THREE BY THREE

3 names I've been called
Stephanie Victoria (in my birth mother's mind)
Soeur Sudweeks (in Haiti)
J.K. Rowling (in my dreams)

3 places I've been in the last week
Hematology/Oncology Clinic at Primary Children's
Timpanogos Hospital ER
Park City Outlet Mall (definitely the most fun of the three)

3 languages I speak
English
French
Haitian Creole

3 favorite restaurant meals
Cafe Rio's fish tacos
Macaroni Grill's lobster ravioli
Porter's fresh fish pie (I don't get here often--it's near Covent Garden in London)

3 places I lived as a child
Wilmington, Delaware
Hagerstown, Maryland
Orem, Utah

3 places I've lived as an adult
Port-au-Prince, Haiti
Hong Kong
Seattle, Washington

3 favorite places I've traveled
London
Kenya
Dubai
Mexico
Aruba . . . oh, wait, that's more than 3

3 most-played songs on my iPod
The Reason by Hoobastank
Full of Grace by Sarah McLachlan
Good Riddance by Green Day

3 things I've done today
Bought fabric for Halloween
Spent an hour on the elliptical
Put enchiladas in the oven (note: I did not say I made them)

3 schools I've attended
Vineyard Elementary
Mountain View High School
Brigham Young University

3 favorite authors
Let's not even start

3 non-scriptural books I would take to a deserted island
THE SPARROW by Mary Doria Russell
POSSESSION by A.S. Byatt
THE COMPLETE WORKS OF JANE AUSTEN (okay, if you consider that cheating, than I guess I could confine myself to PRIDE AND PREJUDICE)

3 books I'm currently reading
FOUR QUEENS by Nancy Goldstone
THE CONFESSIONS OF A JANE AUSTEN ADDICT by Laurie Viera Rigler
A SUPPOSEDLY FUN THING I'LL NEVER DO AGAIN by David Foster Wallace

3 current TV shows I watch (and this is stretching to get three)
Project Runway
Battlestar Galactica
Robin Hood

3 former TV shows I watch much more often than whatever is currently airing
Buffy the Vampire Slayer
The West Wing
Sports Night or Firefly or Friends . . .

3 things I'm looking forward to
The end of my son's treatment
Finishing my new YA novel
Going to Maui with my husband for my 40th birthday

AUGUST BOOKS


BREAKING DAWN/Stephenie Meyer/B
The finale of the TWILIGHT quartet, this novel was greeted with midnight release parties all over the place. I didn't get to it on the first day, since we were still on a boat, but I did read it in two days flat when I got home. As I said earlier, my favorite of the series is and always will be TWILIGHT, but it was a pleasure to wrap up the storyline of human Bella and her vampire boyfriend Edward. I was surprised by several twists, which is always nice, and there was a happy ending which I always like. But the happy ending was a little too easy for my taste--not enough sacrifice, too much of Bella getting everything she ever wanted without having to give up anything--and I doubt I'll re-read it. But by all means finish out the series if you've started.

BUCKINGHAM PALACE GARDENS/Anne Perry/B+
Somewhere along the way, I stopped buying all the new Perry Victorian mysteries and started getting them from the library. Still, this was more enjoyable than some of the her other recent offerings, with a tighter storyline and less jarring writing. (Or maybe it's just that the storyline was strong enough for me not to notice the writing.) When a prostitute is found eviscerated in the Prince of Wales' bedroom, Thomas Pitt is called in to investigate discreetly. His maid, Gracie, goes undercover in the servants' quarters at the Palace to help and the story is a rich one of Africa, ambition, and personal loss.

NAMING OF THE DEAD/Ian Rankin/B
I keep picking up random Rebus mysteries to see if I'll like the next one better. I haven't yet. Not that I dislike them, it's that I really need at least one strong sympathetic character in a book and John Rebus just doesn't do it for me. He drinks too much, he has no close relationships, and he lives only for the job. I find his worldview depressing and only pushed through this book because of its interesting setting. Scotland is hosting the G8 in the summer of 2005 and Rebus is drawn into several murders that threaten to disrupt the forum. I did like his brief encounter with President Bush on a bicycle, and there was real emotional power to the London bombings that occurred that week. Rankin is extremely popular and his books are well-written. They're just not for me.

JUST MURDERED/Elaine Viets/A-
This was a book I got for free at Left Coast Crime in March and didn't read forever because I thought it wasn't my type of book. But I found out it was just what I needed for a couple of days--light and funny and a good story. Helen is on the run from her ex-husband and takes a series of Dead End Jobs to survive. In this book she's working in a bridal salon in south Florida and has to deal with the mother-of-the-bride from hell. Things look bad for Helen when the vicious mother is murdered shortly after Helen was heard arguing with her. To save herself, Helen investigates the downtrodden bride, her golddigging new husband, and a host of other eccentric characters. Great for a quick and fun read.

FIELD OF DARKNESS/Cornelia Read/A
I'm kind of glad I put off reading this first in a series, because now I can go out and get the second one straightaway. Maddie is a journalist living in Syracuse during the 1980s, with an impeccable bloodline and none of the family money to back it up. When an old murder is raked up, Maddie is drawn into investigating by the fact that her favorite cousin's dogtags were found at the scene. Great characters, fabulolus first-person voice, evocative settings both scenically and culturally, and a wonderful mystery with lots of subtext. I loved it.

A THOUSAND SPLENDID SUNS/Khaled Hosseini/A+
The second novel by the author of THE KITE RUNNER, which I loved. I loved this one even more. It's the story of Mariam and Laila, two Afghan women who are raised very differently but end up married to the same man while the city of Kabul disintegrates around them. From the Soviets to the Taliban, one sees a country being ripped to shreds while most people try simply to live their lives. Beautiful, heartbreaking, life-changing.

LITTLE BLACK BOOK OF STYLE/Nina Garcia
GUIDE TO QUALITY, TASTE, AND STYLE/Tim Gunn
I'm not going to grade these here, because this whole style issue is going to gets its own post. Soon. I promise.

And last but not least, I went on a Vicky Bliss spree, to celebrate the newest entry in the series--the first Vicky Bliss book in 14 years. So I went back and read the previous ones:
BORROWER OF THE NIGHT
STREET OF THE FIVE MOONS
SILHOUETTE IN SCARLET
TROJAN GOLD
NIGHT TRAIN TO MEMPHIS
From German castles to Roman villas, Swedish islands and lost treasure and Egyptian art, these books are the best for two simple reasons: Vicky Bliss, art historian, and John Tregarth, reformed antiquities thief. And after this orgy of reading, I was totally ready for . . .

THE LAUGHTER OF DEAD KINGS/Elizabeth Peters/A+
The best thing I can say about this book is that I smiled the whole way through. I had fun, and clearly so did Peters. King Tut's mummy has been stolen from its sarcophagus in the Valley of the Kings and John is the prime suspect. Vicky belives him innocent--mostly. They set out with her boss, Schmidt, to prove John's innocence but his habit of silence and his increasingly frequent disappearances make it hard to put old suspicions to rest. Would you like it if you haven't read the rest? I have no idea. But when the rest are as wonderful as they are, why not start at the beginning and go on to the end? You won't be sorry.

MY SUMMER IN A MINUTE

Because I've left it for so long, you get only a few thoughts from the many inspired blog posts I've written in my head this summer. Think of it as the Readers Digest version.

1. BodyBugg: Working. Down 10 pounds (me, not the device). Had one woman ask me how it monitored my baby--felt a drastic drop in esteem before I realized she'd misread the label as "BabyBugg".

2. WorldCon 2008: Or, as my friend Laura calls it, GeekFest. An enormous Science Fiction and Fantasy Convention held in Denver this year. Since Katie and I could stay in the same hotel we stayed in during Left Coast Crime, we figured what the heck. Saw lots of costumes. Men in corsets (okay, it was only one man, but he wore a different corset every day). Bought corsets of our own. Dressed up for the Costume Contest (as spectators, not participants). Heard someone refer, seriously, to humans as "The people from this planet". Attended my writer friend's panel on Mountains in Fact and Fiction. Bravo, Suanne, for making it fascinating! (You can read Suanne's take on it at http://www.suannewarr.com/blog/) Spectated at the Dowager Duchess of Denver's Ball. Ate good food. Read good books. Went to bed early. Best moment of the trip--the panel "Firefly: What Would the Second Season Have Been?"

3. Stephenie Meyer: A good summer for her--THE HOST released in March and BREAKING DAWN, the last of her TWILIGHT series released in August. In writerly circles, Meyer seems to be the next Dan Brown--envied for her fabulous sucess and despised for not deserving it. I say any writer who can sell out tickets to a signing in ten minutes flat and be greeted like a rock star by screaming fans is good for all writers. Love or hate her books, she's doing something right. (Oh, and I enjoyed BREAKING DAWN, but TWILIGHT is my favorite. So sue me for having no taste.)

4. Becca Fitzpatrick: This is long and shamefully overdue (in fact, I honestly thought I'd done this post already--but apparently only in the vividness of my imagination). If you haven't checked out her blog from my links, do it now (http://beccaajoy.livejournal.com/). She's the next Stephenie Meyer, only with deeper characters and killer dialogue. Her novel, tentatively titled HUSH, got Becca signed by a real live big-time New York agent this year. Becca's in the midst of rewrites and the agent wants to start submitting to editors this autumn. We're talking bestseller lists and movie rights, people. You heard it here first.

5. Tea: Technically this doesn't fall under summer, even though it happened in August. Last week Katie and I celebrated the first full day of school for our children by having tea in Salt Lake City at Elizabeth's Bakery and Tea Shop. Technically, I shouldn't call it tea, either, since we didn't actually drink tea, but Hot Chocolate hasn't become a noun yet. Plain scones with clotted cream, ginger scones with lemon curd, and shortbread just to send my BodyBugg into a tizzy fit. Then a ramble through the London Market next door, where one can buy anything from frozen Yorkshire puddings to Marmite to Harry Potter scarves.

6. Writing: This also is technically a non-summer activity, since I began last week when school did. I've started a new project, one that sprang to mind while attending the Dowager Duchess of Denver's Ball at WorldCon (hmmm, do you think I could write that off?) I'm not talking details yet, not to anyone, but I'm actually having fun, a concept I'd begun to doubt the existence of when it came to writing. I'm 4000 words in and writing every weekday. Good on me :)

ANSWER: I AM . . .

Ha! You expected me to put "writer", didn't you?

After my feeling-sorry-for-myself post about writing, I had a long talk with my best friend, Katie. (Actually, friend doesn't quite cover it. She's the sister I never had. And if she doesn't like it, too bad for her!)

Katie said, "Laura, in the deepest part of your soul, you are . . ."

(I expected her to say "writer". I really did.)

Here's what she actually said: "you are a wife and mother."

The moment she said those words, I felt as though an enormous weight was lifted from me.

I am a wife and mother. That was my choice when I married and had children--and it's even more my choice today. Nothing is as important to me as my husband and the four souls God has given into our care. Nothing. Not even writing.

I hadn't realized the pressure I'd put on myself until it was gone. Me, the woman whose motto is "You should do what works for you", I had loaded myself with a basketful of shoulds where my writing is concerned.

The irony? The moment the pressure was gone, the more I wanted to write.

Because writing, indeed, is a part of who I am. It's a large part of who I am.

But it will never be the most important part.

JULY BOOKS

WHERE MEMORIES LIE/Deborah Crombie/A-
A Duncan Kincaid/Gemma James mystery. Gemma is asked by an elderly neighbor to help her find out how a family treasure from Germany has ended up in a London auction house. Duncan is called into the case when a young woman from the auction house is murdered. With flashbacks to post-WWII London and the murder of a German-Jewish intellectual, this is one of the best of Crombie's novels.



TALE OF DESPEREAUX/Kate di Camillo/A-
A children's story about a mouse who wants to be a hero, a maid who wants to be a princess, a princess who misses her mother, a rat who hates the dark, and soup. What's not to like?



THE HOUSE OF THE SEVEN GABLES/Nathaniel Hawthorne/B
Not Hawthorne's best (I would reserve that honor for THE BLITHEDALE ROMANCE), but after visiting the inspiration for the house in the title, I had to read it. A young woman from the country comes to visit relatives who have secluded themselves in a supposedly cursed house. Lots of spooky atmosphere and old crimes to be uncovered with a happier ending than Hawthorne often provides.



LOST NAMES/Richard Kim/A
Seven vignettes about the author's childhood in Japanese-occupied Korea. The title piece is a haunting account of the men of the town registering their new, required Japanese names and their subsequent trek to the town cemetery to apologize to their ancestors. I knew a little about the suppression of Korean language during the Japanese occupation, but this book brought home the full cost and humiliation. I cheered right along with the 13-year-old narrator when the Japanese surrendered and the Korean flag was brought out of hiding to be flown once more.



THE PROMISE/Chaim Potok/A
Sequel to THE CHOSEN that I read for book club last year, I enjoyed this one even more. Reuven is studying to become a rabbi while his friend Danny is working with mentally ill youth. Some wonderful themes here, wrapped in a heartbreaking story about an adolescent boy who becomes increasingly, dangerously ill and the extreme treatment that Danny uses to try and reach him.



THE GREAT DELUGE/Douglas Brinkley/B
An in-depth, almost hour-by-hour, account of Hurricane Katrina in the hours before and the week after it struck New Orleans and the Gulf Coast. I was left with the burning belief that there was plenty of blame to go around as well as plenty of heroism. It took me a while to plow through it, but that says more about my ability to concentrate this year than the book itself.



I SHALL NOT WANT/Julia Spencer-Fleming/B+
Almost as eagerly anticipated as Elizabeth George's CARELESS IN RED, this book didn't work nearly so well for me as a follow-up to unexpected tragedy. The Reverend Claire Fergusson has joined the National Guard as a helicopter pilot in the wake of the death of Russ Van Alstyne's wife. They've managed to avoid each other for several months, but the death of an illegal immigrant throws them together in solving the crime. I think what I liked least about this book is that it covered an entire year--skipping over much of the grief and mourning so she could get them together at the end. Not my favorite of her books.



THE BELL JAR/Sylvia Plath/A-
Plath's famous fictional account of her own breakdown during her college years. Esther is living in New York for a month when life begins to close in on her. When she returns home, mental illness descends like a bell jar, allowing her to see the world, but not engage with it. She ends up in an upscale psychiatric hospital and gradually recovers enough to leave. Plath, of course, went on to marry English poet Ted Hughes, have two children, and finally killed herself in London after the bell jar suffocated her once more. A powerful book, especially for anyone who has suffered from mental illness or loves someone who has.



THE PURE IN HEART and THE RISK OF DARKNESS/Susan Hill/B
The next two Simon Serailler novels, set in a fictional English cathedral town. I loved the first one, which knocked me sideways and kept me breathless for days afterward. Of these two, I preferred the second one, which had some beautiful writing that spoke straight to me (about hospitals at night and the moments when a parent's life changes forever). But by the time I reached the third, I had to push to finish. These had less story and more character angst. Now I'm all about characters, but only when they have a story to do something in. And it's a bad sign when I detest the protagonist. By the end, I wanted to slap Simon Serailler and tell him to grow up and act his age and stop feeling sorry for himself for being so handsome and artistic and such a woman magnet. Yeah, life's hard. Move along.

THE BOOK THIEF/Marcus Zusak/A-
Ever read a book narrated by death? If not, this is the one to read. Liesl makes her first appearance as a 10-year-old girl who watches her brother die on a train. At his burial, she steals her first book, The Gravedigger's Handbook. Sent to live with foster parents to protect her from the Nazis' persecution of her Communist parents, Liesl finds solace in books. There's a Jewish boxer who hids in her cellar, a German boy who the Nazis want to train, two foster parents who are loving in their own different ways, and a mayor's wife who has never recovered from the death of her son in WWI. This is a powerful book I would recommend to everyone.



OUTLANDER/Diana Gabaldon/A+
My friend Becca has been telling me for months I would love this book. I did.

Okay, maybe I'll say a little more. Claire Randall is in the Highlands shortly after the end of WWII. Although she and Frank have been married eight years, the war kept them apart for most of that time. While Frank is busy with genealogical interests, Claire winds up on a hillside in a circle of standing stones . . . and suddenly Frank, and her world, are 200 hundred years in the future. Transported to 1743 Scotland, Claire is swept into a tangle of politics and border fights and trying to keep herself from being burned as a witch. When she meets Jamie Fraser, everything is turned upside down and Claire will have to choose between her past in the 1900s and a future with a man she never imagined. I've bought the second in the series and I'm beyond delighted that I have several more to go.

AM I A WRITER OR NOT?

I've asked myself this question a few hundred times in the last five years. It's generally an existential one, focusing less on the undeniable fact that I am capable of forming words and putting them down on paper (or computer screen as the case may be) and more on the nature and uses of that capability.

The question usually resulted in a mindless, numbing spiral of frustration that goes something like this: Why am I writing? Should I be writing? What should I be writing? Would my time be better spent playing with my children or feeding the homeless? Is writing about something (violent murder, for instance) the moral equivalent of doing it? And what are we going to have for dinner and did I do the laundry and why, oh why, did I ever think that I could possibly write anything that anyone would ever want to read . . .

You know, just the general kind of writerly worrying.

But this year, that question has become a whole lot more practical. Am I writer or not? Let's look at the points for both sides.

Writer:
1. I'm writing something at this very moment.
2. I attend writers' group--not as often, but often enough that they still remember my name.
3. I participate in my online group--again, not as often but often enough not to get locked out.
4. I submitted a piece to an anthology in March.
5. I spend a lot of time daydreaming about characters and situations.

But on the other hand . . .

Not a Writer:
1. I spend hardly any time putting my characters and situations down on paper
2. I've been working on the same novel for almost two years.
3. I've never had a fiction piece published.
4. I haven't queried agents for over two years.

And last but not least,
5. I don't see 1-4 changing any time soon.

Yes, my son has cancer. I am aware. Yes, it takes a lot of my attention and energy. Yes, my stress levels are high.

But wouldn't a writer write anyway? Wouldn't a real writer sit in the chair and type words every day regardless of the situation? Wouldn't a real writer use writing to buoy up her strength? Wouldn't a real writer be better, stronger, more committed than I am?

Okay, so maybe this is an existential question still.

Which means there really isn't an answer.

Darn it.

RANDOM LIST OF THINGS I MIGHT HAVE DONE


Gone on a blind date--NO, AND BY THE GRACE OF HEAVEN AND MY HUSBAND I NEVER WILL

Skipped school--YES, AND IF MY KIDS ARE READING THIS NO, I AM NOT GIVING YOU PERMISSION TO DO THE SAME

Watched someone die--NO

Been to Canada--YES, FAMILY REUNION IN ALBERTA WHEN I WAS 11 AND THEN OUR TRIPS TO VICTORIA WHEN WE LIVED IN SEATTLE

Been to Mexico--YES, FAMILY REUNION IN THE OLD MORMON COLONIES WHEN I WAS, HMMM, YOUNGER THAN 11, AND CANCUN LAST SUMMER

Been to Florida--YES, DISNEY WORLD TWICE AND THE LAST SIX MONTHS OF MY MISSION SPENT IN FORT LAUDERDALE

Been to the Caribbean--YES, HAITI IS PART OF THE CARIBBEAN (NOT A GLAMOROUS PART, BUT STILL); SO I LIVED IN HAITI FOR A YEAR AND WENT TO ARUBA WITH CHRIS FOR OUR 10TH ANNIVERSARY . . . AND IN A COUPLE WEEKS WE'LL BE CRUISING THAT WAY

Been overseas--YES

Been on a plane—WITH ALL THESE PLACES I’VE BEEN, THE ANSWER HAD BETTER BE YES

Jumped out of a plane--NO

Been on a helicopter--NO

Been on a train--YES

Been on a Greyhound bus--YES

Been lost--TODAY? YES

Been on the opposite side of the country—YES, USED TO LIVE THERE

Gone to Washington, D.C.—YES, USED TO LIVE THERE :)

Swam in the ocean—I DON’T SWIM IN OCEANS; I HAVE TOUCHED THEM WITH MY FEET, THOUGH

Cried yourself to sleep—OH, YES

Recently colored with crayons--YES

Sang Karaoke--NOT FOR AN AUDIENCE

Paid for a meal with coins only—MY FRIENDS AND I ONCE SPELLED OUT A NAME IN COINS AS A TIP FOR OUR WAITRESS (LONG STORY ABOUT THE 1984 OLYMPICS AND THE U.S. MEN’S GYMNASTICS TEAM)

Done something you told yourself you wouldn't—DOES EATING FOOD COUNT?

Danced in the rain—YES, THE HAITIANS THOUGHT WE WERE CRAZY AMERICANS, WE WERE JUST CELEBRATING THE NEAREST THING TO A SHOWER WE'D HAD IN SEVERAL MONTHS

Written a letter to Santa Claus—EVERY YEAR

Been kissed under the mistletoe—NO, DANG IT! I GOT TO BUY ME SOME MISTLETOE

Watched the sunrise with someone you care about or love—I DON'T DO MORNINGS . . .THE LAST SUNRISE I REMEMBER WATCHING WAS THE DAY MY YOUNGEST CHILD WAS BORN; I WAS OUTSIDE TRYING TO BREATHE THROUGH CONTRACTIONS UNTIL IT WAS TIME TO GO TO THE HOSPITAL

JUNE BOOKS


PARIS REQUIEM/Lisa Appignanesi/C

In 1905, an American lawyer whose name I can't recall, goes to Paris to bring home his brother and sister. But his brother is determined to solve a string of murders involving young women of the streets, with the latest victim being a Jewish actress whom he loved. And the sister is unable to walk any longer, apparently a pscyhosomatic illness, as she can walk fine when hypnotized. I wanted to like this book. It had a good setting and a good premise, but the writing and characterization did absolutely nothing for me.


VARIOUS HAUNTS OF MEN/Susan Hill/A+

Hooray! My favorite thing in the world--a new-to-me mystery author who writes in just the right kind of style for me--multiple viewpoints, interesting subplots, fabulous characterization, an English setting, and baffling disappearances. This is the first in the Simon Serailler series, but the Inspector is not the central character of this novel. In fact, he only has a few viewpoint sections and is mostly a focus for several of the characters in the book, especially his new young sergeant from London. Freya is delighted to be in a new town and a new posting, but completely unprepared when she falls in love with her inspector. She throws herself into new friends and current investigations and is the focal point of the novel. Be warned--there is a twist at the end that left me gasping for breath and made me wonder if I would read any more of Hill's books. But I've decided she's just too good to hold a grudge. I'm taking the next two Serailler novels on our cruise later this month.


NOT IN THE FLESH/Ruth Rendell/A

I love Inspector Wexford. In this novel, a body is turned up in a field by a truffle-hunting dog. Determining that it must be at least 10 years in the ground, Wexford begins hunting through the past. And then another body turns up, about as old, and perplexity really sets in. What connection does either body have with a husband and father who disappeared around that time? And what of other missing men? Not to mention the strange households that surround the field where the bodies are discovered. My only complaint was that I couldn't understand why Wexford didn't grasp an essential truth as quick as I did . . . but it's a minor quibble for a Rendell book.


ABSOLUTE FRIENDS/John le Carre/B

Ted Mundy used to be a spy--a career he stumbled into during the Cold War and has since put behind him. Now working as a tour guide in Germany, Ted is shocked when his friend and espionage partner, Sasha, reappears with an offer that might be too good to be true. Some past ties can't be cut, and some people will always be ready to use a handy scapegoat. The book spends a great deal of time in the Cold War era, filling us in on the Ted/Sasha relationship, before returning to the world of present-day terrorists and their plans for destruction. Not my favorite le Carre, but it's hard to find a bad book by him.


THE WOMAN IN BLACK/Susan Hill/A-

Obviously, I did pick up another Susan Hill, but this is not a Simon Serailler novel. It's a ghost story like Jane Austen might have written. It opens at Christmas in the early 20th century with a family telling ghost stories around the fire. The husband and father cannot enter into the spirit of the game, because he once experienced too closely the real thing. He writes the story for us in a very Victorian way, back to the days when he was a London solicitor and had to travel to a remote East Anglian village when an old client dies. The house of the deceased is on an island that is cut off by the tides except for twice a day. The townspeople think he's crazy to spend the night there, but he does, and that's when the noises begin . . . Very creepy and very tragic. My kind of book :)


THE AMBER SPYGLASS/Phillip Pullman/A

The last in the Golden Compass trilogy. My daughter warned me I would cry, and I did. But I loved this book, much more than the second. Pullman does a wonderful job of tying up threads that seemed irrelevant and bringing all his characters to fitting if sometimes unexpected ends. Personally, I thought the atheism was way toned down in this book, to the point that I could make the belief system whatever I wanted it to be--either way, the story was front and center and Pullman is a great storyteller. Lyra and Will both come into their own as strong, vital not-so-much-children any longer. I'm very, very glad I read this series.


DEATH IN THE GARDEN/Elizabeth Ironside/A

The book opens in 1925 with a country house party for Diana Pollfexen's 30th birthday. The weekend ends in the poisoning death of her husband. Diana stands trial and is acquitted, after which she virtually disappears. Sixty years later, Helena, is celebrating her own 30th birthday when Diana's death at the age of 90 leads to surprising revelations for Helena, who had known nothing about her great-aunt's notorious past. Helena determines to find out what really happened to Diana's husband on that long-ago weekend. I loved the structure of this book, opening in 1925 and then spending the latter part of the book with Helena's researches and discoveries. A beautiful and wonderfully constructed traditional mystery.



THE YEAR OF FOG/Michelle Richmond/A-

Abby Mason is on a foggy beach with her fiance's six-year-old daughter, Emma. She looks away for a few seconds and Emma has vanished. The book traces the next year in Abby's life as searching turns to resignation. Only Abby refuses to believe that Emma is dead. It's a very literary mystery, with some beautiful thoughts on memory and photography and hope. The ending is bittersweet and not at all what I expected.


THE PRICE OF SILENCE/Camilla Trinchieri/C

Another very literary--I can hardly call it a mystery--novel. This one didn't work so well for me. I disliked Emma Perotti, the main character who is standing trial for the murder of a young Chinese artist she took under her wing. The book moves back and forth between the trial and everything that led up to the girl's death, as well as the secrets that have been kept between Emma and her husband. Her teenage son has secrets of his own and they all weave together, supposedly, to the end. But I'm not entirely sure what the end was--I still don't know if the artist was murdered or killed herself--and I didn't like anyone enough to really care.

THINGS YOU SHOULD KNOW ABOUT ME



1. I am a complete and total klutz. I do not have grace, I have never had grace, I will never have grace. At the moment, I can count several bruises from a) hitting my head on the bar of a ride at Lagoon last week, b) falling into the wheelbarrow in the garage, and c) walking into the hook on the bathroom door of Jake's hospital room--twice.



2. I only wear jewelry that means something to me. I admire my friends who accessorize. I love the concept. But for me, I prefer to have and wear a few pieces that have stories. Like the diamond stud earrings my husband gave me in the delivery room when our only daughter was born. Or the garnet ring that belonged to my birth mother and her mother before her. Or the necklace my friend gave me for my birthday this year, the week after my son's diagnosis. Or the earrings I bought in Kenya made from antique Venetian trade beads that were once used to buy and sell goods, including slaves. I guess you just can't take the storyteller out of the woman.



3. I have gone to the dark side and learned to love shoes. It's probably the one thing my husband wishes I hadn't picked up from my friends. I never used to care about shoes--probably because I hated my feet. But then I learned of the magic of pedicures a few years back and how painted toenails make all the difference in the world. And I also learned it's okay to wear shoes without hose or socks and that I can indeed walk in heels and suddenly my world opened up. Kitten heels, pirate boots, bright colors and fun patterns. Now I have to keep myself very firmly to one simple rule--my shoes have to fit on the shoe racks in my closet. No spilling over. No stacking on the floor. (This does not apply, of course, to my winter boots, which can be stored away somewhere else during the summer, making room for new sandals without the slightest twinge of conscience on my part.)

4. My not-so-secret-dream is a simple one, encompassed in three words: Live in London. From the moment I set foot outside Victoria Station almost 8 years ago, I knew I belonged there. It was like reverse deja-vu--I knew I had lived there, I just hadn't done it yet. I want to live in a London flat, close to a tube station, with easy access to, well, everything that I love. It's funny--the summer that Chris and I were married we lived in Hong Kong for two months and I swore I was not a big city person. But I think I just hadn't come into myself yet. Now I know who I am, I'm confident in myself, and I can think of nothing I'd rather do than live in the best big city in the world. (It helps that my almost-sister's secret dream is to live in the British countryside--we plan to swap houses at convenient intervals.)

5. I am a geek. There's no two ways about it. I have never been even remotely cool. I offer as evidence the fact that I saw the film PRINCE CASPIAN twice in one week. And loved it. And that brings me to a point I've been meaning to make for a month now, let's call it: BOOKS ARE ALWAYS BETTER THAN MOVIES--EXCEPT ONCE IN A BLUE MOON

To take three recent examples of books-to-film in the same genre.

Up first, HARRY POTTER. I love the films, particularly the three young actors who play the key roles. I've particularly enjoyed the later films. Who wouldn't enjoy seeing Hogwarts come to life, or Diagon Alley, or the Triwizard Tournament? But the books win hands down. To quote my daughter (who started reading the books after seeing the first two films): "Mom, the best thing about the books is that they have absolutely everything in them!" I agree.

Second, THE LORD OF THE RINGS. I thought I would hyperventilate the first time I saw the teaser trailer for the first film--seeing Gandalf and the hobbits and Legolas and Gimli and Boromir and Aragorn striding across the screen . . . And then I saw the first film. You know what? The first time I saw it, I spent a lot of time picking at the things that weren't in it. And then I saw it again, and fell in love with the film for its own sake. It was the same experience with the subsequent two. Once to shake the book out of my head (and believe me, there was a lot of head shaking to be done when it came to the filmmaker's interpretation of Faramir) and then I could look at the films themselves. And they became that rarest of creatures--a series in which I love the books AND the films equally. I thought that was the pinnacle--the most any film or film series could ever hope to achieve.

And then came the film adaptaions of THE CHRONICLES OF NARNIA.

The moon must have been bright blue when the Narnia films were made.

Don't get me wrong--I love the books. I owned them all when I was young and read them multiple times. My favorite was THE SILVER CHAIR. Or maybe THE LAST BATTLE. Of course, I really loved THE VOYAGE OF THE DAWN TREADER as well. And you can't beat the introduction in THE LION, THE WITCH AND THE WARDROBE. And . . .

You get my point.

But coming back to these books as an adult left me hungry for more. More conflict. More character development. More action. C.S. Lewis wrote a wonderful fairy tale world, but the people often read more like outlines than actual human beings.

I think Andrew Adamson, the writer/producer/director of the Narnia films, must have felt the same. Because he managed what I would have believed impossible before--to keep not only the spirit of the books but their structure intact, while coloring in the background with vivid strokes that made all the difference for me.

It's particularly noticeable in PRINCE CASPIAN with the character Peter. In the book, Peter doesn't seem particularly bothered about once more being a teenage boy after having run his own kingdom for some years (granted, the book doesn't give you long in England at the beginning). And when they return to Narnia, Peter is his old kingly self--noble, self-sacrificing, intent only on helping Caspian claim the throne.

Okay, so maybe that's the ideal we should all be striving for. But it makes for a boring story, not to mention the disconnect between actual human beings and this perfect teenager.

But Andrew Adamson, in a stroke of genius, makes Peter real. Angry at being back in London. Disgruntled at having to cope with adolescent jealousies. Delighted to the point of, well, ego when he returns to Narnia ("High King Peter, the Magnificent"). Prone to fighting with Caspian, a foreign claimant to Peter's throne. Stubborn about proving a point even when it's stupid. In other words, a normal teenage boy with an unusual degree of both power and responsibility.

He's also capable of seeing the big picture, of sacrificing his own desires, of humbling himself and seeking help from his youngest sister, of putting himself in personal danger to protect his people, of realizing that growing up means you don't always get what you think you want. In short, a kind of person I would like my own teenage boys to be (without, say, the sword-fighting and risk of death.)

Bravo, Andrew Adamson. Your vision of Narnia is a wonderful addition to C.S. Lewis. I, for one, thank you for it.

(Told you I was a geek.)

MAY READS



YEAR OF MAGICAL THINKING/Joan Didion/A
I reviewed this when I read it the first time last year. I wasn't sure I could re-read it for book club (it deals with grief in the year after Didon's husband died and she dealt with the serious illness of her only child), but I did and I'm awfully glad. Everything she wrote resonated for me in a way it couldn't have before my son's cancer. I liked it the first time--I loved it the second time.



CHEATING AT SOLITAIRE/Jane Haddam/B+
In this newest Gregor Demarkian mystery, Gregor is only too glad to leave Philadelphia and the frenzy of wedding preparations for an investigation on a fictional resort island. Loosely based on communities like the Hamptons or Martha's Vineyard, the island has been invaded by movie people and do-nothing celebrities for a film production. A true Nor'Easter blows through on New Year's Eve and a young man from the film crew is found dead in his truck. Filled with the wonderful characters that Haddam excels at, the book is a scathing look at celebrity culture and the people who feed on it. But her novel structure is sometimes so complicated that five minutes after finishing I'm not quite sure who the killer was or why. Still, I love Gregor and Bennis and will keep coming back for more.

JANE AND THE BARQUE OF FRAILTY/Stephanie Barron/A-
The newest Jane Austen mystery finds Jane staying in London with her brother, Henry, and his wife, Eliza, while she oversees the production of her first novel, SENSE AND SENSIBILITY. When a young Russian woman is found dead on the doorstep of a leading politician, Jane and Eliza come under suspicion of murder. To clear their names, Jane must look into treason and the society of high-paid courtesans. The late Lord Harold helps Jane once more, providing clues in his papers that he entrusted to Jane. A satisfying look at the early 1800s.



CARELESS IN RED/Elizabeth George/A++
I had a serious case of nerves heading into this newest in the Inspector Lynley series. George set herself a monumental task when she killed of a critical character in the book before this and I knew she would have to write an absolutely astounding book to follow up. She did. The book opens with Lynley walking Cornwall trying to escape his grief. On the 45th day of his walk, he finds a body at the bottom of a cliff and thus is reluctantly is drawn into the world once more. George creates a mystery as compelling as Lynley's personal storyline and that's no mean feat. She opens a window into the Cornish surfing community and into the hearts of damaged families. All I can say is "Brava! You delivered."



THE FLY HAS A HUNDRED EYES/Aileen G. Barron/B-
Set in Palestine on the eve of WWII, Barron's book follows a female archaeologist whose name I can't remember. That will tell you most of what you need to know about this book--the setting was fabulous and the premise is intriguing (a British archaeologist is killed in the midst of terror attacks on Jerusalem and an artifact goes missing), but the characters were unfortunately forgettable. If you're interested in the time or place, you might enjoy this. Otherwise, I'd give it a miss.



THE SUBTLE KNIFE/Phillip Pullman/B
The second in The Golden Compass trilogy, it opens with a boy named Will in a world that's obviously meant to be ours. In trying to escape pursuit, he tumbles into a world haunted by Specters. It's here that we meet up with Lyra once more and she's nearly as engaging (but not quite.) Will and Lyra have to work together to find out about Dust, about Lord Asriel's plans, and about Will's missing father. They also have to retrieve the Subtle Knife, a weapon that can cut anything, including doorways into other worlds. Helped by the witches and the valiant Texan from the first book, Will and Lyra set out upon the journey that will end in the next book. (A word about the atheism--it's much more pronounced in this book and I imagine will continue stronger in the third. Clearly Pullman has no use for religion or God in any sense. That's his choice. As for me, I like Lyra and Will well enough to follow them to the end of their journey.)

I'VE BEEN BUGGED


A Body Bugg, that is.

If you don't know what that is, well, neither did I. Not until one showed up in my Mother's Day gifts. My husband knows how hard I've been trying to lose weight. And how frustrating it's been between medication, a year of mono, being almost 40, and the stress of this year. (No, I am not one of those people who loses weight when stressed. Boo hoo.)

But now I have all the information I need. The Body Bugg is a device that I wear around my upper arm and it track how many calories I burn. Not just the ones from exercising, mind you, but all the normal energy expended walking from one room to the other, folding laundry, putting dishes away, writing at the computer, and, you know, breathing.

If it stopped there, it might just be a cool device. But it's part of an online program that provides help in setting goals, coaching support, daily menus, and a great template for keeping track of calories consumed. Check it out here: http://www.bodybugg.com/index.php

I've been a very good girl for several weeks now. And it's starting to show on the scale. You know the biggest surprise? How much work it takes to burn enough to lose even a pound a week. The best part for me of the Body Bugg is that it provides constant feedback so I know what I still have to do by the end of the day. And looking at the numbers (particularly if they're falling on the scale) is a great motivation. It's much easier to walk away from the 200 calorie brownie when I know exactly how long I'll have to be on the elliptical to make up for it. The Body Bugg is a sort of risk/benefit device--no wonder I got it from my accountant husband.

I have to confess, though--the temptations continue. What I wouldn't give right now to have a doughnut for breakfast, a bacon cheeseburger for lunch, lobster ravioli for dinner, and cheesecake for dessert.

But I won't.

Even though I really, really want to.

This morning was a first for me--The First Time I Sent My Child On An Airplane Alone.

Mind you, this child is nearly 15 and closing in on 6 feet tall. But still . . .

By the way, the "nearly" 15 part is important. Under the age of 15, Delta requires you to pay a 100 dollar fee for them to chaperone the child to and from the airplanes on both ends of the flight. When we reached the check-in desk this morning, the man asked my son, "How old are you?"

"Fourteen."

"Are you sure you're not fifteen?" the man asked. "No one else is going to ask and you look pretty capable of handling a non-stop flight by yourself. So how old are you?"

"Fifteen," my son said.

He was quite pleased with this turn of events, having no desire for a chaperone. And it's not like he hasn't flown plenty, including through several African airports. But he's never been on his own.

He wisely held his tongue while I showed him how to read everything on his boarding pass, told him how to find the gate once he was through security, pointed out all the things he needed to remove from his person or his carry-on bag so he could get through security, told him to ask an airline employee anything at any time, and generally acted like a nervous mother. My children aren't used to that--they're used to the mom who says, "Okay, whatever, have fun!"

He took it well, though. I asked him if he was all right. He assured me he was. I, on the other hand, felt like I was sending him to kindergarten all over again. What if he couldn't find the gate? What if he didn't make the plane? What if someone was mean to him?

I'm glad to report that all is well, he is safely in Boston in the hands of his father tonight.

Fortunately, they're flying home together on Tuesday so I don't have to go through this again.

APRIL BOOKS

Hmmm, not my best reading month ever. I don't think there are any A grades in what follows:

EVANS ABOVE/Rhys Bowen/B+
Evan Evans (known as Evans-the-law) is a police constable in a small town in Wales. When two men die on the local mountain on the same day, Evans suspects it's more than a climbing accident. A good enough mystery and I did like Evans--I don't know why this wasn't a better book for me. Maybe it was just too slender, and I don't mean in length. A good way to pass a couple of hours, but not compelling enough for me to rush out and find more Evans books.

DIRK GENTLY'S HOLISTIC DETECTIVE AGENCY/Douglas Adams/B
I really wanted to love this one, being as I'm such a fan of HITCHIKER'S GUIDE. But for whatever reason, the off-beat humor didn't gel into a great book. It's got odd situations (a horse appearing in a bathroom in Cambridge, a ghost wondering why he was just killed, and an alien trying to destroy the world. Maybe that was it--too many disparate threads. At least in HITCHIKER'S GUIDE you could name the central problem--Earth is destroyed, Arthur is the only human survivor. Maybe I'll re-read that this month.

TELLING LIES FOR FUN AND PROFIT/Lawrence Block/A-
Block is a prolific (was? he might be dead now, that's bad that I don't know) author of mysteries and thrillers. This non-fiction book is a collection of essays grouped thematically for writers. Some I really enjoyed. The book ends with "A Prayer from a Writer" that I thought was particularly good.

A SPIDER'S THREAD/Laura Lippman/A-
Another one I really wanted to love and it came close. I've loved the two stand alone's of Lippman's that I've read--this is the first of her Tess Monaghan series that I've picked up. Tess is a private detective in Baltimore who's asked by an Orthodox Jew to find out why his wife has vanished with their 3 children. I liked the multiple viewpoints in the story, liked Tess herself (although not overwhelmingly), and thought the mystery was quite good. It didn't get an A because it became more of a thriller than a mystery and just didn't engage me as much when I knew what was going on before the end. But a good book.

A WALK IN THE WOODS/Bill Bryson/A
A ha! An A book. It was a re-read, me reading aloud to my husband as we drove to and from Oregon over spring break. Bill Bryson on the Appalachian trail, I reviewed it sometime last year. Still funny. Still engaging. Still Bryson.

CRITICAL CONDITIONS & MANNER OF DEATH/Stephen White/B
White was the guest of honor at Left Coast Crime and I got these two paperbacks free in my bag. I enjoyed them well enough, but doubt I'll look for more on my own. Both are part of the Alan Gregory series about a clinical psychologist in Boulder, Colorado with an attorney wife and a cop friend. They're thrillers, with Gregory in both books trying to balance his ethical requirement to keep patient confidentialiaty with his need to keep himself or others alive. Gregory himself didn't do much for me, probably the number one reason I won't bother with more books about him unless they fall into my lap. But I read both of them quickly and did want to know how the stories turned out, so take that for what it's worth.

THE GOLDEN COMPASS/Phillip Pullman/A-
This was my favorite of the new books I read this month. Actually, we started out listening to it on CD while we drove to Zion National Park last week. When we got home, I picked it up in my daughter's room to finish. Lyra lives in a world a good deal like ours, but with some signifcant differences --like the fact that every human has a daemon, a sort of soul embodied outside of them. Lyra and her daemon become caught up in the world of religion and politics and when a rare instrument falls into her hands, she must use it to help save abducted children and her imprisoned uncle. There are wonderful fantasy touches like armored bears and mechanical spy bugs, but Pullman's gift is in creating a world with people who are as real as anyone around you. I loved Lyra and can't wait to finish the series to see what happens to her.

IMAGINE THAT

A post about writing.

Even more amazing, a post about writing that isn't filled with moans and groans and whining. (Which is kind of hard to get away with, since every time I start to whine about how hard writing is, there's that annoying voice in my head going, "Well, it's not like anyone's forcing you to do this!")

Yesterday and today, I actually wrote. Fiction. More than a couple of sentences. In fact, I got chapter 6 and chapter 7 of Annest in fairly good shape. It's the first serious writing I've done since February and it feels wonderful. Last night I went to bed thinking, "So that's what I like about writing."

I've been at this too long to believe this will last forever. The trick is to celebrate when it comes. (The other trick being, of course, how to keep working even when it goes.)

I'm not going to make promises about what I'll finish when--life this year is teaching me too much about flexibility and chaos--but my goal is to have this wrapped up and ready to send out sometime this summer. How's that for a nice, loose, easygoing kind of goal?

SIXTEEN AND COUNTING

Years, that is. In honor of our wedding anniversary, I have a few words to say about my husband.


What is your husband’s name? Chris

How long have you been together? First date December 3, 1986 (both 17 years old). Engaged December 3, 1991. Married April 22, 1992.How long did you date? Not quite for the entire 5 years—for 3 years we weren’t even on the same continent (he went to Brazil, I went to Haiti, he went to Israel . . .)

Who eats more? Definitely me.

Who said “I love you” first? Chris. At the age of 18. (But I definitely thought it first!)

Who is taller? Chris, by more than 5 inches.

Who is smarter? Chris. I don’t even begin to understand his work.

Who is more sensitive? I suppose that would have to be me—if you consider crying over commercials, watching Jane Austen films, and occasionally talking about my feelings to be sensitive.

Who does the laundry? The kids. (Yeah, right, in my dreams.)

Who does the dishes? The automatic dishwasher.

Who sleeps on the right? It’s not a matter of right or left, it’s a matter of nearer the door and farther away. I have to be farther away from the door. (You know, so I have time to jump out the second-floor window while a crazed ax murderer kills Chris first. I'm old-fashioned that way.)

Who pays the bills? Chris makes the money, I write the checks.

Who mows the lawn? Our lawn service. Seriously. Don’t laugh.

Who cooks dinner? Since Jake got sick, our family and friends. And the take-out places. Even before, you couldn’t call what I did cooking.

Who drives when you are together? He likes it when I drive, so he can work. Unless we're going a long way (think Klamath Falls) and then he likes to drive so I can read aloud.

Who is more stubborn? With each other? Neither. With others? I’ll almost always give in to have peace.

Who kissed whom first? He kissed me, but only after I made a perfect fool of myself hinting around. (We were only in high school, remember?)

Who asked who out first? He asked me, but only because he felt sorry for me. (Long story about Academic Decathlon and my GPA. If you haven’t heard it, count yourself lucky.) We went to a BYU-Utah State basketall game. It was the first time in 10 years BYU beat Utah State. Talk about omens.

Who proposed? He did. In a parking lot. Another long story.

Who has more siblings? Chris wins by a landslide, with four brothers and two sisters. All older. I have one younger brother.


"If I could choose from every man who lives on this earth . . ."

Happy Anniversary.

Love you.

MARCH BOOKS



Only a little late this month :)



DARK FIRE/CJ Sansom/B
2nd in the Matthew Shardlake series set in Tudor England. Lawyer Shardlake is drawn back into the world of conspiracy when his old employer, Cromwell, needs help finding some missing Greek fire (also known as Dark fire). Able to burn ships on the water, it would be a formidable weapon for whomever ends up with it. Shardlake agrees to help, but in the midst of tracking down a killer trying to sell Greek fire to the highest bidder, he also has to find evidence to clear a young woman of murder. Good period atmosphere and an introduction of a new sidekick for Shardlake, but the whole was less than the sum of its parts. I don't know why.



A FATAL GRACE and THE CRUELEST MONTH/Louise Penny/A+
I read Penny's debut novel in January, introducing Armand Gamache of the Quebec Surete. The next two in the series see Gamache returning to the small town of Three Pines--the first time to connect the murder of a highly unpleasant woman and the overlooked death of a homeless woman shortly before; the second time to deal with a death during a seance. This is my favorite new author/series since discovering Reginald Hill and the Dalziel/Pascoe books. My only complaint is that I came into this series too early--there aren't any more books yet! The greatest strength is Gamache himself, a man of principle and great kindness who is paying for a choice he made against the wishes of his colleagues. That choice and its consequences run through all three books like a thread, culminating in a wonderful sub-plot in THE CRUELEST MONTH. If you like Ruth Rendell's Inspector Wexford or P.D. James' Adam Dalgliesh, treat yourself to Armand Gamache.



TUNNELS/Michelle Gagnon/B
I'm not much for serial killer novels, but I heard Michelle at LCC and picked up her first novel recently. In the old tunnels beneath a New England college, there's more going on than lovers' trysts. When the daughter of a mafia boss is murdered, FBI agent Kelly Jones returns to her alma mater to track down the killer. A great thriller that I raced through in two days--I would have graded it higher if there had been more about Kelly herself. Especially given that she was back on her own college campus, I wanted some connection there. But a good snowy day read.



ISABELLA MOON/Laura Benedict/A-
Okay, you all know I was anxious to read this even before I met Laura at LCC. I delayed beginning it until I knew I had a couple days in a row to devote to reading. And I needed them. Isabella Moon disappeared from her small Kentucky town two years ago. Now Kate Russell claims that she knows where Isabella's body is buried--because Isabella's ghost has shown her. The sheriff doesn't know what to make of Kate, and he's worried about the sudden death of a high school athlete and the murder of one of Kate's friends. And Kate has her own secrets--ones that won't stay hidden much longer. Benedict does a masterful job of plotting, no mean feat in a novel this complex. I loved the multiple POVs, the flashbacks into Kate's past, and the sheriff. My favorite parts of the novel were the appearances of Isabella and others to Kate. It's the one element that I wish had been, I don't know, explored more. In any case, Benedict weaves all the storylines into a strong conclusion and her pacing was dead on. And I absolutely loved the ending. For me, the last couple chapters put this book from a good one to a great one.

THE LOST CONTINENT/Bill Bryson/A
Travelling through small-town America.
Writing about it.
Bill Bryson.
Enough said :)

JANE-EMILY/Patricia Clapp/B
A reprint of a 1960s mid-grade ghost story. Set in early 20th-century New England, orphaned Emily spends the summer with her young aunt and her grandmother in a rambling house where her Aunt Jane died years before as a child. Soon Emily is being haunted by the ruthless Jane, and those who love her have to save her. I put it aside for my 9-year-old daughter to read--it's just the right level of scariness for her. Not quite enough for me.

JULIE AND JULIA/Julie Powell/A-
Nearly-30-year-old Julie Powell decides to cook every recipe in Julia Child's "Mastering the Art of French Cooking". In one year. Her blog about the experience turned into newpaper, magazine, and television interviews, and then a book deal. I put the minus sign because of her too-often-for-me swearing, but this is a funny book about something that I will personally never do but loved reading about. Cooking eggs in gelatin? Using an axe to split open a cow's thigh bone and get out the marrow? Deboning a duck without losing the essential shape? The chapters on Julie's exploits are interspersed with peeks at Julia Child's life before she decided to take up cooking in France. Made me want to buy "Mastering the Art of French Cooking" even if I never cook anything from it.

SNOW FLOWER AND THE SECRET FAN/Lisa See/B+
A book club selection; I liked it better than I expected to. And more than THE GOOD EARTH which was our last book set in China. In 19th-century China, Lily is bound to Snow Flower as lifelong friends at the age of 6. This relationship--more important in its rituals and meanings than anything except marriage--changes the course of both their lives. Using nu shu (a form of writing developed by women for private communication), Lily and Snow Flower stay connected even as their lives diverge. The descriptions of foot binding are both graphic and sad, and I'm awfully glad I never had to serve in my in-laws' home as a servant to prove my worth. The book didn't go as deeply as I would have liked into Lily's emotions, particularly when a misunderstanding leads to a rupture between her and Snow Flower. But still a book I would recommend.

FEBRUARY BOOKS

Yes, I'm late.

No, I'm not sorry.

(Okay, I really am, but I'm trying to play it cool here and pretend that February didn't just vanish into a black hole of weird cancer treatment alternate reality.)

DREAMS FROM MY FATHER/Barack Obama/A-: This was for book club. Written years before he thought of running for president, this is aan intriguing look at growing up in America and abroad with a white mother and an absent black African father. I was particularly interested in Obama's account of his first trip to Kenya to meet his father's family, having spent time there myself. I admire him as a man and a person and I'm glad I read this book. (But that's not inspiring me to pick up the political books--I'm just not into partisan politics of any variety.)

IN A DRY SEASON/Peter Robinson/B: I wanted to give this a higher grade. I might have, if I'd rated it earlier. But as time has passed, I've grown more so-so about the book as a whole. Being a fan of Reginald Hill, you'd think I'd be overjoyed at finding a different series about Yorkshire policemen. But Inspector Banks left me a little cold--too much drinking, too much feeling sorry for himself after his wife has left, not enough reason to like him. The story was a strong one--a body from WWII is discovered when a flooded town dries up--but I preferred the past chapters to the present which doesn't bode well for other Banks stories. I may read another one, but I won't go out of my way to do it.

THE PROFESSOR AND THE MADMAN/Simon Winchester/A: This book, on the other hand, I loved. It's the true story of the making of the Oxford English dictionary and its most unusual contributor--an American Civil War surgeon held in a British institution for the criminally insane. It weaves the story of the doctor and his descent into insanity and murder with the complicated personalities that launched the most important dictionary in history. And I learned a new word that I adore: chance-medley (an accident or casualty not merely happenstance but indicating tragedy as a consequence.)

A PALE HORSE/Charles Todd/B: I love Inspector Ian Rutledge and I love the evocation of Britain just after WWI, but I'm beginning to tire of Todd's stories. This one was particularly hard to follow as Rutledge kept literally moving from one place to another and back again, following two different crimes. I wanted to yell: "Pick a place and stay there until you learn something!" This was atmospheric, but the story was forgettable and I'm starting to weary of Rutledge not moving forward. I think the problem is sticking only with Rutledge's POV--I feel like I know him pretty well by this point and I'm not getting a chance to know or care about the other people in the books.

THE CRAZED/Ha Jin/D: Sometimes I love literary books, sometimes not so much. This one was the latter. A Chinese graduate student in literature spend afternoons sitting by the bed of his professor who has had a stroke. The stroke leads the older man to share all sorts of stories and opinions that might be better left unsaid. Throw in the Tianmen Square protests, and it could have been more interesting than it was. But the language itself fell flat for me and I didn't care about a single person in the novel.

TOUCHSTONE/Laurie R. King/A+: After reading A PALE HORSE, I read this one and thought, "This is how it should be done." This stand-alone by the Mary Russell Holmes author, is also set in post-WWI Britain (1926) with an American FBI agent trying to track down an anarchist bomber among the British upper classes. Told from multiple viewpoints, I was invested in every character, whether I liked them or not. A satisfying main plot, as well as the fascinating subplot of a former British soldier who can feel far more than he wants to since an injury in France. Plus an ending that blew me away (pardon the pun). A heartbreakingly beautiful story.

WHY I LOVED LEFT COAST CRIME


1. The panels. Lots of interesting and informative discussions. And my own pet opinion was confirmed: There are two kinds of writers--those who outline and those who don't. And they will never understand one another.

2. The Tattered Cover Bookstore on Denver's 16th street pedestrian mall. A smaller version of Powell's in Portland (my favorite bookstore ever)--hardcovers, paperbacks, used books, books you don't find at the local Barnes and Noble. Two floors and two evenings of browsing fun. (And not all for myself--I bought books for my four kids and my husband. Okay, so I bought myself more. Sue me.)

3. The Book Room run by Tom and Enid Schantz of Rue Morgue. Almost every break between panels for three days I spent in the book room--buying books, eyeing handcuffs and t-shirts, and standing in line for author signings. Which brings me to . . .

4. The Authors. They're real, they're funny, and they're kind. At least all the ones I met were. Some of my favorites:

Stephanie Barron--writes the Jane Austen mysteries, of which I owned all but the most recent. So I bought the most recent and had her sign it. We had a good discussion about Lord Harold and hateful email. (If you don't know what I'm talking about, you'll have to read the series, which begins with JANE AND THE UNPLEASANTNESS AT SCARGRAVE MANOR).

Aileen Baron--wrote her first book at the age of 75. She's a Near Eastern archaeologist and her books are set in Palestine in the late 1930s and 1940s. She had the funniest line of the conference--when she said that American women of that period weren't allowed to run digs, but many British women did. Her explanation? "I think it has something to do with field hockey." I even got her to sign that line in my copy of her book.

Craig Johnson--he writes about a Wyoming sheriff. I've wanted to read his books for a long time. So after listening to him on a panel, I bought the first and had him sign it. We discussed living in the West (he's from Wyoming) and how Easterners don't quite get the idea of audiobooks the same way Westerners do.

Carl Brookins--I sat next to him at the banquet dinner. He is a true gentleman. And anyone who write about a character named Sean Sean who isn't Irish is someone whose books I want to read.

Laura Benedict--her first published novel came out last year, ISABELLA MOON. Another one I've had on my list to read, and I couldn't buy it fast enough after listening to her speak on a panel called Mindgames and Manhunts. She's everything I would like to be--polished, professional, self-deprecating, funny, and truly kind. She was the first author I've ever asked to sign a book and she talked to me as though she'd never been more delighted in her life than to meet me. I was so charmed, that I bid on and won a silent auction item that she offered, which I'll get to later.

And speaking of charming . . . MARCUS SAKEY--His second crime novel came out in January. I've heard his name (I suppose "seen" is a more accurate word) on DorothyL, but would never have approached him at LCC if not for the fact that he has wonderfully curly hair. Does that sound odd? I'm sure he thought so. But when I explained that my son has cancer and has lost his hair and that his biggest fear is that it will grow back in curly . . . well, he was graciousness itself. He signed a book for my son (admonishing him not to use any of the words in the book) and wrote him a note and let me take his picture. I have never in my life done anything like that, but he made me feel like I was only a mother, not a candidate for institutionalization.

5. The Silent Auction. There were gift baskets, signed books, character names and other wonderful things up for auction. (All the proceeds benefited the Reading for the Blind and Dyslexic in Colorado.) I bid on two critiques and won them both. (Well, okay, my friend Katie bid on one for me so I wouldn't look greedy.) For a total of 85.00 I won a 15 page critique from Chris Roerden, author of my favorite mystery writing book HOW NOT TO MURDER YOUR MYSTERY. And I won a 30 page critique from Laura Benedict. I can't begin to express how excited I am about both. (Hmmm, not being able to express myself doesn't bode well for my critique pages.)

6. The Volunteers. Christine Goff was absolutely splendid, both as an organizer and a person. Katie and I bought a book for a friend and wanted it signed, but it turned out the author had had to cancel at the last moment. Christine knows the author and she volunteered to get the book signed and mail it to us. Everything ran smoothly and efficiently from an attendee's point of view and I thank all of those who worked so hard to make it look effortless.

7. My friends. Katie and I knew we traveled well together. We've spent ten days in Dubai and Oman, we've driven to Portland to visit my dying birth mother, so four days in Denver was nothing but pleasure. We talked, we listened to Bill Bryson's NOTES FROM A SMALL ISLAND as we drove across Wyoming, we talked some more, and we met Becca. I've known Becca for almost five years now through our online class and critique group, but I've only met her briefly in person twice. I was a bit nervous about sharing four days and a hotel room with her, but I need not have worried. She is a kindred spirit, in all the wonderful Anne of Green Gables ways possible. We're planning to do our future book signings together. And we're figuring out what the other one can offer at future silent auctions.

I don't think there was anything I didn't like about LCC. (Okay, so I did learn that no one should ever follow me when I'm both walking and talking--I apparently can't talk and find my way out of a paper bag at the same time.) But when people ask what's the best thing I came away with, I have a simple answer . . .

I came away with inspiration, motivation, and the absolute assurance that this is the world I fit in. I am a writer. I will always be a writer. I am not odd, I am not crazy, and I am not stupid for wanting it. My writing may be slower this year as I spend time in hospitals and make sure Jacob gets well, but it's not going away.

Totally worth the time and money to rediscover that truth.

Thanks, Left Coast Crime.

I'M OFF


And none too soon for my sanity.

Although admittedly, some of my insanity is caused by getting ready to leave for four days.

Tomorrow morning at 5:00 a.m., I'll be on the road to Denver with my friend, Katie. We're headed to Left Coast Crime which is not, as you might think, a gathering of mobsters. Nope, it's a good old-fashioned conference for lovers of mysteries. There are panels geared to both writers and readers, a banquet on Saturday night, and lots of people who will NOT ask "Where do you find time to read?" or "Are you sure you need that many books?"

My teenager was making fun of me when he heard about the trip.

"Denver? Denver? That sounds . . . exciting." (That last word positively dripped with sarcasm)

"Why yes," I answered. "Hotel, restaurant, books, and no kids. I may never come home."

But I suppose I have to. I get to spend next Monday night in the hospital with my second son for chemo.

I think I'd better enjoy Denver while I have the chance.

THE SIGURD JOURNAL


Allow me to introduce it to you: The Sigurd Journal is a new literary magazine, published quarterly. The first issue will be released shortly. Below is a link to its website, including submissions information.

Why do I care? Well, I know the publisher and the editorial staff. Each and every one of them. They're each talented writers in their own right and committed to publishing quality short fiction, non-fiction, and poetry. I expect good things from this journal. Check out the link and consider subscribing--it's only 5.00 for 4 issues. Can't beat that!

http://www.sigurdjournal.com/

I do have a vested interest. I'm the columnist, so each issue will have my take on writing, life, and other oddities. Pretty cool, huh?

So subscribe. Or I might hurl my battleaxe :)

I just had to share the fun new book I picked up yesterday. It was on the discount table at Barnes and Noble, titled BACK IN THE DAY: 101 Things Everyone Used to Know How to Do.

I ask you, how could I be expected to pass by a book that makes the following promise:

"In no time, you'll be able to fight with a rapier and dagger, thatch a roof, plow a field, wear a Roman toga, lay siege to a castle, pluck a chicken, hurl a battleax, make a fire without matches, and embalm a body."

Wow. How could I not buy it?

Excuse me for now. There are so many other things I could be doing: making mead, keeping wild bees, caring for a battle wound, making a Roman mosaic, forging a sword, or roasting a wild boar.

But I think I'll go hunt up my battleax first. I feel like hurling something.

TOTALLY RANDOM

Since my brain is now occupied with trivia like "What day is it today?", I'm finding I need prompts to help me post something new. Here are a few random questions I found floating around the blogosphere.


WHERE WERE YOU 10 YEARS AGO?

February 1998. Well, my one and only daughter was born in November 1998--count back 9 months--you get the idea. We lived in Seattle in our tiny but adorable first house. We had two sons, almost 5 and almost 2. My husband worked for Preston, Gates, and Ellis, a downtown law firm. And in the year ahead of us we would have our aforementioned daughter, change jobs, move states, live with my parents for 7 months, and build a new house. Whew. It's totally worth being 10 years older to not have to do any of that again.



WHAT ARE 5 THINGS ON YOUR TO DO LIST TODAY?

1. Take my son to radiation

2. Laundry (always and every day)

3. Finish chapter 4 (writing, not reading)

4. Catch up on emails (always and every day)

5. Breathe



WHAT ARE TWO BAD HABITS YOU HAVE?

1. Diet Coke

2. Sleeping in


WHAT ARE FIVE THINGS YOU WOULD DO IF YOU SUDDENLY BECAME A BILLIONAIRE?
1. Buy a house along the Yorkshire coast

2. Buy a flat in London

3. Travel

4. Travel

5. And travel some more


WHAT ARE 5 PLACES YOU'VE LIVED?

1. Hagerstown, Maryland

2. Fort Lauderdale, Florida

3. Seattle, Washington

4. Port-au-Prince, Haiti

5. Hong Kong


WHAT ARE 5 THINGS MOST PEOPLE DON'T KNOW ABOUT YOU?

1. I hate to cook (okay, that's something all my friends know about me--this is for those of you reading who I'm still trying to impress)

2. I love listening to film scores (THE MISSION is my most recent purchase)

3. I have old Halloween candy under my bed

4. I never dated the first boy who kissed me (16--family friend visiting from across the country--very cute--late night talk in the kitchen--flew home the next day)

5. I wanted to be the first female Chief Justice of the United States Supreme Court. Or a US senator.

JANUARY BOOKS


TOUCH NOT THE CAT/Mary Stewart/B-: I finished this in the hospital that first week with Jacob. Pluses: it didn't require a great deal of mental attention. Minuses: definitely dated by its 1960s publication. Briony comes home to England after her father's death to deal with inheritance issues. She's also looking for the man she's been communicating with mentally since childhood. If a hospital stay is in your near future, this is an easy book to swallow.

ANIMALS IN TRANSLATION/Temple Grandin/B+: A fascinating book about animal brains, autistic human brains, and non-autistic human brains. Who knew a book about animals could teach me so much about how my own brain functions and why autistim produces the differences it does. It also has a chapter about rapist roosters that should be required reading for anyone who thinks genetic trait selection is a good idea for babies.

GIRL, INTERRUPTED/Susanna Kaysen/B+: I caught the tail end of this film (with Winona Ryder and Angelina Jolie) on TV a few months ago. The book is the account of Kaysen's 18-month stay in an upscale Massachusetts asylum for the mentally ill. I didn't give it an A only because I would have liked more about her life after the asylum, thought that clearly wasn't the point of the story. The writing itself helps give us a sense of her fractured life at the time.

WILDWOOD DANCING/Juliet Marillier/A-: You all know I'm a huge fan of Marillier's historical fantasies. This is a YA book, set in Romania in roughly the Renaissance years. Five sisters have been crossing into the fairy kingdom once a month to dance. But now strangers have come to the kingdom, and trouble is threatening at home, and the sisters have to figure out how to save both worlds and stay together. I didnt' give it an A because, being written for a younger market, it's not as deep and layered as I like her books, but I still read it in just two days.

MAN'S SEARCH FOR MEANING/Victor Frankl/A-: The classic text about his years in concentration camps and how men and women choose to cope under such circumstances. I picked it up for obvious reasons (Jacob) and appreciated his stories about extraordinary people in extraordinary situations.

THE HARROWING/Alexandra Sokoloff/A-: A haunted house story, set on a college campus during Thanksgiving break. Five kids skip Thanksgiving and have the old dorm building to themselves. When they find and use an old ouija board, they release more than just a simple ghost. Her character development helps set this book apart from a normal horror story.

THE CHAMELEON'S SHADOW/Minette Walters/A: I don't think Walters has written a single book that I didn't love. This one isn't always easy, but it's gripping and real. When a British lieutenant is disfigured in Iraq, he shuts himself off from everyone around him, especially his former fiance. Then he's named a suspect in a string of killings in London and has to trust someone if he's going to save himself. Very powerful.

STILL LIFE/Louise Penny/A: Hooray! A first book in a series that I loved! Armand Gamache is an inspector in the Quebec police force. He's called to the small village of Three Pines to investigate the death of a local artist. It's a classic closed-circle mystery, where the reader gets to learn all about the villagers and their lives and secrets and try to figure out which secret led to her death. A fabulous traditional mystery that I adored.

NOTES ON A SCANDAL/Zoe Heller/A-: A book I picked up because I was intrigued by the movie trailers. Teacher Sheba Hart has been arrested for having an affair with one of her students. Fellow teacher and friend Barbara Covett tells the story from the beginning, revealing as much about herself as she does about Sheba. I don't think there was a single wholly likeable character in the book (except Sheba's Down Syndrome son), but Heller's writing and characterization are compelling. It's one of those stories that are messy and complicated and leave you with no black and white thoughts, just lots of questions.

I Need a New Challenge


Because my writing isn't going anywhere fast. It's meandering around in lots of interesting byways, but byways aren't going to sell me a manuscript :)

I know, I know, I have a sick child, I have other things on my mind. But here's the deal: I need to do this. What am I going to do until October, sit around and worry? That's a sure way to make me even older. There will be hours and days when Jacob will need me fully, but there are lots of hours and days where he's fine. I've never been the kind of mom to watch over every breath my children make, I'm not going to start now. Besides, he's at school right now. Watching his every breath is his teacher's job.

I'm crafting a challenge to get me through the second completed draft of Annest. Each weekday I will:

1. Write 750 new words

or

2. Revise 5 pages

I'll keep you posted once a week on how it's going.

IT'S OFFICIAL

I'm old.

Turning 39 last week was my first clue.

My second clue was much more traumatic.

My 14-year-old went to his first church dance. And he, remarkably, danced. Six times. And he, even more remarkably, asked some of those girls himself.

He's telling me this at 11:30 Saturday night, lulling me into thinking all is well, and then he hits me with the trauma: "The last girl who asked me to dance was 17."

Ack! I guess that's what happens when your 14-year-old son is 5' 10".

It also happens when you're old.

Sigh.

WHICH JANE AUSTEN CHARACTER ARE YOU?


A quiz for women, unless the men don't mind being identified with one of her women characters.


http://quizfarm.com/test.php?q_id=6806N


Me?

SENSE AND SENSIBILITY's Elinor Dashwood



As Marianne's older sister, Elinor lives at the other end of the emotional spectrum. She rarely reveals her intense feelings and is more concerned with being honest and loyal than having what she deserves. Even though her intentions are pure, she sets herself up for loss by constantly placing other people before her own needs. Overall, Elinor is gentle and rational but is just as capable of radical emotions (despite her withholding them) as her sister.

Elinor Dashwood 75%

Jane Bennet 72%

Elizabeth Bennet 69%

Marianne Dashwood 66%

Emma Woodhouse 41%

Charlotte Lucas 28%

Lady Catherine 13%

I'm not sure how I feel about this. Doesn't every girl want to be Elizabeth Bennett? And it doesn't appear that all of her characters are possibilities, unless this quiz is honestly telling me that I have more of Lady Catherine de Burgh in me than Anne Elliott or Catherine Morland or Fanny Price. I'm not sure I like that implication.

And really? I'm more Jane Bennett than Lizzy? Sigh. I guess that means I'm hopelessly good.

I suppose there are worse things to be.

HOPEFUL WORDS FROM AN EDITOR


I've been meaning to post this for a while, but it came the day that I ended up taking Jacob to the emergency room and I've been a bit scattered since then :)

I sent the short story of Annest to the Black Gate magazine months and months ago, so I wasn't sure what the SASE in my mailbox was. Sure enough, a rejection, but a hopeful one. Beneath the form part, I got a written note from the editor, John O'Neill:

Laura,
First, I hope you can forgive me for holding this so long. Thanks for your extraordinary patience. [Me: not hard to be patient when you've completely forgotten!]
Almost. This is a magnificent tale--fast-pace, splendidly written, with terrific characters and a vivid setting. But it took just a bit longer to get underway than a handful of others we're considering.
We won't re-open to submissions until we fix our response times. But when we do, I really hope you'll try us again.
John

This was what I needed to give me confidence in Annest and to spur me forward to rewriting now that I've finished the first draft.

Also, I've got a story in mind to write for them. I'll probably enter it in Writers of the Future first, since I can't submit to Black Gate for at least a few months. But it's nice to go into a new story knowing that someone (who is neither my relation or my friend) wants to read it.

Right now, I'm taking all the good news I can get.

A NEW LINK

I have posted a new link at the top of my list. I wish I hadn't.

"Jacob's Journey" is my new blog, set up to tell the story of my 11-year-old son who was diagnosed 5 days ago with Alveolar Rhabdomyosarcoma, a cancerous tumor in his left cheek.

I'll try to keep this blog running as well, but I wanted to separate Jake's story from work.

If anyone deserves his own story, it's my son.

December Reads


THE LIFE AND DEATH OF LORD ERROL/Errol Trzebinski/B: Account of the "Happy Valley" murder of Joss Hay in Kenya during WWII. Joss was a longtime settler and a member of the infamous Happy Valley set whose morals didn't always square with the more conservative settlers. The husband of Joss's mistress at the time of his death was tried and acquitted for the murder, but committed suicide shortly after. The author speculates that the murder was actually carried out by the British Secret Service.

ANGLE OF REPOSE/Wallace Stegner/A: My immediate reaction upon finishing this Pulitzer Prize winning novel was, "I need someone to talk to about it!" It moves back and forth in time, as a crippled historian in the early 1970s writes about his grandmother's life on the western frontier in the late 1800s. I'd never have imagined I'd devour a novel set in mining camps and rustic cabins, but the characters are compelling as they move toward a devastating event that I didn't see coming.

THE INFERNO/Dante Aligheri/B: The one good thing I could say about THE DANTE CLUB from a couple months ago is that it inspired me to read my college copy of THE INFERNO. I enjoyed it, as much as one can enjoy a long poem set in the descending circles of hell and featuring men buried headfirst in the ground and men frozen up their necks in water. Still, now I can say I've read it. And I now understood many more allusions found in modern literature.

ARIEL/Sylvia Plath/A-: Plath's last collection of poems before her suicide. Some I loved, some I tolerated, and some I just plain didn't get. But I enjoyed stretching my mind--it's been a long time since I've read poetry.

ONE TATTERED ANGEL/Blaine Yorgason/B: Short non-fiction account of the LDS author's youngest daughter, adopted with multipled problems and diagnosed as having no brain, only a brain stem. They were told she would only live a few weeks and that she would never be capable of emotion. She lived for 8 years and showed many times over her capacity for feeling and her effect on the lives of others.

BECOMING JANE AUSTEN/John Spence/A-: I give it the minus only because I would have liked a final chapter telling me what happened to Jane's family members afer her death. But overall, a good biography of Jane that puts her in the context of her time and her upbringing. If you love her novels, this is a good biography.

PUCCINI'S GHOSTS/Morag Joss/A: A stand-alone that alternates chapters between the present-day, when Lila has come home to bury her father, and the summer more than thirty years before when everything fell apart. Using an unexpected windfall to mount a local production of Puccini's TURANDOT, Lila's mother, father, and uncle are set on a collision course with a disaster fueled by Lila's adolescent imagination. Very powerful.

LOST BOYS/Orson Scott Card/A+: It was a toss-up whether to give this an A+ or an F. The Fletcher family moves across country in the 1980s following a job for Step. But their oldest son, Stevie, doesn't adjust well. He begins playing with a group of imaginary friends who share the names of little boys who have disappeared in the area in the last two years. Meticulously plotted and incredibly woven, this book leads to an ending that shocked me to my core, had me sobbing in bed next to my husband . . . and that couldn't have been written any other way.

THE PALE BLUE EYE/Louis Bayard/A-: A cadet is found dead at West Point Academy in the early 1800s. Then his heart is carved out of his chest. The commandant calls in a retired NY police officer to investigate, hoping to keep the publicity to a minimum. But soon another cadet is murdered and the police officer finds himself working with West Point private Edgar Allan Poe. I thought I had it all figured out, and then come the final chapters. Though I normally despise characters who withhold information, in this case I didn't mind it so much, perhaps because of the powerful story.

MANIAC MAGEE/Jerry Spinelli/B+: Newbery award winner about an orphaned boy who runs away from his aunt and uncle and becomes a legend in a town divided by color. A quick but good read that I would recommend for kids.

THE MOONSPINNERS/Mary Stewart/B: I'm on a Steward kick at the moment. She wrote in the 60s and 70s, romantic suspense novels that don't overtax my brain. This one involves the island of Crete, a wounded man, a missing boy, and a woman who can't stay out of the drama she stumbled into.

2007 Books Read, Finished, and often Enjoyed


Number of books read in 2007: 131

Lowest number read in one month: 6 (February)

Highest number read in one month: 17 (June)

Number of mysteries read: 60

Number of YA books read: 19

Number of non-fiction books read: 31

I'm not quite sure what category the other 21 books were in. I know there were fantasy, and some short story collections, and a horror book or two. I'm just going to assume they fit my numbers.

Best books of the year for me?

The hands-down best single book that wasn't Harry Potter: THE WELL OF SHADES by Juliet Marillier. The third in the Bridei Chronicles, my husband got me this for Christmas last year, four months before it was released in the U.S. He has a work friend in Australia who bought it and shipped it to him for my gift. It was well worth the effort.

The hands-down best new series which I devoured in just a few weeks: The 6-book LYMOND CHRONICLES by Dorothy Dunnett. Set in the mid-16th century, before Elizabeth I came to the throne, these books ranged from England to France to Tripoli to Constantinople to Russia to Scotland. Francis Crawford of Lymond is an enigmatic, fascinating, frustrating character that I never got tired of reading about. A must read for fans of historical fiction.

Best new author: Stephenie Meyer and her TWILIGHT series. Though the later two books aren't quite as tightly written as the first, this is an author who grabbed me from page one and didn't let go until I was finished.

Best mystery: THE THIRTEENTH TALE by Diane Setterfield. A wonderfully gothic contemporary novel about a dying novelist and the young woman she chooses to write her biography.

Best literary fiction: THE KITE RUNNER by Khaled Hosseini. Covers politics, revolution, love and marriage, friendship and betrayal, secrets and lies. Stunningly powerful story.

Best non-fiction: HONEYMOON IN PURDAH by Alison Wearing. A female journalist takes her gay roommate and a fake marriage certificate and tours Iran by bus for weeks. Funny and moving, it gives a voice to the people of Iran and reminds the reader how complicated history and politics are.

And, of course, the Hands Down Best Series-Ending Book Ever Written In The History Of The World: HARRY POTTER AND THE DEATHLY HALLOWS by JK Rowling. I'm aware that I never posted my reactions to this novel. Let this suffice: although I guessed correctly on the essentials, she surprised me a dozen times over. For the most-anticipated novel ever, I give her full credit for those surprises. It might not have been exactly the book I would have written, but I was fully and completely satisfied.


And I've just realized that I never posted my December reads. Guess I'll go do that now.

NOVEMBER READS

Hooray! My router must be working. So I'd better get these November books in before December is over.

SWITCHING TIME/Richard Baer/B+: Written by a psychiatrist, detailing the true story of a patient who suffered multiple personality disorder. I picked it up for personal reasons and I'm glad I read it for those same personal reasons. If you're interested in how fractured the human mind can become trying to protect itself, this is a fascinating book.

ONE GOOD TURN/Kate Atkinson/A-: A follow-up to CASE HISTORIES, this book features former private detective Jackson Brodie, now rich and retired. He's followed his girlfriend to Edinburgh for a theater festival and runs straight into criminal activity. Beautifully written and a whole host of fascinating characters and motivations, this book delivers a compelling story and a resolution I didn't see coming.

MOCKINGBIRD/Charles Shields/A: The biography of Nelle Harper Lee, highly recommended for anyone who loved TO KILL A MOCKINGBIRD. Lee has become famously reclusive as she's aged, but this book pulls together her public statements and the private papers of others to give a fascinating portrait of the writer. It can't answer the question everyone has--Why did she not write another book?--but it gives enough clues and facts to provide an interesting theory.

MESSENGER OF TRUTH/Jacqueline Winspear/B+: I didn't like this 4th book in the Maisie Dobbs series nearly as well as the previous 3. Still a great period piece (Britain in the early 1930s) and with a good mystery at its core, but Winspear resorted to some tricks that I can't stand. Like having Maisie think that she knows what happened, but hiding it from the reader. In my book, that's false tension and it weakens any story.

A MONSTROUS REGIMENT OF WOMEN/Laurie R. King/A+: My re-reading of this book right after the previous Maisie Dobbs reinforced how much I love Mary Russell. This is my favorite of the Russell/Holmes series, in which Mary has to confront her feelings for Sherlock Holmes while also dealing with a charismatic female spiritualist and the possible murders that have occurred in her inner circle. King is a master at hinting and letting the reader feel the latent tension and attraction between Holmes and Russell. Love, love, love this book.

LIFE IN THE YEAR 1000/Danny Danziger/A: A wonderful book about life in England at the turn of the last millennium. It's structured around the Julian work calender, going month by month to give an overview of medieval life in English villages and towns just before the Norman invasion. Written for a general audience, I recommend it for anyone with an interest in history.

THE POE SHADOW/Matthew Pearl/A-: Surprisingly, I went ahead and read this after my disappointment with his first book, THE DANTE CLUB. Even more surprisingly, this book was far and away better than the first. Quentin Clark, a Baltimore attorney and admirer of Edgar Allan Poe, is shocked by the poet's death in his city. He's also convinced there's more to that death than meets the eye. He risks his career, his friends, and his engagement to find out the truth behind Poe's death as well as the truth behind Poe's creation of his most memorable character, Auguste Dupin.

AFRICAN WOMEN/Mark Mathabone/A-: Mathabone writes stirringly about the lives of his grandmother, mother, and sister in apartheid South Africa. From the indignities of being bought by husbands to the struggles of mothers to keep their children alive and safe, this is a wonderful book about the difficulties so many women in the world face today. Made me feel both blessed and guilty--and desirous of helping other women.

THE MAN EATERS OF TSAVO/J.H. Patterson/B: Written a hundred years ago by the colonel detailed to British East Africa (now Kenya) to oversee the completion of the Uganda railroad. During this time, dozens of Indian workers were killed by two lions in a short stretch of the railway near Tsavo. Patterson recounts the attempts to hunt down the lions, including the famous story of Charles Ryall's sitting up all night in a railway car only to be carried away and killed by one of the lions. The book also includes Patterson's memories of hunting other African animals, liberally sprinkled with photos. An interesting look at another time and different mores--and it was hard for me to accept the enthusiastic accounts of killing animals for no reason other than sport.

Man!

I've been shut out of blogger for a week. I could see my blog, but I couldn't get into the dashboard to post anything new. My husband fixed it last night when he returned from Boston. He says we need a new router. I'll take his word for it. I'm just glad to be back.

And yes, I finished. The month, the challenge, the first draft . . . history :)

Words written in November: 41,879

Average word count per day: 1396

Not quite my goal of 1500 per day, but not bad considering it took me 18 months to write the first 30,000 words of the novel and only 1 month to write 41,000. And, what makes me most proud, I wrote every single day. Sure, I had my 76 word days--but I still wrote something.

This doesn't mean I'm quite ready to start sending out the manuscript. There are quite a few scenes that need to be written in earlier spots, since I tend to change things as I write and the people and situations as I near the end aren't always what I started with in the beginning. But it's wonderful to have a structure to work with.

What did I learn from this experience?

1. That writer's block isn't always a case of writing something wrong and needing to rethink my direction. Sometimes, writer's block is just laziness (or inertia, as I prefer to think of it.) The hardest part of overcoming inertia is the initial effort. Then, with each day, momentum gathers and starts to take on a life of its own. That doesn't mean that day 30 was any easier than day 1, but that I had an energy on day 30 that I didn't have day 1.

2. That I am just not a serious outliner. I have friends that swear by their outlines. Not me. Not to leave the impression that I'm a complete freeform sort of writer. I always (almost always, I have one story now that's giving me fits) know my endings before I begin. I know where I'm headed and I know five or six high points along the way. But trying to fill in the blanks between those kills the joy for me. I've done it--I even did it for this book--but what I wrote bears only a passing resemblance to that outline. My mind is set free by the actual act of writing. Any amount of dreaming beforehand is not as powerful, for me, as what my mind does when I start to put my people in situations. That's when my imagination kicks in and I do my best thinking.

3. That sheer force of will can accomplish the same thing as inspiration. Don't wait for the muse--go out and wrestle her to the ground.

4. That I can do anything if I set my mind to it.

So now it's time to set my mind to the second draft. Wish me luck!