Tears of the Giraffe by Alexander McCall Smith

OK. What can I say. Here goes.

As usual I picked this one up at Goodwill and when I approached the counter to pay for it along with two other books, the lady who rang me up predicted, "Oh, you're going to like this book."

"Really?"

"Yes. It's a T.V. series and it's really good."

"Oh? I  didn't know that."

"Yes. I have watched every episode."

"Well I look foreword to reading it then."

So I brought this lovely looking book home with the giraffe on it and read the front which said "The Miss Marple of Botswana" and thought that it was going to be as entertaining and quaint as Agatha Christie's books. But I have to say it fell short.

In fact I have put it down briefly in order to start a hopefully more interesting book that my father just gave me with the words, "I sat up all night and read this book. I couldn't believe it when I looked up at the clock and it read 5:00 a.m.!"

So I started that one last night and already I can see that it is going to be a better read. Not to discredit the 'No. 1 Ladies' Detective Agency' but it reads slow and I have yet to get in touch with the characters living within the front and back page. I should catch the TV show and see if they have dressed it up a bit with humour and character development.

Plus I have yet to read about any giraffe in the book much less witnessed any tears of said giraffe.

Ta ta.



Revenge of the Middle-Aged Woman by Elizabeth Buchan

Let me say that, first of all, the title and the books cover are both misleading. (Also an editor told me that apostrophes are used too much and therefore I have left out the one that I think should be the word 'book' used previously.) At any rate I picked this book off the shelf at (where else) Goodwill. Why? Because the title cover looked like the words inside would be whimsical and flowery to go with the cover which has some beautiful, blue wisteria above two chairs at a table with a bottle of wine on top of it. It looks airy and outdoorsy and full of a promise of a middle-aged woman having her revenge. I thought, "This should be fun."

But not so, really. No.

This middle-aged woman was a doormat to other's wants and desires and she lost everything bit by bit because she had no fight or revenge in her. She just let things happen to her. She tried to be too nice under any and all circumstances which got her exactly nowhere. So the title is all wrong.

It should be something like Middle Aged-Woman Gets Nothing, Nada, Zero.

Well you will have to read it to see what she doesn't get because I don't like to give all the story away because no one would need to read the books I have read. Let's say that if you have just been ditched by your husband of many years for a younger woman then don't read this because it won't lift your spirits if you have any left. You may think that misery loves company but you should just be trying to crawl out of your own hole at this time in your life and not someone elses. Whether you dug that hole yourself or were put in it by another, think twice before you read on.

I'd say that book was not one of the ones I have read lately that grabbed me and wouldn't let me go.

In fact I have let it go which is exactly what some relationships need ... to be freed. But don't give up without a fight and some revenge in you. At least you will have a back bone!