Guest Review: World Without End by Ken Follett

World Without End by Ken Follett

by Shirley Ayres

We are back in Kingsbridge, England, 200 years after the ending of "The Pillars of the Earth." Naturally, some of these 14th-century folks are ancestors of the people from the 12th century. Kingsbridge is a small city controlled by the monks at the priory. Politics, greed and every deadly sin known to past and present humans are suffered and/or enjoyed by the characters.

Tom Builder, the carpenter who designed and built the 12th-century cathedral has direct descendants in the 14th century. The main character is a good, intelligent architect and builder, Merthin. However, his brother Ralph Fitzgerald is a bully from the time he was a child and becomes a rapist and murderer while serving as a knight to the King.

Merthin and his girlfriend Caris are the pillars of the community, but, as adults and lovers, they are both plagued by misfortune and bad political decisions. The whole of England is nearly wiped out by plague.  Kingsbridge is no exception, and Caris, now a nun, has learned how to treat the victims. She and Merthin and his family are not stricken by the illness. Spanning 34 years (from December 1327 to November 1361), the characters are followed from childhood to adulthood and show how some people rise above their circumstances and become leaders, while others become victims.

Very good book. Another long one with more than 1,000 pages and the same teeny, weeny font. But so intriguing.

Guest Reviews: 12th of Never and 14th Deadly Sin by James Patterson

[Guest Reviews by Shirley Ayres]

 

12th of Never

(Women’s Murder Club Cases)

by James Patterson

Sgt. Lindsay Boxer’s baby girl arrives on the scene in a very unexpected way. After about one week of maternity leave, Lindsay is called back to work on a murder involving a San Francisco 49er football player.

An English professor shows up at the police department and tells Lindsay’s partner, Rich Conklin, about his dreams of seeing murders. Unfortunately, the dreams start coming true. How can this happen? Is he really predicting the future? Does he need to be watched to see if he is the killer?

14th Deadly Sin

(Women’s Murder Club Cases)

by James Patterson

Medical Examiner Dr. Claire Washburn and the members of the Women’s Murder Club are celebrating Claire’s birthday when Sgt. Lindsay Boxer is called away from the party to investigate a murder. Claire reminds Lindsay that she has been called away from the party every year for the past few years. Now, even Lindsay’s husband, Joe Molinari, is caught up in the Claire’s birthday murders. Are they connected? Has the same person committed these murders on this specific date? What reason can it be?

At the same time, robberies and murders are taking place all over the city. Video footage and eyewitness accounts show the criminals dressed in SFPD Windbreakers and wearing masks. Are they really cops?

Attorney Yuki Castellano Brady, no longer working as an ADA has been hired by the Defense League, giving free legal representation to the poor. Her first case is a 15-year-old boy, wrongfully jailed and then murdered in police custody. Yuki finds herself up against her former boss and the entire San Francisco Police Department. 

Check it out: The storybook project

NPR is starting The Storybook Project where they ask famous parents to name five favorite storybooks. It is just getting started, but it is a great way to discover new titles. Many of the books are classics, but there already are a few I hadn't heard of before. They will be posting new entries a few times per week, and there is a space for you to contribute ideas as well.

Check it out: http://nprstorybook.tumblr.com/

"No matter what kind of day we've all had, this books is like a giant emotional Band-Aid." -- Adam and Naomi Scott, on "All the World"

Online Book Club: Yes Please

August Book: Yes Please by Amy Poehler

I enjoyed learning more about Poehler's life in a book filled with humor and little life tidbits. She also shared her life openly, including her mistakes, which was refreshing. It was titled Yes Please because in improv it's important to say yes to your partner, and she tries to say yes to life. Something that I try to live by. Please share your thoughts! Here are some questions to get you started:

1. Anything you wished Poehler would have talked more about?  Less about? 
2. What was your favorite quote?
3. What did you think about Poehler prior to reading it? Now you have read more about this person, has your opinion changed?
4. Were there any parts of the book that did or did not ring true? Which?

September Book: Ocean at the End of the Lane by Neil Gaiman

[Guest Reviews by Shirley Ayres]

 

10th Anniversary

(Women’s Murder Club Cases)

by James Patterson

San Francisco Police Detective Lindsay Boxer and her longtime boyfriend, Joe, finally get married.  Very soon after the wedding, Lindsay is called upon to investigate the injuries of a 15-year-old girl who has just given birth but cannot remember a thing.

The second case Lindsay investigates is about the murder of a well-known actor by his doctor wife.  Yuki is called upon to prosecute the doctor. Twists and turns come up in both cases and all four members of the Women’s Murder Club are involved in both cases.

11th Hour

(Women’s Murder Club Cases)

by James Patterson

Someone is killing drug dealers and a cop, who just happens to be a dear friend of Sgt. Lindsay Boxer, is suspected.

At the same time the back yard of a world famous movie star is yielding the heads of murder victims.  Did the movie star commit the crimes or is someone else committing the gruesome murders?

All during the investigations, Crime Reporter Jason Blayney is making life miserable for the SFPD by reporting actual cases sprinkled with lies and false accusations. He makes sure that Lindsay is the “star” of his columns about the ineffectiveness of the police department.

"Difficult" fiction still important

[By Cynthia Becker]

The Nation has a great article on the virtues of difficult fiction: http://www.thenation.com/article/the-democracy-of-difficult-fiction/

It made several great points. Here are a few:

1. ... Great writers have a way of solidifying “the vague ideas that have been tumbling in the misty depths of our minds.”

While it's true that fiction books are not necessarily full of "facts" like nonfiction, they still have a lot to offer the world. Novels can be essentially limitless in their ideas, and they can be great observations of human behavior. They can point out new ideas and ways at looking at the world and can help you improve your own life, making you consider your outlooks on life.

2. Online reading invites quick glances; Mikics prefers the “silent, fascinated absorption” that comes with careful reading of a worthy book.

Not that online reading and social media don't have their place, but they are often about headlines. They are quick jabs that ask "can you believe this?" People often quickly click through them and move on. They don't become absorbed in the reading materials they same way they can with a book. But thinking through reading is also important for stretching the mind. And not having the point of a story come too early also teaches patience. We don't always know the point of a story (or life) right away, but we continue on to see what happens.

3. Careful reading is difficult because it demands continuous learning. We have to work to learn new methods of reading in response to new methods of writing.

Authors who do not write in a formulaic way demand that we keep learning -- not only with the ideas discussed, but also with the actual sentence structure and vocabulary chosen. With this kind of reading, we must constantly evaluate it. And in turn, this helps us evaluate new ideas in general. Because of that learning, it is important that difficult literature still is written so that we can continue to experience it.

5th Horseman and 6th Target by James Patterson

[Guest Reviews by Shirley Ayres]

 

5th Horseman

(Women’s Murder Club Cases)

by James Patterson

Healthy patients in San Francisco’s Municipal Hospital, with minor ailments, are dying, one by one during the night, and are found the next morning with buttons on their eyelids. The victims' relatives sue, but the hospital is determined to shield its reputation at all costs, and an explosive court battle takes place.

At the same time, young women are being murdered, dressed in expensive designer clothing and posed in luxury cars. The two different cases has Lt. Lindsay Boxer working overtime.

Another good murder mystery. Very fast-paced and exciting. Good character development and interesting plots.

6th Target

(Women’s Murder Club Cases)

by James Patterson

 Lindsay Boxer is faced with two murder cases. The first is a shooting of five people on a ferry just as it docks. Four people are dead, and one is seriously wounded. The killer runs away and a massive search ensues.

The second case is the kidnapping of a little girl and her nanny. The kidnapping turns into murder but which of the victims is killed. The child? The nanny? Both?

Another good police drama. I really love the Women’s Murder Club series.