Sunday Salon: Sore muscles and a visitor from the north

 Good morning all!  How are we doing this morning?  Earlier this week, we had a blast of cold but now it is back to gorgeous weather in the mid-70's.  Winter schminter.  This is why people migrate down here.  


It seems when I am dieting, that is all I can focus on.  I love food, so when I am deprived of it, life takes on a different meaning.  It is literally ALL I CAN THINK OF!!!!  Not to mention my three-times-a-week with the uber-trainer Andre, who seems to desire only to make me feel pain.  I hope it pays off.  But this entire week, I've been walking like I've been riding a horse, and have floppy useless arms.


On Thursday, the kids went back to school, which was a very good thing.  They were getting bored and whiny, and on my last nerve.  I was able to fully clean my house in peace.  Then on Friday, my sister Kathie came to visit from Minnesota.  She brings with her fun, off-beat movies, and hardcore pot sticker-making skillz.  I'll be dragging her to Andre on Monday morning so someone else can feel my pain, and maybe even to my two book club meetings next week.  It is great to have her here.


Last night we all went out to one of our favorite restaurants these days called "Enzo's" to celebrate my husband's birthday.  Happy birthday honey!  I had to restrain myself from completely pigging out, but boy was it tasty.


As far as reading, I'm going to just lay it out.  I'm a loser.  I am the world's slowest reader, and I am getting frustrated.  If my life ever calms down (ha) then maybe I'll build up some momentum.  As it is, I have to be trapped on a plane to experience any productivity.  Anyway, I did finish "Unsaid" by Neil Abramson, and it was just a beautiful book.  I cried, but nobody is shocked by that one.  And I've just started "The History of History" by Ida Hattemer-Higgins, which has come highly recommended by Jackie. I'm three pages into it (loser, loser).   


I'm still working my way through the audio of Uncle Stevie's "11/22/63".  When the kids are home, I am very rarely plugged in, so this was my issue.  Now I should be able to finish it up by mid-next week.  I am on disc 24 of 30, and I think it is safe to say that this is going to be one of my top reads of the year.  Holy moly I love this book.  Stevie has my number.


Today we are scheduled for church, horseback riding lessons, a movie perhaps, and steaks on the grill.  It doesn't get any better!  Hope everyone has a wonderful day!


  

Before I Go To Sleep - S.J. Watson (Audio)

I've been eye-balling this book for some time now.  This whole mystery-slash-memory loss sub-genre has really taken over lately, and of course in my mind everything leads back to a favorite movie of mine "Memento".  (If you've not seen it, you must.  It is a serious brain-twister.  Don't drink while you watch it by the way, or you will be very cornfused.)

So then my friend Marianne recommended reading this for our January Books, Babes and Bordeaux book club.  She said is was wild and woolly and easy to read.  Which is a good thing if you are attempting to survive the holidays. 

Synopsis:  Christine wakes every day to a strange bed, a strange man lying beside her, and a strange woman in the mirror.  Her husband explains that she suffered traumatic head injuries in an accident that causes all of her short-term memory to be erased every time she goes to sleep.  Does she have friends?  Does she have children?  Does she have a job? 

Christine receives a call from a doctor that appears to be working with her to regain some of her memory.  He has encouraged her to keep a diary, so as she learns things about herself, she can write them down and use it to recall important details.  She begins to suspect something is wrong when she finds a note in her diary that says she should not trust her husband.  Christine must figure out whether she is delusional, or whether there is a reason to be scared for her life.

My thoughts: I guess when Lionel Shriver and Dennis Lehane blurb a book, and it is compared to "Memento", you expect it to be a book destined to be on your best of lists.  Unfortunately, while this book was entertaining, it was disappointing. 

The premise is creepy.  Every day you wake up remembering nothing?  Slowly, Christine starts to attempt to piece together her life and keep track of it in her journal.  Things don't add up.  There are twists, some expected, some not.  A couple of times, the rug was pulled out from under me.  There were some other twists that I saw coming a mile away.  Overall, though, it was a real mind-bender. 

From an author's perspective, this was a writing minefield.  There were literally thousands of facts that could trip you up.  All I wanted to do, subconsciously, is poke holes in it.  It was really hard for me to relax and enjoy the ride.

After awhile, I did get weary.  Losing her memory every night, waking up and discovering things written in the diary.  Does she love her husband?  Does she trust him?  It began to get repetitive in the middle of the book, before things ramped up at the end.  The ending also felt very tidy, where everything is 'splained, like a Scooby Doo mystery.  Jenners and I discussed this via e-mail, and she actually offered an alternate ending that would have knocked me right down on my hiney.  That Jenners is clever, she is.

Bottom line?  A good entertaining mystery, but not a great one.

A few words about the audio production:  Our narrator for this book was Orlagh Cassidy, who is a new voice for me.  She has a beautiful, lilting British accent and was pleasant to listen to.  She expressed genuine emotion and was a very believable victim.      

3 out of 5 stars

           

Green River Killer: A True Detective Story - Jeff Jensen and Jonathan Case

I've always had a morbid fascination with true crime.  In my pre-blogging days, I read everything ever written by Ann Rule, who dominates the genre.  Many of her books kept me awake at night, but two that stood out were "The Stranger Beside Me" (about Ted Bundy, and insanely enough, Rule actually KNEW Bundy and worked with him, so that gave the story an eerie twist) and "Green River, Running Red" about Gary Ridgway, the Green River Killer.

It is hard not to wonder how on earth a dumpy little man could have killed an estimated 71 women over two decades before he was caught.  He probably slipped by the authorities for longer than expected because he targeted prostitutes.  For the scariest up-close look at the face of evil, you should read Rule's book.  She leaves no fact undisturbed, and additionally explores the efforts of the homicide detectives that ultimately brought him down.

It was no wonder, then, that my antennae twitched when I read Swapna and Candace's reviews of a graphic novel that explores the hunt and capture of Gary Ridgway.

Synopsis:   If you read Entertainment Weekly, you may recognize the name Jeff Jensen as one of their senior writers.  What you may not know is that his father spent most of his career as a police officer chasing down the Green River Killer.  Jeff teams up with illustrator Jonathan Case to bring this tragic story to life from the perspective of Jeff's father Tom and his fellow King County homicide detectives.

With the smooth and perfectly-paced transition back and forth in time over 19 years, almost like a movie, the authors place the readers in the shoes of Tom Jensen.  We experience the frustration, the endless hours, the countless bodies, the desperate faces of the victims' families.  We see the capture and interrogation of Ridgway, and then go back in time to see all of the steps and broken hearts and dreams it took to get there.

My thoughts:  Despite the fact that I thought I knew everything there was to know about this case, I could not put this book down.  It brought this sensationalized story down to a personal level.  For example, I found it touching that a picture of Jeff Jensen, in a school production of "The Impossible Dream", was what inspired his father to never give up.  When you integrate that with the stark and chilling black and white illustrations, you have an undeniable combination.

Normally, in a review of a graphic novel, I include pictures.  I had to resist in this case.  Some of them were disturbing, and probably not suited for everyone.  Even though I was well aware of the crimes committed upon these women, it is jarring to see it on the page.

I also appreciated that Jensen, per his father's strict request, did not exploit the victims of their families in the telling of this story.  It was handled with respect for their grief.

For anyone that enjoys graphic novels as well as true crime, this is one you won't want to miss.

4 out of 5 stars                 

Not So Wordless Wednesday: Wroclaw #6

On one of our days trips from Wroclaw, we traveled a couple of hours to Gory Stolowe, or the Tabletop Mountains.  The hike was rigorous, but the reward was worth it...this beautiful view.  Poland has gorgeous countryside and can get mountainous as you travel towards the Czech Republic.  You will never go hungry though.  Even in the remote outreaches, there is always a little old lady in a hut ready to sell you homemade cheese or a drink.

My Soul To Take - Yrsa Sigurdardottir

A long time ago, way before blogging, my sister recommended a book to me.  My sister isn't a big reader, but when she dips into a book, it is usually quality.  She highly encouraged me to read "Smilla's Sense of Snow" by Peter Hoeg, a dark and twisted thriller set in Copenhagen and Greenland.  It blew me away...the characters, the desolate atmosphere.  I might not feel the same way if I read the book now, but I've never been able to shake my fascination with mysteries that take place in these types of climates.

A couple of years ago, I was meandering through my favorite little bookstore in Chicago, Sandmeyer's, when this book caught my eye.  A murder mystery that is described as "a novel of Iceland"???  I impulsively bought it, not realizing it is the second book in a series.  (You would think I did this on purpose, wouldn't you?)  But in the 80 degree Florida winter weather, I needed something to chill me out and trick myself into thinking I'm cold.

Synopsis:  Thora Gudmundsdottir has been called out to a recently-built new age health resort to resolve some legal concerns by its eccentric owner.  He (and most of the surrounding townspeople) believe that the grounds are haunted, and wants to press charges against the previous owners, believing they pulled a fast one when selling it to him.  While Thora is visiting, the body of a woman is found on a nearby beach, raped and brutally murdered, with pins stuck in her feet.  Soon, another body is found, this time a man, kicked to death by a horse.  Some disturbing facts indicate this was not an accident.

Thora's client is at the top of the suspect list, so with the help of her boyfriend, Thora begins to do some sleuthing to try to figure out what is going on.  What she finds is a twisted tale that started back during WWII and involves Nazis, a forgotten little girl, and madness.  It is up to Thora to try to connect the past with the present, and understand why she keeps hearing the cry of a baby outside her window.

My thoughts:  Let me start with the positive.  Predictably, I was immediately taken with the bleak landscape of this rural, oceanside resort.  It's lonesome beaches, it's barns and old farmhouses full of secrets.  It is exactly where you want to be when there are murders to be solved. 

And what horrifying murders.  Sigurdardottir knows how to do a number on your appetite, with shocking and vivid descriptions of the worst possible crimes.  I might even say creative.  The mystery was complex and difficult to figure out, but aggravated by some trickery that I did not appreciate.  Let me explain.

The author had red herrings all over the story.  I'm OK with that...Nesbo is the red herring king after all.  But when one suspicious character makes a vague comment to himself about getting the blood off a blunt object, or another potential evil-doer tells herself with glee that "the bitch is dead", it borders on hokey and intentionally underhanded.

I also did not warm up to Thora.  She seemed bland and bumbling.  She makes some poor choices in her Keystone Cop-ish "investigation", and she didn't come across as very sharp when she was interviewing people.  I guess I had a hard time imagining that she would be able to solve a complicated murder case before the police would.  If I am going to follow a series, I need some quirks, some hutzpa, some wild hairs, and some cleverness.  I need someone like Keye Street or Harry Hole if I am going to stay engaged.

So will I pick up another book from this series?  Maybe.  You would have to do a bang-up job of convincing me...

2.5 out of 5 stars                 

Mission Impossible: Ghost Protocol (2011)

 Attention all you Tom Cruise haters!  Set aside your harsh feelings for the couch-jumping Scientologist, and treat yourself to one of the biggest surprises of this movie-going season. 

Not that the first three movies in this franchise were chopped liver.  They were pretty darned good.  Cruise has always played a solid role as Agent Ethan Hunt, with perfect timing, performing his own stunts, wielding some really cool gadgets, masks and his well-toned middle-aged pecs.  Remember that famous scene from the first movie when he is suspended from the ceiling by wires while doing some computer hackery?  The movies are the essence of coolness.  Perfect for a weekend watch-a-thon.

But the fourth installment is by far the coolest,  most adrenaline-pumped, most toe-curling. 

In the opening sequence, Ethan is busted out of a Russian prison (why is he in there?  we will find out later) to be given a special mission...retrieve nuclear launch codes that have been stolen by a doomsday wack-job (played by Michael Nyqvist of the Swedish Girl With the Dragon Tattoo).  Only before said codes are safely in the hands of the good guys, the Kremlin is blown to pieces and Ethan's band of agents, the IMF, is blamed.  The President of the US invokes Ghost Protocol, and the IMF is disavowed, leaving Ethan's team high and dry.  On their own, they must restore their good name and prevent a nuclear holocaust.

Not only does Cruise entertain, but he has a strong cast to back him up.  Strangely, Nyqvist makes a pretty decent evil dude.  He has transformed his gentle and womanizing nature in Tattoo to a facade of ice and derangement.  Cruise's IMF team is made up of Jeremy Rinner (The Hurt Locker) and the sexy badass Paula Patton (Hitch), as well as Simon Pegg (Shaun of the Dead) for humor relief. 

The action never stops.  We're not just talking fast car chases and shooting and running around, but hovering body suits, nuclear missles hurtling towards San Francisco, an exploding Kremlin and the one that I witnessed peeking through my fingers...climbing up the outside of the Burj Khalifa, the tallest building in the world that resides in Dubai.  On the 130th floor.  With these (unreliable) little sticky gloves.  Mother Mary, it made me nauseous.  

 

It is notable that this movie was directed by Brad Bird (Ratatouille, The Incredibles, Up), and this was his first non-animated gig.  I think he has proven himself with this endeavor.     

My only complaint was that the ending was a wee bit too happy and cheesy, with everyone joking and feeling good about life.  Still, it is a good thing that Bird kept morale high.  We want these guys to choose to accept another mission.

Sunday Salon: The one where I implode from happiness

Hey friends!  Long time, no see!  At least here at the Salon.  Hope everyone had a wonderful holiday, and got everything they wanted.  Ultimately, I had intended this post to be an accounting of all of my New Year's literary goals, but I can't restrain myself.  I had to share.  Goals, schmoals.  I'll talk about them some other time.  I have to show you what Santa brought, and talk about what I've been reading (or not).  


So first, Precious #1.  My husband, my parents and a family friend (my stand-in Grandma) all chipped in to give me a place to put my books.  Or at least get them off the floor.  These gorgeous bookcases came from IKEA believe it or not.  They weighed a million pounds, but Santa got them in his car, carried them into the house, and assembled.  Although I caught a nasty flu bug on Christmas evening, I mustered all of my energy to move my floor books to a better place.  Ahhh.  I almost want to weep.  

Precious #2, from my husband.  After three years with a beloved little HP netbook that crashed with a simple video, I received a brand new 11 inch Macbook Air.  Oh, it is just an amazing thing.  It is so thin and light and blasts all over the Internet at the speed of sound.  I was a teeny bit scared making the transition from Windows to Mac, but it was actually seamless.  For those of you who are Mac people, you may be rolling your eyes at me, but you understand. 

So what have I been up to?  Well, not a whole lot of reading really.  I tried, but all that shopping and cooking and gifting and fluing took up all my time. I did finish "Dog On It", a cozy mystery narrated by the most awesome dog.  This is a series, and I can't wait to read more.  I also read the graphic novel "Anya's Ghost", a gift from Heather, and loved that.  Now I am working on "Unsaid" by Neil Abramson, about a female vet who has died, but has yet to pass into the afterlife because of unresolved issues with the animals she cared for in life.  I know, why not just rip my heart out and stomp on it, but this author made an impression on me at SIBA this year.


My audio activity has been almost nil, but I did start Stephen King's 11/22/63.  I'm only on disc 5 (out of 30) but it has been gripping from the first word.  Jill and I are reading this together, so prepare for some dueling reviews when we both finish.


We brought in the new year last night with our New England friends, lobster, steamers, chowda, high cholesterol and laughs.  So!  The diet has officially started in earnest.  I've banned butter and carbs from the house and I have a trainer that has accepted the mission to make a silk purse from a sow's ear.  Or whatever that saying is. 


Hope you all are relaxed and recovering nicely from your celebrations over the last week.  What are you up to today?