Scarpetta by Patricia Cornwell

My review

rating: 2 of 5 stars
I used to love Patricial Cornwell so much. I read each book she wrote...devoured them, really, and read them again. To say I have been disappointed in her last efforts would be a vast understatement.



The stories Cornwell writes now, either in her investigation of Jack the Ripper or the most recent few Scarpetta novels; suffer from a severe lack of editing. I don't know if she has fired her editor, or simply is able to fire off a manuscript and send it to a publisher without ever having to go through the editing process, but it's really getting out of hand. In this novel, for example, the interactions between the characters are written in a way that is so diffuse, so scattered, that it's hard to tell exactly what is going on. Rather than doing an expert job of weaving a story that includes the thoughts, motivations and actions of Kay Scarpetta and the actions of every other character, Cornwell now feels compelled to invite us into a soap opera that makes us privy to every thought and whim of each and every major character.



I do not use the words "soap opera" lightly here. While I understand the need to portray characters in a realistic light and move their personal stories along, the turns in the lives of the four major characters of this series have become so ridiculous it's hard to stomach.



I used to appreciate Cornwell's writing for it's sharpness...her ability to cut right into the meat of a situation and portray it so clearly it was easy to visualize. I loved that she wrote a strong female character, giving voice to all the aspects of Kay Scarpetta's life. I also read her books for the cutting-edge scientific information and the deft way she incorporated this into the story. Now, however, I just get bored. I don't see myself awaiting another Cornwell novel with anticipation...I wonder if I'll even read the next one.


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book review

Between, Georgia by Joshilyn Jackson

My review

rating: 5 of 5 stars
I have not actually "read" any of Joshilyn Jackson's books, I listened to them all on CD, all read by the author. I adored them.



I can't wait to go back and read the text version of these books, but somehow I know it won't compare. Jackson is an excellent storyteller, but her real strength is in her characters. The characters she writes are so real and so very very well crafted you can picture them in your head and hear every word they say, see every small movement. It's amazing what this woman does with words. Listening to her read is what really lends weight to the characters...the southern drawl to her voice puts you in the place and time that these stories take place. I can't wait for her next book!


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FYI: this review came from Goodreads, my new favorite website. Other books by Joshilyn Jackson include Gods in Alabama and The Girl who Stopped Swimming. listen to them if you can, but they would still be good in print.

Book Review: The Art of Racing in the Rain

The Art of Racing in the Rain by Garth Stein

My review

rating: 4 of 5 stars
*possible plot spoilers?*

I put off reading this for a long time, I hate books where animals die. Where the Red Fern Grows still haunts me. Anyway, I enjoyed this book so much...the passages from Enzo's point of view where both funny (because they were serious in the way a five-year old is serious) and poignant. The author did a really excellent job of dealing with the timeline of the story, and how it was told; managing to get in important details but not getting away from the important themes and the relationship between dog and owner. I don't know why I waited so long to read this.


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Let's get going already

As the time for the baby closes in on me, I find myself in that old familiar place of the last few weeks of pregnancy. I'm unable to sit to any task. I'm irritable. If you haven't been pregnant, I don't think it's easy to understand this. I mean, people talk about "the nesting instinct" as if it's this cute little thing that pregnant women do...you know, we clean and cook up a storm because our dear little swollen hearts are turning toward our home and family as the baby's birthdate grows near. People, I am here to tell you that it is nothing like that. I nest because I hate leaving my house, because I hate to walk, because I am lazy. And if I am merely sitting on my couch, I cannot help but see all the things around my house which I usually do in a single day and cannot do in less than four hours because of the sheer effort of moving. But there I am, hoisting myself up off the couch and doing them anyway. Then flopping, exhausted, back on the couch after sweeping, mopping, sponging, cooking, carrying, etc. etc. So it's no small wonder I'm all irritable and tired, I'm trying to make a person and be Martha Stewart all at once. And we all know that it's no use trying to be MS....

In other news, I finally got called to the front of the queue for Ravelry, and I'm excited about it. I've been puttering around there this past week, trying to decide exactly what I want to do and what is offered. I haven't even begun to explore the pattern pages, and I am a notorious lurker at forums of any sort, but I'm enjoying lurking around. I'll probably spend some time taking pictures first, get all that organized on Flickr, then start putting all that in. My stash is pretty small, but I'm still not thrilled about archiving it. Deciding what to do with all of it will be easier once I have it recorded, though. Since I'm a knitter on a budget, I'm a big fan of knitting from stash, or purchasing just what I need for a project. I know, it's crazy, but it's just what I do.

I've started the book "Eat, Pray, Love" and I'm really really enjoying it. I wasn't sure about this book, to tell the truth, but I have really been changed by some of the passages in it. I got it from the library and I'll need to go out and buy my own copy. I enjoy the author's views on god, the divine, and how she doesn't take it too seriously...I just finished a passage on forgiveness last night that was fairly profound for me. I have a few people in my life that I really need to move on from (unhealthy friendships that continue to be toxic even though they are over). I am NOT good at letting go...not in any way. The idea of forgiving someone, of having that last conversation with them even though they might not be present for it, of letting go being something that we are responsible for ourselves. The idea that we don't have to "settle" everything or have agreement/peace/harmony to end a friendship...it seems so simple, but here I sit a living example of someone who does not function that way. I am looking forward to some deep thinking about this, and some moving on in my future.

What I want to know about Harry Potter 7

I've spent a lot of time the past few weeks reading online and talking with my sister and hubby about Harry Potter book 7. Generally, I'm all worked up in a foam about the book. I know that everyone has theories and questions. Here are some of the big things I want sorted out in the next book...
Snape: This is the obvious one. Friend or Foe? I am most interested in the "ironclad" reason that Dumbeldore had for trusting him.

Horcruxes: another obvious one. I'm not sure that, as stated in book six, the snake could be a horcrux. There are also a number of theories out there on the web about weird things ( in my opinion ) being made into horcruxes...like Ginny Weasly (because she found the diary). I don't know...it would have to have been something very very important to Voldemort. Many theories abound about Harry, I guess that's plausible. This is one area of the story I'm content to let unfold as I read.

The Locket: Kind of goes along with the above. Who is RAB? I am among the camp that thinks he's Sirius' brother Regulus, a known Death Eater. Rowling hints in book five that he lost his nerve along the line and tried to back out...could he have been the one to take the locket? Will Kreacher know more about this? I believe that the locket found in the Black house while cleaning is the real horcrux.

Dumbledore: Yes, I think he's really dead. I think he will not come back. I'm really sad about this, but I think it's true.

Some things that are also on my mind, but don't seem to be taking up a lot chatter on the sites I've seen:
Sirius/Lilly/James: What are the "rules" for being dead in the Harry Potter Landscape? Why are some people ghosts? I know that this is a common question...but I have another. What makes some pictures talk, and others not talk? As far as we know, none of the pictures Harry has seen of his parents talk to him, yet many/most of the pictures throughout the books (past headmasters, portraits in Hogwarts castle, Sirius' mother) DO talk. As far as we can tell, they can talk to anyone, and are not bewitched to speak to one person only. What makes the pictures talk? Is it a choice of the person who died? Is it a difference between a painting and a picture? Will Harry receive advice from those closest to him who have died, now that he may have pictures of them? Will he visit Dumbledore's portrait for advice? (I think this last one is unlikely). Will this be significant in his search in the last book?
Another thing bothers me about Lilly and James. Why where they being hidden by the Order? The obvious answer is that Dumbledore had them hidden because he knew about the prophecy, and he knew that Voldemort knew as well. Book Three only states that the Potters "knew Voldemort was after them". But there have been many many opportunities for Dumbledore to state simply to Harry (most notably when they were discussing the prophecy) "This is why I had your parents hidden" (referring to the prophecy)..and he never did. The reason they were concealed was never specifically stated. Is there something more to what they knew? This bothers me because it is unlike Rowling to leave something this important hanging, without a clear and clean explanation. It's almost as if we are meant to believe one thing, but it may change later. Maybe I'm reading too much into this.

Magic: We know that there are things Harry does not know how to do yet...and that he is not returning to Hogwarts. Will he need additional skills for his travels in this next book? I considered this today as I finished rereading book six. Dumbledore speaks often of "magic leaving traces"...seems like this is a handy skill...so will Harry acquire it? How will he get these skills?

There are a fair number of things I'm excited to find out about in the last book, but I'm more interested to see how things end and how she ends the whole series. I am always curious to see how characters become significant as the series goes on, and how they change. I think there are still some interesting things to find out about Luna and Neville, for instance, but I'm willing to let them play out. The hardest thing about this book to reading it slowly, savoring it, because I know it's the last one. Somehow I think that this is not a likely course of action for me. I'm not a patient reader like that. :) All in all, it's going to be an exciting couple of weeks to come, and I'm terribly excited to see the movie and read the book.
so come on, the two or three of you who read, what do you think?