"I am convinced that since my imprisonment I have changed woefully and gruesomely from what I was formerly in feature and figure...My head and face are gradually assuming an elongated shape. I believe fully that I am growing to resemble the devil---that the similitude is almost completed."
-H. H. Holmes, in his confession
A friend loaned this book to me with her recommendation. Nonfiction is not my genre of choice but this one was a "page turner"! It reminded me so much of Destiny of the Republic which even had a similar subtitle, something like Madness, Medicine and the Murder of a President. The subtitle of this one is Murder, Magic and Madness at the Fair that Changed America. Both books have a number of historical characters and the story goes back and forth between them.
The main characters are David Hudson Burnham, the chief architect of the Chicago World's Fair, and H. H. Holmes,
ne Herman Webster Mudgett, a serial killer. As a fan of crime novels and TV shows, I probably was more intrigued by Holmes. The setting of the Chicago World's Fair, 1893, was unknown to me so it was interesting to see how something of such massive proportions was put together.
"Larson is a historian with a novelist's soul." (Chicago Sun-Times) That is so true! In the notes, Larson says he does not research on the internet. He does it hands-on, searching libraries, archives and finding primary sources that add so much to the story. There are even examples of humor, provided by some of these.
Larson tells about the changes in America brought on by the fair. One of the best, in my opinion, was the Ferris Wheel, and perhaps the worst, Shredded Wheat.
The Devil in the White City is impressive! It gets a rating of 5.
Tuesday, July 30, 2013
Monday, July 29, 2013
Deader Homes and Gardens by Joan Hess
"Indeed it was the perfect house---if it was available. Even if it wasn't available, I thought morosely as I walked back to the terrace, it was the perfect house."
-Claire Malloy, from the novel
I admit I judged this book by its cover---a clever title and jacket reminiscent of the magazine with a similar-sounding name. This was my first novel from this author, surprising since she's quite a prolific mystery writer. This was one of the Claire Malloy series, one of at least 18. I enjoyed it particularly for its quirky characters and witty style. I will definitely read another in the series one of these days.
At the outset Claire, who has recently returned from her honeymoon, is house hunting. About the time she finds the"perfect house,", she is told that the original owner died mysteriously, then her realtor goes missing and strangely one by one three more people end up dead. Claire takes it upon herself to investigate. She reminds me of Miss Julia in the series by Ann B. Ross, one of my favorite characters and also something of a detective wannabe with a delightful sense of humor.
I found the plot a little confusing but that may have been due to my stop-and-start reading of it. I found it rather unbelievable that the "perfect house" in question was always open to the comings and goings of numerous characters and some even ate and drank from the stock although there was a suspected poisoning at the site.
Deader Homes and Gardens gets a rating of 3.5 from me. It was a breezy, entertaining summer read.
-Claire Malloy, from the novel
I admit I judged this book by its cover---a clever title and jacket reminiscent of the magazine with a similar-sounding name. This was my first novel from this author, surprising since she's quite a prolific mystery writer. This was one of the Claire Malloy series, one of at least 18. I enjoyed it particularly for its quirky characters and witty style. I will definitely read another in the series one of these days.
At the outset Claire, who has recently returned from her honeymoon, is house hunting. About the time she finds the"perfect house,", she is told that the original owner died mysteriously, then her realtor goes missing and strangely one by one three more people end up dead. Claire takes it upon herself to investigate. She reminds me of Miss Julia in the series by Ann B. Ross, one of my favorite characters and also something of a detective wannabe with a delightful sense of humor.
I found the plot a little confusing but that may have been due to my stop-and-start reading of it. I found it rather unbelievable that the "perfect house" in question was always open to the comings and goings of numerous characters and some even ate and drank from the stock although there was a suspected poisoning at the site.
Deader Homes and Gardens gets a rating of 3.5 from me. It was a breezy, entertaining summer read.
Thursday, July 18, 2013
Minding Frankie by Maeve Binchy
"Noel got by well by not thinking too deeply on anything: not about his dead-end job in Hall's; not about the hours and money he spent in Old Man Casey's pub; not about the religious mania of his parents, who thought that the Rosary was the answer to most of the world's problems. Noel would not think about the lack of a steady girlfriend in his life. He just hadn't met anyone, that's all it was. Nor indeed did he worry about the lack of any kind of mates. Some places were easy to find friends. Hall's wasn't one of those places. Noel had decided that the very best way to cope with things not being so great was not to think about them at all. It had worked well so far. Why fix things if they weren't broken?"
-from the novel, page 11
I selected the quote above because of the description of Noel, the main character I would say, near the beginning of the book. As you can see, he didn't have much of a life. Things changed drastically for Noel during the course of the novel!
I chose this book for our book club in part because I could check out a Book Bundle, multiple copies. A few friends had recommended it in the past. It was not a challenging read except for the MANY characters which I finally starting noting on paper to keep track of who was who. I read it in about 5 days. I liked it well enough; I suppose I will rate it a 3.
I really didn't think it had much of a plot. I guess it was more like a whole bunch of stories of people who ended up "minding Frankie." Many dysfunctional families and some flawed individuals came into play and most were changed for the better by baby Frankie. And then there was Cousin Emily who seemed to be bigger than life, a little too good to be true.
I did enjoy the humor of some of the Irish expressions such as "Am I for the chop?" meaning "Am I going to die?" and "gave up the gargle" meaning "quit drinking."
Tomorrow our Page Turners group meets to discuss the novel. It will be interesting to hear their thoughts.
****
The group met to discuss Minding Frankie and everyone liked it giving ratings of 3 and 4. The average was 3.6. Though there were many characters we decided most were likeable. We may have spent more time discussing Moira than any other: What WAS her problem anyway? Some members had read several books by Maeve Binchy and knew that some of her characters reappear. There was speculation that perhaps Moira would show up again and have a chance to redeem herself. We decided we just might read another of Binchy's novels several months down the road.
-from the novel, page 11
I selected the quote above because of the description of Noel, the main character I would say, near the beginning of the book. As you can see, he didn't have much of a life. Things changed drastically for Noel during the course of the novel!
I chose this book for our book club in part because I could check out a Book Bundle, multiple copies. A few friends had recommended it in the past. It was not a challenging read except for the MANY characters which I finally starting noting on paper to keep track of who was who. I read it in about 5 days. I liked it well enough; I suppose I will rate it a 3.
I really didn't think it had much of a plot. I guess it was more like a whole bunch of stories of people who ended up "minding Frankie." Many dysfunctional families and some flawed individuals came into play and most were changed for the better by baby Frankie. And then there was Cousin Emily who seemed to be bigger than life, a little too good to be true.
I did enjoy the humor of some of the Irish expressions such as "Am I for the chop?" meaning "Am I going to die?" and "gave up the gargle" meaning "quit drinking."
Tomorrow our Page Turners group meets to discuss the novel. It will be interesting to hear their thoughts.
****
The group met to discuss Minding Frankie and everyone liked it giving ratings of 3 and 4. The average was 3.6. Though there were many characters we decided most were likeable. We may have spent more time discussing Moira than any other: What WAS her problem anyway? Some members had read several books by Maeve Binchy and knew that some of her characters reappear. There was speculation that perhaps Moira would show up again and have a chance to redeem herself. We decided we just might read another of Binchy's novels several months down the road.
Thursday, July 11, 2013
Out of Warranty by Haywood Smith
"God, I know you can do anything. Please send me a good Christian man to marry. One with decent health insurance, and I will give you all the glory and praise."
-prayer of Cassie Jones, from the novel
I liked this quote because it hints about the plot without giving much away. (I try to never be a "spoiler" in my blogs!) And the dedication pointed out a theme even before the story began.
Out of Warranty was a very pleasant read when I needed something light. The protagonist, Cassie Jones, is a baby boomer facing problems of aging, declining health and mourning her late husband. I can surely identify with the first two but, thank goodness, not the last. I am fortunately not facing the serious health problems Cassie has either, although I am at least 10 years older than she.
The author alternated chapters between Cassie and Jack, the other main character. It was interesting that Cassie's parts are in first person while Jack's are written in second. Cassie and Jack meet at a doctor's office near the beginning of the book and immediately have pretty low opinions of each other. She calls him the curmudgeon and he calls her the "raccoon woman." It is rather intriguing how their similar diagnoses and treatments seem to force them into a friendship.
Being a Christian, I could easily relate to Cassie's prayers and references to God. Since I'm a reader I was delighted that both Cassie and Jack are avid readers and I am familiar with several books and authors they mentioned, such as Pillars of the Earth and James Patterson. I've been through hassles with contractors so I understood Cassie's frustrations in that regard.
I thought Ms. Smith was a new author for me but in looking over her other titles, I have read at least one of her Red Hat series. (In her acknowledgments, she mentions her Red Hat Club friends and I happen to be a Red Hatter, too!) I really enjoyed this novel and will look for others by Haywood Smith. I am rating it a 4 for fun!
-prayer of Cassie Jones, from the novel
I liked this quote because it hints about the plot without giving much away. (I try to never be a "spoiler" in my blogs!) And the dedication pointed out a theme even before the story began.
Out of Warranty was a very pleasant read when I needed something light. The protagonist, Cassie Jones, is a baby boomer facing problems of aging, declining health and mourning her late husband. I can surely identify with the first two but, thank goodness, not the last. I am fortunately not facing the serious health problems Cassie has either, although I am at least 10 years older than she.
The author alternated chapters between Cassie and Jack, the other main character. It was interesting that Cassie's parts are in first person while Jack's are written in second. Cassie and Jack meet at a doctor's office near the beginning of the book and immediately have pretty low opinions of each other. She calls him the curmudgeon and he calls her the "raccoon woman." It is rather intriguing how their similar diagnoses and treatments seem to force them into a friendship.
Being a Christian, I could easily relate to Cassie's prayers and references to God. Since I'm a reader I was delighted that both Cassie and Jack are avid readers and I am familiar with several books and authors they mentioned, such as Pillars of the Earth and James Patterson. I've been through hassles with contractors so I understood Cassie's frustrations in that regard.
I thought Ms. Smith was a new author for me but in looking over her other titles, I have read at least one of her Red Hat series. (In her acknowledgments, she mentions her Red Hat Club friends and I happen to be a Red Hatter, too!) I really enjoyed this novel and will look for others by Haywood Smith. I am rating it a 4 for fun!
Friday, July 5, 2013
Miss Julia to the Rescue by Ann B. Ross
"Sunday morning I was with Lloyd in our usual pew at the First Presbyterian Church and thankful to be there. You can have your snakes and your tambourines, your hooks and screws and electric needles. Speedos, too. Give me the King James Version, a hymnal and Communion every quarter. Even with Pastor Ledbetter's sermons, I wouldn't trade a good traditional worship service for all the tea in China."
-Miss Julia, from the novel, page 298
The quote I chose won't make much sense to you until you read the novel but after you do, you'll find it amusing! I absolutely LOVE the whole Miss Julia series! There are at least a dozen titles; I have read them all and they are all perfectly delightful. Miss Julia is a lovely lady of the South, North Carolina to be exact, and one of about my same age. Though quite prim and proper, she gets into all kinds of shenanigans usually following her heart or trying to right some wrongs. In Miss Julia to the Rescue, a loved one goes missing and she sets out to find him. In the midst of that rescue and afterward, she tries to save a young man, a mere acquaintance, from the clutches of a "minister" of a very strange cult.
I particularly enjoy reading a Miss Julia novel after finishing a more challenging book. I had just finished reading Victory at Yorktown, a pretty heavy historical fiction, when I found this one on the library shelf and realized Ms. Ross had published one I had not read. Perfect timing! I inhaled it in a couple of days.
If you have not yet discovered this series, I recommend you begin with the first one titled Miss Julia Speaks Her Mind. It sets up the characters and setting. I have not necessarily read the books in order and I enjoyed them anyway.
I just visited www.missjulia.com. There is a video of the author, Ann B. Ross that I found entertaining and enlightening. I am surprised it took me this long to check it out. On the website I learned there is an even newer novel: Miss Julia Stirs Up Trouble. I can't wait to get my hands on it!
-Miss Julia, from the novel, page 298
The quote I chose won't make much sense to you until you read the novel but after you do, you'll find it amusing! I absolutely LOVE the whole Miss Julia series! There are at least a dozen titles; I have read them all and they are all perfectly delightful. Miss Julia is a lovely lady of the South, North Carolina to be exact, and one of about my same age. Though quite prim and proper, she gets into all kinds of shenanigans usually following her heart or trying to right some wrongs. In Miss Julia to the Rescue, a loved one goes missing and she sets out to find him. In the midst of that rescue and afterward, she tries to save a young man, a mere acquaintance, from the clutches of a "minister" of a very strange cult.
I particularly enjoy reading a Miss Julia novel after finishing a more challenging book. I had just finished reading Victory at Yorktown, a pretty heavy historical fiction, when I found this one on the library shelf and realized Ms. Ross had published one I had not read. Perfect timing! I inhaled it in a couple of days.
If you have not yet discovered this series, I recommend you begin with the first one titled Miss Julia Speaks Her Mind. It sets up the characters and setting. I have not necessarily read the books in order and I enjoyed them anyway.
I just visited www.missjulia.com. There is a video of the author, Ann B. Ross that I found entertaining and enlightening. I am surprised it took me this long to check it out. On the website I learned there is an even newer novel: Miss Julia Stirs Up Trouble. I can't wait to get my hands on it!
Monday, July 1, 2013
Victory at Yorktown by Newt Gingrich and William R. Forstchen
"With a heart full of love and gratitude I now take leave of you; I most devoutly wish that your later days may be as prosperous and happy as your former ones have been glorious and honorable."
-George Washington, from his farewell address to his officers
When I spotted this book at the library, it captured my attention right away. It seemed to fit right into our last few months of educational travel. My husband and I had recently participated in a Road Scholar program called "Colonial and Revolutionary Virginia: Jamestown, Williamsburg, Yorktown." As a part of the program we heard a lecture on the battle, visited the National Battlefield and saw a film, the siege lines, Surrender Field, the monument and the town of York. We also had met "Marquis de Lafayette" in Williamsburg. The next week we were in Washington, DC where we visited the Museum of American History of the Smithsonian and especially enjoyed the exhibit on Yorktown. Also when we went to the museum at Mount Vernon, there was more on that famous battle. A bit later in the week, we were viewing the White House from Lafayette Square and realized that two of four statues at the corners of the square are Lafayette and Rochambeau, French generals who were indispensable to Washington in the victory at Yorktown.
I found the novel well-written with an interesting plot though I couldn't really call it a "page turner." I am sure it would be too much history and not enough other stuff for many of my reader-friends. At any rate I enjoyed it because of my interest in this period of American history and all the background I had acquired recently as I mentioned. I think I would rate it a 3.5 if decimals were allowed.
The authors did not include a section at the end to say what was fiction in the novel. I knew enough to feel that most of the description of military engagements and surrounding events was researched thoroughly and historically accurate. I am guessing that two of the main characters, Allen van Dorn and Peter Wellsley, are fictional. They provide much of the conflict since they had been childhood friends and were at the time of the story on opposite sides of the revolution. The plot revolves around the two of them and give some suspense to the plot because anyone who knows a smidgen of American history knows how the battle turned out! And even the title would reveal the outcome at Yorktown!
One important theme of Victory at Yorktown is the inestimable aid of the French in the triumph at Yorktown, which essentially ended the Revolution. The authors bring this out in many ways, starting with the dedication. One is given to wonder what would have happened to Washington's army had the French not stepped in as they did!
Supposedly this novel is a conclusion to a trilogy on George Washington. I may want to read another one of these days.
-George Washington, from his farewell address to his officers
When I spotted this book at the library, it captured my attention right away. It seemed to fit right into our last few months of educational travel. My husband and I had recently participated in a Road Scholar program called "Colonial and Revolutionary Virginia: Jamestown, Williamsburg, Yorktown." As a part of the program we heard a lecture on the battle, visited the National Battlefield and saw a film, the siege lines, Surrender Field, the monument and the town of York. We also had met "Marquis de Lafayette" in Williamsburg. The next week we were in Washington, DC where we visited the Museum of American History of the Smithsonian and especially enjoyed the exhibit on Yorktown. Also when we went to the museum at Mount Vernon, there was more on that famous battle. A bit later in the week, we were viewing the White House from Lafayette Square and realized that two of four statues at the corners of the square are Lafayette and Rochambeau, French generals who were indispensable to Washington in the victory at Yorktown.
I found the novel well-written with an interesting plot though I couldn't really call it a "page turner." I am sure it would be too much history and not enough other stuff for many of my reader-friends. At any rate I enjoyed it because of my interest in this period of American history and all the background I had acquired recently as I mentioned. I think I would rate it a 3.5 if decimals were allowed.
The authors did not include a section at the end to say what was fiction in the novel. I knew enough to feel that most of the description of military engagements and surrounding events was researched thoroughly and historically accurate. I am guessing that two of the main characters, Allen van Dorn and Peter Wellsley, are fictional. They provide much of the conflict since they had been childhood friends and were at the time of the story on opposite sides of the revolution. The plot revolves around the two of them and give some suspense to the plot because anyone who knows a smidgen of American history knows how the battle turned out! And even the title would reveal the outcome at Yorktown!
One important theme of Victory at Yorktown is the inestimable aid of the French in the triumph at Yorktown, which essentially ended the Revolution. The authors bring this out in many ways, starting with the dedication. One is given to wonder what would have happened to Washington's army had the French not stepped in as they did!
Supposedly this novel is a conclusion to a trilogy on George Washington. I may want to read another one of these days.
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