What We’re Reading

The Black Ground, Book 2: The Black Room | Gillian Cross

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This is definitely a series where you need to read the first book.

We pick up just after Robert has returned to himself–an event which has changed his relationship with his sister, and his best friend.
Live in the cave is a strong memory to him, and he and Emma make regular trips to bring food and supplies to its occupants. While happy to be home, Robert can’t forget about those he left behind. Especially Lorn.

His obsession and change in personality lead Tom, who can’t understand this Robert, to confront him. Which in turn leads Robert to tell him the truth–and then drag him home to Emma for confirmation. Tom can’t get his mind around it regardless.

But when they suddenly think they may have stumbled upon the actual Lorn, reality takes and even stranger turn than what Tom considers Robert’s fantasy.

After a lot of planning and arguing, it’s Tom who comes out with more courage of his convictions and sees to it that Robert doesn’t back down on trying to return Lorn to herself.

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The Eddie Dickens Trilogy, Books 2: Dreadful Acts

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Now living at Awful End with his Mad Uncle Max and Even Madder Aunt Maud, Eddie’s life continues right on with the crazy. Awoken early one morning by his uncle to come down and see the driver-less hearse in the driveway, Eddie has no idea what to think. And before he can decide, an even bigger catastrophe happens.

While recovering from that, Eddie and not-Mr. Collins are nearly hit by a crashing hot air balloon, which does in fact hit his Mad aunt Maud, who labels it quite an exciting experience.

From there things just get crazier, as Eddie is arrested, set free, gets lost on the moors, falls in with some convicts and wonders how anything will get set right again.

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Faithful Spy | Alex Berenson

This first novel by investigative reporter Berenson is about an American CIA agent who has penetrated Al Qaeda in an effort to capture the man close to Bin Laden who has been master-minding terrorist strikes.

When the agent is sent on a mission back to the US, he has been out of contact so long the CIA assumes he is a turncoat. His only support comes from his “handler” who has also been his lover.

This book may shatter your illusions about how we treat suspected enemy agents. It is a good preparation for “The Good Shepherd”. I found it to be real page turner.

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The drowning tree | Carol Goodman

This time the locale is a Hudson River community called Rosendale, home to Penrose College (an exclusive girls college) and the abandonded glass factory of Augut Penrose. Stained glass, and other decorative arts are characters in this novel in which Juno McKay, former Penrose student and single mother, is hired to clean and repair the “lady window” in the college library. She has revived her father’s glass business which is now housed in the former Penrose factory building. She aspires to turn the building into a loft space for artists, similar to DIA Beacon. (There are references throughout to Poughkeepsie, “World’s End”, New Paltz and Beacon to help place Rosendale.)

Her best friend is mysteriously drowned after delivering a lecture on the lady window, a lecture which alludes to a mystery in the Penrose family. Juno uses hidden diary pages of the college’s founder to discover the circumstances leading to her friend’s murder and unravel a mystery hidden in the window.

In addition to the locale, Goodman uses mythology and the arts & crafts movementof the early 20th century to give substance to her story and characters.

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The seduction of water | Carol Goodman

Carol Goodman definitely has a thing for water. She has written several mysteries set in the Hudson Valley in which water is a key element. (The Lake of Dead Languages and The Drowning Tree are two others). I heard her speak about the importance of place at a library conference, which led me back to her books.

Here she tells the story of an adjunct English professor who shuttles beteen classes in a prison and community college in Manhattan. She is in an uncommitted state her relationship with her artist lover has no future, and she is unable to commit to completing her dissertation. After selling a short story to an avant garde magazine, she is persuaded to write a book about her mother - a famous author who died under mysterious circumstances when she was a child.

Her research takes her back to the Catskill resort her parents had managed, and which her aunt is still managing.As she delves into the fanatasy world her mother had created, and seeks the lost third volume of her famous series, she uncovers a reality that someone close to her will kill to keep hidden.

Goodman stated in her talk that her locales are all composites of places. The resort has elements of Mohonk, or perhaps Miniwaska House.

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Laurel Canyon: the inside story of rock & roll’s legendary neighborhood | Michael Walker

Popular music and the music “industry” changed dramatically in the 1960’s. The Beatles opened the door, and a host of singer/songwriters rushed through after them. This book focuses on the California music scene and the incredible talent that lived together for a time in Laurel Canyon: David Crosby, Graham Nash, Joni Mitchell, Cass Elliot, John Mayall, Frank Zappa, to name a few.

Performers became wealthy beyond their wildest imaginings as they wrested control of their music from record and production companies, and drug use laid waste to many fortunes. The music was beautiful. It led me to seek out the remastered recordings of Crosby, Stills & Nash, the Beatles and the Byrds.

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Brother Odd | Dean Koontz

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Unable to deal with life in his hometown, Pico Mundo, Odd Thomas has retreated to St. Bartholomew’s, where he hoped to find some peace. Telling his secret only to those necessary, he manages for a time to live a quiet life, piquing curiosity, but being left alone. The arrival of bodachs with his first ever snow storm changes all that.

What begins as the mystery of Brother Timothy’s disappearance quickly spirals into an ever-growing and changing puzzle. While Odd knows something is coming and the children must be protected, he can’t explain to anyone what, why or how, which makes the planning more than a little difficult.

Elvis continues to pop in for comic relief as Odd struggles to make sense of things he’s never seen and can barely comprehend. The trusty Boo offers some help as well, but as a dog can only go so far.

In a race against not only the unknown but also the clock, Odd struggles to find a way to communicate with those who rarely do, in hopes of solving the riddle before it’s too late for anyone else.

I’ve loved Odd Thomas since his first story. Apparently some found his second tale to be lesser than the first. I’m not sure I was of that opinion, but for any who were, I can say that this installment should definitely please.

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The Land of Elyon, Book 3: The Tenth City | Patrick Carman

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Alexa’s journey continues right where it left off, on the Warwick Beacon, with a voice on the wind leading her. While the journey is uncertain, and at times seems dangerous, still she does what she must.

When the original plan to return to Lathbury has to be abandoned, it saddens the crew, but they oblige. When they receive directions that seem for sure to be heading them straight towards danger, they comply. Though Alexa begins to fear they’ll never be able to save their dear friend Yipes, she doesn’t give up.

The darkest of the three books, in this tale, Elyon is failing. The war between Elyon himself and his rival Abaddon is at its climax, and all hopes lie with Alexa and her friends. If they succeed they will save the land and restore it to its natural order and beauty. Should they fail, life will never be the same for any of them. In fact, it might be over.

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Twilight | Stephenie Meyer

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This is one of the most satisfying love stories I have read in a long time. Pure fantasy. So what if the boy of her dreams is a vampire? Bella is a feisty, albeit clumsy teen unaware of her own appeal forthe males (human or not)in her class at Forks High. Edward, 18 for over 100 years, is gorgeous, aloof and devoted to saving Bella (from herself, himself and his enemies). The plot is so compelling, and young love so well evoked I skimmed through the nasty bits to find out if they live happily ever (as in really forever) after. And then learned there’s a sequel.

A well written first novel, not just for teens.

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Artemis Fowl: The Lost Colony | Eoin Colfer

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Having saved the world, and more than once, Artemis has found his return to the “simple” life to be rather dull. So when he gets wind of demon materializations, and realizes, quite by accident, that the calculations are wrong and that the world may be about to end yet again…of course he can’t stay away.

After an accidental and short journey through time with a demon, Artemis becomes determined to try to solve the issue of the island of Hybras, suspended in time by a decaying spell. His plans become complicated when he realizes another child genius also knows about the demons–and that their goals are not at all the same.

The two become embroiled in a strategic war, Minerva wanting a Nobel Prize, ARtemis wanting to come up with a plan to save the demon species, with minimal impact to Earth. Neither gets precisely what they wanted, as all plans go awry–and with rather dire consequences–not the least of which is Artemis and Holly’s unexpected trip to Hybras just in time to see it begin to disintegrate.

Will they be able save the island and make it back home?

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