Reading in March and Mystery Pick of the Month

In March I read ten books. I really don't know why I am reading more this year. It is not like I am neglecting other activities. Maybe, in general, the books are shorter.

Again, this month I read a few non-mysteries. I read one book that is categorized as fantasy: The Courts of Chaos by Roger Zelazny. I read two non-fiction books, both from the Book Lust series by Nancy Pearl: More Book Lust and Book Lust to Go. More Book Lust was a reread, but Book Lust To Go was new to me. I had purchased that one specifically to find books, especially mysteries, set in various locations. I enjoyed both of them.

Crime fiction is my favorite genre and I read seven mysteries in March. Only one vintage mystery again this month. One vintage mystery a month is OK, but I do hope to pick up the pace in future months. Of the seven mystery authors, five authors were new to me. Two authors were old favorites: Agatha Christie and Olen Steinhauer.

The mysteries I read this month are:

1. The Loyal Servant by Eva Hudson
2. Forty Words for Sorrow by Giles Blunt
3. The Body in the Library by Agatha Christie
4. Deadly Appearances by Gail Bowen
5. Eye of the Red Tsar by Sam Eastland
6. Nearest Exit by Olen Steinhauer
7. A Stone of the Heart by John Brady 

The Crime Fiction Pick of the Month meme is hosted at Mysteries in Paradise. Bloggers link to summary posts for the month, and identify a crime fiction best read of the month. Check out the link here to see the other bloggers picks.



Again I cannot decide on one pick. My favorites this month are the last two books that I read: Nearest Exit and A Stone of the Heart. They are each in one of my favorite sub-genres of crime fiction. Unfortunately, I have not reviewed either of them yet. 

Nearest Exit by Olen Steinhauer is spy fiction. It is the second book in a trilogy; the first book is titled The Tourist. I think this book would mainly appeal to those who enjoy spy fiction, because it features the same major themes as most spy fiction: moral ambiguity in the spy's life and the inability to trust anyone.  However, the trilogy also involves a spy with a family, which threatens to affect his ability to be effective in his job.

A Stone of the Heart by John Brady is a police procedural. Like some books of that sub-genre, it goes much deeper and examines the character of the policeman and how his family and his environment affect his ability to do his job. The setting is primarily Dublin, Ireland in the late 1980's. Thus the unrest and violence in Ireland at the time is a part of the story.

These two books both deal with families and relationships, and I enjoy books that combine these themes with a mystery.

Mount TBR Reading Challenge: Quarterly Summary

This quarter I have read 15 books that count toward the Mount TBR Reading Challenge 2013. Since my goal is 36 books, I am doing pretty well. The books I have read in January, February, March:

1. The Man Who Liked to Look at Himself by  K. C. Constantine
2. Murder at the Vicarage by Agatha Christie
3. Archie Meets Nero Wolfe by Robert Goldsborough
4. The Case of the Angry Actress by E. V. Cunningham
5. The Smoke by Tony Broadbent
6. The Last Houseparty by Peter Dickinson
7. Devil in a Blue Dress by Walter Mosley
8. The Tourist by Olen Steinhauer
9. To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee
10. More Book Lust by Nancy Pearl
11. Forty Words for Sorrow by Giles Blunt
12. The Body in the Library by Agatha Christie
13. Deadly Appearances by Gail Bowen
14. Nearest Exit by Olen Steinhauer
15. A Stone of the Heart by John Brady

The book I have had the longest in this group is Devil in a Blue Dress by Walter Mosley. Several of these books have been in my TBR stacks and boxes for close to seven years, but according to the ID in my cataloging system, this one was around before those. Just don't have the date of purchase for it.

I wish I had read this book sooner. My TBR pile still has other books by this author, and I hope to get to them soon.

My favorite book cover in this set of books is the one for The Case of the Angry Actress by E. V. Cunningham. I love old paperback covers. This is not a vintage mystery, but still quite a nice cover, in my opinion.

From my review:

I enjoyed this book most for the setting in Southern California in the 1960's. The book was published in 1967. I lived in Southern California in the 70's and I remember the smog and how different it seemed from my home state of Alabama.

The Courts of Chaos: Roger Zelazny

The Courts of Chaos is the first book I have read for the Once Upon a Time challenge.

This book is part of a fantasy series, The Chronicles of Amber, written by Roger Zelazny. It is the last book in a five book series about Corwin, a prince of Amber. In a way it was disappointing because it was a slight book, compared to the others in the series. But it was a very fitting ending to the series.

I read The Courts of Chaos because this series is a favorite of my son, and I had read the previous four books earlier at his suggestion. Too long ago, in fact.

A description of the world created for this fantasy series at Wikipedia:

The Amber stories take place in two "true" worlds: Amber, and the Courts of Chaos, as well as the shadows that lie between them. These shadows, including our Earth, are parallel worlds that exist in the tension between the two true worlds of Amber and the Courts. The Courts of Chaos is situated in Shadow at the very edge of the pit of Chaos itself, a seething cauldron from which all that is or ever will be comes from.

Note: I caution you not to read the Wikipedia page about the entire series if you have any interest in reading the books. Wikipedia pages often include spoilers.

The first five books of The Chronicles of Amber follow Corwin's adventures, and his ups and downs with his family. That is putting it mildly, of course. He has many brothers and sisters and they are often at odds, seeking the power to rule Amber.

The story starts with Nine Princes of Amber, which was my favorite book in the series. In that book, Corwin is on the shadow Earth. The fourth book, The Hand of Oberon, I also liked a lots. The books really do not stand alone, except perhaps the first one.

Why did I take so long to read this conclusion to the series? It is less than 130 pages long. Had I read the book closer to finishing the 4th book, I am sure I would have enjoyed it more. (Although I have read some criticism in reviews that it jumps awkwardly into the story.)

A large part of this book consists of following Corwin on a hellride through the shadows, to get to the Courts of Chaos, to save the world of Amber. He meets a lot of non-humanoid lifeforms. They either try to help him achieve his goal or try to hamper him. There are some interesting philosophical conversations between Corwin and the creatures. When he gets to his goal, which was in question, the events and the final selection of a ruler of Amber brought the series to a satisfying conclusion.

This series is followed by another five books series, which are the story of Merlin's adventures. Merlin is the son of Corwin. I would recommend reading either series closely together rather than separating them by years like I did. The series would be more enjoyable that way.

My commitment for this challenge is to read at least five books during the three months of the challenge (March 21 - June 21, 2013) in the following categories: fantasy, fairy tales, folklore, and mythology. My plan is to stick with books in the fantasy genre. In addition, I will view one of the many theatrical versions of Shakespeare’s A Midsummer Night’s Dream. Reviews for this challenge are at this Review Site; stop by and check them out.

To Kill a Mockingbird (film)

To Kill a Mockingbird is a movie adaptation of Harper Lee's Pulitzer Prize-winning novel of the same name. The movie covers one year in the life of two children, Jem and Scout, who live in a small town in Alabama in the 1930's. Their father is a lawyer and is defending a black man against the charge of rape. (My review of the book is here.)

There are differences between the book and the movie. One is fairly minor. The book covers three years; Scout is six and Jem, her older brother, is ten at the beginning of the novel. Both she and Jem mature throughout the book and Jem has moved into puberty at the end, which changes their relationship. The other is that Aunt Alexandra does not appear in the movie. In the book, Aunt Alexandra moves in with Atticus and the children to provide a strong female influence on Scout. She  introduces the emphasis in the South on living within the constrictions of the social mores and one's station in life.

This does not detract from the movie. It just means that the movie looks more at the racial aspects of the South and less at other areas of Southern life. The trial and the build up to the trial are the focus of the movie. I can understand why this decision was made. You can't always include every element of a book and still have a good movie.

 

I think I would have enjoyed the movie more if I had put more distance between it and reading the book. I kept making direct comparisons and noting differences that would not have occurred to me otherwise.

Nevertheless, I preferred the movie. This was because of my personal reaction to the book and the way the happenings in the book resonated with my own childhood and my personal experiences in that environment, and is no reflection on the quality of the book. The movie presented some of the same ideas, but did not impact me in the same way.

The book concentrated more on racism and its side effects for all involved, and the trial that threatened to tear apart the community. The story in the book focuses more on Scout's thoughts and interior life, her problems with school and having to deal with the concern for appearances in the South.

Neither of the two young actors who played Scout and Jem had had previous roles in movies. They were both from Birmingham, Alabama. I preferred the actor who played Jem (Phillip Alford), although it seems that the role of Scout (Mary Badham) gets more attention. Gregory Peck was, of course, perfect as Atticus Finch.

The DVD set I have includes a feature-length documentary on the making of the film, titled Fearful Symmetry. It was filmed in the late 1990's and provides interesting information. Several actors discuss their experience of working on this film. The screenwriter, Horton Foote, also shares insights about his process of adapting the book to the screen.

In the documentary, residents of the town where Harper Lee grew up reminisce about life in the town (and how much things have changed). The town in the book and the movie is called Maycomb and is based on Harper Lee's hometown, Monroeville, Alabama. The movie was filmed on the Universal backlot in Hollywood because Monroeville in 1962 no longer looked like a Southern town from the 1930's. The Monroe County Courthouse has become a museum. The interior of courthouse used in the film was recreated to look much like that building.

Eye of the Red Tsar: Sam Eastland

Summary from the author’s website for this series:

It is the time of the Great Terror.

Inspector Pekkala - known as the Emerald Eye - was once the most famous detective in all Russia, the favourite of the Tsar. Now he is the prisoner of the men he once hunted.

Like millions of others, he has been sent to the gulags in Siberia and, as far as the rest of the world is concerned, he is as good as dead. But a reprieve comes when he is summoned by Stalin himself to investigate a crime.

Eye of the Red Tsar falls into several categories I like. Historical fiction is a favorite, especially stories set between World War I and World War II. Mysteries set in Russia; I don’t know why but stories of Russia intrigue me. The story is told in alternating sections; one section will focus on the time of the story, the other is flashbacks to earlier times. I have always liked books that use this format and I especially enjoyed the flashbacks in this book.

For at least the first three-quarters of the book, I loved the way the story was told and had no criticisms. I was immediately pulled in by the story and the peek back at earlier days in Pekkala’s life. Toward the end of the book, I began to have reservations and I did not see the ending as fulfilling the promise of the rest of the book.

Some of the characters could have been developed more fully. We know a lot about Pekkala, his experiences and the strength of his convictions, but he doesn’t have a lot of depth. Pekkala’s brother is involved in the investigation, but the relationship and the issues between them were glossed over. Perhaps saved for future books? I did like the characterization of Kirov, the young officer who assists Pekkala. He was formerly in training to be a chef, and cooks for them.

Two of the characters, the Tsar (from the flashbacks scenes) and Stalin, are real historical characters and I was surprised at their depiction. Based on my very minimal knowledge of Russian history, I thought that they would be depicted in a more negative light. There have been complaints from some reviewers that they are depicted too sympathetically. Myself, had the ending been better executed, I could have easily ignored that issue.

Sam Eastland is a pseudonym used by Paul Watkins, an American author who has been publishing novels since 1988. At a post on the Inspector Pekkala Website Blog, he shares an interview he did for a newspaper in Finland. He answers questions about who he based the main character on. At the time he was finishing up the fifth book in the series, and planning to begin the sixth book.

Because I enjoyed this novel for the most part, and I think the author shows a lot of promise for continuing the series, I do recommend this book. If you like historical mysteries, I think it is worth a try, and certainly it has gotten a lot of positive reviews. I borrowed this book from my husband, and he has the second book in the series. With the ease of availability, I will definitely give the series another try.

For other’s views, see these reviews:
At Reactions to Reading, at Murder by Type, and at Mysteries in Paradise.

Deadly Appearances: Gail Bowen

Andy Boychuk is a Saskatchewan politician who has recently become the leader of the Opposition party in his province. There is a picnic to celebrate, but just as he gets up to speak, he drinks some water and falls to the floor. His close friend and colleague, Joanne Kilbourn is nearby and rushes to attempt CPR – to no avail. On this hot summer afternoon, her life changes. Andy's death is clearly murder, and she wants to know who has done it.

Preparations for the funeral introduce us to the politician's wife and the other party members who were his support group. We learn of tragedies that have occurred in both the victim's life and Joanne's life. Joanne has three children, one about to move away to college. She is widowed and lost her husband three years earlier as the result of a senseless act of violence. She decides to step away from politics and campaigning for a while and write a biography of Andy. In searching deeply into her friend's past, she stumbles on secrets and clues to the reason for his death.

Joanne tells this story in first person narrative. She doesn't really function as a sleuth in this book, as she is never actively looking for the murderer. Many people suspect Andy's wife, because of her weird behavior, but Joanne does not believe she is capable of that.

I read this mystery for the Canadian Book Challenge 6. I enjoyed learning about the Saskatchewan area. The politics of that province were an element in the story, but I never caught on to the workings of politics and the government in Canada. Thus I did not understand the importance of some of the occurrences. Or maybe it is just that I have never understood politics anywhere. As in Anthony Bidulka's books about Russell Quant, also set in Saskatchewan, several of the characters have Ukrainian backgrounds.

This almost did not feel like a mystery to me. Sometimes those are the best kinds of novels. There is a death and it is clearly murder. There is an investigation, and the reader knows that long hidden secrets will be revealed. But mainly this is the story of a woman grieving for a friend and a colleague she respected, and dealing with a life turned upside down by the loss. And it was the telling of that story that was most engaging to me.

This book is the first in a series of fourteen books. It was published in 1990 and the most recent book in the series will be released in the US in August 2013. I will be interested to continue the series and see where it takes Joanne.


Links to posts at other sites:

• Margot at Confessions of a Mystery Novelist... profiles this book.
• Bill at Mysteries and More from Saskatchewan provides his insights on the book.
• Maxine’s review at Petrona.