Here is historical fiction at it's best. Based on real people (the main character wrote the introduction) and real events, it was a powerful but often depressing read (humans can be just awful to each other). The Librarian of Auschwitz, by Antonio Iturbe, and translated by Lilit Zekulin Thwaites is an amazing story of people imprisoned in a Nazi concentration camp and what they do to survive. There's even a tiny library, a huge risk since anyone caught with a book will be executed. It's worth the risk, and they go to great lengths to protect the books they have.

Recently County Reader suggested an author and series that is new to me! (Love when this happens)! The author is Patricia Moyes and it is her Henry Tibbett series. First in the series is Dead Men Don't Ski and that is where I started. The description on the back called it a 'civilized, mannerly sort of murder' which fits! Inspector Tibbett and his wife are on holiday and sadly (but of course), there is a murder. Turns out some of the guests have a rather dark past, which might offer motive, but how could someone die on a chair lift? A nice cozy. :-)

The Secret Life of Anna Blanc, by Jennifer Kincheloe was an ... interesting debut (and first in a series). I have mixed feelings here. Listed as a historical mystery there was actually very little history. (Set in Los Angeles in 1907). Main character could be spunky (she tries to elope at the beginning, to escape a domineering father) but then often uses a 'glimpse of her cleavage' to get what she wants. She can be smart (figures out one clue by figuring out it was someone who could write well pretending they couldn't) and stupid (goes into a brothel, undercover, on her own). And, one typo, which probably bothered me more than it might others: reigns instead of reins! One review on the back said it was part 'Perils of Pauline' which seems to fit. Lots of action, some nice period details, ending was good (did not see it coming).

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Ever wonder what happens to your garbage? If so, read Garbage Land: On the Secret Trail of Trash, by Elizabeth Royte. Follow it from trash bin to dump site as the author tries recycling, composting, reducing packaging ... to reduce the amount of trash her family creates. There's a bit of history, too, as to how past civilizations dealt with their garbage. Sometimes a bit dry, but overall, not a bad read.

Although these two reads were separated by several other books, it seemed fitting to post them together. Picking Up: On the Streets and Behind the Trucks with the Sanitation Workers of New York City, by Robin Nagle is an interesting read about what it's really like to work on truck. There are tests to take before you can actually apply, then there is the interview process, health exams, paperwork and more paperwork, driving tests ... and then you wait for a call. It is a hazardous, dangerous job on many levels. Picking up from a large apartment is different than a neighborhood. The sanitation workers clean up after a parade or celebration (think New Year's Eve). They are responsible for snow removal. And routine cleaning of the streets. It's hard work, but one we rarely hear about (after all, who wants to think about garbage, right)? There should be a parade!

Working as a Red Cross volunteer handing out doughnuts, coffee, gum, etc. in what were called Clubmobiles, was something a woman could do in WWII. And that's just what Liz Richardson did. Author James H. Madison did a great job of combining her letters, and diary entries into his book Slinging Doughnuts for the Boys: an American Woman in World War II. It wasn't just the doughnuts the soldiers sought out, it was the sound of an American voice, a pretty face, a dance ... A nicely done first hand account.

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As far as I can determine Lord James Harrington and the Solstice Mystery is the last of these wonderful mysteries by Lynn Florkiewicz. One can only hope there is another one in the works that has not yet been mentioned! I read this at a good time, even though it was still officially spring, the start of summer was close by. Lord James and his wife come upon a serious accident. The driver actually dies, but not without some final words. And that's how it all starts. There's a commune that has just started up, missing people, stolen artwork, just so many things to investigate! Not to mention the planning for the coming solstice party. Loved how these all tied together.

The Women in Black, by Madeleine St. John is the sort of book I rarely read ... it's about fashion, and romance ...it's also about friendship and life, and I loved the recommendation on the front cover about it being given as a gift to cheer people up. I'll admit, it did just that ... and in these troubled and unsettled times, too. The title comes from the frock that the women, who work at Goode's Department Store in Sydney, Australia wear. They all work in clothing departments, from the everyday to the most expensive. They all have lives, too, and this is a glimpse at what is going on there, both the good and bad. A nice, positive read.

Rosa Reed, daughter to Ginger Gold, is back in California visiting her cousin, who convinces her to spend an afternoon enjoying the sun and carnival rides. You know this cannot go well, and sure enough, they find the body of a former high school friend. He was running the roller coaster when he was electrocuted. Was it an accident? Follow along in Murder on the Boardwalk, one of the Rosa Reed Mystery books by Lee Strauss and Denise Jaden and find out. ;-)

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Did you know there is an Obituary Writers' Hall of Fame? I sure didn't, by Jim Sheeler was inducted there in 2006. These are more than the usual obituary seen in newspapers, they are 'life stories'. You probably won't recognize anyone here, they all lived in Colorado, but their stories are wonderful. One of my favorites was the woman who outlived her tombstone. She was born in 1898 (remember that), so, when her husband died in 1973, she had her name put on the tombstone they would share, with her birth year and 19 -- figuring that could be completed when the time came. Della Evans died in 2001! (Think about that, she was alive in three different centuries). This charming little book is titled: Obit: Inspiring Stories of Ordinary People Who Led Extraordinary Lives.

For a nice little read in these turbulent times, try Find the Good: Unexpected Life Lessons from a Small-Town Obituary Writer, by Heather Lende. Although she writes about death, she also writes about life: how these people lived, and the good they did, and the lessons she's learned. One of the best? In bad times, when horrible things are happening, look for those who turn up to help out.

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I love the Baby Ganesh Agency Investigation mysteries by Vaseem Khan, and the most recent, Bad Day at the Vulture Club did not disappoint. There is an old, very old, secretive, very secretive community in Mumbai. One of their beliefs is to put a body out in their forest and let the vultures take care of it. So, when a body appears there, is it really all that odd? Well, yes (of course) it is! A Very Important Person has been murdered. The police think it's just a random killing, but his daughter does not. Enter Inspector Chopra and his delightful baby elephant.

Poppy Redfern and the Midnight Murders is the first in the A Woman of World War II Mystery series, by Tessa Arlen, and my first read for this author. I read far into the night with this one! It fit nicely with other reads (non-fiction) I've been doing on WWII. In fact, I feel I should have figured something out, but didn't. Trained as an air-raid warden in London, Poppy Redfern returns to her small home town to do that very job. Maintaining black out conditions has become all the more important since there is now an American Airfield nearby. Not everyone is happy with this, especially when the young women start dating the Americans.

I was not sure I was going to read another of the Dear Abby Cozy Mystery books by Sonia Parin, as it is self-published and there have been problems with grammar, tense and so forth (What can I say, Mom was an English teacher), but The Last Ride included a merry-go-round so I gave it a try. The owner of a local eatery, and provider of the town's best coffee, is annoyed by some blogs that have been posted about her cafe. She orders, er, asks Abby to find the person behind them ... and restricts her coffee allotment until she does so! It's an interesting adventure, for sure. :-)

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Dog is My Co-Pilot: Great Writers on the World's Oldest Friendship, from the Editors of The Bark (magazine) has been out for years but I am just now getting around to reading it. I subscribe(d) to The Bark, and the last issue just came out, (very sad) so I thought I'd read this to remember many of the articles they have published. I especially like that they got permission from the author of God is my Co-Pilot to use this spin for their title. (He loved it). As with all collections some I loved, some I didn't but it's fun to have that sort of choice! There are companion dogs, and rescue dogs, and how dogs have made an impact on lives ... and one, written from some time ago, where the author (female, single, with a dog) was told that by having a dog it meant she was ready to get married and have a baby! She was puzzled because if a single man had a dog, well, that was just a 'dog is man's best friend thing. An interesting collection.

I always feel a bit sorry for the 'next' book after reading something wonderful by a new or favorite author and will try for something completely different, one that might fit with my 'you read WHAT?' blog from a few years ago. This time it was Fashion Climbing: a Memoir, by Bill Cunningham. Published after Mr. Cunningham's death, it was found, completely written and ready to go. From a very young boy (he was caught, at age four or five in his sister's clothes), he had an interest in fabric, color, texture ... This did not go over well with his Boston, conservative, religious family. (His Mom once beat him severely). They tried sending him to trade school but he learned he liked making beautiful and delicate designs in wood, or iron. He served in the military ... and ended up exactly where he wanted to be, in Paris (he spoke French). He loved making hats, unique, one of a kind hats, but when that fashion statement dried up, he turned to photography, and was amazing at it. What impressed me here was that no matter what life dished out, he took it and ran with it. A most interesting read about a most interesting man.

There are lots of small towns here in the Pacific Northwest, each with it's own unique history and, of course, stories! Some are almost mythical ... so that's what author Dorothy Wilhelm set out to clear up! She visits the town, hears the story, then searches out the real story. True Tales of Puget Sound was a great, fun read! Mannikins, set out to attract business, took on a special life (they married, bought a house, had a kid). A moose won in a local election. The best pies in the world had a special ingredient, which the baker was happy to share. Great pictures, hard to put down.

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I am going to call this a 'what do I say' post. While I did read both of these books, there was something about each that made me pause in my decision to recommend them. Then I decided I could merely mention them, yes? (But decided to not include an image). ;-)

I have read, loved, and recommended other books by Kate Morton and The Clockmaker's Daughter started out just as well as all the others. Beautiful writing and incredible weaving of so many different story lines, I was reading far into the night. And then the ending ... which I read twice (the last forty pages or so) just to see if I missed something. It felt ... incomplete and maybe rushed? Someone else who read it feels the same way. Hmm.

And then with Three Things About Elsie, by Joanna Cannon ... it's about folks in an assisted care facility, a rather sad one, it seems. As it went along I felt sort of confused and a bit put off. Then I think I realized what the author was doing, maybe. And here's the tough part, I can't say what that was withoug it being a huge spoiler! So I'm just going to say it's about aging, and friendship, and things from the past that surface again, and perhaps a bit of hope.

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Seems Matt Brown has written several books with a theme ... that theme being what we know about a particular subject is wrong! I quite enjoyed Everything You Know About England is Wrong. The 'longest river' isn't, 'God Save the Queen' (or King) is not the national anthem, what the Queen can and cannot do ... and so on. Just a fun read!

And, while we're on the subject of England, here is a fun travel guide (in my case just for armchair travel): London Peculiars: a Guide to the City's Offbeat Places, by Peter Ashley. A peculiar is something "having eccentric or individual variations to the general or predicted pattern" (from the introduction). So, we find a row of houses that are just a front for something ugly behind. Old structures that have been moved, or, no longer serve their original purpose because the river has moved. Street lamps that were sewer vents, shelters for cab drivers (think horse and buggy days), fences made from the metal stretchers used in WWII. Wonderful photos, by the author, add to the enjoyment of this read.

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Be Still My Heart is the second in the Dear Abby Cozy Mystery series by Sonia Parin. As a reporter, Abby is looking forward to the annual Eden fundraiser/picnic. She is not as thrilled when she learns she has to show up in 1920's apparel. A body is found, of course, but when it's determined to be 'death by allergic shock' ... as in a bee sting ... Abby decides she has to do some investigating on her own. The victim wore a medic-alert bracelet, why did she not have the necessary antidote? Where were the oars to the boat? These and other questions take her on an ... interesting investigation.

I was so jealous when Canadian Reader mentioned she was starting the new Iona Whishaw book! My copy was on order but had yet to arrive. It finally did and I settled into to A Match Made for Murder with a fuzzy dog snuggled in beside me. What a great read! Lane Winslow and Inspector Darling on on their honeymoon, in Arizona (it's November, and cold back home). They are expecting good food, relaxing times, maybe a horseback ride, certainly not a murder! Things are happening back home, too ... can't say too much here ... but there are some intriguing twists and turns in the story line. Clear some time, this one is hard to put down. This is book #7 in the Lane Winslow Mystery series.

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