October's Books

Bizarre Botanicals includes intriguing photos and facts of unusual plants--some well-know (bleeding heart, Venus flytrap, staghorn fern), some not (tarantula cactus, blackbat plant, artillery plant). Anyone interested in plants, nature, or strange and unusual facts will enjoy this entertaining and colorful book.

Tragic Toppings by Jessica Beck
Killer Cruise by Laura Levine
And Another Thing by Eoin Colfer
Gooseberry Patch Best Ever Cookies
Bizarre Botanicals by Larry Mellichamp
A Catered Thanksgiving by Isis Crawford
Busy Body by M.C. Beaton
The Sociopath Next Door by Martha Stoudt
Ghost Hero by S. J. Rozan
A Voyage Long and Strange by Tony Horwitz
Better Homes & Gardens Very Merry Cookies
Death of the Mantis by Michael Stanley
The Dog Who Knew Too Much by Spencer Quinn
Second Sitting by Stella Whitelaw
Indie Author Guide by April Hamilton
Full Mortality by Sasscer Hill
Baloney by John Scieszka
Invasion of the Road Weenies by David Lubar
Sins out of School by Jeanne Dams
The Ax by Donald Westlake
Dress Your Gingerbread by Joanna Farrow
One Tough Texan by Jan Freed
When Elves Attack by Tim Dorsey

Ghost Train to the Eastern Star: on the tacks of the Great Railway Bazaar by Paul Theroux
In ten words or less: Theroux travels across Europe, Asia, and discovers political and social change.

Review: Thirty years after Paul Theroux traveled across Europe and Asia--and chronicled his exploits in "The Great Railway Bazaar"--he attempted to recreate his journey.

Many things have changed in the world since his first trip. The Soviet Union dissolved, and China has risen to a powerful economic force. Vietnam is united, and Iraq and Afghanistan are now engaged in wars.

Theroux travels by rail, with a minimum of baggage, and isn't shy about asking locals what they think about the United States. He describes both the kind and generous people who are happy to share a meal and conversation, and the madams who peddle child prostitutes to tourists.

Why bother? Even if you haven't read Theroux's "Great Railway Bazaar," you're in for a fascinating trip across two continents. His descriptions will make you laugh, or move you to anger, and will make you want to know more about places most people will never visit. Theroux is opinionated and brash, but never boring.

SATURDAY AT THE FARMERS' MARKET

Today is the last week for the farmers' market. Here's a recipe to dress up some winter squash--not that it really needs it.

HONEYED SQUASH

2 cups water
1 butternut squash, peeled, seeded, and cut into chunks
1/4 cup butter
2 Tlb. chopped fresh parsley
1 Tlb. honey
1/4 tsp. salt
1/8 tsp. dried thyme
1/8 tsp. pepper

Cook squash in water until squash is tender, about 10-15 minutes. Drain.

Mash squash; add remaining ingredients. Cook over medium heat, covered, stirring occasionally, until heated through--about five minutes.

Hanging Curve: a Mickey Rawlings mystery by Troy Soos

In ten words or less: Did Klan lynch pitcher? Ballplayer Mickey investigates.

Review: A utility infielder for the St. Louis Browns, Mickey Rawlings hopes he'll finally get to play on a championship team. When a former teammate asks Mickey to play in an exhibition game against a black semi-pro team, he agrees. He hasn't gotten much playing time lately, and he's heard about how good some of those black players are. So good, in fact, that their pitcher, Slip Crawford, strikes Mickey out every times he comes to the plate.

The Klu Klux Klan, in robes and hoods, are in attendance at the game. A few days later Slip Crawford is found lynched. Was the Klan involved? Mickey joins forces with a black civil rights lawyer and a white journalist to investigate.

Why bother? Soos combines a fine mystery with a chilling background. He's evoked the feeling of 1922, with race riots and Jim Crow laws, in a style that is convincing and disturbing. For fans of baseball and historical mysteries.

Satch, Dizzy and Rapid Robert: the Wild Saga of Interracial Baseball Before Jackie Robinson by Timothy M. Gay

In ten words or less: Before integration, baseball legends Paige, Dean and Feller barnstorm across America.

Review: Jackie Robinson integrated major league baseball in 1947, but in decades before that, black and white players competed against each other in barnstorming exhibition games. Hastily assembled teams of all stars played in towns across America to crowed who had only read about the feats of such legends as Satchel Paige, Dizzy Dean, and Bob Feller. Players could make more barnstorming than during the regular season.
Why bother? Jim Crow laws kept talented black players from competing in the majors, along with the racist attitudes of club owners and the commissioner. Author Timothy Gay tells a fine story of these legends of baseball--what they were like on and off the field. He examines the casual racism of the times, and how the military experiences of many of the players helped to change major league baseball.

September's Books

A fan of the "Little House on the Prairie" books, "The Wilder Life" author Wendy McClure travels to the sites of Laura Ingalls Wilder's homes in the midwest. She churns butter, grinds wheat by hand, and compares the books to the television series. Was Laura's life really like the books and was Pa anything like Michael Landon? A fun read for Little House fans.

Formatting and submitting your manuscript by Cynthia Laufenberg
Ninety days to your novel by Sarah Domet
The Wilder life: my adventures in the lost world of Little House on the Prairie by Wendy McClure
How to keep your Volkswagen alive by Christopher Boucher
Wicked River: the Mississippi when it last ran wild by Lee Sandlin
Thick as thieves by Peter Spiegelman
Killer profile: Criminal Minds by Max Allan Collins
Wicked autumn by G.M Malliet
The second mouse by Archer Mayor

Firebreak: a Parker novel by Richard Stark

In ten words or less: Hit man targets Parker while Parker plans art heist.

Review: While Parker is deciding whether to take on a job at a Montana hunting lodge--stealing valuable paintings from a secret vault with state-of-the-art security--someone has sent a hit man to his home. Parker got to the hit man first, but when news of the failed hit got back to the employers, another hit man was sure to follow.
Parker needed to settle the score with whoever was hiring the shooters, but he was stsill undecided about whether to throw in with the gang planning the art heist. The guy who'd be responsible for disabling the alarms, Lloyd, was an amateur, a white-collar criminal who was hung out to dry by his former partner, and he wanted revenge.
Why bother? Fast faced, page-turning action from Stark, aka Donald Westlake. Parker is always one step ahead of both the other bad guys and the cops.

Comeback: a Parker novel by Richard Stark

In ten words or less: Parker's partner pulls a double cross; Parker settles the score.

Review: It promised to be a big payday for Parker. The target was a Christian Crusade at a local arena--cash only, credit cards and checks not accepted. Parker's friend Ed Mackey had set it up with Liss, who had an inside man. But as they made their way out with the duffel bags full of money, Liss pulled a double cross. The cops are looking for Parker and Mackey, and so is the head of security for the Crhistian Crusade, a tough as nails ex-Marine who takes the robbery personally.

Why bother? Another great mystery from one of the masters of hard boiled crime.

Saturday at the Farmers' Market

Lots of squash available today at the market. How about a pot of soup now that the weather has turned cool?

Squashed Chicken Soup

4 pounds chicken pieces
13 cups water
10 cups of butternut squash, peeled and cubed
1 bunch of kale, chopped
6 carrots, chopped
2 large onions, chopped
2 teaspoons salt
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
1/4 teaspoon dried thyme

Add chicken and water to stockpot and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and cover and simmer for one hour or until chicken is tender.

Remove chicken from broth and strain broth and skim off the fat. Return the broth to the pot and add the vegetables. Bring to a boil; reduce heat and cover and simmer for 30 minutes or until the vegetables are tender.

Remove the chicken from the bones and cut into bite size pieces. Add chicken, salt, pepper, and thyme to soup and heat through.

Makes 5 1/2 quarts of soup or 14 servings.

Love, Lies and Liquor by M.C. Beaton

In ten words or less: Agatha joins James on romantic holiday, complete with body on beach.

Review: Agatha Raisin has convinced herself she is better off without her ex-husband, James Lacey. After all, she has her detective agency to keep her busy, and the meetings of the Carsley Ladies' Society. When James asks her to go on holiday with him, Agatha relents. The destination is a secret, but with visions of tropical beaches and other exotic sights--James is a travel writer--she backs bathing suits and sundresses.

When they arrive in Snoth-on-Sea, Agatha is not amused. The seedy resort town, remembered fondly by James from his childhood holidays, has seen better days. The hotel is barely habitable, and Agatha quarrels with an unpleasant woman in the dining room. When the body of the quarrelsome woman is discovered on the beach, Agatha is considered a prime suspect by the local police.
Why bother? Agatha Raisin is self-centered, outspoken, and vain. If you knew a person like her in real life, you'd run the other way when she heads in your direction. She's the boss from hell. But her ability to interfere in police investigations while alienating those around her make for entertaining reading. There are twenty two books in this series to date.

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.