I picked this book up because Jennifer Chiaverini is a favorite author. I knew it could end badly because of the title: Resistance Women. I was right on both counts. Based on real women (don't miss the author's note) and real events, it is well written and researched. These are people who opted to stay in Berlin in the days leading up to, and including, World War II. This was their home after all, where they were raised, the city they loved, and they wanted to help defend it against the Nazi Party. Not all would survive.

Letters and Lawsuits, one of the Isle of Man Ghostly Cozy mysteries, by Diana Xarissa, is, alas, the last of the series here on my 'to be read' pile. Normally this would not be of too much concern because Canadian Reader visits in May. Not this year! We both agree that this was one of the best ... a stranger (and her even stranger family) (sorry) have arrived on the island. The mother claims to be the illegitimate daughter of Max, who left Mona a lot of money, and now they want part of that estate. Warning signs might be that Max's (estranged) sister agrees with them, and the refusal on the part of anyone to take a DNA test. Then the mother ends up dead.

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Lying politicians, scammers, cheaters and so on have been around since the beginning of time. Read about many of them in A Treasury of Deception: Liars, Misleaders, Hoodwinkers, and the Extraordinary True Stories of History's Greatest Hoaxes, Fakes and Frauds by Michael Farquhar. Interesting, fun, and a bit depressing, be sure to read the chapter on subliminal advertising carefully, and don't miss the appendix dealing with doublespeak at the back. Still, some deceptions might be considered acceptable. Think the ghost soldiers in WWII, or the slave who mailed himself north to safety.

This might be one of the more unusual social history books I've read: Waste and Want: a Social History of Trash, by Susan Strasser. Not bad overall, a bit 'text booky' in places, I especially enjoyed the early chapters on when we really had no trash at all, everything was used up. That process was fascinating! As we became a less rural society, 'trash happened', and something had to be done with it. Next came plastics, packaging, planned obsolescence, and the push to have the 'newest' of, well, anything and everything. And then, of course, the move back to reuse, recycle, repurpose.

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It's time for the annual Whitsun dance, and this year it is combined with a steam rally (think all things that are run by steam). This time James and Beth are actually asked to help out with a case ... keeping an eye on someone living well beyond his means. He is one nasty fellow, and his son ! ... well, you'll have to read Lord James Harrington and the Whitsun Mystery by Lynn Florkiewicz to learn more! This is a fun series, I'm enjoying learning about local festivals and folk lore.

As with other books by Martin Walker, the reader learns a bit of history in The Children Return. The body that is found turns out to belong to an undercover agent. A missing (and special needs) son has returned home ... where has he been, and what has he been doing? All sorts of international police types are brought in this time, making for a compelling if sometimes uncomfortable read. Is the missing son a maker of bombs? Can he even stand trial? And, as for the history, a woman, a Jewish woman, has returned wanting to see again where she and her brother were hidden from German soldiers. Tracking this down is an adventure in itself! And, of course, there are descriptions of amazing meals.

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I was always the kid in the corner reading, the one who found 'see Dick run' to be boring, and wanted books for gifts. So was Lucy Mangan, who tells of her childhood in Bookworm: a Memoir of Childhood Reading. While I recognized a fair number of the books, there were many I did not as she grew up in England. I was amazed by how she could remember what she thought or felt the first time she read a book. Many of these books she's now reading to and with her son.

Western Washington Bridges: Pragmatic Design Spanning an Inhospitable Host, by Marques Vickers is an interesting, local read. Lots of bridges are included, each with a bit of history and a description of the type of bridge it is. The black and white photos, taken by the author intrigued me ... some of these bridges are crossed by thousands of cars on a daily basis, how did he get so many pictures without traffic?

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It's a mixed bag this post, one non-fiction book, one fiction. The connection is humor. :-)

J. Paul Waymack kept thinking his next step in becoming a doctor would be easier, or more relaxed, or with less trauma than what he'd just completed. He was usually wrong! Well, Doc, It Seemed Like a Good Idea at the Time: the Unexpected Adventures of a Trauma Surgeon covers much of what happened. A good read, but be warned, his specialty is burn victims (think of the wounds), and, there are chapters dealing with testing, some of it on animals.

Like the book above, Mr. Blandings Builds His Dream House, by Eric Hodgins, was written to be funny, or at least have humorous moments. The reviews for this all seemed to agree and yet, for some reason, I just did not think it was all that funny! What was supposed to be 50 acres was less than 30, paint of one color was ordered, but something else arrived, lights didn't work, and so on and so on. I've built a house, I know there are issues, and I still couldn't see the humor! There are at least two movies (of some acclaim) based on this book. Everyone has a different sense of humor, I say read it and see what you think. :-)

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There was a fun connection with A Dangerous Collaboration, part of the Veronica Speedwell Mystery series, by Deanna Raybourn and real life recently. Veronica is off to a small island in search of a rare butterfly, and a card I received featured butterflies. :-) There's more to just searching for the butterfly, of course, and the guests that have been invited to this small island are asked to search for a woman who went missing, on her wedding day, a few years back. The castle is full of secret passages, the crossing (by small boat) might be short, but can be very treacherous, there are several people with a possible motive ... and maybe a ghost, who plays the harpsichord.

I had to chuckle over the discovery of the body in this Ginger Gold Mystery, Murder on Fleet Street, by Lee Strauss ... it was a wealthy, important person. Found in a bathtub. In the apartment of his mistress. How to keep it from the press, and still conduct a discreet investigation? And of course, who and why? The victim had a wife, there were connections to his work as a spy during the war, he had been given a job because of his title, not his skills (he had none for this job), or was there some other reason?

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What do folks do when they reach a certain age? Some might retire and travel, or fish, or garden, but others, in this case women, start something entirely new. Great Second Acts: In Praise of Older Women, by Marlene Wagman-Geller was a powerful and inspiring read. Some start a business, or have a popular TV show, others change the fields of art or science. Prepare to be amazed!

What makes a product sell well? How does that clip on the 'net go viral? What's the best method of advertising? These questions and more are answered in Contagious: Why Things Catch On, by Johan Berger. Some things do well because of timing, such as the Mars bar (named after a person, not for the planet) when the Mars lander was in the news. Some did well by making them seem scarce, such as the McRib. Not a bad read.

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War is coming (it's 1917) and many women want to do more than what is expected of them (you know, 'womanly' things) and have banded together for some military type training. Naturally, the Kopp sisters are involved. There is also a most interesting young woman, using a false name and background. Why? Kopp Sisters on the March, by Amy Stewart is a great historical mystery about a little known event.

Easter is coming and the planning for the annual egg hunt is well under way. As the route through the woods is being marked a dog digs up a bone, a human bone, and these plans are stalled. The body has been buried for a while so clothing, shoes and a faded ID card are used for identification. Seems things are progressing nicely until the ME gives the height of the corpse as 5'10" or so while the ID showed him being someone over six feet tall. The plot, as is said, thickens! Lord James Harrington and the Easter Mystery, by Lynn Florkiewicz was one of the best of this series.

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