"Fatally Frosted"

"Fatally Frosted" by Jessica Beck is another book in Beck's Donut Shop Mystery series starring Suzanne Hart. When a donut from Suzanne's shop proves to be the weapon that murdered a local busy body, she has to figure out who did it to clear her name. This time her police inspector boyfriend, Jake Bishop, is out of town because his niece is in the hospital and that family emergency has him out of the picture. However, Suzanne's ex-husband, Max, wants to be part of her detective team. There are enough suspects to cloud the sleuthing trail but in the end Suzanne successfully solves the case but not without almost becoming a victim herself. This is another fun, quick read by Jessica Beck.

Enjoy!

pazt

Failure to Launch

"Failure to Launch" stars Matthew McConaughey as 35 year old Tripp - a man who still lives with his parents. Kathy Bates as his mom and Terry Bradshaw as his father are perfect casting in my opinion! Tripp has it made living at home with his parents because his mother cleans his room, does his laundry, and cooks his meals. When a woman starts to get serious about him, Tripp (who appears to have an aversion to a serious relationship) solves the problem by bringing them home for the night and, when they discover he still lives at home with his parents, the women end the romance and he doesn't have to do a thing.

Tripp's parents learn from some of their friends that they can hire Paula (played by Sarah Jessica Parker) to get Tripp to leave the nest because she is a pro at it. Paula seems to have relationship issues of her own -- doesn't want one!

Paula and Tripp each have a best friend to advise them -- although not always dishing out the best advice as far as I'm concerned! They add their own humor to what is billed as "a bright and breezy romantic comedy" by Gene Shalit of Today. However, this film does have its serious moments when the reasons Tripp and Paula don't want committed relationships comes to light and Paula wants to back out of her deal with Tripp's parents. This is a film well worth watching for the comedy as well as the serious, thought-provoking moments.

pazt

"The Information Officer"

"The Information Officer" by Mark Mills is a well written historical whodunnit set in 1942 on the island of Malta. Max Chadwick is a British officer in charge of spinning the news on the island to keep the spirits of the locals high. It's about living life to its fullest in the middle of a war zone where one never knows if they'll survive to the next day.

When a doctor friend shares with Max that a young local woman has been murdered and she's not the first, he sets out to find out who is behind the murders. However, he's warned off by some higher ups and encouraged by others but he's really tested when a woman he works with and has feelings for appears to be about to become the latest victim. This is a novel with twists and turns but it is written in a style that is so real that I felt the conversations were just what you'd expect in a similar situation. It has its humorous moments, too. I liked it so well that I'm going to see if Mills has any other novels out there to read.

pazt

Stroke of Insight

"Stroke of Insight - A Brain Scientist's Personal Journey" by Jill Bolte Taylor, Ph.D. was one of the books my book club read earlier this year. We have a number of medical professionals in our group who were skeptical about Taylor's writing about her experiences for various reasons but one was that it is written about after the fact and from her memory which was likely affected by the rare form of stroke she suffered in the left hemisphere of her brain -- a "major hemmorrhage, due to an undiagnosed congential malformation of the blood vessels in my head, that erupted unexpectedly."

As a lay person, though, I saw this book from an entirely different perspective and found it enlightening. It is a book that I'd like everyone near and dear to me to read because some of Taylor's insights into the care of a person who has suffered a stroke include knowledge I'd like my family to have if I ever suffer a stroke. I want to continue to be treated with respect and dignity if I suffer a stroke or other serious illness plus I want to be treated with respect and dignity as I age rather than being spoken to as if I were a child (something I've observed in how others treat those who are "elderly.")

Taylor was 37 years old at the time she suffered her stroke and, as a Harvard-trained brain scientist, she was able to view what was happening to her in sort of a detached, clinical way while also realizing she needed to obtain help. Her determination and creativity in getting that help were also inspiring. Her recovery -- while slow -- has been miraculous in itself and her experiences have brought a new depth to her work as a brain scientist, I'm sure.

Taylor was lucky because she has a mother who was able to drop everything and leave her own life in another state to stay with Taylor until she was able to live on her own again. Her mother was also patient, supportive and instrumental in Taylor's successful recovery to becoming an independent, functioning adult again. Her mother used her teaching background to help retrain Taylor's mind to enable her to regain some of the cognitive abilities she had lost due to the stroke.

Although Taylor has a lot of admiration for the abilities of her left brain, she has come to appreciate the qualities of the right brain and has chosen to reinforce and use more of her right brain while still retaining the important qualities of her left brain that have served her well in the past but discarding those qualities she doesn't want to promote any longer. She has chosen not to reawaken the part of her left hemisphere that "had the potential to be mean, worry incessantly, or be verbally abusive to either myself or others.....I wanted to leave behind any of my old emotional circuits that automatically stimulated the instant replay of painful memories. I have found life to be too short to be preoccupied with pain from the past."

Taylor has chosen to focus on ways to retain the bliss and peace she felt while focused more in her right brain. On page 134-135 she says, "My goal during this process of recovery has been not only to find a healthy balance between the functional abilities of my two hemispheres, but also to have more say about which character dominates my perspective at any given moment. I find this to be important because the most fundamental traits of my right hemisphere personality are deep inner peace and loving compassion. I believe the more time we spend running our inner peace/compassion circuitry, then the more peace/compassion we will project into the world, and ultimately the more peace/compassion we will have with the planet. As a result, the clearer we are about which side of our brain is processing what types of information, the more choice we have in how we think, feel, and behave not just as individuals, but as collaborating members of the human family.

From a neuroanatomical perspective, I gained access to the experience of deep inner peace in the consciousness of my right mind when the language and orientation association areas in the left hemisphere of my brain became nonfunctional."

I loved Taylor's insights and the fact that she is focused on ways to access that inner peace she felt after the stroke when she was more aware of her right brain's functioning.

On page 129, she says: "I confess that although I celebrate being a solid again, I really miss perceiving myself as a fluid. I miss the constant reminder that we are all one."

The insights Taylor gained and shared in this book are ones I wish to be reminded of often so maybe that is why this book "spoke" to me. I, too, believe we are all one even though I haven't had the sense of knowing this in the same way that she experienced it as a result of her stroke but I believe it is the key to finding peace within ourselves and in our relationships with those we love and with the larger world or universe. Until we recognize that we are all one how will we collectively as well as individually achieve world peace?

pazt

Calendar Girls

A few years ago I was loaned a copy of the DVD, "Calendar Girls," starring Helen Mirren and Julie Walters and it's been hanging around my house ever since because I have rare opportunities to see the woman who loaned me the DVD. That's about to change when I attend a bridal shower for her only granddaughter tomorrow so I decided it's about time I returned the loaned DVD. I actually thought I'd already watched it but sat down one evening last week when my hubby was away (because he hadn't expressed any interest in seeing the movie) to view it. Clearly I hadn't seen it because there were only brief snatches that seemed familiar. I have to admit I watched it after a tiring week of part-time work and part-time grandparenting while our daughter was out of town so I did occasionally fall asleep but never longer than a few minutes the clock assured me.

I loved the movie which is based on a true story with some liberties taken, of course, for movie making. It's a story about relationships -- between women friends, between men and women and in marriage and it's a heart-warming story with some moments of angst but over all a movie that makes one feel good about the human race.

The story centers around ordinary women who are members of a Women's Institute which is a local group of "prim and proper" ladies listening to boring speakers week after week. But...when one of the member's husbands is diagnosed with a terminal cancer, her friends pull together to support her and, after his death, pull together once again to do something to honor his memory. As one might imagine, there is quite a bit of "interest" when their money-making plan turns out to be 12 of the women nude on a fundraising calendar. Where this leads these women and how it changes their lives is truly a heart-warming story and I encourage you to check out this movie.

pazt

"To Kill A Mockingbird"

Earlier this year my book club read "To Kill A Mockingbird" and it was a book that I thoroughly enjoyed. I was disappointed when I learned that the author, Harper Lee, who won a Pulitzer Prize for her book, has never written another one because I was ready to read everything she'd written.

The book focuses on Atticus Finch, an attorney and widower, and his two children as well as the black housekeeper who helps raise the children. When Atticus is asked to defend a black man accused of raping a white woman, he takes on the case despite knowing it will not be well received by others in the small southern town where he grew up and lives. However, Atticus is a man who believes everyone has a right to the best defense and he also believes in the innocence of his client so he sets out to prove it. It's told from the point of view of his youngest child, a daughter, and I think that is the key to why this book is so well-received and loved.

Although I have a faint recollection of seeing the movie starring Gregory Peck, I didn't really remember the story line of the movie as I was reading the novel so I decided to find a copy of the DVD for my spouse and I to watch for date night. Even though I read the book fairly recently, I can't say for sure but I believe there are some discrepancies in the movie. However, they are not discrepancies that dilute the original message. It's more like they changed the order of some events -- and, of course, shortened them somewhat -- to make it more adaptable to a movie version.

The biggest names in the movie are Gregory Peck and Robert Duvall but Duvall doesn't even receive a credit anywhere on the cover of the DVD. He had a bit part and I suspect it must have been an early role for him.

I've heard that Peck was very particular about the movie roles he accepted and in "To Kill A Mockingbird" and "The Big Country" (another of his movies I love) I see the thread of an honorable man. Was Peck also an honorable man who chose to play those types of roles? I think I'll check out some of his other movies to see if they're in the same vein.

After watching "To Kill A Mockingbird" I can't imagine anyone else playing the role of attorney, Atticus Finch. If you have never seen this movie or read the book, I highly recommend you do both.

pazt

About Last Night.....

"About Last Night" features Rob Lowe, Demi Moore, James Belushi, and Elizabeth Perkins exploring relationships/dating in the 80's. The film is based on David Marnet's Obie award-winning play, "Sexual Perversity in Chicago" and, if you're offended by nudity, this isn't a film you want to watch. It focuses mainly on the relationship between Danny Martin (Lowe) and Debbie Sullivan (Moore) who meet at a bar, have a one-night stand that turns into something more. Can their moving in together stand the test of time and lead to love? Their best friends and romantic advisers are played by James Belushi and Elizabeth Perkins who provide some comedic relief. The cast was all much younger then but their talent shines through revealing the potential stars they all became.

Although it was a fun movie to watch, I couldn't really identify with it since I was already married and the parent of 3 children by the 80's. I was also raised in a time when sex before marriage was frowned on so this movie was not my dating experience. I can see pros and cons in the freedom that young people now have to explore their relationship before making a permanent commitment. Which do I think is better? I honestly don't know -- what do you think?

pazt

"Killer Mousse"

"Killer Mousse" by Melinda Wells is the first book in the Della Cooks Mystery series and it's a light, fun mystery that left me wanting more. Like many of its type it also includes recipes.

Della Carmichael is a former school teacher who is trying to keep her cooking school afloat so accepts a job as a cable TV chef but on her very first show there's a murder. Della sets out to track down the murderer herself because she's desperate to keep her job.

Unfortunately for Della, some of the fellow co-workers she interviews lead to more deaths and, if it weren't for the homicide cop ex-partner of her deceased husband working with the lead homicide detective, she fears she would be in jail. However, Della herself becomes a target and the need to find the killer intensifies.

Along the way Della finds some distracting romance on two fronts and has to make some tough choices. Wells does a good job of fleshing out Della's life including friends, household pets, and new acquaintances so I finished the book feeling like I knew Della and I want to see how her life and romance evolves.

Check out this quick read for yourself -- pazt

Death at the Chateau Bremont

"Death at the Chateau Bremont," A Verlaque and Bonnet Mystery, by M. L. Longworth was just published this year. My spouse picked it up on the "best picks" shelf at our local library then passed it on to me because he thought it was a book I'd enjoy, too.

He was definitely right about that! I thoroughly enjoyed this new mystery (in what I hope will be an ongoing series) which was rich in details about the countryside as well as the cast of characters.

A local nobleman, Etienne de Bremont, falls to his death from the family chateau and Chief Magistrate of Ais, Antoine Verlaque, suspects it might be foul play. When he learns Bremont was a close childhood friend of his ex-girlfriend, Marine, he enlists her help to seek answers from the family that she knows so well -- his brother, Francois -- in debt and maybe in some other trouble, too. Then there's the widow and her sister and the chauteau caretaker and his sister. When another murder occurs, Verlaque's suspicions about the fall possibly being murder are heightened.

In the meantime, Verlaque is enjoying an excuse to spend time once again with Marine, a law professor at the local university. Will they be able to solve the cases? Will they be able to rekindle their romance and work out all the issues that kept it from being a success before?

M. L. Longworth writes well and, although this is her first work of fiction, she has written about the Aix-en-Provence region where the novel is set for the Washington Post, the Times (UK), the Independent (UK) and Bon Appetit magazine. She has authored a bilingual collection of essays, Une Americaine en Provence" that was published in 2004. She divides her time between Aix (where she writes) and Paris (where she teaches writing at New York University.)

If you enjoy a mystery with lots of twists and turns, this one is for you!

pazt

"An Ideal Husband"

An Ideal Husband" is a fun satirical movie (1999) featuring Cate Blanchett, Minnie Driver, Rupert Everett, Julianne Moore, and Jeremy Northam and is based on Oscar Wilde's play. Northam plays the role of Sir Robert Chiltern a wealthy, prinicipled politician in London who is well off and has a wife (Cate Blanchett) who plays a large role in advancing his political career because she believes in his integrity.

Chiltern's best friend, Lord Goring (played by Everett), is a playboy whose father insists he change his ways and marry. Minnie Driver portrays Chiltern's sister, Mabel, who loves to flirt with Lord Goring while turning down the proposals of another man.

All appears well in their world until a Mrs. Cheveley (Julianne Moore) arrives in London and attempts to blackmail Chiltern with some knowledge she has about his past that might ruin his political career and his marriage. In addition (and to complicate matters), his best friend, Lord Goring, also has a past history with Mrs. Cheveley. When Chiltern turns to his friend, Lord Goring for help, his attempts to remedy the situation turn into a comedy of errors.

Will Chiltern save his marriage and keep his priniples, will his sister finally say yes, and will Lord Goring's father prevail in his wish that his son marry and, if so, who is the "lucky" woman?

I found this to be a fun, witty story and the cast of characters certainly helped "make" the movie. If you're looking for some light comedy/satire, check this DVD out.

pazt

"Glazed Murder"

"Glazed Murder" by Jessica Beck is her first in a series of Donut Shop Mysteries featuring newly divorced Suzanne Hart who used her divorce settlement to open Donut Hearts coffee shop in her home town of April Springs, North Carolina. Running a donut shop means early morning hours and long days (every day!) with the part-time help of a single employee. It's during her early morning baking that Suzanne has a dead body dumped at the front door of her shop. Although everyone is telling her not to investigate because she could be putting her own life at risk, she doesn't listen. She's afraid the killer thinks she knows who he is so she sets out to find him first. As she snoops, she upsets a few of her fellow townspeople.

The married chief of police who wanted to marry her widowed mother when they were young,seems to have no patience with Suzanne so she enlists the help of a retired policeman to aid her in her investigation.

In the meantime, Max, her ex-husband, is making overtures at wooing her again but she's not forgiving his marital infidelity. When Jake Bishop, a state police inspector, is called to town to help in the investigation, a chance for a new romance appears to blow into town with him. However, Suzanne's penchant for investigation may be putting her as well as her friends and family at risk.

I found this to be a fun mystery read and the inclusion of recipes throughout the book is reminiscent of Diane Mott Davidson's mystery series.
If you're looking for a "light" mystery that is a quick read, this is it. I enjoyed it so much that I already have her second book in hand.

pazt

"Frag Box"

"Frag Box" by Richard A. Thompson appears to be the second book in the Herman Jackson mystery series. The first book was "Fiddle Game" and, although "Frag Box" was published in 2009, I have yet to find another book out in this series. I am really enjoying the Herman Jackson mysteries so I'm hoping there are more on the horizon!

When a former homeless, Vietnam vet client (who paid his bail in cash) is beaten to death, he names Jackson as his heir. What does a homeless man have that is valuable enough to cause his murder? Ultimately,Jackson finds himself teamed up with a female newspaper reporter trying to solve the murder as well as find his inheritance while trying not to be killed themselves. It's another well written mystery by Thompson with plenty of surprises. I recommend you don't miss this sequel.

pazt

"Fiddle Game"

Richard A. Thompson's, "Fiddle Game," is the first of what I hope will be a long and successful series featuring bail bondsman, Herman Jackson.

Herman Jackson has set himself up as a bail bondsman in St. Paul running away from his former life. When a young woman comes to him using a valuable violin as collateral to bail her brother out of jail, he takes the bait then watches as she is murdered in front of his office. When he sets out to uncover her murderer, the trail takes him to a crooked cop,
Gypsies, and puts his own life at risk. Along the way, he discovers some unusual sources of assistance.

This is a mystery full of unexpected twists that kept me guessing until the very end. I want to thank my spouse for finding this book at our library and introducing me to it after he finished it -- and for not spoiling the story for me by giving away any of it before I read it!

pazt

"Lost In Austen"

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My spouse picked up "Lost in Austen" on DVD at our library and we watched it not once but twice this week and we've decided it is a must addition to our DVD library. We've been fans of Jane Austen for several years now and have several of her books as well as most of her stories in DVD version -- sometimes more than one version of each. We weren't sure how we'd feel about a spinoff of a Jane Austen story but, as you might have guessed from the fact that we want to add this one to our collection, we found it delightful.

Amanda Price loves reading Jane Austen more than spending time with her boyfriend -- much to the dismay of her mother! When she is reading "Pride and Prejudice," she becomes so enmeshed in the story that she thinks she's dreaming when Elizabeth Bennett steps through a door in the wall and into Amanda's bathtub. Before she knows it they have traded places, lives, and centuries. As Amanda tries to keep the "story" going just the way Jane wrote it, everyone's relationships change. Can Amanda put everything back the way it was and right "history" before returning to her century or has she forever changed the story line of "Pride and Prejudice?"

Although I love Jane Austen, updating and changing some of her characters really did make this altered version a great story -- check it out for yourself. Be warned, though, that it is a three hour version so be sure to start your DVD viewing early in the evening.

pazt

Sacred

"Sacred" is Dennis Lehane's third Patrick Kenzie-Angela Gennaro mystery. At the end of the second book, "Darkness, Take My Hand," Kenzie and Gennaro - both wounded physically and emotionally - decide to take time off from detective work to heal. As "Sacred" begins, Angela is sleeping on the couch in Patrick's apartment/combination office and they're not responding to phone calls or any other form of communication nor will they answer their door. When Trevor Stone, a very wealthy man, needs their help to find his missing daughter, he gets their attention by kidnapping them then convincing them to take on the case. He's done his homework and knows minute details about their lives plus he's very persuasive - oh, and did I mention very rich?

Stone is in a wheelchair after an attempted carjacking ended with his wife's murder. He's recently discovered he's dying of cancer and wants to reconcile with his only daughter, Desiree, who in a grief-stricken state appears to have joined a cult. Jay, the private detective who trained Patrick, works for a prestigious detective agency and was on the tail of Desiree when he disappeared in Florida. His firm has taken him off the case and refuse to discuss anything about it so Patrick and Angela take up where Jay left off heading to Florida to pick up his trail accompanied by two of Stone's men.

Desiree is a beautiful head-turning, heart-stopping young woman and disappearing herself would be quite a trick. Patrick and Angela find Jay and Desiree along with murder and betrayal. This book will keep you guessing as the plot twists and turns leading to a surprising conclusion.

Enjoy the trip!

pazt

"The Bride Collector"

"The Bride Collector" by Ted Dekker is a New York Times bestseller that also won the Readers Choice NPR Top 50 Killer Thriller awards. I can certainly see why as this was a book that I didn't want to put down until I'd finished it and, if the reviews at the front of the book are any indication, I wasn't the only one!

FBI Special Agent Brad Raines and Nikki Holden, a leading forensic psychologist, are on the trail of a serial killer who chooses only beautiful women as his victims. As he leaves clues to his identity, Raines and Holden are led to the Center for Wellness and Intelligence, a private residence for gifted, mentally ill residents where they find some surprising help in solving their case.

This book is full of surprises -- about the victims and the murderer as well as thought provoking questions about mental illness and our understanding of it. What does it really mean to be mentally ill, how do we individually and as a society view mental illness and much more.

This is the first I've read by Ted Dekker but I'm already looking for another Dekker novel to read!

pazt

"My Sister's Keeper"

"My Sister's Keeper" is a movie based on New York Times bestselling author Jodi Picoult's novel of the same name. It is directed by Nick Cassavetes who also directed "The Notebook" and "John Q."

The story centers around Anna portrayed by Abigail Breslin -- a remarkable and brilliant young actress who always gives her best to her roles. Anna is a young girl born into a family with an older brother and an ailing older sister, Kate, who has leukemia. Although Anna herself is not ill, she might as well be since she was conceived as a "donor" for Kate. Anna has been probed and prodded from birth and undergone medical procedures designed to save Kate's life. Anna's activities are also restricted by this and she longs to be a normal young woman participating in normal pursuits. When Kate needs one of Anna's kidneys, Anna balks and hires an attorney (a great role for Alec Baldwin) to seek medical emancipation allowing her the right to make all medical decisions regarding her own body.

Anna's decision rips her family apart. Her mother (played to perfection by Cameron Diaz) gave up her law practice to care for Kate but returns to the courtroom to fight Anna's right to medical emancipation. Anna's brother already appears to be on her side -- helping her hock a piece of jewelry to pay her attorney. Anna's father, who I believe already saw her as an individual apart from her sister's medical needs, begins to view her in a new light as he recalls the physical and emotional pain Anna has endured in order to help Kate -- who Anna does dearly love.

Joan Cusack portrays the judge assigned to hear this unique case and brings great depth to her role as a judge who is also a mother who has suffered the loss of her own child.

This movie would be a good starting place for a discussion about family relationships, love, loss, and much more.

Cassavetes has brought together a spectacular cast to tell this story that is not only emotionally gripping but full of love and moments of light heartedness plus a totally surprise ending. Please don't let the subject matter deter you from watching this one -- It's well worth seeing in my opinion.

pazt

Salt

When the movie, Salt, came to the theaters last year, I heard mixed reviews about it but I was determined it was a movie I wanted to see and rate myself. I put myself on the waiting list at our library and finally was able to pick it up, bring it home, and view it. I was not disappointed.

Angelina Jolie plays a CIA operative who is accused of being a sleeper agent (or double agent for Russia) after years of proving her loyalty to the U.S. and the CIA. Early on in the movie she is on the run and we're left to wonder - "Is she or isn't she?" You'll have to find out for yourself.

Don't miss the special features at the end of the DVD -- particularly, director Phillip Noyes radio interview. He's almost as interesting as the movie and I definitely want to make sure I see his movies -- past and future.

An interesting side note is the fact that about the time the movie was released was when 11 individuals were accused of being "sleepers" in the U.S. and were sent back to Russia. My husband and I were left to ponder what happens to someone so acclimatized to the States and who has spent so little time in their home country when they're forced to leave their life here?

"Salt" is an action packed movie and Jolie makes a believable heroine - enjoy!

pazt

"The Man Who Loved China"

Simon Winchester's "The Man Who Loved China" was our book club's pick several months ago. I didn't finish reading it before our group met but have continued to renew it from the library in an attempt to finish it. Although I enjoy the material, I find myself falling asleep every time I read it so it's been very slow going! Now the library wants the book back or wants me to buy it from them so I guess it's time to give it up!

"The Man Who Loved China" is the fascinating story of Joseph Needham who I'd never heard of before. He was an eccentric, married Cambridge University biochemist who fell in love with a visiting Chinese student, Lu Gwei-djen, and had a long-term affair with her with the full knowledge of his wife, Dorothy Needham. (In fact, even after his wife joined him in China, he managed to later also send for Lu and have her appointed to his staff which didn't sit well with some of his colleagues. Later Lu moved to England and lived on the same street as the Needham's and she and Dorothy seemed to develop a friendship also.)

Needham's love for Lu led him to China in September 1943 as a diplomat. It was during war time and he traveled extensively while there gathering a wealth of information about China that resulted in his writing volumes when he eventually returned to England. "By the time he left China he had visited 296 Chinese institutes, university, and research establishments; he had arranged for the delivery of thousands of tons of equipment and chemical and scientific journals; he would read, endlessly and voraciously, the various thousands of documents which he had collected and which he felt certain would enhance his knowledge of China; and he spent much of his final months laying the foundations for a diplomatically privileged organization to support Chinese science--an organization that would continue to function without him long after he had left." (From page 157 of the hardback edition)

Needham had a keen interest in all things and seemed to genuinely enjoy meeting new people and learning more about them. He also had a special interest in women! Needhams' ability to speak many languages also made it easy for him to converse with those he met -- including those in the scientific community -- in their own language.

Needham's adventures in China are many and it is necessary to read the book to discover how many times he was possibly in danger yet there appears to me to have been a naivete about him so that he rarely realized himself that he was taking any risks. That same naivete and his belief and trust in his friends around the world also was his downfall because he never considered that scientists (especially those he considered his friends) might not tell the truth.

Needham developed many friendships throughout his life but some of them made him suspect in the eyes of the United States as well as others. The fact that he truly believed that the U.S. had used germ warfare during the Korean War, that he strongly supported the new Communist government (believing it really was best for the Chinese people because it meant they had food to eat) and that he'd been a long term member of the Communist Party in England didn't endear him to the Americans either. One of his close friends was Rewi Alley, a New Zealander who lived in China for 60 years and became an intimate of Chinese Communist leaders. Although Needham's friendships -- especially those with Communists -- were often suspect, he was a loyal friend and stood up for what and who he believed in despite any opposition. In later years he began to question some of China's policies as he traveled there again and discovered many of his old friends were no longer available to meet with him -- some having disappeared under mysterious circumstances.

After Needham returned to England, he was invited to become part of UNESCO and was part of that organization in its early days for two years until the Americans became concerned about his left-wing leanings. In the McCarthy era, he was banned from traveling to the United States and the State Department put him on a blacklist. He eventually was allowed to travel and lecture in the States again and he may have unwittingly educated Ted Kaczynski, aka the Unabomber, through a lecture he gave at Northwest University about early Chinese techniques for manufacturing explosives.

Despite periods of times when Needham was persona non grata at home and abroad -- particularly at his own college, he did go on to earn many honors as well as being elected a Master at Cambridge and President of Caius College.
Needham obtained permanent rights to a college room at Cambridge (for his lifetime)and it was here that he began his work on what would turn into 24 volumes about China called "Science and Civilisation in China" published by the Cambridge University Press from 1954-2004. He had a wealth of information that he had collected to sift through and he chose Wang Ling, a Chinese historian he'd met in China, as his assistant. Eventually, Needham's mistress, Lu, also helped with the project. It was his love of Lu that led him to China and to "single-handedly change the way the people of the West looked on the people of the East." (page 252 of the hardback edition) Needham eventually had to delegate whole volumes to other experts
rather than being the sole author because he just didn't have to time to complete the work otherwise. Eventually, through the generosity of David Robinson, a permanent home was built - Needham Research Institute -- to house Needham's China collection and as a place where work on the volumes about China could continue. However, even in old age, Needham and Lu had to continue to travel to raise money to support the institute while donating out of their own financial resources.

Dorothy Needham died at home on December 22, 1987, at the age of 92 after suffering for ten years from Alzheimer's. One of her last books written in 1972, "Machina Carnis" describes how muscles work and is still sold in antique book stores as a classic and has been priced for as high as $250. By this time Lu was not well either -- suffering from bronchial complaints brought on most likely by her youthful chain smoking. On September 15, 1989, Joseph married Lu Gwei-djen. They had first met in 1937 and became lovers a year later when he was 37 and she was 33. Lu died on November 28, 1991, at age 98. Needham went on to ask three other women to marry him but all turned him down. Needham died at home at the age of 94 but his legacy lives on.

Volume I of Needham's work (a printing of 5,000 copies) sold out and Cambridge had to reprint it at regular intervals. It is still considered a classic and has never yet been out of print.

The Appendix at the end of this book that lists the Chinese inventions and discoveries along with the date they are first mentioned is a fascinating read. It's quite remarkable how far advanced China was compared to other nations.

The Epilogue, though, describing Chongqing today was depressing -- much wealth and commerce among poverty and pollution. Needham returned to Chongquing in 1982 with Lu and couldn't find the little house he'd lived in while he was there but he was not surprised by the changes as he thought China would "turn out like this, sooner or later." Some things have not changed -- the written language, the cuisine, the use of chopsticks, the rivers and landscape.

One aspect that puzzled Needham and came to be known as the "Needham question" was why the Chinese who had been so creative, so inventive suddenly seemed to lose all this around AD 1500 when "nearly all modern scientific advance transferred itself to where it remains today, becoming the nearly exclusive preserve of the West." (page 259 of the hardback copy)
Others wonder if the questions shouldn't by "why it did develop in Europe" rather than why it didn't develop in China. However, today's China may be proof that creativity and inventiveness are again live and well in China.

pazt

Red

When "Red" was in the movie theaters, I heard mixed reviews but the previews intrigued me and my daughter recommended it so I put myself on the waiting list to get it from our local library and (after a long wait) it finally arrived. My spouse and I watched it last night and found it to be so much fun that we wanted to watch it again tonight. I believe seeing all the deleted scenes and CIA back stories after watching the movie last night really added to our second viewing tonight. Don't miss this action packed film (with a little romance) starring a cast of greats including Bruce Willis, Morgan Freeman, John Malkovich, Helen Mirren, Mary-Louise Parker, Karl Urban, and Richard Dreyfuss among others. This might even be one we want to own in our personal DVD library!

pazt

"Let Me In"

"Let Me In" by John Ajvide Lindqvist is touted as a "phenomenal international bestseller" and it's already been made into a movie. Lindqvist is a Swedish author who writes in the same vein as Stephen King. Although I can't say I particularly liked this book, I did finish it. It's a story of adolescents and bullying as well as complicated adult relationships/friendships and something sinister that is likened to vampirism but doesn't appear quite to be vampirism thus a little hard to describe. I guess Lindqvist is trying to piggyback on the vampire craze of the moment but I much prefer the Twilight series set in Forks, WA.

The back of the book has an excerpt from his next book, "Handling The Undead," and it did not pique my interest even a little bit!

pazt

"Darkness, Take My Hand"

Dennis Lehane's second novel in the Patrick Kenzie and Angela Gennaro series is "Darkness, Take My Hand." Kenzie and Gennaro are recovering from physical and emotional wounds when they are asked to help out a psychiatrist whose college age son's life has been threatened. They are recommended to her by a mutual friend who teaches criminology at the university her son attends. What appears to be a straightforward case is anything but. Before the case reaches its surprising conclusion they risk losing those near and dear to them as well as their own lives. Lehane has created another gripping novel that kept me reading late into the night -- again!

I'm off to the library to look for the third book in this series, "Sacred."

pazt

"The Ghost Writer"

Philip Roth's thriller, "The Ghost Writer," was filmed by Roman Polanski and has an all star cast that includes Ewan McGregor, Pierce Brosnan, Kim Cattrall, and Olivia Williams. I don't remember hearing much about this film when it was in the theaters but, when I saw a copy of the DVD at our local library, I was intrigued enough to bring it home for last weekend's date night.

"The Ghost Writer" is about a young man (Ewan McGregor) who has been hired to complete former British Prime Minister(played by Pierce Brosnan) Adam Lang's memoirs after the original ghostwriter has drowned. Was that drowning death a suicide or something more sinister?

As McGregor's character settles into his new job and begins interviewing Lang, he also starts asking questions and digging into the past with some surprising results. It appears he has asked the wrong questions and is now in danger himself but who can he turn to for help?

This film had me on the edge of my seat and the surprising turn of events kept me guessing to the end. I'd classify this as a political spy thriller which turned my expectations about who are the "good" guys upside down. This film has left me still thinking about that one long after the film ended!

As I get older, I'm learning to question everything I've been taught (or told)throughout my life and to no longer accept it at face value. I've learned that life (for me) calls for making my own discoveries about the truth and sometimes that truth is not what I expected.

I'd highly recommend this movie to anyone who enjoys a good thriller/mystery and also to those who might like something to mull over after the film is over.

pazt

P. S. I Love You

"P. S. I Love You" was a DVD I checked out from the library and my spouse and I watched it several weeks ago on one of our movie-at-home date nights. It's a love story -- serious but funny -- and I liked it so well that I am trying to decide if I want to add it to our personal DVD library so we can watch it over and over like some of our other favorite romance movies. It boasts an all-star cast that includes Hilary Swank, Gerard Butler, Lisa Kudrow, Harry Connick, Jr., and Kathy Bates. When we watched the additional scenes (or ones that didn't make the final cut), I wish they'd left them in as they added so much to the story. This movie is based on the bestseller by Cecelia Ahern which I think I may now need to read. Although the movie has its sad moments, it is mostly about joy and hope and new beginnings and I highly recommend it.

pazt

"A Small Death In The Great Glen"

"A Small Death In The Great Glen" by A.D. Scott is her first novel and I hope we'll be seeing much more of her work. This almost 400 page paperback book comes complete with a readers club guide.

When a young boy is discovered dead in a canal, what first appears to be an innocent drowning turns out to be a case of murder. Local Inspector Tompson conveniently places the blame on a Polish sailor who has gone missing from a docked Russian ship and he seems disinterested in looking at any other possibilities. The local community is reassured because they already distrust foreigners -- even those who have lived in their midst for years -- and believe no one from their own community could have possibly committed such a dastardly deed.

The cast of this novel (set in 1950's Scotland) centers around the staff of the local newspaper, the Highland Gazette, whose new editor-in-chief, John McAllister, is determined to update this century-old newspaper. He has his task cut out for him, though, initially going head to head with veteran editor, Don McLeod. Rob is the cub reporter on the paper and Joanne Ross is a part-time employee. Joanne is the mother of two young girls and comes to work hiding bruises received from her spouse.

The solving of the young boy's murder is methodical and includes a large cast of characters who work together to piece together the details that lead to the actual murderer. At one point Chief Inspector Westland is brought in to oversee the case and, when he returns home to his family for Christmas, he has some thoughts (page 367) about his time in the Highlands that might be telling about society in general:

"What the chief inspector hated most of all--and he acknowledged that this was not exclusive to this part of the world--was the denial, the complicity, the hiding of society's ills in order to maintain that all-pervading moral imperative, respectability."

In addition to writing each scene with rich detail, Scott does an excellent job of fleshing out the lives of all these characters as well as their friends and family so I felt like I was getting to know them intimately by the end of the novel. I was left with the feeling that there must be a second book coming in this series because there has to be more to their life stories - this just seemed like a beginning. I was right - She has a second book due out 9/27/11 - "A Double Death on the Black Isle."

Please check out this new author -- I don't think you'll be disappointed if you like a good mystery.

pazt

"A Bad Day's Work"

Nora McFarland's debut novel, "A Bad Day's Work," is well worth reading. McFarland's heroine, Lilly Hawkins, just can't seem to catch a break. Lilly's day didn't get off to a very good start and, just when she thinks things can't get worse, they do and she hasn't a clue as to why so many people have it in for her. Running for her life does have its advantages, though - It reconnects her with her Uncle Bud who has some pretty creative ways to keep her safe. In the meantime, Rod, a fellow co-worker, invites himself along for the ride and the "ride" becomes even more exciting. Introduce Leland Warner -- wealthy but reclusive -- and new twists are thrown in. I have the feeling Warner, Uncle Bud, and Rod as well as other co-workers will continue to pop up in Lilly's future adventures and I look forward to getting to know them all better. You'll have to read this Lilly Hawkins mystery for yourself. I'm glad I don't have long to wait for the second book in this mystery series, "Hot, Shot, and Bothered," which is due out in August.

Enjoy!

pazt

"The Latehomecomer - A Hmong Family Memoir"

"The Latehomecomer, A Hmong Family Memoir" by Kao Kalia Yang is one of the best memoirs I have ever read! Kalia is a remarkable young woman/author and this story is more than just her story - her memoir. It is the story of her family as well as a tribute to the Hmong people who fought on the side of the United States during the Vietnam War and many paid for that loyalty with their lives, the lives of their families, and the loss of their homes.

Kalia writes not only of her family's struggle to survive in the jungles of Laos while evading soldiers who want to kill them but also of their life in refugee camps in Thailand before coming to America. Although her family saw America as a way to start a new life and find a place to put down roots for them and their families, it was much harder than any of them thought it might be and being accepted has not been easy.

It took time for Kalia to find her voice but she has an excellent one and her depictions are so moving. Kalia writes in such a way that I could not help but feel for her and her family and empathize with their struggles. This book is a tribute to Kalia's grandmother and the love Kalia has for her as well as a tribute to the love her parents have for each other that has endured through many difficult times.

Kalia's high school teacher, Mrs. Gallentin, was instrumental in helping her find her voice. Pages 198-201 tell about Mrs. Gallentin's encouragement as well as a poignant story Kalia wrote for a class assignment that shares the story of her parent's love. That story demonstrates the insights this young woman has -- what an observer!

I cannot recommend this book highly enough -- a must read!

If you would like to sample some of her writing, check out her web site at www.kaokaliayang.com. The bio page at the end of her book indicates she has also released a film, "The Place Where We Were Born," documenting the experiences of Hmong American refugees.

She is also co-founder of Words Wanted which is an agency dedicated to helping immigrants with writing, translating, and business services.

pazt

"Walking Home: A Traveler in the Alaskan Wilderness...."

Today is a first for me -- I have a guest writer - my spouse wrote the following about "Walking Home" by Lynn Schooler. As he was reading this book, he read passages to me and we both thoroughly enjoyed it so I wanted to share my spouse's thoughts on the book as well as some quotes he shared from the book - enjoy this excellent book! pazt

Schooler is a resident of Juneau, Alaska, and has lived in the state often referred to as “The Last Frontier” for 40 years. He’s worked as a commercial fisherman, a shipwright, a wilderness guide, and an award-winning wildlife photographer. He’s also written The Blue Bear and The Last Shot.

In this 2010-published narrative, Schooler finds himself in middle age and at the end of Juneau’s worst winter in history. He’s been pre-occupied building a handcrafted home for he and his wife, and at the same time knows his marriage is in trouble. Good friends are dying while other locals jumping from bridges to their deaths … so Schooler escapes.

Walking Home is his story of his solo journey into the wilderness. He takes his small boat north, anchors in a cove, and hikes along the wild Gulf of Alaska coastline.

His narrative of course tells the story of his journey, but it’s also a story of the people who have made a living on this coast, those who have lived there, and those who have died there. The human story tells about the region’s Tlingit People, and trappers, miners, explorers, shipwrecked sailors, and hermits. Schooler also gives the reader stunning insights into the natural world of the Southeast Alaskan coastline.

Along the way, the author struggles with questions about his life, his wife, their relationship, but … most importantly … questions about his place in the world he inhabits – and loves!

One of Schooler’s observations that stands out is his encounter with flocks of birds heading north for the summer. A stiff north headwind had kept the northbound flyers grounded for two days, and now, a low-pressure system moves in and gives them a boost on their northbound journey.

“… the birds had gone airborne in masse to gain an energy-saving boost by surfing north on the oncoming pressure wave.

‘I understood all this intellectually, but there was also something else going on. High overhead I could see a long, wavering line of sandhill cranes. At sea level flock after flock of phalaropes sped by just outside the breaking waves. Most impressive of all were the flocks of sandpipers, which roared past by the thousands, parting to fly around me like water flowing around a boulder in a stream…

“I understood that the first bird I had seen, the lone fluttering sandpiper … was simply that, a single bird, alone in a harsh and vast landscape. In its solitude, it was inconsequential. But a thousand birds, or ten time ten to a hundred thousand, had become a single consciousness, flying in perfect unison.

“I knew that many of the birds would not survive the journey … For the individual there is no reasonable hope of a long life, but in the cyclical flocking, migrating, nesting, hatching, and migrating again, over and over through the centuries, there is continuity. And that, I understood, is what truly matters, for we, too contribute to our own kind’s continuation, whether through children and grandchildren or by building a sold home to provide a shelter for coming generations. Though we will inevitably die and be forgotten, as have the majority of kings and generals throughout history, it is a consolation that in the absence of any permanence there is continuity. In sum, it does not matter if we are forgotten; what matters is the effect we have on those around us and those who come after us. What matters is how our own lives affect the larger, perpetual community of the living.

“Slowly the flocks thinned out, and it began to rain. I made camp that evening … Rain drummed on the tent all night, but I was warm and dry inside. And some time in the night I decided to head back to Juneau. As with the birds, I realized, it is a connection with one’s own kind that matters the solitude of the outer coast was a grand, almost overwhelming experience, but now it was time to go home, to be with my neighbors and friends, sharpen my tools, and court my wife again. It was time to catch up with my own flock.”

"A Harvest of Bones"

Yes, I know this picture is not the cover for "A Harvest of Bones" by Yasmine Galenorn but that particular paperback in her Chintz 'n China series doesn't appear to be available on Amazon.com. Emerald O'Brien, Galenorn's heroine in this series, is enjoying some time off from her china shop leaving it in the capable hands of her employees. Her boyfriend, Joe, is also taking time off from his job so they can spend some time clearing the vacant lot he has purchased next to her home. However, as usual, Emerald discovers a body -- or, in this case, bones -- leading to the discovery of a 50 year old mystery that she and her friends must solve. In the meantime, Emerald's family's cat, Samantha, has disappeared leaving her children very sad. Will the solving of a 50 year old death lead to Samantha's return? Although this book is less suspenseful perhaps than some of the earlier ones in this series, it was a quick, fun read.

pazt

"A Drink Before The War"

"A Drink Before The War" (winner of the Shamus Award) by Dennis Lehane is the novel where he introduces Patrick Kenzie and Angela Gennaro -- a couple of private investigators who are smart, tough, and good friends. Since this is the first in a series about these investigators, we're introduced to their personal life and friendship and I like that in depth background information that brings the characters to life. When Kenzie takes on the task of finding a missing cleaning woman for some powerful Boston politicians, Gennaro isn't too happy. As it turns out, the theft this woman has been accused of is more complex than it would appear at first glance. Kenzie and Gennaro find themselves embroiled in murder and scandal and have to find a way to dig themselves out without becoming victims, too. It's an engrossing read and I look forward to the next book in this series.

pazt

"Equations of Life"

"Equations of Life" by Simon Morden (or should I say Dr. Simon Morden - a bona fide rocket scientist per his bio inside the front cover) is Morden's first adult novel and also the first one of the Samuil Petrovitch trilogy. "Equations of Life" is set in the London metrozone after Armageddon and follows the adventures of Petrovitch -- a Russian immigrant, student, and survivor of the bombs that fell on St. Petersburg. Acting on instinct Petrovitch thwarts the kidnapping of the daughter of a wealthy and powerful Japanese businessman (aka mobster). Although he earns the gratitude of said father, he also gains a slew of troubles that endanger the quiet, unnoticed life he's led to date. However, it's not all bad as he makes some new "friends" and his adventures might even lead to romance. Petrovitch, in my opinion, doesn't always know when to keep his mouth shut but fortunately for him people tend to listen to him before shooting or the book would have been very short!

The book is full of adventure but it's also an unveiling of the man behind the mask Petrovitch wears -- layer by layer peeling away until we discover who he really is and what he values most in life.

A good read - If you're interested in reading the short stories that Morden wrote that led eventually to this novel, the author says they are available on his web site for free or to download. I believe that site is www.bookofmorden.co.uk.

pazt

"Death of a Glutton" aka "Death of A Greedy Woman"

It's been a while since I've read anything by M. C. Beaton because I've been waiting for an interlibrary loan of "Death of a Glutton" - the next in the series that I've been reading in order.
P.C. Hamish Macbeth is still keeping law and order in Lochdubh, Scotland, but crime is low and the bad winter has finally disappeared to make way for some rare, fine weather. Priscilla Haliburton-Smythe's family is expecting a group from the Checkmate matchmaking agency to show up to spend a week at their hotel and Macbeth's nemesis, Blair, has gone off on a European holiday.

Maria, the head of Checkmate has been trying to buy out her partner, Peta, who has become more of a liability than an asset with her gluttonous manners. Since Peta has refused her offers, Maria has resorted to arranging this week long getaway to allow several couples that she's matched to meet and get acquainted. When Peta (supposedly away on holiday) shows up, not only is Maria upset by her behavior but so are all the guests. Guests begin to pair up with other guests with whom they have not been matched and Maria sees the week as ruined. It's no surprise when Peta is found murdered as there are plenty of people who have expressed an interest in getting rid of her.

Unfortunately for Hamish Macbeth, Blair's holiday has been cut short and he takes over the investigation. However his bungling of the case leads to the involvement of his superior and Macbeth's solving the case.

In the meantime, one of the guests has taken a shine to Macbeth and Priscilla appears to be jealous. Will they finally come to an understanding by the close of this book or will Macbeth's promotion to Sergeant and the arrival of a live-in assistant foil attempts at romance?

Another good, quick, light read.

pazt

"Shakespeare In Love"

Although "Shakespeare In Love" is one of my spouse's favorite movies, I'd only seen snatches of it on TV so I checked the Miramax Collector's Series out from our library so we could watch it together as well as see the bonus materials.

I found it to be a very fun romantic comedy and can certainly understand why the film won 7 academy awards including best actress for Gwyneth Paltrow. Paltrow and Joseph Fiennes (who played Will Shakespeare) were superb in their roles as was Judi Dench as Queen Elizabeth and Colin Firth as Paltrow's intended. I hardly recognized Geoffrey Rush (Captain Barbosa in the Pirate movies) in his role as one of the theater owners and Ben Affleck (playing one of the acting troupe) also performed admirably.

There was only one deleted scene that we wish had been left in the movie and the bonus materials added interesting insights into the times in which the movie was set. It appears theater was not in favor with the City of London officials (due to criminals attracted to it -- like pickpockets and prostitutes) so we have Queen Elizabeth (a big fan of the theater) to thank for its survival.

I also enjoyed the speculation as to what Will would be like and his lifestyle choices if he were alive today. What do you think he'd drive?

This is a fun, witty, and sexy movie.

pazt

"The Informationist"

"The Informationist" is a thriller by first time author, Taylor Stevens.
Michael/Vanessa Munroe, the heroine of this book, is hired to find a Texas oil billionaire's step-daughter who disappeard on vacation in Africa four years earlier. Despite the attempts of detectives he hired in the past, no trace of her has been found and the assignment Munroe has accepted seems impossible to complete. However, Munroe has skills that give her an edge previous investigators lacked and her journey back to Africa, where she was born and raised by missionary parents, is more than just an assignment. It's a chance for her to face up to her own demons.

I found Stevens to be an extremely talented writer and this book kept me engrossed throughout. Once I started it I found it hard to put down so even when I fell asleep reading it, I'd wake up in the middle of the night to continue the story. Vanessa Munroe is a strong heroine and, if the next Vanessa Munroe novel that Stevens is currently working on is as good or better, you won't want to miss either. I can't recommend this book highly enough!!!

pazt

"Under The Color of Law"

Michael McGarrity has captured my attention again in "Under The Color of Law" which was an easy, quick read because I didn't want to put it down. Kevin Kearney has just become the police chief of Santa Fe and he has his work cut out for him shaping up a department left in shambles by his predecessor. When an ambassador's estranged wife is found murdered and his team is taken off the case because the FBI and other federal officers move in to solve it, he is skeptical. A quick resolution leads him to the conclusion that this is a cover up but digging deeper could cost him his life as well as his pregnant wife's and officers serving under him. Will Kerney be able to back down and not follow it through to protect those he cares about?

In the meantime, he's not receiving a lot of support from his superiors. As Kerney says on page 84 of the hardback version, "..holding back on the somewhat snide thought that criminals really should be more sensitive to the chamber-of-commerce vision of a picture-perfect retirement and murder of a prominent citizen was unseemly, only served to tarnish the city's image, and caused hand wringing for both the boosters and the local politicians."

I highly recommend this book in the Kevin Kerney series.

pazt

"Wicked"

"Wicked - The Life and Times of the Wicked Witch of the West" by Gregory Maguire was my book club's May choice. It was met with mixed reviews by the members of my group and not many that were very positive. One member, who had read it in another book club, felt that group had a higher opinion of Maguire's work. Several members had seen "Wicked" - the musical and said it was not at all like the book and they thoroughly enjoyed and highly recommended attending a performance.

Since I had just started a part-time position, I hadn't had time to read all of the book before we met. I was struggling through the first 62 pages and wasn't sure I wanted to go on until I reached Section II and the setting moved to a school where I felt the plot became a little more interesting and easier to read.

Although the writing is good, I found some of the sexual details irrelevant to the story as a whole. The book begins with the birth of Elphaba (the eventual Wicked Witch of the West) and ends with her death but her life is definitely fleshed out in the interim pages. I didn't find the 406 pages an easy read even after it became more interesting to me but, after our book club discussion, I did decide I wanted to finish it. I can usually read a book in a few days but this one took me at least a month. I found myself falling asleep reading it so that I could only make it through a few pages at a time. Near the end I fell asleep and had a terrible nightmare. So....do I recommend it? -- probably not. When I first read about Maguire's books fleshing out different Oz characters, I found the idea of them intriguing but I doubt I'll try to read any more. In fairness I do have to say I've never been a particular fan of the original "Wizard of Oz" either.

Maguire does write with humor and there is one quote in particular on page 333 of the hard copy that I like: "Everybody needs to grow up and leave home sometimes, but sometimes HOME DOESN'T LIKE IT!" (For understanding you will have to read the book!)

So, if you do decide to read this one or any of Maguire's books, I'd love to hear your take on them.....

pazt

"A Summer Place"

"A Summer Place" premiered in 1959 -- the year before I graduated from high school -- and my husband and I have considered the theme song from "A Summer Place" as our song. I decided it was time to take a trip down memory lane and check the movie out from our library. The theme song hadn't changed but I didn't really remember what the movie was about. It turns out it's nothing like our love story! However, the movie does highlight what that era was like for young people. Boy, have things changed!

Richard Egan plays Sandra Dee's father and her mother is portrayed by Constance Ford. Troy Donahue's parents are played by Arthur Kennedy and Dorothy McGuire. When they all meet up at an island vacation spot, secrets unfold along with romance.

I decided to research what happened to the stars of this movie and was surprised to learn that Richard Egan studied and taught at Northwestern University in Evanston, IL, after receiving a B.A. from the University of San Francisco and an M.A. from Stanford. He landed a bit part in 1949 (his first role) in "The Story of Molly X" and was signed afterwards by a Hollywood studio. During WW II he was an army judo instructor which I can well believe looking at his "buff" arms! He died of prostate cancer in 1987 at age 66.

His co-star in the movie, Dorothy McGuire, died of heart failure in Santa Monica at the age of 85. She was actually 5 years older than Egan.

Sandra Dee married Bobby Darrin in 1960 when she was 18 and that marriage ended in divorce. According to her only son, the marriage ended because of her alcohol and drug dependacy, depression, and anorexia but the cause of her death at age 63 was renal failure from kidney cancer.

This was possibly Troy Donahue's first role. He married Suzanne Pleshette in 1964 then they later divorced. He died at age 65 of a heart attack.

Arthur Kennedy died at age 76 of a brain tumor after previously suffering from thyroid cancer and an eye disease.

Constance Ford did an excellent job of portraying Sandra Dee's unloveable mother in this movie!

If you want a glimpse of life in the 1950's, this movie is for you.

pazt

"Oklahoma" - The Musical Not The State!

I saw the movie, "Oklahoma," probably when I was in high school and have no memory of the plot but the music has stayed with me over the years. I tend to sing some of it in the shower but...not remembering all the lyrics I often make up my own and I'm not sure my spouse appreciates it!

Kamiak High School (Mukilteo, WA) puts on a musical every spring and their performances are always top quality and so professionally done that I never want to miss one. It has become a family tradition for my spouse and I to attend a performance on Mother's Day weekend with our younger daughter,her two daughters, and her mother-in-law. Tonight we went to see their production of "Oklahoma" and, as always, it was a fantastic musical evening of entertainment. In addition to the actors/singers/dancers there was incredible back-up by members of the Kamiak Orchestra as well as support by all the behind-the-scenes and lighting technicians. If you live in this area, I highly recommend checking out Kamiak's musicals and other drama productions. I don't think you'll regret it!

pazt

"Letters to Juliet"

"Letters to Juliet" starring Amanda Seyfried and Vanessa Redgrave was our date night DVD choice for Friday night and it was a good one! This was a movie I had hoped to see while it was in the theater but I missed it.

Sophie (played by Amanda Seyfried), a fact checker who is also an aspiring writer, travels to Verona, Italy, for a "working" vacation with her fiance who is opening a restaurant soon in New York. However, the romantic vacation she'd envisioned for the two of them turns out to be less fun for her as he is off to visit vineyards and restaurants and she is bored. She decides to do some sightseeing on her own while he's working and discovers a 50-year-old letter written by Claire (played by Vanessa Redgrave)to her then Italian boyfriend. When Sophie responds to the letter, she meets Claire who has traveled to Italy with her grandson and the three of them embark on a journey to find Claire's lost love. What they find along the way is unexpected and magical -- a fun, romantic comedy that I highly recommend.

We also watched the special features and learned that this movie is based on factual events which I found very interesting. There really are women who leave letters for Juliet as well as a group of women who respond to these letters -- the secretaries of Juliet.
pazt

P.S. The scenery -- and music -- are beautiful.

"Dreadnought"

"Dreadnought" is the second book in Cheerie Priest's Clockwork Century steampunk series. I did read "Boneshaker" several years ago but don't remember it that well but recognized Cherie's name when I saw "Dreadnought" on our library's best picks. I would characterize this series as "history with a twist." "Dreadnought" introduces Mercy Lynch, a nurse working in a war hospital in Richmond, VA, during the Civil War. Shortly after she learns her husband (who was fighting on the side of the North) has died, she receives news that her father (who left her family when she was a small girl) is injured, living in Seattle, and wants to see her. This fantasy history tale takes Mercy on a long journey from Richmond to Seattle with many adventures along the way. When she arrives, she meets some individuals whose names I do recognize from the first book in this series.

The gruesome war injuries that Mercy experiences in the Richmond hospital were created by Priest using the letters Louisa May Alcott wrote home when she worked at a Washington, D.C., hospital during the Civil War.

I really enjoyed this book -- more than I thought I might. Let me know what you think....

pazt

"Learning To Swim"

I started Sara J. Henry's first novel, "Learning To Swim," yesterday afternoon and finished it this morning because I just couldn't put it down until I was too sleepy to keep my eyes open. When Troy Chance, a ferry boat passenger on Lake Champlain, sees something falling into the water from another ferry boat, she thinks it is a small child. Although the other ferry is too far away to tell for sure, she instinctively dives into the cold water and swims to the rescue of a small boy named, Paul, who only speaks French. When there are no frantic parents or anyone else looking for the boy, she decides it is time to take action herself leading her into an adventure that could prove deadly. Troy reminds me a little of Izzy Spellman in the Spellman private detective series -- both seem to act without thinking through to the possible consequences first. I cannot recommend this book enough!

There is a paragraph on page 163 of the hard cover copy that really resonated with me for some reason: "So if the host doesn't acknowledge the pink elephant in the room, the other guests can't either. I could see this being a useful standard -- not that any of my friends would ever follow it."

pazt

"The Sure Thing"

"The Sure Thing" is one of John Cusack's early movies (1985) and worth watching if you're a Cusack fan. He portrays a sexually anxious east coast college freshman on his way to California during a school break. His best friend in school in California has just the girl for him "the sure thing" -- portrayed by Nicollette Sheridan in an introductory role for her. First, however, he has to get to California and he finds himself ride-sharing with a female coed from one of his classes. She is driven to be successful, is hardworking, studious and on her way to visit her boyfriend in California. They didn't get along very well on campus but traveling together to California turns out to be an adventure that leads to some surprising discoveries for both of them about what is really important.

This is a DVD my spouse and I enjoyed watching together and discussing afterwords. Let me know what you think - pazt

"Tallgrass" by Sandra Dallas

My spouse and I are in a book group that meets monthly and our January selection was "Tallgrass" by Sandra Dallas. I had read this book before but didn't realize that I had never blogged about it. Our book club seems to be on a "theme" this year of books set in the era of WW II and/or around Japanese internment camps in the U.S.

This story is told from the perspective of Rennie Stroud who has just turned thirteen and her life is changing as a Japanese internment camp is set up near her Colorado home and her father hires men from the camp to help him work his beet fields. Her older brother goes off to fight and her older sister moves away to a larger city leaving Rennie at home with her father, her mother (who is suffering from heart problems) and a grandmother suffering from dementia. Since her mother needs household help, they hire Japanese women to come during the day and Rennie and her mother befriend these women. Rennie also helps with meal preparation for the farm workers and is privy to the kitchen conversations of the women, her mother, and her mother's quilting group - adult content.

Rennie's father is criticized for hiring men from the camp to work his fields and there is tension as the townspeople turn their anger about the war toward the residents of the internment camp.

Rennie is faced with loss -- loss of her siblings being at home and loss of a friend her age who is murdered -- as well as fear that a murderer is loose and hasn't been brought to justice yet. Rennie is privy to adult conversations and secrets which I believe speed her growing up years as well as aid in her maturity.

This novel is rich with not only historical information but details in the life of Rennie and the beet farm she is growing up on as well as the lives of townspeople she is most closely in contact with. The characters are well developed.

After reading this book twice in the past 2-3 years, I'm ready to check out some other books that Dallas has written. She has a web site that lists some of her new books that interest me: www.sandradallas.com

Let me know what you think if you decide to read this book or any of her other novels.

pazt

"Moonlight Mile"

I picked up "Moonlight Mile" by Dennis Lehane at my library on the best picks shelf. As those of you who have been reading my blog know, I like to read detective series in order. For some reason I missed the fact that this mystery is not the first one in a series featuring Investigators Patrick Kenzie and Angela Gennaro until I was halfway through the book and decided to read the inside cover. There were clues as previous cases were mentioned so maybe that's what prompted me to check out the flyleaf.

Although I'm upset with myself for not noticing this first, I probably will still go back to read the earlier novels because the writing is so delicious.

Twelve years ago these investigators took on the task of looking for four year old Amanda McCready and, when they found her living in a loving home, they returned her to her mother -- who didn't provide the most stable living situation for her. Now Amanda is 16 and, according to her aunt, has disappeared again although her mother is denying that she is missing. This case took its toll on Patrick and Angie's relationship twelve years ago -- what will it do now?

Their search for Amanda takes them to some seedy and dangerous places. Will they be able to rescue Amanda without losing their lives, too?

It's a good read and the writing is superb so I highly recommend the book and I'm definitely going to check out Lehane's other novels, too.

pazt

"Hotel on the Corner of Bitter and Sweet"

"Hotel on the Corner of Bitter and Sweet" is Jamie Ford's first novel and has been a "Great Reads" selection in our area and tonight my book club discussed this book. The story alternates between WW II and the late 1980's and is a story of father/son relationships, romance, and nostalgia about what might have been. At the heart of the story is a childhood friendship between Henry Lee, a young Chinese boy, and Keiko Okabe, a young Japanese girl, and Seattle's Panama Hotel plays an important part in the unfolding of this story. Henry's father hates the Japanese because of their attacks on China and the cruelty they inflicted there and he can't see beyond that to look at individual Japanese-Americans.

A lot of our book club discussion centered around the Japanese internment camps (where Keiko's family ends up) and whether that was the right action for our government to have taken at that time. One perspective was that they actually might have been more protected there given the underlying anger at the Japanese after the bombing of Pearl Harbor. However, were only the Japanese targeted -- why not the Italian-Americans and German-Americans? Was it because the Japanese were visibly different from mainstream white America?

What would happen today if this type of action were contemplated? Would ordinary citizens stand by and let it happen again or would they speak up to protest? What do you think you would do?

If you decide to read this book, I'm sure you, too, will come up with lots of questions for discussion.

pazt

"Rebel Island"

It looks like Rick Riordan's Tres Navarre P.I. series has come to end as this last book in the series, "Rebel Island," was published in 2007. Since I've thoroughly enjoyed this series, I'm disappointed but "Rebel Island" does not disappoint. The story starts with Tres and his girlfriend, Maia, who is 8 1/2 months pregnant with their child, at their wedding. When a thunderstorm strikes moving the wedding indoors, it appears to be an omen of things to come. Navarre's brother, Garrett, convinces the newlyweds that they do need a honeymoon even though they hadn't planned one and he convinces them to take that honeymoon on Rebel Island at a hotel Garrett's friend owns so, naturally, Garrett tags along, too. Tres has given up his P.I. business in favor of a full-time English professorship at the university but a murder in the hotel sets him detecting again -- in the midst of a hurricane and power outages. The situation deteriorates from there with Tres in a race to find a killer before they all end up dead. As usual, this was a book I couldn't put down so I read it in about a day and highly recommend it.

pazt

"The Thing About My Folks"

Peter Falk and Olympia Dukakis portray Sam and Muriel Kleinman and their son is played by Paul Reiser. Although the story revolves around the fact that Muriel Kleinman has left her husband after 47 years of marriage, the real plot line (in my opinion) is about the father/son relationship and Falk and Reiser are incredible in their performances. It takes a road trip and some trips down memory lane to change their relationship and what a trip it is! Despite the serious subject matter of the movie, it is infused with a lot of humor, too. The Kleinman's also have 3 daughters who play minor but pivotal roles in the movie as well as their daughter-in-law who is played by Elizabeth Perkins.

This was our date night movie last night and it's a movie we would both highly recommend.

pazt

"Hermit's Peak"

If you've been following my blog for awhile, you know that I like to read series novels in order so I just finished Michael McGarrity's "Hermit's Peak," which is a Kevin Kerney novel. I love McGarrity's rich attention to detail and a good example is on pages 22 and 23 of the papterback copy of this book where Kerney is doing what he can to eliminate the fleas on a stray dog he's found wandering on his property. This type of detail brings the story and the characters to life for me.

As usual, this is another action packed adventure for Kerney with murders happening too close to his own home for comfort. He's also in charge of the state police at the moment while his friend, the chief, is off on another mission. In the midst of all the action, Colonel Sara Brannon has been promoted and shipped back stateside early from her duty station in Korea and pays a surprise visit to Kerney. He has a lot to juggle throughout this novel but does it with his usual admirable style and brings several cases (with the help of able staff) to a successful resolution as well as making some significant decisions about his personal life.

I can't praise McGarrity enough so I hope you've had a chance to check him out if you're a mystery fan.

pazt

"Sleep and His Brother"

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"Sleep and His Brother" is the first book I've read by author, Peter Dickinson, and I picked it up on the best bets bookshelf at my local library. It is a Felony and Mayhem mystery (www.FelonyAndMayhem.com) and recommends other authors in the front of the book including Cynthia Harrod-Eagles who is one of my all time favorite British mystery authors. That said I had great expectations for this book but it left me disappointed. The style of writing is a little vague and was hard for me to follow. There was a mystery that I caught glimpses of throughout the book but I'm not sure I even yet understand what I read. I'll probably try one of his other books to see if this is his typical style or just a technique he used for this particular book before I decide whether I want to read more of his work.

The basic story line centers around "cathypnic" children which appear to be a figment of the writer's imagination also. Recently retired from Scotland Yard, Detective Jimmy Pibble is persuaded by his wife to go to McNair House (where these children are housed and cared for) to look into some things happening there that she's heard about in her charity work and she thinks he might be able to offer some assistance. This sets off a bizarre chain of events leaving me unsure what really happened most of the time.

Would I read this book again? No Would I recommend it? No Why did I finish it? There were fleeting times during my reading that I thought it might actually be leading to some kind of understandable conclusion so I kept reading to see if I could find it.

pazt