Back from Vacation

We took a one-week vacation to get away from the snow and cold, which we get very sick of by the end of February. Here in the U.S. we call it a vacation and I think other parts of the world call it a holiday. Any way you say it: vacation, holiday, time off: it sounds good to me!

We went to a place that has electricity, but we had no television and no computers at our lodge. There were also no telephones and no newspapers. Cell phones don’t work. Sound amazing? Yes, there is a place in the U.S. like this: it’s Death Valley National Park in southern California.

Many folks would go crazy not having these things available, but we didn’t mind. We were there to enjoy the beauty of the park. It’s a land of extremes. You can drive from below sea level to 5,000 feet above sea level in about 20 miles. It was one of the most spectacular drives we’ve ever done in a national park.

In case you are wondering why there is no cell phone reception, there are mountain chains all around the park.

It’s a lesson we need to re-learn from time to time. Humanity has accomplished so many things, but when all is said and done, nature will just about always win.

While we were gone, I read one book about a famous female-sleuth and I’ll talk about it soon.

An Old Celtic Prayer

On a personal note, I would like to offer up this old celtic prayer I found someplace, I'm not sure where.

It's for my father, who passed away a year ago. He was a veteran of WWII so I think it's fitting to post this on Veteran's Day and say a special thanks to all veterans, including my dad.

"You are above me O God,
You are beneath,
You are in the air,
You are in the earth,
You are beside me,
You are within.
Kindle within me a love for you in all things."

I miss you, Dad.

(Artwork of Celtic Cross courtesy Dover Publications)

Why Female-Sleuths?

Why not Male-Sleuths too? Well, first and foremost - I’m a girl. When I started reading for fun as a teenager, I wanted to read about things that girls like myself were doing.

One day my mom was shopping at our local department store and I wandered over to the book section. There were several Nancy Drew books for sale and I persuaded Mom to buy me “The Secret in the Old Attic” - the 1944 version in yellow hardcover. I was hooked! To date, that is one of my favorite Nancy Drew books.

(I also saw the blue hardcover Hardy Boys books but didn’t get any. I still haven’t read any Hardy Boys yet. Hope to someday.)

Plus I’m drawn to the cozy, or traditional mysteries. The publishers are marketing these books to women and I’ve gotta say, I’m right there. Amazon.com sure has me pegged as they have tons of recommendations that are right up my alley.

I like that many of these mysteries feature women who have chosen many different career-paths, or who are interested in so many different kinds of hobbies. The lists are endless.

Plus these ladies are typically nice, or funny or interesting in someway. They are wives, moms, daughters, sisters, aunts and nieces. They have personalities and feelings that I can relate to.

Several years ago I was really into Jonathan Kellerman’s Alex Delaware child psychologist series. I thought the books were good and extremely well written, but the graphic descriptions of violence really bothered me. Sadly, I stopped reading him.

In general I’m not against reading about male-sleuths and I imagine there are several good ones out there. Feel free to leave a comment if you have some you’d like to recommend.

It’s just that there are many, many female-sleuths out there. I’d like to read about them all someday!

Getting in the Halloween Spirit

Re: “Trick or Treat Murder” by Leslie Meier

The townspeople of Tinker’s Cove are getting geared up for the upcoming Halloween party. The high school’s art students are carving pumpkins and making decorations. Games are being organized, and the football boosters are lending their popcorn machine for the event.

And one woman is making her ‘famous’ black punch and she’s going to freeze gummy worms in an ice ring and put it in the punch. I don’t think I want that recipe!

Getting off topic: today I did some shopping at a major retailer. Saw a lot of Halloween stuff but also saw Christmas stuff too! I guess I shouldn’t be surprised, but I really don’t understand why we need to have Christmas stuff out before Halloween. But then again, every year like clockwork I get the J.C. Penney Fall & Winter catalog on my birthday - which is in JUNE!

Sally Sweet, the Transvestite

Re: “Four to Score” by Janet Evanovich

Stephanie goes to meet Salvatore (Sally) Sweet in the hopes that he can decipher the message she has from Maxine Nowicki.

He is a lead guitar player for a group called the Lovelies. He says when he was younger, he and Spock from Star Trek used to send messages to each other in code every day. (No further explanation is given so we are left to use our imaginations about that one!) In any event, it is very easy for him to figure out the message.

Sally, as he likes to be called, is a transvestite. So how many of us have had the chance to meet someone like him? Not many, I’d gather. Although I have known a transsexual. Here's the story:

Many, many years ago I joined a dating service. They matched me with a guy named “John”, whom I briefly dated. John had all these rules about what he wanted out of a relationship (like you couldn’t want to own a house, etc). Plus I thought he was sort of a cold fish - he didn’t like holding hands or kissing. He seemed to be confused about life. Later the dating service told me they hooked him up with just about all the women registered with the agency and none of them had worked out for him.

So several years later I picked up our local newspaper and was stunned to read a feature story on “Mary”. She used to be “John” - yep, it was the guy I dated! I thought the face looked familiar!

At the time the article was written, Mary worked at a local social service agency. The story detailed Mary’s decision to change from John and mentioned enough detail about his/her life that I knew it was the guy I dated all those years ago.

Was I freaked out? Yes! I try not to pass judgement because I believe that is supposed to be left to a higher power. Plus my parents taught me to treat people fairly. Still, I must admit I don’t understand.

In any event I’m glad that John/Mary got his/her life straightened out and hope she is happy now.

****
From the dictionary:
Transvestite: “a person and especially a male who adopts the dress and often the behavior typical of the opposite sex.”

Transsexual: “a person who strongly identifies with the opposite sex and may seek to live as a member of this sex especially by undergoing surgery and hormone therapy to obtain the necessary physical appearance.”

Transgender: “of, relating to, or being a person who identifies with a gender identity that differs from the one which corresponds to the person's sex at birth.”

****

(Sorry if this post offends anyone. I just wanted to share this strange story.)

I'm Now Officially Unemployed

Today was my last day of work after being laid-off. I was with my company for 7 years. It was strange coming home and realizing I will be here at home until I find another job. Thank goodness my spouse is still working.

Theoretically now I should have more time for my blog.

Rest In Peace Dad!

In Loving Memory of Lawrence F. Schultz, who passed away at age 90.

Date of Birth: February 20, 1918

Date of Death: November 12, 2008

We love you and miss you Dad!

A Chapter a Day

I'm usually always reading one book and sometimes two.  I like to slip a paperback in my purse for easy reading at lunch time.  Then in the evening I typically read at least one chapter in another book. Sometimes it's a mystery, sometimes a non-fiction book.  Right now it's a Diane Mott Davidson book at lunch ("Sweet Revenge") and a Nancy Drew book at night. 
 
Every few years I go downstairs to our storage area and break open the Nancy Drew book boxes with the goal of re-reading the entire series.  For the past few months I've been doing that, and also reading for the first time some of the older versions of those books that I've bought on Ebay.  It brings me back to the summer days at home lounging out in the backyard reading while getting a suntan.  This was when we slathered on suntan lotion rather than sun block.  Aahh, the good old days!

My Favorite Things

 
Here are some things I like (or don't like) in a mystery book.  I am NOT a fan of gratuitous violence and fortunately many of these books have little of that.  I wouldn't read them if they did.  Yes a murder is usually always committed and it's not pretty, but it doesn't have to be described in gory detail.  In my opinion there is enough of that on the daily news.
 
Since I love to laugh, I like a touch of humor.  Some series, notably the Stephanie Plum books, have many Laugh-Out-Loud moments.  Others are more serious.  As long as they are true to the character, I can enjoy both types.   
 
And a little romance never hurts to spice things up.  In my opinion it keeps the story from getting too wrapped up in the main plot.  It's an enjoyable sub-plot and keeps me turning the pages. 

On the Lookout

This is my first attempt writing a blog. It’s my hope to share my interest and insight into the genre with other interested parties. Maybe some of you reading this will also have a favorite female-sleuth that you can share with us. I’m always on the lookout for new and fun series.

Amazon.com has recommendations for me that they share in the hopes of getting me further hooked! Thankfully we have a rewards credit card from them - after you earn 2500 points, you get a gift certificate worth $25. Good enough for about 4 new paperbacks!

(Photo courtesy stock.xchng)

Obsession!

So now I’ve become obsessed with fictional female-sleuths like Kinsey Millhone, Stephanie Plum, Hannah Swenson, and Goldi Schultz, to name a few. I admire their ability to put the pieces together and solve the mystery. I also enjoy their senses of humor and their relationships with lovers, family and friends.

As this blog progresses, I will share my thoughts and opinions about the books I’ve read. I can even sometimes figure out ‘who done it’ before I reach the end of the book!

Thanks for visiting and I hope you enjoy my blog!

"G" is for Grafton

My passion for reading mystery books again was re-kindled in the early 1990’s by a co-worker who loaned me several books to read during the long bus rides to and from work. Among those she loaned me was a Sue Grafton ‘alphabet mystery’ about a female private investigator named Kinsey Millhone. I don’t remember which particular book in the series she let me read, but I knew I had to start my own collection with “A is for Alibi”. Over time I got all the rest and I’m now up to “S is for Silence”.

I found many of the Sue Grafton paperbacks at used bookstores like Half Price Books. Then along came the computer age and the internet. Wow - in no time I discovered Amazon.com and Ebay.com and, along with some used book sales at work to benefit charity, I have increased my collection of books about lady PI’s. I’m addicted and obsessed!

Nancy Drew's Influence

As the 1960's and 1970's progressed, my parents and I added to my collection of the yellow hard-cover Nancy Drew books.  We stopped at number 48, The Crooked Banister.  Then my time was occupied with high school and college activities.  I graduated in 1981 with a Bachelor of Business Administration degree and got my first professional job as a researcher.  I continued my career in business and market research and data analysis.  Boy, I was a long way from those grade school days and my summer days spent reading Nancy Drew mystery stories.  Then again, maybe Nancy influenced me in some way - after all, research means "to carry out investigations into a subject".

(Photo courtesy Wikipedia)

How it all started

My interest in the genre started in the mid-to-late 1960's with my first Nancy Drew book, "The Secret in the Old Attic".  This was an era when girls were groomed for traditional careers.  I remember being asked in grade school, "What would you like to be when you grow up?"  I noticed the other girls were saying "teacher or nurse", and the boys were saying "doctor or fireman" - the more traditional occupations.  I think I said "teacher" and I wondered as I said it if there couldn't be more for us girls than a couple of choices.  Anyway, the Nancy Drew books opened up my world and showed that girls could do other things, like use their 'pretty little heads' to solve crimes. 

(Photo courtesy Ebay)