Just Deceits: A Historical Courtroom Mystery

by Michael Schein

I love reading books that introduce me to pieces of history that I never knew about. I also love books that inspire me to do research along the way to verify if the history being presented is accurate. And I love a good courtroom drama. This book has all of that!

The unknown history deals with the trial of Richard Randolph and his sister-in-law Nancy Randolph. In 1792 they were accused of having an adulterous affair resulting in an unwanted pregnancy, birth and murder of said baby in order to avoid scandal. They hired as their attorney the young John Marshall, who was subsequently joined by the more mature Patrick Henry. All these well-known historical figures involved in an obscure yet scandalous legal battle. Richard Randolph, his wife, two brothers and Nancy lived on an estate named Bizarre, so this story originating from that property shouldn't come as a surprise as so much of these happenings are bizarre. This story is adapted from trial notes, public records and letters from that time. The trial itself contains some gottcha's on par with Presumed Innocent and similarly leaves the reader questioning the verdict.

Although the writing is a bit immature (it does improve along the way), Just Deceits is a debut novel  for Schein and it shows promise for future material. It was a free Amazon download when I got it, but is currently available for only $.99. This changes my negative experiences with free downloads, one out of five worth reading. Odds of success are still iffy.

I am being lenient in my rating because I'd like to encourage this guy to write some more.

Great Expectations

by Charles Dickens

You may remember about 6 months ago I mentioned some friends' debate over Dickens' literary genius.  One said A Tale of Two Cities was his greatest work while the other lobbied for Great Expectations. I was so intrigued over this controversy that I determined to read each novel and decide for myself which I would endorse if asked. Unfortunately, I'm not sure I could choose. I liked both books and they are so different it may depend on your genre preference.

Great Expectations is a coming of age story as recalled by the main character, Pip. It begins with his encounter as a youth with a convict who coerces Pip's assistance. As he grows up he is taken under the wing of a reclusive old lady whose relationship creates in him a desire for advancement. His dream of improvement is realized when he is bequeathed a great expectation, which eventually turns sour. It is a rags to riches to rags story.

Here is what I found in favor of Great Expectations: the story is engaging from the start, the themes are obvious and the language is generally easier to understand.

Here is what I favored in A Tale of Two Cities: the history, the relationships and the sacrifices.

Both books have great characters, strong writing and some unexpected plot twists.

So cast your vote, if you can. Which would you pick?

Catching Up, Final

Good Reads!

Fried Green Tomatoes at the Whistle Stop Cafe by Fannie Flagg
I loved the movie but had never read the book, so I finally did. The problem with reading a book after seeing it on the big screen is that the characters and voices are already formed in your mind, even if they don't exactly match the book description. With this book, that was okay. The movie actually followed the book pretty closely, with a few additions and subtractions, but didn't change the overall message. It's worth reading even if you've already seen the movie, and if not, read it first.

The House of Mirth by Edith Wharton
House of Mirth is a commentary on the lives of the rich in 1900's NY society. At the age of 29, Lily Bart is unmarried and in dire financial straights. She is feeling pressure from her friends and her finances to get that done in a hurry, before she loses her beauty. Her goal is to "marry well." Although she has deep feelings for Mr. Selden, marrying him would eliminate her from the upper crust of society with whom she has forged all her relationships. Unfortunately, those eligible men who could maintain her desirable lifestyle are unappealing and unacceptable to her. She soon gets herself into a conundrum, when she takes a favor from her friend's husband and her intentions are misunderstood.
The book presents a number of contrasts (rich/poor, beauty/ugliness, popularity/outcasts), asks some valid questions even for today (Who are your friends? Is it better to have love w/o money or money w/o love?) and criticizes our tendency to judge people by their occupation, their address and their wealth. A great classic novel reminiscent of Jane Eyre. 

Catching Up, Part 2

The following books were interesting, but somewhat disappointing.

Galileo's Daughter by Dava Sobel
While this book does relate a general biography of Galileo's later years and his struggles with the Church in contrast to his scientific discoveries and beliefs, it doesn't really address his daughter much beyond he living conditions in the convent. The story is told in a very straightforward way, mainly stating facts and inserting letters written from Sour Maria Celeste (the daughter) to her father, which primarily detail her hardships as a nun and asking her father for money. I enjoyed reading about the controversy Galileo endured with the church and the betrayal of his friend, who became Pope Urban VIII. But overall, the book was rather dry.

Burning Bright by Tracy Chevalier
If you are reading this book to learn about William Blake, you will be sorely disappointed! In her previous novels, Ms. Chevalier uses an era, the culture and secondary characters to reveal the main character, but in this book you learn a lot about the fictional Kellaway and Butterfield families and about Philip Astley and his circus, but you learn almost nothing about Blake.
I like her writing style, the story is fun and easy to read and had it not been billed as historical fiction about Blake it would have gone over better.

Wolf Hall by Hilary Mantel
Although I liked this book, I didn't love it. Mantel tackles a much told tale from a different perspective, telling the story of Henry VIII's discarding of his first wife to marry Anne Boleyn from the perspective of Thomas Cromwell. The story begins with a brief history of Cromwell's youth and then follows his rise to becoming the right hand man to the King. I was intrigued by the debate between Henry and the Pope regarding nullifying his marriage, not realizing how lengthy the process was and all the negotiations that preceded that event. The author does a great job in keeping the star of the story as Cromwell, but also uncovering the nature of Henry, Anne, Catherine and many others who were close to the king and his court.
One big negative is that there are so many characters, many of them with the same name, that it is difficult at times to distinguish which Thomas or Mary or Henry the author is discussing. Sometimes a character is mentioned once, only to reappear 200 pages later and I had to go back in search of who this person was (not as easy on your Kindle). I also found this book to be a slow read, hundreds of pages with much of the same going on and never getting to "the good stuff," which I discovered half way through is in the sequel (helps to know in advance there is a book 2)! If you are a fan of historical fiction, you will like this segment of Henry's life.

Catching Up, Part 1

As promised, I am catching up on posting about my reading the past few months. I've contemplated the best way to accomplish this and here is what I've decided: I am not going to dedicate one post per book, but am dividing them into rating categories, partially because unless I post immediately, I lose the details, but mostly because it'll be easier for me.

I have a really hard time setting a book aside once I begin reading it. For some reason I feel an obligation to trudge through a book even though I am not enjoying it. Wish it weren't so, but if you have that same compulsion, here are two books to avoid:

12/21/12 by Larry Enright
Poorly written, end of life on earth story. No character development, unrealistic scenario and too predictable. Despite this, just when you start to accept what's going on, it's over! The end is abrupt and totally out of line with where the author begins to lead the reader.
This was a free Amazon download.... but don't be tempted. Even free, it isn't worth it.

Death of the Couch Potato's Wife by Christy Barritt
I should have known to quit reading when on page 2 the narrator divulges that she lives in a neighborhood called Dullington Estates in Boring, IN. After that, do I need to say more?
Another free Amazon download.... I'm sensing a pattern here.

Book Challenge 2013

Beth Fish Reads has just released the What's in a Name 6 book challenge for 2013.  Here is the overview:

1. A book with up or down in the title
2. A book with something you'd find in your kitchen in the title
3. A book with party or celebration in the title
4. A book with fire (or equivalent) in the title
5. A book with an emotion in the title
6. A book with lost or found in the title

Sign up and read!

Yes, I am reading!

I have been reading, but have not been posting. This semester has been a little hectic, as my classes changed from T/R to MWF, which required that I reconfigure my lesson plans and assignments. In addition, I've been wedding planning. So... even though I have continued to read,  I have found it difficult to take time to post. I'm tired all the time!

I recently found a speed reading app (Quickreader) and after taking the timed test discovered I read at the exact average adult WPM (250). So I decided to try some of the exercises to increase my reading speed because I'd really love to read faster.  Here is my problem: it makes me dizzy! I am hoping this phenomenon is merely a result of my being new to the task and will eventually go away, but so far I can't even seem to practice for the recommended 15 minutes at a time.

Another thing about the speed reading is that I don't want to minimize comprehension or lose the fun of the story. I read several comments from readers whose speed had increased to nearly 1000 WPM, but they lost the personal connection to what they read. For me there'd be no point to read! We'll see how it goes.