I think that we have all figured out, by now, that I have a weakness for cheesy mystery novels. I really just can’t help myself. And the Rita Mae Brown books are pretty darn good. Witty, for one thing, and they have neat characters who grow and change a bit with the series, which is a nice contrast from lots of mystery series, where the characters seem to stay the same for decades.

This particular book also delved into the murky and controversial territory of the right to choose, which was interesting. It seems like the last few books in the series have definitely focused more on social issues, not in a preachy kind of way, but in a quiet, sneaky way which leaves you pondering after you finish. I’ve always been a fan of Rita Mae Brown’s character and personality, and it’s nice to see it coming out in this series.

For those of you who aren’t familiar with the Mrs. Murphy mysteries, they’re mysteries set in rural Virginia with a cast of both human and animal characters. One of the fun things about the books is that the animals talk among each other and actively participate in the mystery solving, but the humans are totally unaware of it. I like that; Brown gives the animals characters without  making them cutesy, and I like getting a taste of Virginia, too.

The main flaw with the series is that a surprising number of people die, for a small town. I mean if 20 people a year were murdered in Fort Bragg, that would be an issue. But no one in the series seems unduly disturbed by their extraordinarily high death rate. While I know that I am supposed to suspend my disbelief and all that, one can only go so far.

Demographics:

The Purrfect Murder, by Rita Mae Brown and Sneaky Pie Brown. Published 2008, 247 pages. Fiction.

The Book Project: I write about every book I read in 2008. At the end of each month, I pull together an action packed report about what I liked and what I didn’t like. With statistics! Yay!

In April, I read 28 books and a total of 8,566 pages, or .933 books and 287ish pages each day. Definitely a decline from my March high. I’m going to go ahead and blame Buffy the Vampire Slayer for that, because I spent almost three weeks watching seven seasons of Buffy followed by five seasons of Angel, and that definitely cut into my reading time. I’m not saying I regret it, and I certainly don’t apologize. It was many hours well spent and deeply enjoyed, which is more than I can say of the reading I did last month.

I read a lot of books I didn’t really like, which caused me, in turn, to think about what to do when I read books I don’t like. I have this thing. Once I pick up a book and start reading it, I can’t stop. It seems sort of disrespectful and rude somehow, in a way which I can’t quite articulate. My father does it all the time, and gives me shit for being unable to, but I can’t bring myself to do it.

However, I think I need to start. I don’t think that every book I read needs to be amazing, but I really should stop reading books I obviously don’t like, as much fun as it is trashing them in the Book Project posts. Life, after all, is short, and there are a lot of books in the world. Wasting time on crappy books is really just an insult to myself, more than anything else.

A couple of the books I read last month were re-reads, so obviously I liked them enough to read them again. Watership Down, for example, has long been a favourite of mine, and I also like The Other Hollywood. But it kind of feels like cheating to talk about books I already like.

In terms of new books, Bonk was ok, but not all I could have wanted it to be. Funny, yes, transcendent, no. I really liked This Republic of Suffering, because it contained a lot of information which was new to me, and therefore the book drew me in and kept me interested. I also just really like monographs in general, since they show such a compelling depth of focus and interest that I can’t help but respect them. Everything Conceivable may have been the best book I read this month, simply because it wrestled with issues which I think are really interesting, and it opened my eyes a bit to the world of fertility treatment. I read it with the goal of pushing myself, and that goal was achieved. Yay me.

If you have any books you want to recommend for the Book Project, add them to the comments. I welcome suggestions of awesome books which you think I might enjoy. You can also mail books, if you really want to make sure I read them. My address is:

s.e. smith

PO Box 2764

Fort Bragg, California 95437

Hit me anywhere. Surprise me.

China appears to be cracking down on child labour; an actual attempt to reform a notoriously corrupt manufacturing system, or posturing to satisfy critics? Either way, I suppose, getting children out of forced labor is good.

Social networking and instant publishing have, ironically, enabled a mob mentality which makes censorship even easier than ever before.

When food is political, political infighting is bound to emerge. So are you aligned with the local first movement, or the fair trade movement? Some people think you can’t have it both ways.

How does your candidate rank when it comes to sex ed? Here’s a handy guide.

The colossal squid dissection is proceeding apace in New Zealand. Here’s a video all about it. Yum, squid!

Lesbians are finally fighting back. No, not those lesbians, the citizens of Lesbos. As a former resident of Lesbos, I can sympathize with their plight.

Are the Olympics contributing to the global rise in food costs?