Midweek Music Medley

 Happy Wednesday. Here is your midweek music medley for Wed 28 Jun 2023. Egads! It's almost July.

Midweek Music Medley

1. British pop band The Vamps - Better (2020).

2. Irish rock band The Script - Run Through Walls (2020).

3. British pop group Guys and Dolls - You Don't Have To Say You Love Me (1976).

Enjoy the rest of your week and the rest of your month.

Sunday Reading Update

The puppies relaxing with me while Jo was at work

Our trip to Victoria to see the Veterinary Eye specialist wasn't what we'd hoped for. After 3 weeks of making sure Bonnie got her drops, the vet checked out her eyes to see if she was now in a position to have her cataracts removed. Unfortunately, it turns out that Bonnie is blind so the surgery would be an unnecessary intrusion into her comfort. I don't know who was more upset, the doc or us.. So instead, Bonnie will have a different surgery. 😞😞😢 We love her dearly.

Well.... Let's look at books. At the moment we're enjoying the warm weather and watching the Blue Jays. Let's take a look at books I've finished, yada yada...

Just Finished

1. Ottoline at Sea by Chris Riddell (Ottoline #3). I felt the need for something light.

"If you have young children and like to read to them, the Ottoline series by Chris Riddell is worth checking out. Riddell both writes and illustrates the stories. Ottoline at Sea is the 3rd book in this 4 book series.

It's a short, fun story with neat little references to the Beatles for the adults. Ottoline lives in an apartment in the Pepperpot Building. Her parents are explorers and rarely home, communicating with Ottoline by post card. (remember them?). Her constant companion is Mr. Munroe, a friendly troll. Their parents found Mr. Munroe during one of their trips to Norway.

In this book Mr. Munroe seems sad and everywhere he looks he sees reminders of Norway. Ottoline is trying to plan a vacation with Mr. Munroe and she is kind of oblivious to Mr. Munroe's situation. She is surprised one day to find he has disappeared, leaving a note simply stating Norway. Thus begins her fun journey, accompanied by the Canadian bear who spends the winter sorting clothes in the basement laundry room.

That's really all you need to know about the story. It's short, quick, fun and lovingly illustrated. There are neat people all along the way and, yes, it's a happy ending. Sometimes even an adult needs such a story. (4.0 stars)"

2. The Sandman  Vol 4: Season of Mists by Neil Gaiman (Vol. 4). Great graphic novel series.

"The Sandman Vol. 4: Season of Mists is the 4th collection of the Sandman graphic novel series by Neil Gaiman. This edition contains an introduction by Patton Oswalt and a foreword by Harlan Ellison. This story contains comics #21 - 28 from 1990 - 1991.

In this collection Sandman must go to Hades to right a previous wrong, that of sending Nada to Hades for rejecting Sandman's marriage request. A meeting is held by Destiny, after he receives a visit from the 3 Fates. Destiny calls together, Sandman, Death and their other kin. This is where Sandman realizes he needs to go to Hades.

I won't tell you what exactly happens when Sandman meets with Lucifer, but suffice it to say that the result is that Sandman will receive many visitors in his kingdom; from Asgard, Egypt, Japan, etc. All want what Sandman now possesses and he has a big decision to make.

It's a very interesting story, continuing the excellent work from the initial stories. The artwork is edgy, the characters fascinating. My biggest complaint is that there wasn't enough of Sandman's older sister, Death. It was interesting meeting the remaining family members. All in all, the story was neat and I've now ordered the next to collections.. Darn you, Neil Gaiman!!! (4.0 stars)"

New Books

(Don't you hate it when you pick up a book and then realize that it's a book you've already read but under a different name? Luckily I didn't pay for the book, just took it from a Little Free Library)

1. Old Babes in the Woods by Margaret Atwood (2023). Amongst my favorite writers of all time.

"A dazzling collection of short stories from the internationally acclaimed, award-winning author of The Handmaid's Tale and The Testaments, stories that look deeply into the heart of family relationships, marriage, loss and memory, and what it means to spend a life together.

Margaret Atwood has established herself as one of the most visionary and canonical authors in the world. This collection of fifteen extraordinary stories--some of which have appeared in The New Yorker and The New York Times Magazine--explore the full warp and weft of experience, speaking to our unique times with Atwood's characteristic insight, wit and intellect.

The two intrepid sisters of the title story grapple with loss and memory on a perfect summer evening; "Impatient Griselda" explores alienation and miscommunication with a fresh twist on a folkloric classic; and "My Evil Mother" touches on the fantastical, examining a mother-daughter relationship in which the mother purports to be a witch. At the heart of the collection are seven extraordinary stories that follow a married couple across the decades, the moments big and small that make up a long life of uncommon love--and what comes after.

Returning to short fiction for the first time since her 2014 collection Stone Mattress, Atwood showcases both her creativity and her humanity in these remarkable tales which by turns delight, illuminate, and quietly devastate."

Women Authors Whose Work I'm Enjoying - Ruth Rendell

Ruth Rendell

Ruth Rendell, Baroness Rendell of Babergh, wrote mysteries, featuring Inspector Wexford. She also wrote mysteries under the pseudonym Barbara Vine. She was born in Essex in 1930 and died in London in 2015. Over the course of her life she wrote 24 books in the Inspector Wexford series, plus 30+ standalones and a whole bunch of other books. 😎 I've read and enjoyed two of the Inspector Wexford books and have another six on my bookshelf. Let's look at those.

1. The Best Man to Die (Wexford #4 / 1969).

"Here comes… the best man to die!

No one suspected that the jovial stag party for the groom would be a prelude for the murder of close chum Charlie Hatton. But Charlie was only the first to receive his death sentence in a string of puzzling murders involving small-time gangsters, philandering husbands and loose women. The suspense is spiced with ironic twists as Chief Inspector Wexford and his gloomy assistant, Burden, join forces with the groom to track down the murderer."

2. The Rottweiler (2003).

"The first victim was discovered with a bite on her neck. The police traced the DNA to the girl’s boyfriend, but the tabloids had already dubbed the murderer “The Rottweiler,” and the name stuck.

The latest body was found near Inez Ferry’s shop in Marylebone. Someone spotted a figure fleeing into the shadows, but couldn’t say even if it was a man or woman. The only other clues are the murderer’s penchant for strangling his prey, and then removing a small token — a necklace, a lighter.

To make ends meet, widowed Inez Ferry takes in tenants above her antique store. The unpredictable and obsessive acts of the serial murderer begin to disturb the lives of the heterogeneous little community of lodgers, especially when suspicion grows that one of them might be The Rottweiler."

3. An Unkindness of Ravens (Wexford #13 / 1985).

"Rodney Williams's disappearance seems typical to Chief Inspector Wexford—a simple case of a man running off with a woman other than his wife. But when another woman reports that her husband is missing, the case turns unpleasantly complex."

4. A Guilty Thing Surprised (1970).

"Elizabeth and Quentin Nightingale. A happy couple who lived quite graciously at Myfleet Manor in the gentle English countryside.

Elizabeth Nightingale found peace and tranquility on her nightly walks through the rich, dense forests surrounding Myfleet Manor. But the peace she treasured was shattered one night when she found death waiting in the woods.

Chief Inspector Wexford and his colleague Inspector Burden find a most unsavory case on their hands—and must use all their wit and wisdom to solve it . . ."

5. Wolf to the Slaughter (Wexford #3 / 1967).

"Anita Margolis has vanished. Dark and exquisite, Anita's character is as mysterious as her disappearance.

There was no body, no crime - nothing more concrete than an anonymous letter and the intriguing name of Smith. According to headquarters, it wasn't to be considered a murder enquiry at all.

With the letter providing them with only one questionable lead to follow, Wexford and his sidekick Inspector Burden are compelled to make enquiries. They soon discover Anita is wealthy, flighty, and thoroughly immoral. The straight-laced Burden has a very clear idea of what happened to her. But Wexford has his own suspicions..."

6. Murder Being Once Done (Wexford #7 / 1972).

"It seems fitting that the final resting place of a girl's body should be in a graveyard. But this is no peaceful burial. This is a brutal murder scene.

Under strict orders from his doctor to indulge in no criminal investigation, Wexford is sent to London for a break away from the pressures of the Kingsmarkham police force. But then he discovers that his nephew Howard is heading the investigation into the macabre murder of Loveday Morgan, whose body was found abandoned in Kenbourne Cemetery.

Despite opposition from Howard and his team, Wexford is drawn to the case. And when he unearths Loveday's connection to a religious cult whose leader was imprisoned for sexual abuse, he relentlessly pursues this sinister new lead..."

The complete listing of Rendell's books can be found at this link. Enjoy your upcoming week.

Midweek Music Medley

Here is your midweek music medley for Wed 21 Jun 2023 to help get you through the rest of the week.

Midweek Music Medley

1. Jamaican reggae musician Max Romeo - Chase the Devil (1976).

2. English hip hop musician Plan B - Love Goes Down (2010).

3. English reggae band Musical Youth - Never Gonna Give You Up (1983).

Enjoy the rest of your week.

A Tuesday Reading Update

It continues to be a slow reading month but I have completed two books since my last reading update. We are heading down to Victoria on Thursday for Bonnie's follow-up appointment with the doggie eye doctor. Hoping the drops and such we've been putting in her eyes. If there is an improvement she might be able to have surgery to get her cataracts removed. 🤞🤞 Of course our old Ford Focus has picked this time to have transmission issues. It's going in to the dealer this morning for a diagnosis. Ford sent out a letter saying they are authorizing a one-time fix. Let's see if the dealer makes any issues about it. Anyway, we're renting a car to go to Victoria just in case. Everything seems to break down at the same time. Speaking of which, I visited my family doc to complain about neck stiffness. He said it's arthritis and there isn't really anything that can be done; Tylenol, physio..... *sigh* Ah the wonderful '60's... 

Anyway, let's talk about books before I go wake up Jo so she can get ready for work.

Just Finished

1. Clap When You Land by Elizabeth Acevedo (2020). I had previously read The Poet X and enjoyed.

"My first exposure to the poetry / story - telling of Dominican / American poetess Elizabeth Acevedo was her 2018 novel The Poet X, a gem of a story written in 'free verse'. My apologies if I have the terminology wrong. I've just completed her latest novel, Clap When You Land, written in 2020, another wonderful, touching YA story.

It tells the story of two young high school students, Yahaira Rios, who lives in New York City and Camino Rios, who lives in the Dominican Republic. Both experience a tragedy at the same time, as their father is killed in a plane crash, on a plane taking him to the DR. Unknown to them, they have the same father, as he has lived a secret life, traveling back and forth to spend time with his two daughters.

The story is told from both girls' points of view and Acevedo presents each girl's character in a unique style; Camino's in three lines per verse, Yahaira's in two. This is especially useful once the girls meet, when there is some overlap.

Basically the book tells the story of both girls, their lives and struggles in their communities and homes. It tells of the conflicted feelings towards their father, especially poignant as they begin to discover the secret he kept from them. And finally it tells of their interactions as they finally meet. It's a wonderful, powerful story, beautifully presented and described. You learn to love these characters, feel their pain, admire their strength. I highly recommend it and think that teenagers would enjoy and even enjoy the exposure to Acevedo's unique writing style. (5.0 stars)"

2. The Casebooks of the Black Widowers by Isaac Asimov (Black Widowers #3 / 1980) This is the third collection I've enjoyed. 

"Casebook of the Black Widowers is the 3rd collection of short story 'mysteries' by Isaac Asimov. I have enjoyed 3 of the collections, although not in published order. The stories are such that they don't particularly have to be read in any specific order.

Basically this is the premise. Once a month (not specifically designated, it might be another time period) a group of middle - aged men meet for dinner at the same restaurant. The group is based on a group that Asimov, himself, actually met with, called the Trap Door Spiders. The group in the series consists of six diverse characters -

a. Geoffrey Avalon a patent lawyer

b. Geoffrey Rubin, a mystery writer

c. James Drake, a chemist

d. Thomas Trumbull, a cryptographer

e. Mario Gonzalo, an artist (Mario usually draws a caricature of the invited dinner guest)

f. Roger Halstead, a high school math teacher.

The group is served dinner by ever-present waiter Henry.

Each meeting a guest is invited by one of the members, that night's host. After dinner, the guest must answer questions from the others. Generally, one is designated as the initial questioner. During the questions a 'mystery' usually comes out, or, at the least, a question, that the Widowers try to figure out to help the guest. In every case, after discussion, they turn to Henry, who having listened to the conversation, comes up with the salient points to help the guest with his problem.

The stories are always interesting. In this collection, we have a spy story, a murder mystery, discussion about sexism, a Sci-Fi'ish story and even, in the final story, the ghost of a previous founding member, presents a riddle.

There is no action, just a good meal and a discussion from this irascible collection of individuals. Sometimes you can figure the 'riddles' out yourself (I think I got the gist of a couple 😁), sometimes they seem a bit nebulous, but in all, the story is an enjoyable, fun, cozy read. So there you go. Check out the series. It's nice to read something besides Sci-Fi from Asimov. (3.5 stars)"

Currently Reading

1. Thus Was Adonis Murdered by Sarah Caudwell (Hilary Tamar #1 / 1981). A new mystery writer for me.

"The first mystery in Caudwell's popular series featuring amateur investigator Hilary Tamar and a cast of clever and trouble-prone young London barristers. When a young man is found dead in Julia Larwood's bed, her barrister friends are the only ones who can uncover the truth of this masterpiece of murder."

2. Chasing the Flame: One Man's Fight to Save the World by Samantha Power (2008). I enjoyed Power's autobiography very much. I'm liking this so far.

"Before his death in 2003 in Iraq's first major suicide bomb attack, Sergio Vieira de Mello--a humanitarian and peacemaker with the United Nations--placed himself at the center of the most significant geopolitical crises of the last half-century. He cut deals with the murderous Khmer Rouge in Cambodia, forcibly confronted genocidal killers from Rwanda, and used his intellect and charisma to try to tame militant extremists in Lebanon, Afghanistan, and Iraq. Known as a "cross between James Bond and Bobby Kennedy," Vieira de Mello managed to save lives in the world's most dangerous places, while also pressing the world's most powerful countries to join him in grappling with such urgent dilemmas When should killers be engaged, and when should they be shunned? When is military force justified? How can outsiders play a role in healing broken people and broken places? He did not have the luxury of merely posing these questions; Vieira de Mello had to find answers, apply them, and live with the consequences."

New Books

1. Go, Lovely Rose by Jean Potts (1994). I've enjoyed two previous mysteries by Potts. Looking forward to this one.

"Rose Henshaw was dead at the bottom of the cellar stairs. At fiirst they thought she had fallen to her death, but then they found that she had been bludgeoned to death.

There were four clues: the golden candlestick, the strong box, the blue scarf, and... the letter.

Put them all together and they spelled blackmail and murder..."

2. Space Boy, Omnibus Vol #4 by Stephen McCranie. I'm enjoying this young adult graphic novel series.

"As the colony ship, the Arno, closed in on its destination, life for the inhabitants suddenly became dangerous and the mission to reach the alien artifact compromised. A lone boy could save the operation, but at what cost?

Six years ago, deep in space aboard the Arno, young Oliver spends his days in school, with his little brother and his family, and—as the imaginary Space Boy—battling Wargles. When he’s given a family heirloom, a compass, he and his father, Wyatt, are led to the discovery that the ship may be in grave danger. Hundreds of years into the mission to reach the alien artifact, Wyatt is determined to investigate his suspicions. But when his probing leads nowhere, he is rebuked, demoted, and ironically thrust into the source of the danger . . . Disaster aboard the craft leaves only Oliver to face a choice that will drive the course of the rest of his life, all while he must learn to cope with his new reality. Can he continue the voyage to reach the artifact?

In the present, Oliver’s new earthbound friend, Amy, was kidnapped during the South Pines homecoming dance by agents of the organization that is running his mission, the First Contact Project. In the aftermath, high schoolers are left reeling from the disappearance of Amy. As Zeph, Cassie, and David struggle to make sense of the tragedy, Amy begins to adjust to her new life at FCP headquarters. She finds unexpected allies as she tries to get a handle on her situation, uncover more about the shadowy organization, and what its goals are for Oliver and herself.

A teenage girl who belongs to a different time, a teenage boy on a lone mission in space, an alien artifact, a mysterious murder, and a love that crosses light years comprise the core of this touching sci-fi opera."

There you go. A few reading ideas for you. I'll continue with my ongoing look at women authors whose works I've been enjoying in a future post. Enjoy the rest of your week.

Midweek Music Medley

It's Wednesday 14 June 2023 and here is your midweek music medley.

Midweek Music Medley

1. English indie band Tors - Anything Can Happen (2022).

2. English indie band The Big Moon - Daydreaming (2024).

3. Australian indie band Gang of Youths - In the Wake of your Leave (2022).

Enjoy the rest of your week.

Almost Mid-June. A Quick Update

It's been a very slow reading month. I've only completed two books thus far. I'm floundering somewhat. I've so many books on the go, I just haven't been able to snag one to finish. So I haven't any completed books to provide reviews on for this post. I can only provide synopses for a few books I've added to my bookshelves in the past few days. I'll also continue with my look at Women Authors I've been enjoying.

New Books

1. Blue Apes by Phyllis Gotlieb (1995). Canadian author Gotlieb is one of my favorite Sci-Fi auhors.

"From the title piece, "Blue Apes" - a story of discovery, loss and betrayal on a distant planet - to "Sunday's Child"- an account of an alien born to human colonists - Phyllis Gotlieb's short fiction explores issues and passions that are deeply human, even when her characters are not. Gotlieb writes in the American SF tradition from a decidedly Canadian perspective."

2. Mine by Robert McCammon (1990). I've enjoyed McCammon's Boy's Life. I've now got a couple of his other books to try out.

"Adrift in the 1980s and slowly losing her mind, a heavily armed former '60s radical kidnaps a baby with the hope, deluded as it may be, of returning her life to simpler times. The child's mother, though, isn't about to take it lying down and, along with a tracker, begins a cross-country chase to get her child back."

3. Henrietta, Who? by Catherine Aird (Inspector Sloan #2 / 1968). Aird is a new author for me. I'm looking forward to reading the first book.

"Larking was a typical English village and, like a thousand similar villages, it also had its secrets. Inspector C.D. Sloan was soon to discover that point after the postman found the body of Grace Jenkins in the road that led to her thatched cottage. She had been murdered.

But the real mystery involved Grace's daughter Henrietta. No one could really explain exactly who Henrietta was."

4. The Casino Murder Case by S.S. van Dine (Philo Vance #7 / 1934). I've watched parts of the movies based on these books but I'm still waiting to read the first book.

"Philo Vance, gourmet and amateur detective in 1930s Manhattan, investigates three mysterious poisonings at a fashionable gambling club"

5. Kissing the Demons by Kate Ellis (Joe Plantagenet #3 / 2011). I've enjoyed the first two Plantagenet archeological mysteries.

"A Joe Plantagenet murder mystery - Thirteen Torland Place is a house with a disturbing past. When a student living there is found murdered, DI Joe Plantagenet wonders whether her death has anything to do with its grim history. Then other, similar deaths come to light and he fears that a ruthless serial killer is at work. Could the deaths be connected to Obediah Shrowton, an executed murderer whose presence still seems to linger in the house? Or is there a yet more sinister and dangerous explanation?"

Women Authors whose Works I'm Enjoying - Kathy Reichs

Kathy Reichs

Kathy Reichs is an American mystery writer whose Temperance Brennan (Bones) forensic series is based on her life as a medical examiner in both North Carolina and Quebec. There are currently 20+ books in the series. I've enjoyed 9 so far and have another 5 sitting on my bookshelves.. Let's look at those.

1. Bones to Ashes (Temperance #10 / 2007).

"In Kathy Reichs's tenth bestselling novel featuring forensic anthropologist Temperance Brennan, the discovery of a young girl's skeleton in Acadia, Canada might be connected to the disappearance of Tempe's childhood friend.

For Tempe Brennan, the discovery of a young girl's skeleton in Acadia, Canada, is more than just another case. Evangeline, Tempe's childhood best friend, was also from Acadia. Named for the character in the Longfellow poem, Evangeline was the most exotic person in Tempe's eight-year-old world. When Evangeline disappeared, Tempe was warned not to search for her, that the girl was "dangerous."

Thirty years later, flooded with memories, Tempe cannot help wondering if this skeleton could be the friend she had lost so many years ago. And what is the meaning of the strange skeletal lesions found on the bones of the young girl?

Meanwhile, Tempe's beau, Ryan, investigates a series of cold cases. Two girls dead. Three missing. Could the New Brunswick skeleton be part of the pattern? As Tempe draws on the latest advances in forensic anthropology to penetrate the past, Ryan hunts down a serial predator."

2. Grave Secrets (Temperance #5 / 2002).

"A harrowing excavation unearths a chilling tragedy never laid to rest.

They are "the disappeared," twenty-three massacre victims buried in a well in the Guatemalan village of Chupan Ya two decades ago. Leading a team of experts on a meticulous, heartbreaking dig, Tempe Brennan pieces together the violence of the past. But a fresh wave of terror begins when the horrific sounds of a fatal attack on two colleagues come in on a blood-chilling satellite call.

Teaming up with Special Crimes Investigator Bartolomé Galiano and Montreal detective Andrew Ryan, Tempe quickly becomes enmeshed in the cases of four privileged young women who have vanished from Guatemala City -- and finds herself caught in deadly territory where power, money, greed, and science converge."

3. 205 Bones (Temperance #12 / 2009).

"There are 206 bones in the human body. Forensic anthropologists know them intimately, can use them to reconstruct every kind of violent end. When Tempe finds herself regaining consciousness in some kind of very small, very dark, very cold enclosed space—bound, hands to feet—Tempe begins slowly to reconstruct...

Tempe and Lieutenant Ryan had accompanied the recently discovered remains of a missing heiress from Montreal to the Chicago morgue. Suddenly, Tempe was accused of mishandling the autopsy—and the case. Back in Montreal, the corpse of a second elderly woman was found in the woods, and then a third. Seamlessly weaving between Tempe’s present-tense terror as she’s held captive and her memory of the cases of these murdered women, Reichs reveals the incredible devastation that would occur if a forensic colleague sabotaged work in the lab. The chemistry between Tempe and Ryan intensifies as this complex, riveting tale unfolds, proving once again, that Reichs is the dominant talent in forensic mystery writing."

4. Flash and Bones (Temperance #14 / 2011).

"In a refuse dump next to the Charlotte racetrack, a flash of lightning illuminates a hand reaching out of a barrel of asphalt.

There's not much that can shock Dr. Tempe Brennan, forensic anthropologist, but even she finds the sight of the hand macabre. And with race week just a day away, she's under pressure to find answers and clear the area before thousands of NASCAR fans arrive.

But before she can carry out proper examination, the FBI confiscate and destroy the body with no explanation. Infuriated, Tempe is determined to find answers, so when a young NASCAR engineer comes to her with a story about his sister who disappeared with her boyfriend twelve years before, she decides to try and find answers.

Digging deeper into the mystery, Tempe comes up against the Patriot Posse, a shadowy right-wing group whose dubious politics repulse her, but could they really be behind the disappearance of the young couple?

When the young man is found crushed under the wheels of a racecar, his body covered in a mysterious substance, Tempe realises that she is dealing with something far more sinister than she imagined. But with both the FBI and the Patriot Posse taking an interest in her movements, she has no idea where the danger is coming from, nor whether it could threaten her own life..."

5. Spider Bones (Temperance #13 / 2010).

"John Lowery was declared dead in 1968—the victim of a Huey crash in Vietnam, his body buried long ago in North Carolina. Four decades later, Temperance Brennan is called to the scene of a drowning in Hemmingford, Quebec. The victim appears to have died while in the midst of a bizarre sexual practice. The corpse is later identified as John Lowery. But how could Lowery have died twice, and how did an American soldier end up in Canada?

Tempe sets off for the answer, exhuming Lowery’s grave in North Carolina and taking the remains to Hawaii for reanalysis—to the headquarters of JPAC, the US military’s Joint POW/ MIA Accounting Command, which strives to recover Americans who have died in past conflicts. In Hawaii, Tempe is joined by her colleague and ex-lover Detective Andrew Ryan (how “ex” is he?) and by her daughter, who is recovering from her own tragic loss. Soon another set of remains is located, with Lowery’s dog tags tangled among them. Three bodies—all identified as Lowery.

And then Tempe is contacted by Hadley Perry, Honolulu’s flamboyant medical examiner, who needs help identifying the remains of an adolescent boy found offshore. Was he the victim of a shark attack? Or something much more sinister?"

The complete listing of Kathy Reichs' books can be found at this link.

Midweek Music Medley

It's warming up again but it's supposed to cool off by Friday. 🤞🤞 Bonnie is off on her monthly trip to spend the day at the vet having her glucose levels checked. Jo will be at work so it'll be a boy's day at home with me and Clyde. Here is midweek music medley for Wed 7 Jun 2023.

Midweek Music Medley

1. English soul group The Real Thing - Whenever You Want My Love (1978).

2. Scottish pop / rock band The Marmalade - Lovin' Things (1968).

3. American hip hop group Salt 'n Pepa - Tramp (1987).

Enjoy the rest of your week.

It's JUNE! Let's talk books. (well, that is what the Blog is about)

We're back from Victoria. Bonnie is getting copious eye drops. Clyde is so happy to be back in his home. Jo is at work. I'm doing some chores and watching Deadline: White House. So while I'm so occupied, let's do my first update of June.

Just Finished

1. Interfaces by Virginia Kidd / Ursula K. Le Guin (1980).

"I've enjoyed the work of Ursula K. Le Guin for quite a long time, probably back to my university days when I first read The Left Hand of Darkness. To be fair, it took me awhile to get into her other stories as I seemed to keep rereading Left Hand. At any rate, over the past few years, I've begun to explore her other works; getting into her Earthsea fantasy series, her poetry, short stories, a book of interviews, etc. I've also started tracking down her other books. I found Interfaces when she mentioned it, either in one of her interviews, or in the foreword of another book I read. Ramble, ramble, ramble... Get to the point, Bill!

Interfaces is a collection of short stories. Le Guin didn't write any. It was a project conceived with her publisher, Virginia Kidd. They approached Sci-Fi / speculative fiction authors and asked them to submit short stories; no theme, no restrictions, just submit stories. And from that beginning, put together Interfaces.

In this collection are 19 stories (two are actually poems, but hey) from authors such as John Crowley, Vonda McIntyre, Philippa Maddern, Edward Bryant, James Tiptree, etc. It's an eclectic, intriguing collection, some I enjoyed more than others. Short stories always present the same problems for me; how do you get into the plot quickly, introducing characters, settings, stories and then close it off as successfully. And to my mediocre mind, that was a 'problem' here, but not an important one. I say that because no matter what, these people can write. They present wonderful pictures, draw you in, then, even if it's not all wrapped up tidy and succinctly, leave you thinking... What the hey?

There is so much variety in this selection, it's difficult to find a particular favorite. I find that the stories blend together in some ways; was this story about this, or that? Yes, I'm copping out somewhat. You do really have to read this collection yourself. OK, a couple of examples. In Earth and Stone by Robert Holdstock, John Farrell travels back in time to a prehistoric settlement as part of a scientific experiment. He's partly looking for another traveler, also trying to get away from his own time. There is a mystery here, involving vampire type peoples?? A Short History of the Bicycle by Michael Bishop.. OK, this one was strange. Praeger is on the planet Drasienne watching / writing about bicycle creatures. Are they created because of the dreams or realities on Earth or is it an actual planet of bicycles???? Precession by Edward Bryant... Time seems to be in free flow here. At one point it's winter, then when the protagonist wakes, it's summer, he has to get to the university where he is teaching.... Keep track, it moves around..... Slow Music, the final story by James Tiptree, Jr. It seems like Earth as we know it is finished. People have gone to the River (what is it? An alien creation?) Jacko is heading home to see his father after visiting the Cities, abandoned pretty well, and meets Peachthief, a young girl trying to get pregnant. She doesn't want to go to the River. She wants to stay on Earth, raise children.. a battle of wills between Jacko and Peachthief.. 

Of course, I'm not laying these stories out very well. Basically, they are an intriguing, interesting collection, that it's worth checking out. More about the creation of a short story than any particular Sci-Fi / speculative fiction theme, but it's there too... Try it is all I can really say. (4.0 stars)"

2. The Lottery by Shirley Jackson / Miles Hyman (2017). This is a graphic version of the classic short story by Jackson.

"Aim #1. Make this review shorter than the short story / graphic adaptation that it's about..

OK, there is no Aim #2, well, maybe not to give away the complete story. 

Back in 2014, I discovered The Lottery, a short story by Shirley Jackson. The Lottery was published in 1949, after her first novel. It's a simple, terrifying in its simplicity, story. It's been turned into at least two movies and now her grandson, Miles Hyman has adapted it into a graphic novel. (As an aside, Jackson also wrote six novels during her life; I've read 3 and enjoyed each one)

I won't get into the plot too much as it's short, succinct and gets to the point in a quick, effective, terrifying way. Basically, every year, the town (and it seems every town) gets together to conduct the lottery. One person in the town families is selected in this lottery. It's been happening for years and will continue to happen for years (although it appears that some towns may have given it up). What is the Lottery for? That's for you to find out.

Hyman's adaptation turns the town into a sort of American Gothic setting. The drawings are stark and detailed. The characters are drawn and colored wonderfully and he gets the original story and presents it in all its detail. Read it. (Did I meet Aim #1?) Oh well. (3.5 stars)"

Currently Reading

1. Casebook of the Black Widowers by Isaac Asimov (Black Widowers #3 / 1980). I've enjoyed this mystery series so far.

"Twelve Cunningly Fashioned Detective Stories

Once a month the Black Widowers club meets to enjoy good food, fine wine, convivial company - and to entertain a guest.

Each month the guest provides them with a conundrum - a mystery which has so far proved completely baffling.

And so the Black Widowers set to work on the problem - aided and abetted by Henry, their perspicacious waiter, whose powers of deduction never fail to astonish..."

2. Run Towards the Danger: Confrontations with a Body of Memory by Sarah Polley (2022). I've enjoyed movies that Canadian actor / director Polley has acted in or directed. This sounded interesting.

"Oscar-nominated screenwriter, director, and actor Sarah Polley's Run Towards the Danger explores memory and the dialogue between her past and her present

These are the most dangerous stories of my life. The ones I have avoided, the ones I haven't told, the ones that have kept me awake on countless nights. As these stories found echoes in my adult life, and then went another, better way than they did in childhood, they became lighter and easier to carry.

Sarah Polley's work as an actor, screenwriter, and director is celebrated for its honesty, complexity, and deep humanity. She brings all those qualities, along with her exquisite storytelling chops, to these six essays. Each one captures a piece of Polley's life as she remembers it, while at the same time examining the fallibility of memory, the mutability of reality in the mind, and the possibility of experiencing the past anew, as the person she is now but was not then. As Polley writes, the past and present are in a "reciprocal pressure dance."

Polley contemplates stories from her own life ranging from stage fright to high-risk childbirth to endangerment and more. After struggling with the aftermath of a concussion, Polley met a specialist who gave her wholly new advice: to recover from a traumatic injury, she had to retrain her mind to strength by charging towards the very activities that triggered her symptoms. With riveting clarity, she shows the power of applying that same advice to other areas of her life in order to find a path forward, a way through. Rather than live in a protective crouch, she had to run towards the danger.

In this extraordinary book, Polley explores what it is to live in one's body, in a constant state of becoming, learning, and changing."

New Books

(Two new books in the mail, both by authors I've been exploring)

1. Death of a Nymph (originally published as The Motive) by Evelyn Piper (1950). I've previously enjoyed Bunny Lake is Missing (both the book and the movie) and The Nanny (also both the book and the movie). My previous focus on Evelyn Piper is at this link.

"Shirley Kolp was not an easy person to understand. Someone really had to know her to want to murder her.

Evidently, someone did.

But who?... And why?"

2. Vanish in an Instant by Margaret Millar (1952). Canadian mystery writer Margaret Millar has become not only one of my favorite mystery authors but just plain authors. She always spins a great tale. Check out a previous article I had on her work.

"Virginia Barkeley is a nice, well brought-up girl. So what is she doing wandering through a snow storm in the middle of the night, blind drunk and covered in someone else's blood?

When Claude Margolis' body is found a quarter of a mile away with half-a-dozen stab wounds to the neck, suddenly Virginia doesn't seem such a nice girl after all. Her only hope is Meecham, the cynical small-town lawyer hired as her defence. But how can he believe in Virginia's innocence when even she can't be sure what happened that night? And when the answer seems to fall into his lap, why won't he just walk away?"

Women Authors Whose Work I Am Enjoying - Jean Potts

Jean Potts

American mystery writer Jean Potts lived from 1910 - 1999. She was not a prolific writer, only writing 7 books from 1954 - 1968. I have read two of these books thus far and enjoyed them very much. My reviews are below.

1. The Man with the Cane (1957).

"The Man With the Cane, published originally in 1957, was the first book I've read by Jean Potts. It was a different story. For the most part I had no idea where it was going. The ending was also reasonably satisfying.

Val, the father of Annabelle, and ex-husband of Doris, is finally getting a chance to spend time with his daughter after Doris and Monroe's (her current husband) move back from California. Annabelle tells him about the man with the cane, who had bushy eyebrows and a cane and played with her. When he brings it up with Doris and Monroe it starts a strange chain of events. Also part of the story are Doris' mother, Maudie and Barbara, ex-sister-in -law of Doris. Add Hen, who moves into Val's apartment building and Clyde, Doris's brother, and you've got an interesting, suspicious cast of characters.

Val and Hen find the body of a man after going out for dinner; a man with bushy eyebrows and a cane. The coincidence with Annabelle's story, starts Val and Hen investigating who he might be and also if the others have any connection with the 'man with the cane.'

There is a side story involving poisoned pen letters and it's possible that some of the characters might be involved in some way. The story moves along very nicely and is fun to read. In some ways, it reminds me of the one mystery I've read by Dorothy Salisbury Davis, who wrote during the same time period. I don't think it's a classic mystery but it's still enjoyable and I'm glad to have been exposed to Potts's writing. I'll check out others of her books. (3 stars)"

2. Death of a Stray Cat (1955).

"Death of a Stray Cat by Jean Potts was a perfect little mystery. I'd previously read one of her other books, The Man with the Cane, which was an entertaining spy story. This one was excellent.

It's a relatively simple, short story but at the same time, a rich, entertaining page turner. It starts off with a murder, of a young lady trying to find someone, Alex, at his summer cottage. Alex and his wife, Gen, along with two friends are heading to the cottage as well, and the two friends, Vanda and Theobold. While Alex and Gen stop at the local pub for dinner, Vanda and Theobold head to the house and discover the body.

Thus starts an interesting investigation with nicely crafted characters. You've got the slightly overweight, local sheriff, sympathetic and homespun, moving from possible suspect to suspect. It turns out Marcella, the victim had a brief relationship with Alex and another suspect. There is marital friction between Alex and Gen because of it. The peripheral characters, Vanda and Theobold, as well as best friends Brad and Dwayne are all excellent. 

The plot builds nicely and while I had my suspects in mind, I kept changing my mind as I got more into the story. I would say that ultimately I was correct but then again, my final suspect came out in the last page, so maybe I'm just pretending that I knew who it was. The ultimate resolution was as satisfying as the story itself. It's an excellent, entertaining mystery and I enjoyed it so much. Nice to read a well-crafted mystery like this. In some ways it reminded me of books I've enjoyed by Margaret Millar and Hillary Waugh. I highly recommend and I'll definitely search for other books by Potts (5 stars)"

There you go. The complete listing is below:

1. Go, Lovely Rose (1954)

2. Death of a Stray Cat (1955)

3. The Man with the Cane (1957)

4. The Evil Wish (1962)

5. The Only Good Secretary (1965)

6. The Footsteps on the Stairs (1966)

7. The Little Lie (1968)

Enjoy the rest of your week.