Murder, anyone? Book #5

Red Herring: A Joe Gunther Novel by Archer Mayor

Fact: Archer Mayor is a real life “Richard Castle.”  I am not even kidding.  Besides being a novelist, Mayor is a state medicolegal death investigator, a volunteer firefighter/EMT, AND a detective.  For the Sheriff’s department.  Awesome.

However, there is a big difference between the author ‘Richard Castle” and Archer Mayor.  I mean, besides the fact that Mayor is a real person.  That difference is this book is very well written (books like “Nikki Heat” suck in terms of literature).

Now, I’ve not really read a lot of mystery/murder books.  In fact up until this book, the only ones I’ve ever read have been Sir Arthur Conan Doyle’s novels (Sherlock Holmes).  I’ve also concluded that maybe this isn’t my genre of book, but as I mentioned before, this one is well written.  It kind of reminded me of a TV crime show episode, just happening at a slower pace.  Until the last two chapters, then all of a sudden shit hit the fan, and it was super intriguing.

This story takes place all over Vermont, but it focuses in Brattleboro.  A murder happens to a little old lady.  Seemingly she was raped; but was she?  Another person commits suicide with a brand new cord, and a stool that is too short?  A kid, seemingly with a belly full of booze, takes a corner too sharp on his way home from work in West Leb to Thetford, or does he?  How are these people connected, and what is going on that is devastating to such a small place right before a very important election?  These questions and more will be answered if you read about this mystery that is plaguing the poor countryside of Vermont.

If you enjoy mystery novels, you should definitely check out Archer Mayor and his Joe Gunther series.  If not, check it out anyway.  It’s a relatively small book and shouldn’t take more than a week to read if you have the time.

A MUST READ!! (Book #4)

The Casual Vacancy: J.K. Rowling

This book is not like J.K. Rowling’s previous books.  And in case you have been living under a rock this past decade, she is the brilliant writer behind the Harry Potter Series.  Let me be clear, she is not necessarily responsible for the movies (I dunno about the logistics behind the movies); people tend to have mixed reviews about the movies.  But I have found that people who have those mixed reviews haven’t read a single book.  Or they read the first book and claimed that it was childish—but as any avid Potter fan will say, “when you read the books you start at age 10, and you grow up with Harry and his friends…”  Well, something to that effect.  Anyway, that is part of the genius behind Rowling.  Her characters are complex people who grow up and learn from things that have happened to them; they make mistakes and don’t necessarily choose what seems like an obvious solution.

This book takes place in the British country area of Pagford and Yarvil.  There is a definite sense of realism and modernity, with the characters aptly using things such as social media, (i.e., facebook).

“The Casual Vacancy” is a social commentary on today’s society; and it’s not big picture (super political level/whole country), it’s little picture (small town, neighborhood sort of thing). Now, I am not too familiar with everything that is going on in the UK, but throughout the world there is a lot of socio-economic turmoil; a huge deviation formally known in the US as the 1% versus the 99%.  People are constantly pre-judging everyone that appears to come from a “lower class,” and as a result people kind of get stuck in their economic situation.  What I love about this book is how it emphasizes the roles that are forced on children and how they react to this illusion world that their parents live in; there are actions to their consequences, but it is definitely satisfaction to see their parents idealistic world fall apart.

Spoiler alert : Barry Fairbrother dies (but it’s okay you will read it in the first chapter).   As the book progresses, you get the sense that he is part of the “1” that fought for the “99.”  He tried to make people see past their own prejudices and stereotypes, by showing that with nurture and support anybody can do anything; but if there is a whole town of people, including your own family, telling you that you are a worthless whore, you will start to believe that is all you can become. 

What Rowling did with this book, was take this one fighter for the unwanted and she killed him.  It is really interesting to see what kind of effect this has on this small community of Pagford (and to a lesser extent Yarvil).  It seems as if Fairbrother was the lynch pin of the town, and if you take away the lynch pin, shit hits the fan, as you will see when you read this book.

Hopefully, this intrigued you enough to want to read the book.  If it didn’t, you should read it anyway, because it is well written, captivating, and interesting even if you don’t get a lot out of it…which you should, because otherwise you suck.

Book # 3: Persepolis 2...say whaaaat?

Book #3: Persepolis 2: Marjane Satrapi

I am fairly sure, my avid readers, that you are thinking what I am thinking—another book, really?  Before the end of January (well, by the time you read this/I post this it will be February)…

However, as this book is a graphic novel, it isn’t what you would consider a slow read.  The graphics are very enjoyable, though, and you should take the time to look at them.

“Persepolis 2” is actually a combination of the original books 3 and 4, but when the book was translated from it’s original language, they (the omnipresent they) decided to combine into one book.  This book isn’t a newer one; in fact it is kind of funny how I stumbled onto this find.

So there I was, sitting in a steam sauna, steaming it up, waiting for 15 minutes to go by when I noticed a magazine.  I picked it up, glanced through it and saw a review for “Persepolis.”  Seems interesting enough.  When I looked at the date when the magazine was printed it was from 2007 (obviously the gym’s magazine was a little dated); the book was originally translated in 2004.  I ended up putting it on hold at my local Multnomah County library the next day.

All of the "Persepolis" books are really interesting to read.  I believe that when the author wrote it she wrote it to inform white people that not all middle easterners are terrorists - of course she doesn't say it quite so forthright in her interviews, but I do have an English minor and I can read between the lines: this book is for all the ignoramuses out there who are internally racist.  Now of course I know this doesn't apply to all you who are reading this; you are much more cultured.  And a lot has happened in the last 10 years, so that there are more people who understand culture and its various functions, even though we cultured may sometimes be more silent in the crowd.

With that tangential rant in mind, you should read this book.  It is really well written and captivating.  The author goes through many trials in her life, including identity crises (moving form an eastern culture to a western culture, growing up, etc.,), and several devastating losses that no child should endure, but happens more often than people care to admit.

Enjoy this book, and if you have any recommendations for me I'd be happy to read them.

Peace and read with fervency!