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Me at the Moment and Mysteries L & M



I’m about to start a new book for my management class. (Each semester we have to read a book and review it for the class. I read Lean In by Sheryl Sandberg last semester and I liked it. She didn’t say anything groundbreaking, but I appreciated that she appreciated how much support and help she has from her spouse and how every woman won’t have that in their lives.) The book I’m about to read is Getting Things Done: The Art of Stress-Free Productivity by David Allen. I’m reading it not because I have any problem getting stuff done. I get tons of stuff done. (You’ve heard the saying, if you need something done, give it to a busy person.) But I do sometimes have problem with the stress part. I have a feeling it’s not going to tell me anything new. But maybe I’ll be wrong.
 
So, here I am. Working full-time (a children’s librarian), trying to look for a part-time gig to help with some college expenses, reviewing (children’s) books on a trial basis for a journal, taking management classes (which involves lots of reading [this semester is all about legal issues, ugh] and even traveling to Albany next month to lobby the state for more money), missing my son at college immensely, worrying that I’m not paying enough attention to the son at home (I know he’d disagree, but that’s beside the point), working on an “audience development” project for the Long Island Youth Orchestra, trying to keep track of my younger son's schedule (nine concerts and counting this school year), and just dying to dig into my reading list. It’s seven pages long and growing and I have a large pile of books at home that are singing a siren song to me (see the list at left).

But this is a book blog that I refuse to abandon. I will be writing more often about children’s books – I can repurpose items I post here for my library’s website and for the website I help created for Nassau County Children’s Services Division. It’s a good plan. 

Let’s continue now, though, with mysteries. 

20. Rosamond Lupton
Lupton has written two mysteries that have a thriller factor. Sister was outstanding. I think I didn’t like Afterwards as much mostly because of the the setting, the lack of a real mystery, and the ending. I guess that's all of it. But I recommend Sister to everyone. It’s a true page-turner. (London and vicinity)

21. Stuart MacBride
I’ve read Cold Granite, the first book in the Logan McRae series, and intend to read the rest. The series is everything I love in a nutshell: Scottish police procedural. And Logan seems to be an intriguing character – not the boss, as many of series feature – but rather an officer trying to fit in. He's not well-liked and often pushed to the side. But his keen mind keeps him in the middle of things. If I didn’t have too many books in that dratted pile at home, I’d take out Dying Light right now. (Aberdeen)

22. Henning Mankell
Sigh. I can't do anything but sigh over Mankell. Everyone loves his books. I’ve read one or two in the Kurt Wallander series and have watched some of the Kenneth Branagh episodes on PBS, but I just don’t know if I’ll live long enough to read these. (Sweden)

23. Denise Mina
Mina has written three trilogies, each involving three different protagonists/mystery solvers. I read Garnethill, Exile and Resolution – the series featuring Maureen Sullivan, who’s not a cop or a newspaper reporter or even a detective. But she does get herself in to sticky situations. I’ve also read Field of Blood and The Dead Hour, but not yet Slip of the Knife. The mystery solver here is a journalist and she’s adept at getting involved where she doesn’t belong. When people come in asking for mysteries, I ask if they like “gritty” books and if they do, I recommend Denise Mina (or Gillian Flynn). (Glasgow)

So, that’s it for now. Come February, we’ll have a slew of children’s books to talk about.

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