ye olde mysteries

I might have missed a book in there somewhere, but I was back and forth to the hospital a lot last week/end, for my mom, so I didn't get a ton of reading done.
Finished Dissolution by C.J. Sansom the other day; it was a mildly fun book about a hunchbacked attorney in the days of Cromwell and Henry VIII (right after Jane Seymour died), by the name of Matthew Shardlake, who is sent by Cromwell to investigate a murder in an abbey (monastery?  I should really learn the difference, if there is one, and I think there is, as I feel rather ignorant right now) due to be shut down following Henry & Cromwell's "dissolution" (get it??) of the monasteries (and abbeys??).  Most importantly, it was a triumph for the blog system.  I came across the book somewhere, noted the title in the blog, and eventually checked it out of the library and read it.  Score!
Characters were decent, and while the plot was fairly straightforward, and the twists predictable, it suited the mood/energy level I was dealing with, and I enjoyed it.  Enjoyed it enough to pick up the sequel Dark Fire yesterday, in any case.  In this one Shardlake returns to solve a murder AND an unrelated case of some Greek Fire (and re-discovered formula) going missing in London.  Except I would bet money they will turn out to be related, but whatever.
OH, right.  Predictable.  After Dissolution (or before?  I'm confused now), I read the latest "Mistress of the Art of Death" book by Ariana Franklin, A Murderous Procession.  It was good, but nothing special.  I keep thinking the first one (Mistress of the Art of Death) was really good, and the second one was pretty good, and the third one was kinda crappy...I would say this one was decent?  At this point, as I discussed with my mom (who borrowed and read the first two from me, and gave back the third half done) the other day (Noni brought this latest one for me when we were all at the hospital for mom's surgery), I am reading them because I have become fond of the characters, not because the plot is so great.  And the writing would be okay EXCEPT FOR WHEN SHE TRIES TO INTRODUCE A SECOND, SCARY/CRAZY BAD-GUY VOICE.  Yuck.  So bad.  STOP.  Oh well.  Could have been worse.  Turns out C read Mistress at the beginning of the month, so if I can actually get places on time I will meet up with her and loan her the rest, so we'll see what she thinks.

Semi-public Oath

I hereby promise that I will neither purchase nor check out from the library any new books, or start any new books, until I have finished my homework for this week, my essay revision, and my taxes.  The two or three of you who read this are my witnesses.  And no tv except if I am cooking/eating dinner.
There.
BUT.
When I finish all three, I get to go buy myself the new Ariana Franklin book.

Fun with History!

This is from my other blog, Better Living Through History, but I was limited what I could label, so there I focused on the non-fiction, here I will focus on the fiction...
So, I have long wanted to construct some sort of course using novels, poetry, films, etc. to "teach" history - or, that is, to introduce a subject in a fun way, and then make scholarly works available to provide context. Here's a first attempt, which is clearly just for my own amusement, and not actually meant for learning. As for "Wicked old-timey Jews" - here I am referring to Jewish diaspora populations (including crypto-Jews) in the Medieval and Early Modern periods, particularly so-called Port Jews and those in the Mediterranean world(because I could be totally wrong, but the Sephardic population during this time seems to be more fun).


For starters, a friend from college, N., gave me The Ghost of Hannah Mendes one year for Christmas (yes, my Jewish friend gave me a Jewish book for Christmas. Yay, melting pot!). I really, really enjoyed it, and have read it more than once. The characters were a little flat, but I loved the way the story goes back and forth between a Renaissance Jewish woman and her modern-day descendants who are trying to trace her story, told in some lost documents, and the parallels drawn between their search for love and goals in life, and the same searches their ancestress and grandmother carried out. The story can be a bit heavy-handed at times, really hitting you over the head with some stuff, but it's fun and romantic, and the author, Naomi Ragen, does a nice job setting up some of the exotic scenes, in modern and Renaissance Spain and Venice, particularly.

Geraldine Brooks also traces the history of a document in People of the Book, which was not as much fun to read (although it was fun!), but is much better written as far as straight skill. I think they're a nice complement. It's kinda a stretch, but the Phillipa Gregory book The Queen's Fool stars a young converso girl (conversa?) in London, who is tied up with Mary and Elizabeth. And there's always the first book in the "Mistress of the Art of Death" series, which is sorta on the subject of Jews in England but I love the book/series/characters, so I'm pluggin' em!





After these, for the real historical context, readers could turn to Jonathan I. Israel's Diasporas Within A Diaspora: Jews, Crypto-Jews, and the World Maritime Empires (1540-1740), Paolo Bernardini and Norman Fiering, eds., The Jews and the Expansion of Europe to the West 1450-1800, David Cesarani, ed., Port Jews: Jewish Communities in Cosmopolitan Trading Centres, 1550-1950, and Cesarani and Gemma Romain, eds., Jews and Port Cities, 1590-1990: Commerce, Community, and Cosmopolitanism. There is also an article by David Sorkin, "The port Jew: Notes toward a social type," in the Journal of Jewish Studies (51:1, 1999).

For more "readable" non-fiction, perhaps Ornament of the World (which, I must be honest, I haven't opened yet, but it sounds great!) by Maria Rosa Menocal, about "how Muslims, Jews, and Christians Created A Culture of Tolerance in Medieval Spain" or the GORGEOUS (lots and lots of pictures) The Arts of Intimacy: Christians, Jews, and Muslims and the Making of Castilian Culture. There are also some books on the similar cultural interactions in Sicily, and I am looking into more on Jewish communities in New World port cities.

Reading list

I just got this review from the New York Times in my inbox, and I think I will try to check this book out at some point - although hopefully after it's in the library!  I am worried I have some sort of weird depression that manifests itself through compulsive book buying.  I picked up a book off the table in front of the Harvard Bookstore on my way to class yesterday, even though I have a mountain of books at home, and haven't even gotten Her Fearful Symmetry out of the bag yet.  And I'm not even sure what the book's about - I just saw Newfoundland in the inside front cover, and I liked the cover, and it was under $4 so I bought it, and then tried to justify it to myself.  Oh, well - cheaper than two cups of coffee, and at least I put up a new bookshelf in the apartment the other day.  But I am not allowed to buy ANY new books until either I finish all the unread ones I have in my possession at the moment, or one I've really been waiting for comes out.  Like the Ariana Franklin.  Whichever happens first.

Upcoming Releases

So, a few new releases from preferred authors (authoresses, actually) are on the horizon...although some a bit far off. Can't wait for the latest in the Mistress of the Art of Death series, A Murderous Procession (Ariana Franklin, 4/1/10) - they're like a CSI, but in Ye Olde England, with a multi-culti female lead - ridiculous, but great.

Also ridiculous, albeit in a totally different way, Gail Carriger's Changeless, the second installment in a series called "The Parasol Protectorate." Following Soulless (on 3/30/10) it's about a soulless (yeah, okay, F for originality in titling) chick from Victorian England (hmm, theme to my books right now?) who runs around killing vampires who do unspeakable things like...ruin tea. Or her new dress. Yes! Number one was absolutely perfect for the first book I read after surgery, while I was still doped up, but I still think the next one should be fun...

Since even I, clearly, cannot escape the whole vampire thing - The Dead Travel Fast (Deanna Raybourn, coming soon, I think) looks similar, and...maybe a good plane read? We'll see - if the Harvard library system doesn't pick it up, I don't see myself buying it - at least not for full price!

Stephanie Barron is FINALLY coming out with a new Jane Austen mystery (Jane and the Madness of Lord Byron) - but not until 9/28/10 which blows. I just do adore those so much; more than any other contemp author, I think Barron (not sure if that is her real name?) knows Austen's works, world, and writing style better than anyone else - and then there's murders. SWEET. (ooh, off topic, but note to self, never again get cupcakes from Red Velvet in DC, even if you are trying to kick it to a bartender next door - neither one of you will want them. Even if you want eachother.  DO rock the jukebox though - that will go over much better).

Last but not least, there's a little bonus from Lauren Willig this October - she's releasing "The Mischief of the Mistletoe" which is hopefully not just a published version of the short story that was on her website (as much as I enjoyed it). Her last was not the awesomest, but still super fun, and let's face it, I kinda want to be Eloise Kelly.