Well, no more waiting around. Canada will have a Federal Election upcoming. New Prime Minister Mark Carney has announced it for April 28, 2025, so in just a month we'll know who has won and who will lead us against Donald Trump's constant threats against Canada and other countries. I haven't really made my mind up yet........ đ€đ€đ€
So, now about books..
Books Completed
(I've completed 3 books since my last update)
"Postern of Fate is the 5th and final book in the Tommy & Tuppence Beresford spy / mystery series by English author, Agatha Christie. This novel finds Tommy & Tuppence finally retired from the spy work for the English government and settling into a retirement house purchased in a little town on the coast.
The house is awash with electricians and other work men, digging holes in the floors and walls as they bring the new home up to snuff for the two 'elderly' retirees and their dog, Hannibal. But they will be drawn into an investigation that will threaten their lives. Tuppence agreed to take hand of the previous family's reading material and spends her days up in the library, sorting through them. Tommy continues to commute to London but helps when he gets home.
In one book, The Black Arrow, Tuppence notices that certain letters have been underlined. Being naturally inquisitive, she starts copying them down and comes up with the phrase, "Mary Jordan did not die naturally. It was one of us. I think I know which one." Her interest piqued, she begins to visit the older folks in town trying to find out about their new home and previous residents. Reluctantly, Tommy finds himself drawn in and he starts his own investigation, which includes visiting some of his old spy pals.
It's a slow - paced story, that seems to be trying to ascertain what might have happened in the past, and not the recent past, and does it relate to anything that is happening now.. I did find it a slow read, but I do think Tuppence is one of my favorite Agatha Christie characters. And all their old friends in the spy business think she's wonderful too... As the story progresses, Tommy and Tuppence wander between being interested and wondering why they are even investigating. But something happens that changes everything. Tuppence is suddenly angry.
"I am worked up. And I'm not doing anything for fun any more. This isn't fun. We're doing something different now, Tommy. We're hunting down a killer...."
It's an interesting story with many neat little characters. I especially liked the young kids who discover that Tuppence was a spy in her past life and they become her Junior Brigade. (Everyone loves Tuppence!) And brave Hannibal the dog, another great character. Is it an exciting thriller filled with action? No, it's just an interesting story and most enjoyable. The Tommy and Tuppence series is well worth reading. (3.0 stars)"
"I've been enjoying exploring the work of American author, Ursula K. Le Guin and have, in fact, read all but one of the fantasy series. But when I saw the graphic novel version of A Wizard of Earthsea: A Graphic Novel written by Fred Fordham, I had to give it a try.
My review of the original novel is below followed by my review of the graphic novel.
"Back in my university days, 74 - 78, I took a science fiction novel course and was introduced to Ursula K. Le Guin, specifically The Left Hand of Darkness and The Dispossessed. I enjoyed those books so much that I went looking for others of her books. I found A Wizard of Earthsea but over the years I never tried to read it.
I found another copy of the book recently and decided to try this series again and I'm glad that I did. Ged is a young man of Earthsea who lives on the island of Gont. When the island is invaded by pirates, we discover Ged's talents as a wizard. He saves his village. The wizard of the island takes him in after his naming ceremony to teach him how to be a wizard. After Ged brings a shadow from the underworld up in an effort to impress a young girl, Ogion sends him to the Wizard school on the Island of Roke.
Much time is spent with Ged's education as a Wizard but he is involved in a number of incidents, almost dying when he tries to impress another wizard - student by bringing up a spirit from the underworld. A Shadow remains on the earth and when Ged finally completes his wizard training he must go after the Shadow as it is a threat to his life.
It's a fascinating story, thoughtfully written and describing an interesting new world. In so many of these stories, I struggle to read the maps or many places are left out, but I was quite happy that these were clear and easy to read, even in a paperback edition. Ged is an interesting character and the others, while not as major, are still interesting, especially his friend Vetch. There were intimations of events that take place in Ged's future, presumably they'll be described in the continuing versions of the Earthsea saga. (4 stars)"
My review of the graphic novel version -
Basically, a young man, Ged, gets training as a Wizard on the island of Roke. While there, another student goads him into raising a dead spirit. Ged does this but at the same time a shadow comes through, that being an evil shadow of course. This shadow is linked to Ged. Ged leaves Roke after becoming a wizard. He becomes wizard of a small island and chases away a family of dragons that is threatening the island.
Ged meets with the shade again and after going back home to his home island, decides that he has to finally deal with this shadow. That is the rest of the story and follows Ged's journey to find and confront this shadow.
So now to compare the book to the graphic novel. Fred Fordham shows great respect to the book, in fact was chosen by Le Guin's son after he saw Fordham's graphic novel of To Kill a Mockingbird. Fordham's graphic novel definitely has the pace and feel of the book. There is not a lot of dialogue in the book itself, it is more descriptive and Fordham does create that same feeling. Some of his illustration is just beautiful, almost like paintings. Some of the full page pictures, especially when Ged is alone at sea, are stunning and create a feel of the expanse and loneliness. Some of the other illustrations I found kind of dark, but that could just be that they are at night and the lighting in my room isn't all that great (and NO, it's not that my vision is getting worse with my extreme old age). I found that when I sat out in the sunshine reading it, the pictures were much clearer.
Anyway, I have to say that I enjoyed this graphic novel just as much as the book; nicely paced, with a similar feel and with beautiful artwork. I hope Fordham continues to illustrate the Earthsea books. (4.0 stars)"
"I've been trying to work through the dusty end of my bookshelf this year and have been enjoying reconnecting with some old favorites. A Series of Murders is the 13th book in the Charles Paris mystery series by English author Simon Brett. For those who might not have tried this series of 20 books, Charles Paris is a jobbing actor with a 'troubled' marriage and a bit of a drinking problem who finds himself involved in murder mysteries on the various acting jobs that he manages to find.
In A Series of Murders, Charles has managed to get a steady part on a new TV series being produced by W.E.T productions. The series is a mystery series based on a number of books by a lady author from the 50's, W.T. Wintergreen, a sort of Agatha Christie styled author. The series follows private detective Stanislas Braid (think of Hercule Poirot or Peter Wimsey) as he solves various crimes. Charles plays a police Sgt whose basic job is to be Braid's foil in the series. The book opens as they film the first book.
There is lots of friction on the set. The main actor, playing Stanislas Braid, doesn't like that it's not modern enough. The author and her sister, two elderly maidens, aren't happy with the language, the actress playing Braid's daughter (in fact most of the crew hate her because she's a crap actress and seems to have got the job, maybe by sleeping with the director) and so on.. .Lots of arguments about the set, about the script, etc. Most people are upset with the casting of Sippy Stokes and fairly quickly she is found dead, under a pile of props in the storage room.
This is fairly quickly brushed off as an accident and the filming progresses. Charles Paris sort of doubts that it was an accident and throughout the book, haphazardly investigates and 'interrogates' the other cast members. The book continues with the filming of the 2nd episode and then they move along to the west coast of England for the 3rd episode. There might be other 'accidents'. Charles continues to appeal to his ex-wife Frances to get back together, although, rightfully so, she's suspicious. She knows what he's like and actually we've got a pretty good idea as well, from the previous books.
Charles loves his ex-wife but he's also used to being a rambler, moving from job to job, minor role to minor role and even likes living in his one room grubby apartment as he doesn't want to be tied down. He may promise to Frances that he will stop drinking but we know he won't. He may promise to be faithful, but we know he probably won't. That's Charles...
As always, it's neat seeing the workings of the film / TV / acting industry, even down to Charles' generally useless agent. And the mystery is always interesting, sometimes just a side issue but it will be resolved satisfactorily and in this particular book, with a neat little surprise at the end. Brett is an entertaining story teller, no matter what series you try out; Charles Paris, Mrs. Pargeter or Fethering... Check him out. (3.5 stars)"
Currently Reading
"The long-dreaded nuclear conflict. The city torn apart, shattered, its people destroyed or mutilated beyond hope. For just a few, survival is possible only beneath the wrecked streets - if there is time to avoid the slow-descending poisonous ashes. But below, the rats are waiting."
"The groundbreaking, controversial masterpiece of erotic comics, decades in the making, now in a sumptuous hardcover collecting all three volumes, with 32 pages of new artwork and commentary.
For more than a century, Alice, Wendy and Dorothy have been our guides through the Wonderland, Neverland and Land of Oz of our childhoods. Now like us, these three lost girls have grown up and are ready to guide us again, this time through the realms of our sexual awakening and fulfillment. Through their familiar fairytales they share with us their most intimate revelations of desire in its many forms, revelations that shine out radiantly through the dark clouds of war gathering around a luxury Austrian hotel. Drawing on the rich heritage of erotica, Lost Girls is the rediscovery of the power of ecstatic writing and art in a sublime union that only the medium of comics can achieve. Exquisite, thoughtful, and human, Lost Girls is a work of breathtaking scope that challenges the very notion of art fettered by convention. This is erotic fiction at its finest."
'There aren't any grown-ups anywhere.'
Orphaned by society, they must forge their own; but it isn't long before the group is split, and their innocent games take a dangerous turn.
'What are we? Humans? Or Animals?'
For the first time, from acclaimed artist Aimée de Jongh, comes the stunning graphic novel adaptation of this classic story, one of the BBCs '100 Novels that shaped our World'."
