The Lincoln Highway by Amor Towles

 This book was a wonderful read, and creative and brilliant! I loved it so much, and thought, this author is amazing. One of my favorites, especially since "A Gentleman in Moscow," which was equally brilliant and rich. I felt this way all the way through, until the end! Oh, my, what a disappointing conclusion to it all! I'm not even sure what happened at the end; it's a little obscure. But, given time, maybe I will understand that death was the only way that Duchess could have ended? And Woolly too? These two characters were fascinating and troubled...maybe that was the point? I loved Emmett and Billy, and especially how their goodness contrasted with the troubled Duchess and Woolly. Still, I was hoping for redemption for them!

There were other great characters too--Ulysses and the professor were intriguing to learn about. The way the story lasted ten days and yet we learn so much about their lives and thinking. And Sally, the indefatigable Sally who was so capable and so focused and so taken for granted. Such good writing and character development are always appreciated by me, and the way the story came together was brilliant. So many times I was in awe of Towles's ability to make each character's voice and metaphors and analogies unique. Just brilliant. Still, I was hoping for a happier end for them all. 

It's been a week or so since I finished reading it, and I'm still not sure if I want to keep this book and try it again or not. I was so let down by the ending! But maybe taking it on again in awhile will help me understand what Towles is getting at. Yet do I want to believe people can't change? I'm all for reality and not arguing with it, but sheesh... Still undecided. 

The River by Gary Paulsen

 This is the second book in a series which began with THE HATCHET. Henry and I listened to it on our way to St. George from Rapid City this past summer and really enjoyed it. What made The Hatchet so good and so compelling was the way Paulsen revealed young Brian's thinking process as he faced horrific challenges after a plane crash in remote Canada. And survived. This second book finds Brian returning to the remote part of Canada where the earlier story took place.

What I liked was, again, how we see what Brian is thinking and planning. This time he has an older accomplice with him who wants to learn how to survive. When he is seriously injured, Brian has the challenge to get him to safety. It was a good story right up until the end. It ended so abruptly, I wondered if the author had a sudden deadline with no time to adequately celebrate and describe the resolution. It's too bad!

I was going to get and read all three sequels to The Hatchet and then pass them on to John and Henry, because I think they would enjoy them. With this one, though, ending in a rather disappointing way, I wonder if I want to commit to any more in the series. The first was so good, it set up high expectations in my mind that weren't met. 

J is for Judgment by Sue Grafton

 I saw this paperback in the Switchpoint Thrift Store for 50 cents, so I thought I'd take a trip down memory lane and revisit this most engaging series that I read years ago. It was long enough ago that this was like reading a completely new book! The only vaguely familiar part was when Kinsey discovers she has living relatives and her cousins contact her. Her reaction is so strong and so antithetical to what I think I would have done, that it stuck in my memory.

This is a good yarn, and not as graphically violent as some of Grafton's later mysteries in the series. This one deals with the disappearance of a father who developed a ponzi scheme and took the money and ran. Kinsey tracks him down in Mexico, and in the course of the story, connects with his family. It's engaging and not too hard to follow the clues along the way. There isn't a lot of Henry or her home life in this one, nor is there any romance. Still, it's an enjoyable, at times funny and at times tragic story. I really enjoyed Kinsey's analysis of Wendell and whether or not he had any redeeming qualities. The description of his sons, particularly the violent criminal one, was also fascinating. 

Now I wonder...should I start all over again with A??? These sure are fun. And I'm tempted! 

Midnight at the Blackbird Cafe by Heather Webber

 In some of my darker days, this book brought me a little comfort. It was a nice escape this summer when I was trying to figure out how to survive the heat and how to embrace my new life in St. George as the Relief Society president. The negativity was rampant and this book was enjoyable and light.

Too light, really, and very predictable. But the scenes of small town life and people were sweet and you could tell nothing really horrible was going to happen to anyone. It was clear at the beginning that the woman (Anna Kate) was going to stay in Wicklow, that the family mystery would be solved, that everyone would life happily ever after, and even Natalie would find her way. 

What was nice to read about was Anna Kate's love of the little cafe, her garden, and the surrounding mountain woods. She talked to her zucchini plant. She baked sumptuous pies, she used mulberry syrup in the pies from her trees, she listened to the blackbirds sing at midnight, she believed in the dreams that people had when they ate her pie. It's slightly mystical and fun and slightly entertaining. It was so predictable, though, that it got a little frustrating. It's going into the give-away pile that is growing by our front door. 

The Man Who Died Twice by Richard Osman

 This is the second book by this author, and it is every bit as good as the first, which I enjoyed a couple of months ago. I am so delighted by this author's humor and his keen eye for characters and interesting details. This plot got a little twisty, but I was able to follow 95% of it.

One thing that particularly stood out to me is the way Elizabeth treats her husband Stephen. And how she thinks about him. His dementia is increasing, and she treats him wonderfully! I found it truly inspiring and instructive. She honors him, she dotes on him, she agrees with him! 

You could almost call this a "cozy mystery" although there is plenty of blood. What makes it cozy is the four friends who live in a senior community and love and support each other. Their capers are inventive and their conversations are hilarious. Their misunderstanding of modern culture often gets them into funny situations as well. Often criminals and others underestimate their abilities and that makes for good  humor as well. I just read there's a third one coming out and I will be ordering it post haste!!!