Mid January 2018 Update

We've been building an ark out in the back yard the past few days... (just kidding of course). But it's been very rainy and windy since the missus and I returned from our excellent weekend in Vancouver. There is a duck pond just down the road from our house and it connects to a farmer's field where he lets his dairy cows graze. When the pups and I went for our noon walk today (thankfully, it's sunny and fresh for a change), I could see that the pond has expanded by about 4 times its normal length. I'm sure the ducks like it but the cows won't be too happy.

Last weekend, as I mentioned, Jo and I went to Vancouver to watch the Canadian National Figure Skating championships, held at University of British Columbia. It was a great weekend. This was our first time staying in an Air B&B place and it was excellent; a comfortable basement flat very near to the event. We brought food for the first couple of nights but went out the last two; a nice Italian restaurant and an equally nice Greek restaurant. The figure skating was fantastic; brought Jo to tears a few times. It was probably our last opportunity to see some of our favorites live; Duhamel & Radford, Virtue & Moir, Patric Chan, etc. It was an excellent mix of veteran skaters and up-and-comers. Even the gala on Sunday was super; just an excellent afternoon. We picked up the puppies at the kennel Monday afternoon; they were so dirty and tired. LOL! It's been nice to be back home I must say; fun to go away for a couple of days but great to get back out home stomping grounds.

Finished Reading

I've finished two more books since my last update. It's been somewhat slow but I'm enjoying all my books. Below are my latest two books with reviews.

1. Mrs. Pargeter's Package by Simon Brett. This was my first book in Brett's Mrs. Pargeter mysteries. I didn't have copies of the first two books so started with #3. I don't think it affected my enjoyment. My review is below.










"I've read books from other series by Simon Brett; 3 of the Fethering books and one of the Charles Paris books. I enjoyed both series so have been looking to try the Mrs. Pargeter mysteries and have just finished the third book in the series, Mrs. Pargeter's Package. Overall, I preferred the other series but I still liked this book. It was cozy, light and entertaining.
Melita Pargeter is a 60ish widow. Her husband was a successful businessman, some of his methods may have been less than legal. But he also had many friends and it seems that they feel an obligation to support Melita due to their working with her hubbie.
Melita is taking a trip to Corfu, the Greek Island, with a friend, Joyce, who is trying to get over the death of her husband. There is a mystery here. Joyce is looking for something in Corfu and she ends up dead. The local police officer says it was suicide but after looking the situation over, Melita feels that it was murder.
With the help of Larry Lambeth, a fellow pretty good at forgery, Melita searches for clues to Joyce's death. Back in London, detective Truffler Mason and wheeler dealer Hamish Ramon Henriques (HRH), help Mrs. Pargeter look into deaths and other clues that might help.
It wasn't a complex story but it moved along nicely and it kept me interested. Call it light and fluffy and a fun read. (3 stars)"

2. Cakes and Ale by W. Somerset Maugham. I've read and enjoyed a few of Maugham's works. I read this as part of my 2018 12 + 4 Challenge, recommended by one of my Goodreads' compatriots, Bob.





"I've previously read 3 other books by English author W. Somerset Maugham; The Razor's Edge (5 stars), The Moon and Sixpence (5 stars) and Ashenden (4 stars) and as you can see I've enjoyed them all. The Razor's Edge in particular was one of my favourite books of all-time. It is that book that got me so interested in reading more of Maugham's works. Cakes and Ale: Or, The Skeleton in the Cupboard was recommended to me by one of my Goodread friends. (Thanks Bob.)
So the book... The story is purportedly a story about an acquaintance, author Edward Driffield, of the narrator, William Ashenden, another writer. In fact, it is more about the writer's first wife, barmaid Rosie. The reason for Ashenden telling this story is that another writer and acquaintance, Alroy Kear, has been requested to write a biography of Driffield, now deceased, by Driffield's second wife. Kear knows that Ashenden met Driffield as a young boy and later as a young man and he wants Ashenden's assistance in getting a feel for Driffield's earlier years as a writer.
This request causes Ashenden to cast back into his life and to his early memories of Driffield and also of Rosie. It's an interesting tale. We get a great perspective of his small town of Blackstable, the snobbery of his uncle and aunt towards Driffield and his wife, etc. We do get to meet Driffield but the author's first person account focuses more on Rosie, understandable because she is a memorable character; good-hearted, fresh, humorous, attractive. There are many interesting incidents; the midnight move from Barnstable by Driffield and Rosie leaving behind many unpaid debts; Rosie's relationship with 'Lord' George, Ashenden's later relationship with Rosie, etc.
I do like Maugham's writing style; it seems unemotional and factual at times but there is an underlying feeling throughout, evidenced by his attraction and feelings for Rosie; his defense of Rosie later in the book. It's a joy to read his thoughts on writing and just to delve into the story itself. I find it interesting that he uses the character 'Ashenden' in this story and also in others; Razor's Edge, Ashenden itself. I also liked his first person style of story telling, it makes it more personal. Excellent story and well-worth reading. (4 stars)"

Currently Reading

With my two longer term stories, I've also started the two books below. Enjoying both so far. The synopsis of both books are below the photo.

1. Wings of Fire by Charles Todd. This is book two of Todd's Inspector Rutledge mystery series. It is part of my Ongoing Series challenge.

"Inspector Ian Rutledge is quickly sent to investigate the sudden deaths of three members of the same eminent Cornwall family, but the World War I veteran soon realizes that nothing about this case is routine.
Including the identity of one of the dead, a reclusive spinster unmasked as O.A. Manning, whose war poetry helped Rutledge retain his grasp on sanity in the trenches of France. Guided by the voice of Hamish, the Scot he unwillingly executed on the battlefield, Rutledge is driven to uncover the haunting truths of murder and madness rooted in a family crypt..."

2. Our Kind of Traitor by John le Carré. This is a selection from my Decades Challenge.

"At a time when Britain is in the depths of a recession, a left-leaning young Oxford academic and his barrister girlfriend take an off-peak holiday on the Caribbean island of Antigua. By seeming chance they bump into a charismatic Russian millionaire called Dima who owns a peninsula and a diamond-encrusted gold watch. He also has a tattoo on his right thumb, and wants a game of tennis. What else he wants propels the young lovers on a perilous journey through Paris to a safe house in the Swiss Alps, leading them into the murky cloisters of the City of London and its dark dealings with rogue elements of Britain's Intelligence Establishment and the Russian mafia."

I'm hoping that in the last ten days of the month to read another two, maybe 3 books. We shall see.. Enjoy your week!