Book Blog: April 2023
Happy spring, all! May is the true beginning of spring in the PNW, and I loved a little taste of spring when we visited New Orleans in April (don’t mind the clouds, it was lovely).
This was a pretty good reading month, so here are my favorites of the twelve books that I read.
Fiction
The Heiress (Molly Greeley): Like The Clergyman’s Wife, The Heiress is set in the Pride and Prejudice universe but explores the character of Anne de Bourgh, the intended wife of Mr. Darcy and his first cousin. If you’ve read P&P you know how this turns out, but this book goes into who she might have been — why she was so sickly and silent in the book. In the first part of the book, we get a glimpse into what it might’ve been like to be a sick child, and then Anne’s desire to break free from her family grows when she regains her strength for a short period of time and escapes to stay with family in London, where she gets to know herself a bit better in a variety of ways. I was a little surprised of the direction of the book, but like any person getting to know themselves, perhaps it is meant to be a bit meandering. I have read many books in the P&P universe and though not one of my favorites, it was still very good.
A Pocket Full of Rye and Dead Man’s Folly (Agatha Christie): First for A Pocket Full of Rye — what a playful mystery! A man is found dead in his office in London with a pocket full of rye (yes, the grain) and Inspector Neele starts to investigate the death of Mr. Fortescue. Is it his oldest son who is ready to take over the business? His much-younger second wife? His beautiful secretary? His far-flung prodigal son? Miss Marple appears because one of the members of the house (a maid named Gladys) first trained with her. I really think Christie’s plots are much more creative and clever when she is writing Marple instead of Poirot. This one was just delightful to the point I thought I had it solved but kept tripping up on the dead-ends!
Now onto Dead Man’s Folly… As a big fan of murder mystery dinner parties, I was excited that Christie has a book about a similar-ish theme, though in this case Ariadne Oliver has been asked to create a fun murder mystery at a festival in the country, but just before the festival starts she feels that something is wrong and asks Hercule Poirot to come and make sure everything is as it should be. Of course it isn’t and instead of a pretend murder, there is at *least* one murder, probably more. I’m not sure exactly why I loved this installment as much as I did, other than it was perfectly rational but I didn’t full catch the solution. It was quite well how it all ties together at the end, so I really enjoyed it.
The Dogs of Riga (Henning Mankel): There is nothing like some Nordic Noir to get you through a tough week, and Mankell’s Wallander always delivers for me. In this mystery, two dead bodies show up in a life raft near the south of Sweden, and a boat drags the raft towards shore (a little suspicious, but moving along…) so it will be found. Soon it comes to light that these are Latvian men — and, at the time of the book’s publishing (1991–92), Latvia and other former parts of the USSR were fighting for independence. The rest of the book swirls around the corruption, double-speak, and danger of a country in transition towards “freedom” and how Wallander tries to find answers without getting murdered himself. Mankell is such a talented writer and I loved walking the streets of Riga with his characters.
Non-Fiction
Zero Fail: The Rise and Fall of the Secret Service (Carol Leonnig): I enjoyed this book much more than I thought I could — it read like a thriller and I couldn’t put it down! Zero Fail covers the period just before JFK’s assassination through the early years of our 45th President (you know the one — the chaotic one). Leonnig looks at the incredibly difficult task of protecting the president and the First Family (as well as other top government officials) along with the evolving culture of the Secret Service. There are so many ups and downs that she chronicles, citing named and anonymous sources, but I appreciated how she focused on the broader systemic factors, not just the individual actors. What a well-researched and unexpected book!
Dancing in the Mosque (Homeira Qaderi): This was a fantastic book about a woman’s journey through life in Afghanistan (and later Iran) during the Taliban’s rule (and not rule, and then rule again). Interspersed between her recollections of growing up are short letters to her son Siawesh, who she has been separated from for some reason (we learn later in the book). I’m not sure how Qaderi survived all that she did other than tenacity, hope, and caution — and the love and care of those around her. In a time when women’s rights are threatened around the world, this story must be heard.
The Little(r) Museums of Paris (Emma Jacobs): This is a fantastic book for the Paris-bound traveler (or the Paris dreamer!) about the smaller, lesser-known museums in Paris. The information gives the practical (addresses, hours, tips) but the best part is the history of each museum, how it’s evolved, and the charming illustrations on high-quality paper. I have found the best small museums for this year’s trip to Paris. Might I again recommend Rick Steves’ podcast if you love fun travel resources like this?
I’m already diving into some fascinating biographies and memoirs this month, so I can’t wait to share those with you soon.
Cheers, S
