Binty's Books

John Milton

2009-07-10T07:08:00.003-05:00

I have been (rightfully) accused of being sexist and only posting female authors.
So I shall pop in with a man, who should counter any potential sexism as he is 1)male and 2) a horrible misogynist.
yet I still like his works. I know, its weird.

John Milton is a name that causes one of two reactions in people -- pure joy or pure hatred. There is truly no middle ground with Milton and I think that because of this everyone should try him at least once.

Milton has quite the checkered past. Poet, author, civil servant -- he served under Oliver Cromwell and is quite rabidly Protestant. He was highly educated, in both a university setting, private study, and through travel and experience. He was thoroughly anti-Catholic and not a big fan of women (likely because his wife deserted him). By the latter part of his life, he was completely blind and had assistants he dictated to.

Works:
Best known for Paradise Lost, this is where I would recommend most begin. A beautifully written epic poem regarding the Fall of Man, his way with words is amazing. Yes, yes, I know, he is exceedingly verbose and descriptive and esoteric. Milton was a scholarly man and did not feel the need to "lower" his works to any kind of common denominator. Satan is an absolutely fascinating character and Milton crafts him as seductive as the devil in reality should be. The reader finds themselves nearly as compelled by Satan as Adam and Eve.

Now, should you either enjoy Paradise Lost, or wish to start elsewhere, here are a few of my other recommendations:

Comus -- one of his earlier works, it is a masque that was written for a nobleman and performed at a Michaelmas celebration. It is a celebration of chastity and both lovely poetically and amusing in its promotion of virtues.

Areopagitica -- a prose treatise against censorship. Any good English major or fan of literature and the written word should be familiar with this. It is Milton's early version of the freedom of expression.

Samson Agonistes -- Like Paradise Lost, Milton crafts his version/interpretation of a biblical story. This piece picks up after Samson has had his hair cut off, been captured by the Philistines, and had his eyes cut out. Although it is not written as a play, it feels more like a classic Greek drama than an epic poem. The poem is interesting as it is so well written, but very anti-women (obviously with Delilah being the bad guy) so I probably shouldn't like it. The theme of blindness is intriguing because it was a subject very close to home for Milton. However, he again uses things to further his religious goals -- Samson's blindness is more related to his temptation by a woman and sinfulness than a subtle link to the author.

Seriously, Milton is an amazing writer and truly gifted. But he was still a man and subject to prejudices and flaws -- I believe you can enjoy his works for the exquisite pieces of literature they are without having to like the man behind them.

Anne George -- Southern Sisters series

2009-06-23T19:34:00.004-05:00

Many, many, many years ago, when Binty was still living in Saudi, her mother was gifted a book by her mother-in-law (Binty's Mamo). The book was a murder mystery written by a friend of Mamo's, a woman in Mamo's Pen Women writing class. I don't recall if I read it at the time or not, all I remember is the cover -- the back of a woman's head with a scull formed by hot rollers.

Flashforward to the not-so-distant past. Last year, after graduating with my MA in English, I was thrilled to revisit the world of reading for enjoyment, not requirement. Venturing down to the SPC Library and feeling a bit like a kid in a candy store with unlimited funds and a bottomless bag, I opted to return to my Southern roots and start with a Southern woman. Yet, recently freed from academia, I wanted something silly, fun, and frivilous. I found silly, Southern, and fun in Anne George. Maybe frivilous on the surface at times, Anne offers so so so much more than just a fun murder mystery series.

Anne George is an Alabama native who used her home state and the city of Birmingham as a setting for her novels. As a Birmingham-dweller, I immediately recognized landmarks she described vividly -- Vulcan's fullmooning hiney, the Piggly Wiggly, the Galleria. Her main characters, Patricia Anne and her sister Mary Alice are the epitome of Southern sisters and Southern ladies. Polite, classy, poised, wild, crazy, and crass! Sisters to the end, they love, laugh, fight, cry, and dance their way through the novels and our hearts. With plenty of red herrings and plot twists and turns, George's mysteries keep you on the edge of your seat and wanting to start over when you turn the last page.

Murder on a Girl's Night Out (1999) kicks off the 8-book-long series. Murder Boogies with Elvis (2002) closes it out and leaves you heartbroken that Anne George left this mortal coil way, way, too soon. Pick up the first one at your local library, swap shop, bookstore, online, whereever! Join Mouse and Sister as they sleuth across the South and get into tons of trouble and fun. These books give you characters that grow with the series, and your relationship with them as a reader grows too.
They are as Southern as banana puddin' and just as delightful. Seriously....have a girl's night with Anne sometime soon!

Michele Scott - Wine & Equestrian Mysteries

2009-06-23T18:52:00.006-05:00

I discovered Michele Scott's books during one of my frequent shelf-browsings at the library. Seeking fresh reads among the spines in the mystery section, I snagged the first of each of her series.
The Wine Lover's Mystery Series:
Scott's winery series starts with Murder Uncorked (2005). The main character, Nikki Sands, is an aspiring actress who stumbles upon a job at renowned Napa Valley winery Malveaux Estate. She also stumbles upon the ever-so-sexy winery owner Derek Malveaux. Budding romance ensues, as does the suspicious death of his top winemaker.
Overall, the characters are fun and quirky, but not overly deep. Nikki conviniently has a sleuthing history -- she did a gig as a TV cop and her Aunt is LAPD cop. Derek is a modern-day Mr. Darcy -- mysterious, brooding, irresistable, and charming. His competition for Nikki's amour is the quintessential dark, handsome, Spaniard - Andrés. There are the bitchy exes, semi-bitchy gay brother and lover (Derek's), the volatile chefs, the loyal-to-a-fault best friends. But even though some (ALOT) of the characters are cliche and predictable, it's a fun read.
The books include recipes and food and wine pairings, which is an intriguing twist.
I enjoy them, but the series is not something I crave more of.

The Equine Mystery Series:
Saddled with Trouble (2006) introduces us to Michaela Bancroft, a horse trainer who discovers her uncle stabbed to death in his stables. So this series immediately delves into mystery and murder on a more personal/intimate level than does the Wine Lover's series. Additionally, Michaela is going through some personal issues -- divorce, bills, infertility, a crazy live-in-best-friend, and unrequited love drama with her childhood friend and veterinarian Ethan.
I started reading this series after Rita Mae Brown's Jane Arnold series, so it was interesting to have a Western horse mystery series to compare to the English equestrian of the Jefferson Hunt Club. I also read it after a few of the Wine Lover's, so I thought I had Scott's style under my belt. However, I was pleasantly surprised by the books. I felt like Scott made these characters more well-rounded and less two-dimensional. The ex-husband's new girlfriend is a bit cliche, but she's just so wonderfully hate-able you don't really care! The mysteries were more intriguing and the romance is less sappy than in the Wine Lover's series. I'd recommend these over the Wine books, but I think for a fun escape, either series by Michele Scott is enjoyable.

Note -- I've read all of the Equestrian books, but only the first 3 of the Wine ones.

Time is a River -- Mary Alice Monroe

2009-06-22T17:24:00.004-05:00

Oddly enough, I've never been a big browser of book reviews for my next read. Even more surprising, I rarely read the reviews in magazines or newspapers. I sometimes read them on amazon.com or other web sites, but typically I go by word of mouth, favorite author, or random stumble upons at libraries or bookstores.
One unusual day at the gym, I skimmed the book reviews in whatever magazine I was reading while on the elliptical. A book caught my eye and I read the review in full. It interested me enough to request the book from my local library.
This book was Mary Alice Monroe's Time is a River. I wasn't drawn by the author -- I'd never heard of her. I wasn't drawn by the title -- it doesn't give much away. I honestly can't say what drew me in, but I'm glad I was.
Time is a River is the story of Mia Landan, a strong Southern woman and a breast cancer survivor. The story seems to be one about her journey through healing from breast cancer, her husband's infidelity and their nasty divorce, and fly fishing -- but it offers so much more. I thought it would be a "roughin' it" story about a woman whose husband done her wrong, so she escapes to a friend's cabin in the woods. But it was a lot more!
Including a good Southern ghost story, a whiff of a mystery, small town gossip, fly fishing, female empowerment, friendship, love, and sisterhood, this book stayed with me. It was an engrossing, all-encompassing read that captured my mind, memories, and imagination. I felt good when I finished it, and it made me proud to be a Southern woman. I actually kind of, for a moment, wanted to go fishing! =)
I recommend this book for any woman, but especially a Southern one. I feel that the bonds of sisterhood, town history, and Southern-ness explored in this novel will be appreciated by any girl who has any love for the South.
I know that I haven't offered much to go by, but I'm hesistant to reveal too much! I will say I'm curious about reading more of Monroe's books, but I'm scared that her others might not live up to this one. Has anyone read any others?

Rita Mae Brown

2009-06-21T19:43:00.003-05:00

I've read two of Rita Mae Brown's mystery series, and I highly recommend them.
I'll review both of them briefly.

The "Sister" Jane Foxhunting Mysteries
Set in Virginia, this series main character is a powerful, prominent woman named Jane Arnold who is the Master of her local Hunt Club. Starting with Outfoxed (2002), you grow with the characters and learn intimate secrets of both Jane and her club members. You'll learn about foxhunting, horses, hounds, Virginia, Southern culture, and murder. Brown sprinkles her novels with wit, intelligent allusions, and rich descriptions. I advise reading these books in order. Although Brown's books are certainly strong enough to stand alone, the enjoyment derived from reading the series in order is much better!

The Mrs. Murphy Series
A series starring yet another female protagonist, albeit a feline one, these books will delight any lover of who-dun-its and animals alike. Mrs. Murphy, one of "Harry" Haristeen's pets, has a wit as sharp as her claws and a nose for murder nearly as strong as that of her Corgi companion, Tucker. Harry and her gang live in teensy, picturesque Crozet, Virginia, and the small town doesn't disappoint. You'll enjoy haunted Halloweens, creepy Christmases, lurid love affairs, and a variety of "deads" that don't stay buried. Allegedly written by Sneaky Pie Brown with some assistance from Rita Mae, this series is the cat's meow for personification and mystery combined. Again, as with Jane Arnold, read these in order, starting with Wish You Were Here (1990). You'll wish you'd started them sooner!

Seriously though. All bad puns aside, Brown is an excellent writer who captures her readers with vivid language and descriptions, deep storylines, well-crafted characters, and mysteries that aren't easily solved within the first 50 pages.
Visit her web site to get a full list of both series as well as other books by Rita Mae.

My only complaint? I read through them all so quickly and now I have to wait until she writes some more!

Note -- I have not read any of her non "Jane Arnold" or "Sneaky Pie" books -- can anyone advise?

Welcome!

2009-06-21T18:03:00.000-05:00

Hello Binty readers!
As an English major, I figured I ought to write about the books I read and have read and want to read.
So I'll give either short little blips, long-winded reviews, gradual glimpses, and rough rants of various bits of the written word.
I'm not sure if I'll limit it to books in the long run, but for the foreseeable future that is likely.
more later!