READING ROUND-UP JAN.-MARCH 2018
In the first quarter, I read all novels except for one memoir As it happens, the novels were all written by women with the exception of Wells’ 1909 novel. And that book is about a modern woman. To read my review of any of these titles, just key in the title in the search box on this page and you will retrieve the blog that contains the review. Happy browsing!
NOVELS
Albanese, Laurie Lico. Stolen Beauty
Anderson, Alison. The Summer Guest
Kadish, Rachel. The Weight of Ink
Meissner, Susan. The Shape of Mercy
Perry, Sarah. The Essex Serpent
Rieger, Susan. The Heirs
Smith, Dinitia. The Honeymoon
Wells, H. G. Ann Veronica
MEMOIR
Cahalan, Susannah. My Month of Madness
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AUTHOR NOTE
I was saddened to learn last week of the death of author Anita Shreve. Not that long ago, I read and blogged about her most recent novel, The Stars Are Fire. My journey through her work began with The Pilot’s Wife, the Oprah pick that brought her fame and recognition, and continued from there. She was always a good storyteller, Maine was often the setting, and she was adept at using an historical event as a jumping off point.
HISTORICAL MYSTERY
Beyond the Wild River by Sarah Maine.
Although born in the U.K., author Maine spent part of her growing up years in Canada. It’s clear that her own experiences in the wild informed the writing of this novel. Set in 1888 and 1893, mostly in remote Ontario, it’s as much an adventure story as it is a mystery. In that day, the Nipigon River attracted men from far and away to fish its waters for trout. It was a rustic camping and canoeing experience even with guides, requiring stamina and skill. Charles Ballantyre, a very wealthy man, takes his daughter Evelyn to Chicago to the world’s fair and then they go on a fishing expedition on this river. Five years earlier, two men were murdered on Ballantyre’s Scottish estate. The man thought by many to be responsible fled, but no one has been brought to justice. Evelyn has questions about her father’s role in the deaths as well as wondering about the fate of her friend James Douglas. In the woods, tensions between guides and traveling companions simmer and eventually erupt. The pace is slow and while you suspect that “the good guys” will triumph in the end, getting there is a detailed interplay of personalities and poses.
Note: Header photo at Selby Gardens featuring Warhol in the Garden by JW Farrington.
