The Mayor of Zalamea

 The Mayor of Zalamea by Pedro Calderon de la Barca, translated by William E Colford, 128 pages

A departure for Calderon, but also one of his most popular plays, The Mayor of Zalamea tells the ostensibly true story of a proud peasant whose beautiful daughter became the object of a noble-born officer's lusts.  Caught between his offended sense of honor and the plain letter of the law, the virtuous Pedro Crespo takes a stand for justice in defiance of the entire Spanish army.

Unusually for Calderon, this is a historical piece; even more unusually, it features a protagonist from the lower classes.  For that very reason, the language lacks the grandiosity typical of Calderon, and this may help explain its continued popularity in an era that celebrates mediocritas.  Crucially, however, the play does not resolve with an assertion of equality on the basis of individual autonomy, but with a recognition of equal participation within a larger whole.

With Fire and Sword

 With Fire and Sword by Henryk Sienkiewicz, translated by WS Kuniczak, 1135 pages

With Fire and Sword, the first book in Sienkiewicz's great historical trilogy, follows the trials and travails of the noble Polish officer Yan Skshetuski, who falls in love with the angelic Helen just before a Cossack revolt plunges the Ukraine into chaos.  The two lovers are aided in their quest to survive and reunite by the clever Zagloba, the puissant Michal, and the giant Longinus, as well as by Yan's cunning squire Zjendjan, even as the storms of war and political intrigue rage around the person of Prince Yeremi, the only man who can save the Commonwealth.

With Fire and Sword offers sweeping, epic romance and adventure.  Unfortunately, it is somewhat unsatisfying.  Unlike in The Deluge, where the central conflict takes place within the main character's heart, the threats here are entirely external.  Even then, the villains, the magnificent rebel chief Hmyelnitzki and the virtuous barbarian Bohun, while they are both complex, interesting characters, recede into the background well before the final act.  Indeed, the ostensible protagonist Skshetuski himself disappears for long stretches in the middle of the novel, eclipsed by the duo of Zagloba and Michal, who would go on to play significant roles in The Deluge before getting their own novel in Fire in the Steppe.  While excellent on its own terms, With Fire and Sword ultimately lacks the apocalyptic, eucatastrophic genius of The Deluge.

The Lioness and Her Knight

The Lioness and Her Knight

The Lioness and Her Knight by Gerald Morris; 343 pages

Ah! These books are so good and it's so much fun to re-read this series. I've always called them the "Terence and Gawain Books" in my mind, but the series is actually called "The Squire's Tales" and this is Book 7. The first few books in the series heavily feature Terence, squire to Gawain, and his adventures questing with Gawain, who comes to be known as the Maiden's Knight. All of the books are retellings of the King Arthur tales. The author, Gerald Morris, is an excellent scholar of these tales and at the end of each book he discusses the original tale or inspiration that he has rewritten and what he changed in his version. Most of the characters are based on people described in the original tales, but Terence is Morris' own invention. All of the tales feature memorable characters and the plot generally involves the growth of the characters as their personalities evolve and change over the course of the book as they learn lessons from their adventures. And there are so many funny lines, likeable characters, unlikeable villains, tender love stories, and epic battles. And magic and sorceresses and a lot of fun!

In "The Lioness and Her Knight" Luneta travels to Camelot with her cousin Ywain and a court jester, or fool, named Rhience. She's been fighting with her mother quite a bit recently, like any teenager, and jumps at the chance to leave home. Camelot is just a stop (her uncle is Gawain, The Maiden's Knight and she is introduced to Terence and even the intimidating Morgan Le Fay, among other well-known Camelot characters) as Luneta's true destination is the castle of her mother's friend Lady Laudine. On the way to meet Laudine, Ywain hopes to earn a reputation as an excellent knight and ends up involving Luneta and Rhience in adventures they weren't expecting, while Luneta, upon meeting Laudine, can't help but interfere to help Laudine grow a backbone and ends up an apprentice to none other than Morgan Le Fay. And that's just the beginning of all the adventures! I haven't even mentioned the Lioness! Or the Storm Stone! 

This book is an excellent part of the series and I can't wait to get my hands on the next one. It was long enough ago that I read this series for the first that I'm rediscovering them again and enjoying every minute. Boys or girls will love these stories and Morris features a lot of great female characters in all of his books. These books are written for a middle-grade audience and Morris also writes a series of King Arthur tales for elementary readers called The Knights' Tales. I can't recommend his writing enough.

Before Church and State

 Before Church and State: A Study of Social Order in the Sacramental Kingdom of St Louis IX by Andrew Willard Jones, 454 pages

Post-enlightenment, the establishment narrative regards the thirteenth century as a chrysalis for the sovereign, secular state, when the irrational, theocratic pretensions of the papacy began to be overcome by the increasingly independent monarchs of the nations of Europe including, crucially, the pious, even saintly Louis IX of France.  As Andrew Jones convincingly demonstrates, however, this is a deformation of the actual history of the period, the product of the anachronistic imposition of modern concepts on medieval society.  For medieval Catholics, the natural state of man was not, as it would be for the "enlightened", a state of war against which the secular State must force a truce.  To the contrary, the natural state of man is peace, a peace broken by sin, but which grace restores and maintains.  It is the role of the secular as of the ecclesiastical authority to be a conduit for that grace, and they are partners rather than competitors.

Jones builds his remarkable book around the person of Gui Foucois, who served as an official in both the French church and state before becoming Pope Clement IV, but it is precisely Jones' point that Foucois saw his public service as a unified whole, not as divided into "religious" and "secular" but as part of the single "business of the peace and the faith".  It followed, then, that outlaws and heretics were equally "breakers of the peace", rebels against a sacramental order whose harmony was predicated upon difference rather than equality, being itself an expression of a Trinitarian rather than a Deist theology.

SLPL Team Totals for September, 2020

 Welcome to a new Challenge year!  We have started off with a bang this month ---

6 people

read 33 books

for a total of 11,394 pages

And a hearty welcome to Kathy CB, who joined our team this month!  Shirley J. was our Super Reader, logging 16 books and a hefty total of 5303 pages!!!

Onwards to October!

Dead to Her

 Dead to Her by Sarah Pinborough  388 pages

"Being the second wife can be murder . . ."

Marcie Maddox has worked hard to get where she is, considering the illicit affair that started her new life as a second wife a few years ago. However, maintaining herself and her life isn't easy, no matter how hard she tries. And it's also not easy to keep her husband, Jason, interested in her. When Jason's boss brings home a beautiful new wife named Keisha from his trip to London, Marcie quickly learns that Jason definitely isn't that interested in her. Determined to make sure Keisha can't replace her as Jason's wife, Marcie sets out to undermine Keisha. However, there's more to Keisha than meets the eye.

As it turns out, there's also more to Marcie than you expect. This is a story that follows the "revenge is a dish best served cold" and as you might expect, Marcie and Keisha form an alliance. However, what happens next came as a surprise to me, which made the story more interesting than I had first expected. Not the best book in the world, but an entertaining read.

Recipe for A Perfect Wife

 Recipe for A Perfect Wife: A Novel by Karma Brown, Karma   322 pages

In the present, Alice finds inspiration found in hidden notes left by her home's previous owner, Nellie. In the past, Nellie seemed to be the perfect 1950s housewife. However, things aren't as idyllic as they appear and Nellie's life begins to unravel. However, cooking keeps her life running smoothly (or as smoothly as possible) and in the present, Alice is discovering these recipes and trying them on her own husband. However, as Alice begins to discover, while Nellie's recipes seem benign, Nellie's secrets were anything but.

I liked this story and enjoyed the dual perspectives. I liked how there was the 1950s perspective and the recipes (which sounded a lot like some I've seen in old church cookbooks). I liked Nellie more than Alice, and found at times that Alice had an unpleasant edge to her. But, the back-and-forth was interesting and ending had a twist I hadn't fully anticipated.

Cats for Dummies

Cats for Dummies by Gina Spadafori,  Lauren Demos and Paul D. Dion   400 pages

This book is filled with so much good information on cats, how to care for them, how to interpret their behavior, signs to look out for to keep them well and help them when you see these signs because they show that your cat needs help health-wise.   They teach you about a cat's body language,  they teach you what your cat needs to be fed - please be sure you are giving your cat wet food as well as kibble - it helps to keep them hydrated when they aren't drinking enough water.   The authors being veteranarians themselves and specialists in their fields and each is known for a major research finding that has changed how the industry of pet food and pet care does things.   It is a handy reference book for all things cat and includes at the end several cat-friendly charities that could use help to keep their doors open, be it through donations of money or volunteering your time or donating supplies.    I wish I had this when one of my cats gave birth, had I known then what I learned from this book, I could have been more helpful at that crucial time.   The book tells the pros and cons of cat ownership and the differences  between owning a cat or a kitten, and why animals should be spayed or neutered.   It discusses domesticated, feral and fereal colonies, the many breeds of cats that have been introduced over the years and what genetic tampering with breeds creates healthwise  (Persians have flat faces and this trait causes them not to live as long as some breeds due to breathing problems caused by the flat facial features similar to bulldogs and hence their short lifespan, too.   Fascinating book for all cat lovers, cat owners and anyone considering working for a shelter.   Also good for kids to read so they know how best to care for the new pet they want to bring home.   Great book.   I highly recommend it to middle-schoolers on up.

 - Shirley J.

Pretty Bitches On Being Called Crazy, Angry, Bossy, Frumpy, Feisty, and All the Other Words That Are Used to Undermine Women

 Pretty Bitches: On Being Called Crazy, Angry, Bossy, Frumpy, Feisty, and All the Other Words That Are Used to Undermine Women    284 pages

"Words matter. They wound, they inflate, they define, they demean. They have nuance and power. "Effortless," "Sassy," "Ambitious," "Aggressive": What subtle digs and sneaky implications are conveyed when women are described with words like these? Words are made into weapons, warnings, praise, and blame, bearing an outsized influence on women's lives -- to say nothing of our moods.

No one knows this better than Lizzie Skurnick, writer of the New York Times' column "That Should be A Word" and a veritable queen of cultural coinage. And in Pretty Bitches, Skurnick has rounded up a group of powerhouse women writers to take on the hidden meanings of these words, and how they can limit our worlds -- or liberate them.

From Laura Lipmann and Meg Wolizer to Jennifer Weiner and Rebecca Traister, each writer uses her word as a vehicle for memoir, cultural commentary, critique, or all three. Spanning the street, the bedroom, the voting booth, and the workplace, these simple words have huge stories behind them -- stories it's time to examine, re-imagine, and change. "

Copying and pasting the Goodreads description was the easiest way to give the summary of this book, especially since it's essays written by so many people. I found most of the essays to be thought-provoking, especially since language is something I've considered for a long time. And especially as it is used to describe women. Definitely an interesting read and something I'd recommend for anyone interested in linguistics and/or women's studies. 

The Art of Baking Blind

 The Art of Baking Blind by Sarah Vaughan   406 pages

In 1966, Kathleen Eaden was the wife of a supermarket magnate and writer of a bestselling cookbook, The Art of Baking. This book was the cornerstone for many home bakers and now in current day Britain, five amateur bakers are competing to become the "New Mrs. Eaden" for the supermarket chain. As these contestants get to know each other, they also find that their secrets rise to the surface, making this more than a baking challenge.  Like Mrs. Eaden before them, they will learn that while perfection is sometimes possible in the kitchen, it's much harder in life.

I liked this book because there were multiple perspectives. You get the original Kathleen Eaden and you get several of the baking contestants, so the stories go back and forth until they converge. As a fan of The Great British Baking Show, I got a real kick out of this book and it was easy for me to imagine all of the different characters. There is a bittersweet tinge to Kathleen Eaden's storylines and some of the contestants also have less than happy lives. So, easy to get caught up in their stories along with the contest. Not an outstanding read, but a nice way to spend some time reading on a Sunday afternoon.

The Book of Eating

 The Book of Eating: Adventures in Professional Gluttony by Adam Platt  258 pages

Food critic Platt was the son of a diplomat and grew up in places like Japan, Hong Kong and Taiwan. Because of this, he never had the chance to become a picky eater and instead, grew up relishing all kinds of interesting and exotic foods and developed an eclectic palate. Platt takes the reader around the world, retracing his steps in his lifelong culinary education.

I had expected a bit more about his life as a food critic, and at times felt this book lagged a bit. But it was still interesting to read about his childhood and eating adventures, as well as his first encounters as a food critic. I knew who Platt was before I read this and had read some of his reviews, but I really didn't know anything about his background. Interesting read, but won't be worth a re-read.

How to Be Successful Without Hurting Men's Feelings

 How to Be Successful Without Hurting Men's Feelings by Sarah Cooper  209 pages

"Ambitious women are so scary. In this fast-paced business world, female leaders need to make sure they’re not perceived as pushy, aggressive, or competent. In How to Be Successful Without Hurting Men’s Feelings, Sarah Cooper, author of the bestselling 100 Tricks to Appear Smart in Meetings, illustrates how women can achieve their dreams, succeed in their careers, and become leaders, without harming the fragile male ego.

Chapters include, among others, “9 Non-threatening Leadership Strategies for Women,” "How to Ace Your Job Interview Without Over-acing It," and “Choose Your Own Adventure: Do You Want to Be Likable or Successful?” It even includes several pages to doodle on while men finish what they're saying. Each chapter also features an exercise with a set of "inaction items" designed to challenge women to be less challenging."

Obviously, this is a humor book -- this isn't real advice. Or is it? The not-quite-funny thing is that there are things in this book that I think a lot of women identify with. Like suggesting something in a meeting which gets ignored . . . until the guy next to you suggests the same thing and gets all the credit. Or being called "emotional," and a number of other adjectives that are positive until they're applied to describe a woman in the working environment.  I admit I snickered at several of the chapters and appreciated Cooper's snarky take on women and work.

If It Bleeds

 If It Bleeds by Stephen King   436 pages

This is a collection of four long stories, including a stand-alone sequel to The Outsider (which I did read, but remembered almost nothing about). I found the collection to be really good, even without remembering The Outside. Mr. Harrigan's Phone is a bittersweet story that has some disturbing elements to it, but it's more an exploration of a younger self. The Life of Chuck was hard to follow at first, and then I got caught up in the story.  Rat was truly the strangest one -- -I kept expecting something worse to happen, so it kept me on edge.

I enjoy King's later works and find that with each new book, I continue to like his stories. While I read Christine as a kid and some of his other early books, I've never wanted to re-read them, unlike his somewhat more recent work.  Count this one in with the good ones.

The Perfect Wife

 The Perfect Wife by JP Delaney   412 pages

Love is eternal . . . especially if there's AI.

Abbie wakes up with no memory of who she is and can't figure out why she feels so strange. The man in the room with her claims to be her husband. A titan of the tech industry and the founder of an innovative start-up, he tells Abbie she is a gifted artist, mother to their young son and his perfect wife. And that five years ago, she had a terrible accident. Now, with an amazing technological breakthrough, she's back.  Or is she?

What she is is a miracle of science, an amalgamation of brain waves and memories in a synthetic body. Horrified at first, Abbie is then curious to learn more about her accident, and then why she can't access any of those memories. As the story continues, and we get her perspective and the perspective of an unknown character, it becomes clear that her husband isn't telling her everything. Definitely not the whole truth. And just who is it that keeps contacting Abbie and telling her not to trust him?

I found this book to be a slow starter and almost put it down and then it was like something clicked, because I started reading it quickly to see what was going to happen next. Having the different points of view, especially from an outside person, as the story becomes revealed layer by layer made for an intriguing story and it was difficult to predict what would happen next.  

Calypso

Calypso by David Sedaris   272 pages

I love David Sedaris' books.  I find his last book and this one a little darker than his prior ones, though still absolutely hilarious.   The man can find the funny in anything.  In this one, he talks about his and his boyfriend, Hugh's house in Sussex, the beach house he bought for the family to share on the North Carolina coast, his sister Tiffany's suicide and how his sister Amy had a session with a psychic who channeled their mother and their sister Tiffany and the strangely spot on information she gleaned.    There are loads more topics Sedaris shares his ingenuos wit and humor on,  how his boyfriend's mother contradicts everything he says, "Oh that didn't happen!" and funny phrases heard when the family is together that they adopt as their own and use every chance they get in conversations with one another.   Such funny stuff I want him to continue sharing his views with the world because I love his stories so much.   I would recommnend this and every book by David Sedaris to middle-schoolers on up.   Some things are a little abover their grade level, but, so funny they might as well learn.    10 Stars in the reading galaxy.

Lucky Day

Lucky Day by Mary Higgins Clark   68 pages

I've always thought that the worst thing you could do if you won the lottery was to let anyone know before you turned the ticket in to get your winnings.   This short story by Mary Higgins Clark just spells that out.   The guy who won is so excited that he won he is telling everybody about it.  It's his lucky day!   Not so much.   Yes,  A quick read,  I would recommend this as a cautionary tale to everyone.   Don't tell everything you know.  It is a case of counting your chickens before they hatch.   Turn in the ticket, get your money, then move, leave no forwarding address, change all your phone numbers and become a ghost otherwise you will have folks climbing out of the woodwork to take what you have.  I know its a joyful moment and the childlike enthusiasm that bubbles to the surface just wants to share such happy news with every person you meet, but, word of warning - everyone is not your friend - not everyone cares how long and hard you have struggled to finally become a "winner,"  and they will steal everything including your joy from you and walk away with your joy in their pocket and think nothing of it.   Think smooth jazz - quiet joy so you reap the benefit not some undeserving meanie.

 - Shirley J.

The Cradle Will Fall

 The Cradle Will Fall by Mary Higgins Clark    336 pages

Start out with a cheating husband and his pregnant wife who turns up dead from a cyanide poisoning, or did she?   Did her cheating husband do it?    Then at the autopsy another clue comes in to play, wait did the husband do it or were both the husband and the wife cheating ?   What????   A head scratcher, sometimes just disgustingly gross when you think about it.  Where does this gal come up with this stuff?   Did she set up the premise for the film, "Centipede?"  Oooh!  The writing is good, the premise is gross.   Not a book I want to long think about but if you like murder mysteries with twiests you will like this one.

 - Shirley J.

Loves Music, Loves to Dance

Loves Music, Loves to Dance by Mary Higgins Clark    336 pages

Just another reason not to go out with every one you meet online.   YIKES!!!    As a favor to her friend,Darcy, who works for a tv talk show, Erin agrees to go on a bunch of blind dates with guys met online and what a mixed bag she gets.   Not to mention one fellow she met in person.   You won't know till the end which one is the murderer.   Is it the freaky guy with a sister fetish?  Is it the angry guy you just know deep down hates women and wants them to pay for something he is still carrying around.    There are sooooo many choices, it could be any one of them or could it possibly be someone random?   Then there is the dancing shoe clue.    Ladies be careful what you wish for a sensitive guy who loves to dance may be better left alone!      A good dose of creepiness and a lesson in being vigilent before putting yourself out there.   I would recommend this one to middle-schoolers on up.   Learn the lesson early, ladies!

 - Shirley J.

Where Are the Children?

 Where Are the Children?  by Mary Higgins Clark   223 pages

While living in California a woman's two kids go missing.   She is later brought up on charges of murdering them and serves time in the penitentiary for it.   When let out on a technicality she decides to run away from all the sorrow her life in Cally brought her and goes completely across country to start a new life in Cape Cod.   Some years pass and she meets a new man, falls in love, marries and eventually has two more kids.   Life is good no one including new hubby knows about her dark past and the murders but on the anniversary of the deaths of her first two children an article appears in the local newspaper about her case complete with her picture while the same day finds her present two kids missing!     Is she mental?   Is she a serial child killer or a victim of circumstance?   What the heck is going on?   The law and the town are closing in on her, she is freaking out!   Where are the children?????   A nail biter - this one.   I would recommend this book to middle-schoolers on up.   Learn to keep an eye on your little ones at all times - you never know what is in the mind of a person.

 - Shirley J.

All Around the Town by Mary Higgins Clark

 All Around the Town by Mary Higgins Clark   341 pages

Whew!  If you are going to commit a crime it is helpful to have a sister who is a lawyer.  Well, even if you aren't going to commit a crime having a sister who is a lawyer would still be a good thing - you never know when you will need legal assistance.   And when you were abducted as a child, have multiple

personalities that enabled you to cope with the memories of the horrendous experience and in your 20s go all obsessive over your very married college English profesor so much to the point one of your personalities is writing him extreme love letters, oh yeah, and he turns up dead - then you are really going to need that sister who just happens to be a lawyer.   Another good plot line.   I would recommend this book to middle-schoolers on up.   Learn early to be mindful of strangers - STRANGER DANGER!!!    And this one takes a lot of twists and turns too.   Lots of baddies to choose from and that old adage about a woman scorned?  Yeah.  .

 - Shirley J.