Pine-Scented
Currently reading:
The Most Wonderful Crime of the Year by Ally Carter
Out There Screaming, edited by Jordan Peele
An American Sunrise by Joy Harjo
Continuing my Christmas romance trend to round out the year! And one day I’ll remember my goal to read one short story and one poem every day...
Books finished this week: 2
★★★☆☆
Where this book came from: I didn’t think I’d even read this one yet, but then found a couple of underlines and notes in the margins while reading. If I have no recollection of even reading the book before, I’m never going to remember where I bought it (though Barnes and Noble would probably be a safe bet).
Why this book: There was a while where I basically bought any P. D. James book I came across at B&N, totally disregarding series order. So that’s why——I just needed to possess any P. D. James I could get my hands on.
Thoughts: I recently revisited my review of a previous Dalgliesh novel——Death of an Expert Witness, read last December——in which I said most P. D. James novels are about the journey, not the destination. Also, it took a while for everyone’s favorite poet-detective to show up in that one, but I didn’t mind. In Devices and Desires, we opened with a tense scene of a young woman being stalked by a serial killer and then jumped right into Dalgliesh, so I thought we were off to a good start! But then we started meeting everyone in the rural community in which Dalgliesh is trying to escape publicity for his latest book of poetry (and figuring out if he wants to keep or sell his late aunt’s windmill home…don’t ask), and, wow, I did not care. This one also had a bit of a cloak-and-dagger element to it that really wasn’t working for me, mostly because it led to a lot of (in my opinion) absurd twists and turns. After that promising start, Dalgliesh also vanishes for most of the book, seeing as he’s trying to enjoy his windmill holiday and not get embroiled in the search for a killer, and I didn’t care to be in the head of the local detective in charge of the case. When Dalgliesh does come back, he was my least favorite version of the character: action!Dalgliesh, performing exciting acts of heroism in the face of danger (that happened in Unnatural Causes too). Definitely not my favorite of the series, though I wouldn’t go quite so far as to call it a disappointment. But I am looking forward to reading——or rereading——the next few books in the series.
★★★★☆
Where this book came from: Purchased at Love and Legends’ grand opening!
Why this book: Fully judged this book by its cover——it’s cool. Also missed the “stalking” mention in the tagline...
Thoughts: Okay, so I am very much not a dark romance girlie. Every agent I’ve had meetings with these last few months can attest to that, as can my reading history. So I was a little worried when I realized this wasn’t going to be a cutesy, tongue-in-cheek kind of thing——the dude just fully stalked the female lead, though it’s cloaked in trappings like corporate espionage and “I must support her brilliance and protect her from ne’er-do-wells.” But you know what? I rate books based on both their content——the story, the characterization, how well an author strings sentences together——and how much I enjoy them. And He Knows When You’re Awake was the exact kind of Christmas trash (not derogatory) I needed at the end of a rough year. Was it absolutely absurd? Yes. Was the writing sometimes a bit rough, rife with repetition and lines or actions that seemed to conflict with things previously said or done? Also yes. Did I enjoy the fantasy of being a creative given endless resources by a hot rich guy who worships the ground you walk on? Hell yes. Four stars, fuck you!!
Library updates:
I decorated my apartment for Christmas last weekend, then spent part of this weekend at home with my parents so we could purchase and decorate our family tree for the upcoming holidays. I’ve experienced so many delightful scents of the season already, from the scented ads (??) Bath and Body Works put in the subway hallway at Grand Central to excellent food and the fresh tree at my parents’ house to my own collection of teas and assorted candles——frosted forests, hot buttered rum, bright citrus, peppermint, crisp air. When I’ve been able to shut off my brain, ignore my responsibilities, and silence news notifications on my phone, the days as of late have felt warm and cozy. I don’t take that for granted.
I don’t have much else to dig into for this missive. I think I used up all my words (and brain power) on the reviews above. And as festive as I can feel in quiet moments, when I can live in a little Christmas bubble and read a silly book or listen to peaceful music, I know the world is an absolute wreck. So many people lost their lives or had their lives shattered this weekend, first in Providence, Rhode Island, and then in Sydney, Australia, and I don’t know how to comprehend those events. So I’m going to leave the analysis to smarter folks than me and give you just my light-hearted book reviews and this Sunday’s closing thoughts...
Closing thoughts:
Be safe. Take care of yourself and others. Stay informed, but also know when to step away and give yourself some peace and grace.
