Becky's Book Reviews

Thursday, October 17, 2024

86. The Menendez Murders (Updated Edition)

The Menendez Murders: The Shocking Untold Story of the Menendez Family and the Killings that Stunned the Nation. (Updated Edition) Robert Rand. 2024. 376 pages. [Source: Library] [4 stars, adult nonfiction, true crime, biography]

First sentence: On the night of August 20, 1989, the last in the lives of Jose and Kitty Menendez, their elegant residential street in Beverly Hills was so still you could hear a leaf drop. That in itself was not unusual or suspicious. People pay a steep price to live in such neighborhoods, and they cherish their peace and quiet.

Premise/plot: Robert Rand has followed the story from the start--literally. This is an account of just about anything and everything you could ever want to know about the murders, the trials, and the decades of aftermath. He is a news reporter--journalist--who has interviewed so many including many family members and the brothers themselves. He was there in court for the trials. This is a well-organized accounting of everything having to do with the case. One might say it has some bias--some--since the author believed and still believes the abuse claims. But that doesn't make his accounting wrong. He literally details the prosecution and the defense cases from both trials.

The updated edition tells of the new evidence in the case and the push to have the case re-examined.

My thoughts: I did NOT watch Monsters. It was way too much for me. I found it repulsive. And it makes sense that there's some backlash against the portrayal. I did watch the documentary and several other documentaries from the past few years. I even started watching the first trial (though I realized I don't have that much time to give--at least not now).

It is hard to read this one--for many reasons. The content is rough, horrific even. That being said, just because it tackles several hard topics doesn't mean that it shouldn't be read. Those who are super-sensitive to descriptions might not want to read it. But I found the book to be thorough and well-researched.

For those wanting to go beyond a few [social media] shorts on the case, I do recommend it.

Wednesday, October 16, 2024

85. The Legend of the Last Library

The Legend of the Last Library. Frank L. Cole. 2024. 288 pages. [Source: Library] [MG dystopia; MG post-apocalyptic; MG fiction] [3 stars]

First sentence: I never saw the squash coming. One moment I was squatting on the grime-covered floor trying to pry up a section of tile, and the next I was laid out on my back, covered in the goop of a rotten vegetable.

Premise/plot: Juni Knox is part-time student, part-time plifter. She salvages remnants and scraps of paper from a society long gone. There is some classing of "haves" and "have nots" but mainly it's a society with a lot of have nots. If your house has electricity a couple of hours a day, most days of the week, well, you've got it good. The basic premise is that Juni lives in a futuristic society that is paperless and learning how to read is the lowest of priorities....however, rumors are that there is a long lost "last" library where books--actual books printed on actual paper--abound. But there are villainy-villains who would do anything to stop the library from being found.

Juni (and friends) are on the hunt for the last library.

My thoughts: I am SO conflicted. On the one hand, the premise is interesting. On the other hand, Juni was annoying as a heroine because for plot purposes she almost has to be pushing the limits of being too stupid to survive. Every time there was a decision to be made, Juni would make the stupidest decision possible, almost. But if she made great decisions, the book would probably be 88 pages instead of 288 pages. The world building, in my opinion, was a bit flimsy. Flimsy in the if you go with the flow and stay in the moment, it worked for the most part....however....the more time you put into thinking about it and letting implications grow...the less it works. All that being said, and I know it might sound negative, the book did keep me reading. I liked some elements of this one very much. It was very much a book that loved to talk about books and reading.

84. What Time the Sexton's Spade Doth Rust

What Time the Sexton's Spade Doth Rust (Flavia de Luce #11). Alan Bradley. 2024. 298 pages. [Source: Review copy] [adult mystery; series book] [4 stars]

First sentence: The greatest minds in the world are often cranky when they first awaken in the morning, and mine is no exception. If I am to ascend above the ordinary, I require solitude the way a balloon needs helium.

Premise/plot: What Time the Sexton's Spade Doth Rust is the eleventh book in this historical mystery series. The tenth novel in the series was published in 2019. Flavia de Luce, our heroine, has come of age solving mysteries all the time--ALL the time. Her upbringing is unusual to say the least. The household has shrunk--in some ways--and grown. Though Flavia doesn't see the addition of Undine as a plus. (Though she is down one "annoying" older sister through marriage). Both Undine and Flavia are "strange" "unusual" in their own ways.

There is a mystery to be solved...but the greatest mystery to be solved does not involve the oh-so-obvious dead body.

My thoughts: To say that I was absolutely SHOCKED by the twist(s) in this one would be an understatement. I'm not just saying that. I didn't see the reveal coming...at all. And it's the kind of reveal that takes processing and more processing and even more processing. So much so that the actual case of the murder mystery almost seemed inconsequential. There were a few intense scenes for sure. I definitely found it compelling.

The writing is still incredible. It isn't so much the plot itself but the narrative technique itself. I was reminded again why I love(d) the series so much.

The big reveal has left me a little unsettled. I don't know how to best process this and incorporate it with my thoughts on the whole series.

Quotes:

"Why do you insist on following me everywhere?" I asked. "Cause I'm your crocodile," she hissed, snapping her jaws and making a ghastly clicking noise with her throat. "Tick-tock. Tick-tock."

It's always embarrassing when someone steps over that invisible line and into your private life. Even though they mean well, the line has been broken, and can never again be the impenetrable defense that it once was. I thanked her for her concern but didn't tell her that I wasn't being eaten by loneliness. It was lack of love, and that's no sin either.

"The making of a pot of tea is a blessing," Father once told me in a rare moment of revealing his thoughts. "A blessing upon both the one who prepares it and those who drink it. A small sacrament to be sure, but it must never be done frivolously or unthinkingly."

"They will never be forgotten, Mrs. Skinnett," I said. "They are legends." "I know they are, dear. You don't have to tell me." I looked into her faded blue eyes and recoiled almost physically. I had to brace myself. Their depths were indescribable: beyond compare. In her eyes were other worlds and other times. The past was still alive in her! I could see it! In those pale blue irises were births, deaths, and loves; successes and failures; tragedies and comedies and, yes, hates. I had never seen anything like it, and in a way, I hoped I never would again.

Feelings are beyond words; beyond action; beyond reason. They are the only true and constant indicators we ever have in this cruel life.

Friday, October 11, 2024

83. The Phantom Patrol

The Phantom Patrol (Billy Boyle World War II #19) James R. Benn. 2024. 352 pages. [Source: Library] [4 stars] [adult historical; adult mystery; world war II]

First sentence: The night was cold, cloaked in a deep darkness brought on by a bank of clouds sailing in on the winds and vanquishing the moonlight. Dead leaves, crisp and brittle, swirled in man-sized cyclones on the cobblestones, one so dense that I mistook it for someone sauntering through the graveyard.

Premise/plot: Billy Boyle and friends return for their NINETEENTH mystery. This one is set in France in December of 1944. This mystery starts out as an investigation of art thieves, and, the body count quickly starts mounting. So in part this one is art-related but also espionage and war-war. It has some INTENSE scenes, for sure. All of the Billy Boyle books feature cameos (for lack of a better word) of real life men and/or women. This one features J.D. Salinger and David Niven...as well as Eisenhower.

My thoughts: I absolutely LOVE, LOVE, LOVE, LOVE the series. I do. If I didn't love the series, chances are I wouldn't still be incredibly eager and excited for each new release. Seriously, I start thinking about "the new Billy Boyle" book in mid-summer. (It always releases in the fall). I ADORE the characters. I am deeply invested in ALL of the characters--and there are MANY side characters. All that being said, I don't love all nineteen books equally. This one wasn't my favorite of the nineteen. However, I do love the characters in general. His writing is always compelling.

82. Great Expectations

Classic Retellings: Great Expectations by Charles Dickens ADAPTED by Tanya Landman. 2024. 120 pages. [Source: Library] [mg fiction, ya fiction, adapted classic] [3 stars]

First sentence: My story is a long one. There are many twists and turns in my tale. Many people. Many events. All of these will slot together in the end like the pieces of a jigsaw puzzle. But time is short. I will be brief. In this slim volume, I will focus on five people. Two men. One honest; one a criminal. Two women. One heartbroken; one who had no heart to break. And myself: Philip Pirrip, known as Pip, who loved them all.

This book is a condensed/adapted retelling of Charles Dickens' Great Expectations. It isn't just abridged. No words of Dickens remain--for better or worse. You are looking at a very stripped down, bare-bones basic retelling--no thrills, frills, or flavors. It doesn't elaborate enough to be helpful for students looking to pass tests or write essays. Though to be fair, it might get the job done if it is a multiple choice quiz. Maybe.

Does this book have a purpose? Yes. Is it for me? No.

My background: I read Great Expectations once in high school--hated it; once in college--was indifferent; once as an adult decades later--loved it. While I can certainly relate to every single reader experience that hated it as assigned reading....the fact that it was assigned is not Dickens fault. I do think that this one takes some life experience and wisdom--some years behind you--to better appreciate the story. I don't think it's a good fit for assigned reading unless it is your goal to specifically turn generations against Charles Dickens. While not every adult will turn to Dickens for a good time, I do think that allowing readers the freedom to read Dickens of their own free will is best. Dickens has so many GREAT novels.