Maisie Dobbs (WWI) Reading LIst: Introduction

I began reading the Maisie Dobbs mystery series when the first volume came out in 2003 and I kept up pretty faithfully through the fourth novel.  The series follows Maisie, a young woman who began as a servant for a wealthy family in London, yet was educated at Cambridge and later served as a nurse in WWI.  Although most of the stories are set after World War I, the war is usually a pivotal event in unraveling the mystery.  Here is the author's web site:  http://www.jacquelinewinspear.com/maisie-dobbs.php

Recently @BookClubGirl on Twitter began tweeting about Maisie and  I found my way to her blog. I know I am not alone in my lack of education about WWI and the decade after--a commenter said, "Someone should make a reading list", and the rest is history, (or geography, as Terry Pratchett would say.

Here is the general Maisie Dobbs Background Reading List--and yes, I am a nerdy librarian who is interested in almost everything. I have made a basic Maisie list because some of the history and themes crop up in each book, so far.   I tried to choose books that I thought would be somewhat easily available and I mentioned when they might be a little more difficult.  If you really want a title and are having trouble finding it, go to your library (public, college, or whatever) and ask if they can get it for you from interlibrary loan.  You can also go to http://www.worldcat.org/ and find out whether a library close to you has a copy.  Well, this intro is so long I think I will actually put the list in the next post to break it up.

One of my Favorite Iron Chefs Takes on Cooking for a Family

When Cat Cora is on Iron Chef, I always find myself rooting for her. She creates amazing dishes at lightning speed and is always cool under pressure. Honestly, though, who really cooks those sorts of things? Her latest cookbook, Cat Cora's Classics with a Twist: Fresh Takes on Favorite Dishes gives us a glimpse of what she cooks for her family. As in most families, Cat goes to classic favorites over and over, but updates them with new flavors to keep the meals both interesting and family friendly. The end result is recipes that please both adults and children. This is a cookbook that cooks will reach for over and over, virtually cooking their way through from beginning to end. Highlights (so far): Chicken Soup with Coconut, Fresh Basil and Chiles, which is great paired with Cilantro Slaw with Sauteed Garlic; and Sweet Potato Clam Chowder with Bacon, served with Corn Bread. Best of all, Cat shows cooks that they can take steps to update their own families' favorites and make them new and fresh. I originally got this cookbook as a e-book review copy, but this is one that I will need to go out and buy myself!

Vegetarian Times

I actually wrote this a few years ago, but we are revisiting vegetarianism again in my family so I decided to repost it to give a frame of reference for future posts. In a fit of family solidarity and madness, I agreed to become vegetarian for lent. My son wanted to try eating a lacto-ovo vegetarian diet, motivated by two vegetarian friends. Did I mention they are girls, and he is in high school? Being a supportive mother, I decided that any move towards healthy eating was definitely a move in the right direction. His middle-school sisters also wanted to become vegetarian for lent (and my husband declined). I decided that I would occasionally add seafood to my diet. At first we were very enthusiastic and we have had some great meals at home. Going out to eat caused problems: Did you know that a Wendy’s Caesar salad has bacon on it? I was ok with anchovies in the dressing, but the bacon bits were very irritating. At Applebees, I ended up ordering a fried chicken salad with the chicken on the side (for my husband’s lunch the next day). I have eaten a lot of pasta at my favorite Italian restaurant, which is never a bad thing. Now, we are all ready for some meat, but are holding firm to our commitment—some of us are more firm than others. The daughters have joined me in eating a few seafood meals, but my son believes in finishing what he started. It has been good for us to stretch ourselves a little. We discussed the different reasons people choose vegetarianism and examined our values regarding food. We may be eating steak for Easter, but I think our vegetarian lent may make some permanent changes in our eating.

The Principle of the Path

Sometimes I come across a book that I think will be just what I need, but then I stubbornly let it sit on the shelf for weeks and months (years?). Andy Stanley's The Principle of the Path was just such a book. I got it when I was in the the throes of change and crisis. I, along with all my co-workers, lost my job and I was midway through finishing a masters degree. I felt frustrated that my steps to get my life going in the right direction professionally were being challenged through forces beyond my control. I wasn't ready for a message about "getting on track".

This book reminded me that as I chose my path I was setting myself up for certain consequences--good or bad. It was therefore important to keep God's principles in mind. The problem is that so many choices are morally neutral (I don't like that phrase, but I can't come up with anything better). This book doesn't promise easy answers, but at least it reminds me to ask the hard questions.

First Novel by Lis Wiehl

Since I am revamping my blog, I decided to repost a few reviews rather than discard them.

Since I am working and in grad school and have four kids, I don't have much time to read mysteries, much as I love them. When I saw Lis Wiehl on Bill O'Reilly talking about her new novel, Face of Betrayal, I wanted to read it now, not wait for the short break between classes. When I managed to get my hands on an advance copy, I made time to read it right away.

I love listening to Lis's opinions and hoped her novel would feature strong, smart women like her. The three main characters, Allison, Nicole and Cassidy, are smart and dedicated, but not superwomen. They struggle with everyday life issues while doing their jobs. In this book, their jobs all relate to a missing 17 year old girl, Katie. The story is told in the present, with Katie's blog entries giving us somewhat cryptic "flashbacks". This worked very well, although one non-blog flashback confused me for a moment. It would have been better to keep with the blog format to fill in earlier information, or to reveal the information in the present.

Face of Betrayal brought up issues of politics, hypocrisy, abusive relationships and the secrets that people keep from their families and friends. That is a tall order. I wish these themes would have been more fully developed--I know it would have been a much longer book, but some issues seemed to be tied up too quickly in the end.

When I finished the book, I discovered discussion questions (I need to remember to look in the back for these, since they are more and more common). I also found that a sequel is in the works and I am looking forward to it. I would like to know more about Nicole, Allison, and Cassidy.

LaHaye and Jenkins Should Stick to Fiction

I read this because it was chosen for a group study and I was NOT a fan. I really wanted to find a book that outlined the various views of end-time events according to scripture. Dr. Tim LaHaye and Jerry Jenkins had a great opportunity to direct their "Left Behind" fans to serious Bible Study when they wrote "Are We Living in the End Times? ("A Left Behind Book", according to the back cover). Instead, they put out a poorly researched pop theology book that mocks Christians who hold other views ("yo-yo type of rapture" p. 106) and quotes the author's past work and people from his own organization as his experts. The book is full of phrases such as "it is obvious" and "there can be no doubt" assurances on one hand and "we would not be surprised" and "who is to say" conjecture on the other. I was also put off by the use of excerpts of their fictional work at the beginning of the chapters. It added an air of fiction to what was supposed to be a non-fiction work. Their pages of ads for the series and the video game(!) at the end of the book had the same effect. I was actually hoping for an index at the back so I could easily return to subjects I wanted to study. I finished the book feeling no less uncertain about what I believe, but wanting to disagree with the authors simply out of frustration with their handling of the subject. Unfortunately, my Bible study is using the book for a discussion so I cannot throw it out yet; I am still looking for a good book on the subject.

Faith and Pop Culture

Sometimes I feel like I too easily accept whatever entertainment the culture sends my way—although my kids may feel that I am a too-strict guardian about what comes into my house. I struggle to know where to draw the line. Faith and Pop Culture, part of the Christianity Today Study Series, examines various aspects of today’s entertainment culture, from movies, videogames and TV to books and sports. I am always looking for books for my small group to study together and this eight-week study is one I will definitely suggest. Faith and Pop Culture begins each chapter with an essay or article about the week’s topic. Readers then reflect on their views about such entertainment as violent video games, for example. I love that readers are directed toward scripture in order to clarify their beliefs and are challenged to put them into practice. It makes me reconsider what I watch, read, listen to, etc. Recently I noticed that a Wii videogame we play (rated for ages 10 and up) had characters swearing and giving the crowd the finger when they won. I didn't even notice for the first few times I played. Do we give away the game, or just turn down the volume and opt to not play the player with the rude gestures? Why is it so hard to just toss the game?