“Fuzz: When Nature Breaks the Law” ©2021 by Mary Roach
Mary Roach is an engaging author who traveled around the USA and the world asking questions about how people and governments enacted policies to control plants and animals that were deemed a problem by people.
I found the book interesting in several ways. First how people have changed their ideas over time and how they haven’t. Second how different cultures tolerate problem animals (sacred cows for example). Then how modern scientists are researching to solve some problems less violently, such as reducing the height of dying trees to make them less dangerous or birth control for monkeys. And finally, how introduced species are truly a menace to native ecosystems.
“City of Beasts” ©2002 by Isabel Allende
Alexander’s mom is sick with cancer and while she undergoes treatment, Alex and his siblings are sent to various relatives for the summer. Alex ends up with his eccentric and independent grandmother who is also a journalist for “International Geographic” magazine. Her next assignment is in the Amazon to discover if “The Beast” of which rumors have been circulating are true. She drags Alex, rather unwillingly, along.
This was a good young adult adventure story. The setting was unique as were many of the characters.
“Enter a Murderer” ©1935 by Ngaio Marsh
Inspector Alleyn joins a friend for a night at the theater. During the course of the play, real bullets have been substituted for blanks in the pistol, and an actor is killed for real.
A wonderful trail of interesting theater people and their secrets emerge as Inspector Alleyn navigates his way through the investigation. He gets his perpetrator in the end by using the murderer’s acting abilities. Good read!
“The Vicar of Wakefield” ©1766 by Oliver Goldsmith
This book reminded me a bit of “Don Quixote” in that one fantastical catastrophe after another happens to this happy, close-knit family. The head of which is the eternally optimistic Vicar of Wakefield. The use of the word “exclaimed” almost exclusively as the dialog tag (rather than “said” or “replied” or “mused”, etc.) made the story feel that much more dramatic and as if the characters spent a lot of conversation yelling. It was a rather fun read though.
“My Friend Flicka” ©1941 by Mary O’Hara
When Mary O’Hara writes about Wyoming, she makes you feel like you are right there in her scene – the smells, sights, breeze, even the pesky flies!
The story is of the young boy, Ken, who can dream himself right into a picture on the wall. He wants his very own colt so badly, but his father worries he is too scatter-brained to raise a colt well.
Ken’s mom champions his cause and he is allowed to pick any one-year-old foal on the ranch. Ken chooses a filly that has a mother who is untamable. The adventure of capturing Flicka begins.
Such a lovely story of a boy who is trying to grow up, has such deep passions and lives in amazing and beautiful country, and of the filly who finally comes to love him. Sigh.
“Gilead” ©2004 by Marilynne Robinson
National Book Critics Circle Award 2004, Pulitzer Prize winner 2005
‘Gilead” is written as a letter by a seventy-seven-year-old Reverend (John Ames) who has heart failure to his almost seven-year-old son. The Reverend knows he won’t be around for his son’s growing up and he wants him to be able to read the letter and feel like he knows/has a connection with his father.
During this time, someone from the past shows up and worries Rev. Ames; he’s afraid the person may be intentionally cruel to his little family. As he works through this worry, he finds compassion and understanding towards the person and finally peace for himself.
A lovely story full of soft edges and warm images.
“Trixie Belden and the Mystery in Arizona” (#6 in series) ©1958 by Julie Campbell
Trixie and the “Bob Whites” club are invited to Tuscan, Arizona to spend Christmas at Di’s Uncle’s Dude Ranch. As soon as they get to the ranch, they find out that the family who work the ranch have left without explanation. It is the Bob Whites to the rescue to fill in as maids, chefs and servers. They also manage to solve the mystery of why the, up until then happy and faithful, family left. The kids made new friends and helped the crabbiest guests on the ranch. Everyone has a fun Christmas. A bit fanciful, but good natured.
“Profiles in Courage” ©1955 by John F. Kennedy
This book is a recounting of eight US Senators throughout US history (starting with John Quincy Adams through Robert A. Taft) who courageously stood by their principals and beliefs regardless of backlash from party, press or constituents.
The US senators before, during and after the Civil War (Reconstruction) had close to fanatical party politics going on as well.
Sometimes the senators recovered politically from their stand and sometimes they did not, but they all did their best and helped to shape our country.
Good read! (I wonder if Liz Cheney will end up in a book like this?)
“Stitch in Snow” ©1984 by Ann McCaffery
I picked up this book because Ann McCaffery had written the “Dragons of Pern” series and a couple of young adult books that I had read and I wanted to see what this was like.
It is a nice, light, easy reading romance.
Dana is an author and a librarian who is a widow with a 19-year-old son. She lives in Ireland. While on a book/lecture tour in the US, she gets stranded in Denver during a three-day blizzard. She meets a fellow airplane passenger and they have a romantic three days, but don’t talk much about their lives.
As Dana continues her tour, she gets a call because her new friend, Dan, has been accused of murder. She helps to clear his name as she is an alibi for him and goes back to Ireland.
Dan eventually follows her there.
I liked that Dana had a real life before, during and after meeting Dan. I liked that both characters were older. It was fun to read about some 1980’s stuff; TV, music, fashions, calculators and such. I liked that there were no explicit sex scenes.
So, there is nothing wrong with the story or the writing or really anything, it is just not my cup of tea. I still like Ann McCaffery’s dragon stories though!