Jesus Out to Sea by James Lee Burke

This is a short story collection.  I always enjoy short stories because you can squeeze them in whenever you have a few minutes, and they don't take the time commitment of a novel.  These particular short stories are well-written.  The collection is very cohesive.  They aren't very cheerful, though, and as usual for Burke, the characters' motives and actions are completely incomprehensible to me.  They put me in mind of Kerouac.  It is an interesting look at mostly Southern men, although some of the stories are about Southern boys.  While their actions are incomprehensible to me, I do enjoy seeing a different life than anything that is familiar to me.

This book probably isn't appropriate for younger readers.  Many of the people live in sad, depressing situations that can be upsetting to read about.  There is a story that involves child abuse, and many of the stories have talk of violence and prostitutes.  There are also a few swear words, but not a lot and not the "big" ones.

It is a pretty short book, so it doesn't take too long to read.  And like I mentioned previously, it is easy to fit a story in whenever you have the time, which makes it worth the time commitment.

The Hen of the Baskervilles by Donna Andrews

This is another Meg Langslow mystery;  I just recently reviewed one of them (Some Like it Hawk).  Somehow my library got two of them in at about the same time.  This is the more recent story in the series, but every book is able to stand on its own.  Don't worry about having to read the entire series to know what's going on!  As usual for these books, it is very funny and amusing.  It is also eccentric and a little off the beaten path.

Meg has been suckered into being the deputy director of the "Un-fair," a local fair they started when the state fair looked like it would close for financial reasons.  The fair focuses on heritage animal breeds, but it also has a Midway located in the neighboring county.  The first night starts with a great many problems, as they discover two chickens have been stolen, a giant pumpkin has been smashed, and a quilt has disappeared.  During the following days of investigation, a dead body turns up and things turn more serious.

The Meg Langslow books are always clean.  It does contain a murder, but it isn't particularly gory or violent.

This is a quick easy read that is very entertaining and definitely worth the time!

Something Borrowed Someone Dead by M.C. Beaton

M.C. Beaton writes humorous mystery series.  This book is one of the Agatha Raisin series.  Agatha Raisin is a middle-aged private detective in the Cotswolds.  In this book, she is hired to solve a murder in a small village.  The villagers seem to have closed ranks and are not answering questions.  They won't answer questions and seem to be convinced it was an outsider when that makes no sense.  Agatha is too determined to give up and continues to search for the killer.  She succeeds in the end, of course, although the killer isn't exactly straightforward, and the ending seems strange.

This book is clean.  Of course it's a murder mystery, so it has talk of that violence.  There is also discussion of affairs.

This book is worth the time, but the Hamish Macbeth series is the better choice of Beaton's books.

Some Like it Hawk by Donna Andrews

This is another in the Meg Langslow mysteries.  Meg is a southern woman who works as a blacksmith in a small Virginia town.  In this book she and her husband have twin toddlers, she continues to deal with her ragtag family, and their home is still a stopping off place for all sorts of characters and incidents.  The reason I love these mysteries is that they are funny.  This particular one may have fewer funny places than the best of them, but it is still very amusing.

In Some Like it Hawk the town of Caerphilly has been taken over by the "Evil Lender," a bank who is trying to foreclose on the town's buildings.  The previous mayor absconded with the town's funds, making them unable to pay their mortgage payments.  A county clerk has barricaded himself in the basement of the city hall to protest and to protect the archives.  The bank has brought in a security service to try to discover how the town has been resupplying him for the year.  A corporate member of the bank is shot and killed outside the barricade, and it looks like the clerk is responsible.  Meg of course solves the murder and saves the day.

These books are always 100% clean and appropriate for all readers.

This is sheer entertainment, so don't expect to be intellectually challenged.  It is an easy read and is definitely worth the time.

Native Son by Richard Wright

This is a depressing story, so don't read it if you're looking for a pick-me-up.  It is interesting in its own sad way.

Bigger Thomas is a young black man living in the city.  He feels trapped and powerless and unable to do anything or make his own choices.  He feels like his destiny is pre-decided by those around him and their expectations of violence.  Since he is a young black man, he sees no other choice but crime.  So of course he commits crimes (two really terrible crimes, not like robbing the corner store) and ends up in prison.  There he befriends a white man to his own amazement.  His friendship makes him think that men like him could maybe be reached earlier.

I found this story too long.  It really made me think (especially since I have an adopted black son), although I can't feel as negatively about the situation as Bigger Thomas.  But I was ready for it to be over before it was.  It felt like it dragged on a bit to me.

It isn't really worth the time for straight entertainment, but if you're looking to be more aware of racial tensions and challenges in the United States, it is a unique perspective.
 

Midnight Rambler by James Swain

I didn't love this book because of the ending, but I did enjoy it.  James Swain's Tony Valentine books are his best works, and I would recommend them first if you are new to his books.  They are more intelligent, while this is a pretty straightforward crime story. 

Midnight Rambler is about Jack Carpenter, a missing persons expert who works as a consultant to various police departments in missing cases.  This time, however, he is dealing with the midnight rambler case, which is his last case from when he was a police officer.  He isn't hired as a consultant on the case but feels responsible anyway, since he put the suspected killer behind bars for one murder when there were eight.  No bodies were ever recovered in the past, but now one has shown up in an unlikely location that casts doubt on the original conviction.  Carpenter has long been obsessed with this case and these victims, so he is quickly drawn in and is willing to compromise the law to find the truth.

Spoiler Alert!  I dislike the ending because Skell, the "midnight rambler" has always been a very careful killer, leaving no evidence behind.  He behaved cautiously and intelligently in the past.  Then, in the end of this book, he seems to throw all caution to the wind.  He kills his wife and her agent in the hotel room right after being released from prison, with the FBI right outside!  He throws a woman overboard in front of multiple witnesses.  It just doesn't fit with all his previous behavior, so I didn't really like it.  Although, it was a happy ending, and I do prefer those!

You're safe again.  This book is clean, but it does deal with prostitutes and murder.  There are a few swear words, but not very many and nothing too serious.

This is an easy read that goes really fast.  It has some definite suspenseful moments.  It is worth the time if you're looking for an entertaining crime book.

La's Orchestra Saves the World by Alexander McCall Smith

I generally enjoy Alexander McCall Smith's books a great deal.  I found the beginning of this one disappointing, though.  I wasn't even sure if I wanted to actually finish reading it, but it picked up.  I really enjoyed most of the book and loved the ending.  So, don't get discouraged if you find the beginning uninteresting or slow and keep at it!

This book tells the story of La (short for Lavendar) a youngish woman who ends up living in the country in Suffolk at the start of WWII.  It tells about her "war work," taking care of hens for a local arthritic farmer and starting a small amateur orchestra for the nearby air base and the local villages.  It is very compelling and I really enjoyed seeing a different perspective of the war.  It does begin with a chapter from the future and then flashback to the actual story.  Sometimes that works, but it isn't the best in this particular story.  I actually read parts of the first chapter after I finished the book, and that worked better for me.  The ending is clever the way it is, and I understand they wanted you to know what happened after that, but I do think the editing could have been managed better.

La's Orchestra is completely clean and appropriate for all readers.

It is a fairly quick charming read (once you get past the beginning chapters) and worth your time.

Slaghterhouse-Five by Kurt Vonnegut

What a depressing book!  I know the title isn't exactly reminiscent of flowers and sunshine, but I was still surprised at the lack of positivity in this book.  Most war stories have touching or honorable moments, but this one is just sad, scary and negative.  (So probably a pretty accurate description of actual war.)  It is well-written and thought-provoking, but certainly not uplifting.  One of the characters uses tons of slang and is rather hard to understand as well.

Billy is a soldier who is very afraid and doesn't want to fight.  He is captured and kept in an old slaughterhouse by the Germans (slaughterhouse five, of course).  It is no longer used but still has animal carcasses hanging in it (a rather gruesome war image).  Because it has a cellar where the guards and prisoners go during bombing raids, they are among the survivors in the city.  I won't tell you the end, so as not to ruin the story, but I will warn you being survivors is probably the happiest thing that happens in the book!

Obviously this book contains violence.  It was particularly unsettling to me, since the violence occurred in places other than the actual war like among prisoners and after the war had ended in a fictional future.

It is worth the time for the experience, but it isn't something to read when you need cheering!

An American Tragedy by Theodore Dreiser

I honestly don't know why this book is included on the 100 Best Books List.  It is overly dramatic and sentimental and sooo long.  I was very tired of it and ready for it to be over long before it finished.

An American Tragedy tells the story of Clyde, a young man who has been raised doing missionary work on the streets with his parents.  He gets a job at a hotel and is introduced to alcohol and prostitution.  He gets in trouble with the law because of this and has to leave to another city where he gets a job through family connections.  He continues to make stupid choices and to be motivated mostly by greed and ambition and ends up in jail writing to his heartbroken mother.

This book is mostly clean, although it deals with a lot of mature subjects like prostitution, abortion, and murder, although not in detail.  It probably isn't appropriate for younger readers.

This book isn't worth the large amount of time it takes to read.

To the Lighthouse by Virginia Woolf

I know this is supposed to be a really great (hence its inclusion on the 100 Best Books list), but I really didn't love it.  Plot is secondary.  There isn't much dialogue or action.  It's largely introspective thoughts and philosophical musings of all the characters.  It also feels unrealistic in the ending when suddenly everything is okay between Mr. Ramsay and his children who have always had a difficult relationship.

It is short and good to read just because of Woolf's influence and ability.  But it is kind of boring, too, so be warned.

I, Claudius by Robert Graves

It's been a while since I've made a post involving one of the Modern Library's books.  I, Claudius is written as an autobiography of the emperor.  In it, he claims to be "telling the truth" as opposed to all other books about the Caesars, which have to appease the royal families and courtiers who surround the emperors.  Claudius writes his autobiography and hides it for future generations to find, so he can avoid input from those around him.  Claudius battles with himself because he believes a monarchy is bad, yet he wants to rule.  He is a good and benevolent king, which he feels is a disservice to his people because it makes them think a monarchy is a good thing.

This is an interesting book, especially if you have any interest in politics.  It can be thought-provoking, although it certainly isn't life-changing.  It isn't one of my favorites, but it is pretty good.  Since it isn't very long, it is worth the time it takes to read.

The Kill Room by Jeffery Deaver

This is the latest Lincoln Rhyme novel.  Lincoln Rhyme is a quadriplegic forensics expert who works as a consultant for the New York police department.  He partners with Amelia Sachs, who is also his romantic partner.  There are a lot of Rhyme books.  This one is good, but certainly not the best.

It does have an interesting premise.  Rhyme is approached by an attorney who is trying to build a case against some members of a secret government organization who assassinate terrorists.  They made a mistake due to selective intelligence and killed an innocent man, so this lawyer wants to find the evidence to prosecute them for murder.  Of course there are numerous complications and plot twists.  (Deaver is very fond of those.)  But Rhyme always gets his man, and this case is no exception.

This book is clean, although there is talk of torture and some description of knife work that are pretty gruesome.

It is worth the time, but if you're new to the Lincoln Rhyme novels, start with an earlier novel in the series.  They're better!