A Tuesday Update

Hi Daddy! Still reading?

Yesterday we got a fair bit of rain and it cooled it down very nicely. We're supposed to get more rain today but at the moment it's sunny and cool. Bonnie is lying by the patio door and Clyde is beside me on the couch. Jo is at work so it's a perfect time to do a reading update. (Oh, I also cut up a cantaloupe. Yummy) I've spent the past few days catching up on some of the books that I've been reading since March and April. I still have a couple of long term books to finish and I WILL dammit! 

Bonnie avoiding her close-up... Sigh!

So on that note, let's take a look at my latest reading, books I've started and any new books.

Just Finished

I've completed 4 books since my last update.

1. Let the Fire Fall by Kate Wilhelm (1969). I was kind of disappointing with this book, especially since I'd enjoyed Wilhelm's previous read.

"Sigh! I enjoyed my first exposure to Kate Wilhelm's Sci-Fi when I read Where Late The Sweet Birds Sang. I was looking forward to trying Let the Fire Fall. Unfortunately I was kind of disappointed with this one.

The plot sounded interesting. A space ship lands on Earth. The aliens all die except that one of the females leaves a baby behind. There are other babies born to the family of the doctor who treats the lady, as well as another woman. The 'alien' baby is taken under care of the UN. At the same time, Obie, the father of another of the children, becomes an evangelical preacher, preaching against the aliens.

I've simplified the plot a bit. There is constant friction between Obie's cult and the rest of Earth, leading up to violence between both groups. Obie desperately wants control of the alien child, Star Child. One of the children, a boy, is a genius, creates things to make the world better. Oh yes, the world is in crappy shape. 

The story is written well, but it just doesn't seem to go anywhere, at least for me. I even found the ending, not quite an ending. Unfortunate as I had hoped to read more of Wilhelm's work. She also wrote mysteries and I have a couple on my shelf. I'll try those. (2.0 stars)"

2. Golem100 by Alfred Bester (1980). A strange but interesting (not perfect) Sci Fi story.

"I have read three other books by Sci-Fi author Alfred Bester before I tried Golem100. His stories, so far anyway, are quirky and strange. Golem took awhile for me to get into and was easy to put down, but that is partially due to my reading habits of late. I think I can safely say that Golem is style over substance.

OK, so what's it about? Sheesh! Trick questions much. The story is set in a future New York City, now call The Guff. A group of women get together and try to summon the devil, unsuccessfully in their minds. But at the same time a series of horrendous murders take place in the city. A trio of individuals, beautiful Gretchen Nunn, a master of psychodynamics, Blaise Shima, a chemist and her lover and finally homicide policeman Subadar Ind-Dni. They discover that what they call a Golem is committing the murders.

OK, so that's the gist of the story, which will delve into a drug that is powerful and brings the experimenters, Blaise and Gretchen at first, into some other dimension. This is described in such an interesting fashion with drawings by Sci-Fi artist Jack Gaughan. As I mentioned, style over substance. Does the story matter? Well, yes, of course, but it's presented in a fascinating fashion, stream of consciousness, songs in all languages, drawings, etc. Does the ending matter? Well, it does end. The characters are quirky, intelligent, sexy... the city is kind of like Philip Dick's portrayal of, is it LA?, in Blade Runner, but on steroids.

Check it out anyway. Bester is worth trying. (3.5 stars)"

3. Return from the Stars by Stanislaw Lem (1961). At one point I considered giving up on this book, but I'm glad I didn't. It wasn't perfect but it was interesting.

"It took me awhile to get into and through Return from the Stars by Stanisław Lem. I believe we many have taken one of his books back in my university day, my Science Fiction novel course, but I don't think I actually read it. (too many books to read in that course, dontcha know 😀😁).

Anyway, once I got into Return from the Stars, I enjoyed it, if that's the proper term to how I felt. Basically, a group of astronauts returns to Earth after a ten year space exploration. Like many of these journeys, time dilation means that 127 years have passed on Earth. The group returns to a much changed Earth. The story follows one of the space explorers, Hal Bregg, as he tries to adjust to this new Earth.

It starts with his return from acclimatization on the Moon to his passage to Earth and his 'new' life there. He gets lost when he arrives and misses his contact with his Earth contact and then basically decides to just try and adjust on his own. Terminology is different, basic processes like getting money (it seems that any bank accounts have just accumulated so I guess he's reasonably well off). He finds the whole new world very confusing and, in fact, is kind of like the 'savage' in Brave New World. Lem calls the returning astronauts ' resuscitated Neanderthals'. 

In the 127 years that Earth has changed, the biggest change is the act of 'betrizating' children, removing aggression and violence out of them. This is especially difficult for Bregg as he is filled with anger and has refused betrization. He takes himself off to a small resort on the ocean and reads and tries to find out the history of Earth while he was one, as well as science, etc. While he begins to understand, he doesn't resolve his anger. He has one of the old crew, Olaf, come and visit. He finds himself attracted to a young woman, Eri, who stays with her husband at the resort.

It's an interesting book, this exploration of Bregg's physicality, his trying to cope with events that happened on the voyage (self-imposed guilt at the deaths of some of his crew mates) and his attraction to Eri. It's a very thoughtful book, well-written and interesting enough once you get into it. I have tried to watch the original movie adaptation of Solaris another of Lem's books, but may just have to try the novel instead. Anyway, Return from the Stars is worth trying. (3.5 stars)"

4. The Witch Boy by Molly Knox Ostertag (Witch Boy #1 / 2017). A bit of fun, a YA graphic novel fantasy.

"The Witch Boy by Molly Knox Ostertag is the first graphic YA Fantasy in her Witch Boy trilogy. It's entertaining, well-drawn and satisfying.

Basically you've got a clan of witches (the women) and shapeshifters (the men) who live in the woods. The daughters are taught to be witches and learn witching and the boys are taught to be shapeshifters and never the twain shall meet.

Of course, there is a twist. Young Aster is supposed to be learning to shapeshift but he lacks the talent and / or the desire. Instead he spies on the girls as they are taught to be witches, taking notes, trying out spells. He is regularly told off about this past time. It's forbidden after all. At some point the small community is placed under attack by a demon; one of the boys disappears, then others. 

Aster and a human friend, Charlie, decide they are the only ones who can defeat the demon and that's the story. It's a neat little story. It gets going right away, has a good pace and is a fun, entertaining read. It's not earth shattering by any means but it will keep you involved until the satisfying ending. Try it. (4.0 stars)"

Currently Reading

1. Doomsday Book by Connie Willis (Oxford Time Travel #1 / 1992). Yup, a new author for me. Comparing to the time travel series by Jodi Taylor.

"For Kivrin, preparing an on-site study of one of the deadliest eras in humanity's history was as simple as receiving inoculations against the diseases of the fourteenth century and inventing an alibi for a woman traveling alone. For her instructors in the twenty-first century, it meant painstaking calculations and careful monitoring of the rendezvous location where Kivrin would be received.

But a crisis strangely linking past and future strands Kivrin in a bygone age as her fellows try desperately to rescue her. In a time of superstition and fear, Kivrin--barely of age herself--finds she has become an unlikely angel of hope during one of history's darkest hours.

Connie Willis draws upon her understanding of the universalities of human nature to explore the ageless issues of evil, suffering, and the indomitable will of the human spirit."

2. Eye in the Sky by Phillip K. Dick (1957). A favorite of mine when it comes to Sci-Fi.

"While sightseeing at the Belmont Bevatron, Jack Hamilton, along with seven others, is caught in a lab accident. When he regains consciousness, he is in a fantasy world of Old Testament morality gone awry—a place of instant plagues, immediate damnations, and death to all perceived infidels. Hamilton figures out how he and his compatriots can escape this world and return to their own, but first they must pass through three other vividly fantastical worlds, each more perilous and hilarious than the one before."

3. Slaves of Heaven by Edmund Cooper (1974). I've enjoyed the previous book by Cooper, News from Elsewhere and Transit. Looking forward to seeing what this one's about.

"British paperback edition of this 1975 novel. "Berry, chief of his clan, knew his people could survive the dangers of the forest; and when winter came he made them build barricades against raiders from other clans. But no barricades were strong enough to hold against the Night Comers - huge silver beings of horrifying strength who carried away the womenfolk and were drastically lowering the human population. Were the Night Comers men, monsters or gods? Berry believed they were man; and when the inevitable night came when the women of his clan were seized, he managed to follow. He followed them to a huge tapering column of metal, which took him away from the world he had known to an island in the sky called "Heaven." And there Berry realized that he had to defeat the Lords of Heaven if the people on Earth were to survive."

New Books

1. The Playground Murders by Lesley Thomson (Detective's Daughter #7). I enjoyed the first book in this series.

"Wormwood Scrubs playground, 1980.  The wind blows across the common, and the girl in her shorts shivers. The playground is isolated, timeless. Far from the prying eyes of grown-ups, she and her friends can play make-believe here. The looming slide is a mountain; the upturned log a pirate ship. But six-year-old Sarah Ferris does not know that in two days' time, she will be dead: a victim of jealousy, betrayal, and her own innocence. Hammersmith, 2019. Cleaner Stella Darnell loves rooting into shadowy places and restoring order. She'll clear your attic, polish your kitchen and scrub your bath—but she also investigates cold cases. Stella can spend hours sifting through forgotten evidence looking for shreds of evidence the police might have missed. So when a woman is found dead, and the killer is linked to the Sarah Ferris murder, Stella is the woman for the case. But dredging up the past can be dangerous—especially if the playground killer is back."

2. The Knowledge by Martha Grimes (Richard Jury #24 / 2018). It's been awhile since I tried this series.

"With their signature wit, sly plotting, and gloriously offbeat characters, Martha Grimes's New York Times bestselling Richard Jury mysteries are "utterly unlike anyone else's detective novels" (Washington Post). In the latest series outing, The Knowledge, the Scotland Yard detective nearly meets his match in a Baker Street Irregulars-like gang of kids and a homicide case that reaches into east Africa. Robbie Parsons is one of London's finest, a black cab driver who knows every street, every theater, every landmark in the city by heart. In his backseat is a man with a gun in his hand--a man who brazenly committed a crime in front of the Artemis Club, a rarefied art gallery-cum-casino, then jumped in and ordered Parsons to drive. As the criminal eventually escapes to Nairobi, Detective Superintendent Richard Jury comes across the case in the Saturday paper.

Two days previously, Jury had met and instantly connected with one of the victims of the crime, a professor of astrophysics at Columbia and an expert gambler. Feeling personally affronted, Jury soon enlists Melrose Plant, Marshall Trueblood, and his whole gang of merry characters to contend with a case that takes unexpected turns into Tanzanian gem mines, a closed casino in Reno, Nevada, and a pub that only London's black cabbies, those who have "the knowledge," can find. The Knowledge is prime fare from "one of the most fascinating mystery writers today"

(Ed. Note: TCM is currently showing The Trial with Glenn Ford and Dorothy McGuire. Talk about topical; white supremacists, segregation, lynching? 1955 and things don't seem to have changed)

3. The Hidden Witch by Molly Knox Ostertag (Witch Boy #2 / 2018). I liked the first graphic novel in this trilogy so I should try the next two.

"Aster and his family are adjusting to his unconventional talent for witchery; unlike the other boys in his family, he isn't a shapeshifter. He's taking classes with his grandmother and helping to keep an eye on his great-uncle whose corrupted magic wreaked havoc on the family.

Meanwhile, Aster's friend from the non-magical part of town, Charlie, is having problems of her own -- a curse has tried to attach itself to her. She runs to Aster and escapes it, but now the friends must find the source of the curse before more people -- normal and magical alike -- get hurt."

4. The Midwinter Witch by Molly Knox Ostertag (Witch Boy #3 / 2019).

"The acclaimed graphic novel world of The Witch Boy and The Hidden Witch comes to a thrilling conclusion in this story of friendship, family, and finding your true power. Magic has a dark side . . .Aster always looks forward to the Midwinter Festival, a reunion of the entire Vanissen family that includes competitions in witchery and shapeshifting. This year, he's especially excited to compete in the annual Jolrun tournament-as a witch. He's determined to show everyone that he's proud of who he is and what he's learned, but he knows it won't be easy to defy tradition. Ariel has darker things on her mind than the Festival-like the mysterious witch who's been visiting her dreams, claiming to know the truth about Ariel's past. She appreciates everything the Vanissens have done for her. But Ariel still craves a place where she truly belongs. The Festival is a whirlwind of excitement and activity, but for Aster and Ariel, nothing goes according to plan. When a powerful and sinister force invades the reunion, threatening to destroy everything the young witches have fought for, can they find the courage to fight it together? Or will dark magic tear them apart?"

Focus Author - Jean Rhys

Jean Rhys

Jean Rhys was a British author who lived from 1890 - 1973. She was born in the British Leeward Islands (Dominica) and died in Exeter, England. I've read three of his books thus far. They're not what you'd call enjoyable, light reading rather, they can be challenging. And that's not a bad thing, eh? I'll provide my reviews of the books I've read and the synopsis of the one I have on order.

1. After Leaving Mr. Mackenzie (1930).

"This was my first exposure to Jean Rhys writing. She also wrote Wide Sargasso Sea. So having said this, I had no inkling what to expect when I began the book, was it a romance maybe? What spectrum would it fall into? I think I can safely say it wasn't a Romance. It's a short, concise story dealing with a two-week (or so) period in the life of Julia. There is a bit of a back story; she has been in Paris for a number of years, having left England and her husband after the death of their child. She has travelled around Europe and finally settled in Paris and after a time become involved with Mr. Mackenzie. She lives on a monthly compensation from Mr. Mackenzie, after he wishes the relationship to be terminated. The story finds her in a small room, depressed, downtrodden, discovering that this allowance will now cease.  After a confrontation with the man, the Mr. Mackenzie in the title, she decides to go to London, to reconcile with her mother and sister, maybe to restart her life? That's the gist of the story. Rhys has a concise writing style and a nice flow to her story. It's a grim story at times; Julia wonders where her life is going, has encounters with a man she met in Paris, with her sister and others. Did I enjoy the story? Did I learn anything from the story? I think it was interesting, a new style and writer for me. I do have others by Rhys on my bookshelf and I would like to explore her writing more. (3.5 stars)"

2. Voyage in the Dark (1934).

"Voyage in the Dark| is the 2nd story by Jean Rhys that I've read. It is a moody, depressing tale. Anna is an eighteen year old girl who has moved to London from a Caribbean island. She has worked as a chorus girl, traveling around England and then finds herself a male companion. The story is set 1913 / 1914. 

Anna seems to wander through life, managing to survive somehow. She doesn't seem to work but gets money from Walter. She moves from apartment to apartment, is abandoned by Walter, finds company with other men. Eventually she gets pregnant by one of her male friends. 

It's all very sparsely told, Rhys moves from London and the present to Anna's life as a child in her home. You don't really find a lot out about her. I don't know. I found it difficult to relate to the story or the characters. I did feel that I'm glad I didn't grow up at that time. I have one more of Rhys's books, Wide Sargasso Sea, which is her most acclaimed book, I believe. I'm not sure what to make of Voyage in the Dark, though. (3.5 stars)"

3. Wide Sargasso Sea (1966).

"Wide Sargasso Sea (1966) is the 3rd book I've read by Jean Rhys. I can't say she is one of my favorite authors but she has a unique style. Wide Sargasso Sea is a period piece, set in the Caribbean Islands. It follows Annette, who is also the lady in the tower in Charlotte Bronte's Jane Eyre. 

The story is told in three parts; the first is narrated by Annette and follows her life from childhood until she is introduced to Rochester (not named in the book); the second is narrated by Rochester, describing his marriage and their life at their honeymoon home near a town called Massacre; the third part has moved to England and Rochester's home and is narrated first by Grace Poole (the nurse) and finally by Annette.

It's a fascinating story, often harsh and depressing. Annette's childhood is actually quite terrifying, her mother alone with a sick boy and a young girl and being harassed by Negro population and also looked down upon by the English population. It's a period I'm not familiar with set after the Emancipation Act of 1833, when the Negro slaves were freed in the Caribbean Islands. It's a period of transition and Annette and her mother do not fit into any group. Annette's mother was a Creole women who had married a white Englishman, meaning she didn't fit into any group. It makes her life harsh and ultimately there is a tragic event. (You read it). Annette ultimately is married off to Rochester and we follow that part of her life, also tragic.

Reading the story made me think of the current situation in the US with the BLM movement. Wide Sargasso Sea is only peripherally related but the underlying issue of race made it especially topical. The story has a dark tone throughout. The different narrative perspectives makes it interesting and at times difficult to follow. But the story does draw you in and it can be difficult to put down. (4 stars)"

4. Jean Rhys Letters 1931 - 1966 (1984).

"In her will, Jean Rhys expressed a wish that no biography should be written unless authorized during her lifetime. Following her death, her literary executor was approached frequently with requests for permission to write "an official life". Finally he decided that, by compiling a volume of letters, authentic biographical information would be provided. But as the collection grew, the biographical aspect took on a secondary importance as the self-portrait began to reveal the turbulent process of literary creation. The final result is a portrait spanning the years 1931 (taking up the story roughly where it was left in "Smile Please") to 1966, when the long struggle to finish "Wide Sargasso Sea" was over."

The complete listing of Rhys's books can be found at this link. Enjoy the rest of your week.

It's Tuesday!

Catching up on Jeopardy. We've got a nice cool breeze blowing in the patio doors, it feels so good. So while we're relaxing, let's do a quick reading update.

Just Finished

(Only finished one since my last update)

1. A Game of You by Neil Gaiman (Sandman #5). I love this graphic novel series.

"I admit it. I love this graphic novel series. A Game of You is the fifth volume in the Sandman collection, created by Neil Gaiman and drawn and penciled by great artists. 

Sandman plays a very small role in this story. It features Barbie, a hard luck girl living in New York, sharing an apartment with an eclectic group of characters, all of whom will be pulled into her dream world. You've got Wanda, born Alvin, her next door neighbor. You've got Foxglove and Hazel and Foxglove, two lesbians who live upstairs. There is Thessaly the buttoned up girl down the hall. And, finally there is George, the strange man who lives on the top floor.

All will be involved in Barbie's dream world, once she has a dream. Barbie is Princess Barbara in the other world. She hasn't dreamt for two years but when she does, she is called to help save this world (or skerry) from the Cuckoo. A cuckoo is a bird who lays its eggs in other birds' nests and then kills their chicks and takes over.

The creatures of this dream world send Martin Tenbones to New York to find and collect Princess Barbara. When Barbie falls into a deep sleep, the cuckoo invades the dreams of the other apartment residence until Thessaly, who is more than she seems, saves them and takes Foxglove and Hazel to find and save Barbie. Well, that's just an after effect. She really wants to kill the Cuckoo.

So there is your story. Princess Barbara and her followers trying to save the dream world from the Cuckoo. Thessaly and her companions following the Moon road to get to Barbie. And Wanda watching over Barbie's sleeping body, while Hurricane Lisa bears down on New York. And Sandman? Well, he's watching and waiting.

It's a fascinating, rich story filled with neat, interesting characters. The artwork is, as always, great; dark, rich, violent. Just a fantastic series. I've got #6 awaiting my attention and #7 on order. If you haven't tried it yet, DO SO! (4.5 stars)"

Currently Reading

1. Ms. Tree: Deadline by Max Allan Collins (Vol 4). I always find this an interesting series. 

"The next incredible instalment in the case books of Ms. Tree, private detective, from famed Hard Case Crime author Max Allan Collins!

From the minds of author Max Allan Collins and artist Terry Beatty, comes the fourth collection of 5 classic Ms. Tree stories. Join Michael Tree, the 6ft, 9mm carrying private detective on her thrilling adventures. No case is too small, no violence too extreme, just as long as it gets the job done.

Fans of hard-boiled detective and crime fiction will get a thrill from these tales!

Featuring the stories:
"Deadline"
"Skin Deep"
"Runaway"
"Runaway II"
"Death, Danger and Diamonds"

New Books

1. Fables and Reflections by Neil Gaiman (Sandman Vol 6).

"The issues in the collection first appeared in 1991, 1992 and 1993. The collection first appeared in paperback and hardback in 1993.

The book contains four tales under the banner of "Distant Mirrors", containing Issue #29 "Thermidor", #30 "August", #31 "Three Septembers and a January" and #50 "Ramadan". Three of the issues making up the "Distant Mirrors" group were published between the "Season of Mists" and "A Game of You" story arcs. The last, "Ramadan", was written contemporaneously, but because of art delays DC published it as Issue #50, after the "Brief Lives" arc.

Three other issues appearing in Fables & Reflections, published as the Convergence story "arc", are also single-issue short stories. "Convergence" appeared between the "A Game of You" and "Brief Lives" story arcs. It contains Issues #38 "The Hunt", #39 "Soft Places" and #40 "The Parliament of Rooks".

The collection also includes the Sandman Special "The Song of Orpheus", retelling the Greek myth of Orpheus, and a brief piece from a Vertigo promotional comic."

2. Blind Devotion by Cathy Symons (2012). The veterinary eye doctor suggested this book.

"For millions of people their pet is a beloved member of the family. For these people the loss of a pet’s vision can be especially difficult. Blind Devotion is a book these people can turn to. The author connects with her audience by sharing a touching, warm story of her own blind pug dog. Cathy Symons uses her vast experience as a veterinary technician and canine rehabilitation practitioner to offer advice on caring for a blind dog and enhancing their lives through environmental enrichment vital to maintaining a joyful life. Ms. Symons educates the reader on what it means to be blind, how to keep your pet safe, how to stimulate other senses, making life enjoyable for your pet and developing new commands. The author also discusses difficult topics such as quality of life, commitment, anxiety, enucleation, and addressing owner emotions. By sharing her story the author offers reassurance and guidance, shares ideas, and gives hope."

3. The Complete Roderick by John Sladek (Roderick #1 -2 / 1992). I saw this book listed in the back pages of another I was reading and decided to take a chance on it.

"Roderick is a robot and this is his autobiography. Educated by watching television, he is adopted by an elderly couple in Kansas and tries to adjust to American society. Sladek conveys, with great sensitivity and insight, the innocence of an artificial intelligence and asks profound questions about mankind's right to manipulate others. It also portrays how a numerological mind might structure a narrative."

4. The Female Man by Joanna Russ (1975). Another Sci-Fi novel I decided to take a chance on.

"'The Female Man' is the story of four women from parallel universes. Joanna's world is like our own, Jeannine's world is a poorer, grungier version and Janet comes from a world where men have died off. Lastly we meet Jael, warrior and assassin."

Women Authors Whose Work I an Enjoying - Samantha Power

Samantha Power

I'm not sure when I first heard about Samantha Power. I think probably when watching political shows. She was born in London in 1970, was an international reporter. She worked in Barack Obama's administration as US Ambassador to the UN and is currently in the Biden administration as the Administrator in the US Agency for International Development (US AID). I read her autobiography to learn more about her. I am currently reading a second book by Samantha and enjoying so far.

1. The Education of an Idealist (2019).

"The Education of an Idealist: A Memoir is an excellent memoir by ex-Obama Ambassador to the UN, Samantha Power. While a large portion of the story deals with her time working on President Obama's first campaign and his 8 years in office, it also tells the story of her family, her initial years in Ireland, her move to America and her young adult years as a reporter in war-torn countries, especially in Yugoslavia (on its break-up).

It's a fascinating story and Samantha Power is such an interesting person. I've traveled in my life but not to the extent she has. We learn about her family, the split up of her parent's marriage (mother went to the US with new husband and two kids) while father remained in Ireland. Every event in her life shaped her beliefs, her desire to improve peoples' lives in the world. The book is a search for the best way to help; as a teacher, a reporter, or public servant. 

We see the Obama WH from her perspective; agreements / disagreements on policy. It's neat seeing people I've become accustomed to watching on news shows and now in President Biden's new government crop up in this book. It's interesting watching a government in action, the crises that have to be dealt with (Syria, Ebola, ISIS, etc.) and how both the national government under Obama and also the international government, i.e. the UN work or don't work in dealing with them.

I especially enjoyed the seeing how Power worked with the international community as Ambassador to the UN, the friction with the Russian ambassador but also the coalitions she was able to craft to achieve positive results. Of course, she recognizes there were failures, especially the situation in Syria but she offers a broad perspective on many issues. And through the whole book is the importance of family, her parents, her marriage and her children. The book is so well-written and well-presented, a most enjoyable, interesting read. President Biden has nominated Samantha Power to head the US Agency for International Development (US Aid) organization. She will provide great benefit to the US government, I'm sure. (4.5 stars)"

2. Chasing the Flame: One Man's Fight to Save the World (2008).

"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."

Power has written two other books; A Problem from Hell; America in the Age of Genocide (2002) and The Unquiet American: Richard Holbrook in the World (2011). If you like non-fiction, check Samantha Power out.

A Monday in July Reading Update.

Jo and I are watching the Home Run Derby on the tube and enjoying the nice cool breeze. One of the nicer days in the past week or so. The puppies are lying by the patio doors, just enjoying the cool. Now on to my first July update. I've been a bit lax about updating lately. No excuses really, just haven't felt up to it. So let's see what's been happening in July.

Completed

1. Thus Was Adonis Murdered by Sarah Caudwell (Hilary Tamar #1). A new author for me.

"Thus Was Adonis Murdered is the first book in the Hilary Tamar mystery series by English author Sarah Caudwell. Caudwell lived from 1939 - 2000 and wrote 4 books in this series.

Hilary Tamar is a legal scholar who visits with former students at their legal practice at Middle Temple Lane in London. Hilary has taken up temporary residence at a friend's home while he has gone off to America on a sabbatical. Hilary has agreed to look after the cats.

The story involves a murder in Venice of a young man whose fancy has been taken by Judith Larwood, another member of the practice. Judith specializes in tax law. The story for the most part is told in the form of letters written by Judith to Selena, another of the members of the practice. Selena reads the letters to Hilary, Cantrip and Ragwort. At the same time we hear from Timothy, who has been sent down to Venice to sort out the finances of a young Englishman who has inherited a home in Venice.

Cantrip, who has been assigned to read the news articles of a London paper to ensure they print nothing libelous becomes aware of the murder in Venice and of Judith's becoming the prime suspect. So there is your story.

We move back and forth in time somewhat; reading Judith's letters and then getting current updates from both Cantrip's news sources and from Timothy who begins to investigate, somewhat and try to help Judith. As the story progresses and the members of Judith's travel group return to London, Hilary and the others begin their own investigation in London.

It's a neat premise and the characters are all quite interesting, making a humorous, intelligent group. I find many similarities to other writers, the humor of P.G. Wodehouse, the legality of John Mortimer's Rumpole of the Bailey and also even Martha Grimes' Inspector Jury, with his constant assistance of a group of friends.

It's a slow to medium paced story and well-written, if somewhat formal (but Hilary is a scholar after all). The mystery is kind of secondary to the story itself but it 2. is satisfactorily and surprisingly solved in the end. I liked it very much and found the whole concept quite different and unique. I'm looking forward to reading the 2nd book. (3.5 stars)"

2. Ottoline and the Purple Fox by Chris Riddell (Ottoline #4). The last book in this YA series.

"Ottoline and the Purple Fox by Chris Riddell is the 4th and final book in his entertaining YA series featuring Ottoline. In this final story, Ottoline and her friend Mr. Munroe, a troll from Norway, plan a party for their friends. As well, they meet a girl and her friend, who oddly look amazingly similar to Ottoline and Mr. Munroe. Of course, they also meet the titled Purple Fox who takes them on an adventure.

As always, the story is fun, the characters interesting and the drawings excellent. I won't get into the plot anymore but I did like how you could jump around each time the Purple Fox told them a new story on his tour of the city. As well, the poems by the mystery poet are all excellent. And the Fancy Dress Fortune Teller will bring back memories to many people. In the hard cover version, at least, in a slot in the back is the described Fortune Teller. Neat.

All in all, it was a fun way to end the series. Somewhat sad to see it ended. I'll have to finish the Goth Girl books next. (4.0 stars)"

3. U is for Undertow by Sue Grafton (Kinsey Milhone #U)

"Every year or two I go to my bookshelf and gather the next in line of the Kinsey Milhone mystery series by author, Sue Grafton. When I took U is for Undertow off the shelf a couple of months ago, I realized with dismay that I'll soon be finished with this excellent series. Enjoyment of Kinsey's cases vs the sadness that I won't have that joy much longer. Anyway.....

I have to say that this story might have been one of Kinsey's more convoluted cases. I'm surprised she even took it on, truth be told. Michael Sutton shows up at her office one day. He was sent to Kinsey by her old cop friend and ex-lover, Cheney. Michael read an article about a little girl who'd gone missing 21 years ago and had a flashback to an incident when he was 6 and remembers seeing two 'pirates' digging in the woods and burying a bundle. Michael is sure that it was the kidnapped girl.

For some reason, Kinsey agrees to look into the case for one day. She eventually persuades Cheney to dig up a spot identified by Michael and instead of a body, they find the body of a dead dog. So is the case finished? Nope, Kinsey now is interested and continues to look into the case. At the same time we delve into the past of a number of characters who may or may not be related to or somehow involved in the kidnapping. There was another kidnapping 21 years ago and this girl, Rain, was returned unharmed after a $15,000 ransom was paid. Was that related?

Also, Kinsey is trying to deal with her recently discovered family relations. There is a reunion coming up and Kinsey is invited. She also delves into this family dynamic, one she is not happy about.

It's a slow burn, this story and I found it easy to put down at first. But the more I got into it, the more interested I became and I found the whole story intriguing and interesting. I always like Kinsey. She's blunt and down-to-earth and when she gets the bit between her teeth, she's determined to get to the end of the situation. I enjoyed the story, enjoyed discovering more about the characters involved in the case, some likable some not. The ending was satisfying even if it all came to a head very quickly. Not enough of her neighbor Henry in this story, but that's ok. It was as always, entertaining and satisfying. (4.0 stars)"

Currently Reading

1. The King of Plagues by Jonathan Maberry (Joe Ledger #3). It's been a few years since I tried this series.

"Saturday 09:11 A blast rocks a London hospital and thousands are dead or injured… 10:09 Joe Ledger arrives on scene to investigate. The horror is unlike anything he has ever seen. Compelled by grief and rage, Joe rejoins the DMS and within hours is attacked by a hit-team of assassins and sent on a suicide mission into a viral hot zone during an Ebola outbreak. Soon Joe Ledger and the Department of Military Sciences begin tearing down the veils of deception to uncover a vast and powerful secret society using weaponized versions of the Ten Plagues of Egypt to destabilize world economies and profit from the resulting chaos. Millions will die unless Joe Ledger meets the this powerful new enemy on their own terms as he fights terror with terror."

2. Quiller Barracuda by Adam Hall (Quiller #14).

"British agent Quiller must extricate a Miami-stationed agent from a twisted enemy conspiracy that involves incredible mind-control technology and may reach as far as the President of the United States."

New Books

1. The Only Good Secretary by Jean Potts (1965). I've read two other of Potts' books and enjoyed very much.

"Unlike many whodunits popular today, this one is free from any contrivances and very believable..."As the suspects are introduced and woven into the story, Miss Potts brings them all to life. They are real people-a true cross-section ranging from the warm and outgoing to the arrogant and confused, diffident and dull-just like the people everyone knows. The only abnormal thing about the group is that one of these nice, normal persons is a murderer. "Not until the very last page is the reader aware of who really did stab THE ONLY GOOD SECRETARY ... entertaining, light, easy, and at times amusing reading, a rare combination to today's mysteries." Baltimore Sunday Sun ."

2. Hangsaman by Shirley Jackson (1951). I've enjoyed 4 or 5 of Jackson's unique stories. This was her second novel.

"Natalie Waite, daughter of a mediocre writer and a neurotic housewife, is increasingly unsure of her place in the world. In the midst of adolescence she senses a creeping darkness in her life, which will spread among nightmarish parties, poisonous college cliques and the manipulations of the intellectual men who surround her, as her identity gradually crumbles.

Inspired by the unsolved disappearance of a female college student near Shirley Jackson's home, Hangsaman is a story of lurking disquiet and haunting disorientation."

3. The Rise and Fall of D.O.D.O. by Neal Stephenson (D.O.D.O. #1). I've a few books by Stephenson on my shelf. I'd better start one, eh?

"When Melisande Stokes, an expert in linguistics and languages, accidently meets military intelligence operator Tristan Lyons in a hallway at Harvard University, it is the beginning of a chain of events that will alter their lives and human history itself. The young man from a shadowy government entity approaches Mel, a low-level faculty member, with an incredible offer. The only condition: she must sign a nondisclosure agreement in return for the rather large sum of money.

Tristan needs Mel to translate some very old documents, which, if authentic, are earth-shattering. They prove that magic actually existed and was practiced for centuries. But the arrival of the scientific revolution and the Age of Enlightenment weakened its power and endangered itsM Crystal Palace—the world’s fair celebrating the rise of industrial technology and commerce. Something about the modern world "jams" the "frequencies" used by magic, and it’s up to Tristan to find out why.

And so the Department of Diachronic Operations—D.O.D.O. —gets cracking on its real mission: to develop a device that can bring magic back, and send Diachronic Operatives back in time to keep it alive . . . and meddle with a little history at the same time. But while Tristan and his expanding operation master the science and build the technology, they overlook the mercurial—and treacherous—nature of the human heart."

4. Consumed by David Cronenberg (2014). I've seen a few of Cronenberg's movies. Haven't read any of his books.

"The debut novel by the iconic film director. Stylish and camera-obsessed, Naomi and Nathan are lovers and competitors - nomadic freelancers in pursuit of sensation and depravity in the social media age, encountering each other only in airport hotels and browser windows. Naomi finds herself drawn to the headlines surrounding Celestine and Aristide Arosteguy, Marxist philosophers and sexual libertines. Celestine has been found dead and mutilated in her Paris apartment. Aristide, suspected of the killing, has disappeared. Naomi sets off in pursuit, but the secrets she discovers are seductive as they are disturbing. Nathan, meanwhile, is in Budapest photographing the controversial work of an unlicensed surgeon named Zoltan Molnar. After sleeping with one of Molnar's patients, Nathan contracts a rare STD called Roiphe's. Nathan then travels to Toronto, determined to meet the man who identified the syndrome. Dr. Barry Roiphe, Nathan learns, now studies his own adult daughter, whose bizarre behavior masks a devastating secret. These parallel narratives become entwined in a gripping, dreamlike plot that involves geopolitics, 3-D printing, North Korea, the Cannes Film Festival, cancer, and, in an incredible number of varieties, sex. 'Consumed' is an exhilarating, provocative debut novel from one of the world's leading film directors."

5. In the Lives of Puppets by T.J. Klune (2023). This is another new author for me.

"In a strange little home built into the branches of a grove of trees, live three robots--fatherly inventor android Giovanni Lawson, a pleasantly sadistic nurse machine, and a small vacuum desperate for love and attention. Victor Lawson, a human, lives there too. They're a family, hidden and safe.

The day Vic salvages and repairs an unfamiliar android labelled "HAP," he learns of a shared dark past between Hap and Gio - a past spent hunting humans.

When Hap unwittingly alerts robots from Gio's former life to their whereabouts, the family is no longer hidden and safe. Gio is captured and taken back to his old laboratory in the City of Electric Dreams. So together, the rest of Vic's assembled family must journey across an unforgiving and otherworldly country to rescue Gio from decommission, or worse, reprogramming.

Along the way to save Gio, amid conflicted feelings of betrayal and affection for Hap, Vic must decide for himself: Can he accept love with strings attached?"

6. Ink Black Heart by Robert Galbraith (Cormoran Strike #6).

"When frantic, disheveled Edie Ledwell appears in the office begging to speak to her, private detective Robin Ellacott doesn’t know quite what to make of the situation. The co-creator of a popular cartoon, The Ink Black Heart, Edie is being persecuted by a mysterious online figure who goes by the pseudonym of Anomie. Edie is desperate to uncover Anomie’s true identity.

Robin decides that the agency can’t help with this—and thinks nothing more of it until a few days later, when she reads the shocking news that Edie has been tasered and then murdered in Highgate Cemetery, the location of The Ink Black Heart.

Robin and her business partner, Cormoran Strike, become drawn into the quest to uncover Anomie’s true identity. But with a complex web of online aliases, business interests and family conflicts to navigate, Strike and Robin find themselves embroiled in a case that stretches their powers of deduction to the limits – and which threatens them in new and horrifying ways . . ."

7. With the Fire on High by Elizabeth Acevedo (2019).

"Ever since she got pregnant, seventeen-year-old Emoni's life has been about making the tough decisions - doing what has to be done for her young daughter and her grandmother. Keeping her head down at school, trying not to get caught up with new boy Malachi. The one place she can let everything go is in the kitchen, where she has magical hands - whipping up extraordinary food beloved by everyone.

Emoni wants to be a chef more than anything, but she knows it's pointless to pursue the impossible. There are rules she has to play by. And yet, once she starts cooking, and gets that fire on high, she sees that her drive to feed will feed her soul and dreams too. And anything is possible."

Hope you see some good reading ideas here. 

Congrats to Vladimir Guerrero Jr on winning the Home Run Derby!!!