“Mrs. Dalloway” ©1925 by Virginia Woolf
The events of this book all take place in one day. The day that Mrs. Dalloway is giving a party. We start in the morning with Mrs. Dalloway buying flowers for the party and the day and story ends at the end of the party.
In each chapter/section we meet another friend/guest and read about what they are each doing through-out the day. There are lots of stream of consciousness thoughts; rather like I imagine most people have in any given day.
This is quite a compelling read, but also unfulfilling in that there isn’t a nicely wrapped up plot.
“The Haunted Bookshop” ©1919 by Christopher Morley
This book appears to be a second book of a series, but it was quite easy to pick up the story.
Mr. Mifflin owns a used bookstore in Brooklyn; he calls it haunted, but it isn’t. Part of the story is Mr. Mifflin lecturing on authors and books in general and the other part is a mystery.
Aubrey, who is an advertising agent, is infatuated with Titiana, the new employee of Mr. and Mrs. Mifflin. He visits the bookshop often using the excuse of convincing Mr. Mifflin that he needs advertising, but really to spend time with Titiana. When a book disappears from the bookshop, reappears with a different cover, then the original book cover is found at the local pharmacy, and he gets bonked on the head, Aubrey starts to do some serious snooping! After a few wrong assumptions, side trails and an explosion, the mystery is solved and all is well.
Good Fun!
“Notes From a Small Island” ©1995 by Bill Bryson
Before moving back to the United States with his family, Bill Bryson takes a trip around Great Britain as a kind of farewell tour. Interesting enough idea and he is quirky and humorous.
Unfortunately, the map he included does not name very many places he visited, so for most of the book I had no idea where he was. I know not every place is an absolute gem, but he could be quite critical and caustic at times. Most of his reviews were about the same with rabbit trails into history or politics or city planning.
Ok, but not my favorite of his books.
“A Sending of Dragons” (Book 3 of the Pit Dragon Trilogy) ©1987 by Jane Yolen
Jane Yolen does a nice job of continuing this story and keeping it fresh.
Jakkin, Akki and Hearts Blood’s babies have escaped into the mountains from the police, thanks to Hearts Blood sacrificing herself to save them. As they explore the area and look for a better hideout, they are captured by a strangely silent group of humans who mine rare ores underground. Jakkin and Akki work to not only escape, but to release the dragons that these people are taking advantage of.
Pretty good! But then I found out that there is a fourth and fifth book (sigh, and yay!)
“Postern of Fate” ©1973 by Agatha Christie
Tommy and Tuppence have retired and moved to a house in a village. As they go through books that were left in the house, they discover a clue that perhaps someone was murdered a long time ago.
With some chatting around with the villagers and a bit of research they unravel a spy network of the Nazi’s which continued on to the present day. The murder is solved and the spies delt with.
It was fun to read a Tommy and Tuppence story. I like how Agatha Christie lets her characters age and act appropriately to that.
“The Stones Cry Out” ©1993 by Hikaru Okuizumi, translated from the Japanese by James Westerhoven
Manase was a WWII soldier whose commanding officer had him kill his fellow soldiers when they were starving and near death.
We don’t get to that until the end of the story though. Manase has dreams and collects stones. He has a family with two sons. He seems to lead a quiet, but typical life. Yet, he breaks down and his PSTD over takes him. His grip on reality slips and he doesn’t remember killing his younger son.
So very awful, moving, sad, scary and well written.
“Green Grass of Wyoming” ©1946 by Mary O’Hara
Another lyrical account of Wyoming! Ken and his brother, Howard, are growing up. Ken falls for Carey, a young lady whose fancy English mare, Jewel, has been stolen by Thunderhead. (Who, as you may remember, is Ken’s mostly wild white stallion who is supposed to be safely in a far away valley with his mares.)
I like that problems are not instantly or easily solved. It takes time and effort to capture Thunderhead and retrieve the mare. Ken and Carey’s relationship grows slowly. Nell’s illness (lack of iodine) slowly comes on and then is figured out.
Mary O’Hara’s descriptions are lovely and true. I didn’t enjoy this book as much as a young person (I wanted more horse stuff!), but I sure do now!
“The Fitzgerald Ruse” ©2009 by Mark de Castrique
Sam and Nakayla open a detective agency and right away Sam’s past comes to haunt and hunt them. The criminals Sam was tracking in Iraq think he has their ‘treasure’ and are determined to get it back.
Meanwhile, Sam and Nakayla pick up their first case from and elderly woman who has a secret. She knew F. Scott Fitzgerald when she was working at a local hotel/resort and stole something from him and has kept it in a safety deposit box at the bank. Unfortunately, the criminals from Iraq think it is their treasure!
A little chaos ensues, trying to solve the safety deposit box mystery while evading the determined criminals. A fun twisty story with a little literary mystery thrown in.
