A bit of a Mish Mash; Finished Reading, New Starts, etc

A new week starts and we come towards the end of another month; 2/3 of a year gone. Egads!

Just Finished

Since my last BLog entry, I've finished 3 books and enjoyed them all.

1. The Island of Sheep by John Buchan.

"The Island of Sheep is the fifth of five books by John Buchan featuring intrepid Richard Hannay. The most well-known book is the first, The 39 Steps, which was also made into at least two movies. I've read the first three and jumped book 4, The Three Hostages, for one of my reading challenges. I will get back to the 4th book in the near future.
With all that preamble, The Island of Sheep brings a retired Hannay and some friends back into adventure to follow up on a promise they made to an old friend many years ago. That promise was to help this man's son should he ever be endangered by the friend's enemies. Hannay is enjoying retirement, living at Fosse with wife and son but still feels that he's getting rusty. Brief meetings with other old friends, Lombard, and Sandy, lord of Clanroyden, bring back the events in Africa that lead to the promise to help their old friend, Haraldsen, a Norlander and adventurer. A group of old and new enemies are threatening the son of Haraldsen to get his wealth. Hannay and his friends decide to help him against them.
The adventure moves to Scotland, home of Sandy and then to the Island of Sheep, somewhere near Denmark / Norway, the home of Haraldsen and his clan, for the final confrontation. The story moves along nicely, with sufficient action to keep you involved and also develops the characters in a manner where you can see them shaking off the rust of their retirements and inactivity to become more resolute in their efforts to help their friend. Buchan has an excellent descriptive writing style and you can see and feel the land he describes and his characters. In many ways it's probably a man's story, the women, wives of Hannay and his friends, are strong and resolute and supportive of the men but also play minor roles. I also liked Hannay's son, Peter John, who plays a nicely major role in the events.
All in all, an excellent ending to the Hannay adventures, enjoyable to read and a satisfying ending. (3.5 stars)"

2. Fatal Remedies by Donna Leon. "Donna Leon's Inspector Brunetti and Martin Walker's Bruno books are two of my favourite mystery series. They are more than a mystery; they are about communities - the people, the families, the food, etc. I've read 10 of the Brunetti books, with Fatal Remedies being the most recent.
This story involves Brunetti's wife, Paola, being arrested for breaking the window of a travel agency involved in arranging tours for men to go to places like Thailand to have sex with underage prostitutes. There is definite tension between Brunetti and Paola throughout the story but there is also the underlying love each feels for the other.
The owner of the tourist agency is murdered and suspicion falls on Paola, or at the least, suspicion that her previous actions might have encourage some radical to act. Brunetti must walk a tight rope trying to solve the murder and to keep Paola out of the investigation. With the help of his ever present Sgt Vianello and the lovely, intelligent secretary, Signora Elletra, Brunetti works steadily to solve the murder, which could now involve the sale of out-of-date drugs.
I enjoyed this story as I have enjoyed all of the Brunetti mysteries but at the same time I think Donna Leon kind of coasted a bit with the story. I missed the family interactions but the children didn't play much of a role in this story. We never got to experience the family dinners, wonder at the great meals Paola usually makes. And I didn't enjoy the tension between Brunetti and Paola, even though their love trumps even that. I liked that Signora Elletra played a bigger role this time. She is one of my favourite characters.
All in all, still an enjoyable, comfortable read, with even a bit of action. A great series (3.5 stars)"

3. Patient Zero by Jonathan Maberry. "This is the 2nd book I've read by Jonathan Maberry and the first in the Joe Ledger horror / thriller series featuring Joe Ledger, ex-Baltimore cop, ex-army martial arts expert, etc etc. Patient Zero was definitely a thrill ride. Ledger is hired by a top secret government agency, Dept of Military Sciences (DMS), headed by a mysterious personage, Mr. Church, and is immediately thrown into action with a quick response team to fight what can only be described by zombies.
These zombies have been created by a pathogen created by a combination drug expert and terrorist organization with competing goals. The threat to the US is evident and Ledger, Church and the other team leader, Maj. Grace Courtland must go into action quickly and constantly to discover the source of the pathogen, discover who might be a mole in this secret organization and at the same time keep the country from being destroyed by this pathogen. Body counts rise, action is constant and the story moves from Maryland to Afghanistan at a hectic pace.
It's an interesting story and keeps you enthralled. I enjoyed the first Maberry book, Ghost Road Blues, as well. I look forward to continuing both series. I just need to take a breath from all of the action.. (3.5 stars)"

I'm on track with my overall Goodreads challenge and I hope to maybe finish one more book before the end of the month. I'm slightly over half way through Nicholas Nickleby and have started three other books -

1. A Gun for Sale by Graham Greene.
2. Birds of a Feather by Jacqueline Winspear (Maisie Dobbs #2).
3. Last Laugh, Mr. Moto by John P. Marquand.

The Missus's Pop Culture Challenge (Finito)

Today I go through the final Days of this challenge. Jo is taking a rest from it for now. I have a feeling she won't come up with a new one, but you never know.

Day 28 - Film or TV Show that reminds you of your Dad.  I chose Blazing Saddles. I remember going with my younger brother, John and my Mom and Dad and my Dad laughing and laughing. Every time I see it, it makes me think of him. Jo chose ITV World of Sports, a show she enjoyed watching with her Dad. Other choices included Morecombe and Wise, Peter Seller's The Party (another good laugh), Father Knows Best, Dad's Army, etc.

Day 29 - What is your favourite Radio programme. I chose The Royal Canadian Air Farce. I remember how much we enjoyed listening to it when we were stationed in Lahr, Germany. It was a touch of home. Jo chose Sara Cox's Sounds of the 80's on BBC Radio 2, a show I enjoy too. Other choices included The Archer's, Woman's Hour, The News Show, etc.

Day 30 - What is your favourite Movie. My favourite movie has been To Kill a Mockingbird and over the years, even with many other excellent movies, it remains my favourite. Jo chose The Women, a movie we've watched many times as it's a favourite of TCM. Other choices included Brief Encounter, Gone with the Wind, West Side Story, etc.

and the final day....

Day 31 - What is your all-time favourite TV show. This final challenge was difficult for me as I've been a TV addict since I was a little kid. But I ended up choosing Buffy the Vampire Slayer. It was a unique show and I met Jo through it so it's definitely got a special feeling for me. Jo chose Suits, another favourite of ours. We do like a good lawyer show. Some of the other final choices included Strictly Come Dancing, Game of Thrones, NCIS, Thirty Something, etc. So many possibilities.

So there you go. That finished the latest iteration of the Pop Culture challenge. It was very popular, helped folks bring back fond memories. There were many who asked her to come up with another challenge. But she's taking some time off for awhile at least.

Well, I think I'll stop there today and get back to regular scheduled posting next entry. Have a great week. Stay safe in Texas!