A Reading Update And The Science Fiction Novel

Bottom shelf

Before I get into reading material or, as I like to call them, books.. (Ed Note - Stolen gratuitously from Miranda). These is the most recent photos of my Little Free Reading Library.

Top shelf

I didn't post the picture of the outside as it needs a paint job to freshen it up. Not overly busy these days but then again, people are staying indoors.

The sprinkler guy arrived nice and early, so the sprinkler system is ready to go. I've got it programmed for two days a week in anticipation of sprinkling restrictions coming in force. I can manually have it go other days if I want.

I finished a book this morning while I was waiting for the fella. I'll provide my review and also the synopsis of the next book I'm starting. I'll also continue with my look at the Science Fiction novel. Three more posts left. What to do next!

Just Finished

1. Women's Barracks by Tereska Torres (1950).

"Women's Barracks was written in 1950 and is a diary of sorts by French author, Tereska Torrès, describing the lives of French women who escaped to England on the German invasion of France and who joined the Free French forces. The group lived in a barracks in London. The story describes their lives and relationships of the women, including love affairs, lesbian relationships, etc. Now having provided this brief synopsis, I have to say that the stories are gently told and not at all graphic or titillating.

Torres was one of the girls who formed part of the group and she talks about the others' lives. It covers the period from the invasion of France until the D-Day invasion when the group was basically disbanded and many returned to France to continue to help the war effort.

It's an interesting story. The women cover the gamut, from young inexperienced girls to older, more experienced (both in life and sexually) women. We follow a number of them as the experience the war; young, inexperienced Ursula who falls under the influence of more experienced, worldly Claude, a women who moves from man to woman all the while still in love with her husband. There is Ann, a tough, independent individual, who quickly advances up the rank. There is glamorous Jacqueline who suffers from a back injury and falls for a French Captain who loves her but wants to remain faithful to his wife back in France. It's a varied, interesting group of women that Torres grows close to during the war.

War is always in the background; the bombing of London, the troops waiting for an invasion and biding their time in London and around England. It's a rich, interesting story. Torres is credited with writing the first pulp dealing with lesbian issues. The House Select Committee on Current Pornographic Materials identified it as an example of books promoting moral degeneracy but I didn't find that at all. It's a book about relationships and worth checking out. (4 stars)"

Currently Reading

1. Killing the Shadows by Val McDermid (2000).











"A killer is on the loose, blurring the line between fact and fiction. His prey - the writers of crime novels who have turned psychological profilers into the heroes of the nineties. But this killer is like no other. His bloodlust shatters all the conventional wisdom surrounding the motives and mechanics of how serial killers operate. And for one woman, the desperate hunt to uncover his identity becomes a matter of life and death.

Professor Fiona Cameron is an academic psychologist who uses computer technology to help police forces track serial offenders. She used to help the Met, but vowed never to work for them again when they went against her advice and subsequently botched an investigation. Still smarting from the experience, she's working a case in Toledo when her lover, thriller writer Kit Martin, tells her a fellow crime novelist has been murdered. It's not her case, but Fiona can't help taking an interest. When the killer strikes again Fiona finds herself caught in a race against time - not only to save a life but also to find redemption, both personal and professional."

The Science Fiction Novel - Blake Crouch

Blake Crouch was born in Statesville, North Carolina in 1978. He's an author I've yet to try but is best known for his trilogy of books featuring Wayward Pines (also subject of a TV series). I've thought of trying the series and have looked for the first book. In its place I found a standalone novel and have it on my bookshelf. 

a. Dark Matter (2016).

""Are you happy with your life?"

Those are the last words Jason Dessen hears before the masked abductor knocks him unconscious.

Before he awakens to find himself strapped to a gurney, surrounded by strangers in hazmat suits.

Before a man Jason's never met smiles down at him and says, "Welcome back, my friend."

In this world he's woken up to, Jason's life is not the one he knows. His wife is not his wife. His son was never born. And Jason is not an ordinary college physics professor, but a celebrated genius who has achieved something remarkable. Something impossible.

Is it this world or the other that's the dream? And even if the home he remembers is real, how can Jason possibly make it back to the family he loves? The answers lie in a journey more wondrous and horrifying than anything he could've imagined--one that will force him to confront the darkest parts of himself even as he battles a terrifying, seemingly unbeatable foe."

The complete listing of Crouch's books can be found at this link.