And Only to Deceive

Dinner was a smashing success last night. Doogie got us a bird feeder, Molly gave me a postcard from the TimberRattlers game, and Jesse gave me a beautiful arrangement of flowers, including alstromeria, which was in my bridal bouquet. He also put all the clothes away in the bedroom, which was an awesome present! Tomorrow I'm going to an Amish quilt auction with my mom and mother-in-law. Mom and I go every year and have great fun, this will be Cathy, my mom-in-law's, first time. They sell quilts, outdoor furniture, baked goods, and all sorts of great stuff. Most of it is too expensive for me, but there's always a wagonload of stuff made by the young girls as they perfect their stitching skills. That's the stuff I love to buy: handwoven rugs, handstitched placemats and tablecloths, simple baby blankets and beautiful baskets. Every year Mom and I tend to buy things too large to fit in the car, so we end of calling Jeff, my step-dad, to bring the truck and pick it up. This year he's threatened to show up on his new motorcycle if we call, so I'm not sure what we'll do. :)

And Only to Deceive by Tasha Alexander has got to be one of the best mystery books so far this year! This new author writes exceptionally clever dialogue and paces her story very well. Emily Ashton discovers nearly two years after her husband's death that he's not the man she thought he was; he was far more interesting and mysterious. She finds herself researching Greek history in her quest to understand him better and even ends up falling in love with him. Alexander does an excellent job of moving Emily believably through this unbelievable set-up and fills her Victorian world with a cast of delightful characters. Emily says all the things you want a character to say without holding anything back. Although Alexander has been compared to Jane Austen, I would say she is almost Austen's opposite. While Austen's characters speak very cleverly to each other without coming out and saying exactly what they mean, Alexander's characters speak very plainly, but with such wit and charm, they are just as clever. I look forward to her next book.

I only finished the one book today. I'm reading the current issue of Christian History & Biography which just happens to be about the English Puritans. I also just started reading Mayflower by Nathaniel Philbrick, an indepth history of the American Pilgrims. I'll let you know what I think when I'm done with them. Have a wonderful weekend and Happy Mother's Day!