Lord John and the Brotherhood of the Blade by Diana Gabaldon

Lord John and the Brotherhood of the Blade by Diana Gabaldon
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Thoroughly enjoyed listening to this book. The posh english speech of Lord John and brother Hal is wonderfully counterpointed to the various accents of the lower class characters. Highly recommend the story - warning some explicit sex.

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GoodReads best of 2011 poll

2011 Goodreads Choice Awards: Favorite Book of 2011 Vote now for your favorite books!

Madam Bovary by Gustave Flaubert

Madame Bovary: by Gustave Flaubert
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

This new translation of Madame Bovary by Lydia Davis won the French-American Foundation Translation Prize. I realized that I had not read it before. I recommend finding a copy of this edition (1010)to read. As I read, I alternated between pity for Madame Bovary and anger at her romantic notions that led to her downfall. I felt that her husband should have been more aware of her, her emotions and her actions. She lived in a fantasy, where she denied inconvenient realities - a little like Scarlet O'Hara.

There is much more to this French literary masterpiece, which will take me some time to absorb.

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V is for Vengeance by Sue Grafton

V is for Vengeance by Sue Grafton
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Sue Grafton's latest in her alphabet series. Kinsey is hired to investigate the supposed suicide of a local woman. The story is a complicated mix of the mob, a shoplifting ring, and an unhappy housewife.

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Steve Jobs by Walter Isaacson

Steve Jobs by Walter Isaacson
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

I am not an apple user. But Steve Jobs is an iconic figure of our generation. He's one of the original "invented it in the garage" people. Jobs genius was seeing the potential of computerized products. He insisted in a top to bottom design that would delight the user. Isaacson began spending time with Jobs, interviewing family members, colleagues, and enemies in 2009 with the complete cooperation of Jobs. He gives us a frank assessment of Steve Jobs' achievements, failures, and personality. The book is very readable, but a bit of a project.

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Arc of Justice by Kevin Boyle

Arc of Justice: A Saga of Race, Civil Rights, and Murder in the Jazz Age by Kevin Boyle
My rating: 2 of 5 stars

Kevin Boyle's Arc of Justice includes a large amount of backstory. After the precipitating events, he writes what is essentially a biography of Ossian Sweet, the Black Detroit physician who buys a bungalow in a white neighborhood in 1925. He invites several friends and his brothers to stay at the house when a white mob arrives to drive the Sweets out. They are well-armed. Shots are fired from the house, and a white man is killed. All of the occupants of the Sweet house are arrested and put on trial for murder. The NAACP sends attorneys, and eventually persuades the famous Clarence Darrow to lead the defense team. The trial is covered in great detail.

Actually, all of the information in the book proved useful in understanding the events of the time, but it should have been condensed. It was assumed the reader knew nothing about the racial situation in Detroit before WWII. I'm sure people who don't know much about Detroit race relations will not be reading the book anyway.

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Steve Jobs by Walter Issacson

Now Reading:  Steve Jobs by Walter Isaacson.  Only on p.119 - very long, but very readable.

Double Dexter by Jeff Lindsay

Double Dexter by Jeff Lindsay
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

I forget how different the TV series is from the books. In Lindsay's books, Dexter is very introspective. He goes on and on thinking about himself - how he can find his stalker, how he can fit in with normal humans, what is going on with Rita. The stalker - the double - almost outsmarts Dexter. For as smart as he thinks he is, he is very slow to catch on.

Still worth reading. Interesting to see Dexter's life with Rita and the kids.

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Arc of Justice by Kevin Boyle

Arc of Justice: A Saga of Race, Civil Rights, and Murder in the Jazz Age by Kevin Boyle


This book is the Great Michigan Read book for 2012. It is about a Black family who moved into a white neighborhood in Detroit in 1925. Dr. Osian Sweet gathered relatives and friends in the house to protect it from the White mob outside. Shots were fired, and a White man died. Sweet, his wife, and friends were all arrested and charged with murder.

A serious event in the Civil Rights movement and in Michigan.

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The Reservoir by John Milliken Thompson

The Reservoir by John Milliken Thompson
My rating: 2 of 5 stars

I like mysteries set in places I have been - in this case Richmond, VA - whether present day or in the past. So far I'm not liking this one, but intend to keep with it a while longer.

Gave it up. I think because the mystery was too rambling - you already think you know who the murderer is. If it's not, then so be it. May try it again later.

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Moneyball by Michael Lewis

Moneyball: The Art of Winning an Unfair Game by Michael Lewis
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

Haven't seen the movie yet - but the book is very matter-of-fact. Lewis tells the story of Billy Beane's new approach to baseball. As GM of the Oakland Athletics, Beane uses his limited budget to select cheap players who have particular assets. For instance, Beane and his statistical genius assistant determine that on-base percentage is more important than RBI or slugging percentage; also that walks are more important than strike outs. Pitchers are valued by their ability to get outs no matter how, than ERA. If you are interested in baseball, a worthy read. I, of course, can't wait to see Brad Pitt in the movie.

I can recommend Michael Lewis. I have read Liar's Poker: Rising Through the Wreckage on Wall Street, The Big Short: Inside the Doomsday Machine, abd The Money Culture.

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Lord John and the Private Matter

Lord John and the Private Matter by Diana Gabaldon
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

I listened to Lord John and the Private Matter. I enjoyed the story but the best part was listening to the reader, Jeff Woodman, with his oh-so-posh British accent. I'm not sure reading it would have been the same experience. Am now listening to .

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