Whine & Cheese

Blue Shoes and Happiness (#34)

Ok, I said I was going to try and get back into blogging, but don't expect it to be a daily thing like it has been for this first week of 2010... though I have to admit, it has felt kind of good to have a little something popping up here each day.  But I am pretty motivated to get my 2009 book posts done and get to the big (though likely not as big as previous years) reading year wrap-up.

I warned that the last 3 books of the year would be pretty short reviews.  As you saw earlier this week, wasn't such a fan of Sag Harbor.  And while I enjoyed this next book the most out of these final three, it seems a bit silly to say much about the 7th volume in Alexander McCall Smith's No. 1 Ladies Detective Agency collection, Blue Shoes and Happiness.

If I am up to #7, I would guess there is a pretty good chance I know what I am getting myself into and that I am going to like it. there's a pretty good chance you know what you are getting yourself into and you are going to like it... and that is the reason I return to McCall Smith over and over again (I've also dabbled in his Sunday Philosophy Club series), he is a known quantity. These are charming and thoroughly pleasant tales that are my literary equivalent of cleansing the palette after a difficult or not particularly enjoyable read.  Though it's certainly a sign of a quite good reading year if it took me until December to get to my first McCall Smith book.

There is nothing new to report here. The only difference perhaps is that this is the first of the books that I have read after seeing the quite good small-screen serialization of the earlier books on HBO.  Much to their credit, my mental visuals matched up quite well with those from the series, though I certainly had the actors more in mind when reading this one, particularly Jill Scott as the lead character of Precious Ramotswe.

Rarely do I find the appeal of these books is never the 'detective' aspect, which typically end up being wrapped up all too quickly and conveniently (and sometimes confusingly to me, since it is such an easy read)... but it is the interaction between the main characters and the often unusual circumstances they find themselves in (though perhaps not too unusual, as I can not be sure what a typical day in Botswana is like).  These books are wrapping yourself in the proverbial warm blanket or perhaps cozying up with a cup of bush tea that Mma. Ramotswe so looks forward to each day. Not GREAT or terribly thought-provoking literature, but short, sweet and entertaining.

Ok, folks one more 2009 book to go (hopefully next week), and then onto the year-end wrap up and onto 2010!

In The Company Of Cheerful Ladies (#16)

Still trying to do some housekeeping when it comes to my book posts... though at this point some actual or more productive housecleaning or trip preparation would be much more productive... it is hard to believe that this time next week we'll be on our way to Beijing.  But first (!), back to the book I was reading at the time of my last out-of-town getaway... to that almost equally international hot spot... San Diego! 

Though I will be truthful and say while I brought along Alexander McCall Smith's In the Company of Cheerful Ladies on our 4th of July weekend getaway... it was never cracked open or the best of my knowledge taken out of the suitcase... though likely picked up and moved around.  I will be predictable and once again state that while some folks use vacations as a reading opportunity, I rarely read... unless it involves a plane ride.

Ok, onto the book.  This will be short and sweet as this is Book #6 in The No. 1 Ladies' Detective Agency series... so there isn't all that much new to add... and if you are interested, well you should go do the right thing and start with Book #1...

These books are pretty much review-proof... you either like 'em or you don't... but c'mon how could you not like a book called "In the Company of Cheerful Ladies"... okay, maybe in my most cynical and dark mood I wouldn't like it... but even if I was, I would likely tell myself to read one of these book to get me feeling better. 

As I always seem to say about this series (and any McCall Smith book for that matter)... you don't read them for great literature... they are just quick, warm, and charming ("charming" seems to be the word everyone uses) books that certainly cleanse the mental palette after a particularly tough or "eh" read.  While the focus of the early books did seem to be on the "detective" aspect (though certainly not enough to satisfy those who truly enjoy that genre), they've just turned more in character/slice of life studies of our lovable protagonist... the spunky Mma Ramotswe and her expanding circle of loved ones, friends, and co-workers. 

Always look forward to reading these books... though having to watch myself as I am starting to catch up with the series and try to stay at least one book behind the paperback publication of the series... think, as of this writing, McCall Smith is up to #8.

2008 1-2-3-4-5 Reading Challenge: + 231 Pages (Total: 5,956 pages - Finished: 7/9/2008)
-605 pages behind pace for the year (-39 change in pace since last book).

Express Lane: Issue 47

Dutch To Legalise Gay Sex in Public Park - Who needs the hetero-centric Red Light District when you have the rose garden at Amsterdam's Vondelpark!  But there are some "rules":  evening hours only, pick up your condoms, and not around the playground areas please. (3/19/08)

'Scrubs' Star Meets 'How I Met Your Mother' - Perhaps Sarah Chalke will distract me from the potential 'jump the shark' stunt-casting of Britney Spears in the same March 24th episode of one of my sitcom faves. (3/12/08)

'No. 1 Ladies' Detective Agency' Gets HBO Green Light - As a big fan of the Alexander McCall Smith books, very happy to see HBO picking up its move to the small screen with Jill Scott heading the cast as Mma Ramotswe. (3/10/08)

The Full Cupboard Of Life (#34)

With my 2007 Reading Challenge winding down, there will likely be an increased frequency of book-related posts as I play "catch-up" before now and December 28th (full disclosure: I started the challenge on 12/29/06... close enough!), when this now moot "challenge" officially ends. 

And this book should just do wonders for current 2nd Place vote standing for Best GLBT Entertainment / Gossip Blog... reading a novel, with a perceived target audience of middle-aged women, written by an old-ish English guy... and to make matters worse, this is the 5th book in the series!   Granted these books are instant bestsellers, so who knows maybe it will be the Alexander McCall Smith fag-hag voting block that pushes me over the top.  Voting ends Dec 17th (good gosh, another week of this!?!).

So yes, my latest book is The Full Cupboard of Life by Alexander McCall Smith which is the 5th in The No. 1 Ladies' Detective Agency series... which continues totally sound like something my "inner child" would get beat up on the playground for if he was found reading it.

But as I will say over and over, the books continue to be quite charming and, dare I say, there is not a more charming protagonist out there than detective Mma (Precious) Ramotswe.  Though of any of the installments thus far, this was by far the lightest in the detective department... more focused on the personal progress of Mma Ramotswe and her fiance Mr. J.L.B. Matekoni (if you've read these book, you must refer to the characters by their full title and name). 

The relative absence of detective work is fine.  It is the little life lessons and cast of characters that are the draw/appeal of these books, not the mystery aspect -- and me thinks fans of that genre would be disappointed by these books (well, at least when it came to the mystery part... I can't imagine too many folks not being won over by Mma Ramotswe).  So, continuing my repetition (and okay, rationalization) about this series, while it kinda is... it really is not a Botswani version of Murder, She Wrote.

I have created a category for Alexander McCall Smith which includes all the books I have read in this and other series.  While it may appear I am apologetic about reading these books, I will fully and gladly admit they are always a pleasant diversion -- a quick, easy, and palate-cleansing reading experience.

2007 10K Reading Challenge:  + 196 pages (Total Pages: 11105 pages) 

44 Scotland Street (#20)

Depending on how well my reading is (or is not) going while back East, this book review should finally catch me up.  I have had a pretty consistent lag between reading the book and blogging about it, though it is probably not such a bad idea to let some time go by to let it rest/rise/sink in.   

If you have been reading my book posts with any kind of regularity, you know Alexander McCall Smith is my go-to guy if I am looking for a quick, easy, and enjoyable read. 

44 Scotland Street is the first book in yet another series.  I have read a handful of the No. 1 Ladies Detective Agency books and sheepishly have to admit I love them... earlier this year, I gave the Sunday Philosophy Club a try... and after some initial concerns, I enjoyed that as well... so why not try and go for the McCall Smith trifecta (though, believe it or not, he has yet another series... Portuguese Irregular Verbs, you have to give him credit for titles).   

If the title seems to have a bit of a familiarity to it... say a certain address in San Francisco... you would be correct.  While I knew that this book was kind of a soap opera-ish tale of residents living in the same building in Edinburgh... I had no idea, until I read the preface, that it was inspired by Armistead Maupin's Tales of the City series... with the collection of all those book often referred to as the 28 Barbary Lane omnibus.  Additionally, just like Tales this book (and its sequels) were first serialized in daily doses in a newspaper.  So I thought that was all pretty cool... I love(d) Tales (believe me, the latest Maupin non-sequel in that series is on my "to be read" priority list)... and McCall Smith has been a guilty pleasure, so definitely a good marriage!

... and that's what I get for thinking high and big going into the book.  While it was quick and easy reading (110 chapters in 325 pages), I didn't quite find the characters that engaging.   The one major exception was Domenica, the eccentric widow who lives upstairs... who had some of the same spark as McCall Smith's other lead female protagonists, No 1's Mma Ramotswe and Philosophy's Isabel Dalhousie. Maybe I am getting old (and McCall Smith's no spring chicken either)... but the young cast of characters were just not likeable ... either arrogant, overbearing, pushy, dim, or a bit of a slacker.  Now there's nothing wrong with having some of that in this ensemble, but at least the story kept jumping around between them, but it was like going from evil to lesser evil (or vice versa).

While I have no regrets having read the book, I am not sure if I will continue on with this series.  No great loss, since I am never lacking for the next book to read.  It seems like there is a bit of a McCall Smith trend, with fans of the No 1 series not having the same enthusiasm for his other book.  I had read that when I picked up Philosophy, and that one was fine for me... so I guess I was "due" not to LOVE(!!) 44 Scotland.

2007 10K Reading Challenge:  + 325 pages (Total Pages: 5862 pages) 

The Kalahari Typing School for Men (#9)

I'm guessing I haven't won many new W&C readers this week... three days of reality television followed by two days of books!   At least no puppy update to send you totally over the edge!  Anyhow, as a reality tv fan I often feel scorned for watching "trash" (I particularly love it when it comes from the "I don't watch reality, well except for..." folks)...  but, on most nights, after my low-brow reality shows I am curl up with a book... well, maybe not curl... but anyhow...

This is another much delayed book recap. It looks like I finished this one over a week ago (you really don't want to know how I know that!).  After the "big meal" of Ten Days in the Hills, it was time to for a light snack... and you know what that means, Alexander McCall Smith!  He's my go-to guy when I need a quickie... well, ahem... a literary quickie.  This is my second McCall Smith book of the year... not wanting to run out of books in the No. 1 Ladies' Detective Agency series, I snuck over the Sunday Philosophy Club series earlier this year... but it was time to return to Botswana and my beloved Precious Ramotswe for the 4th book in the series, The Kalahari Typing School For Men.

As usual, there really not a whole lot to say about these books.  Always enjoyable... but nothing to meditate or extract any kind of deep meaning from... which is exactly why I read them!

Heck, there really wasn't even much detective work going on in this installment.  More character building as our plus-size leading lady struggles a bit ... learning it's not so easy being a foster mother, encouraging her assistant to start a new business of her very own particularly when a new detective agency opens up shop across town.  Again, not exactly earth-shattering, soul-searching material... but Mma Ramotswe handles it all with all her trademark optimism and wit.

Coming full circle, while I might not get much respect for reading McCall Smith's books (even within my own household... haha!)... it's the whole "can't live on bread alone" theory... reality television and McCall Smith are, for sure, two of my favorite desserts. 

2007 10K Reading Challenge:  + 189 pages (Total Pages: 2743 pages)

The Sunday Philosophy Club (#3)

Well, if my reading challenge was supposed to motivate me to read more, it appears to be working.  While this is the 3rd "review" of the year, I am already reading my 5th book of 2007... now 75% of the books I have read thus far have been under 300 pages, so I should temper any horn tooting.

So after finishing my last book largely about the Sudanese civil war and genocide, I figured it was probably a good idea to lighten things up a bit.  Alexander McCall Smith's The Sunday Philosophy Club seemed to be a good fit.  For my regular readers, McCall Smith is an author you have seen pretty often around here.  Last year, my curiosity got the best of me and I decided to see what all the fuss was over Smith's series The No. 1 Ladies Detective Agency.  That was the point of no return.  Title protagonist Precious Ramotswe quickly won me over and I devoured the next two installments in fairly quick fashion (the fourth book in the series is currently sitting on my "to be read" shelf).

So, in order to not "run out" of books in that series I decided to give on of Smith's The Sunday Philosophy Club series a try (and he has yet a third... 44 Scotland Street!).  Now, while I think Smith really has a knack for book titles, the first one in the series always seems to be pretty darn corny sounding (one big reason I hesitated reading these books in the first place).  But, with No 1 Ladies and Sunday, if you can get beyond that you are in for a treat. 

I have a difficult time writing about the No. 1 Ladies series, because there really isn't much to say.  The books are not deep or thought-provoking pieces of literature, the prose isn't poetic or awe-inspiring... and I make a point to not just regurgitate plot lines in these "reviews," so what's left to say?!

While there are similarities between the two series (spunky female protagonist with a quirky female employee/friend who acts as foil), there is enough different that you don't just think you are reading the same story... just transferred from wiles of Africa to the cosmopolitan setting of the United Kingdom.  While I wasn't about to "cheat" on my Precious, Sunday's Isabel Dalhousie slowly won me over.  While No 1 Ladies has those little life lessons along the way, Isabel as editor of fictional "Review of Applied Ethics" similarly serves up moral dilemmas that the reader can vicariously participate in as well.

So, expect more McCall Smith books in 2007. They have become my "go to" options after a "tough" book, feeling under-motivated in the reading department, or just to cleanse my literary palette. Now I just have to get over my lingering embarrassment about reading them (in public that is!).  The back-cover blurb from The New York Times calls it "the literary equivalent of herbal tea and a cozy fire."  Now, if that description (and a quite accurate one!) doesn't extract every ounce of testosterone from my body I don't know what would.  But they are quick, enjoyable, and entertaining... so any "wimpy" labels be damned! 

2007 10K Reading Challenge:  + 244 pages

Morality For Beautiful Girls

Recently, I have been lamenting the loss of my reading mojo... my last three books have been a bit of a struggle... not that they were bad (well, one of them I didn't enjoy at all)... but it just seemed as if I could not get into a rhythm... lacking that "joy of reading" feeling where you feel compelled to pick the book up at any free moment... 

So I was looking for a book to get me back on track.  The no-brainer decision was the third novel in Alexander McCall Smith's No. 1 Ladies' Detective Agency series, Morality For Beautiful Girls. 

I feel somewhat sheepish that I have been so sucked into these books.  I hesitated for a long time to even pick up the first book since I had a preconceived notion that the series was just cheesy chick-lit (not that there's anything wrong with that).  So while they are not the most masculine reading choices out there as I have said over and over, the books are totally charming.  Not serious literati... but nice to curl up with a book that keeps you turning the pages and, more often than not, puts a smile on your face.

And a quick read is definitely what I needed to re-jump my reading.  I could the books are like a bag of potato chips, but that sounds bad... so let's say it's like opening up a box of multi-grain snacks.

Since it usually takes awhile for a series to get off the ground, I sensed with MfBG that McCall Smith (and his publisher) realized this was going to be a successful series.  Precious Ramotswe is still our spunky protagonist... but the story expands with her relationship with Mr. J.L.B. Matekoni put on the ropes (with, of course the prospect that it will all work out in future books)... and we learn more about the agency's ambitious secretary Mma Makutsi.  I know this means absolutely nothing to those who haven't read the books... but I had to say a little something!

So, with 3 of the 7 books currently in the series (as of this writing) under my belt, I just have to fight the temptation to eat the rest of them up!   McCall Smith has a couple of other series going... so I might have to give those a try.

I have already finished another book... so the next book-related post may not be too far off... it is certainly nice to have a book back-log again!

tags:  alexander mccall smith,  morality for beautiful girls

Tears of the Giraffe

A much delayed book review... finished this one sometime last week...

As you can see the latest read is Tears of the Giraffe by Alexander McCall Smith... the 2nd book in The No. 1 Ladies' Detective Agency series.  Besides being a very breezy read, this brought back some good memories as I read the first book on vacation in Hawaii... a bit odd that I think of a tropical island when I am reading a book that takes place in Botswana!

Anyhow, the action picks right up with our heroine Mma Precious Ramotswe back on the mystery trail and dealing with the marriage proposal she received from Mr. J.L.B. Matekoni.  MMa Ramotswe's over-qualified secretary, Mma Makutsi also gets a bigger role with a promotion to assistant detective.

Truthfully, I find myself at a loss for words when it comes to "reviewing" these books.  There is nothing "deep" going on... though certainly a lot of "words of wisdom" along the way.  They are just light and entertaining reads... and addictive!  Yes, perhaps the literary equivalent to potato chips... I almost wanted to get right in and read the next installment.  But with 7 books currently in the series... I really have to start pacing myself!  I can't start buying hardcover editions when I can literally read the entire book in a handful of sittings.

With all the set-up out of the way, I have to say I enjoyed Tears even more than the first book.  I will probably say it over and over again, but the characters are just so charming... and the story is filled with a lot of humor... and also quite a few touching moments along the way.

So I am onto my next book... Arundhati Ray's The God of Small Things... which is pretty much the polar opposite of McCall Smith... pretty complex and a bit of a challenge thus far.  Due to social obligations and other stuff (like the Emmys and US Open), also experiencing a bit of a momentum speed-bump... which isn't a good thing with a book like this!  So it may be awhile before you see the next W&C book review post!

tags:  tears of the giraffe, alexander mccall smith

The No.1 Ladies' Detective Agency

If you have been paying attention to my sidebar, you may have noticed there was a book that made a very brief appearance on my "reading" list.  It was my "vacation" book, which I managed to wrap up shortly after our return.

As you can see, it was The No. 1 Ladies' Detective Agency by Alexander McCall Smith.  Being a frequent visitor to bookstores, I have seen this series for some time now (as of this writing, I think there are seven books in the series)... but I have never gave the books much consideration.  Based on the title alone, it seemed pretty cheesy... and while I delve into the genre occasionally, they seemed like another "chick lit" entry on the bookshelves.

A couple of things changed my mind.  First, while not always a good indicator... these books are always on the bestseller shelf (both in hardcover and soft), so there had to be at least some appeal.  Next, I saw one of the books in the series featured on one of my new blog finds, 50 Books.  An impressive book-oriented blog (and not just the tagline... fifty books read in one year?!?!).  But the reading list is an interesting and eclectic one... and one that I will surely be mining for future "to be read" ideas.  So this blog endorsement sealed the deal. I figured it was time to give McCall Smith a shot...

...and I was not disappointed.  While this book/author will not be taking home any Pulitzers... it was a very entertaining and breezy read... perfect for the beach... though a little funny to read a story set in the harsh climate of Botswana while I was lounging in the tropical environs of Hawaii.

It was simply impossible not to be charmed by the lead character -- the smart, sassy, and plus-sized Precious Ramotswe, who uses her father's inheritance to, you guessed it, open the the first detective agency in Botswana. The book has a British sensibility to it... McCall Smith is Scottish having spent time teaching and living in Zimbabwe and Botswana.

This is not a traditional detective story.  I figured I would have to buckle down and get ready to get into one major case/mystery... and while there was one sub-plot that was woven throughout this first book in the series, for the most part the book was made up of little "slice of life" stories that were really quite charming.  Short chapters and certainly easy reading... for you marathon readers (which I am not), it is certainly not out of the question to read this book in a couple (or one!) sittings.

So definitely a recommendation (when I bought it, even the cashier said she loved the series) if you are looking for something light and entertaining.