Krazy: The Black and White World of George Herriman by Michael Tisserand: First Chapter

Krazy: The Black and White World of George Herriman by Michael Tisserand, December 6, 2016, Harper

First paragraph, first chapter:
The San Francisco Sunday Examiner and Chronicle landed on doorsteps on August 22, 1971, on what would have been George Herriman's ninety-first birthday. Inside the paper was a story by San Francisco State University professor, Arthur Asa Berger, detailing his attempt to write an entry on Herriman for the Dictionary of American Biography. In his research, Berger had obtained information from the New Orleans health department about a child of that name born in 1880. But, Berger decided, the child had to be a different George Herriman. The reason? The birth certificate was marked "col." for "colored." The cartoonist George Herriman, Berger believed, was white.

Krazy is the biography of the cartoonist George Herriman (1880-1944), creator of the successful comic strip, Krazy Kat. "Michael Tisserand brings this little-understood figure to vivid life, paying homage to a visionary artist who helped shape modern culture."

The book reveals that the cartoonist did not disclose his African-American ancestry in order to be able to continue his art and his work for a newspaper syndicate in the early 20th century.

A timely post to honor Martin Luther King Jr. Day, yesterday.

Meme: Every Tuesday First Chapter First Paragraph Tuesday Intros are hosted by Bibliophile By the Sea. 
 

It's Monday: What I'm Reading and Watching

It's Monday, What Are You Reading? hosted by Book Date Also, visit Mailbox Monday.

I'm reading a new arrival,

The Sun King Conspiracy by Yves Jego and Denis Lepee, a novel in translation from the French, April 4, 2016, sent by a publicist for Gallic Books.

The book became more vibrant and interesting after I had watched several episodes in the Versailles TV series, which features the Sun King Louis IV of France and the intrigue surrounding building his beloved palace in Versailles, 17th century.

Another book arrival:

Dragon Springs Road by Janie Chang, January 10, 2016, courtesy of William Morrow. In early 20th century Shanghai—a story of friendship, heartbreak, and history that follows a young Eurasian orphan’s search for her long-lost mother.

I also am reading a library borrow,

Sarong Party Girls, a novel by Cheryl Lu-Lien Tan, July 12, 2016 by William Morrow, about three girls in Singapore who hatch a plan to catch a foreign husband before they become too old, in Singapore terms, to be deemed eligible for marriage. 

The book is culturally revealing as well as entertaining so far.

First Chapter: Find Her by LIsa Gardner

Find Her,  novel by Lisa Gardner, February 9, 2016
Genre: thriller
Source: library

First chapter:
These are the things I didn't know.
When you first wake up in a dark wooden box, you'll tell yourself this isn't happening. You will push against the lid, of course. No surprise there. You'll beat at the sides with your fists, pummel your heels against the bottom. You'll bang your head again and again, even though it hurts. And you'll scream. Snot will run down your nose. Tears will rain from your eyes....

It's hard to read the rest....and you will wonder if you want to read the book!
What do you think? Would you read on?

Every Tuesday Bibliophile by the Sea hosts First Chapter First Paragraph, Tuesday Intros sharing the first paragraph or two, from a book you are reading or will be reading soon.

It's Monday: My New Reads

It's Monday, What Are You Reading? hosted by Book Date Also, visit Mailbox Monday.

My current read is another library borrow,

First Star I See Tonight by Susan Elizabeth Phillips, August 23, 2016.
A star quarterback and a feisty detective play for keeps in this long-awaited new entry in the Chicago Stars football series. (publisher)

"Piper Dove is a woman with a dream—to become the best detective in the city of Chicago. First job? Trail former Chicago Stars quarterback, Cooper Graham. Problem? Graham’s spotted her, and he’s not happy." Sounds promising.

In my mailbox a week or two ago:

The Joy of Love by Pope Francis, May 4, 2016, came from a friend encouraging my speedy recovery after surgery.

The Road ot Ithaca by Ben Pastor by Bitter Lemon Press, March 2017.
The fifth in the Martin Bora WWII mystery series. In May 1941, Wehrmacht officer Bora is sent to Crete, recently occupied by the German army, and must investigate the brutal murder of a Red Cross representative befriended by SS-Chief Himmler. (publisher)

Sounds intriguing, especially since it's fifth in the series.

What are you reading this week?
I've just finished The Waters of Eternal Youth by Donna Leon, a mystery set in Venice, and gave it 5 stars in Goodreads.

Book Beginning: The Waters of Eternal Youth by Donna Leon

The Waters of Eternal Youth, a novel by Donna Leon, March 8, 2016.
Genre: mystery set in Venice
Source: library

Book beginning:

He had always hated formal dinners, and he hated being at this one. It made no difference to Brunetti that he knew some of the people at the long table, nor was his irritation lessened by the fact that the dinner was being held at the home of his parents-in-law, and because of that, in one of the most beautiful palazzi in the city. He had been dragooned into coming by his wife and his mother-in-law, who had claimed that his position in the city would add lustre to the evening.

Page 56:

....'There's a man who keeps asking Chiara and some of her friends for money. Over near her school. She says he's very insistent.'

Memes: The Friday 56. Grab a book, turn to page 56 or 56% of your eReader. Find any sentence that grabs you. Post it, and add your URL post in Linky at Freda's Voice. Also visit Book Beginning at Rose City Reader.

Athenian Blues by Pol Koutsakis.

The first in the Stratos Gazis mystery series, Athenian Blues,  will be published April 11, 2017.

Athenian Blues by Pol Koutsakis. The author was born in Crete in 1974, writes novels, plays, and screenplays. Athenian Blues is his first novel to be translated into English. Baby Blue, the sequel to Athenian Blues, is expected to be published by Bitter Lemon Press in 2018.

The main character, Stratos, is a hit man who goes to length to make sure victims truly "deserve their fate." He is helped by childhood friends: a homicide cop, a transsexual hooker, and Maria, the love of his life.

An unusual plot with unusual characters. I am eager to see how well this book will go down with mystery readers.  

First Chapter: The Golden Son by Shilpi Somaya Gowda

The Golden Son: A Novel  by Shilpi Somaya Gowda, October 20, 2015.

The Golden Son is an immigrant story, set in the U.S. and India, about immigration, tradition, and cultural clashes and difficulties.

Publisher description: Anil Patel, the golden son, leaves his tiny Indian village to begin a medical residency in Dallas, Texas. When his father dies, Anil inherits the mantle of arbiter for all of the village’s disputes. But he is uncertain that he has the wisdom and courage demonstrated by his father and grandfather. His doubts are compounded by the difficulties in adjusting to a new culture and a new job.

Back home in India, Anil’s childhood friend, Leena, struggles to adapt to her demanding new husband and relatives. Arranged by her parents, the marriage shatters Leena’s romantic hopes and eventually forces her to make a desperate choice.

First paragraph:

Anil Patil was ten years old the first time he witnessed one of Papa's arbitrations.
Children usually were not allowed at these meetings, but an exception was made for Anil since he would, one day, inherit his father's role....

Based on the first paragraph, would you keep reading?

Every Tuesday Bibliophile by the Sea hosts First Chapter First Paragraph, Tuesday Intros sharing the first paragraph or two, from a book you are reading or will be reading soon.