A FAREWELL TO ARMS

by Ernest Hemingway



"A tale of the love between ambulance driver Lt. Henry and Nurse Catherine Barkley during World War I. The action takes place in Italy and the two fall in love during the war and will stop at nothing to be together." -- From the CD container

I have never read Hemingway before, so out of the many there are to choose from, here is the reason I picked A Farewell To Arms as my first Ernest Hemingway book: Do you remember a movie called "The Evil Dead"? More to the point, do you remember its horror-comedy sequel, "Evil Dead 2: Dead By Dawn"? I positively love that movie! It's so fabulously bad! There is a great scene when Bruce Campbell's character's own hand becomes possessed and tries to kill him. He cuts it off and traps it under a bucket, placing a pile of books on top of the bucket to hold it down. The book on the top of the pile? You got it: A Farewell To Arms. (Get it? Cut off hand? Farewell to arms? Ha!) It still makes me laugh when I think about it, and I've wanted to read the book ever since. Stupid reason, I know. But there it is. :-)

I also don't have an acceptable reason for continually being reminded of Catch-22 while I was listening to this. I think it was because the character of Rinaldi seemed like someone who would have been in that book. Maybe it was because the descriptions of war were similarly stark and matter-of-fact rather than verbose and emotional, which I think made them more compelling in both books. My understanding is that Hemingway's general style is very understated. There is no re-reading paragraphs trying to figure out what he meant. Not that there isn't deep meaning. The story is just presented very up-front, "just the facts, ma'am", almost like reading a man's diary, if he kept one. A refreshing change from the more flowery or difficult classic writers. Now I know who to turn to when I know I'll be TWR (Tired While Reading). :-)

THE POWER & THE GLORY

by Graham Greene



"In a poor, remote section of southern Mexico, the Red Shirts have taken control. God has been outlawed, and the priests have been systematically hunted down and killed. Now, the last priest is on the run." -- From the back cover of the Penguin Classics edition of The Power and the Glory.

I have an issue when I read classics that I know nothing about other than the book is considered a classic and it looks really good. Do I read some background information first and get a handle on what the book is about and the themes to look for? Or do I go in cold and just see what I get out of it all on my own? I go back and forth with this decision, because the resulting experiences are very different and you can read a book for the first time only once.

I chose to go cold into The Power and the Glory. I had a hard time with it. I didn't get it, but I kept at it. And I'm glad I did. While I can't say I was blown away, there were moments that gave me pause, captured my thoughts. I'm glad I hadn't read previously about the scene in the overcrowded jail, because I was able to let it move me without thinking, "Oh, this is the part that's supposed to be so fantastic". I found out after I finished the book that, yay! I got it!

Graham Greene's writing got to me even when I wasn't exactly following the point, and that has fed my curiosity for more. Looking over a list of descriptions of his other books, I have a lot of exploring of human nature to do. Excellent! The next one I pick up by him I will faithfully read while I am fully conscious, not nodding off after a Timberwolves game.

CRY, THE BELOVED COUNTRY

by Alan Paton



Description from Books On Tape CD: An old Zulu parson from the hills above Ixopo sets out for Johannesburg, the "city of evil", looking for his son. He finds his boy in prison, charged with the murder of a white man who had devoted his life to justice for the black race.

Need a good book for your reading group? There is more to discuss in Cry, the Beloved Country than a single short review could ever touch. There was one particular theme, though, that deeply resonated with me. I'm a true believer in "there is a reason for everything that happens, we just don't always see it", and this book delves into that belief at nearly every level. The definitions of "good" and "bad" are questioned. The uneasy friendship that develops between the father of the murdered man and the father of his killer transcends mere forgiveness and comes to benefit an entire town. Actually, it's not even "friendship" they develop. It is more of a respect and a desire to understand. It is one of those books that makes me want to be a better person. And that is never a bad thing.

DEVIL BONES

by Kathy Reichs



I love the Temperance Brennan novels. It is one of my favorite forensic science series. She is one of the few series characters in this genre about which I care personally. Usually I'm ignoring their private lives, which can get ridiculously dramatic, and I focus on the case he or she is working on. In the case of Temperance Brennan, aside from the fact that her cases are always engaging, I care what happens to her outside of her job. I care about her relationship with Andrew Ryan. I care about her family and her friends. I care about her professional life and her former alcoholism. And each one of these things takes a hit in Devil Bones. Even after 11 books, Tempe's life is anything but boring, and it comes off more realistic than most. I could do without her getting captured by the murderer every other book, but that's about the only complaint I can come up with. As it stands, I plan to read every novel about this woman that Kathy Reichs cares to write.

**Potential spoilers ahead, but no specifics revealed:

Tempe and Ryan's relationship isn't smoothed over by the end of Devil Bones, and we do get to meet what could be some competition for the commitment-challenged Ryan in the form of a former NBA player turned public defender. I like him. It will be nice to see Ryan sweat a bit over this in future books. Also, we lose one recurring character to the murderer. It's a sad moment in the book, but it opens the door to a new character that I hope we get to see more of. The brief introduction left me smiling.

Readers who have not had a chance to meet Tempe yet will want to start with Deja Dead. You could read them out of order, but half the fun is in watching her and Ryan and the rest of the cast of characters grow. Happy reading!

HEAT LIGHTNING

by John Sandford



In Heat Lightning, the second book featuring Virgil Flowers, Virgil is under pressure to solve a series of murders of Vietnam vets before the Republican National Convention descends upon the Twin Cities.

Those readers of Sandford's "Prey" series who are a bit tired of the annoying sexism of Lucas Davenport will not get any respite from the new series featuring Virgil Flowers. Virgil is a younger, four-times married version of Davenport at whom apparently no woman can wait to throw herself. If you can overlook that, which I can after a hardy roll of my eyeballs, this new series is quite good. The cases are nothing stunningly original, but when you're looking for a quick and entertaining murder mystery, these are, so far, a dependable choice.

Virgil Flowers made his debut in one of the "Prey" books -- I forget which one -- but he was a strong enough character to carry his own stories. Lucas is a secondary character in both novels and lends the feeling of community to this spin off. That is what makes it appealing to me. It has made Sandford's fictional world larger and more believable. And I liked the touch of referring to the RNC Convention being here. As a resident of the Twin Cities, it's always fun to read about events that actually happened here and places I'm familiar with in Sandford's books.

Want to start at the beginning? The first Virgil Flowers novel is Dark of the Moon.

ROOTS

by Alex Haley



If you've ever wondered if it was worth your time to tackle Roots: The Saga of an American Family, I'm here to tell you the answer is a resounding, "Yes!!" If this isn't the best book I've read this year, it is definitely the most affecting. Only one other book has made me think this deeply about being white and, yes, I'll say it, privileged, and personally ashamed of those despicable parts of our history when we treated other human being worse than animals. (The other book was Dances with Wolves. That one made me want to wash the white right off of me. I cried for days after finishing it.)

When Kunta Kinte was captured, as he was fighting to get away, even on the ship, I kept irrationally waiting for him to escape. Isn't that what is supposed to happen to the good guys? My gut tied in knots as his nightmare continued. I can't even imagine this type of thing being real. It is simply beyond my capabilities to understand treating other human beings so vilely. It sickens me to think this is such a large part of American history.

I could go completely off on my soap box but I'll refrain from so doing, because this story of Haley's ancestors surviving, overcoming, then thriving, hearing how Haley literally went back to his African roots to learn his family's story, made me heart-achingly proud at the same time. Proud of the diversity that makes this country great, proud of how far we have come, and proud of the country we still have the potential to be. All of us, together.

E pluribus unum -- Out of many, one.

DEVIL'S BROOD

by Sharon Kay Penman



Devil's Brood is the third in a trilogy which began with When Christ and His Saints Slept and Time and Chance, but it is not necessary to have read the first two to follow the story. Devil's Brood tells of the final years of the reign of Henry II from shortly after the murder of Thomas Becket until Henry's death. I thought this book was truly amazing. The colossal amount of detail included makes it not only entertaining, but highly educational. There were times I forgot I was reading fiction until all of a sudden there would be people talking, and I would think, "How does she know what they said?!" :-)

Action is not the main focus of the novel. For the reader who is well versed in the last years of Henry II and his queen, Eleanor of Aquitaine, the story may seem to drag. However, if you're looking for something meaty that highlights the humanity of a ruler and his family, this is a gold mine. Devil's Brood deeply explores Henry's inability to come to terms with his role in shaping his rebellious sons, Eleanor's strength during her captivity, the intricate workings of the mind of nobility and those who see themselves as entitled, and those who are loyal, or not so loyal, to them.

Some of the juicier gossip of the times is not represented, as Ms. Penman explains in her author's note that there was no real evidence to back up the claims. Therefore, Richard's alleged love affair with the French King and Henry's seduction of Richard's betrothed, Alys, are not part of this version of the story. If you're looking for a lighter treatment of this same period that includes the scandalous rumors, you might want to try Jean Plaidy's The Courts of Love.



Learn more about Sharon Kay Penman and her work at her Official Web Site.

THE WORLD IS FLAT

by Thomas L. Friedman



The World Is Flat 3.0: A Brief History of the Twenty-first Century was the perfect follow-up to The Post-American World. This brought globalism right down to the individual and what we need to consider as we all try to navigate our way through a fast-changing world. The Berlin Wall, 9/11, Wal-Mart, India, China, economics, education, the future of "job security", the war on terror, Friedman covers so much ground it makes your head spin. But at no time does he make the reader feel it is too difficult to understand. Granted, he simplifies some of it for us laymen, but I had no trouble understanding his greater points. I could laugh at some of the sillier analogies while concurrently mulling over the true significance of the issue being discussed.

I admit that, for better or worse, part accidentally and part on purpose, I've spent the vast majority of my life in a bubble of ignorant frivolity. This book, along with the previously mentioned Post American World, has strengthened my resolve to go forward paying more attention to the world not only immediately surrounding me, but to the world outside the borders of the U.S. In the clever words of a bumper sticker I saw recently: I love my country, but it's time we started seeing others.

CATHEDRAL OF THE SEA

by Ildefonso Falcones



Cathedral of the Sea has been compared to Ken Follett's Pillars of the Earth, and I believe the comparison is a fairly good one, though they are not exactly alike. In fact, there are more differences than similarities, but the feel of the stories is the same. Pillars of the Earth is the story of many people in an English town growing up around the building of a cathedral. Cathedral of the Sea does provide a somewhat similar setting, albeit in an already-established 14th century Barcelona, and a wide variety of characters, but the only ones explored in any real depth are the main two: Arnau Estanyol and his father, Bernat.

Most of the other characters may remain a bit flat for some readers' tastes, but the story in which they live is complex and absorbing. Bernat's escape with his infant son from his cruel lord, their struggle to gain their freedom in Barcelona, the rise of Arnau to prominence and his trial under the Inquisition, all is told in detail rich enough to forgive other short-comings this novel may have. Readers looking for more along the lines of Pillars of the Earth and World Without End should give this one serious consideration.

THE HERETIC QUEEN

by Michelle Moran



The Heretic Queen is the story of Nefertari, famed wife of Ramesses the Great and niece of the reviled Nefertiti. With romance and royal intrigue enough to rival any Tudor tale, we follow Nefertari from her childhood at the Egyptian court as an all-but-forgotten orphan princess through her trials and triumphs to overcome the taint of her background to win the love the Egyptian people and the loyal heart of her greatest desire -- Ramesses.

I very much enjoyed the entire book, but one of the aspects I found most interesting was the minor sub-story of Moses and the Hebrews. (Named in this book as "Ahmoses" and the "Habiru".) After all, I can't hear the name "Ramesses" without thinking of the Exodus. They are forever entwined in my television-addled brain. In the author's notes, Ms. Moran writes that those looking for the biblical Moses will be sorely disappointed. That is true. But what they will find is a most surprising take on those events. Possibly anti-climatic for those wishing for plagues and passover and parting seas and "So let it be written, so let it be done", but very interesting nonetheless.

The amount of research done for this book draws you in to every page. It's easy to lose yourself in the grandiosity of it all. But with deep respect for all the work Michelle Moran has done, this is what my mind will always see when I hear the names of Nefertari and Ramesses:



Big sigh. And just for the sake of self-indulgence, I'll include this one too:



Bigger sigh . . . They just don't make pharaohs like they used to. ;-)

THE POST-AMERICAN WORLD

by Fareed Zakaria



This is a book not about the decline of America but rather about the rise of everyone else. It is about the great transformation taking place around the world, a transformation that, though often discussed, remains poorly understood.

-- The Post-American World, p. 1

Normally, a book about global economics would produce in me an empty, glassy-eyed stare rivaled only by our most vacuous entertainment icons. Quite frankly, I don't get it. But Fareed Zakaria makes it understandable without feeling like it's being dumbed down for you. The Post-American World was so absorbing that I would find myself continuing to sit in my car in the garage once I was home from work, listening the the CDs to learn more. With the economy being a huge issue in this presidential election and the mess on Wall Street this week, the information in this book became even more pertinent to me as a voter. I highly, highly recommend this book, and it should be required reading for anyone running for any governmental office. Just my personal opinion. :-)

THE TSARINA'S DAUGHTER

by Carolly Erickson
(To be released Sept. 30)



Grand Duchess Tatiana, the second eldest daughter of Tsar Nicholas and his wife Alexandra, escapes the cruel fate of the last of the Romanovs, and lives to tell her story of the Russian Revolution, World War I, and the fall of the last Tsar.

In contrast to The Romanov Bride, which I read and reviewed earlier this year, The Tsarina's Daughter, shows the struggles of Russia from the inside out. Tatiana's life was very insulated, and you feel her disconnection from the real world. Even when she starts venturing out delivering baskets of food to poverty-stricken workers and then later working in the hospital, you know, as does she, that so much more is going on than she ever hears about, sees, or experiences. This disconnect blunts some of the emotional impact that this story could have had. However, for a reader as unfamiliar with the history of Russia as I am, it was still an affecting glimpse into a world that is gone forever and allowed a comforting, if not happy, ending to a sad event.

THE OTHER QUEEN

by Philippa Gregory
(Release date: Sept. 16, 2008)



The Other Queen isn't so much the story of Mary Queen of Scots during her captivity by Queen Elizabeth as it is about the turmoil in a Tudor England teetering on the edge of a new era. When Queen Mary comes to England for help from an insurrection in Scotland, an aging Queen Elizabeth, unmarried, childless and steeped in paranoia aroused by her closest advisor the spy-master William Cecil, holds her in England for fear Mary will go back home and plot to take the English crown, which many believe belongs to Mary by right.

The style of The Other Queen follows that of The Boleyn Inheritance. The story is told from three alternating first-person perspectives: Mary Queen of Scots, and the newly-married couple chosen to house the detained queen, George Talbot, Earl of Shrewsbury, and his wife, Bess of Hardwick. Mary secretly plots multiple escapes and the usurpation of the English throne right under the noses of her guardians, George and Bess are driven to near poverty housing the captive queen with no help from Elizabeth, and relations between enemies, friends and lovers alike are strained to the breaking point as people all over England and Europe rise up in support of Queen Mary. The true strengths and flaws of each character are skillfully revealed as the years progress. But Queen Elizabeth, a true Tudor to the bone, will not be denied her place and no one, not even a fellow queen, is safe from her deadly wrath.

I've previously been disappointed in tellings of Queen Mary's captivity. How exciting can one make being imprisoned for years? But Philippa Gregory knows her audience, and in her hands the tale is dynamic and emotional. The narratives of George and Bess are a brilliant twist in perspective, and give real-life hopes and dreams a place in a world ransacked by royalty.



Visit Philippa Gregory's Official Website to learn more!

THE CONQUEROR

by Georgette Heyer



The extended tag line for The Conqueror: A Novel of William the Conqueror reads, "The bastard son who overpowered a kingdom and the woman who melted his heart." Don't let that fool you. While Georgette Heyer is known for her fabulous regency romances, The Conqueror is no romance. And I mean that in a good way!

This is the story of William the Conqueror, but his relationship with his wife, Matilda of Flanders, is only a minor part of the saga and disappears into the background once they are wed. William's rise from bastardy to King of England is experienced by two men -- Raoul de Harcourt, a Norman and William's favorite, and Edgar of Marwell, a Saxon hostage held by William, who is devoted to the cause of putting Earl Harold Godwineson on the throne. The unlikely friendship that develops between Raoul and Edgar is the heart of this book, and when the ambitions of William and Harold finally pit the two on opposite sides of the bloody Battle of Hastings, the reader will experience the horror of war, the sometimes painful cost of loyalty, and the majesty of true friendship.

Interesting sidenote: When William sails off to England, his wife, Matilda, stands on the shore envisioning the creation of a grand tapestry depicting William's conquests. This dream is, of course, the famous Bayeux tapestry, the subject of Sarah Bower's book, The Needle in the Blood. Now I'm all anxious to get to that one!

WHEN YOU ARE ENGULFED IN FLAMES

by David Sedaris



There are no praises I can sing David Sedaris that have not been sung a million times over on the many book blogs that have reviewed this or any other of Sedaris's books. Suffice it to say that I have not laughed this hard since I read Dave Barry's Complete Guide to Guys. But the author is not all fun and games. There are serious, soul-searching moments also, and that is what keeps his work from being frivolous and shelved in the "Humor" section of the bookstore. You'll find yourself laughing until you cry, then trying to swallow the lump in your throat. And some of the little things in life will never look quite the same again.

During my commute, I listened to David Sedaris himself read When You Are Engulfed in Flames on an audiobook. Instead of trying to explain how I was continually having difficulty driving while attempting to clear tears of hysterical laughter from my eyes, here is a clip from David Letterman of Sedaris reading an excerpt from this book. Don't watch this while eating or drinking or your keyboard will be in grave danger. :-)



Now I know exactly which books to look for when I need to ease those winter blues in a couple of months! :-)

THE CONCUBINE

by Norah Lofts



The Concubine, a reissue from best-selling British author Norah Lofts, is an excellent telling of the rise and fall of Anne Boleyn, particularly for readers who are already familiar with the big picture of Anne, Catherine of Aragon, and Henry VIII's "Great Matter". In fact, it would be helpful to have a bit of background knowledge of this period of Tudor history before reading this book. If The Concubine is a reader's first foray into this story it may be easy to get a bit confused, because there are a lot of famous events and personages mentioned in passing and the reader is assumed to have some knowledge of what is being discussed. You don't have to be a Tudor scholar, but if you're at least somewhat familiar with that time period, your mind will easily fill in the background necessary to follow those descriptions and conversations.

The nice thing about those assumptions is that those of us who read a lot of Tudor books will not be bored to tears by extensive passages explaining things we already know. The Concubine moves quickly through the years from Henry's courtship of Anne, the eventual divorce from Catherine and through Anne's short time as queen, her bogus "trial" and her sad end. But we get to hear glimpses of thoughts and see actions of many famous and lesser- or unknown people as history plays out: The thoughts of Anne's closest ladies, Wolsey's musings as his power is eroded, Mark Smeaton as he realizes he's being used by Cromwell, the lords on Anne's jury who do not dare to defy the king despite the obviously manufactured evidence of her adultery and treason.

While not an innovative telling of an infamous affair, Norah Loft's deft handling of the insights of minor characters and her ability to vividly capture of the cloud of insecurity and apprehension that hung over the every level of court life keeps the reader interested in what happens next.

KILLER VIEW

by Ridley Pearson



In this, the second Walt Fleming novel, Sheriff Fleming is searching for his best friend, Mark Aker, after Aker's brother is murdered and he disappears the next day under mysterious circumstances. When Walt's investigation uncovers a domestic terrorism plot, it appears that everyone, including the U.S. government, will do anything to keep him from doing his job.

I've read both Killer View and it's predecessor, Killer Weekend, and while I have enjoyed the stories very much, I am having a hard time getting used to the character of Walt Fleming. I find his personal life distracting, with his estranged wife dating his best deputy, his difficulties being a cop and a single father to his two young daughters, and his awkward crush on Fiona the photographer. I admit that this is my own bias. I am a huge fan of Pearson's "Lou Boldt" series, and I want Lou back. I was all wrapped up in his personal life, and I want to know how he's doing. My problem, not Pearson's. I have no idea if I'll ever get my wish or not. In the meantime, I'll continue to follow Walt as long as he keeps on working interesting cases. Maybe he'll work his way into my heart as well as Fiona's!

COTILLION

by Georgette Heyer



Kitty Charing will inherit a fortune from her guardian on one condition: She must marry one of his great-nephews. She cunningly sets up a sham betrothal with the somewhat slow-witted Freddy despite his objections, but when she accompanies him to London to meet his family and set in motion her plan to free herself from her marriage obligation, the unfamiliar steps in navigating the lifestyle of the ton quickly entangle her in a hilarious knot of secret loves and hearts that will not be denied.

I haven't read a Regency romance in many years, but I just may have to indulge again. Cotillion was adorable! Just the thing for a quick read and a good laugh between more serious historicals. I love the language and the atmosphere of the period, and Georgette Heyer is one of the masters. This may be my first book of hers, but there will definitely be more in my future.

CHASING DARKNESS

by Robert Crais



Three years ago, Elvis Cole uncovered evidence that proved a man innocent of a heinous murder. Now that same man has been found with a self-inflicted fatal gunshot wound in his head and a gruesome photo album at his feet. Photos of seven dead women, one of them being the woman he was found not guilty of killing. Two more were killed after his release. Did Elvis help free a serial killer? He and Joe Pike intend to find out.

If I were asked to pick my favorite private detective off the top of my head, Elvis Cole's name would surely be the first to pop out. He's got that smart-aleck attitude and self-deprecating humor that I love. And, even better, he's got Joe Pike for a partner. This whole series is great to read, but Chasing Darkness in particular was fantastic. I listened to the audio CD during my commute, and it was one of those rare books that very nearly made me wish for a traffic jam. The only problem? It's all over now, and I have to wait another year for Elvis and Joe's next case. :-(