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The Beekeeper's Apprentice by Laurie R. King
Thanks to a lady with whom I volunteer at our local library for recommending this 'Mary Russell' series of books!
I love Sherlock Holmes. I am partial to the Basil Rathbone portrayal, but am really loving the 'Elementary' TV Series.
In fact, I am wondering if this series may have been the inspiration for 'Elementary'. The main inspiration is that Laurie King has provided Sherlock with an apprentice who becomes his female counterpart and his partner in crime solving. The story takes place in the early 1900's; Watson is still around; and Sherlock is older that the TV Sherlock. I can see how a TV writer might segue into a younger Sherlock, who is training a female partner, Dr. Joan Watson.
I really want to see if Ms. King will subject us to the same level of background detail in the next installment. I understand this first book of the series is setting the scene. However, the details of chess and beekeeping did get tedious after a while. And, I am not sure she felt we needed to visit Palestine for a month of detail. I think maybe a couple of weeks' overview would have done it? Maybe-Maybe Not?
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Freakonomics: A Rogue Economist Explores the Hidden Side of Everything
by Steven D. Levitt
Steven D. Levitt is one who 'thinks outside the box'. I mean really, really thinks outside the box. He takes common everyday questions and examines them in an uncommon way.
1. What Do Schoolteachers and Sumo Wrestlers Have in Common?
2. How is the Ku Klux Klan Like a Group of Real-Estate Agents?
3. Why Do Drug Dealers Still Live with Their Moms?
4. Where Have All the Criminals Gone?
5. What Makes a Perfect Parent?
6. Perfect Parenting, Part II or: Would a Roshanda by Any Other Name Smell as Sweet?
Epilogue: Two Paths to Harvard
See what I mean? If this doesn't make you curious enough to read this book, nothing will.
Actually, The Contents and the Introduction as well as the last pages of each chapter will probably satisfy your curiosity. However, you will miss some of the good parts. There are parts that are simply statistics and are quite boring. I skipped over those until a got to another good part.
Recommending this book. It was published in 2005 and is still relevant in 2013.
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The Snake, the Crocodile & the Dog
by Elizabeth Peters
This Amelia Peabody read like two books. One book was set in England and the other in Egypt. They were tied to each other by the mystery to be solved. Alert: Pay attention to the clues in England they might help you solve the mystery in Egypt. There are a lot of twists and turns that will keep you guessing. It was a very enjoyable book to read even all of the Egyptology that was thrown in to educate the reader.
The Hippopotamus Pool
There seemed to be a new direction in this book of the series. Some new characters were introduced and some of the old ones made an appearance to help solve the mystery. Some of the story was a little heavy on the Egyptology and at times over powered the story. Then, we were back on track with the mystery. Ramses is making another adjustment...he is trying to speak as a young gentleman instead of speaking 'Egyptology' as if he was reading text from an encyclopedia. I think the motivation is Nefret, his adopted sister. After all he is now a teenager and so is she. hmmm! We'll see where this takes us. His priorities are getting complicated. I think it was a good mystery story...just a little too many 'asides' for me.
Seeing a Large Cat
Emerson and Amelia are back in Egypt. The 'children' have grown up. They now teenagers...very mature teenagers. Ramses and Nefret are now joined by David, an Egyptian boy they rescued from a life of crime in the last book. He is the Grandson of Abdullah, their Egyptian foreman. Several characters from other books in the series are part of the cast. The mystery is complicated, but not too complicated for Peabody and crew. We got a dose of Egyptology, but not too heavy that it distracted from the story.
The Ape Who Guards the Balance
I am really into Amelia Peabody. Who would have thought-not me? I really like this story. Ms. Peters actually moves her characters along. She lets them get older as the years past...not to 'spoil' the story. I am also amazed that the Egyptology does not get in the way of the mystery and the characters.. This is the tenth one in the series and there are more to come...looking forward to reading them!
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