Posted 4:36 PM by Bonnie

The Last Five Books I’ve read: My husband accuses me of reading nothing but mindless murder mysteries. Okay, I am guilty! I do read them. Sometimes we all need and escape from reality and mine is either watching old Murder, She Wrote shows or Diagnosis Murder… or reading mindless murder mysteries…. But that is not all I read. So below is a list of the last five books I’ve read, including the one I am currently reading.

The Optimists Daughter by Eudora Welty – This is a quirky little book about Laurel. She is a widow who returns to Mississippi when her father becomes ill. She is a witness to his death after he becomes ill from a botched eye surgery. Her father, once the eternal optimist has lost his will to fight and his second spoiled and selfish wife cares for no one or anything but her own creature comforts. After his death Laurel seeks the answers to her past to help her make sense of her present and her future.

In the breeze of passing things – by Nicole Louise Reid – This is a wonderful book of a ten year old girl dealing with two very dysfunctional parents. A father who suffers from depression, but refuses to take medication that will help him. I won’t give away the reason for his depression or his wanderings to water where he once almost kills his entire family. Her mother is one of those women who should never have had children. She often forgets she does have them and is jealous of her ten year old daughter who is the only one the father really loves. The journey she takes us on is a page turner right to the final line. I won’t give away the ending, but advise readers to take the journey and allow the end to surprise them rather than read the ending first.

Onion John – by Joseph Krumgold - This is a great story of a young boy, Andy Rusch, and his relationship between his father and the town’s eccentric immigrant Onion John. The townspeople try to help Onion John by trying to make him more like them and get him to give up his superstitions and old wives tales. Andy likes Onion John just the way he is and Onion John, although they try, cannot become what the townspeople would find acceptable.

Delta Wedding by Eudora Welty – Delta Wedding is centered around Laura McRaven, who after her mother dies is sent to live with her relatives in Mississippi. She arrives while the family is preparing for the wedding of Dabney Fairchild, the oldest daughter. This book takes you into the deep old south. It’s a wonderful story of family life and all the joys, frustrations, and secrets that come with any family. The story of “The Yellow Dog” the train that runs through the town becomes a family tradition in telling – who will tell it and who will embellish. This is well worth reading.

Cuba Libre – by Elmore Leonard - this is the one I am currently reading. A friend gave it to me Friday and I started it this weekend. So far, it’s pretty good. The story is of Ben Tyler, who was in prison for robbing banks. But, he only robbed banks of people who owed him money and refused to pay and only took the money from their account. He and Charlie Burke team up to sell horses in Cuba while secretly selling guns. At this point they are in Cuba, the “horse trading” is a little more complicated than it should be, Ben has been challenged to a duel by an uppity officer who feels he was insulted and in the end Ben kills him in a shoot out….of course now Ben is being arrested for murdering the Cuban officer… in the meantime of course there is a beautiful young woman who is the mistress of a Cuban kingpin who has taken an “interest” in Ben. I will let you know more about this one when I finish it.

So there, my love, I do read books other than ‘mindless murder mysteries.’