An Almost End - August Reading Update

So I'm watching an afternoon Blue Jays game while Jo is at work. I won't make any comments as any time I say something I tend to jinx teams for whom I'm cheering. We've had a couple of rainy days and today it's sunny and fresh. Sort of perfect right now.

As we wind down August, I've completed two more books. Happy with my August reading. I'll provide the reviews of both and the synopses for the next to books in line. September will focus on Non-Fiction, besides my other normal challenges. I'll also provide synopses of a couple of new books as well.

Just Finished

1. The Stepdaughter by Debbie Howells (2020). A new author for me.

"The Stepdaughter, written in 2020, was my first exposure to British thriller writer, Debbie Howells. As of 2023, she has published 13 books. The Stepdaughter is an interesting mystery, told from the points of view of three characters; housewife, Elise, her daughter, Niamh, and police investigator Nicki. 

Niamh's friend, Holly is having problems at home but it's not clear what they are as she is very mysterious about them. Holly disappears and this starts a police investigation. Nicki is called in by her DI. She seems to have been off on some sort of medical leave (more will become apparent of course).

Elise is a stewardess and is away on day trips fairly regularly. Her relationship with husband, Andrew, a local GP, is strained. Andrew is domineering, cheats on her and is basically a nasty individual. Niamh is dealing with this as well as some other secrets.

When Holly's body is discovered, the investigation becomes more and more intense. There are also intimations of a local child porn ring. Nicki must determine if Holly's disappearance is related.

It's a very nebulous story at times, lots of threads that are difficult to grasp onto. The suspects keep changing, the secrets become irritating at times. I wanted to shout to the characters, 'Just tell the truth!!'. It is very much a psychological thriller, with spousal abuse (maybe), child porn (maybe). It was interesting all in all. The ending was somewhat unsatisfying but still, I found my intro to Howells' writing was interesting and worth continuing to explore. (4.0 stars)"

2. Vanish in an Instant by Margaret Millar (1952). Probably my favorite mystery writer. Check her out.

"I've said it before and I'll trumpet it again. Since I discovered her mysteries, Margaret Millar has become my favorite of the genre and just a favorite author. Vanish in an Instant, published in 1952, was no exception.

Philanderer Claude Margolis is found murdered and troubled Virginia Barkeley is charged with the murder, Virginia's mother and her assistant, Alice, fly to Michigan from California so Mrs. Hamilton can help her daughter. Lawyer Eric Meecham gets involved in the case. Before it goes too far, Virginia is released as Earl Loftus confesses to the murder.

Although Meecham isn't representing Earl, he finds himself continually involved in the case as he doesn't seem to believe that Earl did commit the murder. So the follow-on investigation and the relations between the various characters is where the story continues to develop.

I love how Millar develops and presents one of her stories. There is a clarity to her writing. Each and every character, no matter how minor, seem real and accessible and add to the richness of the story. Millar presents the setting so you feel you are there, feeling the chill and dampness. You get to know the characters. Meecham and Alice, especially are interesting and their developing relationship grabs you and pulls you in. It's an interesting story and even though the ending was a bit nebulous, it was satisfying and the story was pretty darn good. I've ordered two more of Millar's books. I look forward to trying my next one. (4.5 stars)"

Currently Reading

1. Silent Spring by Rachel Carson (1962). A book I should have read many, many years ago.

"Silent Spring came as a cry in the wilderness, a deeply felt, thoroughly researched, and brilliantly written argument that changed the course of history. Without this book, the environmental movement might have been long delayed or never have developed at all.

-- from the Introduction by Vice President Al Gore

Rarely does a single book alter the course of history, but Rachel Carson's Silent Spring did exactly that. The outcry that followed its publication in 1962 forced the banning of DDT and spurred revolutionary changes in the laws affecting our air, land, and water. Carson's passionate concern for the future of our planet reverberated powerfully throughout the world, and her eloquent book was instrumental in launching the environmental movement. It is without question one of the landmark books of the twentieth century.

Silent Spring served as a touchstone for Al Gore while he was working on his widely praised, bestselling book on the environment, Earth in the Balance. Now Rachel Carson's message is more important than ever, and no one is more qualified than Al Gore to introduce her classic book to a new generation of readers."

2. The Ten-Cent Plague: The Great Comic Book Scare and How it Changed America by David Hajdu (2008).

"In the years between the end of WWII & the mid-1950s, the popular culture of today was invented in the pulpy, boldly illustrated pages of comic books. But no sooner had comics emerged than they were beaten down by mass bonfires, congressional hearings, & a McCarthyish panic over their unmonitored & uncensored content. Esteemed critic David Hajdu vividly evokes the rise, fall & rise again of comics in this engrossing history."

New Books

1. Wallace of the Secret Service by Alexander Wilson (Wallace #3).

"Extreme Nationalists are fighting to relinquish the British government’s power in Egypt. Secret agent Henderson, deployed to Egypt to assess the trouble, sends a coded message to say he’s on the trail of something big. But there’s been no word since."

2. The First Lady of WWII: Eleanor Roosevelt's Daring Journey to the Frontlines and Back by Shannon McKenna Schmidt (2023).

"The first book to tell the full story of Eleanor Roosevelt's unprecedented and courageous trip to the Pacific Theater during World War II. On August 27, 1943, news broke in the United States that First Lady Eleanor Roosevelt was on the other side of the world. A closely guarded secret, she had left San Francisco aboard a military transport plane headed for the South Pacific to support and report the troops on WW2's front lines.  Americans had believed she was secluded at home. As Allied forces battled the Japanese for control of the region, Eleanor was there on the frontlines, spending five weeks traveling, on a mission as First Lady of the United States to experience what our servicemen were experiencing... and report back home. "The most remarkable journey any president's wife has ever made." ― Washington Times-Herald , September 28, 1943 "Mrs. Roosevelt's sudden appearance in New Zealand well deserves the attention it is receiving. This is the farthest and most unexpected junket of a First Lady whose love of getting about is legendary." ― Detroit Free Press , August 28, 1943 "By a happy chance for Australia, this famous lady's taste for getting about, her habit of seeing for herself what is going on in the world, and, most of all, her deep concern for the welfare of the fighting men of her beloved country, have brought her on the longest journey of them all―across the wide, war-clouded Pacific." ― Sydney Morning Herald , September 4, 1943 "No other U.S. mother had seen so much of the panorama of the war, had been closer to the sweat and boredom, the suffering." ― Time , October 4, 1943"

So there you go, some reading ideas for you. Check them out.

My First August Update

 

Bonnie relaxing and enjoying a patch of sunshine

I've been slow with providing updates I'm afraid. My apologies. I've read 3 books so far in August. I'll provide my reviews and the synopses of those books I've started since. A few new books to mention as well. Oh, some biggish news. We finally traded in our old Ford Focus and are now proud owners of a 2022 Hyundai Kona. Happy about it so far.

Clyde keeping an eye on things.

So let's go!

Just Finished

1. Gun Honey, Vol 1 by Charles Ardai (2022). A graphic novel in the pulp mystery / hard case series. Ardai is a pseudonym for Richard Aleas.

"Gun Honey, Vol. 1 is the first volume in the Gun Honey (Joanna Tan) Hard Case graphic novel series by Charles Ardai. Ardai is a pseudonym for Richard Aleas who wrote hard boiled mysteries like Little Girl Lost.

Joanna Tan sells weapons. She knows how to get a weapon into a place so that it can then be used for a killing. She got into this business when, as a child, her family was killed in a bombing in Malaysia. Now an expert, while she also tries to find the people who killed her father, she supplies guns.

In one case, a gun is used to kill many people, both in prison and outside. A secret government organization brings her in to try to get her to work for them. She is assigned a handler, Brook Barrow, and they try to find out who was the man in prison who received her most recent gun.

Suffice it to say, there is lots and lots of action, lots of shooting as Joanna and Brook run down the killer. There will be a surprise as well as Joanna ultimately discovers who was behind the bombing.

The characters are drawn larger than life in this graphic novel, especially Joanna who is, let's just say, buxom. There is some nudity, one sex scene. The colors are bright, rich. It fits into the Hard Case mold and is pure comic book entertainment. (Warning: There is violence) 3.0 stars."

2. Heartstopper Vol. 4 by Alice Oseman (2021). A different series for me.

"Heartstopper: Volume Four by Alice Oseman continues the story of the developing relationship between high school students, Nick and Charlie. Of course, there are highlights of other ongoing relationships as well. 

Charlie is trying to decide the right time to tell Nick that he loves him, especially with Nick heading off on summer vacation with his family to Menorca. Charlie is stressing out; it's affecting his eating, his emotional well-being. Nick is very worried about Charlie's eating issues but doesn't know what to do about it.

There are family stresses, especially with Charlie's parents, mother especially. Nick wants Charlie to discuss Charlie's eating issues and emotional issues. But Charlie doesn't know how to approach his parents. 

Once again it's an excellent story (and as I mention each and every volume, not one I normally read) and covers many very topics while just providing an entertaining, fascinating story. As always, it's drawn very well and is very modern in its outlook and writing. It talks about empathy, love, friendships, family, mental health and draws you in. Volume 5 is supposed to come out in December. 😎 (4.0 stars)"

3. Eye in the Sky by Philip K. Dick (1957).

"Over the years, I've read a number of the Sci-Fi stories of Philip K. Dick, 10+ I'd guess. Some have been outstanding; The Man in the High Castle is favorite all-time story of mine. Doctor Bloodmoney and Do Androids Dream Electric Dreams are among others that I've enjoyed very much. Even those that weren't necessarily favorites still were unique and interesting. That applies to my latest venture in Dick's work, Eye in the Sky. It was originally published in 1957.

The basic premise is that a group of people go on a tour of a bevatron, an electronic device. There is a disaster and the eight find themselves basically traveling in different 'dimensions' or alternate earths. Each is created from the dreams or wishes of one of the others. Each is a unique and in some ways devastating. There is the ultra religious world. There is the world where every ugly thing is is wished out of existence by one of the characters. In another, Armstrong's home becomes a living thing and wants to destroy everyone within. In another, one character's communist leanings change America, making it a cesspool of crime, drugs, violence.

The only way to get out of these alternate worlds is to either kill or render unconscious the person who has created it. It's an interesting concept. The story isn't perfect but it moves along nicely and the characters are all interesting. Dick is always worth trying. He is one of the quirkiest Sci-Fi authors that I've tried. Check Dick out. (3.0 stars)"

Currently Reading

1. The Pericles Commission by Gary Corby (Athenian Mysteries #1 / 2010).

"Nicolaos walks the mean streets of Classical Athens as an agent for the promising young politician Pericles. His mission is to find the assassin of the statesman Ephialtes, the man who brought democracy to Athens and whose murder has thrown the city into uproar. It's a job not made any easier by the depressingly increasing number of dead witnesses.

But murder and mayhem don't bother Nico; what's really on his mind is how to get closer (much closer) to Diotima, the intelligent and annoyingly virgin priestess of Artemis, and how to shake off his irritating twelve year-old brother Socrates.

The Pericles Commission is the first in an exciting new series by first-time novelist Gary Corby, who takes us to Ancient Greece at one of the most exciting times in history. In this wonderfully approachable, historically rich novel, Athens is brought vividly to life in a mystery engaging from the first page to last."

2. The Stepdaughter by Debbie Howells (2020).

"When Elise Buckley moved with her family to Abingworth, it was supposed to be a new start. She hoped the little English village, with its scattering of houses, pub, and village church, wouldn't offer enough opportunity for her doctor husband, Andrew, to continue having affairs. Apparently, she was wrong. Now Elise's only goal is to maintain the façade of a happy homelife for their teenage daughter, Niamh.

When the body of Niamh's best friend, Hollie, is found, the entire village is rocked. Elise, though generally distrustful since Andrew's infidelity, believed that Hollie was loved by her father and stepmother. Yet there was something unsettling beneath the girl's smile. As the police investigation stalls amid disjointed evidence, it's Niamh who unknowingly holds the key . . .

Flitting between the villagers' lives, silent and unseen, Elise is learning about the relationships and secrets that surround her--including those close to home. And as her daughter edges closer to a killer, Elise realizes that the truth may eclipse even her worst suspicions . . ."

New Books

1. Assassin's Code by Jonathan Maberry (Joe Ledger #4 / 2012). I'm currently enjoying #3.

"In ASSASSIN’S CODE, the fourth book in New York Times bestselling author Jonathan Maberry’s Joe Ledger series, Joe Ledger and the DMS go on a relentless chase to stop an ancient order of killers from plunging the entire world into Holy War.

 
When Joe Ledger and Echo Team rescue a group of American college kids held hostage in Iran,the Iranian government then asks them to help find six nuclear bombs planted in the Mideast oil fields. These stolen WMDs will lead Joe and Echo Team into hidden vaults of forbidden knowledge, mass-murder, betrayal, and a brotherhood of genetically-engineered killers with a thirst for blood.

Accompanied by the beautiful assassin called Violin, Joe follows a series of clues to find the Book of Shadows, which contains a horrifying truth that threatens to shatter his entire worldview.

They say the truth will set you free…
Not this time.

The secrets of the Assassin’s Code will set the world ablaze."

2. Bedlam Planet by John Brunner (1968).

"Everything about the planet revolving about Sigma Draconis seemed to indicate that here was a world that could be made into a second Earth. It was fertile and lacked native inhabitants and dangerous beasts. Then what was troubling the pioneer colony that had landed and set up shop there? Was it really possible just to create a new Earth on any vacant world waiting a landing? Or was there a lot more to planetary ecologies than humanity realized?"

3. Silent Spring by Rachel Carson (1962). I've been interested in this for awhile.

"Silent Spring came as a cry in the wilderness, a deeply felt, thoroughly researched, and brilliantly written argument that changed the course of history. Without this book, the environmental movement might have been long delayed or never have developed at all.

-- from the Introduction by Vice President Al Gore

Rarely does a single book alter the course of history, but Rachel Carson's Silent Spring did exactly that. The outcry that followed its publication in 1962 forced the banning of DDT and spurred revolutionary changes in the laws affecting our air, land, and water. Carson's passionate concern for the future of our planet reverberated powerfully throughout the world, and her eloquent book was instrumental in launching the environmental movement. It is without question one of the landmark books of the twentieth century.

Silent Spring served as a touchstone for Al Gore while he was working on his widely praised, bestselling book on the environment, Earth in the Balance. Now Rachel Carson's message is more important than ever, and no one is more qualified than Al Gore to introduce her classic book to a new generation of readers"

I did get a few others but that'll give you a feel for some of them. Check them out.