What I Read in October 2016 Part I . . .

What I Read in October 2016 Part I. . .

Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone by J.K. Rowling, illustrated by Jim Kay--Young Adult Fantasy

The illustrations by Jim Kay are a treat. Each page resembles parchment paper with ink blots and stains, indicating use and old age. Kay fully brings the wizarding world to life with full color illustrations. I loved Dumbledore, who looks a lot like Richard Harris, who was perfect as Dumbledore. I also loved the Dursleys and the family photos on the wall. The very best part was the full-page book diagrams of trolls and one of dragon eggs. The troll page was especially fascinating. It's not clear in the novel there are two types of trolls and how one tells the difference so that was neat to see. The dragon egg page illustrates other types of dragon eggs than the ones in the novels in addition to the Norwegian Ridgeback and dragons mentioned in Goblet of Fire.

Some of the style choices were more gothic than I imagined them. Hogwarts doesn't look very inviting and the Hogwarts Express has a dragon figurehead instead of being the normal scarlet steam engine I'm used to. My biggest complaint is that Hermione changes in every illustration of her! Some look very realistic and others more cartoonish.

This is a nice addition to every Harry Potter collector's library. Go for the original British edition and not the translated American edition.


Miss Dimple Rallies to the Cause by Mignon F. Ballard--Historical Mystery

The citizens of Elderberry, Georgia are doing their part to support the war effort with a war bond rally. Miss Dimple's friend Virginia has been roped into helping out by Emmaline Brumlow, who is insisting her nephew Buddy Oglesby be allowed to assist. Buddy has been a bit of a drifter and Virginia does not relish the prospect of working with him and his tyrannical aunt. While the school children and their teachers are helping with the cotton picking, Miss Dimple's fellow teacher Annie discovers the remains of a human washed up by recent rains. The police identify the woman as Cynthia Murphy, a local woman who ran off two years ago, leaving her husband bereft and her child without a mother. Everyone knew Cynthia was "fast" but who would want to kill her? Something is bothering Miss Dimple's friend Phoebe and she is determined to get to the bottom of it. Could Phoebe's problem be connected to the murder? Annie and her best friend Charlie are caught up in wartime romances but Charlie's mother Jo and Aunt Lou are curious enough to check things out and Miss Dimple is on hand to ask all the right questions.

This is a pretty good mystery. I was expecting it to be slow, like the first book, but the body was discovered early on but not identified right away. That kept the mystery going. I thought I had it all figured out. Phoebe's problem was incredibly obvious and why Miss Dimple never figured it out before, I don't know. I also thought I knew who the murderer was. I had two suspects and I thought I knew what had happened. I was totally wrong about the identity of the murderer but right about what had happened. I was largely intrigued by the romantic plots. I want to keep reading the series to find out which young men make it home. The author is a skilled writer. The first book in the series is recapped as part of the story instead of just dumped in for recap purposes. The author also works in numerous historical details as seamless parts of the story. I did question where they would get coffee when it was rationed but that was sort of answered at the end. I also wondered at a Hershey bar wrapper but it's October 1943 and such things may have been left over from before rationing or from a serviceman passing through town. I also liked the autumnal details, being set this time of year. It was a little jarring to read about 80 degree weather and peach harvests but that worked to set the scene firmly in the south.

Miss Dimple is a little too matter-of-fact for me. She likes to read mysteries and I suspect she is a throw back to the golden age mystery novel characters. She's not in this book as much as I expected and she doesn't have a lot to do except ask questions. She's more in the background to support her friends and ask the right questions. This is more of an ensemble piece with several people working to put together the clues and solve the mystery. I especially felt sorry for Phoebe and Virginia, who were unwittingly dragged into the mystery. They're both kind people who didn't deserve to be unhappy, especially Phoebe whose husband was not so nice.

I really liked Charlie and Annie and their youthful romances but found them interchangeable. They're both intelligent young women who remain sensible despite being in love during wartime, though they consider giving in to desire. Charlie's Aunt Lou is totally crazy. Not only is she nosy, she comes up with dangerous schemes and drags her sister into them. Charlie's sister Delia and her baby make more of an appearance in this book. Delia is a young mother, lonely and missing her husband. She is torn between missing her carefree youth and being a responsible adult. I think even non-mothers can relate. I felt horrible for Reynolds since everyone knew his wife was fast but he seemed to not know what she had been up to.

There were numerous secondary characters. There are some newcomers to Elderberry: Buddy Oglesby, who I wasn't crazy about but he turned out to have some depth. I even liked him in parts but he is a bit immature for a middle-aged man. There's also Coach MacGregor and his wife Millie. I don't know what to make of them. I was surprised at the direction their story took. There's also a new deputy, H.G. Dobbins who seems to be a creepy womanizer. He doesn't respect Annie at any rate and doesn't understand women. He may also be a murderer... or not.

I liked this book enough to want to keep reading, but I don't have the time right now. Maybe this winter I will return to this series. 


To Fudge or Not to Fudge by Nancy CoCo--Cozy Mystery

The McMurphy is finally up and running and Jen is booking programs left and right. It's so busy, Allie has to hire part-time help. Allie loves creating fudge and telling stories just as Papa did when he was alive. She loves bringing that magic to people. She also loves her puppy Mal, but when Mal digs up a sock, with a foot bone still inside, Allie is not thrilled. Mal and a St. Bernard named Daisy keep digging up human bones in gardens all over town. The person seems to have been chopped up and put into mulch. This creates numerous complications for local gardeners as well as Trent Jessop's company, who supplied the mulch. Allie is determined to stay out of this investigation. Then Allie's mentor, Peter Thomas, asks her to participate in a reality show fudge-off. Allie refuses, saying she's too busy and isn't interested in TV. Peter points out the show will be good publicity for the McMurphy. When Allie agrees, she never dreamed that the show's publicity turns negative when one of the contestants ends up dead with Allie's fudge next to her. Allie becomes the chief suspect. Will the nightmare never end and the business of business begin? Jen is on Allie's case to have some kind of life outside the hotel and Trent Jessop seems to agree!

This is a MUCH better story than the first book in the series. The mystery is complicated and I never guessed who the murderer was or connected the dots. Mal and Daisy provide some light hearted humor to balance out the mystery. The behind-the-scenes of a reality baking show was eye-opening and I hope not true. The fudge-off complicated the story unnecessarily. There was the mystery of the body, then the mystery of the reality show contestant and another mystery besides. There wasn't much to connect the dots. There's just no way anyone could figure it out. I absolutely loved the fudge making parts. The recipes sound delicious and I want to try most of them. There is a bit of gore in the story and some violence but it wasn't enough to give me nightmares and I am very sensitive.

I liked Allie better in this book. She's a little more friendly and less intense now her business is working out. We also find out why she's somewhat estranged from her parents- in a very Gilmore Girls sort of way. That part was rather corny. Allie has bonded with Mal, finally, and Mal plays a big role in the story. I just love Mal! She's so cute! Daisy is a fun character too. Jen plays a bigger role in this book too. She's just a little too unbelievably good at her job. Why is she holding events for charity so soon after the McMurphy's opening? That part was a bit too much. I liked Trent a little better here, now he's not so Mr. Darcy rude but he isn't in the story much. The romantic plot moves forward a tiny bit. Rex is too busy solving murders for romance. He's a little too hard and tough for my taste.

New characters include Mrs. Finch, a cranky old lady. I didn't like that she wasn't a responsible dog owner but she doesn't seem that awful, for the most part. She loves dogs even if she doesn't look after Daisy as she should. Sandy is a chocolatier who needs a job. She seems a little too desperate and a little too eager to please to be realistic. I'm not sure what to make of her yet. Another new character, Peter Thomas, is Allie's former mentor in culinary school. He's a stereotypical tough teacher who bellowed at his students but forced them to do their best. The fudge show competitors are Bruce, Cathy, Tony, Jabar, Emily, Erin, Mark, and Tim. Not too many of them appear in the plot of the story. The competition moves quickly. None of the competitors seemed likeable. They were pretty much stock characters but no one is who they seem in the reality TV world. Other people associated with the show are completely awful and make me never want to appear on reality TV.

This is a decent cozy mystery but not the best I've ever read. I love the fudge so I'll keep reading when I have the time.

What I Read This Weekend

What I Read This Weekend . . .

The Impertinent Miss Bancroft by Karla Hocker -- Regency Romance

Miss Sophia Bancroft has been let go from yet another job as a governess for impertinence. She vows that this time she will hold her tongue and keep the position that allows her independence and the ability to care for her sisters. Upon her arrival at the home of Lord Northrup Sophy discovers that a valuable necklace has been stolen. Sophy springs into action and wishes to solve the mystery, especially once she meets his Lordship's kind Aunt Addie who has been accused of the theft. Lord Northrup is caught up in Sophy's enthusiasm and determined nature and reluctantly agrees to allow her to ask questions. Sophy thinks Lord Northrup will be the usual toplofty Lord she's used to but is surprised by his kindness and generosity. As more things turn up missing and the the mystery turns dangerous, Sophy is determined to solve the mystery and save her new friends, if only Lord Northrup would listen to her! Lord Northrup refuses to allow any one else to investigate, especially not Sophy. It's not until she defies his request that Sophy discovers why Lucian did not want her to rush into danger. This is a cute, light fluffy romance with the mystery as the core of the story. The romance takes more of a back seat to the mystery but develops better than a traditional Regency (mystery). I really liked Sophy's spirit. She's funny, strong and brave though she acts immature at times. Lucian is a different type of hero. He's a radical and revolutionary, a Whig with political ambitions instead of the usual rake or Corinthian hero. He's caring and charming as well but not well developed since not much of the story is from his point of view and when it is, he's trying to solve the mystery. The villain is really obvious. I was hoping that it wasn't so obvious so I kept reading until I finished. There are some great secondary characters in this book, especially Miss Addie, the kind and loving aunt and Skeet, the street urchin rescued by Miss Addie. There are so many characters in this story that the story really only touches the surface of who they are. I'd like to see a series of books featuring Sophy before this novel solving crimes and other books featuring some of the other characters. If you're looking for a bit of fun summer reading, I would recommend this book.

Sisterhood Everlasting (Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants) by Ann Brashares, read by Angela Goethals -- Young Adult/Adult Contemporary

Ten years after we last met them, the Septembers have grown up and grown apart. At 29 Lena teaches at the Rhode Island School of Design in Providence, Carmen is an actress in New York, Bee is in San Francisco with Eric and Tibby ... Tibby moved away to Australia with Brian several years ago and seems to have drifted away. When Tibby sends her friends plane tickets to Greece, the Septembers are ecstatic. They all look forward to reconnecting. They've been lost without each other and need this trip. Then the unthinkable happens and the sisterhood is broken. As they deal with devastating grief, the Septembers have to learn to navigate adulthood alone. Lena struggles with her feelings for Kostos, Carmen is trapped in an engagement to a man she doesn't love, Bee drifts around and Tibby's secrets threaten to overwhelm them all. I had a really hard time getting through this book. The secrets and devastating grief that nearly tear the sisterhood apart make this a difficult book to get through. After the initial tragedy, I wanted to put the book down but I picked it up again much later because I wanted to know what happened.There are so many plot shockers in this novel that really undermine the credibility of the story. I identified a lot with Lena as I did in the earlier books. I almost laughed because I've had some of the same conversations with my own family. Bee was my second favorite character. I think she was the only one who actually changed and learned something before the epilogue. The characters remain the same as they ever were, meaning they don't grow up. The lesson at the end is rather heavy handed and finally the characters can grow. By that time they spent so much time being whiny and annoying, I stopped caring about them.The reader of the audio book is very good.  Her voice is pleasant and not too hard to listen to. She pitches her voice differently for each character and I could usually tell who was who. If you enjoyed the rest of the series and enjoy melodramatic stories will like this one.

What I've Read This Week

What I've Read This Week . . .

How to Ditch Your Fairy by Justine Larbalestier, Read by Kate Atkinson -- Contemporary/Fantasy Young Adult

Fourteen-year-old Charlie is a B-string sports student at New Avalon Sports High. She loves the sports, the rules and the new cute boy, Steffi. She also has a long list of things she dislikes about her life:  growing "spoffs" (boobs), not being tall enough or good enough to make the basketball team, not knowing if the cute boy likes her, and the #1 thing that's "torpid" about her life - her car-parking fairy. In New Avalon, everyone has a fairy with a particular attribute. The fairies are invisible, but they manifest their power at the best and worst of times. Charlie's best friend Rochelle has a clothes shopping fairy -totally "doos"! Charlie's mom has a "always knowing what your kids are up to" fairy - totally "malodorous"! Charlie has a car-parking fairy which often results in her being "borrowed" by people to ensure the perfect parking spot. Charlie hates cars, she hates the smell of petrol and she hates it when people borrow her. Why can't she have a doos fairy like Ro or an "every boy will like you" fairy like her rival Fiorenze? It's totally not fair. So Charlie sets out to ditch her fairy. She thinks walking everywhere will do the trick and even when it gets her into trouble, she decides it's totally worth it to be rid of such an "injured" fairy. When her plans go awry, Charlie gets desperate to be rid of her fairy. She'll do ANYTHING to ditch her fairy, even if it means becoming allies with Fio, whose parents are fairy experts. Desperate times call for desperate measures and Charlie will go to any lengths to finally ditch her fairy. This is an odd mix of contemporary teen fiction and fantasy. It's set in a fictional world that's a sort-of cross between the U.S. and Australia, but I think more Australia. It's also a bit futuristic and fantastical. The world is described so well that it feels real. I liked the funny slang words but had a hard time understanding Kate Atkinson's Australian accent and the glossary would have been much appreciated had I known it was there. Charlie is a typical teen with a teenager's view of the world. Her problems are very real - both in a sense of being real for our world and being very real to her. At first I liked the way she dealt with her problems and thought she handled them well, but then she gets desperate and acts more her age. She learns a few lessons but not as many as I had hoped. I didn't really like the ending because I felt it wasn't deserved. The story lags a bit until near the end when it gets so crazy that I felt like I didn't want to read it because I knew that Charlie was going to make a mess of things. It's funny at times and very honest and real. It's a nice, lighthearted read that I would recommend to teenagers but not so much for adults. Kate Atkinson has a nice voice and she's able to pitch her voice differently for the different characters and make them distinguishable from one another, though her accent is hard to understand. I would also suggest the print version to go along with the audio so you know how to pronounce all the names and slang words but have the handy-dandy glossary to reference.