As April rolled to a close I was in England, enjoying time with my brother who lives in London and touristing up a storm with my daughter. A fine end to her first year in university, involving seeing the pillages of the empire, precious manuscripts, the dim interiors of several many pubs, shops in SoHo and street markets, and the fabulous west end production of Moulin Rouge. Absolutely lovely.
As to my excuse is for being late with May and June – a general sense of malaise, I guess? Not depression, I don’t think, but more a several-weeks-long attack of just not being arsed to do anything beyond the minimum. Knitting and reading books are included in the minimum, but posting about these activities doesn’t make the cut. I should probably also mention that I’ve been watching a lot, like a lot a lot, of Rupaul’s Drag Race, and it’s definitely creeping into my idiolect. But now, I’m back back back again! (There it is.)
On to the books:
Music is History by Questlove. Starting with the year of his birth, 1971, musician and DJ Questlove recounts what was happening in music and culture and current events, and how those three flowing rivers intersect with his life. He includes an installment per year from 1971 to 2000, then every few years up to 2020, mid-pandemic. His conversational style is super engaging, and his nerdy obsession with the details of music is contagious. I strongly recommend reading accompanied by one of the Music is History playlists on Spotify (unless you have a much, much deeper musical knowledge and memory than me… like, say, Questlove).
Who is Maud Dixon? by Alexandra Andrews. An excellent mystery, perfect for vacation reading.
Sharp Objects by Gillian Flynn. Creeeeepy. I thought I had it figured out but I did not. Shudder.
Curious, If True by Elizabeth Gaskell. I noticed a memorial to Elizabeth Gaskell in Poets’ Corner in Westminster Abbey and realized I knew nothing about her. So I looked her up, and it led me to the collaborative short novel below as well as this collection of five spooky stories. Dated, but very enjoyable. I think Susanna Clarke, the author of the wonderful Jonathan Strange & Mr. Norrell, must be a big fan of Elizabeth Gaskell because the similarities in style and storytelling seem unmistakable to me.
A House to Let by Wilkie Collins, Charles Dickens, Elizabeth Gaskell, and Adelaide Anne Procter. In this novella, each of these four Victorian heavy-hitters contribute a chapter. The premise is that an elderly lady notices activity at a house on her street that is supposedly abandoned. Her servant and a long-time admirer compete to find out what is happening. Quite charming.
The Postscript Murders by Elly Griffiths. Entirely charming with greater variety of characters and far less formula than a typical cozy.
The Whispered Word by Ellery Adams. I think I may have read this before. I was having a lot of deja vu while reading. But I can’t quite remember for sure. So what does that tell you about this book?
Misery Loves Maggody by Joan Hess. This author dependably delivers thoroughly enjoyable and non-challenging reads.
Strange Things Done by Elle Wild. I had high hopes for this novel, with its title evoking Robert Service and his delightfully grisly “Cremation of Sam McGee.” It also takes place in the Yukon, but that’s about it for payoff of the title. It was fine. Just fine.
Penne Dreadful by Catherine Bruns. Replete with cozy cliches but not in the good way. I almost didn’t continue reading after the first several pages. My ultimate persistence didn’t much reward me.
Death by Cashmere by Sally Goldenbaum. A yarn shop-focused cozy mystery in a series I always enjoy.
An Image in the Lake by Gail Bowen. It’s been a while since I read any of the books in this series. This installment takes place a number years after the others I’ve read. The books are set in Saskatchewan and populated by truly believable characters and institutions that are obvious analogues to the real-life NDP and CBC. Each installment brings forward a new mystery but with continuity, drawing from a large collection of established characters and building on their back stories in coherent ways.
Antiques Con by Barbara Allen. I’ve read several books by this author before, and this won’t be the last.
Dead and Breakfast by Kate Kingsbury. Many of the conventional cliches are in place as you would expect from the punny title. If that’s what you’re looking for, you’ll enjoy it. I did.
The Case of the Spotted Tailor by Anna Castle. A smart cozy set in medieval England. Really very enjoyable.
Shadow of Night by Deborah Harkness. The second in a series about a witch and her vampire husband, this one takes place in 16th Century England where they’ve time-walked to escape the problems of the present. I dig this series, and I’m spacing the books out so I don’t burn out on them.
Dead Dead Girls by Nikesa Afia. The setting of Prohibition-era Harlem and the main character –a self-reliant young, lesbian, Black woman who sets out to find the serial killer who is stalking her peers – make this novel well worth reading. A lot of research must have gone in to making it all so believable, but at the same time, the story feels very natural. It’s the first in a series, and I’ll be coming back for more.
A Crime of a Different Stripe by Sally Goldenbaum. Same series as Death by Cashmere (above) but about five or years later in the lives of the characters. Tiny little seaside town plagued by a whole lot of murder!
An Untidy Death by Simon Brett. Another cozy and the perfect speed for where I was at.
Devil’s Garden by Aline Templeton. A most enjoyable mystery set in the Borders region of Scotland.
Game On: Tempting Twenty-Eight by Janet Evanovich. I’m always going to enjoy Stephanie Plum, even if she’s now mostly settled down with Joe Morelli.
