A Flaw of the Blood by Stephanie (?) Baron

This is another mystery from Laura. I have been reading a lot of mysteries lately thanks to Laura feeling good enough to want to read again and then passing some of her books onto me. This author had written an earlier series where Jane Austen was the sleuth and they were okay- but definitely not great. This book was even worse. It is a mystery set around the time of the death of Queen Victoria's husband Prince Albert. Here is my issue. When you write a historical novel with such well known characters and time period you have to have done a tremendous amount of research. Ms. Baron failed to do this. Putting the gross historical inaccuracies aside the book was still not any good. WHY are we expected to believe that this young women was bright enough to graduate from Edinburgh Medical college, to be a scientific advisor to the late Prince Consort- but is too stupid to not send for her things at her home when she goes into hiding. Well you say she is not a spy- just a young woman who doesn't realize how to hide effectively. Not so I say- this incident happens at the end of the book after hiding on the continent for months, sneaking out of one place after another as the bad guys track them down, after countless physical fights and shoot outs. No after all of these close calls- this"brilliant" woman still sends to her home for her luggage with a note saying where she is hiding. This is just one of countless things that made me grit my teeth while reading the book. Also if you are going to do a medical mystery on something from history do it on something that wasn't recently solved (and even more embarrassing she got it wrong). By the way it was solved several years before the book was published.

Houskeeping by Marilynne Robinson

This was not what I was expecting. It is a book about two sisters and their difficult childhood. As many of you know I hate the current fashion of depressing fiction about horrible abusive lives. It sounds like this book falls into that category- but it didn't really. It was beautifully written. One of those books you find yourself reading passages out loud just because the language is so beautiful. And the situation of their childhood is described but not is stupefying detail. And so much like life most of the things that happen to these girls is just life and inadequate people doing their best for the two little girls- it just isn't enough. I was surprised by the ending and a little befuddled by the main characters progression and would love some one else to read it so we can discuss, because I am still turning it over in my mind.

The Duchess by Amanda Foreman

Alma kept telling me this book was historical porn any time I tried to talk to him about it. It was fascinating- but really has there ever been people with fewer morals. Georgianna Cavendish was a troubled woman who was thrown into a completely amoral environment at a very young age. Seeing her struggle with all she lived through was heartbreaking. Hello- she lived most of her adult life with her best friend/husband's mistress living in her home! Not to mention all of their children. (just not her children born from her affairs).

The really interesting part of the book to me was how involved she was in the politics of her time. This was a very interesting time in politics- and she was an intimate of Grey, Fox, and Prinny. She was not only one of the first women very actively involved in politics, she was one of the first people to realize the importance of a party system and a party identity. She was the great organizer of the Whig party during a time when the leadership was torn apart by jealousies and inadequacy. She rallied the troops, she spread the message, she orchestrated group stands. She also brought the great thinkers together and helped them formulate a cohesive party platform. She was also a great public relations expert. She knew with out the king on their side they needed the people and developed some of the first publicity campaigns around a central idea and with simple symbol all could recognize. A very interesting read, well researched and well written. But- I have no desire to see the movie based on the book. Partly because I am sure it will not dwell on her political work- just the salacious little bits (okay major bits) of her life.

White Fang by Jack London

This was read for my online book club. I had read it as a child and loved it. I still found it interesting as an adult- but couldn't quite see what had caught my attention as a child. And the ending was a little toohappy-happy to flow with the rest of the book. Jack London is a wonderful writer and just reading his words is inspiring. (I have a thing for London and Stienbeck- my California feeling of kindredness).

A Town Like Alice by Nevil Shute

I read this for our RS book club and I really enjoyed it. It is a romance in the pattern of Mrs. Mike (which you must read if you have not read it before). I love stories about good, strong men and women- who dream of a better future and work to make their dreams come true. This is a wonderful story about a heroic woman and the life she makes for herself after years of torture in Malay during WWII. Also is this time period is interesting to you there is a very good book about a Dutch family living in a Japanese internment camp in Java. I will try to find the title for you and post it later.

This is one of those books where you felt you had found a new kindred spirit when you finish reading it. Remember finding your first good friends as a young girl in books? If you are like me you still think fondly of Anne and Dicken and Mrs Mike. You will add Jean to that list of friends.

A Marriage Most Scandalous

This was a fabulous radiation book found under Becky's bed. By wonderful I mean it was perfectly awful!!!! Why in historical romance novels is the heroine always a precocious bluestocking? A women more fit for the 21st century. This had the age old plot device of a fake marriage- which of course leads to real love. There is a strange and unbelievable little mystery- but hello you are only reading this for the silly conversations and stupid characters.