The Arctic Patrol Mystery By: Franklin W. Dixon

I really enjoyed this one.  Iceland is te setting for this missing person/espionage case. Frank, Joe, Chet and Biff and their new Icelandic friend, Gummi, work to find a missing astronaut, an insurance recipient and international criminals!  All in a week's work for our intrepid detectives!

Mystery of the Whale Tattoo By: Franklin W. Dixon

Two mysteries that turn out to be part of one larger conspiracy have the Boys winging their way between Bayport, Connecticut and Hollywood. Add a dash of of the history of the art of scrimshaw and the various types of whales and you've got a whale of a tale! 

The Secret Agent on Flight 101 By: Franklin W. Dixon

 

You can tell that although the Hardy's never age, the adventures follow the times.  This is very much a 1960's spy thriller and has a bit more sophistication in it's plotting than others in this series.  So even though Joe and Frank are still in their late teens, their adventures are decidedly a little more adult.

Visit to a Small Planet By: Gore Vidal

I've always loved Gore Vidal's writing and this play is no exception.  A sci-fi, comedy/satire that is as charming as it is bizarre. And despite it's subject matter, or maybe because of it-this seemingly innocuous piece is actually thought-provoking.

 

My Client Curley By: Norman Corwin

A satire on the svengali trope told in a most original manner, and redemption comes in the form of a butterfly. 

Parents are People By: M. Jerry Weiss

An interesting and low key look at the plight of parents everywhere. Somehow, Weiss manages to, in a short play, illustrate the age old question of how to maintain one's individuality once one becomes a "Mom" or a "Dad". 

Quare Medicine By:Paul Green

This one a was a little tough to get into-may have been the dialect I couldn't quite get used to, and I found it predictable. Not, great, not horrible, just sort of middle of the road.

The Feast of the Ortalans By: Maxwell Anderson

A drama set at the time of the French Revolution.  A deeply ironic piece set at a posh dinner party, that doesn't end well for the host or his guests.  As a fan of irony and come-uppence I thoroughly enjoyed this short play!

The Triumph of the Egg By: Sherwood Anderson

I found this one to be deeply poignant and sad. A family trying to better itself and not being able to catch a break. Heartbreaking.

Suppressed Desires By: Susan Glaspell

An uproarious look at one woman's obsession with the new fad of psychoanalysis and the havoc she inadvertently sets loose on her husband and sister. The subtle come-uppence she receives at the end is not to be missed!

The Happy Jouurney to Trenton and Camden By: Thornton Wilder

A family takes a car journey to visit another family member a few towns away.  Doesn't seem like much, but it is a simple celebration of life and family in the midst of the mundane and the painful.  Wilder is the master of presenting simple people with simple lives as fascinating and worthy of our attention as other playwrights do with extraordinary characters in extraordinary circumstances.

 

The Case of the Crushed Petunias By: Tennessee Williams

I don't know how I missed this little gem by Tennessee Williams.  I thought I'd read everything by him, but apparently not!  Using a double wall of petunias to shield herself from the world, Dorothy Simple, still couldn't manage to keep Life out.  A bit tongue in cheek, this delightful short play puts forth the case for life by killing some petunias.

Coming Through the Rye By: William Saroyan

Saroyan manages to pack a lot to think about in a really short play. It's so brilliant in its simplicity and so affective! The last moments of the play are so packed with meaning and poignant. This short piece was such a surprise! 

Watership Down By: Richard Adams

I can't believe I waited until my mid 50s to read this classic!!! A stunning look at survival and community, as told through a bunch of rabbits. Adams' manages to infuse his animals with humanity without losing their animality, making the reading care deeply (yes I cried!) for theses rabbits. Tense, uncomfortable, and loving this story is a classic for a reason!

My Top Ten Books I've Read in 2024

 My Top Ten Books I've Read in 2024:

 

#10: The Most Dangerous Thing  By: Laura Lippman

This was so not what I expected! In reading it I felt it was an interesting story of childhood friends growing older and apart. This lulled me into a sort of complacency so that the ending of the story sucker punches you in the worst and best ways! Tautly written and told from several point of views this thriller is as deceptive as it is simple.

 

#9: The Midnight Library  By: Matt Haig

A dark novel that takes on depression and life through the lens of the themes of The Wizard of Oz and It's a Wonderful Life in a unique and wholly original way. Quite stunning in it's beauty and simplicity.

 

 

#8: The Art Thief: A Ture Story of Love, Crime and a Dangerous Obsession  By: Michael Finkel

An unbelievable tale of a real-life art thief, who is unlike any art thief you could imagine. Stealing in broad daylight from occupied museums, auction houses, art faires and churches simply to admire the art. Not to fence it and make money. Reading about his crimes is truly extraordinary. Finkel's way of presenting the information without judgement is an amazing feat of reporting and writing.

 

#7: A Little Life  By: Hanya Yanagihara

A very difficult book to get through. A great number of unlikable or difficult characters to have to sit with, and yet completely engrossing. A story of a decades long friendships, love and loss. This novel is not for the faint of heart. There is massive trauma discussed (in great detail) which makes for uncomfortable reading. The psychological issues at play are deep and complicated, for the characters, and the reader. Yet at it's core this is a story of love-deep love, that goes beyond friendship, that goes beyond romantic love, beyond parental love. Quite a stunning book!

 

#6: Lionhearts  By: Nathan Makaryk

This is the second book in the Nottingham series, and there had better be a third book!! This continuation of the re-imagining of the Robin Hood myth is better than the first book, which by the way, was amazing! The writing is sharper, the human and humane aspects of the characters are more focused and the action is stunning. The sociological points interwoven into the narrative are wonderfully and subtly done. Pay particular attention to the writing in Chapter 61-it is the most brilliant, haunting and harrowingly beautiful depiction of what it's like to be in the midst of a war from the viewpoints of the people in the field. AMAZING!!!

 

#5: The Winners  By: Fredrik Backman

The conclusion of the Beartown series, is just as brilliant, as the first two books. Backman has an extraordinary ability to create not characters, but people. The populations of Beartown and Hed are living, breathing, feeling flawed and wonderful people, and we, the reader, have been lucky enough to visit with them. We've been moved by their tragedies, we've been amazed by their selfishness and immaturity, horrified by their lack of humanity, and awed by their humanity. Backman is an astonishing conduit of the human condition and we are all the better for his work.

 

#4: The Candid Life of Meena Dave  By: Namrata Patel

Oh, what a delight it was to spend time with Meena and the residents of the Engineer's Building! If you haven't read this charming, moving and delicious novel about coming into one's own and the meaning of family, then you have missed out on one of the great joys in life!

 

#3: The Snow Child  By: Eowyn Ivey

Not what I was expecting at all! This should have been a depressing, and bleak story, and it was anything but! A retelling of a popular Russian fairy tale, The Snow Child is written with such tenderness and love that despite the action in the book, the reader always feel light, joy and hope. A tender and loving handling of beautiful characters in challenging circumstances make this a wondrous read!

 

#2: All Sinners Bleed  By: S.A. Cosby

This deserves 10 stars!!!  Cosby's beautiful choice of words and phrases are a perfect counterpoint to the very real darkness, anger and violence in his stories. Titus is a protagonist everyone can, and should get behind.  Like all of Cosby's other works, you'll want to read straight through to the end, while at the same time resisting the urge to do so, because you don't want it to end. Cosby's work is necessary, real and all around perfect!

 

#1: Falling and Drowning  By: T. J. Newman

Falling: I can't even express how brilliant this book is! Original in it's premise, this is a thriller that will stay with the reader for a long time. Exceptional characters that you will fall in love with, tension that will ratchet up your blood pressure, moments or levity, terror, suspense, hope and overwhelming joy (sometimes all within the span of two paragraphs), will make you want to read quickly to find out what happens next, and yet will make you want to put the book down so you an calm yourself and catch your breathe. I haven't read a thriller that has affected me so much in quite a long time. If you haven't read this book, do so!

 

Drowning: Damn, T.J. Newman can write a story!!! No Sophomore slump here. As with her first book , this second one starts off with a bang... a literal one as a plane's engine explodes, and Newman keeps exploding her plot as the reader gets sucked into the story. Relentless in it's pacing, Newman's story is populated with everyday people, who become extraordinary because of the circumstances with which they are forced to deal. With only two books under her belt, Newman has mastered the art of creating vivid characters and her imagination and storytelling ability are outrageously brilliant!

Shadow Prey By: John Sanford

This one was okay.  I felt the love affair was completely unnecessary  and didn't add to the story.  It was predictable in it's outcome, and I was rooting for the "bad" guys to triumph.

 

The Worst Case Scenario Travel Handbook By: Joshua Piven and David Borgenicht

I found this on my book shelf-apparently it was a gift from one of my colleagues as an apology after she did something wrong.  I never read t until now.  I thought it was going to be some tongue-in-cheek, joke type book...Nope.  This is in fact a survival guide for most every eventuality you can think of while traveling. Have to admit, it kept my attention and is as enjoyable as reading about how to treat a severed limb or being taken hostage can be.

On Bullshit By: Harry G. Frankfurt

A treatise on the definition and meaning of bullshit.  A bit tongue in cheek and ultimately total bullshit!

 

The Life and Adventures of Santa Claus By: L. Frank Baum

This is my third time reading this delightful and charming origin story.  Baum's wistful love of his subject comes through in this pagan-fairy tale of how Neclaus became Saint Nicholas with the love and support of the nature immortals.  Simply charming! 

A Home at the End of the World By: Michael Cunningham

A poetic and achingly beautiful tale of what family means; what home means and finding oneself literally and figuratively in the most unlikely of lives.  Just beautiful!