Weekly Mews: Bookish Mewsings and a September Birthday

I am linking up to the Sunday Post hosted by Kim of Caffeinated Book Reviewer and The Sunday Salon (TSS) hosted by Deb Nance of Readerbuzz  where participants recap our week, talk about what we are reading, share any new books that have come our way, and whatever else we want to talk about. I am also linking It's Monday! What Are you Reading? hosted by Kathryn of Book Date where readers talk about what they have been, are and will be reading.

  

 

This week, I finally finished reading Small Island by Andrea Levy. I was a little disappointed that no confetti fell from above when I read the last line. I also was able to fit in Sweep With Me (Innkeeper Chronicles #4.5) by Ilona Andrews. 

I currently am reading The Midnight Feast by Lucy Foley for my upcoming Mystery book club meeting and Nikki Payne's Pride and Protest. 

What are you reading right now?

My TBR List is hosted by Michelle at Because Reading. The 1st Saturday of every month, I will list 3 books from my TBR pile I am considering reading and let you vote for my next read during that month. My review will follow (unfortunately, not likely in the same month, but eventually--that's all I can promise).  

Thank you to everyone who voted in this month's TBR List Poll! The winning book stayed in the lead all week, although it was a close contest. 

The two books that did not win were tied most of the week, but Murder at the Wham Bam Club (Psychics & Soul Food Mystery #1) by Carolyn Marie Wilkins came in second with six (6) votes in the end, with Zomromcom (Supernatural Entanglements #1) by Olivia Dade receiving four (4) votes. Winning with seven (7) votes is The Bewitching by Silvia Moreno-Garcia!  I enjoyed Mexican Gothic by Moreno-Garcia and look forward to reading The Bewitching this month.

Thank you for voting!

Tuesdays with Morrie: An Old Man, a Young Man, and Life's Greatest Lesson by Mitch Albom
(Random House Audio, 1997; 3hr, 51m)
Source: Library

Am I the only parent who, upon hearing my daughter is reading a book for a class that I haven't read yet, picks up said book to read too? I have not done this every time (I still haven't gotten around to reading Holes) but I did reread The Outsiders last year because she was reading it in class. And this quarter, I decide to read Tuesdays with Morrie since she was reading it for school, especially since my library had a copy of the audiobook I could borrow. 

Maybe it was a grandparent, or a teacher, or a colleague. Someone older, patient and wise, who understood you when you were young and searching, helped you see the world as a more profound place, gave you sound advice to help you make your way through it.

Mitch Albom had not seen his college professor Morrie Schwartz for almost twenty years, but when he saw an interview of him on television in which Morrie talked about his Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS, also known as Lou Gehrig's Disease) diagnosis, Mitch decided to reach out to Morrie. The two began meeting regularly on Tuesdays, Mitch armed with his recorder to capture every word of Morrie's lessons on how to live. Morrie knew he was going to die but was not done teaching. His words, in part thanks to Mitch's memoir, would go on to inspire and offer comfort to generations of people, young and old.

The memoir, Tuesdays With Morrie, is sad in that it documents the final months of Morrie's life through Mitch's eyes (Lou Gehrig's Disease is cruel).  But it is also an inspiring story. Morrie had so much life and was so positive up until the end, even as he struggled to eat and could no longer care for himself. Mitch shares a little bit about his own experience, seeing his mentor deteriorate before him, but does not linger on those aspects long.

In the afterward of the 25th anniversary edition of the book, Mitch Albom explains that he wrote the book to help pay for Morrie's medical costs. The book ends with audio clips from conversations Mitch had with Morrie. It was very moving, hearing Morrie share some of his lessons in his own words.

My daughter's class is still working their way through this short memoir, and so she has not voiced an opinion on her reading experience yet. I look forward to hearing what she takes away from it when she is finished with it.

"Be compassionate," Morrie whispered. "And take responsibility for each other. If we only learned those lessons, this world would be so much better a place." 

He took a breath, then added his mantra: "Love each other or die." [excerpt from Tuesday with Morrie]

A Silence in Belgrave Square (A Below Stairs Mystery #8) by Jennifer Ashley
(Berkley, 2025; 311 pgs)
Source: Thank you to the publisher for sending me a e-copy via NetGalley for an honest review

I settled right into Jennifer Ashley's 8th book of the Below Stairs mystery series and it felt like coming home. This is by far one of my favorite historical mystery series. I am very attached to the characters and enjoy every moment spent with them, and this time was no different.

Valiant cook and amateur sleuth Kat Holloway must uncover the secrets of Victorian London’s most elite noblemen to save the man she loves.

It is not like Daniel McAdam to be so open with Kat about his upcoming mission, but with the stakes so high, Daniel hopes Kat will realize just how dangerous the situation is and stay far away. This is supposed to be his last mission for his boss, whose relationship with Daniel is contentious at best. Daniel should know better than assume warning away Kat will have any effect. But then again, he probably does know she will not be able to help herself. Kat enlists the help of an old friend to keep an eye on Daniel in a way she cannot. In the meantime, Kat has her own job as head cook to worry about, not to mention those blackmail letters that several of her friends and colleagues have been receiving. With a blackmailer to catch, a threat against the Crown to thwart, and now a murderer to catch (because there indeed was a murder), Kat and Daniel have their work cut out for them.

I especially enjoy seeing Kat put her connections to good use in getting into places and finding the answers she seeks. She's resourceful and well-respected among many across different classes. She doesn't see herself as better than those whose situation is not as good as her own. She knows all too well what it is like to be down on one's luck. In A Silence in Belgrave Square, we're reminded of some of those strong loyal friends Kat has made, whether it's them putting their trust in her, doing her a favor, or looking out for her.

Kat and Daniel's relationship through the series has been a slow burn romance, which I have enjoyed seeing unfold. The ever mysterious Daniel clearly adores Kat and will do anything for her. Even Grace, Kat's daughter has come to enjoy Daniel's visits when the three of them are able to be together. We have watched Grace grow over the course of the novels. She's growing into quite the young lady.

A Silence in Belgrave Square is full of moments that made me sigh in delight and gasp in concern as trouble came. This book felt like a turning point in the series, and I am eager to see the direction the author will take her characters in future books. 

Sweep with Me (Innkeeper Chronicles #4.5) by Ilona Andrews
(NYLA, 2020; 146 pgs)
Source: Own TBR

I feel like I am spoiling myself, reading books in two of my favorite series back to back. The Innkeeper Chronicles by Ilona Andrews is my favorite of this husband and wife writing team's books. In my dream life, I would be an Innkeeper to a sentient and magical house like Gertrude Hunt too.

It is Dina Demille who is, in fact, Innkeeper of Gertrude Hunt, a bed and breakfast in Red Deer Texas, along with her wolf shapeshifter boyfriend, Sean Evans. Gertrude Hunt is one of several special inns that serve as safe havens and portals between worlds. Treaty Stay is a special holiday for Innkeepers, one that celebrates the ancient treaty that united the Inns and set the rules for the Inns in an effort to protect them, their intergalactic guests, and those on Earth, most of whom are unaware of the planets and worlds beyond their knowledge. This time of year, on Treaty Stay, Innkeepers are unable to turn away guests, and so it is with open, however reluctant, arms Dina and Sean welcome their latest guests, and, of course, everything goes array. Or, at least some things do. Seeing Dina in her element is one of my favorite parts of the series. She has to put out several fires, get creative in helping her guests find solutions to their problems, including her own chef Orro, who loses faith in himself when he cannot make a fast food hamburger taste as bad as the real thing. Then there is the human determined to get into Gertrude Hunt to confront one of Dina's more distinguished guests--the lengths his hired help go through and the trouble they face was quite entertaining! Dina has her own worries, concerned that her connection with Gertrude Hunt is not as strong as it once was. Sweep with Me was full of humorous moments (space chickens, anyone?) and several touching ones too. I hated that Sweep with Me was so short. I am never ready to leave Dina's world.

Small Island by Andrea Levy
(Picador, 2004; 441 pgs)
Source: Own TBR

Although I was not able to read Small Island with my Historical Fiction book club in June, I decided I still wanted to read it on my own. Now I wish I could go back in time and attend the meeting because there is so much to discuss! 

Hortense Joseph arrives in London from Jamaica in 1948 with her life in her suitcase, her heart broken, her resolve intact. Her husband, Gilbert Joseph, returns from the war expecting to be received as a hero, but finds his status as a black man in Britain to be second class. His white landlady, Queenie, raised as a farmer's daughter, befriends Gilbert, and later Hortense, with innocence and courage, until the unexpected arrival of her husband, Bernard, who returns from combat with issues of his own to resolve. 

Told in these four voices, Small Island is a courageous novel of tender emotion and sparkling wit, of crossings taken and passages lost, of shattering compassion and of reckless optimism in the face of insurmountable barriers---in short, an encapsulation of the immigrant's life.

I confess I was not sure I would finish this book at first. The slow pacing combined with a character I did not connect with right away made me doubtful this would be a book I would enjoy, but then it happened and I was invested and found my heart aching for these characters, each with their own struggles, disappointments, and heartaches. The novel takes the reader back and forth in time, before World War II, during the war, and after, jumping back and forth as we get to know each of the four main characters.

Hortense and Gilbert Joseph hope for a better life in England, the "Mother Country," when they emigrate from Jamaica. Hortense has dreams of living in a big house with a real door bell and getting a job as a teacher. Gilbert wants to be a lawyer. The reality of their situation hits them full force when they arrive (separately) in London, trading life on one "small" island for another. Not only do they face the struggle of putting together a life in a new place with doors closed in their face and opportunities limited, but also with the classism and racism of a society that looks down on them because of their situation and color of their skin. Hortense especially has a hard time adjusting, her expectations of a better life dashed and being completely unprepared. While Gilbert may have been my favorite character through most of the novel, Hortense stands out as my favorite now that I have finished it. I did not care for her much at first, I admit, finding her haughty and somewhat dismissive, but the more I got to know her, instead I saw an unfaltering confident and courageous woman. 

Queenie and Bernard Bligh, white and privileged, offer their own perspectives of life during a tumultuous time in English history. Queenie is a particularly interesting character, a farmer's daughter, who gladly left that behind to live in the city. She married Bernard more for security and stability than love, I feel. I got the impression she was always wanting more out of her life, never quite satisfied and is often lonely. During the war, she helps families who have been displaced from the bombings in London and later takes in boarders to help with the bills during her husband's long absence during and after the war. Her neighbors are not too keen on the idea that she takes in Black boarders, but Queenie does not care. And then there is her husband. Bernard's experiences in the war have left him with many deep scars. He seemed to be the most stuck and the least likeable of the characters. He clearly has some deep-seated prejudice against non-whites.

Andrea Levy's Small Island is a multi-layered and thoughtful book that is at times subtle and other times more hard hitting. Having the four different perspectives only enhanced this nuanced novel. There was much sadness in this novel given the struggles and hardships the characters faced, but there is also hope, even when things seem impossible.

"Listen to me, man, we both just finish fighting a war - a bloody war - for the better world we wan' see.  And on the same side - you and me. We both look on other men to see enemy. You and me, fighting for empire, fighting for peace. But still, after all that we suffer together, you wan' tell me I am worthless and you are not. Am I to be the servant and you are the master for all time? No. Stop this man. Stop it now. We can work together, Mr. Bligh. You no see? We must. Or else you just gonna fight me till the end." [excerpt from Small Island]

If you have ready any of these, I would like to know your thoughts! Do any of them sound like books you would like to read?

Following in the footsteps of Deb of Readerbuzz, who shares three good things in her Sunday Salon posts, I thought I would try to do the same. With all the worries and stressors in life, I want to highlight some of the good, even the seemingly small stuff. 

This week every year is always a mix of joy and sadness. There's my birthday (yay!), followed by the anniversaries of the deaths of my grandmother and my father. Let's focus on the good stuff: 

1. A nice birthday lunch at the Old Spaghetti Factory with my family (my mom, husband and daughter)! We also stopped by the bookstore and mall (Mouse needed new shoes) before heading home. 

Gifts from my mom: 

Shakespeare playing cards, a reading journal, and bookish-themed socks! 

No picture of the bird feeder as we still need to put it together

 

2.  My husband and daughter surprised me with an ice cream birthday cake on my actual birthday. My favorite kind of cake (mint chocolate chip ice cream and chocolate cake)! 

3. Being able to open the windows and enjoy a breeze coming through the house Friday morning. In the early evening I was able to open them again, and enjoyed listening to my neighbor's music filtering in. My work day was done and I enjoyed being in that moment.

What have you been up to this past week? 

I hope you have a great week! Let me know what you have been reading!

---

© 2025, Musings of a Bookish Kitty. All Rights Reserved. If you're reading this on a site other than Musings of a Bookish Kitty or Wendy's feed, be aware that this post has been stolen and is used without permission.

Nonfiction Five Challenge Wrap Up

Although I do enjoy reading some nonfiction, it is often my last choice when I am considering something to read. To motivate myself to read some of those nonfiction books that had been languishing on my shelves, I joined Joy's Nonfiction Five Challenge. The goal was to read 5 nonfiction books of my choosing over a 5 month period, from May through September.

I had quite a list of books to choose from and narrowing it down was hard. I hoped to read some of my alternates in addition to my main selections, but I was not able to. I did, however, read two nonfiction books that were not on my list during the course of the challenge. Because they were not on my list to read for the challenge, I am not including them in this wrap up.

My Nonfiction Selections:
Death's Acre by Bill Bass and Jon Jefferson
The Nazi Officer's Wife by Edith Hahn Beer
Machete Season: The Killers in Rwanda Speak by Jean Hatzfeld
Into the Wild by Jon Krakauer
Spook: Science Tackles the Afterlife by Mary Roach


What was my favorite Nonfiction book of the five I read?

Machete Season: The Killers in Rwanda Speak was one of the most powerful of the books I read this past summer. It was difficult to read about the ruthless and violent killings of so many innocent people based solely on their ethnicity. The fact that their friends and neighbors were the ones that turned on them made it even more frightening. Machete Season offered some insight into the the minds of the killers. The author, Jean Hatzfeld, took great care with his subject matter and presented it as plainly as he could. It was not a book he intended to write, he didn't even want to write it at first, but it was something he eventually came to feel he should write.

Following in at second is Edith Hahn Beer's The Nazi Officer's Wife, which is one woman's story of her life in Europe during World War II. She was a Jewish woman who passed herself off as a Christian in order to survive the Holocaust. The author was forced to work in labor camps and a factory before seeking refuge under a new identity. She lived with a constant terrifying fear of discovery and was cut off from her family and friends. This was a heartwrenching and informative story to say the least.

What book could I have done without?

Of all the books I read for the challenge, there is not one I regret reading. I purposefully tried to pick a variety subject matter wise, not wanting to overdo it in one area or another.

Did you try out a new author for this challenge? If so, which one, and will you be reading that author again?

I had read books by only two of the authors before, those being Mary Roach and Jon Krakauer. Both had written books I thoroughly enjoyed and resulted in my wanting to read the two books I chose to read for this challenge. Into the Wild was a bit of a departure for me. Had I not read the author's book, Under the Banner of Heaven: A Story of Violent Faith, and then heard so many good things about Into the Wild, I probably would not have picked up the book in the first place. I am glad I did take a chance on it though. Spook: Science Tackles the Afterlife by Mary Roach was very much up my alley, on the other hand. The subject matter fascinates me. I was quite taken with her first book, Stiff: The Curious Lives of Human Cadavers, and so it seemed only natural to read Spook.

This was my first opportunity to read books by the other three authors. I would definitely not mind reading more by Jean Hatzfeld. He has another book out related to the Rwanda genocide that I hope to read someday. Bill Bass and Jon Jefferson have a new book out called Beyond the Body Farm, which I may read down the road. I definitely do plan to read the authors' fictional series, beginning with Carved in Bone. As to Edith Hahn Beer, I do not believe she has written another book.

What was the best part of the Nonfiction Five Challenge?

The best part of the challenge was finally getting to read a handful of the nonfiction books I had been meaning to get to but always seemed to pass over. This was a great excuse to find the motivation to dive right in. I am so glad I did. My only regret is that I did not get to read any of my alternates.

As always with challenges like this, I have enjoyed following the progress of other participants and seeing what everyone else is reading. My wishlist and TBR collection continues to grow each time I come across a book someone else has read that sounds too good to pass up. Because my interest mostly lies in fiction, I am not always up to date on all of the nonfiction books out there. Challenges like this are a great way to find out about books that might interest me and to meet new people.

Many thanks to Joy for hosting this fun challenge.

Spook by March Roach

Spook: Science Tackles the Afterlife by Mary Roach
Norton, 2005
Nonfiction; 311 pgs

Completed: 09/16/2007
Rating: (Good)

First Sentence: My mother worked hard to instill faith in me.

Reason for Reading: This is my final selection for the Nonfiction Five Challenge (wrap up to follow). I was first introduced to Mary Roach through Reader’s Digest where her articles never failed to make me smile. I thoroughly enjoyed reading her first book, Stiff: The Curious Lives of Human Cadavers, and so eagerly looked forward to reading this, her second book.

Comments: I am a bit of a skeptic much like Mary Roach. I understand the concept of faith and certainly have my own ideas on the subject, but there is something comforting and solid in having actual proof of scientific evidence to hang my hat on. In researching and writing Spook, author Mary Roach sets out in search of scientific evidence of the afterlife. It is not so much a question of whether or not the afterlife exists but whether or not science has been able to prove its existence. If you are looking for a book about the cultural and religious aspects of the afterlife in all its connotations, this is not the book you are seeking.

One of the things I most like about Mary Roach is that she is a lay person. She is not an expert, and so her research tends to come from a more basic level, one that is easy to relate to. While I found it extremely refreshing in her previous book, Stiff, this time around it was not quite as endearing. I think in part that had something to do with the subject matter. Unlike researching and writing about what happens to dead bodies, discussion surrounding the afterlife is much more circumstantial. It is not an easy subject, especially from the scientific viewpoint, to wrap the mind around.

The book opens with research into reincarnation, specifically the research being done in India, comparing memories of young children who are believed to have been reincarnated to that of the family and friends of the deceased the child is believed to have been in the past life. I imagine the case studies the researchers have collected would make for interesting reading. (Aside: This particular study reminded me of an article I read recently about the Chinese government making the pronouncement that they would decide who would be the reincarnate of the Dali Lama. I imagine their definition of reincarnation in this case is quite different from that being studied in India, where there does not seem to be a choice in regards to who a person may become in a later life.)

From reincarnation, the author ventures into the question about the whereabouts and development of the soul from birth and on into life. She also discusses psychic abilities in relation to communication with the dead, ending with the scientific research into near death experiences, which is a subject I read quite a bit about earlier in my life.

In true Mary Roach fashion, the author goes off on the occasional tangent and sprinkles her discoveries with the expected humor. Although I did enjoy Spook, I do wish the author had taken the time to touch upon more of the cultural and religious aspects, despite that not being the intent of the book itself. I think it would have made for a fuller and more complete picture of the subject matter (not to mention a very long book--maybe not such a good idea after all). I do not think the outcome in Mary's thinking would have been any different, but it certainly would have been intriguing.

Favorite Part: I most enjoyed the look back in history at the beliefs and theories that were postulated about the soul. The ectoplasm stories in particular held a certain fascination for me. The lengths some people will go to . . .

Into the Wild by Jon Krakauer

Into the Wild by Jon Krakauer
Anchor Books, 1996
Nonfiction; 207 pgs

Completed: 08/25/2007
Rating: (Good)

First Sentence: Jim Gallien had driven four miles out of Fairbanks when he spotted the hitchhiker standing in the snow beside the road, thumb raised high, shivering in the gray Alaska dawn.

Reason for Reading: This is my fourth selection for the Nonfiction Five Challenge and my 1990's selection for the Reading Through the Decades Challenge. I had read Jon Krakauer’s Under the Banner of Heaven, which I found quite interesting. As a result, Into the Wild was added to my collection. It did not hurt that the book has received quite a bit of praise from fellow readers.

Comments: The idea of a young man striking out on his own, leaving behind a family that loved him with hardly a word, giving away his savings and burning what cash he had, changing his name and disappearing into the wilderness at first struck me as crazy. As the beginning chapters of Krakauer’s account of Christopher Johnson McCandless’ life unfolded, it crossed my mind several times that the man was probably suffering from some sort of mental illness.

He seemed to avoid intimacy, rebel against authority, isolated himself from family and old friends, completely broke off all his family ties, and was very reckless. That he made the dean’s list in college, was a good musician and in general had a good head on his shoulders, did not make a difference. In fact, Chis, aka Alex Supertramp as he was known on his travels, did make friends along the way and even kept in touch with many of them throughout the two years he was estranged from his family. He worked hard when he worked, was compassionate and caring. He experienced life in ways that many of us can never imagine. He seemed happy and content with his chosen path.

Jon Krakauer maps out Chris’ journey across America, into Mexico and Canada, and touches on moments in the man’s past that led him to be the man he became. Chris lived off the land, the generosity of others, worked for his food when he could, and, for the most part, shed the skin of materialism that he had grown up with. He set his own rules, traveled at his own pace, and answered to no one but himself. He was not completely selfish, however. It is quite clear that Chris had a big heart and even bigger ideals, realistic or not. He was intensely passionate and once he set his mind to do something, he did it. Was he someone to be admired? I came away from the book believing that he was in some respects. Mostly though, he was just your average early twenty-something year old questioning the establishment, testing himself, and searching for answers to questions that he probably did not even fully understand. Like many his age, he felt somewhat immortal and was overconfident. He was more adventuresome then most, perhaps even more driven. What happened to him was a tragedy.

Critics call him crazy, ill prepared, and reckless. Certainly to some extent he was ill prepared and reckless. Maybe even crazy. Had he survived and made it home again, his actions would be admired and he would be applauded for his strength and fortitude. Here would stand a guy who went after his dream and made it come true. Many would see that as success and something to admire. Because he died, however, it is easy to find fault and condemn him for his actions and to pick holes in his behavior and philosophy. The qualities we would admire in him if he had lived, he is criticized for in death. He was a risk taker, a dreamer, and definitely full of passion. For better or worse. Christopher lived his life according as he believed it should be lived.

Chris’ path is not one I would take nor is it one I necessarily agree with. I will not deny that at times I thought he was pretty careless and oblivious for a guy who supposedly was so smart. By the end of the book, I felt great sadness. Sadness for his family and his friends, especially those whose lives he touched. And sadness for Chris and the contributions to society he could have made if he lived.

Jon Krakauer’s account of Christopher Johnson McCandless’s life is painted in a kinder brush than certainly some of Chris’ critics would like. The author admits to relating to the subject of his book on a personal level, and even touches upon an experience of his own similar to the journey Chris set out on. I do think that Mr. Krakauer does a fair job of bringing up the viewpoints that do not match is own, countering them in turn.

Into the Wild is not the usual type of nonfiction book I am attracted to, and I cannot say I am eager to run out and read a copy of Into Thin Air. I’m sure it’s a fine book, but extreme sports like mountain climbing holds little interest for me. Maybe someday. After reading Into the Wild, my interest in visiting Alaska someday has intensified, I will give it that.

Miscellaneous: I was thumbing through Entertainment Weekly recently, soon after finishing this book, and came across mention of a movie based on the book. After Sean Penn read the book (multiple times, I might add), he was eager to bring it to the big screen. His dream has finally come true. Check out the movie trailer for Into the Wild. The movie is scheduled for US release on September 21st.

Read what Jeane had to say about this book:
Dog Ear Diary

Death's Acre by Dr. Bill Bass and Jon Jefferson

Death’s Acre: Inside the Legendary Forensic Lab the Body Farm Where the Dead to Tell Tales
by Dr. Bill Bass and Jon Jefferson
Berkley, 2003
Nonfiction; 304 pgs

Completed: 07/27/2007
Rating: (Good +)


First Sentence: A dozen tiny bones, nestled in my palm: They were virtually all that remained, except for yellowed clippings, scratchy newsreel footage, and painful memories, from what was called “the trial of the century.”

Reason for Reading: After I finished reading Mary Roach’s book Stiff, Andi, a fellow booklover, recommended that I read Death’s Acre. Although it’s taken me a while to get around to it, I finally have. This is my third selection for the Nonfiction Five Challenge.

Comments: I am not sure where my interest in forensic science began. I have long been interested in the psychological aspect of criminal behavior. I always have been drawn to crime mysteries, both in real life and fiction. What makes a person commit a crime? What is going on in his or her head? What motivates the person, spurs them on? Was there something from the past that led the person to do what he or she did? What was the breaking point that pushed him or her over the edge? What was the person thinking before, during and after? All of these questions can be summed up with a simple, “Why?”

It is impossible not to read books on these topics without venturing into the more hard science aspect of crime. I was fascinated when I first learned that there were people who studied blood spatter patterns and that there were professionals out there that specialized in the minute details of a crime scene, which could be make or break a case. It seemed only natural that my curiosity would spread into other areas related to criminal behavior, such as the evidence left behind. Yet another reason I enjoy reading mysteries, watching the protagonist put together the clues that lead to the resolution of the crime or problem. My own career led me down a similar path in a way. Although I am not in law enforcement, I was an investigator of sorts for several years, gathering information through interviews, studying evidence, all in an effort to form as clear a picture as I could to get to the truth. To a lesser degree today, I still play a part in that process.

I never was able to get into the CSI shows that air on television. Although I have heard that they are fairly accurate (and entertaining), there was something too Hollywood-ish about the shows that turned me off. But put a book in front of me on the subject, and I will devour it, just as I devoured many of Patricia Cornwell’s Kay Scarpetta novels. It was because of Patricia Cornwell that I first learned about the Body Farm in a book with the same title. Ironically, Dr. Bass devotes an entire chapter to Patricia Cornwell, praising her as a person and the interest and attention she brought to the Anthropology Research Facility at the University of Tennessee.

Dr. Bass is a modest and down to earth man, qualities that come through quite clearly throughout the book. He is hardworking, dedicated, readily admits his mistakes, and is eager to learn from those mistakes. It was because of one such mistake that Dr. Bass got the idea to start the Body Farm. He wanted to study decomposition of bodies in relation to time of death. The Body Farm is the only one of its kind in the world, a place where forensic research regarding the dead can take place in a more natural setting. It has proved to be useful both to science and to law enforcement agencies around the globe in solving crimes. Several of those crimes, Dr. Bass himself helped solve.

Death’s Acre is a small look into the world of Dr. Bass’s career as a forensic anthropologist. He discusses well-known cases like the Tri-State Crematorium scandal, the Lindbergh baby kidnapping, the Zoo Man serial murders, a mob hit along with other stories that put his skills to the test. I will not go into detail about each of the cases—you really do have to read them to get the full impact.

This book does require a strong stomach. The author talks at length about the decomposition of human bodies in all of its stages and sometimes the picture he paints is not very pretty. Death’s Acre is an informative book, however, and the strides forensic science has made in recent years are amazing due in a large part to Dr. Bass and other professionals like him.

Favorite Part: For some reason, I was really taken with the story of the ants. During one of Dr. Bass’s earlier excursions, he led a team of anthropologists in search of an Arikara Native American cemetery in South Dakota. He traced the path of the ants to the cemetery, having determined where they would most likely build their homes.

New Phobia Attributed to the Book: Although I have been aware of where flies come from for many years now, after reading this book I have a much stronger dislike for them. I understand their purpose on the food chain, but I’d rather they stay far away from me—while I’m alive at least.

Miscellaneous: While many major advances in forensic science have been made, the state of forensic labs and equipment throughout the United States is in sad shape because of lack of funding and attention. Much of the equipment is outdated or nonexistent. The facilities leave a lot to be desired and there are not enough qualified staff to meet the needs out in the communities. What you see on television in the movies is not often reality. As a result, crimes are going unresolved, victims’ families are left to wonder and fear, and the perpetrators remain on the streets. Author Jan Burke (who I have yet to read) mentioned the Crime Lab Project last spring at the L.A. Times Festival of Books, which began as a group of writers and producers who are interested in improving the conditions of our forensic facilities. Although the project is not mentioned anywhere in Death's Acre, Jan Burke’s words came to mind as I read. If you want to learn more, visit the Crime Lab Project website.

Machete Season: The Killers In Rwanda Speak by Jean Hatzfeld

Machete Season: The Killers in Rwanda Speak by Jean Hatzfeld
Picador, 2006 (originally published in 2003)
Nonfiction; 253 pgs

Completed: 06/21/2007
Rating: (Very Good)

First Sentence: In April the nocturnal rains often leave in their wake black clouds that mask the first rays of the sun.

Reason for Reading: Machete Season came recommended by a friend a little over a year ago. It was described to me as a disturbing book, but one well worth reading. It is my second selection for the Nonfiction Five Challenge.

Comments: In the spring of 1994, approximately 800,000 Tutsi people were slaughtered by their Hutu neighbors in Rwanda. The massacres came on the heels of the assassination of President Habyarimana. The killings lasted for about 100 days. Despite initial excuses that the uprising was the result of anger and blame, it is believed that the genocide of the Tutsi people by the Hutu had been in the planning for quite some time.

The seeds for prejudice and hate were long ago sowed against the Tutsi people. Propaganda played a large part in that as the radio and government perpetuated negative images and stereotypes of the targeted ethnic group. In the years before the genocide movement, property and land had been stolen from a select few of the Tutsi people, and small massacres had already been carried out. When no one protested or spoke out against the perpetrators of these crimes, it gave them further confidence as well as bolstered the confidence of those who would later take part in the massacre the spring of 1994.

Jean Hatzfeld, the author of Into the Quick of Life: The Rwandan Genocide—The Survivors Speak, had no intention of writing a book about the Hutu killers. His only interest was in telling the story of the survivors of the genocide and letting them share their story. As time went on, however, he wondered, along with many of his earlier readers, if perhaps it would be possible to get the killers’ version of events, and so he set out to do just that.

In choosing his subjects, the author took special care. He knew that focusing on individuals would too easily be opened to lying, however, by taking a group of people who were a part of the same gang, killing together and looting side by side, he would have a better chance. In this way, the accounts could be compared and the interviewers were more likely to speak the truth knowing their colleagues could say anything at all about them. Each man was interviewed individually, the questions not given out in advance to avoid conversations and preparation by the killers in what to say.

Jean Hatzfeld interviewed various individuals, focusing on ten Hutu men, all of who were in the same gang with the exception of one, Joseph-Désiré Bitero, who was facing death for his crimes, which included genocide, crimes against humanity with premeditation. Joseph-Désiré had been a political leader and organizer during the genocide. All were from the village of Nyamata, which is where all of the interviewed men participated in the killings of Tutsi women, men and children.

After the assassination of the president, the military and political officials mobilized the civilians for the murder of their Tutsi neighbors. In no time at all, the men were organized, being told to grab their machetes or whatever other weapon was handy, and then sent out to kill any Tutsi they encountered. The Hutu were the hunters and the Tutsi the prey.

The author points out that the term “genocide” has become overused and misrepresented in recent years. Genocide is the complete annihilation of an entire ethnic group, and it is not uncommon for women and children in particular to be targeted because they are considered to be the future. In the case of Rwanda, the move by the Hutu to kill the Tutsi was clearly an effort to wipe out an entire ethnic group. While the word genocide was not spoken, it was a known fact that that was the intention by those who participated in the killings.

It is interesting to note that none of the Hutu men interviewed had had any real disagreements with their Tutsi neighbors. In fact, they often ate meals and drank together, worked side by side, played sports together, and sat beside each other in church. This was not the case of strangers killing strangers. They were not soldiers fighting in a war, shooting at an enemy who fought back. Of all the men interviewed, not one had anything bad to say about any of the Tutsi that they knew personally. The propaganda that had been so ingrained in them over the years was not confirmed in fact by the actions of their Tutsi neighbors, and yet there was still an underlying prejudice, perhaps in part borne in jealousy or greed.

The killings were not altogether voluntary. The Hutu who hid a Tutsi family or was married to a Tutsi might pay with his or her life, but more often than not the price of refusing to participate was ridicule by peers and fines that grew heftier with each refusal. There were those who bought their way out of participating by paying hefty fines; these men were usually the wealthy. Those who could not pay the price or were too infirm or old, sent a son or other male relative in their place. Sometimes the women picked up the machete, although in general the women’s role was pillaging, looting the houses and property and stealing directly from the dead.

Jean Hatzfeld at one point in the book describes the differences in reaction to the interviews by the survivors and the killers. While the survivors are more emotional, their stories raw and vivid, the killers told their story in a more controlled manner, with hardly any expression or emotion, and their words were chosen with care.

The statements made by the Hutu killers are at times difficult to read. I was most disturbed when the killing involved children and infants, although all of it was horrific. Although there is a glimpse at the motives and reasons behind the killings, I did not come away from this book with a better understanding as to why civilians like the farmers interviewed would so easily and readily slaughter their neighbors. Perhaps that is not possible at all. One of the killers said that he knew it was difficult to judge them (the killers) “because what we did goes beyond human imagination.”

The interviewed killers seemed unaware of the extent of their crimes. They had no real understanding or insight into just how terrible their crimes really were and how much of an impact their actions had on their victims and the survivors. This becomes especially clear as they talk about their own remorse and regret as well as the hope for forgiveness, which most of them believe will be the path for forgetting the past by both themselves and the survivors.

I have written a lot here, but in truth this is just the tip of the iceberg, more of a general overview. Jean Hatzfeld’s interviews with the killers, observers, and survivors paint a very real and ugly picture of a true-life event. This was not the first time in history neighbors turned against neighbors because of their ethnicity or some similar reason nor will it likely be the last. The genocide in Rwanda is eerily similar to the Nazi’s genocide of the Jews and gypsies in Europe.

Machete Season: The Killers in Rwanda Speak is disturbing in content. Jean Hatzfeld anticipates readers’ questions and does a good job of answering them throughout the book. The author certainly gives the reader food for thought. Susan Sontag said it best in the preface of the book, “To make the effort to understand what happened in Rwanda is a painful task that we have no right to shirk—it is part of being a moral adult. Everyone should read Hatzfeld’s book.”

Note about the Author: A brief biography of the author can be found here.

Miscellaneous: My darling and very patient husband got an earful as I read this book. I often discuss the books I read with him, testing my theories and thoughts on him either as I read or when I complete the book. He never seems to mind, fortunately.

I made the mistake of reading this one well into the night before I settled into sleep. My dreams were haunted by images and thoughts of the events in Rwanda during that terrible spring of 1994.

The Nazi Officer's Wife by Edith Hahn Beer

The Nazi Officer’s Wife by Edith Hahn Beer with Susan Dworkin
Perennial, 1999
Nonfiction; 305 pgs

Started: 05/20/2007
Completed: 05/21/2007
Rating: (Very Good)


First Sentence: After a while, there were no more onions.

Reason for Reading: This was my first selection for Joy's Nonfiction Five Challenge, and my sixth selection for the Spring Reading Thing.

Comments: It is impossible to put into words the emotions a person may feel when reading a book like this--that nightmares as terrible as those experienced by the Jewish people and other targeted groups in Europe during the Holocaust could be real. The most frightening part is that they are very real. What makes it even more sad is that the world’s people have not learned the lessons taught from that experience. Violence, persecution, oppression and genocide continue to this day. The only things that have changed are the faces and names of the victims.

The Nazi Officer’s Wife is a different kind of story from the usual Holocaust Survivor story. Edith never faced the horrors of the concentration camps perhaps, but she faced other hardships and horrors that cannot be discounted. Edith and her family led a good life in Vienna before the Jewish persecution began. She was one exam away from achieving her academic goal and she was in love. Up to that point, the political climate in Vienna had slowly begun to change. During those early years there was an undercurrent of fear of what was to come, but many people doubted it would last and never imagined the horrors that would await them. The war on the horizon would be quickly quashed, surely. But that was not to be.

Piece by piece the Jews were striped of their livelihoods, their property and possessions, and their identities. It was a process of dehumanization. The spreading of fear and hate through propaganda assured the process would succeed. Edith held on for as long as she could to her life in Vienna. She watched as family and friends fled the country. Her own fate would take her to the fields and a factory where she was forced to labor, in every sense a slave. Food was scarce and the conditions unfathomable. Only seeking to survive and in hopes of escape from the Nazi occupied countries, Edith took to hiding, assuming the identity of an Aryan Christian. She eventually married a member of the Nazi Party. She constantly lived in fear that she would be arrested and sent to a concentration camps. She feared that those who helped her escape and helped hide her, including her husband, would be persecuted as well. It wasn’t until later that Edith would learn the truth about what being sent to Poland meant for her friends and family. So many like Edith were cut off from any real and honest news reports. They had no idea of the horrors the Nazis’ chosen enemies faced nor the status of the war.

The author made sure to document the times she was helped along the way, whether it is something as simple as a shared food to those who risked their lives to save hers. She wanted to be sure to acknowledge their sacrifices. In many ways it was moments like these that offered a glimmer of hope, however tiny, during such a tragic time in the world’s history.

Edith Hahn Beer captures life before, during and after the war, documenting the difficulties she and others faced, the ignorance and fear that so many at that time lived in. The Nazi Officer’s Wife is a powerful account of one woman’s survival during a turbulent time in our history.

Miscellaneous: I was finishing up my lunch and packing away my book yesterday afternoon before returning to my desk at work, when a man I didn't recognize heading out at the same time asked, "How is that damsel in distress?" When I looked at him blankly, he quickly went on, "And how are the two men she's trying to decide between?" He said something about a husband and a handsome stranger. I gave a little burst of laughter and explained, "Well, I don't know. I'm reading about an ATF agent who is chasing down a gun runner." I wish I had a more witty comeback, but I'm not very quick on my feet in the spur of the moment and the better responses came to mind much later. (My sincere apologies to Jim for simplifying his book in such a way as that isn't a very accurate description. It was all I could think of to say in the moment.)

Finalists for Joy's Nonfiction Challenge

My final selection for Joy's Nonfiction Five Challenge are . . .

Death's Acre by Bill Bass and Jon Jefferson [read]
The Nazi Officer's Wife by Edith Hahn Beer [read]
Machete Season: The Killers in Rwanda Speak by Jean Hatzfeld [read]
Into the Wild by Jon Krakauer [read]
Spook: Science Tackles the Afterlife by Mary Roach [read]


Alternates/Bonus
Killing Pablo by Mark Bowden
Devil in the White City by Erik Larson
Bilbioholism by Tom Raabe
The Bookseller of Kabul by Åsne Seierstad

I purposefully selected books that have been lounging in my TBR room for awhile now, waiting patiently for their turn. I tried to pick a variety, although I am not sure how successful my attempt at that was. As you can see, I have too many alternates. I enlisted my husband's help in selecting my final five, and the four alternates repeatedly found their among the finals at one point or another. While I would love to read them during the challenge months and will make some sort of effort to do so, only time will tell.

Update on other Challenges:
Last month I finished my second chunkster book for the Chunkster Challenge, and I hope to be starting my final selection the beginning of next month. If I can manage it, I may even read one or two of my bonus chunksters as well!

I'm right on schedule for the 2007 TBR Challenge, having read two books so far. I am still trying to decide which book to read for March of my remaining 10. So many choices!

Two books arrived in the mail from the editor at Curled Up With a Good Book for my review. I was in the mood for something different when I selected the titles and am looking forward to seeing how they turn out.

With the arrival of those two review books, my plans to start on my first New York Notable Fiction Challenge book after I finish reading my current novel flew out the window. The guilt started to creep in a little as everyone in the challenge began posting their progress, while I have made absolutely none; however, I soon quashed that. I will get to that wonderful list of books when I can and no sooner. I have enough stress in my life to let the fun stuff start giving me a headache too after all.

Off Topic (Shameless Plug):
My loving and supportive (he rarely moans about my ever growing TBR collection) husband, Anjin, began a new blog recently called Bullet Points, devoted to his interest in gaming and comic books. Even though I may not always have the faintest clue what he's talking about, I do love his sense of humor.

Joy's Nonfiction Five Challenge

Joy from Thoughts of Joy is hosting the Nonfiction Five Challenge, which will span the months of May through September. The idea of this challenge is to read five nonfiction books in five months. Although occasionally I am drawn to a nonfiction book, my reading tastes run more in the direction of fiction. Just looking at my TBR shelves or the books I read, would be proof enough of that. Since this seems to be the year for reading challenges and clearing out some of those TBR books that have long been collecting dust on the shelves, I decided to give the challenge a go. I have forty-two nonfiction books in my TBR collection that always seem to get passed over for the more appealing fiction novel. Joy's challenge is the perfect opportunity to put a tiny dent in that nonfiction stack of mine.

It is proving to be difficult to select the final five. I have whittled my choices for the challenge down to seventeen (I'm not very good at this whittling down thing) books so far. What makes it especially hard is the fact that I want to read each of these books. Eventually. Anyone care to offer their recommendations from the below list? Or perhaps you hated something so much you want to warn me away?

A History of God by Karen Armstrong
Death's Acre by Bill Bass and Jon Jefferson
The Nazi Officer’s Wife by Edith Hahn Beer
The City of Falling Angels by John Berendt
Killing Pablo by Mark Bowden
Crime Beat: A Decade of Covering Cops and Killers by Michael Connelly
Marching Home by Kevin Coyne
The Freedom Writers Diary by Erin Gruwell
Machete Season by Jean Hatzfeld
Into the Wild by Jon Krakauer
The Devil in the White City by Erik Larson
Bilbioholism by Tom Raabe
Out of America by Keith Richburg
Spook: Sceince Tackles the Afterlife by Mary Roach
Dominion by Matthew Scully
Lucky by Alice Sebold
The Opposite of Fate by Amy Tan