Thanks Guys!

So, I went to the library on Monday evening, armed with a formidable list of books, courtesy of my blogging friends. This is what I came back with to start. :) I finished Death in Zanzibar this morning while Buddha played cars by me. Good book, though not at all what I was expecting. Auntie had said that M. M. Kaye wrote historical fiction, but this was more like reading a romantic murder mystery novel, complete with a heroic rescue of a totally innocent, clueless young heroine. Auntie, weren't you trying to tell me the other day something about M. M. Kaye that might clarify this misunderstanding? At any rate, I thoroughly enjoyed the book. It never ceases to amaze me how drawn into reading I can become...much more so than with movies even. Funny how employing my brain (reading) can be much more gratifying than a simple visual (TV/movies). In Death in Zanzibar, M. M. Kaye pulled me into an intoxicating island paradise with vivid descriptions of native tropical flowers and tantalizing visuals of oceans with white sands and rocky caves and stirring breezes. But it wasn't just the island atmosphere that made it difficult to stop reading at any given moment. The story follows a typical "who done it" format, but with interestingly unique characters and their interestingly unique interactions. With murder and intrigue that keeps you guessing throughout (unless you're my mother-in-law, who should have been a private investigator, and almost always ferrets out the "culprit" within the first part of the book), this is definitely a keeper as an easy, light, captivating read. Thanks Auntie!