Reading Post #46

[desertvixen]

 It's been awhile.  I went on a huge re-read phase of Nancy Drew and Eve Dallas. 

The Pony Express in Nevada, published by the Nevada BLM, is a little short book I brought back on the Pony Express stations in Nevada, what was known about them, and what was left of them in the mid-eighties.  I picked up a bunch of Nevada specific books while I was home, and I have several others to read.  This one was pretty good, although only if you had interest in the subject.

101 Foods That Cold Save Your Life by David Grotto was pretty good.  45 of the 101 actually appeal to me.  Some of the recipes looked really good, and not weird.

Great British Cooking by Jane Garmey was also very good, a good overview of classic British cuisine.  I'm not all that tempted to try much of it, but it's good to have on hand for reference. 

45 Master Characters by Victoria L. Schmidt was one of those writing reference books.  It's not too bad, and worth keeping around, and gets into archetype characters.  The only nitpick was it's obvious what movies the author has enjoyed.  Also gets into the hero's journey from a feminine and masculine viewpoint, which was interesting (the base tales were The Descent of Inanna and the epic of Gilgamesh).

The Coming Draft by Philip Gold was pretty good, although somewhat mis-titled.  A better title would have been Why People Think The Draft Is Coming.  Especially since even he isn't arguing that the draft should be making a comeback. 

24 Years of Housework and the Place is Still A Mess by Pat Schroeder was EXCELLENT.  neonnurse, have you read this one?  I think you'd really enjoy it.  Her writing is nice and dishy, lets her tone come through excellently, and I wish that she hadn't left the House just as I was starting to take notice of politics, because I really liked how she came across.  Picked it up in a used book store, but it was an excellent buy for a hardcover.

Whilst browsing in the UBS in Columbia, I happened upon the 1987 edition of the Cadette and Senior Girl Scout Interest Projects book - basically the badge book I used when I was in at that level.  I had gotten rid of mine, and decided to snap this one up for old times' sake. 

I took an exploratory dive into the Sweet Valley University series and was intrigued enough to get a few more copies off Amazon.  Also read some (new-to-me) Nancy Drew and Hardy Boys.  They're my brain candy, what can I say?

The Sagebrush State by Michael W. Bowers is one of the required texts in the Nevada History and Government class that I won't ever have to take.  I liked it, it's well-laid out and concise, includes handy little text boxes of "Famous Firsts" along the way.  Definitely worth the money.

Seneca Falls and the Origins of the Women's Rights Movement by Sally McMillen was very good, although none of it was really new information.  She dwelled a little more on the personal lives of the four women she looked at (Lucretia Mott, Elizabeth Cady Stanton, Susan B. Anthony, and Lucy Stone) and their interactions, and the book does not cover the period after 1900 where the tactics were stepped up quite a bit.  Very good, I would recommend it.

And, now, Strangers in Death by JD Robb.  Just finished it about an hour ago, and it was really very good.

Unspoilered version: This one is a little lighter than the last couple have been, at least on the surface.  The crime is dark and disturbing, but it's not another serial killer or criminal with a fixation on Eve.  The end of the book is very fast-paced and hard to put down.  There's almost no tension between Eve and Roarke, and there's a MAJOR plot point for a pair of supporting characters(I name them in the spoiler section).  Crullers and a lemon meringue pie also make guest appearances.  If you like the series, go snap this one up.

Spoilered version:

If you've seen Strangers on a Train, I'm pretty sure that's what she drew the title from.  It's very well done, though.  The mastermind is someone that you don't really mind hating.  The MAJOR plot point referenced above involves Charles Monroe and Louise Dimatto, and I was almost right on my guess.  Charles decides to give up being an LC and switching to sex therapy - and asks Louise to marry him!  (She accepts, naturally - this bit is really well done, and very in character for both of them)  The wedding is tentatively being set for May/June, so probably another book or two - because guess who's going to be the matron of honor?  The non-regular supporting cast is relatively heavy on LCs, and entertaining.  Feeney's wife is referenced, but once again, never shown.  Trueheart also gets some more play in this one.  Eve throws Peabody to the sharks (well, to Nadine) and she manages to swim through it. 

It's so worth it.

DV

Comments

JD Robb, tension.

[the-blue-fenix.livejournal.com]

You see why I worry (half-joking) that Eve is getting too sane to be a lead character. Shortest argument on record. "Maybe it is silly, but it's important to me and I'm going to keep on doing things this way." "Okay, then."

I don't know why, but after a certain number of 'look at this pie' repetitions I started to worry that it was poisoned or something. Glad it wasn't. I bet Tiko (sp?) and Grandma show up in future stories.

Re: JD Robb, tension.

[desert-vixen.livejournal.com]

Well, I mean, realistically, why does she need his money for walking around? I mean, bills are paid, Roarke does all of the clothes buying, and even if she wanted to shop, she CAN'T pay for anything made by Roarke Industries because of the Authorization One thing. So it's not like she's refusing to USE his money at all.

Besides, did you get the impression that part of the reason she was short was because of that reward? I sort of got the feeling that SHE was the one who contributed it.

It felt like a plot device done for form. I mean, I don't mind them NOT fighting. I don't mind Eve not having nightmares.

Although the baseball dream was pretty weird. That felt like one of those whacked out pregnancy dreams, personally. I think the one I've liked the best has been from Memory in Death, with the Christmas party imagery.

I think she's moving toward getting Eve the captain's bars here soon... hence the increased sanity and the emphasis on her running the bullpen.

DV