Book Shelf 6/14

Today is Flag Day and I don't have my flag out.  If Grandma MoneyPenny were still alive she would not be happy.  I remember when I was a kid staying with my grandma, Flag Day was a real big deal for her.  She was a real patriot and always hung her little flag on the porch post.  She lived out on a ranch and the only people to see her flag were those that would come to buy her eggs and milk and usually they sent their kids.  I happened to have a crush on one of these boys.  I was boy crazy at a young age.

Anyway, I recently finished reading the first book writtin by Mark Mills and thought that I should pass this author on.  Miss KnowItAll first brought my attention to him with his book The Savage Garden and I have been hooked ever since.  To my knowledge he has written four books, all of which are great reading.  His books are what I call literary fiction and are set in very interesting places and times.  Each of his books has hit on all my pistons when it comes to the pleasures of my reading life.

His first book, written in 2004 is Amagansett, which is set on Long Island after WWII.  The main character is a Basque fisherman who gets involved with the rich summer people and all of their issues.  I really enjoyed learning about the local people and the fishing industry back then.  Also, it is a good mystery.

The second book, The Savage Garden, written in 2007 is about a Cambridge student who goes to Tuscany to write about the famous Docci gardens and gets wrapped up in the mystery of the family and the villa.  If I remember correctly, there was even some hot sex which is hard to write about without it seeming laughable.  He did a good job.

The Information Officer came out in 2009 and is set on Malta in 1942.  This is about a young officer who sets out to solve the murder of a local woman, but really Malta and her people are the main characters in this very satisfying read.

Mark Mills' latest novel is House of the Hunted and it is about a former intelligence officer who has retired to the French Rivera in 1935.  At least he is trying to be retired, but his past during the Russian Revolution has come back to haunt him.  Lots of intrigue and very well written.

So if you are looking for some good summertime reading, check this guy out.  You will not be disappointed.  His books are at the library, so don't go out and buy them, unless you want them for your personal library, of course.

Grocery shopping trip update:

I came in under the $40 grocery budget today at QFC with a bill of $37.35, but what I wanted to mention is that Tide has changed the weight on their smaller boxes from 56 ounces to 42 ounces, but the price remains the same, of course.