Pre Dental Reading Post

It's Wednesday. Jo is having an early morning nap. I'm about to head off to the dentist for a cleaning. Oh, and Donny Trump has delayed his 50% tariffs for 3 days.. Sigh! If I had my druthers, I'd say, just tell him to get stuffed. But I'm not involved in the day-to-day intricacies of running a country that's on the border with an insane dictator wannabe. I'll just do my bit by buying anything but American products as much as possible and adding my voice to those defending our great country. Oh and casting my vote to have the US Ambassador, Pete Hoekstra, unceremoniously ejected from Canada. As of today, as I write this, 237, 861 people have signed this petition to the House of Commons. Check it out and if you agree, please sign it as well.

Now let's do a mid month (slightly more than mid month) reading update.

Completed Books (3 books completed since my last update)

1. Inspector West Alone by John Creasey (Inspector West #9 / 1950) This is my 2nd book in the series. I haven't been reading in sequence, as you can see.

"Inspector West Alone by John Creasey is the 9th book in this police series and the 2nd I've read. As I recall, the 1st book was ok but this one was excellent; tense, well paced and quite a page turner.

Inspector West of Scotland Yard receives a telephone message purportedly from his wife, Janice, asking for his help. She is with a cousin in the country. Not suspecting anything, West heads out to see what is going on. He arrives at an isolated house that seems to be empty. When he enters, he hears moaning upstairs and goes to investigate. He finds a dying woman, is attacked by someone and almost immediately, the local police arrive and arrest West. His paperwork identifies him as someone else.

While being driven to the police station, the police car is attacked, West is grabbed and he is rendered unconscious. He finds himself in another location, locked in a room, watched and kept prisoner. Gradually, he begins to discover the position he is in. The leader, Mr. Kennedy has plans for West. This involves blackmail, plastic surgery and a new life, helping with a criminal enterprise.

It's a fascinating premise. Does he try and escape, knowing his wife and children are watched and any escape attempt may result in their deaths? As far as he knows, the police believe it is West who has murdered the girl in the cottage. Thus begins a story of trying to escape from what seems an untenable situation. The police are suspicious of this new West, now known as Hanley, but how does West get them to understand the situation without risking his family and any other acquaintances.

It's an excellent story. The characters are well described. The sense of tenseness and helplessness is developed steadily and the ultimate ending is handled expertly. Most interesting mystery / thriller. I have a few more Inspector West books to read and am looking forward to continuing this series. (4.0 stars)"

2. The Furies by Keith Roberts (Hor / Sci Fi / 1966).

"The Furies by Keith Roberts is my 2nd look at his Sci Fi work, after enjoying Pavane previously. The Furies, while quite different from Pavane, was also excellent, a tense, dystopic future. The story starts off with a bang as an English farmer is killed by a giant wasp, which quickly become The Furies. 

The story is narrated by Bill Sampson, a relatively successful cartoonist living in the English countryside. He's a quiet, somewhat irascible individual, living on his own, well, on his own except for his Great Dane, Sec, short for Sekhmet, the Egyptian goddess of darkness. While working at home, Bill is visited by a young lady, Jane, visiting her parents who live nearby and are expected home soon.

Everything is quickly disrupted though. A nearby village is destroyed by an attack by a swarm of Furies. At the same time, the world is in the midst of an arm's race and both Russia and the US are about to test new atomic weapons. A few days after the first attack, Sampson's town is attacked by a swarm of Furies, almost at the same time as the nuclear tests take place, both causing tremendous damage. The village is destroyed by the wasps and also the fissures caused by the simultaneous blasts from the bombs.

Sampson and Sek survive and along with Jane try to find out what is happening and also trying to survive from the marauding wasps. Reports indicated that they are all over the world and even the army can't seem to stop them. So there is the basis of the story, a wasp dystopia, where the humans are not only trying to survive but also trying to destroy the invaders. 

It's a fascinating, dark, at times very depressing but also very thoughtful story. As things get worse, humankind begins to fracture, some helping the wasps build their cities / hives, gathering food, etc. Others, Bill and a small group of other people, try to find places to hide, to survive and to fight back against the swarms. It moves along steadily. Roberts doesn't respect people you might like, he plays no favorites. 

The characters are all interesting, displaying various aspects, positive and negative, of humankind. But like other such books, The Day of the Triffids by John Wyndham, and The Death of Grass by John Christopher, this book is also fairly thoughtful. It looks at humankind, what it might be doing wrong or right. It tries to provide a cogent analysis (never boring) of what the Furies actually are, where did they come from?

There are moments where you find yourself drawn right into the action, the fear, the tension. Roberts knows how to ramp things up quickly and forcefully. It's violent, but not overly graphic. All in all, it's an entertaining, tense, dystopic Sci Fi novel and well worth reading. (4.5 stars)"

3. A Gathering of Shadows by V.E. Schwab (Shades of Magic #2 / 2016) It took me awhile to get through this book, but it was worth it.

"Oh! I'm so angry!! Darn right I am! A Gathering of Shadows, the 2nd book in the Shades of Magic trilogy by V.E. Schwab made me so angry!! 

Inner Voice - But did you enjoy it? (Ed Note - For some reason I hear this voice as Hal, the shipboard computer in 2001, A Space Odyssey)

Me -Yeah... well, sure, ok... yes I enjoyed it... But I'm so angry!! 

Inner Voice - Calm down and let's just talk this through. Why did you enjoy it and why are you angry?... 

Me -Sigh... ok, here we go

A Gathering of Shadows is the 2nd book in the trilogy and it follows Delilah Bard, the master thief, and Kell, the Antari magician, as they move along from the first book, where they saved Red London from the darkness that threatened to destroy it. Kell is now once again living in the palace with his brother, Rhy, the two now inextricably enjoined now that they were magically linked to save Rhy from dying. Delilah is now on board the Night Spire, a buccaneer ship captained by Alucard Emery, having adventures.

Rhy is organizing the great magic competition between the 3 lands in the Red World, 36 of the greatest magicians, 12 from each country, will compete for the grand prize. This will bring Delilah back to Red London, because Alucard plans to compete (he is from one of the royal families in Red London (a black sheep) and a skilled magician. He's been teaching Delilah to hone her own magical skills and unbeknownst to Alucard, she plans to enter the competition (because that's what Delilah is like). Kell and Rhy have their own plan, in that Kell will also enter but under a fake name. 

In the meantime, as we learn from snippets throughout the story, Holland, their arch enemy from Book 1, is now King of White London and magic has been restored there (I apologize if I get the various London's incorrect, as I do get confused). Holland has been taken over by a dark force, who wants to be transferred to the body of an Antari...

Anyway, that's your story. It's long but moves along very nicely and when you've read for an hour or so, you find that you've made steady progress. The characters are great, each well - crafted, with their own individual personalities. The setting is excellent. The story is always interesting

Inner Voice - And you're angry why? 

Me - All through I kept waiting for the story to get to the crux, the key moment, the point of the whole thing. And what was that point? WAIT UNTIL BOOK 3!! That's why I'm angry... 

Inner Voice - Ah, well, that sounds fair. What's your solution?

So, here's my final thoughts. Book 1 was fantastic, just an amazing story with an amazing world. Book 2 was entertaining, set in the same amazing world, with the same great characters and it satisfactorily sets the stage for the final chapter. Check it out. (4.0 stars)"

Currently Reading (As always, these are books started since last update)

1. Wycliffe and the Tangled Web by W.J. Burley (Chief Superintendent Wycliffe #15 / 1988).

"Hilda Clemo, bright, beautiful, still at school, dropped the bombshell of her pregnancy to her family and boyfriend—and then vanished from her Cornish village that same summer afternoon. As fears for her safety grew, Chief Superintendent Wycliffe was brought in to search the fields and cliffs and question the Clemo family—a weird, feuding clan whose kinship and hatreds covered some unpleasant secrets.

One of the secrets finally led to the discovery of a body—but not the body of Hilda Clemo. By the time Hilda’s corpse was found, Wycliffe had a welter of mysteries to solve, not least the true character of the precocious murdered schoolgirl."

2. American War by Omar el Akkad (Dys / 2017). I have read one other book by el Akkad, a non fiction work.

"Sarat Chestnut, born in Louisiana, is only six when the Second American Civil War breaks out in 2074. But even she knows that oil is outlawed, that Louisiana is half underwater, that unmanned drones fill the sky. And when her father is killed and her family is forced into Camp Patience for displaced persons, she quickly begins to be shaped by her particular time and place until, finally, through the influence of a mysterious functionary, she is turned into a deadly instrument of war. Telling her story is her nephew, Benjamin Chestnut, born during war – part of the Miraculous Generation – now an old man confronting the dark secret of his past, his family’s role in the conflict and, in particular, that of his aunt, a woman who saved his life while destroying untold others."

3. Young Men in Spats by P.G. Wodehouse (Humour / 1936)

"Meet the Young Men in Spats - all members of the Drones Club, all crossed in love and all busy betting their sometimes nonexistent fortunes on unlikely outcomes - that's when they're not recovering from driving their sports cars through rather than round Marble Arch.

These wonderful comic short stories are the essence of innocent fun. In them you'll encounter some of Wodehouse's favourite characters - including, for the first time, his future hero Uncle Fred. The collection is widely regarded as one of Wodehouse's best and includes one of his own favorites, 'The Amazing Hat Mystery'."

4. The Genocides by Thomas M. Disch (Sci Fi / 1965).

"In this harrowing novel, the world's cities have been reduced to cinder and ash and alien plants have overtaken the earth.  The plants, able to grow the size of maples in only a month and eventually reach six hundred feet, have commandeered the world's soil and are sucking even the Great Lakes dry. In northern Minnesota, Anderson, an aging farmer armed with a Bible in one hand and a gun in the other, desperately leads the reduced citizenry of a small town in a daily struggle for meager existence. Throw into this fray Jeremiah Orville, a marauding outsider bent on a bizarre and private revenge, and the fight to live becomes a daunting task."

New Arrivals 

1. Secrets of Stone by Coltrane Seesequasis (A Wolf in the Sun #1 / 2024).

"Centuries have passed since the forces of nature won the war against humanity. Sentient animals now rule a healing world, and as the stain of mankind continues to dwindle, a young wolf called Silversong is determined to rise in the hierarchy of his pack. Strong at manipulating wind and air, all he needs is a way to prove himself to his Chief.

Before he can gain the respect he deserves, however, Silversong’s aspirations are cut short by the Heretic and his outcast wolves. Against all odds, the Heretic and his band of exiles escape their imprisonment far to the west and wreak havoc on Silversong’s pack. The exiles pose a threat unlike any other, and their enigmatic leader won’t stop his brutal conquest until all wolfkind submits to him.

Silversong can’t let a monstrous wolf like the Heretic roam free. With the wind at his back, he pursues the leader of the exiles into forests of shadow and into ancient places better left forgotten. But the further he strays from home, the more he comes to realize that maybe his enemies aren’t so evil after all. Maybe there’s a reason for the destruction they seek… and maybe there’s a far greater danger lying in wait."

2. A Gentle Habit by Cherie Dimaline (Indigenous / Short Stories / 2015).

"The inspiration for the collection comes from American Poet Charles Bukowski who wrote "In between the punctuating agonies, life is such a gentle habit." Following this theme of extraordinary ordinariness, A Gentle Habit is a collection of six new short stories focusing on the addictions of a diverse group of characters attempting normalcy in an unnatural world."

3. Intergalactic Exterminators, Inc by Ash Bishop (Intergalactic Archives #1 / 2022)

"Finding work is easy. Staying alive is a little bit harder.

When Russ Wesley finds an unusual artifact in his grandfather’s collection of rare antiquities, the last thing he expects is for it to draw the attention of a ferocious alien from a distant planet. Equally surprising is the adventurous team of intergalactic exterminators dispatched to deal with the alien threat. They’re a little wild, and a little reckless. Worse yet, they’re so impressed with Russ’s marksmanship that they insist he join their squad . . . whether he wants to or not."

4. City of Spies by Mara Timon (City of Spies #1 / 2020).

"LISBON, 1943. After escaping from Nazi-Occupied France, SOE agent Elisabeth de Mornay, codename Cecile, receives new orders: she must infiltrate high society in neutral Lisbon and find out who is leaking key information to the Germans about British troop movements. As Solange Verin, a French widow of independent means, she will be able to meet all the rich Europeans who have gathered in Lisbon to wait out the war. One of them is a traitor and she must find out who before more British servicemen die.

Complications arise when 'Solange' comes to the attention of German Abwehr officer, Major Eduard Graf. As they get to know each other, she struggles to keep her lies close to the truth.

But in a city that is filled with spies, how can she tell who is friend, or foe?"

So there you go, folks. Some reading ideas for you. And always remember, 'Open the pod bay door, Hal'

Should I or Shouldn't I?

Me, thinking

I've been kind of stewing over a question this past week or so. Background - I watch a few podcasts from people who talk about books, their favorites, their current reads, etc. I enjoy hearing their thoughts on books I've enjoyed or getting ideas for new reads. So, anyway, I started thinking I might like to try one myself. 

Positive point(s) - I like books. I read many books. I review books. I was a radio DJ back in the day, late '70s - early 80's. (not saying I was a good one. I just was one) 🤷

Negative point(s) - I'm retired and lazy. I still have lots of yard work to do. I already spend probably too much time sitting at this computer in the other room from Jo. Is that true, Jo??🙍‍♀️🙎‍♀️ (that might mean yes)

Anyway, I'll think about it some more and we'll see what comes of it.

Now, let's look at books read, started and purchased since my last update.

Books Completed

3 books completed in May so far. 

1. The Golden Ball and Other Stories by Agatha Christie (Short stories / 1971). A nice collection of short stories, without the benefit of Miss Marple or Hercule Poirot.

"The Golden Ball and Other Stories is a collection of short stories by crime master Agatha Christie. As a first comment, none of the stories include Christie's most famous creations, Miss Marple or Hercule Poirot. They are basically standalone mysteries, which makes them more (maybe) interesting for that.

In my poor old mind, the stories start off kind of fluffy.... cute. A guy is fired from his job by his uncle. He meets a pretty girl. They get involved in a mystery. They fall in love. All ends well. While quite different in their own way, the first few stories were kind of like that and they were quite enjoyable. They showed Christie's skill with the short story, her ability to get into her characters, her plot and move the story along nicely, to come up with a quick, satisfying result. 

But the tone changes a bit as the stories progress, maybe with Swan Song. Swan Song features a famous opera soprano, Mme Nazoroff, who is a prima donna giving a number of performances in London. She is offered an opportunity to also perform at a private estate and agrees. But she has a darker motive, which I won't ruin, but it is not quite like the other stories. The next few stories are almost mystical in their tone. They made me think of AC Doyle, when he wrote his tales of suspense, or HG Wells with the Invisible Man. Now Christie's stories are really horror but the provide a chill and a much darker tone. The Hound of Death is about a Belgian (she does like her Belgians) who escaped from Belgium during the war where an incident occurred in her church, something haunted, a hound??

The Gypsy is a story of foretelling, once again, not scary, but quite mystical and quite entertaining. In The Lamp, a mother, her young son and her father move into an old house that's been empty for a long time. It has a history, a young boy unintentionally abandoned by his father who died within. They can hear his pitter patter footsteps, her own son sees his spirit and ultimately, there is a sad, touching tragedy.

The Strange Case of Mr. Carmichael is quite creepy with two friends trying to help a young man, Carmichael regain his memory, his senses while something strange is going on in his estate; oriental mysticism, a 'dead cat'.... The Call of Wings is another spiritual, mystical story about a rich man, happy with his life, who sees a legless man playing a haunting tune one night and it affects him greatly. It ultimately makes him change his life drastically, to stop the conflict between his soul and his affinity for wealth.

Magnolia Blossom tells the story of a woman leaving her husband to be with the man she has fallen in love with. She discovers that her husband is about to lose everything, his money, his business so she returns to stand by him, with interesting consequences. And the final story, Next to a Dog.. well, it broke my heart, even if it does have a satisfying ending. A woman struggling to find work. She's lost everything, her husband, killed in the war, her money, gambled away by her husband, everything except her dog and she won't take a job that means she'll have to leave her dog; 12 years old, aging, slightly decrepit. I won't go any further, but it was a touching, tender, sad / happy, beautiful story.

The change in tone and type of story made this move up from a very good, entertaining collection of stories to a quite excellent, engrossing collection. Christie is truly a master story teller (4.0 stars)"

2. The Wolves of Willoughby Chase by Joan Aiken (Wolves Chronicles #1 / 1962)

"I was introduced to the stories of Joan Aiken when I read & greatly enjoyed her The Serial Garden: The Complete Armitage Family Stories, a collection of stories featuring the wonderful Armitage Family. Deciding to further explore her work, I acquired The Wolves of Willoughby Chase, the first book in her Wolves Chronicles. To be fair, while a scary addition to the story, the wolves themselves play a fairly minor role in the story itself (unless you consider being attacked by wild, ravenous packs of wolves as something major, then fair ball).

The story follows two young cousins, Sylvia, who at the start, lives with an ailing aunt Jane in London and Bonnie, a young girl living on an estate outside of London, the Willoughby Estate, with her very wealthy father and ailing mother. The story is set in a Dickensian kind of alternate England where packs of wolves roam the countryside, men wander around armed with muskets to defend themselves from the wolves and trains even are attacked when the wolves are roaming. 

Sylvia is sent to Willoughby Hall by her aunt as her Jane is quite poor and also frail and wants Sylvia to benefit from the wealth and life style of her brother in the countryside. On the train ride to Willoughby Estate, she meets a Mr. Grimshaw, who she distrusts, even though Mr. Grimshaw does save her when the train is attacked by wolves. As they arrive at the station by Willoughby, Grimshaw is knocked unconscious so Sylvia's cousin decides to bring him back to the Estate where he can recover.

Willoughby Hall is in a state of unrest as Sylvia arrives as the Lord and Lady are about to depart on a cruise, for Lady Willoughby's health. A distant cousin, Miss Slighcarp is coming to run the estate while the Lord and Lady are away. (distant rolling warning drums begin to beat - that was my addition, it's not in the book)

I don't want to ruin the plot anymore but suffice it to say that Miss Slighcarp is an evil villain who had designs, along with Mr. Grimshaw, to take over the estate, remove the parents totally from the picture, get rid of the staff and Bonnie and Sylvia. It's a fascinating, at times fairly dark story, in the great tradition of Dickens (I think) and filled with wonderful, heroic characters, especially Bonnie, Sylvia, their friend Simon, Pattern (their maid) and Jamie (the young butler). 

The story moves along nicely, with neat twists and turns and it provides a beautiful setting, from the dark cold winter of England to the bright spring that bursts upon them as the girls and companion travel to London to get help. Wonderful story, wonderful adventure and wonderful characters. Black Hearts in Battersea is the next book in the series and is on my bookshelf (4.0 stars)"

3. The World Needs More Canada by Heather Reisman (Non Fiction / 2017). I actually just received this book in the mail but wanted to read it right away.

"The World Needs More Canada edited by Heather Reisman is a table top type book published in 2017 to celebrate Canada's 150th anniversary. At the end of last year, I read a similar sort of book, Elbows Up, which was in a similar format, just less of a table top book.

At any rate, this book contains thoughts about Canada, on its anniversary, from a multitude of Canadians; authors, poets, artists, musicians, activists, actors, etc. Just a page each, some with very small remarks, some with more detailed thoughts. They were basically asked a few questions; 

- What does it mean to be Canadian?

- What makes you proud to call yourself Canadian?

- The best way to endear yourself to a Canadian is...

- When you are travelling, what do you miss most about Canada

- What is your most 'Canadian' memory?

Sometimes the answers are quite simple - 

Malin Akerman (actor) - 'We are very welcoming people and known throughout the world for our kindness. If you bump into someone else, the Canadian will always be the first one to 'sorry'; or

Eric Walters (YA author) 'Being Canadian is about being tough - think Vimy Ridge, Juno Beach and hockey - But also about being kind, caring and accepting. We are tough people, but we are a caring people"

I readily recognize that Canada is not a perfect country. We have a bad historical record when it came to dealing with our indigenous peoples and we are still trying to correct and reconciliate that. During WWII we put Japanese Canadians in camps and took their property. Chinese immigrants who were crucial to building out railroads were treated badly. But I think we've been trying to improve, to show that we are welcoming, caring and willing to help other countries in the outside world. (that's me doing my bit of proselytizing about Canada. 🍁😁)

On the whole the book was empowering and made me feel stronger about my Canadian citizenship. I enjoyed everybody's thoughts on being Canadian. I read one response to my wife, that being by journalist / author Ami McKay. Her happiest memory of being Canadian was when she took her citizenship test. Her young son had helped her study and then she went out to actually write her exam. At the end, while everyone sat quietly, the proctor came to the front of the class, smiled, told them they had all passed. Joyous applause from all there. I readily admit that I had difficulty reading it, it made me proud, happy and I got quite choked up. 

I've tried to answer the question myself. What does it mean to me to be Canadian? I'd have to say service. My father served in the Royal Canadian Navy during WWII, joining as a very young man. After the war, when he was married, he went to work in the gold mines in northern Ontario, then joined up with the Royal Canadian Air Force as aircraft engine mechanic. We travelled through Canada and Europe while he was in. Both of my brothers and I also joined the Canadian military. I served across Canada and worked with the American Air Force in Germany, also deployed to Dubai. Both brothers had much more hazardous tours. We all served many years and enjoyed our careers. For myself, it gave me a perspective on how good and diverse Canada is.

My most Canadian memory? Saturday nights, my brother sister out for the evening, my mother in bed reading, my dad and I in the living room watching a hockey game. My brother coming home and making a Kraft pizza for all of us, bringing up a slice for my mom to enjoy. (Now I'm choked up again... LOL) (4.0 stars)"

Currently Reading (started since May 1)

1. The Minority Report and Other Stories by Philip K. Dick (Short stories / 1987)

"Many thousands of readers consider Philip K. Dick the greatest science fiction mind on any planet. Since his untimely death in 1982, interest in Dick's works has continued to mount and his reputation has been further enhanced by a growing body of critical attention. The Philip K. Dick Award is now given annually to a distinguished work of science fiction, and the Philip K. Dick Society is devoted to the study and promulgation of his works.

This collection includes all of the writer's earliest short and medium-length fiction (including some previously unpublished stories) covering the years 1954-1964.

Volume 4/5 contains:
- Autofac (1955)
- Service Call (1955)
- Captive Market (1955)
- The Mold of Yancy (1955)
- The Minority Report (1956)
- Recall Mechanism (1959)
- The Unreconstructed M (1957)
- Explorers We (1959)
- War Game (1959)
- If There Were No Benny Cemoli (1963)
- Novelty Act (1964)
- Waterspider (1964)
- What the Dead Men Say (1964)
- Orpheus with Clay Feet (1987)
- The Days of Perky Pat (1963)
- Stand-By (1963)
- What'll We Do with Ragland Park? (1963)
- Oh, to Be a Blobel! (1964)"

2. Memoirs of a Spacewoman by Naomi Mitchison (Sci Fi / 1962).

"Mary is a communications expert, passionate and compassionate about the strange and often unnerving life forms she encounters on her travels to distant galaxies. Non-interference is the code, but her emotional and erotic entanglements cannot always be avoided, and scientific detachment is not always easy to maintain. Mary explores her own sexuality with colleagues and with friends such as the hermaphroditic Martian, Vly."

New Books (as of 1 May)

1. The 500 Years of Indigenous Resistance Comic Book, Revised and Expanded by Gord Hill (Graphic Novel / 2002).

"When it was first published in 2010, The 500 Years of Resistance Comic Book was heralded as a groundbreaking illustrated history of Indigenous activism and resistance in the Americas over the previous 500 years, from contact to present day. Eleven years later, author and artist Gord Hill has revised and expanded the book, which is now available in color for the first time.

The 500 Years of Resistance Comic Book powerfully portrays flashpoints in history when Indigenous peoples have risen up and fought back against colonizers and other oppressors. Events depicted include the the Spanish conquest of the Aztec, Mayan and Inca empires; the 1680 Pueblo Revolt in New Mexico; the Battle of Wounded Knee in 1890; the resistance of the Great Plains peoples in the 19th century; and more recently, the Idle No More protests supporting Indigenous sovereignty and rights in 2012 and 2013, and the resistance to the Dakota Access Pipeline in 2016.

With strong, plain language and evocative illustrations, this revised and expanded edition of The 500 Years of Resistance Comic Book reveals the tenacity and perseverance of Indigenous peoples as they endured 500-plus years of genocide, massacre, torture, rape, displacement, and assimilation: a necessary antidote to conventional histories of the Americas.

The book includes a foreword by Pamela Palmater, a Mi'kmaq lawyer, professor, and political commentator."

2. Virginia's Sisters, an Anthology of Women's Writing by Virginia Woolf (Short stories / 2023).

"A unique anthology of short stories and poetry by feminist contemporaries of Virginia Woolf, who were writing about work, discrimination, war, relationships, sexuality and love in the early part of the 20th Century.   Includes works by English and American writers Zelda Fitzgerald, Charlotte Perkins Gillman, Radclyffe Hall, Katherine Mansfield, Alice Dunbar Nelson, Edith Wharton, and Virginia Woolf, alongside their recently rediscovered ‘sisters’ from around the world. This book offers a diverse and international array of over 20 literary gems from women writers living in Bulgaria, Chile, China, Egypt, France, Italy, Palestine, Romania, Russia, Spain and Ukraine.

List of authors and works A Woman  by Fani Popova-Mutafova (translated by Petya Pavlova)
Thoughts  by Myra Viola Wilds
The Little Governess  by Katherine Mansfield
Villa Myosotis by Sorana Gurian (translated by Gabi Reigh)
The Mark on the Wall  by Virginia Woolf
Miss Ogilvy Finds Herself  [extract] by Radclyffe Hall
I sit and sew  by Alice Dunbar Nelson
First Steps  [extract] by Dorka Talmon (translated by Mira Glover)
Coming Home by Maria Messina (translated by Juliette Neil)
Vegetal Reverie  by Magda Isanos (translated by Gabi Reigh)
The Iceberg  by Zelda Fitzgerald
The Russian Princess  by Carmen de Burgos (translated by Slava Faybysh)
Bring to Me All…  by Marina Tsvetaeva (translated by Nina Kossman)
Autres Temps by Edith Wharton
Unheard  by Yente Serdatsky (translated by Dalia Wolfson)
Fog  by Gabriela Mistral (translated by Stuart Cooke)
Natalia  [extract] by Fausta Cialente (translated by Laura Shanahan)
What makes this century worse?  by Anna Akhmatova (translated by Olga Livshin)
Broken  by Nataliya Kobrynska (translated by Hanna Leliv & Slava Faybysh)
Sunset  by Antonia Pozzi (translated by Sonia di Placido)
Once Upon A Time  by Ling Shuhua (translated by Leilei Chen)
Their Religions and our Herland  [extract] by Charlotte Perkins Gilman
Goodbye Lebanon  by May Ziadeh (translated by Rose DeMaris)"

3. Y: The Last Man, Vol 4 - Safeword by Brian K. Vaughan (Dystopia / 2004).

"As the Last Man on Earth and his companions continue to head West, the story takes a detour into the psychological.

In the care of a fellow Culper Ring member, Yorick Brown is forced to confront his tremendous feelings of survivor guilt that lead him to constantly put his life in danger. Once on the road again, the group runs up against a literal roadblock in Arizona, where the female remains of the Sons of Arizona militia have cut the interstate to keep out any vestiges of the U.S. government."

4. The Perfectionists, How Precision Engineers Created the Modern World by Simon Winchester (His / 2018).

"The revered New York Times bestselling author traces the development of technology from the Industrial Age to the Digital Age to explore the single component crucial to advancement—precision—in a superb history that is both an homage and a warning for our future.

The rise of manufacturing could not have happened without an attention to precision. At the dawn of the Industrial Revolution in eighteenth-century England, standards of measurement were established, giving way to the development of machine tools—machines that make machines. Eventually, the application of precision tools and methods resulted in the creation and mass production of items from guns and glass to mirrors, lenses, and cameras—and eventually gave way to further breakthroughs, including gene splicing, microchips, and the Hadron Collider.

Simon Winchester takes us back to origins of the Industrial Age, to England where he introduces the scientific minds that helped usher in modern production: John Wilkinson, Henry Maudslay, Joseph Bramah, Jesse Ramsden, and Joseph Whitworth. It was Thomas Jefferson who later exported their discoveries to the fledgling United States, setting the nation on its course to become a manufacturing titan. Winchester moves forward through time, to today’s cutting-edge developments occurring around the world, from America to Western Europe to Asia.

As he introduces the minds and methods that have changed the modern world, Winchester explores fundamental questions. Why is precision important? What are the different tools we use to measure it? Who has invented and perfected it? Has the pursuit of the ultra-precise in so many facets of human life blinded us to other things of equal value, such as an appreciation for the age-old traditions of craftsmanship, art, and high culture? Are we missing something that reflects the world as it is, rather than the world as we think we would wish it to be? And can the precise and the natural co-exist in society?"

5. The Van Driesen Affair by Holly Roth (Spy / 1960).

"A Soviet expatriate living in Washington, D.C. mysteriously disappears on the way to a meeting. The previous day she'd suggested to those in Washington that a division of the Department of Justice should cooperate in the kidnapping of a Russian official. Fifteen hours later, she was gone! Did she drop out of sight due to stress, or has she been kidnapped?"

So there you go folks. Enjoy checking out these reading suggestions. Have a great weekend!

It's February; Winter Olympics month

The Winter Olympics started this past week in Milan / Cortina, Italy and Jo and I have been enjoying them so far. I do wish the Canadians were doing a bit better but it's still early days and they are giving their very best. That's all you can do. Things I enjoyed so far? The Canadian women's hockey, rather than accepting a bye because of illness to the Finnish team, said they were more than happy to play the game later. Then they beat the Swiss, so that was ok. The Opening ceremonies were very nice. JD Vance being booed when he was showed on the big screen during the Opening ceremonies was especially nice. All in all, it's been most enjoyable. The days events usually start here on the West Coast around midnight and finish in the afternoon. CBC has been ok and we get to watch replays in the evening or on CBC Gem if we want to. Now for Canada to get more medals!! GO CANADA!!!

So, Jo is watching a replay of GB vs Italy in mixed doubles curling so since we do know the result, I'm doing a Feb reading update.

Books Completed  (since last update)

1. On Tyranny: Twenty Lessons from the Twentieth Century, Graphic Edition by Timothy Snyder, illustrated by Nora Krug (2017 / Non Fic).

"I previously read On Freedom by American historian Timothy Snyder and found it a thought - provoking work. I had been toying with the idea of getting his other book and when I saw a graphic edition, I purchased On Tyranny: Twenty Lessons from the Twentieth Century - Graphic Edition, it looked so well put together that I bought it. The illustrations within are by Nora Krug and the edition of her artwork and the photos that she included in this edition make even more powerful.

On Tyranny is quite short and has chapters such as; Do not obey in advance; defend institutions, beware the one-party state, etc. In each he looks back at the history of fascism, tyranny, providing examples that relate to what was happening in the early campaigning and presidency of Donald Trump (having said that, he never mentions Donald Trump by name, but you can often read between the lines... 

"What was novel in 2016 was a candidate who ordered a private security detail to clear opponents from rallies and encouraged the audience itself to remove people who expressed different opinions. A protestor would first be greeted with boos, then with frenetic cries of "USA" and then be forced to leave the rally. At one campaign rally, the candidate said, "there's a remnant left over. Get the remnant out." This was in the chapter entitled, be wary of paramilitaries.

It's not new information. Since 2016, we've been hearing similar ideas and warnings almost on a daily basis, but to have it all laid out before you, succinctly and with historical references to back up his points, makes it so clear and terrifying.

The chapter I found particularly powerful was, Be patriotic. He starts off with what patriotism is not.

"It is not patriotic to dodge the draft and to mock war heroes and their families. It is not patriotic to discriminate against active-duty members of the armed forces in one's companies, or to campaign to keep disabled veterans away from one's property. It is not patriotic to compare one's search for sexual partners in New York with the military service in Vietnam that one has dodged....." 

That chapter ends "A nationalist will say that 'it can't happen here,' which is the first step toward disaster. A patriot says that it could happen here, but that we will stop it.' (at this point, I thought of the wonderful patriots in Minneapolis and everywhere else in the US who are fighting back)

The last chapter is short and clear.

"Be as courageous as you can. If none of us is prepared to die for freedom, then all of us will die under tyranny."

Please read this book. (4.5 stars)"

2. The Warsaw Document by Adam Hall (Quiller #4 / 1971).

"The Warsaw Document is the 4th book in the Cold War Spy series, Quiller, by English author, Adam Hall. I've read a few of this series and I will readily admit that I find them a difficult read, but at the same time, as I get going, they do grab your attention.

Quiller is a code name for the executive, as they call him, who is assigned various missions for a secretive British spy organization that works outside the purviews of MI-6. In this case, his manager for this story is Egerton who calls Quiller down from a training program in Norfolk (where he is honing his close fighting techniques) to undertake a mission in Warsaw. In the next few days, reps from Russia and the West will be meeting to discuss the status of Poland.

Egerton wants Quiller to keep an eye on a new agent, one Merrick, who will be going to work as a junior rep at the British embassy but will in fact be spying for Egerton, linking with Polish protestors / activists working as a group Cyn, who plan to disrupt the talks with bombings. Merrick is very inexperienced and Egerton wants Quiller to keep him in rein and to keep him safe. Quiller will work under another name and link up with Merrick and the agitators and report back to Egerton.

That's as simple as I can describe it. It's quite an involved story, deep with spy craft, involving the Poles, double agents, a British traitor who now works for the Russians. I find myself getting lost in the story at times.. is it the present, just Quiller's thoughts and ruminations? It gets somewhat obtuse (if that's the correct word) that I would find myself wandering off, wondering if I should keep reading it. But the story is ultimately quite fascinating. There is well-described car chases, action sequences and the intricacy of how the Russians and Polish police monitor and follow Quiller are also quite interesting.

In the end, I found myself getting into the story very much and enjoying the conclusion. Quiller is a bit of a counterpoint to Bond, definitely a cerebral, if somewhat cynical, character. I have all of the books, so will continue to work through them. (3.0 stars)"

3. Conversations on Writing by Ursula K. Le Guin, with David Naimon (Non Fic / 2018).

"I've been enjoying so very much exploring the works of American author, Ursula K. Le Guin. She is a true legend, author of Sci Fi and Fantasy stories, fiction, poetry and non fiction, even children's stories. I saw Ursula K. Le Guin: Conversations on Writing in her catalogue and thought it sounded interesting. And it was.

Sadly, as co-writer / interviewer David Naimon says in a prologue, Ursula died as they were doing their final edits for the book.

"I was in the midst of doing just that (final edits) when I learned she'd passed away.

More than a week has gone by and I still haven't been able to do my part. I read tributes to her by the greats - Gaiman, Atwood, Walton - finding myself without words...."

But thankfully Mr. Naimon managed to put the book together and get it published. It provides a fascinating look at Ursula's writing style, breaking it down into three sections, On Fiction, On Poetry and On Nonfiction. 

It's an interesting book. Le Guin discusses the importance of grammar, the proper use of words. She compares the differences between the various styles of writing, the rhythm of the use of words. In poetry, which I found particularly interesting, she says that style of poetry that influences her work,  e.g. the use of the quatrain especially. The style of the poem greatly influenced her individual poetry. 

"The Small Indian Pestle at the Applegate House

Dense, heavy, fine-grained, dark basalt

worn river-smooth all round, a cylinder

with blunt round ends, a tool:....."

The examples used portray a lovely picture of the title Pestle... a poem about a pestle, imagine that.

She talks about her influences, Virginia Woolf is mentioned quite a bit, her flow of words, her rhythm... She also talks about the sexism towards woman authors, comparing Woolf to James Joyce. Woolf was so involved with writers, her own stories, doing reviews while Joyce was basically an introvert, yet she was always that 'woman' writer who wasn't too bad, whereas he was a genius. Also interesting comparisons between William Gibson and C.J. Cherryh and a particular story about Mary Foote and Wallace Stegner, a story that still made her quite angry.

For a small book, there is so much in it and if you are a writer, a budding author, it might be worth looking at. And if you just like Ursula K. Le Guin, it provides some more insight into this wonderful woman. And it gave me some ideas of more books, by her and other writers.. particularly Chilean poet Gabriela Mistral. The excerpt of one poem, both in Spanish and English, really grabbed me. Anyway, please check out this book. (4.0 stars)"

Currently Reading (started in February)

1. Dance for the Dead by Thomas Perry (Jane Whitefield #2 / 1996).

"When eight-year-old Timothy Decker finds his parents brutally murdered, it's clear the Deckers weren't the intended victims: Timothy's own room--ransacked, all traces of his existence expertly obliterated-- is the shocking evidence. Timothy's nanny, Mona, is certain about only one thing. Timmy needs to disappear, fast.

Only Jane Whitefield, a Native American "guide" who specializes in making victims vanish, can lead him to safety. But diverting Jane's attention is Mary Perkins, a desperate woman with S&L fraud in her past. Stalking Mary is a ruthless predator determined to find her and the fortune she claims she doesn't have. Jane quickly creates a new life for Mary and jumps back on Timmy's case . . . not knowing that the two are fatefully linked to one calculating killer. . . ."

2. Ship of Spells by H. Leighton Dickson (Fan / 2025). I've been enjoying Dickson's Upper Kingdom series but decided to try her newest book. I'm enjoying very much so far.

"A war-scarred mage. A sentient ship. A secret that could drown empires.

When Ensign Bluemage Honor Renn is rescued from the wreckage of her first naval post, she expects death or disgrace. Instead, she wakes aboard the Touchstone, a mythic vessel whispered of in dockside ballads and royal war rooms alike. With a crew of misfits. A mysterious, elven captain. And a mission tied to the Dreadwall, the crumbling barrier that has kept the Overland and Nethersea from open war for a hundred years.

But the tragedy that sank her last ship didn’t just take lives―it left something behind.

Now Renn carries a secret everyone wants. A magik that’s chimeric, arcane...and slowly killing her. But the captain’s mission may be her only chance to survive, even if he still doesn’t trust her.

Caught between privateers, princes, and spies, Renn knows each choice could sink her future―or set the sea on fire.

Ship of Spells is perfect for readers who crave the raw grit of Arya Stark, the world-building of Samantha Shannon, and the slow-burn tension of enemies who should never trust or want each other."

Newest Books (all new authors to me)

1. We Love You Bunny by Mona Awad (Bunny #2 / 2025).

"In the cult classic novel Bunny, Samantha Heather Mackey, a lonely outsider student at a highly selective MFA program in New England, was first ostracized and then seduced by a clique of creepy-sweet rich girls who call themselves “Bunny.” An invitation to the Bunnies’ Smut Salon leads Samantha down a dark rabbit hole (pun intended) into the violently surreal world of their off-campus workshops where monstrous creations are conjured with deadly and wondrous consequences.

When We Love You, Bunny opens, Sam has just published her first novel to critical acclaim. But at a New England stop on her book tour, her one-time frenemies, furious at the way they’ve been portrayed, kidnap her. Now a captive audience, it’s her (and our) turn to hear the Bunnies’ side of the story. One by one, they take turns holding the axe, and recount the birth throes of their unholy alliance, their discovery of their unusual creative powers—and the phantasmagoric adventure of conjuring their first creation. With a bound and gagged Sam, we embark on a wickedly intoxicating journey into the heart of dark academia: a fairy tale slasher that explores the wonder and horror of creation itself. Not to mention the transformative powers of love and friendship, Bunny."

2. Hello World, How to be Human in the Age of the Machine by Hannah Fry (Non Fic / 2018).

"You are accused of a crime. Who would you rather determined your fate – a human or an algorithm?
An algorithm is more consistent and less prone to error of judgement. Yet a human can look you in the eye before passing sentence.
You need a liver transplant to save your life. Who would you want in charge of organ allocation?
An algorithm can match organ donors with patients, potentially saving many more lives. But it may send you to the back of the queue.
You’re buying a (driverless) car. One vehicle is programmed to save as many lives as possible in a collision. Another promises to prioritize the lives of its passengers. Which do you choose?
Welcome to the age of the algorithm, the story of a not-too-distant future where machines rule supreme, making important decisions – in healthcare, transport, finance, security, what we watch, where we go even who we send to prison. So how much should we rely on them? What kind of future do we want?

Hannah Fry takes us on a tour of the good, the bad and the downright ugly of the algorithms that surround us. In Hello World she lifts the lid on their inner workings, demonstrates their power, exposes their limitations, and examines whether they really are an improvement on the humans they are replacing."

3. The Memory Police by Yoko Ogawa (Sci Fi / 1994).

"A haunting Orwellian novel about the terrors of state surveillance, from the acclaimed author of The Housekeeper and the Professor.

On an unnamed island off an unnamed coast, objects are disappearing: first hats, then ribbons, birds, roses--until things become much more serious. Most of the island's inhabitants are oblivious to these changes, while those few imbued with the power to recall the lost objects live in fear of the draconian Memory Police, who are committed to ensuring that what has disappeared remains forgotten.

When a young woman who is struggling to maintain her career as a novelist discovers that her editor is in danger from the Memory Police, she concocts a plan to hide him beneath her floorboards. As fear and loss close in around them, they cling to her writing as the last way of preserving the past.

A surreal, provocative fable about the power of memory and the trauma of loss, The Memory Police is a stunning new work from one of the most exciting contemporary authors writing in any language."

4. The Dentist by Tim Sullivan (DS George Cross #1 / 2020).

"A cold case that has been ignored. . . A detective who fights for the voiceless.

THE DETECTIVE

Bristol detective DS George Cross might be difficult to work with – but his unfailing logic and determined pursuit of the truth means he is second to none at convicting killers.

THE CRIME

When the police dismiss a man's death as a squabble among the homeless community, Cross is not convinced; there are too many unanswered questions.

Who was the unknown man whose weather-beaten body was discovered on Clifton Downs? And was the same tragedy that resulted in his life on the streets also responsible for his death?

THE COLD CASE

As Cross delves into the dead man's past, he discovers that the answers lie in a case that has been cold for fifteen years.

Cross is the only person who can unpick the decades-old murder – after all, who better to decipher the life of a person who society has forgotten than a man who has always felt like an outsider himself?"

There you go, folks. I hope some of these pique your interest. Have a great February.