While the Muffins Cool....

They're almost like mine, without the cinnamon

No that's not a book or song title, my bran muffins are cooling down so I thought I'd do a quick near end of May Reading update before I have a couple. 

So let's get right to it.

Completed since last update

(one book completed since my last update and I've almost completed one more. Hoping to before May 31st)

1. Skeleton Key by Jane Haddam (Gregor Demarkian #16 / 2000) It's always fun getting back to this series. This was part of my Dusty Book challenge.

"Every couple of years I pick up a Gregor Demarkian mystery and wonder what's wrong with me! Why did it take so long? I guess that at least I still have a few more of the series to savor. Skeleton Key is the 16th book in this entertaining series by American author, Jane Haddam. Haddam passed away in 2019 so when I read the next 15 or so, that'll be it. 😔

Anyway, enough rambling. I have not been reading this series in sequence so while some personal events have probably passed me by, it's not difficult to get into the swing of things with the series. Gregor is an ex FBI profiler who now assists the police with investigations, when he's asked. Gregor refuses to take payment as he feels it leaves him more freedom to operate. In this particular story, Bennis Hannaford, famous fantasy author and Gregor's 'girlfriend', is in Connecticut trying to help a family 'friend' and when the daughter is found (found by Bennis actually) murdered in the garage of the house where Bennis is staying, she calls Gregor to come and help the state and local police. (Bennis has cleared this already with the police and they are more than willing to accept Gregor's assistance. Kayla Anson, the murdered girl, is an 18 year old heiress and the police worry about the national publicity)

So Gregor makes his way to Litchfield County (Bennis has coordinated train travel as Gregor doesn't drive.. one of his many quirks) and to the hotel where she has arranged accommodation for the both of them. Bennis is quite sick, even to the point of coughing up blood. (this concerns me quite a bit as she is one of my favorite characters in the series). Gregor is aware of this but is also caught up in his investigation and travelling around with the local state trooper.

It's a meandering story, told from many points of view. Each person is interesting, different and has their own problems. And all have somewhat of a relation to the case. Over the course of the story you'll get to know them better and this adds to the richness and quality of the story on the whole. As well, more bodies will crop up, oddly enough, all in the same garage and Bennis will get sicker and eventually head back to Philadelphia to see her doctor... (Concern is getting more concerning!! I don't like this)

It's a fascinating mystery. Gregor is an interesting investigator and the police, unlike in some series, don't resent his assistance but welcome it and work effectively with him. But the story doesn't neglect Gregor's good friends in Philadelphia. There are issues there that he is constantly reminded of. 

There is almost too much to tell; a neat mystery peopled with great characters, a fascinating investigator worried about the case and about his friends in Philly and his relationship with Bennis. But amazingly, Jane Haddam keeps you turning pages as she slowly and skillfully ties all these threads together in a satisfying conclusion. (4.0 stars)"

Currently Reading

Time to dust off a classic.

1. Tess of the d'Urbervilles by Thomas Hardy (Classics / 1891). I've read two other works by Hardy so far, Far from the Madding Crowd and Life's Little Ironies.

"Tess is an innocent young girl until the day she goes to visit her rich 'relatives', the D'Urbervilles, in hope that they might help her alleviate her own family's poverty. Her encounter with her manipulative cousin, Alec, leads her onto a path that is beset with suffering and betrayal. When she falls in love with another man, Angel Clare, Tess sees a potential escape from her past, but only if she can tell him her shameful secret..."

New Arrivals

(4 new books have arrived on my door step.. well, sort of)

1. Banking on Death by Emma Lathen (John Putnam Thatcher #1 / 1961). A new author for me.

"The Sloan receives a request for an advance against a trust that does not permit it. John Putnam Thatcher gets involved by one heir, Arthur Schneider, President of Schneider Manufacturing, and grandson of the founder who left a trust for his grandchildren upon the death of all of their parents. The last parent is about to die from natural causes. One heir is missing and Thatcher, Trinkam, and Nicholls, all Emma Lathen regulars work to find the missing heir. Soon they learn a murder is involved and it takes Thatcher to unravel the Gordian knot."

2. Seasons of Glass and Iron by Amal el-Mohtar (Short Stories / Fantasy / 2026). I've read one other book by el-Mohtar, This is How You Lose the Time War and thought it was very imaginative.

"Full of glimpses into gleaming worlds and fairy tales with teeth, Seasons of Glass and Stories is a collection of acclaimed and awarded work from Amal El-Mohtar.

With confidence and style, El-Mohtar guides us through exquisitely told and sharply observed tales about life as it is, was, and could be. Like miscellany from other worlds, these stories are told in letters, diary entries, reference materials, folktales, and lyrical prose.

Full of Nebula, Locus, World Fantasy, and Hugo Award-winning and nominated stories, Seasons of Glass and Stories includes "Seasons of Glass and Iron," "The Green Book," "Madeleine," "The Lonely Sea in the Sky," "And Their Lips Rang with the Sun," "The Truth About Owls," "A Hollow Play," "Anabasis," "To Follow the Waves," "John Hollowback and the Witch," "Florilegia, or, Some Lies About Flowers," "Pockets," and more."

3. Three Bags Full by Leonie Swann (Sheep Detectives #1 / 2005). They've turned this into a movie. I thought I should read the book first.

"Something is not right with George the shepherd. His sheep have gathered around him outside the cozy Irish village of Glennkill to assess the situation. George has cared for the sheep, reading them books every night, and now he lies pinned to the ground with a spade. His flock, far savvier about the workings of the human mind than your average sheep, sets out to find George’s killer, led by Miss Maple, the smartest sheep in Glennkill (and possibly the world).

Her team of investigators includes Othello, who was rescued from the Dublin Zoo; Mopple the Whale, who is always hungry and remembers everything; and Zora, an existential ewe—just to name a few. Together, the sheep discuss the crime late into the night, and their speculations vary wildly. Determined to unravel the mystery, they embark on furtive missions into the village, where they encounter a hoof-full of two-legged suspects. There’s Ham, the terrifying butcher who smells of death; Rebecca, the secretive village newcomer; and Father Will, a sinister priest the sheep call God."

4. The First Thousand Trees by Premee Mohamed (Annual Migration of Clouds #3 / 2025). I enjoyed the 1st book in this trilogy and also The Butcher of the Forest, both excellent stories. I have a couple of other books by Mohamed as well. 

"After making a grievous mistake that ended in death, Henryk Mandrusiak feels increasingly ostracized within his own community, and after the passing on of his parents and the departure of his best friend, Reid, there is little left to tie him to the place he calls home. Henryk does something he never expected: he sets out into the harsh wilds alone, in search of far-flung family. He finds his uncle's village, but making a life for himself in this unfriendly new place -- rougher and more impoverished than the campus where he grew up -- isn't easy. Henryk strives to carve out a place of his own but learns that some corners of his broken world are darker than he could have imagined.

This stunning novella concludes the story Mohamed started in The Annual Migration of Clouds and continued in We Speak Through the Mountain, bleaker than ever but still in search of a spark of hope in the climate apocalypse."

So there you go. Some more reading ideas for you. Now to grab myself a couple muffins and a cup of coffee for brekkie. Enjoy your weekend! Stay safe.

A Quick Mid-Month (that being May 2026) Reading Update

 

Happy Victoria Day weekend for all of Canada! It's been cool here on the West Coast but it's nice and sunny this morning.

For anybody interested, especially Canadians, who might be interested in an alternate social network, one that was created in Canada and is free, check out Hey Café. I checked it out after it was recommended by a YouTuber who talks about Canadian issues, Guard the Leaf and is very interesting. There are a couple of other Canadian YouTube subscribers that are also worth checking out, The Bill Kelly Podcast and Claus Kellerman. Check out their videos, subscribe if you find them interesting. Oh wait, here are two more you might like; Tod Maffin, who has made a concerted effort to bring more medical professionals into Canada, and The Interesting MD, an American doctor who made the move to Canada and talks to medical professionals, some who've moved to Canada and also compares Canada's medical system with that of the US. Oh, by the way, if you do join Hey Café, look me up please.

So, now let's talk about books. My last update was 9 May. I've completed 3 books since then and I'll update those as well as the normal other activities; books started, new books.

Completed Books

1. Police at the Funeral by Margery Allingham (Albert Campion #4 / 1931)

"Police at the Funeral is the 4th book in English author, Margery Allingham's mystery series featuring Albert Campion. It's also the 10th book I've read in the series, of 15+ books. I recently watched the TV adaptation of this book and it made me think of the show the more I got into the story.

Albert Campion is asked to come out to a Cambridge estate by an old school chum of his. Leaving behind his lugubrious man-servant, Lugg, Campion heads out. It's an old estate, ruled by the matriarch and there is much friction between the various family members, all relatively old. That is except, lovely Joyce, Marcus's (Campion's chum) fiancé who looks after various business matters and Great Aunt Caroline. 

Before he heads out, we are introduced to Campion and his police friend, Chief Inspector Oates. Oates was to meet someone down an alley, but is surprised to find Campion also there. A man follows Oates but runs away when a woman, who we discover is Joyce, also arrives, as she had arranged to meet Campion. Although she denies it, Campion believes she knows who the man was.

After this, Campion receives his invite. Uncle Andrew, a very unlikable man, has been missing, having disappeared after the family returned from Sunday Mass. His body is ultimately discovered by a couple of hikers, murdered and thrown into the river. The gun which was used cannot be found and his body has been in the water for some time. CI Oates is called up from Scotland Yard to investigate as well. Campion stays at the estate to assist. 

Another murder takes place shortly after, with Aunt Julia being poisoned. The suspects seem to be from within the estate, with Uncle William a prime candidate. Campion investigates, sometimes assisting Oates, but mainly keeping his own counsel.

It's a slowish - paced story, a somewhat heavy read at times (not complex, but it just seems that often, I'd been reading for awhile but then realized I'd only read 10 or so pages). The characters are interesting, mostly likable, with a few exceptions. Grumpy old people who are beholden to Great Aunt Caroline, who is sharp, wise and observant, quite a favorite of Campion's.

It's an ultimately satisfying story, somewhat confusing (I think maybe better explained in the TV series). Campion is an interesting character, seemingly mild and sometimes simple but when necessary, quite filled with action and strength. All in all, I continue to enjoy the series, both the books and the TV series, with Peter Davison as Campion. The story was a bit less fun without the irrepressible Lugg accompanying Campion, but it was still enjoyable. (3.5 stars)"

2. The Sundial by Shirley Jackson (Fic / 1958).

"Of American author Shirley Jackson's six published novels, The Sundial, originally published in 1958, is the 5th I've completed. The first novel, The Road Through the Wall is on order. I started reading Jackson's work with her short story, The Lottery. Anyway, I believe Jackson was one of the unique horror authors of her time, focused more on the psychological aspects of horror, more so than just pure scary horror.

The Sundial reminded me of her last novel, We Have Always Lived in the Castle. By that I mean that it's told in many voices and it also is about a group of people isolated on an estate. But the story itself is quite different.

It starts with the death (or maybe murder) of the son of Halloran family, who presumably was pushed down a stairway to his death. His father is married for the 2nd time and the current Mrs. Halloran runs the show and now that the son and inheritor of the estate is dead, she plans to have everyone else residing in the home sent away. This includes Aunt Fanny (unmarried sister of Roger, the father), Maryjane, wife of Lionel (the dead son) and everybody else. That is except Fancy, Maryjane and Lionel's young daughter. Orianna (Mrs. Halloran) plans to raise Fancy and eventually have her take over the estate.

However, Aunt Fanny throws a spanner into the works. She has a vision, from her dead father, which foretells that basically the earth is going to end and that everyone in the home must stay there if they are going to survive. For some reason, she persuades everybody, including Orianna, to believe her. So this is the basic premise and over the course of the novel, we get constant varying viewpoints from the residents of the estate. A few others will arrive to add to the mix, a friend of Orianna's and her two daughters, Mrs Willows and Julia and Arabella. As well, an old family friend who is going on a cruise or safari sends his daughter, Gloria, to stay at the home. And finally, a man, referred to as the Captain is brought in (I can't remember by whom, maybe Arabella).

So you've got this mix of strange, odd people, all playing on each other's nerves, trying to prepare for the end. Aunt Fanny brings Miss Ogilvie, the lady who teaches Fancy, into town with Arabella, to start ordering supplies for the estate. Of course, they can't help mentioning it to the townsfolk, who think they are somewhat odd. Essex, a gadabout, hanger-on who has lived on the estate at Orianna's good will, is constantly sticking his oar in, poking people, irritating them. 

Julia wants desperately to leave and persuades the Captain to go with her, but Orianna has her own plans. They do need men to help repropagate the world, dontcha know. As the time winds closer, Orianna plans a huge garden party for the people of the town, basically one last affair before everyone else, but them, of course, dies.

It's a strange, sometimes meandering story but as the days get closer, you find yourself being drawn more and more into the plot, into the events, into the people. Of course, I won't tell you how it all ends, but everything is fascinating and surprising. It took me awhile to get into the story. At times it made me think of Ionesco's The Rhinocerous, as it seems satirical.. and maybe it is, but it's still scary and interesting and it does draw you into the insanity. (4.0 stars)"

3. Echo Round His Bones by Thomas M. Disch (Sci Fi / 1967).

"The only other book I've read by Sci Fi author Thomas M. Disch was Camp Concentration which I enjoyed very much. Echo Round His Bones was his 4th novel, published in 1970. I was looking forward to trying another book so Echo was it. I find it somewhat hard to describe, very interesting concept but the story ultimately didn't work for me.

We're in a kind of alternate Earth where it seems that all if not most of the cities are covered in domes. There is a somewhat uneasy peace between the US and Russia, although they still have nukes (if I understand correctly, the nukes are just not on Earth, but in space, e.g. the Moon and Mars? So a Dr/ Panofsky, who escaped from Nazi concentration camps and now works for the US government, has invented a device, a transporter or sorts, there allows instantaneous transport between transport machines. 

Nathan Hansard, a Capt. in the US Army is assigned along with his platoon to take a message to the General in charge of the Mars detachment. They are transported to Mars but we discover that a part of themselves (an Echo, get it?) remains on Earth. Hansard hasn't gotten along very well with his platoon, especially Sgt Worsaw, who he has demoted to Pte.  When Hansard realizes what has happened, the echo of Hansard that is, he has to escape from the Echoes of Worsaw and the rest of his platoon.

The Echoes can feel pain, they can die, they breathe, they need to eat. Worsaw and his group have become cannibals, eating the Echoes of those they kill.

Hansard escapes from them but must try and survive in this new Echo condition (now, just to try and keep up, the real Hansard is visited at times during his stay on Mars. The letter he has given the General tells the General that in a month, he will have to launch his nukes on Earth.

Hansard meets the Echoes of Dr. Panofsky and his wife, Brigida (now there are more than one Echo of each because every time they transport, a new Echo is created). Have I confused you very much? Then you are a smarter man than I, Gunga Din. 😁😎

Hansard and the Panofskys find out about the letter and the rest of the book is involved with them trying to save the world. And sundry other matters.

For a very short book, 144 pages, a whole lot happens. As I said, it's a neat concept, but I did find Disch got kind of caught up in the technicalities and philosophies. The characters were ok, but not too fleshed out. And the ending was confusing. But other than that.. it was kind of neat and I'm going to try another Disch story when I get it. Check out Camp Concentration first, I'd suggest but this might also be right up your alley. (2.0 stars)"

Currently Reading

1. Bad Indians Book Club: Reading at the Edge of a Thousand Worlds by Patty Krawec (Non Fic / 2025).

"In this powerful reframing of the stories that make us, Anishinaabe writer Patty Krawec leads us into the borderlands of history, science, memoir, and fiction to What worlds do books written by marginalized people describe and invite us to inhabit?

When a friend asked what books could help them understand Indigenous lives, Patty Krawec, author of Becoming Kin, gave them a list. This list became a book club and then a podcast about a year of Indigenous reading, and then this book. The writers in Bad Indians Book Club refuse to let dominant stories displace their own and resist the way wemitigoozhiwag--European settlers--craft the prevailing narrative and decide who they are.

In Bad Indians Book Club, we examine works about history, science, and gender as well as fiction, all written from the perspective of "Bad Indians"--marginalized writers whose refusal to comply with dominant narratives opens up new worlds. Interlacing chapters with short stories about Deer Woman, who is on her own journey to decide who she is, Krawec leads us into a place of wisdom and medicine where the stories of marginalized writers help us imagine other ways of seeing the world. As Krawec did for her friend, she recommends a list of books to fill in the gaps on our own bookshelves and in our understanding.

Becoming Kin, which novelist Omar El Akkad called a "searing spear of light," led readers to talk back to the histories they had received. Now, in Bad Indians Book Club comes a potent challenge to all the stories settler colonialism tells--stories that erase and appropriate, deny and deflect. Following Deer Woman, who is shaped by the profuse artistry of Krawec, we enter the multiple worlds Indigenous and other subaltern stories create. Together we venture to the edges of worlds waiting to be born."

Newest Arrivals

1. Montgomery Schnauzer PI and the Case of the Stealthy Cat Burglar by Timothy Forner (Middle Grade / 2019) I enjoyed the 2nd book a lot, just plain fun.

"Montgomery Schnauzer uses the wisdom of his favorite storybook detectives to find his place with a new family in the big city. Monty's antics uncover a mystery and draw the attention of a Bulldog femme fatale. Suddenly he has a real client and a case to solve.

Follow Monty's journey as he moves from the animal shelter to life in the big city, with his new human – who knows nothing at all about dogs!

Phew! That's a lot for one little Schnauzer, even one that believes he's a private investigator."

2. Jizzle by John Wyndham (Hor / 1954). Probably the first Sci Fi writer I ever tried and one that I always enjoy. Finally winding down his books.

"Take a dip into a world where reality trembles and sanity is all in the mind — a world created by the brilliant author of The Day of the Triffids and The Kraken Wakes.

There’s a monkey with a unique artistic talent. A man living his life over again. A tube in the rush hour that was so crowded it seemed like hell; in fact it was hell...

Jizzle will grip you from cover to cover with its unique blend of horror and fantasy — a combination which can never fail.

Contents:
- Jizzle
- Technical Slip
- A Present from Brunswick
- Chinese Puzzle
- Esmeralda
- How Do I Do?
- Una
- Affair of the Heart
- Confidence Trick
- The Wheel
- Look Natural, Please!
- Perforce to Dream
- Reservation Deferred
- Heaven Scent
- More Spinned Against"

3. Fire by Elizabeth Hand (Fic / 2016).

"The title story, "Fire." written especially for this volume, is a harrowing postapocalyptic adventure in a world threated by global conflagration. Based on Hand's real-life experience as a participant in a governmental climate change think tank, it follows a ragtag cadre of scientists and artists racing to save both civilization and themselves from fast-moving global fires. "The Woman Men Couldn't See" is an expansion of Hand's acclaimed critical assessment of author Alice Sheldon, who wrote award-winning SF as "James Tiptree, Jr." in order to conceal identity from both the SF community and her CIA overlords. Another nonfiction piece, "Beyond Belief" recounts her difficult passage from alienated teen to serious artist. Also included are "Kronia," a poignant time-travel romance, and "The Saffron Gatherers," two of Hand's favorite and less familiar stories. a bibliography and our candid and illuminating Outspoken Interview with one of today's most inventive authors."

4. The Science of Herself by Karen Joy Fowler (Fic / 2013).

"Widely respected in the so-called “mainstream” for her New York Times bestselling novels, Karen Joy Fowler is also a formidable, often controversial, and always exuberant presence in Science Fiction. Here she debuts a provocative new story written especially for this series. Set in the days of Darwin, “ The Science of Herself ” is a marvelous hybrid of SF and historical the almost-true story of England’s first female paleontologist who took on the Victorian old-boy establishment armed with only her own fierce intelligence—and an arsenal of dino bones. Plus...

“ The Pelican Bar ,” a homely tale of family ties that makes Guantánamo look like summer camp; “The Further Adventures of the Invisible Man,” a droll tale of sports, shoplifting and teen sex; and “ The Motherhood Statement ,” a quietly angry upending of easy assumptions that shows off Fowler’s deep radicalism and impatience with conservative homilies and liberal pieties alike. And our Outspoken Interview in which Fowler prophesies California’s fate, reveals the role of bad movies in good marriages, and intimates that girls just want to have fun (which means make trouble)."

5. White Silence by Jodi Taylor (Elizabeth Cage #1 / 2017). I've been enjoying Taylor's Chronicles of St. Mary's time travel series. This one sounds interesting.

"The first instalment in the gripping supernatural thriller series from international bestselling author, Jodi Taylor.

'I don't know who I am. I don't know what I am.'

Elizabeth Cage is a child when she discovers that there are things in this world that only she can see. But she doesn't want to see them and she definitely doesn't want them to see her.

What is a curse to Elizabeth is a gift to others - a very valuable gift they want to control.

When her husband dies, Elizabeth's world descends into a nightmare. But as she tries to piece her life back together, she discovers that not everything is as it seems.

Alone in a strange and frightening world, she's a vulnerable target to forces beyond her control.

And she knows that she can't trust anyone..."

There you go folks. I hope you see a couple of books that interest you. I also hope the links I provided all work. Enjoy your upcoming week and GO Montreal Canadiens!

May 2026 - 1/3 of the Reading Way through the Year.

Me, figuring out my reading stats

So here we are, 35% of the year is gone by the wayside. How about a look at my challenges and how I'm doing this year so far. I'm sure you're all very excited to hear about that, eh?

Yearly Stats

Books completed: 56 (of these 56 there were 3 that I gave up on)

Pages read: 14,400 (roughly) Now, just to be accurate... well, as accurate as I can be, obviously I didn't read all of the 3 that I gave up on. But according to Goodreads, I've actually read 14,463 pages) So let's say, 14,000+ pages

Ratings: 5* - 1 book

4* (means 4.0 & 4.5 stars) - 29 books

3* (3.0 & 3.5) - 23 books

No Rating - 3 books

Favorite book so far - The Serial Garden, The Complete Armitage Family Stories by Joan Aiken (5 - stars)

Reading Challenges

1. 12 + 4 Challenge - Short Stories - Completed six books so far and currently reading The Golden Ball and Other Stories by Agatha Christie.

2. 12 + 4 Challenge - Graphic Novels. Challenge completed 12 April. Favorite book Botticelli's Apprentice by Ursula Murray Husted (4.5 stars).

3. 12 + 4 Challenge - Shiny New Books. Completed 5 books. Currently reading The Sundial by Shirley Jackson.

4. 12 + 4 Challenge - Dusty Books. Completed 5 books. Currently reading Skeleton Key by Jane Haddam.

5. Individual Challenges (Dusty Books, #17 - 416 from my Goodreads TBR list). Completed 4, one DNF and currently reading All the Tea in China by Kyril Bonfiglioli.

6. Individual Challenges (Middle Books, #417 - 832). Completed two and had two DNF's, probably my least successful challenge so far. Currently reading A Gathering of Shadows by V.E. Schwab.

7. Individual Challenges (Newest Purchases #833 - 1263). Completed 15, reading 3, Assassin's Code by Jonathan Maberry, Japanese Gothic by Kylie Lee Baker & The Wolves of Willoughby Chase by Joan Aiken.

8. 12 + 4 Challenge (My latest, books around 200 pages) Currently reading Police at the Funeral by Margery Allingham.

There is my reading an updated challenge list. Four new books have arrived since my last update so I'll include those in this post as well.

Newest Books

1. All in her Head; The Truth and Lies Early Medicine Taught us About Women's Bodies and Why it Matters Today by Elizabeth Comen (Non Fiction / 2024).

"The fascinating history of women’s health as it’s never been told before.

For as long as medicine has been a practice, women's bodies have been treated like objects to be practiced on: examined and ignored, idealized and sexualized, shamed, subjugated, mutilated, and dismissed. The history of women’s healthcare is a story in which women themselves have too often been voiceless—a narrative instead written from the perspective of men who styled themselves as authorities on the female of the species, yet uninformed by women’s own voices, thoughts, fears, pain and experiences. The result is a cultural and societal legacy that continues to shape the (mis)treatment and care of women.

While the modern age has seen significant advancements in the medical field, the notion that female bodies are flawed inversions of the male ideal lingers on—as do the pervasive societal stigmas and lingering ignorance that shape women’s health and relationships with their own bodies.

Memorial Sloan Kettering oncologist and medical historian Dr. Elizabeth Comen peels back the curtain on the collective medical history of women to reintroduce us to our whole bodies—how they work, the actual doctors and patients whose perspectives and experiences laid the foundation for today’s medical thought, and the many oversights that still remain unaddressed. With a physician’s knowledge and empathy, Dr. Comen follows the road map of the eleven organ systems to share unique and untold stories, drawing upon medical texts and journals, interviews with expert physicians, as well as her own experience treating thousands of women.

Empowering women to better understand ourselves and advocate for care that prioritizes healthy and joyful lives—for us and generations to come—All in Her Head is written with humor, wisdom, and deep scientific and cultural insight. Eye-opening, sometimes enraging, yet always captivating, this shared memoir of women’s medical history is an essential contribution to a holistic understanding and much-needed reclaiming of women’s history and bodies."

2. A Cat Story, a Graphic Novel by Ursula Murray Husted (YA / 2020).

"A graphic novel about two irresistible cat friends on a journey to find their forever home—a journey inspired by the magic of art and storytelling.

Cilla and Betto are two friends who need a place to call home. The docks in Valletta are too wet, and the scraps of food too scarce. The city’s streets are too busy, and the humans too unreliable.

But what about the quiet garden from old kitten tales—a place where all cats are welcome, and the humans are always kind? Could the stories really be true?

As Cilla and Betto embark on a grand adventure to find out, they begin to spin a tale of their own—one that will take them through the art and stories of many journeyers who came before, and that will bring them to a surprising destination."

3. Three Bengal Kittens by Philipp Schott (Dr. Bannerman #4 / 2026).

"With his sniffer dog, Pippin, Dr. Peter Bannerman uncovers suspects, treats animals, tracks a kitten kidnapper, and must solve a locked-room mystery.<?b>

In the fourth book in the series, Dr. Peter Bannerman’s brother Sam takes in three Bengal kittens after the previous owner, his neighbor in a Winnipeg north end apartment building, is found dead. The death was originally thought to be due to accidental autoerotic asphyxiation, but after investigation, Sam is arrested and charged with his neighbor’s murder.

Sam suffers from several mental health conditions, but Peter refuses to believe that he is capable of killing someone, so he sets out to prove his innocence. Sam, however, is more concerned about one of the kittens who has gone missing. With the help of his talented sniffer dog, Pippin, Peter tries to find the kitten, as well as evidence that someone else murdered the neighbor.

Peter talks to the other people in Sam’s building, and several appear to be plausible alternative killers. However, by that time Sam, still in custody, begins to rave about ghosts being the real murderers and insists Peter investigate that. Despite not believing in ghosts (not in the slightest), he has a terrifying experience while spending the night in Sam’s apartment.

The situation rapidly spirals, putting Peter and Pippin in peril and ultimately revealing a story of revenge served cold from decades ago and continents away."

4. When the Forest Breathes; Renewal and Resilience in the Natural World by Suzanne Simard (Non Fiction / 2026).

"The trailblazing scientist who pioneered the concept of sophisticated communication between trees returns with a book that places nature’s own cycles of renewal at the center of a powerful vision for the future of our forests

With her bestselling book Finding the Mother Tree, forest ecologist Suzanne Simard introduced the world to the profound intelligence and interconnectedness of trees. Now, with When the Forest Breathes, she uncovers the ways that nature’s deep-rooted cycles of renewal can ensure the longevity of threatened ecosystems.

Raised in a family of loggers committed to sensible forest stewardship, Simard has watched as timber companies leave forests at higher risk for wildfires, water crises, and plant and animal extinction. But her research has the potential to chart a new course. The forest, she reveals, is a symphony of finely honed cycles of regeneration—from mushrooms breaking down logs to dying elder trees passing their genetic knowledge to younger ones—that hold the key to protecting our forests. Working closely with local Indigenous communities, whose models of responsible forestry have been largely dismissed, Simard examines how human interventions—particularly destruction of the overstory's mother trees—endanger new growth and longevity. If we can honor the tools that trees have honed for sharing intergenerational wisdom, she argues, we can protect these sacred places for many years to come.

As she considers how older living things facilitate the conditions for new growth to flourish, Simard faces parallel rhythms of loss and regeneration in her own life, watching her two daughters grow into adults and savoring her final days with her ailing mother. Animated by wonder for our forests and the intricate practices of caretaking that have long sustained them, When the Forest Breathes is a vital reminder of all the natural world has to teach us about adaptability, resilience, and community."

So there you go folks. Enjoy your May selections and the rest of 2026.

A Much Needed Reading Update.... Right??

My last actual reading update was 12 April and since then I've posted some poems by Mary Oliver and then some new books from my last Rotary Club Book Sale. So time for my normal update; books read, books started and any new books received. 1, 2, 3.....and we're off and running

Books Completed (since last update)

1. The Antifa Comic Book: Revised and Expanded by Gord Hill (2025). I think I may need to do a political / philosophical type post on books I've read and plan to read in a future post)

"For some reason, since about 2016, I've found myself getting more political, even to donating to Canadian political parties and other groups. Anyway, I'm also getting more interested in exploring issues like tyranny, fascism, etc. When I saw a listing for The Antifa Comic Book: Revised and Expanded (and I don't know where I saw it) by Canadian indigenous author, Gord Hill, I thought I should check it out. It ended up being a succinct, clearly presented historical perspective of both fascism in the world and those forces trying to combat its influence and search for power.

The comic book starts off with a definition of fascism -

- an ideology the promotes a strong, centralized state under the command of a supreme leader (often a cult of personality)

- fascist movements are authoritarian and militaristic, often with a paramilitary force

- ultra nationalistic in nature & inherently racist

- an imperialistic world view

- predominantly anti semitic

- all aspects of society are regimented and all opposition violently repressed

- media, entertainment & educational / cultural institutions replaced with fascist views

- cult of personality is strengthened & the entire state apparatus becomes almost mystical.

Antifa  is an abbreviation of antifaschistische aktion, originally set up by by the German Communist party in 1932 to oppose the Nazis.

The book offers a historical perspective of the birth and rise of both groups, starting after WWI, especially in Germany and Italy. But it goes from country to county over the years, from those in Europe to North America and even in the Middle East. It doesn't go into tons of detail but the points it highlights are clear and concise.

As the updated book progresses, it moves along to current time, with fascist organizations throughout the world. I found it particularly interesting the portions on Britain. My wife, who is British, probably remembers this time, but the battles between right wing fascists (skinheads and white supremacists) and the left wing, trying to protect immigrant communities. 

I especially found how much the police forces & governments focused on protecting these right wing groups from attacks by those defending their countries from them. I also found it interesting how the anti Semitism (which is still a major focus) has also moved along to anti-Muslim and anti-immigrant biases. There is a chapter on Israeli Zionist actions, to create a Zionistic Middle East expanded country. The book ends with the current American administration's right wing tendencies. 

The final sentence leaves hope, maybe "This resistance will only increase in the future.... and the future is unwritten." An interesting book, at the very least. Food for thought (4.0 stars)"

2. Dark Benediction by Walter M. Miller Jr. (Short Stories / 1980).

"Dark Benediction is a collection of Sci Fi short stories by Walter M. Miller Jr. who also wrote A Canticle for Leibowitz, a book I read back in my university days. Dark Benediction contains 14 stories published between 1951 - 1957.

The stories cover topics from a child who suffers from a rare disease where he can't grow (but what else is there about him?); an alien invasion (stopped by a woman with a shot gun?); a man trying to save Mars' atmosphere; an over-populated Earth that stops births and instead develops childlike creatures to be raised by families; an aging actor who now cleans a cinema / playhouse that shows plays with robot actors but who wants a final bow; a plague that cause people to go insane and one man's journey to escape; workers on the Moon who are visited by a traveling whore house and the effect; and a Russian woman who is assigned to kill the American general in charge of the invasion of Russia, etc.

All in all, I enjoyed the stories. Some seemed a mite long but I think that's Miller's writing style. He paints interesting pictures of the setting, characters and stories. Dark Benediction was a particular favorite and I also enjoyed The Darfsteller and Conditionally Human but each had its own merits. Worth checking out, especially if you've tried Canticle before and you want to explore Miller's writing some more. (3.5 stars)"

3. Montgomery Schnauzer P.I. & the Callous Car Thieves by Timothy Forner (Monty Schnauzer #2 / 2025).

"This might sound silly but when I heard of this book series (Montgomery Schnauzer PI), it made me think of the 4 puppies, miniature schnauzers, that my wife and I have had as companions over the past many years. We lost our last one a year ago and we both miss Clyde terribly. Anyway, I had to check out this series, a children's book series, because the main character was, of course, a schnauzer.

Go Monty!!

Montgomery Schnauzer P.I. and the Callous Car Thieves is the 2nd book in the series by American author, Timothy Forner. There are currently two books in the series, but Monty's dad indicates there is a 3rd book on the way. I read the 2nd book first because it was easier to get a copy. #1 is now on the way. 🐶

So Monty lives in an unnamed city with his Momma, Sarah. Sarah is struggling, as her old beater of a car breaks down on the highway. She needs a car to get to work and discovers a nice little fancy car for sale on line. Walter, the salesman, says he'll accept Sarah's offer and Sarah now has a newer, sportier car.

But..... the next day, Sarah and Monty are arrested by the police for driving a stolen car. Sarah is taken to the police station and booked and Monty is taken to the pound. Monty is desperate to find Sara and also prove that she didn't steal the car. With the help of another dog, he breaks out of the pound and finds his way back to the car dealer.. but everybody is gone and it's shut down.

Over the course of the book, Monty continues to try and discover where the car thieves are and along the way he meets new friends and has lots of adventures. I won't tell you any more about the story, just to say, it's fun and adventure filled. Monty is a smart dog, frustrated that he can't get the 'humans' to understand what he is saying, but always managing to move his investigation along, ultimately to a satisfactory conclusion. The cover art and the interior drawings are all excellent and the story is fun for adults and should be entertaining for kids. Go Monty! (3.5 stars)"

Currently Reading (started since last update)

1. The Golden Ball and Other Stories by Agatha Christie (Short Stories / 1971). 

"Is it a gesture of good will or a sinister trap that lures Rupert St. Vincent and his family to magnificent estate? How desperate is Joyce Lambert, a destitute young widow whose only recourse is to marry a man she despises? What unexpected circumstance stirs old loyalties in Theodora Darrell, and unfaithful wife about to run away with her lover? In this collection of short stories, the answers are as unexpected as they are satisfying. The Queen of Crime takes bizarre romantic entanglements, supernatural visitations, and classic murder to inventive new heights."

2. Japanese Gothic by Kylie Lee Baker (Horror / 2026). I follow a few podcasts on YouTube by folks who talk about books. A few had advance copies of this book and ranked it very highly so I put in an order for it and received it yesterday. Enjoying thus far.

"In this lyrical, wildly inventive horror novel interwoven with Japanese mythology, two people living centuries apart discover a door between their worlds.

October, 2026: Lee Turner doesn’t remember how or why he killed his college roommate. The details are blurred and bloody. All he knows is he has to flee New York and go to the one place that might offer refuge—his father’s new home in Japan, a house hidden by sword ferns and wild ginger. But something is terribly wrong with the house: no animals will come near it, the bedroom window isn't always a window, and a woman with a sword appears in the yard when night falls.

October, 1877: Sen is a young samurai in exile, hiding from the imperial soldiers in a house behind the sword ferns. A monster came home from war wearing her father’s face, but Sen would do anything to please him, even turn her sword on her own mother. She knows the soldiers will soon slaughter her whole family when she sees a terrible omen: a young foreign man who appears outside her window.

One of these people is a ghost, and one of these stories is a lie.

Something is hiding beneath the house of sword ferns, and Lee and Sen will soon wish they never unburied it."

Newest Arrivals (yes... since my last update)

1. Gideon Falls, Vol. 2, Original Sins by Jeff Lemire (2019).

"The lives of a reclusive young man obsessed with a conspiracy in the city's trash, and a washed up Catholic Priest arriving in a small town full of dark secrets become dangerously intertwined around the mysterious legend of The Black Barn -- an otherworldly building that is alleged to have appeared in both the city and the small town, throughout history, leaving death and madness in its wake."

2. Modem Times 2.0 by Michael Moorcock (2011).

"Jerry Cornelius—Michael Moorcock’s fictional audacious assassin, rockstar, chronospy, and possible Messiah—is featured in the first of two stories in this fifth installment of the Outspoken Author series. Previously unpublished, the first story is an odyssey through time from London in the 1960s to America during the years following Barack Obama's presidency. The second piece is a political, confrontational, comical, nonfiction tale in the style of Jonathan Swift and George Orwell. An interview with the author rounds out this biting, satirical, sci-fi collection."

3. Seeing by Jose Saramago (2004). This is a sequel to Saramago's Blindness.

"On election day in the capital, it is raining so hard that no one has bothered to go out to vote. The politicians are growing jittery. Should they reschedule the elections for another day? Around three o' clock, the rain finally stops. Promptly at four, voters rush to the polling stations, as if they had been ordered to appear.

But when the ballots are counted, more than 70 percent are blank. The citizens are rebellious. A state of emergency is declared. But are the authorities acting too precipitously? Or even blindly? The word evokes terrible memories of the plague of blindness that hit the city four years before, and of the one woman who kept her sight. Could she be behind the blank ballots? A police superintendent is put on the case.

What begins as a satire on governments and the sometimes dubious efficacy of the democratic system turns into something far more sinister. A singular novel from the author of Blindness."

4. You Will Not Kill Our Imagination: A Memoir of Palestine and Writing in Dark Times by Saeed Teebi (2025). New in my local book store, it sounded interesting and is a topic I've been exploring.

"A vital, fearless memoir in the vein of Between the World and Me that explores what it means to be a Palestinian in this moment, the effects of the genocide on Palestinian art and imagination, and that to even claim a belonging to the land from a country thousands of miles away is an act of subversion.

Imagination is a more powerful force than hope.

Acclaimed author Saeed Teebi was at work on his first novel when the attacks on Gaza began in late 2023. The violence and cruelty of the attacks, accompanied by the assent and silence of international governments, stunned many across the globe, like Teebi, into a new state of permanent horror.

What does it mean to be of the Palestinian diaspora in such a moment? What does it mean to be of a people who have sustained such a large-scale assault not only on their homeland, but their entire identity? What is the role of art, of language—of imagination—in asserting one’s identity, when that very assertion is read as an act of subversion?

In this incisive work, Teebi explores, with searing, razor-sharp prose, the effects of genocide on the bodies, minds, and imaginations—of Palestinians especially, and humanity in general.

This is at once a memoir of one family’s displacement, a scathing indictment of global complicity in the face of brutality, and a profound rumination on art and imagination as a means of defiance. It is an astonishing work of resistance by a major intellect, and it is both urgent and timeless."

5. Y:  The Last Man, Ring of Truth by Brian K. Vaughan (Vol. 5 / 2005).

"Yorick Brown, the last man on Earth, finally makes it to San Francisco where his unbalanced sister, Hero, finds him seemingly succumbing to the male-killing plague after losing his still-unused engagement ring to the burqa-clad agents of the Setauket Ring. But is the ring really the key to his survival? And what does it have to do with the mysterious Amulet of Helene, which the Setauket leader is determined to take from Agent 355 by any means necessary. Collects issues #24-31."

There you go. All caught up once again. Jo and I will be starting our weekend by taking her to a chemo session this afternoon and I hope to get more yard work done this weekend pending our sprinkler guy coming to turn us on for the year. :) Enjoy your weekend!