The New Yale Book of Quotations

by Edited by Fred R. Shapiro; Foreword by Louis Menand

#TheNewYaleBookofQuotations #NetGalley

Often when a person has something to say, they want their words to be backed up. Other times, someone wants to randomly explore what others have said to see if the words resonates in some way. Sometimes a person needs to give a speech and wants their words to have a bit more weight. For these and many other reasons, people look to quotes. So, what could be more welcome than a book that is packed full of quotes? And even better, a book with the imprimatur of Yale University.

As noted above, this book is jammed with quotes. It is easy to just wander through taking time to think about what has been said on a subject. No matter who or what a reader is looking for, they will find inspiration here.

The book is organized by author. Each entry includes an identifying characteristic for the author and their dates of birth (and death, if needed). Happily there is also an index of keywords. In addition, there are a number of special sections; for example, there are ones on slogans and proverbs. Therefore, when words are needed they can be found.

The New Yale Book of Quotations is a title that should be available for school and home libraries. It is not inexpensive but the collected wisdom makes it worth the price.

Many thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for this title. All opinions are my own.

#MurderMostFair #NetGalley

Those who have read the earlier entries will be eager to get their hands on this title which is number five in the series. The books are best read in order but, if a reader is willing to accept spoilers from the earlier novels, they can read in any order.

First, the cover. I love the period feel to each of the covers in the Verity Kent series. They beautifully evoke the time period and character of what is inside the book.

Readers know (or find out) that Verity has had several earlier adventures which evolved from her work during WWI. Because of the Official Secrets Act, Verity’s family has no idea of all that she has experienced. Her mother, especially, judges her daughter. Readers may be surprised (as her mother would be if she knew) to learn that so much has happened to this young woman who is in only her early twenties.

In this novel, readers become better acquainted with Verity’s family. Her great aunt Ilse, who is German, arrives on Verity’s doorstep unannounced. What has brought her to England? How will she manage being in England where she is often viewed as an enemy despite her advanced age? Who has she seen? What does it mean? How do events in the present relate to Verity’s connection with her aunt when the war was on-going? Are the repercussions from that time about to cause trouble?

Verity decides to leave London early for the Christmas holidays, feeling that this will be better for her aunt. This allows readers to spend time with Verity’s parents and siblings in Yorkshire. Some of these relationships are less than ideal. Readers will also get to know some in her community including old friends, and new vicars and their wives.

When a murder occurs Verity and her dashing husband, Sidney, are on the scene and ready to solve the crime. Readers will try to figure things out right along side them.

I very much enjoy this series and highly recommend this latest entry. Alas, now it will be at least a year before I can catch up with Verity and Sidney again.

Many thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for this title. All opinions are my own.

The Secret Garden is free.

nyti.ms/3yjiobi

Over the weekend, during a virtual celebration of “Bouchercon,” the world mystery convention, the winners of the Anthony Awards were announced. The “Anthonys” honor the year’s best achievements in mystery and crime fiction. This is the thirty-sixth year the awards have been handed out. Keep scrolling below for a list of the year’s Anthony winners…

Announcing the 2021 Anthony Award winners — CrimeReads

Trace Elements A Comissario Guido Brunetti Mystery by Donna Leon

Where I live, the weather is currently cold and the days are short. When Trace Elements takes place during a summer in Venice, it is as hot as hot can be. Clothes are sticking, meals need to be light and our detective, Guido Brunetti is mystified by the tourists who want to be in Venice at this miserable time. I could feel the heat and the need to drink mineral water. All of this is to say that Ms. Leon is a master at creating her scenes and characters. When Brunetti was eating his cheese and salad, I salivated. When I followed this essentially good man throughout the story, I wanted to know him and his colleagues as real people. When Brunetti was with his wife, Paola, I wanted a marriage like theirs. All of this adds verisimilitude to a novel that, in parts, is deeply tragic.

Tue story begins when Brunetti and a female colleague go to visit Benedetta, a women in hospice care, who is dying a miserable death from cancer. Readers will feel great sympathy for this character’s suffering. Before she dies, Benedetta presents Brunetti and Claudia Griffoni with something to investigate. They learn that Benedetta’s daughters are about to become orphans as Benedetta’s husband recently died in a crash. Was his death an accident? If it was murder how, if at all, does it relate to his job?

In Trace Elements (an apt title), the crime as it relates to Venice feels all too plausible. Ms. Leon has done her research and written a believable and sad tale of human corruption and its consequences. Wrong actions happen but the reasons for them differ.

This title is the latest entry in Donna Leon’s long running series about Guido Brunetti. It is a most excellent novel and I recommend it highly.

The Lantern Men by Elly Griffiths

Every time I find that a new Ruth Galloway book is due to come out, I get super excited. I adore spending time with Ruth and watching the evolution of her relationship with Nelson, the father of Ruth’s daughter Kate.
Long time readers of the series know that Nelson and Ruth’s relationship is a complex one that often leads to cliffhangers in the novels. I think that this relationship will intrigue readers for as long as Ms. Griffiths writes. There is something so lovely about a romantic heroine who is about to turn fifty.
There are so many other interesting characters surrounding Ruth. There is Frank with whom she now lives; Cathbad, yes the Druid; Nelson’s wife and daughters; Cathbad’s reporter daughter and more. There are also highly evocative settings.
And, of course, there is murder and mystery. Ivor has just been jailed for multiple murders. Was he guilty? Who are those with whom he spent time at an artistic retreat? How will these characters interact and intersect with the series regulars? Read the book to find out.
I often find that the case itself intrigues me less than the people in this author’s stories. Still, for the last half hour of reading this title, I was gripped and kept turning the pages eagerly.
This novel could be read as a standalone. If readers do that, I hope they will go back and read the stories from the very first one to catch up. Long terms followers of the series will, I think, be delighted by Ruth’s return.
Many thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for this title in exchange for an honest review.

Pub Date 07 Sep 2021

The Living and the Lost, the new novel by Ellen Feldman, follows on last year’s excellent title, Paris Never Leaves You. Each of these books is about the resonance that WWII has had for its’ characters. I highly recommend both.

This novel offers a vivid sense of place, object, plot and character. In particular, watch as protagonist Millie goes to the train station in Berlin on a number of occasions. In terms of objects, consider the breakfront. Think of what the word means; it can be something shattering and a front can be the face that is shown to the world. What is the importance of this article of furniture in the novel? What do readers learn about protagonist Millie through it?

Millie grew up in Germany, made it to the U.S. (at great cost) and returns to Berlin to work post war. In today’s words, readers will identify Millie as having PTSD. This makes her life challenging. Millie’s brother David is her family. In what ways are they the same? Different?

Another important character is Harry. Millie works for him and readers watch as they get to know him. Where will their paths converge? What will their contact offer to each of them?

Throughout the novel, there are scenes of post war Berlin. Who are the victims other than the obvious ones? Will there ever be progress? Will anyone’s family be found post concentration camp?

What was it like to be a survivor in the U.S. during the war? How was it to know that this critical confrontation was not even fully in the awareness of some of the American Jewish characters? What does it mean to have the burden of surviving when others did not?

Think about the title of this novel, The Living and the Lost. While you may assume safely that you know who the living are,wonder, too, about the lost. To me, they are not only those who are dead but also those who have not found their way (yet) in post-war life.

The Living and the Lost is a complex, thoughtful work. I highly recommend it. It would be an excellent book club choice.

Many thanks to NetGalley and the publisher. All opinions are my own.