It's a footie Saturday. NBC always shows one game on a Saturday and today's would have been Brighton vs Arsenal. BUT NOOOOO! Instead they are showing some golf tournament... Sheesh! We watched curling instead. So it'll be Sweden vs Canada in the gold medal final. Can anyone beat Tomas Edin??? We'll see.
I've finished 4 books since my last update. I've also received a couple of new books which I'll also update. So without further ado, here is my update. Hoping to complete before the puppies start demanding their lunchtime walk. 😃
Just Completed
1.
Mrs, Presumed Dead by
Simon Brett (Mrs. Pargeter #2 / 1988).
"Mrs, Presumed Dead is the 2nd book in English author Simon Brett's Mrs. Pargeter cozy mystery series. Melita Pargeter is a well-to-do widow who gets involved in mysteries. Simple as that. She has newly arrived in the housing estate of Smithy's Loam, an estate of six houses.
The story starts just before her arrival of a murder, presumably of the previous owner of Mrs. Pargeter's new home. Melita begins to discover something is amiss when on her first night, the heating system doesn't seem to be working. She calls the number of the previous owner, Mrs. Cotton and can find no record of either of the Cottons. As Melita begins to investigate where the Cottons have gone, she also begins to get to know her neighbours and gradually comes to think they all have something to hide.
Mrs. Pargeter does not rely on the police to help her sort out what's going on. Her husband was a bit of a schemer, a successful one, and didn't rely on the police. He had many friends to help him with his 'shady' businesses / activities and he left them all instructions to help Melita should she ever need it. And they, being loyal, are only too glad to assist.
So with the help of this crew, especially one Truffler Mason, she begins to search for the Cottons and discovers the murder, the body and then turns her attentions on who might have committed the act(s). Mrs. Pargeter is a wonderful character, smart, unruffled, imaginative and gains the loyalty of her husband's compatriots easily. It's an entertaining story with fun characters. I had some of it figured out but there was still enough twists to keep the pages turning. Most enjoyable. (3.5 stars)"
2.
City of Illusions by
Ursula K. Le Guin (Hainish Cycle #3 / 1967).
"City of Illusions| is the 3rd book in the Hainish Cycle by Ursula K. Le Guin. I can't say it's my favorite of the series thus far but it was still interesting.
The story starts on Earth (this does come out later) as a stranger straggles into the homestead the Clearing. He is discovered by Parth, who will become his lover / partner. The strange man with cat eyes has no knowledge of who he is or of how he got there. The people of the Clearing can read minds and when their most knowledgeable of the craft searches his mind, nothing is found - no past, no name, nothing.
The man is named Falk and he stays with them, learning their ways and the history as much as is told. It seems that Earth was taken over by the Sching and it is now just a place of disparate communities trying to keep out of their way. The Sching have created the Lie, nobody can trust anyone.
After a few years, Falk decides he must discover his past and it seems that the best way to do this would be to go to Es Toch, a city on the Western Ocean, the City of the Liars, the Sching. And that is how the story evolves, it is the story of Falk's journey and of his discover of his self. That portion of the story, the journey, reminded me somewhat of the Road. He meets people, his life is placed in danger many times by the people he meets. He also meets a Wanderer, a woman named Estrella, who will become his companion.
When we get to Es Toch, the story gets confusing. as we are now in the city of the Sching. Well not so they will tell you. but are they telling the truth? And that is what Falk (or whoever he really is) must discover. Why do they want to help him? Is he in danger? Will anyone else be placed in danger by his self-discovery? For a relatively short story, Le Guin packs in quite a bit. And it's neat to see her perspective of the future Earth and its people. I'm looking forward to the next book in the Cycle, The Left Hand of Darkness. For now though, I'll be visiting Earthsea. (3.0 stars)"
3.
Twilight by
Peter James (1991).
"Peter James is best known to me for his DS Roy Grace mystery series set in Brighton, England. I've read a couple of books in that series so far and my wife and I have been enjoying watching the TV series based on the books. But James has written many other books, some short series and a large group of standalones. Twilight, originally published in 1991, is one of his standalones.
The story follows American reporter, trying to settle into a new job in Brighton, as she investigates a story about the exhumation of the grave of a young woman. It turns out that various people, neighbors to the cemetery (who wants to live next door to a cemetery??) and some employees of the church have heard noises from the newly dug grave.
After a few days, the local coroner, at the behest of the grieving husband, agrees to exhume the coffin. Reporter Kate Hemingway is sent by her paper to report. She manages to get into the site where the body is being exhumed (sorry for the repetition of exhumed) and when the coffin is open, everyone is shocked to see scratch marks on the lid of the coffin, broken fingernails on the young woman and most shockingly, that she has born a baby (neither have survived of course.)
The story moves from Kate Hemingway into the past and also follows one Harvey Swire, who will play a 'big' role in this present story. Living with his doctor father, as his mother has passed away, Harvey is unloved and on his own. Harvey has an accident and while in unconscious at the hospital, his spirit leaves his body seemingly and he sees himself from above, his body undergoing surgery.
This sets a course for Harvey as he tries to investigate what happens to the body's 'soul' after death. He becomes an anastheologist and will play a large role in what happens in the present. Kate continues her investigation, somehow managing to sneak into places that I would imagine no reporter should be able to sneak into. But she is intrepid. Pulled off the exhumation case after trouble by the hospital administration, she still manages to keep investigating, while getting help reporting on other articles by a potential beau.
The investigation will take a nasty turn for Kate and I'll let you read it to discover what happens and how it all resolves. Suffice it to say it's quite intense and thrilling.
James has crafted an excellent thriller here. You can see elements of the Roy Grace series; the locale of course, the paranormal aspects. Kate is assigned to investigate a medium, Dora Runcorn, who plays a deeper role later in the book, but she manages to catch Kate's attention by seeming to contact her dead brother, who may or may not (see what I'm doing here?) play a role as well in this story. As I said earlier, it's an intense thriller that builds nicely. It can be a bit graphic at times, but not drastically. The paranormal aspect adds an interesting sideline as well. Most enjoyable. (4.0 stars)"
4.
Rubymusic; A Popular History of Women's Music and Culture by
Connie Kuhns (2023).
"I saw this book, Rubymusic: A Popular History of Women’s Music and Culture by Connie Kuhns in one of my local book stores and it looked kind of interesting. Author Connie Kuhns is an author, essayist and broadcaster. Her radio show on CHRO radio in Vancouver, called Rubymusic, focused on women singer / songwriters. When she first proposed the idea in 1981, the station manager was worried that nobody would listen to a show which only featured female artists. They were wrong.
This book is a collection of essays and interviews. Connie Kuhns writes about the feminist movement, the feminist music festivals across Canada in the '80s. She writes about many musicians with whom I was unfamiliar; Ferron, Ellen McIlwaine, Teresa Trull, etc as well as artists like Joni Mitchell, Michelle Shocked, etc. Whether I knew the person or not, the stories that come out in the various essays and interviews are interesting and tell a story of the struggles to work in the music industry, especially for women back in the 80's.
I was in my 20's in the time frame but lived in a quite secure cocoon and it's interesting to see what I missed. Such fascinating lives and stories and Connie Kuhns was in the midst of it all; promoting, interviewing, taking part, playing music. As a part-time DJ myself at that time, I find that aspect interesting as well. Nicely written, fascinating people, interesting stories. (4.0 stars)"
Currently Reading
1.
The Confidential Agent by
Graham Greene (1939).
"In a small continental country civil war is raging. Once a lecturer in medieval French, now a confidential agent, D is a scarred stranger in a seemingly casual England, sent on a mission to buy coal at any price. Initially, this seems to be a matter of straightforward negotiation, but soon, implicated in murder, accused of possessing false documents and theft, held responsible for the death of a young woman, D becomes a hunted man, tormented by allegiances, doubts and the love of others."
2. Unnatural Causes by P.D. James (Adam Dalgliesh #3 / 1967)."Superintendent Adam Dalgliesh had been looking forward to a quiet holiday at his aunt's cottage on Monksmere Head. But Dalgliesh had reckoned without the macabre discovery of the handless corpse of crime-writer Maurice Seton."
3. Tales from Earthsea by Ursula K. Le Guin (Earthsea #5 / 2001)"Five stories of Ursula K. Le Guin's world-renowned realm of Earthsea are collected in one volume. Featuring two classic stories, two original tales, and a brand-new novella, as well as new maps and a special essay on Earthsea's history, languages, literature, and magic.
The Finder
Darkrose and Diamond
The Bones of the Earth
On the High Marsh
Dragonfly"
4. Dawn of Fear by Susan Cooper (1970).
"Derek and his friends, living outside of London during World War II, regard the frequent air raids with more fascination than fear--after all, they can barely remember a time without them. The boys are thrilled when school is canceled for a few days due to a raid, giving them time to work on their secret camp. But when their camp is savagely attacked by a rival gang from the neighborhood, the harsh reality of the violence surrounding them suddenly crashes down upon Derek and his friends--and a long night of bombing changes his feelings about the war forever."
New Books (6 since my last update)
1. Snap by Belinda Bauer (2018).
"On a stifling summer's day, eleven-year-old Jack and his two sisters sit in their broken-down car, waiting for their mother to come back and rescue them. Jack's in charge, she said. I won't be long."
2. The Atlas Six by Olivie Blake (Atlas #1 / 2020).
"The Alexandrian Society, caretakers of lost knowledge from the greatest civilizations of antiquity, are the foremost secret society of magical academicians in the world. Those who earn a place among the Alexandrians will secure a life of wealth, power, and prestige beyond their wildest dreams, and each decade, only the six most uniquely talented magicians are selected to be considered for initiation.
Enter the latest round of six: Libby Rhodes and Nico de Varona, unwilling halves of an unfathomable whole, who exert uncanny control over every element of physicality. Reina Mori, a naturalist, who can intuit the language of life itself. Parisa Kamali, a telepath who can traverse the depths of the subconscious, navigating worlds inside the human mind. Callum Nova, an empath easily mistaken for a manipulative illusionist, who can influence the intimate workings of a person’s inner self. Finally, there is Tristan Caine, who can see through illusions to a new structure of reality—an ability so rare that neither he nor his peers can fully grasp its implications.
When the candidates are recruited by the mysterious Atlas Blakely, they are told they will have one year to qualify for initiation, during which time they will be permitted preliminary access to the Society’s archives and judged based on their contributions to various subjects of impossibility: time and space, luck and thought, life and death. Five, they are told, will be initiated. One will be eliminated. The six potential initiates will fight to survive the next year of their lives, and if they can prove themselves to be the best among their rivals, most of them will.
Most of them."
3. Poems from the Women's Movement by Various - Edited by Honor Moore (2009).
"“In 1965, Sylvia Plath’s posthumous Ariel took the literary world by storm with its fierce and undeniably female voice. For the next 15 years, America saw a historic outpouring of women’s poetry supported by and supporting the women’s movement. As editor Moore points out, poetry was vital to the movement, articulating previously unexpressed lives, empowering others as the poets found their own power. . . . And all who missed these missiles and epistles then will find them still demanding and invigorating.”— Booklist (starred review)
“What would happen if one woman told the truth about her life? / The world would split open.” These lines by Muriel Rukeyser epitomize the spirit that animated a whole generation of women poets, from the 1960s to the 1980s, who in exploring the unspoken truths of their lives sparked a literary revolution. Honor Moore’s anthology presents fifty-eight poets whose work defines an era, among them Sylvia Plath, Adrienne Rich, Anne Sexton, Sonia Sanchez, May Swenson, Alice Walker, Audre Lorde, Anne Waldman, Sharon Olds, Diane Di Prima, Lucille Clifton, Judy Grahn, Alice Notley, and Eileen Myles. Here is a fresh and revelatory look at a crucial time in American poetry that presents the full range of its themes and approaches and a generous sampling of its most compelling voices.
About the American Poets Project
Elegantly designed in compact editions, printed on acid-free paper, and textually authoritative, the American Poets Project makes available the full range of the American poetic accomplishment, selected and introduced by today’s most discerning poets and critics."
4. Whisper Their Love by Valerie Taylor (1957).
"Joyce is eighteen, a freshman at a fashionable school for girls; suddenly all that matters to her is a woman twice her age. This beautifully written pulp novel from 1957 is widely considered a historic milestone for its openly lesbian, feminist content.
Includes an appendix of materials about the book and author, as well as an introduction by Naiad Press co-founder Barbara Grier. Part of the Little Sister’s Classics series, which resurrects out-of-print gay and lesbian books from the past."
5. Novels and Stories by Joanna Russ.
"Rediscover one of America’s best SF writers in a definitive hardcover edition gathering all her finest work together for the first time
A LGBTQIA+ pioneer joins the Library of America series
An incandescent stylist with a dark sense of humor and a provocative feminist edge, Joanna Russ upended every genre in which she worked. The essential novels and stories gathered in this definitive Library of America edition make a case for Russ not only as an astonishing writer of speculative fiction, but, in the words of Samuel Delany, “one of the finest––and most necessary––writers of American fiction” period.
Here is her now-classic novel The Female Man (1975), in which four remarkable women––Jeannine, Janet, Joanna, and Jael––traverse alternate histories and parallel worlds (including the brilliantly imagined all-female utopia, While away in a multi-voiced, multidimensional voyage that continues to alter readers’ sense of gender and reality.
We Who Are About To … (1977), recounting the fate of a misfit band of space-tourists stranded on an alien world, challenges “golden age” expectations about civilization, in what becomes an allegorical thriller.
In On Strike Against God (1980), her incisive, darkly comic, and ultimately joyous final novel, Russ returns to Earth to explore LGBTQIA+ and feminist themes and the unfamiliar territory of “coming out” and lesbian romance.
Russ’s “Complete Alyx Stories” ––which feature her inimitably sly, resilient, and stone-cold heroine Alyx, who is plucked from a life of petty crime in ancient Phoenicia to serve as adventurer-for-hire for the Trans-Temporal Authority, and which reinvent the sword and sorcery genre for a postmodern era––are presented in their entirety here for the first time, and newly restored to print.
Also included are her unforgettable tales “When It Changed” and “Souls,” the former a 1973 Nebula Award winner and the latter the recipient of the 1983 Hugo and Locus Awards."
6. Lightfall, The Dark Times by Tim Probert (Lightfall #3 / 2024).
"The Lights have gone dark in Irpa. Danger lurks as the air grows colder and threats lie in the shadows at every turn. While the rest of their fellowship seeks safety, Bea and Cad team up with a small group of survivors to travel to the Citadel of Knowledge, pursuing answers to their world’s darkest mysteries. But their journey reveals even more secrets. Until an unexpected ally shines a light in the darkness, providing a clue to a mystery from long ago…and a beacon of hope for the future. Praise for The Girl and the Galdurian Harvey Awards Book of the Year Nominee Kirkus Best Books of 2020 Fall 2020 Indie Next List Junior Library Guild Selection 2021 Texas Library Association’s Little Maverick Graphic Novels Reading List Selection Nominated for the Russ Manning Promising Newcomer Award"
Well, there you go. I hope you see some books that interest you. Enjoy your weekend. In the Valley, we have the Rotary Club book sale this weekend. I may visit tomorrow. 😎😁
