One Bear's Opinion -- Book Review

Raisins and Almonds by Kerry Greenwood

This is the ninth book in author Kerry Greenwood's Phryne Fisher series.  I was very excited to read this book, and not only because the title made it sound like it might be full of yummy treats.  I was disappointed on that front, for while there were some treats mentioned, the title actually refers to a traditional Jewish lullaby that features prominently in the story.

On the surface, the story appeared to be a simple murder mystery, but as with the best mystery novels, digging deeper the plot became much more complicated.  The book is set between the wars, when the Zionist Movement (campaign for an independent Jewish State) was gaining much support.  The Zionist Movement is a complicated issue, that to this day, some 90 years after the time of the story, has not been satisfactorily settled.  To no-one's surprise, Raisins and Almonds does not propose a solution to the issue, but the Movement, like the title song is central to the mystery.

The book mystery centers around a group of Jews in post-WWI Melbourne, and that is quite interesting to me.  Before moving to Melbourne, I lived in New Orleans, a city known for its acceptance and absorption of immigrant cultures.  Basically, New Orleans takes any and all reasons for celebration and opens and expands them to everyone in the city at the moment.  Jewish celebrations are woven into the fabric of the city as much as Christian and pagan celebrations.  New Orleans is not multi-cultural, it is pan-cultural.  If you have a reason to celebrate, the city will celebrate with you.  I knew the High Holy Days and understand the traditions almost as well as I understood the Christian ones that were celebrated in my own household.

Because I lived in an area that exposed me to so many cultures, I am interested in how those same cultures and traditions translated and are celebrated in other places.  As far as I can tell, Melbourne embraces many cultures, but the celebrations tend to be more isolated, kept to areas specific for the culture in question.  New Orleans does not have a Chinatown or a Greektown, everyone and every culture is everywhere.  I miss that feeling of a true melting pot.  I was very interested to discover, even by means of a fictional glimpse, the Jewish experience in Melbourne.  I was not disappointed, and Phryne being a Gentile, provided a perfect excuse for the explanatory discussions and history lesson.

The mystery itself was quite well crafted.  I was on the wrong track for much of the book.  But the bigger story for me was the history lesson.  The book was an entertaining look at the history, as well as including a quick lesson in alchemy and chemistry.  Information-wise, it's a busy book.  If you are not as interested in the history as I am, it may be a dry and slogging read.  Even if you skim those bits, the book is an entertaining story.  It's the kind of book that is perfect for a long plane ride, or any time you may find yourself waiting.  It is very easy to pick up and put down again without needing to re-read any of the story.

I strongly encourage everyone I meet to check out the Phryne Fisher series.  They are the perfect mix of history and fun.

One Bear's Opinion:  Four Cups of Tea with Kosher Treats

Happy Reading Everyone, 
Oliver

One Bear's Opinion -- Book Review

The Treacherous Teddy by John J. Lamb

I'll admit it, my housemate saw this book in a bargain bin and bought the book because she thought I would enjoy it.  She's nice like that.

I really wanted to like this book.  My housemate bought it because she thought I would enjoy it, and I wanted to make it a worthwhile purchase.  But the truth is I was disappointed in the book.  Like her, I anticipated bears would have a bigger, more important role in the plot.  As it turns out, the bears were a hobby for the investigators and were relegated to a background filler plot point.  This made me unreasonably sad.  I finished the book, but I was still upset by the lack of friendly bears and bears who were book characters.  Obviously the author knows a great deal about collectible bears, but I know more about being a bear.  And I know that bears want much more than to be dolls on display, and have much more to offer than serving as a repository for mohair and fabric scraps.  Bears are important and could have helped solve the mystery.  It's not like there is not a precedent for animals helping out humans in other mystery series.  Yes, I know many people look at bears as inanimate objects at worst and children's toys at best, but I am positive there is a way to work the bears into more of a starring role.

If the author had put as much thought into making the bears more integral characters as he had in working the puns into the dialogue and story line it would have been a very different novel, and perhaps I would have enjoyed it more.  The mystery itself was quite interesting, and took me some time to figure out.  That part of the plot was well-crafted, complete with red herrings and wild goose chases.  I was surprised with the final solution of the whodunit aspect, because I was completely going after another suspect, though by the time the characters figure it out, it's as plain as day for the readers.  Unfortunately the relatively good mystery could not make up for the disappointment as to the non-starring role of the bears and the overuse of forced puns.

In looking up the author's other works, I found that this was the last book of the series, though it was not originally planned as such.  Apparently, the author's publisher did not renew an order for further books after sales figures on the books included in the original contract were less than desired.  After reading this book, I can't say I am surprised.  I am sorry for the author, because he probably put a great deal of work and effort into this book and the others in the series.  But the only work that showed in the final book was the dropping of prominent artisan bear makers' names and forcing a plot around bad puns.  That is not enough to keep readers coming back for more.

I do wish the author well in his future endeavors, and would like to say that I am available for interviews if he needs help working bears in as characters in future projects.

One Bear's Opinion:  One Warmish Cup of Powdered Hot Cocoa with No Marshmallows

Happy Reading Everyone, 
Oliver

One Bear's Opinion -- Book Review

Captain Corelli's Mandolin by Louis de Bernières 

This book would not have been my first choice of reading material, and certainly not for a plane ride to the US, but my housemate and travelling companion was the one choosing our mutual reading material and she had a desire to read this book.  As it turned out, it took much longer than the trans-Pacific flight for either of us to finish the book, but that was due to our life circumstances and not the book.

Captain Corelli's Mandolin is a cross between a war novel, a coming of age novel, and a love story, and in all three areas it works very well.  A word of warning though, as a war novel, it is quite graphic.  I am not sure that pictures would have been less graphic than the descriptions.  I know war is never pretty and that is a reality we should not hide ourselves from, but at the same time, I prefer my leisure reading to be less real.  That said, do not let the descriptions in the book put you off the idea of reading this book.  The love story will be reward you in the end.

I thought about stopping a few times to find where the places mentioned are, and whether they are real or fictional.  But the idea of bringing knowledge of the real world into the world of the book seemed to ruin the world of the book, so I kept the map and historical research until after I had finished.  And yes, most events and places mentioned are 100% completely real, though I am sure there is a heavy dose of fiction in the descriptions and characters.  Those characters are engaging, and I even found myself mad at the author for what happened to them -- one in particular -- but again, that comes back to the this being a war novel and war is never pretty.

The characters in the book grow, some better than others.  It is an interesting adventure to watch how the war affects their lives.  The paths they have set for their lives are twisted and turned round and round in circles until they, and the reader, are sure nothing will ever work out.  But it does, for everyone.

As I mentioned, it took over a month for us to finish this book, but the time spent with friends was rewarded, and never seemed as long as it was while we were visiting.  I have long believed that the best books draw readers into their world.  This book did just that.  By the end, the reader is feeling the world of the book.

*** Note:
An internet search reveals that a movie was made based on the book.  I am not sure that was a good idea, and I am positive that Nicholas Cage cannot do Captain Corelli justice.  I may at some point seek out the movie, but more than likely I will leave this as a written word indulgence.

One Bear's Opinion:  Five Cups of Strong Coffee and a Plate of Biscuits for Dipping

Happy Reading Everyone, 
Oliver

One Bear's Opinion -- Book Review

The Woman Who Died a Lot by Jasper Fforde

It has been a while since I have been here, and in truth, a while since I have finished a book.  I spent a month on vacation visiting my old home in the US and between the running around, holiday adventures, seeing family, and other exciting adventures along the way, I was really too busy and when I got a chance to sit down and rest for a moment, I ended up falling asleep before I'd read even a full page of my book.

One of those adventures was shopping for new books.  In all honestly, several adventures were shopping for new books. I came back with 19 new books, and found 2 more at a reading/book signing when I got back to Australia -- it was a very good holiday season book wise.  I have tons of new stuff to dive into in the coming days/weeks.

But back to the first book read in 2013 -- The Woman Who Died a Lot.  I wanted to like this book, I really did.  I love Thursday Next as a character and I really enjoy all her adventures, especially those in Book World.  Based on the ideas in his books, I would love to have a meal with Mr. Fforde just to see if he is as interesting as his characters and worlds make him seem.  One of my housemates has seen him read from his current books once or twice and assures me he is, but I would enjoy the opportunity to find out for myself.

As I said, I wanted to like this book.  I like Thursday and the characters that fill her life, and all of them were in this book in the requisite quantities, though there is never enough Stig for my taste.  But even with all of the right elements, this book was a disappointment.  It seems that this book was several plots cobbled together and hastily bound with sticky tape and a prayer to the GSD.  There was a thin thread holding the plots together, but it was easy to pick and pull apart; and having picked that thread, the overall story fell apart at the seams.  Thursday was not herself, even allowing for the fact that she has aged.  The familiar supporting characters were weak and wallpaper-y.  Even the villains were merely actors playing a role for the day.  There was just something lacking in the adventure, and having finished the book, left the reader feeling cheated out of a visit with a good friend.  It was as though the visit was disjointed and forced, and your former very good friend was distracted by things that have nothing to do with you and wanting to rush off to a more important meeting.

I really do like Thursday Next, but would have to recommend that new-to-the-series readers stay away from this book until they have completed the rest of the series, and even then, possibly until the eighth book in the series comes out.  If you have never met Thursday Next, do not make this your initial introduction.

One Bear's Opinion:  One Cup of Room Temperature Cocoa Made from a Powder

Happy Reading Everyone, 

Oliver

One Bear's Opinion -- Book Review

Blood and Circuses by Kerry Greenwood

Blood and Circuses is the sixth book in Kerry Greenwood's Phryne Fisher series.  I was introduced to this series by one of my housemates and I am so glad I was.  It's a fun series full of great, friendly characters and interesting situational plots.  It's also a great help for me because the series takes place in and around Melbourne and it's been helpful fitting the different areas of the city together for me; and since many of the landmarks are still where they were it's a big help.

There were two plots that seemed disconnected at first glance, but since most authors don't put trivial details in the books, I knew the two plots had to be connected in some way.  I was on the trail of the wrong murderer for most of the book, but I had the overall villain pegged from his introduction.

As this is the sixth book in the series, I a familiar with most of the recurring characters, and I missed them in this adventure.  Sometimes it's nice for new characters to come into the series, but I hope that the series does not fall into the trap of introducing main character's long-time friends only to never see them again.  It's frustrating to meet and get involved in characters only for them never to be mentioned again.  I am sure at some point, the series will have to go the way of all mysteries series and either start killing off beloved characters or introducing new ones only to be the victims/murderers.  It's a hazard of reading a mystery series, I suppose.

Like the previous Phryne Fisher adventures, this is an easy read, and definitely worth the time spent.  The best series are a collection of stand alone books that flow together as visits with old friends and the Phryne Fisher series is shaping up to be that kind of series.  I do not know how it will go when I get to the twentieth book in the series, but I am looking forward to finding out.

*** Special note:

It may be difficult to find this series in the US.  I know I have never seen it on bookstore shelves.  I know the series is available for Kindle, so if you have an e-book device you may have better luck than readers of old-fashioned paper books.  But even if you have to search for it, it is well worth the time and effort.  There are so many great authors who never make it to the shelves in American bookstores.

One Bear's Opinion:  Four Cups of Cocoa with Marshmallows and Ginger Biscuits

Happy Reading Everyone,

Oliver

One Bear's Opinion -- Book Review

Life, the Universe, and Everything by Douglas Adams

This was another book we read aloud as part of Story-time.  My housemate has been reading The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy series for his contribution to Story-time.  It makes an interesting juxtaposition to the books my other housemate chooses.

I have never really been a fan of science fiction, whether true science fiction or fantasy.  But I do enjoy Douglas Adams' books.  I doubt I would have ever picked them up on my own, but they are great for sharing.  This is the continuation of the story begun in The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy, though it can stand alone if you have not read, or do not care to read the others in the series.  I think it is better to read the entire series, but then I find that with almost everything.  And as with all series, some of the books are better than others.

I find Douglas Adams' style very similar to Jasper Fforde's style, though in all honesty, it should be the other way around.  I was introduced to Jasper Fforde before Douglas Adams, so I think of the influence in the reverse order.  I find that Adams' suffers from the same problem Fforde does, in that many of the names of places, people and things were not necessarily envisioned to be read aloud.  I also find that illustrations would be helpful in some cases, or at the very least a map of the galaxy as Adams imagined it printed on the end papers of the book.  I found myself wondering what the places looked like in the author's mind, and got a bit lost with all the zipping about here, there, and everywhere.  But then, I find that illustrations are almost never unwelcome.

I like Arthur Dent and Ford Prefect and would enjoy having them over to dinner, but in the middle of this book, I begin to wonder if their life will ever settle down to a simple routine again.  I became quite nervous and impatient for Arthur who just seems to me to want to scream at anyone in control "Stop the World, I want to get off!"  But poor Arthur just gets drawn up into another inexplicable and too farfetched to be believed adventure.  This was a fun adventure, but it seemed trying for Arthur nonetheless.   I wonder if the end of the series will bring some peace for Arthur, or will he continue to be drug on one crazy adventure after another? (If you know, please do not tell me, I'd like to find out for myself.)

I have enjoyed the series, and would say if you have to read science fiction books, these are great ones to read.  They don't get too bogged down in the reality of space travel or the science involved.  They make sense in the world the they have established, and everything is fine.  They are fun reads, and great for sharing.  The series will not make me a convert to science fiction and I doubt I will re-read any of the series on my own, but I am glad my housemate shared them with us.

One Bear's Opinion:  Four Cups of Cocoa with Marshmallows

Happy Reading Everyone, 
Oliver

One Bear's Opinion -- Book Review

Waiting for Gertrude:  A Graveyard Gothic by Bill Richardson

I had read this book before and enjoyed it very much, but this time my housemates shared the book with each other and us, the Bears, during their weekend Story-Time.  Each of them has a book they read aloud to everyone.  It's a fun thing to do, and a nice way to end a busy week -- and it serves as a way my bibliophile housemate can share her love of reading with everyone else.  She never fails to select interesting, and very different books to share.

Waiting for Gertrude is a fantasy book, set in Paris' Père Lachaise Cemetery.  The characters, with one exception, are cats.  Many of those cats are "translations:"  cats who are the re-embodiment of famous people buried in Père Lachaise Cemetery.  From Alice B. Toklas to Isadora Duncan, from Oscar Wilde to Jim Morrison it's a veritable Who's Who of tourist stops in the Cemetery.  The basic plot of the story is that Alice B. Toklas is waiting for her long-time love, Gertrude Stein to be translated to her four-foot form so that Miss Toklas' afterlife can be as complete as her previous life.

It's a fun book, full of interesting characters, who share some of the personalities of their two-legged forms, but are completely different at the same time.  It's great for sharing, the grande finale is a great scene -- a frenzy of activity and emotion.

All in all, I highly recommend this book, and if you can share it aloud with people you love, so much the better.  I would caution that you not partake in any of Miss Toklas' specialties while you read this book as you may overlook some of the best parts.

One Bear's Opinion:  Five Cups of Cocoa with Marshmallows

Happy Reading Everyone,

Oliver