Little Bee

by Chris Cleave

I listened to the audio version of this book and am glad I did.  The narrator's voice fit Little Bee perfectly.  Hearing 'her' voice instead of mine helped me to better identify with Little Bee and her situation.

I really liked Little Bee, someone I could learn from and always feel hopeful in her presence.

I read this book on the recommendation of Les from NE.  I need to thank her for reading and suggesting remarkable books.  I can also blame her for casually tossing book after book on my TBR mountain.

DNF The Girl Who Played With Fire

by Stieg Larsson

I've heard so much talk about Larsson's books and was so looking forward to reading one.  My daughter gave me this book for Christmas.  When I found out it was book 2 in a 3-book series I tried to mooch the first one.  It never became available.  After I did a small search through blogs, I discovered that the first book had a lot of deviant sex throughout and I decided I would skip it.

I read over 90 pages and found I didn't care to read on.  Salander sounded like an interesting character but I felt like I had missed much of her character development that I assume happened in the first book.  I felt like I was hanging in mid air trying to fit the pieces together.  And does the first bit about the couple in Grenada have anything to do with the rest of the book or was that just a side story thrown in right at the start of the book to further confuse and bewilder the not-too-savvy reader?

I ran across a brief article where I learned that the author may have based his ideas for Salander on a grown-up version of Pippi Longstockings.  If that's true, I thought he hit the mark right on the head.  I mean, just imagine what type of adult that delightful misfit of a girl would be.

I may have to go back to this book some day because even as I write this I wonder what will happen as Bjurman seeks his revenge from Salander.  Or maybe someone can just tell me...

Has anyone read this series and if so, what do you think?  Did you like the books?  Is it a MUST to read the first book?  Should I try again or am I just too dense to ever catch on?

Against Odds

by Dick Francis

A few weeks ago my high-school best friend called me from her home in Alberta, Canada.  We chatted for some time when the conversation turned to books.  She asked for some authors and books I really like.  I go blank when people ask me point blank for anything and I did then as well.  So I told her I'd email her a list, which I did and let me tell you it was not all that short!  She may regret asking me, but in return I asked for a list of her favorite authors and books.  I don't regret asking.

One author she recommended was Dick Francis.  I remember reading two or three of his books 20 or 30 years ago and liking them but I lost track of him.  I did a little internet research and discovered that 4 of his books feature an ex-jockey turned private detective, Sid Halley.  So I mooched those and started the first, Odds Against.

Sid Halley, an injured jockey, becomes a private eye and carries out some work for his father-in-law, who believes a man is trying to financially ruin Seabury racecourse, so that it can be sold to property developers. Sid and his father-in-law have a laughable relationship, though at the same time it is warm and endearing.

I thoroughly enjoyed the writing, the characters and the mystery.  I'm anxiously looking forward to reading the next book featuring Halley, Whip Hand.  And then I'll be reading some of the stand-alones.  A big thanks to Diane for this recommendation.

I found this interesting write-up about Dick Francis on alibris.

Dick Francis was one of the most successful post-war National Hunt jockeys. The winner of over 350 races, he was champion jockey in 1953/1954 and rode for HM Queen Elizabeth, the Queen Mother, most famously on Devon Loch in the 1956 Grand National. On his retirement from the saddle, he published his autobiography, The Sport of Queens, before going on to write forty-three bestselling novels, a volume of short stories (Field of 13), and the biography of Lester Piggott. 

During his lifetime Dick Francis received many awards, amongst them the prestigious Crime Writers' Association's Cartier Diamond Dagger for his outstanding contribution to the genre, and three 'best-novel' Edgar Allen Poe awards from The Mystery Writers of America. In 1996 he was named by them as Grand Master for a lifetime's achievement. In 1998, he was elected a fellow of the Royal Society of Literature, and was awarded a CBE in the Queen's Birthday Honours List of 2000. Dick Francis died in February, 2010, at the age of 89, but he remains one of the greatest thriller writers of all time.

Think Twice

by Lisa Scottoline

You all know I love mysteries and I love Lisa Scottoline so when I stopped at the library to get some books for my mother and saw this on the new shelf -- well, you know!  To my credit I did finish the book I was reading before starting Think Twice.

In Think Twice we get to catch up with the fabulous characters that make up the all female Rosato & Associates Legal Firm.  Bennie Rosato's twin sister shows up again and causes untold problems for Bennie.  

The format reminded me of a Mary Higgins Clark novel - chapters switching between characters and action of the story.  Chapters shuffled between Bennie, her twin sister Alice and Mary DiNunzio until all 3 characters come together for the final chapters of the book.

The pacing is fast and I zipped through this book in a hurry.  Had to get answers and find out if Alice was going to totally fool Bennie's boyfriend.  

I love Scottoline's stand-alones but it's always fun to come back to this series.  What Scottoline needs to do is write one stand-alone and one Rosato book every year - or more often, I won't complain!

Welcome to the World, Baby Girl

by Fanny Flagg

I actually read this one earlier in the year, but forgot to write a review until now.  I borrowed this book from my brother after he, my mom and one sister read it and recommended it.  Fannie Flagg was an author I had heard about and was on my list of to-read authors.

There was so much to love about this book and I did love it all.  The characters in the small town of Elmwood Springs, Missouri and Dena (Baby Girl) and Dr. O'Malley, a psychiatrist that falls in love with Dena.  I can't believe how patient he is with Dena.

Dena is America's most popular female newscaster/journalist in the 1970s.  The change of TV news into sensationalism causes her to question her career.  The commentaries made about the change in news was worth reading and hit the nail on the head.  I can hardly stand to watch the news anymore.  I wish they'd just tell us the facts without all the over-hyping!

When Dena falls gravely ill, she returns to her home town from busy New York City, to the doting, loving care of Aunt Elner who is the personification of small town kindness.  While in Elmwood Springs Dena begins to search for roots to her past and discovers a shocking secret.

The picture on the cover is the home of Neighbor Dorothy who hosted a daily radio broadcast from her home, hence the tower in the back.  Her story makes me wish I had lived back in the 30's or 40's so I could turn on the radio everyday and hear about the news from Elmwood Springs and hurriedly scribble down the  recipes that were shared.

I liked this book so much that I bookmooched Daisy May and the Miracle Man and Can't Wait to Get to Heaven.  I need to get my hands on Fried Green Tomatoes.