Reading is my oldest and favorite hobby.  I literally can’t remember a time in my life when I didn’t love to curl up with a good book.  Here are my reads for May, 2014…

Henrietta Sees It Through: More News From the Home Front 1942-1945, by Joyce Dennys – You may recall that I read and loved Henrietta’s War last month, and the first thing I did upon closing that volume was pick up the second installment of Henrietta’s letters to her “dear childhood friend” Robert.  Much is the same in the sleepy Devonshire village, but there are some changes.  Lady B has moved into smaller digs, Faith is finally married to the Conductor, and tempers are beginning to fray from the lengthy war effort.  These letters contain some bitterness about the restricted role of women in the war effort, and I think the bitterness is rather a good thing – it both tempers the sweetness and paints a realistic portrayal of what folks went through.  All in all, a lovely read and I have thoroughly enjoyed every moment I’ve spent with Henrietta.  Fully reviewed here.

The Pericles Commission (The Athenian Mysteries #1), by Gary Corby – Nico is training to follow in his sculptor father’s footsteps, and none too happy about it, when a dead body falls literally at his feet.  The body is that of Ephialtes, Athenian statesman and father of democracy.  Ephialtes’ friend Pericles engages Nico to investigate the killing and what Nico finds is an Athenian political landscape more treacherous than a pit of snakes.  To be honest, I wasn’t overly thrilled with this.  I found the language too much of an anachronism and I wasn’t over-fond of Nico, the hero, of Pericles, his boss, or of any other character.  I try to make allowances for the first novel in a mystery series because it can be difficult to introduce characters and plot arches while also putting forward an absorbing mystery, but even with those allowances The Pericles Commission fell flat for me.  I may or may not continue with the series but it’s not going to be high on my list.

Miss Hargreaves, by Frank Baker – Norman Huntley has a most distressing and surreal problem: the things he imagines come to be.  One day Norman and his friend Henry, on a lark, invent an eccentric old lady that they name Miss Hargreaves.  Taking the joke too far, they mail her a letter… and are shocked when she writes back and invites herself for a visit.  Norman is about to discover the kind of chaos an overactive imagination can create when his imaginary friend gets well out of hand.  This book was funny and clever, and Miss Hargreaves was a wonderful character (well done, Norman!) but the conclusion also left plenty of food for thought.  Highly recommended.

Yes, Chef: A Memoir, by Marcus Samuelsson – Marcus Samuelsson is a truly international chef.  Born in Ethiopia, he and his sister were adopted by a Swedish couple and raised in Goteburg, Sweden.  After a disappointment in his burgeoning soccer career left Marcus without a sport to play, he devoted himself fully to his other passion: food and cooking.  Soon Marcus was applying the lessons he had learned at his grandmother’s stove to his experiments building flavors in highly regarded restaurants in Europe, on a cruise ship, and finally in New York.  Marcus is best known as the former head chef of Aquavit, a Swedish restaurant in New York, as the winner of Top Chef and as a celebrated cookbook writer.  His memoir was a joy to read: honest and engaging, and full of the layers of flavor he adds to his foods.  Marcus is not perfect, but he readily admits to his mistakes and explains how he is trying to right any wrongs he has caused.  He’s a likeable writer and his love of food comes through in every page.  It’s no coincidence that I cooked dinner three nights in a row after finishing this book!

Inkheart (Inkworld #1), by Cornelia Funke – When Meggie was three years old, her father Mo, reading to the family, accidentally brought to life three characters from the book Inkheart.  One of those characters was the diabolical villain Capricorn, and another was his henchman Basta.  Capricorn and Basta have been wreaking havoc ever since.  Now Meggie and Mo must find a way to harness the evil Mo accidentally released and rid their world of Capricorn’s vengeful presence forever.  This book was entertaining, but went on a bit too long.  I did enjoy it and will most likely continue with the trilogy, but I didn’t find it quite as compelling as I’d expected to.

The Hound of the Baskervilles, by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle – Sherlock Holmes and Dr. Watson are surprised when they receive a visit from a Devonshire doctor with a tale of a giant spectral dog that hounded (excuse the pun) the Dartmoor baronet Sir Charles Baskerville to his death.  Even more distressing, the new baronet Sir Henry, recently arrived from Canada, is already being terrorized by strange events.  If anyone can solve this bizarre riddle, it’s Holmes and Watson!  I’ve been meaning to read Sherlock Holmes for some time now and I really enjoyed The Hound of the Baskervilles.  Full review to come on Friday.

May was a fairly slow reading month for me.  I had some events that took up time during the weekends and am still getting adjusted to my new, tighter schedule since returning to work.  But a smaller book count doesn’t mean a less enjoyable reading month, thankfully!  Henrietta continued to delight in early May, and I also particularly enjoyed my visit with Holmes and Watson.  Next month I expect another short stack, since between house hunting and marathon training my weekends are looking pretty hectic.  But I have a stack of bookish delights waiting for me so if quantity is low for a little while, quality will be high.  Stay tuned…