Recent Reads

Artemis Fowl by Eoin Colfer.  i had heard of the series and knew it was about a boy criminal mastermind.  I did not know the series is about his world colliding with the supernatural world of dwarfs, sprites, and elves.  It's young adult level, but quite well written.  I'm definitely going to keep an eye out for the rest of the series.

The Brass Bottle by F. Antsey.  A young man picks up an ancient bottle at an auction in an attempt to impress his prospective father-in-law and ends up in possession of a genie.  Humorous complications ensue.  On of the nicest things about e-readers is the ability to discover largely forgotten writers for free.

The First Rumpole Omnibus, Rumpole Misbehaves, and Rumpole and the Reign of Terror by John Mortimer.  While knowing the name Rumpole of the Bailey, I never saw the TV show.  I stumbled across these at a book sale and said "why not?".  The omnibus is two books of short stories and a novel based on the show while the other two are short novels.  I'm not overly familiar with the British legal system, but one muddles through. Rumpole is an aging barrister who loves nothing more than defending the rights of a defendant in court.  He never pleads guilty with presumption of innocence being the cornerstone of his beliefs.  He's got several bad habits and a wife he calls She Who Must Be Obeyed, but all in all is a lovable sort.  I doubt the author expected the series to go on so long.  The timing issue is a bit tricky since the series started the  late 1970's with Rumpole in his late sixties.  In 2006's Reign of Terror, he remembers serving in the blitz while defending a suspected terrorist in an Al Qaeda world.  Basically Rumpole stays always around age 70 no matter what.    A fun series well worth checking out.

Smokin' Seventeen by Janet Evanovich.  Stephanie Plum is back for more wacky hi jinks while continuing to suffer from an inability to decide which man she wants.  Blah, blah, blah.  I know these books are basically junk food, but Evanovich doesn't even seem to be trying any more.  I figured out the killer pretty early in the book.  What I cannot figure out is why all these men keep falling for Stephanie who is a compete train wreck of a human being.

Know the Past, Find the Future:  The New York Public Library at 100.  A nice collection of pictures and essays showcasing some of the treasures of the NYPL.  The pictures are best viewed in color with a Kindle app instead of on the Kindle.

The Amazing Adventures of Letitia Carberry by Mary Roberts Rinehart.  Tish and her spinster cohorts solve a murder in a hospital and help two young couples fall in love. Along the way they lie, steal, and damage property.  Not bad for three church going ladies in the early 1900's.  Each of the three stories starts at the end then circles back around to the beginning so you need to pay attention. Altogether delightful and fun.