Book Round-Up

The Cartographers by Peng Shepherd: This was a fascinating premise -- what if phantom settlements on maps could become real? -- but a mediocre execution. Too many of the characters made inexplicable or just plain dumb decisions, and it was far too easy to figure out the bad guy. A disappointment.

An Elderly Lady Must Not Be Crossed by Helene Tursten: A second set of stories about a murderous octegenarian from Sweden. The stories suffered slightly by trying to show us how she became so murderous, but they were delightful nonetheless. And I adore the book design!

The Singing Sands by Josephine Tey: Is it a re-read if I don't have any recollection of the first read? This is Tey's last story featuring Alan Grant and published posthumously. I wonder if she had planned for this to be the last Grant story, which might explain the bifurcated feel to the novel; the first half deals mostly with Grant's psychological recovery in the Scottish highlands of his youth, and it's not until the second half that the mystery-solving begins in earnest. Still, it's an enjoyable read, and I can add it to the list of disparate books that refer to the lost city of Wabar (see also: Declare).

Homicide and Halo-Halo by Mia P. Manansala: The second in the series, and as fun as the first. The writing wasn't as strong, but I appreciated Manansala's commitment to addressing the trauma the characters experienced in the first book, something rarely dealt with in cozy mysteries.

Jimmy Corrigan, the Smartest Kid on Earth by Chris Ware: I've been a big fan of Ware's for a long time; Building Stories was an impressive reading experience. Jimmy Corrigan is an earlier work, stemming in part from Ware's own experience with his absentee father while, like the other work, also touching on almost-crippling loneliness. Ware's artistic talent is just as impressive, but the main story left me cold, perhaps because Corrigan is simply not as engaging as the protagonist of Building Stories, perhaps because, unlike Corrigan, that protagonist actually does things rather than just allowing things to happen to her. An earlier storyine, having to do with Corrigan's grandfather as a child, was touching and heartbreaking.

Book Round-Up

The Color Master by Aimee Bender: I tend to associate Bender with Kelly Link, for they both excel at short stories with a fantastical bent, and I discovered them around the same time, but despite the similarities Bender has a different feel to her work. Her latest collection is a mix of contemporary stories (with and without a magical element) and modern fairy tales, including the title one that connects to a famous Grimm tale. As always, her stories are smart and rich, and just a bit disturbing.

An Elderly Lady Is up to No Good by Helene Tursten: I loved these short stories about an murderous octogenarian (the victims kind of deserve it). The last two -- different perspectives on the same crime -- weren't quite as successful as the first three, but they were all so much fun to read. Tursten's heroine-cop from her mystery series makes a cameo, and I think I will be checking those novels out.

Baseball in the Garden of Eden by John Thorn: It's April, so it's time to read about baseball again. Most baseball fans nowadays know Abner Doubleday, who appears to have had no interest in sports whatsoever, was not the inventor of the game. However, not much is known about how baseball actually developed, something Thorn seeks to remedy with this book. The result is a description of the messy, chaotic, 19th century start to the game and the role upper class businessmen, working class brawlers, gamblers, Theosophists, and even some British cricketers (shhh! don't tell the America-first people!) played.

The Little Book of Fika by Lynda Balslev:  I bought my first book box from Julia's Book Bag, the Hygge box from this past winter, and it was filled with lots of delightful goodies plus this little book about the Swedish tradition of a coffee break. It includes an explanation of fika, coffee-related quotations, and a number of traditional recipes for drinks (not just coffee), baked treats, and other light fare. The insight into an aspect of Swedish culture was interesting, and I look forward to trying some of the recipes. Plus it's a cute little book.