Book Review: "See Also Murder: A Marjorie Trumaine Mystery" by Larry Sweazy

"See Also Murder: A Marjorie Trumaine Mystery" by Larry Sweazy
First published in 2015
250 pages
My rating: 2.5 out of 5
Image from Goodreads

The Short of It:
The unique main character and setting held promise, but the murder-mystery fell completely flat for me. Interesting story, terrible mystery. (I do love the cover, though!)

The Long of It:
As far as amateur sleuths go, Marjorie Trumaine is one of the most novel I've read about. In 1964, she lives with her husband, Hank -- who is paralyzed from the neck down after a hunting accident  -- on their rural North Dakota farm. To make extra money, she works as a professional indexer, creating indexes for the backs of nonfiction books, a perfect task for a booklover with an organized and analytical mind. Life has thrown a lot of challenges Marjorie's way, and her perseverance and take-it-as-it-comes attitude are admirable.

When her friends at the neighboring farm are horrifically murdered -- their throats slit while they slept -- Marjorie gets drawn into the into the investigation when the sheriff asks her to look into an element of Norse mythology found at the scene. Eventually, realizing she's the only person with all the pieces to the puzzle, she knows it's up to her to find the killer.

Interestingly, Marjorie creates an index to organize her thoughts when the time comes to solve the murder, which was completely new to me. I also liked that the book was set in a rural location in the '60s -- post-horse-drawn carriage and telegram, pre-computer -- which added an element of interest to the story. In this age of smartphones, can you imagine making a phone call on a party line where any of your neighbors could be listening in, with the quality of the call subject to the wind's swaying of the phone lines?

Unfortunately, despite the clever characterization and choice of location and time period, I didn't love this mystery in the end -- because the mystery didn't seem to be the focus of the story. It was like: meet Marjorie, indexer, farmer and wife to an invalid husband who, oh, just so happens to solve a string of grisly murders in her quiet North Dakota town. Hardly any detective work happened. And, once all was revealed, the killer's motive was barely explained and rather confusing. I didn't feel I got a satisfying conclusion to the mystery at all. I learned a lot about Marjorie, but not what drove a person to commit several murders.

I had a hard time choosing a rating for "See Also Murder." On the one hand, the writing was better than adequate (though there were a few times I was irritated by clumsy sentences or repetitive wording), Marjorie was an interesting and likeable main character, and the setting was unique. And I even learned something -- I really had no idea what goes into creating back-of-the-book indexes (and the author himself is a professional indexer by trade). But this book is advertised as a mystery -- it says so right in the title -- and I was wholeheartedly disappointed in that aspect.

I Judge Books By Their Covers: "The Bookseller"

Hello, my name is Lindsay, and I judge books by their covers.

Confession: I always judge books by their covers. A book's appearance -- from the artwork to the font to the colors to the texture to the weight and cut of the pages (I like the ragged-edged ones) -- is very important to me. And there are certain kinds of covers I like and certain ones I'd never pick up unless I was already planning to read the book. It's fascinating to see how covers change between editions -- hardcover and paperback, or U.S. and international. I'm always discussing book covers with my co-workers at the library, so I thought it would be fun to share some beautiful -- and awful -- covers here!

The cover on the left is the U.S. edition, the right is the U.K. version.

 The German version with the title "When I Woke Up."

As I mention in my review, half the reason "The Bookseller" caught my attention is that it's got the word "book" in the title and features a book on the cover. (The other half of the reason is that it's set in Colorado, my home state, in the '60s.) I wasn't overly wowed by Swanson's novel, but I thought it would be fun to compare covers.

Out of the three options, the U.S. cover is the one most likely to cause me to pick up the book and read the blurb if I saw it sitting on a shelf somewhere -- but it really doesn't do anything to tell the reader what the book is about. The main character owns a bookstore, but other than that books don't really come into play at all.

The U.K. cover gives the best idea of what the story is about -- the same woman living two very different lives. I don't hate the artwork, but it doesn't do much for me either. The vintage coloring conveys the appropriate time period, but it's not as aesthetically pleasing as the U.S. cover. I think it just needs more of something. (Or less of something? Maybe that bright aqua stripe down the front is distracting.)

The German cover -- WTF, Germany? I have absolutely no idea what any of that has to do with the story. A cityscape, some brightly colored polka dots, birds, flowers? However, the title (can someone tell me why they change these things?!) actually fits the story far, far better than "The Bookseller." It translates to "When I Woke Up," and it's fitting because the main character of the book is living in two worlds, a dream world she visits at night and her real life. On top of that, she's eventually "woken up" -- snapped out of the fog she's been living in.

I wish the book had the German title and some cross between the U.S. and British artwork. Mish-mash all three and you'd actually have a beautiful cover that gives the reader some clue as to what lies on the pages within!

Winner: ?
A cross between all three would be ideal.

Monday Musings

Highlight(s) of the week: Jarrod was gone for work this week and I definitely made the best of having the house to myself. Of course I miss him, but I did enjoy finally watching all of last season's "Downton Abbey" (can you believe there will only be one more season? Sniff, sniff...) and spending a shameful number of hours outside reading in my hammock.

I also did some online shopping this week and ordered this awesome Hermione Granger shirt that says, "When in doubt, go to the library." Is there a more perfect shirt to wear to work at the library? And I also ordered some Pilot Varsity fountain pens. I've been wanting to start writing my letters with a fountain pen for a while and I'm told these disposables are perfect starter pens.

Thinking: Can you believe it's August and that the summer is 2/3 over already? Ohio had such a cool, rainy start to the season and it's only now feeling like actual summer. I'm definitely enjoying the blue skies and copious sunshine -- and I wish we could just press pause! We have a busy month and a half ahead of us and before we know it, it'll be fall. This is our last summer in Ohio before we move to parts unknown next winter. I love Ohio summers and I'm trying to enjoy the mild nights, bountiful fireflies, beautiful wildflowers and all the sweet corn and delicious ice cream cones I can handle!

Reading: As I mentioned, this was a banner week for reading. I finished up the audiobook of "Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince" (I can't say enough about the awesome HP audiobooks!), finished "The Kill Artist" by Daniel Silva (ok), read "The Bookseller" by Cynthia Swanson (meh) and blew through "I'll Give You the Sun" by Jandy Nelson (surprisingly phenomenal). Now I'm reading "See Also Murder" by Larry Sweazy, set in the 1960s and about an indexer (literally, a woman who makes indexes for the back of books) and a murder mystery.

Knitting: Still working on my BlueSand Cardgian. It was coming out way to small so I ended up ripping the entire thing out and starting over last Monday. I was devastated, and I almost shed a tear over the whole fiasco! But now I'm back on track and almost caught up to the place I had been before disaster ensued.

Watching: I watched all of last season's "Downton Abbey," which was totally awesome, as well as "The Longest Ride," which was surprisingly good for a Nicholas Sparks movie. Not only was it the best Sparks movie I've seen (and, yes, I think I've seen them all), it was the best movie I've watched in a while. After I finished "Downton" I watched the first episode of another PBS series, "Mr. Selfridge." I wasn't totally hooked, though, so I'm not sure if I'll continue. I also watched "Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince" since I just finished the audiobook and was reminded of how different the movies are from the books. Ugh!

Eating:
Last week I mentioned that I made these blackberry cheesecake bars from the Pioneer Woman to take into work. Well, I saved a few for myself and I ate them alllll week. And they only got better with time. I highly recommend this recipe!

Quote of the week: "Books were my transport to the larger world, even though I'd castrated more hogs than I would like to admit, pulled weeds until my hands ached well into winter, and withstood the fickleness of North Dakota weather like every other farmer's wife I knew. Farm work was in my blood, but books had always been my first true love. They were my magic carpet ride to a normal life; my sanity." -- Marjorie Trumaine in "See Also Murder" by Larry Sweazy

Book Review: "The Bookseller" by Cynthia Swanson

"The Bookseller" by Cynthia Swanson
First published in 2015
336 pages
My rating: 3 out of 5
Image from Goodreads

I picked this novel up for two reasons: it's set in my home state of Colorado in one of my favorite time periods, the 1960s, and it has the word "book" in the title. How could I not give it a try?!

Overall, though, I was a bit underwhelmed by this story about what might have been, about grief, family and unforeseen challenges.

The year is 1962. Kitty is a single 38-year-old who owns a struggling bookstore in Denver with her best friend. She's fairly content with her life and resigned to being the slightly eccentric old maid, but when Kitty begins having some extremely realistic dreams in which she is Katharyn, married mother of three, she starts to think about how her life could've turned out differently. As she gradually begins to prefer her other life, in the big modern house with the handsome and devoted husband and the three adorable little kids, the line between dreams and reality becomes blurred. Eventually Kitty will have to choose -- face the harsh realities of her real life or live in the fictional world of her dreams?

While it's true that the story is not quite as straightforward as it seems, the plot  -- even with its revelations and twists -- didn't really wow me. I understand the message Swanson's work is meant to convey, and the writing was adequate, and it was a really fast read, but "The Bookseller" was just ok for me. Eventually everything comes together, but for most of the book we're just traveling back and forth with Kitty/Katharyn between her two lives while additional plot elements are slowly added to the mix. The whole thing was really kind of dull.

I wouldn't necessarily dissuade you from reading "The Bookseller" if you're already planning on it, but I wouldn't recommend this book either. There are so many books out there just waiting to be devoured, and it's always a bit of a bummer to read one that's "meh" (even if it is about a woman who owns a bookstore and is set in the best state in the Union) when you could've been reading one that's spectacular.

I Judge Books By Their Covers: "The Storied Life of A.J. Fikry"

Hello, my name is Lindsay, and I judge books by their covers.

Confession: I always judge books by their covers. A book's appearance -- from the artwork to the font to the colors to the texture to the weight and cut of the pages (I like the ragged-edged ones) -- is very important to me. And there are certain kinds of covers I like and certain ones I'd never pick up unless I was already planning to read the book. It's fascinating to see how covers change between editions -- hardcover and paperback, or U.S. and international. I'm always discussing book covers with my co-workers at the library, so I thought it would be fun to share some beautiful -- and awful -- covers here!

 The cover on the left is the U.S. paperback, the right is U.S. hardcover. (These are the two I discuss below.)

 The cover on the left is the Canadian hardcover, the right is the U.K. hardcover.

The U.K. paperback.

I'm only talking about the two U.S. covers -- they're definitely the best of these five editions.

"The Storied Life of A.J. Fikry" was one of my favorite books of 2014 (here's my review), and I really like both of these charming, whimsical covers. I had absolutely no problem with the original hardback version (what bookworm wouldn't like a drawing of a baby in a basket with a book!?), but when I first laid eyes on the paperback it was an instant favorite.

What a stroke of genius to put the original hardback cover on display in the bookshop window! Everything about the paperback cover is warm and inviting -- it makes me want to open up the book -- or better yet, walk into the painting and visit that welcoming, cheery little shop. The paperback cover stayed true to its predecessor -- pops of red on neutrals, lowercase letter Is, and a predominant book theme -- but there's so much more going on. The choice is easy -- the paperback is the clear winner here. How can it not be, when it incorporates the wonderful original cover and has a charm all its own? Do tell: which cover do you prefer?

Winner: U.S. paperback

(A few thoughts on the other editions pictured: the Canadian cover is pretty, but it's lacking a major element -- books (otherwise known as "which one is not like the others?")! The U.K. hardback cover definitely has some whimsical artwork and I do kind of like the wonky bookshelves, but overall it looks a little sloppy and cheap to me. And the U.K. paperback -- just meh. Doesn't do anything for me.)

Book Review: "The Kill Artist" by Daniel Silva

"The Kill Artist" by Daniel Silva
First in the Gabriel Allon series
First published in 2000
425 pages
My rating: 3 out of 5
Image from Goodreads

Gabriel Allon -- a former assassin for Israeli intelligence -- lives a quiet life as a highly sought-after art restorer. But a special job and an old enemy bring him out of retirement in this spy thriller, which, sadly, didn't really thrill me at all.

I kept expecting this to become a major page-turner, but the story never did grip me. I had to force myself to keep reading and I did a decent amount of skimming along the way. The book was written 15 years ago and the its major topics -- the Israel/Palestine conflict and Middle East terrorism -- have obviously changed a lot since then. I also thought the writing was bogged down with unnecessary descriptions and non-essential information. It definitely could've been 100 pages shorter.

I became interested in reading the Gabriel Allon series after seeing some of the newer books in the series come through the library where I work (like the brand-new release "The English Spy"), and I figured I might as well start at the beginning. I'm glad I did, so I have Gabriel's background info, but I'm now planning to skip ahead to the more recent books in the series.

P.S. What is up with the awful cover? That strange partial image of a face has no bearing on the story at all. Ugh!

11 Literary Characters Who Are Fellow Book Nerds

The subject of this week's Top Ten Tuesday listed, hosted by The Broke and the Bookish, is about characters after my own heart -- fellow book nerds! I had a great time compiling this list, and all these books are total winners (I mean, how could a novel with book-nerd characters not be?!). Who are your favorite literary book nerds/academics/writers/librarians/bookstore owners? (P.S. If you're interested in a very adventurous, very fascinating, not at all bookish woman, check out my review of Paula McLain's wonderful new novel, "Circling the Sun," which is out today!)

Diana Bishop of "A Discovery of Witches" is a brilliant academic who frequently visits Oxford's Bodleian Library. Hermione Granger, well, she needs no explanation -- but this quote from the first time we meet Hermione in "Sorcerer's Stone" about sums it up: "I've learned all our course books by heart, of course. I just hope it will be enough -- I'm Hermione Granger, by the way, who are you?"

Two adorable, lovable super-smart kids: Bee of "Where'd You Go, Bernadette," and Tanzie of "One Plus One." 

Lady Emily of Tasha Alexander's mysteries is a brilliant amateur sleuth who enjoys pastimes like translating works from Greek. One of the main characters of "Guernsey," Juliet Ashton is an author fond of letter-writing.

The protagonist of "The Storied Life of A.J. Fikry" owns a small independent bookstore, and one of the people who helps turn his doldrum-filled life around is Amelia, a publishing house sales representative. Skeeter, star of "The Help," is working as the Miss Myrna column writer for the Jackson Journal but she aspires to be a serious writer.

Mary Russell is a girl genius -- smart enough to attend Oxford University, oh yeah, and apprentice Sherlock Holmes! Josh Hanagarne of the memoir "The World's Strongest Librarian" works as a reference librarian in Salt Lake City.

This makes 11 but Holden Caulfield came to me after I had already put the rest of the list together (this is becoming a weekly problem!). This quote from Holden is one of my favorites: "What really knocks me out is a book that, when you're all done reading it, you wish the author that wrote it was a terrific friend of yours and you could call him up whenever you felt like it."