WWW.WEDNESDAY asks us three questions to
prompt you to speak bookishly. To participate, and to see how other book lovers
responded, click here.
1. What are you currently reading?
Shadows of a Princess by
P. D. Jephson. Am I the only one who has a hard time imagining
Princess Diana as a grandmother three (now almost four) times over? This book,
a memoir by her personal secretary, takes us through 1987 to 1996 -- the
dissolution of Diana's marriage to building her life as a single woman. So it
covers the years where I see her most clearly in my mind's eye: glittering
fashion icon, young mother, unhappy wife. Jephson left Kensington Palace before
her relationship with Dodi Fayed and the fateful trip to Paris in 1997.
Published in 2000, Shadows of a Princess
was controversial at the time. The author maintains it's an honest portrait of
his time in the Princess' employ. Her partisans said it was a hatchet job. I
wonder how I'll feel about it, 18 years out.
2. What did you recently finish reading?
 |
| Sorry, Spenser |
Silent Night by Robert
B. Parker with Helen Brann. The is The Spenser Christmas Mystery. Taken as such, it's fine. We
get to see our favorite private investigator enjoying the holidays in Boston.
There's snow on the Boston Commons and Christmas shopping at Filene's.
Throughout he's planning an ambitious turducken dinner to be prepared at
Susan's house on Christmas Day. All that was fun.
The mystery left a little to be desired. A guy named Jackie Alvarez runs a shelter for homeless boys. Someone wants Jackie to close his doors. He's getting threats. Does someone want the real estate the shelter sits on? Is this harassment tied to Jackie's brother Juan, the high-profile, nouveau riche exporter? The story has too many coincidences and each action sequence has a predictable outcome.
Still, I'm glad I read it. I like knowing that "Rudolph, The Red-Nosed Reindeer" annoys Spenser and that Pearl the Wonder Dog gets a special breakfast on Christmas morning.
3. What will you read next?
I don't know.
I must admit that I am a fan of the Royals...especially Diana, although I'm also intrigued by the younger ones. So...Shadows of a Princess is going on my list. Thanks for sharing, and here's MY WWW POST
ReplyDeleteI too just read a mystery that fell flat. I'll be following that up with a holiday-themed Murder She Wrote, because at least I know I enjoy those. Here is my WWW post if interested: https://greatmorrisonmigration.wordpress.com/2018/12/19/www-wednesdays-december-19-2018/
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