The Spice Shop Mysteries by Leslie Budewitz
Assault and Pepper
Guilty as Cinnamon
Killing Thyme
I won Guilty as Cinnamon, the second book in the Spice Shop mystery series, in the Save Our Cozies Read-a-Thon in July. Due to the expense of international postage, the author agreed to send the book to my housemate's parents' house, with the understanding that we would pick it up when we visited in October. During the Read-a-Thon, several books by featured authors were on sale for the Kindle, and I got the first book in the series then, but held off reading it until I could get the second, and the third, in the series while in the US. I planned to read all the books I brought with me on the trip and leave them in the US with friends and family, and then start the Spice Shop series on the return journey. I began Assault and Pepper in the airport in Dallas, the first leg of the journey, intending to finish it before I landed in Melbourne. I was good about reading in the airports in Dallas San Francisco, but then I boarded the trans-Pacific flight and all I wanted to do was sleep. I slept through most the 14 hour flight, and then almost all of the rest of the day once I finally landed. It was several days later when I picked up Assault and Pepper again. But then I made it through the book, and the next two in the series fairly quickly. They were definitely worth the time, too. I am glad I waited until I was fully awake to read them. I made some new friends along the way, and I discovered some new places to visit the next time I’m in the US. I will make it to the Pike Place Market in Seattle one day!
Assault and Pepper
This is the first book in the series, and it sets up the series well, with good introductions to the main characters and a number of the recurring supporting characters. The scene is set well and the spice shop is inviting and welcoming, just the kind of place you wish were real so you could visit. I found the mystery interesting and intriguing. It kept me guessing until the end, though I’m not sure how much of that was the fact that I was reading it on my Kindle. I do tend to flip to the end of the book when I’ve read about halfway. I don’t want to get involved with characters I have come to like and think of as friends, only to be blindsided if they turn out to be the killer in the end of the book, so halfway through I’ll flip to the end of the book and see if they are all still there on the last page. But reading books on the Kindle makes it a bit harder to flip to the end and scan the last page easily. It’s one of my big problems with the Kindle. I’m always glad when I don’t read the end of the book first, so I like reading the mysteries on the Kindle. When I have a paper copy, the temptation is too great and I do flip through to the end despite the fact that a little bit of the fun of reading through to the end is destroyed by doing so.
If I’m being totally honest, I did find Assault and Pepper was a bit hard to get into. It was easy to put the book down to check flight status, my Twitter/Facebook feed, or play a game on my phone. It could be that I was in an airport and there were plenty of distractions around, so my attention was not 100% focused on the book, but I did find it harder to get into than other new-to-me series. Being so easy to put down and pick up again the book, it was a good book to read when I was in airports and recovering from jet lag.
Guilty as Cinnamon
This was the book that sent me in search of the series. It was a fun book to read. The method of murder was unique, and not likely to be duplicated, which is always good in something as formulaic as murder mysteries. It was nice to get to know my new book-friends a bit better, and I did like how Pepper spent a bit more time in the shop and doing shop-based things than in the first book. That’s one of my biggest peeves in mysteries where the amateur sleuth has a real job. In many instances, the sleuth spends so much time investigating and chasing, or being chased by, the murderer that they never have any time left for their real jobs. In Guilty as Cinnamon, Pepper does actually do some work in the Spice Shop. I appreciated that. I hope it continues through the series.
Reading the book now in my personal timeline was good as well. My housemate had some Grapefruit & Campari sorbet while we were in the US and wanted to recreate that combination over the coming summer here in Australia. She had purchased a a bottle of Campari and was looking for something other than grapefruit sorbet to do with the the aperitif. My housemate is not a big drinker, but she loves to cook. She tells everyone she is far more likely to cook for bake with alcohol than drink it — making everything from pasta with vodka sauce to moscato cupcakes. The recipes for Negroni and Negroni Sbagliato in the book were perfect and have already been used.
I really enjoyed Guilty as Cinnamon, and felt like the series and characters are gelling a bit more, or maybe the flavors are blending a bit better in the second book. I am very happy I did enjoy this book; I would have felt awful if after I won it, and the author was so nice to me, not only by sending the book and patience in waiting for me to get it and read it, but also in sending other goodies with the book.
Killing Thyme
First off, let me say I am bit over using thyme as a homophone in book titles. It seems forced and predictable — it is pretty much guaranteed that if thyme is in the title, it is either going to be a flashback book or something from the past is going to be vitally important to the present plot. I fully expected that going in, and as it turns out, I was not wrong. The past returning was mentioned in the blurb, so it wasn’t that much of a guess, though I did buy and read the book without reading the blurb first.
(As it turns out, not only should I have read the blurb, but I should have flicked through the book rather than just picking it up in the bookstore. My copy was missing pages 21-52, so I had to buy a second copy for my Kindle to be able to finish the book while the rest of the series was still fresh in my mind.)
Of the three books in the Spice Shop series, this was the weakest in my opinion. It seemed to be a more of a transition for the continuing story of the regular and recurring characters, moving them in role, scope, and/or place. I suppose every series needs that to continue, but it seems early in this series to have or need that kind of character refocus. And I thought the mystery was a bit lame, in that it featured similar plot devices to both Assault and Pepper and Guilty as Cinnamon.
One of the things I dislike about mystery series books is the tendency to bring in characters merely for the purposes of making them either the victims or the killers. This book was a bit different in that it brought in a number of new characters, some that were neither victim nor killer. I hope those characters stay around, rather than being just single episode guest stars. It’s probably hard to write books with a large ensemble cast, just as it's hard for television shows to include the entire ensemble cast equally in every episode. There is no need to include every character in every book, just bring them back here and there because readers got to know them and like them, and they want to see more. It seems like there is never enough time for all our friends in our lives, and that transfers to all the friends we meet in books, but I hope the author makes time for the new friends in other books.
Overall the series is quite fun. The Spice Shop seems to be a fantastic place, the kind of place you would go for something specific, just to browse what’s new and different, or to rediscover the old and familiar. The characters are fun, and they quickly become friends. I would love to have dinner with them, and while I would prefer to share a few episodes of Jeopardy rather than a favorite movie, I think we could work something out were I invited for the Tuesday get-togethers.
One Bear’s Opinion: Four cups of Spice Shop Signature Tea, with a huge plate of sweet frosted spice cookies
Happy Reading Everyone,
Oliver
Thursday, December 22, 2016
Thursday, December 8, 2016
One Bear's Opinion -- Book Review
Destiny of the Republic by Candice Millard
This book was incredibly interesting. Both my fellow bear, Spencer, and I got caught up in the story. And then we got angry because the story was not fiction, it was history! It all really happened!
Destiny of the Republic is subtitled “A Tale of Madness, Medicine, and the Murder of the a President.” It’s an interesting look at the assassination of President James A. Garfield. I knew very little about President Garfield before I read the book. Of course, I knew he was the 20th President of the United States, and I knew he was assassinated, but beyond that I knew very little, not even remembering that he was president for short 7½ months from March 4, 1881 to September 19, 1881. History in schools have a finite amount of time to impart the important events on eager (or not so eager) young minds, so the details of less important events are often glossed over. Garfield’s presidency was important, but not so important that it would have any more than a passing mention. Yes, he was president; yes, he was assassinated; very good, moving on — was what I learned about him and his administration in my history classes.
But the truth of Garfield’s story is so much more interesting. And so interconnected with other people and other events. I’m not saying that we need to devote a whole class period to Garfield in schools, but we need to devote a bit more time and leak a few more truths to spark the imagination, and anger, of students. History only comes alive when we make it, where we change it from boring lists of dates to memorize or facts to be committed to permanent memory. History is so much more than that dry litany. It’s exciting, unbelievable, and amazing. There are connections between events and people that are never tied together for students. We need to rethink the way we, as a nation, teach history. It is important to understand, not merely know, the events so we can learn from them, and prevent the same mistakes being made again and again.
Okay, I’ll step off my soap-box and get back to the book.
The author’s premise is that had Garfield’s doctor listened to experts, the President may have been able to be saved. This is not a unique theory, many others have held it, even others treating President Garfield at the time. But the connections made by the author were interesting, even if they were not unique. Lines are drawn connecting Joseph Lister, Alexander Graham Bell, and James A. Garfield. These were connections that could have been made in any History class. But they are not. No hint of these awesome connections is even given in history classes, not even enough to spark students to investigate on their own.
A further point of the book is that Garfield’s assassin was crazy. This is not unique to this study of the events either. Charles Guiteau honestly believed that God had told him to “remove the President.” He interpreted that message to mean that he should kill the president, at which time his dream of being given a consular position would be reached, because then President Chester A. Arthur would be so thankful that he would want to reward the person who enabled his ascension to the presidency. Guiteau was deluded in more ways than one with that thinking. He was not qualified to be consul; he was barely qualified to be anything. Further, his delusions were not limited to desire for government positions. Prior to shooting President Garfield, Guiteau actually wrote a letter to General William T. Sherman asking the general to storm the jail in which he would be held. Charles Guiteau honestly and truly believed that the country, and the world, would applaud his actions.
The story of the assassin was only part of the book though. Most of the book is devoted to the medical (mis)treatment that more than likely caused the President’s death, rather than preventing it. The leading US medical community at the time felt that Joseph Lister’s theories of antisepsis were wrong, and that there was no reason to worry about invisible infectious agents. Dr. Bliss, who was the self-appointed physician in charge of the President's care, in particular thought that what we now know as signs of infection and/or sepsis were actually signs of healing. He saw nothing wrong with quarts of pus and fluid flowing out of the President's wounds daily. He saw the increasing numbers of pus-filled blisters all over the President's body quite a good sign of healing. And he thought nothing of continually probing the President’s wounds with instruments that had not been sterilized or unwashed fingers in a effort to find the bullet. In fact, the bullet had come to rest behind the President’s pancreas and had already begun the natural process of encysting. In today’s world, it would be quite likely that Garfield would have survived his wounds and lived a long, productive life. Actually, if Garfield had been one of the soldiers he commanded on the Civil War battlefields, he would have more than likely survived. It is amazing that the soldiers who were shot survived because they did not receive medical treatment, while President Garfield died because he did!
The last part of the story brought in Alexander Graham Bell as a central character. Bell developed a metal detector that he believed would find the bullet and save President Garfield’s life. Bell believed that his invention was a failure because he failed to find the bullet. But Bell’s invention worked; it was just the self-important, pig-headed Dr. Bliss that stopped the bullet from being found. Dr. Bliss refused to allow a complete examination of President Garfield with the metal detector, instead allowing Bell to search only in the are where Dr. Bliss believed the bullet had come to rest. Following the perceived failure, Bell tested the invention on other patients with bullets in various parts of their bodies. It worked. The bullets were found an successfully removed. Bell's invention was a success. Nothing, short of forcibly removing Dr. Bliss from the case, could have saved the president.
While the President could not be saved, there were other things that came from his assassination -- good and much needed things. The White House received a much needed renovation and remodeling. The “Spoils System” that the assassin believed would reward him was scrapped by President Arthur in favor of the merit-based Civil Service system the US still uses today. And in one of the most interesting things, the first, very crude air conditioner was installed in the White House.
I highly recommend this book. It’s not a new theory, or even a unique one. But it does make the history come alive in ways that textbooks do not. And it tells a story that is often relegated to one or two paragraphs in classes. President Garfield was so such more than the source for the name of a cartoon cat!
One Bear’s Opinion: Five glasses of brandy, because, trust me, you’ll need them!
Happy Reading Everyone,
Oliver
This book was incredibly interesting. Both my fellow bear, Spencer, and I got caught up in the story. And then we got angry because the story was not fiction, it was history! It all really happened!
Destiny of the Republic is subtitled “A Tale of Madness, Medicine, and the Murder of the a President.” It’s an interesting look at the assassination of President James A. Garfield. I knew very little about President Garfield before I read the book. Of course, I knew he was the 20th President of the United States, and I knew he was assassinated, but beyond that I knew very little, not even remembering that he was president for short 7½ months from March 4, 1881 to September 19, 1881. History in schools have a finite amount of time to impart the important events on eager (or not so eager) young minds, so the details of less important events are often glossed over. Garfield’s presidency was important, but not so important that it would have any more than a passing mention. Yes, he was president; yes, he was assassinated; very good, moving on — was what I learned about him and his administration in my history classes.
But the truth of Garfield’s story is so much more interesting. And so interconnected with other people and other events. I’m not saying that we need to devote a whole class period to Garfield in schools, but we need to devote a bit more time and leak a few more truths to spark the imagination, and anger, of students. History only comes alive when we make it, where we change it from boring lists of dates to memorize or facts to be committed to permanent memory. History is so much more than that dry litany. It’s exciting, unbelievable, and amazing. There are connections between events and people that are never tied together for students. We need to rethink the way we, as a nation, teach history. It is important to understand, not merely know, the events so we can learn from them, and prevent the same mistakes being made again and again.
Okay, I’ll step off my soap-box and get back to the book.
The author’s premise is that had Garfield’s doctor listened to experts, the President may have been able to be saved. This is not a unique theory, many others have held it, even others treating President Garfield at the time. But the connections made by the author were interesting, even if they were not unique. Lines are drawn connecting Joseph Lister, Alexander Graham Bell, and James A. Garfield. These were connections that could have been made in any History class. But they are not. No hint of these awesome connections is even given in history classes, not even enough to spark students to investigate on their own.
A further point of the book is that Garfield’s assassin was crazy. This is not unique to this study of the events either. Charles Guiteau honestly believed that God had told him to “remove the President.” He interpreted that message to mean that he should kill the president, at which time his dream of being given a consular position would be reached, because then President Chester A. Arthur would be so thankful that he would want to reward the person who enabled his ascension to the presidency. Guiteau was deluded in more ways than one with that thinking. He was not qualified to be consul; he was barely qualified to be anything. Further, his delusions were not limited to desire for government positions. Prior to shooting President Garfield, Guiteau actually wrote a letter to General William T. Sherman asking the general to storm the jail in which he would be held. Charles Guiteau honestly and truly believed that the country, and the world, would applaud his actions.
The story of the assassin was only part of the book though. Most of the book is devoted to the medical (mis)treatment that more than likely caused the President’s death, rather than preventing it. The leading US medical community at the time felt that Joseph Lister’s theories of antisepsis were wrong, and that there was no reason to worry about invisible infectious agents. Dr. Bliss, who was the self-appointed physician in charge of the President's care, in particular thought that what we now know as signs of infection and/or sepsis were actually signs of healing. He saw nothing wrong with quarts of pus and fluid flowing out of the President's wounds daily. He saw the increasing numbers of pus-filled blisters all over the President's body quite a good sign of healing. And he thought nothing of continually probing the President’s wounds with instruments that had not been sterilized or unwashed fingers in a effort to find the bullet. In fact, the bullet had come to rest behind the President’s pancreas and had already begun the natural process of encysting. In today’s world, it would be quite likely that Garfield would have survived his wounds and lived a long, productive life. Actually, if Garfield had been one of the soldiers he commanded on the Civil War battlefields, he would have more than likely survived. It is amazing that the soldiers who were shot survived because they did not receive medical treatment, while President Garfield died because he did!
The last part of the story brought in Alexander Graham Bell as a central character. Bell developed a metal detector that he believed would find the bullet and save President Garfield’s life. Bell believed that his invention was a failure because he failed to find the bullet. But Bell’s invention worked; it was just the self-important, pig-headed Dr. Bliss that stopped the bullet from being found. Dr. Bliss refused to allow a complete examination of President Garfield with the metal detector, instead allowing Bell to search only in the are where Dr. Bliss believed the bullet had come to rest. Following the perceived failure, Bell tested the invention on other patients with bullets in various parts of their bodies. It worked. The bullets were found an successfully removed. Bell's invention was a success. Nothing, short of forcibly removing Dr. Bliss from the case, could have saved the president.
While the President could not be saved, there were other things that came from his assassination -- good and much needed things. The White House received a much needed renovation and remodeling. The “Spoils System” that the assassin believed would reward him was scrapped by President Arthur in favor of the merit-based Civil Service system the US still uses today. And in one of the most interesting things, the first, very crude air conditioner was installed in the White House.
I highly recommend this book. It’s not a new theory, or even a unique one. But it does make the history come alive in ways that textbooks do not. And it tells a story that is often relegated to one or two paragraphs in classes. President Garfield was so such more than the source for the name of a cartoon cat!
One Bear’s Opinion: Five glasses of brandy, because, trust me, you’ll need them!
Happy Reading Everyone,
Oliver
Sunday, July 24, 2016
One Bear's Opinion -- Book Review
The Alpine Vengeance by Mary Daheim
This is the twenty-second book in the Emma Lord/Alpine Advocate series. It certainly feels as though the author is wrapping things up by neatly tying up any unfinished stories from the earlier books.
This book referenced a murder in an earlier book, which quite honestly I did not remember. And unfortunately I found the author and her editors did not do a great job recapping the earlier story enough for readers to understand the interconnectivity of the characters and events.
I enjoy my visits to Alpine, Washington, but sometimes the small-town atmosphere is intimidating to outsiders and without a character chart and/or family tree, it’s impossible to keep the relationships straight. That was a bit frustrating for me as reader, even one who has read all the previous books in the series. A preface or prologue would have been helpful in this volume.
As I said, I do enjoy my visits with Emma and the gang at the Alpine Advocate, but this one was unnecessarily complicated, not only by the lack of back story, but also in the plot itself. The many parts were hard to keep straight and in the end, it was tough to finish it. Truthfully, I only finished it because I wanted to get to the end, not because I cared about the people involved.
The events of the book appear to be building towards the end of the series, though the author has indicated on her website that is not the case. The characters are growing, but they seem to be growing to a point at which there is no where else to go. Either the series will have to end, or the author will have to start killing off favorite characters. It seems to be heading towards an inescapable corner. I like the series, but if the rest of the series is like this book, I would not be sorry to see it end.
One Bear’s Opinion: Three glasses of coke with a bowl of average potato chips
Happy Reading Everyone,
Oliver
This is the twenty-second book in the Emma Lord/Alpine Advocate series. It certainly feels as though the author is wrapping things up by neatly tying up any unfinished stories from the earlier books.
This book referenced a murder in an earlier book, which quite honestly I did not remember. And unfortunately I found the author and her editors did not do a great job recapping the earlier story enough for readers to understand the interconnectivity of the characters and events.
I enjoy my visits to Alpine, Washington, but sometimes the small-town atmosphere is intimidating to outsiders and without a character chart and/or family tree, it’s impossible to keep the relationships straight. That was a bit frustrating for me as reader, even one who has read all the previous books in the series. A preface or prologue would have been helpful in this volume.
As I said, I do enjoy my visits with Emma and the gang at the Alpine Advocate, but this one was unnecessarily complicated, not only by the lack of back story, but also in the plot itself. The many parts were hard to keep straight and in the end, it was tough to finish it. Truthfully, I only finished it because I wanted to get to the end, not because I cared about the people involved.
The events of the book appear to be building towards the end of the series, though the author has indicated on her website that is not the case. The characters are growing, but they seem to be growing to a point at which there is no where else to go. Either the series will have to end, or the author will have to start killing off favorite characters. It seems to be heading towards an inescapable corner. I like the series, but if the rest of the series is like this book, I would not be sorry to see it end.
One Bear’s Opinion: Three glasses of coke with a bowl of average potato chips
Happy Reading Everyone,
Oliver
Monday, July 18, 2016
One Bear's Opinion -- Book Review
Murder at Hatfield House by Amanda Carmack
This was the second book my housemate chose to read for the Save Our Cozies Read-a-Thon. We finished two books in just under 24 hours. It was a fun event and I hope to participate in another one. There was a bonus for me; I won a copy of Guilty as Cinnamon. I am excited to read it, but it’s in the US and I’m in Australia, so that will have to wait a couple of months until my housemate and I can crack that one open. Sometimes it’s hard to be an impatient bear.
My housemate chose to read Murder at Hatfield House because she had read several other mystery series set in Elizabethan England, a couple of which feature either Queen Elizabeth I or her advisors as the amateur investigators. It was very hard to read this one without comparing it to the other series we read. I am not going to lie and say I was not comparing it to my person favorite, Karen Harper’s Elizabeth I Mysteries, I absolutely was comparing this book to that series. The portrayal of Princess Elizabeth was similar in both, but the tone of Murder at Hatfield House was much darker. I noticed it and though that it might actually be too dark in tone to truly be called a cozy. I also found the descriptions of the murders, to be too graphic to be a true cozy, but that may be down to my interpretation of the definition of the genre.
I thought beginning the series before Princess Elizabeth became Queen makes it easy to continue the series, and lays the historical groundwork without having to build it into the books as plot exposition. That was a clever way of weaving a great deal of the real world history that shaped the Elizabethan era into the books without the author appear to be talking down to her readers or having to explain too much of the who, what, and why in later books. It was a complicated time in history, both for the royals and the non-royals alike and anything set during the periods would require at least some explanation and backstory. Beginning the series where it did means the explanation and backstory are seamlessly woven into the overall narrative.
One of the things that I have begun to notice in read so many mystery series is that editors rarely allow extraneous information to be left in the story. That means that all the mentions of things that were not necessary to mention are important. The color of the cloak was mentioned early on in the book, and that meant it was important. If the color was not important, it would not have been mentioned. Unlike in real life, trivial details are only mentioned in books, movies, and television shows if they are important to the story. Knowing that takes a bit of the fun of figuring out the mystery on my own from the book. But even so, watching it unfold and watching the amateur investigator figure out is still quite fun.
Overall, Murder on Hatfield House was an enjoyable book, and a perfect on to read on a cold, grey, windy, rainy weekend. I am looking forward to the rest of the series.
One Bear’s Opinion: Four glasses of mulled wine with a plate of fruitcake slices
Happy Reading Everyone,
Oliver
This was the second book my housemate chose to read for the Save Our Cozies Read-a-Thon. We finished two books in just under 24 hours. It was a fun event and I hope to participate in another one. There was a bonus for me; I won a copy of Guilty as Cinnamon. I am excited to read it, but it’s in the US and I’m in Australia, so that will have to wait a couple of months until my housemate and I can crack that one open. Sometimes it’s hard to be an impatient bear.
My housemate chose to read Murder at Hatfield House because she had read several other mystery series set in Elizabethan England, a couple of which feature either Queen Elizabeth I or her advisors as the amateur investigators. It was very hard to read this one without comparing it to the other series we read. I am not going to lie and say I was not comparing it to my person favorite, Karen Harper’s Elizabeth I Mysteries, I absolutely was comparing this book to that series. The portrayal of Princess Elizabeth was similar in both, but the tone of Murder at Hatfield House was much darker. I noticed it and though that it might actually be too dark in tone to truly be called a cozy. I also found the descriptions of the murders, to be too graphic to be a true cozy, but that may be down to my interpretation of the definition of the genre.
I thought beginning the series before Princess Elizabeth became Queen makes it easy to continue the series, and lays the historical groundwork without having to build it into the books as plot exposition. That was a clever way of weaving a great deal of the real world history that shaped the Elizabethan era into the books without the author appear to be talking down to her readers or having to explain too much of the who, what, and why in later books. It was a complicated time in history, both for the royals and the non-royals alike and anything set during the periods would require at least some explanation and backstory. Beginning the series where it did means the explanation and backstory are seamlessly woven into the overall narrative.
One of the things that I have begun to notice in read so many mystery series is that editors rarely allow extraneous information to be left in the story. That means that all the mentions of things that were not necessary to mention are important. The color of the cloak was mentioned early on in the book, and that meant it was important. If the color was not important, it would not have been mentioned. Unlike in real life, trivial details are only mentioned in books, movies, and television shows if they are important to the story. Knowing that takes a bit of the fun of figuring out the mystery on my own from the book. But even so, watching it unfold and watching the amateur investigator figure out is still quite fun.
Overall, Murder on Hatfield House was an enjoyable book, and a perfect on to read on a cold, grey, windy, rainy weekend. I am looking forward to the rest of the series.
One Bear’s Opinion: Four glasses of mulled wine with a plate of fruitcake slices
Happy Reading Everyone,
Oliver
Saturday, July 16, 2016
One Bear's Opinion -- Book Review
A Sheetcake Named Desire by Jacklyn Brady
My housemate decided to read this book, the first in the Piece of Cake series, as part of a 24-hour Save Our Cozies Read-a-Thon. The series is one that has been discontinued after a merger of two publishing houses. I am still not sure why the publishing house has decided to discontinue series, when there are fans of the series. I believe that more choice is always better than less when it comes to books. My housemate had been considering this series for some time and the Read-a-Thon was the spur it took for her to finally get a copy and start the series.
Both my housemate and I are native New Orleanians, and as that was the setting for this series, we thought it was a good series to try out. I often have to remind my housemate that most things set in New Orleans are not written by natives, and many things are written by people who have only visited the city as a tourist for short periods of time. Quick trip and vacation highlight details are enough for people who were not born and raised in New Orleans, but they fail to pass muster with readers who were. So while my housemate always starts out reading books set in New Orleans with what she considers an open mind, the first mention of something not quite right or New Orleans proper does tend to ruin her enjoyment of the book.
This first installment of the series had most of the details correct, though I do still wonder about some of the geography, notably exactly where the Zydeco Cake shop is located. It’s obviously in a remodeled, big house Uptown, but exactly how far Uptown and where is still a bit confusing to me. If I didn’t know better, based on the description, I would say the bakery is located in what was at one time Bultman’s Funeral Home, but I know that’s not possible. The description of the lot fits that location, but the description of the location puts it more likely on one of the side streets among the residential areas between Prytania and Magazine Streets, on the Uptown side of Washington Avenue. The murky location of the cake shop was not the only local detail that stood out to me. At one point in the book, the author describes one of the characters as living in Lakeview, in an area untouched by Hurricane Katrina. The problem with that statement is, having lived in New Orleans before and after Hurricane Katrina, and knowing people who lived in various areas of Lakeview, we do not know one neighborhood that was completely untouched in the wake of the storm. There were individual houses that were untouched, and some of them were on the same block, but there were not any areas of Lakeview left completely untouched. We know this not only from personal experience, but also because my housemate worked in a law firm that served as corporate counsel for insurance companies, and was one of the lead firms in the defense liaison group in the litigation resulting from the storm. I’m sorry, author, but your facts are flat out wrong on that point.
It may have been a nitpicky thing to notice, but it was something that a true local would notice and an out-of-towner, either a visitor or a transplant, might not have realized. The factual inaccuracies did not seriously diminish the enjoyment of the book, but they did remind us that what we were reading was fiction, and fiction can be manipulated to the author’s or character’s will, with little regard for things like geography and physics.
The story itself was interesting. The amateur investigator chased down red herrings, all the while ignoring the real killer. It was a fun read, and the characters are engaging enough to read the next book in the series. And my housemate is pretty keen to read the next book in the series, just to see if the fictional geography and descriptions get any more accurate, or maybe just to pretend she’s back in our hometown for a while. Overall Rita and the gang at Zydeco Cakes are fun to hang with, but we’re not sure we can call them close, good friends just yet.
One Bear’s Opinion: Four Large Frozen Mint Plum Street Snowballs, eaten in the car parked in the shade on Burdette Street
Happy Reading Everyone,
Oliver
My housemate decided to read this book, the first in the Piece of Cake series, as part of a 24-hour Save Our Cozies Read-a-Thon. The series is one that has been discontinued after a merger of two publishing houses. I am still not sure why the publishing house has decided to discontinue series, when there are fans of the series. I believe that more choice is always better than less when it comes to books. My housemate had been considering this series for some time and the Read-a-Thon was the spur it took for her to finally get a copy and start the series.
Both my housemate and I are native New Orleanians, and as that was the setting for this series, we thought it was a good series to try out. I often have to remind my housemate that most things set in New Orleans are not written by natives, and many things are written by people who have only visited the city as a tourist for short periods of time. Quick trip and vacation highlight details are enough for people who were not born and raised in New Orleans, but they fail to pass muster with readers who were. So while my housemate always starts out reading books set in New Orleans with what she considers an open mind, the first mention of something not quite right or New Orleans proper does tend to ruin her enjoyment of the book.
This first installment of the series had most of the details correct, though I do still wonder about some of the geography, notably exactly where the Zydeco Cake shop is located. It’s obviously in a remodeled, big house Uptown, but exactly how far Uptown and where is still a bit confusing to me. If I didn’t know better, based on the description, I would say the bakery is located in what was at one time Bultman’s Funeral Home, but I know that’s not possible. The description of the lot fits that location, but the description of the location puts it more likely on one of the side streets among the residential areas between Prytania and Magazine Streets, on the Uptown side of Washington Avenue. The murky location of the cake shop was not the only local detail that stood out to me. At one point in the book, the author describes one of the characters as living in Lakeview, in an area untouched by Hurricane Katrina. The problem with that statement is, having lived in New Orleans before and after Hurricane Katrina, and knowing people who lived in various areas of Lakeview, we do not know one neighborhood that was completely untouched in the wake of the storm. There were individual houses that were untouched, and some of them were on the same block, but there were not any areas of Lakeview left completely untouched. We know this not only from personal experience, but also because my housemate worked in a law firm that served as corporate counsel for insurance companies, and was one of the lead firms in the defense liaison group in the litigation resulting from the storm. I’m sorry, author, but your facts are flat out wrong on that point.
It may have been a nitpicky thing to notice, but it was something that a true local would notice and an out-of-towner, either a visitor or a transplant, might not have realized. The factual inaccuracies did not seriously diminish the enjoyment of the book, but they did remind us that what we were reading was fiction, and fiction can be manipulated to the author’s or character’s will, with little regard for things like geography and physics.
The story itself was interesting. The amateur investigator chased down red herrings, all the while ignoring the real killer. It was a fun read, and the characters are engaging enough to read the next book in the series. And my housemate is pretty keen to read the next book in the series, just to see if the fictional geography and descriptions get any more accurate, or maybe just to pretend she’s back in our hometown for a while. Overall Rita and the gang at Zydeco Cakes are fun to hang with, but we’re not sure we can call them close, good friends just yet.
One Bear’s Opinion: Four Large Frozen Mint Plum Street Snowballs, eaten in the car parked in the shade on Burdette Street
Happy Reading Everyone,
Oliver
Wednesday, July 13, 2016
One Bear's Opinion -- Book Review
The Alpine Uproar by Mary Daheim
The Alpine Uproar is the twenty-first adventure with Emma Lord and the gang at The Alpine Advocate. This is the second one that I notices the title didn’t really feel as though it connected with the story. It’s a minor complaint, and I think the author and the publisher got themselves stuck with the alphabetical theme for the titles, but it felt disconnected, as though it was just a word that began with the right letter and sounded as it would work for the title.
Title complaints aside, the book was an interesting mystery. There were a number of sub-plots that were distracting, but obviously not connected to the main mystery. And there were characters that came and went without any real explanation, despite introducing them as friends or enemies. That is a problem with series mysteries. To avoid killing off regular characters, new ones must come into the stories by some means — either to be the victim or the perpetrator. But there are often other new characters in each adventure, connected with the victim or the perpetrator, or just read herring characters. The new characters in this adventure felt as though they could become friends, or enemies, but definitely felt as though they could stay in Alpine longterm. Alas, they disappeared into the night. Maybe they will return in future adventures.
New character woes were equally minor to the book. I enjoyed the mystery, though it was complicated. It kept me guessing the whole way through, and even at the end, I was surprised by the solution.
I always like adventures with Emma and the gang. I’ve read the blurbs for the next books in the series, so I know what’s coming in the series — which is both good and bad, so I’m looking for signs and signals for the overarching story. Reading series books are always like a visit with good friends, and the residents of Alpine are good friends. And just like visits with good friends, it’s difficult to direct the way the visit will unfold. Often you have to go with the flow and let your friends direct the visit. That’s the way visits to Apline go. As a reader, you have to let the residents direct the visits. It’s fun and frustrating in equal parts.
The Alpine Uproar added a bit to the story of some of the residents’ lives, and I’m sure there will be repercussions from the events in this adventure. It will be fun to see how it unfolds in the next adventure.
One Bear’s Opinion: Four big glasses of peach soda during a good long visit with friends
Happy Reading Everyone,
Oliver
The Alpine Uproar is the twenty-first adventure with Emma Lord and the gang at The Alpine Advocate. This is the second one that I notices the title didn’t really feel as though it connected with the story. It’s a minor complaint, and I think the author and the publisher got themselves stuck with the alphabetical theme for the titles, but it felt disconnected, as though it was just a word that began with the right letter and sounded as it would work for the title.
Title complaints aside, the book was an interesting mystery. There were a number of sub-plots that were distracting, but obviously not connected to the main mystery. And there were characters that came and went without any real explanation, despite introducing them as friends or enemies. That is a problem with series mysteries. To avoid killing off regular characters, new ones must come into the stories by some means — either to be the victim or the perpetrator. But there are often other new characters in each adventure, connected with the victim or the perpetrator, or just read herring characters. The new characters in this adventure felt as though they could become friends, or enemies, but definitely felt as though they could stay in Alpine longterm. Alas, they disappeared into the night. Maybe they will return in future adventures.
New character woes were equally minor to the book. I enjoyed the mystery, though it was complicated. It kept me guessing the whole way through, and even at the end, I was surprised by the solution.
I always like adventures with Emma and the gang. I’ve read the blurbs for the next books in the series, so I know what’s coming in the series — which is both good and bad, so I’m looking for signs and signals for the overarching story. Reading series books are always like a visit with good friends, and the residents of Alpine are good friends. And just like visits with good friends, it’s difficult to direct the way the visit will unfold. Often you have to go with the flow and let your friends direct the visit. That’s the way visits to Apline go. As a reader, you have to let the residents direct the visits. It’s fun and frustrating in equal parts.
The Alpine Uproar added a bit to the story of some of the residents’ lives, and I’m sure there will be repercussions from the events in this adventure. It will be fun to see how it unfolds in the next adventure.
One Bear’s Opinion: Four big glasses of peach soda during a good long visit with friends
Happy Reading Everyone,
Oliver
Friday, July 8, 2016
One Bear's Opinion -- Book Review
The Alpine Traitor by Mary Daheim
This is the twentieth book in the Emma Lord/Alpine Advocate series. I am not sure what I think about it, honestly. It was interesting, but the mystery was complicated by too many characters and too many aliases. I had trouble following it most of the time. I also had trouble reading this book because the binding was quite tight and it was hard to hold the book open to be able to read the words near the crack, but that was not a fault of the author.
The plot was convoluted and involved many twists and turns and lots of things that may have been red herrings, or may not. It was not until the last couple of chapters that everything started coming together, and then it seemed to rush to the finish with very little explanation or satisfaction. By the time I figured out what was going on, it was over. It really wasn’t until the solution was revealed that everything was explained. I found it difficult to follow along with the mystery and the investigator, and even harder to put it all together at the end.
That is not to say that I did not enjoy the book. I did. I had a satisfying visit with the population of Alpine and surrounds. But it was difficult to follow and figure out the mystery.
This adventure wraps up some lingering questions from previous adventures in the series that I didn’t even know I had. And they were wrapped up in a satisfying way. If this were the last book of the series — it’s not — it would be a satisfying end.
Adventures in Alpine are always fun, if only because of the small-town characters and small-town politics. It’s such a fun place to visit.
One Bear’s Opinion: Four Glasses of Beer with a burger from the Burger Barn
Happy Reading Everyone,
Oliver
This is the twentieth book in the Emma Lord/Alpine Advocate series. I am not sure what I think about it, honestly. It was interesting, but the mystery was complicated by too many characters and too many aliases. I had trouble following it most of the time. I also had trouble reading this book because the binding was quite tight and it was hard to hold the book open to be able to read the words near the crack, but that was not a fault of the author.
The plot was convoluted and involved many twists and turns and lots of things that may have been red herrings, or may not. It was not until the last couple of chapters that everything started coming together, and then it seemed to rush to the finish with very little explanation or satisfaction. By the time I figured out what was going on, it was over. It really wasn’t until the solution was revealed that everything was explained. I found it difficult to follow along with the mystery and the investigator, and even harder to put it all together at the end.
That is not to say that I did not enjoy the book. I did. I had a satisfying visit with the population of Alpine and surrounds. But it was difficult to follow and figure out the mystery.
This adventure wraps up some lingering questions from previous adventures in the series that I didn’t even know I had. And they were wrapped up in a satisfying way. If this were the last book of the series — it’s not — it would be a satisfying end.
Adventures in Alpine are always fun, if only because of the small-town characters and small-town politics. It’s such a fun place to visit.
One Bear’s Opinion: Four Glasses of Beer with a burger from the Burger Barn
Happy Reading Everyone,
Oliver
One Bear's Opinion -- Book Review
Anne of Avonlea
Anne of the Island
by L.M. Montgomery
I am going to review these two books together as they are a continuing story. The story began in Anne of Green Gables, but I find that book can stand alone better than these two can. Anne of Avonlea and Anne of the Island are the rest of the story of Anne Shirley’s growing up. She starts working as a teacher in Anne of Avonlea and then goes off to university in Anne of the Island. Most people these days do that in the reverse order, but it was a different time and a different place so there are differences as compared to modern lives.
I have read these books before, and this re-read was sparked by events happening in the real world. I needed an escape, and a visit with old friends was just the escape I needed. My visits with Anne and her friends and family through the books were satisfying and exactly what I wanted to do a reset of my own personal world. The innocent time and innocent love story between Anne and Gilbert were a perfect antidote to the poison of the modern world. Plum puffs may not be able to minister to a mind diseased and a world that’s crumbling into pieces, but Anne and her friends can.
Anne of Avonlea is the story of Anne’s time spent teaching at the Avonlea school. It also details some of her still girlish teen-age adventures with her friends. New characters are introduced and changes are made in Anne’s world, but they are welcome characters and natural changes. Anne is growing up and the book reflects that.
Anne of the Island chronicles Anne’s life at Redmond College in Kingsport, Nova Scotia. New characters fill the book, though familiar ones are still there. It’s just like life, new people come into our lives at different points and some stay for just a little while, while others stay for a lifetime. Some of the new friends are quite fleeting, while others are lifelong friends of Anne. At the same time, old friends return with altered relationships, and others leave.
The books can get a bit rambly, and some of the episodes feel as though they were padding or tales that needed to go somewhere, but on the whole the books are fun and delightful to read. L.M. Montgomery never fails to entertain in her books, and there is a wholesome realness that permeates the novels. Anne and her friends are real, and they will definitely become the readers’ friends.
The story arc ends satisfactorily. By the end of Anne of the Island, “God’s in His Heaven; and all’s right with the world.” I will admit though, I cheated a bit and sneakily read the first few chapters of Anne of Windy Poplars to truly finish this part of Anne’s story. I felt a bit bad doing it, but not so bad that I would not do it again.
The Anne series is well worth reading if you have not yet, and it stands up to numerous re-reads if you have already read it through. And when the world is collapsing around you, it’s just the kind of read you need.
One Bear’s Opinion: Five glasses of red currant wine with slices of Averil’s cake (made with Rollings Reliable Baking Powder)
Happy Reading Everyone,
Oliver
Anne of the Island
by L.M. Montgomery
I am going to review these two books together as they are a continuing story. The story began in Anne of Green Gables, but I find that book can stand alone better than these two can. Anne of Avonlea and Anne of the Island are the rest of the story of Anne Shirley’s growing up. She starts working as a teacher in Anne of Avonlea and then goes off to university in Anne of the Island. Most people these days do that in the reverse order, but it was a different time and a different place so there are differences as compared to modern lives.
I have read these books before, and this re-read was sparked by events happening in the real world. I needed an escape, and a visit with old friends was just the escape I needed. My visits with Anne and her friends and family through the books were satisfying and exactly what I wanted to do a reset of my own personal world. The innocent time and innocent love story between Anne and Gilbert were a perfect antidote to the poison of the modern world. Plum puffs may not be able to minister to a mind diseased and a world that’s crumbling into pieces, but Anne and her friends can.
Anne of Avonlea is the story of Anne’s time spent teaching at the Avonlea school. It also details some of her still girlish teen-age adventures with her friends. New characters are introduced and changes are made in Anne’s world, but they are welcome characters and natural changes. Anne is growing up and the book reflects that.
Anne of the Island chronicles Anne’s life at Redmond College in Kingsport, Nova Scotia. New characters fill the book, though familiar ones are still there. It’s just like life, new people come into our lives at different points and some stay for just a little while, while others stay for a lifetime. Some of the new friends are quite fleeting, while others are lifelong friends of Anne. At the same time, old friends return with altered relationships, and others leave.
The books can get a bit rambly, and some of the episodes feel as though they were padding or tales that needed to go somewhere, but on the whole the books are fun and delightful to read. L.M. Montgomery never fails to entertain in her books, and there is a wholesome realness that permeates the novels. Anne and her friends are real, and they will definitely become the readers’ friends.
The story arc ends satisfactorily. By the end of Anne of the Island, “God’s in His Heaven; and all’s right with the world.” I will admit though, I cheated a bit and sneakily read the first few chapters of Anne of Windy Poplars to truly finish this part of Anne’s story. I felt a bit bad doing it, but not so bad that I would not do it again.
The Anne series is well worth reading if you have not yet, and it stands up to numerous re-reads if you have already read it through. And when the world is collapsing around you, it’s just the kind of read you need.
One Bear’s Opinion: Five glasses of red currant wine with slices of Averil’s cake (made with Rollings Reliable Baking Powder)
Happy Reading Everyone,
Oliver
Friday, June 17, 2016
One Bear's Opinion -- Book Review
Anne of Green Gables by L.M. Montgomery
The events of the world got to be more than we could handle this past week and both my housemate and I agreed that we needed to read something innocent and good. After scanning our shelves and Kindle library, we decided to re-kindle our friendship with Anne Shirley and her friends. I’m not sure how far into the series we will take our re-read, but we started with the first-in-the-series.
This is an excellent book, full of friends. It’s an escape to an innocent time and a great story of coming of age. Anne, Diana, and Gilbert become fast friends and any visit with them is a good one.
My housemate and I saw Kevin Sullivan’s production of Anne of Green Gables before we read the book the first time, so our mental pictures of the characters are colored by the actors who portrayed them in that mini-series, but even so, I think the casting was very well done. When reading the books, I see those actors as the characters, and I hear the dialogue in their voices. The production made some changes to the story, but then almost all book-to-movie adaptations make some changes.
The book is fun and friendly. It’s an easy read, and staying up late to finish feels like a visit with friends you never want to end. A visit with Anne was just what we needed to counteract the overwhelming grief, sadness, tragedy, and outright hate that has dominated the world lately. I highly recommend that everyone take a few days, turn off the news and visit Anne. You’ll come back much better prepared to face the world.
One Bear’s Opinion: Five tumblers of Raspberry Cordial with some fruit cake and other sweet treats
Happy Reading Everyone,
Oliver
P.S. Stay safe, it’s a scary world out there.
The events of the world got to be more than we could handle this past week and both my housemate and I agreed that we needed to read something innocent and good. After scanning our shelves and Kindle library, we decided to re-kindle our friendship with Anne Shirley and her friends. I’m not sure how far into the series we will take our re-read, but we started with the first-in-the-series.
This is an excellent book, full of friends. It’s an escape to an innocent time and a great story of coming of age. Anne, Diana, and Gilbert become fast friends and any visit with them is a good one.
My housemate and I saw Kevin Sullivan’s production of Anne of Green Gables before we read the book the first time, so our mental pictures of the characters are colored by the actors who portrayed them in that mini-series, but even so, I think the casting was very well done. When reading the books, I see those actors as the characters, and I hear the dialogue in their voices. The production made some changes to the story, but then almost all book-to-movie adaptations make some changes.
The book is fun and friendly. It’s an easy read, and staying up late to finish feels like a visit with friends you never want to end. A visit with Anne was just what we needed to counteract the overwhelming grief, sadness, tragedy, and outright hate that has dominated the world lately. I highly recommend that everyone take a few days, turn off the news and visit Anne. You’ll come back much better prepared to face the world.
One Bear’s Opinion: Five tumblers of Raspberry Cordial with some fruit cake and other sweet treats
Happy Reading Everyone,
Oliver
P.S. Stay safe, it’s a scary world out there.
Monday, June 13, 2016
One Bear's Opinion -- Book Review
The Alpine Scandal by Mary Daheim
The Alpine Scandal is the nineteenth book in the Emma Lord mysteries. My housemate and I decided to read it to catch up on on-going series. Too date, this series has twenty-six books, so we’re a little bit behind. And it is my goal to catch up on our series this year, at least as much as is possible.
As far as this installment, let me start by saying, it would definitely help if you had read at least one of the previous books in the series, but the author does a very good job of introducing and connecting the recurring, regular characters.
It’s an interesting book for the main characters, and changes in relationships are evident, though none happen in this book. Sometimes the overarching story is more important and others the immediate mystery is more important. In this one, the immediate story is the main focus, but it does not overshadow the hints of what is to come in the overarching, continuing story.
The main mystery is a full of red herrings, and the final solution is a surprise, though it feels as though it was cobbled together after the author wrote herself into a corner. It wasn’t quite a copout solution, but it didn’t feel as though it was the ending of this murder. But then again, I’m so used to reading books that have been edited to leave in only the important information, that maybe the author and editor decided to go in a different, more true-to-life, direction.
I enjoyed the book, and I am excited to see where the overarching story with the main characters goes, given the hints that are being dropped in this adventure. I would still recommend that new readers to the series start at the beginning, but even if you don’t, this is an enjoyable mystery.
One Bear’s Opinion: Three glasses of Dr. Pepper while enjoying a yummy diner dinner with your brother
Happy Reading Everyone,
Oliver
The Alpine Scandal is the nineteenth book in the Emma Lord mysteries. My housemate and I decided to read it to catch up on on-going series. Too date, this series has twenty-six books, so we’re a little bit behind. And it is my goal to catch up on our series this year, at least as much as is possible.
As far as this installment, let me start by saying, it would definitely help if you had read at least one of the previous books in the series, but the author does a very good job of introducing and connecting the recurring, regular characters.
It’s an interesting book for the main characters, and changes in relationships are evident, though none happen in this book. Sometimes the overarching story is more important and others the immediate mystery is more important. In this one, the immediate story is the main focus, but it does not overshadow the hints of what is to come in the overarching, continuing story.
The main mystery is a full of red herrings, and the final solution is a surprise, though it feels as though it was cobbled together after the author wrote herself into a corner. It wasn’t quite a copout solution, but it didn’t feel as though it was the ending of this murder. But then again, I’m so used to reading books that have been edited to leave in only the important information, that maybe the author and editor decided to go in a different, more true-to-life, direction.
I enjoyed the book, and I am excited to see where the overarching story with the main characters goes, given the hints that are being dropped in this adventure. I would still recommend that new readers to the series start at the beginning, but even if you don’t, this is an enjoyable mystery.
One Bear’s Opinion: Three glasses of Dr. Pepper while enjoying a yummy diner dinner with your brother
Happy Reading Everyone,
Oliver
Sunday, June 5, 2016
One Bear's Opinion -- Book Review
A Sprig of Blossomed Thorn by Patrice Greenwood
This is the second book in the Wisteria Tearoom Mystery series. It was fun to read and interesting. I have not read a book with this particular method of murder before so it was creative and different. Mysteries are by their nature formulaic — there has to be a puzzle to solve and then the investigators, whether professional or amateur, solve the puzzle. This was an interesting and different puzzle to be solved. The solution was fairly ordinary, but the mystery was creative enough to make the ordinariness of the solution acceptable. I suppose it’s hard for authors to be creative and original with each plot part of every book.
I like the characters, but the preaching nature of the relationships between the characters got a bit annoying. I don’t mind when the author’s personal beliefs shape the books, but I do not know it when the books are overly preachy or hit the reader over the head with the point the author is trying to make. Give the reader some information and then let the reader take up the cause, or not, as the reader desires. Too much preaching is a sure way to lose readers and have your cause be drowned out or glossed over.
I will probably read the next-in-series, but if the preachiness continues, I will absolutely give up on this series, despite my caring for the characters. Life is far too short and time is far too precious to waste it being lectured at as though I am incapable of forming my own opinions in my leisure reading.
One Bear’s Opinion: Four cups of hibiscus tea with a plate of sweet and savory treats
Happy Reading Everyone,
Oliver
This is the second book in the Wisteria Tearoom Mystery series. It was fun to read and interesting. I have not read a book with this particular method of murder before so it was creative and different. Mysteries are by their nature formulaic — there has to be a puzzle to solve and then the investigators, whether professional or amateur, solve the puzzle. This was an interesting and different puzzle to be solved. The solution was fairly ordinary, but the mystery was creative enough to make the ordinariness of the solution acceptable. I suppose it’s hard for authors to be creative and original with each plot part of every book.
I like the characters, but the preaching nature of the relationships between the characters got a bit annoying. I don’t mind when the author’s personal beliefs shape the books, but I do not know it when the books are overly preachy or hit the reader over the head with the point the author is trying to make. Give the reader some information and then let the reader take up the cause, or not, as the reader desires. Too much preaching is a sure way to lose readers and have your cause be drowned out or glossed over.
I will probably read the next-in-series, but if the preachiness continues, I will absolutely give up on this series, despite my caring for the characters. Life is far too short and time is far too precious to waste it being lectured at as though I am incapable of forming my own opinions in my leisure reading.
One Bear’s Opinion: Four cups of hibiscus tea with a plate of sweet and savory treats
Happy Reading Everyone,
Oliver
Wednesday, June 1, 2016
One Bear's Opinion -- Book Review
Beatrice Goes to Brighton by M.C. Beaton
This is the fourth book in M.C. Beaton’s Travelling Matchmaker Regency Romance series. Admittedly it’s not the kind of book I would normally read, but my housemate found the first three of the series in a remainder bin for $3 each and we enjoyed them well enough to pick up this one when it was on sale as a Kindle daily deal for $0.99.
During a discussion on a message board, someone commented that sometimes their enjoyment, or disappointment, with a book is directly proportional to the amount paid for the book. I thought about that and decided that I feel the same way sometimes. If you pay full price for a book, there is an expectation of full-price enjoyment. But a sale or a bargain price for the book lowers the enjoyment expectation threshold. This series definitely follows that line of thinking. I doubt I would have enjoyed them very much as I paid full price, but for half price or less, they are excellent.
The series is follow-the-dots formulaic, but still fun to read. In most series, the same characters appear over and over in each episode, but this one manages to keep a core of characters while introducing new ones in each, and not making it feel forced or unusual. The idea of the main character taking trips on a stage coach does make the introduction of new characters natural, and it’s fun to meet the new characters along with the main ones.
Had the book not been in the remainder bin, I doubt that my housemate would have ever picked them up. Regency romances are not her usual reading, but then again, branching outside the usual reading is where you find interesting stuff, and where you meet new friends.
Miss Pym is a fun character, and a great new friend. The plots are all there same, but with this series, plot variance is not really why you read them. It’s a good, clean fun kind of book. Perfect for a long trans-Pacific airplane flight or waiting rooms. After we finish this series, we may check out some of the author’s other Regency series, just for the fun, easy read aspect.
One Bear’s Opinion: Three bottles of lemonade while walking along the boardwalk, and some cotton candy if we’re very good
Happy Reading Everyone,
Oliver
This is the fourth book in M.C. Beaton’s Travelling Matchmaker Regency Romance series. Admittedly it’s not the kind of book I would normally read, but my housemate found the first three of the series in a remainder bin for $3 each and we enjoyed them well enough to pick up this one when it was on sale as a Kindle daily deal for $0.99.
During a discussion on a message board, someone commented that sometimes their enjoyment, or disappointment, with a book is directly proportional to the amount paid for the book. I thought about that and decided that I feel the same way sometimes. If you pay full price for a book, there is an expectation of full-price enjoyment. But a sale or a bargain price for the book lowers the enjoyment expectation threshold. This series definitely follows that line of thinking. I doubt I would have enjoyed them very much as I paid full price, but for half price or less, they are excellent.
The series is follow-the-dots formulaic, but still fun to read. In most series, the same characters appear over and over in each episode, but this one manages to keep a core of characters while introducing new ones in each, and not making it feel forced or unusual. The idea of the main character taking trips on a stage coach does make the introduction of new characters natural, and it’s fun to meet the new characters along with the main ones.
Had the book not been in the remainder bin, I doubt that my housemate would have ever picked them up. Regency romances are not her usual reading, but then again, branching outside the usual reading is where you find interesting stuff, and where you meet new friends.
Miss Pym is a fun character, and a great new friend. The plots are all there same, but with this series, plot variance is not really why you read them. It’s a good, clean fun kind of book. Perfect for a long trans-Pacific airplane flight or waiting rooms. After we finish this series, we may check out some of the author’s other Regency series, just for the fun, easy read aspect.
One Bear’s Opinion: Three bottles of lemonade while walking along the boardwalk, and some cotton candy if we’re very good
Happy Reading Everyone,
Oliver
Sunday, May 29, 2016
A Different Bear's Opinion -- Book Review
Winter at Death’s Hotel by Kenneth Cameron
Hello!
Oliver and Spencer have kindly let me review this book on their blog. They know that I have an expertise in an areas vital to this book they do not. In my previous life, before I came to live with Oliver, Spencer, and their friends, I was in the employ of an historic hotel in Melbourne, and thus I had an insight into the setting of this book.
And while my employer was an historic hotel in Melbourne and Winter at Death’s Hotel is set in a hotel in New York in 1896, the differences are far less than one might imagine. The portrayal of the hotel, and the hotel’s employees was very well done, if you ask me. The fact that the hotel becomes almost a character unto itself was ingenious. Having read this book, even though the New Britannic is a fictional hotel, I am happy my employer had modernized most of the historic hotel. I would not have wanted to work at such an establishment without modern conveniences.
My expertise aside, this was an interesting book. I did not really know what to expect when beginning the book. The cover did not give many clues, and the blurb was more teaser than anything else. The book began rather slowly, and it was not until the last few chapters that the action picked up and became a race to the finish. Reviews I read after finishing the book called the book uneven, and I have to say that is an accurate description. The action is very uneven, lurching like one of the lifts in the hotel would, or how the heroine does limping along on her crutches. The uneven nature of the book made it difficult for me to read a great deal at any one time, and it was not the kind of book I could not put down. I found it very easy to put the book down at the end of sections or chapters.
There are many unresolved plot points in the book, though I doubt the author has any plans to continue this as a series to war them up. The nature of this story makes it highly likely that this is a stand-alone mystery, though characters from this story could be picked up in a series. Then again, it’s nice for this to be a one-off kind of tale.
I thoroughly enjoyed having the main character of the book be Louisa Conan Doyle. That made for a refreshing change from the myriad Holmesian pastiches or mysteries featuring Sir Arthur Conan Doyle as a main character. It did not bother me in the least that Sir Arthur Conan Doyle was relegated to minor character in this book, or that his portrayal was not entirely flattering. (His estate may have something to say about that, but it is none of my concern.) I liked Louisa as a character; she was engaging and likable and early on she became a friend.
The story stumbled along like it could have used a better editor, and there were threads that could have been tied up in much better ways than they were. But on the whole it was a good book with an interesting premise. The mystery was clever and the characters were likable for the most part. The final resolution was..., well, I can’t say anything about that without spoiling the book for others, so I am torn.
Despite the Holmesian connection, Winter at Death’s Hotel is not a cozy mystery by any means, it does tend toward the darker, more graphic end of the genre. I think readers should be prepared for that, and not read too much of it too late at night — both Oliver and I had trouble falling asleep after reading some before bed. I would say it’s definitely the kind of book to read on a sunny day, if only to counter the darkness of the book’s world with the brightness of the real world.
Overall, it was well worth the time to read it. Getting to know this version of Louisa Conan Doyle was a treat. The portrayal of Theodore Roosevelt as Police Commissioner of New York was different than I have experienced before as well, which you can take however you wish. Saying too much more might spoil parts of the books, so I will just leave it at that.
One Bear’s Opinion: Four cups of strong tea with a brandy chaser (trust me you’ll need it), and a tea-tray of sweet and savory treats for fortification
Thanks for the opportunity,
Hope to see you soon,
Guillaume
Hello!
Oliver and Spencer have kindly let me review this book on their blog. They know that I have an expertise in an areas vital to this book they do not. In my previous life, before I came to live with Oliver, Spencer, and their friends, I was in the employ of an historic hotel in Melbourne, and thus I had an insight into the setting of this book.
And while my employer was an historic hotel in Melbourne and Winter at Death’s Hotel is set in a hotel in New York in 1896, the differences are far less than one might imagine. The portrayal of the hotel, and the hotel’s employees was very well done, if you ask me. The fact that the hotel becomes almost a character unto itself was ingenious. Having read this book, even though the New Britannic is a fictional hotel, I am happy my employer had modernized most of the historic hotel. I would not have wanted to work at such an establishment without modern conveniences.
My expertise aside, this was an interesting book. I did not really know what to expect when beginning the book. The cover did not give many clues, and the blurb was more teaser than anything else. The book began rather slowly, and it was not until the last few chapters that the action picked up and became a race to the finish. Reviews I read after finishing the book called the book uneven, and I have to say that is an accurate description. The action is very uneven, lurching like one of the lifts in the hotel would, or how the heroine does limping along on her crutches. The uneven nature of the book made it difficult for me to read a great deal at any one time, and it was not the kind of book I could not put down. I found it very easy to put the book down at the end of sections or chapters.
There are many unresolved plot points in the book, though I doubt the author has any plans to continue this as a series to war them up. The nature of this story makes it highly likely that this is a stand-alone mystery, though characters from this story could be picked up in a series. Then again, it’s nice for this to be a one-off kind of tale.
I thoroughly enjoyed having the main character of the book be Louisa Conan Doyle. That made for a refreshing change from the myriad Holmesian pastiches or mysteries featuring Sir Arthur Conan Doyle as a main character. It did not bother me in the least that Sir Arthur Conan Doyle was relegated to minor character in this book, or that his portrayal was not entirely flattering. (His estate may have something to say about that, but it is none of my concern.) I liked Louisa as a character; she was engaging and likable and early on she became a friend.
The story stumbled along like it could have used a better editor, and there were threads that could have been tied up in much better ways than they were. But on the whole it was a good book with an interesting premise. The mystery was clever and the characters were likable for the most part. The final resolution was..., well, I can’t say anything about that without spoiling the book for others, so I am torn.
Despite the Holmesian connection, Winter at Death’s Hotel is not a cozy mystery by any means, it does tend toward the darker, more graphic end of the genre. I think readers should be prepared for that, and not read too much of it too late at night — both Oliver and I had trouble falling asleep after reading some before bed. I would say it’s definitely the kind of book to read on a sunny day, if only to counter the darkness of the book’s world with the brightness of the real world.
Overall, it was well worth the time to read it. Getting to know this version of Louisa Conan Doyle was a treat. The portrayal of Theodore Roosevelt as Police Commissioner of New York was different than I have experienced before as well, which you can take however you wish. Saying too much more might spoil parts of the books, so I will just leave it at that.
One Bear’s Opinion: Four cups of strong tea with a brandy chaser (trust me you’ll need it), and a tea-tray of sweet and savory treats for fortification
Thanks for the opportunity,
Hope to see you soon,
Guillaume
Saturday, May 21, 2016
One Bear's Opinion -- Book Review
The Alexandria Affair by Ashley Gardner
The Alexandria Affair is the eleventh book in the Captain Gabriel Lacey Regency Mysteries series by Ashley Gardner. My housemate and I have been fans of Captain Lacey since the first book, The Hanover Square Affair. And his adventures are ones we drop everything to read when they come out. The only one we had to wait for was The Sudbury School Murders, which came out while we were on “hurrication” as a result of Hurricane Katrina and the Barnes & Noble in Little Rock did not stock that series. It was one of the many, though admittedly quite minor, problems Hurricane Katrina brought.
The Alexandria Affair takes place in Egypt, primarily in and around Alexandria and the Great Pyramids, but also along the Nile and in Cairo. While I enjoy Captain Lacey’s adventures in London, it’s nice to see him out and about as well. And it was wonderful to have the familiar characters Grenville, Matthias & Bartholomew, and Brewster. New friends were introduced, and while they are denizens of the Nile, one hopes they may come back home to England and reappear in Lacey’s & Grenville’s circle.
Overall the murder mystery aspect of this adventure was a bit disappointing and bland, and, if I’m completely honest, inconsequential to the plot and the overarching story arc. The main action and mystery of the book was centered around Captain Lacey’s backstory and continued from the previous book in the series, The Thames River Murders. It was an interesting continuation of that story, which was not concluded in this volume.
Readers who are not familiar with Captain Lacey should not begin with this one. This is definitely one the series where it is important to read all the books and read them in order. Skipping books or starting out of order will only serve to confuse new readers, who will be left with a bad taste for Captain Lacey and his friends. And that would be a big mistake. Because the books are well worth reading and enjoying. Visits with Captain Lacey and Grenville are too fun to not enjoy, so read the series from the beginning!
I thoroughly enjoyed The Alexandria Affair. It was worth it, though as I mentioned the murder mystery aspect was not at all necessary to the plot. It would have been just as good a book without the murder. Lacey and Grenville had other mysteries to keep them busy in the Egyptian desert. It was definitely one of the books I was sorry to see end, and one of those books I needed to recover from before picking back up the book I was reading when Captain Lacey's latest adventure hit my Kindle.
One Bear’s Opinion: Four Cups of Turkish Coffee with a huge plate of Turkish Delight for sharing
Happy Reading Everyone,
Oliver
The Alexandria Affair is the eleventh book in the Captain Gabriel Lacey Regency Mysteries series by Ashley Gardner. My housemate and I have been fans of Captain Lacey since the first book, The Hanover Square Affair. And his adventures are ones we drop everything to read when they come out. The only one we had to wait for was The Sudbury School Murders, which came out while we were on “hurrication” as a result of Hurricane Katrina and the Barnes & Noble in Little Rock did not stock that series. It was one of the many, though admittedly quite minor, problems Hurricane Katrina brought.
The Alexandria Affair takes place in Egypt, primarily in and around Alexandria and the Great Pyramids, but also along the Nile and in Cairo. While I enjoy Captain Lacey’s adventures in London, it’s nice to see him out and about as well. And it was wonderful to have the familiar characters Grenville, Matthias & Bartholomew, and Brewster. New friends were introduced, and while they are denizens of the Nile, one hopes they may come back home to England and reappear in Lacey’s & Grenville’s circle.
Overall the murder mystery aspect of this adventure was a bit disappointing and bland, and, if I’m completely honest, inconsequential to the plot and the overarching story arc. The main action and mystery of the book was centered around Captain Lacey’s backstory and continued from the previous book in the series, The Thames River Murders. It was an interesting continuation of that story, which was not concluded in this volume.
Readers who are not familiar with Captain Lacey should not begin with this one. This is definitely one the series where it is important to read all the books and read them in order. Skipping books or starting out of order will only serve to confuse new readers, who will be left with a bad taste for Captain Lacey and his friends. And that would be a big mistake. Because the books are well worth reading and enjoying. Visits with Captain Lacey and Grenville are too fun to not enjoy, so read the series from the beginning!
I thoroughly enjoyed The Alexandria Affair. It was worth it, though as I mentioned the murder mystery aspect was not at all necessary to the plot. It would have been just as good a book without the murder. Lacey and Grenville had other mysteries to keep them busy in the Egyptian desert. It was definitely one of the books I was sorry to see end, and one of those books I needed to recover from before picking back up the book I was reading when Captain Lacey's latest adventure hit my Kindle.
One Bear’s Opinion: Four Cups of Turkish Coffee with a huge plate of Turkish Delight for sharing
Happy Reading Everyone,
Oliver
Sunday, May 15, 2016
Eurovision 2016, Final -- A Review
It’s Final Night for Eurovision. I’ve been careful to avoid spoilers all day so I get to watch what happens live-ish.
I’ve invited my new friend Guillaume to help me tonight, so we’ll both have a thumbs up or down on the performance — actually one or two flags of the country, and a couple of comments. We’ll also pick our top three at the end.
Before the start of the Final, we had some nibbles (cheese & crackers and my housemate’s homemade ranch dip & chips) and a Lemon Creme Pie my housemate made. It was a wonderful feast, and I’ve been promised popcorn for later in the broadcast (because it’s bouncy like me) and ginger beer. I’m having quite the party over here with all my friends.
Because it’s already tomorrow in Australia by the time the contest actually occurs in Europe, we have to wait until the evening after it airs in Europe to see it. Well, we could get up at 5:00 am and watch it live, but I have other jobs to do at 5:00 am, so we wait until the evening rebroadcast. to watch it. That does mean that we have to be on guard against spoilers. My housemates mentioned they might have seen the results, but they have not told me, or Guillaume, anything.
Ohh, it’s starting. I can hardly contain my bounces! I wonder where it will be next year.
The parade of entrants is a bit strange. I’m finding it hard to figure out the countries with the flag projections on the strange paper dresses. My housemate has the running order up for me so I can follow along. Julia and Sam are saying that Justin Timberlake is the interval performer. I hope that doesn’t mean the US will be a participating country next year. I know my housemate is an American, but I think there are some things that Americans should not have their fingers in.
I am sorry the Belorussian did not make it through to the Final. Honestly, Europe, what were you thinking? Live wolves and naked performances? That’s the best of Eurovision all in one act! Why do the ones I really like never make it as the winners? Some of them don’t make it past the semi-final.
And we’re off!
Belgium
Laura Tesoro, What’s the Pressure
Tigger: It’s definitely a bouncy way to start the Final. 🇧🇪🇧🇪
Guillaume: This is a pop radio song. I like it. 🇧🇪🇧🇪
The different countries have different fonts on the postcard intros. That’s cool, but I still miss the flag making from 2014.
Czech Republic
Gabriela Gunčíková, I Stand
Tigger: A bit quiet after the bouncy beginning. 🇨🇿
Guillaume: It’s nothing special, but I wouldn’t turn it off. 🇨🇿🇨🇿
The Netherlands
Douwe Bob, Slow Down
Tigger: I like this one. It’s a favorite. 🇳🇱🇳🇱
Guillaume: Cool costumes. But the song has a nice message and a happy bounce. 🇳🇱🇳🇱
Azerbaijan
Samra, Miracle
Tigger: I remember this one. I thought the gold costume and microphone was a subtle message to the voters. 🇦🇿
Guillaume: I get the feeling that she was influenced by the Spice Girls. It’s catchy enough. 🇦🇿
Hungary
Freddie, Pioneer
Tigger: The drummer is into the performance.🇭🇺🇭🇺
Guillaume: I like the whistling! 🇭🇺🇭🇺
It’s going to be hard to pick my top three!
Italy
Francesca Michielin, No Degree of Separation
Tigger: I like the balloons. 🇮🇹🇮🇹
Guillaume: Ohh, it’s lovely. 🇮🇹🇮🇹
Israel
Hovi Star, Made of Stars
Tigger: One of my favorites. 🇮🇱🇮🇱
Guillaume: It’s a movie title theme to me. But great work from the back-up dancers in the hoop. 🇮🇱
Bulgaria
Pole Genova, If Love Was a Crime
Tigger: I like this one, the bounces, the fun, it’s a favorite. 🇧🇬🇧🇬
Guillaume: I can see teenage girls singing this into their hairbrushes. 🇧🇬
I have nothing but favorites so far. It’s going to be so hard to pick just three.
Sweden
Frans, If I Were Sorry
Tigger: It’s a bit boring after the bounces before from Bulgaria. 🇸🇪
Guillaume: Quite aside from the poor grammar (if I were…), it seems like he’s a Passenger fan and trying too hard to copy that artist. 🇸🇪
Germany
Jamie-Lee, Ghost
Tigger: I like the head band, but not much else. 🇩🇪
Guillaume: The costume, the lyrics, the music, and the stage decoration are incongruous. It’s a bit distracting to the performance. 🇩🇪
France
Amir, J’ai Cherché
Tigger: It’s not bad, but I can’t see it winning. 🇫🇷🇫🇷
Guillaume: I find myself wishing it were all in one language rather than switching back and forth. Not the best of the night. 🇫🇷
Poland
Michał Szpak, Color of Your Life
Tigger: I still like this one. And he has a cool coat. 🇵🇱🇵🇱
Guillaume: Another movie title theme song. 🇵🇱
Australia
Dami Im, Sound of Silence
Tigger: I just don’t really like this song. 🇦🇺
Guillaume: It’s a power ballad, but not one of my favorites of the evening. 🇦🇺🇦🇺
Cyprus
Minus One, Alter Ego
Tigger: Ohh yes, the cages. It’s harder rock than I usually prefer, but I like it. 🇨🇾🇨🇾
Guillaume: I would say it’s a dose of alternative or the staid competition, but this is Eurovision. 🇨🇾🇨🇾
If you listen to all the lyrics, there are many miracles needed on this stage.
Serbia
Sanja Vučić ZAA, Goodbye (Shelter)
Tigger: Not one of my favorites, but I would feel bad voting against the song. 🇷🇸🇷🇸
Guillaume: Good message, and not a bad performance. 🇷🇸🇷🇸
Lithuania
Donny Montell, I’ve Been Waiting for This Night
Tigger: It still feels like a boy band audition for a reality singing competition show. 🇱🇹
Guillaume: I have nothing to say about this one. It’s easily forgettable and that’s sad for the performer. 🇱🇹
Croatia
Nina Kraljić, Lighthouse
Tigger: I like it, but not enough to be a top three pick. 🇭🇷🇭🇷
Guillaume: Interesting costume, which almost overpowers the performance and the performer. 🇭🇷
Russia
Sergey Lazarev, You Are the Only One
Tigger: Hearing it again, I like it more. I may have to consider this a top choice. 🇷🇺🇷🇺
Guillaume: The performance trickery is very cool. The song feels average. 🇷🇺🇷🇺
Spain
Barei, Say Yay!
Tigger: I want to like this one because the title has such potential, but I just do not. 🇪🇸
Guillaume: Sorry, Spain, I cannot say Yay. I do not like this one at all. 🇪🇸
Latvia
Justs, Heartbeat
Tigger: It’s just so-so for me. 🇱🇻
Guillaume: Shouldn’t the heartbeat graphic look like the readout on the machines on tv and in the movies, more than static noise? 🇱🇻
Ukraine
Jamala, 1944
Tigger: This is another song I feel bad for not liking, but I don’t. 🇺🇦
Guillaume: Even if you don’t speak the language, this is a powerful song, and the performance is extremely personal. My favorite performance so far. 🇺🇦🇺🇦
Malta
Ira Losco, Walk on Water
Tigger: It’s an average song. 🇲🇹
Guillaume: There is nothing wrong with the song, but nothing outstanding about it either. 🇲🇹
Georgia
Nina Kocharov and Young Georgian Lolitaz, Midnight Gold
Tigger: It’s okay. If there weren’t other better things, I’d pop it in my top list. There’s a fun beat to it. 🇬🇪🇬🇪
Guillaume: Another case of performance trickery overshadowing the performance. 🇬🇪🇬🇪
Austria
ZOË, Loin d’ici
Tigger: She’s a fairytale princess. It’s happy and fun. 🇦🇹🇦🇹
Guillaume: This would be very nice to fall asleep to, and I mean that in a good way. 🇦🇹🇦🇹
United Kingdom
Joe and Jake, You’re Not Alone
Tigger: It has a nice bounce and it looks like fun. 🇬🇧🇬🇧
Guillaume: It has a good radio feel. 🇬🇧🇬🇧
Armenia
Ivete Mukuchyan, LoveWave
Tigger: Not one of my favorites. 🇦🇲
Guillaume: Armenia’s Beyonce. Good for her. 🇦🇲🇦🇲
Our Top Three Picks:
Tigger: Belgium, The Netherlands, Israel
Guillaume: Ukraine, Serbia, Italy
That’s for us. Hope you enjoyed the show this year, and that your favorite ends up a winner.
I’m sorry it’s over for another year, but it’s hard staying up late three nights in a row.
Guillaume and I will be back next year.
See you then,
Tigger & Guillaume
I’ve invited my new friend Guillaume to help me tonight, so we’ll both have a thumbs up or down on the performance — actually one or two flags of the country, and a couple of comments. We’ll also pick our top three at the end.
Before the start of the Final, we had some nibbles (cheese & crackers and my housemate’s homemade ranch dip & chips) and a Lemon Creme Pie my housemate made. It was a wonderful feast, and I’ve been promised popcorn for later in the broadcast (because it’s bouncy like me) and ginger beer. I’m having quite the party over here with all my friends.
Because it’s already tomorrow in Australia by the time the contest actually occurs in Europe, we have to wait until the evening after it airs in Europe to see it. Well, we could get up at 5:00 am and watch it live, but I have other jobs to do at 5:00 am, so we wait until the evening rebroadcast. to watch it. That does mean that we have to be on guard against spoilers. My housemates mentioned they might have seen the results, but they have not told me, or Guillaume, anything.
Ohh, it’s starting. I can hardly contain my bounces! I wonder where it will be next year.
The parade of entrants is a bit strange. I’m finding it hard to figure out the countries with the flag projections on the strange paper dresses. My housemate has the running order up for me so I can follow along. Julia and Sam are saying that Justin Timberlake is the interval performer. I hope that doesn’t mean the US will be a participating country next year. I know my housemate is an American, but I think there are some things that Americans should not have their fingers in.
I am sorry the Belorussian did not make it through to the Final. Honestly, Europe, what were you thinking? Live wolves and naked performances? That’s the best of Eurovision all in one act! Why do the ones I really like never make it as the winners? Some of them don’t make it past the semi-final.
And we’re off!
Belgium
Laura Tesoro, What’s the Pressure
Tigger: It’s definitely a bouncy way to start the Final. 🇧🇪🇧🇪
Guillaume: This is a pop radio song. I like it. 🇧🇪🇧🇪
The different countries have different fonts on the postcard intros. That’s cool, but I still miss the flag making from 2014.
Czech Republic
Gabriela Gunčíková, I Stand
Tigger: A bit quiet after the bouncy beginning. 🇨🇿
Guillaume: It’s nothing special, but I wouldn’t turn it off. 🇨🇿🇨🇿
The Netherlands
Douwe Bob, Slow Down
Tigger: I like this one. It’s a favorite. 🇳🇱🇳🇱
Guillaume: Cool costumes. But the song has a nice message and a happy bounce. 🇳🇱🇳🇱
Azerbaijan
Samra, Miracle
Tigger: I remember this one. I thought the gold costume and microphone was a subtle message to the voters. 🇦🇿
Guillaume: I get the feeling that she was influenced by the Spice Girls. It’s catchy enough. 🇦🇿
Hungary
Freddie, Pioneer
Tigger: The drummer is into the performance.🇭🇺🇭🇺
Guillaume: I like the whistling! 🇭🇺🇭🇺
It’s going to be hard to pick my top three!
Italy
Francesca Michielin, No Degree of Separation
Tigger: I like the balloons. 🇮🇹🇮🇹
Guillaume: Ohh, it’s lovely. 🇮🇹🇮🇹
Israel
Hovi Star, Made of Stars
Tigger: One of my favorites. 🇮🇱🇮🇱
Guillaume: It’s a movie title theme to me. But great work from the back-up dancers in the hoop. 🇮🇱
Bulgaria
Pole Genova, If Love Was a Crime
Tigger: I like this one, the bounces, the fun, it’s a favorite. 🇧🇬🇧🇬
Guillaume: I can see teenage girls singing this into their hairbrushes. 🇧🇬
I have nothing but favorites so far. It’s going to be so hard to pick just three.
Sweden
Frans, If I Were Sorry
Tigger: It’s a bit boring after the bounces before from Bulgaria. 🇸🇪
Guillaume: Quite aside from the poor grammar (if I were…), it seems like he’s a Passenger fan and trying too hard to copy that artist. 🇸🇪
Germany
Jamie-Lee, Ghost
Tigger: I like the head band, but not much else. 🇩🇪
Guillaume: The costume, the lyrics, the music, and the stage decoration are incongruous. It’s a bit distracting to the performance. 🇩🇪
France
Amir, J’ai Cherché
Tigger: It’s not bad, but I can’t see it winning. 🇫🇷🇫🇷
Guillaume: I find myself wishing it were all in one language rather than switching back and forth. Not the best of the night. 🇫🇷
Poland
Michał Szpak, Color of Your Life
Tigger: I still like this one. And he has a cool coat. 🇵🇱🇵🇱
Guillaume: Another movie title theme song. 🇵🇱
Australia
Dami Im, Sound of Silence
Tigger: I just don’t really like this song. 🇦🇺
Guillaume: It’s a power ballad, but not one of my favorites of the evening. 🇦🇺🇦🇺
Cyprus
Minus One, Alter Ego
Tigger: Ohh yes, the cages. It’s harder rock than I usually prefer, but I like it. 🇨🇾🇨🇾
Guillaume: I would say it’s a dose of alternative or the staid competition, but this is Eurovision. 🇨🇾🇨🇾
If you listen to all the lyrics, there are many miracles needed on this stage.
Serbia
Sanja Vučić ZAA, Goodbye (Shelter)
Tigger: Not one of my favorites, but I would feel bad voting against the song. 🇷🇸🇷🇸
Guillaume: Good message, and not a bad performance. 🇷🇸🇷🇸
Lithuania
Donny Montell, I’ve Been Waiting for This Night
Tigger: It still feels like a boy band audition for a reality singing competition show. 🇱🇹
Guillaume: I have nothing to say about this one. It’s easily forgettable and that’s sad for the performer. 🇱🇹
Croatia
Nina Kraljić, Lighthouse
Tigger: I like it, but not enough to be a top three pick. 🇭🇷🇭🇷
Guillaume: Interesting costume, which almost overpowers the performance and the performer. 🇭🇷
Russia
Sergey Lazarev, You Are the Only One
Tigger: Hearing it again, I like it more. I may have to consider this a top choice. 🇷🇺🇷🇺
Guillaume: The performance trickery is very cool. The song feels average. 🇷🇺🇷🇺
Spain
Barei, Say Yay!
Tigger: I want to like this one because the title has such potential, but I just do not. 🇪🇸
Guillaume: Sorry, Spain, I cannot say Yay. I do not like this one at all. 🇪🇸
Latvia
Justs, Heartbeat
Tigger: It’s just so-so for me. 🇱🇻
Guillaume: Shouldn’t the heartbeat graphic look like the readout on the machines on tv and in the movies, more than static noise? 🇱🇻
Ukraine
Jamala, 1944
Tigger: This is another song I feel bad for not liking, but I don’t. 🇺🇦
Guillaume: Even if you don’t speak the language, this is a powerful song, and the performance is extremely personal. My favorite performance so far. 🇺🇦🇺🇦
Malta
Ira Losco, Walk on Water
Tigger: It’s an average song. 🇲🇹
Guillaume: There is nothing wrong with the song, but nothing outstanding about it either. 🇲🇹
Georgia
Nina Kocharov and Young Georgian Lolitaz, Midnight Gold
Tigger: It’s okay. If there weren’t other better things, I’d pop it in my top list. There’s a fun beat to it. 🇬🇪🇬🇪
Guillaume: Another case of performance trickery overshadowing the performance. 🇬🇪🇬🇪
Austria
ZOË, Loin d’ici
Tigger: She’s a fairytale princess. It’s happy and fun. 🇦🇹🇦🇹
Guillaume: This would be very nice to fall asleep to, and I mean that in a good way. 🇦🇹🇦🇹
United Kingdom
Joe and Jake, You’re Not Alone
Tigger: It has a nice bounce and it looks like fun. 🇬🇧🇬🇧
Guillaume: It has a good radio feel. 🇬🇧🇬🇧
Armenia
Ivete Mukuchyan, LoveWave
Tigger: Not one of my favorites. 🇦🇲
Guillaume: Armenia’s Beyonce. Good for her. 🇦🇲🇦🇲
Our Top Three Picks:
Tigger: Belgium, The Netherlands, Israel
Guillaume: Ukraine, Serbia, Italy
That’s for us. Hope you enjoyed the show this year, and that your favorite ends up a winner.
I’m sorry it’s over for another year, but it’s hard staying up late three nights in a row.
Guillaume and I will be back next year.
See you then,
Tigger & Guillaume
Saturday, May 14, 2016
Eurovision 2016, Semi-Final #2 -- A Reivew
I’m back again for a live(ish) review of Eurovision 2016.
It’s night two of the Semi-Finals and I have avoided the news and media so I have no idea who goes through to the finals. In the age of instant access to all kinds of things it’s rather difficult to avoid spoilers, but I have. I hope I can continue and not find out the winner before the prime time broadcast tomorrow night here in Australia. If you know the overall winner, please do not tell me. I want to be surprised.
I don’t know anything about tonight’s entrants. Well, except for Australia’s entry, but that’s only because the station broadcasting Eurovision has been teasing the performance for well over a month. I’ve seen snippets of the song so much I’m already tired of the song. I really wish they wouldn’t tease upcoming shows so much.
I’m enjoying the Opening Number; yes, it’s silly, but it does a great job of summing up Eurovision. It’s silly, but fun. That’s what I think Eurovision is. And why I get so excited for my Eurovision weekend every year. (Even though my friend Spencer doesn’t enjoy it as much as I do, he watches with me because he knows I’m excited! We have a new friend to share Eurovision with this year, and he said he’s going to help me with my commentary on the Final since he said he’s still getting the feel for it right now.)
Latvia
Justs, Heartbeat
I liked the beginning of this song, but then it went off a bit for me. It’s not terrible, but I’m saying not a top ten.
Poland
Michał Szpak, Color of Your Life
Ohh, he’s feeding the squirrels in the postcard video. I like him already. (I miss squirrels.) His fingernails are black. And they are a bit distracting to me. But I like him. He’s got a pretty cool coat too. Probably not a top ten finisher, though.
Switzerland
Rykka, The Last of Our Kind
There’s a smoke machine in her dress. She has blueberry colored hair and is barefoot. I’m always barefoot, but I bounce. She’s not even really moving, seems to be a waste. It’s just an odd costume all around. But a nice song.
The dandelion seeds are the colors of the flags. That’s pretty nice. Julia mentioned that the theme of this year’s Eurovision is “Come Together,” which is interesting because dandelion seeds are meant to be blown apart.
Israel
Hovi Star, Made of Stars
I like this one. Ohh, I don’t like the raining sparklers, but I do like the song and the acrobats. Very well done. One of my favorites of the night.
Belarus
IVAN, Help You Fly
He wanted to sing naked with two wolves? That’s a bit out there, even for Eurovision. It has to be broadcast, and I know Europe’s standard are lower than the US, but still, it’s a family show. I’m not sure how the wolves and nakedness fit in to helping people learn how to fly, but then I’m not Belorussian so maybe I’m missing something important there. The stripes are interesting. Performance art aside, it was a good song. I’m raking it in my top ten.
Serbia
Sanja Vučić ZAA, Goodbye (Shelter)
I wanted to like this one, but I’m not really feeling it. I think it would like it better if it weren’t in the performance. I think the message might be better if there were a bit more light in performance as well. But then I don’t like too much dark.
Ireland
Nicky Byrne, Sunlight
I really enjoyed this song. I do not think it will get to the final, but I did enjoy it.
F.Y.R. Macedonia
Kaliopi, Dona
Yes, a song not in English! Go you! I wonder what language they speak in F.Y.R. Macedonia — I think there are several to choose from. She looks like she is emotionally invested in this song in ways the other performers are not. I like her.
Lithuania
Donny Montell, I’ve Been Waiting for This Night
Cool shoes. But I think he’s taken too many cues from boy bands and reality competition singing shows. There was nothing objectionable about this performance, but nothing outstanding either.
Australia
Dami Im, Sound of Silence
I know you can’t copyright titles, but The Sound of Silence is already taken — by Simon & Garfunkel. But then again, my housemate says many people don’t necessarily know that. As I mentioned, I’m a bit over the song already, but I’m trying to keep an open mind. Does she have lights in her collar? It’s hard to tell. It was well done, but not my favorite.
Slovenia
ManuElla, Blue and Red
Julia said the performer describes this as a “country style.” I hear the country themes, modern country, but it’s there. I don’t mind this song, but the keening is a bit out of place.
Bulgaria
Poli Genova, If Love Was a Crime
She has eggplant purple lips and bookends for earrings. Interesting mix of English and Bulgarian lyrics. It’s kind of very bouncy. I like it. The performance is happy and upbeat. This is a favorite. Her costume definitely lights up!
Denmark
Lighthouse X, Soldiers of Love
The microphone stands are lightsabers. Julia says it’s Lighthouse Ten, not X or a Greek Chi (Χ) for that matter. It’s another boy band entry. Same-Same.
The "thunk" going into each act is annoying. At first I thought it was a mistake, but not I think it’s on purpose.
Ukraine
Jamala, 1944
Another song with parts not in English. I’m always happy to hear native languages. I didn’t really like the song, but hope for her it makes it to the final.
Norway
Agnete, Icebreaker
When I saw the title of this song, I thought it was fitting for someone from Norway. The interpretive dance in an interesting addition to the performance. I don’t mind this song, but it does have the same-same feel of almost everything else this year. It does seem to be written for a reality competition show.
Georgia
Nina Kocharov and Young Georgian Lolitaz, Midnight Gold
How do they do the special video effects for the people live in the stadium? This feels to me like the band couldn’t decide which of their favorite bands to channel so they decided to channel them all. And the light effects are bad, they definitely needed Julia’s epileptic warning!
Albania
Eneda Tarifa, Fairytale
The gold is interesting and how her dress flaws into the floor projections, but I’m not really feeling this song or how it has anything to do with fairytales. A bit bland and forgettable, Albania, I’m sorry.
Belgium
Laura Tesoro, What’s the Pressure
In the in-between interview, she mentioned she thinks she has “hamster cheeks.” I like her. It’s a bouncy song too! She’s fun. This will get one of my top ten votes.
That’s it. All to do now is wait for the voting. I’ll be back tomorrow with comments on the Final, and my new friend, Guillaume will be joining me.
Hope to see you then,
Tigger
It’s night two of the Semi-Finals and I have avoided the news and media so I have no idea who goes through to the finals. In the age of instant access to all kinds of things it’s rather difficult to avoid spoilers, but I have. I hope I can continue and not find out the winner before the prime time broadcast tomorrow night here in Australia. If you know the overall winner, please do not tell me. I want to be surprised.
I don’t know anything about tonight’s entrants. Well, except for Australia’s entry, but that’s only because the station broadcasting Eurovision has been teasing the performance for well over a month. I’ve seen snippets of the song so much I’m already tired of the song. I really wish they wouldn’t tease upcoming shows so much.
I’m enjoying the Opening Number; yes, it’s silly, but it does a great job of summing up Eurovision. It’s silly, but fun. That’s what I think Eurovision is. And why I get so excited for my Eurovision weekend every year. (Even though my friend Spencer doesn’t enjoy it as much as I do, he watches with me because he knows I’m excited! We have a new friend to share Eurovision with this year, and he said he’s going to help me with my commentary on the Final since he said he’s still getting the feel for it right now.)
Latvia
Justs, Heartbeat
I liked the beginning of this song, but then it went off a bit for me. It’s not terrible, but I’m saying not a top ten.
Poland
Michał Szpak, Color of Your Life
Ohh, he’s feeding the squirrels in the postcard video. I like him already. (I miss squirrels.) His fingernails are black. And they are a bit distracting to me. But I like him. He’s got a pretty cool coat too. Probably not a top ten finisher, though.
Switzerland
Rykka, The Last of Our Kind
There’s a smoke machine in her dress. She has blueberry colored hair and is barefoot. I’m always barefoot, but I bounce. She’s not even really moving, seems to be a waste. It’s just an odd costume all around. But a nice song.
The dandelion seeds are the colors of the flags. That’s pretty nice. Julia mentioned that the theme of this year’s Eurovision is “Come Together,” which is interesting because dandelion seeds are meant to be blown apart.
Israel
Hovi Star, Made of Stars
I like this one. Ohh, I don’t like the raining sparklers, but I do like the song and the acrobats. Very well done. One of my favorites of the night.
Belarus
IVAN, Help You Fly
He wanted to sing naked with two wolves? That’s a bit out there, even for Eurovision. It has to be broadcast, and I know Europe’s standard are lower than the US, but still, it’s a family show. I’m not sure how the wolves and nakedness fit in to helping people learn how to fly, but then I’m not Belorussian so maybe I’m missing something important there. The stripes are interesting. Performance art aside, it was a good song. I’m raking it in my top ten.
Serbia
Sanja Vučić ZAA, Goodbye (Shelter)
I wanted to like this one, but I’m not really feeling it. I think it would like it better if it weren’t in the performance. I think the message might be better if there were a bit more light in performance as well. But then I don’t like too much dark.
Ireland
Nicky Byrne, Sunlight
I really enjoyed this song. I do not think it will get to the final, but I did enjoy it.
F.Y.R. Macedonia
Kaliopi, Dona
Yes, a song not in English! Go you! I wonder what language they speak in F.Y.R. Macedonia — I think there are several to choose from. She looks like she is emotionally invested in this song in ways the other performers are not. I like her.
Lithuania
Donny Montell, I’ve Been Waiting for This Night
Cool shoes. But I think he’s taken too many cues from boy bands and reality competition singing shows. There was nothing objectionable about this performance, but nothing outstanding either.
Australia
Dami Im, Sound of Silence
I know you can’t copyright titles, but The Sound of Silence is already taken — by Simon & Garfunkel. But then again, my housemate says many people don’t necessarily know that. As I mentioned, I’m a bit over the song already, but I’m trying to keep an open mind. Does she have lights in her collar? It’s hard to tell. It was well done, but not my favorite.
Slovenia
ManuElla, Blue and Red
Julia said the performer describes this as a “country style.” I hear the country themes, modern country, but it’s there. I don’t mind this song, but the keening is a bit out of place.
Bulgaria
Poli Genova, If Love Was a Crime
She has eggplant purple lips and bookends for earrings. Interesting mix of English and Bulgarian lyrics. It’s kind of very bouncy. I like it. The performance is happy and upbeat. This is a favorite. Her costume definitely lights up!
Denmark
Lighthouse X, Soldiers of Love
The microphone stands are lightsabers. Julia says it’s Lighthouse Ten, not X or a Greek Chi (Χ) for that matter. It’s another boy band entry. Same-Same.
The "thunk" going into each act is annoying. At first I thought it was a mistake, but not I think it’s on purpose.
Ukraine
Jamala, 1944
Another song with parts not in English. I’m always happy to hear native languages. I didn’t really like the song, but hope for her it makes it to the final.
Norway
Agnete, Icebreaker
When I saw the title of this song, I thought it was fitting for someone from Norway. The interpretive dance in an interesting addition to the performance. I don’t mind this song, but it does have the same-same feel of almost everything else this year. It does seem to be written for a reality competition show.
Georgia
Nina Kocharov and Young Georgian Lolitaz, Midnight Gold
How do they do the special video effects for the people live in the stadium? This feels to me like the band couldn’t decide which of their favorite bands to channel so they decided to channel them all. And the light effects are bad, they definitely needed Julia’s epileptic warning!
Albania
Eneda Tarifa, Fairytale
The gold is interesting and how her dress flaws into the floor projections, but I’m not really feeling this song or how it has anything to do with fairytales. A bit bland and forgettable, Albania, I’m sorry.
Belgium
Laura Tesoro, What’s the Pressure
In the in-between interview, she mentioned she thinks she has “hamster cheeks.” I like her. It’s a bouncy song too! She’s fun. This will get one of my top ten votes.
That’s it. All to do now is wait for the voting. I’ll be back tomorrow with comments on the Final, and my new friend, Guillaume will be joining me.
Hope to see you then,
Tigger
Friday, May 13, 2016
Eurovision 2016, Semi-Final #1 -- A Review
Hello Everyone!
I’m back again for a live(ish) review of Eurovision 2016.
SBS has been teasing Eurovision coverage, and Australia’s competitor for about a month now so I am more than ready.
Other than Australia’s in it as an actual competitor this year, I really do not know anything about it. And that’s the way I prefer it. I like to know as little as possible before I see the Semi-Finals.
I enjoy the Australian commentary team — I like Julia & Sam. I don’t know any the commentary teams from other countries, but I hope they have as much fun as Julia & Sam seem to have.
We’re beginning tonight’s show with a performance of last year’s winner, Sweden, Måns Zelmerlöw, Heroes. It wasn’t my favorite performance, but it’s not bad.
This year the emblem is a dandelion, after it’s gone to seed and has become a puffball ready for the wind (or someone’s breath) to scatter it all over.
Finland
Sandhja, Sing It Away
It has a bouncy beat, and is a good opening number, but there is really nothing special about it to me. As it goes on, the song seems disjointed, and the chorus seems to belong to a different song entirely. It was interesting, but definitely not in my top 10.
Greece
Argo, Utopian Land
I like the interesting instruments and I do like that they are are not singing only in English. The lyrics were funny when they were translated. I didn’t mind it, but I don’t think the judges will send them through to the Final.
I miss the interesting and fun postcards. The ones where the contestants made their countries flags out of things were the best, but I think there are better than the intro postcards this year.
Moldova
Lidia Isac, Falling Stars
The astronaut is an unusual and unexpected element to the performance. I would like to see a small country win, but I’m not sure this is Moldova’s year.
Hungary
Freddie, Pioneer
Whistling; that’s different. And acrobatics from the drummer. But overall it feels like a rather generic boy band.
Croatia
Nina Kraljić, Lighthouse
Julia says she’s a winner of the Croatian version of The Voice. That makes me a bit nervous. Wow. That is a dress. It seems like the dress of Elsa’s evil twin. Spencer says to go with the song title it needs some fresnel lenses the dress. But the sleeve trains do remind me of the fresnel lenses, so she could be a stylized lighthouse.
The Netherlands
Douwe Bob, Slow Down
This has the feel of American modern country music. It’s catchy though. I can see this being on the radio and people singing along in their cars. Definitely a top ten for me.
Armenia
Iveta Mukuchyan, LoveWave
I can see this winning votes, but there doesn’t seem to be anything special about it to me. The costume is a bit distracting, as are some of the effects for the television audience. It’s a television song contest kind of entry. And while I know Eurovision is a television song contest, I think of it as better than the reality competition shows.
San Marino
Serhat, I Didn’t Know
This entry has a very retro feel, and I kind of like it. It won’t win, but I do like it. Apparently when he’s not an Eurovision contestant, he’s a dentist in San Marino. The Australian commentary team all but told him not to quit his day job, but I thought it was kind of interesting and different.
Russia
Sergey Lararev, You Are the Only One
Another entrant with shadow art. Ohh, that’s different. That was very cool. I think the special effects are better than the song. It’s worth it for that to see it again. The song is fairly average.
Having the dandelion seeds fly toward the screen is just odd, most images have the seeds being blown from the viewer. It’s different to see them coming toward the viewer.
Czech Republic
Gabriela Gunčiková, I Stand
Full points for being a solo act, and I can see how this may get lots of points, but I’m not really feeling top ten from this one.
Cyprus
Minus One, Alter Ego
The hard rock, heavy metal was a bit unexpected. The cages are interesting but fitting. And it is a change from the same-same-ness of the reality competition show contestants. Howling at the moon is a bit different as well.
Austria
ZOË, Loin d’ici
She’s singing in French; I suppose it’s a prettier language to sing in than Austrian. Yippee! It’s not in English. She’s a little princess in a fairyland. It’s fun and innocent. I like it. I find it interesting there are no subtitles for this song there way there were for Greeks.
Estonia
Jüri Pootsmann, Play
This isn’t bad. I don’t mind it. A solid top ten entry. I wish I had something more to say because I did like it.
Azerbaijan
Samra, Miracle
The football shoulder pads seem out of place. Another reality competition show entry. Not bad, but not stand-out either.
Montenegro
Highway, The Real Thing
I might like this more if the camera would be still for a few seconds and the stage wasn’t so dark. I know I’m all about the bounces, but not in the camera work while I’m trying to figure out this performance. The camera work is very distracting. I thought previous Montenegrin entries were better.
Iceland
Greta Salóme, Hear Them Calling
I don’t mind this song, but it does feel it hits all the Eurovision must-haves for a solo performance. I would be surprised if this one does not go on to the final.
Bosnia & Herzegovina
Dale & Deen featuring Ana Runcer and Jala, Ljubav Je
My housemate said this song had the crazy cello. He wasn’t wrong. Full points for singing in a language that’s not English. The barbed wire is an interesting touch too. Rapping with a backing cello. That’s different. There is one different thing after another in this performance. Definitely interesting, but I was distracted by the performance elements.
Malta
Ira Losco, Walk on Water
It’s not a bad song, but I wouldn’t give it my first place vote.
More of the entries so far have felt like entries in a reality competition music show than in previous years. I’m not sure what to think about that. I know Eurovision is a reality competition music show, but it feels more like Hollywood and American Idol have influenced this year’s competition too much. I’m having a hard time picking which songs I would vote for. So I think I’m not going to vote for any. The entrants I like best never win anyway.
I’ll be back tomorrow night for Semi-Final #2.
See you then,
Tigger
I’m back again for a live(ish) review of Eurovision 2016.
SBS has been teasing Eurovision coverage, and Australia’s competitor for about a month now so I am more than ready.
Other than Australia’s in it as an actual competitor this year, I really do not know anything about it. And that’s the way I prefer it. I like to know as little as possible before I see the Semi-Finals.
I enjoy the Australian commentary team — I like Julia & Sam. I don’t know any the commentary teams from other countries, but I hope they have as much fun as Julia & Sam seem to have.
We’re beginning tonight’s show with a performance of last year’s winner, Sweden, Måns Zelmerlöw, Heroes. It wasn’t my favorite performance, but it’s not bad.
This year the emblem is a dandelion, after it’s gone to seed and has become a puffball ready for the wind (or someone’s breath) to scatter it all over.
Finland
Sandhja, Sing It Away
It has a bouncy beat, and is a good opening number, but there is really nothing special about it to me. As it goes on, the song seems disjointed, and the chorus seems to belong to a different song entirely. It was interesting, but definitely not in my top 10.
Greece
Argo, Utopian Land
I like the interesting instruments and I do like that they are are not singing only in English. The lyrics were funny when they were translated. I didn’t mind it, but I don’t think the judges will send them through to the Final.
I miss the interesting and fun postcards. The ones where the contestants made their countries flags out of things were the best, but I think there are better than the intro postcards this year.
Moldova
Lidia Isac, Falling Stars
The astronaut is an unusual and unexpected element to the performance. I would like to see a small country win, but I’m not sure this is Moldova’s year.
Hungary
Freddie, Pioneer
Whistling; that’s different. And acrobatics from the drummer. But overall it feels like a rather generic boy band.
Croatia
Nina Kraljić, Lighthouse
Julia says she’s a winner of the Croatian version of The Voice. That makes me a bit nervous. Wow. That is a dress. It seems like the dress of Elsa’s evil twin. Spencer says to go with the song title it needs some fresnel lenses the dress. But the sleeve trains do remind me of the fresnel lenses, so she could be a stylized lighthouse.
The Netherlands
Douwe Bob, Slow Down
This has the feel of American modern country music. It’s catchy though. I can see this being on the radio and people singing along in their cars. Definitely a top ten for me.
Armenia
Iveta Mukuchyan, LoveWave
I can see this winning votes, but there doesn’t seem to be anything special about it to me. The costume is a bit distracting, as are some of the effects for the television audience. It’s a television song contest kind of entry. And while I know Eurovision is a television song contest, I think of it as better than the reality competition shows.
San Marino
Serhat, I Didn’t Know
This entry has a very retro feel, and I kind of like it. It won’t win, but I do like it. Apparently when he’s not an Eurovision contestant, he’s a dentist in San Marino. The Australian commentary team all but told him not to quit his day job, but I thought it was kind of interesting and different.
Russia
Sergey Lararev, You Are the Only One
Another entrant with shadow art. Ohh, that’s different. That was very cool. I think the special effects are better than the song. It’s worth it for that to see it again. The song is fairly average.
Having the dandelion seeds fly toward the screen is just odd, most images have the seeds being blown from the viewer. It’s different to see them coming toward the viewer.
Czech Republic
Gabriela Gunčiková, I Stand
Full points for being a solo act, and I can see how this may get lots of points, but I’m not really feeling top ten from this one.
Cyprus
Minus One, Alter Ego
The hard rock, heavy metal was a bit unexpected. The cages are interesting but fitting. And it is a change from the same-same-ness of the reality competition show contestants. Howling at the moon is a bit different as well.
Austria
ZOË, Loin d’ici
She’s singing in French; I suppose it’s a prettier language to sing in than Austrian. Yippee! It’s not in English. She’s a little princess in a fairyland. It’s fun and innocent. I like it. I find it interesting there are no subtitles for this song there way there were for Greeks.
Estonia
Jüri Pootsmann, Play
This isn’t bad. I don’t mind it. A solid top ten entry. I wish I had something more to say because I did like it.
Azerbaijan
Samra, Miracle
The football shoulder pads seem out of place. Another reality competition show entry. Not bad, but not stand-out either.
Montenegro
Highway, The Real Thing
I might like this more if the camera would be still for a few seconds and the stage wasn’t so dark. I know I’m all about the bounces, but not in the camera work while I’m trying to figure out this performance. The camera work is very distracting. I thought previous Montenegrin entries were better.
Iceland
Greta Salóme, Hear Them Calling
I don’t mind this song, but it does feel it hits all the Eurovision must-haves for a solo performance. I would be surprised if this one does not go on to the final.
Bosnia & Herzegovina
Dale & Deen featuring Ana Runcer and Jala, Ljubav Je
My housemate said this song had the crazy cello. He wasn’t wrong. Full points for singing in a language that’s not English. The barbed wire is an interesting touch too. Rapping with a backing cello. That’s different. There is one different thing after another in this performance. Definitely interesting, but I was distracted by the performance elements.
Malta
Ira Losco, Walk on Water
It’s not a bad song, but I wouldn’t give it my first place vote.
More of the entries so far have felt like entries in a reality competition music show than in previous years. I’m not sure what to think about that. I know Eurovision is a reality competition music show, but it feels more like Hollywood and American Idol have influenced this year’s competition too much. I’m having a hard time picking which songs I would vote for. So I think I’m not going to vote for any. The entrants I like best never win anyway.
I’ll be back tomorrow night for Semi-Final #2.
See you then,
Tigger
Monday, May 9, 2016
One Bear's Opinion -- Book Review
Foreign Éclairs by Julie Hyzy
Foreign Éclairs is the ninth book in Ms. Hyzy’s White House Chef series of mysteries. It will most likely be the last of the series, as Ms. Hyzy decided to stop writing the series after a dispute with her publisher.
I knew the back story to the book before I read it, and I wish I could say that did not color my opinion of the book, but it did. Knowing it was the last of the series (with this author), I was really hoping for a better book, a book that reminded me why I began the series in the first place. This was not the series finale I hoped it would be.
There is no real way I can discuss the book without giving away the ending, but suffice to say, as in the most recent episodes of the series, White House Chef Olivia Paras (Ollie to her friends) spent far more time out of the kitchens than in them. And she spent far more time working with the Secret Service than she did at her actual job. I am pretty sure that if the real White House Chef spent that much time away from their actual job, he (or she) would not remain employed as White House Chef for very long.
The ridiculousness of the plot made the book almost farcical, and the in-absolutely-no-way-could-it-ever-be-her-responsibility during-work-hours activity only made the story more annoying to me. I can forgive a great deal in plots in the name of dramatic license, but only if the story makes sense in its own parameters. And this book asks the reader to suspend a great deal of belief — too much to make the story even partly believable.
I like Ollie and I really like her friends, but this book was a big disappointment, both because there was too much Ollie in precarious situations, but also because there was not enough of Ollie’s friends.
I’m sorry the series has, in all likelihood, ended, but I am not sorry with the direction the books were taking. Overall, I think it was probably the best outcome to end the series.
One Bear’s Opinion: Three glasses of store-brand cola with not enough ice and few generic cookies
Happy Reading Everyone,
Oliver
Foreign Éclairs is the ninth book in Ms. Hyzy’s White House Chef series of mysteries. It will most likely be the last of the series, as Ms. Hyzy decided to stop writing the series after a dispute with her publisher.
I knew the back story to the book before I read it, and I wish I could say that did not color my opinion of the book, but it did. Knowing it was the last of the series (with this author), I was really hoping for a better book, a book that reminded me why I began the series in the first place. This was not the series finale I hoped it would be.
There is no real way I can discuss the book without giving away the ending, but suffice to say, as in the most recent episodes of the series, White House Chef Olivia Paras (Ollie to her friends) spent far more time out of the kitchens than in them. And she spent far more time working with the Secret Service than she did at her actual job. I am pretty sure that if the real White House Chef spent that much time away from their actual job, he (or she) would not remain employed as White House Chef for very long.
The ridiculousness of the plot made the book almost farcical, and the in-absolutely-no-way-could-it-ever-be-her-responsibility during-work-hours activity only made the story more annoying to me. I can forgive a great deal in plots in the name of dramatic license, but only if the story makes sense in its own parameters. And this book asks the reader to suspend a great deal of belief — too much to make the story even partly believable.
I like Ollie and I really like her friends, but this book was a big disappointment, both because there was too much Ollie in precarious situations, but also because there was not enough of Ollie’s friends.
I’m sorry the series has, in all likelihood, ended, but I am not sorry with the direction the books were taking. Overall, I think it was probably the best outcome to end the series.
One Bear’s Opinion: Three glasses of store-brand cola with not enough ice and few generic cookies
Happy Reading Everyone,
Oliver
Monday, May 2, 2016
One Bear's Opinion -- Book Review
Murder on Amsterdam Avenue by Victoria Thompson
Let me say from the beginning, this was a great visit with Sarah Brandt and Frank Malloy! And there is a good ending to the book that has nothing at all to do with the mystery.
Now, onto the mystery plot of this book. It was very enjoyable and, though I had the killer picked out early on, it was still fun to watch the investigators figure it out.
I am not sure how much research the author did, but there has to have been some research into the lives of immigrants, whether international or from the Southern states, in New York in the 1890s. Even if it is largely fictional, it certainly reads as believable based on my own limited research and history classes. The author’s description of the slums of New York are so vivid, I could absolutely picture myself there as I was reading the book. And the sumptuous descriptions of the upperclass homes in the privileged areas of New York were just as realistic.
The best authors can do that. They can make the world of their books come alive in your imagination, sometimes to the point that when I look up from the book, I wonder why the room doesn’t look anything like the one I’ve just been in. Victoria Thompson’s descriptions are the kind that make me feel as if I were really in the room with the characters.
Speaking of characters, having just read a book with characters I could not warm up to, I was pleased to have this visit with characters that have become good friends. Making friends with the characters can help even the worst books be just a bit better. This book would not qualify as one of the worst books I’ve read, at all.
Saying too much more would spoil not only the mystery plot, but the overarching story line, and I do not want to do that. So let me finish by saying that the book is well worth the read, but if you are new to the Gaslight Mystery series, I would absolutely suggest you not start with this book.
One Bear’s Opinion: Four glasses of lemonade, with a slice of cake, topped with lots of yummy frosting
Happy Reading Everyone,
Oliver
Let me say from the beginning, this was a great visit with Sarah Brandt and Frank Malloy! And there is a good ending to the book that has nothing at all to do with the mystery.
Now, onto the mystery plot of this book. It was very enjoyable and, though I had the killer picked out early on, it was still fun to watch the investigators figure it out.
I am not sure how much research the author did, but there has to have been some research into the lives of immigrants, whether international or from the Southern states, in New York in the 1890s. Even if it is largely fictional, it certainly reads as believable based on my own limited research and history classes. The author’s description of the slums of New York are so vivid, I could absolutely picture myself there as I was reading the book. And the sumptuous descriptions of the upperclass homes in the privileged areas of New York were just as realistic.
The best authors can do that. They can make the world of their books come alive in your imagination, sometimes to the point that when I look up from the book, I wonder why the room doesn’t look anything like the one I’ve just been in. Victoria Thompson’s descriptions are the kind that make me feel as if I were really in the room with the characters.
Speaking of characters, having just read a book with characters I could not warm up to, I was pleased to have this visit with characters that have become good friends. Making friends with the characters can help even the worst books be just a bit better. This book would not qualify as one of the worst books I’ve read, at all.
Saying too much more would spoil not only the mystery plot, but the overarching story line, and I do not want to do that. So let me finish by saying that the book is well worth the read, but if you are new to the Gaslight Mystery series, I would absolutely suggest you not start with this book.
One Bear’s Opinion: Four glasses of lemonade, with a slice of cake, topped with lots of yummy frosting
Happy Reading Everyone,
Oliver
Friday, April 29, 2016
One Bear's Opinion -- Book Review
Tempest in a Teapot by Amanda Cooper
My housemate saw this in the bookstore and bought it as a surprise for me. She thought we would enjoy it. I guess we did. The mystery was enjoyable and I didn’t figure out whodunit until towards the end of the book. But the mystery was the only part of the book I really enjoyed. I just couldn’t connect with any of the characters. They were either bland or unlikable.
I had good hopes for the book, but it was not as much fun to read as I thought it would be. I’m glad I read it, because now I know and I know I don’t need to seek out the rest of the series, but I wish I had enjoyed the characters more.
The characters were all pretty much one-dimensional and seemed to only identify with their jobs or role in the main character’s life. It got to be a bit grating that life-long friends, even if they were only summer-time friends, were pigeonholed into roles that had nothing to do with their lives outside their jobs.
It was also a bit unbelievable that everyone in the small town, which had the ridiculous name of Gracious Grove (though everyone who lived there called it by the cutesy name GiGi) was crazy for collecting antique teapots. It was such a popular hobby that there were at least two, and possibly three, teapot collecting groups in the small town. It was also stretching reality a bit to believe that this same small town could support not only one, but three, tearooms.
As I said, the mystery was enjoyable. The book could have used a better editor. There was a sub-plot that seemed extremely complicated and convoluted. Usually in books, nothing is pointless; everything has meaning to either the book’s plot or an overarching story to carry from one episode to another in the series. I have not read any other books in the series, so I do not know if the complicated plot point had meaning for the overarching story, or was resolved, but I was a bit disappointed by it being so complicated and not having any kind of resolution.
I hesitate to recommend the book, as I really did not enjoy the characters and there is a huge annoying hole in the complicated subplot. At the same time, I don’t want to discourage anyone who wants to from reading this book. Though I guess I kind of have done just that with this review. On the whole, the book was a tempest in a teapot.
One Bear’s Opinion: Three Cups of Tea, served from an antique teapot, with a slice of teacake
Happy Reading Everyone,
Oliver
My housemate saw this in the bookstore and bought it as a surprise for me. She thought we would enjoy it. I guess we did. The mystery was enjoyable and I didn’t figure out whodunit until towards the end of the book. But the mystery was the only part of the book I really enjoyed. I just couldn’t connect with any of the characters. They were either bland or unlikable.
I had good hopes for the book, but it was not as much fun to read as I thought it would be. I’m glad I read it, because now I know and I know I don’t need to seek out the rest of the series, but I wish I had enjoyed the characters more.
The characters were all pretty much one-dimensional and seemed to only identify with their jobs or role in the main character’s life. It got to be a bit grating that life-long friends, even if they were only summer-time friends, were pigeonholed into roles that had nothing to do with their lives outside their jobs.
It was also a bit unbelievable that everyone in the small town, which had the ridiculous name of Gracious Grove (though everyone who lived there called it by the cutesy name GiGi) was crazy for collecting antique teapots. It was such a popular hobby that there were at least two, and possibly three, teapot collecting groups in the small town. It was also stretching reality a bit to believe that this same small town could support not only one, but three, tearooms.
As I said, the mystery was enjoyable. The book could have used a better editor. There was a sub-plot that seemed extremely complicated and convoluted. Usually in books, nothing is pointless; everything has meaning to either the book’s plot or an overarching story to carry from one episode to another in the series. I have not read any other books in the series, so I do not know if the complicated plot point had meaning for the overarching story, or was resolved, but I was a bit disappointed by it being so complicated and not having any kind of resolution.
I hesitate to recommend the book, as I really did not enjoy the characters and there is a huge annoying hole in the complicated subplot. At the same time, I don’t want to discourage anyone who wants to from reading this book. Though I guess I kind of have done just that with this review. On the whole, the book was a tempest in a teapot.
One Bear’s Opinion: Three Cups of Tea, served from an antique teapot, with a slice of teacake
Happy Reading Everyone,
Oliver
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