Gertrude Bell: Queen of the Desert, Shaper of Nations by Georgina Howell

An amazing account of a very extraordinary person. She was a brilliant gifted woman in an age of men. She spent much of her life in Mesopotamia, which was even more male-dominant, yet she by sheer competence enjoyed great influence despite no real elevated post or position.

Daughter of an extremely wealthy industrialist, she was equally at home with Churchill and his wife and with a desert sheik in his tents in remote Iraq.

Her ability in Arabic and her understanding of Arab culture was legendary. She had no fear. She in her younger days made horrifyingly dangerous Alpine ascents setting records amazing for the time.

It could be said that she was a founder of the nation of Iraq.

A very good book.

Dead Man's Ransom by Ellis Peters

(read aloud)

A Brother Cadfael mystery. Intriguing and very well written. A theme of justice and mercy is developed and interesting historical and cultural details of England and Wales are presented.

Thrice the Brinded Cat Hath Mew'd

(read aloud)

Very sad, I'll say no more. Mr. Bradley, please hurry the next book!

Arrowsmith by Sinclair Lewis

A wandering plot with less than admirable characters and a writing style from the past. Nonetheless a work of substance and literary worth and a memorial of an America long gone. Mercilessly authentic, it casts a mirror on our cultural roots and foibles.

Something Fresh by P.G. Wodehouse

(read aloud)

Funny story about a stolen scarab, a farce really. Very enjoyable, the first Blandings novel.

Hamlet by William Shakespeare

(read aloud)

Familiar yet always new. Truly a work of genius, and one is sure there are layers of meaning and hidden gems being missed.

A House for Happy Mothers by Amulya Malladi

(read aloud)

This is a story about surrogate mothers in India. An Indian-American couple in California employs a surrogate in India. The view from the respective families is fascinating and illuminating, the writing is very good. The insights and characters are stirring. This is a book about life, messy, complex, inscrutable, but in the end magical.