Review: The No. 1 Ladies' Detective Agency

The No. 1 Ladies' Detective Agency by Alexander McCall Smith
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

This was a thoroughly enjoyable read. The culture and geography of Botswana came alive and the tales of missing husbands, missing children and missing cattle unraveled scrupulously.

The lovely use of English set an agreeable pace and the reader might imagine this pace was in accord with the pace of life in the Kalahari Desert.

Mma Ramotswe is the detective and she has an uncanny ability to pry information out of people with friendly questions and brief impersonations all punctuated with many cups of tea.

She describes herself as a "woman of a certain size" and this does not trouble her in the least. It seems she has been gifted in equal measure with an abundance of flesh and an abundance of common sense.

Working against the belief in her village and the surrounding towns that women cannot be detectives, she doggedly and successfully peels back layers of deception to solve mysteries and to make a difference in the lives of those who need her.

Two thumbs up!

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Review: French Exit

French Exit by Patrick deWitt
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

I lost count of how many times I laughed out loud.

This is a hilarious tale of bankruptcy as experienced by an Upper East Side mother and son whose lives are defined by corporeal charms like fresh flowers on the table and a full time driver.

Frances seems as incapable of despair as she is unable to face the facts of her life, and her son Malcolm is an incurably polite narcissistic man-boy. Oh, and the cat ... it houses the spirit of her late husband - father of Malcolm.

It is a darkly comic tale of demise, fall from grace, complete failure, whatever you want to call it -- they had everything; then they had nothing. And they care very much what others think. Oh, it is rich.

Because they are amoral to the core, they say the things we all think but would never dare say. That's its magic.

I thought it could have ended better but this author has my full attention. I'm looking for more Patrick DeWitt books now.

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Review: Essentialism: The Disciplined Pursuit of Less

Essentialism: The Disciplined Pursuit of Less by Greg McKeown
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Everyone wants to live by design, not by default. That's what this book is about.

I read lots of books like this - they help me get back to "go" on the board of life. They are like a reset button and I need reset buttons. Rather than create for me yet another 'I really ought to be doing this list, Essentialism's focus is more on what you choose not to do.

If you are looking for ways to be "unreasonably selective" about how you spend your time, this is a great place to get stoked and make that commitment. Time spent with this book is time well-spent.

"We can either make our choices deliberately or allow other people’s agendas to control our lives."

Two thumbs up!

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