??????

Sense and Sensibility and Sea Monsters. So this is the natural progression from zombies?

My husband Mike suggests the following next installments:
Northanger Abbey and Neanderthals?
Persuasion and Pirates?
Mansfield Park and Midgets?

Book Review: Rattle His Bones

Rattle His Bones by Carola Dunn

My review

Rating: 3 of 5 stars
This was a very simple mystery, but I enjoyed it. It is set in the British Natural History Museum, and carefully explores the relationships between the different curators and museum staff. I found this interesting, because it touches upon rivalries between related scholarly fields and the big egos common in academia. Really, the book could quite easily have been set in a university department and had a similar flavor (though there wouldn't be an excuse for jewel theft!).

Book Review: Battle for the Cowl

Batman: Battle for the Cowl by Tony Daniel

My review

Rating: 3 of 5 stars
First thoughts: I'm reading this in floppy form as it's released. Currently I have read issues 1 and 2 out of three. I have also been following the tie-ins (Gotham Gazette, issues in Batman, Detective Comics, etc.). The action is moving right along, which is nice. I guess that's what happens when the main series is only three issues long.

Update: I finished the third (last) issue. I found it confusing that there was apparently some action that happened between issues 2 and 3 that was missing. That stuff probably happens in a tie-in that I missed (damn you, DC, for your large event cross-overs!). But besides that, this was a sensible ending to a simple story. I don't mean that as a criticism, but rather as praise. It was nice to read a straightforward "comics event," instead of the time-jump-around-y stuff that Bendis always writes. I am looking forward to what's in store for the new Bat books coming this summmer.

Book Review: Styx and Stones

Styx And Stones by Carola Dunn

My review

Rating: 3 of 5 stars
This installment of the Daisy Dalrymple series was much better than the last. Although the setup was a bit wierd (Daisy's brother-in-law asks her to help find who has been sending him letters accusing him of adultery), the whole story flowed much better than in the previous book, Dead in the Water. This book concentrates a lot of Daisy's relationship with Alec's daughter, Belinda, and those scenes add depth to both characters.

Overall, I think these books are just a little too short. If they were about fifty pages longer the mysteries would not have to be so simple (and wrapped up so quickly) and we would have more time to follow the Daisy/Alec relationship (although Dunn does a decent job of highlighting it already).

Book Review: Dead in the Water

Dead In The Water by Carola Dunn

My review

Rating: 2 of 5 stars
I had read the earlier installments of this series several years ago, and I had always meant to read more. I finally got around to it, but this book was not really worth it. The mystery is not well constructed, and the ending is rushed (both figuratively and literally--for some reason we get a wierd foot-chase scene that was really out of place). What I found most distasteful was Daisy's attitude. She kept thinking unkind thoughts about the other characters, and then only sort of regretting her meanness. I didn't remember Daisy being so unlikeable before. Since these books are short, I will give them another chance. But they better bounce back quickly.

One note for me, since I've also been reading Robin Paige's Victorian Mysteries: these books take place only 30 years after Paige's, but here finger-printing and other methods of modern forensics are used regularly. In Paige's series the police look upon these methods with a lot of skepticism. The turnaround from distrust to acceptance of these techniques is interesting.

Book Review: Death at Rottingdean

Death at Rottingdean by Robin Paige

My review

Rating: 3 of 5 stars
Not a super-complicated mystery (I think of this series as similar to "The Closer" TV show: if something or someone pops up for no discernible reason, that means it's a clue to the killer). Nevertheless, there were several interesting passages detailing the birth of automatic handguns. This builds upon the authors' previous examinations of modern technology (including motor cars and forensic techniques) as it developed at the end of the Victorian Era. This aspect remains one of the most unique parts of this mystery series.

Also, the use of quotations from totally random sources abates somewhat relative to previous entries in this series. However, it doesn't go fully away.

Book Review: Death at Devil's Bridge

Death at Devil's Bridge by Robin Paige

My review

Rating: 3 of 5 stars
What I found most interesting about this book was the setting: a motor car exhibition in the late 1890s. This allows the authors to talk a lot about the early development of the motor car, including some fascinating details about the relative benefits and costs of steam, electric, and gasoline powered cars. Given that we're trying to wean ourselves off of oil today, it was neat to hear some of the reasoning behind choosing gasoline engines in the first place.

The mystery itself ends a bit oddly, with an abrupt, less-than-pat conclusion. I was surprised by this, but it did make a refreshing change from the usual happy ending. The authors also spend some time developing tension in the Kate/Sir Charles relationship, which I am sure will continue in the rest of the series.

Book Review: Death at Daisy's Folly

Death at Daisy's Folly by Robin Paige

My review

Rating: 3 of 5 stars
This mystery series has not been "knock my socks off" good, but it has been enjoyable. Each book is short, but not too short (270-290 pages). If they were any shorter, the mysteries would feel rushed. If they were any longer, they would lose their light feel by dwelling too much on the mystery or characterization. I am especially pleased at the way the relationship between the two protagonists, Kate and Charles, has developed. Both characters are described as independent and intelligent. Given that, it's refreshing that they approach their relationship with honesty and open communication. There are few drawn-out misunderstandings between them. If something is wrong, they talk it out quickly. Most mysteries with romantically involved leads do not follow this pattern.

Book Review: Death at Gallows Green

Death at Gallows Green by Robin Paige

My review

Rating: 3 of 5 stars
I just finished this up this morning. I read the first installment in this series several years ago, and I remembered liking it. Thus, when I saw this in a local mystery book store, I decided to give it a try. It was a pleasant, quick read. The mystery isn't super-difficult to solve, but that is appropriate for a book of this length. The characterization of the two lead sleuths, Kate and Sir Charles, was good. I look forward to future developments in their relationship. My one major annoyance was the quotations printed at the beginning of each chapter. Although they were somewhat relevant to the content of the chapters, they came from such diverse sources that it seemed as if they were drawn at random from Bartlett's. This was distracting, in that I was always wondering why these sources were chosen. The one exception was quotations from Beatrix Potter's books, since Potter appears as a friend of Kate's.

I did see from the inside cover that one of the authors (Robin Paige is the pen name of a husband and wife writing team) has written a series of Beatrix Potter mysteries. I want to try those, since Potter is an interesting figure, and she was well-written in this book.

A Couple Book Reviews

Have you seen this website Goodreads? It lets you create a list of books you have read, are reading, and are planning to read. Plus it stores your ratings and reviews. The site design is pretty nice too. I started my profile here.

And Only to Deceive by Tasha Alexander
I had been planning on reading this one for awhile, so I finally picked up a copy from bn.com. Unfortunately, I wasn't thrilled with it. The story follows a young widow who, two years after her husband's death, finds out he may have been involved with some shady art dealers. The widow, Lady Emily Ashton, hardly knew her husband. She married him only to escape the overbearing influence of her mother, and he died shortly after their wedding. It's only through reading Lord Ashton's diary that Emily begins to realize how interesting her husband was. But this exploration also leads her to discover his involvement with art forgers. The plot itself was okay, but Emily as a character is annoying. She is selfish and quick to judge those around her. She doesn't even seem to be that smart, given that it takes her a long time to figure out what, to the readers, is the obvious answer to the mystery. Nevertheless, I'm considering reading the second installment in this series, if only because I've seen other series get much better over time (such as Stephanie Barron's Jane Austen series or Carola Dunn's Daisy Dalrymple series--though I did get burned by Marion Chesney's Edwardian Mystery series).

Captain Alatriste by Arturo Perez-Reverte
This was a short yet enjoyable book, which is part of a larger series about, you guessed it, Captain Alatriste. These books were originally written in Spanish, and are slowly being translated into English. This installment centers around "the adventure of the two Englishmen." Alatriste, a soldier-for-hire in 1620s Madrid, is given an assignment by a member of the Spanish Inquisition. Alatriste is told to kill two Englishmen traveling into Madrid. However, when the attack actually unfolds, Alatriste realizes that his targets aren't two nobodies, but rather people very important to the fate of England and Spain. And more intrigue ensues.... Overall, I was very taken with this book. It's not the most well-paced (there are some places that wander off on tangents about 1600s Spain), but the clear love Perez-Reverte has for Spanish history leads to some interesting writing. I'm already reading the second installment.

Where did October go?!

Thank you for your kind words about my field exams. I'm sorry I've been rather silent lately, but I've been plunging into my dissertation research. I've gotten a bit sucked into my work. But I have managed to do some fun things:

Knitting:
I've been plugging away at Highland Triangle #3. I made it to the bind-off edging this morning, so hopefully I will finish soon. I cannot believe I've managed to knit this pattern three times in a year. My plan after I finish this shawl is to try the Shetland Triangle shawl from Wrap Style. I've got some lovely Knitpicks Alpaca Cloud set aside for this project.

Reading:
I've been reading the Fitzwilliam Darcy, Gentleman series by Pamela Aidan. It's a somewhat cheesy "Pride and Prejudice from Darcy's POV" trilogy. I've tried a few of these P&P reworks before, and they usually disappoint. However, Aidan has managed to capture Austen's characters well, and she adds some interesting touches to the already well-known story. I have read the first two installments and have begun the third. Unfortunately, the second book, which details Darcy's actions during the "lost year" between his time in Hertfordshire and Kent is poorly plotted. For some reason Darcy gets drawn into some crazy revenge plot involving friends from his university days. I felt like I was reading a historical mystery/thriller instead of an Austen drama. But the first book was quite good, and the third is shaping up well also.

Movies:
Bourne Ultimatum
I saw this a couple months ago, but I haven't had the time to write about it until now. This movie was awesome! The acting, the direction, the plotting . . . everything was perfect. I saw an interview with Matt Damon, in which he said they didn't really have a script while they were filming the movie. That seems utterly unbelievable to me. Paul Greengrass (the director) must really know what he's doing. Of course, I do think he deserved an Oscar for directing (and writing, for that matter) United 93. The only "bad" thing about watching this movie was that there was a rather loud lady sitting in the same row as me at the theater. She kept saying things like "who's that?!" and "wait, is he dead?!" all the time. This was amusing and slightly annoying.

The Seeker: The Dark is Rising
I went to see this with Mike, because he really likes the books this movie is based on, The Dark is Rising series by Susan Cooper (who, btw, is visiting Boston for a couple speaking engagements in November). This movie was okay. It did a really good job of setting up a spooky atmosphere early on, but the climatic final battle was pretty lame. The effects got murky and muddy, and the kid they had playing the lead (an actor named Alexander Ludwig) couldn't quite carry the scene. Ludwig was pretty good throughout the rest of the movie, though.

Across the Universe
This is another uneven movie. Julie Taymor (of the Broadway version of The Lion King fame) has put together a visually stunning film, but the plot is quite cliched. In that respect, it's just another movie about kids trying to deal with the trauma of being sent to fight the Vietnam war. And it doesn't have anything new to say about that topic. However, the use of the Beatles' music (in several inventive arrangements) and the creative use of puppets, masks, and visual effects is very powerful. Plus, I did think the fellow who played Jude (Jim Sturgess) was impressive. However, there were several other characters I could have done without (such as Prudence) and some songs that were superfluous (they were cool to watch in and of themselves, but they didn't further the plot at all).

Gone Baby Gone
The acting and the direction in this film are both very impressive. Ben Affleck shows amazing talent behind the camera. However, the script was not as strong (this was co-written by Affleck and Aaron Stockard). It is reasonably well plotted, and it does a good job of planting the clues that solve the final mystery without being obvious. Nevertheless, there were several voice-overs and speeches that felt stilted, especially when the performances and visuals were otherwise so realistic. There were some bits of "The Departed" deja vu, but that was probably inevitable given that these are both movies about the Boston underworld.

Movie Review and a Book Review: Enigma

Yes, I changed the template. I'm too lazy to use anything but the pre-loaded blogger layouts, but that pink one was beginning to get old. I thought the blue here was soothing, so there you go.

In other news, I recently rewatched Enigma (a movie from 2001), which led to me reading the book it was based on, also Enigma, by Robert Harris.

The Movie
I was impressed with this the first time I watched it, and it holds up really well. The script was written by Tom Stoppard (who wrote Shakespeare in Love, along with a slew of famous plays such as Arcadia, Jumpers, Rosencrantz and Guildenstern are Dead...). However, the film is incredibly conventional for Stoppard (the storytelling is quite linear and no one ends the movie with a pineapple on their head). But it's a good conventional, in that we get effective storytelling and character development. The acting is solid, led by Dougray Scott as a cryptanalyst, Tom Jericho, working on breaking the German submarine enigma code. He enlists the help of Hester (Kate Winslet) to unravel another puzzle: the disappearance of Tom's former girlfriend, Claire (Saffron Burrows). Both Tom and Hester have to dodge the questions of an oily investigator (Jeremy Northam) who is looking into Claire's whereabouts. And then somehow all this gets dropped into the middle of one of the largest convoy battles of World War II. The story sounds more contrived than it is (or maybe the movie just does a really good job of selling it). The film is quiet and simple, acting like a modest slice of life movie that just happens to also be a war movie. As an added plus, we get some great British character acting, including Matthew Macfadyen (2005's Pride and Prejudice) and Tom Hollander (2005's Pride and Prejudice, and PotC: Dead Man's Chest).

The Book
I was surprised by how similar the movie is to the book. The two are extremely close, except for a brief departure at the very end. Regardless, the book is a different experience, dwelling on details a little longer, and really probing the character of Tom. But the language remains frugal and effective, so this close characterization isn't overdone. My one qualm upon comparing the book and the movie is that Hester is a much stronger character in the latter. The book is really Tom's story, while the movie is more about Tom and Hester. I sort of like the movie's focus more. Nevertheless, I thoroughly enjoyed this read.

There is one historical note to all of the above. The man actually responsible for many of the British breakthroughs with enigma was Alan Turing, a pioneer of computer science and a man prosecuted for being a homosexual. He was a fascinating person himself, but this book and movie are not at all about him. They are pure fiction.

Best and Worst of 2006: Installment Two

Next up, books! Note that the books included here are from those I read in 2006, not from those published in 2006. I'm not that up to date on my reading material. Also a warning: I didn't get much time to read for fun this year. Even when I was riding the subway to work in the summer, I spent most of my time reading The Economist. So this list is short. *Sniff*

The Best:
1) Daughter of Fortune and Zorro, both by Isabelle Allende. Allende has an amazing voice. She carefully crafts a detailed world for her characters, but doesn't let the environment overpower the story and plot (unlike some talented authors...I'm looking at you, Tom Clancy!). Both of these books examine the immigrant experience with breathtaking honesty and poignancy.

2) Jane and His Lordship's Legacy by Stephanie Barron. Barron's Jane Austen mysteries is one of the best historical mystery series I have ever read. Although early installments were a little obvious (as in you could spot the villain well before the reveal) and mired in their attempts at historical scholarship (Barron frames the books as lost letters and manuscripts by Jane Austen herself), Barron has managed to get past the gimmicks and write engaging stories. This entry is the best of those I have read (I haven't yet gotten to the newest book, which was just released), a fitting end to the Jane/Lord Trowbridge relationship. I'm just not sure where we go from here, as Jane died relatively young, and the series is now nearing the last years of her life.

3) Cavalcade by Walter Satterthwaite. This is the third mystery in the Phil Beaumont and Jane Turner series. In it Jane and Phil investigate an assassination attempt on Hitler. It's a really weird book, but Satterthwaite makes his characters accessible and really tries to take the darkness of his subject matter seriously. But not too seriously. If you want to check out this series, I would recommend starting from the beginning, though (with Escapade). The previous two entries were stronger.

Honorable mentions to Olivia Joules and the Overactive Imagination by Helen Fielding and North by Northanger by Carrie Bebris. Just some chick-lit goodness.

The Worst:
1) The Edwardian mystery series by Marion Chesney. These mysteries are on crack. Chesney just likes to jump from one situation to the next, without any explanation, and then suddenly reveal the murderer in a cliched final reveal scene. Skip these.

2) Yet again, all the books I didn't get to read this year. Damn you, lack of free time!

Weekend!

Nothing much going on here. I am waiting for an internet order of yarn to come in so I can start my next project. So I have just been crocheting a little bit. I've got a long weekend because all of my professors are Jewish and observe Yom Kippur.

I did read the next book in the Edwardian Mystery series by Marion Chesney, A Hasty Death. It feels like reading a story outline. Chesney doesn't bother to elaborate on ANY plot points. She just zips from one place to the next. It's really, really weird. One minute Rose and Harry, our protagonists, are breaking out of an insane asylum. The next they are at a country house party. Ten pages later they are confronting a crazed murderer. Because of this ADD-style, the characterization suffers. This is a shame, because the characters were the best part of the first entry in the series, Snobbery With Violence. Now I'm not sure what to expect from the next installment. These books are short (~200 pages), so I don't mind giving another a try. I just hope Chesney will slow down and take a breath in the next one. I would give this a 5.

Into the groove

So classes started this week. I am contemplating International Trade, Industrial Organization, Time Series, and Cross Section/Panel. That might be too much econometrics, but I do want to take these courses.

And I finished a short book, Snobbery With Violence by Marion Chesney. It's the first in the Edwardian Mystery series, featuring Lady Rose and Captain Harry Cathcart. I found Chesney's style very appealing, full of dead-pan humor and wit. But the book is only a little over 200 pages, and the mystery part didn't start until quite a ways in. I felt the pacing was off. I understand that Chesney was trying to introduce us to the characters and their lifestyles, but the ending was really rushed. But I am looking foward to seeing how the relationship between Rose and Harry progresses. Rose is a suffragette with very little understanding about how the real world works, while Harry is a world-weary war veteran. Of course the requisite sparks fly, but these are interesting characters who can rise above the somewhat cliched "opposites attract" situations. I would give the book a 6.

Catch Up

Sorry for the lack of posts. I was going to post earlier, but I ran into computer trouble. So let's catch up.

Crafting news:
As usual, I have been working on some things for swaps at Craftster. I did the Friend of Craftster swap, where I crocheted and stenciled a bunch of things (you can see them at the recipiant's blog, here and here). I'm currently working on a knit project (an Irish Hiking cabled set of mittens, scarf, and hat) and stuff for the X-Men swap I'm organizing. Otherwise, I haven't been doing to much crafting for myself.

Work news:
My job at the Fed is going well. The data set I've managed to wrangle has some promise. But we have a definite endogenity problem that needs dealing with.

Reading news:
I finished two books by Isabelle Allende, Zorro and Daughter of Fortune. Both were excellent, though I would say Daughter of Fortune was more totally realized. Allende has a lovely way of just naturally dropping her readers into an incredibly detailed world. She will drop hints of what is to come, but these seem entirely natural. This reminds me a bit of the early Tom Clancy novels, where you felt as if you were just watching real people's lives, which had a spontaneous, full quality. I also was fascinated by her exploration, in Daughter of Fortune, of a bi-racial relationship between a Caucasian and an Asian. It's not something you see as often as say, a Black and White relationship, and that was interesting in and of itself. But of course, I am also in such a mixed relationship, so it had a personal resonance. As for Zorro, I was quite taken with Allende's recasting of the hero as the son of a Native American. It added an unexpected quality to the character. I would give Zorro a 7 and Daughter of Fortune a 9.

Movie news:
I saw A Prairie Home Companion, X-Men 3, and Pirates of the Carribean 2. All three were good (though none was amazing). I would say that I enjoyed Pirates the most, but that was just because of it's incredible enthusiasm. It really wasn't plotted that well, but the lines were funny (not inspired, but definitely amusing), the acting was accomplished, and the direction was visually appealing. The long sight gags were the highlight. X-Men 3 has a similar feel, though everything is just of slightly poorer quality. In particular, I have no idea why some things like the Angel story-line were included. It added nothing to the rest of the film. A Prairie Home Companion was very well acted and directed, but it too didn't have a snappy plot. It just was. I am not a fan of NPR, mind you. I grew up with an indifferent affiliate in Rochester, and I have trouble hearing the chatter of it in the car. Something that makes me feel deaf is not appreciated. However the movie has its fun moments. I would give X-Men 3 a 5.5, Prairie Home Companion a 6, and Pirates a 7.

Study, study, study! (And some book reviews)

So I have an econometrics final in two weeks. It's on a Saturday for some mysterious reason (does Harvard even know about Shabbat?). Which means I need to study. But wait, I also have general exams in May, which cover a whole year's worth of material from two courses. Which means I really need to study. Guess what I'm doing today and tomorrow?!

In other news, I read the third installment of the Mr. and Mrs. Darcy mystery series, North by Northanger. The author actually managed to sort of explain why she named the book that (it appears in a line of the text). The wierd thing about this series is that it doesn't deal with murder mysteries. This is odd because I would say the bulk of mystery novels are about murders. I don't mind the change, but it does feel different. This installment bounced between some odd conspriacy involving Northanger Abbey and the drama of Elizabeth's pregnancy. The balance between the two wasn't always there. But the characterization remained compelling. I am still wondering if this series will have to end when they run out of Austen books to spoof in the titles. I give it a 6.5 overall. My previous reviews of the first two books in this series are here.

(This paragraph will mean nothing to you unless you read mainstream comics.) I also read DC Comic's Identity Crisis. Damn that thing is wordy. Almost Bendis wordy, but without that extra polish. It was good, and a nice set up for the current havoc in the DC Universe (ie Infinite Crisis). The art was enjoyable too. I think Mike is trying to get us to buy the 52 year-long special super extended series. At this rate, it might happen. Might.

Book Review: Finally off the Jane Austen Kick

Hello folks. Yes, I did actually read installment's five and six in the Jane Austen mystery series (Jane and the Stillroom Maid, Jane and the Prisoner of Wool House). They're quite good, but I figure you guys have had enough of that.

Olivia Joules and the Overactive Imagination by Helen Fielding--6
I read this one over Christmas break. It's like a cross between Bridget Jones's Diary and Ian Fleming. I'm serious. Olivia is almost as nervous and self-conscious as Bridget, but she also figures out how to navigate an international spy situation. The mix is odd, but it does make a great backdrop for action and romance. The fact that Al-Queda plays a major plot role is also interesting, if weird, given the lightness of the other material. I keep getting the feeling that Fielding really wants to be a foreign correspondent journalist (witness the Thailand drug dealing part of Bridget Jones: Edge of Reason, and Fielding's debut book, which featured African refugees) rather than a chick-lit novelist. Her compromise is contrived, but still fun.

Cavalcade by Walter Satterthwait, 3rd in the Phil Beaumont/Jane Turner mystery series--6.5
This installment puts our favorite Pinkerton detectives in early 1920s Germany, just as Hitler is building his Nazi party. Phil and Jane are hired by the Nazis to investigate an attempted assassination attempt on Hilter. As Phil and Jane become familiar with the party leaders, the detectives discover far more about the disturbing anti-Semitism and militarism of Nazi ideology than about the assassination itself. This mystery is a bit odd, in that solving the actual crime is not the primary focus. (Indeed, that aspect is resolved rather hastily in a couple paragraphs at the end.) This is instead an exploration of the evils of Nazism, and the ways in which it could attract both scary psychos and seemingly normal people. This atmosphere very well rendered. In addition, we get some great character development of the Jane/Phil relationship. Satterthwait also sounds an ominous final note, hinting that other western governments allowed Nazism to gain power because they viewed the alternative, communism, as even more dangerous. I have heard this theory discussed in history courses, and there is probably a grain of truth in it. But then, we have the benefit of hindsight. Governments probably make such "bargains with the devil" every day. It's just that they usually don't turn out quite so horrifically.

Best and Worst of 2005: Installment Two

I wanted to do movies next, but I am probably going to see one or two more before the year is out, so I'll put a pin in that one. Instead, let's try books. These aren't going to be limited to books that were published this year, but rather to books I read this year. I can't be bothered to buy things right when they come out, so this is the way it has to be.

The Best:
1) Freakonomics: A Rogue Economist Explores the Hidden Side of Everything by Steven D. Levitt, Stephen J. Dubner. Although I find his conclusions controversial, Levitt brings a fresh outlook to a number of social issues, from the mundane (cheating in Sumo competitions) to the important (effects of government initiatives on crime rates). This is what micro thinking is all about. I only hope I can bring such creativity to the profession.

2) Books by and about Jane Austen (Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen, The Mr. and Mrs. Darcy Mysteries by Carrie Bebris, The Jane Austen Mysteries by Stephanie Barron). I whiled away a lot of free time reading Jane Austen themed mysteries this year. Plus I reread part of Pride and Prejudice, my favorite Austen novel. These books were all enjoyable, and a couple were excellent. Plus, they brought back memories of my misspent adolescence.

3) Rose Daughter by Robin McKinley. McKinley is known for writing heartfelt retellings of fairytales, and this is her second take on Beauty and the Beast (the first one was Beauty). This version is a bit more mature (it has less of a "perfect" ending), but equally affecting. I highly recommend both books.

4) Mathematics for Economists by Carl P. Simon, Lawrence Blume. Yes, I am going to put a textbook on this list. Not only because it has saved my skin on more than one occasion, but also because I have actually read it COVER TO COVER. And it wasn't even assigned to me. For any of you planning to pursue a PhD in economics, I heartily recommend this one. Unless you know static optimization (there are no dynamics here, sadly) and differential equations stone cold, it's a worthy refresher. It boils years of math classes into the USEFUL stuff.

The Worst:
All the books I meant to read, but never got around to. I'm not blaming the books, but rather my nutso life.

Book Review: Another Jane Austen Mystery

Jane and the Genius of the Place by Stephanie Barron--6.5
Fourth in the Jane Austen Mystery Series
Yup, I have been running through this series rather quickly. This installment has an unfortunate lack of development in the relationship between Jane and Lord Trowbridge, but the mystery is engaging nonetheless. Jane is staying with her brother in Kent, and attends the Kent Races. There she witnesses the discovery of the corpse of a Mrs. Grey, a Frenchwoman who had the sad distinction of making many enemies in the Kentish countryside. Her French heritage is even more troublesome, as it is 1806, a time when England feared an invasion by Napoleon himself. Soon Jane and her brother are on the case, stumbling into matters that hint menacingly at Mrs. Grey's involvement with schemes to aid Napoleon. The plot is a bit convoluted, trying to walk the line between international and domestic intrigue (it seems that Mrs. Grey had more than her share of affairs, perhaps raising the ire of a jealous husband). But the characters remain engaging and the writing is otherwise tight.