Bellweather Rhapsody

Bellweather Rhapsody by Kate Racculia
340 Pages


 The book opens with Minnie Graves complaining about the bridesmaid's she has to wear for her sister's wedding.  As she wanders through the hotel she comes across the scene of a murder/suicide. 

Fifteen years later the Hatfield twins are traveling to the same hotel for a statewide music festival.  Minnie is also returning to the hotel to confront her ghosts.  When Alice's roommate Jill is found hanging in the same room, Alice calls for help only to return and find the body missing.  Everyone is a suspect and Alice and her twin Rabbit must find out what happened.

The strength of the book is not the mystery but the way the author describes the world of music and how the performers create new experiences through their playing of music.  The end is actually a mish-mash with too many plot lines and red herrings coming together.  The book has moments of very good writing but attempts to do too much.

Heads in Beds

Heads in Beds: A Reckless Memoir of Hotels, Hustles, and So-Called Hospitality by Jacob Tomsky, 247 pages

Jacob Tomsky (or Tommy Jacobs, as he refers to himself in the book) has worked at high-end hotels for the last decade or so, and Heads in Beds is his memoir of moving from valet to front desk clerk to housekeeping manager and back to the front desk. This is an eye-opening look at hotels, how they function behind the scenes, and exactly how the hotel staff sees you, that one person in the nameless, faceless constant stream of guests.While there are a few "ew, gross" moments and some definite "are you kidding me?" stories of pushy guests and managers, Tomsky handles them well, with heavy dose of sarcastic humor.

As much as it is a memoir, this is also illuminating in the ways that we can all be better hotel guests while getting the amenities that we want. Want an upgrade? Tomsky lets you know how to get it (hint: money talks). Don't want to pay for that minibar raid? Keep your story short and sweet, because they'll stop listening after the first sentence or so. Really, there are plenty of tips here that can make your time as a hotel guest better, and make the lives of those who work in hotels a bit easier too. Or you can at least find out why that room key that worked perfectly three hours ago when you checked in doesn't work now (it may have something to do with the horrible way you treated the doorman).

A good fun memoir, though those who dislike swearing, drug use, and questionable morals may be better to read something else. I loved it.