The Scent Keeper

The Scent Keeper by Erica Bauermeister
Fiction
2019 St. Martin's Press
Finished on May 16, 2019
Rating: 3/5 (Good)

Publisher's Blurb:

Erica Bauermeister, the national bestselling author of The School of Essential Ingredients, presents a moving and evocative coming-of-age novel about childhood stories, families lost and found, and how a fragrance conjures memories capable of shaping the course of our lives.

Emmeline lives an enchanted childhood on a remote island with her father, who teaches her about the natural world through her senses. What he won't explain are the mysterious scents stored in the drawers that line the walls of their cabin, or the origin of the machine that creates them. As Emmeline grows, however, so too does her curiosity, until one day the unforeseen happens, and Emmeline is vaulted out into the real world--a place of love, betrayal, ambition, and revenge. To understand her past, Emmeline must unlock the clues to her identity, a quest that challenges the limits of her heart and imagination.

Lyrical and immersive, The Scent Keeper explores the provocative beauty of scent, the way it can reveal hidden truths, lead us to the person we seek, and even help us find our way back home.

I'm a big fan of Erica Bauermeister's books and I've read and loved all three of her previous novels: The School of Essential Ingredients, Joy for Beginners, and The Lost Art of Mixing. I was thrilled when I won an ARC of this latest release earlier last month from Goodreads. I started reading it while we were on our roadtrip and got pulled in from the opening pages. 

Mystical realism is subtly infused within the pages and the writing is lovely, but sadly, I lost interest when I reached the third portion of the story. I never felt a connection with any of the characters or their dilemmas and the ending was quite abrupt, adding to my disappointment. I really wanted to love this book, as I have her others, but it was simply not a favorite of mine by this wonderful author. If you haven't read any of her previous works, please don't let my review discourage you from trying this one or any of her others. I will certainly continue to read whatever she publishes, as this may have been a case of bad timing on my part.

I received a complimentary copy of this book. All opinions are my own.

A Spark of Light

A Spark of Light by Jodi Picoult
Fiction
2018 Ballantine Books
Finished on May 14, 2019
Rating: 4/5 (Very Good)

Publisher's Blurb:

The warm fall day starts like any other at the Center, a women’s reproductive health services clinic, its staff offering care to anyone who passes through its doors. Then, in late morning, a desperate and distraught gunman bursts in and opens fire, taking all inside hostage.

After rushing to the scene, Hugh McElroy, a police hostage negotiator, sets up a perimeter and begins making a plan to communicate with the gunman. As his phone vibrates with incoming text messages he glances at it and, to his horror, finds out that his fifteen-year-old daughter, Wren, is inside the clinic.

But Wren is not alone. She will share the next and tensest few hours of her young life with a cast of unforgettable characters: A nurse who calms her own panic in order save the life of a wounded woman. A doctor who does his work not in spite of his faith but because of it, and who will find that faith tested as never before. A pro-life protester disguised as a patient, who now stands in the cross hairs of the same rage she herself has felt. A young woman who has come to terminate her pregnancy. And the disturbed individual himself, vowing to be heard.

Told in a daring and enthralling narrative structure that counts backward through the hours of the standoff, this is a story that traces its way back to what brought each of these very different individuals to the same place on this fateful day.

Jodi Picoult, one of the most fearless writers of our time, tackles a complicated issue in this gripping and nuanced novel. How do we balance the rights of pregnant women with the rights of the unborn they carry? What does it mean to be a good parent? A Spark of Light will inspire debate, conversation . . . and, hopefully, understanding.

Jodi Picoult has written more than two dozen novels and I have read 15, all of which I loved with the exception of just a couple. While A Spark of Light follows Picoult's typical fashion of writing about a timely (and highly controversial) real life issue, it does not follow her usual style, which includes a courtroom drama, nor does it follow a traditional narrative structure, but rather a reverse chronology, unfolding backward one hour at a time. My book club selected this novel for our May read and the majority of the group did not care for this unusual format. I went into the book knowing that this is how it was written, so it didn't bother me--too much. I would have preferred the "normal" style of writing, or even one with alternating points-of-view, but you have to admit it was creative. I suspect Picoult will hear enough negativity toward that aspect of the book and (hopefully) not try it again in the future. 

But with regards to the actual plot and characters, it is classic Picoult: Multiple (10!) points-of-view; a well-researched subject; first person narrative; an uncomfortable, ethical subject that is both enlightening and sparks debate; and, of course, a big twist at the end of the book.

I wish I could say that I loved it as much as Small Great Things, Leaving Time, The Storyteller, Sing You Home, and Change of Heart, but I didn't. I thought it was a very good read, but I believe the momentum suffered due to the clumsy narrative structure, which is nothing more than a distraction from the story. Of the eight of us at book club (a smaller group due to vacations), I was the only member who said they liked the book. The others disliked the format so much that they couldn't appreciate the novel and probably won't read more by Picoult. What a shame that this was the first book by her for so many of them.

As I write this review, the Alabama Senate has just passed a near-total ban on abortion. A Spark of Light couldn't be more timely, but it's more than likely not going to change anyone's stance on this polarizing topic.

Looking Back - I Know This Much Is True

Looking Back... In an effort to transfer my book journal entries over to this blog, I'm going to attempt to post (in chronological order) an entry every Friday. I may or may not add extra commentary to what I jotted down in these journals.

I Know This Much Is True by Wally Lamb
Fiction
1998 Regan Books
Finished in August 1998
Rating: 4.5/5 (Very Good)

Publisher's Blurb:

On the afternoon of October 12, 1990, my twin brother, Thomas, entered the Three Rivers, Connecticut, public library, retreated to one of the rear study carrels, and prayed to God the sacrifice he was about to commit would be deemed acceptable. . . .

One of the most acclaimed novels of our time, Wally Lamb's I Know This Much Is True is a story of alienation and connection, devastation and renewal, at once joyous, heartbreaking, poignant, mystical, and powerfully, profoundly human.

My Original Notes (1998):

Very good, in spite of its length! I enjoyed reading Dominick's grandfather's memories. Nice device and well done. I'm glad it had a nice ending. Dominick had been through so much and was trying to become a better person - he deserved some happiness. I also liked the character of Dr. Patel. She seemed very real and worked hard to help Dominick heal himself.

Multi-dimensional characters.


My Current Thoughts:

I've had this on my shelf for over 20 years, always hoping to give it a second read. It's a chunkster (897 pages), but the type isn't too small, so it may be a good choice for a road trip read. I don't remember too much about it, but I do recall that I admired Dr. Patel and that I loved the novel. 

Looking Back - Chasing Cezanne

Looking Back... In an effort to transfer my book journal entries over to this blog, I'm going to attempt to post (in chronological order) an entry every Friday. I may or may not add extra commentary to what I jotted down in these journals.

Chasing Cezanne by Peter Mayle
Fiction
1991 Alfred A. Knopf
Finished on July 10, 1998
Rating: 3/5 (Good)

Publisher's Blurb:

Hanky-Panky on the international art scene is the source of the hilarity and fizz in Peter Mayle's new novel. He flies us back to the south of France (a region some readers of his irresistible best-sellers believe him to have invented), on a wild chase through galleries, homes of prominent collectors, and wickedly delectable restaurants. There are stopovers in the Bahamas and England, and in New York, where that glossiest of magazines, Decorating Quarterly, reflects the cutting-edge trendiness of its editor, Camilla Jameson Porter. (Camilla has recently broken new ground in the world of power lunches by booking two tables on the same day, and shuttling between them, at the city's trendiest restaurant.).

It is Camilla who has sent our hero, Andre Kelly, to Cap Ferrat to take glamorous photographs of the houses and treasures of the rich, famous, and fatuous. He happens to have his camera at the ready when he spots a Cezanne being loaded onto a plumber's truck near the home of an absent collector. Odd, thinks Andre. And in no time he's on the trail of a state-of-the-art art scam, chasing Cezanne. 

It's a joy to follow him and the crowds intent on speeding or foiling his quest - including a beautiful agent; a super-savvy art dealer attracted to the finer things in life, especially if they promise the payoff of a lifetime; an awesome Dutch forger; some outstandingly greedy New York sophisticates; and, invisible in the background, the parade of remarkable chefs whose mouthwatering culinary masterpieces periodically soothe the hero and tantalize the reader of Chasing Cezanne.

My Original Notes (1998):

Pretty good. Light and quick. So-so up until the trip to Paris. I love a romance! Could easily be made into a movie.

My Current Thoughts:

I don't remember this plot, but I do remember that I was somewhat disappointed with this novel, preferring his nonfiction work (A Year in Provence), which was more humorous and entertaining. I'm fairly certain that I never went on to read any more of Mayle's novels.

Where the Crawdads Sing

Where the Crawdads Sing by Delia Owens
Fiction
2018 Penguin Audio
Read by Casandra Campbell
Finished on May 4, 2019
Rating: 4/5 (Very Good)

Publisher's Blurb:

For years, rumors of the “Marsh Girl” have haunted Barkley Cove, a quiet town on the North Carolina coast. So in late 1969, when handsome Chase Andrews is found dead, the locals immediately suspect Kya Clark, the so-called Marsh Girl. But Kya is not what they say. Sensitive and intelligent, she has survived for years alone in the marsh that she calls home, finding friends in the gulls and lessons in the sand. Then the time comes when she yearns to be touched and loved. When two young men from town become intrigued by her wild beauty, Kya opens herself to a new life–until the unthinkable happens.

Perfect for fans of Barbara Kingsolver and Karen Russell, Where the Crawdads Sing is at once an exquisite ode to the natural world, a heartbreaking coming-of-age story, and a surprising tale of possible murder. Owens reminds us that we are forever shaped by the children we once were, and that we are all subject to the beautiful and violent secrets that nature keeps.

It took me close to six weeks to listen to Delia Owens' debut novel, Where the Crawdads Sing. As is my usual fashion, I listen here and there on my walks or on a drive into town for groceries. But I don't listen as often as I used to when I was working at Barnes & Noble. Back then, I could listen to an audiobook for a couple of hours every day while stocking displays before the store opened. Now, it's a half hour here or an hour there. It wasn't until we were on our camping trip that I found time to listen in big chunks, walking for a couple of hours at a time, not wanting to stop until I absolutely had to.

I enjoyed Cassandra Campbell's narration of the novel and could easily envision the marsh setting and characters, which are exquisitely depicted in Owens' story. I had no trouble keeping track of the alternating time periods and enjoyed the mystery, was surprised by a few turns of events, and appreciated the lack of predictability. As much as I enjoyed the narration, I wish I had read this one in print, as I believe the lyricism would have shone through more vividly on the printed page, prompting me to highlight passages to share and remember. I think I'll recommend it to my book club and that will give me the nudge to read it again. I'm anxious to see what lies ahead for this talented author.

A Month in Summary - April 2019

Chehalis River

Montesano, Washington

April 2019

I didn't finish very many books in April, partly because I spent the first half of the month involved with activities other than reading (yoga, pickleball, Mah Jong, etc.), as well as prepping for our three-week road trip. Our evenings were also occupied with movies and TV series, so that cut into my reading time, as well. And yet, what I did read was very satisfying. As I write, we are wrapping up our last day of our camping trip, heading home tomorrow. It has been great fun and we both enjoyed discovering a couple of new campgrounds that have gone our list for return visits. We also returned to a few old favorites and I was able to get in some long beach walks and bike rides. The weather was glorious!

Books Read in April (click on titles for my review):

The Guilty Dead by P.J. Tracy

Felicity by Mary Oliver

Nanaville: Adventures in Grandparenting by Anna Quindlen


First Lines:

Gus Riskin sipped from a bottle of water as he surveyed Trey's living room. What he saw infuriated and disgusted him. The priceless Persian rug beneath his feet was filthy, pockmarked with cigarette burns and littered with the castoffs of a dissolute life: pizza and take-out boxes of indeterminate age now housed skittering colonies of roaches; empty beer bottles and martini glasses had drooled out their  meager remains, leaving crunchy spots on the expensive silk pile; drug paraphernalia and detritus were scattered around the room like grotesque confetti. Something somewhere was putrefying, or maybe the whole house was so fetid with human decay, both physical and moral, it had permanently saturated the air. None of this was his problem, but he still found it deeply offensive. (The Guilty Dead)

Things take the time they take. Don't
worry.
How many roads did St. Augustine follow
before he became St. Augustine? (Felicity)

Sunlight spreads across the checkerboard tiles in the kitchen, and so do many other things: wooden spoons, a rubber frog, Tupperware, a couple of puzzle pieces, some plastic letters, elements of the obstacle course of the active toddler. Did you know that the wheels on the bus go round and round, all through the town? They do, over and over again, sung by the robotic voice of some plastic magnetic thing on the refrigerator. Oh, and Old MacDonald has a farm. The hokey pokey? That's what it's all about. (Nanaville: Adventures in Grandparenting)


Movies and TV Series:

House, MD (Season Six) - Yep, still watching this (for the second time).

The Highwaymen - Not bad! I like both Harrelson and Costner, so this was entertaining.

Tea with the Dames - I adore Maggie Smith and Judi Dench, so I was really looking forward to this documentary, but it wasn't nearly as good as I had hoped. It left me wanting more... maybe less about their early acting careers and more about their personal lives.

Game of Thrones (Season One & Two) - Yes, we have finally joined the millions of viewers and are completely caught up in this series. It's one of the most graphic shows I have ever watched (both violently and sexually) and yet I can't stop watching. It's nice to have the DVDs so we can watch a few episodes at a time without having to wait a week for the next installment.

Book Event:

A friend and I went to hear John Larison talk about his novel, Whiskey When We're Dry, which my book club read earlier this year. Larison read several passages from his book, as well as speaking about how he came to write the story. He was very personable, articulate and funny, making for a wonderful evening and my friend and I both wished we could have invited him to speak to our book club.

Puzzlemania:

Finished in 24 hours!

 This was great fun and surprisingly pretty easy. 

 Another quick one, taking us only four days!

 We live near Astoria, so this was especially fun.

Travel:

We have been on the road for almost three weeks, camping in old favorites, as well as discovering a couple of new gems, in the Pacific Northwest. I hope to blog about each location, but until then, here are a few highlights.

Milo McIver State Park

Estacada, Oregon

Incredible view of the Clackamas River and Mt. Hood

Bike ride in beautiful Sequim, Washington

Boondocking

 Purple Haze Lavender Farm

Sequim, Washington

Front row view!

Point Hudson Marina & RV Park

Port Townsend, Washington

Lake Quigg
Friends Landing
Montesano, Washington

In Other News:

 The wedding plans have begun! 

We are so excited for these two.

Looking Back - Out of Canaan

Looking Back... In an effort to transfer my book journal entries over to this blog, I'm going to attempt to post (in chronological order) an entry every Friday. I may or may not add extra commentary to what I jotted down in these journals.

Out to Canaan by Jan Karon
Mitford Series #4
Fiction
1997 Penguin Books
Finished in June 1998
Rating: 4/5 (Very Good)

Publisher's Blurb:

Father Tim, the Episcopal rector, and his talented and vivacious wife, Cynthia, are pondering the murky uncertainties of retirement. They're also trying to locate the scattered siblings of Dooley Barlowe, the mountain boy they love as their own. A brash new mayoral candidate is calling for aggressive development, and a tough survivor must hunker down for the fight of her life. Worse, the Sweet Stuff Bakery may be closing, and a suspicious real estate agent is trying to turn the beloved house on the hill into a spa. Can change be coming to Mitford? The buzz on Main Street says yes. Change is certainly coming to the tenderest regions of several townspeople's lives. A woman struggles every day to stay on course after years of hard living. A man tries to forgive himself for a tragic mistake. And the town's most eligible bachelor leaves Mitford -- and returns with a stunning surprise.

My Original Notes (1998):

Just as wonderful as the other three in the Mitford series! I hope there will be more. Wonderful characters. Touching episodes of life in a small town.

My Current Thoughts:

I'm re-reading the first book in this series (At Home in Mitford) and will most likely continue revisiting the series over the next year or two.

Nanaville: Adventures in Grandparenting

Nanaville: Adventures in Grandparenting by Anna Quindlen
Nonfiction - Memoir
2019 Random House
Finished on April 24, 2019
Rating: 4/5 (Very Good)

Publisher's Blurb:

A big-hearted book of wisdom, wit, and insight, celebrating the love and joy of being a grandmother, from the Pulitzer Prize–winning columnist and #1 New York Times bestselling author.

It's a little challenging to suss out why exactly it can be so magical. . . . All I know is: The hand. The little hand that takes yours, small and soft as feathers. I'm happy our grandson does not yet have sophisticated language or a working knowledge of personal finance, because if he took my hand and said, "Nana, can you sign your 401(k) over to me," I can imagine myself thinking, well, I don't really need a retirement fund, do I? And besides, look at those eyelashes. Or the greeting. Sometimes Arthur sees me and yells "Nana!" in the way some people might say "ice cream!" and others say "shoe sale!" No one else has sounded that happy to see me in many, many years.

Before blogs even existed, Anna Quindlen became a go-to writer on the joys and challenges of family, motherhood, and modern life, in her nationally syndicated column. Now she's taking the next step and going full Nana in the pages of this lively, beautiful, and moving book about being a grandmother. Quindlen offers thoughtful and telling observations about her new role, no longer mother and decision-maker but secondary character and support to the parents of her grandson. She writes, "Where I once led, I have to learn to follow." Eventually a close friend provides words to live by: "Did they ask you?"

Candid, funny, frank, and illuminating, Quindlen's singular voice has never been sharper or warmer. With the same insights she brought to motherhood in Living Out Loud and to growing older in Lots of Candles, Plenty of Cake, this new nana uses her own experiences to illuminate those of many others.

Nanaville is another irresistible memoir (especially for new grandmothers) by one of my most favorite and prolific authors, Anna Quindlen. I was thrilled to learn that I had won an Advance Reader's Copy through Goodreads, but waited until we were on our three-week road trip before I started reading. I knew I would enjoy it, but wanted to wait until I had a big chunk of uninterrupted time before beginning. From the opening pages, I was hooked, reaching for my Post-It flags, nodding my head in agreement. While my desire to mark passages eventually waned, my interest never did.

On the Shifting Rules of Parenting:

He is also not supposed to be sleeping on his stomach. I cycled through prevailing medical opinion on sleep positions as a young mother. I was supposed to put the first on his stomach so that if he spit up he wouldn't aspirate it into his lungs. (I love it when you hear things like this. The doctor is saying very calmly, "Aspirate into his lungs" and you're nodding and thinking, Aspirate? Into his lungs?) Number two was supposed to be on his side. Have you ever tried to get a baby to sleep on his side? The package is not designed that way. By the third there was some debate, side or back. It seemed someone, somewhere, had decided the lung-aspiration danger no longer applied. I settled the matter with my youngest by choosing the position in which she was most likely to settle down. I had three children under the age of five. Pragmatism was my middle name. If she wanted to sleep upside down like a bat, I would have put a bar on the ceiling above the crib. Whatever gets you through the night.

and a few more favorite passages:

Sunlight spreads across the checkerboard tiles in the kitchen, and so do many other things: wooden spoons, a rubber frog, Tupperware, a couple of puzzle pieces, some plastic letters, elements of the obstacle course of the active toddler. Did you know that the wheels on the bus go round and round, all through the town? They do, over and over again, sung by the robotic voice of some plastic magnetic thing on the refrigerator. Oh, and Old MacDonald has a farm. The hokey pokey? That's what it's all about.

This soundtrack, I know, will continue into perpetuity, first the nursery song, then the pop song, the rock song, the earworms of motherhood that emanate from the toy radio, the computer, from behind a closed bedroom door with a placard that says PLEASE KNOCK. I have been here before. Sort of.

and

It's a complicated relationship, being a good grandparent, because it hinges on a series of other relationships. It's an odd combination of being very experienced and totally green: I know how to raise a child, but I need to learn how to help my child raise his own. Where I once commanded, now I need to ask permission. Where I once led, I have to learn to follow. For years I had strong opinions for a living. Now I need to wait until I am asked for them, and modulate them most of the time. Probably I overreact.

and

...I'm learning that being a grandmother is not about the things you have to do. It's about the things you want to do. The fact is that motherhood is mainly about requirements. Very, very little of it is optional, if you're doing it with even a modicum of care. There's no sitting on the couch with a cup of coffee and the remote control, saying to yourself, I don't really have to feed that baby. I don't have to change his dirty diaper. I don't have to keep an eye on the toddler when she's around the cat or take her to the pediatrician when she's a hot little bundle of bright red pulling at her ear and sobbing. Motherhood is mainly a roundelay of thou shalt, shalt, shalt.

Nana, unless she has become de facto Mom for some sad reason, is pretty much purely about desire. I've fed the baby, changed the diaper, crawled around on the floor while he went straight for the electrical outlet or the dog's tail. But I've done that because I offered and was accepted. Most grandparents are tethered but not tied, connected but not compelled, except by choice.

and

Is there anything better than sitting in a rocking chair with a little boy next to you while you read him Goodnight Moon? Is there anything more magical than the connection between reader and book, Nana reading and grandson listening? Arthur discovered the book The Story of Ferdinand, and because of the gentle bull, he is interested in both flowers and bumblebees. I assume he learning lessons about the possibility of being both strong and gentle, but who knows? All I know is that books are magic. The Story of Ferdinand was published when my father was seven years old, and yet here is his great-grandson attending as Ferdinand is taken to the bullring and refuses to fight. 

Nanaville can easily be read in a single day, but as with most of Quindlen's books (a half dozen of which I have written about here), I prefer to read slowly, savoring this new book, drawing it out as long as possible in an attempt to make it last just a little bit longer.

My only grandchild (a beautiful, intelligent and kind-hearted young woman) is turning 17 this summer, has two part-time jobs lined up, and is heading off to college in the fall. While much of Quindlen's vignettes and advice apply to new grandparents, this gem of a book is one I look forward to reading again. My daughter is engaged to be married this fall and is hoping to start a family. I must admit, I would love to cuddle another little grandbaby again some day...

Now that I've finished her latest release, I want to get a copy and read Alternate Side, a novel of Quindlen's that was published 2018, which I somehow neglected to read. 

I received a complimentary copy of this book. All opinions are my own.

Felicity

Felicity by Mary Oliver
Poetry
2016 Penguin Press
Finished on April 16, 2019
Rating: 4/5 (Very Good)

Publisher's Blurb:

Mary Oliver, winner of the Pulitzer Prize, celebrates love in her new collection of poems

“If I have any secret stash of poems, anywhere, it might be about love, not anger,” Mary Oliver once said in an interview. Finally, in her stunning new collection, Felicity, we can immerse ourselves in Oliver’s love poems. Here, great happiness abounds.

Our most delicate chronicler of physical landscape, Oliver has described her work as loving the world. With Felicity she examines what it means to love another person. She opens our eyes again to the territory within our own hearts; to the wild and to the quiet. In these poems, she describes—with joy—the strangeness and wonder of human connection.

As in Blue Horses, Dog Songs, and A Thousand Mornings, with Felicity Oliver honors love, life, and beauty.

Every April, I have great intentions of reading a lot of poetry for National Poetry Month, but I rarely succeed. This year, I paid a visit to my library and came home with several collections from a variety of poets: Mary Oliver, Ursula Le Guin, Billy Collins and Marge Piercy. I dipped into a few, but it wasn't until I picked up Felicity that I felt like I had found something I could honestly say I enjoyed. I'm not a huge fan of poetry, but Mary Oliver's poems speak to me with their simple and clear words. I look forward to reading more of her works in Dog Songs, Why I Wake Early and A Thousand Mornings. 

Here are a few gems that I enjoyed reading several times during the month:

Don't Worry

Things take the time they take. Don't 
worry.
How many roads did St. Augustine follow
before he became St. Augustine?


Walking to Indian River

I'm ready for spring, but it hasn't arrived.
Not yet.
Still I take my walk, looking for any
early enhancements.
It's mostly attitude. I'm certain
I'll see something.
I start down the path, peering in
all directions.
The mangroves, as always, are standing in their
beloved water,
their new leaves very small and tender
and pale.
And, look! the way the rising sun 
strikes them,
they could be flowers
opening!


Storage

When I moved from one house to another
there were many things I had no room 
for. What does one do? I rented a storage
space. And filled it. Years passed.
Occasionally I went there and looked in,
but nothing happened, not a single
twinge of the heart.
As I grew older the things I cared
about grew fewer, but were more
important. So one day I undid the lock
and called the trash man. He took
everything.
I felt like the little donkey when
his burden is finally lifted. Things!
Burn them, burn them! Make a beautiful
fire! More room in your heart for love,
for the trees! For the birds who own
nothing---the reason they can fly.


Humility

Poems arrive ready to begin.
Poets are only the transportation.


That Tall Distance

That tall distance where
the clouds begin,
the forge that pounds out the lightning
and the black porch where the stars
are dressed in light
and arrangement is made for the moon's path---
it's these I think of now, after

a lifetime of goldfinches,
meandering streams,
lambs playing,
the passionate hands of the sun,
the coolness under the trees
talking leaf to leaf,
the foxes and the otters sliding on the snow,
the dolphins for whom no doubt
the seas were created,
the spray of swallows gathering in autumn---
after all of that
the tall distance is what I think of now.


That Little Beast

That pretty little beast, a poem,
has a mind of its own.
Sometimes I want it to crave apples
but it wants red meat.
Sometimes I want to walk peacefully
on the shore
and it wants to take off all its clothes 
and dive in.

Sometimes I want to use small words
and make them important
and it starts shouting the dictionary,
the opportunities.

Sometimes I want to sum up and give thanks,
putting things in order
and it starts dancing around the room
on its four furry legs, laughing
and calling me outrageous.

But sometimes, when I'm thinking about you,
and no doubt smiling,
it sits down quietly, on paw under its chin,
and just listens.


Late Spring

Finally the world is beginning
to change, its fevers mounting,
its leaves unfolding.

And the mockingbirds find
ample reason and breath to fashion
new songs. They do. You can
count on it.

As for lovers, they are discovering
new ways to love. Listen, their windows are open.
You can hear them laughing.

Without spring who knows what would happen.
A lot of nothing, I suppose.
The leaves are all in motion now
the way a young boy rows and rows

in his wooden boat, just to get anywhere.
Late, late, but now lovely and lovelier.
And the two of us, together---a part of it.


There are so many more poems that resonated with me. I believe this is a book to own and read at least once a year!

Click here to read more of my posts about poets and poetry.

Looking Back - Patty Jane's House of Curl

Looking Back... In an effort to transfer my book journal entries over to this blog, I'm going to attempt to post (in chronological order) an entry every Friday. I may or may not add extra commentary to what I jotted down in these journals.

Patty Jane's House of Curl by Lorna Landvik
Fiction
1995 Ivy Books
Finished in June 1998
Rating: 4/5 (Very Good)

Publisher's Blurb:

Patty Jane Dobbin should have known better than to marry a man as gorgeous as Thor Rolvaag, but she was too smitten to think twice. Yet nine months into their marriage, with a baby on the way, Thor is gone. It’s a good thing Patty Jane has her irrepressible sister, Harriet, to rely on. For it’s been said that a fine haircut can cure any number of ills, and before long the Minnesota sisters have opened a neighborhood beauty parlor complete with live harp music and an endless supply of delicious Norwegian baked goods. It’s a wonderful, warmhearted place where you can count on good friends, lots of laughter, tears, and comfort when you need it—and the unmistakable scent of somebody getting a permanent wave. . . .

My Original Notes (1998):

Pretty good! Reminded me of Fried Green Tomatoes and Steel Magnolias. Funny & sad. Brought me to tears toward the end. Loved the epilogue. I'm ready to read more by Landvik!

My Current Thoughts:

I met the author in 1998 at a small book event in Cleveland. She was very personable and quite funny. Apparently, she had done some stand-up comedy in the past, which was pretty apparent as she talked to us about her life and her novel. I did go on to read more by her, but I haven't read this one a second time. Might need to make time to do so.

The Guilty Dead

The Guilty Dead by P.J. Tracy
Monkeewrench #9
Mystery
2018 Crooked Lane
Finished on April 12, 2019
Rating: 4/5 (Very Good)

Publisher's Blurb:

Dead men tell no tales…but their pasts can’t keep a secret.

Gregory Norwood is Minnesota’s most beloved philanthropist, and the story of his son’s overdose was splashed across the front page of all the papers. When a photojournalist sets out to get a candid shot of the highly successful businessman on the one year anniversary of his son’s death, he’s shocked to find Norwood dead with a smoking gun in his hand.

The city is devastated, and Minneapolis detectives Leo Magozzi and Gino Rolseth are called in to handle the delicate case. It should be open and shut, but something is not right. Norwood's death is no suicide.

With no suspects and an increasing tangle of digital evidence that confounds the Minneapolis Police Department’s most seasoned cops, Magozzi calls on Grace MacBride, Monkeewrench Software’s founder and chief computer genius and the soon to be mother of their child together. She and her motley crew of partners begin to unravel connections between Norwood’s death and an even larger plot. Norwood wasn’t the first, won’t be the last, and by the end, may be just one of many to die.

The breakneck, high stakes race to find his killer and save the lives of hundreds make P. J. Tracy's The Guilty Dead her most outstanding novel yet.

I first encountered this mother-daughter writing duo in 2003 (pre-blogging days), rapidly devouring the first three mysteries of their Monkeewrench series as quickly as they were published. I've since written about Snow Blind, Shoot to Thrill and Off the Grid, all of which I thoroughly enjoyed. When The Sixth Idea was released, I eagerly snatched a copy at my library and dove in as soon as I got home. I know there are many series in which one or two books fall short of their predecessors, but The Sixth Idea was a terrible disappointment. I've since learned that Patricia (Traci's mother) passed away in 2016 and was afraid this wonderful series would lose its magic. When I spotted The Guilty Dead on the New Release shelf at the library, I decided to give it a chance, thinking maybe the lackluster storyline of The Sixth Idea was simply an anomaly.

As with most of the books in this series, the mystery wasn't too terribly complicated or convoluted. There were a couple of clues, early on, that I picked up on and was able to figure out a few details about the case well before the detectives did. But as the case progressed and new evidence was revealed, Leo had that "ah ha!" moment of clarity, which not only helped with solving the case, but kicked the tension up several notches.

There were times when cases were solved slowly and methodically, with little fanfare; other times evidence and information coalesced into a burst of sudden revelation; but this was the first time in Magozzi's career that a slow-motion movie of the past twenty-four hours stuttered through his mind in blinding clarity until it reached a horrifying, impossible conclusion.

The Guilty Dead has redeemed my faith in this series and I'm anxious to go back and read Nothing Stays Buried (#8), which I somehow missed. Or maybe I prejudged it after my disappointment with The Sixth Idea. Who knows. I'm just happy that this latest release was entertaining and held my interest. It was fun to learn about some new events in the Monkeewrench team's lives and while it may not be quite as good as the earlier installments in the series, I'm back on board and look forward to the next release, Ice Cold Heart, which is due out in September.

Click on book titles to read my earlier reviews.