144. Journey Into Elder Space by Mary Logan Sweet

Sweet, Mary Logan. Journey Into Elder Space. Cedar Falls, IA: Audere Books, 1999. Print.

68 pages

Reviewed by Jessica d'Artagnan Love

Mary Logan Sweet is a poet in Iowa. She is one of my favorite poets. Unfortunately, her work is nearly impossible to find. Her books were published by a small press and are no longer in print. The only reason I know she exists is because I stumbled across her books in my library’s section on Iowa writers. Mary Logan Sweet died in 2014.

Journey Into Elder Space explores themes of aging in Iowa. The language rich in pastoral metaphors and, if you’re an Iowa native, something about Sweet’s work captures the essence of an Iowa summer—they heavy humid air and singing cicadas. Her poems in this collection evoke images of the aged farmer, hands wrangled with arthritis gripping a coffee mug at the local diner at 6am.

My favorite poems from this collection include: “To Report a Lost Word,” “Morning Challenge,” “March Light,” “Homesick,” “Harvester,” “Time Out for Leaders,” and “Old Gardener.” Below is the poem, “Old Gardener.”

 

Old Gardener

Up, about, and masked at dawn,

the trappings of old age put on,

my neighbor slowly moves between

his brittle bones and paper skin.

 

A fallow army he reviews:

the drab lapsed shrubbery spring renews,

the branches downed in an ice storm,

the wandering vine in search of warm.

 

He estimates the strength of day,

commands the laggard cold away,

then, stirring leaf mold with his cane,

gently calls the bulbs again.

Would I read it again? 

Yes.

Recommended for

Those who enjoy pastoral poetry. Unfortunately, I doubt you will be able to find a copy.

Not Recommended for

Those who don’t enjoy free verse poetry.

3 stars out of 5

Mary Logan Sweet’s obituary: https://wcfcourier.com/lifestyles/announcements/obituaries/mary-jean-sweet/article_bf7dcce5-c6b1-52f6-9fca-93448a1cbbae.html

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142. Gardening in Iowa by Melinda Myers

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Myers, Melinda. Gardening in Iowa. Franklin, TN: Cool Springs Press, 2007. Print.

291 pages

Reviewed by Jess d'Artagnan Love

 This book is a helpful month-by-month guide to gardening in Iowa. The book is divided into sections: annuals, bulbs, corms, rhizomes, and tubers, herbs and vegetables, lawns, perennials and ornamental grasses, roses, shrubs, trees, vines and groundcovers. Each section walks the reader through the year by month. Each month is broken into sections: planning, planting, care, watering, fertilizing, problems, and grooming.

 There is so much practical, applicable information in this book, it will stay on my bookshelf long term. While Myers does not do a deep dive into any particular type of garden plant or species, she covers a wonderful amount of information—enough for a beginning gardening to dive right in to gardening. The information is specific to Iowa but I imagine if you live in a similar zone and have similar soil, the information would work well for you too.

The language is simple and Myers does a great job of breaking down scientific information into language that is accessible for a broad audience. She also provides an extensive appendix including names and addresses of Iowa organizations and extension offices that Iowa gardeners can reach out to for further help if needed.

If you are a novice gardener, I recommend picking up a copy of this book.

Would I read it again? 

Yes, this is staying on bookshelf and I will refer to it throughout the year as I continue to grown my own gardening skills.

Recommended for

Beginning gardeners in Iowa or in locations of a similar zone and soil type as Iowa.

Not Recommended for

Experienced gardeners looking for a deep dive of information on specific plant species or garden types.

4 stars out of 5

 

Melinda Myers website: https://www.melindamyers.com/\

Melinda Myers on Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/311605.Melinda_Myers

 

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140. The Sinner by Tess Gerritsen

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Gerritsen, Tess. The Sinner. New York, NY: Random House Publishing Group, 2003. Print.

355 pages

This is the third installment in the Rizzoli and Isles series. Tess Gerritsen continues her exploration of evil in a story about two nuns who were murdered in their convent. The story spans across continents with a connection to a chemical plant in India. 

At this point in the series, Gerritsens’ characters have started to materialize in a more personal way. The depth of character has deepened and readers can start to feel attached to them. We’ve spent enough time with them at this point to feel like old friends. This makes the tension and suspense in the novel all the greater.

Not without scandalous affairs, The Sinner addresses evil from a number of angles. Much like The Surgeon, it explores how evil can be just around the corner. An otherwise average human can have an alternative life that we know nothing about.

In addition, this novel explores the concept of corporate greed as a source of evil in the world. Corporate greed is not only found in large corporations but in charitable organizations and smaller businesses as well. It can be the source of atrocities, including what unfolds in this story.

Reviewed by Jess d'Artagnan Love

Would I read it again? 

Yep

Recommended for

Rizzoli and Isles fans

Not Recommended for

Not for kids of those sensitive to violence.

 

3 stars out of 5

 

Tess Gerritsen’s website: https://www.tessgerritsen.com/

Tess Gerritsen on Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/18149.Tess_Gerritsen

 

Reviews of previous novels in the series:

The Surgeon

The Apprentice

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137. My Gender Workbook by Kate Bornstein

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Bornstein, Kate. My Gender Workbook. New York, NY: Routledge, 1998. Print.

292 pages

Reviewed by Jess d'Artagnan Love

In Kate Bornstein’s My Gender Workbook, the author’s goal is to help readers discover their own gender identity. The book includes journal prompts along with an in-depth discussion of what gender is, and what it means in a larger societal context. Bornstein provides several different models of gender that address the intersecting concepts of gender, power, and sexuality.

I thought the more academic part of the workbook was well done. It was thorough, thoughtful, and based on sound academic research on gender and what it means to have a gender identity.

The workbook part of the book was clearly biased toward readers choosing to not identify as any gender at all. The journal prompts and questions in the quizzes were leading and lead readers toward agender or non-binary identity. They almost make someone feel guilty for choosing a more stereotypical gender identity and make the claim that those who want to maintain a more common cultural construct of gender is misinformed and naive about gender. I don’t agree with that position. I hold the position that all gender identities are good identities whether they are non-traditional or not.

Aside from the obvious bias toward agender/nonbinary identity, the book was an interesting and though-provoking read and I enjoyed it.

Would I read it again? 

Yes, I think this is a book that I will continue to learn and be inspired from the more I read it.

Recommended for

Those interested in gender identity politics and gender studies.

Not Recommended for

Readers under the age of 15, mostly because some of the content may be hard for them to comprehend.

Word Bank

·         None

3 stars out of 5

Kate Bronstein’s Website: http://katebornstein.com/

Kate Bornstein on Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/5854.Kate_Bornstein

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136. Moon Called by Patricia Briggs

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Briggs, Patricia. MoonCalled. New York, NY: Ace, 2006. Print.

288 pages

Reviewed by Jess d'Artagnan Love

Mercy Thompson is a shape shifter who can shift into coyote form. She lives next door to a pack of werewolves and makes a living as an auto mechanic for vampires. When her local pack is invaded by  rogue bunch of vampires and the pack leader, Adam’s, daughter is kidnapped, Mercy starts the process of solving the mystery and tracking down the kidnapped girl.

This book is whimsical, sexy, and well paced. I know a lot of my Christian readers have an issue with any kind of book that represents magic or the fantastical but interestingly, Mercy is portrayed as a Christian character. The werewolves, fae and other magical creates are seen as evolutionary more than anything. I found that an interesting world-building choice that may appeal to a Christian audience more readily than other fantasy novels.

There weren’t a lot of big questions asked or much exploration of major themes. Briggs is more interested in entertaining the reader than teaching them. If you want to read a book that doesn’t make you think to hard about life but still provides enough context to be good escapism, this is a great book for you.

Would I read it again? 

Yes. This was actually the second time I read the book as I’d like to re-read the series this year.

Recommended for

Readers who want some decent escapism.

Not Recommended for

Readers who desire a book with heavier themes.

Word Bank

Harridan p.6

Reticent p. 7

Sufference p. 10

Desultory p. 12

Limpid p. 49

Canted p. 55

Gracile p. 62

Quelling p. 96

Cozen p. 127

Anathema p. 129

Obstreperous p. 186

Vassalage p. 189

3 stars out of 5

Patricia Briggs' website: http://www.patriciabriggs.com/

Jennifer Lynn Barnes on Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/40563.Patricia_Briggs

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134. The Apprentice by Tess Gerritsen

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Gerritsen, Tess. The Apprentice. New York, NY: The Ballantine Publishing Group, 2002. Print.

344 pages

Reviewed by Jess d'Artagnan Love

The Apprentice is the second book in Tess Gerritsen’s Rizzoli and Isles series. It picks up from The Surgeon with a killer that has eerie similarities in his calling cards to the Surgeon that Jane threw in jail a year ago. Jane Rizzoli is back while Thomas Moore has retired. New on the scene is Maura Isles and this is the first-time readers meet Maura. This book, like the first book, is told from third person limited primarily from Jane Rizzoli’s point of view.

As mentioned in my review of The Surgeon, I am re-reading the entire series this year, paying close attention to how Gerritsen explores the concept of evil. In The Apprentice the theme of evil focuses on how everyone has dark secrets. It also explores the question of whether people are born evil or if they are made evil through a combination of biology and environment—the age old “nature versus nurture” question. The book does not take a firm stand on either side of the debate but rather finds a grey area in between. It seems that, while some people may be born evil, others are turned that way as a result of their life experiences, part of which includes brain trauma to the frontal lobe. Gerritsen’s background as a doctor really shines in this novel.

Another story I wanted to track into the second novel was that of, Karl Pachecko, the unarmed man Rizzoli murders in The Surgeon. This event is one that I don’t think would simply be brushed aside as it would have lasting effects on Jane’s psychology as well as her standing as a police officer. It took a while for The Apprentice to get there, but there is mention of this situation. Rizzoli expresses regret and a sense of being haunted by the incident that I felt was in line with what may happen in reality. Jane is also closely monitored and often thought unstable throughout the book. She is threatened multiple times to be sent to mandatory counseling and to be taken off her current case due to mental health concerns which I think would also line up accurately following the events in The Surgeon.

Overall, this is a solid second novel and provides readers with an exciting glimpse into a character that will soon play a huge role in the series (Maura Isles).

Would I read it again? 

Yes

Recommended for

Fans of murder mysteries, crime dramas, and thrillers.

Not Recommended for

Anyone who has experienced violence. This gets pretty graphic.

Word Bank

Sylvan (77)

Introitus (86)

Punchy (91)

Tony (93)

Pugilist (151)

3 stars out of 5

Tess Gerritsen’s website: https://www.tessgerritsen.com/

Tess Gerritsen on Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/18149.Tess_Gerritsen

Other books in the Rizzoli and Isles series reviewed
The Surgeon

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132. The Surgeon by Tess Gerritsen

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Gerritsen, Tess. The Surgeon. New York: NY: Ballentine Books, 2001. Print.

350 pages

Reviewed by Jessica d'Artagnan Love

This is the first installment of the Rizzoli and Isles series which later become a major network television series. In The Surgeon, a serial killer is murdering women in the city of Boston. Thomas Moore and Jane Rizzoli are on the case. I have read almost this entire series and this was a re-read of the first book. Having read the rest of the series, I have a hunch that Gerritsen did not intend this to be a series. I think she planned for The Surgeon to be a stand alone novel. One of the main reasons I think this is because Maura Isles is not in the first book and in the later books, Thomas Moore is absent. I bet, and I could be wrong, but I bet that her publisher urged her to start a series since they sell well, so she branched off from The Surgeon and I’m so glad she did! I love the Rizzoli and Isles series so much.

In an interview with Tess Gerritsen, she discussed how one of the concepts she tries to explore in her Rizzoli and Isles series is the origin and nature of evil. As I re-read these books, I’m working to track how she covers the topic. In The Surgeon, the theme of evil is being hidden in plain sight. The average person next door who seems entirely normal, may in fact have fantasies about torturing and murdering women. It points to the sinister, hidden forms of evil that are hard to identify and predict.

In a conversation between Thomas Moore and Catherine Cordell, Gerritsen writes,

“ ‘In Savannah, when those other women were murdered, I just assumed I didn’t know the killer. I assumed that if I ever did meet him, I’d know it. I’d feel it. Andrew Capra taught me how wrong I was.’

‘The banality of evil.’

‘That’s exactly what I learned. That evil can be so ordinary. That a man I see every day, say hello to every day, could smile right back at me. . . . And be thinking of all the different ways he’d like to kill me.’ “ (78).

This little excerpt sums up her exploration of evil in The Surgeon.

One other plot point I’m interested in following more closely in the next few installments in the series is what happened between Jane Rizzoli and Karl Pachecko. I feel like this incident is something that could (and should) haunt her future work and psychology as a law enforcement officer. I’m interested to review how Gerritsen handles this.

If you are just starting the Rizzoli and Isles series and start with The Surgeon, please keep this in mind: they get better. Keep reading at least through the first three books in the series before giving up on it. I think Gerritsen was working to establish her series in the first two books and doesn’t really get settled until the third book. So, hang in there.

Would I read it again? 

Yes

Recommended for

Adults who like thrillers and murder mysteries. People who like the Rizzoli and Isles TV show might also like this but keep in mind the books are darker than the show.

Not Recommended for

Those who have suffered trauma from sexual assault. DO NOT read if you fall into this category. Skip straight ahead to the third book in the series.

Word Bank

·         Picquerist (p. 54)

3 stars out of 5

Tess Gerritsen’s website: https://www.tessgerritsen.com/

Tess Gerritsen on Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/18149.Tess_Gerritsen

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131. Frostbite by Richelle Mead

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Mead, Richelle. Frostbite. New York, NY: Penguin Group, 2008. Print.

327 pages

Reviewed by Jessica d'Artagnan Love

I don't know what it is about Thanksgiving but it seems that I am always drawn to reading vampire lore around this time of year. It is actually Thanksgiving day as I sit and write this review. It seems every year there is a different series I read about vampires in late fall. 

Mysterious timing aside, Frostbite is the second book in Richelle Mead's Vampire Academy series. The first chapter or so of the book was a recap of the first book, Vampire Academy, which I appreciated. It has been nearly a year since I read the first book and was a bit fuzzy on characters and story line. The quick recap easily jogged my memory and made it easy to dive back into the story.

In this installment, Rose is still battling feelings for her teacher, Dimitri, as she trains to be a guardian for royal vampires. There is a string of murders targeting royal vampires that shakes up her community and makes her training even more important. 

As far as vampire fiction goes, this isn't the best I've ever read, but it also isn't the worst. The world building is a bit flimsy, but there is at least enough structure that it wasn't distracting and the story could still be entertaining. The prose is pretty simplistic but Mead does do a nice job of painting a character. The first seen with Adrian Ivashkov was so vivid he felt like someone who could actually exist. Honestly, I've met my fair share of human men like him and she did a good job distilling the essence of this kind of guy.

If there is anything that would make me stop reading this series, it's the protagonist, Rose. Rose is immature and psychologically abusive of the people who care about her. This isn't someone I want to be represented as a heroine. Interestingly, by the end of the book, there was a hint of explanation as to why she behaves this way, so I will continue forth with the next book in the series.  

Would I read it again? 

I don't know. I think it will depend on how the rest of the series turns out. If future books suddenly turn amazing, then I probably would re-read the first two books again. If the rest of them are duds, then no, I wouldn't.

Recommended for

Vampire fiction fans who don't want to think too hard about what they're reading.

Not Recommended for

Vampire fiction fans who want complex world building. 

Word Bank

• None. The language is pretty simplistic.

3 stars out of 5

Richelle Mead's website: http://www.richellemead.com/

Richelle Mead on Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/137902.Richelle_Mead

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