What are you reading the week of September 16, 2023?

I'm having a bit of a reading drought. I can't seem to find anything that will hold my interest.

I've recently begun Moll Flanders by Daniel Defoe, as part of my periodic "read a random classic I've never read" routine. Not easy or quick reading, but so far a strong indictment of the sexual exploitation of a young working class woman.

The Inheritance of Orquídea Divina – Zoraida Córdova
Digital audiobook performed by Frankie Corzo
3.5***

From the book jacket:
The Montoyas are used to a life without explanations. They know better than to ask why the pantry never seems to run low, or why their matriarch won’t ever leave their home – not for graduations, weddings, or baptisms. But when Orquídea Divina invites them to her funeral and to collect their inheritance, they hope to learn the secrets that she has held on to so tightly their whole lives. Instead, Orquídea is transformed in a tree, her limbs stretching into roots and branches, leaving them with more questions than answers.

My reactions:
This is unlike anything I’ve read before. Part family saga, part paranormal horror, part fantasy, part historical fiction, part quest, part love story. I’m so grateful that there is a family tree in the beginning, as I referred to it several times to clarify relationships of Orquídea’s many descendants. (She was married five times!)

The story ultimately focuses on three of her grandchildren – Reymundo, Marimar and Tatinelly – and her great-granddaughter Rhiannon (daughter of Tatinelly). It is they, recognizing that the family is at danger from an other-worldly presence, who travel to Ecuador to discover the truth of Orquídea’s past.

I was fascinated by the story and greatly enjoyed the audiobook rendition performed by Frankie Corzo, who is a talented voice artist. But I think I need to re-read it to fully absorb the magic of Córdova’s storytelling.

listening to this audio via hoopla ~

Blackberry Beach
by Irene Hannon
(#7, Hope Harbor series)

The Confessions of Max Tivoli
Andrew Sean Greer
4/5 stars
In the early 20th century we meet Max Tivoli who was an unusual character. He was born in San Francisco but lived his life backwards. He started out as an older person and dies as a child. However, he falls in love with the lovely Alice, a beautiful woman who he meets several times in his lifetime, her never knowing that Max will always be in her life. Nicely written!

I'm reading As Good As Dead by Holly Jackson to finish this fun series.

Hiroshima – John Hersey
4****

First published in 1946, Hersey recounts the story of the first atomic bomb dropped on the city of Hiroshima, through the recollections of six survivors.

The tale begins with the residents starting their day on an August morning, completely unaware of the devastation to come. Hersey follows each of them through their initial experiences – digging themselves out of rubble, helping a child or neighbor, making their way to hoped-for shelter. Some were severely wounded, others had barely a scratch visible (though all were exposed to radiation). Some had to wait for rescue and medical treatment, while others worked tirelessly to help their fellow residents in the aftermath. Two of the survivors were doctors and two others profiled were religious leaders.

It's a gripping story, made more so by the personal accounts.

Some years after initial publication, Hersey updated the text to include more information about long-term effects on the six of their experience that August morning. Part of this section details the efforts of one of the survivors, in particular, to raise awareness worldwide of the horrors of nuclear war.

I finished Dorothy Sayers's Whose Body? and loved it.

Now I'm reading The Friend by Sigrid Nunez.

Enjoying this audio via Libby ~

The Maid: A Novel (Molly the Maid, #1)
by Nita Prose
(Canadian/murder mystery/Molly is on the autism spectrum)

The Sentence by Louise Erdrich. Started it as my Amtrak St. Louis to Ft.
Worth audiobook, and now back in St. Louis reading the hardback in the Missouri Botanical Garden.

The Postscript Murders – Elly Griffiths
Digital audiobook narrated by Nina Wadia
3.5***

This is book two in the series featuring Detective Sergeant Harbinder Kaur, but it can easily be read as a stand alone.

A 90-year-old woman is found dead by her caretaker. It’s a peaceful scene; Peggy Smith’s body is sitting in her usual spot – a chair by the window where she liked to watch the goings on of her neighborhood. But Natalka, an immigrant from Ukraine, gets suspicious when she finds a stash of crime novels, all dedicated to Peggy, “murder consultant.” Then an armed intruder arrives as Natalka and her friend are trying to clean up Peggy’s flat, and, at gunpoint, steals one of the books, and the author of the stolen book is shortly found murdered! So, the case gets the attention of D.S. Kaur.

This is NOT a cozy, as there is a true detective at the center of the investigation, but Natalka and two cohorts (Benjamin, a former monk who runs the local coffee shop, and Edwin, Peggy’s 80-year-old neighbor) run a sort of parallel investigation that (mostly) helps Harbinder solve the case.

I really enjoyed this. It’s not a traditional hard-hitting detective novel, nor is it a sweet and quirky cozy mystery. Instead it is a brilliant composite of those subgenres. I liked the relationships between these characters, how they came together and pulled apart; how they countered one another’s theories, and supported each other’s efforts. And I liked learning something about Harbinder, a gay 30-something detective, who still lives at home with her parents. I want to know more about her.

I also rather liked the supporting cast of Natalka and Benjamin and want to know more of their story, but from what I read of the synopses of the other two books in the series, they don’t appear again. Spin off?

As for the main reason I like mysteries … I was kept guessing right to the end, and that’s a good thing. This is the first book by Elly Griffiths that I’ve read. It won’t be the last.

Nina Wadia does a find job of narrating the audiobook. I don’t think I’ve heard a narration by her before and I’m impressed with her talent for voices. I’ll have to look for more of her audios.

My Lucky Life in and Out of Show Business
Dick Van Dyke
4/5 stars
This is not a current book about Dick Van Dyke but he writes about the highlights of his career in TV and film and talks about his family life up to 2011. I always admired him and this was a very enjoyable book.

Finished: St. Clements Bluff by Christine Trent
The first installment in the "Heart of St. Mary's County" series. It's the author's first contemporary set novel as well as her first book since 2019.
Christine Trent is a Maryland author and included lots of local details and lore in her new novel!

I'm reading Italienische Reise by Goethe, The Travels of Marco Polo translated by W. Marsden, and Democracy in America by Alexis de Tocqueville.

The new thread is up over here.

>1 fredbacon: I have recently been in that place. A place where I felt starved and sad. Finally, it skipped out the door and left me loving words again. Don't worry. Thank goodness, it's only a temporary feeling.

>5 JulieLill: I might have this book. You make it sound so interesting. My book shelves are not orderly. I just have to look and look until I'm tired. At least, I will write the title down with a few words from your review. Max Tivoli.