Books and Weather. :0)

Sitting in the den, kind of watching the Blue Jays' 3rd spring training game, the sun is streaming in. Oh, the Blue Jays are losing 4 -2 in the 8th inning. It's still spring training!!!

The glacier as viewed from the top of our street

We had a few days of snow this past week, but it's almost gone again. I took this picture on Wednesday or Thursday. The glacier looks fantastic. I'm sure Mount Washington, which is just to the right of the glacier must have had a fantastic ski season.

It was kind of neat the day I took the picture. If you check out the top right corner, you can see the trumpeter swans. They were performing some aerial displays for me.

Let me out! I won't go under the deck! I promise.

The puppies are dong well even though they are getting mighty scruffy. They spend the day sleeping or wandering about the back yard. They love eating the snow on the deck. For some reason it tastes much better than the water I put in their water dish for them...

Dry my feet, Dry my feet!!! Sheesh!!

Yup, Clyde needs a bath and hair cut even more than Bonnie, as you can well see.. lol

We've had a bit of snow this year, but it's gone again.

Jo and I have enjoyed the Olympics very much the past couple of weeks. Many high spots and a few disappointments. The coverage was pretty darn good. We alternated between watching on the CBC and checking out the BBC on our pc. Got a pretty nice mix that way.

Now to update my book reading.

Just Finished

Since my last post, I've read the following books.

1. Company Town by Madeline Ashby. This book fell into my Canadian Content challenge.







"Company Town is my first experience with the work of Canadian writer, Madeline Ashby. She has also written a series about 'the Machine Dynasty' which I may check out.
In Company Town, which is set on the oil rigs out past Newfoundland and which are complete communities, Go Jung-hwa works as a body guard for the United Sex Workers of Canada. Everyone, except Go seems to be augmented in some way or another. (Did I say that I did find this story confusing for lots of it? Oh, ok, well, I did) The wells are purchased by a new company, the tycoon dynasty, Lynch and Lynch wants Go to work for them, to be the bodyguard for the young heir to the organization.
Old friends of Go begin to be murdered. As well, there are threats to Go's life. She begins an investigation with the help of Joel, the boy she is guarding, and also with that of Daniel Siofra, the man who works for Lynch and who hired her.
What does Lynch really want with this community? What is it building below the surface? Who is killing Go's friends? It's a fascinating, dystopian world. Did I understand everything that was going on? I don't think so, but it's one of those stories where you seem to just absorb the facts, the atmosphere and wonder about a mind that can create it. Go is a neat character and so is Joel. The life on the wells is one I'd like to explore more. Interesting, neat and enjoyable story. I will have to see what the Machine Dynasty books are about. (4 stars)"

2. Trustee from the Toolroom by Nevil Shute. This fell into my Decades challenge. Shute continues to be one of my all time favourite writers. He never lets me down.









"Reading a new (only for me as Nevil Shute has been dead since 1960) book by Shute is like putting on a cardigan, comfy pj's and slippers and cozying up on the couch. It's comforting, even though astounding things can happen. Trustee from the Toolroom was Shute's last book. As soon as I started reading it, I fell comfortably into the fantastic world that he created for my reading enjoyment.
Like many of Shute's stories, it focuses on a normal, unassuming man (or woman) who finds him/ herself involved in a situation so far out of his comfort zone that you find yourself following him, holding your breath to see how it will resolve. Now, I'm not saying that it's page after page of heart-stopping action. Because it isn't that. It's just that you find yourself amazed at how this mild-mannered person deals with this situation so out of his comfort zone.
Keith Stewart is a middle-aged Englishman living in London in the 1960's. Many years ago he gave up his wartime job as a rigger at an aircraft factory and now works from home, creating miniature engines and such and writing articles for a magazine called Miniature Mechanic. The magazine is shipped to people around the world who try to create Keith's designs and correspond with him. He makes little money and his wife makes a bit more so they can live a relatively comfortable life, nothing extravagant. They have never really traveled and live very insular lives.
Keith sister, Jo and her husband, an ex-Navy officer have decided to travel by sailing boat to Vancouver. They ask Keith and Katie to look after their young daughter, Janice until they get settled. They die on the way. So that's the basic story, except that as well, they have designated Keith and Katie as trustees to their daughter. They had Keith install a jewelry box in concrete in the hull of their ship; Janice's inheritance. Keith decides that if they are to ensure Janice the life she deserves, he needs to get the jewels.
This leads to Keith journeying to Tahiti, with little to no money to try and achieve his aim. This is the crux of this fascinating story. There are so many rich elements that develop. Keith might seem an ordinary man who lives on his street, but we gradually discover hidden elements to him that make him more and more interesting and also links to so many people around the world, that even he doesn't realize. Like all of the other stories by Shute that I've read, I was instantly drawn into the characters and the story and ultimately so satisfied with the ending. If you've never read anything by Shute, you are missing out on one of the great story tellers. (4 stars)"

3. Unnatural Death by Dorothy L. Sayers. This was part of my Ongoing Series challenge.










"Unnatural Death is the third book in Dorothy L. Sayers classic mystery series featuring sleuth Lord Peter Wimsey. Sayers ranks up there with other great classic writers like Agatha Christie, Margery Allingham, Ngaio Marsh. Lord Peter is a middle-aged lord (yup, the title gives that away.. ;0)) who has found a meaning for his life by helping solve crimes. In this particular edition, at the end of the book, his uncle, Paul Delagardie, writes a short summary of Peter's life, highlighting certain events in his life, especially the affect his service in WWI had on his well-being. It's an interesting synopsis explaining some aspects of Peter's being.
In the story itself, elderly Agatha Dawson dies after suffering for years from cancer. Her doctor is somewhat pilloried for intimating that the death might be more than it seems. However, even after telling Peter and his friend, Inspector Parker or Scotland Yard, his story, the doctor refuses to divulge either his name or his patient's. Odd, huh? But the story has interested Peter and he begins a search to find out who the victim might have been.
We are now introduced to a new companion of Peter, the interesting Miss Climpson. Call her a researcher for want of a better word. Peter sends her on a trip to find out who the person might have been and when she does, asks her to continue to investigate.
So there is your basic story. While Peter is central to all of the investigation, we get nice insights from both Inspector Parker and Miss Climpson and both play important roles; as investigators and fact-finders, while Peter is more of an intuitor (did I invent a word??). The story is light in many parts, as that is Peters nature but the more you delve into the mystery, you get a sense of a very nasty perpetrator. The story is confusing at times but it keeps you moving along nicely and holds your interest. I've enjoyed all of the Wimsey mysteries I've read so far and am very glad that I have a few still to read in the series. (3.5 stars)"

Currently Reading

I've added the following three books to my currently reading list since my last entry. I am still reading The Common Lawyer by Mark Gimenez and enjoying. It's a bit in the John Grisham style, so far.

1. The Black Ice by Michael Connelly. This fits into my Ongoing Series challenge. It's the second book in Connelly's Harry Bosch cop series. I quite enjoyed the first one. The synopsis is below.






"Narcotics officer Cal Moore's orders were to look into the city's latest drug killing. Instead, he ends up in a motel room with a fatal bullet wound to the head and a suicide note stuffed in his back pocket. Working the case, L.A.P.D. detective Harry Bosch is reminded of the primal police rule he learned long ago. Don't look for the facts, but the glue that holds them together. Soon Harry's making some very dangerous connections, starting with a dead cop and leading to a bloody string of murders that wind from Hollywood Boulevard to the back alleys south of the border. Now this battle-scarred veteran will find himself in the center of a complex and deadly game - one in which he may be the next and likeliest victim."

2. Killed at the Whim of a Hat by Colin Cotterill. I've read the first two books in Cotterill's Dr. Siri Paiboun mystery series set in Thailand. This is the first in his newer series, featuring Jimm Juree. It falls into my New Series category.





"Jimm Juree is an ambitious journalist with a somewhat eccentric family. When Jimm's mother sells the family home in Chiang Mai and relocates, Jimm is forced to follow her family to a rural village on the coast of southern Thailand. Which leads Jimm to the inescapable conclusion: Her career - maybe even her life - is over.
So when a van containing the inexplicable skeletal remains of two vintage-era hippies, one of them wearing a hat, is unearthed in a local farmer's field, Jimm is thrilled. Shortly thereafter an abbot at a local Buddhist temple is viciously murdered, with the temple's monk and nun the only suspects. Suddenly Jimm's new life becomes somewhat more promising - and a lot more deadly."

3. Shakespeare's Rebel by C.C. Humphreys. This falls under my Canadian content challenge and is a historical adventure. I've read one other book by Humphreys and enjoyed.






"1599. London. A city on the brink of revolution.
He is Queen Elizabeth's last, perhaps her greatest love - Robert Deveraux, Earl of Essex. Champion jouster, dashing general ... and the man that John Lawley, England's finest swordsman, most wishes to avoid. For John knows the other earl - the reckless melancholic - and has had to risk his life for him in battle one time too many.
All John wants is to be left alone - to win back the heart of the woman he loves, bond with his son, and arrange the fight scenes for London's magnificent new theatre, the Globe. To achieve this John must dodge both Essex and his ruthless adversary, Robert Cecil, as well as remain free to help his oldest friend, Will Shakespeare, finish the play that threatens to destroy him: The Tragedy of Hamlet.
But John is soon dragged into the intrigues of court by Elizabeth herself. Dispatched to the hopeless war in Ireland, he is forced to play his part in a deadly game of power, politics and rebellion."

New Books

I found two books that will flesh out two of my favourite series the other day.

1. Six and a Half Deadly Sins by Colin Cotterill. This is one of the books from the Dr. Siri Paiboun mystery series that I mentioned previously. It is the tenth book.

"Laos, 1979: Dr. Siri Paiboun, the twice-retired ex-National Coroner of Laos receives an unmarked package in the mail. Inside is a handwoven pha sin, a colorful traditional skirt. A lovely present, but who sent it to him, and why? And, more importantly, why is there a severed human finger stitched into the sin's lining? Siri finagles a trip up north to the province where the sin was made, not realizing he is embarking on a deadly scavenger hunt."

2. The Children Return by Martin Walker. This is the seventh book in Martin Walker's mystery series set in France and featuring Chief of Police Bruno. I've read 4 or 5 and enjoyed each and every one. They are more than just a mystery series as the are filled with local colour and food and people. I just love the books.

"Bruno, chief of police in the French town of St. Denis, is already busy with a case when the body of an undercover agent is found in the woods, a man who called Bruno for help only hours before. But Bruno's sometimes boss and rival, the Brigadier, doesn't see this investigation as a priority - there are bigger issues at stake. Bruno has other ideas.
Meanwhile, a Muslim youth named Sami turns up at a French army base in Afghanistan, hoping to get home to St. Denis. One of Bruno's old army comrades helps to smuggle Sami back to France, but the FBI aren't far behind. Then an American woman appears in St. Denis with a warrant for Sami's extradition. Bruno must unravel these multiple mysteries, amidst pressure from his bosses, and find his own way to protect his town and its people."

Well there you go. All done for another day. I'm hoping I will be able to read at least more book before end February. All of them seem to be page turners so you never know. Have a great week!!

Mid-Feb 2018 Update

It's a quiet Saturday morning, not much footie on the TV as most of the FA Cup games are on Sports Net World, which I refuse to pay extra for. Glad that Brighton has moved into the next round. We're also in that gap while South Korea sleeps; so Olympics coverage doesn't start until a bit later. So just before I take the dogs out for their walk, I thought it might be time for a mid-month update.

Since my last entry, I've finished 4 books, two that I started in January and two more recent ones. I'll update that, let you know what 4 books I've currently got on the go and then show you 4 books that arrived in the mail yesterday. Oh Happy Days!! :0)

Just Finished

1. Adam Bede by George Eliot. This was one of the first books that I started in 2018 and it was one of my Decades Challenge choices; Pre-1900. I've now read 3 books by George Eliot over the past few years. She is definitely one of my favourite Classic authors. (My review is below)








"Adam Bede is the third book by George Eliot that I've read over the past 3 or 4 years, the others being Daniel Deronda and The Mill on the Floss. Adam Bede, written in 1859, was her first novel. I preferred the other two but this book was still an impressive work.
At it's simplest, it's a love triangle. Adam Bede runs from 1799 - 1807. Adam Bede is a carpenter who lives with his brother Seth and his parents. He loves the niece of a reasonably prosperous farmer, Martin Poyser, Hetty, but because he is responsible for caring for his parents, he doesn't feel he is yet ready to pledge his love to Hetty. Hetty, a pretty girl of 18, has cast her eye and hopes towards the rich son of the local landowner, a young man above her station, he being Arthur Donnithorne. Arthur is a friendly, handsome young man who is waiting for his grandfather to die so he can inherit the estate. He is a happy-go-lucky sort, who wants everyone to like him and has great plans for the estate land. He flirts with and develops feelings for pretty Hetty.
So there is the basic premise. Some unfortunate aspects to this triangle. Adam is a good friend of Arthur's. Hetty, even though she does realise that nothing can ever become of her love for Arthur, is able to talk herself into a belief that he might still marry her. This whole situation will have drastic consequences; a situation that is so well developed by Eliot that you will find yourself reading on and on to find out how it might resolve.
There are other story lines as well and other excellent characters. Seth loves Dinah, another niece of the Poysers, who spends time at their home. Dinah is a wonderful character, a young woman who is a Methodist preacher, who cares for the poor and downtrodden in her county. Everybody likes Dinah; she brings comfort to so many. As I mentioned, Seth loves her but, she won't marry him because she is dedicated to her preaching. (In a way there will be another interesting triangle that affects these two as the story develops)
It's an excellent story and as I write this review I can appreciate it even more. It's a slow build and you get to know and care for all of the different characters. There is great tragedy and there is also great love. For a first novel and one that lead the way for Eliot's other writings, it's a pretty darn good start. Eliot only wrote 7 novels between 1859 and 1874. If the others are as good as the three I've already read, I'll be trying them as well. (4 stars)"

2. Order in Chaos by Jack Whyte. This was also one of my first 4 books of 2018. It sure was a big one. I have to say it moved along quickly, but, really!, did it need to be 900 pages! Oh yes, this is the third and final book in Whyte's Templar trilogy, one of my Ongoing Series challenge books.








"Order in Chaos is the third book in Jack Whyte's Templar trilogy.  I've had mixed feelings about it as I've read the story. On the one hand, I think it's about 400 pages too long (it runs 900+ pages) but on the other hand, whenever I sat down to it and spent some time with it, I found it flowed nicely and before I knew it, I'd covered 50+ pages. But on the other hand, I kept moaning about the lack of action. Then again, it did cover quite momentous events in the lives of the Templar knights and especially that of Will Sinclair, who must save and re-establish his knight.
So what is the story about? It's set in 1307 and the years following. The Knights Templar are well-established in France, wealthy and settled in their strongholds. But there is a threat to their existence. King Philip of France has ordered the arrests of all of the Templars in France, with the concurrence of his puppet pope, Clement. Philip wants the Templar wealth to help pay off his great debts. The leader of the Templars has sent Will Sinclair, one of his trusted advisors and a member of the Templar inner circle on a mission to gather the Templar treasure and as many of his people as he can and take them to safety and establish the Templar elsewhere.
Sinclair decides to go to Scotland, his home country and offer his services to the Scottish king, Robert Bruce. The story follows this journey and Sinclair's attempts to save and restructure his organization. As I mentioned, it's a long story and moves along this path until the Battle of Bannock Burn, between Scotland and England.
Along the way we meet Lady Jessica, who brings her dead husband's treasure to support Robert and also interacts with Sinclair; a monk who has lived a life of chastity. This brings about its own tensions and developments. You can throw in another sideline as well, the journey of a small band of knights to try and find the fabled land of 'Merica. Now for the most part, many of the major events described above are viewed on the periphery of the specific events surrounding Will Sinclair.
I could go on and on, as mentioned previously, the story is 900+ pages but you get the gist I think. The whole trilogy is an interesting concept and I'm glad I have finished it. Do I strongly recommend? No. But if you like that medieval type story, it's worth trying the first, Knights of the Black and White, to see what you think. :0) (3 stars)"

3. The Dolly Dolly Spy by Adam Diment. This is a new series for me, featuring British spy, Philip McAlpine. Diment only wrote 4 books in the series.







"The Dolly Dolly Spy is the first of four books by Adam Diment featuring British spy, Philip McAlpine. It was first published in 1967 and it definitely has that '60s vibe about it. McAlpine is a security officer for a big firm and is blackmailed into working for a subset of MI6.
He is sent for pilot and armed combat training in the US and assigned to a job with a company, International Charters that works out of a small island in Greece. He does legal and illegal flying missions and periodically reports back to his boss in England with information on his missions. Ultimately he gets assigned a specific mission, to acquire a target that MI6 wants to interrogate.
On its own it's a relatively simple spy story but there is more to it than that. The feel for the time is excellent. It's maybe a James Bond light but the characters are interesting. McAlpine is a neat guy, kind of a coward but still a guy whose quick off the mark and a problem solver. There is enough action, a bit of sex and drugs and rock 'n roll, and an entertaining spy story. Diment disappeared after his fourth book and has retained a cult following (from what I read anyway). If the other books are as entertaining, I'm looking forward to them. (4 stars)"

4. The Scarlet Pimpernal by Baroness Orczy. I read this as one of my Decades' Challenge books. It was originally published in 1903, fitting into my 1900 - 1909 grouping.

"The Scarlet Pimpernel by Emmuska Orczy, originally published in 1905, is an entertaining, exciting adventure. Set during the French Revolution, when the Revolutionaries are executing French noblemen and their families, the story is about the mysterious Scarlet Pimpernel who with a band of intrepid followers works to spirit out as many of these people as possible to safety in England.
The French desire to find and destroy this Pimpernel. Is he a Frenchman or English noble? They send one of their representatives, the implacable Chauvelin, as their ambassador, to find out who is the Scarlet Pimpernel. He blackmails one of the most popular women in England, a French beauty, married to Englishman, Sir Andrew Blakeney, to assist in uncovering the Pimpernal's identity. He threatens to have her brother executed if she won't help him.
This begins a fast-paced, non-stop adventure, journeying from England to France as Lady Blakeney tries to save both her brother and the Pimpernel from the clutches of this evil Revolutionary. It's an easy read, a real page-turner. I think the title is somewhat misleading, as the focus is on another, but that is a small detail. The Scarlet Pimpernal follows the best traditions of the swashbuckling adventure, tension, action and a happy ending. (4 stars)"

Currently Reading

February is moving along nicely so far. It helps when you are enjoying the books you're reading of course. ;0) I'm still reading Company Town by Madeline Ashby, which I mentioned in my last BLog entry. The other three books I've got on the go are below.

1. The Common Lawyer by Mark Gimenez.  This is one of my Decades' Challenge books, covering the 2000 - 2009 period. I've wanted to try Gimenez for awhile now. (The synopsis is below)









"Andy Prescott is the most laid-back young lawyer in Austin, Texas. Specialising in traffic law, he operates from a small room above a tattoo parlour. Ambition has never been Andy's strong point - he prefers to take it easy.
That is, until one of Texas's wealthiest men walks into his office. On the spot, billionaire Russell Reeves retains Andy as his lawyer and pays him more money than he has ever earned before. Andy's life is transformed.
But nothing comes for free. Russell is a desperate man whose sole aim is to save the life of his eight-year-old son, Zach. He is prepared to do anything - even if it means putting Andy's life in danger..."

2. Unnatural Death by Dorothy L. Sayers. This is the third book in Sayers's Lord Peter Wimsey mystery series. I've read a few and enjoyed them all. This fits into my Ongoing Series challenge.









"No sign of foul play. So concludes Dr. Carr's post-mortem on Agatha Dawson, and the case is closed. But Lord Peter Wimsey is not satisfied and, with no clues to work on, begins his own investigation. No clues, that is, until the sudden and senseless murder of Agatha's maid.
Then the most debonair sleuth in detective fiction is faced with the problem of catching a desperate murderer before he himself becomes one of the victims ... and of discovering what goes on in the mysterious Mrs. Forrest's Mayfair flat."

3. Trustee from the Toolroom by Nevil Shute. Shute is one of my favourite authors. This was his last published work and is one of my 12 + 4 challenges.










"Twelve thousand miles away there was a coral reef ... wedged upon that reef was a three-ton lump of lead surmounted by another lump of concrete. Deep buried in the concrete probably would still be the copper box. In the copper box was Jo's jewel case and in her jewel case were 26,000 pounds worth of diamonds...
Keith Stewart is middle-aged and happily married. A strange quirk of fate means he must exchange his Ealing workshop world for an odyssey in search of a fortune his own ingenuity had helped to hide..."

New Purchases

Four books arrived in the mail from Discovery / Hippo books. It turns out that they are the same book company... lol. Two were from ongoing series I've been enjoying and the other two are new series I want to try.

1. Think Fast, Mr. Moto by John P. Marquand. I've read most of the Mr. Moto books. They are entertaining WWII spy novels.







"Mr. Moto that very polite and very deadly Japanese Secret Agent, is in Hawaii trying to find out how large sums of American dollars are being smuggled into Manchuria. Mr. Moto knows all the angles and is able to get what he wants, even if it means breaking a man's arm or murdering him...
But the people involved in this cunning intrigue are clever - Mr. Moto has had dealings with them before and he knows if he's to stay alive, he must .... Think Fast."

2. Chain of Evidence by Garry Disher. This is the fourth book in Disher's Inspector Hal Challis mystery series, set in Australia. I've read the first two so far and enjoyed very much. Great gritty police procedural series so far.





"Inspector Hal Challis, head of Australia's Mornington Peninsula Crime Investigation Unit, has been summoned to his boyhood home. Mawson's Bluff in the Australian Outback. His father is dying.
Sergeant Ellen Destry is left to head an investigation into a ring of pedophiles. A little girl has been abducted from the fairgrounds of the annual Waterloo Show. Her mother failed to report her absence until the next day. After twenty-four hours, hope is slim that the police will find the child before it is too late.
Challis has his own investigation to conduct. When a new grave is dug in the town graveyard, an extra corpse is found. It turns out to be his sister's husband, who has been missing but was presumed to be off on an excursion of his own. Solving this long unsuspected crime is a challenge that puts Challis in peril of his life."

3. Death of a Nationalist by Rebecca Pawel. This is the first book in her Tejada mystery series set in Spain.







"Madrid 1939. Carlos Tejada Alonso y León is a Sergeant in the Guardia Civil, a rank rare for a man not yet thirty, but Tejada is an unusual recruit. The bitter civil war between the Nationalists and the Republicans has interrupted his legal studies in Salamanca. Second son of a conservative Southern family of landowners, he is an enthusiast for the Catholic Franquista cause, a dedicated, and now triumphant, Nationalist.
This war has drawn international attention. In a dress rehearsal for World War II, fascists support the Nationalists, while communists have come to the aid of the Republicans. Atrocities have devastated both sides. It is at this moment, when the Republicans have surrendered, and the Guardia Civil has begun to impose order in the ruins of Madrid, that Tejada finds the body of his best friend, a hero of the siege of Toledo, shot to death on a street named Amor de Dios. Naturally, a Red is suspected. And it is easy for Tejada to assume that the woman caught kneeling over the body is the killer. But when his doubts are aroused, he cannot help seeking justice."

4. Blood of the Wicked by Leighton Gage. This is the first book in Gage's Brazilian mystery series featuring Chief Inspector Mario Silva. 






"In the remote Brazilian town of Cascatas do Pontal, where landless peasants are confronting the owners of vast estates, the bishop arrives by helicopter to consecrate a new church and is assassinated.
Mario Silva, Chief Inspector for Criminal Matters of the Federal Police of Brazil, is dispatched to the interior to find the killer. The Pope himself has telephoned Brazil's president; the pressure is on Silva to perform, and fast.
Assisted by his nephew, Hector Costa, also a federal policeman, Silva must battle the state police and a corrupt judiciary as well as criminals who prey on street kids, warring factions of the Landless League, and their enemies, the big landowners, as well as the Church itself in order to solve the initial murder and several brutal killings that follow.
Justice is hard to come by. An old priest, a secret liberation theologist, is its instrument. Here is a Brazil the tourist never sees."

So there you go, pilgrims (gratuitous John Wayne reference). I hope you're having a great week and watching the Olympics. Take care.

Book Updates

It's been lovely and sunny the past few days; a nice change from the week of rain we had before. Yesterday Jo and I took a drive down island to Qualicum. We planned to have lunch at Cuckoos at Goats on the Roof but it's not yet opened from their winter holiday. It's closed until sometime in March. So instead we had lunch at Bailey's in Qualicum, nice comforting food. Always a nice, friendly place.

I checked out two used book stores in Qualicum as Jo and I wandered around; found a few at the Book Nook. Unfortunately I forgot my book lists (I had planned to bring them) so I ended up buying a couple of books I already had.. *sigh* They'll go in my little free library. The location is now listed on the Little Free Library website. :0)

We drove back to Comox via the coast road, just an all-around pleasant, relaxing day. The puppies were very excited to have us home; Clyde, especially, doesn't enjoy it when we're away for more than an hour or so.

We're now quite heavily involved watching Winter Olympic coverage, at the moment especially enjoying the mixed curling. It's a neat take on the game and Canada is doing very well so far, qualified for the semi-finals. This afternoon we've got team figure skating; that should be good.

Anyway, on to book updates. I've finished two books so far in February and hope to finish a couple of more shortly. My reviews of the two completed books, plus synopses of the books I've started and recently purchased follow.

Just Finished

1. The Sourdough Wars by Julie Smith (Rebecca Schwarz #2). This is one of my Ongoing Series books.











"The Sourdough Wars by Julie Smith is Smith's second book in her Rebecca Schwartz mystery series. She also writes the Skip Langdon and Tabitha Walls' series. Rebecca Schwarz is a lawyer based in San Francisco working in partnership with her friend, Chris Nicholson. This mystery finds them involved in the world of Sourdough bread and bakeries.
Both attend a play by acquaintance Peter Martinelli. Martinelli, it turns out, comes from a family that had been successful in the sourdough bread industry, supposedly very big in the San Francisco area. He inherited the 'starter' dough for their famous sourdough bread. Martinelli is persuaded to sell this starter dough off at an auction, which sparks interest from rival bakers, the brothers Tosi, Sally Devereaux (a smaller baker) and Clayton Thompson, rep for a major bread-making conglomerate. All the interested parties arrive for the auction but when Martinelli doesn't show up, Rebecca and her boy-friend Rob the reporter discover his dead body (murdered).
This begins an investigation by Rebecca, Rob and Chris into the world of sourdough bread and who might be guilty of the murder. It's a fun ride, in a similar vein as those of Lilian Jackson Braun's 'Cat who' mysteries, or Karen Kijewski's Kat Colorado mysteries. There are plenty of suspects, including all the competing parties and even Peter Martinelli's sister, who had also wanted the starter dough.
Combined a quick paced mystery / adventure with lots of action, you also have Rebecca's relationships, with her Jewish parents, her sister and boyfriend and all of the other's mentioned. It's not a complex mystery, just an entertaining one. Enjoy. (3 stars)"

2. The Big Sleep by Raymond Chandler (Philip Marlowe #1). This is from my New Series challenge.

"The Big Sleep by Raymond Chandler is my first exposure to this excellent writer of the noir genre. Chandler created Private Investigator Philip Marlowe, who worked the streets of San Francisco. There was a movie made of this story starring Humphrey Bogart as Philip Marlowe. I think I've seen it but will now have to watch it again.
Marlowe is hired by a wealthy San Francisco family to try to sort out a black-mailing situation. The wealthy senior of the family has two wild daughters, especially Carmen, who is the subject of 'personal' photos. The investigation moves Marlowe into the criminal underworld and into close contact with various criminals and also murders. It's a nicely confusing plot, with many twists and turns and enough action to keep you very interested in the story.
Chandler has a way with telling his story. His characters are so well-described that you can picture them clearly. They have unique personalities and you do find yourself drawn to some and repulsed or afraid of others. His story telling is straight-forward, with a touch of humour and also a nice flair for the written word. I love this line, "I went back to the office and sat in my swivel chair and tried to catch up on my foot-dangling." I know it's just one small sample but it's so perfect and the story is filled with such perfection.
You don't necessarily get to know a great deal of Marlowe's past but you definitely get a feel for the type of character he is. Even though a private eye, he's got friends in the police force who respect him. He's similar to Ross MacDonald's Lew Archer, John D. MacDonald's Travis McGee, a loner private eye with standards. I don't know that I see Humphrey Bogart as Marlowe but I'll have to think more on that subject. I do know I am looking forward to reading the other books in this short series. Excellent and for lovers of great mystery, must-reads. (5 stars)"

Just Started

I've been working on two books since the beginning of January and can finally see the end of the tunnel for both. Adam Bede by George Eliot is getting better and better and for a book written in 1859 has quite a controversial subject matter. Order in Chaos by Jack Whyte, the 3rd book in the Templar trilogy, moves along nicely but it's probably a couple of hundred pages too long. But I have invested enough time in it that I want to finish to see how it ends.

I've started two new books, one from my Decades Challenge and one from my Canadian content challenge.

1. The Scarlet Pimpernal by Baroness Orczy (1903). So far a nicely paced historical adventure.

"Who is the Scarlet Pimpernal?
Each day this question grew more pressing to the rulers of the French Revolution. Only this man and his band of followers threatened their total power. Only this maddeningly elusive figure defied the vast network of fanatics, informers and secret agents that the Revolution spread out to catch its enemies.
Some said this man of many disguises, endless ruses and infinite daring was an exiled French nobleman, returned to wreak vengeance. Others said he was an English lord, seeking shear adventure and supreme sport in playing the most dangerous game of all.
But of only one thing could those who sought him be sure. They knew all too well the symbol of his presence, the blood-red flower known as the Scarlet Pimpernal..."

2. Company Town by Madeline Ashby. This is from my Canadian literature challenge. It falls into the dystopian future / science fiction genre and I'm enjoying so far.






"Look at one of Go Jung-hwa's clients sideways, expect to end up on the floor with a broken arm and busted nose - if she's feeling merciful.
As one of the few people without bioengineered genetic enhancements, Hwa is part of a dying breed in the city-sized oil rig New Arcadia. But she's in peak physical condition and, combined with her speed and cunning, can easily go toe-to-toe with some of the most augmented men in town. After all, she's the best bodyguard employed by the United Sex Workers of Canada.
When Lynch Ltd., a technological tycoon dynasty, purchases the entire rig, Hwa's talents and lack of any sort of altering attract their attention. They have a fifteen-year-old heir to protect, and Hwa fits the bill - any cyborg meathead can be hacked and rewired, but not her. It's an opportunity of a lifetime, especially for someone who's been living on the fringes of poverty her entire life.
But when one of her former client's - and friend - dismembered body is found floating in the North Atlantic, Hwa finds her loyalties split between her past and future. And it looks as if the future came to collect in the present..."

New Books

The books below came from various orders, my local book store and the Book Nook in Qualicum.

1. The Gondola Scam by Jonathan Gash (A Lovejoy mystery).








"Connoisseur of antiques, rhapsodizer of women, and all-around scamp, Lovejoy is hired by a millionaire collector to 'rescue' every art treasure in Venice before the fabled city sinks into the sea. His winning ways, flexible ethics, and resourceful chicanery are put to vigorous test by the murderous men and dangerous women who cross his gondola's path. In this fast-paced and outrageous caper, Lovejoy's quest for the exquisite leads to an unexpected and terrifying climax."

2. Gideon's Lot by J.J. Marric. This is an Inspector Gideon mystery. I've read a few of them and all have been enjoyable, reminding me somewhat of Ed McBain's 87th Precinct series.






"The Queen Elizabeth docks at Southampton and soon Gideon is called after the criminals that had crossed the Atlantic in her - the rapist, the kidnapper, the vice-ring boys and the usual small-fish such as the thieves, the smash-and-grab and fraud operators.
They are all headed to London and London is Gideon's territory, and he sets out to make life for these men as tough as possible."

3. Relic by Preston & Child. I've seen the movie and it was kind of neat and different so I've been looking for this when I realized, after many, many years, that it was based on a book. I hope it's good.






"Just days before a massive exhibition opens at the popular New York Museum of Natural History, visitors are being savagely murdered in the museum's dark hallways and secret rooms. Autopsies indicate that the killer cannot be human...
But the museum's directors plan to go ahead with a big bash to celebrate the new exhibition, in spite of the murders.
Museum researcher Margo Green must find out who - or what - is doing the killing. But can she do it in time to stop the massacre?"

4. The Black Seraphim by Michael Gilbert. I've read a few of Gilbert's mysteries. Petrella at Q and Smallbone Deceased were both 5 star reads.






"When overwork catches up with Dr. James Scotland, he takes himself off for a month's rest to the Melchester Chorister's School, where his cousin is headmaster.
Cathedral cloisters should offer peace, but the calm is deceptive. And from the moment James witnesses one of Melchester's traditional living chess games, he begins to realise that in such a tight community one makes an ill-considered move at one's peril.
Dean against Archdeacon, Archdeacon against Organist ... these devious clerical maneuverings have lethal consequences. And when sudden death strikes, suspicion invades the close like a pernicious weed."

5. One Man's Flag by David Downing (Jack McColl #2). I've enjoyed the first two John Russell WWII spy novels. I've been looking forward to trying Downing's new series.






"Spring 1915: World War One rages across Europe. Amidst this bloodbath of nations, where one man's flag is another man's shroud, a British spy is asked to do the impossible: seduce and betray the woman he loves, again. Only this time betrayal is a two-way street.
Jack McColl, a spy for His Majesty's Secret Service, is stationed in India and charged with defending the Empire against Bengali terrorists and their German allies. In England, meanwhile, radical journalist Caitlin Hanley begins rebuilding her life after the execution of her brother - an IRA sympathizer whose terrorist plot was foiled by Caitlin's ex-lover, the very same Jack McColl. The war is changing everything and giving fresh impulse to the causes Caitlin has long supported. The threat of a rising in Dublin alarms McColl's bosses as much as it dazzles Caitlin. If another Irish plot brings them back together, will it be as enemies or lovers?"

6. The Woman in Cabin 10 by Ruth Ware. I enjoyed Ware's first mystery novel, In a Dark, Dark Wood. I've seen mixed reviews of her second story. I guess time will tell which side of the fence I find myself on when I get to it.





"Travel writer Lo Blacklock's latest assignment is tantalizing: write a story about the maiden voyage of the luxury cruise ship Aurora. The promise of clear skies, calm waters, and a small list of well-heeled guests awaits. How could she say no?
As the voyage sets out, it is everything Lo could hope for. The ten cabins are plush and the guests are elegant. Soon, though, frigid winds lash the deck while dark clouds conspire overhead. Then Lo is awakened to something out of a nightmare - a sickening splash and a woman's body disappearing beneath the waves. But the passengers and crew remain accounted for, and nobody admits to having seen this woman on board.
Lo knows something has gone horrifyingly wrong. But who was the woman in cabin 10? and why will no one believe what Lo saw?"

Well, there you go. Just watching a fascinating bio on one of Canada's medal hopes, Mark McMorris, one of our snowboarders. Figure skating starts in an hour or so. Guess I'll head off to get some groceries. Enjoy your weekend!

January 2018 Reading Update

It's hard to believe but here we are, one month completed in 2018. Wow!

Just Finished

Since my last entry, I finished 4 books. It made my January summary a bit better than it looked. The four books are listed below.

1. Wings of Fire by Charles Todd (Inspector Rutledge #2).











"Wings of Fire is the 2nd book in the Inspector Ian Rutledge mystery series by Charles Todd. The series is set after WWI and Rutledge is an Inspector in Scotland Yard. He served as a military policeman during the War and returned damaged, not knowing who he was. Somewhat cured, he has returned to work but still is 'haunted' by the voice of Hamish, a Scottish soldier whose death Rutledge bears some responsibility for. Hamish is his conscience and adviser or just a troublesome irritant at times.
Rutledge is sent to Cornwall by his supervisor to investigate two apparent suicides and another 'accidental' death, all from one well-known family. His supervisor in effect wants Rutledge out of his hair, as he investigates a serial killer in London. The request for an investigation comes from Rachel, another family member who feels that the deaths might not have been suicides. One of the deaths is of a famed poetess, one who affected Rutledge during his wartime service.
It's an interesting story, kind of wanders around as Rutledge begins to look into the facts of the deaths. It's a small community, where everyone knows everyone and many of the people in the town don't really want an investigation. We begin to find out the history of the family and of other deaths that occurred in the past. It's an interesting investigation peopled with interesting characters, from Rachel to Sadie, the old woman who seems to have a second sense. At times it seems pointless for Rutledge to continue investigating the deaths but as the story progresses, it grows in interest and tension. The final chapters are tense and exciting. I wondered at first where the story might go but was ultimately quite satisfied with the outcome. I hope the next books continue to grow in plot and interest. (4 stars)"

2. Our Kind of Traitor by John le Carré.

"I've read many books by John le Carré. He's one of the great spy masters when it comes to story telling. Our Kind of Traitor is one of his more recent stories, published originally in 2010. I enjoyed the story but I think in many ways it was style over substance.
Perry and Gail a young English couple decide to take a vacation in Antigua. There they meet a group of Russians led by Dima who attaches himself to the couple.
It turns out that Dima is a member of a powerful Russian gangster (Vory) organization; their money launderer, and he wants to defect, along with his family to England. He indicates he has much to offer the UK in return.
Perry and Gail are interrogated by Luke, Yvonne, Ollie and their boss Hector back in London. Hector comes up with a plan to help Dima and his family defect. Dima is attending meetings in Paris and Bern to authorize fund transfer within the organization and feels he will be killed afterwards.
The rest of the story is the attempt by this group to help the family get back to England.
le Carre has a unique story telling style. The first half of the story is basically told via the interrogation of Perry and Gail, but in the second half there is much more action as we travel to Paris and then onwards to Switzerland. All in all it's a well told story, with interesting characters. The ending was somewhat disappointing but different. It was nice to try a le Carré story again. (4 stars)"

3. The Guardians by Andrew Pyper.








"Of the three books by Andrew Pyper I've read so far, The Guardians is my favourite. The Guardians are Trev, Randy, Carl and Ben, four young men who grow up in the town of Grimshaw. The Guardians is the name of their local hockey team and all four play on it.
The town of Grimshaw has a secret as well. Across the street from Ben is the Thurman house, an empty haunted house. It is the crux of this story.
Their music teacher disappears; the boys see things in the house. Are they related? Is the Coach involved?
The story is told in the past and the present by Trev. Suffering from Parkinson's disease, he starts to dictate a diary of the events of the past and at the same time he is returning to Grimshaw to attend the funeral of Ben, the self-appointed watcher of the Thurman house.
The story moves along nicely, both in the past and present and it is tensely, eerily described. What is in the Thurman House? What does it want?
Well worth reading, a creepy, interesting story with an exciting, satisfying ending. (4 stars)"

4. The Secret Garden by Frances Hodgson Burnett.








"What a wonderful story The Secret Garden by Frances Hodgson Burnett is. I've had it on my book shelf for a year or so and added it to my 12+ 4 reading challenge on the recommendation of a Goodread's friend.
It was so nice to read an uplifting, joyous story such as this. It's a story of growing up, discovering friendship and love and it leaves you feeling very positive and happy. (well, there were a few tears shed at the end but only because it was a positive ending.)
Young Mary Lennox is growing up in India. Her mother abandons her to the care of an Indian governess; she never really wanted a child. Mary becomes a loner, a temperamental, selfish young girl. When her parents die due to a cholera epidemic, she is sent to England to live with an uncle who resides at his estate in Misselthwaite Manor. Her uncle is basically a hermit who has never recovered from the death of his wife. He wants nothing to do with Mary, heading off to Europe and other places as soon as she arrives. Mary is once again alone but she slowly begins to make 'actual' friends, firstly her maid, Martha, a young Yorkshire lass, then a robin, etc. She then discovers the entrance to a locked garden; her uncle had closed it down when his wife died. It was her favorite and she died when a branch fell on her. Mary also discovers another resident in the manor, who turns out to be her cousin, Colin.
Without ruining the story by telling you anymore, suffice it to say that the two develop a close relationship and learn about friendship and love as they grow. The link with the garden, their development as the garden grows and multiplies, is most interesting. The story is full of wonderful characters; not the least Mary and Colin but also Martha, Martha's brother Dickon, their mother and even the old gardener, Ben.
I was so pleased to read this story, to read a perfect little story that left me feeling positive and happy at the end. Everyone should read! Thanks for adding to my challenge list, Alissa. (5 stars)"

January Reading Summary Stats

I'm satisfied with my first month's stats. I'm not counting two big books that I've not yet finished but I've read 800 pages amongst both. I'm sure I'll have them finished in February.. Hoping so anyway. So onwards to my January Summary. I'm basically following my format from last year. My Goodread's challenge is to read 110 books; I've reduced it from my 120 planned total from 2017.

General Info
Books Read - 9
Pages Read - 2550

Pages Breakdown
    < 250     4
250 - 350   2
351 - 450   3
   > 450

Ratings
5 - star      1
4 - star      5
3 - star      3
2 - star

Gender
Female     2
Male        7

Genres
Fiction     2
Mystery   5
SciFi        2
Non-Fic
Classics

Top 3 Books
1. The Secret Garden by Frances Hodgson Burnett (5 stars)
2. Cakes and Ale - W. Somerset Maugham (4 stars)
3. The Guardians - Andrew Pyper (4 stars)

2018 Reading Challenges

12 + 4 Challenge (3 completed)
1. The Winter People by Jennifer McMahon (4 stars)
2. Cakes and Ale by W. Somerset Maugham (4 stars)
3. The Secret Garden by Frances Hodgson Burnett (5 stars)

New Series
4. Banquets of the Black Widowers by Isaac Asimov (Black Widowers #4) (3 stars)
5. Mrs. Pargeter's Package by Simon Brett (Mrs. Pargeter #3) (3 stars)

Ongoing Series
6. Wings of Fire by Charles Todd (Inspector Rutledge #2) (4 stars)

Decades Challenge
7. Our Kind of Traitor by John le Carré (Decades Challenge - 2010) (4 stars)

Canadian Content
8. The Pyx by John Buell (3 stars)
9. The Guardians by Andrew Pyper (4 stars)

Currently Reading
1. Adam Bede by George Eliot (Decades Challenge - Pre-1900s)
2. Order in Chaos by Jack Whyte (Ongoing Series - Templars #3)
3. The Big Sleep by Raymond Chandler (New Series - Philip Marlowe #1)
4. The Sourdough Wars by Julie Smith (Ongoing Series - Rebecca Schwarz #2)

Next Books on Deck

1. The Scarlet Pimpernal by Baroness Orczy (Decades Challenge - 1900 - 1909).

2. Company Town by Madeline Ashby (Canadian Content)

3. Trustee from the Toolroom by Nevil Shute (12 + 4 Challenge)











There you go. I'm looking forward to February. Have a great month.