Ending my High Summer Readathon with Jane Austen goodness and a bittersweet surprise

Officially, the High Summer Readathon at Seasons of Reading ends tomorrow but it is permitted to wrap things up when you're ready,which is what my post today is all about.

I did read four out of the six books that were on my TBR for this readathon,not a bad accomplishment there. Granted, two of them were rereads yet since both of those were Jane Austen related, I find that connection to be noteworthy indeed.

After reliving Jane Austen's Northanger Abbey, it was delightful to take a similar trip into modern times with Val McDermid's retelling. The adjustments to be made to fit Catherine "Cat" Morland into the present day were well tailored such as having her visit the Edinburgh Book Festival instead of Bath, a more lively location these days for young people.

What was extra fun was having Cat and her dubious friend Bella(who makes for a pitch perfect mean girl type) be into vampire/paranormal fiction. Twilight is name checked but the series that our heroine is taken with is called The Hebridean Harpies by Morag Fraser, with titles such as Vampires on Vatersay and Banshees of Berneray.

Sadly, it's not a real set of books(unlike the Gothic tales that Austen had her Catherine Morland and Isabella Thorpe read) yet you can tell McDermid enjoyed creating her own mock versions of such popular YA lore:

While McDermid stays pretty close to the source material for this story, she does add a few extra tweaks of her own there. In particular, having Cat and Eleanor "Ellie" Tilney decide at one point to write and illustrate their own books for children.

Giving Ellie the desire to break free from her controlling father and pursue an art career is a nice modern touch, allowing her to more nuanced than Austen intended(to be fair, the original NA was an early work and since it was published posthumously, there was no chance for a solid rewrite of the character). It's a bit subtle but a good piece of character development nonetheless.

The best parts of the book come from Henry, Ellie and Cat hanging out and getting to known each other better at the abbey, despite the intimidating presence of General Tilney(whose reason for ultimately throwing Cat out of the house unexpectedly is different than the original and just as completely reprehensible). I have found that e-mail and text messaging work rather well when it comes to adapting Austen for modern times and that fits right into place here.

All in all, this double decker reread of mine was entertaining and I may do that for other Austen books in the future. As for this take on Northanger Abbey, it's a good intro for someone who hasn't read Jane Austen yet as well as amusing for Janeites to have proof that classic tales are like a little black dress: suitable for all seasons and perfect for updating your literary wardrobe:

 Now, I did intend to read one of the other books on my High Summer TBR pile but alas, my attention was lured away to one of my recent library loans and I really don't regret that at all.

Terri-Lynne DeFino's The Bar Harbor Retirement Home for Famous Writers(and Their Muses) is the true definition of an enchanting read. While the main action of the story is set in 1999, where legendary author Alfonse Carducci arrives at the title location to live out his last days, a good chunk of the book is set in the 1950s.

That portion is a work in progress, as the ailing Alfonse regains his desire to write again due to Cecibel Bringer, a young woman working as an orderly whose scarred face matches the emotional scars on her soul. At first, Alfonse keeps his work a secret but then one of his contemporaries, the still feisty Olivia Peppernell , is asked for her opinion on his story and winds up adding a few chapters of her own.

The spark of literary inspiration jumps to two more of their fellow residents(one of which is an editor suffering from early memory loss) and Cecibel is given the chance to read along as they write along. You're not only following the lives of Alfonse and friends, you're also following the forbidden romance of Aldo and Cecilia, who are trapped by their social roles in the fifties to be together and yet always apart.

Both stories come to a moving and thoughtful conclusion, giving the reader a double blessing and a few surprises for each set of fictional folk. It may be bittersweet at times but DeFino balances the changing tones of both stories with a sure hand and infinite grace. If you haven't read this book yet, I strongly urge to do so as soon as you can. A good story that showcases the joys and sorrows that real love possesses is a pearl that needs to be treasured, even if it's just the once:

My thanks to Michelle Miller from Seasons of Reading for setting up another wonderful opportunity to catch up and find great books to read. I hope everyone else who took part in High Summer had as much of a good time as I did and look forward to seeing all of you again for Fright Fall later this year.

As for the rest of my summer, I do have Bad Movie Month to contend with(that's going to be a bit bookish since the first two films are Bridget Jones sequels) and plenty of other books to explore. I may also indulge in more Jane Austen as it's going to be awhile until that new adaptation of Sanditon airs on PBS! Reading Austen is like having the perfect ice cream creation, cool and refreshing and especially so in the dog days of summer left to us:

Reaching the high point of my High Summer readathon

Taking part in the Seasons of Reading series of readathons has certainly helped with keeping my TBR piles on balance. Granted, my goals for the current High Summer reading event are pretty modest but I have managed to make a couple of sets of books that were waiting in the wings a bit smaller.

The first book that I completed for this challenge was appropriately titled By The Book, a debut novel from Julia Sonneborn. Our leading lady is Anne Corey, an English professor at Fairfax College who's struggling to gain tenure and hoping to publish her first book.

When it's announced that Adam Martinez is the new president of Fairfax, Anne is thrown for quite the loop. The two of them were a romantic couple during her own college days but she broke up with him due to pressure from her academic advisor as well as her family. While she does her best to maintain a professional relationship with him, Anne does find those old familiar feelings returning, along with tinges of regret.

She does get a bit of welcome distraction from new writer-in-residence Rick Chasen, who has some past history with Adam as well. Yet, Anne still feels attached to Adam in some ways, even discovering that very special copy of Jane Austen's Persuasion that he gave to her so long ago and can not bear to part with.

Yes, this story is a modern take on Persuasion(my favorite Austen novel) but it also adds a few tidbits from Jane Austen's other works such as the name of the college, which is from Emma, and Rick Chasen has much in common with a certain Mr. Wickam.

There's even a hint of Northanger Abbey as Anne's collegiate buddy Larry falls in love with an actor starring in a" based-on-the-hit-YA-series" movie called Jane Vampire,which is Twilight meets Charlotte Bronte. Larry gets Anne to watch that film with him upteen times, really stretching those boundaries of friendship there!

All in all, the book is a fine tribute to Jane Austen that creates plenty of original characters and situations that let the author make her own mark. It's a lovely read that even a non-Austen reader can enjoy and hopefully, will inspire those who haven't to take up Persuasion for the first time:

After that, I picked up Jean Kwok's Girl in Translation, which did make me think of Gilmore Girls at times but Lorelai and Rory never went through half of the hard times that this mother and daughter team did.

Twelve year old Kimberly Chang and her mother were able to emigrate to America just before their homeland of Hong Kong reverted back to Chinese control, with the aid of her Aunt Paula. Their welcome to their new country turned out to be less than inviting as the apartment set up for them is in a nearly abandoned building infested with bugs and mice.

Also, Kimberly's mother has to repay her sister Paula for their passage and has to work at the family garment factory, a job that Kimberly(along with other children of employees) helps out with on a daily basis. Attending school is difficult for Kimberly due to language and cultural barriers but her sharp skills in math and science allow her to get a full scholarship at a prestigious private school that will open doors to her for a future Ivy League education.

As times goes on, Kimberly is torn between focusing solely on her academic goals in order to lift her mother out of poverty and taking part in some of the teenage fun that's all around her. A deeper complication develops as her heart is drawn to Matt, who also works with his mother at Aunt Paula's factory, yet fellow student Kurt has eyes only for Kimberly.

This book is a compelling read, as Kimberly's ups and downs are enriched by the love of her mother and a bond with Annette, her first and only American friend who has no idea just how hard things are for Kimberly. Kwok establishes a solid narrative with Kimberly, creating a voice that's realistic as well as engaging.

Girl in Translation was so good that I wanted to read more, even after turning that last page. Jean Kwok,fortunately, has another novel out called Mambo in Chinatown and I'll find a way to get a hold of that soon. Her writing does dance across the page, so it'll be interesting to read a book of hers that does involve actual fancy footwork:

Just last night, I finished rereading Northanger Abbey and it stuck me that it's been awhile since I fully reread an Austen novel. Well, this country girl meets big city tale was a welcome relief from the heat indeed.

Catherine Morland is a sweet enough heroine but not as well developed as many of the other Austen leading ladies(due to this being an early in her writing career novel that wasn't published until after Austen's death), which does make her a rather believable teenager.

Her shock at the behavior of her new friend Isabella is authentic yet Catherine can not resist thinking the worst of General Tilney, despite her pleasant regard for hid daughter Eleanor and most particular regard for his son Henry, who is such a snarky fellow that might  be unbearable if not for his ability to restrain his mirth with good sense. Do not be angry at me, Tilney fans, I do like him, I do!

What does strike me this time around with Catherine is not only the delightful snark of the narrator who gleefully winks at the Gothic genre that our lead girl is so influenced by, it's the subtle desire of Catherine to wish for a touch of the dark side to embrace her.

While her worst impulse turns out to be mostly harmless(a little snooping at best, followed by an unfortunate conversation), that urge to explore beyond her boundaries is what makes Catherine more than a potential damsel in distress type. She proves herself to be more resilient in unexpected situations than thought possible, even by her parents!  She may be not as lively as an Elizabeth Bennet or an Emma Woodhouse but I dare say that Catherine would be someone that I would love to attend a book club with(and she'd probably adore Twilight!):

At the moment, I'm rereading Val McDermid's version of NA for a little compare and contrast. There are a few library books that I'm catching up with and at least one more book from my pre-selected TBR for this readathon that I will get to before long.

Looking this over, I have been drawn to more Jane Austen related material these days. Perhaps as stress relief and it's also a huge incentive to have word of a new Jane Austen adaptation in the works. Sanditon, an unfinished novel of Austen's, is set for PBS and to be written by the wonderful Andrew Davies, oh such joy!

The only other attempt at adapting this work that I've seen is the Pemberley Digital web series and that was a delight to behold. Well, having a full film version only means more rereading and that should fit into another readathon that my fellow Seasons of Reading companions ought to be thrilled with indeed:

A luxury library haul with a surprise twist of mirthful mystery

Some people make summer plans that involve going to the beach, visiting theme parks or just heading out to the coolest spot they can find. Me, I make library plans,picking up(as well as renewing) some sweet reads to sip slowly in the shade.

My recent library visit lead me to select a pair of novels that feature the love of reading and writing,which I was definitely in the mood for after completing Veronica Henry's How to Find Love in a Bookshop(which was truly a stay up all night book for me!).

First up was a new release; The Bar Harbor Retirement Home for Famous Writers(and their Muses) by Terri-Lynne DeFino. Set in the year 1999, the title establishment was created by a pair of infamous authors setting up a future place for themselves along with their literary contemporaries to live out the remainder of their days in comfort.

One of those writers, Alfonse Carducci, has now arrived to take up residence,due to ill health which doesn't trouble him as much as the case of writer's block that is currently plaguing him. In addition to meeting old friends and rivals such as the still fiery Olivia Peppernell and Raymond Switcher, Alfonse also strikes up a new relationship with one of the staff, a young woman with a scarred face and powerful love for his work.

Cecibel Bringer has been an orderly at the Bar Harbor Home for several years, taking comfort in her work yet unable to fully recover from the accident that left more than one mark on her life. Her growing bond with Alfonse may help to break Cecibel out of her self imposed shell but will this connection ultimately be good for the both of them?

I've already started reading this and so far, it's very good indeed. The writing is crisp and keen, like biting into a freshly picked fall apple. DeFino's depiction of this aging group of artists is quite charming without being cloying and I look forward to becoming better acquainted with them all:

Along with that debut, I added Gabrielle Zeven's The Storied Life of A. J. Fikry to my library loan list. Having read Young Jane Young, I was curious to see what this particular novel of hers is like,given the great word of mouth that it has gotten over the years.

A.J. is a widowed bookseller, whose loneliness leads to excessive drinking and the slow financial ruin of his business. That sad decline of his is fortunately interrupted by a bizarre exchange as a valuable manuscript disappears from the shop while a young girl is left by chance to Fikry's care.

Given a new chance at life(plus a possible new romance with a book rep), Fikry regains his sense of purpose and revives the spirits of those around him. This plot line does remind me of George Eliot's Silas Marner, a book that I did enjoy(and no, it wasn't a school assigned read) and seeing someone take a modern day approach to this classic work sounds good to me:

Meanwhile, I wound up renewing Cooking for Picasso by Camille Aubray, a novel that I am in the midst of at the moment. We have a pair of heroines divided by time, starting with Ondine, who as a sixteen year old girl in 1936 is surprised to find herself as  the private chef to Pablo Picasso.

Picasso is staying at a house near the cafe that Ondine's family runs and she is charged with bringing the great artist his lunch on a daily basis. She's also sworn to secrecy about reveling his presence in their remote seaside town as he's avoiding both his angry wife and current mistress in Paris.

Ondine is getting over a heartbreak as well yet can not resist the persistent charms of Picasso, who wants her to cook for him more often and to have her as a model for a painting as well. Decades late, Ondine's granddaughter Celine learns of the painting from her much put upon mother and determined to free her parent from the control of a pair of step siblings, searches for that lost art in order to reclaim an inheritance more valuable than money.

The book has a slow and steady pace that lulls you into reading more and more but not too quickly. The word portraits that Aubray has painted on the pages are the type that bear close scrutiny , a true leisurely excursion of entertainment. By giving myself a reading extension here, my voyage with the rest of this simmering stew of a story should be a fulfilling one indeed.

Just before my library visit, I received a welcome surprise in the mail(of course, a book) and it happens to be a wedding themed mystery with a touch of spy fare and a twist of historical fiction to boot.

Four Funerals and Maybe a Wedding is the twelfth novel in author Rhys Bowen's Her Royal Spyness series that has a lively heroine with regal connections yet little fortune. Granted, I haven't read the earlier books but this seems to be the kind of story that allows you to catch up to the important details of the characters while enjoying the unraveling plot points.

Lady Georgianna Rannoch is the 35th in line for the British throne, a place she is happy to give up in order to marry her beloved Darcy O'Mara, an Irish man with a government position that often allows Georgie to use her detective skills to help save the day. Being offered the use of her godfather's estate for the wedding, she is delighted to accept, having pleasant memories of the place and staff.

Once Georgie arrives, however, it appears that the affection is not mutual. The new members of the staff are less than impressed with her and after a couple of near deadly incidents, it looks as if something sinister is afoot and that Georgie may have more to worry about than getting her bridal gown ready on time. This sounds like good old fashioned fun and I'm happy to see what trouble this delightfully spirited lady sleuth is going to get into:

A pile of books may not seem like much of a vacation but when you think about it, it's almost perfect. You don't have to worry about packing up your things, hitting the road on time or dealing with unexpected delays. A good book doesn't require you to buy a new bathing suit, sandals or even to get dressed for the occasion(you probably should get dressed,anyway, as a general rule).

With the excessive hot weather, not to mention excessive stress from the news just about every day, taking a mental break is vitally important. Yes, going out into the real world, if you can, is good as well but if your resources are limited, your reading doesn't have to be:

Pamper yourself with paperbacks to beat the summer heat

Summer time these days is a tricky thing,as we go from one heat wave to another with the most viable cool spot around is right in front of whatever source of a/c is available to you.

Since a spot ought to be reserved for some good reading and I've always found that paperbacks do well for warm weather relaxation, there's a trio of softcover books that should keep my spirits quite refreshed this season.

At the moment, I'm in the midst of Veronica Henry's How to Find Love in a Bookshop, a story that's giving me wonderful Maeve Binchy vibes indeed. The bookshop of the title is called Nightingale Books, located in the small English village of Peasebrook and run by single father Julius to one day hand over to his beloved daughter Emilia.

Sadly, Julius has passed away sooner than expected and Emilia does want to keep the store going but she may need some help. Her father wasn't the best business man and already making an offer for the place is Ian Mendrip, a slimey real estate owner determined to buy the shop by any means necessary.

However, Emilia is determined to honor her father's memory as well as maintain the love of books that has been the hallmark of the shop. Plenty of folks are more than willing to assist her even as a few sneaky characters are lurking about,including a fella sent by Ian to influence Emilia any way he can:

Nightingale Books,as it turns out, has other stories to tell with customers such as Henrietta, a shy cooking teacher who is learning to find her voice and perhaps love, Sarah, the local lady of the manor who had a more intimate relationship with Julius than anyone else knew and Bea, a bored wife and mother who may find purpose in helping the shop survive.

The writing is both compelling and lulling, with a sure steady hand at the storytelling wheel. This is Veronica Henry's US debut(she has a good number of novels in the UK) and she makes a very good impression and then some here.

I love how Henry brings her characters to vivid life, from young people working out their life and love situations to older folks reflecting on their affairs of the heart. Nightingale Books is a vital character as well, serving as the emotional nexus point of Peasebrook as well as the ideal bookstore you'd love to get lost in for a few hours. How to Find Love in a Bookshop is great all year round reading but for the summer, it's a sweet treat that you want to last as long as possible:

Once I do finish that, I plan to engage in a little risky reading at The Dirty Book Club. When M.J. Stark moves to Pearl Beach upon the disappointment of missing out on a promotion at the New York magazine she worked at, the last thing she expected to do was join a book club with her new neighbor Gloria Golden.

Turns out that M.J. is meant to take Gloria's place, along with a trio of other ladies who were chosen by the original members of the reading club. While the feisty founders go off to Paris, M.J. and her new set of book buddies learn to bond over risque literature, not to mention a few shared life experiences.

I'm not familiar with Lisi Harrison's writing style(she's best known for her YA novels) but I do like the concept of a multi-generational book club with a specialized taste in reading material. Should be good fun with maybe a couple of book recommendations to boot.

Speaking of book recommendations, I was inspired to get this novel for my TBR due to Food Network Star. One of this season's culinary contenders is Jessica Tom, who wrote Food Whore, which is subtitled "a novel of dining and deceit."

Our leading lady is Tia, a recent culinary school graduate looking for a prime opportunity on the New York food scene. When approached by top restaurant critic Mark Saltz to be his ghost eater(he's lost his sense of taste) and writer, she takes him up on it,especially when one of the perks allows her to update her wardrobe with style.

However, the pressure of keeping this secret and the other complications that arise from this dubious gig causes Tia to lose her appetite for the foodie life. The vibe of this book sounds like The Devil Wears Prada While Going to Dinner and that sounds like a great recipe for a tasty read to me:

Summer reading ought to fun, first and foremost and I think this set of three should do just that. With all of the extra stress out there right now, it would be nice to have not getting ice cream on my current read be the biggest concern in my life. Yet, I still feel that you can have your summer book fun and eat ice cream safely,too(just maybe not a cone):

Resetting my Series-ous Reading 2.0

I started this new year of reading with a rather ambitious literary plan; to read Stephen King's entire Dark Tower series(except for the prequel The Wind in the Keyhole) and another Outlander book to boot. After my prior successful year of Series-ous Reading, where I caught up on a couple of book series that had been languishing on my TBR piles, my confidence level was quite high.

However, this time out, the Dark Tower titles have become more of a chore than a challenge and the one thing about my reading goals that I've always tried to hold true to is that it should be both fun and fulfilling. Halfway through the third book (The Wastelands), it became clear to me that I needed to make a new game plan.

This isn't the fault of the book themselves, it's more like the timing for this particular bookish mountain climb is not right. I do have other options here and with the rest of the reading year now in reset, pages should start turning in a more agreeable direction:

POLDARK: While I also put aside Voyager(just too late in the year to tackle that), I felt that the Poldark saga was well within my reach and have already begun with Warleggan, which highlights that dreadful nemesis of Ross Poldark and his various schemes.

After I get though with that, The Black Moon is next and with any luck, both books will be finished by the time the next season of the show premieres on PBS this fall. Perhaps I might save TBM for that time frame, we shall see.

I did enjoy reading Jeremy Poldark earlier this year and happy to head back to Cornwall,where plots may be a-brewing but those who stand against them stay right on course:

MURDER MOST FOODIE: A new interest of mine lately is food themed mysteries and since many of them turn into series, why not fully embrace that?

As a tasting sample, Ellie Alexander's Meet Your Baker is now on the Series-ous Reading list as it is the first of her Bakeshop Mystery books. Our leading lady detective is Juliet Capshaw, who returns to her small Oregon town to help her mother out at their family bakery known as Torte.

At the local Shakespeare festival, a  new board member is found dead under unusual circumstances and Juliet's high school flame Thomas is the lead investigator on the case. Not only is this a chance to use her bakery brain power, Juliet also has a fair shot at rekindling an old love. There's plenty of literary riffs to be expected here, which should make this introductory read extra entertaining indeed.

One foodie mystery series that I've developed an appetite for is Joanne Fluke's Hannah Swensen books, having devoured the first two(as well as skipped ahead to a Christmas themed tale) murderous morsels with true delight.

I plan to continue with the third(Blueberry Muffin Murder) and on to the fourth(Lemon Meringue Pie Murder). I do have the next couple of books after that but don't want to gobble down something this sweetly amusing right away.

There's just something about Hannah and her small town bakery called The Cookie Jar, along with her quirky family and friends(not to mention two almost boyfriends!) that relax my spirits as well as spark my inquisitive imagination. Fluke does have a flair for sinister sweetness with a warm from the oven goodness that's hard to resist:

THE SPYING GAME: If I have any time left before the end of the year for this challenge, I hope to squeeze another of Lauren Willig's Pink Carnation books.

The Temptation of the Night Jasmine is the fifth title in the series,which I skipped over last year and really should make proper amends for. The Regency era heroine of this tale is Lady Charlotte, a young women who is more comfortable reading her favorite thrillers than looking for a potential husband in a ballroom.

Her cousin, Robert, the Duke of Dovedale, is home from India and while her own formidable grandmother is making marriage plans for him, Charlotte still has a crush on him yet based on her reading material, is wondering if Robert is a member of the infamous spy ring in their midst. With my rereading of Northanger Abbey these days, my appreciation for young ladies dealing with the influence of a literary inspired imagination is rather keen:

So, that is my new set of plans for Series-ous Reading for the rest of 2018. While I have some regrets about abandoning my original goals, I think that it's for the best to do this. Why persist in reading something that is not keeping me engaged? It's unfair to myself and the books in question, if you think about it.

Perhaps in the future, I can walk down that Dark Tower road again and continue to it's conclusion. Time will tell and anyway, the books will be ready for me when I am for them. In the meanwhile, it's good to forge on ahead with new reads instead of constantly looking back.

Don't get me wrong, folks, rereading earlier books in a series can be fun and useful to update yourself for the next installment. With this reset,however, I have some ground to regain here, so onward I go!:

Some songs to reflect our current feelings of Independence

Tomorrow is the Fourth of July, when we traditionally celebrate the birth of our nation and while I am proud to be an American, it pains me to admit that those feelings have been harder to maintain for awhile now.

Don't worry, I'm not about to go off on a big political rant here. However, I try to be a pop culture observer and for this particular moment in time, I feel that the best way to express my inner angst about the state of things is through that spectrum.

Since music is a major part of the Independence Day holiday, I found a few songs that I think best capture the turmoil that we're all experiencing these days that also encourage us to hold fast amidst the various storms being sent our way:

HAMILTON MEDLEY: Who better than one of our original Founding Fathers to give us inspiration at a time like this? Lin-Manuel Miranda's brilliant historical musical teaches us many things about the beginnings of our country and of the follies of human nature as well. This reenactment of two songs from that award winning show reminds everyone to not just sit back and to not give away our best shot at making things right:

MORE HAMILTON THOUGHTS: This musical has inspired many to read,think and challenge the status quo and that includes the Hamilton Mixtape, where one of the best songs points out how foolish it is to discount our immigrant population and heartlessly cruel to persecute them as we have been lately:

EVERYBODY GOES TO RICK'S: There's a classic musical stand-off in the film Casablanca, where the local German forces are loudly singing their anthem at the nightclub, much to the chagrin of the crowd, many of whom had to flee their homelands due to the invading Nazi regime.

With a quiet nod of approval from Rick and an open show of defiance from rebel leader Victor Lazlo, the house band strikes up a rousing rendition of La Marseillaise that gets the oppressed audience up on their feet. For those who insist that confronting evil in public is not "nice", this shows how that can be done with true elegance and sincere belief that negates their sad stance:

 HEAR THE PEOPLE SING: I have to tell you that with all of the news getting worse and worse these days, songs from the movie adaptation of the Broadway musical Les Miserables have been on my playlist quite a bit lately.

Yes, it's French but France has always been a good ally to America, from our own Revolutionary War to WWII and beyond. Granted, I'm more into English literature but I did read the Victor Hugo novel and can appreciate the contributions that France has given to the world in the terms of promoting freedom.

Not to mention that this story has lasted for nearly two hundred years for good reason and some of those life and history lessons in song are well worth listening to,especially today:

I hope that by this time next year, the country is in a way better place, emotionally and politically, than we are right now. We can all do our part to make that happen, even if it's just signing a petition or getting out to vote this November.

What I sincerely believe that everyone wants, regardless of what side you're on, is to have that wonderful spirit of unity back again, the one that gave us comfort and strength during the other hard times that have confronted us over the years. Also, we need to regain that welcoming spirit for those wanting to make a better life in America,which is the core of our country. Let's make people happy to be part of this country again with a song in our hearts,people:

Going to the movies with Queen

It may be summer movie season but we're still getting some hints of fall film offerings and one of the newest trailers is for Bohemian Rhapsody, a bio-pic of the band Queen and their iconic lead singer Freddie Mercury.

The movie is set for November and honestly, I'm surprised that it took this long to make a Queen movie, especially since their music is incredibly cinematic. Let me give you a neat quartet of fine film examples of that:

FLASH GORDON: Queen created the soundtrack for this now camp classic from 1980, with the theme song "Flash" becoming an international hit on the music charts. The music is what instantly comes to mind when anyone brings up this movie and for good reason; it was well tuned to the overall goofy nature of the film yet enjoyably epic in it's own right:

HIGHLANDER: The band contributed several songs to the 1986 soundtrack for yet another cult favorite,although this one launched a good number of sequels and a TV series.

The songs wound up becoming a separate album for Queen entitled  "A Kind of Magic" and one of them "Princes of the Universe" was not only the theme song for the original film(not to mention the original title!), it was also used for the TV show theme as well.

Granted, I have not seen Highlander(need to do that at some point in the future) but these songs are rather well known to me and countless others. There's just something about Queen that easily lends itself to fantasy and science fiction, a gorgeous operatic vibe that they fully embraced:

SHAUN OF THE DEAD: Appreciating the music of Queen does allow for a sense of humor,thankfully, which is why one of the best sequences in this 2004 "zom-rom-com" is set to one of their songs.

 It helps to have a jukebox set on random in the bar where our human heroes are holed up from the awaiting zombie hoards in order to naturally introduce the song.

 The choice of song was clearly not random as the action in this scene is perfectly timed to "Don't Stop Me Now" from the flickering lights outside to the trio of friends whaling on the now undead owner of the place.

Getting the rights for a song can be tricky,especially for a small movie like this but it was well worth it indeed. There are plenty of great moments in this film but this one is most memorably funny and fun:

WAYNE'S WORLD: There's no way I could do a proper Queen filmography without highlighting this 1992 SNL skit based comedy. Leading man Mike Meyers was bound and determined to use "Bohemian Rhapsody" for the opening credits sequence, to the point of threatening to quit the project.

Fortunately, Freddie Mercury himself was able,despite ill health, to see that scene and give his approval for the song's use. Mercury passed away before the movie's release and that combined with the popularity of the film brought the song back to the record charts, reaching number two in the US alone.

I'm glad that Meyers held fast to having Bohemian Rhapsody for that sequence. It nicely ties into the humor of the characters and makes for a grand entrance for these silly cinematic shenanigans to follow:

As for Bohemian Rhapsody the movie, I'm really looking forward to it. The teaser trailer alone focuses on the music and particularly on their main man, with Rami Malek bearing a striking resemblance to the late great Freddie Mercury.

The musical legacy of Queen is important as this was a group of artists whose talents inspired many and helped to redefine cultural norms, especially for the LGBTQ community. It's rather ironic that many of the people who did(and probably still do) object to their music proudly sing "We Are The Champions" and "We Will Rock You" at sporting events. You know those are Queen songs, right?

Hopefully by the time this movie is in theaters, we'll be seeing a glimmer of hope on the cultural horizons for all. In the meantime, we do have this cinematic tribute to look forward to with infinite pleasure:

My Great American Read: And Then There Were None

The Great American Read series on PBS,which offers readers the chance to vote for their favorite bit of fiction(so far, a million votes have been cast), has inspired me to tackle a few of the nominees for my personal TBR.

Out of that small selection, the first one that I've completed is Agatha Christie's And Then There Were None, a classic stand alone from her best known detective fare. It's gone through a few title changes(for good reason) and has been adapted for film,TV, the theater and even a video game!

What inspires so much interest in this sinister story? Well, the set-up is deceptively simple; a group of ten strangers all receive invitations to stay on a remote island off the English shore. Whether for work,play or hidden agenda, each one makes their way over and grows a bit acquainted with their new companions.

On first meeting, each person seems to be the average sort; a former governess, a retired general, a doctor, a judge, a glib rich boy. However, it's not long before you realized that all of them have one thing in common-they all have truly gotten away with murder. Nevertheless, everyone gets along rather well in the beginning:

The amiable mood shifts quickly once a phonograph record is played that announces all of their crimes and ends ominously with "Prisoners at the bar, what do you have to say in your defense?"

As each guest dies, one by one in accordance with an old nursery rhyme(my edition called it "ten little Indians" but I do believe later versions have it as "ten little soldiers.") that is posted in every bedroom and accented by a set of figurines upon the dining room table whose number grows smaller with each death, suspicions and accusations abound.

It's not too long before the remaining guests realize that the person behind all of this is in their very midst. Despite taking what precautions they can and making what alliances are available to them, the death count keeps ticking down and there is no outside help to rescue them:

Agatha Christie wrote in numerous formats but the stage was one of her great loves and that affect shows in the theatrical elements of the story.

From eating their meals together to locking themselves in their bedrooms at night, the closed room tension steadily builds for the dwindling set of characters performing for us on the page.

 One chapter begins by describing the few still there as various creatures in their state of fear; a nervous bird, a twitching tortoise, a wolf flashing his sharp teeth. It's not a question of rooting for someone to survive(all of them are terrible people,trust me) rather, it's more about who is doing this and for what reason? Not to mention how and is anyone else in on this death trap with the secret killer?

Christie really goes full dark on this story, something that for 1939 and a popular woman author was mostly unheard of. She relies on suspension and the careful layering of plot points/misleads to keep the reader following this deadly trail of bread crumbs to it's bitter end. You would think this sounds unbearably bleak yet it's coated with a good amount of intrigue that makes this a truly hard to put down book.

The influence of And Then There Were None can be seen across many genres, some of them satirical and others a light hearted homage. One thing is for certain-Christie certainly did pave the way for other mainstream artists to get as grim as they needed to be:

This is the first Agatha Christie that I've read that doesn't involve either Poirot or Miss Marple and it does inspire me to check out some of her plays as well. Her firm hand at the literary wheel is well established yet it takes being on such a finely tuned thrill ride as this for yourself to make you fully appreciate the art of her craft.

The next book on my GAR list to read is Their Eyes Were Watching God by Zora Neale Hurston, as part of the High Summer readathon that I'm joining in on this July. Looking forward to that and the rest of this particular TBR indeed, except for one that I've already seen the movie version of.

This has certainly been a scary start to my little literary adventure here but it's one that I, unlike the unlucky guests upon the island, made it through all the better for it(the following video is spoiler-ish for those who haven't read this book,you have been warned!):

Red Clocks have chimed for Sci-Fi Summer and a look ahead to some High Summer reading

The Sci-Fi Summer readathon(hosted by Michelle Miller at Seasons of Reading) officially ended the other day but I must confess that I finished up a couple of days early.

Upon completing Red Clocks by Leni Zumas, I wasn't in the proper mood for diving into Margaret Atwood's The Year of the Flood. Don't get me wrong, Red Clocks was good,however going from one scary future scenario into another was perhaps not the best idea.

In Red Clocks, the not too distant future in America has passed a "Personhood Amendment" which outlaws abortion and a host of other new laws from a rather populist president are making other child bearing options difficult for anyone not already in the traditional marriage set-up.

 How the general state of things is affecting women is reflected in four characters starting with Ro, a teacher working on a biography of a forgotten female Arctic explorer and trying to be a single mother before the final legal barrier is slammed down in front of her and then to Mattie, one of her students who finds herself pregnant and is unable to even flee to Canada for an abortion due to the "Pink Wall" at the border.

This quartet is rounded up by Susan,a frustrated housewife wanting to end her miserable marriage but not wanting to make the first move and Gin, an eccentric herbalist accused of a crime she didn't commit.

The story is told in segments, identifying the characters as "The Mender", "The Wife","The Daughter" and "The Biographer"(excepts from the work in progress biography are featured during chapter breaks as well). Granted, it's not the typical liner style but that is a strength rather than a weakness here. Sort of like if Virginia Woolf wrote dystopian lit.

Zumas adds a poetic quality to her prose at times, making the raw unspoken feelings of her leading ladies dance for us on the page. It may not be a beat that everyone can or will groove to yet her writing is powerfully wrought and well worth checking out indeed:

As one readathon ends, the page turns to the next and I'm in the midst of planning my TBR for Seasons of Reading's High Summer, which will be for the entire month of July.

First up is Girl in Translation by Jean Kwok, a mother-daughter tale set in Brooklyn. Kimberly Chang and her mother were able to settle there upon emigrating from Hong Kong before Chinese rule was in full effect.

Kimberly's intellectual gifts enable her to attend a posh private school yet she still helps her mom out at the garment factory, a job that demands twelve hour shifts. While wanting to please her mother yet be a part of the American dream, Kimberly is faced with a myriad of choices that pull her in too many directions to follow.

I've heard great things about this book since it was first published in 2010 and considering the current debate over immigration lately, the time to read this is rather timely. A good novel opens the gateways of compassion and empathy, paths that certain spokespeople clearly are avoiding at all costs. Too bad we can't assign reading to those that truly need it:

Another book in that category that is on my High Summer list is Cristina Henriquez's The Book of Unknown Americans.  This story follows a pair of immigrant families(one from Mexico, the other from Panama) who find themselves neighbors in Delaware and share similar problems adjusting to American life.

Both families have young people who connect with one another; Maribel Rivera, who is recovering from a head injury that motivated her parents to make the move to the US for her sake and Mayor Toro, whose family settled in America sooner than Maribel's yet still struggling to make ends meet.

Their relationship is marked with suspicion by both sets of parents, not to mention the local immigrant community. However, a threat from the outside proves to be much more of a concern to all involved. The praise for this novel has been mighty, to say the least, and should be a good companion to Girl In Translation. More importantly, it will be a good book based upon it's own merits:

Simply for fun, I'm going to try what I'm calling a Double Decker Reread of Northanger Abbey. Yes, the original Jane Austen novel and the Val McDermid modern take on that slim satire will be side by side repeats for me.

Northanger Abbey is a good summer story as it's unlikely heroine Catherine Morland is given a chance to see the world beyond her country mouse life. Granted, she mostly gets as far as Bath but still, that is big city enough!

Learning a few life lessons as well as falling in love, Catherine's journey in NA is pretty much the mold for many a young lady's coming of age tale, from Dirty Dancing to The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants(okay, I didn't see TSOTTP but still,...).

Out of the four retellings slated for The Austen Project, Val McDermid's version of Austen's posthumous mock Gothic novel was a real success, along side Curtis Settenfeld's Eligible.  I did read all four books and only two are worth going back for more, in my opinion.

McDermid does keep to the original framework but updates wisely such as sending her Cat Morland to the Edinburgh Festival in Scotland, which sounds amazing to behold! Bath is a lovely place to visit(yes, I've been there) but the social scene these days is very much different from Austen's time. This will be a nice staycation read to be sure:

I still have time to prepare for High Summer, so a few more books will be added on to this particular pile before the calendar page has to be changed there. Also need to finish up a few other reads as well. Those TBR piles do seem to have a life of their own at times, don't they? Oh, well, at least it's a friendly form of life that gives as much as it gets... or does it?!:

Some new mystery treats with old fashioned flavor for your summer reading

Summer reading is the perfect excuse for indulging in a few of your favorite genres and mystery is the ultimate classic comfort food for any literary menu.

By mystery, I mean a good old fashioned whodunit and/or a story length skein of scheming to be unwound by a very wily detective type. Don't get me wrong, I enjoy the challenge of a plot twisting thriller or a slyly done suspense tale but sometimes, you just want a solid bit of sleuthing to follow.

A prime example of that is The Widows of Malabar Hill by Sujata Massey, an author whose has won several awards for her Rei Shimura mysteries. This new series takes us to Bombay in 1921, where Perveen Mistry is the first female lawyer in the city as well as one of the first in India during that time period.

Her work at her father's law firm brings Perveen to a case involving the inheritance of a trio of widows, whom she suspects are being cheated out of their full share of their mutual husband's money,possibly at the hands of the trustee. As she pursues the matter, a murder occurs that only confirms her concerns but raises the stakes that much higher.

Word of mouth has been excellent for this book, which inspired me to reserve it at the library(I'll be picking it up this week!), along with critical acclaim and here's hoping that we are only at the beginning of a beautiful friendship with Perveen Mistry:

When it comes to modern mystery writers with a flair for the old school, Ruth Ware's name crops up quite often and for good reason. Her latest fare, The Death of Mrs. Westaway, is a blend of Agatha Christie plotting with Daphne du Maurier atmosphere.

Harriet "Hal" Westaway simply goes through the motions of tarot card reading in order to make some sort of living, not to mention pay off a persistent loan shark. When a letter from an attorney arrives on her doorstep that says her previously unknown to her grandmother has died, Hal is suspicious but willing to see if she can claim some of what sounds like a nice big inheritance.

Upon reaching the family estate of Trepassen House, Hal finds herself among several unwelcoming uncles, plus a sinister housekeeper to boot. She also stumbles upon an old legend about a former resident or rather captive of Trepassen that could lead to the truth about her place in this family but not without some dire consequences to possibly pay.

I did read Ware's acclaimed The Woman in Cabin 10 and it was a cracking good read, as they say. The Death of Mrs. Westaway promises to be just that with a hint of next level writing that advances her literary game:

If these hardy hardcovers may not seem to fit snugly in your beach bag, you do have the option of a worthy paperback as Anthony Horowitz's Magpie Murders is now readily available in that format.

When editor Susan Ryland finds herself enthralled by the new Atticus Pund mystery manuscript from contentious author Mark Conroy, she is shocked to discover that the last half of the book is missing.

Upon contacting her boss about this, Susan learns that Mark Conroy has just died, leaving more than one unsolved mystery behind him. In searching for the rest of the book as well as the truth, she becomes all too aware of some hidden secrets that could be more dangerous than any foe the fictional Atticus Pund ever faced.

This was one of the best books that I read last year and if you've been waiting for the paperback release, your patience will be well rewarded indeed:

Whatever genre you choose to dive into this summer season, a good book is your best bet against any glitches in your entertainment system. If the wi-fi is down, along with the cable and your battery level is low, all you need is a little bit of light and a savvy storyteller to keep the page turning party going :

Some fantastic YA reads that are making my Sci-Fi Summer soar

The first week of the Seasons of Reading  Sci-Fi Summer has ended and with one more to go, I'm happy to report that half of the books on this particular TBR pile are nearly done.

In the first weekend, I was able to finish Tomi Adeyemi's Children of Blood and Bone, the first in her YA fantasy series entitled The Legacy of Orisha. Orisha is the mythical West African kingdom that our leading lady Zelie lives, a country that used to know and respect magic until King Saran found a way to break the mystical connection that those who practiced it(known as Diviners) needed.

Zelie's mother was among the many adult Diviners executed by royal decree and even though she possesses the flowing white hair that marks her as a being of power, she and many other are unable to activate their magic. Thus, they and their loved ones lead lives of despair, called "maggots" by those in power who overtax,harass and find a way to send them into enforced labor.

While Zelie despairs of ever living a peaceful life as well as keeping her father and brother Tzain from suffering for her mistakes, an unexpected run-in at a local marketplace leads her down a path that could bring magic back to Orisha. She winds up protecting Princess Amari, who witnessed the death of her only friend,Binta who was also a Diviner, at the cruel hands of her father.

Amari steals a forbidden scroll that ignites the untapped magic of any Diviner who touches it and Zelie's powers rise to the forefront, inspiring her to give her people the same ability to defend themselves from oppression:

The journey is far from easy, as two other sacred items are needed to perform a renewal ceremony on a remote island during the next solstice. If they do not make it in time, that opportunity is lost for good.

Zelie,along with Amari and Tzain, face many obstacles along the way from potential friends and enemies alike,including Prince Inan who finds himself changed by this pursuit of his sister in more ways than one.

Adeyemi's debut novel is vividly written, bringing these characters and their beautifully wrought world to nearly 3-D life, highlighting the glory and the peril of their harrowing quest. She also wisely uses a multi-character narrative to showcase the emotional impact and growth that Zelie, Amari and Inan experience through the course of the story. The family connections, particularly between the two sets of siblings, are key to the heart of the motivations both for and against magic, adding a good dose of complexity to the mystical elements here.

This is truly a stay-up-all-night type book, the kind that you have to make yourself stop reading in order to get some sleep,eat or do anything else in the real world. A second book is set for 2019 and it's going to be hard to wait for it, particularly with that cliffhanger of an ending! Yet, I shall be patient, I promise.

Word of mouth has been wonderful for Children of Blood and Bone, not to mention critical acclaim as well, which is vital for any new YA fantasy series to stand out amongst the numerous ones on the shelves. It's also hoped that this series will pave the way for other fantasy stories not set in the usual Western culture realm.

Based on it's own merits, I would love it if Orisha became just as potent a fictional locale as Hogwarts for readers of all generations and then some. Time will tell but I do believe in the magic of writing and Tomi Adeyemi is quite the enchanting practitioner of the pen indeed:

After I finished that, I went right to Neverworld Wake by Marisha Pessl. I'm familiar with her earlier intended-for-adults work such as Night Film but this is her first novel in the Young Adult category and it's pretty good so far.

Our heroine is Beatrice, who is still not over the mysterious death of her boyfriend Jim and impulsively decides to reunite with their mutual boarding school friends a year later. Upon attending a concert at a nearby bar, she and her pals wind up in a car accident and land in the title realm, a purgatory of sorts.

They are informed by a strange man who calls himself The Keeper that they are caught in this eleven hour time frame until a group decision is made about which one of them will return to the living world.

Their reactions are varied, with wild girl Whitley acting out her frustrations through violent fits and teaming up with partner in crime Cannon for some "we can do anything we want" hijinks while Southern charmer Kipling and moody Martha seek out their own personal escapes from this seeming eternal reality on repeat.

 Beatrice tries to deny this limbo trap for awhile as well but ultimately comes to the conclusion that what will make the final vote for survival decisive is finding out the truth about Jim's death:

I'm close to the finish line with this book and it's quite the engaging read. Pessl offers up some interesting observations about the nature of reality along with dealing the consequences of keeping secrets and true feelings hidden.

This is the kind of book I would imagine Rory Gilmore reading and passing on to her friends(Paris would hate it but in the end, side with Martha's scheming there). Whether or not you're a Gilmore Girls fan, Neverworld Wake is a solid riveting tale of otherworldly reckonings and I am eager to see how this story eventually ends:

I should be done with Neverworld Wake before the weekend is over, allowing me more time with such adult lit fare as Red Clocks by Leni Zumas and Margaret Atwood's The Year of the Flood to complete my readathon goals. I am in the midst of Red Clocks at the moment and since it's a library book, the need to finish it is imminent.

This science fiction/fantasy reading is a good way to kick off the summer season and it's also a good way to discover that not all stories in these genres are in need of the same old,same old style. A compelling character with a mission of the heart is always the best bet for a great story in any literary realm:

Putting on the Brits for Bad Movie Month

It's become a tradition here at LRG to make August the home of Bad Movie Month,  where each week, I highlight a "why did I spend my money on this?" flick to see just how badly it failed.

Our theme this year is "Badly Done,Brits!",featuring some of my favorite English actors and sadly, I'm doubling down on a true personal favorite, Colin Firth.

Mind you, he is and was one of the best Mr. Darcys to be found in a Pride and Prejudice adaptation, not to mention an engaging talent in other films from The King's Speech to Kingsmen. However, he has made his fair share of cinematic clunkers and that includes both of the Bridget Jones sequels.

Bridget Jones:The Edge of Reason is actually based on a second book about the title character by Helen Fielding(which the third movie both is and is not, which I'll get to shortly) yet most of the movie simply tries to rehash what audiences liked in the original movie.

It completely abandons the plot threads that were based on Jane Austen's Persuasion from the source material, settling for slapstick of all sorts from Bridget tumbling down a ski slope to Mark Darcy and Daniel Cleaver reprising their fight outdoors in a public fountain(which is soggy in more ways than one). I do happen to own this movie but rarely watch it,except of course to do my blogger duty by reliving this sad story slump:

After that, I'll be checking out the fresh hell of Bridget Jones's Baby, which has a pretty complicated set-up before the cameras started to roll.

The studio had been trying for years to get a third movie going but with no agreement on script but did agree not to use Helen Fielding's third Bridget book, Mad About the Boy, because(spoiler alert 1) she kills off Mark Darcy, a decision that many fans were decidedly against.

Well, the movie (spoiler alert 2) kills off Hugh Grant's character instead and has Bridget getting pregnant and having to figure whether her former love Mark or new American romance Jack(yes, that's McDreamy himself!) is the father. Weirdly enough, Fielding wrote a fourth book called Bridget Jones's Baby: The Diaries where(spoiler alert 3), Daniel Cleaver is still alive! Quite the alternate reality there,to say the least.

Sure, the movie that they did finally make doesn't sound too horrible at first but the trailer alone gives this turn of events such a textbook sitcom vibe that I might be better off watching that two part episode of Friends where the gang goes to London for Ross' wedding. Even with Emma Thompson on board, I have a bad feeling about this:

Meanwhile, Hugh Grant managed to escape the realm of Bridget Jones yet not another bad romantic comedy. While Did You Hear About the Morgans? was made back in 2009, perhaps this stale story sandwich should have had Grant seriously  reconsider being Daniel Cleaver again a few years later.

He and Sarah Jessica Parker play a New York power couple on the verge of divorce due to Grant's infidelity(insert past scandal joke here). When the Morgans just happen to witness a mob related murder, it's off to Wyoming they go to deal with red state stereotypes!

Yeah, those seem like the good old days at this point but that doesn't excuse this movie from lame "let's fall in love again in this quaint country setting" routines and Hugh exiting, pursued by a bear:

For a bit of the old school, we turn to Michael Caine, whose list of bad movies is as nearly as long as his good ones. To go even further back, I'm signing up for 1979's Beyond the Poseidon Adventure, a disaster movie sequel that has no equal!

Caine plays a tugboat captain who, along with Sally Field and Carl Malden, sets off to salvage the sunken luxury liner while running into another salvage crew run by Telly Savalas looking to loot some plutonium and dealing with ship survivors Peter Boyle,Shirley Knight and Slim Pickens. Yes, this is what they use to call "Love Boat casting" and for good reason.

This movie did so badly that the idea for a third one was shelved(and later became the premise of the Sylvester Stallone movie Daylight!). Michael Caine did make plenty of over the top epics in that era and this promises to be some good old fashioned snarky fun:

An additional movie may be included later, in honor of my sister's birthday that month(we shall see) but I do hope that my fellow British actor fans can find a few laughs to share with this list. As much as we delight in that stiff upper lip, our English gents are not above being caught out in their goofy movie moments there: