The Language of Flowers by Vanessa Diffenbaugh

     I was bound and determined I was going to get past the mystery hang-up I had so I went out on a limb and tried The Language of Flowers by Vanessa Diffenbaugh.  Here is an example of getting caught up in a book from page one. Victoria Jones turns eighteen and is turned out on her own after being in foster care for most of her childhood.  You can tell she was a troubled youth and are aware of the challenges she faces after the foster care system releases her.  You find yourself wanting her to succeed and wonder what she did that sent her in a downward spiral for so long.  Victoria survives through flowers and their meanings.  Apple means temptation, Daffodil means new beginnings, and so on.   Victoria is such a damaged person but yet  her ability to arrange and know the beauty of flowers makes for an interesting story . If five daisies were top I would give it four and a half.  I hope Diffenbaugh writes more.  So pick it up and find meaning in your favorite bloom! 

Becoming a reader

     Becoming a reader was easy, especially at a young age.   I don't remember my parents ever saying no to a book that was on our shelves or on the coffee table at home.  Just pick up the book and read.  Escape for a few hours to some other place where other people had many more problems than you did.  Becoming a diverse reader has been somewhat of a challenge.  I try to read books other than mysteries set in present time but somehow I always gravitate back to the comfort of a great detective or policeman.
     When Robert Parker died in January of 2010 I knew something was going to have to give.  He was my all time favorite author.  He said so much with just a few words. I love Spencer and Jesse Stone and Hitch and Cole so much that I still want to cry at Parker's passing.