A Quarterly Reading Update.

As it's almost the end of  March 2024, I thought I'd review my reading for the 1st Quarter of 2024. Just a quickie. 

Some basic stats -

# of books read - 31.

By Challenge -

1. 12 + 4 Challenge (Books of Ursula K. Le Guin) - 6

2. Series Challenge - 11

3. Non - Series Challenge - 6

4. Tome Challenge (over 500 pages) - 2

5. Monthly Focus Author -

a. Jan - Agatha Christie - 3

b. Feb - Adam Hall - 1

c. Mar - Simon Brett - 2

Favorite Book - Very Far Away from Anywhere Else by Ursula K. Le Guin - 5 stars (my only 5 star read of 2024)

"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 CalTech, 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)"

Currently Reading

1. 12 + 4 Challenge - Ursula K. Le Guin - City of Illusions by Ursula K. Le Guin (Hainish Cycle #3 / 1967). This reminds me somewhat of Cormac McCarthy's The Road.

2. Series Challenge - Maddie Hatter and the Gilded Gauge by Jayne Barnard (Maddie Hatter #2 / 2017). A fun steampunk adventure from Canadian author Barnard. I'm just getting into it but it does involve umbrella dueling.

3. Non - Series Challenge - Twilight by Peter James (1991). A standalone mystery by the author of the Roy Grace books. It reminds me of the first Grace mystery, mainly because a body is buried while still alive. And the setting is still the Brighton area. Very tense.

Rubymusic - A Popular History of Women's Music and Culture by Connie Kuhns (2023). I saw this book in my local book store. It's a collection of essays and interviews by Canadian writer Connie Kuhns with women artists. Very interesting so far.

4. Tome Challenge - The Ministry for the Future by Kim Stanley Robinson (2020). A science fiction story dealing with climate change. I'm enjoying so far.

5. Monthly Focus - March - Simon Brett. Mrs, Presumed Dead (Mrs. Pargeter #2 / 1988). A nice cozy mystery so far. Widowed Mrs. Pargeter has moved into a new house and decides to investigate what has happened to the previous owner. I like it so far.

In the Hopper

(My possible next selections)

1. 12 + 4 Challenge - Ursula K. Le Guin. Tales from Earthsea (Earthsea Cycle #5 / 2001).

"Five stories of Ursula K. Le Guin's world-renowned realm of Earthsea are collected in one volume. Featuring two classic stories, two original tales, and a brand-new novella, as well as new maps and a special essay on Earthsea's history, languages, literature, and magic.

The Finder
Darkrose and Diamond
The Bones of the Earth
On the High Marsh
Dragonfly"

2. Series Challenge. Six Ostriches by Philipp Schott (Dr. Bannerman #2 / 2023). The 2nd book in the Vet mystery series set near Winnipeg Manitoba.

"It’s springtime in rural Manitoba, and the snow has finally left the exotic animal farm when an ostrich finds and swallows a shiny object. (Because this is what ostriches do.) Cue veterinarian and amateur sleuth Dr. Peter Bannerman, who surgically removes the object, which looks like an ancient Viking artifact. Soon after, people around are horrified by a series of animal mutilations. This sets Peter, and his talented sniffer dog, Pippin, on the hunt for answers. Peter begins to suspect a link between the Viking artifact, the mutilations, and a shadowy group of white supremacists on the internet.

Before long Peter and Pippin are in over their heads, and the only way for them to get out alive will be to unmask the mastermind before they end up among their victims."

3. Non-Series Challenge. The Confidential Agent by Graham Greene (1939). This would also qualify as a dusty read as I've had it resting on my bookshelf since 2012.

"In a small continental country civil war is raging. Once a lecturer in medieval French, now a confidential agent, D is a scarred stranger in a seemingly casual England, sent on a mission to buy coal at any price. Initially, this seems to be a matter of straightforward negotiation, but soon, implicated in murder, accused of possessing false documents and theft, held responsible for the death of a young woman, D becomes a hunted man, tormented by allegiances, doubts and the love of others."

4. Tome Challenge. Gone by Mo Hayder (Jack Caffery #5 / 2010). This isn't being read in sequence.

"When a car is taken by force, with an eleven-year-old girl inside, Detective Jack Caffery knows this is a carjacking unlike any other. Sergeant Flea Marley, head of the Police Underwater Search Unit, has a theory that the car-jacker is far more dangerous than everyone thinks. Soon the perpetrator will choose another car with another child in the back seat…"

5. Monthly Focus Author - April - P.D. James. Unnatural Causes (Adam Dalgliesh #3 / 1967). I've enjoyed every book in this series up to now. Always intelligent, thoughtful, well-written.

"Superintendent Adam Dalgliesh had been looking forward to a quiet holiday at his aunt's cottage on Monksmere Head. But Dalgliesh had reckoned without the macabre discovery of the handless corpse of crime-writer Maurice Seton."

New Books - One new book since my last update so here it is.

1. Robodog by David Walliams (2023). I just finished Spaceboy by Walliams and enjoyed it very much.

"Enter a world of superheroes and villains in this action-packed comic caper from No.1 bestselling author David Walliams – and meet Robodog: the future of crime fighting!

Welcome to the city of Bedlam. Enter if you dare!

Bedlam is one of the most dangerous places on Earth – home to a host of wicked villains. Nothing and nobody is safe from these evil criminals. The city needs its own superhero to defeat the supervillains. But who?

Robodog!

He’s the newest recruit at the Police Dog School, and supercharged for adventure. But can he stop the most feared duo in Bedlam, and their evil plans to ruin the city . . .?"

Enjoy the rest of your week and of March!

And.... Another Saturday Post

Not much going on today. Weather is a mix of mizzy rain and sunshine. Watched some Blue Jays this morning and also some World Figure Skating Championships. Now it's the Semis of the Women's World Curling Championships - Canada vs South Korea and Italy vs Switzerland. GO CANADA!

So before I take the dogs out for mid afternoon walk, let's do a reading and new book update.

Just Finished

I've completed two books since my last update.

1. The Complete Orsinia: Malafrena / Stories and Songs by Ursula K. Le Guin (2016). Part of my ongoing look at the work of Ursula K. Le Guin.

"This year I've been focusing on the writing of Ursula K. Le Guin. I've decided that one of my bucket list items will be to try and read as much of her writing as possible. My online book club has various reading challenges and one I've selected is to read 16 of her books. The majority will be in the Hainish Cycle and the Earthsea stories, but I've also picked some of her other books / series. The Complete Orsinia: Malafrena / Stories and Songs is the complete stories of Le Guin's Orsinia collection, as collated by the US Library of Congress. OK, enough of my plans for 2024. 😊

When Le Guin was just beginning to consider a career as an author, the authors that interested her the most were European and Russian authors. But how for a west coast girl to write about Europe? That was her dilemma and it took her a number of years to get into her work. In the meantime, she had Sci Fi short stories and some of her first novels published. But Orsinia was the story she wanted to write. So Le Guin, rather than try to set a story in an existing European country, decided to create her own country and that country became Orsinia, a nation of 10 regions under the influence of the Austro - Hungarian empire.  The compilation by the Library of Congress consists of the novel, Malafrena, a chapter of songs and finally a collection of short stories; Orsinian Tales and Other stories. Finally there is an interesting chronology of Le Guin's life; where she lived, when the various novels and other stories were written and published.

So, onto the stories. Malafrena is a town in the southeast of Orsinia. The story follows various people in the Sorde family. Their estate is in Malafrena. The son, Itale, is away at seminary school and rather than move back to Malafrena to help take over his father's estate, decides to move to the capital Krasnoy, where he wants to join the revolution. This causes his father to disown him. The story moves from the estate and the family there and back to Krasnoy where Itale and his college friends try to run a newspaper under the constant overlook of the censors. The story moves around Orsinia as Itale tries to find other people to help with their revolution. He ends up in a prison for a few years in an eastern district, Polana. This allows other characters, sister Laura, her friend Piera and others to develop. 

I'm making it sound like a simple story but there are many levels to it. You've got the development of the main characters and their ideas on freedom and thought. You've got various love stories - will they or won't they? And you've got the history of Orsinia going on in the background, placing it within the context of what is happening around it, in Austria, France (the French Revolution). As I got into it, the story became richer and more interesting. It's a different style of writing than I was used to from Le Guin.... different but similar, I guess would be more accurate. Historical fiction vice Sci Fi / Fantasy, maybe.

Then you have the various short stories, all set in Orsinia and many featuring ancestors or children and grandchildren of the characters in Malafrena. They are varied and different; some I liked more than others but all were interesting and enjoyable. Did I have any favorites? Brothers and Sisters, which moved from one family to another and the relationships between the various families was excellent (and in Notes on the Texts portion there is a fascinating portion from one of Le Guin's brothers who talks about the ideas in the story). Imaginary Countries deals with a family closing down their summer home to move back to the city. The interactions between the children and their parents and the feelings about their country home is wonderful. It's a lovely story. Two Delays on the Northern Line was also excellent; a man dealing with the death of his mother and wife and how the end of his train trip seems to solve his emotional loss. 

Le Guin is one of those unique writers. There is a sparseness to her writing but at the same time her stories are rich in detail. I always have a reaction to her stories, whether fiction, poetry, Sci-Fi or fantasy. She is equally comfortable writing novels or short stories. Onward to my next story, City of Illusions, back to Sci Fi with #3 in her Hainish Cycle. (4.0 stars)"

2. Murder in the Museum by Simon Brett (Fethering #4 / 2003). Brett is my March focus author.

"Murder in the Museum is the 4th book in the Fethering mystery series by English author Simon Brett. It's been awhile since I visited the southeast coast of England and saw what crime-solving friends Carrie and Jude are up to. 

In this story, Carrie has just been asked to sit on the Board of the house of English poet Esmund Chadleigh. The Director of the Brackett's trust, Gina Locke, had asked her to fill the vacant position, because of Carrie's past experience as a civil servant. Gina hopes to change the home, Bracketts, into a museum. She hopes by adding Carrie to the board that she might have a supporting voice in her efforts.

It's a fractious board, all with their own ideas. And into the mix is the ex-Director and also ex-Board member, one Sheila Cartwright, who still wants to exert her powerful influence on the Board's agenda. As well, creeping into the mix is a biographer, American Marla Teischbaum who wants to write a biography of Esmund. This is upsetting to Esmund's nephew who has been struggling to write his own biography of his uncle.

So there you go... Oh wait, this is a murder mystery after all. A body is found on the grounds by one of the volunteer workers, on the sight of the spot where they are preparing the groundwork for the new museum. Sheila tries to control the narrative of this event, basically taking over from Gina. Keep the press out of it!

In the meantime, Carole's neighbour and best friend, Jude, is helping out at the local detention center, teaching her alternative therapies to the prisoners. (It's a low security facility) One of the prisoners, Mervyn, was one of the volunteers who discovered the body as he works at Brackett's on a work-release program. Mervyn is suspected of the murder of the body and confesses, although it turns out the body has been in place about 50 years.

A final twist  is that an old beau of Jude, Laurence Hauker, who happens to study English literature, shows up to rekindle the old flame. He's a hard drinking / smoking man, whose health is suspect. He will help with the investigation, adding his insights into the history and career of Chadleigh.

So there is the gist. Carole and Jude will work together and also conduct their own individual investigations into the mysterious body and the secrets of Bracketts and the Chadleigh family. Carole is somewhat jealous of Jude's distraction as she likes to feed off of Jude's ideas, use her as a sounding board. There turn out to be many secrets in the Chadleigh family. There will be other death(s). 

It's a lovely, meandering, interesting story with lots of suspects. The interactions between Carole and Jude are the highlight of course but their relationships with the other characters enrich the plot. Friction abounds. Strong personalities rub each other the wrong way. A nice cozy mystery and it's been too long since I last was at Fethering. Lovely place. 😁 (3.5 stars)"

Currently Reading

1. City of Illusions by Ursula K. Le Guin (Hainish Cycle #3 / 1967).

"He was a fully grown man, alone in dense forest, with no trail to show where he had come from and no memory to tell who — or what — he was.

His eyes were not the eyes of a human. The forest people took him in and raised him almost as a child, teaching him to speak, training him in forest lore, giving him all the knowledge they had. But they could not solve the riddle of his past, and at last he had to set out on a perilous quest to Es Toch, the City of the Shining, the Liars of Earth, the Enemy of Mankind.

There he would find his true self ... and a universe of danger."

2. Rubymusic - A Popular History of Women's Music and Culture by Connie Kuhns (2024).

"In  Rubymusic , award-winning journalist and broadcaster Connie Kuhns takes readers on an explosive journey through the Pacific Northwest’s groundbreaking women’s music scene in the 80s and 90s.

When journalist Connie Kuhns approached Vancouver Cooperative Radio in 1981 to host a music program dedicated solely to playing music by women, there was some doubt at the station that there was enough music by women to fill half an hour—and besides, who would tune in? Such was the underground nature of women’s music. Despite the doubters, Rubymusic became a successful program, running for fifteen years, introducing listeners to countless artists through radio, magazines, and newspaper columns and on stage at Vancouver’s annual Folk Music Fest, and serving as a powerful platform for the feminist movements taking place in Vancouver’s punk scene and throughout music history in the 80s and 90s. Rubymusic also served as the launching pad for Kuhns’ life-long passion—the preservation of the histories and stories of the women with whom she crossed paths on the airwaves. Here is a time capsule of a pivotal moment in women’s music history, with special emphasis on the women’s music movement in Canada, including the only written history of the women involved in Vancouver’s punk rock scene."

3. Mrs, Presumed Dead by Simon Brett (Mrs. Pargeter #2 / 1988).

"Living in a house where a murder had taken place did give a certain social cachet...’

Intrepid detective Mrs Pargeter, sixty something (and a little bit more) has risked almost everything with a daring move to the well to do housing estate of Smithy’s Loam. Yet something rankles about her new neighbours...

Do they all have to behave as if a body in the fridge is a perfectly normal event? Does every bored and lonely housewife have a guilty secret behind the fixed smiles and the endless round of coffee mornings?"

New Books

1. The Unreal & the Real, Volume 1 by Ursula K. Le Guin (2012). Part of my ongoing Le Guin bucket list.

"The Unreal and the Real is a two-volume collection of stories, selected by Ursula Le Guin herself, and spans the spectrum of fiction from realism through magical realism, satire, science fiction, surrealism and fantasy. Volume One, WHERE ON EARTH, focuses on Le Guin's interest in realism and magical realism and includes 18 of her satirical, political and experimental earthbound stories. Highlights include WORLD FANTASY and HUGO AWARD-winner 'Buffalo Gals, Won't You Come Out Tonight', the rarely reprinted satirical short, 'The Lost Children', JUPITER AWARD-winner, 'The Diary of the Rose' and the title story of her PULITZER PRIZE finalist collection 'Unlocking the Air'."

2. The Unreal & the Real, Volume 2 by Ursula K. Le Guin (2012).

"THE UNREAL AND THE REAL is a two-volume collection of stories, selected by Ursula Le Guin herself, and spans the spectrum of fiction from realism through magical realism, satire, science fiction, surrealism and fantasy.

Volume Two, OUTER SPACE, INNER LANDS, showcases Le Guin's acclaimed stories of the fantastic, originally appearing in publications as varied as AMAZING STORIES, PLAYBOY, the NEW YORKER and OMNI, and contains 20 stories, including modern classics such as the HUGO Award-winning 'The Ones Who Walk Away From Omelas', NEBULA-nominee 'Nine Lives'; JAMES TIPTREE, JR MEMORIAL AWARD-winner (and HUGO and NEBULA-nominee) 'The Matter of Seggri'; NEBULA AWARD-winner 'Solitude'; and the secret history 'Sur', which was nominated for the HUGO AWARD and included in THE BEST AMERICAN SHORT STORIES."

3. The Blotting Book by E.F. Benson (1908). A new author for me.

"And in a copse close by to where the body of the murdered man was found had been discovered a thick bludgeon of a stick, broken it would seem by some violent act, into two halves. On the top half was rudely cut with a pen-knife M. ASSHE . . . What was puzzling, however, was the apparent motive of robbery about the crime."

4. The Education of Hyman Kaplan by Leo Rosten (1937). I read this book back in my high school days. It's fantastic. I wanted to read it again.

"The humorous adventures of Hyman Kaplan, the irrepressible student at the American Night Preparatory School for Adults, and his personal war with the English language. A classic work of American humor."

5. Max in the House of Spies; A Book of World War II by Adam Gidwitz (2024). This looked interesting. And I loved the cover.

"Max Bretzfeld doesn’t want to move to London.

Leaving home is hard and Max is alone for the first time in his life. But not for long. Max is surprised to discover that he’s been joined by two unexpected traveling companions, one on each shoulder, a kobold and a dybbuk named Berg and Stein.

Germany is becoming more and more dangerous for Jewish families, but Max is determined to find a way back home, and back to his parents. He has a plan to return to Berlin. It merely involves accomplishing the becoming a British spy.

Thought-provoking historical fiction with a dash of magic, Max in the House of Spies is a World War II story as only acclaimed storyteller Adam Gidwitz can tell it—fast-paced, hilarious, and filled with heart."

6. Saga, Vol 7 by Brian K. Vaughan (2017). One of my favorite graphic novel series.

"From the worldwide bestselling team of Fiona Staples and Brian K. Vaughan, “The War for Phang” is an epic, self-contained Saga event! Finally reunited with her ever-expanding family, Hazel travels to a war-torn comet that Wreath and Landfall have been battling over for ages. New friendships are forged and others are lost forever in this action-packed volume about families, combat and the refugee experience.

Collects: Saga #37-42."

There you go. I'll continue with my ongoing look at women authors in my next post. Enjoy your weekend.

It's a Sunny Saturday

It's Saturday and we actually have the patio doors open. It's a mite cool but still nice to have the fresh air. I went for a walk this morning. I do need to get back in the saddle as I've put on a fair bit of weight. 

We're being a bit lazy so I thought I'd do a quick update. So far in March I've completed 8 books. Below are my latest since my last update.

Just Finished

1. Don't Mess with Mrs. In-Between by Liz Evans (PI Grace Smith #3 / 2015). I'm really enjoying this series. Unfortunately it seems she only wrote six in the series, the last being in 2005.

"Don't Mess with Mrs In-Between is the 3rd book in the Grace Smith mystery series by English author Liz Evans. The first two books were Who Killed Marilyn Monroe? and JFK is Missing! Grace Smith is a PI who works for a small detective agency, Vetch (the letch) (International) Associates Inc (don't be fooled by the firm name, it's piddly) in the coastal town of Seatoun. The firm basically consists of Vetch, Grace Smith, Annie (Grace's best friend and also one of the firm's PI's) and Janice, the recalcitrant secretary.

Vetch assigns Grace a strange case. Barbra Delaney has taken photos of 3 people coming out of a corner shop in the nearby town of St Biddy's. Not wanting to leave anything to her son in her will (family feud), she wants Grace to find out who the 3 people are, investigate them and then tell Barbra whether they are suitable for sharing Barbra's estate.

So, somewhat unwillingly, Grace takes the assignment and begins her investigation. All sorts of things will happen. Her flat will be turned over, the office will as well. Someone will be murdered. Grace will celebrate her 30th birthday.... sadly. She will have a relationship but is the young man who he seems to be? Best friend Annie is considering moving to a new firm in the London. And Grace has to travel around using Vetch's old auntie's bicycle because she can't user her own car. So either cycling or cadging rides, Grace finds herself in a convoluted case, where people smuggling, female impersonators and so many other things crop up.

It's all very fascinating. Grace is a cross between Kinsey Milhone, Kat Colorado and Stephanie Plum. She's an ex-cop who left under a cloud of suspicion and her relationship with the police is always somewhat confrontational. She doesn't mind bending the rules a bit to achieve her case. But she's always interesting, intelligent and able to work through the weeds to solve her case. The story is funny, dangerous and just enjoyable to read. Don't get caught up too much with the twists and turns. Just enjoy the seaside, the characters and the story. (4.0 stars)"

2. The White Road by John Connolly (Charlie Parker #4 / 2002). My second book in this chilling series. 

"The White Road is the 4th book in the PI Charlie Parker, mystery / thriller series by John Connolly. It's the 2nd book I've read in the series and while there is a back story taking place, not having read #'s 2 & 3 didn't affect my understanding of what was going on or my enjoyment of the story.

Charlie is living in Maine with his pregnant girlfriend, Rachel. An old friend, Elliot Norton, calls him and asks for his help in a case he is representing down in South Carolina. A young black man, is being tried for the rape and murder of a white woman and Elliot is having difficulties with the local white supremacist movement and needs help. Against his better judgement, Charlie agrees to go. He asks two friends. Louis and Angel, to come and provide him some physical assistance.

Also, in Maine, a cult leader who had damaged both Angel and Louis in a previous story (I think, anyway) is coming up for parole. There is something very dark about him, something 'spiritual'? The white supremacists from South Carolina are helping him with legal assistance as they want him in their group. 

Oh yes, another guy getting out of prison in Maine, Cyrus, has some dark secrets and he wants to 'share' them with Rachel. Charlie has asked a friend to come up from New York to keep an eye on things while he is gone.

So that's the gist of the story. It's a rambling dark tale that moves from Charlie to Louis and Angel and a few others. It's dark, tense, dangerous and at times horrific. Bodies will ultimately start falling out of the trees... (well, maybe an exaggeration but there are a few). An evil history will come out, even involving Charlie's friend Elliot. There will be betrayal, 'evil spirits' and some twisted violence. It's a story that really draws you in but also might repel you. The bad folks are really evil and dangerous. Charlie and his friends are constantly in danger but they are also dangerous themselves and pretty darned competent. 

Fascinating story that will give you the shivers but the ending is fairly satisfying. It's one of the better thriller series I've tried and I'll get back to those I've missed to clear up this back story. (If I dare) (4.0 stars)"

3. Spaceboy by David Walliams (2022). A new author for me, although I am familiar with  his work as an actor / comedian on Little Britain.

"Spaceboy is a fun adventure story for new readers by comedian / actor David Walliams (Think Little Britain). It seems that Walliams has become quite a prolific author of children's novels.

Spaceboy features orphan Ruth, her 3-legged dog Yuri (named after famed Russian cosmonaut Yuri Gagarin). Ruth lost her parents when she was young and she now has to live Aunt Dorothy. Ruth wants to go to outer space. Yuri found a broken telescope and Ruth fixed it and now spends her evenings watching the stars. 

One night a flying saucer crash lands on Dorothy's property. And this begins a wild adventure as Ruth, Yuri (btw, Ruth fashioned a 4th leg out of an old egg whisk for Yuri) and Spaceboy try to escape, Dorothy, the local donut eating sheriff and scads of radiation suited soldiers. They will be captured, brought to the White House and then to NASA with a Dr. Strangelove like scientist.

It's a very fun adventure, with great drawings by Adam Stower. It has a bit of a feel of Roald Dahl to it. Ruth is a wonderful girl, strong, imaginative and spunky. Yuri is so cute and her faithful friend. And Spaceboy... well, look for a surprise. All in all, a great story for young folks beginning to explore the world of books. They'll love it. (4.0 stars)"

Currently Reading

1. The Ministry for the Future by Kim Stanley Robinson (2020). A new Sci Fi author for me. This is the 3rd book in my Tome Challenge.

"The Ministry for the Future is a masterpiece of the imagination, using fictional eyewitness accounts to tell the story of how climate change will affect us all. Its setting is not a desolate, postapocalyptic world, but a future that is almost upon us. Chosen by Barack Obama as one of his favorite books of the year, this extraordinary novel from visionary science fiction writer Kim Stanley Robinson will change the way you think about the climate crisis." I like the technique of using eyewitness accounts to tell the story. Reminds of World War Z  and Warday. Both excellent books.

2. Maddie Hatter and the Gilded Gauge by Jayne Barnard (Maddie Hatter #2 / 2017). Jo and I met Jayne two years ago and she brought me all three of the Maddie Hatter trilogy. This is the next book in my series challenge.

"A mysterious message from a midnight duelist sends fashion reporter Maddie Hatter to New York's finest parasol dueling academy, where she foils a daring daylight kidnapping.

The grateful rescuee, only daughter of an American Steamlord, offers Maddie a job as her bodyguard. Soon both young ladies are up to their lace gloves in industrial intrigue and irrepressible street urchins.

Maddie's clockwork bird faces danger too: hungry owls, curious inventors, even a clockwork foe that hides sneaky tricks behind its jewel-green eyes.

From the mansions of Park Avenue to the Statue of Liberty, Maddie hunts a fearless spy and confronts an unexpected power from her past."

New Books

1. Rubymusic: A Popular History of Women's Music and Culture by Connie Kuhns (2023). A new author for me.

"In  Rubymusic , award-winning journalist and broadcaster Connie Kuhns takes readers on an explosive journey through the Pacific Northwest’s groundbreaking women’s music scene in the 80s and 90s.

When journalist Connie Kuhns approached Vancouver Cooperative Radio in 1981 to host a music program dedicated solely to playing music by women, there was some doubt at the station that there was enough music by women to fill half an hour—and besides, who would tune in? Such was the underground nature of women’s music. Despite the doubters, Rubymusic became a successful program, running for fifteen years, introducing listeners to countless artists through radio, magazines, and newspaper columns and on stage at Vancouver’s annual Folk Music Fest, and serving as a powerful platform for the feminist movements taking place in Vancouver’s punk scene and throughout music history in the 80s and 90s. Rubymusic also served as the launching pad for Kuhns’ life-long passion—the preservation of the histories and stories of the women with whom she crossed paths on the airwaves. Here is a time capsule of a pivotal moment in women’s music history, with special emphasis on the women’s music movement in Canada, including the only written history of the women involved in Vancouver’s punk rock scene."

2. Silverwing: The Graphic Novel by Kenneth Oppel (2023).

"A small bat blown off course makes the perilous journey home with new friends in the adventurous middle grade odyssey from award-winning author Kenneth Oppel—this bestselling story is now available in graphic novel format!

Shade the young silverwing bat may be the runt of his colony, but he’s determined to prove himself on the long, dangerous winter migration to Hibernaculum—millions of wingbeats to the south. Too soon, his hopes are dashed when a fierce storm catches Shade in its grasp. Driven far from the others by the unforgiving winds, Shade is left alone.

On his journey back to his family, Shade meets other winged loners. Marina is a Brightwing bat with a strange metal band on her leg, Zephyr the mystical albino bat has an unusual gift, and Goth the carnivorous vampire bat is the largest bat Shade has ever seen. Shade will need all the help he can get if he hopes to reunite with his colony, but with a long and perilous flight ahead, how will he know who to trust?"

Women Authors Whose Works I've Been Enjoying - Valerie Taylor

Valerie Taylor

Valerie Taylor was an American author who lived from 1913 (born in Aurora Illinois) - 1997 (died in Tucson, Arizona. She was one of the authors who published in the lesbian pulp fiction genre. I've tried 3 of her books.

1. Return to Lesbos (1963). 

"Return to Lesbos is Valerie Taylor's sequel to her Stranger on Lesbos. Stranger left protagonist Frances Ollenfield, who had left her husband Bill, for a lesbian relationship, back with her husband. She had received a beating from a woman she'd picked up. In Return, Frances has been living with Bill for a year since her previous experiences and Bill is moving them to a small town outside Chicago due a promotion.

Frances goes with him but lives a loveless life with Bill. She knows she is a lesbian but had promised herself to give her marriage one more try. In this town she discovers a book store run by homosexual, Vince, who immediately takes to Frances. She also briefly meets Erika Frohmann, a young woman who Vince has taken under his wing. Erika had been involved with Kate but that relationship ended tragically.

So there is your story. Will Frances make the difficult decision either to stay with her husband or will she pursue Erika, who has immediately attracted her? I guess in some ways it's a simple story but Taylor tells it caringly and gently. The tension between Bill and Frances is palpable. Frances is more independent now than in the first story but even with her strong feelings towards Erika, she still has to make a difficult decision; stay or go. 

Vince was a highlight for me, a wonderful, sensitive character, looking after Erika but wanting her and Frances to be happy. The priest that Frances meets was also a pleasant surprise. It's a very short story, but told delicately and lovingly. (4 stars)"

2. The Girls in 3-B (1959).

"A couple of years ago I discovered The Feminist Press and their Femmes Fatales 'women write pulp' series. It introduced me to writers such as Vera Caspary, Evelyn Piper and Valerie Taylor. I first read Taylor's Stranger on Lesbos. She was noted as an author in the lesbian pulp fiction genre. The Girls in 3-B is my second look at her work.

Annice, Pat and Barby are three friends living in a small farm community. For their own differing reasons, they want to move to the big city, Chicago. Annice is bored with farm living and wants to explore the arts and life in the big city. Barby wants to get away from home from a childhood trauma. Pat wants a career in the big city. The three share an apartment, 3-B, in Chicago. Annice starts as a student trying to improve her poetry. Barby's father, who has a strange relationship with his daughter, gets her a job in a department store. Pat gets a job with a book publisher.

Their lives diverge quite rapidly. Annice, even though she is sort of dating Jackson, a student at the college, gets involved with a 'Beatnik', Alan and begins to explore sex an drugs. Barby is raped by the apartment manager and finds herself stressed and more and more under his control. Pat has a deep crush on the editor of the publishing company.

The story follows the three, developing their characters nicely. Many powerful themes are approached and discussed, child abuse, abortion, incest, lesbian relationships, drugs. Considering the story was originally written in 1959, they must have been more powerful. The pulp publishers seemed to have much more freedom than the movies and TV and more conservative publishing companies. Taylor approaches these themes delicately without too much titillation. It's an interesting, different story, maybe a gritty Harlequin in some ways but dealing with strong issues. I enjoyed reading it. I liked the Introduction description of the pulp authors and I enjoyed the Afterword, covering Taylor's life. I also liked the ending. (4 stars)"

3. Stranger on Lesbos (1960).

"I first heard of Valerie Taylor when I bought another book, Bunny Lake is Missing by Evelyn Piper. The edition I bought was published by The Feminist Press. I began looking for some of the other authors that they published; Dorothy Hughes - In a Lonely Place, Vera Caspary - Laura (I found this one). Anyway, I also managed to find Stranger on Lesbos this past weekend.

Valerie Taylor was a leading light in the lesbian pulp fiction genre of the late '50s and '60s. Stranger in Lesbos was her fourth book, published initially in 1960. It's a simple story really. Frances, a 1950s housewife, finds herself in a boring marriage, ignored by her husband and stuck in a stifling suburban life. She takes a course at university, deciding to work on the degree she never finished due to her marriage. At her first class she meets Bake and an attraction develops rapidly. 

Even though still married, she finds herself exploring the lesbian world, her deep attraction and love for Bake enticing her to spend more and more time with her. The book deals with her dilemma, whether to stay in her current family situation or follow her heart and leave her husband. It's a difficult story to rate, but suffice it to say that it is a thoughtful, interesting story; one of love and difficult decision - making. Taylor further explored Frances' life in some of her future books. (3 stars)"

You can read more about Valerie Taylor at this wiki link. Check it out.

Enjoy the rest of your weekend.

A Monday Update

Jo is working today because her boss was curling in a competition on the mainland over the weekend so she said she'd work today. Monday is a short day so I'll go get her around 3ish. The Blue Jays spring training game just finished so I've time for a quick update before I do a few chores.

Just Finished

I completed 2 books since my last update.

1. An Amateur Corpse by Simon Brett (Charles Paris #4 / 1978). Brett is my March focus author. I hope to read 3 or 4 of his mysteries.

"An Amateur Corpse is the 4th book in the Charles Paris mystery series by English author Simon Brett, one of 3 of his mystery series that I'm enjoying. Charles Paris is a struggling actor who gets involved in mysteries in each story. Simple, eh? Yup.

In this story, Charles is helping his best friend Hugo Mecken. Hugo is an ad executive who has provided Charles with an excellent opportunity to get into voice work. As a result Charles agreed to act as a critic for the Back Stager's production of The Seagull. The Back Stagers are an amateur troupe who present works and it so happens that Hugo's wife, Charlotte had the lead role.

Unfortunately, Charlotte, who is one of the few actual talents in the play, will end up murdered and Hugo will be arrested and also will confess to the murder. Relations between the two have been tense and Hugo has been drinking himself senseless. While Hugo can't actually remember committing the act, he figures he probably did and in any event doesn't actually care.

Charles doubts his friend's guilt and that is the crux of the story, as he conducts his own investigation, comes up with various suspects and ultimately... (well, I won't tell you if he actually solves it. I wouldn't want to ruin your reading fun)

It's an interesting series as it combines murder mysteries, with a behind the scenes look at the acting industry (in Great Britain) and the struggles of people to get into it. Paris has struggled for years, has ruined a marriage, is a bit of a drunk, and makes an interesting detective. His friend, Gerald, an entertainment lawyer, usually comes along for the ride and in this case represents Hugo. The rest of the cast are the actors in the Back Stager's troupe, all different and all possible suspects. 

An enjoyable read as always. I plan to explore Brett's other series this month and hope to read at least one more Paris as well. We'll see. Check them out. (3.5 stars)"

2. Saga, Volume 6 by Brian K. Vaughan (2016). One of my favorite graphic novel series.

"Saga, Volume 6 by Brian K. Vaughan is, of course, the sixth volume in the Saga....er.... saga? It consists of Chapters 31 - 36 in this entertaining outer space adventure series. 

Hazel, the daughter of warring space tribes, is now growing up, maybe 6ish and is a prisoner, along with her grand mother on the planet of Landfall, her mother's home planet. Mother and Dad have been reunited and are searching for Hazel. Two reporters are out on the hunt for the two, Mom a female soldier from Landfall and Dad a fighter from Wreath. (Hazel is their love child). Prince Robot IV, now a simple civilian is hiding out with his son. Mom and Dad of Hazel think he can help them get Hazel back. Oh yes, there's also a bounty hunter out there, seeking revenge because his girl friend was killed by Mom and Dad.

So the story wanders between the various groupings. There is lots of new info. There are reconciliations, new alliances and lots of action... It's an excellent story, just like the others, page turners as they are called. Great artwork. Great characters and lots of fun. I'm currently waiting for Volume 7 to arrive. If you like Sci Fi, you really should check the series out. (3.5 stars)"

Currently Reading

1. Murder in the Museum by Simon Brett (Fethering #4 / 2003)

"Bracketts, an Elizabethan house near town of Fethering, is about to be turned into a museum. Once the home of celebrated poet Esmond Cloudleigh, it has been decided that it should now become a shrine to his life and poetry.

But the transition from house to museum is running far from smoothly, and Carole Seddon soon begins to regret her decision to be on the Board as the witnesses bitter antagonism and rivalry amongst the members.

Then a shocking discovery is made: Buried in the kitchen garden is a human skeleton. And before too long, there is a second body, not yet cold."

No new books since my last update. Surprised? 😎😁

Women Authors Whose Works I've Been Enjoying - Jodi Taylor

Jodi Taylor

It's been two months since I last worked on this thread. Time goes by so quickly. Amazing. English fantasy author Jodi Taylor is the creator of the Chronicles of St. Mary's time travel series. I took a chance on the first book, Just One Damned Thing After Another and got hooked on the series. I've read the first three books of the now 15 book series and look forward to continuing with it. She has also started a new Time travel series, the Time Police and I look forward to trying that as well. She has also started two other series which I may have to check out. For the time being, let's look at the last book in the St. Mary's series that I've enjoyed and then the other two books I've got on my book shelf. 

1. A Second Chance (St. Mary's #3 / 2014).

"A Second Chance by Jodi Taylor is the 3rd book in the Chronicles of St Mary's time travel series. Each one seems a bit better than the previous book. So far anyway.

In this story, Max, head of the History department of St Mary's travels with her teams to Troy, a cheese rolling competition and the battle of Agincourt. Oh yes, she will meet up with arch-enemy Ronan again too. Her relationship with head engineer Leon is up and down and there will be tragedy and historical arguments (shocking and scary). Max is considering her retirement; will Troy be her last visit into the past?

The Chronicles are gritty and realistic and when necessary hold back no punches. Troy is a violent and shocking battle. The way it is portrayed and how the team prepares for observing the events is very interesting. Taylor presents a fascinating representation of the events at Troy. It's a very dark time, quite scary. 

The story is so well-crafted, moving from the time traveling to relationships. The cast of characters are all excellent and fleshed out. Jodi Taylor deals with the space-time conundrum, sometimes ignoring but it's always present.  The ending is surprising and makes you want to move along to the next book. RIGHT AWAY! So entertaining and 'enjoyable'. Just don't expect light fluff. I look forward to continuing the series and also trying the Connie Willis time travel series to compare the two. (4.0 stars)"

2. A Trail Through Time (St. Mary's #4 / 2014).

"St Mary’s is back and is facing a battle to survive in this, the fourth instalment of the Chronicles.

Max and Leon are re-united and looking forward to a peaceful lifetime together. But, sadly, they don’t even make it to lunchtime.

The action races from 17th century London to Ancient Egypt and from Pompeii to 14th century Southwark as they’re pursued up and down the timeline, playing a perilous game of hide and seek until they’re finally forced to take refuge at St Mary’s – where new dangers await them.

As usual, there are plenty of moments of humour, but the final, desperate, Battle of St Mary’s is in grim earnest. Overwhelmed and outnumbered and with the building crashing down around them, how can St Mary’s possibly survive?

So, make sure the tea’s good and strong…"

3. Doing Time (Time Police #1 / 2019).

"A long time ago in the future, the secret of time travel became known to all. Unsurprisingly, the world nearly ended. There will always be idiots who want to change history.

Enter the Time Police. An all-powerful, international organisation tasked with keeping the timeline straight. At all costs.

Their success is legendary. The Time Wars are over. But now they must fight to save a very different future - their own.

This is the story of Jane, Luke and Matthew - the worst recruits in Time Police history. Or, very possibly, three young people who might change everything."

The Chronicles of St. Marys got me interested in time travel series and I've since tried Connie Willis's Oxford Time Travel and others. The complete listing of Jodi Taylor's books can be found at this link.

One final note. Jo and I enjoyed the Oscars last night. During one of the commercial breaks, they advertised a new movie. Let's go back a place first. In my last reading update, I provided a review of The Wild Robot by Peter Brown. It was an excellent Young Adult fantasy. In fact I bought the other two books in the series because I enjoyed it so much and want to see how it ends. Anyway, during one of the commercial breaks last night, there was an advertisement for a new movie based on The Wild Robot! It looks fantastic! I'll have to try and finish the other two books before it comes out.