Stacked-Up Book Thoughts: Reading for a Snowy Spring

When T. S. Eliot wrote "April is the cruelest month," I don't think he was talking about the weather. But 6 inches of snow on April 2? Really? Sigh.

Actually, it makes no difference to me. I've got nine (count them!) nine more days of heavy work and then I can relax, take the weekends off, read a book in print, and do a little baking. Maybe the weather will break by then, and I'll even get a chance to resume my daily walks and get out in the garden.

Here's to packing up the sweaters and boots until next year!

What I Read Last Week

My friend SuziQOregon over at Whimpulsive has been listening to the the Cormoran Strike books by Robert Gailbraith (aka J. K. Rowling). I loved the first two books but never got around to the third, Career of Evil. Seeing as the three novels were made into a mini-series (airing in the USA in June on Cinemax), I thought I'd follow suit and catch up. Cormoran Strike was rotated out of the Royal Military Police Special Investigation Branch after he lost half a leg in Afghanistan. He's now self-employed as a private investigator and is contemplating making his assistant, Robin Ellacott, a full partner. In this installment, the mystery takes a personal turn, when Cormoran and Robin seem to be targeted by a serial killer. Besides perusing the cases they're getting paid for, the pair is also consumed with trying to stop whoever is clearly out to get them. The investigation into the three main suspects kept me guessing, and I truly wasn't sure who was going to end up being the killer until the action-packed end. Besides the stake-outs and the internet searches, the case forces Cormoran and Robin to open up about their pasts and reveal things they would have rather kept private. Their complex working relationship and their not so sunny personal lives add depth to this contemporary mystery/thriller series, which is mostly set in London. Writing as Gailbraith, Rowling has convincingly left the fantasy world; this gritty series is well-plotted, and I'm looking forward to the next Cormoran Strike book. Now that I'm caught up with the books, I'm impatiently waiting for the television series. The unabridged audiobook (Hachette Audio; 17 hr, 58 min) was read by Robert Glenister, who performs the entire series. His characterizations are excellent and his sense of drama and pacing made it difficult to turn off the audiobook -- especially near the end. Career of Evil doesn't end on a cliff-hanger, but the Cormoran and Robin are looking down a new path. (personal copy)

Turning to a completely different world, I listened to Stray City by Chelsey Johnson. This is the story of Andrea Morales, who grew up Catholic on a Nebraska farm, hiding her true self. Once she leaves home for Reed College in Portland, Oregon, she is free to shed her mask and embrace her lesbian identity, though the cost is to be cut off from her parents. The novel explores the insular gay and indie music worlds of 1990s Portland in the waning years of the Riot Grrrl movement as well as the differences (and similarities) between chosen families and birth families. The Portland Lesbian Mafia is supportive of each other; however, the women can also be judgmental. After a bad breakup, Andy seeks solace with the only person who seems to be attracted to her--a male drummer in an indie band. She manages to keep the relationship secret, until she finds herself pregnant and must decide whether, at age 24 and with few resources, she wants to be a mother. One thing she does know: she's not bisexual and she's definitely gay, despite her brief affair with Ryan. Johnson's novel is told with humor but reveals painful truths of being gay in America. The end of the novel jumps 10 years ahead, letting us see the consequences of Andy's choices. I liked the book, though I thought the conclusion was a little too neat and not as fully realized as the rest of the story. If I gave star ratings, I'd say Stray City is a 3.3. The unabridged audiobook (HarperAudio; 10 hr, 22 min), was read by Natalie Moore, whose youthful voice was a good match for Andy. I liked her expressive delivery, though her characterizations could have been a little more distinct. I'll have more to say about this audiobook at AudioFile magazine. (freelance assignment)

Book Lists!

I'll leave you with four book lists. Enjoy!

• From Alternet: The 10 Worst Couples in Literature 
• From the Guardian: Top 10 Books Based in Tangier
• From Open Culture: Patti Smith's 40 Favorite Books 
• From Business Insider: Best Books about Science from the Last 15 years