Book #1: Justice in June by Barbara Levenson

[asphaltcowgrrl]

Finally completed the first book in the 2015 Book Challenge that I stole.



#41: A book by an author you've never read before.

Okay, I can do that.  It's one of the perks that comes from being a reviewer - I'm constantly being introduced to new authors.  One of my current review books was called Justice in June by Barbara Levenson.  It's the second book in the Mary Magruder Katz series.

I'm not exactly sure what to say about this book.  The story itself, while a bit convoluted, is good.  However, the writing fails on many levels.  The dialogue is a bit stilted and some of the actions and reactions are a bit overdone.  But the main character is exactly that - a character and a half.  She's fun and energetic and pretty much carries the story on her shoulders.  Some of the side characters are fun as well, but not very well developed.  Or maybe they're just not well enough developed for my tastes.  I tend to gravitate towards side characters for some reason.

So, final take?  It's a good story if you can get past some of the less well-written parts of the book.  For example, you don't need to remind me three times a chapter about how humid it is in Miami in June.  While I've never been to Miami, I do know that most of Florida is surrounded by water which, by logical dedcution, stands to suggest a humid climate.  And I know I'm being sarcastic, but it got to be eyeroll worthy everytime the humidity or rain was mentioned.  If you're a patient and forgiving reader, I'd suggest this book to you.  But if you like a more polished writing style, skip it.  

Comments

[peppermint-wow.livejournal.com]

Mmmm, humidity. I love humidity. Though I'm fairly certain I'm just about the only southerner who will tell you that. XD

Oh, but that would be irritating to read. I can't stand repetition (unless it's Dr. Seuss, but at least with that I know what I'm getting into). Seeing words repeat themselves too often tends to bounce me right out of the story.

Though knocking me from the story back to the real world isn't terribly hard to do. I get distracted quite easily. XD

[asphaltcowgrrl.livejournal.com]

Hah! I'm a desert rat, have been raised in a very low-humidity climate so when we moved to Houston when I was 13, it almost killed me. I like my dry weather.

Sometimes, things need repeating. But little things like it's humid in Miami should be common sense. So, I definitely agree with you.

Hah! I can be easily distracted as well, but if a book gets a hold of me, I'm a goner. :)

[peppermint-wow.livejournal.com]

That's so interesting because my first time out west I was floored by how dry it was. I was like a lotion fiend, lol, I couldn't get enough onto my skin. XD

My actors tend to have a particularly hard time when we go out west because they need the humidity to keep their vocal chords "nice and loose" as they say. Course, my costumes LOVE the low humidity of states like Arizona and Nevada and Colorado, so... it's a give and take. ;)

Are you still in Houston? I was there a couple of months ago. Their traffic is ridiculous but I enjoyed the city itself.

[asphaltcowgrrl.livejournal.com]

When I was younger, I worked in a casino on the Strip and I cannot tell you how often I heard that from tourists. "I've gone through a whole bottle of lotion already!" LOL We generally have like only 7-10% humidity during the summer.

Yeah, it can really mess with your voice if you're not used to it. Hah! And curly hair loves the desert weather, too. :D So do you design costumes then? That's really cool. :)

Nah, we moved back after a year or so and I'm actually in Nevada again. OMG, we lived in a suburb - Humble - and the few times we actually drove into Houston, it was terrifying. Seriously. I learned to drive on my own in Phoenix, a really large city, but Houston was just scary. Las Vegas seems like a small town compared to them both.

[peppermint-wow.livejournal.com]

Hehe, I bet lotion manufacturers love places that have a desert-style climate. Good for business. ;D

Oh, no, I'd be a crappy designer. XD I work as a wardrobe supervisor for a touring theater company. Once things are designed and built I make sure they stay in perfect (or near as) condition and that they go on and off my actor's bodies in the order they're supposed to. You'd be surprised how quickly an actor forgets how to dress himself once he's got a wardrober to do it for him. XD Ah, my babies...

Whoo, Nevada! I've played Vegas multiple times (at the Smith Center) and Reno even more (that giant, gold, tortoise shaped place). I really took to Vegas. It's on my short list of places I wouldn't mind settling in one day (provided I can keep up a good stock of lotion, lol).

Right? Our hotel in Houston was twenty miles from the theater and we had to drive into downtown every day... wow. That was an experience. XD I feel like it taught me a good lesson in defensive driving, though.

[asphaltcowgrrl.livejournal.com]

No doubt!

Ah, well you sew so I automatically thought maybe that's what you did. But still, to have a job in the arts like that would be cool. Sounds like you enjoy what you do, too, so that's always a plus.

I've never visited the Smith Center, but I've heard it's really nice. Oddly enough, I've never been to Reno either, although I do eventually want to visit. I'd love to travel and see places more though. If you live in any of the outlying areas, it really can be a nice place to live LOL - you learn to drink more water and that helps your poor skin. :D

OMG, I wouldn't even want someone else to drive me through downtown Houston every day. I'm sure it did. I know that when I honeymooned in San Diego, just watching the cab driver maneuver through traffic was enough to put me off ever living in California.

[peppermint-wow.livejournal.com]

Yes! I've had that same experience in San Diego! We played there for a week some years back and again we were housed miles away from the theater. The company didn't want to spring for cars, so they gave us a taxi stipend and those rides to and from work... gosh, it was like being on Mr. Toad's Wild Ride at Disneyworld. XD And that's just San Diego. I can't imagine what Los Angeles is like. San Francisco isn't bad, but those hills are killer.

[asphaltcowgrrl.livejournal.com]

The last time I was in Los Angeles, I was in high school. Not something I ever want to experience again. LOL Just leaving Huntington Beach, CA ON A MONDAY after rush hour was crazy enough.