Monthly Archives: June 2021

Bookish (and not so bookish) Thoughts

Posted on 06/30/2021 | 1 comment

I recently ordered the Hogsmeade LEGO set, but Christine brought the Typewriter set to my attention. I am splurging.

Speaking of work, I ordered a new desk for my WFH set up since my new job is remote FOREVER. I’ll need a second monitor and more elbow room, so I get to reconfigure, rearrange, and reorganize (yay!).

As much as I was anticipating True Raiders, it was disappointing. However, Tunnel 29 is phenomenal so far.

I sent emails to publishers for a handful of books based on Rennie’s list, which is how I scored Tunnel 29. It’s hit or miss when I send these solicitations, so it’s a pleasant surprise when they show up on my doorstep. We’ll see if I get Personal Effects or Slonim Woods 9.

June wasn’t my best reading month because of the new job, travel, and I put 2 books that I started on hold. But I have the new Daniel Silva and Linda Castillo coming, so I will burn through those quick.

I might have been overly aggressive in swabbing my cheeks yesterday for a DNA kit because my gums are sore today. But if I’m a match for my sister, she can have all the stem cells she needs…

Have a great holiday weekend everyone! I have no plans other than bumming around the back yard and grilling.

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True Raiders by Brad Ricca

Posted on 06/28/2021 | 3 comments

Subtitle: The Untold Story of the 1909 Expedition to Find the Legendary Ark of the Covenant

Rating: *** (3/5)

Published: St. Martin’s Press, September 2021

Format: ARC

Genre: Nonfiction

Source: Publisher

As intriguing as this premise was, I’m afraid the book as a whole wasn’t as captivating as I’d hoped.  In the years preceding WWI, a handful of Englishmen formed The Syndicate to hunt for the Ark of the Covenant beneath Mount Ophel in Jerusalem.  With promises of Indiana Jones-esque adventures, the fact that not much was achieved was a let-down.  Other than excavating Hezekiah’s tunnels, the expedition’s most significant artifact found was a bronze age Egyptian-inspired bowl. 

The author’s attempt at narrative nonfiction didn’t quite work here either.  The writing was often disjointed and inconsistent.  Some chapters were anecdotal and introduced characters that were superfluous.  One example was the chapter that recounted the shooting of American tourists at the Dome of the Rock while the excavation was going on a few miles away.  Another character who had excavated the same site 40 years earlier was involved in investigating Jack the Ripper’s murders, which had absolutely nothing to do with the overall plot.  I’m not sue the narrative of the leader of the American Colony in Jerusalem was even necessary.  Dr. Juvelius was a key player who provided a biblical cypher that guided the dig, but I was perplexed why his biographical information wasn’t provided until the end of the book.

There were elements of the historical drama that were fascinating, and I enjoyed particular characters like Father Vincent and Monty Parker.   I especially liked Father Vincent’s keen observations: “Though the caves were natural, someone had molded and connected them to a higher purpose.  Father Vincent was seeing the evidence of one very human, very gifted man… He called him The Master Architect.”   Overall the book had promise, but lacked cohesion and the dramatic adventure it promised.

I received a complimentary copy of this book from the publisher.

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Radio Silence

Posted on 06/25/2021 | 2 comments

It’s been pretty quiet on the blog for a few weeks now for number of reasons. 1, I spent last week in North Carolina with my sister and mom, which was absolutely delightful. 2, I started a new job, which eats into a ton of my reading time. 3, I’m in a bit of a reading slump.

But spending quality time with my sister was definitely good medicine and it was a wonderful trip!

The job is going well so far (day 4) and my manager is actually training me and fostering my learning (unlike that crap job I had at the beginning of the year).

My reading slump is kind of due to my current reading material. I’m reading a nonfiction ARC of True Raiders, and while the topic is interesting, the writing’s not great. My fiction book is Parzival, which I picked from my TBR jar, and I haven’t touched it in a couple of weeks.

And my slump might also have to do with my new addiction to the Harry Potter match three game. TIME SUCK!

But I did buy a couple of books at the used bookstore in Greensboro. I picked a Kate Morton for my sister, and Little Fires Everywhere and In Harm’s Way for me.

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My Dark Vanessa by Kate Elizabeth Russell

Posted on 06/21/2021 | Leave a comment

Rating: **** (4/5)

Published: William Morrow, 2020

Format: Trade Paperback

Genre: Fiction

Source: Personal Collection

Whelp, this was one of those books in which I couldn’t help but occasionally state, “Dang, this is effed up,” aloud while reading it.  The title character is a 15-year-old sophomore at a boarding school when she begins a relationship with her English teacher, Mr. Strane.  30 years her senior, Strane is super creepy in the ways he justifies what he does with Vanessa and how he manipulates her.  At the same time, Vanessa’s own coping mechanisms are pretty intense.  Even 15 years later, she’s still on speaking terms with Strane, even amidst more accusations from other students.  She is careful never to call him a pedophile or a molester and she barely toes the line with “abuser.”  This statement alone paints the perfect picture of how Vanessa feels about Strane: “To be groomed is to be loved and handled like a precious, delicate thing.”

It’s not quite as nuanced as Lolita and not as vulgar as Tampa, but it is dark and disturbing.  Vanessa is a hot mess even as an adult and I was left wondering if there was a more complex reason for her isolationism and anti-social tendencies even before she became involved with Strane.  Regardless, Strane was certainly correct when he predicted that he would ruin her (shudders).

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Barrow’s Boys by Fergus Fleming

Posted on 06/09/2021 | 2 comments

Subtitle: The Original Extreme Adventurers: A Stirring Story of Daring Fortitude and Outright Lunacy

Rating: **** (4/5)

Published: Atlantic Monthly Press, 1998

Format: Hardcover

Genre: Nonfiction

Source: Personal Collection

The end of the Napoleonic wars ushered in the great era of discovery for the British Navy.  At the helm of these voyages was second secretary to the British Admiralty, John Barrow, who hand-picked the bravest of the brave to fill in the blank spots on the world map.  One endeavor was to find the source of the Niger in Africa, but the major goal was finding the Northwest Passage.  The book covers dozens of missions, and while some of these managed to chart unknown territory, most were complete failures.  A prime example was the final Franklin expedition to the arctic that would wipe out the entire expedition.

During the first half of the 19th century, England’s Navy had a reputation to uphold, and its officers were larger-than-life.  But was it worth risking their lives for such futile objectives (especially the Northwest Passage)?  “Almost everything about Barrow’s mission had been wrong – the orders, the ships, the supplies, the funding and the methods.  Perhaps no man in the history of exploration has expended so much money and so many lives in pursuit of so desperately pointless a dream.”

Sure, there were some fascinating adventures to be had in these pages, but I think this sums it up best: “Barrow had done so many things in his career.  He had visited China and Africa.  He had opened Africa to the world, had discovered Antarctica and had prized apart the mandibles of the Artic.  He had set in motion the largest and most expensive series of explorations in the history of mankind.  Nothing similar would be attempted until the US and Soviet space programmes of more than a century later.”

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Gatsby’s Girl by Caroline Preston

Posted on 06/07/2021 | 1 comment

Rating: **** (4/5)

Published: Mariner Books, 2006

Format: Trade Paperback

Genre: Fiction

Source: Personal Collection

Ginevra was 15 when she was visiting her boarding school roommate during Christmas break and met 19 year old Princeton undergraduate Scott Fitzgerald.  Upon that first meeting, sparks flew, and instigated a flurry of letters in the following months.  Ginevra is initially awed by his romanticism and they spend another magical evening in New York at the end of the school year.  But when Scott asks to visit her at her Lake Forest home that summer, she quickly loses interest and dumps him pretty harshly.  Despite her shabby treatment of him, he still considers her his first love.

Years later, married and unhappy, Ginevra learns that Scott is a published author.  As she follows his career and his writing, she sees herself in many of Scott’s female characters, both the positive and negative characteristics.  Yes, she is selfish, haughty, and blasé, but she has some redeeming qualities.

I enjoyed how this imperfect woman was idealized and turned into Scott’s muse.  The historical backdrop was well written and I especially appreciated the familiar Chicago and suburban settings.  One of Ginevra’s girlfriends was an obvious inspiration for Jordan Baker and there were a few other little literary nods throughout. Seeing a literary giant through Ginevra’s perspective was entertaining, even if she wasn’t always the most likeable character.

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Things They Are A-Happening

Posted on 06/01/2021 | Leave a comment

It’s truly starting to feel like summer and I have been making the most of my time off with lots of projects and outside time. I’m actually very much enjoying unemployment, and I can say that without a shred of guilt.

But I am happy to announce I have accepted a new job! I will be 100% remote since the company is based out of Alabama, but I had a good rapport with my hiring manager, which is more than I can say about my last position.

Anywho, back to the projects…

Over the weekend I dug out some gnarly bushes along the side of the house. I’m pissed I didn’t take a before picture, but here’s what it looked like after I cleared it out, then the after of when I put in peony bushes. Yay!

Once a year or so, I find the need to rearrange my library shelves. Last time, it was to fit all of my signed books. This time, it was to make more space. Look, I knew there would be a finite amount of room on these shelves despite my ever growing library. I figured at some point I’d need to utilize the tops of the cases, and that time has come. I put McEwan and Palahniuk on top and on either side I put the Cormoran Strike and Gabriel Allon series. More acrylic bookends have been ordered, so that will be the finishing touch.

I spent 2 weeks completely rehabbing my blueberry bed, so we’ll see if those plants bounce back.

I have two weeks to enjoy my time at home, then I’m off to North Carolina to SEE MY SISTER! I am so relieved to finally go take care of her for 5 days.

And thanks to science, I’m seeing other people, too. My former work bestie and I are doing a suburban brewery tour, our Couple Squad is coming over for some porch time, and I’m seeing my birthday twin for a make-up birthday brunch. So much to look forward to!

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