Watching Curling; Providing a Reading Update

Jo just made a lovely supper, so tasty. We've spent the day watching curling for the most part. In the middle of the 1 vs 2 Page playoff right now and it's tied 3-3 after 6 ends. Some excellent shots being made.

So while that's going on, I'm going to provide a quick reading / new book update. Everyone is relaxing anyway. I may jump up from the computer to watch good shots though. Please excuse me.

Just Finished

I've finished 5 books since my last update, so here we go with the latest reviews.

1. Lunar New Year Love Story by Gene Luen Yang (Graphic Novel / 2024). I read this for February romance month.

"I saw Lunar New Year Love Story by Gene Luen Yang and Leuyen Pham the other day when I wandered into my local book store. They had just put it on the shelf and since Valentine's Day was fast approaching I thought it might be good to read. It was more than that.

Valentina is a young Asian girl living in Oakland with her father. They live alone as Valentina's mother died when she was very young. Valentine's Day has great significance for Valentina as a young girl. Her 'imaginary friend' is Cupid, who helps her write cards each year for Valentina's classmates. Her friend Bernice is not as hooked on Valentine's Day, doesn't believe in love. As Valentina enters high school, she will get many shocks. She is seen as odd when she gives her classmates cards on the day. One boy, Jae, tears her card up. When she gives her father his annual card, he gets very upset and stalks away. Her grandmother shows up, which also surprises Valentina, as there had been no contact with her for four or five years. As if that weren't enough shocks, she discovers something else about her mother.

Her friend, Cupid, also changes becoming an old man, St Valentine, who tells Valentina that she can keep her heart from being broken if she gives it to him. He tells Valentina that he will return in a year to see if she still wants to give it to him.

During the next year, a tumultuous one, Valentina will discover love, dragon dancing, more about her mother and father, and fight off St. Valentine. It's a surprisingly (to me) excellent story. The art work is excellent. The characters are fully presented and interesting and sympathetic. The issues are more than just love, but love is a major aspect of the story. The story draws you in immediately, grabs hold of your heart and gives it many tugs and the ending is ultimately very satisfying. Such a nice surprise. (4.5 stars)"

2. Look to the Lady by Margery Allingham (Albert Campion #3 / 1931). Part of my Series challenge.

"Look To The Lady by Margery Allingham is the 3rd book in her Albert  Campion mystery series and about the 10th book I've enjoyed in the series. Yes, I haven't been reading in sequence. (I don't think it matters all that much). Allingham was one of four British female mystery writers who made up the Queens of Crime during the 'Golden Age of Detective Fiction. The others were Agatha Christie, Dorothy L. Sayers and Ngaio Marsh. I've enjoyed all of these authors. You should check each of them out.

So.... Look to the Lady finds gentleman sleuth and his man servant, Lugg (and he is one), trying to help a certain Val Gyrth protect a family heirloom. Val has been living rough in London and while trying to sleep on a park bench one night, he sees an envelope on the ground.. addressed to himself. This leads him to a small late night cafe where he is told to go to a certain address, home to the one and only Albert Campion. However, even this trip is filled with adventure as the cab driver tries to kidnap him.

Val's father's estate houses an antiquity related to the royalty, the Gyrth Cup, and when the oldest son achieves his 25th year, there is a ceremony to hand over the responsibility for guarding the cup. Campion was hired to find Val, get him home and protect the cup from a gang of thieves who steal such priceless antiquities.

So there is your story. It's entertaining, peopled with interesting characters, lots of thieves, gypsies, witches... Does the mystery make sense or get resolved... sure... but it's the fun and games that make it entertaining. Campion is an interesting character, somewhat like Dorothy L. Sayers Lord Peter Wimsey. It's worth checking out the series and all of these great Queens of Crime. (3.0 stars)"

3. Monstress, Vol 2 - Blood by Marjorie M. Liu (Monstress #2 / 2017). Strong fantasy story, confusing but great artwork.

"Monstress, Vol. 2: The Blood is the 2nd graphic novel in the Monstress series by Marjorie M. Liu. There are many things to like about this series and some that are not so good.

Maika Halfwolf continues her journey to discover the monster inside her and what it is. (It shows itself when it's hungry by coming through her left shoulder. She wants to learn how to control it or to get rid of it. On her journey are the nekomancer cat, Ren, and the little fox. The journey will take them by sea to the Isles of Bones. There are other story lines as well, plots by various Houses, the Dusk throne, the Dawn throne, the Arcanians; humans, monsters, cats, foxes, tigers... Everybody wants a piece of Maika or what she has.

Yes, it's very confusing and jumps around from the past, the present, to her mother and others. Makes for a confusing story all around which can be frustrating. But the artwork is so excellent and intense and there are some great characters, especially the Little Fox and Ren the cat. There are also neat little tidbits of information about the land and creatures at the end of each chapter, provided by the cat professor Tam Tam. These aspects of the graphics and characters counteract the frustrations about the confusing story. And really, it just makes me want to continue with the series. And I will. Haven is next. (3.5 stars)"

4. Ninth Directive by Adam Hall (Quiller #2 / 1966). My February Focus author.

"The Ninth Directive, aka Quiller in Bangkok, by Adam Hall is the 2nd book in the Quiller spy thriller series and the 4th I've completed. Like the others, I enjoyed the book but didn't love it. It's a mix of spycraft, lots of action and introspection. In this book, sometimes the spycraft got to be a bit much.

So Quiller is approached by Loman to take on a mission in Bangkok, which Loman is heading. They both work for a mysterious British organization, sort of outside the normal bureaucracy, and take on under the radar missions. In this case, a royal personage (they refer to him / her as the Person) is visiting Thailand as part of an Asian visit and a threat has been made to the Person's life. Now there is already tons of security, both Thai and British. What Loman wants is for Quiller to use his past knowledge of Bangkok to try and figure how this attempt might be made and how it can be stopped. 

Firstly, Quiller doesn't want to take the mission but Loman finally persuades him. He narrows down the potential assassins to one and then begins the process of finding him (this being Kuo the Mongolian assassin) and then figuring out his plan. It's a neat process and Quiller is helped by a Thai import / export person, one Pangsapa, and also hindered by people from another British directorate, Mil 5, especially a young woman, Minia.

Along the way, there is plenty of action and the result leads to a follow-on chase which I won't get into. There is lots of spycraft, the whole 'tagging' (following) and the planning, the communications, the threat assessments. At times I found the story somewhat bogged down in this minutiae. Take Chapter 22 - Bait for example.

"Reaction time covers three phases: time required to sense the signal, to decide on the correct response, and to respond. Relevant factors: age, state of health, muscle-tone, ....."and on for a few more paragraphs. Now this is interesting to an extent but sometimes you just want to get to the story and the action. It is a spy thriller after all. 

Having said that, it's still an interesting approach to the genre and the twists and turns all made for a neat little story. Try Quiller for yourself. It might be right up your alley. I'll continue with the series. (3.0 stars)."

5. Oath and Honor: A Memoir and a Warning by Liz Cheney (2023). Some of my comments might be a mite political... Oh well.

"(Warning - In my review of this book I may express political opinions. I apologize if any of them offend anyone. They are strictly my thoughts. Feel free to believe what you want. I'll try to confine my comments to a straight book review, but it'll be difficult not to digress somewhat, sometime)

I followed the Jan 6 Committee hearings with great interest (and fear, considering the lengths Donald Trump was willing to go to stay in power) and when Oath and Honor: A Memoir and a Warning by Liz Cheney came out, I felt a responsibility to read it as well, to see what other information Ms. Cheney might bring to light. I'm a Canadian so I should probably not be worried about American elections but with Trump and his gang trying to get back into power, I think it will affect elections around the world. (Hoping this is my only political digression)

The book highlights Liz Cheney's work on the Jan 6th Committee and also talks briefly about her losing campaign to retain her seat in Wyoming, plus her thoughts on the GOP and democracy, etc. It's a well-written, well-presented book. I would say that that I probably had heard most of the information from watching the hearings and news analyses of the hearings, but it was interesting to see it laid out so clearly and tidily. I probably don't agree with many of Liz's conservative leanings but I am a kind of Conservative / Liberal hybrid, so who knows. But I do share her belief in democracy and its importance. 

Whether you agree with Liz's politics or no, this is still a must read book and it will be difficult to put down. Please read it. (4.0 stars)"

*VOTE FOR DEMOCRACY ANYWHERE AND EVERYWHERE*

Currently Reading

1. Twilight by Peter James (1991). My next non-series book.

"Three muffled thuds ring from the partially filled grave of the newly wed girl. Only the verger hears them and he dismisses the noise as his imagination. But over the next few days others also hear faint sounds. An exhumation order is granted. Reporter Kate Hemingway sneaks into the small suburban churchyard when the coffin is opened, and the scene she witnesses is so horrific she can never forget it. As she starts work on the story, Kate finds herself caught up in a sinister and macabre cover-up. At the center is a respected anesthetist who has a secret obsession. He believes people can exist outside their bodies and that if he can prove it he will provide the answer to the question that has haunted mankind through the is there life after death? Nothing - and no one - is going to stand in the way of his driving ambition ..."

2. An Amateur Corpse by Simon Brett (Charles Paris #4 / 1978). Simon Brett is my March focus author; writer of the Charles Paris, Fethering and Mrs. Pargeter mysteries). I hope to read at least one of each.

"Charles Paris is a part-time detective and professional actor, drawn into the affairs of an amateur theater company. Charles's friend Hugo's wife is murdered, and Hugo is charged with the crime.

Paris takes on the case personally. The solution to the mystery lies in a clever double alibi. An Amateur Corpse is an absorbing and entertaining account of theatrical back staging, back scratching and backbiting."

3. Don't Mess with Mrs. In-Between by Liz Evans (PI Grace Smith #3 / 2015). Part of my series challenge. I like this series. Grace is kind of somewhere in between Kinsey Milhone and Stephanie Plum, with a bit of Kat Colorado thrown in.

"When Barbra Delaney comes into Grace Smith's office, looks her in the eye and announces, 'I'm filthy rich and I've decided to make a will leaving the lot to a complete stranger. I've chosen you...', Grace thinks she may be hallucinating. It is, after all, the stuff of which daydreams are made. That is until Barbra hands Grace the photographs of three complete strangers, and tells her to find their names and addresses so that she can will all her dear departed husband's worldly goods to them. But, as Grace tracks down the lucky legatees, she discovers that they all have their own reasons for not wanting her poking around in their lives. When a series of increasingly violent events culminates in a very nasty death, it seems that someone will stop at nothing - not even murder - to stop Grace finding out the truth ..."

4. The Wild Robot by Peter Brown (Wild Robot #1 / 2016). Another book for my series challenge. I was in the mood for a light read. Enjoying so far.

"Can a robot survive in the wilderness?

When robot Roz opens her eyes for the first time, she discovers that she is all alone on a remote, wild island. She has no idea how she got there or what her purpose is--but she knows she needs to survive. After battling a violent storm and escaping a vicious bear attack, she realizes that her only hope for survival is to adapt to her surroundings and learn from the island's unwelcoming animal inhabitants.

As Roz slowly befriends the animals, the island starts to feel like home--until, one day, the robot's mysterious past comes back to haunt her."

New Books

1. The Girl with all the Gifts by M. R. Carey (Girl with the Gifts #1 / 2014).

"Melanie is a very special girl. Dr. Caldwell calls her "our little genius."

Every morning, Melanie waits in her cell to be collected for class. When they come for her, Sergeant Parks keeps his gun pointing at her while two of his people strap her into the wheelchair. She thinks they don't like her. She jokes that she won't bite, but they don't laugh.

Melanie loves school. She loves learning about spelling and sums and the world outside the classroom and the children's cells. She tells her favorite teacher all the things she'll do when she grows up. Melanie doesn't know why this makes Miss Justineau look sad."

2. Wife of the Gods by Kwei Quartey (Darko Dawson #1 / 2009). I previously bought the 3rd or 4th book in this series but if I'm going to start it, I need the 1st.

"Introducing Detective Inspector Darko Dawson: dedicated family man, rebel in the office, ace in the field—and one of the most appealing sleuths to come along in years. When we first meet Dawson, he’s been ordered by his cantankerous boss to leave behind his loving wife and young son in Ghana’s capital city to lead a murder investigation: In a shady grove outside the small town of Ketanu, a young woman—a promising medical student—has been found dead under suspicious circumstances. Dawson is fluent in Ketanu’s indigenous language, so he’s the right man for the job, but the local police are less than thrilled with an outsider’s interference. For Dawson, this sleepy corner of Ghana is rife with emotional land mines: an estranged relationship with the family he left behind twenty-five years earlier and the painful memory of his own mother’s inexplicable disappearance. Armed with remarkable insight and a healthy dose of skepticism, Dawson soon finds his cosmopolitan sensibilities clashing with age-old customs, including a disturbing practice in which teenage girls are offered to fetish priests as trokosi, or Wives of the Gods. Delving deeper into the student’s haunting death, Dawson will uncover long-buried secrets that, to his surprise, hit much too close to home."

and....

3. The Death Miser by John Creasey (Department Z #1 / 1933). I've been enjoying Creasey's (or JJ Marric as one of his pseudonyms) many series; Chief Super Gideon, the Toff, the Baron and I thought I might like to see how this thriller series is.

"Millions of lives are at stake if a sinister international conspiracy succeeds. It is down to England’s elite detective agency, Department Z, to make sure this doesn’t happen. They’ve got to keep things quiet too – something that Hon. James Quinion knows only too well – it’s all part and parcel of being a member of the Secret Service.

‘A home for bachelors with a suicidal turn of mind…’ – Department Z agents ready themselves for this high-profile, high-danger job and James Quinion will find himself right in the firing line and in personal danger – how will he keep this conspiracy under control and under wraps?"

There you go. Time to watch the last couple of shots and then take the pups out. Enjoy the rest of your weekend.

A February 2024 Reading Update... and new books and such.

Back to the normal stuff today. It's a nice sunny Tuesday and I did a few errands this morning after I dropped Jo off at work. We've decided to order in a curry for our Valentine's dinner tomorrow night. It's been awhile. It's always tasty.

I'm finished with my look at our bookshelves and books and now I'm going to return to providing book reviews and synopses of books I'm reading or of new books. This will be my first of February.

New Books

1. Inspector West Takes Charge by John Creasey (Inspector West #1 / 1942). I've enjoyed so many of Creasey's crime and thriller series.

"Extortion is the name of the game and the method is to murder anyone who might get in the way. The Dreem factory and much else is at stake. Inspector West has to unravel it all at gun point, but not without difficulty and surprise . ."

2. The Rules of Magic by Alice Hoffman (Practical Magic #0.2 / 1977). I read Practical Magic many years ago and didn't realize there were more books in this series.

"For the Owens family, love is a curse that began in 1620, when Maria Owens was charged with witchery for loving the wrong man.

Hundreds of years later, in New York City at the cusp of the sixties, when the whole world is about to change, Susanna Owens knows that her three children are dangerously unique. Difficult Franny, with skin as pale as milk and blood red hair, shy and beautiful Jet, who can read other people’s thoughts, and charismatic Vincent, who began looking for trouble on the day he could walk.

From the start Susanna sets down rules for her children: No walking in the moonlight, no red shoes, no wearing black, no cats, no crows, no candles, no books about magic. And most importantly, never, ever, fall in love. But when her children visit their Aunt Isabelle, in the small Massachusetts town where the Owens family has been blamed for everything that has ever gone wrong, they uncover family secrets and begin to understand the truth of who they are. Back in New York City each begins a risky journey as they try to escape the family curse.

The Owens children cannot escape love even if they try, just as they cannot escape the pains of the human heart. The two beautiful sisters will grow up to be the revered, and sometimes feared, aunts in Practical Magic, while Vincent, their beloved brother, will leave an unexpected legacy."

3. Barrayar by Lois McMaster Bujold (Vorkosigan Saga #7 / 1991). I read Shards of Honor in this series and really enjoyed. From what I see, Barrayar is the 2nd book chronologically in the series. I'm reading it next anyway.

"Believing her warship days are over after she defeats the Barrayaran militarists and marries their leader, former commander Cordelia Naismith is astounded by the role her unborn son will play in a world on the brink of civil war."

4. Mindworlds by Phyllis Gotlieb (Lyhhrt Trilogy #3 / 2002). My plan eventually is to read everything that Gotlieb has written in the Sci Fi genre. She is always a favorite.

"How can you stop a conspiracy of telepaths? The alien Lyhhrt are powerful enough to read the human mind; if they find you know too much, they can erase your memory, or simply stop your heart. The normally peaceful Lyhhrt society has been splintered by technological change, the bitter legacy of their exploitation by the Zamos crime family. Now a few renegade Lyhhrt, driven mad by isolation from their group mind, seem to be planning terrible crimes--or are they again being used as deadly tools in someone else's scheme?

When the illicit corporation created by Zamos collapsed, it disrupted the lives of heroes as well as villains. With gambling dens shut down, gladiator Ned Gaddes has nowhere to fight. Beautiful Lorrice had hoped to sell her ESP talents to Zamos, but was forced to sell her body instead. And on the planet Khagodis, scholarly Hasso will be forced to leave his archives and unravel the shadowy web that has entangled their fate with the Lyhhrt's.

The struggle that ensues provides the ultimate test of their resources - Ned's savvy toughness, Lorrice's psychic insight, and the fact that even a gentle Khagodi like Hasso could go head-to-head with a dinosaur. Like the best science fiction, Mindworlds is simultaneously exciting and thought provoking. Gotlieb offers a satisfyingly complex look at the ambiguous consequences of toppling even the most evil of empires, and the sacrifices that ordinary people must make to prevent the vacuum of power from being filled by equally corrupt forces."

Just Finished

(I've completed six books in February, 3 by Ursula K. Le Guin as part of my 12 + 4 challenge in which I'm trying to read 16 of her books this year.)

1. Planet of Exile by Ursula K. Le Guin (Hainish Cycle #2 / 1966).

"Planet of Exile is the 2nd book in Ursula K. Le Guin Hainish Cycle Sci Fi series. Winter is coming to the planet of Askatevar, The planet circles a dying sun and the year lasts 60 earth years, so winter is 15 years. The Tevars are a race that have lived on the planet since the beginning and they are now in their winter home, building their Winter City where they will hunker down for the season until they can come out again in Spring.

 

Rolery, a young girl, one of the daughters of the Tevar leader, Wold, is avoiding work and exploring, heading to the city of the Farborn, an off planet race, part of the League of Planet, who arrived at Askatevar 600 years ago to see if the races of the planet had enough know how to become members of the League. But a war with a Dark Evil meant that all of their ships had to leave to defend the League, leaving behind a small group of Farborn... as they call themselves, 'Men'. The Farborn have lived in relative harmony with the Tevar people but now their leader Jacob Agat, has a warning. Another race, the Gaal has joined all of its tribes and is bent on destroying the Tevar and Farborn before Winter comes.

There is the gist of the story. As well, there is love story developing between Rolery and Jacob that will affect their possible alliance. Jacob is trying to persuade Wold to leave the Winter City and head back into the mountains to shift the Gaal away from their cities because he fears the destruction of both. His relationship with a Tevar is not permitted and means that it will affect his ability to persuade the Tevar to fight with his people.

Makes sense? I do have some difficulty sometime putting stories like this down succinctly.😒🤔

It's a very short story that moves along rapidly from the initial contact between Rolery and Jacob and the battle to save the Tevar and Farborn from the rampaging Gaal. It's kind of breath-taking but at the same time very thoughtful in its discussion of the relationship between Farborn and Tevar, how the Farborn are not able to force their technology on a planet's people until they demonstrate abilities themselves (Star Trek much?) and how the Farborn are forgetting their own past as they live in isolation on this planet. Interesting characters. Interesting interactions and lots of action. An excellent story and as the 2nd book in the Hainish Cycle, it provides more information on the League of planets and their efforts to explore other planets. A better written story than Rocannon's World as Le Guin seemed to find her stride as she explored this series in more depth. (4.0 stars)"

2. Very Far Away from Anywhere Else by Ursula K. Le Guin (1976).

"Very Far Away from Anywhere Else by :Ursula K. Le Guin, originally published in 1976, is atypical of the usual books I read by LeGuin, those being fantasy and Sci Fi. This is purely Young Adult fiction, a simple, beautiful story told from the perspective of high schooler, 17-year old Owen Thomas Griffiths. Owen tells his story into a tape recorder and transcribes later.

It's not too difficult to describe, although I'm sure I'll just cover the barest surface level of the story. But here goes. Owen is a nerd and finds high school difficult. He has a few friends but it's mainly on the young man joking level. He likes the sciences, enjoys analyzing and wants to go to MIT or Cal Tech, maybe to study psychology.

His father buys him a new car for his 17th birthday and Owen resists driving it to school as he feels it's just makes him 'one of the crowd', something he doesn't really want. Coming back from school on a very rainy day, he takes the bus and sits beside Natalie Fields, a girl he's seen but doesn't know that well. They seem to hit it off and later that night when Owen is feeling adrift, he goes for a drive, stops outside her home and spends the evening in her room, talking, more talking and listening to her play her viola (she is a music student).

Their friendship hits off but something will happen that changes everything. So I'll leave it at that. It's not drastic or traumatic really but it is something that has a profound affect on Owen. 

Simply told, very readable but also very emotional and quite excellent. Check it out. Have your teenage kids check it out. (5.0 stars)"

3. The Beginning Place by Ursula K. Le Guin (1980).

"In 2024, I've decided that I will focus on the works of Ursula K. Le Guin (amongst other reading challenges. The Beginning Place is my fourth read, one of Le Guin's standalone novels, originally published in 1980.

It tells the story of two disparate people, Hugh and Irena, both struggling and unsatisfied in the world, who meet each other in separate, strange place 'across the creek'. They will ultimately come together to help save the world of Tembreabrezi.

The story starts with Hugh. He is a frustrated young man, still living with his mother, who controls his life, and works at a local grocery store as a checker. On a particular day, instead of going home, he goes for a long walk and after crossing a creek, finds himself in a quiet, peaceful place. Returning home, he realizes that time has sort of stopped or slowed down tremendously while in his sanctuary. He begins to go there regularly, leaving for work early, telling his mother that he's out jogging, and enjoying the fresh water and just the peace of the spot.

Switch to Irena who it turns out, has been going to the same spot for a long time. In fact she has explored much further into Tembreabrezi and discovered the Mountain town and learned their language and enjoys the company of the locals. She is distressed when she discovers that Hugh has crossed over as she doesn't want to share.

Something dark is happening in Tembreabrezi though and ultimately, both will go on a further journey to try and save their friends. The last half of the story involves this journey and the final result. It's a neat little story, filled with emotion and strong feelings. It's not perfect mind you as some things are left unsaid. But it's got some neat characters and is a fascinating story, easy to read and leaves you satisfied with the resolution. It shows the depth and breadth of Le Guin's writing styles and her imagination. (4.0 stars)"

4. The Field Guide by Tony DiTerlizzi & Holly Black (The Spiderwick Chronicles #1 / 2003). I bought this after reading Holly Blacks Good Companions graphic novel. This is a middle school / YA fantasy series. I enjoyed this first book and have ordered the next 2.

"The Field Guide by Tony DiTerlizzi & Holly Black is the first book in the Spiderwick Chronicles written as a combined effort of the 2 authors. It is a young adult / middle grade fantasy in the same ilk as the Narnia books... or so it seems after one book, or maybe more like Tamsin by Peter S. Beagle or the Boggart books by Susan Cooper. Anyway, you can judge for yourselves if you try the book. I'd enjoyed some of Holly Black's work, having completed her graphic novel series, The Good Companions. So it was with interest that I decided to give this series a try.

I have to say I enjoyed this first book very much. The Grace family, mother Helen, oldest daughter, Mallory and twins Jared and Simon have been forced to move to the old Spiderwick estate in Maine. The father of the family has abandoned them and due to family issues (it seems that due to the separation, Jared has been acting up in school), Helen feels that a fresh start is necessary. The estate is empty as Aunt Lucinda seems to be in an asylum (more on that in later books possibly)

The Spiderwick estate is run down, problems with the roof and only 3 bedrooms are currently available. Jared hears something in the walls and the children investigate while Helen is getting groceries. They discover a secret room upstairs and seem to have disturbed what was living in the walls. Various incidents (I won't go into detail) happen in the next days, all blamed on Jared.

Jared finds a clue in the secret room and then finds a chest in the attic which has a book, The Field Guide, which tells about faeries of all sorts. This will lead to more adventures, I think... (future books!!!)

It's an interesting introduction, gets right to the point and right into the family, the story. A more than acceptable intro to the characters, their issues and their new home. And more importantly, it makes you want to continue to see what happens next. (4.0 stars)"

5. The Fall of the Sparrow by Nigel Balchin (1955). I got this because I'd enjoyed Balchin's The Small Back Room very much. But unfortunately, this one didn't do it for me. I didn't finish and provided no rating.

"Unfortunately, The Fall Of The Sparrow by Nigel Balchin was a Not Finish (NF) for me. It's too bad because I enjoyed a previous book The Small Back Room very much. Could I have finished it. Sure, it wasn't too long of a book, 300 pages, but I didn't particularly like any of the characters and really, the story didn't seem to be going anywhere. Too easy to put down.

Basically, the story is about one Jason Pellew and follows his life from childhood to adulthood. It starts with his being in court and sentenced for crime against friends and acquaintances. The story then moves into his childhood and where I gave up, he was in college. The story is told by a childhood friend, Payne, who runs into Jason throughout his life it seems. 

Anyway... that's about all I can tell you. It's probably a better book than I give it credit for and ultimately I might have liked it more if I'd finished it. So, No rating (NR) and a DNF from me."

6. Lore Olympus by Rachel Smythe (Lore #5 / 2023). I'm really enjoying this graphic novel series about the Greek gods.

"I've enjoyed the Lore Olympus graphic novel series since I decided to take a chance on Volume 1 a couple of years ago. Lore Olympus: Volume Five by Rachel  Smythe contains Chapters 76 - 104 of the series which basically focuses on the romance between the Goddess of Spring, Demeter and the Lord of the Underworld, Hades.

It's an ongoing story with the two moving forward and then backward in their potential relationship. In the last book, Persephone, who is interning in the Underworld, gets Hades to agree to keep their relationship on a strictly businesslike basis even though both really don't want that.  This book commences with Hades breaking off his relationship with the nymph Minthe, who works as his secretary. He basically wants to be free should Persephone change her mind... and in this volume, there are indications of a relationship that will move closer.

Minthe with the help of Thanatos, another of Hades employees, and Thetis, a nymph who has had a relationship with Zeus (Yup, this series abound with relationships. They are the Greek gods after all) tries to find some dirt on Persephone so she can win Hades back. There is a back story that is very interesting about Persephone and is slowly being brought out.

Oh yes... and then there is Apollo who, in a previous volume, forced his attentions on Persephone, much to her shame. He still wants to have some sort of relationship with her, maybe just to ensure she says nothing about what he did. (Fair warning, there are some powerful themes in this series. In fact, Rachel Smythe does provide a content warning at the beginning of each book).

So... as the story progresses, Zeus gets involved at the instigation of Thetis, Hera also gets involved at the request of Artemis and Persephone disappears, leading to a search by Hades and Hecate and others. And there will be a very surprising ending, meaning I'll have to stew until mid 2024 for Volume 6!!!

The story can often be confusing as the gods have this habit of changing their appearance depending on their emotions. The artwork is colorful and quite powerful. There are many excellent characters; my favorites being Hecate, Artemis and Hermes. It's a neat look at the gods and always an entertaining read. (4.0 stars)"

Currently Reading

1. 12 + 4 Challenge (Ursula K. Le Guin). The Complete Orsinia: Malafrena / Stories and Songs (2016).

"In a career spanning half a century, Ursula K. Le Guin has produced a body of work that testifies to her abiding faith in the power and art of words. She is perhaps best known for imagining future intergalactic worlds in brilliant books that challenge our ideas of what is natural and inevitable in human relations—and that celebrate courage, endurance, risk-taking, and above all, freedom in the face of the psychological and social forces that lead to authoritarianism and fanaticism. It is less well known that she first developed these themes in the richly imagined historical fiction collected in this volume, which inaugurates the Library of America edition of her works.

The Complete Orsinia gathers for the first time the entire body of work set in the imaginary central European nation of Orsinia: the early novel Malafrena, begun in the 1950s but not published until 1979, the related stories originally published in Orsinian Tales (1976), and additional stories and songs. In a new introduction written for this volume, Le Guin describes the breakthrough that led to her first novel: “Most of what I read drew me to write about Europe; but I knew it was foolhardy to write fiction set in Europe if I’d never been there. At last it occurred to me that I might get away with it by writing about a part of Europe where nobody had been but me.” So Orsinia was established, a country, like its near neighbors Czechoslovakia, Poland, and Romania, with a long and vivid history of oppression, art, and revolution.

An epic meditation on the meaning of hope and freedom, love and duty, Malafrena takes place from 1825 to 1830, when Orsinia is a part of the Austrian empire. Itale Sorde, the idealistic heir to Val Malafrena, an estate in the rural western provinces, leaves home against his father’s wishes to work as a journalist in the cosmopolitan capital city of Krasnoy, where he plays an integral part in the revolutionary politics that are roiling Europe.

Thirteen additional stories trace the history of Orsinia from the twelfth century, when it first emerges as an independent kingdom, to 1989, when its repressive Stalinist government falls in an Orsinian Velvet Revolution. The poem “Folksong from the Montayna Province,” Le Guin’s first published work, joins two never before published songs in the Orsinian language.

The volume also features a newly researched chronology of Le Guin’s life and career, and detailed notes. The beautiful full-color endpaper map of Orsinia is drawn by Le Guin herself."

2. My Series Challenge - Starting, continuing and finishing any series. Look to the Lady by Margery Allingham (Albert Campion #3 / 1931).

"Finding himself the victim of a botched kidnapping attempt, Val Gyrth suspects that he might be in a spot of trouble. Unexpected news to him – but not to the mysterious Mr. Campion, who reveals that the ancient Chalice entrusted to Val’s family is being targeted by a ruthless ring of thieves."

3. My Non-Series Challenge - Any genre. Oath and Honor; A Memoir and a Warning by Liz Cheney (2023). What I've read so far has been so scary.

"A gripping first-hand account from inside the halls of Congress as Donald Trump and his enablers betrayed the American people and the Constitution--leading to the violent attack on our Capitol on January 6th, 2021—by the House Republican leader who dared to stand up to it.

 
In the aftermath of the 2020 presidential election, Donald Trump and many around him, including certain other elected Republican officials, intentionally breached their oath to the they ignored the rulings of dozens of courts, plotted to overturn a lawful election, and provoked a violent attack on our Capitol.   Liz Cheney, one of the few Republican officials to take a stand against these efforts, witnessed the attack first-hand, and then helped lead the Congressional Select Committee investigation into how it happened. In Oath and Honor , she tells the story of this perilous moment in our history, those who helped Trump spread the stolen election lie, those whose actions preserved our constitutional framework, and the risks we still face."

4. Tome Challenge - Any book over 500 pages. The White Road by John Connolly (Charlie Parker #4  / 2003). Very interesting so far.

"John Connolly thrilled readers with his bestselling novels, "Every Dead Thing, Dark Hollow," and "The Killing Kind." Now he delivers spellbinding suspense as Charlie Parker races to unravel a brutal crime committed in the Deep South. After years of suffering unfathomable pain and guilt over the murders of his wife and daughter, private detective Charlie Parker has finally found some measure of peace. As he and his lover, Rachel, are awaiting the birth of their first child and settling into an old farmhouse in rural Maine, Parker has found the kind of solace often lost to those who have been touched by true evil.

But darkness soon descends when Parker gets a call from Elliot Norton, an old friend from his days as a detective with the NYPD. Now practicing law in Charleston, South Carolina, Elliot is defending a young black man accused of raping and killing his white girlfriend, the daughter of a powerful Southern millionaire. Reluctantly, Parker agrees to help Elliot and by doing so ventures into a living nightmare, a bloody dreamscape haunted by the specter of a hooded woman and a black car waiting for a passenger who never arrives. Beginning as an investigation into a young woman's death, it is a fast-moving descent into an abyss where forces conspire to destroy all that Parker holds dear."

5. Monthly Focus Authors (one author each month whose books stack my shelves) February - Adam Hall. The 9th Directive (Quiller #2 / 1966).

"The setting is Thailand. A very important representative of the Queen is scheduled to visit Bangkok on a good-will tour. A threat has been made against his life, and somewhere amidst the golden spires awaits a deadly assassin.

The top-secret British espionage bureau feels ordinary security precautions are not sufficient, so they call in agent Quiller. He's a cynical loner, but the only man capable of tracking down the would-be killer. The tale is complex, set at a breathless pace!"

For Janice - Books Part 20 (The Final Post and then we get back to regularly scheduled posting)

The bottom left shelves to finish off

It's a rainy Saturday so while Jo watches episodes of Chicago PD, it's the perfect time to finish off this thread. For the final post, I'll check out the shelves at the bottom left, just behind the desk drawers. 

Close up of the very bottom shelf

Working alphabetically from bottom to top.

1. Left side, bottom row, back. Mostly mysteries here. Starting with a bit of classical fiction from Somerset Maugham. I have liked his story telling in other books. Then one by Archer Mayor (a crime series set in Vermont). Then 4 or 5 by Ed McBain. I like his police procedurals, featuring the 87th Precinct in a fictional city. I have read Robert McCammon's A Boy's Life, an excellent coming of age kind of horror story. Mine looked interesting. Val McDermid writes the Tony Hill psychological crime series and also a few others. Always good value for money. Julie McElwain is a new author for me. This is the first book in a time travel mystery series. James Melville is another new author, who writes the Inspector Otani mystery series. I've talked about Margaret Millar before, a Canadian mystery writer who has to be one of my all time favorite author in the genre. I keep finding more of her books. I eventually hope to read all of her books. I have read one of Magdalen Nabb's Inspector Guarnaccia's mystery series. It was ok. I hope to explore the series more. I thought I'd read one of Lillian O'Donnell's Norah Mulcahaney mystery series, but I guessed wrong. She is another new author for me. I bought the first two Emily Kenyon books by Gregg Olsen but have yet to try them. One day I'll either do so or just give up. Baroness Orczy wrote the Scarlet Pimpernel books. I've read one so far and also her Man in the Corner mystery series. Most enjoyable. Robert B. Parker wrote both the Spencer books and the Jesse Stone series. I've enjoyed a couple of the Spenser books very much, but still have to try Jesse Stone. I have watched the TV series starring Tom Selleck. Both Jo and I enjoyed that very much. The final two books in this row are a new author, Barbara Paul, author of both series and standalones. Kill Fee is one of her standalones. Finally there is Matthew Pearl, with historical mysteries. I've read The Dante Club and now have The Poe Shadow to try.

2. Left side, bottom row, front. Once again, mostly mysteries with a few Sci Fi thrown in. Starting with a few of Thomas Perry's Jane Whitefield thrillers. Jane helps people in trouble disappear. Very interesting. I've read two of Jean Potts' spy mysteries and enjoyed very much. She wrote mainly in the 50's and 60's. Next is Preston & Child who write the Agent Prendergast horror thriller series, e.g. Relic. I've not read any of the Ellery Queen mysteries but saw this book and thought it might worth a try. I discovered Kathy Reichs after reading some of Patricia Cornwell's Scarpetta and Karin Slaughter's Grant County forensic mysteries. Reichs created the Temperance Brennan series, set in South Carolina and Montreal. Very good series. Ruth Rendell writes the Inspector Wexford English mysteries and I'm just beginning to explore it. Now on to some Sci Fi with Mack Reynolds, a new author for me. Time Gladiator is part of his Joe Mauser series. Another new series next with J.D. Robb's (aka Norah Roberts) in Death series, a crime series set in the future. Sci Fi once again with one by Keith Roberts (new) and Kim Stanley Robinson (also new, but I will be reading another book by Robinson in my Tome challenge). Peter Robinson writes the DCI Banks mystery series, another excellent British series that was turned into a TV show. And then you've got to Holly Roth spy stories (just as good as Helen MacInnes and who I plan to continue to explore) and a fantasy by Patrick Rothfuss. I liked the first book in the Kingkiller series, even though I began it being somewhat intimidated by the number of pages.

3. Left side, 2nd bottom. There is more Sci Fi / Fantasy in this grouping, starting with a new author Brandon Sanderson and his Mistborn series. After that, back to mystery / thrillers with John Sanford's Prey series. I've enjoyed them so far and have a few on my shelf as you can see. After that with more Sci Fi and another new author, John Scalzi and the Old Man's War (I've heard great things about the series). Dell Shannon writes the Lt Mendoza police procedural. I've read one and it was so good. Somewhat like the 87th Precinct books. Next is another of my favorite all - time authors, Nevil Shute. He was such a wonderful story teller putting normal people in settings that make them shine. Pied Piper, The Far Country, On the Beach. I hope to read all of his books some day. Sci Fi next with Robert Silverberg (I'm not all that familiar with him) and Clifford Simak (I like him, although some of his books have been silly). My Simenon books are scattered throughout the house, depending on which publisher. The Maigret series is always excellent. Another new Sci fi author in Dan Simmons with the first book in his Hyperion series. A Martin Beck mystery by Maj Sjowall and the previously mentioned Karin Slaughter with some of her thrillers are next. Julie Smith writes two series that I've enjoyed, the Skip Langdon mysteries set in New Orleans and the Rebecca Schwartz series set in California. I didn't warm to her Talba Wallis series. The row finishes with another new Sci Fi author, Neal Stephenson. 

4. Left side, 3rd bottom, back. (The 2nd last row of books!) As I look at this 2nd last row, I think all but two books are mysteries. We'll see if I'm correct. The first ten are by Rex Stout, author of the Nero Wolfe mysteries. I think he is one of my focus authors in 2024 so I can make a dent in my collection. After that is John Straley with a PI series set in Alaska. I've read one and it's sort of mystical. Julian Symons wrote mystery series and standalones. I've enjoyed a couple of his books thus far. I've mentioned Peter Temple before. He is author of the Jack Irish, Australian mystery series, as well as standalone thrillers. Sheri S. Tepper is my one Sci Fi entry on this shelf. I found her Shadow's End to be such a unique story and I'm looking forward to exploring her work more. I've read a few of Josephine Tey's Inspector Grant mysteries. She wasn't prolific but they were interesting. Victoria Thompson writes the Gaslight mysteries set in early 1900's New York featuring mid-wife, Sarah Brandt. I'm working my way through the series and enjoying very much. Charles Todd writes the historical mystery series featuring Inspector Rutledge. I've enjoyed the first two so far. They are set after WWI. Arthur Upfield wrote his mystery series in Australia, featuring Aborigine Inspector Napoleon Bonaparte. I enjoyed my first exposure to the series and look forward to reading a few more. Janwillem van de Wetering writes a series with the Amsterdam cops, Grijpstra and de Gier that I've started. And finally is a new author for me, S.S. van Dine, a screenwriter and author of the Philo Vance murder mysteries, which you can regularly watch on TCM.

5. Left side, 3rd bottom, front. After I took this photo, I filed the last three books correctly. LOL. So let's see. Joan D, Vinge and Vernor Vinge are both Sci Fi authors, both new to me. In case you were wondering how I pick some books, quite often they are listed in the back of other books I'm enjoying. If they sound interesting as well, I'll try to find the books. Some favorite mystery writers next with Martin Walker, creator of the Bruno series set in France, Ruth Ware, who I'm just starting to get into (not sure how much I like her yet) and Minette Walters, whose standalones have always been unique. I hope to read all of her work some day as well. I've read two mysteries by Hillary Waugh, Last Seen Wearing and A Death in Town and they were both excellent, super character studies of people coping in crisis and during a police investigation. I'm looking forward to reading more of his work. I've only read one Charles Willeford mystery so far and it was kind of different. I'm looking forward to trying his Hoke Moseley series. Timothy Williams is another author whose work were listed in the back of a book, from the Soho Crime publications. He writes the Inspector Trotti series. I've been exploring Jack Williamson's Sci Fi books. He was one of the early writers in the genre. I've read some Sci Fi by Colin Wilson, The Space Vampires and The Mind Parasites and am looking forward to seeing what kind of mysteries he writes. Connie Willis writes the Oxford Time Travel series and I enjoyed the first book. Gene Wolfe is kind of different. I didn't enjoy his Shadow & Claw series but I liked a book of his short stories so I'm going to give him another try with Castleview. Cornel Woolrich was one of the first 'noir' mystery writers. He wrote the short story on which Alfred Hitchcock presented Rear Window. I like his style of writing. Two final books / authors. John Wyndham wrote so many of my favorite Sci Fi stories (I mentioned in an earlier post.). This collection of short stories might be interesting. And finally I've read one of Qiu Xiaolong's Inspector Chen mysteries. Number 2 awaits.

So there you go. I hope you didn't mind my self - indulgence too much? Back to normal posts for the next while. Enjoy your weekend.

For Janice - Books Part 19 (The Penultimate Post on this Subject.... until I do it next time)

So here we go with the 2nd last look at my book shelves. Today I look at the books on the left side of the cabinet, behind the closed doors.

1. Left side, bottom shelf, back row. (Once again, these books are stored alphabetically, with this row starting with the letter 'g'). It starts with 4 books by Erle Stanley Gardner of Perry Mason fame, I'm just getting into the series after enjoying rewatching the original TV series starring Raymond Burr. After that are 5 books by Jonathan Gash, mysteries featuring somewhat shady antique dealer Lovejoy. (Another TV series both Jo and I enjoyed immensely. Maybe Vision TV will start showing those shows). Next are 4 books by Michael Gilbert who wrote both mysteries, featuring Inspectors Hazelrigg and Petrella) and war stories. I've enjoyed both. After that, there is one Sci Fi story from Phyllis Gotlieb (Blue Apes) and 3 books by Caroline Graham, author of the Midsomer Murder books. After that are my continuation of the Poldark books by Winston Graham. I really enjoyed #1. The row finishes with a number of Inspector Jury mysteries by American author Martha Grimes. It's another excellent series, all centered around pubs.

2. Left side, bottom shelf, front row. About 3/4 of the books in this row were written by 2 authors, Jane Haddam (who writes the Gregor Demarkian mysteries - Demarkian is an ex - FBI profiler who now does detective work) and Adam Hall (author of the Quiller spy series. I'm focused on this series for my February Focus challenge). The row is finished off by a number of Steve Hamilton mysteries featuring Alex McKnight, a new series for me and one by John Harvey, author of the Charles Resnick and Frank Elder mysteries.

3. Left side, middle shelf, back row. Other than some horror / fantasy from James Herbert the remaining of the books in this row are mystery / thrillers. The first is the 1st book in the Dr. Fenimore series by Robin Hathaway. This is followed by 3 Jack Caffery thrillers by Mo Hayder and 4 books by James Herbert (fast becoming one of my favorite horror authors) including the final book in the Rats trilogy, Domain. You've got three classic mysteries by Georgette Heyer, 2 Sonora Blair mysteries by Lynn Hightower (I haven't been disappointed by any of the mysteries I've read by her so far), 2 Inspector Serrailler mysteries by Susan Hill, also author of a number of gothic horrors. The remaining 7 books in this row contain the excellent Navaho mysteries by Tony Hillerman.

4. Left side, middle shelf, front row. This row contains all mystery series. Alan Hunter wrote the Inspector George Gently series. The TV show is quite different from the books so far. Joe Ide is a new author for me, author of the IQ mystery series. Arnaldur Indridason writes the Inspector Erlendur mysteries set in Iceland. Hammond Innes wrote spy thrillers and Michael Innes is a new author for me, featuring Inspector Appleby with Death at the President's Lodgings as the first book in that series. The next 10 books are by P.D. James, of the Inspector Dalgleish books and also two featuring PI Cordelia Gray. I think James is another of my upcoming focus authors. The last book in this row is an Inspector Roy Grace mystery, set in Jo's old stomping grounds around Brighton, by Peter James and I think he will continue on the top shelf. We'll see, eh?

5. Left side, top shelf, back row. I've been proven wrong. The first book is a horror story by Jack Ketchum. I previously read his The Girl Next Door and it was unsettling. I've enjoyed the next series very much, the Kat Colorado mystery series by Karen Kijewski. (Kat is much like Kinsey Milhone. It's unfortunate that Kijewski just stopped writing the series after only nine books. Jonathan King has written 7 Max Freeman thrillers and 3 standalones. I did enjoy the 1st Freeman book. Hans Hellmut Kirst wrote anti war stories, many featuring Gunner Asch. He also wrote Night of the Generals which became a feature movie. The sequel, The Affairs of the Generals, is on my shelf. Janice Law writes the Anna Peters industrial spy series and the historical mystery series featuring painter Francis Bacon. Cross Check is the latest in the Anna Peters series. John Lawton writes the Inspector Troy mystery series and Elizabeth Lemarchand the Pollard and Troy mysteries, a new series for me. Next are two books by one of my favorite mystery writers, Donna Leon, Her Inspector Brunetti mystery series set in Venice has a bit of everything, neat mysteries, great food and wonderful characters. I have yet to try John Lescroart's Dismas Hardy legal series but I have heard good things about it. It may slip off the bookshelf if I don't get to it soon though. The next three books are by horror / Sci Fi author Ira Levin. The three books includes The Stepford Wives. Martin Limon writes a mystery series set in South Korea and featuring two US MP's. I really liked the setting and the 1st two stories. Peter Lovesey writes both the Inspector Diamond and the Sgt Cribb mystery series. Jonathan Maberry writes a couple of horror series, both gritty and high paced. John D. MacDonald writes the Travis McGee hard boiled mystery books and Ross Macdonald features PI Lew Archer.

6. Left side, top shelf, front row. I see I've got the first almost half of this row a bit mixed up, with a mixture of John D. MacDonald Travis McGee books mixed in with Ross Macdonald Lew Archer books and also Helen MacInnes cold war spy thrillers. You get the picture, eh? The next book by Charlotte MacLeod features another new author, creator of the Sarah Kelling & Max Bittersohn mysteries. The next six books are all Commander Gideon police procedurals by JJ Marric and the remainder are from another favorite mystery series of mine, the Inspector Roderick Alleyn mysteries by Ngaio Marsh. Lots to keep my happy.

So, just one more set of shelves to show you, maybe tomorrow. Hope you've gotten some reading ideas from this ongoing thread?