Stand Your Ground

Okay, let’s talk a little about Victoria Christopher Murray’s Stand Your Ground: A Novel.  First, I want to say this is a first for me with Murray.  I walked in unfamiliar with her writing, but with intense curiosity for the message of her book.  Yet, I have to say, I walked away with my expectations marginally unmet.  But I’ll get to that a little later. 

Now what is Stand Your Ground about?  Truth: we can take this piece of controversially-driven fiction and apply it to our present-day reality.  The book serves as the author’s voice/response to a rising American dilemma.  A dilemma entailing the killings of unarmed black boys and men.  

We've heard and found ourselves touched by their stories over these past few years.  And “years” is an understatement to the actual dilemma's history.  The murdering of unarmed black boys/men (girls/women as well) has been a recurring American issue before slaves even landed in Jamestown, Virginia in 1619.  I mean, let's be for real.  What's happening in our community today is a direct reflection of our ancestor's yesteryears.  But I’ll digress in this moment by pinpointing some present examples haunting our news feeds.  One would be the loss of Trayvon Martin [Sandford, Flordia] back in 2012.  Another, Eric Garner [New York City, New York] in 2014.  Michael Brown [Ferguson, Missouri] 2014.  And one of the latest atrocities, Sandra Bland [Waller County, Texas] 2015.

You’ve all heard these names before.  You’ve all heard them recently.  And as much as I want to delve into each of their stories, I know it’ll lead this post to a topic for another conversation.  A topic I would have to be careful not to get into my feelings about.  

As it concerns Stand Your Ground, Murray opens her novel through the focal point of a woman name Janice Johnson.  Janice is about to face her worst nightmare: her teenage son is dead.  According to the police who arrived at her doorstep late one night, it was a shooting.  One in which a white man took her son's life.  The argument is whether the man was standing his ground against Janice’s son, or was it an act of murder?  The D.A. gets involved alongside the police to build a case against the shooter.  Meanwhile, Janice’s husband and brother-in-law organize a roaring protest for justice.

That’s not all…

ABC'S ABOUT ME TAG (Video)

ABC's About Me Tag Questions (Thanks to the creator of the tag.)

A- Age

B- Biggest Fear 

C- Current Time

D- Drink you last had

E- Easiest Person To Talk to

F- Favorite Song

G- Grossest Memory

H- Hometown 

I- In love with

J- Jealous

K- Killed Someone?

L- Longest Relationship 

M- Middle Name

N- Number of Siblings 

O- One Wish

P- Person who you last called

Q- Question you're always asked 

R- Reason to smile 

S- Song you last sang 

T- Time you woke up 

U- Underwear Color

V- Vacation Destination

W- Worst Habit: 

X- X-rays you've had

Y- Your favorite food

Z- Zodiac Sign 

Lighting Nora Roberts

"Malory Price’s life plan has hit a snag. She’s in danger of losing her job managing an art gallery in Pleasant Valley, Pennsylvania. A welcome distraction comes in the form of an invitation to a cocktail party at Warrior’s Peak, an infamous estate overlooking the town. But no one else she knows has been invited…

There are only two other guests: Dana Steele, a librarian, and Zoe McCourt, a single mother. On the surface, it seems the women have nothing in common, until their mysterious hosts tell them a story—and offer them a challenge.

Legend has it that the souls of three demigoddesses—one an artist, one a bard, and one a warrior—have been locked in a box that has three keys. Now it’s up to Malory and the others to find the keys. Their reward: a million dollars each.

It all seems too bizarre to be true. But none of them can ignore the financial windfall they stand to gain. And now Malory—with her soul of an artist and eye for beauty—must find her key first. She soon discovers that whatever locked the souls away is dark, powerful, and greedy…and it doesn’t want the women to win."

~ Key of Light from Goodreads

Drawn by the blue cover, deckle edges, and French flaps; I had to grab this Nora Roberts read.  Oh, and the sudden impulse for a little romance did its job calling me.  Nonetheless, the premise seemed exciting as well.  Though I’d hoped the subject of mythical keys and demigoddess wasn’t so literally in its context.  That’s right, this is a supernaturally decorated romance novel.  And first in Roberts’s Key Trilogy. 

But like I said, I was hoping the supernatural aspect would curve toward something believably delivered.  Something tangible and constructed with the author’s sleight of hand using character and plot.  Otherwise, the supernatural element created these ambiguous setups and circumstances.  Many consisted of characters falling into lucid, foggy visions and stepping into mind portals.  That sort of thing–if you will.  Even so, the book didn’t necessarily slip in its romantic-driven direction.  That was sharp with or without the supernatural.  But however sharp and clear it appeared, it wasn't as inspiring as I’d hope.  Because frankly, I found the romantic partners weak as a unit but stronger as individuals.  Why?  The balance...

The GAY Men in Alan's Swimming Pool

Ah.  Let me throw you a bone here, considering I found myself off the mark after reading the dust jacket of Alan Hollinghurst’s The Swimming Pool Library.  I really want to re-premise the synopsis with my not-quite-damn-near instantaneous look at the opening stages of the book.  Though this “look” gives nothing nowhere near as complex and multi-layered as the actual material.  So don’t let my speed-running summary of the book throw you off.  But hear me now as I suggest you pick the book up whenever possible.

Anyway, a gay twenty-something British aristocrat is ready to pull a routine cruise mission inside a public lavatory.  This lavatory is popular (and populated) with men filled with a thirsty compulsion for spontaneous sexual fulfillment.  And so our young aristocrat comes in on the fold with a practiced stroll.  You see, this type of environment isn’t unique to him.  However, it's a little dispiriting seeing the array of middle-aged white men available and present.  The aristocrat longs for a different, more youthful flavor.  Lucky for him he spots an Arabian boy, and proceeds to have him to himself.

Until an eighty-something elderly Lord stumbles into the lavatory with the same mission: quick sex where possible.  Unfortunate for the Lord, his expedition results in a heart attack or stroke of sorts.  Troubled by his duty to seek sex with the Arab, the aristocratic runs to assist the elderly Lord.  And he does so successfully before the two part ways.  

Later, the two encounter one other at a local swimming hole/fitness center familiar with gay men.  A friendship forms, leading the Lord to ask the young aristocrat to scribe his biography.  The Lord fears for his remaining years, and is desperate to tell his story.  He pushes and pushes for the aristocrat to take on the assignment, until the aristocrat gives in and accepts the task.  Yet, there are deeper unforeseen intentions behind the Lord’s request.  Decades of quiet, vengeful purpose hides underneath.  Suddenly caught in a trap, the aristocrat soon arrives at two choices: honor the Lord’s request to completion or choose the respect of his family instead?

Ah.  Putting the premise into my own words helps.  But I can agree to the dust jacket’s statement of the book taking readers to “dimly lit underground bars, swimming baths, and cinemas.”  That, and so much more, it did under Hollinghurst’s beauty way with prose, character, and illustrative settings.  Fearing the book would smother me in stereotypical and dusty stories frequented in gay/LGBT literature, I arrived to its conclusion surprised it did so with me savoring each motion in its journey.  And while I could sit here and delve deeper into that "savoring", I'm choosing to focus on the men who populate the book.  As that's where most of my attention and captivity found itself.  So these are my thoughts on their roles and what moved me about them.  Otherwise, I could be here all day posting about this hyper immersing read.

WARNING: There may be spoilers, so read at your own risk!

Weekend Reading: X by Sue Grafton ~ It's Going DOWN!

I hate waiting for new releases.  And I hate having to wait until my week is clear to dive into them.  Sue Grafton, undoubtedly, is an author of these cases.  I think it's clear how I'll stop EVERYTHING to get my hands on her stuff.  The second she ushers in a new Kinsey Millhone book, everything has to stop.  However, with a work schedule bracketing a block of days, and a car that just couldn't do anything without a replacement crankshaft, I suffered through the week just to wait until today.  I have ALL weekend to read the latest Kinsey Millhone hard-boiled mystery.  That's Friday, Saturday, and Sunday all with Kinsey.  With groceries in the fridge and a car that's finally fixed, I'd say nothing else even matters.  Believe THAT.  So in keeping this short, it's time to revisit my best friend and favorite fictional private-eye, Kinsey Millhone.

X by Sue Grafton:

"The betrayed spouse of a wealthy business man, a hot-tempered woman who was probably too quick to file for divorce and is still out for revenge on the husband who bedded her best friend.  She is now plotting to steal a valuable painting her ex doesn't even know he possess.

The newly ensconced elderly couple in the house next door, needy and seemingly helpless.  In fact, the neighbors from hell.

A banker's box holding a recently murdered private investigator's files.  Secretly stashed in a false bottom is a padded mailer containing personal items: a small Bible, a red-bead rosary, a child's birthday card with four one-dollar bills, a studio portrait of a little girl on her mother's lap–perhaps the child for whom the card was intended?  And falling out of one file folder, a piece of graph paper with lines of numbers–a code or cipher that, when broken, contains the names of six women.  One, a suicide according to the coroner's office, died twenty-eight years ago; a second, a woman who sued a coworker for harassment.  The only link: Ned Lowe, husband of the dead woman, the target of the lawsuit.

And a remorseless serial killer cunning enough to leave no trace of his crimes.

Once again breaking the rules, Sue Grafton wastes no time identifying this sociopath.  The test is whether Kinsey can prove her case against him before she becomes his next victim.

Sue Grafton's X: Dark and chilling and clever, but as well, infinitely wise in the matter of human misbehavior, or why we are often our own worst enemy."

A Short Night Crawl

Picture a lone truck-stop diner during an ugly storm.  You have a cook, waitress, and police officer huddled inside for shelter and to attend stranded diners.  Somewhere down the road–according to the relaying radio frequenting updates on the storm–a local motel recently found itself caught in a shooting spree.  Innocents are gunned down, and the killer is still on the loose.  Meanwhile, back at the diner, a ragged and dusty man stumbles through as the storm reaches its peak.  Suspicions arrive from those already inside.  Could he be the hotel killer?  Still, they maintain a cool head.  Asking for a cup of coffee, the diner employees serve the strange and twitchy guest.  As for the police officer , he watches the patron with a long gaze. 

All this appears strange, mysterious, and lightly-suspenseful.  But then a platoon of dead, zombified war veterans comes swimming out of the storm to attack the diner.  And out went bits of my grasp on the story.  To be fair, Night Crawlers deserve another, slower re-read within its 33 pages.  But from my initial read, I really just thought it was okay.  I would be interested in reading something lengthier from McCammon, though.

Pawing Through the Past

Pawing through the Past is feline and canine detectives, Mrs. Murphy and Tee Tucker’s, eighth cozy mystery.  This time around, their ”mother," Mary Minor “Harry” Haristeen, stresses herself over her upcoming twentieth high school reunion.  The class of 1980 are trickling back to the small town of Crozet, in preparation. For them, it's time to catch up with one another, share memories, and find themselves on somebody's hit list.  And however dreadful as that appears, it’s only about as burdensome as Harry’s role on the reunion’s organization committee.  Nevertheless, with her alumni finding themselves plucked off, Harry and her pets take it upon themselves to investigate which 1980 Crozet High graduate is behind the killings.  The old saying of "the more things change, the more things stay the same" is just about right for this case.  And Brown does the “change” with a literal and almost unforeseeable twist.

As always, I enjoy this series.  It’s just a winner for the light, cozy mystery reader in me.  Still, as it regards the progression of the series and overarching character developments, not much has changed per the previous entry.  Also, while some entries are better crafted than others, Brown never lets up with her mystery’s set-up and theme.  She always gives her characters a fresh (sometimes too out there) direction...  

And Pawing through the Past played with various directions.  Some, I feel, if I list it’ll give away the entire book.  So for the sake of remaining vague, Pawing is a vengeance story told through the familiar social commenter filter (usually expressed by the animals) known in Brown’s material.  And that pushing filter couldn’t be truer here.  However, just for a brisk lap, think about what happens when you bully someone too far.  Think about how that experience sticks with and changes a person until he or she becomes consumed by it.

I really wish I could say more, but I’m biting my lip because it’ll give everything away.  There’s a twist about the culprit–and one that I suspected almost instantly.  That doesn’t change how fun, humorous, and crazy the book was, though.