The Devlin Diary

This is an intriguing story which jumps back and forth between the present day England, and the 1600's in King Charles II's court. It expertly entwines two murder mysteries into one captivating read.

Christi Phillips presents a well researched, in depth depiction of court life during King Charles II reign; the scandals, the schemes and the lengths to which courtiers and royalty will go to gain, cultivate and maintain power within that sphere of influence.

Medicine and new methods of medical treatments during this time in the 1600's are explored, as well as the limited role women had in everything but the home.

Mrs. Devlin, the main character, is a wonderful woman, wading through loneliness, practicing medicine through prejudice and striving to create a new definition for what women's capabilities could be. Mrs. Devlin, a widow, has been trained in the field of medicine from a long life assisting her famous physician father as well as her husband. Her skills, knowledge and proficiency are unparalleled even among the male physicians of her time. She slowly, quietly gains respect and confidence from her male counterparts and soon finds herself at the personal call of the King.

Mrs. Devlin's story directly parallels and offers clues to the murder mystery being unfolded in current England at Cambridge. The Devlin Diary is a entertaining read and I recommend it to anyone who enjoys a good mystery as well as a historical fiction.

Sizzling Sixteen

Sizzling Sixteen by Janet Evanovich is a PERFECT summer read...fun, laugh out loud, and a "no brainer". I have read ALL of Ms. Evanovich's novels about Stephanie Plum since ONE FOR THE MONEY, and I have loved and devoured them all!

They were passed on to me from my 90 year old grandmother, via my aunt, to my mother, and then to me. I passed them on to my good friends, who then passed them on to their mothers and grandmothers, aunts and friends. Ms. Evanovich has a fantastic ability to write humor - which is hard to do. And not just "Oh, that's funny", but laugh so loud you embarrass everyone around you funny. It is a true gift!

SIZZLING SIXTEEN was funny, but a little thin on story and story development. Nothing really happened. Sure, I enjoyed it, laughed my butt off...in the orthodontics office, waiting for my daughter, on the deck with a glass of wine and at the pool...but I wish there was something more to develop the story and about 50 more pages. It was thin.

I loved it, but it was not up to Stephanie Plum snuff

Resurrection by Tucker Malarkey

It is a rare occurrence when I actually take notes while reading a book, but RESURRECTION by Tucker Malarkey was one in which I felt compelled to do so. The writing is simple, perfectly descriptive, and inviting to the reader. I felt like an active participant, filling in the details of the sceneries with my own imagination spurred on by Malarkey's well crafted writing. There were some sentences that just needed to be written down and saved.

The story takes place just at the end of World War II. The main character is a nurse in England who is as emotionally destroyed as the countless soldiers bodies and minds she tends to. She has survived the war physically but mentally is crumbling.

Her father, an ex-patriot researcher, who has lived and worked in Egypt for years has been killed and she is beckoned to Egypt in order to settle his affairs. Though her task is an unhappy one, it becomes the chance for her to learn who her father truly was, what his passions were and how these passions ultimately got him killed.

RESURRECTION is an exploration in the development of religion, Christianity specifically, as well as a historical fiction, a romance and a murder mystery all in one. I loved this book. I would definitely read it again. It was engaging, thought provoking and very well written.

Hotel on the Corner of Bitter and Sweet

Hotel on the Corner of Bitter and Sweet, by Jamie Ford, is set in the melting pot port city of Seattle. The story bounces between the early 1940's and the mid 1980's as Henry, a Chinese man, with his life in transition remembers his time as a boy in the tumultuous 1940's.

As a young man, Henry struggles within a world that is enslaved by prejudice. His controlling, emotionally detached father forces him to attend an all-white school and speak only English, which neither parent understands. At school he is ridiculed, threatened and beat up on a daily basis as Pearl Harbor is bombed, China invaded and Germany plows over Europe. As his Chinese peers call him "the white devil" his white peers persecute him for being the enemy.

The only light in his world comes from an unexpected source, a Japanese girl named Keiko. She too is a student on scholarship like Henry. As they work as janitors and cafeteria help a friendship is seeded which soon grows in strength and depth. Their love, forbidden by Henry's family is one that history has known before. Like Juliet and her Romeo, society has erected barriers out of hatred, judgement and intolerance.

Seattle's diverse ethnic population it is a perfect setting for the strife and conflict the world is experiencing to be felt intimately. As America's fears and hate escalate towards the Japanese, internment camps are created to imprison all citizens of Japanese dissent. As you can suspect Keiko and her family are one of the thousands of families that are forced to leave everything behind and live in these camps.

"Love knows nothing of rank or riverbank. It will spark between a queen and the poor vagabond who plays the king. And their love should be minded by each. For love denied blights the soul we owe to God." - Shakespeare in Love

This seemed to be the longest little story I have read in a while. I had a difficult time feeling the desire to finish this book. The writing was good, as was the story, but in some way it was lacking. It would have been a more complete novel if the story had been told from both Keiko's perspective as well as Henry's. There would have been so much more historical and emotional depth. As it is, the strife between Henry and his father, the love that cannot conquer the circumstances it struggles with, as well as how the story ends are all themes that have been written about many, many times before. There was nothing unique here that made me want to keep reading. There was nothing wrong with the book, there just wasn't anything great about it.

TOMATO RHAPSODY, by Adam Schell

I read this whole book with a pleasant smile on my face and was saddened when it came to a close. Adam Schell ably chops, minces and molds the gusto, emotion and fun of fantasy stories such as THE PRINCESS BRIDE along with the wit and intelligence of Shakespeare's best comedies.

TOMATO RHAPSODY is a story built on the how the tomato was introduced to Italy. If you are anything like me, Italy and tomatoes are indistinguishable (pizza, bruschetta, lasagna, caprese salad, etc.). I never thought that Italy ever was without this luscious fruit.

The tomato finding its rightful place is the foundation of the story, but the strength of the book comes from the diversity of characters, forbidden love, descriptions of delicious food, an author that often "talks" to his reader, and a heavy dose of humor throughout.

If you are in need of a light-hearted, fun, fantastical book, this is your pick! In the cold months of winter, it was a pleasant vacation in my mind. Hope you enjoy it as much as I did.

THE ABSOLUTELY TRUE DIARY OF A PART-TIME INDIAN by Sherman Alexie

Sherman Alexie writes of his life as a teenager, with one foot on the rez and one timidly reaching to step beyond it. I grew up in a town that bordered a Native American reservation, and a lot of the topics and feelings expressed throughout were ones that I was familiar with.

Cartoons pimple the text, enhancing the story visually and reminding the reader that this is a youthful book, a book that is light-hearted but with seriousness and emotion. The honesty and teenage angst that are nakedly communicated is refreshing, and the feelings of sadness, loss, and fear are universal. THE ABSOLUTELY TRUE DIARY OF A PART-TIME INDIAN is a wonderfully written book.

Enjoy.

STUFF WHITE PEOPLE LIKE by Christian Lander

This book is an absolutely funny, "calling out" of the most critical, band-wagon class there is! If you are someone with "thin skin", or are easily offended by the obvious, then I would not recommend it. Otherwise, if you are one able to laugh at yourself, you will LOVE it!

Recommended by my friend Dayna, thanks!

PEOPLE OF THE BOOK by Geraldine Brooks

This is a story that takes readers on a journey, spanning centuries, continents and cultures.

Geraldine Brooks is a fantastic craftsman. She allows the reader the opportunity to connect with the many characters lives, in all their intricacies, while we learn of a faith that cannot be undone, and of a people that have endured hardships for eons.

Initially I thought that the "People of the Book" would be about the people IN the Haggadah, but it is more about the people that have protected, preserved and pushed it onward in its journey through the hands of humanity. The book has such a power, an appeal because of its beauty, its fragility and the persecution of the people that revolve around it.

Geraldine Brooks does a wonderful job of giving us an honest look at its path without giving an opinion that could sway the reader in any direction. It is simply a story of a book. It is simply fantastic. It is simply a must read!