It's Friday and a Beautiful Day. Let's do an Update

Just Finished

1. Tamsin by Peter S. Beagle (Fantasy).

"I had only previously read one book by Peter S. Beagle, that being The Last Unicorn from 1968 and I enjoyed it well enough. A friend had recommended another, A Fine and Private Place (1960) and while I do have it now on my bookshelves, I instead decided to try another, Tamsin, originally published in 1999.

Simply put, this was an excellent fantasy story, rich, interesting and peopled with fascinating characters, both human and ghostly (and others). Jenny lives with her mother Sally in New York. She is relatively happy with her life; has good friends and gets to see her itinerant father when he's in town. Sally has fallen in love with Englishman, Evan and they are moving back to England. Jenny is very unhappy about this and determines either to stay with her father in New York (that ain't going to work) or make sure her mother is miserable for forcing her out of her comfort zone. 

So taking along her pet, Mr. Cat (who will be in quarantine for six months), Jenny, Sally and Evan pack up and move to England. The initial plan was to live with his sons, Julian and Tony in London. But the plans change, when Evan, an agriculturalist, is offered a job and estate in Dorset. When they all arrive, they see a decrepit estate that needs to basically be rebuilt and a farm that will need major work if it is to survive.

So begins Jenny's life in Dorset, getting established in a new school (she will make a great friend in Meena there) and also try to get accustomed to the quirks of Dorset and her new home. She will also find that Dorset is rich in supernatural beings; the Pooka (a sort of goblin), the Oakmen (who haunt the oak forest), the Black Dog (who watches over and provides warnings), etc. Oh, yes, the Wild Hunt will make appearances. Of most interest to Jenny is Tamsin Willoughby, the spirit of a young girl who died on the estate (it was her family estate) and who Jenny becomes very close to.

There is a mystery surrounding Tamsin and Jenny will be called upon to help solve it, to try and save Tamsin. This is the core of the story and Beagle makes his way through the beginning, slowly and caringly until it builds to a very exciting climax; a battle for Tamsin's spirit against an evil that is truly scary. It's a rich, well-crafted story. The characters are all interesting, even down to those who play minor roles. And there are nice surprises in some. It's a growing up story for Jenny as well and that is also handled lovingly. I didn't mind taking my time with this at all. It was easy to put down but also easy to get back into Jenny's life and her story with Tamsin. Excellent. Just loved it. (4.5 stars)"

2. Space Boy, Omnibus #1 by Stephen McCranie (Books 1 - 3).

"I had only previously read one book by Peter S. Beagle, that being The Last Unicorn from 1968 and I enjoyed it well enough. A friend had recommended another, A Fine and Private Place (1960) and while I do have it now on my bookshelves, I instead decided to try another, Tamsin, originally published in 1999.

Simply put, this was an excellent fantasy story, rich, interesting and peopled with fascinating characters, both human and ghostly (and others). Jenny lives with her mother Sally in New York. She is relatively happy with her life; has good friends and gets to see her itinerant father when he's in town. Sally has fallen in love with Englishman, Evan and they are moving back to England. Jenny is very unhappy about this and determines either to stay with her father in New York (that ain't going to work) or make sure her mother is miserable for forcing her out of her comfort zone. 

So taking along her pet, Mr. Cat (who will be in quarantine for six months), Jenny, Sally and Evan pack up and move to England. The initial plan was to live with his sons, Julian and Tony in London. But the plans change, when Evan, an agriculturalist, is offered a job and estate in Dorset. When they all arrive, they see a decrepit estate that needs to basically be rebuilt and a farm that will need major work if it is to survive.

So begins Jenny's life in Dorset, getting established in a new school (she will make a great friend in Meena there) and also try to get accustomed to the quirks of Dorset and her new home. She will also find that Dorset is rich in supernatural beings; the Pooka (a sort of goblin), the Oakmen (who haunt the oak forest), the Black Dog (who watches over and provides warnings), etc. Oh, yes, the Wild Hunt will make appearances. Of most interest to Jenny is Tamsin Willoughby, the spirit of a young girl who died on the estate (it was her family estate) and who Jenny becomes very close to.

There is a mystery surrounding Tamsin and Jenny will be called upon to help solve it, to try and save Tamsin. This is the core of the story and Beagle makes his way through the beginning, slowly and caringly until it builds to a very exciting climax; a battle for Tamsin's spirit against an evil that is truly scary. It's a rich, well-crafted story. The characters are all interesting, even down to those who play minor roles. And there are nice surprises in some. It's a growing up story for Jenny as well and that is also handled lovingly. I didn't mind taking my time with this at all. It was easy to put down but also easy to get back into Jenny's life and her story with Tamsin. Excellent. Just loved it. (4.5 stars)"

Currently Reading

1. Changing Planes by Ursula K. Le Guin (2003). One of my all time favorite actors.

"Sita Dulip has missed her flight out of Chicago. But instead of listening to garbled announcements in the airport, she’s found a method of bypassing the crowds at the desks, the nasty lunch, the whimpering children and punitive parents, and the blue plastic chairs bolted to the floor: she changes planes.

Changing planes—not airplanes, of course, but entire planes of existence—enables Sita to visit societies not found on Earth. As “Sita Dulip’s Method” spreads, the narrator and her acquaintances encounter cultures where the babble of children fades over time into the silence of adults; where whole towns exist solely for holiday shopping; where personalities are ruled by rage; where genetic experiments produce less than desirable results. With “the eye of an anthropologist and the humor of a satirist” (USA Today), Le Guin takes readers on a truly universal tour, showing through the foreign and alien indelible truths about our own human society."

New Books

1. Saga, Vol 3 by Brian K. Vaughan (Books 13 - 18 / 2014). I've kind of gotten hooked by this graphic novel series.

"The Eisner, Harvey, and Hugo Award-winning phenomenon continues, as new parents Marko and Alana travel to an alien world to visit their hero, while the family's pursuers finally close in on their targets."

2. Mother Finds a Body by Gypsy Rose Lee (1942). I read another mystery by this Lee. It was neat.

"In this steamy sequel to The G-String Murders, Gypsy Rose Lee's noir thriller reads as if it's ripped from her own diary pages. When her mother finds a dead body in Gypsy's trailer during her honeymoon, Gypsy realizes that no one is who they seem to be, and everyone is worthy of suspicion."

3. Skyscraper by Faith Baldwin (1931).

"Lynn is an ambitious young woman who loves her job in the gleaming new Manhattan skyscraper. Soon, Lynn also loves Tom, the young clerk down the hall. They are so in love that if they don’t get married, something improper is bound to happen. But her company has a strict new policy: Any woman who marries will be immediately fired. First published in 1931—the same year the Empire State Building opened its doors—Skyscraper marks the advent of a new kind of romance plot, and Lynn a new kind of heroine. Lynn is facing choices that will determine the course of the rest of her life, but rather than just choose between suitors, Lynn and other working girls like her must decide whether to abandon their careers—or abandon their men. They can’t have both—or can they?"

4. Freedom's Daughters: The Unsung Heroines of the Civil Rights Movement from 1830 to 1970 by Lynne Olson (2001). I've read two other of Olson's history books and enjoyed immensely.

"A collection of profiles of some of the fearless, resourceful female leaders of the Civil Rights Movement documents the accomplishments of Ida Wells, who led the protest against lynching; Pauli Murray, who organized the first lunch counter sit-in; Jo Ann Robinson, who helped launch the Montgomery bus boycott; and others."

5. The Case of Miss Elliot by Baroness Orczy (Teahouse Detective #2 / 1905). I liked the first book in this series. Interesting mysteries.

"Every crime has its perpetrator, and every puzzle its solution.

In the corner of the ABC teashop on Norfolk Street, Polly Burton of the Evening Observer sets down her morning paper, filled with news of the latest outrages, and eagerly waits for her mysterious acquaintance to begin. For no matter how ghastly or confounding the crime, or how fiendishly tangled the plot, the Teahouse Detective can invariably find the solution without leaving the comfort of his café seat.

What did happen that tragic night to Miss Elliott? Who knows the truth about the stolen Black Diamonds? And what sinister workings are behind the curious disappearance of Count Collini?

The police may be baffled, but rare is the mystery that eludes the brilliant Teahouse Detective."

6. The Case of the Missing Marquess by Nancy Springer (Enola Holmes #1 / 2006). I read a graphic novel based on these books and thought it would be good to try the original books.

"Meet Enola Holmes, teenaged girl turned detective and the younger sister to Sherlock Holmes.

When Enola Holmes, sister to the detective Sherlock Holmes, discovers her mother has disappeared, she quickly embarks on a journey to London in search of her. But nothing can prepare her for what awaits. Because when she arrives, she finds herself involved in the kidnapping of a young marquess, fleeing murderous villains, and trying to elude her shrewd older brothers—all while attempting to piece together clues to her mother’s strange disappearance. Amid all the mayhem, will Enola be able to decode the necessary clues and find her mother?"

7. The Case of the Left-Handed Lady by Nancy Springer (Enola Holmes #2 / 2007).

"London January 1889. Enola hides from worried brother Sherlock, until Dr. Watson consults her imaginary identity, Perditorian Ragostin. As Mrs Ragostin, Enola seeks Lady Cecily, vanished in nightgown, leaving ladder at window, bold charcoal sketches and mirror-writing diaries about East End poor. Was store clerk suspect, Alexander Finch, just a friend?"

8. Beatrix Potter, the Complete Tales by Beatrix Potter (1986). I found a beautiful copy of the complete works at my local UBS.

"This handsome edition brings all of Beatrix Potter's twenty-three Peter Rabbit tales and verses together in one book. The texts are complete and unabridged, and all the original illustrations, both color and black and white, are included. The stories are arranged in the order in which they were first published to enable them to be read in the proper sequence for, although each story stands on its own, several are linked together by events and characters."

9. Dragon Day by Lisa Brackmann (Ellie McEnroe #3 / 2015). I really enjoyed the first book in this series very much.

"Ellie McEnroe is an Iraq War vet living in Beijing, where she represents the work of  cutting-edge Chinese political artists. She has one bum leg, a taste for dumplings and beer, and an evangelical mother and a sweet-tempered rescue mutt for roommates. She also has Chinese Domestic Security on her tail and a dwindling number of Percocets to get her through her bad days.

And she’s about to have some bad days. The immensely powerful—and occasionally homicidal—Shanghai billionaire Sidney Cao has asked Ellie to investigate Marsh Brody, his son’s suspicious new American business partner. Ellie knows she can’t refuse, and is grudgingly swept up into the elite social circles of Sidney’s three children: debauched Guwei, rebellious Meimei and social climber Tiantian. When a waitress is murdered at one of Tiantian’s parties, the last thing Ellie wants is to get sucked into a huge scandal involving China’s rich and powerful. But Ellie quickly becomes the most convenient suspect and realizes she’ll have to figure out who really did it—and even that might not be enough to save herself."

10. Space Boy, Omnibus #2 by Stephen McCranie (Books 4 - 6). I'm sort of hooked on this series.. LOL!

"To Amy, everyone has a flavor. Well, almost everyone...Just as Amy is finally feeling that she's made a true connection with the mysterious, flavorless Oliver, their entire relationship is rattled--possibly forever.

After a crushing confrontation, Amy hunts for a way to reconnect with Oliver, but each new lead to his identity leaves her with more questions than answers and rising tension with her friends. As relationships shift, Amy learns that even if she can't fix everything for her friends, it still means something to be there with them. And an extra credit project might just help Amy discover answers to some of the mysteries surrounding Oliver.

A sci-fi drama of a high school aged girl who belongs in a different time, a boy possessed by emptiness as deep as space, an alien artifact, mysterious murder, and a love that crosses light years.

Collects Stephen McCranie's Space Boy volumes 4-6."

Women Authors Whose Works I've Enjoyed - Louise Penny

Louise Penny

Canadian author Louise Penny was born in Toronto, Ontario and is the author of the Inspector Gamache mystery series set in Three Pines Quebec. It's been turned into one TV movie by the CBC and also is now a TV series on Prime Video. I've enjoyed 5 of the books so far. Thus far she has written 15+ books in the series. She has also co-authored a thriller with Hillary Clinton. I have two books sitting on my shelf awaiting my attention. Let's look at my most recent read plus those two that I haven't read yet.

1. The Brutal Telling (#5 / 2009).

"The Brutal Telling is the 5th book in the Chief Inspector Armand Gamache mystery series set in Three Pines, Quebec. As all of the other stories in this book, this one was rich, complex and fascinating. 

Let's see. The haunted Hadley house from previous stories has been purchased by a retired couple and the son's mother. They plan to turn it into a Resort and spa. This will be direct competition to Olivier & Gabri's B&B and restaurant. As the story progresses there is evident friction between Olivier and Marc Gilbert, owner of the Hadley House. The tale starts with a body being discovered in Olivier's restaurant by Myrna, owner of the used book store. This brings Chief Inspector Gamache and his two assistants, Inspectors Beauvoir and Lacoste to their favorite town outside Montreal. They are assisted by young local inspector, Paul Morin, who proves to be quite useful.

It's a fascinating story as the team tries identify the victim, find out where he was murdered (apparently not in the restaurant) and to discover the murderer. As I mentioned earlier, this is a complex case. It will take Gamache and team into a Czech community in Twin Pines, involved research into antiquities and even involve Gamache traveling to Haida Gwai on Canada's west coast. Everyone seems to be keeping secrets and this is making the case more difficult. As well, we have the normal cast of characters from Twin Pines, artists and spouses Peter and Carol (interesting little side theme involving Carol), slightly mad poet, Ruth and her duck Rosa. We also get to meet a new inspector, art crime expert Therese Brunel. 

All in all, it's a pleasure to read. The ending is not quite satisfying, mainly because ... well I won't get into that. Just check out the latest mystery from Twin Pines. You'll enjoy very much. (4.5 stars)"

2. Bury Your Dead (#6 / 2010).

"As Quebec City shivers in the grip of winter, its ancient stone walls cracking in the cold, Chief Inspector Armand Gamache plunges into the strangest case of his celebrated career. A man has been brutally murdered in one of the city's oldest buildings - a library where the English citizens of Quebec safeguard their history. And the death opens a door into the past, exposing a mystery that has lain dormant for centuries . . . a mystery Gamache must solve if he's to catch a present-day killer."

3. A Trick of the Light (#7 / 2011).

"But now Lillian herself is dead. Found among the bleeding hearts and lilacs of Clara Morrow's garden in Three Pines, shattering the celebrations of Clara's solo show at the famed Musée in Montreal. Chief Inspector Gamache, the head of homicide at the Sûreté du Québec, is called to the tiny Quebec village and there he finds the art world gathered, and with it a world of shading and nuance, a world of shadow and light. Where nothing is as it seems. Behind every smile there lurks a sneer. Inside every sweet relationship there hides a broken heart. And even when facts are slowly exposed, it is no longer clear to Gamache and his team if what they've found is the truth, or simply a trick of the light."

The complete listing of Louise Penny's work can be found at this link. Have a great weekend.