It's a mystery

Each night before sleep I read a bit to clear my head. Most of my reading comes from a local library, one of my favorite places on earth. The world and everything in it seems accessible and interesting at a good library. The trouble with libraries, however, is that it's a tough place to find something you'll enjoy at random. So in my dedicated library bag I keep a running list of books I've heard about elsewhere, authors I've liked in the past, and topics I want to explore further. Then I hit the stacks. How much better can an hour be spent than perusing books, I ask you. Okay, don't answer that.

My point is, I make my way through one novel at a time, one chapter (or two) a day, and it adds up. When asked recently if I'd read anything good lately, I had a bevy of replies. A few I've mentioned here previously (my reading posts), but not enough. I'm here today partly to remind myself years later of books I already read before I check them out again (I'm talking to you, Girl's Guide), and partly to share my recommendations in hopes of spreading some reading joy.

I recommend (and loan out) Kathryn Stockett's Jim Crow-South novel The Help to everyone, though I've discovered it's too intense a subject for a few people. The three narrators (two black maids and a younger white woman who delves into her hometown's segregationist practices) take a bit of getting used to, but stick with it and you'll be rewarded with wonderfully authentic voices, moving stories, and a vivid history lesson no American should forget. I especially loved the Afterword by the author, in which she describes her own relationship history with her family's black maid. Touching, sad, important, personal.

It seems like I've always got one or two "serious" books on my bedside table, waiting for me to be in a contemplative mood. Don't worry, I won't dig out the titles at the moment, if for no other reason than that I don't have a good track record of recommending such books to others. (Avoid religion and politics, isn't that rule one of chitchat?)

Switching to the frivolous side of reading, I do enjoy a bit of good chick lit from time to time, but recognize that chick lit is not to everyone's tastes. Sophie Kinsella's Twenties Girl is cute, but not very memorable. I've not even requested Emily Giffin's latest, Heart of the Matter, from the library, because it looks to confirm my apathetic feelings towards her books since reading her stellar debut novel, Something Borrowed.

By far the bulk of my casual reading this past year has been mysteries. I wrote previously about the international phenomenon, the Millenium trilogy, which isn't so much a mystery series as one very long novel of intrigue and character studies. Replete with violence and minutiae, that is not for everyone. But I've got a few other more classic mysteries that I can recommend to any reader.

Mistress of the Art of Death is the first in a series of medieval forensics novels by Ariana Franklin. Adelia, the central character, is the modern day equivalent of a medical examiner, brought to England to help King Henry II solve a sensitive crime and thereby calm the local populace. The mystery aspect of the story is well done, with a wide cast of suspicious characters. The crimes are a bit gruesome, but I skim those descriptions and feel I miss nothing of the story development. There's something of a love interest for Adelia, though this enters the plot late and is not dwelled upon. What's most interesting about this story, I thought, is the incorporation of what seems to be well researched historical detail. All aspects of everyday life are touched upon, as are customs and language. I love that kind of thing. Right now I'm reading the second book, The Serpent's Tale, which is keeping my attention. After that, there are three more books featuring Adelia. Hopefully the plots remain appealing and the mysteries intriguing. I'll let you know.

The Sweetness at the Bottom of the Pie is the first of a very promising new series of mystery novels by Alan Bradley. It centers on an adolescent girl in post-War England who is obsessed with poisons and extremely well versed in chemistry. Alas Flavia de Luce has no one to temper her eccentricities. Her father is a stoic widower, and her two older sisters focus on relationships and music, far outside Flavia's realm. When Flavia becomes involved in a murder investigation, she gets in over her head, but of course ends up solving the crime before the police do. The story is told from Flavia's perspective, demonstrating her blend of sophisticated insight and childish views. It's a charming book, and one I recommend to mystery fans and historical fiction fans alike. The next book, The Weed That Strings the Hangman's Bag, came out recently and I've not read it, but again, I am hopeful that the quality is maintained.

A cute book I'd recommend to any reader is another unusual-perspective mystery novel, Dog On It. This is the first in yet another new series, the Chet and Bernie mysteries. In this case, the narrator is...wait for it...a dog. I can't tell you exactly why it works so well, but I can simply tell you it does. The author has done a great job of viewing a private detective's work through a dog's eyes. A rather insightful and well behaved dog, but a dog nonetheless. The mystery part of the story is secondary to the interactions of dog and human.

Speaking of mystery series, and the potential for storylines to get iffy after a while, I will recommend--with qualifications--the Stephanie Plum books by Janet Evanovich. I read the first one years ago, but I think I'd still recommend it to vacation readers. Stephanie is a bounty hunter, a profession she took on as last resort when she lost her job. She's also an accident-prone Jersey girl involved with two different guys, cop Joe Morelli, and mysterious fellow bounty hunter, Ranger. The first book, One for the Money, shows Stephanie as she learns her job and becomes reaquainted with Joe; it's fast paced, filled with oddball characters, and plain old lighthearted (adult) fun. A few of the other books, especially early on, are similarly amusing. But lately the stretching out of Stephanie's perpetual dilemma choosing between Joe and Ranger, and the repetitiveness of cases and improbable problems she encounters have grown tiresome. Still, I do hold out hope, like so many other readers who've been sucked into this series, that Stephanie will one day move on. At last count there were 15 published novels in the regular series, plus three supplementary stories, and the 16th book comes out next month. There's also reportedly a movie in the works. I'm sure I'll have an opinion when that arrives. Til then, happy reading.

Selfishness

Ever have one of those days where things just irk you? That's today for me. And in an effort to rid my brain of some of the more vexing thoughts occupying it before I head off for my night's rest, I thought I'd vent a little. Hmm, where to begin...

• Okay, this is not a new one, and I'm not sure why it's bugging me so right now, except that I continue to hear and see evidence that there are a lot of people who watch or at least lend credence to the need for and value of of 24-hour news. In fact, I think nothing could be further from the truth. I'm sick of the news networks'--especially Fox News channel's--irresponsible fear mongering and non-existent fact checking. I hate the stupid teasers that local, national and 24-hour news programs use to activate viewers' imaginations in negative ways, especially when the actual story is more often than not completely harmless or relevant for such a small portion of the population as to be irrelevant as a mass communication. Why?! What earthly purpose could be served by luring viewers into false impressions, scaring them, or decontextualizing and oversimplifying things to the point of making the information valueless?
• I think the greediness of media executives has completely blinded them to the value of using communications and entertainment power for good not evil, and thus they act in ways that make themselves wealthier in dollars, and poorer in spirit. how's the saying go, money is the root of all evil? There's much truth in that.
• I'm also a bit peeved about rampant short-term thinking, mindless consumerism, ignorance, and gullibility (and the systems that essentially maintain these aspects of society). These are ongoing frustrations, probably hard wired in me by this point, and only on occasion do they make me want to give all my belongings away and remove myself and family from society. 
• I know this may seem ironic coming from a blog entitled "It's all about ME", but I am so *%&#ing sick of rampant self-centeredness. Every day I observe people thinking they are the exception to the rule. It's a normal facet of human behavior that has become a dominant and increasingly acceptable way of life. I don't like it.
• I don't like hatred, excess, abuse, or any so-called "necessary evil." Alas, I did not say I never engage in any of these. ;)
• It's hard to look out for my neighbor as myself when I spend most of my time looking out for myself. How often do I tell myself it's okay to take the shortcut, or break the rule, simply because it's the easy way out, and if I play the game right no one else will ever know or be harmed by it. But this is just playing the odds, and in the game of life I will on occasion lose. Add up all the "me"s in the world, and you've got a whole lot of gambling going on each day.
• As I maintain faith that there's always tomorrow, my todays--or those of my neighbors--may be getting suckier and suckier. And on a grand scale, lots of us putting off until tomorrow what we don't want to do today undoubtedly creates a to-do list that is unfinishable by mortal man. So I tell myself, "It's okay, someone else will take care of it," just so I can sleep at night.
• I am an unapologetically practical optimist.
• I wonder at what point the hope I hold out for tomorrow is just propping up my complacency today and contributing in a roundabout way to the suckiness I feel right now. Fear, isolation, anger. Wash, rinse, repeat.
• Sometimes I act selfishly because I believe it's for the best, but upon further reflection I realize it was just laziness. Like every other person on the planet, I struggle with gaps between intention and action, beliefs and practices.
• I adore and am uplifted by the teachings of Martin Luther King Jr. I fantasize about incorporating his writings in a national curriculum for K-12 education. First, we need a national curriculum (and not just so-called standards).
• Have I mentioned that I believe the teaching of anger management principles to the population at large ought to be a major public health initiative? I think anger is a vastly under-discussed problem, and one whose negative consequences are far reaching. (It's a long read, but this is a great overview of the subject.)
• The average adult apparently does not get enough sleep to perform their best during the day. I know how cranky I am when I'm tired, and I know how my interactions with another sleep-deprived person go (aka not very well). And I know how much more manageable my day's chores seem after a good night's rest (if not enthusiastic, I am at least free of one excuse to avoid doing what I know I must). Hmm, is it possible that the treatment for many of society's ills is as simple as an enforced bedtime?

Which reminds me, it's quite a ways past mine (so much for taking my own advice, eh?). Tootle loo and good night, friends. Be good, sleep well. See you soon....

PS I'm feeling very Notes to Myself right now. It's a beautiful book about self reflection, relationships,  acceptance, and forgiveness. I recommend it to everyone.

The Girl...

Sometimes I stumble upon popular phenomena. This happened to me when I caught the series premieres of shows like Survivor, Lost, and Mad Men, only to become an evangelist for each on its own merits. It happened when I picked up Outlander by Diana Gabaldon and got sucked into this fabulous romantic saga of time travel and Scottish history (though I'm not a fan of most of its sequels). And it's happening in real estate lately. A few weeks ago we went to an open house for a nice but un-updated place in Redwood City; I was thinking seriously about it the next day, when David called to report that someone had that morning put in an offer and been accepted.

These are not random coincidences, I realize. Great minds think alike, good products gain attention, and my tastes are not so unique as to be without peers. Still I am always pleased to learn I've become interested in something that a lot of other people are also interested in. It's nice to know I'm not alone in the world. :)

The latest example is my fascination with the Swedish crime fiction trilogy Millenium. Each title (in English) begins The Girl... (the first is The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo). The two main characters--a middle aged male investigative reporter and a diminutive young female computer hacker with a lot of issues--cross paths and end up working together to solve a decades old crime, but they are not a couple. It's a pretty cynical tale, the author does not shy from incorporating sex, and the beginning is a confusing mix of unfamiliar Swedish names, places and events. But all that aside, for some of us readers it also happens to be a wildly compelling read.

These books are not unknown (on my recent vacation, four of us were reading the second book). They are bestsellers around the world, and have already been turned into a trio of films in Sweden (an indication of the popularity there that this happened so soon, considering the last of the books hasn't even been released in the US yet). Here in the US, the first book has been on the New York Times bestseller list for a year, in spite of mixed reviews. People complain that the author included an inordinate amount of extraneous detail. There are few if any committed healthy relationships to savor within the cast. And there's violence, much of it sexual in nature, which understandably turns many readers off.

Even with all these detractors, I've gotten really involved in the series, and sought out the movie. I wanted visuals and was curious how the book would translate to film. What I found was that the filmmakers did an excellent job of distilling the essence of the plot, maintaining background detail but zeroing in on the action-packed storyline. What I had not been prepared for, in my detail-oriented reading haze, was that that essence was so very, very dark. All that being said, here's my review of the film.

The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo
This briskly paced, 2-and-a-half hour thriller tells the story of Mikael Blomquist, an investigative journalist hired, after losing a well publicized libel case, to look into the disappearance of a young woman 40 years earlier. Mikael is cyber-tracked along the way by a young female hacker, Lisbeth Salander, who was employed initially by a security firm to gather background on him. She is a top-notch researcher, but utterly lacking in social skills and niceties. As a result of childhood trauma, Lisbeth is a ward of the state, even at age 24, and under the nominal control of an unscrupulous guardian. While Lisbeth deals with her guardian, she monitors with curiosity what Mikael is working on and ends up decoding a key part of the evidence. After she shares what she found, Mikael enlists her help, and the two work together to unravel an increasingly bizarre mystery.

At first the rhythm of the Swedish dialogue (and occasionally hard to read white subtitles) were distracting. And the movie does not shy from disturbing scenes of sexual violence that provide a basis for key parts of the plot (the Swedish title translates as "Men Who Hate Women"). But it's a well done thriller, with good bursts of action and tension, a few twists, and a good cast. Other readers will similarly appreciate the film. The movie is a faithful adaptation of the book, and the changes make sense. The movie also stands alone quite well, though I think it would appeal only to those with an appetite for a dark thriller.