Book: Murder At Midnight by Elliott Roosevelt

Murder at Midnight by Elliott Roosevelt
This is the second book in the Eleanor Roosevelt series that I've read. For anyone who hasn't read my other review or has never read one of this series, they are a series written by FDR and Eleanor Roosevelt's son Elliott. He wrote this series about his mother solving murders that occurred in the White House. I find them fun for the tib bits of historical facts and lifestyles that are added in. They are not as morally tidy as a 'Perry Mason' novel or episode. Roosevelt has no precepts that characters live chaste holy lives before committing murder or before being murdered. Both books I've read have been well written, interesting, and enjoyable. 
In Murder at Midnight a young black maid in the White House is accused of murdering a judge who is staying at the White House. Mrs. Roosevelt knows that this young black girl is no angel but that she didn't commit murder either. It touches on some of the racism feelings of the time and how that effects their lives and perception of the courts. In reading these books I've learned that I would not of agreed with the Roosevelts politically but I can like them for being normal good people. A sediment that I rarely feel about politicians today. This story takes place during The Great Depression. This too added an aspect of comparison to today, being in a recession and having Demarcates in the White House. The differences in their approach to bringing our economy up and similarities (most of which didn't work then why would the Obama camp think it would work now).  But it created a parallel of worlds, then and now. I'm looking forward to the next book of this series that I can find.

Dial H for Hitchcock by Susan Kandel

Dial H for Hitchcock  by Susan Kandel

This is the 4th book in the Cece Caruso mystery series. To catch you up to speed Cece is an author. She writes biographies about mystery authors. As she investigates these authors' lives, she steps into a mystery that could be right out of the pages one of the author's novels. 
For a mystery buff, like myself, this is fantastic. Its as though these long past authors are alive again and writing a new mystery. Yes after 4 books I can tell what is Kandel's style of writing from the various authors. But she does a fabulous job telling the stories in the dead authors way of doing it. The first book I read was actually the first in the series (that never happens, I normally find  book 2,3 or 6 first). Its called. I found it because I was doing random searches on Perry Mason on the internet. You might say I'm obsessed with Perry Mason. Since I am obsessed I just had to find and read a book called  'I Dreamed I Married Perry Mason'. It think it could have been better named, but I many not of found it if it had been. The book was wonderful. I had to find more. I then read all her others that were currently released. While waiting for 'Dial H for Hitchcock' I anticipated it so much it was worse for me than waiting for a Harry Potter book. I can't wait for her next book. I haven't heard what her next book is, but it can't come out soon enough.

Book: Murder on the Orient Express- Agatha Christie

Book: Murder on the Orient Express- Agatha Christie

I have seen more than one version of this book on film. I've seen the 1974 version and the Poirot series' version done this year. This book is arguable Christie's most famous. I already knew the end from the beginning. I would put a spoiler here assuming that there isn't a person alive that doesn't know who did it already, except that when I watched the Poirot series version with my husband- he was completely surprised. So there are no spoilers here.
I had never actually read this book. I have read many others of Christie's but not this one. I had less interest already knowing who it was. But I did own it. One day on learning about the Poirot's version I decided it was time to read it. I enjoyed it as a story, but in the back of my head I kept asking myself. 'Would I pick up on all the clues?' 'If I didn't already know, who I guess who it was?' I don't know. The clues are there. In the end it is the most logical solution to the problem. But it being so different would I have known? I don't know, and its one of those things that I can't pull myself away from and ever know.

Book: Murder in the Lincoln Bedroom- by Elliot Roosevelt

Book: Murder in the Lincoln Bedroom- by Elliot Roosevelt
Another find at a thrift store for me. I saw it and thought, "I've never heard of a mystery series around Eleanor Roosevelt." I read it and enjoyed it. The storyline itself wasn't anything amazing, although I didn't see it coming right away, and that has to say something. I'd say more but I don't want to give any spoilers. What I did enjoy most was the historical aspect of it. It was so true to the time frame. For someone who at one time wanted to be a fashion historian- I just loved it!
I've found another one of the series at the Library's used book sale. I'm looking forward to reading that one soon. It might be a while there are a couple of books inline in front of it and I read really slow.

Angels and Demons- by Dan Brown

Angels and Demons-by Dan Brown
I enjoy Dan Brown's books. There are those who do not, to them I ask if the only book of his they have read is the DaVinci Code- which I enjoyed but all the sexual orgies stuff really upset me and made me never want to read another book of his AGAIN! That was until we watched Angels and Demons with my in-laws and there wasn't even a hint of such vulgarity. I then was talking to my Father-in-law, who had read the book if he remembered anything-no- and that is because there isn't. Overall I enjoyed this book so much more than I did the DaVinci Code. It was less predictable (although I already knew the beginning from the end) if I hadn't I don't know at what point I would have guessed it. Unlike the DaVinci Code where I called it after all the characters were introduced. Both books I enjoyed the historical and art history information. Sure I heard some of it back in college in my required Western Civ Art and History class, but I didn't retain any of that stuff. In contrast. I already have retained more than I ever did in class because I know more details, I have something to relate it to. I appreciate it more, I look into it and learn more on my own. I feel smarting while reading Brown's books. 
Angels and Demons is the first book in the Robert Langdon series. I had been told it was written as a pre-quell but this is incorrect. It was written and published long before the DaVinci Code.  It did moderately well on its own, but it got the attention after the DaVinci Code readers found out that Brown had another book out in the series. I liked the characters in this book. I even felt a likableness in the antagonist, although it did leave me asking- was he crazy? insane? power crazy? His likableness made me feel a sadness at his choices. It is that sort of realness that is a sign of a well written story. From the first few pages to the end I was interested and didn't want to stop reading.
Take some time to read this no-sex book and enjoy learning about history, just take it with reservations because it is fiction and fiction skews the past to fit to their story. Read and then go out there and learn.

Monday Mourning- by Kathy Reichs

Monday Mourning by Kathy Reichs
As you will come to learn, I am a fan of libraries, but as a new mother it just takes me so long to finish a book that I can't do the re-new, re-checkout, re-new, re-checkout cycle I go through these days. So instead I go to used bookstores, thrift stores, the library withdrawn book sales and buy my books. Then I go through them on my own time. If I think I might ever want to read it again I put it into our book collection when I'm done, and if I don't care to again, then I donate it somewhere. The reason I am mentioning this is, given the option I choose to read the first book in a series. Often I find a book in the middle of series (mostly mystery series) read it, and if I enjoy it I will search out the first book and read the series starting there. 
I have no idea where in the series of the Temperance Brennan series Monday Mourning falls. It was obvious that I picked up somewhere in the middle of her life as readers know it. There was so many details that I got the impression I had missed in a previous book. This effected my opinion of the book  negatively . It made it really hard for me to get into the mystery itself. Reichs spends a lot of time focusing on the personal lives side stories of her characters. I enjoy the TV series Bones. But these characters are not the Bones and Booth characters I love on that series. I was okay with that. But going back to how I was effected negatively, the person lives drew my focus away from figuring out the mystery myself. It also made me less interested in finishing when I was reading parts about their lives. I think this was in part because I don't like the character that Tempe is dating in this book. He is a conceded jerk and even though Reichs tries to redeem his character in the end so you can like him again, I still thought he was a jerk and Tempe deserved better. Sorry to anyone if that is somehow a spoiler.
The mystery part of this story was well written. It had me thinking. When I was in those sections of the book I was drawn in, didn't want to put it down. That was until I reached a part focusing on their personal lives and then I had no problem. 
Overall it was worth what I spent on it and it was worth the read. If you enjoy all the details about character's personal lives- then you'll love this book. If you're like me, go back to a Perry Mason novel and watch the TV series instead.  I will be giving Kathy Reichs a second try. I found another one of her books at a thrift store. It also isn't the first in the series. But maybe this time it will be different. We'll see.

Chocolate Roses: a Jane Eyre parody- by Joan Sowards

Chocolate Roses: a Jane Eyre parody by Joan Sowards

I have always felt that one of the tells of a classic story is that it can transcend all time. A Classic tale is the same basic story but in any time place,or in any place. Shakespeare is the most common example of how this can be done, although I'm not saying it has to be done exactly word for word like Shakespeare is often done, but that the story can be taken and placed into a modern situation and still be the same delightful beautiful story.

Chocolate Roses is an example of this. It takes the Classic tale of a girl who has had a hard life, falls in love with a man who she can't marry or be with and watch the story unfold. The ways that Joan Sowards takes the basics of the original story and places it into a modern world with all of our problems and joys. She does a brilliant job of paralleling the two stories and making it completely believable. Her characters are LDS, which is not over barring and would be just as cute, but maybe not as sweet, if the main characters weren't so rooted in the Restored Gospel of Jesus Christ. Joan Sowards not only wrote a great story, but she created lovable normal characters. Her main female Rose (the Jane Eyre character) is so normal and innocent that you can't help but love her. 

If you are a fan of Jane Eyre or just a fan of a good clean sweet romance story- this is a book for you.