My Latest Grievance by Elinor Lipman

This is a very different book for me to read.  I will actually read anything and I mean anything as long as it's interesting and flows nicely.  What's most unusual about this book for me is that it is the life of a 16 year old girl, albeit a very mature 16 year old.  

The story covers about a year in Fredricka's  life when living with her parents in a girls dorm she finds out that her father was married before he married her mother and now the ex-wife is coming to live on campus near them and take a position as dorm mother similar to the role of her parents except that her parents are also Professors.  

The Ex is somewhat simple minded and doesn't seem to have a conscience or realize what effect her actions has on others around her.  The 16 year old is either sympathetic to or frustrated by the antics of her father's ex wife. 

The subject is rather serious at times from affairs, unplanned pregnancy and suicide.  The way outsiders react to Laura Lee's lifestyle is very realistic and understandable. The way Fredricka and the Professor's react is realistic also, she is family, and you can't always pick family or understand them but we have to deal with them.  The book is somehow realistic but light and airy.  The serious subjects never weighed me down or depressed me.  I enjoyed the story and felt like a learned from it.  I want to take life and people a lot less seriously.  

Night Probe by Clive Cussler

Okay, like always there is a major national or international conspiracy.  In this case the conspiracy exists between the U.S., Canada and England.  It involves a trade agreement that if found could make Canada part of the U.S.  There are some major low down bad guys willing to do anything for financial and political gain.  What I love about Cussler is that there is always a sliver of truth to all his novels making me learn or seek to learn more about World History and Geography.  I plan on doing some research to see if there really is a theory about a missing trade agreement.  Hey Clive, if you are reading this, I would really appreciate it if you could be more like my buddy Steve Berry, you know, "The Last Templar" for one, who summarizes in a chapter at the end of the book, all the real stuff and all the stuff he totally makes up.  That saves me tons of time on the research so that I only have to look into the real stuff to further my thirst for historical non-fiction.  

Similar to books in the past the worst of the bad guys, usually a psychopath, gets his just desserts. Hey, if it's non-fiction, might as well get some satisfaction out of it, right? This time the method is unusual and interesting.  I had never heard of it before.  I believe it's real. 

  

This must have been one of his earlier works because the formula usually includes a beautiful damsel in distress and an awesome antique car.  There is a damsel but she has a couple of beaus including Dirk Pitt and she isn't so much in distress and there is an antique car but it doesn't play a very significant role.  A twist at the end is interesting for the damsel and Dirk.  

There is  a lot of crazy blood shed that doesn't always make sense to me in this book.  I found it hard to follow who was who during the battles and the amount of casualties doesn't make sense in this case.  It's not war!  Europe could possible lose the rights to Canada but they aren't fighting for their lives and even if they had lost the land, no one's life would have been affected. So why would England go to war with the U.S. a current super power over a non existent change in lifestyle?? Beats the heck out of me.  I certainly understand the power struggle but it would not have been worth the lives lost they incurred and certainly not the threat of an even bigger war and bloodshed. That's just me, always asking the questions and wanting the books to be believable.  I still enjoyed the book but not nearly as much of other Cussler books.   

Visions of Death by J.D. Robb

This book is of course similar to all J.D. Robb's  "of Death" series.  It's very formulaic.  There is Lt. Dallas and her billionaire husband Roarke.  They always have some very steamy and graphic love making sessions, Roarke is always understanding of her demanding and dangerous career and he is passionately in love with "his cop".  Roarke always helps out his wife on the case by going with her on some visits and helping her out with his amazing computer skills and usually helps out by providing something like transport because of his large bank account.  

Lt. Dallas always gets called out on the biggest case in town and feels passionately about the victim and wants to catch the killer at any cost, even if she doesn't eat, sleep or have any other aspect of a life.  She always loses her temper with someone close to her due to the stress of the current case.  I lose my temper all the time but no one wants to talk to me afterwards.  What's wrong with you people, you should be more understanding.  

Why do I like these books?  I'm not a romantic book reader but I have to say Lt. Dallas and her life is like a fantasy world for me.  What intelligent and passionate woman wouldn't want to live Lt. Dallas' life?  She is great at her job and she gets to obsess at it until she solves the current crime at the expense of everything and everyone in her life.  And the people in her life understand and still love her completely and unselfishly.  Wow, true fantasy!  

Her husband always worries about her and cares and takes care of her and always wants to make mad passionate love to her.     

She has the most amazing, interesting and sometimes famous friends who love her unconditionally and are always at work to make her life easier.  Who on earth would not want that in their life?  And her friends all get along together.  Awesome, right? Well, I must say I do have some pretty amazing friends in my life but so far they aren't famous.  What's wrong with you people, hurry up and get famous so I can live out my fantasy life.

In this book"Visions of Death" the current case is about a killer who cuts out the eyes and is bigger and stronger than average.  This is not my favorite book by J.D. Robb but it still flows along nicely and there is lots of friendship drama and drama related to Lt. Dallas' past as a foster child.  I just love the relationship between Lt. Dallas and Detective Peabody.  

If you like Crime dramas this book has a few surprises for you but is not as deep as some of her other novels.  If you like romance this is the least sexy of all her books that I have read so far.  There is some sex but not as steamy and physical as the others.  

It's not my favorite but it doesn't suck!  How's that for a recommendation. 

Next up another long time and often formulaic author, Clive Cussler and after that a new and totally different book and author.  Yes,  I have two books going at a time.