Bookgirl's Nightstand | When I'm not reading books, I'm making them.

Friendship

iliana Nightstand September 18, 2008

“Some people go to priests; others to poetry; I to my friends.”
~ Virginia Woolf

I’m so super excited because this weekend I get to see my two best friends! They are visiting me in Austin and we’ll be spending time catching up, probably doing a bit of shopping around South Congress, most definitely drinking endless cups of coffee and well, I can probably guarantee that a lot of laughter will be shared over a bottle of wine. Of course, don’t worry I’ll make sure to take them for a visit to BookPeople. We can’t have a weekend without books.

I had some Friday Finds books to share but instead I’ll leave you with this little poem I found via the wonderful collection of Friendship Poems.

The pleasures of friendship are exquisite,
How pleasant to go to a friend on a visit!
I go to my friend, we walk on the grass,
And the hours and moments like minutes pass.

~ The Pleasures of Friendship by Stevie Smith.

I wish you all a wonderful weekend!

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Mysteries on my Radar

iliana Nightstand September 17, 2008

“Nobody reads a mystery to get to the middle. They read it to get to the end. If it’s a letdown, they won’t buy anymore. The first page sells that book. The last page sells your next book.”
~ Mickey Spillane

Ah how I love a good mystery and as yesterday I posted on two mysteries I’ve enjoyed, I thought I’d continue now with some mysteries that have captured my attention and I’d like to check out one of these days.

Carte Blanche by Carlo Lucarelli. The setting for this mystery is 1945 Italy. The country is still under a Fascist regime but the Commissario is investigating a murder of a drug dealer. An Italian noir novel.
The Last Nightingale by Anthony Flacco. This novel of suspense is set during the aftermath of the San Francisco earthquake of 1906
The Gentle Axe by R.N. Morris. Just before Christmas, in St. Petersburg, Russia, in 1867, police investigator Porfiry Petrovich faces his most challenging murder case since the events made famous by Dostoevsky in the novel Crime and Punishment-a case with disturbing parallels and even darker implications.
Days of Atonement by Michael Gregorio. A whodunit set during 1807 in Prussia, a magistrate is summoned from his country refuge to solve a heinous multiple murder.
The Dragon Scroll by I.J. Parker. In an adventure filled with highway bandits, unscrupulous politicians, and renegade monks, The Dragon Scroll introduces readers to the lively world of eleventh-century Japan and an irrepressible hero-Sugawara Akitada.

Hm, I just realized all of these are historical mysteries. Well, I have been on a bit of a historical kick lately so I guess this makes sense. If you’ve read any of these let me know what you thought.

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She’s Got Moxie

iliana Nightstand September 16, 2008

“To tell a woman everything she may not do is to tell her what she can do.”
~Spanish Proverb

As part of the Weekly Geeks prompt to use quotes this week, I wanted to share this quote which, I love, and I find fits perfectly when discussing these two women sleuths who I’ve spent some time with lately.

Annie Seymour is back in this second entry to report on a crime that is right in the neighborhood and involves family and friends. With her quick wit and smarts she’s not about to let the mob, her dad or even some chickens get in the way of the investigation.

“Listen, a voice hissed in my ear, ‘you better stop messing around in things that don’t concern you.’ The arm wrenched my body backward, and it felt as though I were going to snap in two. I tried to catch my breath, but the hand over my mouth was tight and sweaty.”

I gotta say, I thought this was even better than the first book. Good action scenes and an ending I didn’t see coming. You can read my full review here. Now, I have to hurry up and read the third book as Karen’s fourth entry in the series comes out this November. You can check out more info about Annie and Karen here.

Now, with This Dame for Hire, I went back to 1943 New York City. A secretary, Faye Quick, didn’t plan on being a P.I. but when her boss is sent overseas to fight in the war, she steps in and handles the cases. She may not be a P.I. but she’s clever and willing to get the job done. I really liked Faye.

“While I waited for Anne I went over to the fiction and started at A. Even if I found something, I wouldn’t let myself buy more than one book cause, not only couldn’t my change purse let me, I was running out of book space in my apartment.”

See why I liked her immediately? This book presents a wonderful portrait of New York during the war years. You can read my full review here. I’ve looked for more information on this series and there only seems to be one more book available, which I’ve already got on order.

I enjoyed both books a lot and think these are great female characters. These books also count for some of my reading challenges. Secondhand Smoke counts towards my 2nds Challenge and This Dame for Hire for my 1st in a Series. I’m making progress.

So how about you? Have you read any books lately with some strong women characters? I’d love to hear about them.

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