A little book to pass the time

The Prioress' Tale by Margaret Frazer

My rating: 3 of 5 stars


Engaging enough to pass the time while on vacation and sick in bed. Enjoyed the writer's style and command of the language. A little disappointed in the pace. Although the set-up was elaborate and descriptive, it almost became a guessing game of who is going to get murdered since it took 2/3 of the book for it to occur. Then the wrap-up followed fast and furious. This is the first of this series that I've read. I won't seek out the others, but if I ran across one in the library of a cruise ship with nothing else to do, I'd pick it up for sure.



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Horse Soldiers

Horse Soldiers: The Extraordinary Story of a Band of US Soldiers Who Rode to Victory in Afghanistan by Doug Stanton
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Fascinating look at the first soldiers (Special Forces) into Afghanistan after the attacks on 9/11. I particularly enjoyed the human interest side of the book, the stories of the families left behind. It gave me an added appreciation for the men and women who sacrifice so much for our country and are often unappreciated and sometimes even reviled by the masses. The research that goes into a book like this is amazing. The author tries very hard to be non-political but sometimes his bias shows through with a comment here or there.

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Latest Book

Artemis Fowl by Eoin Colfer
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

Macho fairies...who woulda thunk? Cute, engaging. Very quick read. I'm not sure the 12 year old hero/villain really thinks and acts like a pre-teen but of course the author explains that away with calling him a genius. Since I get a kick out of bookswap, I've received the next two in the series and have started #2.

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Another Review

El Dorado by Emmuska Orczy
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

I was delighted to discover that the Scarlet Pimpernel had sequels. I had read the original years and years ago and more than once. I thoroughly enjoyed listening to this. I love the language, the characterizations, the descriptions and especially the melodrama and romance. The reader does an excellent job with her charming accent and particularly the flawless pronunciation of the French. I love that a "Baroness" wrote this series and am looking forward to reading or listening to another of the series. Can anyone recommend a movie taken from these books? Percy is really one of my all-time favorite heroes.

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A Review

Unbroken: A World War II Story of Survival, Resilience, and Redemption by Laura Hillenbrand
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Amazing story by an author who really knows how to tell one. I can't even imagine the research that goes into writing something like this. Great history lesson as well. We all know about the "A" bombs but I wasn't aware of the complete and utter devastation visited upon other cities by the B-29's. If you don't like pain, terror, filth, inhumanity and destruction, then read something else but you'll be missing a great insight into the potential nobility and, as the title states, resilience of mankind. The theme of redemption also strikes a chord in my soul.

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A Copy and Paste

The Lost Gate by Orson Scott Card

My rating: 3 of 5 stars


I listened to this over the course of a month. Being fairly new to the world of audiobooks I found the process rather interesting, listening to rather than reading a book.  As for the book itself, I enjoyed the story, the creation of a new worldview.  The parallel story lines were a clever touch but the wrap-up, the "revelation" at the end seemed forced, contrived, too pat and quickly executed, as if the author was saying, "enough already, let's save something for the next book". I didn't appreciate the small amounts of "junk" added to the book to appeal to the modern teenager, a well-written, engaging tale does not need language and sex to sell the story. That was a disappointment coming from an author I had followed and read for many years. I may or may not continue the series. I am not totally fascinated, waiting with bated breath to see what happens to Danny and the gang, not to mention Wad, but if I run across them again in the future I'll probably renew our acquaintance for old times sake.





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Cruise to Mexico

Here are some random shots of our cruise to Mexico celebrating our 40th wedding anniversary.  Good times!