This is the last Philo Vance book in the series from the '30s.
Although now difficult to find, the series is interesting and worth a read, if only for atmosphere.
I give this one only a four; since it was not quite finished before the author's death,
there are quite a few rough edges, and it wraps up abruptly.
Non-Fiction
The Bombshell Manual of Style/Laren Stover
I loved the first half of this book, and the last half was interesting.
I think this is because, while the first several chapters are dedicated to describing a bombshell,
the last several seem to be ways to identify bombshells -- and if you are one, then you don't need
to know how to identify it. I highly recommend this book, though, to any women who know they were
born to make an entrance!
Men Are Like Waffles, Women Are Like Spaghetti/Bill and Pam Farrell
The only thing I got from this book was a craving for a breakfast of pasta. Okay, that's not quite fair: the first two or three chapters
are worth the read, and might even teach you something about the opposite sex.
Unfortunately, the book and the premise went downhill from there, and I had a hard time
retaining enough interest to finish the book. There are much better marriage
books out there; you can give this one a miss.
Keep Your Brain Alive/ Lawrence C. Katz and Manning Rubin
This isn't a bad read, but somehow, I expected more. I was rather disappointed that many of
the exercises contained in this book were, for the most part, rehashes of similiar things that I had
already read in other places. Still, it does have good examples
of how to put the ideas into practice, and it's worth
your while if you are interested.
Lizzie Didn't Do It!/ William Masterton
This is a terrific book! If you are interested at all in Lizzie Borden
and the 1892 Massachusetts hatchet murders, then you need to read this book. I found this book to be
engaging, fascinating, and (unusually, for a book about crime) hilarious.
The author is one of the few I have read who freely admits that
he can't prove who killed the Bordens -- but he does make a fairly good
case that it wasn't Lizzie.
Thurber on Crime/ ed.Robert Lopresti
I was surprised by my ambivalence while reading this book, as I usually
quite like James Thurber's work. Some of the stories struck me as sheerly brilliant,
while others found me skimming them just to get it over with. I advise only
reading this book if you are a serious Thurber fan,as the more interesting bits can be found in other books.
Biting the Dust/ Margaret Horsfield
An interesting look at why we clean the way we do. I found it a bit pedantic at times, though,
and felt that it could have delved a little deeper.
Complete Idiot's Guide to the Perfect Marriage/ Hilary Rich and Helaina Laks Kravitz
I found this to be an excellent book.
While many of the pointers were not unlike most of the other
"How to Have a Happy Marriage" books out there,
I found this one hard to put down. Like all the "Complete Idiot's" guides, this one keeps
each point short and sweet, with lots of sidebars full of examples and ideas. A great book
for those who are married or who plan to get that way.
