I finished two books so far this weekend. I'll update those for you and also the books that will replace them. I'll also get back to my look at my favorite authors. It's been a nice day today. 15 degrees C, mainly sunny, a nice Fall day. I watched my Saturday footie this morning; the NBC game of the weekend. It's been a nice day all in all. Especially since Clyde seems to have recovered nicely from having his toe nail removed. He's still got his bootie to protect it and it does seem to make him a bit restless at night. We might take it off tomorrow. Anyway, while Jo watches The Closer reruns, I'll get on with my books.
Just Finished
1.
Walkabout by
James Vance Marshall.
"I remember as a kid seeing Walkabout at the theater when I was much younger. My recollections of the movie are at the best hazy but when I saw the book by James Vance Marshall, I thought I should give it a try. In the introduction it appears that the movie was much darker and quite different from the book.
So about this book. Basically two young Americans, sister and brother, Mary (16) and Peter (8), from South Carolina, are flying across the Northern Territory of Australia in a small plane when it crashes. They are on their own in the wilderness Australian outback and must try and find some sort of civilization? On their trek they meet a young Aborigine boy who is on his walkabout, a trek of his own from which he will achieve manhood if he survives.
This chance meeting is the basis for the story, a clash of cultures. The Aboriginal boy is ancient, lives off the land, communes with nature. Whereas Mary and Peter come from Charleston SC , a modern world and during the time this book was written (1959) were raised with certain attitudes towards blacks. This does form an issue in the story, not so much for Peter, who finds common cause with the Aborigine boy, starts learning his language and for the most part finds the whole journey a great adventure. But for Mary, there are many difficulties, especially the nakedness of the Aborigine. This causes a tension throughout the story, one that is misinterpreted by both.
It's a fascinating story, a wonderful picture of Australia's outback and also of the belief systems of the 3 children. It's a great adventure but much more than that and well worth reading. A relatively short story but intense and a page turner you will find difficult to put down. (4 stars)"
2.
Ice Station Zebra by
Alistair MacLean.
"I've read many of English thriller writer, Alistair MacLean's books. He can be hit of miss. I've read some that were not very good and then some that were excellent. Some of his war stories, HMS Ulysses, Guns of Navarone, South by Java Head are excellent. Generally, he writes an action-packed, tense thriller with 'secretive' anti-hero. With that preamble, Ice Station Zebra is one of his better stories. It was turned into a movie in 1968 which was also excellent but at the same time quite different from the book.
Basically, the US nuclear submarine USS Dolphin is called into action from its base in Holy Loch in Scotland to try to conduct a rescue mission under the polar ice cap. The Captain of the ship, Commander Swanson, is forced to take along British civilian, Dr Carpenter, who is supposedly an expert on Arctic survival. The reason for this rescue mission? Ice Station Zebra, a scientific outpost on the arctic ice cap has been destroyed by a fire and the Dolphin is to try and rescue any survivors. This will mean a trip under the ice cap and an attempt to breach the ice and then conduct the rescue attempt.
Of course, there is much to this story than just a rescue attempt. Like any MacLean thriller, Dr Carpenter probably isn't quite who he seems. What was the purpose of Ice Station Zebra? To discover the answers, the crew of the Dolphin and Dr Carpenter will be subjected to many threats and risks, sub-zero temperatures on the surface, risks to the sub under the ice and physical threats for forces unknown.
It would ruin the story for me to get into more detail. Suffice it to say that the action and tension starts at the beginning and continues to the end. You will be literally able to feel the severe weather conditions on the surface, be amazed at the strength, perseverance and dedication of the crew. Dr Carpenter is one of MacLean's better crafted heroes and his supporting cast; Commander Swanson and his irreverent, sturdy crew add to the story. One of the better MacLean thrillers. (4 stars)"
Currently Reading
1.
Red Dust and Raindrops: Death on Mars by
K.E. Heaton. The author sent me this book and asked if I would like to read and review it. I'm more than pleased to.
"The rocket was still approximately eighty miles above the surface, but the outlines and contours of the mysterious red planet were staggeringly clear. A terrain of what could only be described as blood-red boulders scattered accidentally across a huge swathe of terracotta colored sand. It was a landscape that defied the senses, a cacophony of stains and pigments, but overwhelmingly pinks, Venetian reds and rich mahoganies.
An alien world where man had never dared to set foot, but in the days to come he would attempt to do… exactly that."
2. Between the Acts by Virginia Woolf. My October focus will be women authors. I'm starting with this one on October 1st.
"In Woolf's final novel, villagers present their annual pageant, made up of scenes from the history of England, at a house in the heart of the country as personal dramas simmer.
Between the Acts is also a striking evocation of English experience in the months leading up to the Second World War. Through dialogue, humor and the passionate musings of the characters, Virginia Woolf explores how a community is formed (and scattered) over time. The tableau, a series of scenes from English history, and the private dramas that go on between the acts are closely interlinked. Through the figure of Miss La Trobe, author of the pageant, Virginia Woolf questions imperialist assumptions and, at the same time, re-creates the elusive role of the artist."
My Ongoing Look at My Favorite Authors - Ian Fleming
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Ian Fleming
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Ian Lancaster Fleming lived from 1908 - 1964, born in London and died in Canterbury. During his life he was a Naval Intelligence officer, journalist and author. He is best known for his James Bond spy novels although he did write others. I read a few of the James bond books as a high school boy but I restarted the series in early 2000. I have one book in this series left and it is one of the next books on my list for 2020.
1. For Your Eyes Only (1960).
"I enjoyed this collection of James Bond short stories very much. Three of them feature as titles (titles only really) in recent full-length 007 movies; Quantum of Solace, For Your Eyes Only and From a View to a Kill.
I enjoyed each story as they offered different view points on James Bond's Life. Quantum of Solace was especially interesting as Bond only appears really as an interested listener; a visitor to the British diplomats house in Bahamas and hearing a story about a married couple. Definitely not a typical Bond story, more a tale of relationships and how they can go bad.
A View to a Kill is set in Paris and Bond is sent to find out why and how a dispatch rider has been killed, a nice taught suspense story.
In For Your Eyes Only, M asks Bond to enact revenge on a Cuban killer, who has murdered friends of M's in Jamaica. Bond goes to the US (a house in the wilderness of Vermont) to complete the job and finds himself assisting the daughter of the family, a very satisfying story.
In Risico, Bond heads to Venice to assist in a drug operation and finds that there are two sides to every story. I liked this one especially.
The final story, The Hildebrand Rarity, finds Bond at the end of a mission in the Seychelles and helping a millionaire find a rare fish. Of course, there are twists as the millionaire isn't very nice. Every story was enjoyable and nicely, tautly written. Most enjoyable. (4 stars)"
"You know what you get when you read a Bond story; an interesting, well-paced spy story. This was no exception. Moonraker introduces Hugo Drax as the villain (I won't spoiler the story by going any further). Bond is assigned a case within England's borders by M after a killing at Drax's plant where he is building a super missile for the British government. Also working there is a Gala Brand, an undercover operative for Special Branch. Bond and Gala have to try and solve the mystery of what Drax is up to. It's an entertaining story, easy to read and with enough action to keep you satisfied. (3 stars)"
3.
Diamonds Are Forever (1956).
"Another entertaining Bond adventure which finds 007 on the trail of an American diamond smuggling ring. It takes him from London to New York and ultimately to Las Vegas. On the way he encounters old CIA pal, Felix Leiter who now works for Pinkertons and makes the acquaintance of lovely Tiffany Case. As always there is lots of action, but many nice moments with Miss Case. Entertaining and an exciting read. It's been fun working through the Bond series again. (3 stars)"
4.
The Man with the Golden Gun (1965).
"The Man with the Golden Gun is the 13th book in the James Bond series by Ian Fleming. Bond has been presumed dead for over a year, since the events at the end of You Only Live Twice. Instead he has been held by the KGB, being blackmailed to kill 'M'. Will he succeed? Well, he is Bond and has a license to kill.
On his return to Britain's spy service, Bond is also assigned to kill Scaramanga, the titled Man with the Golden Gun. Scaramanga uses a gold plated revolver in his killings. He has murdered a number of spies and M wants him to be taken out. This assignment leads Bond to Jamaica where he will be reunited with his secretary Mary Goodnight.
Bond will travel to the other side of Jamaica and ultimately be hired by Scaramanga as a bodyguard for a conference of Mafiosa and KGB agents. The question being, 'will Bond complete his assignment before his identity is discovered'. It's a quick, well-paced story, with sufficient action to keep your attention. Not the best Bond story I've read but still entertaining. (3.5 stars)"
"Another tried and true Bond adventure. This was the first Bond movie I saw back when I was a youngster. I remember walking home afterwards and waiting for Odd Job's metal hat to come flying out of the woods at me.. Well-crafted and paced story; Fleming wastes no time getting into the adventure and keeps it moving right along. Great villain in Goldfinger and his henchman and interesting scheme.. (3 stars)"
6.
The Spy Who Loved Me (1962).
"Definitely not your typical James Bond story; in fact, Bond is almost peripheral to the main story. It features a Canadian lass, Vivienne Michel, starts with her and ends with her. The story is more of a Mystery noir, not a spy story at all. Vivienne tells her story through flashback as she works at a motel in New York state. As the story progresses, she is placed in a terrifying situation by two thugs and then Mr. Bond shows up for the finale. Excellent story, nice change for both Fleming and Bond. (4 stars)"
7. Casino Royale (1953).
"A true classic spy thriller. This is the first Bond adventure, one I'd read many years ago while I was in high school. It still holds true and I totally enjoyed. It provides an intro to Bond, to SMERSH and I look forward to rereading his other stories. (4 stars)"
"One of the better Bond stories. Interesting plot and test for Bond who is sent to Jamaica basically on a vacation to help recover from a previous mission. Sent to check on the disappearance of the local Station manager, Strangways, he becomes embroiled in a mystery on Crab Island and involved with an interesting villain, Dr. No. Quickly paced and with sufficient action to keep you involved, very good story. (4 stars)"
9.
On Her Majesty's Secret Service (1963).
"On Her Majesty's Secret Service is the 10th James Bond book by Ian Fleming. The movie version was George Lazenby's one and only stab at the role of 007. As I read the book, it was interesting to see how faithful the movie was to the story. It brought back memories of the movie for me.
Basically, Bond continues to hunt Ernst Stavro Blofeld, head of SPECTRE. He is tired of this mission and considers retirement from the Secret Service. While travelling through France, he meets Tracy, a troubled woman, daughter of the head of the Corsican Mafia, who tries to kill herself. Bond stops her and at the same time makes friends with her father, Draco.
We jump ahead and Bond gets information that Blofeld might be in Switzerland and off he heads to try and discover it the info is true. He takes on the identity of a member of the College of Arms who is gathering info to prove that Blofeld is descended from French royalty. (stoking the ego don't you know.. :))
At Blofeld's mountain eyrie / ski resort, Bond discovers that he is using young women as part of a nefarious plot against England. What follows is action and more action as Bond tries to get his revenge on Blofeld.
Always good for entertainment and always an interesting story. I've said it before and I'll repeat myself, it's been fun revisiting the Bond stories this past few years. (3.5 stars)"
"Bond is once again in the Caribbean trying to stop an international evil organization; this time Spectre, lead by Blofeld, from setting off WMD's... Interesting story, nice to have Felix Leiter, his CIA sidekick, helping out. Leiter adds a bit of lightness to the story. The femme fatale this time is Domino.. Entertaining, interesting, lots of action; just what you expect from Bond.. (3 stars)"
11.
From Russia With Love (1957).
"Every major foreign government organization has a file on British secret agent James Bond. Now, Russia's lethal SMERSH organization has targeted him for elimination. SMERSH has the perfect bait in the irresistible Tatiana Romanova, who lures 007 to Istanbul promising the top-secret Spektor cipher machine. But when Bond walks willingly into the trap, a game of cross and double-cross ensues, with Bond both the stakes and the prize." (3 stars)
12. You Only Live Twice (1964).
"You Only Live Twice by Ian Fleming is the 12th book in the James Bond series and follows the story where Ernst Stavro Blofeld has Bond's new wife (of one day) murdered. Bond has lost interest in his job, arrives late, has had some unsuccessful missions, drinks and smokes too much. M is concerned about his top agent and is considering making Bond retire. Bond's secretary, Mary Goodnight, doesn't know what to do. She despairs for Bond.
M decides to give Bond one last mission of great importance to try to awaken Bond's interest in his work and to hopefully rekindle his desires. He is sent to Japan on a diplomatic mission, working out of the Australian embassy and trying to get Japan, in the guise of their top spy master Tiger Tanaka, to work with England in providing useful information. Tanaka asks Bond to undertake a mission for Japan to earn this information.
The mission is to kill a Swiss scientist who has bought land on a remote Japanese island that he has turned into a garden of suicide. Japan is in a quandary, the island has been transplanted with rare plants (all poisonous) that Japanese scientists wish to study but it has also become a location that is becoming dangerously popular with Japanese people who wish to commit suicide. One of Tanaka's agents has been found murdered in excruciating circumstances. Bond agrees to take on the challenge to kill the man, one Guntram Shatterhand, and if necessary his wife.
The story is slow building with all of the action focused on the last chapters. The story develops as Bond works to create a relationship with Tanaka, undergoes training with Japanese spies and moves along to the island next to Shatterhand's, where he meets pearl diver Kissy Suzuki, with whom he develops a strong bond.
It's a different Bond story, more character driven and with the action building to a crescendo at the end. Interesting and somewhat different, with a fascinating look at Japanese life in the '60s. I've two Bond books to read now. It's been excellent delving into this series again. (3.5 stars)"
13. Live and Let Die (1954).
"A guilty pleasure from my childhood. Always a well-paced, excellent story. Bond battles voodoo, Mr. Big, travelling from Harlem to Florida to his final struggle in Jamaica. Along the way he meets and is entranced by the lovely Solitaire. Good read. (3 stars)"
I have one more James Bond book on my shelf (It's a two - in - one) and it is one of my 2020 Challenges; to finish some gosh darn series). It's Octopussy and The Living Daylights (1966).
"Whether it is tracking down a wayward major who has taken a deadly secret with him to the Caribbean or identifying a top Russian agent secretly bidding for a Fabergé egg in a Sotheby’s auction room, Bond always closes the case—with extreme prejudice.
This new Penguin edition comprises four stories, including Fleming’s little-known story “007 in New York,” showcasing Bond’s taste for Manhattan’s special pleasures—from martinis at the Plaza and dinner at the Grand Central Oyster Bar to the perfect anonymity of the Central Park Zoo for a secret rendezvous."
I do have some other Fleming books. You can find his complete catalogue at this link.
So there you go. I'm hoping to finish one or two more books before the end of September. Keep an eye on this page. Enjoy the rest of your weekend.
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