Wayward Bookshelf

Major Pettigrew's Last Stand by Helen Simonson Major Pettigrew is a retired military man, a creature of habit and principle who lives in the small English village of Edgecombe St. Mary. He's opinionated with a dry sense of humor, and manages to be a lovable old curmudgeon and an unlikely hero. After the death of his brother, he finds himself in some uncertain territory with family, and befriends Mrs. Jasmina Ali (widowed), a Pakistani shopkeeper in the village. Their friendship sparks some talk and tension from both of their families, as well as some wonderful discussions about life and literature. I enjoyed dropping into the life of a small English village for a time, and appreciated the care Simonson took in writing a group of people who are in equal turns caring and bothersome, getting into each other's business and at the same time showing up for each other when needed. It is English comedy done well, playing with manners and elegance in a sort of wry way. This boo

Defy or Defend by Gail Carriger I always love Gail Carriger's novellas because I know I can rely on them for a good romp with some favorite characters, usually an appearance by Lord Akeldama (because he can't abide being out of 'the loop'), some laughs and hijinks, all in a single sitting. (Provided I have enough tea and nibbles to sit for a few hours without getting up). In this Delightfully Deadly novella, we get Dimity's story. Readers of the Finishing School series will remember Dimity, Sophronia et al. The Delightfully Deadly books are basically a glimpse into their lives and careers after they leave school and go out into the world. In this one, Dimity is an intelligencer who has been sent on assignment with Cris to investigate a vampire hive that's gone a bit . . . off. This book felt the just a bit like Cold Comfort Farm , in that an outsider comes in and refuses to be daunted by how dismal and dysfunctional everything is, and you've got this r