The Drop Reveals Fatherhood's Effect on Harry Bosch

Have you heard? Harry Bosch is back and better than ever. Sure, Mickey Haller got a lot of attention when he was played on the big screen by Matthew McConaughey earlier this year, but if you've read Michael Connelly, you know that Harry's the real star. In recent years, Connelly has given both characters almost equal time, roughly publishing a new Haller novel for every Bosch novel that releases. But the canon of Bosch novels goes back almost two decades and is made up of fifteen novels, while Haller is featured in a somewhat-less-significant four.

If you are a reader of any series, you know that series often get off-track after fourteen or fifteen books (sometimes earlier). Most of my favorite series novelists have delivered a rough "where-did-that-come-from?" novel or two. However, they often recover in later books, and that's exactly what Connelly has done with Harry Bosch in his latest novel, The Drop.

 Now don't get me wrong. Connelly writes well most of the time. The only book that didn't wholly belong in his Harry Bosch series was 2009's 9 Dragons, which took Harry to Hong Kong and to the worst disaster of his personal life -- and believe me, he's no expert in that arena. Harry is at his element in work situations, especially solving murders. It's what he's done for most of his professional life, and he's darn good at it. Personal interactions are less comfortable for him, but that's precisely what Connelly brings to the forefront in The Drop.

After the aforementioned disaster in Hong Kong (and I'm calling it that because it was disastrous both to Harry and to 9 Dragons), Harry gains sole custody of his daughter. Never being a family man, her entrance into his home is cause for a huge upheaval in Harry's life. Everything he does, from the way he interacts in his home to the way he conducts his police business, is forced to change as a result of the young girl now living in his Hollywood Hills house. In The Drop, Harry has had some time to adjust to these changes, and he has become a devoted father.

Harry is working cold cases, when he suddenly receives a live case, by order of the chief of police. Harry's longtime political enemy, former policeman and current councilman Irvin Irving, requests that Harry be brought in to investigate his son's death. Harry is wary from the get-go, as he sees no reason for Irving's requesting him. Connelly effortlessly weaves this main storyline into a cold case investigation involving a sex offender living in a group home, as well as into the ongoing story of Harry's relationship with his daughter.

I earmarked several pages of The Drop as I was reading so that I could return to lines I felt were especially revealing of Harry Bosch's character. Here's a smattering of what I saved for later:

On his reluctance to go digital: "The world may have gone digital but Harry Bosch had not gone along with it. He had become proficient with a cell phone and a laptop computer. He listened to music on an iPod and every now and then read the newspaper on his daughter's iPad. But when it came to a murder book he was still, and always would be, a plastic and paper man. He was a dinosaur. . . . Bosch was a man who kept traditions, especially when he believed those traditions helped catch killers." (127) 

On his relationship with former partner Kiz Rider: "Rider was black and had grown up in South L.A. But Bosch was speaking to her cop to cop. . . . They had been partners and had operated as a team under extreme pressures. Rider knew Bosch as well as anyone could. They were brother and sister and there was no holdback between them." (158) 

On changes to his life because of fatherhood: "Bosch held the bottle up by its neck. He had bought it from the restaurant because he knew he had nothing at home. He had stopped drinking at home since Madeline had started living with him." (186) 

On changes in attitude fatherhood has caused: "Bosch watched [Chad] walk back toward his family. He felt sorry for the kid. He seemed to be walking back to a life of demands and expectations that he had no part in conjuring." (202) 

On sharing things with his daughter: "She seemed puzzled by his decision to share this piece of advice with her." (246)

In short, Harry Bosch is both exactly the same and completely different with the advent of Madeline in his life. He goes at cases with the determination he has always had; however, the method he uses and his feelings about the cases are often changed. In some ways, his mind is elsewhere as he works; in others, he has never been so dedicated to making the world a better, safer place -- precisely because it's the world his daughter lives in.

Michael Connelly is the author of more than twenty novels, including fifteen Harry Bosch series novels, four Mickey Haller series novels, two Jack McEvoy series novels, and three standalone novels (which nevertheless seem to have ties to Connelly's other "worlds").

Connelly's website has some not-to-miss gems for fans. Back in 2003 while on book tour, he gave away jazz compilation CDs featuring songs that had been mentioned by Harry Bosch in previous novels. Bosch is a jazz connoisseur of sorts, and although the CD is no longer available, Connelly has provided the track listing as well as the quotes from his novels where each song is mentioned. You can read all about it here, then download to your hearts content via iTunes. Also, Connelly has a list of every song or jazz artist ever mentioned in one of his novels available here, both by artist and by book.

For my reviews of Connelly's previous novels, click here. If you'd like to see Michael Connelly talk about The Drop, click here. To read an excerpt of the novel, click here.

Family Time, Crafting, & Reading, Too

Farm boy for a few months

Life has been busy lately! My brother and his family arrived a couple of weeks ago from Tanzania. They had planned to come in December for my January wedding, but my sister-in-law is expecting in May, and pregnancy-related illness sent her into the hospital in Mwanza at the end of October. As a result, they moved up their travel dates and flew into Knoxville the first week of November. Ever since, we've been spending every second possible with them, especially my cuter-than-cute nephew.

Our Craft Fair booth (I'm in the back corner)

This past weekend, my mom, brother, sister-in-law and I had a booth at our local Craft Fair. It's a grand affair hosted by one of the banks in town. It began Thursday night, with a Sneak Peek event that benefited the American Cancer Society's Relay For Life, and went through Saturday night. A friend of my mom's snapped a photo of us and our booth (which looks kind of empty, as it was towards the end of the day on Saturday). We sold a ton of stuff, including more than $700 worth of handbags and smaller zipper bags sewn by Holly's Tanzanian friend Suzy, out of wax batik fabric made in Africa.

All of those proceeds go back into the mission work Carson and Holly are doing, specifically to a film project called Mbegu Films. The mission of Mbegu Films is to create short films that will be distributed in Tanzania for educational purposes, on topics such as malaria, AIDS & HIV, road safety, and cooking safety. Carson has created an inspiration video for Mbegu Films, which can be seen here. If you're interested in finding ways to help, be sure to visit them on Facebook and send them a message.

My book wreath

I contributed a few items to the booth, including a book wreath that I'm pretty proud of. I was inspired by Pinterest (of course), and followed the link to instructions on the fabulous crafting blog Addicted 2 Decorating. I sold one immediately, during Thursday night's Sneak Peek. I woke up bright and early Saturday morning so that I could make another to sell that day, but it sadly did not sell. Well, not too sadly, because now I have a book wreath of my own to hang on my walls!

People asked over and over which book I used; I had to admit that I used a book I didn't love that I had received for free. Although I think it would be cool to make a wreath out of a book you love, I also can't imagine tearing apart a book I like a lot. So, for now, no deep meaning from the book wreaths I make. Just pages. Yard sale finds would be perfect, as would old books that are falling apart. My mom wants a children's book version for her classroom, so I'll be working on that next.

Wielding our craft guns

Speaking of crafting, some of my best friends hosted a night last weekend to help me get some wedding tasks started. We hot-glued lace and burlap to glass jars for hours.  Such a fun night, and so nice of them!

Even through all the excitement that the past few weeks have brought, I've still managed to find some reading time.

I'm currently reading an ARC for the paperback release of Ellen Meister's The Other Life, which is unique and interesting. The Office's Mindy Kaling's new book of humorous essays/ memoir stories was my latest purchase from Audible. Is Everyone Hanging Out Without Me? (And Other Concerns) is read by the author, and I can hardly turn it off when I start listening. So funny. Look for reviews of both of them coming soon, as well as a giveaway the first week of December for The Other Life.

The Night Season Continues the Archie Sheridan Saga & Delves Into Portland's History

The funny thing about reading is this: you may loathe a book that gets rave reviews, and conversely, you may enjoy a book that received poor ratings. You see, that's the thing about reading. It's immensely personal. Almost more than films, or even food, book preferences are a deeply individualized taste. It's difficult to recommend books, and for that reason even the reader that relies on other reviewers for advice sometimes has to go with his or her gut.

That's exactly what I did when it came to Chelsea Cain's latest novel The Night Season. After the first three books in her Archie Sheridan/ Gretchen Lowell series rocketed upwards on bestseller lists, critics and bloggers seemed to agree that the novel didn't quite work. I will wholeheartedly admit that they have some valid points. However, that didn't stop me from enjoying reading it.

The series, which has previously focused greatly on serial killer Gretchen Lowell, takes a marked shift in this fourth installment. Instead of continuously harping on Lowell and her crimes, Cain instead makes The Night Season more of a character-driven tale featuring homicide detective Archie, newspaper reporter Susan Ward, and Archie's longtime partner and friend Henry. Although Gretchen was a driving force behind the previous three novels, her incessant evilness got to be a bit too much for me. I was happy to allow the other characters a chance to shine with her safely behind bars.

Cain also employs a rather unique method of murder in The Night Season, as well as the insertion of some Portland-area history. Both of these served as turn-offs for some readers, but did not strike me the same way. I have read many a mystery, and although the murder weapon in this book is entirely unique, it didn't strike me as being as bizarre as some readers felt it was. The historical flashbacks, on the other hand, were wonderful additions to Cain's story. As Portland floods in The Night Season's present-day setting, Cain features flashbacks to a devastating flood that actually occurred in the 1940s. 

Although I wouldn't call The Night Season my favorite Chelsea Cain book, I also didn't detest it. In fact, I quite enjoyed my time reading it, and read it rather quickly to find out "whodunnit." For more from Cain, check out her previous novels in this series: Heartsick, Sweetheart, and Evil at Heart. For a previous post from A Worn Path about the series (and a review of Evil at Heart), click here.

Can't-Wait-to-Read Books: Fall & Winter Edition

It seems like it's been a long time since I wrote about books I wanted to read (rather than reviewing books I'd already read). Back in the summer, I wrote about books I was taking to Africa; before that, I posted three separate posts about books I was looking forward to reading during a beach trip and, even earlier in the year, books I was planning to read over spring break.

I always tell you all about my Christmas wish list for books, but there are so many books that have recently released or are going to be published soon that I just couldn't wait until then. I keep a running list of books I want to read, some old, some new, but here are the books I absolutely can't wait to read from this fall and winter:

Flash and Bones by Kathy Reichs: The latest in the Bones-inspiring series brings Tempe Brennan back to North Carolina and to the scene of a crime -- in the middle of a Nascar race. Although I must admit the racing aspect doesn't get me excited, any book with Tempe is a good book. (August 23, 2011)

V is for Vengeance by Sue Grafton: It truly seems like forever since a new Kinsey Milhone book released, when in fact it's only been two short years ago. The problem is that I came into the series late, so I read the first dozen or so books back-to-back. Then I had to wait until the next one and the next one were published. Kinsey is always worth the wait, though, as readers are transported back to the 1980s California for another classic private eye mystery.
(November 16, 2011)

Explosive Eighteen by Janet Evanovich: Stephanie Plum almost lost me for a while, but -- like so many other well-written series -- she pulled me back in towards the end. In Smokin' Seventeen, which released earlier this year, Plum was back in her element, and I was enamored once again with her series. Evanovich built upon that good feeling and has written another novel in the series to release later in the same year. I, for one, can't wait. (November 22, 2011)

The Drop by Michael Connelly: This one is a bit of a cheat, as I've already read it. But it needs to be on your can't-wait-to-get-my-hand-on list. Look for a full review closer to the release date, but suffice it to say Harry Bosch is at his absolute best in this novel. And Connelly isn't half-bad, himself. (November 28, 2011)

Red Mist by Patricia Cornwell: I am a mystery series fan (in case you hadn't noticed), and Kay Scarpetta is one of my longtime favorite characters. In her latest forensic adventure, Cornwell sends Kay on a mission to discover the truth behind an employee's death. Although the Scarpetta series suffered for a book or two, I have really enjoyed the last couple of books from Cornwell, and I expect to like this one just as much. (December 6, 2011)

Breakdown by Sara Paretsky: Yes, it's another series novel. And yes, that means if you're behind you  have a lot of reading to do. But that's okay, because in this case each and every book will be well worth your time. Paretsky is a master at building both character and suspense. V.I. Warshawski is simply the best P.I. in Chicago, and Paretsky never fails to make her tales both highly entertaining and relevant in today's world. (January 3, 2012)

A Grown-Up Kind of Pretty by Joshilyn Jackson: No, it isn't a series novel, but anything by Jackson is sure to be excellent. There is absolutely no doubt that this latest novel will be full of southern charm, dark shadows, and strong-willed women. Those have been the building blocks of Jackson's writing, and I don't expect this book will disappoint. (January 25, 2012)

Garlic and Sapphires Will Make You Yearn for More Ruth Reichl (And for Some of the Food She's Eating)

I had never heard of Ruth Reichl before I found a copy of her book, Garlic and Sapphires: The Secret Life of a Critic in Disguise, on the shelves at McKay's Used Books several months ago. Although she may not love hearing that, she should love this: I will be finding and reading every last one of her books, no matter their subjects. If you like to read about food, Reichl is the author for you.

Garlic and Sapphires is the story of Reichl's time as a food critic for the New York Times, from their wooing her away from the Los Angeles Times to her last reviews there. On a plane ride to New York City from L.A., months before she was scheduled to begin at the NY Times, a NYC waitress "makes" her. Restaurants all over New York have her photograph posted in their kitchens, the waitress tells an astonished Reichl. At this point Reichl, dubious about the move to begin with, begins to fully understand just how different her life is about to become.

In order to appropriately critique restaurants across the city, Reichl develops a series of disguises meant to hide her identity from waitstaff and chefs alike. Because "the steaks get bigger, the food comes faster, and the seats become more comfortable" (312) when Reichl is recognized, she decides going incognito to dine is the only avenue for genuine restaurant reviews. She creates Brenda, a loud and boisterous redhead, and Chloe, a blonde fashion plate, among others, and these alternate personalities dine all over the city undetected.

With their help, Reichl is able to accurately give her opinion on everything from New York's finest steakhouses to the best little off-the-beaten-path Asian noodle houses and sushi bars. Although food is a star in this foodie memoir, with reviews from Reichl's NY Times column and recipes included, these rich descriptions are not what makes Garlic and Sapphires such an engrossing read. That honor goes to Reichl herself, whose personality fairly shines across the page.

Reichl is extraordinarily likeable and honest in Garlic and Sapphires, as she pens her struggle with her own occupation and the difficulties it sometimes presents to her friends and family. Although everyone loves a good meal (especially a free one, which Reichl often provides for her dining companions), her friends, husband, and son sometimes question Reichl's ability to tiptoe the line between food critic and food snob.

After one dinner at Windows on the World (the restaurant that resided in the North Tower of the World Trade Center), Reichl's husband tells her:

I couldn't stay and watch what you were doing. I hate it when you pretend to be that person. . . . The Restaurant Critic of the New York Times. The Princess of New York. Ms.-I-know-I-am-right-about-food-and-don't-argue-with-me. . . . You were the person you used to make fun of. . . . You really enjoy food, and you're able to translate that pleasure for others. . . . When you got into this it was almost a spiritual thing with you. You love to eat, you love to write, you love the generosity of cooks and what happens around the table when a great meal is served. Nothing that went on last night had anything to do with that. (255-256)

Reichl continues to serve as a food critic long after that, striving to regain her long-ago goal of connecting other people with food. She does so in a myriad of ways, stringing readers along for the fabulous ride. Whether it is a dinner out with her son, a lunch date with her NY Times friend Carol, or a food tour of Brooklyn with the "ultimate connoisseur of New York food" (273) Ed Levine, Reichl describes her gastromonical experiences with a talent second to none. The reader can fairly taste the dishes Reichl indulges in.

Ruth Reichl is the author of three other memoirs, several cookbooks, and has edited or introduced a dozen or so other food-related titles. Previous to her career at the NY Times, Reichl also served for many years as both the food critic and food editor at the LA Times. She then worked as an editor for Gourmet magazine. She has hosted Food Network specials and appeared as a radio host for a live cooking show on NYC radio channel WNYC. She began her venture into food as a career in the 1970s when she opened the collective restaurant The Swallows in Berkeley, California.

You can learn more about Reichl on her website or by reading her online journal, which features everything from recipes to restaurant recommendations to thoughts on various food topics. You can also follow her on Twitter or TypePad.

The Leftovers Novel Leaves Something Lacking, But HBO Series in Progress

I have to go outside the norm for this review, and say that I was somewhat disappointed with Tom Perrotta's The Leftovers. Perrotta's novels have invariably entertained me; when I finally read Little Children a few years ago, I immediately went back and read the rest of his novels. I enjoyed them all. I thought his characters were cunning and clever, his plots outrageous and realistic all at once. When I found out he was coming to the Southern Festival of Books in October, I promptly wrote up an ode to Perrotta during my countdown posts.

I also need to be honest and say that the premise for The Leftovers did not appeal to me from the get-go. I haven't read Christian-based accounts of the supposed apocalypse, such as Left Behind; I don't watch or read science fiction-based versions of a post-apocalyptic world (i.e., Cormac McCarthy's The Road, in either book or movie versions). Part of this distancing myself from human tellings of a second coming is a certain revulsion with people speaking about and telling tales they can't possibly know the truth about. Similar to Harold Camping and his wild predictions of the world ending, I detest people who act as though they know the truth about any such occurrences. We humans don't know; we may have beliefs, but we decidedly do not have knowledge.

Before you jump all over my thought process on this one, let me assure you: I realize Perrotta was trying to do no such thing. I fully realize, as well, that his newest novel is a parody of sorts, making comedy out of and poking fun at such predictions. Still, the novel's premise kept me from pre-ordering the novel, despite my great appreciation of Perrotta's body of work. But then there was a contest for the audio version of The Leftovers over on the book blog nomadreader, which I entered and won.

And so, I came into possession of an audio version of Perrotta's latest novel. I was thrilled by my win, because -- despite any misgivings about its plot -- I was still excited about reading The Leftovers, simply because I admire and enjoy Perrotta's writing. I will wholeheartedly admit that perhaps an audio version was not the best way to experience this novel. There were doubtless intricacies which I missed by hearing the book rather than reading it on the page.

In the end, the characters were my favorite part of the novel. I found myself wanting to return to certain characters when Perrotta's story took me away from them for too long. That being said, I enjoyed the varying perspectives given, and the way Perrotta changed points of view frequently. Hearing about October 14 (the date of the supposed rapture in the novel) from many characters' perspectives was quite interesting. Perrotta shares thoughts from many different kinds of people, and from people whose reactions to October 14 vary considerably:

• Grown-ups whose lives have been turned upside down, like housewife Nora, who loses her entire family to the rapture
• Teenagers whose lives have been affected, either by loss of family members to the rapture, or to loss of family members to various cults that pop up afterwards
• People who join said cults, including:
• teenagers who join the Barefoot movement (think modern-day hippies)
• followers of Holy Wayne (who leads a Healing Hug movement and impregnates one of his wives with a child who is supposed to solve everything)
• and the creepiest of all -- the Guilty Remnant, or G.R. (a group of "watchers" for those left behind, who wear only white and smoke cigarettes "to proclaim their faith")
• Religious folks who weren't "taken" and can't understand why

Perrotta does an excellent job of delving into the psyche of various kinds of human beings. It isn't hard to believe that if something like the rapture were to occur, people would react in much the same way: some with sadness, some with mental illness, and some with radicalism. 

But to truly give yourself over to The Leftovers, I think as a reader you must entirely suspend your disbelief. In short, you must buy into the idea of October 14. And while Perrotta's observations about the human spirit and subsequent reactions was spot-on, I simply couldn't fully immerse myself in the idea of the rapture as Perrotta told the story. In this case, I have to plead an"it's not you, it's me" argument, because I truly believe Perrotta did an excellent job with this novel. It just wasn't the novel for me. Others have praised the novel. For their thoughts, click on any of the following links:

• Stephen King's review for the NY Times
• Kimberly's review on the Fancy Terrible book blog
• nomadreader's review of the novel
• The Book Lady's Blog review
• Ron Charles' review for the Washington Post

Tom Perrotta is the author of five other novels, including Little Children and Election, which were both made into feature films. He is currently working on an adaptation of The Leftovers for HBO. To find out more, visit his very well-done (and, of course, well-written) website.

Gone with a Handsomer Man Combines Good Cooking & Good Southern Story Telling

Imagine coming home to find your husband-to-be gallivanting around the backyard semi-nude with not one, but two women. That's exactly the predicament Teeny Templeton finds herself in. No one could blame her for what happened next: an attack by peaches. Peaches were simply the closest weapon to her, hanging as they were on a nearby tree.

In a bout of ridiculousness, Teeny is arrested and faces criminal charges for assault, although, if you ask me, the only thing hurt on her good-for-nothing fiance Bing was his pride. Kicked out of her own home by a judge granting an order of protection (to keep Bing from being pelted by fruit again, one presumes), she turns to her Bing's aunt Dora. Unfortunately for Bing, Teeny has always been a favorite of Dora's. With her help, Teeny moves out of Bing's house and into a grand old mansion his family owns.

Things turn from bad to worse when Bing turns up dead. Teeny, of course, becomes suspect number one. After she runs into an old flame from back home in Georgia who just so happens to be a lawyer, Teeny fights the charges against her. Coop tries to help Teeny out of her mess, while maintaining a professional distance from their past.

In Michael Lee West's latest novel, Gone with a Handsomer Man, she returns to those things she does best:

• the south, Charleston in particular
• food, with Teeny's interest in (and almost obsession with) baking
• a gothic quality

West describes Charleston and its outlying islands with aplomb and grace. I adore a well-written southern novel, and Michael Lee West delivers once again in this latest effort. Teeny and cast are caricatures of southern characters, drawn with bold strokes on the page. Dora, especially, is the epitome of a fine southern lady, laced with bourbon and lined with steel. Both the old family mansion south of Broad and Coop's island cottage are dwellings worthy of their Charleston setting.

One of Michael Lee West's ongoing themes in her novels is food. She even wrote a memoir based on her hereditary food obsession, Consuming Passions. Food has factored into all of her books, but perhaps none so much as Gone with a Handsomer Man, in which Teeny bakes both for money and for sanity. In flashback scenes, Teeny also recalls childhood moments in which her mother whipped up poisonous recipes to deal with her own demons.

Both the setting and the baking-with-poison lend the novel a southern gothic quality. Michael Lee West novels are never sunshine and cupcakes; she inserts a healthy dose of real life, in this case via Teeny's dubious dealings with her mother and subsequent difficulties as an adult. Somehow cooking especially always has an underlying desperation and murderous quality in West's books. In She Flew the Coop, the main character lies in a coma "after drinking pop laced with rose poison," and in Mad Girls in Love, southern belle Bitsy attempts to kill  her husband with "a frozen slab of ribs that she purchased at the Piggly Wiggly."

Gone with a Handsomer Man is a satisfying addition to West's bevy of southern novels. The best news? When I met her at the Southern Festival of Books in October, West shared the news that a sequel starring Teeny will be published soon. I can't wait to find out what else is in store for Teeny after the surprise ending of this novel.

Michael Lee West is the author of five other novels and one recipe-laden memoir. To find out more about her, visit her website or her blog. You can also find her on Facebook and Twitter. West explains how her vision of Teeny came during a trip to the Low Country here. An excerpt of Gone with a Handsomer Man, as well as an array of Teeny's recipes can be found on  by clicking here. To connect with Teeny herself, visit The World According to Teeny, a great character blog full of recipes, sneak peeks, giveaways, and more.