower, accepts a position as a visiting professor for the U.S. Overseas College. It's his first time visiting Eaurope, and he's puzzled by the strange events that happen to him. He's mugged, his hotel room is burgled--but only his socks are taken--and he swears he is being followed.
When he is able to help identify a victim from only a few charred bones and some teeth, local authorities are skeptical of his claims that he has no knowledge of the mysterious events surrounding him, and attempt to recruit him as an agent.

Why bother? This first Gideon Oliver adventure, written in 1982, was the precursor to all the forensic anthropologist sleuths. Author Aaron Elkins is an anthropologist, and presents the clues, and the deductions, in a way that makes the reader say "Wow!"

July's Books

In Extreme Birds, the author presents 150 of the world's birds--the fastest, the hungriest, the noisiest--with beautiful oversize color photos. Everyone from children to adults will enjoy browsing this impressive book.

The Alpine Legacy by Mary Daheim
Til Dice do us Part by Gail Oust
10 Minute Clutter Contro: room by room hundres of easy effective tips for every room in the house by Skye Alexander
Killing Cassidy by Jeanne Dams
Farewell Miss Zukas by Jo Dereske
What to Wear for the Rest of your Life: ageless secrets of style by Kim Gross
Trouble in the Town Hall by Jeanne Dams
10001 Ways to Declutter your Home on a small budget by Ed Morrow
Atlantic: Great Sea Battles, Heroic Discoveries, Titanic Storms, and a Vast Ocean of a Million Stories by Simon Winchester
Spaghetti with Murder by S. Kay Weber
Her Royal Spyness by Rhys Bowen
Skating around the Law by Joelle Charbonneau
Scots on the Rocks by Mary Daheim
Taste of Home Cupcakes!
Extreme Birds: the World's Most Extraordinary and Bizarre Birds by Dominic Couzens
I am the Dog by Daniel Pinkwater

Skating Around the Law by Joelle Charbonneau

In ten words or less: Man drowns in roller rink toilet--owner Rebecca asks "Why?"

Review: Rebecca Robbins is a klutz--too bad her mother owned a roller rink. Two things Rebecca wanted out of life: to move away from her small Illinois hometown and to leave roller skating in her past. When her mother dies, Rebecca takes leave from her job in Chicago as a mortgage broker to return home to prep the rink for a hopefully quick sale.
When Rebecca discovers the body of the town handyman in the women's restroom, his head submerged in the toilet bowl, she is shaken. But when the local sheriff, more interested in his flower garden than in investigating crimes, pronounces it suicide, Rebecca is angry and vows to discover the truth.

Why bother? A notch above most small town cozies. Rebecca is a likeable heroine, and her Casanova grandfather and a good looking veterinarian help to solve the case. All this, and a fedora-wearing camel named Elwood, too!

Unfamiliar Fishes by Sarah Vowell
In ten words or less: Hawaii's history examined by NPR commentator Vowell.

Review: In 1898, America annexed Hawaii, which would in time become the fiftieth state. Vowell takes the reader through the history of the missionaries who came to christianize the islanders, the whaling and sugar industries that brought rough sailors and con men, and the last Hawaiian queen.

Why bother? Sarah Vowell combines her curiosity about history with a razor wit and a take-no-prisoners attitude toward the injustices committed by politicians, robber barons, and missionaries driven to impose their beliefs on others. I highly recommend her books.

Back Nine by Billy Mott

In ten words or less: Charlie McLeod flees his pass to start life anew.

Review: Charlie McLeod is no kid, so when he shows up at a golf club in California looking for a caddying job, the other caddies are wary. But Charlie knows the game, keeps to himself, and doesn't cause trouble. He finds himself a room and begins a tentative friendship with Sarah, the young woman who works the desk at the rooming house.
But a chance meeting with a golf pro who knew Charlie in high school back in Pittsburgh turns his world upside down. Will Charlie be able to face his demons or will he flee again?

Why bother? Even if the reader knows nothing about golf, the story of a man weighed down by past disappointments is well done. And for golfers, there's lots of technique, strategy, and a behind-the-scenes look at the world of caddies. Author Billy Mott, a former actor and caddy, has you cheering for Charlie.

The Alpine Legacy: an Emma Lord mystery by Mary Daheim

In ten words or less: Emma's foe Crystal Bird is found dead; suicide or murder?

Review: Crystal Bird, publisher of an independent newsletter, writes editorials pusing for community support of a battered women's shelter and other causes. Her attacks on Emma Lord, the owner of the weekly newspaper, have gotten personal. A mutual acquaintance has agreed to set up a face to cade meeting between the two women.
When Emma arrives at Crystal's house, Crystal is in her hot tub and is not interested in making peace. Crystal's body is discovered the next morning, an apparent suicide. Was Emma the last person to see her alive?

Why bother? Not as humorous as Daheim's other series. Emma Lord has put her life on hold for a married man, and had an affair with the local sheriff. She's investigating Crystal's death for the newspaper, but is she trying to prove something to the sheriff? This series will appeal to fans of investigative reporters with the bonus of an attractive Pacific northwest setting.

June's Books

Over one hundred fresh and healthful salads are featured in Catherine Walthers' Raising the Salad Bar. None of the recipes are overly complicated, and the salads include grains, pasta, beans, and chicken. The photos are enticing, and with the summer crop of vegetables soon upon us, take a look at this cookbook.

Dog Park Club by Cynthia Robinson
Oh, Johnny by Jim Lehrer
Throw out Fifty Things by Gail Blanke
Weekend Makeover by Don Aslett
Complete Clutter Solution by Good Housekeeping
Once was a Soldier by Julia Spencer-Fleming
500 Soups by Susannah Blake
Raising the Salad Bar by Catherine Walthers

Til Dice Do Us Part by Gail Oust

In ten words or less: Kate's friend is accused of murdering her no-good husband.

Review: If Jessica Fletcher lived in a retirement community in South Carolina, she'd be a neighbor of Kate McCall. Kate, a widow who's children are grown and have moved away, plays bunco with a group of women. When one of the players returns from a Las Vegas vacation with a new husband, Kate and the others can't hide their surprise.
Claudia Connors informs them her new husband, Lance Ledeaux, is an actor. He's well-dressed, tanned, fit, and charming. Kate thinks she recognizes him from a minor role on "CSI" where he played a murder victim. Soon Lance has recruited all the bunco players to help him produce a play he's written. When someone substitutes live ammo in a prop gun for blanks, Lance is shot dead in front of the cast and crew, and Claudia is arrested for his murder.

Why bother? A light and fluffy mystery--good for bringing along on vacation or having stashed on your shelf for a rainy day. I had trouble keeping the large cast of characters sorted out, but there were enough red herrings to keep me reading until the end.

Gimme Five: The New York Yankees

The house that Ruth built : a new stadium, the first Yankees championship, and the redemption of 1923 / Robert Weintraub.
New York : Little, Brown and Co., 2011.

In 1923, the losing New York Yankees played their first season on their own field, and everything changed. Babe Ruth bounced back from a contentious season to carry the team to their first title. This is the untold tale of the Yankees' breakout season.

Yankee colors : the glory years of the Mantle era / photographs by Marvin E. Newman ; text by Al Silverman ; foreword by Yogi Berra. New York : Abrams Book, c2009.

Tells the story of the legendary period during the 1950s and 1960s when New York baseball was supreme. This book features many colour photographs and portraits of Yankee greats such as Mickey Mantle,

Ladies and gentlemen, the Bronx is burning : 1977, baseball, politics, and the battle for the soul of a city / Jonathan Mahler. New York : Farrar, Straus and Giroux, 2005.

A passionate and dramatic account of a year in the life of a city, when baseball and crime reigned supreme, and when several remarkable figures emerged to steer New York clear of one of its most harrowing periods.

The last boy : Mickey Mantle and the end of America's childhood / Jane Leavy. New York : Harper, c2010.

Drawing on interviews with friends and family, as well as teammates and opponents, "New York Times"-bestselling author Leavy delivers the definitive account of one of the biggest talents and most tragic figures ever to play baseball--Mickey Mantle.

56 : Joe DiMaggio and the last magic number in sports / Kostya Kennedy.
New York, N.Y. : Sports Illustrated Books, c2011.

Recounts Joe DiMaggio's streak during the summer of 1941 and how it found its way into countless lives.

Wanna Get Lucky? by Deborah Coonts

In ten words or less: Lucky O'Toole is a problem solver at a Vegas casino.

Review: Head of Customer Relations at the Babylon Casino, Lucky O'Toole fixes problems every day that the average person can't even imagine. Today she has a huge naked man sleeping in a stairwell, a "whale" named Fujikara who wrecked one of the casino's Ferraris, an elderly man who wants a hug, and on the nightly news she sees footage of a woman killed while falling from a helicopter into the casino's lagoon.
The Big Boss asks Lucky to investigate, telling her he doesn't trust his new hire in security, Paxton Dane. The news media and the police assume Lyda Sue, the victim, is a suicide. But Lucky doesn't agree. The Big Boss is lying about something, and she doesn't trust Dane. She enlists an eager police detective to help her track down the killer.

Why bother? The Las Vegas casino setting, with all its glitz and excess, provides a bottomless source of odd characters for an entertaining mystery. There's a fair amount of sex, but mostly in a humorous context. Fast paced and funny, readers who enjoy a mixture of chick lit and mystery should pick this one up.

I Shall Not Want by Debbie Viguie

In ten words or less:
Someone is targeting homeless people and their dogs--Cindy investigates.

Review: Cindy is a church secretary who has a habit of stumbling over dead bodies. In the second book of this series, Cindy is at a charity event at the home of one of her church members. Homeless people are matched with dogs from the local shelter. It seems to be going well, but there are protesters outside. When Cindy discovers the host's assistant murdered, and one of the dogs missing, the police can't discover a motive for the crime.
Rabbi Jeremiah Silverman, whose synagogue is next door to Cindy's church, reveals a mysterious past. But more dogs go missing, and more bodies turn up. What has Cindy gotten herself into this time?

Why bother? Readers who enjoy Christian fiction, or those who prefer mysteries without profanity or sex, may enjoy this series.

Assault with a Deadly Glue Gun by Lois Winston

In ten words or less: Loan shark pursues Anastasia, who is accused of murder.

Review: If Stephanie Plum were a forty-something widow with two teenagers, she might be Anastasia Pollock. After her husband's unexpected death, Anastasia discovers he was a secret gambler who had drained their savings accounts and borrowed heavily. And when she gets threatening calls from someone named Ricardo, she finds out he owed a loan shark $50,000, and the loan shark has no intention of forgiving the loan.
As if she doesn't have enough problems--with her cantankerous mother-in-law sharing her home, her own mother returns from a cruise, sans her latest husband. And an unpleasant co-worker is found dead--the murder weapon is Anastasia's own hot glue gun.

Why bother? Fans of humorous cozy mysteries--like those by Tamar Myers and Mary Daheim--will enjoy Anastasia's escapades. More, please!

Saturday at the Farmers' Market

The first strawberries were out, as well as spinach, zucchini, radishes, and a whole assortment of greens. If you feel compelled to do something with the strawberries other than eat them plain, here's a salad you can try. Everything was available at the market except the oranges.

Strawberry Spinach Salad

6-8 cups of spinach, washed and dried
2 white icicle radishes, peeled and cut into thin matchsticks
2 oranges, peeled and sectioned
10 -12 strawberries, washed, hulled and sliced


Combine spinach, radishes, oranges and strawberries. Pour Spring Vinaigrette dressing over all. Serve immediately.

Spring Vinaigrette dressing

3 tablespoons raspberry vinegar
1/3 cup orange juice
2 tablespoons honey
1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
2 teaspoons finely minced green onions
6 tablespoons olive oil
1/4 teaspoon kosher salt

Port Mortuary by Patricia Cornwell

In ten words or less: Was man alive when zipped into body bag? Scarpetta investigates.

Review: Kay Scarpetta's military ties complicate her life and career in the latest offering from Patricia Cornwell. After accepting a scholarship from the Air Force to finance her college and medical school education, Scarpetta found herself tangled in a case involving hate crimes against two Americans in South Africa. Twenty years later, she still has nightmares about the case, and is shocked when the mother of a young man her office has autopsied seems to be dredging up the old case, and accuses Scarpetta of racism.

Scarpetta has been at Dover Air Force base, running a fellowship program on CT-assisted virtual autopsies, when word reachers her from Massachusetts. At her forensic center in Cambridge, a young man who had dropped dead is found in his body bag, and there are indications that he was alive when he was zipped up. Did her office screw up, and why is her second-in-command missing?

Why bother? Cornwell interweaves a number of plots, from the present and the past, and Scarpetta doesn't know who to trust, including her husband and niece. The military mortuary at Dover lent an air of despair and urgency to the mystery.

Saturday at the Farmer's Market

Today was the opening of the Farmer's market for the season. It's been a cold, wet spring here in the frozen north, and the only items for sale were green onions, asparagus, and rhubarb. Here's a great dessert recipe for that rhubarb.

Strawberry Rhubarb Crisp

3/4 lb. diced rhubarb
3/4 lb. sliced fresh strawberries
1 cup sugar
1 3/4 cup quick cooking oats
1 cup flour
pinch of salt
1 cup packed brown sugar
1 tsp. grated orange peel
1/2 stick butter

In a bowl, mix rhubarb, strawberries, and white sugar. Put in a greased, 8 inch square baking pan. In another bowl, mix oats, flour, salt, brown sugar and orange peel until mixture is crumbly. Cut in butter. Sprinkle over fruit in baking pan. Bake at 350 degrees for 40 to 45 minutes. Makes 8 servings. You can top each serving with whipped cream or ice cream, but it is perfectly delicious on its own.

May's Books

TV's favorite snoop, Jessica Fletcher, is at it again. In "A Question of murder," while Jessica is attending a writers' conference, one of the actors in a murder mystery play meets his death on state. Who could have killed him, with all eyes on the drama? Jessica solves the murder and leaves the local police in the dust.

Sixkill by Robert B. Parker
Only a game by J.M. Gregson
Devils food cake murder by Joanne Fluke
Memory of running by Ron McLarty
Spoonful of poison by M.C. Beaton
Planet Dagenham by Jeremy Clarkson
Death of a garage sale newbie by Sharon Dunn
Musclebound by Liza Cody
365 ways to cook eggs by Elaine Corn
Drop of the hard stuff by Lawrence Block
Heads you lose by Lisa Lutz
Wreck the halls by Sarah Graves
Question of murder by Donald Bain
A murderous yarn by Monica Ferris
Better Homes and Gardens Christmas Cookies 2010
Wicked fix by Sarah Graves

Eiffel's Tower: and the World's Fair where Buffalo Bill beguiled Paris, the artists quarreled, and Thomas Edison became a count by Jill Jonnes

In ten words or less: What do Eiffel, Cody, Edison and Gauguin have in common?

Review: Who can imagine Paris without the Eiffel tower? Many Parisians hated the monument that Gustav Eiffel built for the 1899 Paris World's Fair. There were criticisms about the design, the cost, the safety, and the fact that no French company would bid on the job of designing and manufacturing the elevators that would travel up the curved legs of the tower.
The author intertwines the story of Eiffel with those of Buffalo Bill Cody, Paul Gauguin, and Thomas Edison. Buffalo Bill's wild west show, starring Annie Oakley, was the sensation of the fair, with its "garcons du boeuf," Indian chiefs, buffalo, and displays of sharpshooting. Thomas Edison was showing an early version of the phonograph, but was beset by unscrupulous partners and promoters who wanted to take advantage of him.
The Impressionist artists, especially Paul Gauguin, felt that they were not given their due consideration in the art exhibit. Gauguin pulled his works out of the French exhibit, and hung them on the walls of a cafe on the fair grounds.

Why bother? Readers who enjoyed Erik Larson's "The Devil in White City" will enjoy this look at Paris at the end of the nineteenth century. Fans of the histories of David McCullough and Simon Winchester should add this book to their "must read" list.

Phi Beta Murder: a Rex Graves Mystery

In ten words or less: Scottish barrister investigates death of a Florida college student.

Review: Rex Graves, a Scottish barrister with a knack for solving crimes, anticipates a carefree holiday in Florida with his college student son, Campbell. When the dormitory resident assistant, Dixon Clark, is discovered hanged in his room, the university and the police are quick to write off the death as a suicide. But Dixon's family is not so sure, and none of his friends think he's been depressed.
Graves agrees to look into the circumstances around Dixon's death, while still hoping for some time with his son boating and fishing. But even that is seeming more unlikely with the surprize appearance of Graves' old flame Moira Wilcox, who had tossed him over to go to Iraq.

Why bother? Very much in the spirit of Agatha Christie, "Phi Beta Murder" is a cozy with an amateur sleuth, but with a middle-aged male at center stage. This is one to recommend to mystery-loving friends. Can't wait for the next Rex Graves adventure!

Death in Show by Judi McCoy

In ten words or less: Dog handler drops dead in show ring; is it murder?

Review: Ellie Engleman is a dog walker, and one of her clients--Lulu, a Havanese--will be competing in a prestigious dog show. Flora Steinman, Lulu's wealthy owner, asks Ellie along to the dog show to watch the dog in the show ring. But Lulu's handler drops dead, and the police investigate.
Detective Sam Ryder, Ellie's sometime boyfriend, is on the scene. There are plenty of suspects--rival handlers, Flora, and even Ellie.

Why bother? The reason Ellie gets along so well with her charges is that she can communicate with the dogs--she talks to them, and they talk back. The dogs are more interesting characters than their owners, for the most part. Part chick lit, part cozy mystery, part Disney story--readers of Rita Mae Brown and Lauren Berenson's animal mysteries will want to check out Judi McCoy.

Book Review

Djibouti by Elmore Leonard

In ten words or less: Somali pirates and al-Qaeda terrorists are subjects of filmmaker's documentary.

Review: Best-selling author Elmore Leonard combines Somali pirates and al-Qaeda terrorists in his latest novel. Dara Barr, an award winning documentary filmmaker, heads to Africa to film modern day pirates in action. With her is Xavier LeBo, a 72-year-old African-American seafarer, as her right-hand man and expert on all things nautical.
Pirates have captured a liquefied natural gas tanker and are negotiating for a ransom. Texas billionaire Billy Wynn and his girlfriend Helene are sailing around the world, and Billy hints to Dara that he might be CIA. Meanwhile, jama Raisuli, a young ex-con from Miami turned al-Qaeda terrorist, is plotting to blow up something big.
Are the pirates more interested in riding around Djibouti in their luxury autos, wearing their $200 shoes, or are they in league with al-Qaeda?

Why bother? In an Elmore Leonard story, the women are always gorgeous, the bad guys nefarious, the action is nonstop, and the humor comes in short, sharp jabs. No one is who they seem. No one does it better.

April's Books

Fans of BBC's "Top Gear" will enjoy "Born to be Riled," a collection of columns from presenter Jeremy Clarkson. In addition to his reviews of automobiles, from the mundane to the exotic, he vents on about jeans, country life, and aging rocker Cliff Richard. If Andy Rooney were British and test-drove cars, he would be Jeremy Clarkson.

Lesson of her death by Jeffery Deaver

Damaged by Pamela Callow
Playing for pizza by John Grisham
The Gourmet cookie book: the single best recipe from each year 1941-2009

Miracle on 49th Street by Mike Lupica
Trouble with chickens by Doreen Cronin
Diamond Ruby by Joseph Wallace
Tick tock by James Patterson
The tournament by John Clarke
Play dead by Ryan Brown
Dead deceiver by Victoria Houston
Death of a chimney sweep by M.C. Beaton
Murder on the moor by C.S. Challinor
Started early took my dog by Kate Allison
Born to be riled by Jeremy Clarkson
Unfamiliar fishes by Sarah Vowell
Boxer and the spy by Robert B. Parker
Wordy shipmates by Sarah Vowell
Motorworld by Jeremy Clarkson
Dirty water by Mary-Ann Smith
Back nine by Billy Mott

Gimme Five: Favorite Baseball Movies

Major League (1989)

The diehard Cleveland Indians who went from worst to first in a wacky season now cope with fame and its perks as the team tries to hit, hustle and joke its way back to the top. Starring Charlie Sheen, Wesley Snipes, and Tom Berenger. Bob Uecker is announcer Harry Doyle, and look for former Milwaukee Brewers pitcher Pete Vuckovich in a minor role.

Bad News Bears (1976)

A former baseball minor-leaguer coaches a team of tough kids. His star pitcher is a girl. With Walter Matthau and Tatum O’Neal.

Eight Men Out (1988)

Based on the real-life scandal of 1919, the film tells the story of eight baseball players who plan to throw games for money, and the scorn and anger the scheme earned them. Starring John Cusack, Charlie Sheen, Christopher Lloyd. Directed by John Sayles; based on the book by Eliot Asinof.

The Natural (1984)

Nothing was going to stop Roy Hobbs from fulfilling his boyhood dream of baseball stardom. As a 14-year old he fashions a baseball bat from an oak tree. He soon impresses major league scouts with his ability. His talent also catches the eye of a sportswriter who eventually becomes instrumental in Hobbs' career. The appearance of a mysterious woman, however, shatters his dream.... With Robert Redford, Robert Duvall and Glenn Close. Based on the story by Bernard Malamud.

Bull Durham (1988)

American romantic comedy, dealing with a very minor minor-league team and three of its current constituents, an aging baseball groupie that beds one player each season, a cocky foolish new pitcher, and the older, weary catcher brought in to wise the rookie up. Featuring Susan Sarandon, Kevin Costner, and Tim Robbins.

March Books

Veteran NFL place kicker Jason Elam writes a series of thrillers that combine military action, football, and Christianity. Monday Night Jihad is the first in the Riley Covington novels that feature a former professional football player turned special op.

Layer cake, jelly roll, and charm quilts by Pam Lintott and Nicky Lintott
Hanging curve by Troy Soos
Ghost train to the Eastern Star by Paul Theroux
Monday Night Jihad by Jason Elam
Lament for a lounge lizard by Mary Jane Maffini
Downsizing your home with style by Lauri Ward
Gideon's sword by Douglas Preston
Rusty Nail by J.A. Konrath
Brothers of Baker Street by Michael Robertson
Too hot to handle by Mary Jane Maffini
Malice in the highlands by Graham Thomas
Finding Jack by Gareth Crocker
Blockade Billy by Stephen King
To have and to kill by Mary Jane Clark
Totally buzzed by Gale Borger
Dark and stormy night by Jeanne Dams

Walking in Circles Before Lying Down by Merrill Markoe

In ten words or less: Dysfunctional family, rotten boyfriend--only Dawn's dog Chuck understands her.

Review: Twice-divorced Dawn Tarnauer's life is a mess. Her self-absorbed family blame her for all their troubles; she's between jobs; and her mostly-unemployed boyfriend leaves to follow his dreams of fame and fortune. And then her dog dies.
Dawn hadn't planned on getting a new dog soon, but something about the mongrel at the shelter "spoke" to her. And little did she know that Chuck--for that was his name--could actually speak. Other dogs also spoke to her, and much of it was not complimentary.

Why bother? Terribly funny story of a girl and her dog by Emmy-winning writer Markoe.

February's Books

In Black Tie Affair a vintage clothing expert passes out while examining some historic gowns, which are giving off toxic fumes. She teams up with a hunky department store executive to solve the mystery and rekindle their old romance. Lots of local Chicago tidbits.

I Shall Not Want by Debbie Viguie
The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks by Rebecca Skloot
Trail of Murder by Christine Andreae
Death in Show by Judi McCoy
Port Mortuary by Patricia Cornwell
Phi Beta Murder by C.S. Challinor
Black Tie Affair by Sherrell Bodine
It Happened One Knife by Jeffrey Cohen
Squeeze Play by Jane Leavy
Murder in the Raw by C. S. Challinor

Squeeze Play by Jane Leavy

In ten words or less: Woman sportswriter covers an expansion baseball team's first season.

Review: Before Jane Leavy wrote the excellent biographies of Sandy Koufax and Mickey Mantle, she wrote this novel loosely based on her experiences as a sportswriter.
In this novel, A.B. Berkowtiz is a woman reporter assigned to cover the first year of a new expansion baseball team in Washington, D.C. No one wants her in the locker room. The team owner is a televangelist who believe that a woman's place is not reporting on the team. The manager, the players, the wives, even the other sportswriters, are all giving her the silent treatment.
The Nationals are on a record-setting pace to achieve the worst record ever in baseball history, and A.B. Berkowitz is along for the ride.

Why bother? The language is raunchy, the naked ballplayers drink, pray, and have sex, and A.B. wonders if being a sportswriter is all it's cracked up to be. The baseball answer to Dan Jenkin's football novels.

It Happened One Knife by Jeffrey Cohen

In ten words or less: Legendary comedy team involved in decades old suspicious death.

Review: Elliot Freed is reopening his all-comedy movie theatre, Comedy Tonight, and his life is looking rosy. His ex-wife Sharon is even hinting that a reconciliation might be possible.
Elliot feels so optimistic he agrees to screen his young projectionist's film that was made as a college project. The film, a violent and bloody Western, is not to his taste, but a film distributor in the audience thinks he can sell it to a studio. But after the screening, the film goes missing, and everyone blames Elliot.
Elliot is busy planning a showing of "Cracked Ice," a vintage comedy featuring the legendary team of Harry Lillis and Les Townes. It's his good fortune to get Harry Lillis to appear at the theatre for the screening, and Les Townes makes a surprise appearance. Lillis confides to Elliot that Townes killed his wife years ago, and Elliot decides to investigate the death, which was ruled an accident.

Why bother? A healthy dose of show biz history adds to this mystery. Readers of Stuart Kaminsky's Toby Peters series should check this out.

Gimme Five! Movies for Black History Month

The Color Purple

An uneducated woman living in the rural American south who was raped by her father, deprived of the children she bore him and forced to marry a brutal man she calls "Mister" is transformed by the friendship of two remarkable women, acquiring self-worth and the strength to forgive. Starring Whoopi Goldberg and Danny Glover, based on the novel by Alice Walker.

Ray

Ray Charles went blind at the age of seven. Inspired by his mother who insisted he make his own way, he found his calling at the keyboard. "Ray' follows as he overcomes drug addiction while becoming one of the country's most beloved performers. Jamie Fox won an Oscar for his portrayal of Ray Charles in a film that has one of the best soundtracks ever.

Malcolm X

Screen version of the life of Malcolm X, who though his religious conversion to Islam, found the strength to rise up from a criminal past to become an influential civil rights leader. Spike Lee directed and Denzel Washington and Angela Bassett starred.

The Wiz

A discontented kindergarten teacher living in Harlem is lost in a blizzard and comes upon the wonderland of Oz. There she meets new friends, tries to find her way home, and discovers that her life is not so bad after all. Diana Ross stars with a cast that includes Richard Pryor and a young Michael Jackson.

Beloved

After Paul D. finds his old slave friend Sethe in Ohio and moves in with her and her daughter Denver, a strange girl comes along by the name of "Beloved." Sethe and Denver take her in and then strange things start to happen. With Danny Glover and Oprah Winfrey, based on the Pulitzer Prize winning novel by Toni Morrison.

Don't Look Down by Jennifer Crusie and Bob Mayer

In ten words or less: Film director meets Green Beret for romantic suspense.

Review: Lucy Armstrong directs television commercials and is called in on a movie shoot when the director dies. The stunt coordinator is her ex-husband Connor Nash. Lucy's sister and her five year old niece are also on the movie set. A dangerous helicopter stunt forces the leading man, a comic actor who is an action hero wannabe, to call upon Green Beret Captain J.T. Wilder for his expertise.

Why bother? It's a typical Crusie humorous romance, with a lot of military equipment thrown in. For those who like their romances with cammo and high-tech gadgets.

Sizzling Sixteen by Janet Evanovich

In ten words or less: Vinnie's held ransom; can Stephanie, Lula, and Connie rescue Him?

Review: Bounty hunter Stephanie Plum's boss Vinnie is being held for $786,000 ransom. Nobody likes Vinnie, including his wife, but Stephanie, Lula, and Connie will lose their jobs if the bail bond company goes under.
The trio plot to discover where Vinnie is being held, but they also have to capture a polygamist, a toilet paper thief, and a drug dealer with a pet alligator named Mr. Jingles.

Why bother? As in all Evanovich books, there are plenty of fried foods, donuts, wrecked cars, and inept crooks. Smoldering looks from both Morelli and Ranger and a cameo appearance from Grandma Mazur--what more could a fan want?

Gimme Five: Valentine's Day Mysteries

Cat Playing Cupid: a Joe Grey mystery by Shirley Rousseau Murphy

While uncovering a link between two murders located more than five hundred miles apart, Joe Grey, feline P.I., and his pals Dulcie and Kit, must stop a hate-filled crime spree on Valentine's Day.

A Catered Valentine’s Day by Isis Crawford

Bernie and Libby, owners of A Taste of Heaven, are partnering up with the Just Chocolate store for a Valentine's Day mega-event. When a client's mother dies, Bernie and Libby put their plans on hold to attend the funeral, only to become involved in a grisly mystery. A corpse has been found...in someone else's grave. The body belongs to Ted Gorman - the same Ted Gorman who co-owned Just Chocolate and supposedly died in a fiery car crash weeks earlier. Now, Bernie and Libby, working with Ted's widow, must sort through a mixed box of dark financial scandal, sticky family ties, and bittersweet passion to unwrap a killer with a ruthless centre...

How to Murder the Man of Your Dreams by Dorothy Cannell

After the Chitterdon Fells librarian is found dead among the stacks, the town invites hunky Karisma, a romance series cover model, for a fund raiser in her name. When he dies, PI Ellie Haskell, herself an avid romance reader, has work on her hands.

Loves Lies Bleeding by Susan Wittig Albert

Ex-lawyer and herb-shop proprietor China Bayles is investigating the mystery of retired Texas Ranger shot dead with his wife's gun...and at the same time trying to sort out some mysteries about her own relationship after she overhears a suspicious phone conversation...

Valentine Murder by Leslie Meier

In Tinker's Cove, Maine, sleuth and freelance writer Lucy Stone investigates the shooting of the town's librarian whose body was found in the library, minutes before a meeting of the board of directors. Police suspect all seven directors, including a former librarian. By the author of Back to School Murder.

January's Books

Once upon a Blue Moose combines three of Pinkwater's children's books about the mysterious moode who enjoys clam chowder, gingerbread, and works as a headwaiter in Mr. Breton's restaurant. The moose is also writing his autobiogaphy, which tells of his historic exploits. I love Pinkwater's books!

Wanna Get Lucky? by Deborah Coonts
Assault with a Deadly Glue Gun by Lois Winston
Bitter Harvest: Gordon Kahl and the Posse Comitatus: Murder in the heartland by James Corcoran
Free Fire by C.J. Box
Skinner's Rules by Quintin Jardine
Satch, Dizzy, and Rapid Robert: the wild saga of interracial baseball before Jackie Robinson by Timothy Gray
Fire Break by Richard Stark
Come Back by Richard Stark
The Highly Effective Detective goes to the Dogs by Richard Yancey
Flashfire by Richard Stark
Fast Cooking in a Slow Cooker by Joann Rachor
Duty, Honor, Victory: America's Athletes in World War II by Gary Bloomfield
The Last Boy" Mickey Mantle and the end of America's Childhood by Jane Leavy
Evil harvest: the true story of cult murder in the American heartland by Rod Colvin
Sweater Chop Shop: sewing one-of-a-kind creations from recycled sweaters by Crispina Ffrench
Christimas is Murder by C.S. Challinor
The Lord is my Shepherd by Debbie Viguie
Once upon a Blue Moose by Daniel Pinkwater

Early Spring?

We had a blizzard last night in Wisconsin, and the groundhog was under quite a bit of snow. But when Jimmy, the Sun Prairie groundhog, ventured forth, he didn't see his shadow. That means an early spring!

Cemetery Dance by Douglas Preston and Lincoln Child

In ten words or less: Smithback is murdered; evidence points to a zombii cult.

Review: Bill Smithback, the investigative reporter who was featured in "The Relic," is killed in a horrific attack in his Upper West Side apartment. His wife, archaeologist Nora Kelly, witnessed the attack and recognized their neighbor, Colin Fearing, as the killer.
But as NYPD homicide detective Vincent D'Agosta and FBI Special Agent Aloysius Pendergast start their investigation, they discover that Fearing died two weeks earlier. Accusations of voodoo and zombies surface, and Smithback's story about animal sacrifices by a reclusive cult points to involvement by the members.

Why bother? Another exciting mystery--with a few paranormal overtones--in the Agent Pendergast series.