Belle Ruin (Emma Graham series) by Martha Grimes

Belle Ruin
By Martha Grimes

This series really started for me back in 1992 with The End of the Pier. Emma Graham does not appear in that mystery but the location is the same and the style of the stories is very similar.  The main detective in that novel is Sam DeGuyn, the sheriff, who returns in the Emma Graham mysteries. 
 
The End of the Pier is a little more gruesome in descriptions of murders and murder scenes, something the author stays away from in subsequent books of the Emma Graham mysteries.  In fact, it is not at all necessary to read that novel in order to enjoy the Emma Graham series. 

The sheriff returns in Hotel Paradise, which was released in 1996 and features Emma Graham. Emma is intrigued by the story of Mary-Evelyn Devereau, a 12 year old who died on a pond 40 years ago, after her Aunt Rose ran away with Ben Queen. Was it murder or negligence? Rose herself was murdered some years ago now, supposedly by Ben Queen. Now Ben Queen is released from prison and their daughter, Fern, is found murdered. In between waiting tables at her family's once popular resort hotel, Emma asks questions and pokes around.

The mystery continues just a week later in Cold Flat Junction, (though the book wasn't released until 2001.) Then comes the story of Belle Ruin, released in 2005, with the added mystery of the kidnapped baby. 

The Belle Rouen was once a sumptuous resort hotel near Spirit Lake but since the fire it is now truly the "ruin" that most locals pronounce it to be.

Emma Graham has had more than her fair share of excitement in her life.  At just 12 years old she is made the youngest member of the local newspaper, The Conservative, so she will write up her account of what happened when she was shot at by a madwoman.  Now that she has discovered the ruin of the Belle Rouen, she seems to be on to a new mystery.  

Emma is deeply intrigued by the story of a kidnapped baby in the heyday of the Belle Rouen.  It is the night of a dance party and the parents hire a local woman to watch the baby in their hotel room while they go to the dance.  The father tells the babysitter to let the baby sleep, as she has been sick. When the father returns to check on the baby a couple hours later, the baby is gone.  A ladder next to the window of the bedroom suggests that someone used it to climb up and snatch the child.  However, as Emma questions the events, more and more, things don't add up.  She sets about interviewing all the people who might have been around during that time.  With each discussion, some small piece of the puzzle emerges.

The character of Emma Graham seems real to me, at times an independent young lady who is mature beyond her years and at other times reacts childishly to something that upsets her. 

Perhaps it's a mistake to look at this as a mystery rather than a literary novel.  The actions and observations are enjoyable in themselves even though there has been little resolution in the mysteries.  There are elements of magical realism as well, as elements of the time setting are totally distorted to make us wonder when it is taking place. 

Will the questions finally be answered in Fadeaway Girl, released in 2011, or will it remain a mystery, as things sometimes do in life?  Reviews by readers suggest that while many answers are given, just as many are left unanswered.  Perhaps this is deliberate.  The pace of the books is slow and deliberate, thought provoking, with shades of darkness relieved by lighter moments.

The only thing that really bothers me at this point about the series is the rehashing of material from the older books.  I can understand trying to keep the books readable as a stand alone but if we're going to defy mystery conventions, why not go the whole nine yards and just let people read the others if they want to know the back story?  For my part, I'm looking forward to reading Fadeaway Girl, whatever it brings.

Corduroy Mansions by Alexander McCall Smith

Corduroy Mansions

By Alexander McCall Smith

I was looking for a nice relaxing book on CD to listen to on my ride to and from work this past week when I saw an Alexander McCall Smith that had been recently returned to the library.  I’ve really only followed his Isabel Dalhousie series set in London but this looked promising, with the picture of a small dog on the front, Corduroy Mansions.

It has been a little different than I expected.  There is a fairly large cast of characters, unlike the Isabel Dalhousie series.  It’s quite civilized and pleasant then something startling happens, sometimes even something rather ugly.

It all centers around an apartment building called Corduroy Mansions.  The book is set up in a series of 100 short scenes moving from the people in the apartments out to all those they are involved with. 

There are four flats in Corduroy Mansions.  The top floor is where William and his son Eddie live, the girls are on the first floor and the ground floor is occupied by Mr. Wickramsinghe.

Here is a rundown of the tenants and their major relationships in the story -

William – Wine merchant who is trying to get his 24 year old son Eddie to move out.

Eddie – William’s son, rather ungrateful, he steals Freddie de la Hay to put in a dog fight.
Marcia – Caterer and friend of William but she would like to be more. 
Freddie de la Hay – Vegetarian Pimlico Terrier that William is “sharing.”. 

Dee – First floor neighbor, works in a vitamin shop.

Martin – works with Dee at the vitamin shop.

Jenny – First floor neighbor, Personal Assistant to the odious MP, Oedipus Snark.

Oedipus Snark – Odious MP.
Berthea Snark – Oedipus Snark’s mother and a psychologist, who is writing an unauthorized biography about her son.
Terence Moongrove – Berthea’s new age hippy brother
Barbara Ragg – Literary agent and Oedipus Snark’s girlfriend.  She breaks up with him then immediately picks up a young man in the car park.
Hugh Macpherson – young man Barbara picks up.
Rupert Porter – partner at literary agency with Barbara – annoyed that his father sold Barbara’s father a flat at market value that he wanted.

Caroline – First floor neighbor, doing a masters course at Sotheby’s in Fine Art.

James – Caroline’s friend in classes at Sotheby’s, who may or may not be gay.
Tim Something – photographer who once took Caroline’s photograph for a magazine.

Jo – First floor neighbor, Australian ex-patriate, first girl in the flat at Corduroy Mansions.

Mr. Wickramsinghe – Ground floor neighbor, an accountant who only shows up a few times, but he feels like a major character.  Hopefully he will be back in future books.

Though the book is character driven there is a thread of plot that ties things together very neatly with some intelligent and interesting observations.  I highly recommend it and look forward to the next one.

The Four Agreements by Don Miguel Ruiz

 

 

The Four Agreements

By Don Miguel Ruiz

A lot of people have very favorable things to say about this book.  They like the style and the information.  I think I would have appreciated the style more several years ago.  At the same time the four “agreements” are things that I believe are important and good guidelines for living. 

It feels rather contrived for me.  Like someone was trying to take a few simple truths and give them a frame that would show that this was “ancient wisdom.”  Aren’t the ideas important enough?

 “Everything in existence is a manifestation of the one living being we call God…

Human perception is merely light perceiving light…. Matter is a mirror… The world of illusion, the Dream, is just like smoke which doesn’t allow us to see what we really are… I am God.  But you are also God.  We are the same, you and I.”  

Yes, but… it’s just so overwrought.  Maybe I’m just not in the right frame of mind right now but it doesn’t work for me.

 “The dream of the planet is the collective dream of billions of smaller, personal dreams, which together create a dream of a family, a dream of a community, a dream of a city, a dream of a county, and finally a dream of the whole humanity.”

Okay, I’m with you, there’s a collective consciousness at work creating reality.

“We never had the opportunity to choose what to believe or what not to believe.   Children believe everything adults say.”  

Well, I don’t believe that.  Not my child.  How many times a day do I make a statement and my 3 year old tells me, “No, silly!”  And what about criminals who go against societal beliefs?

“The outside dream may hook our attention, but if we don’t agree, we don’t store that information.  As soon as we agree, we believe it, and this is called faith.  To have faith is to believe unconditionally.”

I believe those two statements contradict each other.  We couldn’t choose what to believe but we had to agree in order to store the information?  So we did have a choice.

“We try to please Mom and Dad, we try to please the teachers at school, we try to please the church, and so we start acting.  We pretend to be what we are not because we are afraid of being rejected.”

Yes, we see that all the time, in ourselves and teens.  Ah, but you see, many have been rejected from the start for something that they couldn’t control, so where does that leave them?  Perhaps with more freedom to reject that which they do not believe.  Creative people are survivors.  Perhaps they are creative because they weren’t afraid of being punished because they were being punished no matter what they did.

The author talks about self-fulfilling prophecies as spells we cast with the word and the power of the word. 

“An example: I see a friend and give him an opinion that just popped into my mind.  I say, “Hmmm!  I see that kind of color in your face in people who are going to get cancer.”  If he listens to the word, and if he agrees, he will have cancer in less than one year.  That is the power of the word.”

Or is it just self-fulfilling prophecy?  We are all probably walking around with cancer cells, some grow fast and some grow slow.  If we are worried about it and go to doctors insisting they look for it, they will.  But if we only look for problems caused by it, maybe they never will. 

So the wisdom boils down to four pieces.

Be impeccable with your word. – I think this is probably the easiest one.  Think before you speak, mean what you say and be kind with your words. But maybe it’s not that simple for everyone.  And I’m not perfect at it either.

Don’t take anything personally. – Hah!  Easier said than done, but definitely good advice.

Don’t make assumptions. – So very true. Don’t put subtext to what people say.  Ask and clarify.

Always do your best.  He acknowledges that it’s a relative statement.  At any given time, I might feel I could have done something more.  I often feel that way.  However, given the time constraints on our lives and various factors, I really couldn’t have done more.  Plus, we all fail sometimes.

Okay, this is a good book to give someone graduating from high school.  It has some important truths but the framework is so contrived that it’s bound to annoy a lot of people who already know these things.  You’ll have to decide for yourself on this one.  I only made it part way through.

The Joy Diet: 10 Daily Practices for a Happier Life by Martha Beck

The Joy Diet: 10 Daily Practices for a Happier Life
By Martha Beck

This morning I was at a workshop focused on recognizing and coping with stress.  Many of the strategies that I use came out of this wonderful little book by Martha Beck and then it occurred to me that I hadn't done a book review of it here. 

Several years ago I picked up the book The Joy Diet: 10 Daily Practices for a Happier Life by Martha Beck. It's a tiny little book but it holds so much humor and wisdom.  I incorporated it into my life at that time and it truly helped me put what was most important to me center stage in my life, define goals and take towards making it a reality.  I still do a few things she recommends on an regular basis but I think working more consciously with all these steps could be just what I need in my life. 

One of the hardest steps, though it sounds easy, is the first - to do fifteen minutes of NOTHING every day. We are so inundated with things to do that it may be more difficult than you think to find fifteen minutes all to yourself to quiet your mind. Of course, you can never really completely quiet your mind. The point is to watch your thoughts go by without getting drawn into the emotions they usually create. My boss is being a real jerk today! Mmm-hmm, that's nice dear. Just watch your thoughts float by like a leaf floating down a stream. The point is to detach from them so you can relax.  I found doing this on paper, ala Julia Cameron's "Morning Pages" was a great way to go for a writer.

The second step is to create or find a moment of TRUTH every day. We tend to assume that the things we are telling ourselves are true. The truth may be vastly different and yet those thoughts are creating our feelings! We dig a little deeper to find the truth so that we can be more productive. I have felt my mood elevate just by acknowledging what I am saying to myself and recognizing how I have made something seem worse than it really is.

The third step is to figure out what we DESIRE. So many times we divorce ourselves from what we really want in our lives because we think it just isn't realistic, that we're never going to get it. "I'll never find someone to love so I should just stop wanting it." But that doesn't make the desire go away, it just submerges it so that it becomes a deep-seated source of discontent. Might as well acknowledge what we want, figure out if it's something we really want, then start figuring out how to get it. Which brings us to our next step.

CREATIVITY. Most of the time we're not going to get what we really want by doing the same old things we've always done. It's time to get creative and come up with some ideas. Martha has a phrase for it that I really like, "force innovation." You create lists of ways to get what you want, from reasonable to illegal. The point is to brainstorm ideas, not necessarily to do them.

Next comes RISK. It's often going to take a risk to get what you really want. If you break it down into the smallest step you can possibly take every day, you can overcome the fear and actually take the step. Put up the profile on the dating site, send the manuscript to the editor, send your resume off to the company.

Then you can get to the TREATS. Just like training any lab animal, you're going to have to reward yourself into taking action if you're going to keep it up. Martha teaches you how to figure out what a treat is for you and to give yourself permission to have them. (Yes, some people need permission to treat themselves well.) Some of mine include listening to music, petting my cat and good coffee. It's anything that sparks a smile for you. The real trick is to recognize them as treats and take full pleasure in them.

The ability to PLAY is something most of us figure we have to give up at some point. What Martha is suggesting is a change in perspective about what you do every day. Once you realize what your purpose is in life, you can see that everything else you do is simply a game you are playing to make your real purpose in life possible. It's not such a big deal. Martha has a shortcut to figuring out what your purpose is. Think about September 11, 2001. What did you do that night? It's probably related in some way to your life purpose. I wrote a fictional story about a woman who lost her husband in the towers, but then I've always known my purpose is to write. Yours may not be quite so literal.

Ever since Norman Vincent Peale, we've all known that LAUGHTER is a powerful form of medicine. Really, is there anything better for lifting your mood? Sometimes I trip over it and sometimes I have to go looking. I take myself over to Pinterest and look at the Geek board at least every other day. I adore funny movies and books. I recently found the Sweet Potato Queen books and I have not laughed so hard at a book in ages. It relieves stress and lowers your blood pressure. I'm learning to laugh instead of getting angry when something goes wrong. Martha suggests you should be getting at least 30 LPDs (Laughs Per Day.) I'd say it's a fun thing to strive for.

CONNECTION is perhaps the most important of the Joy Diet steps. It requires that you use the first five steps in dealing with at least one other person every day. We all know that solitary confinement is a punishment. There's a vast difference between being alone with yourself and being lonely. We need other people in our lives, but more than that, we need to feel connected to other people. A lot of people don't know how to truly connect with others, or they're afraid of the pain that doing so will inevitably bring them.

Yes, being connected to other people will bring you pain. They will do things that hurt you or you might be left behind at some point. The point is that by being connected to other people, you'll be better able to endure the pain life throws your way. Martha says that, "even as your heart breaks, you'll find that it always breaks open." You'll have a network of connections to call on in your time of need.

The last step simply sounds joyful, FEASTING. I close my eyes and picture large groups of people talking and laughing, sitting around and enjoying each other's company, with music and food and drink. But feasting doesn't require other people. It doesn't even require food. Feasting is about the attention you give to whatever activity you are engaging in so that it is set apart from other daily activities. One of the most important aspects of feasting is ritual. Most people think of a church service or a family saying grace before dinner, but it can also mean getting into comfy clothes, making popcorn, and getting cozy on the sofa with a blanket before starting a movie. The actions set what you are about to do apart from the rest of the day.

You can feast on sights, sounds, touch, movement or even sleep. It's something that feeds you physically, emotionally, intellectually or spiritually. Some of my favorite feasts involve watching a movie that inspires or makes me think, listening to peepers in the warm spring air late at night or washing my hands in warm water with honey scented soap. Then you give thanks. Feel your gratitude for this feast, whomever you direct it to, God, the universe or yourself. Being grateful for the good things gives us something to hold onto when things aren't going so well.

Of course, there's a lot more to all of this than I've been able to say in just this post but I hope it gives you the idea. This little book is packed with humor and information. Just reading it is a feast and will help you get your laughs for several days.  I've only been able to give you a taste here. I highly recommend you get the book for yourself and give it a try. Check it out at the library if you're not sure you want to spend the money on it. I did, and ended up buying it for myself. I'm so glad to have it on my bookshelf. I hope it enriches your life too.

Prey by Michael Crichton

Prey

By Michael Crichton

Jack has been a stay at home dad for the last few months, ever since he got fired for exposing inappropriate behavior at work in a superior.  He has three kids but don’t feel too sorry for him, he still has a housekeeper.  His wife, Julia, is working a lot at the company, Xymos, where she’s a vice-president and has begun acting strangely.  Is it just the stress, or something else? 

Julia comes home one night and the baby is soon sick, turning a bright red and screaming.  Jack takes the baby to the emergency room where they can’t find a cause but during an MRI the machine breaks down and the baby’s symptoms simply go away.  The next day the baby looks bruised but is completely happy.

Julia’s strange behavior continues, even staying out all night without calling home.  She accuses Jack of undermining her with the children and he fears they are headed for a divorce when she is in a car accident.

Just before the accident, Jack’s former place of work calls him to see if he will come back to work because they are having trouble with a program he created which they contracted to… Xymos.

Jack takes the job.  He needs the work and he needs to know what has been happening out at the fabrication plant, where Julia has been spending so much of her time.

Crichton is a well-known author, from his first bestseller, The Andromeda Strain, to his last novel, Micro, finished after Crichton’s death by Richard Preston.  Crichton was a well-known producer, director and screenwriter.  He held a degree in anthropology and a doctorate in medicine, and is best known for cautionary scientific tales. 

Crichton often focused on the exponential growth of technology, how things are changing faster and faster, and the lack of human understanding and caution in dealing with those evolving technologies. 

His writing is often classified as techno-thriller.  The books are simple story lines, fast paced and rely on quite a bit of scientific explanation to make them interesting. 

Prey was my first Crichton novel and I will definitely read and listen to more on CD.  I would recommend them to anyone who enjoys an interesting tale told at a fast pace, extrapolating from scientific facts and asking “what if?”

Homeless Bird by Gloria Whelan

Homeless Bird

By Gloria Whelan

Koly is only thirteen when her parents manage to scrape together a dowry and arrange a marriage for her to a young man, Hari.  Her father is a man of words, writing letters for others who do not know how, but it pays little.  There is simply not enough food for everyone in the family. 

Her Maa and Baap arrange a marriage for her and take her to her new family’s village, but Hari is younger than they were told and very ill.  The marriage was only arranged so Hari's parents could use the dowry money to take their son to the Ganges, hoping for a miracle cure.

When the boy dies, Koly becomes little more than a servant in the house to her shrewish mother-in-law.  Life is difficult but her new sister-in-law and her father-in-law are very kind to her.  He actually teaches her to read.  When he dies of a heart attack, though, her mother-in-law takes her to the city of widows, Vrindavan. 

After, a few long days and nights, Koly is lucky to be given a place in a home for widows and a job stringing marigolds.  Her talent for embroidery, learned from her mother, enables her to build an even better life for herself and, eventually, the young man who falls in love with Koly.

Gloria Whelan captures the voice of Koly beautifully and tells an intriguing but simple tale in this book.  It provides a window into a changing world, where one young woman uses her talents and a bit of luck to thrive. 

I will admit that this is a young adult book, it won the 2000 National Book Award for Young People’s Literature, but I highly recommend it for anyone interested in an easy way to learn about an aspect of another society.  It is a quick read filled with beautiful prose and a little romance.

Moses, Man of the Mountain by Zora Neale Hurston

Today's Story Musing entry is guest written by Maryalice Little of the Southeast Steuben County Library.

 

Moses, Man of the Mountain

by Zora Neale Hurston

After being introduced to Zora Neale Hurston’s Their Eyes Were Watching God, I wanted to enjoy more of this author’s rich use of descriptive language.  I read her next work, Moses, Man of the Mountain, and I became even more impressed by the writings of Hurston (1891 - 1960).

In Moses, Man of the Mountain, Hurston retells the story of Moses, who, though born of humble lineage, is raised as royalty.  After rejecting his privileged position, he spends years in another land then he returns to lead his people away from their hard, but familiar, lives of bondage in Egypt to a life of self-government in a new land.  

Hurston’s writing style breathes humanity into familiar characters with insightful descriptions of their thoughts and actions.  Her writing style integrates the Biblical story of Moses with the legendary tales of Moses from Africa and the West Indies; it encourages the reader to appreciate the humanity that surrounds Moses’ power--because his power “does not flow from the Ten Commandments.  It is his rod of power, the terror he showed before all Israel and to Pharaoh, and THAT MIGHTY HAND.”   ---from the author’s introduction to Moses, Man of the Mountain

In this version, Moses is described as being a very curious child, and it was “the gardeners and the grooms who caught his attention....There was one old man who tended the horses.  He had answers in the form of stories for nearly every question that Moses asked and he told stories unasked because they just came to him to tell.”  So Moses gained a foundation of knowledge and wisdom about the ways of the world.  

As Moses grew into manhood, he was relegated to learning the ways of the military, as his elder brother would someday become the reigning Pharaoh.  His aging mentor advised him to learn to fight on horseback, not in chariots, as his elder brother did.  Moses learned strategy by listening to the men of war and by experimenting with maneuvers.  “There was something about him, outside of being the grandson of Pharaoh, that made men listen to him with respect.  There was something about him that assured them he was a companion to be relied on in times of danger.  They wanted to follow him into any escapade he thought up.  He was the young men’s choice for a leader.”  And so they came to beat the Pharaoh’s “finest chariot force in the world” at the bi-annual military maneuvers.  

These experiences and qualities served Moses well when he struggled to lead his people to a new way of thinking and a new homeland.  Negotiating with Pharaoh to let his people go required strategy, inspiration, patience, understanding, and perseverance.  The forty years that they would spend in the wilderness were not just about traveling a geographical distance, but also about learning a new way to think. Moses understood this.  In their first battle along their journey, Moses answers, when his young assistant, Joshua, questions whether the men will follow his lead, “Young or old men will follow you if you got that something to make ‘em willing.  You are going to be one of the great men at arms, watch my word.  This will be good practice for you and it will be good for the people.  Once they win a battle, it will tend to lift up their heads.  Now they are scared of everything and they think nothing is scared of them.  They need to win something.”  And they did.  

Again and again, the people say that they want freedom but act in ways that indicate that they are reluctant to let go of their past dependencies.  And, again and again, Moses consults with his God of Sinai and leads the people onward to their new life in a new land.

Zora Neale Hurston tells this ancient story in a rich language that brings compassionate insight to the timeless journey of humanity.

Maryalice K. Little