Because I was unable to renew from the library and had put it on the bottom of the pile. I may resurrect at some point because I enjoyed the first 2 chapters and the interview with the author I heard on NPR.

The story is set in Buffalo in 1901 just prior to the Pan American Exposition and President McKinley’s assassination. The hydro power of nearby Niagara Falls is being harnessed to produce electricity and a worker from the power plant dies under suspicious circumstances.

Headmistress Louisa Barrett investigates and shows us the ins and outs of society at that time.

Someone recommended this book to me the week before I visited Buffalo for the first time so I ran out to pick it up only to find a signed copy in my packet of conference materials!

Buffalo is rich with historical buildings and stories – everywhere we turned was the first of this or the best of that. Buffalonians have tons of civic pride.

This book really appealed to me because it described local places and confirmed stories I was hearing on tour. This is Lauren Belfer’s first novel and it drags in places, but I enjoyed it and would recommend.

Couldn’t get into it. Will have to try it again because someone loaned it to me but right now I’m reading 3 other books.

Worth consuming on an 8 hour drive. This book is number 15 in the Stephanie Plum series. She is a fiesty, accident prone bounty hunter torn between 2 men – the mysterious Ranger and the familiar but sexy Joe Morelli.

The regular side kicks and co-workers appear and this one is even more formulaic than the rest. How many times do you let someone you are taking to the police station use the bathroom or change their clothes only to have them jump out the window, run away and fire bomb your car before you realize that you should cuff them right away? I mean, please.

However – it was entertaining and made the drive pass quickly so I’m going to say “Worth Consuming”.

Loaned to my sister

My aunt’s book club is reading this book. Her description of what she referred to as liguality or the fact that each page has its own translated glossary (Italian to English) while retaining the original writing intrigued me.

However – the copy at my local library was all English – not a hint of Italian – a little disappointing.

The book is written from the standpoint of an elderly grandmother in Italy writing letters she doesn’t send to the estranged granddaughter she raised who is in America. She tells the story of her life and struggles and choices by way of explanation of some of the causes of their separation.

Her basic message is “know thyself” and “va’ dove ti porta il cuore” or “follow your heart”

The vacationing Gavin brought this book with him from London and left it behind as too heavy and awkward to carry back. His discard was my gain. Although this is the 2nd book in the Matthew Shardlake series, it was easy to pick it up and read out of order in the series.

Shardlake is a hunchback lawyer in 1540 London during the Reformation who becomes embroiled in politics and mysteries. The characters and the story lines are interesting and I really enjoyed the description of every day life and circumstances in that time period. Sansom definitely got me interested in learning more about the history of that time so luckily there is a Historical Note.

Now 0 do I go backwards to read Dissolution the 1st in the series or forward to Sovereign the next?

Someone brought this dip to the 4th of July party this past weekend and I could not move away from the table. Note to self – do not recreate at home because you will eat it non-stop!

Ingredients:

8 oz cream cheese, softened

6 oz sour cream

6 oz crumbled blue cheese (I used gorgonzola)

8 oz cooked chiken, chopped (I used Perdue Short Cuts)

1/2 cup Franks Red Hot Buffalo Sauce

8 oz sharp cheddar, shredded

Directions

Preheat oven to 350F. Combine 1st 5 ingredients in baking dish. Bake 30 minutes. Tops with cheese and bake or broil additional 5 minutes or until melted and bubbly.

Serve with celery and carrot sticks and/or tortilla chips.

Neither lead was an actor & it was filmed in 17 days on a major budget so I can’t get too picky about the quality (although I did have to turn on the subtitles). I loved the music which is a good thing because basically it was just 1 long extended music video.

2 favorite scenes:

bq. When the demo is completed in the studio and the engineer takes them out for a “car test” to see how it sounds on what he calls shitty speakers

When the guy plays the demo for his dad who listens quietly with no expression on his face then proclaims it “f-ing brilliant” and asks to hear it again.

Knots and Crosses was the first book in this excellent series by Ian Rankin. It was published in 1987 and set in Edinburgh introducing then Sargent Rebus and his city – charming yet broken at the same time.

20 years and 19 books later and Exit Music follows now DI Rebus’ last case before retirement. They are both older and in many ways better. Familiar themes and people (and bars) abound. Even at the end Rebus is always the rebel and finds himself suspended just days before he retires. Does that stop him from working the 3 different yet somehow related cases? No way.

And the end is a cliffhanger so look for book 20…