Last week I finished:
Miss Kopp's Midnight Confessions is the third in the Kopp Sisters series, books based on the life of the first New Jersey female deputy sheriff, Constance Kopp, and her sisters, Norma and Fleurette. In this installment, Constance is put into service working on behalf of two young women who were arrested on morality charges. I didn't know this was ever done. Young women were arrested for running away from home, cohabiting with men, and other "wayward" behavior. The girls differ greatly, one wanting only to earn money to help with the World War I war effort. The other just wants a different life than the one she lived with her parents, and she'll do whatever she has to in order to have it. A simultaneous plot is Fleurette skipping town to join a Vaudeville troupe, which doesn't quite turn out the way she'd planned. I think this is my favorite of the series so far. They are all very cozy, low-key novels, all well-written with nothing extraneous. The sisters are all very different from each other and independent and funny in their own ways. I was concerned that this one was getting too preachy in favor of the relaxing of morals, but it didn't veer too far into that category. All in all, this was a very enjoyable read, and I liked all of the characters. If you haven't tried one of these novels, I highly recommend them. They don't have to be read in order, but that doesn't hurt either. My rating: 4 stars.
I've been wanting to find a good decorating book for awhile--even though I'm approximately 1,295,637 issues behind in my decorating magazines subscriptions and probably could find some (free) inspiration there. I'd never heard of James T. Farmer III, but I really enjoyed his newest (released in August), A Place to Call Home. And now I'll be looking up his previous books. Farmer's expertise is the southern style of decoration--a traditional style, with an emphasis on family pieces, things that display local pride, and natural elements. The writing was cheerful, and it's obvious that he loves what he does. Granted, tastes in home decorating vary greatly, but if you enjoy the traditional style, I highly recommend this book. It's one of the few decorating books I've found in the last few years that I loved. My rating: 4 stars.
This week I'll finish:
I am within 100 pages of finished Bess W. Truman, and considering this one is 430 pages, and considering I've been reading it in small chunks, it feels like more of an accomplishment than most. I'll post a full review next week, but suffice it to say I'm not necessarily in love with the book.
I'll also finish Louis Jenkins' Before You Know It: Prose Poems 1970-2005 this week. This has been fun, but I've felt rushed having started it well into the month, and that may have taken some of the enjoyment out of it. Full post next week.
And then I'll begin:
I've had this one planned for well over a year. I've wanted to read a classic "horror" novel in October for years now, and I'm finally going to pick up Frankenstein. I'm so nervous that I won't like it, though I love the (original) movie. I'd hate to have waited this long to read it and then not like it.
My audiobooks
Because the library took so long to deliver Bill Bryson's The Life and Times of the Thunderbolt Kid from another library, last Saturday found me scouring the audiobook shelves for something to start while I waited for it. I chose The Oregon Trail which has been near the top of my TBR for ages. It's been a lot of fun to listen to, but the narration leaves something to be desired--and there's a ton of swearing. I'll post a full review next week. The Life and Times of the Thunderbolt Kid is finally in at the library (yay!), so I'll be starting it very soon.
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