Billy Baldwin

The Ateneo Grand Splendid Bookstore in Buenos Aires, Argentino

More information on this majestic bookstore here.

Something For The Weekend

That Woman: The Life of Wallis Simpson, Duchess of Windsor by Anne Sebba

Sebba is the first female biographer to write about Wallis Simpson.  This book is a mediocre read and certainly not the best account of 'that woman'.  If you had not read a single biography on Wallis Simpson, I would suggest that you look for alternative books published much earlier, either by Greg King or Hugo Vickers.  Sebba's research is more like a precis, concentrating on making Simpson's unsympathetic character more scrutable and alluring.  It was more a breezy than a solid but by no means uninteresting read.  Perhaps that is best all round as it was the saddest love affair I have come across in the history of the English monarchy.  I bought this book off Amazon.co.uk.


Paperback blurb:  One of Britain's most distinguished biographers turns her focus to one of the most vilified women of the twentieth century - Wallis Simpson, Duchess of Windsor.

'That woman', as she was referred to by the Queen Mother, became a hate figure for ensnaring a British king and destabilising the monarchy.  Neither beautiful nor brilliant, she nevertheless became one of the most talked-about women of her generation, and she inspired such deep love in Edward VIII that he gave up a throne and an empire for her.  Wallis lived by her wits, while both her apparent and alleged transgressions added to her aura and dazzle.

Based on new archives and material, this scrupulously researched biography sheds new light on the character and motivations of a charismatic and complex woman.

About the author:  Anne Sebba read history at King's College London then joined Reuters as a foreign correspondent based in London and Rome.  She has written eight works of non-fiction, mostly about iconic women, presented BBC radio documentaries and is an accredited NADFAS lecturer.  She thinks women are endlessly fascinating and have much more complex inner lives than (most) men.  She is married with three children.  Visit her website at www.annesebba.com for more information.

That Woman:  The Life of Wallis Simpson, Duchess of Windsor was published in 2011.

From A Wise Sage

Cosy Mysteries List

I have compiled a list of twenty-five cosy mysteries for anyone who loves to read cosies like I do.  There is a huge number out there and all are great fun to read.  Personally, I tend to choose the mystery that interest me like Hannah Swensen, Booktown, Della Cooks or tea but of course, I am going to add more to my reading when I have a moment.  You will sometimes find an author diversifying into at least one other mystery or more under their name and what a varied range to choose from.  In no particular order, I have listed only one mystery per author and if I have missed any author out in this post, I'm more than happy to compile another list soon.  Enjoy your cosies!

1)  Orchard Mysteries by Sheila Connolly

2)  Bibliophile Mysteries by Kate Carlisle

3)  Library Lover's Mysteries by Jenn McKinlay

4)  Tea Shop Mysteries by Laura Child

5)  Books by the Bay Mysteries by Ellery Adams

6)  Novel Idea Mysteries by Lucy Arlington

7)  Cheese Shop Mysteries by Avery Aames

8)  Key West Food Critic Mysteries by Lucy Burdette

9)  Country Cooking School Mysteries by Paige Shelton

10)  Hannah Swensen Mysteries by Joanne Fluke

11)  Pie Shop Mysteries by Carol Culver

12)  Clueless Cook Mysteries by Liz Lipperman

13)  Do-It-Yourself Mysteries by Jennie Bentley

14)  Coffeehouse Mysteries by Cleo Coyle

15)  Donut Mysteries by Jessica Beck

16)  Domestic Diva Mysteries by Krista Davis

17)  Booktown Mysteries by Lorna Barrett

18)  White House Chef Mysteries by Julie Hyzy

19)  Flower Shop Mysteries by Kate Collins

20)  Murder 101 Mysteries by Maggie Barbieri

21)  Southern Beauty Shop Mysteries by Lila Dare

22)  Magical Dressmaking Mysteries by Melissa Bourbon

23)  Memphis BBQ Mysteries by Riley Adams

24)  Chocoholic Mysteries by Joanna Carl

25)  Della Cooks Mysteries by Melinda Wells

26)  Ballroom Dance Mysteries by Ella Barrick

27)  Lucy St Elmo Antiques Mysteries by Mary Moody

28)  High Society Mysteries by Catherine O'Connell

29)  Friday Night Knitting Club Mysteries by Kate Jacobs

30)  Mace Bauer Mysteries by Deborah Sharp

Save Me by Lisa Scottoline

A thought-provoking book dealing with two very important issues in our society today:  first, it deals with one of the most crushing social stigmas prevalent in society today, that is, bullying, and secondly, the difficult or split-second choices and decisions that mothers make everyday, choices and decisions which may not always turn out to be the right ones even though at the time, they were deemed to be the best or the most fitting ones.  Consequently, "What kind of mother are you?" is one of the most devastating questions to be directed at us.  Well, this book posed exactly this question.  It looks at the mother-child relationship, the impact bullying has on all those around, especially and including the bully, and how we can address the issue constructively.

Save Me (2011) is an emotionally powerful novel.  A well-written thriller which will make you examine yourselves as mothers as well as fellow human beings.  Hopefully we can all learn and get something good out of reading it.  I highly recommend it.  

Lisa Scottoline needs no introduction having written twenty books, some of which were on the major bestsellers' list like The New York Times, The Wall Street Journal and The Los Angeles Times.  Here, she talks about the inspiration behind Save Me and what she wants to bring across in her story with It's Your Call's Lynn Doyle:







The New York Times review - 22 April 2011

Rating:  5/5

Bored?

JonBenet: Inside The Ramsey Murder Investigation by Steve Thomas with Don Davis

Yet another bewildering murder case which up till today remains unsolved and a profound mystery.  It is made even sadder as it involved the death of a six-year-old girl, JonBenet Ramsey, who was found dead in a small windowless room in the basement of her Boulder, Colorado home on Christmas Day 1996.  It makes you want to cry.  It makes you think about humanity.  It makes you question the miscarriage of justice and the unfairness of life.  It makes you clamour for justice for this beautiful little girl who puzzlingly died in her own home on Christmas night.

From the beginning, there had been mistakes after mistakes made by the police and family members and friends at the crime scene.  No matter what mistakes the police made, it was compounded by blunders and improprieties in the District Attorney's office, like sharing vital evidence and confidential case information with the suspects (John and Patsy Ramsey), their team of lawyers and the tabloid or the constant internecine battles fought between law enforcement agencies.  It would be funny if it were not so frustrating.  The author said that "someday, this case will be held up as a model on how not to run a major investigation".  He hit the nail on the head when he said that.

Who killed JonBenet?  And why?  Why were the police so careless in preserving the crime scene?  Were the parents' erratic and suspicious behaviour a cause for concern or a natural reaction to the death of their beloved daughter?  Why were the parents so uncooperative?  Perhaps the question uppermost on our lips is "What happened in that house?"  Four important questions, among several hundreds, unanswered.

In JonBenet (2000), the most authoritative and comprehensive study of the Ramsey murder, a former lead Boulder Police detective, Steve Thomas, explores the case in vivid and fascinating detail and analyses the evidence surrounding the murder.  He believes that there are two possible answers.  One is that JonBenet was killed by someone known or unknown to the family in a botched kidnapping attempt.  The other possible answer is that JonBenet was killed by her mother, Patsy Ramsey, and that her father, John Ramsey, covered up to protect his wife.

In the end, probable cause existed to arrest Patsy Ramsey in connection with the death of her daughter but because of a totally absurd justice system in Boulder, the Ramseys successfully hid behind a bevy of attorneys and to no one's surprise, she was never charged.

Only two people know what happened that fateful day:  the victim and the killer.  Even though the trail has gone cold, this case is far from over.  If you do not know much about the case and want an insider's point of view, do read Steve Thomas' book as he was the lead detective of this case right from the beginning and knew what happened better than anyone.  Regrettably, this is another story of how someone got away with murder.

Recently, JonBenet's father, John, has released a memoir entitled The Other Side of Suffering (14 March 2012) which tells the story of his deep personal anguish following the deaths of his children and wife, of how he found the strength to endure his trials and tribulations through faith in God and how he learned to hold hope, forgiveness and joy in his heart amidst the pain and sufferings in his life.


About the author:  Steve Thomas, a leading detective on the Ramsey murder case, received more than a hundred commendations and awards during his thirteen-year police career, including the Award of Excellence and the Medal for Lifesaving, for assignments ranging from recruit training and SWAT to special investigations and undercover narcotics.  Prior to the JonBenet case, Thomas worked on a multi-state task force investigating racketeering and organized crime that resulted in numerous grand-jury indictments.  Thomas has been a guest lecturer on criminal justice topics and instructed extensively on law-enforcement issues.

On the co-author:  Don Davis, an award-winning news correspondent for thirty years, with assignments from Vietnam to the White House, has written a dozen books including Last Man on the Moon (1999) with astronaut Eugene Cernan.

I do not rate books of this nature.

That I Am!

5000 Books Pour Out Of A Building In Spain (Video)

This sculptural installation is by artist Alicia Martin at Casa de America, Madrid.  More information here.

Birth of a Book (Video)

   

Too Many Books?

Imperfect Justice: Prosecuting Casey Anthony by Jeff Ashton with Lisa Pulitzer

This case is a perfect example of the fundamental flaws in human nature particularly deception and of the  woeful state of the justice system.  It is another example of how 'bad people' can get away with a crime and the innocent unfairly implicated.  What led the jury to reach a verdict of 'Not Guilty' to first-degree murder, aggravated manslaughter, and aggravated child abuse is stupendously baffling therefore, this book is very conflicting and frustrating to read and yet powerful and thought-provoking.  If you have not followed the case closely, then I recommend you read Imperfect Justice from a man who tried to convict Casey Anthony and who remains completely convinced of her guilt.

(from the hardback)  On 5 July 2011, Casey Anthony was acquitted of murder.  She'd been accused of killing her daughter, Caylee, but the trial only left behind more questions.  Was she actually innocent?  What really happened to Caylee?  Was this what justice really looked like?

In Imperfect Justice (2011), Jeff Ashton, a career prosecutor for the state of Florida and one of the principal players in the case's drama, sheds light on those questions and much more, telling the behind-the-scenes story of the investigation, the trial and the now-infamous verdict.

Too, Ashton offers an in-depth look at the complex figure of Casey Anthony, a woman whose lies he spent three years trying to understand.  And yet this focus on Casey came with its own risks;  here he details how this widespread fixation on Casey - both in the media and in the trial - may have undermined the case itself.

As everyone got caught up in the quest to understand the supposed villain, somehow the victim, Caylee, was all but forgotten - not just to the public, but, more importantly, to the jury.  (The author has dedicated this book to the memory of Caylee).

About the author:  Jeff Ashton recently retired from a thirty-year career as a prosecutor in Orlando, Florida.  He is the most experienced homicide prosecutor in the history of Orange County - and the first prosecutor in the world to introduce DNA evidence in a trial - and a veteran of more than seventy successful homicide prosecutions.  He lives in Florida.

About the co-author:  Lisa Pulitzer is a former correspondent for the New York Times and author of more than a dozen nonfiction titles, including New York Times bestseller Stolen Innocence (2008, with Elissa Wall) and Portrait of a Monster:  Joran van der Sloot, a Murder in Peru, and the Natalee Holloway Mystery (2011).


Ashton at a Question-and-Answer session at the Orlando Public Library in November 2011: