Wow! It has been nearly a month since I have posted anything. On March 1, we successfully moved from Pennsylvania to Hampton, NH. We took two trucks because the first truck was not big enough. Oh well, in the spirit of Yankee thriftiness, we moved ourselves. We spent the month of March unpacking, unloading and putting things away. We are enjoying out new home very much. Despite the cold weather, I have been waling 1-3 miles every day. You know what Nietzsche said, "that which does not kill us makes us stronger." We won't comment on the fact that Nietzsche died a raving lunatic chained to his bed.
I did read three new books during the mover.
First, John Grisham's Sycamore Row is a riveting courtroom drama in true Grisham style. It is a sequel to John Grisham's first novel, A Time to Kill.
Robert Harries is one of my favorite authors. He writes historical fiction about some lesser know incidents in history. For example, his Enigma brought us back to the code breakers of England during the Second World War. Fatherland is an alternative reality in which the Nazis win. His latest novel is An Officer and a Spy. It describes the Dreyfus affair in 19th century France which was immortalized by Emile Zola in J'Accuse. Alfred Dreyfus was an Army officer accused and convicted of treason on circumstantial evidence. In actuality, Dreyfus was Jewish and he was a victim of virulent anti-Semitism in the French Army. Harris' latest novel details the courageous efforts of a young Army colonel who risks his own life and career to correct a miscarriage of justice.
Diane Setterfield's previous novel The Thirteenth Tale was a bestseller. Her latest book Bellman and Black is a mystery with overtures of the supernatural. As a ten year old child, William Bellman killed a bird. He grows up to become a respected member of the community, happily married with four young children. Yet, something overshadows his life - guilt? revenge? something supernatural?
Setterfield's novel is reminiscent of Hitchcock. This book would work very well as a horror movie with the right director.
Cheers and happy reading!
