September 2017

The Secret Place

By Tana French

Narrated by Stephen Hogan and Lara Hutchinson

I listened to the audio version of A Secret Place by Tana French.  An English girls’ boarding school provided the perfect setting for the murder of a popular student from a neighboring boys’ boarding school.   It was refreshing to read a well-crafted mystery, with plenty of red herrings and lots of suspense.  The plot skillfully segued between the point of view of the female students and the investigating officers.  Characters were interesting and developed well as the story progressed.  The audio version was well done with great narrations by Stephen Hogan and Lara Hutchinson.  I’ll definitely look for more books by Tana French.  It was definitely a good listen.

Back When We Were Grownups

By Anne Tyler

I discovered Back When We Were Grownups in a closet at a vacation cabin.  The vacation wasn’t great, but the book was.  After reading the first 90 pages at the cabin, I resisted the urge to tuck the book into my suitcase and bring it home.  A copy was quickly found at our local library, so that I could continue to enjoy the story of the Rebecca and the Davitch family.  I’m now on to Tyler’s Pulitzer Prize winning book, Breathing Lessons.  I’ve quickly become an Anne Tyler fan.

Deader Homes and Gardens

By Joan Hess

Even though it got off to a slow start, Deader Homes and Gardens by Joan Hess turned out to be an entertaining cozy mystery.  It had all the elements that I enjoy in a cozy mystery:  a strong female protagonist; a countryside mansion with beautiful gardens; quirky characters; and a mild murder (actually three), with no gruesome violence.  It was definitely predictable, but I still enjoyed listening to the audio version. 

Private

By James Patterson and Maxine Paetro

I picked Private up from Audible.com and I think it was actually free.  Since I’ve never read or listened to a James Patterson book, I can’t say how much he contributed to this book, which was co-written with Maxine Paetro.  It was an entertaining, but a bit confusing at the beginning.  There were far too many mysteries to follow.  The plots were all clear by the middle and the end somewhat satisfactorily resolved everything.  The characters were straight out of mystery writing 101.  I can’t really complain.  The narration by Peter Hermann was good.  It was an enjoyable audiobook, especially for free.

Breathing Lessons

By Anne Tyler

I loved Breathing Lessons by Anne Tyler.  I loved the ‘ordinariness’ of Maggie and Ira. Even though the overall family situation was sad, I found myself constantly laughing at their interactions as a couple.  Despite their long-term marriage, or maybe because of it, I felt that neither Ira nor Maggie’s needs were being met.  Watch the game of solitaire while reading.  I think it has significance beyond a means of dealing with boredom.  A 1989 Pulitzer Prize winning book, Breathing Lessons is a little dated, but still relevant and definitely a good read!

The Little Paris Bookshop

By Nina George

The Little Paris Bookshop by Nina George was another great library sale book.  I picked it up because I thought it might be another book about books.  It was, but books were not the main focus.  Originally published in German, The Little Paris Bookshop is a sweet romance, filled with lots of details about France and it’s culture.  Books are occasionally mentioned, as prescribed medicines for various emotional illnesses.  While not to be taken as medical advice, the idea is engaging and the book is very entertaining.  Titles are included in an emergency literary pharmacy at the end of the book.  Food is an important part of the story and recipes are also included at the end of the book.  The Little Paris Bookshop has earned a place on my permanent bookshelf.  It’s definitely a good read!

The Silver Chair
By C.S. Lewis
The Silver Chair is a continuation of the Chronicles of Narnia by C.S. Lewis.  Once again, we were immersed in the fantasy of Narnia during a six-hour drive.  The audiobook delighted us and the drive went quickly.  We’ve been listening to the series over a long period of time, whenever we happen to take a long drive.  The entire Chronicles of Narnia series has been enjoyable, including The Silver Chair.