Laughter of Dead Kings by Elizabeth Peters

Everyone who has read the Vicky Bliss books always wondered if, and what, the connection was between Sir John Tregarth and the Emerson clan of the Amelia Peabody Emerson books. Before Laughter of Dead Kings came out, there were many rumors that this book would answer all the questions.

The adventure started out with the theft of King Tutankhamen from his tomb in the Valley of the Kings. Feisel, from Night Train to Memphis, contacted Sir John because who else would ever think of stealing Tut? Well, obviously, Sir John would never do such a dirty deed to his friend, So Vicky and Sir John decided that they would have to investigate the crime to help Feisel and clear Sir John's name. Of course, Schmidt got involved. At first, Schmidt was going to spy on Sir John for Schmidt's new amour, Suzi, who believed that Sir John was guilty. Schmidt joined forces with Sir John and Vicky, and before you know it, the trio was on the scene in Egypt to find Tut. There's lot so action, twists, and turns before the mystery was solved, and the entire ride was great fun! It was fun to look for hints about the Emersons in the book, and a few things showed up. First was the compound that the Emersons lived in while on their archaeology trips, the home after the river boat. Then a character that can only be Elizabeth Peters herself showed up. The author admitted to buying some manuscripts from the Tregarths and of stealing others from the family estate's attics.

What I loved about the book was the ending. We do find out that Sir John is connected to the Emerson family, through the youngest granddaughter. As Sir John said, although Ramses was an only son, with three children, those children bred like rabbits. And we get the ending we all wanted since Vicky met John: the marriage proposal. I was left with a warm glow. It's sad that we won't have any more Vicky Bliss or Amelia Peabody Emerson books. I suppose we will all just have to continue the adventures in our imagination.

Happy, Happy, Happy by Phil Robertson

Lately, the Robertson family, of Duck Dynasty fame, has raised strong feelings amongst people. If you say you like the family, or support them, then you are labelled racist and homophobic. What bothers me is that some of the discourse seems hateful, and that is strongest on the side that is trying to silence the Robertsons. Personally, I am atheist, but that doesn't prevent me from appreciating the strong family values that the family has. I thing Duck Dynasty is a funny show, and I like how tight and supportive the Robertsons are of their extended clan. The Robertsons make it obvious, mostly with the dinner prayer at the end of each show, that they have strong religious beliefs. If you don't like it, don't watch it.

I wanted to learn more about Phil Robertson, so I got his book, Happy, Happy, Happy. Robertson comes across in the book, just as he does on the show, a man of strong belief and few words. Robertson wasn't always a good family man, and he detailed his past troubles with alcohol and family absence. However, he eventually turned his life around, and that was mostly due to finding religion. After reading the book, I have a much stronger admiration for Phil's wife, Kay. She put up with a lot of bullshit from Phil in the early years of their marriage, and yet somehow, she managed to provide a stable atmosphere for her boys.

Say what you will about the Robertsons, but one thing you can't say is that Phil Robertson isn't honest about his flaws and his beliefs. After reading the book, I have a clearer picture of the person Phil Robertson is. He says some things that I roll my eyes at because his views can be naive and simplistic. I found it hard to believe that PHil had a Master's in Education, but obviously, the image of an uneducated redneck we see now is a well-crafted persona. Love him or hate him; Phil Robertson is indeed an interesting character.

Franny K. Stein, Neil Flambe, & Amulet

Since the end of term, I have been catching up on the stacks and stacks of magazines that had been piling up. I read old celebrity news, old science news, and a plethora of fitness articles. The most entertaining part of the catch-up was seeing how the celebrity news was reported when I knew the outcome because it was so old. Jennifer Aniston pregnant! No way Jose, if you saw her recent bikini pictures in Mexico.

Because I was reading so many magazines, I wasn't really reading books. I am still working on Laughter of Dead Kings on the Kindle, and I have been reading some kids' books in print format. My nephew will be turning six in a few weeks, and I have been trying to improve my literacy in the type of books that might appeal to him. One of the book series that had caught his attention is the Franny K. Stein books. Franny is mad scientist kid, modeled on the concept of Frankenstein. Remember, Frankenstein was the name of the scientist, NOT the monster! The Franny K. Stein books, of which there are seven so far, revolve around Franny's misadventures with science. Franny loves science, and she thinks that all the kids in her grade school should love science. However, they are interested in other things, like making cookies or collecting stamps. Franny creates a lunchmeat monster to save her teacher from the garbage can creature concocted from Franny's fermenting lunch (Lunch Walks Among Us). Franny creates a Dooms Day device, but then her lab assistant, a mixed breed mutt called Igor, accidentally eats the device, and in the process, activates it. Franny has to shrink herself to journey into Igor's stomach to deactivate and retrieve the device. (Frantastic Voyage) The books are first chapter books, and my nephew loves the books so much that he keeps on looking for new Franny books. I think the books are fun and perfect for a boy, or girl, who loves mad science.

The other kids series character that I have been reading is Neil Flambe. He is a creation of Canadian author, Kevin Sylvester. Neil Flambe is a 14-year-old master chef. Neil Flambe can cook anything, and he also has a powerful nose for odors. Because of his powerful nose that can pick out the slightest smell and identify it, Neil gets involved with the local police, namely Sean Nakamura, Police Inspector. Neil helps Nakamura solve mysteries, and in the first book, Neil Flambe and the Marco Polo Murders, Neil helps Nakamura find the person who is murdering the best chefs in the area. Of course, the clues all point to Neil being the culprit, so he has to clear his name. The back story revolves around the journeys of Marco Polo, and a deadly poison that Polo discovered on his journeys. Neil gets help from his older cousin, Larry Flambe, and Neil's girl friend, Isabella. There are only four books in this series, and the books are geared toward the older reader, maybe fifth to sixth grade. My nephew will have a bit of time to grow into the Neil Flambe series, but I hope that he does give them a try.

I've also been reading graphic novels, and the Amulet series by Kazu Kibuishi has been entertaining. The story revolves around Emily Hayes, who becomes a stonekeeper. She, her mother, and Emily's brother, Navin, go to live in Emily's great-grandfather's house after Emily's father's death in a car accident. Of course, Emily has to save her mother, who is captured by an arachnopod. Emily and Navin have to journey to another world to save their mom, and then they have to stay there to save the world. This is another short series. There are five books out, with a sixth expected in September 2014.

The world of kids' literature is booming, so my nephew should have plenty of books to catch his attention. Let's hope that he gives the books a chance. You know how it is with kids. Right now, he is in a "I don't want to read because books are dumb." We'll have to hope that he sees the joy in reading before too much time passes.

The Murders of Richard III by Elizabeth Peters

I have always liked the Jacqueline Kirby books, written by Elizabeth Peters, and I thought that I would re-read one of the earlier ones, The Murders of Richard III. The book was written in 1974 and was told from the viewpoint of Thomas Carter. He was in London and a member of the Ricardian Society. This group of folks believed that Richard III was not the murderous villain as portrayed by William Shakespeare and some historians. Thomas takes Jacqueline (Jake) to a meeting at the estate of Richard Weldon. Weldon claimed to have a letter that would prove that Richard III did not murder his nephews. When the gathering at Weldon's estate became disrupted by pranks that duplicate the murders associated with Richard III, Jake started to suspect that there was more than meets the eye, and that something must be done before the pranks become deadly.

Jacqueline Kirby is my kind of woman. She's intelligent, spirited, and up to any challenge. She's always able to see through the clouds of confusion to figure out whodunit. In The Murders of Richard III, Jake takes an active role in this mystery, at one point tackling the villain with her weaponized purse. I call it weaponized because it's one of those big ass purses, and when Jake puts a heavy statue in it, it can be deadly. Peters knows how to interject humor into her books, and The Murders of Richard III is full of humor, action, and mystery. Of course, there's also a tinge of romance. I really loved The Murders of Richard III, and I would highly recommend it, even if you haven't read an Elizabeth Peters before.

History Decoded by Brad Meltzer

A year or so ago, I was scanning the TV list for a new interesting show. I found it when I saw the description for Decoded. The series, which so far ran for two seasons, was the brainchild of Brad Meltzer, and it fit into my interests like a hand in a glove. The show featured Scott Rolle, Christine McKinley, and Buddy Levy who would investigate historical controversies for Meltzer. The show looked at a variety of difference historical topics, such as the White House cornerstone, secret Presidential codes, the Statue of Liberty, and Secret Societies. The show was fascinating, and the team took a very rational view of things. They researched the conspiracies and controversies, and they formed rational responses. Loved the show! I wish that it had a third season.

Fortunately, Meltzer collected the ten greatest conspiracies of all time in a new book History Decoded. Of course, I got the book, and it was just awesome. Each chapter had supplemental materials that illustrated the conspiracies, held in an envelope at the start of each chapter. Each section was short, but full of information. The countdown to the top ten:

10. John Wilkes Booth
9. Confederate Gold
8. Georgia Guidestones
7. D. B. Cooper
6. White House Cornerstone
5. Spear of Destiny
4. Leonardo DaVinci
3. Fort Knox Gold
2. UFOs
1. JFK Assassination

As I mentioned, conspiracies intrigue me, and the book did not disappoint. Meltzer, and co-author Keith Ferrell, did a great job of collecting and presenting the information. If you love history, and especially if you love conspiracies, you will want to read History Decoded. The only problem that I have with the book is that I want more.

Die for Love by Elizabeth Peters

I have not been reading much lately. I have been very busy teaching three classes, and it hasn't left much time for anything else. I did manage to get some reading done. Since Elizabeth Peters died a few months ago, I have wanted to read some of the books that I haven't read for a while. I went back to the Jacqueline Kirby books, and read the third book in the series, Die for Love. This book is classic, hilarious Peters with satire of a romance writers conference.

Jacqueline Kirby wanted a vacation away from her Nebraska university, and while she was looking for a conference to attend, she found one in New York City for romance writers. Of course, Jacqueline had never read a romance novel. After reading one on the flight to New York, she realized that she could easily try her hand at writing one. The conference is the epitome of cartoon romance. Hattie Foster, Aunt Hattie, was one of those unscrupulous agents who used blackmail to keep her stable of writers working for her for mere peanuts. Hattie had all the big name authors, all the Valentines (writers with some form of Valentine in the name). Dubretta Dubrenstein, a sharp tongued reporter for the Daily Blank made it her job to expose Hattie, and when she had a heart attack and died at one of the conference soirees, Jacqueline immediately knew it was murder. With the a next to no help from flame, and fellow professor, James Whittier, Jacqueline set out to solve the mystery. When it became obvious that someone was out to get Dubretta's notebook, which Jacqueline has, and when Laurie, a romance conference hanger-on, got murdered, Jacqueline knew she had to stop the killer before she was next.

Elizabeth Peters did an excellent job with ribbing romance writers and romance writer conferences. Peter has both Vicky Bliss and Jacqueline attempting to write romance novels. The prose would just fly off their pens, and Peters gave us glimpses of the over the top dialog. Peters was an excellent writer, and in Die for Love, she gave a great mix of humor and mystery. I enjoyed the book a good deal, and I would highly recommend it to anyone who wants some laughs with a mystery.

Grave Descend by John Lange

I really miss new books by Michael Crichton. Crichton wrote the type of book that I love to read: scientific thriller. It was so obvious that the man was highly intelligent because he was able to discourse on any topic, especially the scientific ones, and make you think he was an expert on the topic. Crichton did his research. I loved listening to some of his talks after he wrote State of Fear. Crichton was telling people to doubt the science of climate change. Crichton was saying that we need to read about the topic and not trust to politicians to have the best solution to any problem. In fact, we should all see that politicians always have an agenda. Science based on politics and fear was not the science that Crichton thought we should subscribe to.

Now none of that has anything to do with Grave Descend. Well, not exactly. Imagine my excitement when I learned recently that Michael Crichton had written books under the pseudonym John Lange in the 1970s. Hard Case Crime recently republished the books, and of course, I had to check it out. Grave Descend is a very short, fast-paced read. James McGregor is a professional diver, who is called to for a salvage project on a boat, The Grave Descend, that sank in the waters of Jamaica due to an explosion. McGregor immediately questions the story because the parts just don’t add up. He goes to check out the location of the wreck, and surprise, surprise, the Grave Descend is anchored there. Within minutes, McGregor sees someone fiddling with a remote, and boom! Down goes the Grave Descend. McGregor finds himself embroiled with money launderers, the Sicilian Mafia, and the police, as he tries to piece together what happened to the Grave Descend.

The book wasn’t like a typical Crichton story, but it did have a hard-boiled, edgy feel with taut, fast-paced action. After reading Grave Descend, I started looking for other John Lange books at the library, and I will definitely have to loosen the purse strings to buy some of the Kindle editions. If you have a spare evening, I strongly recommend Grave Descend. You won’t regret it!