I’m at the bottom of the pile of books that have been
waiting by my pc since January! for notes about them to be written up. I’m putting them upstairs on my shelves
after finally getting them noted here. I
have a pile upstairs of course that I didn’t bring down because this is my
craft room after all and there isn’t room for much more than my crafts.
Two Gardeners: a friendship in letters: Katharine S. White and Elizabeth Lawrence
I first read Katherine S. White’s book Onward and Upward in the Garden and became
fascinated with her friendship through correspondence over many years with
southern garden writer Elizabeth Lawrence.
This alternates letters between the two and I honestly
wish the editor had just let the letters stand on their own. I really wanted to read them all, they were
that pleasant and full of gardening information.
The personalities of the two women comes out so
well. I really was charmed by Elizabeth,
and her generous personality and beautiful writing. Her knowledge of plants and their growth
habits all over the country was astonishing.
She gained this knowledge through yet more correspondence with farmers and
housewives via market bulletins. She
would see plants offered by common local names and write to ask about them to
see if she could identify them.
Hide
and Seek: Ian Rankin
In the second Inspector Rebus novel the detective finds a junkie dead in a hovel
with what looks like signs of satanic worship.
Something nags at Rebus about the scene, and the way some of his fellow
detectives handle the body and crime scene. He should let it go but of course
he can’t.
Rebus makes an overture to his estranged brother who is
well off and seemingly everything he is not.
The ever lonely Rebus compare his life to his sibling’s
throughout, and wonders if he could have been something different.
Heirs
of the Body Carola Dunn
Daisy Dalrymple
helps sift through claimants to be the heir to Fairacres, the family
estate. I read this a while ago before I
started watching Downton Abbey and it all looks different to me now. I see a bit better how English law determined
who could inherit and who could not.
When I read it I thought Daisy should just get the estate, it was more
than unfair to dig these people up to keep her from what should be hers.
The heirs apparent must prove that they are actual
relations. Since they are scattered far
and wide geographically and in their life situations, and their ties seem quite
tenuous, it isn’t an easy thing to sort out.
Daisy is very good at reading people and judging their
motives so she can be invaluable.
Having all of the heirs who have been located come to Fairacres seems like a good idea until accidents begin to occur.
Her detective husband Alec, who has been reluctant to
enter into any family feud situations proves invaluable in sorting things out.
