The RAHM Report for April 17, 2017

I've been reading fewer books lately, which is pretty typical first trimester behavior for me. I'm in the second trimester now, so I'm hoping my energy levels will get a boost soon! Here's what I have been reading these past couple of weeks.  

Adult Books

I took a couple of mystery novels with me on our recently family trip to upstate New York and managed to finish one and start another. I finally finished V is for Vengeance, which I didn't enjoy nearly as much as I expected. I usually love every title in this series, but this one felt long and difficult to get through. But I did finish, and I passed it on to my sister so that I had one less book to reshelve when we got home.

After that, I started Cross Bones by Kathy Reichs. and I'm about three-quarters of the way through. Religion is a central theme of the story, as Temperance tries to figure out whether a recently discovered body might be that of Jesus Christ. I am wary of the storyline from a religious standpoint, but I've been admiring how well Reichs writes dialogue, and I'm hoping the outcome of the story will be respectful of Christianity and Judaism.

I also really need to read Murder of a Sleeping Beauty, since I went to all the trouble to get it from inter-library loan!

Deal Me in Challenge

I fell about a month behind in this challenge, but I am now all caught up. Here's what I read recently:

• "The Romance of a Busy Broker" by O. Henry (♣9)
  This was a quirky story about a broker who is enamored of the stenographer in his office, but so busy with work that he has forgotten that they are already married. I'm not sure whether I really liked the story itself, but in certain moods I do really love Henry's style and point of view. This was a quick read, filled with great metaphors that appeal especially to New Yorkers, such as, "The broker's hour is not only crowded, but the minutes and seconds are hanging to all the straps and packing both front and rear platforms." 
• "The Little Dressmaker" from The Little Bookroom by Eleanor Farjeon (♥4)
  This fairy tale, about a dressmaker's apprentice who is secretly the brains of the operation, and a clever prince whose aunt keeps pushing him to get married, was a lot of fun to read. I like Farjeon's writing style, and the surprise ending made me laugh. This story would make a good picture book. 
• "Mr. Big" by Woody Allen (♠4)
  My father recommended this story to me without having read it to the end, and when I was trying to fill spots on my list for this challenge, I decided to throw it into the mix. It starts out as a noir-esque story where a detective is asked to find God, and it ends on a weird surrealist note that I'm not fully sure I understood. I'm not a huge Woody Allen fan anyway, so this was just wasn't a particular favorite. 

Children's Books

I have made no further progress with either First Class Murder by Robin Stevens or Cody and the Rules of Life by Tricia Springstubb, but I still plan to finish them. In the meantime, I listened to an audiobook with my husband in the car on our trip (When Marnie Was There by Joan Robinson), and I am starting The Last of the Really Great Whangdoodles, which I read as a kid but about which I can remember very little. I will review both books for Old School Kidlit this month, hopefully along with one or two more if I can read quickly.

I am linking up today with It's Monday! What Are You Reading? at Book Date and Teach Mentor Texts.