Waiting on Wednesday - The Secret Chord

This is a weekly event that highlights a book we can't wait to be published.  It is hosted by Jill at Breaking the Spine.

I'm so excited to see that Geraldine Brooks has a new book coming out.  I have read several of her novels and discussed three of them with book groups.  All three had good discussion points, and I enjoyed the stories.  March gives a different angle on Louisa May Alcott's Little Women.  Year of Wonders is set in 17th century England and is a tale of the plague.  My favorite, up to this point, is People of the Book, a wonderful story of a very special book, The Sarajevo Haggadah.  And now, this Pulitzer Prize winning author give us a new take on the story of King David.  My choice for this week:

The Secret Chord

by Geraldine Brooks

Publication Date:  October 6th   

Geraldine Brooks takes on one of literature’s richest and most enigmatic figures: a man who shimmers between history and legend. Peeling away the myth to bring David to life in Second Iron Age Israel, Brooks traces the arc of his journey from obscurity to fame, from shepherd to soldier, from hero to traitor, from beloved king to murderous despot and into his remorseful and diminished dotage.

The Secret Chord provides new context for some of the best-known episodes of David’s life while also focusing on others, even more remarkable and emotionally intense, that have been neglected.  We see David through the eyes of those who love him or fear him—from the prophet Natan, voice of his conscience, to his wives Mikal, Avigail, and Batsheva, and finally to Solomon, the late-born son who redeems his Lear-like old age. Brooks has an uncanny ability to hear and transform characters from history, and this beautifully written, unvarnished saga of faith, desire, family, ambition, betrayal, and power will enthrall her many fans.

Ten Authors I REALLY Want To Meet - or maybe authors I've already had the privilege to meet...

This is a weekly event hosted by The Broke and The Bookish where bloggers relate their "top ten" of a certain topic.  This week's topic - Ten Authors I REALLY Want To Meet.  Now you guys know that many times I tweak the topic a bit....and today is no exception.  I'm going to talk about 10 authors that I've already had the fun of meeting.  And I have pictures for some of them!

I haven't talked about the Poisoned Pen Bookstore in Scottsdale, Arizona too much have I?  Well, if I have, I'm going to talk a little more about it.  I love this great independent store that specializes in mysteries.  However, that's not all they sell. No indeed.  I have attended several book events at The Poisoned Pen while on vacation.  It's kind of a tradition for my husband and I.  He loves the winter golf in Scottsdale and I love the author events.  We plan our trips around them.  Really.  Some of my pictures are from these and a few from other locations.  So, here are 10 authors that I've gotten to meet.

1.  Louise Penny - She writes the Chief Inspector Armand Gamache mystery series set in Three Pines, Quebec, Canada.  I've seen Louise on 3 occasions.  Always a huge pleasure.  This picture is from an event in Austin at BookPeople.

2.  Charles Todd - A mother/son team, Charles and Caroline Todd.  They write the Ian Rutledge mystery series and also the Bess Crawford series, both set in early 20th century England.  I really enjoyed hearing about their research at the event I attended.

3.  Thomas Perry -  This author has written several series, most well known - Jane Whitfield mystery series.  Jane is a Native American who helps people disappear.  Thomas Perry also writes standalone novels.  Again, a very interesting presentation at the Poisoned Pen.  He's pictured with Barbara Peters, the owner of the PP.

4.  Clive Cussler - Clive Cussler writes multiple series, among them the Dirk Pitt adventures.  He is also the author of the NUMA Files books, the Oregon Files series, the books starring Isaac Bell and the treasure hunters series featuring Sam and Remi Fargo.  Cussler now writes all of these with a co-author.  If you've ever seen one of his books (and I've only read the Dirk Pitt books), this author appears on the back with a classic car from his collection.  He lives in the Scottsdale area and that's where his cars live too.  My husband and I went to see Mr. Cussler and, to my husband's delight, he brought some of his cars.  So, no picture of the author, but here's one of the cars.

5.  Earlene Fowler - She writes the Bennie Harper mystery series, which I know I've mentioned before.  I saw Earlene and also Carolyn Hart at the Velma Teague Library in Glendale, AZ, a suburb of Phoenix.  At that time, Lesa Holstine of Lesa's Book Critiques was the manager of that library.  She was able to schedule many authors to appear while they were also in town for events at the PP.  Lesa now lives in Indiana and has a different sort of library job.  Earlene is on the left in the photo above.

6.  Carolyn Hart -   Carolyn writes the Annie and Max Darling mystery series, set in a mystery bookstore called Death on Demand.  Her 25th book in this series has just been published.  Amazing!  She also has written standalones and a couple of other series as well.  When I attended the event with Earlene and Carolyn, I felt like a total fangirl.  I had read both of these authors books for years and years.  It was like meeting royalty to me.  Carolyn is the lady on the right.

Yesterday, Cathy from Kittling: Books (which you should totally read if you love mysteries), shared her experience at a Poisoned Pen event this last weekend.  It was in honor of Carolyn Hart, but many other authors attended.  Here's the link.  Click over and take a look if you love mysteries and cozies or if you've ever read a Carolyn Hart book.

7.  Jane Cleland - Jane writes the Josie Prescott antique mystery series set in New Hampshire.  And, believe me, Jane knows her antiques.  Her event was very interesting indeed.  I always love the covers on her books.  I saw Jane and Rosemary Harris at the Velma Teague Library as well.  Told you they had lots of good events.  Jane is on the left above.

8.  Rosemary Harris -  This author writes a mystery series with protagonist Paula Holliday, who owns a landscaping/gardening business.  I remember that Rosemary was the first author I ever heard say to read a later book in the series and don't necessarily start with the first book because she, as the author, felt like her writing had improved.  I do think that is true in many cases, but it was the first time I'd heard an author say so.  Rosemary is on the right.

9.  Donis Casey -  I've written about Donis' early 20th century Oklahoma series, starring Alafair Tucker and family.  I love this series and have actually seen Donis twice at the PP.  No picture though.  Not sure why.  I've included a shot from her website.

10.  Lisa Lutz - Lisa has written the Izzy Spellman mystery series, a really funny bunch of books.  Izzy is part of a family of very different private detectives.  The first book is The Spellman Files.  I recommend it.  I think this series is at an end, but this author has other books that she's written and her new book, which is out today, is called How To Start A Fire.  Her presentation was very funny.  Again, no picture.  Got one from her website (photo credit - Morgan Dox).

So, as you can see, I love to attend author events.  One day, maybe next year, I'm planning on attending a mystery conference and there will be authors everywhere.  Left Coast Crime is in Phoenix next spring.  I'm already making my plans.

What authors would you like to meet?  Or have you met?  Tell!

House of Many Shadows by Barbara Michaels

Oh, how I enjoyed rereading this old favorite of mine.  House of Many Shadows was written by Barbara Michaels aka Elizabeth Peters aka Barbara Mertz in 1974.  I couldn't remember when I had last read this book, but I know I read it for the first time soon after it was published.  And I decided to reread it  when Katherine of I Wish I Lived In A Library told me it was her favorite go-to book when she was in a reading slump.

First, a little about Barbara Michaels.  She was actually Barbara Mertz, a highly educated woman with a PhD in Egyptology from the Oriental Institute of the University of Chicago.  She received that doctorate in 1952.  I suspect there were few other women receiving that same degree at that time.  She married and had two children, Elizabeth and Peter.  She wrote 30 books under the name Barbara Michaels.  These are more thriller type books, many with a supernatural element.  Her pseudonym of Elizabeth Peters had 38 mystery suspense books published.  And Dr. Mertz wrote nonfiction on archaeology.  She said she found the various personas irritating, but her publishers at the time wanted to distinguish between the types of books.  Barbara Mertz died in 2013.

House of Many Shadows falls into the category of romantic suspense, with a bit of the supernatural thrown in for good measure.  It's set in the Pennsylvania Dutch country.  Meg Rittenhouse has been ill and her distant cousin, Sylvia, has a big house full of antiques that she needs someone to organize and catalog.  Sylvia agrees to have Meg spend some time there in order to recover from her head injury, which has produced hallucinations, both visual and audio.  There is also a caretaker on the property, Andy Brenner.  Andy is Sylvia's stepson and he has also had some challenges.  Andy and Meg had known each other as children when Meg visited Sylvia and her husband, George, and Andy made Meg's life a trial.  Little boys and little girls - one teasing and tormenting the other.  That's what Meg remembers about Andy.

As the story develops, Meg starts working on her furniture challenge and all goes well for a bit.  Then she starts seeing things - ghostly things.  Actually, it only happens when she and Andy are together.  She's worried that she isn't recovering from her head injury, but soon finds out that Andy is seeing the same 'ghosts'.  And so begins their quest to find out what has happened at this location in years past.  There are some answers in the attic and some in the town.  However, there is also someone who has a grudge against both Meg and Andy and that person isn't going away.  Someone has died in this location and if they can't figure out the puzzle, another crime may be committed soon.

The story is a little dated, of course.  However, the humor was still present.  The banter between Meg and Andy was still fun.  The apparitions were still spooky, and I had a great time reacquainting myself with all the twists and turns.  I'm very glad I decided on a reread and now, I'm thinking of rereading more of this author's works.  Should I read Search the Shadows, set at the Oriental Institute in Chicago soon?  Or should I read The Crying Child, set on an island off the coast of Maine?  Have an opinion?  Well, we'll see what appeals to me next.

Trekkin' through the Texas Hill Country - Part 3 - the food....

Thank you for joining me for the last part of my Hill Country trek.  Thursday, I shared about the places here.  Yesterday, I shared about my love for wildflowers here.  Today, well, let's talk about some great food.

Before I show what we sampled at the bed and breakfast, I'll talk about lavender a bit.  Our first day and night was in Blanco, where they have a lavender festival in June.  I tried lavender lemonade with my lunch.  It was very interesting.  Had a definite floral flavor.  Paired with a great chicken salad sandwich.  And the next morning as we got coffee at a local shop, I noticed lavender lemon shortbread cookies.  I did not buy any, but I was tempted.

As I said in Thursday's post, we stayed at the Rose Hill Manor for two nights.  This bed and breakfast is several miles out in the country and, while there are several great restaurants in Fredericksburg, Rose Hill has it's own restaurant on the property.  When you reserve a room on a weekend night, you receive both breakfast and dinner.  And both of these are 3 course meals - yes, even the breakfast.  Here is what I had on Saturday for breakfast and for dinner.

Breakfast started with the chef's choice pastry - which was apple quick bread.  Some delicious coffee.  A bowl of seasonal fruit with a little yogurt and a little granola sprinkled on top.  The fruit was fresh and tasty and the bread was amazing.  I ate one of the slices and then asked if I could have a baggie or something to take the rest of it with me for later.

The waffle was a sweet potato waffle with walnuts and a vanilla bean syrup.  You had a choice of ham or sausage.  I did not finish the waffle, but what I had was yummy.  Also did not eat much of the ham - it was a little salty for me.  I've been trying to cut back on salt and it doesn't take long for your taste to alter in that regard.

My husband was playing golf that morning and he had to leave before the breakfast serving hour.  The staff gave him a picnic basket with the apple bread, another pastry of some kind, and the fruit - just so he didn't miss out.  His apple bread was warm, right out of the oven.  He was delighted.

Dinner is a 3 course prix fixe dinner each night.  The menu is set, although you can order a steak as a substitute if you wish.  We did not wish.  The first course was greens with an orange blossom vinaigrette, Maytag blue cheese, apples and toasted walnuts.  There was also a little square of cornbread with a nutmeg honey sauce.  I love this type of salad.  It was light and fresh.  The cornbread was a little sweet for me.  I've been trying to cut back on my sugar too and have also noticed a difference in taste in that regard as well.

The entree course was a crab cake and scallops over golden raisin couscous.  There was a lemon cream sauce and asparagus as well.  This was amazing.  The crab cake was rich and the couscous was tasty, but not too sweet.  And I love asparagus any time.  We practically licked our plates.  Well, we didn't, but we wanted to.

Dessert course was a mixed berry crisp with a scoop of housemade brown butter pecan ice cream.  It was lovely, but I was so full by that point, I just ate about half of it.  My husband thought that vanilla bean ice cream would have been a better pairing, but I noticed that he managed to eat all of his crisp and ice cream.

We waddled out of there, satisfied and beyond.  The wait staff told me that I could ask for any recipes that I wished for.  I've emailed for the crab cake recipe, but have not heard back yet.  Not sure I could duplicate it anyway, nor that I should.  It was a fitting ending to our trip and the next morning, Sunday, we headed home.

I'm linking this post with Weekend Cooking at Beth Fish Reads.  I think it definitely qualifies.

Trekkin' through the Texas Hill Country - Part 2 - the wildflowers...

Yesterday, I shared the first part of our Hill Country trip here.  Today, I'm going to show some pictures of flowers.  Some of these are planted and some grow wild.  We visited the Wildseed Farm between Stonewall and Fredericksburg.  It's a beautiful farm where wildflowers are grown and the seeds harvested for sale.  Of course, lots of other things are sold as well - decorative items, food, pottery and plants.  There is a butterfly garden and fields of flowers that you can walk through.  I enjoyed it so much.  I love the wildflowers that populate this state and have since I was a little girl.  I'm not very good with naming of all of them, but our roadsides are covered in the spring with blooms.  And the colors change depending on which flowers are blooming.  On this trip, most of the flowers were yellow and red.  Earlier, the bluebonnets were the most prevalent.

The last two pictures were taken in the butterfly garden.  The smell of the blossoms was wonderful.

And, yes, this would be me at the wildflower farm.  It was a beautiful day and I really enjoyed seeing all the flower fields.

It's fitting that wildflowers fields are located near Stonewall and the LBJ Park area.  Lady Bird Johnson was a First Lady that was concerned with beautifying our country through flowers.  That may not seem like a very 'important' goal, but she felt that where flowers bloom, so does hope.  There is a Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center in Austin and Texas highways still reap the benefits of her quest to beautify our roadsides with flowers.  There is a children's book about her, Miss Lady Bird's Wildflowers: How A First Lady Changed America.

Tomorrow, I'll share part 3 of our trip - the lovely food that we had at the bed and breakfast.

Trekkin' through the Texas Hill Country - Part 1 - the places....

My husband and I took a little trip this last week to the Texas Hill Country and had such a great time.  I thought I might share a few pictures of the places we went and some of the beautiful wildflowers that we got to see.  I'll also share some of the great food we ate.  I'm going to divide this up into 3 parts, so it doesn't go on and on and on.  Tomorrow, I'll talk about the wildflowers and Saturday, I'll share the food.

In case you are not familiar with Texas, Austin and San Antonio are located kind of in the center.  The Hill Country is the area to the west of Austin and the northwest of San Antonio.  This is a beautiful setting with rolling hills, lakes and rivers, wineries, golf courses and other outdoor sports venues, and some truly fabulous wildflowers each spring.

We started out Thursday by driving to Blanco, about 85 or 90 miles from our home.  Blanco is the site of a lavender festival each year.  It's a small little town with a few nice restaurants and some cute little shops.  There is also a golf community just south of town, which was our destination that day.

My husband played a round Thursday afternoon and also Friday morning.  I rode with him in his cart for the second 9 holes on Thursday afternoon.  It was a very pretty course and a nice day.

I took a shot of him after he finished putting on one hole.  I don't golf, but my Kindle travelled very well with me in the cart and I read and took pictures.

On Friday, after his morning on the course, we changed locations and drove to Stonewall.  This is where the LBJ Historic Park is located and was the birthplace of President Lyndon Johnson.  It also has some of the best peaches in the world.  And there is a lovely bed and breakfast, the Rose Hill Manor, that was our destination.  We had stayed there one time before for an anniversary.  This is a peaceful, restful place to visit.

  

The second shot here is from the front porch looking out.  This looks like an older home that has been renovated, but the owners actually built it in the late '90's.  There are small cottages, as well as rooms in the main house.  We stayed in the carriage house, which is behind the main house.

My view from my seat on the front porch, where I spent most of Saturday morning.  My husband golfed and I had my Kindle and my coffee and all was right with the world.

 
Another reason I like to stay here.  Who doesn't love a library?  Wherever you might find it.  There were books everywhere.  In the bar area, in the rooms, in the hallway above the wine selections.

They also have 2 llamas and a miniature horse that belong here.  Their pasture is behind the main house and has a llama crossing sign on the gate.

Tomorrow, Part 2 - the wildflowers...

Waiting on Wednesday - The Lake House

This is a weekly event that highlights a book we can't wait to be published.  It is hosted by Jill at Breaking the Spine.

Kate Morton is an author that many have loved.  I have meant to read all of her books, but I've actually only read one, The Distant Hours.  I enjoyed it very much.  I've also heard that Caroline Lee narrates this author's writings, the same person that narrates Big Little Lies and The Husband's Secret, both by Liane Moriarty.  I loved both of those and loved the narration.  Kate Morton will have a new book published this fall and it is my selection for this week:

The Lake House

by Kate Morton

Publication Date: October 13th

Living on her family’s gorgeous lakeside estate in Cornwall, England, Alice Edevane is a bright, clever, inquisitive, innocent, and precociously talented fourteen-year-old who loves to write stories. But the mysteries she pens are no match for the one her family is about to endure…

One midsummer’s eve, after a beautiful party drawing hundreds of guests to the estate has ended, the Edevanes discover that their youngest son, Theo, has vanished without a trace. What follows is a tragedy that tears the family apart in ways they never imagined, leaving their estate as empty as their broken hearts.

Nearly sixty years later, having enjoyed a long, successful career as an author, Alice is now eighty years old and living in London. Theo’s case has never been solved, though Alice still harbors a suspicion as to the culprit. Miles away, Sadie Sparrow, a young detective in the London police force, is staying at her grandfather’s house in Cornwall. While out walking one day, she stumbles upon the old estate—now crumbling and covered with vines, clearly abandoned long ago. Her curiosity is sparked, setting off a series of events that will bring her and Alice together and reveal shocking truths about a past long gone...yet more present than ever.

Tuesday - First Chapter - First Paragraph - They Did It With Love

Each Tuesday, Diane at Bibliophile By the Sea shares the first part of a book that she is reading or thinking about reading.  This week I'm sharing the first few paragraphs of They Did It With Love by Kate Morgenroth.  See what you think:

   

     It was autumn.  Early morning.  The air was sharp, and the sky was a deep October blue.  The cars on the narrow suburban street whizzed by, churning up little whirlpools of leaves--but none of the people in the cars noticed the body hanging among the trees.
     The feet were suspended in midair not far from the ground, and they looked like they had maroon stockings on--the deep purple color due to the blood pooling in the lowest parts of the body.  The long, blond hair hung in a curtain around the lolled head.  A light wind ruffled the hem of the nightgown and shivered the leaves in the trees, but the body hung motionless.
     A dozen cars drove by without noticing anything.  It might have been hours before the body was discovered--if it weren't for Sophie.
     Afterward Sofie's life would never be the same, but a year earlier she hadn't even known the woman.  For her it had all started with another death.


Publisher's blurb:

Sofie and her husband have left Manhattan in search of a more tranquil life in the suburbs. But when a member of Sofie's new neighborhood book club turns up dead, things get messy. She discovers that everybody has something to hide, including her own husband. Her neighbor Priscilla has been married to Gordon for fifteen years, but the love left their marriage a long time ago. Susan is Priscilla?s biggest supporter until she has to choose between loyalty to her friend and telling the truth. Ashley is eager to fit in, but her youth and status as a second wife keep her on the outside. She may know more than they think she does, though. Julia seems to have it all - the perfect house, job and husband. But her untimely death has people questioning how perfect her life really was. Through this swamp of suburban secrets, Sofie must wade to find the truth behind Julia's murder and the state of her own marriage.


What are your thoughts?  Would you keep reading?

Murder On The Orient Express by Agatha Christie

There are a few Agatha Christie books that I can read over and over and over.  Well, more than a few, but there are also quite a few that I have listened to, as well as read in print.  Murder On The Orient Express is one of these.  A Hercule Poirot mystery and a different kind of investigation - a locked room mystery.  Mostly.  I listened to this book, which was read by David Suchet - who was born to play Hercule Poirot.  I have loved his Poirot so much, but I was not so happy with the adaptation of this book that Mr. Suchet starred in.  For film, I prefer the older movie that starred Albert Finney as Poirot and had a multitude of film's finest as characters.

Have you ever travelled by train?  I mean a long journey - overnight or even over several nights?  I have travelled twice between Austin, Texas and Portland, Oregon.  Once from the south going north and once the other direction.  The second journey was the best, as my daughter and I were able to share a sleeping compartment with a bathroom included.  It was lovely to go south all the way down through Oregon and California to Los Angeles.  That route is called the Coast Starlight (yes, they name some of the routes).  Changing in LA and heading east across California, Arizona, New Mexico and Texas, we rode on the Sunset Limited.  There is a rhythm and a sense of turning back time to me.  Big picture windows and a dining car and a club car.  I loved it.

Murder On The Orient Express tells of a train journey like no other.  It has a dead body, Mr. Ratchett, and a varied cast of characters, all travelling from Istanbul across Asia Minor and Europe to Calais in France.  This train is very luxurious and the passengers include a Russian princess, a Hungarian count and countess, Mr. Ratchett and his valet and secretary, a Greek doctor, an English Colonel, an American private detective, a British governess, a gentleman that is a director of the train company, and a few others, as well as Hercule Poirot.  All seems well at first.  Poirot is offered a job by Mr. Ratchett, who says that his life is in danger.  Poirot, who does not like Mr. Ratchett's face, declines.

As the train is travelling through Yugoslavia, the snow is falling heavily in the mountains.  Poirot wakes up in the night to find the train has stopped, stuck in a snow drift.  All is silent or mostly so.  However, in the morning, Mr. Ratchett is dead, stabbed many, many times.  The snow outside the train is pristine.  Who has killed this man and how did that person escape?  Or did they?

Over the course of the next hours, Poirot interviews the passengers and tries to determine exactly what has taken place.  Without any resources, other than 'the little grey cells', he tracks a killer.  A note is found that refers back to a famous American kidnapping, which Christie based on the Lindbergh case.  Little Daisy Armstrong was taken from her family and killed.  The kidnappers were not convicted.  How does this murder relate?  Well, to find that out, you'll need to read the book or watch the movie.  And use your 'little grey cells'.

And, for fun, I've included the trailer to the 1974 film adaptation of this book. Enjoy!

Bookish Nostalgia - May 2015

It's the beginning of a new month.  Wow, these days go fast.  I'm here to share my second Bookish Nostalgia post.  I was encouraged by the response last month to my first time talking about my favorite books from 20, 15, 10, and 5 years ago.  I'm going to continue this monthly event.  So, without further narrative, here are my favorite books from May...

May 1995 - Stitches in Time by Barbara Michaels - This book is a continuation of some of the storylines and characters from Ammie, Come Home and Shattered Silk by this author.  Barbara Michaels also wrote as Elizabeth Peters.  Stitches in Time is romantic suspense book with a supernatural tinge - an old quilt is brought into a vintage clothing store and Rachel, an assistant in the shop, tries to determine the history of the quilt itself and the people connected to it.  Can a quilt be haunted or evil?

May 2000 - The Road From Coorain by Jill Ker Conway - A memoir of this author's life growing up in Australia.  Jill Ker Conway became the first woman president of Smith College.  It is full of vivid descriptions of the Australian outback and of Conway's arid and bleak upbringing, similar to the land she was from.  I was totally fascinated.

May 2005 - To the Power of Three by Laura Lippman - This is one of Laura Lippmann's standalone novels.  It tells the story of 3 girls, friends since elementary school, Kat, Perri, and Josie.  When they are seniors in high school, something terrible happens in the girl's bathroom - Kat is dead, Perri is seriously injured, and Josie has been shot in the foot.  What has happened?  Honestly, I don't remember all that much except that I liked the book very much.  Guess I need to reread it.

May 2010 - Cutting For Stone by Abraham Verghese - This was an epic book taking the reader from India to Africa to the US and telling the story of twin boys, Marion and Shiva, born to an Indian nun and brought up in Ethiopia.  I discussed this wonderful book with my book group at the time and, though the story is long, it is well worth the time.  Such an unforgettable tale.

Have you read any of these books?  Let me know what you thought if you've read them.