Poor Man's Lobster

Poor Man's Lobster (4-6 servings)

There is a local restaurant that advertises “Friday night lawyer all you can eat.”

This is what they mean.

3 quarts water

 1 medium onion

 3 stalks celery, chopped

 1/2 cup lemon juice

 3 tablespoons salt

 1 bay leaf

 3 pounds lawyers (eelpout/burbot/ling cod) cut into 2-inch pieces

 1/2 pound butter

 2 cloves garlic

 Paprika 

In large kettle, boil water, onion celery, lemon juice and salt for 4 minutes. Add bay leaf and lawyers. Boil for 3 minutes. remove fish,. Place on cookie sheet . Brush with melted garlic butter. Sprinkle with paprika. Broil for 2 minutes. Serve with melted garlic butter.

Gone for Good

Gone for Good by Harlan Coben

Will Klein, a counselor at Covenant House, a center for runaways, has painful memories when he visits his family’s home upon the death of his mother.  A neighbor’s home was the site of the brutal rape and murder of Julie Miller, Will’s former girlfriend.  And Will’s brother Ken was the prime suspect—he disappeared afterward and was a fugitive for eleven years.

     When Will’s girlfriends Sheila goes missing, he discovers his brother is not dead, but involved with some dangerous characters.  And the FBI is after him.  There is lots of suspense, plot twists, and turns in this novel.  Will seems naïve and gullible, but the bad guys are evil and scary.

The Books of August

 The Books of August

Charlie Howard, the mystery writer and thief, visits Vegas in the third book in Chris Ewan's Guide Thief Guide series. With his literary agent Victoria, Charlie visits the Fifty-Fifty casino, where he picks the pocket of magician Josh Masters, the hotel's headline act. And when Charlie later breaks into Masters' hotel room, he discovers a body in the bathtub, and that the magician's assistant is missing. Immediately putting two and two together, Charlie figures the magician is involved in something deadly, but the casino's owners think that Charlie is plotting together with Master's to rob the casino. Readers who like caper novels, like Donald Westlake or Lawrence Block's Bernie Rhodenbarr series, will enjoy getting to know Charlie Howard.

True vision authentic art journaling by L.K. Ludwig
Artful journals by Janet Takahashi
Nature inspired by Tracie Huskamp
Artful storybook by Terry Taylor
52 more scrapbooking challenges by Elizabeth karchner
Bushville wins! the wild saga of the 1957 Milwaukee Braves and the screwballs, sluggers and beer swiggers who canned the New York Yankees by John Klima
The third gate by Lincoln Child
Scrapbook embellishment handbook by Sherry Stevenson
Portable dad: fix-it advice for when Dad's not around by Steve Elliott
Dare to repair: a do-it-herself guide to fixing (almost) anything in the home by Julie Sussman
America's cheapest family gets you right on the money: your guide to living better, spending less, and cashing in on your dreams by Steve Economides
Good thief's guide to Vegas by Chris Ewan
Great gift ideas using scrapbook materials by Jill Haglund
Vanished by Joseph Finder
Tickled to death by Joan Hess
Journal junkies workshop by Eric Scott and David Modler
Winter in June by Kathryn Miller Haines
Goodbye body by Joan Hess
Ham bones by Carolyn Haines
Out on a limb by Joan Hess

Hitman

Hitman by Parnell Hall

In ten words or less: A hit man hires PI Stanley Hastings for a job.

Review: P.I. Stanley Hastings gets most of his jobs from a lawyer. He interviews potential clients and photographs potholes and slippery floors for personal injury suits. Martin Kessler wants to hire Hastings for a particular job. Kessler is a hitman, and wants Hastings to prevent him from carrying out his latest assignment. Hastings asks his cop friend to check out Kessler, who turns out to be a school teacher with a clean record. Something isn't right, but Hastings can't quite figure it out.

Why bother? The marginally competant Stanley Hastings manages to get in over his head once again. Another entertaining installment in the series.

Why? Because we still like you: an oral history of the Mickey Mouse Club

Jennifer Armstrong's "Why? Because we still like you: an oral history of the Mickey Mouse Club"

In ten words or less: Where are they now? Story of the original Mouseketeers

Review: Children in the 1950s grew up watching the Mickey Mouse Club, a television show produced by Walt Disney as a marketing prop to stir interest in the brand new Disneyland theme park. The kids on the show, "average" youngsters aged 8-14, sang, danced and acted in mini-series.

Annette Funicello quickly became the star of the show, and went on to a career in recording--even though she was no singer--and acting. Bobby Burgess continued in show business as a dancer on the Lawrence Welk Show, and Don Grady and Tim Considine starred in the sitcom "My Three Sons."

Cheryl Holdridge married Woolworth heir Lance Reventlow, David Stollery became an automobile designer, and Doreen Tracey posed nude for a men's magazine.

Why bother? If you can still sing along with the Mickey Mouse Club songs, you might like to see how you after-school favorites have aged. Nice black and white photos let you compare then and now photos. Fun for baby boomers!

July's Books

Tim Moore traces the steps of a 17th century cleryman, Thomas Coryate, in his attempt at recreating a Grand Tour of Europe in his book "Continental Drifter." Coryate wrote of his travels to 45 Eurpean cities in "Crudites," considered to be the first travel book. Moore sets out, not on foot but in an old Rolls Royce and clad in a velvet suit from an Oxfam shop. Fun to read, but I'm glad I wasn't around for the ride.

1000 Artist Trading Cards by Patricia Bolton
Budget Living Home Cheap Home
Believing the Lie by Elizabeth George
Continental Drifter by Tim Moore
XO by Jeffery Deaver
The Color of Magic by Terry Pratchett
Stick a Fork in it by Robin Allen
The Yiddish Policeman's Union by Michael Chabon

June's Books

"A house without a cat is like life without sunshine." When Julia and Paul Child moved to Paris, there was one thing missing from their tiny apartment. They adopted Minette Mimosa, a tortoiseshell cat. Children who read "Minette's Fest" may have no idea who Julia Child was, but they will enjoy the story of the little cat who feasted in Julia's kitchen. Illustrated by Amy Bates, who captures the feel of post-war Paris and the mischievious cat perfectly.

As the crow flies by Craig Johnson
Artist trading cards by Leonie Pujol
Rubber stamping artist trading cards by Tweetyjill Pubs
Trading card treasures by Carol Heppner
Wallflower in bloom by Claire Cook
Camp follower by Suzanne Adair
Artist trading card workshop by Bernie Berlin
Minette's feast by Susanna Reich
Thud! by Terry Pratchett
When will Jesus bring the pork chops? by George Carlin
The ladies' man by Eleanor Lipman
Mummy dearest by Joan Hess
Rock and roll homicide by R.J. McDonnell

Books I read in May 2012

In Just One More Thing, actor  Peter Falk relates stories from his life. Short on the details that make up a biography, this volume is mostly recollections of his roles and co-stars, such as John Cassavetes and Alan Arkin. Falk, who has a master's degree in public administration, was a washout as a public servant, but snagged roles on the stage, in film, and on television as the rumpled Lt. Columbo. He was also a talented artist, and some of his work is included. A quick, interesting read about an unconventional man.

Alpine for you by Maddy Hunter
Top o' the Mournin by Maddy Hunter
G'Day to Die by Maddy Hunter
Hula Done it by Maddy Hunter
 Cat in an Ultramarine Scheme by Carole Nelson Douglas
Must Love Dogs by Claire Cook
Redemption by Debra Lee
Hooked by Polly Iyer
Assault with a Deadly Glue Gun by Lois Winston
Pasta Imperfect by Maddy Hunter
Robert B. Parker's Lullaby by Ace Atkins
Multiple Choice by Claire Cook
Just One More Thing by Peter Falk
Reaper Man by Terry Pratchett
Sacre Bleu: a comedy d'art by Christopher Moore
Willowtree by Mike Bove
Mort by Terry Pratchett

Saturday at the Farmer's market

Rhubarb is everywhere at the Farmers' Market. On a dreary May day, making a pot of rhubarb dumplings will help the time pass as you watch for thunderstorm warnings on the Weather Channel.

Rhubarb Dumplings

2 tbsp. butter
1/2 c. sugar
2 c. rhubarb, chopped
pinch salt
1/2 tsp. cinnamon
1/2 tsp. nutmeg
1 1/2 c. water

Dumplings:
1 c. flour
1/2 tsp. salt
1/2 c. sugar
1 1/2 tsp. baking powder
2 tbsp. butter
1/2 tsp. vanilla
1/2 c. milk

Combine first seven ingredients and simmer until the rhubarb is tender. Meanwhile, combine dumpling ingredients to make dough. Drop dough by the tablespoon on top of the simmering rhubarb. Cover tightly and simmer for another 15-20 minutes. Serve warm with ice cream, if you like. Makes 6 servings.

Dark Star Safari: overland from Cairo to Capetown by Paul Theroux

Theroux revisits many of the places he lived and worked as a Peace Corps volunteer and teacher in the 1960s. He argues theology with Christian missionaries, visits natives, aid workers, and tourists. His anecdotes are entertaining but with a serious undertone, as they shed light on the political and social chaos of many of the African nations. He visits the homes of fellow authors Naguib Mafouz and Nadine Gordimer. As a priest observes to him, "Wonderful people. Terrible government. The African story." A memorable book.

The Ghost Mountain boys:  their epic march and the terrifying battle for New Guinea—the forgotten war of the South Pacific by James Campbell

James Campbell’s Ghost Mountain Boys tells the harrowing story of the 32nd Division’s WWII battle to prevent New Guinea from falling into Japanese hands. The battle for New Guinea is considered by many to be the first great land victory in the South Pacific Theater. The book tells the tale of National Guardsmen whisked from the temperate Midwest and dropped into the dense jungles of New Guinea with little training and with equipment unequal to
the task ahead.

In addition to the Japanese, soldiers of the U.S. and Australian armies faced an even more fearsome enemy, the terrain they needed to traverse to complete their mission. This grueling terrain exacted the harshest toll of all, accounting for almost 80% of the casualties of the campaign. If the enemies’ bullets were not enough, the soldiers were pitted against jungle, mountains, insects, rain, mud, dysentery and malaria.

Through Campbell’s words, the reader sees the dramatic and often deadly consequence of poor planning, indecisiveness and ego. Unlike many historical accounts, Campbell makes a real effort to humanize the enemy and illustrate how ill-advised decisions on both sides led to unneeded bloodshed,
suffering and death.

Books I read in April 2012

Dan Dye first met Gracie, star of Amazing Gracie: a Dog's Tale, an albino Great Dane puppy, and his life took an unpredictable turn. Gracie, deaf and blind in one eye, had digestive problems and Dye had a difficult time finding food she could eat. No cook, Dye experimented with natural organic ingredients until he found some she could eat. Three Dog Bakery grew out of his attempts to feed Gracie a healthful, nutritious diet. A heartwarming story sure to please dog lovers.


Death by Killer Mop Doll by Lois Winston
Deader Homes and Gardens by Joan Hess
Cinnamon Roll Murder by Joanne Fluke
The Sleeping Doll by Jeffery Deaver
Death of a Kingfisher by M.C. Beaton
On the Nickel by Maggie Toussaint
Rather Remarkable Homecoming by C.A. Belmond
Nearly Departed in Deadwood by Ann Charles
Breaking Silence by Linda Castillo
Murder Under Cover by Kate Carlisle
Ambush of my Name by Jeffrey Marks
Nipped in the Bud by Susan Sleeman
Prey for Zion by E.D. MacDavey
Amazing Gracie: A Dog's Tale by Dan Dye

What I Read in March 2012

Richard Conniff, author of "Every Creeping Thing" and "Spineless Wonders," educates and amuses in Swimming with Piranhas at Feeding Time. The nature writer follows wild dogs in Africa, investigates termites in New Orleans, and yes, swims with piranhas. He visits entomologist Justin O. Schmidt, who has been stung by over 150 different species of insect. That doesn't sound like fun, but this book is.

Burning Wire by Jeffery Deaver
Jenny's Adopted Brothers by Esther Averill
Knit Your Own Cat: easy-to-follow patterns for 16 frisky felines by Sally Muir
Cut the Scraps! by Joan Ford
Liver Let Die by Liz Lipperman
Now Write! Mysteries: suspense, crime, thriller and other mystery fiction exercises from today's best writers and teachers by Sherry Ellis
Murder Past Due by Miranda James
Kindle Fire: the Missing Manual by Peter Meyers
Fade to Black by Robert Goldsborough
Swimming with Piranhas at Feeding Time: my life doing dumb stuff with animals by Richard Conniff
Roadside Crosses by Jeffery Deaver
Becoming Dr. Q: my journey from migrant farm worker to brain surgeon by Alfredo Quinones-Hinojosa
Sink or Swim by Stacy Juba
Artistic License by Julie Hyzy
Orange as Marmalade by Fran Stewart
Dangerous Woman by Debra Lee
Edited for Death by Michele Drier
My Gun has Bullets by Lee Goldberg
Faithful unto Death by Caroline Graham
The Missing Chapter by Robert Goldsborough
Death at Victoria Dock by Kerry Greenwood

Murder on Coney Island by Michael Jahn

It's a year after the attacks on the World Trade Center, and New York Police Department Captain Bill Donovan investigates a murder at a Coney Island candy store. The deceased is James Victor, a local real estate developer who wants to tear down the storefronts near the boardwalk to erect lavish condos. Donovan and Brooklyn's own Sgt. Brian Moskowitz find plenty of suspects--from the store owners, the victim's wife, his girlfriend, and others looking to profit in the real estate market. Another solid entry in this series, with a lot of New York attitude and flavor.

February's Books

If you'd like a dog but don't want the fuss of a live animal, try knitting one of the charming dogs from Sally Muir's book. Definitely for the advanced knitter, but the results capture the individuality of each breed. My favorites are the schnauzer, the Old English Sheepdog, and the bulldog.

Gideon's Corpse by Douglas Preston and Lincoln Child
Killings at Badger's Drift by Caroline Graham
Power Play by Joseph Finder
Killer Instinct by Joseph Finder
Knit Your Own Dog: easy-to-follow patterns for 25 pedigree pooches by Sally Muir and Joanna Osborne

What It Is by Lynda Barry

Lynda Barry has authored a book that is half autobiography and half writers-and-artists guide. The biography doesn't recite dates, places, and names. Rather, she talks about teachers, others adults, and her peers who stifled or encouraged her creativity as an artist. Particular incidents, told in just a few words, are good examples of how to discourage creativity in a child.

The second part of the book is a workbook with specific exercises for writers and artists. This is all presented in Barry's graphic style, with drawings of sea monsters, monkeys, and self-portraits. A wonderful book that encourages creativity for all ages.

Murder on the Waterfront by Michael Jahn

Two ships are docked on Manhattan's west side waterfront. The ultramodern cruise liner Trinidad Princess is hosting a fundraiser for a conservative candidate for president. And on the shabby but chic Sevastopol Trader, a modeling agency is holding a launch party with supermodels and beautiful people to celebrate a new perfume.

Captain Bill Donovan, NYPD, and his retired cop/wife Marcie, attend the political get-together as representatives of the police department. But when they see more congenial friends on the Trader, they jump ship. And it's aboard the Trader that a body is discovered the next morning. The presidential candidate's top strategist was stabbed to death, and there are plenty of suspects.

Now that Donovan is a husband and father, a reader would expect him to slow his pace. Maybe he doesn't put himself in as much physical danger, but the suspense doesn't let up. Readers who enjoy Lawrence Block's Matthew Scudder series should try Jahn's bools. This one is eighth in the series.

Weddings can be Murder by Christie Craig

Katie Ray flushed her $8,000 engagement ring down the toilet by accident--or was it? She's having second thoughts about her wedding, and with good reason. Someone is kidnapping and killing brides who have hired an elite wedding planner. The wedding planner hired Private Investigator Carl Hades to investigate; police didn't take her claims seriously. When the planner is killed, Katie and Carl are trapped in a storeroom overnight. Sparks fly, and not just because the killer is going to burn the building down.

A mostly humorous romantic mystery.

Dead Men Don't Get the Munchies by Miranda Bliss

Annie, a bank teller who has a part-time job at Bellywasher’s, a local pub owned by her boyfriend Jim. Jim is offering cooking classes and Annie, who can’t boil water, is slated to be his assistant. During the first class one of the students, Brad Peterson, an obnoxious weasel with a capital W, is threatened by Annie’s friend Eve. And when Brad is murdered, Eve is the prime suspect. Of course, Annie has to investigate. Light and fluffy mystery.

Dead Man's Puzzle by Parnell Hall

In ten words or less: Sherry's in Africa; Cora bluffs her way through another investigation.

Review: Cora Felton is at loose ends with her niece Sherry on her honeymoon in Africa. Sherry had it all planned out for Cora--she left her a supply of crossword puzzles to fax to her editor, for few people know that Cora's a fake and that Sherry is the real Puzzle Lady.

But when an elderly man is found dead in a dilapidated shack, the Chief of Police brings Cora a puzzle the man had on his table. And what had been assumed to be a natural death turned into a murder, and as usual, Sherry's ex-husband is right in the middle.

Why bother? A reader might wonder why the police chief lets a nosy amateur push her way into every murder investigation in his jurisdiction, but Cora always manages to close the case--even when they're fifty years old. Always great fun!

January 2012 Books I've read

Wondering what to do with old books now that you have an ebook reader? Lisa Occhipinti, who sells her creations on etsy, shows how to turn volumes into clocks, a shelf, a lamp, a jewelry box, and irony of ironies, a Kindle keeper.

The Repurposed Library: 33 craft projects that give old books new life by Lisa Occhipinti
Good to Go: a guide to preparing for the end of life by Jo Myers
Cat Pay the Devil by Shirley Murphy
Double Take by Catherine Coulter
Charitable Body by Robert Barnard
You Have the Right to Remain Puzzled by Parnell Hall
Last Coincidence by Robert Goldsborough
Get It Together: organize your records so your family won't have to by Melanie Cullen
Good Thief's Guide to Amsterdam by Chris Ewan
The Greater Journey: Americans in Paris by David McCullough
Death Comes to Pemberley by P.D. James
Winter of Discontent by Jeanne Dams
Death on Deadline by Robert Goldsborough
Silver Spire by Robert Goldsborough

December's Books

If you are looking to make needle felted projects out of your cat's hair, read Crafting with Cat Hair. Most projects are embellishments to put on scarfs, mittens, etc., but the finger puppets are made entirely of cat hair. An especially sentimental project is a mini-portrait of your cats, made from its very own hair. This makes a nice keepsake of a much-loved pet.

Crafting with cat hair: cute handicrafts to make with your cat by Kaori Tsutaya
Cat Calls: wonderful stories and practical advice from a veteran cat sitter by Jeanne Adlon
As the pig turns: an Agatha Raisin mystery by M.C. Beaton
The evil that men do by Jeanne Dams
And a puzzle to die on by Parnell Hall
A clue for the puzzle lady by Parnell Hall
Shot by Parnell Hall
Murder Mr. Mosley by John Greenwood

Get Real by Donald Westlake

Career thief John Dortmunder is approached with a proposition from a reality show producer. The producer wants to film Dortmunder and his associates planning and committing a heist. Dortmunder reluctantly agrees, but only after insisting that the target be a property owned by the production company. Of course, the producers are plotting to thwart the burglars, and Dortmunder, Tiny, Murch et al have mislead the television folks about their real target.

Westlake, a Mystery Writers of America Grand Master, died in 2008. His Dortmunder books are the epitome of the caper novel--no one wrote a comic mystery like Westlake.

A Bitter Feast by S.J. Rozan

Four restaurant workers have gone missing in Chinatown, and the local cops don't seem all that concerned. Peter Lee, a childhood friend of Lydia Chin and a lawyer working on behalf of the Chinese Restaurant Workers' Union, asks her to find them. When a bomb explodes at the union's headquarters, Peter is critically injured and another, unknown man is dead.

Lydia, joined by her partner Bill Smith, goes undercover as a dim sum lady at a local restaurant to find out more about the missing men. She discovers the smuggling of illegal immigrants, heroin, Chinese mobsters, and federal agents working at cross purposes.

Anyone who enjoys mysteries that emphasize characters, such as the books of Julia Spencer-Fleming and Elizabeth George, will want to read this series.