It's Been a Week...

 

It's been a week now since our lovely puppy Bonnie left us. She'd been sick for awhile now, diabetic, blind but she had persevered for almost two years. But last week, everything just came together and Jo and I knew in our hearts that it was time for Bonnie to get some peace. We had a very quiet week since then, all of us not sure how to react. Poor little Clyde isn't sure what is going on. I'm sure he misses his friend and companion terribly.

The puppies having a fun scrap

We got Bonnie in 2013. The breeder originally named her Alice but Jo and I knew we were going to get two miniature schnauzers and thought Bonnie and Clyde would be fun. Bonnie was born in January but we didn't pick her up until we'd been to the World curling championships in Victoria. Clyde came along around a month later. They sure got along well. Bonnie made short shrift of the toy, a little giraffe, that Clyde was given when we picked him up. Her toy, oddly enough, a Happy Face emoji, has survived to this day.

Helping me water the plants

Bonnie was such a lovely dog. She had a rough time though. She almost died on us from an infection she died on us in 2019. It was just after Christmas and on New Year's Day, we found ourselves rushing down to the Veterinary Hospital in Nanaimo where Bonnie spent a week until she was on the mend and we could bring her back home. The vets there were so happy when she actually took some food from my hand, after about 3 days, as they could not get her to eat. We were so relieved. Funny thing, after this terrifying incident, Bonnie was suddenly jumping up on the sofa by herself. Before that, the crafty mare would sit there and look at us with her big eyes and get us to pick her up. So smart. LOL!

Sunny sunshine. Ahh!

Like Clyde, she did like to find herself a sunny spot. It was nice having a back yard to spread out in. 

After a trip to the groomers, time to have a nap.

Of course, both of them also liked to sprawl on the sofa. Maybe they were just watching TV, eh?

Lots of room for all of us here.

Of course, they also liked to sprawl on our laps. Clyde, to kiss Mommy's nose and Bonnie just to feel some skin.

I mentioned that the two of them liked a little scrap. They also loved some snow to run around in. This video always brings a smile to me.

You, I don't like! Grrr!

There is so much to say about Bonnie. Suffice it to say, she brought us joy, comfort and uncomfortable love. She loved everyone, well, everyone but a particular toy we bought one Christmas, a sort of Schnauzer-like door stop. For some reason, she took great umbrage to it. She would lie there and then of a sudden would attack it... trying to bite off its face. It was so funny.

Bonnie's Last Photo

Ah well. we all miss her dearly. In the end, she just got tired of her physical troubles. Her last moments were peaceful, quiet and she got many hugs from us and kisses from Clyde. 

Good-bye to our lovely dear. 

A Mid-month Update

Happy Father's Day to all of you Dads (especially my Dad)!

Jo is in bed. Clyde is lying on the floor watching me type. I've got England vs Serbia on the television in the other room and am tracking the Blue Jays game on my pc as I type this. Oh! And I got a nice card from Jennifer. So let's do a reading / new book update.

I completed six books so far in June, a mix of children's stories, graphics and novels of a few different genres. I've updated my reading in my last post here so I'll just continue with that.

Completed

1. How to Stand up to a Dictator: The Fight for our Future by Maria Ressa (Non-Fic / 2022).

"I first heard of Maria Ressa one night watching Stephen Colbert's show. On the show she discussed her book, How to Stand Up to a Dictator: The Fight for Our Future. I was so very impressed listening to her talk that I felt I should get the book. So, of course, I did. I'm glad that I did, even though the subject matter is very depressing.

The story is a biography but it is focused on the past few years when Maria was working as a reporter and more in the Philippines. She worked for the biggest broadcaster in the Philippines, ABS - CBN. She worked for CNN as a Far East as a reporter and bureau chief. With broadcasting friends, she established Rappeler, an innovative online news organization which was one of the most successful on the Facebook platform.

However, this story is mainly a cautionary tale. Maria has spent the latter years fighting the corruption of the Duterte regime in the Philippines and has had to deal with online harassment from Duterte's hate platforms, as well as fight against corruption charges from a corrupt regime. All the while, she has continued to work for freedom of the press, for an honest press. She received a Nobel Peace Prize for her efforts.

It's a fascinating story and a warning. Despots and fascists and right wing fanatics have taken over the internet, use Facebook to spew vitriol and to ruin peoples' lives. The Duterte regime was expert at this and this skill has been passed to other right wing regimes; Hungary, Myanmar, even the US. 

Maria Ressa tries to explain how to fight back. She has 3 pillars to fight with -

- Technology. Demand accountability from technology starting with government action. One thing that Rappeler rolled out was Lighthouse, a technology platform built by journalists to try to preserve public discourse around facts.

- Protect and grow investigative journalism. There is a global initiative International Fund for Public Interest Media, a short - medium term solution to the drop in advertising revenues of news groups all around the world.

- Build larger and larger communities of action. Collaborate to protect frontline journalists. 

It's a constant fight to preserve democracy and a free press is part of that. The story is well - written, interesting, tense and provides a great picture of Maria and her friends / partners and their efforts to keep reporting under horrendous pressure. It should be read because one thing Donald Trump and allies want is an uneducated public and part of the way to achieve that is to seed  and foment distrust against a free press. Anyway, check it out. (4.5 stars)"

2. A Circus of Hells by Poul Anderson (Flandry #2 / 1970). No it's not another book about Trump's presidency, although it would be an appropriate one. 😎

"A Circus of Hells is the 2nd book in the Flandry Sci Fi series by Poul Anderson. Like Horatio Hornblower, Flandry seems to gain higher rank throughout the series. (Well, at least from the 1st to the 2nd when he goes from Ensign to Lt. 😃😎). I can't say it's my favorite Sci Fi series but the books are short and there is something entertaining about them.

In this story, Flandry is assigned to a planet on the outskirts where he works as an Intelligence officer. Yes, he's bored and when he's assigned to scout around the fringe planets for possible intrusion by the enemy Merseians. He is persuaded, for a 'small' fee, to take a side trip to investigate another planet, which may possess mineral riches. He agrees but also has to take along a representative of the man who hired him, a beautiful woman named Djana. Unfortunately for Flandry, she's working for another group.

The planet is filled with dangerous robots but Flandry and Djana manage to escape, only to tumble into another predicament. The folks for whom Djana work, also work for the Merseians. Yup, from the kettle into the fire, so to speak. Thus further adventures ensue on the planet Talwin, where the Merseians have established a base of their own; partly to study the planet's inhabitants and partly a Navy base.

So lots going on. Flandry tries to find ways to escape. Djana falls under the sway of the lead Merseian, Ydwyr. Flandry works with the indigenous folks to help his escape. As I say, lots going on. Lots of moving back and forth between Flandry and Djana and side trips to see how the aliens' minds and lives work. There is almost too much going on that distracts from the adventure portion. It's a combination of pulp Sci Fi, like those old serials you used to get at the movies, and an exploration of other worlds. I found that sometimes irritating as I didn't want distractions from the fun and games. But it was ok, to say the least and I'll still continue with the adventure. 2.0 stars"

3. The Big Jump by Leigh Brackett (1955). It was released the year I was born, it must be good.

"The Big Jump by Leigh Brackett was a surprisingly good Sci Fi story, short but very well-written and interesting. I've read three other of Brackett's books; an excellent crime thriller, The Tiger Among Us and two other Sci Fi novels which were mostly just entertaining; The Sword of Rhiannon and The Nemesis from Terra.

The Big Jump refers to a new space technology that permits mankind to move to the other galaxies with no time lapse. It's all done in real time. One voyage has been attempted with a crew of five. The story starts with the return of this voyage and a break in at the compound on Mars where the 'survivors are being kept. Arch Comyn needs to find out if an old friend, Paul Rogers, returned from the expedition. Rogers saved him many years ago.

What Comyn finds is disturbing and will start a chain of events that leads to a 2nd voyage to Barnard's star. Only one of the crew has returned, Ballantyne, and he has been changed by whatever he discovered. He has not spoken to the people holding him; all belonging to the Cochrane Company. But when Comyn breaks in, Ballantyne tells him something and begins screaming.

Comyn won't tell Cochrane what he has heard unless they will let him go on the next trip to Barnard's star so he can try to find his friend. The Cochranes believe a new energy has been discovered. So there you go, another voyage is planned and sets off and something is discovered.

It's a short, well-crafted, taut Sci-Fi adventure. The characters are all interesting. The plot is neat and not too technical. Everything happens quickly, holds your attention and draws you in. A most enjoyable Sci Fi story. (4.0 stars)"

4. When Stars are Scattered by Omar Mohamed & Victoria Jamieson (2020).

"I was checking out the latest arrivals in one of my favorite local book stores, Books 4 Brains, and as usual picked up a few. When Stars Are Scattered by Omar Mohamed; Victoria Jamieson was one of the books I picked up. I had to try it right away and once started could not put down this wonderful graphic novel. It tells the true story of the childhoods of Omar and his brother, Hassan, as they grow up in a refugee camp, Dadaab, in Kenya.

Omar and Hassan are parentless. They came from war-torn Somalia along with thousands of other refugees. Omar saw his father shot to death by 'soldiers' and lost contact with his mother. When they arrive in the camp, they are put together and taken under the wing of Fatumah who becomes their de facto guardian / mother.

The story tells of their growing up in this refugee camp. It's a difficult, boring life. Omar looks after his younger brother. Hassan cannot vocalize, uses only one expression, Hooyo, which, we discover much later, does mean something. Hassan also suffers from seizures and the refugee camp doctors can't discover the cause or know how to treat them. 

Eventually, Omar start going to school with his best friend Jeri. He is persuaded that it's the best way he can get help for his brother. An education might put him on the List of those refugees selected to be moved to a host country, the US, Canada, etc. At school, Omar also becomes friends with two young girls, Nimo and Maryam. Both want an education so they don't have to marry. All of the children have great ambitions to be teachers, lawyers, social workers.

But as Omar says, 'refugee camps are supposed to be a temporary place to stay until it's safe to go back home. I guess no one expected the war to last so long, though, because Hassan and I have been here for 7 years'. Life is often a boring wait, lining up for water, lining up for food. As each month ends, their monthly ration begins to dry up and the children go hungry until the next food ration is provided. 

It's hard for all the children but for the girls even more so. Some are allowed to go to school, but at lunch time must rush home to do their chores to help feed, wash, etc their siblings and care for their parents. Maryam, who desperately wants to go to Canada to go to college is married off to help provide her family with enough money to continue to support the other children. But even with that heartbreak, she helps Omar with his brother so he can continue with his education.

It's a heartbreaking story but wonderfully told and even in this heartbreak there is hope, joy, positivity. The boys continue to hope that their mother will eventually come to the camp. Omar and Hassan are finally selected to go to the US where Omar has become an advocate for refugees and now helps those who STILL live in Camp Dadaab. The story definitely opens your eyes to the plight of the countless refugees around the world. Beautifully drawn by Victoria Jamieson, beautifully told by Omar Mohamed and brightly colored by Iman Geddy. (4.5 stars)"

5. Ms. Tree: Heroine Withdrawal by Max Allan Collins (Ms. Tree #5 / 2023).

"I've enjoyed the Ms. Tree graphic novel series by Max Allan Collins very much. Great graphics and entertaining hard crime stories. Ms. Tree Vol. 5: Heroine Withdrawal was basically similar but also it seemed a bit of 'going through the motions'. 

It's a collection of 5 individual stories which, in this book, are tied together. So let's see. 

Story 1. Her nemesis, crime boss Muerta, is returning to the US to stand trial. He's holed up on his estate, basically bed - ridden. Ms. Tree's partner, Dan, who lost an eye and hand in a previous confrontation with the Muerta gang, seeks revenge and is found over the dead body of Muerta and others. He proclaims his innocence, is locked up and Mike (that's Ms. Tree's name) investigates.

Story 2. This story was definitely not my favorite. Mike is forced to hide out from the Muertas and stay out of her PI business due to what happened in the 1st story. She meets her dead husband's ex - cop partner and ends up trying to help him. He's gone a bit loco and is now hanging out with an anti-abortion group that is picketing an abortion clinic. He wants to blow it up. I just found this a topic that shouldn't be glossed over and it felt like it was just used to be hard - hitting??

Story 3. Because of the events in Story 2, Mike is sent to lock up. She basically didn't follow the judge's rulings that she not be involved in crime cases until her trial. While in this county jail, attempts are made on Mike's life, she befriends her fellow inmates and exposes corruption within the jail. Woo hoo!

Story 4. Mike's lawyer makes a deal with the DA prosecuting Mike that she will attend a psychiatric facility and plead to an insanity defense to avoid the trouble of a trial. While there, Mike delves into her feelings, discovers an inmate who has seen a murder by a popular politician and gets her agency to investigate and saves herself and the fellow inmate.

Story 5. Mike is released from the psychiatric facility, taking tranquilizers and admitting to herself that violence isn't the only solution to solving crime. This forces her partners, son-in-law and even her exec assistant to take the mantle of trying to protect her from mob forces and endangering themselves. All is made good in the end of course.... 

Anyway, it was an action - packed collection, well drawn, but not totally satisfying. I'll see how #6 is when it's released. (3.0 stars)."

Currently Reading

1. Ratlines by Stuart Neville (2013).

"Ireland 1963. As the Irish people prepare to welcome President John F. Kennedy to the land of his ancestors, a German national is murdered in a seaside guesthouse. Lieutenant Albert Ryan, Directorate of Intelligence, is ordered to investigate. The German is the third foreigner to die within a few days, and Minister for Justice Charles Haughey wants the killing to end lest a shameful secret be the dead men were all Nazis granted asylum by the Irish government in the years following World War II.

A note from the killers is found on the dead German's corpse, addressed to Colonel Otto Skorzeny, Hitler's favorite commando, once called the most dangerous man in Europe. The note simply "We are coming for you."

As Albert Ryan digs deeper into the case he discovers a network of former Nazis and collaborators, all presided over by Skorzeny from his country estate outside Dublin. When Ryan closes in on the killers, his loyalty is torn between country and conscience. Why must he protect the very people he fought against twenty years before? Ryan learns that Skorzeny might be a dangerous ally, but he is a deadly enemy."

2. The Caves of Night by John Christopher (1958).

"Five people enter the Frohnberg caves, three men and two women. In the glare of the Austrian sunshine, the cool underground depths seem an attractive proposition – until the collapse of a cave wall blocks their return to the outside world. Faced with an unexplored warren of tunnels and caves, rivers and lakes, twisting and ramifying under the mountain range, they can only hope that there is an exit to be found on the other side.

For Cynthia, the journey through the dark labyrinths mirrors her own sense of guilt and confusion about the secret affair she has recently embarked upon. And whilst it is in some ways a comfort to share this possibly lethal ordeal with her lover Albrecht, only her husband Henry has the knowledge and experience that may lead them all back to safety.

But can even Henry’s sang froid and expertise be enough, with the moment fast approaching when their food supplies will run out, and the batteries of their torches fail, leaving them to stumble blindly through the dark?"

3. Complete Cartoons of the New Yorker by Robert Mankoff (2004). Jo bought me this at the local Auxiliary Thrift Store and I've been slowly going through it. Most enjoyable.

"The book that Janet Maslin of The New York Times has called "indispensable" and "a transfixing study of American mores and manners that happens to incorporate boundless laughs, too" is finally available in paperback—fully updated and featuring a brand new introduction by Adam Gopnik.

Organized by decade, with commentary by some of the magazine's finest writers, this landmark collection showcases the work of the hundreds of talented artists who have contributed cartoons over the course of The New Yorker's eight-two-year history. From the early cartoons of Peter Arno, George Price and Charles Addams to the cutting-edge work of Alex Gregory, Matthew Diffee and Bruce Eric Kaplan (with stops along the way for the genius of Charles Barsotti, Roz Chast, Jack Ziegler, George Booth, and many others), the art collected here forms, as David Remnick puts it in his Foreword, "the longest-running popular comic genre in American life."

Throughout the book, brief overviews of each era's predominant themes—from the Depression and nudity to technology and the Internet, highlight various genres of cartoons and shed light on our pastimes and preoccupations. Brief profiles and mini-portfolios spotlight the work of key cartoonists, including Arno, Chast, Ziegler, and others.

The DVD-ROM included with the book is what really makes the "Complete Cartoons" complete. Compatible with most home computers and easily browsable, the disk contains a mind-boggling 70,363 cartoons, indexed in a variety of ways. Perhaps you'd like to find all the cartoons by your favorite artist. Or maybe you'd like to look up the cartoons that ran the week you were born, or all of the cartoons on a particular subject. Of course, you can always begin at the beginning, February 21, 1925, and experience the unprecedented pleasure of reading through every single cartoon ever published in The New Yorker .

Enjoy this one-of-a-kind protrait of American life over the past eight decades, as captured by the talented pens and singular outlooks of the masters of the cartoonist's art."

New Books

1. When the Tripods Came by John Christopher (Tripods 0.5 / 1988).

"When it comes to alien invasions, bad things come in threes. Three landings. One in England, one in Russia, and one in the United States. Three long legs, crushing everything in their paths, with three metallic arms, snaking out to embrace -- and then discard -- their helpless victims. Three evil beings, called Tripods, which will change life on this planet forever."

2. Catwings Return by Ursula K. Le Guin (Catwings #2 / 1989).

"Wishing to visit their mother, the winged cats leave their new country home to return to the city, where they discover a winged kitten in a building imminently to be demolished."

3. Lore Olympus: Vol Six by Rachel Smythe (Lore #6 / 2024).

"Witness what the gods do after dark in the sixth volume of a stylish and contemporary reimagining of one of the best-known stories in Greek mythology, featuring exclusive behind-the-scenes content from creator Rachel Smythe.

“We have to make an example of her.”

Chaos reigns in Olympus as Zeus publicly declares Persephone a traitor and issues a warrant for her arrest. But Hades defies his brother’s decree, sheltering Persephone in the Underworld—and as the pair spend more time together, they are able to speak openly about their pasts. The goddess of spring admits the truth behind the bloody secret that led to Zeus’s ire, and the king of the Underworld shares the trauma he suffered at the hands of his power-hungry father, Kronos.

But as Hades and Persephone’s relationship grows stronger, others begin to fall apart. The bond between Hades and Zeus is stretched to its limit, threatening to fracture the peace between their realms. Persephone and Artemis’s friendship hangs by a thread as the goddess of the hunt slowly uncovers the vile truth about her twin, Apollo. A line is being drawn in the heavens, putting everyone’s loyalties into question as all the gods are forced to choose sides.

And as the cracks in the foundation of the pantheon spread, something darker and more earth-shattering might soon be released. . . ."

4. The Stonekeeper by Kazu Kibuishi (Amulet #1 / 2008). Yup, a new graphic novel series for me to try.

"There's something strange behind the basement door...

After a family tragedy, Emily, Navin and their mother move to an ancestral home to start a new life. On the family's very first night in the mysterious house, Em and Navin's mom is kidnapped by a tentacled creature. Now it's up to Em and Navin to figure out how to set things right and save their mother's life!"

5. Snow in the Year of the Dragon by H. Leighton Dickson (Upper Kingdom #4 / 2018).

"“Shame comes to the House of Fangxieng! Shame sits on the old wooden seat!”

The dying words of an assassin, sent to kill Empress Thothloryn Parillaud Markova Wu, echo though the halls and prayer rooms of Pol' Lhasa, as political tensions seethe in this next chapter in the Rise of the Upper Kingdom. With a coup threatening the Eastern Kingdom, and anarchy in the North, Unification has never seemed so far off.

The Shogun-General’s team is divided and facing hostility at every turn. Back in Pol' Lhasa, Sireth and Ursa are determined to uncover spies at the highest levels of government, while Setse and Yahn Nevye struggle with the daunting task of training Oracles in a land that despises them. Solomon finds life, death and deceit in Sandman 3, Kalgoorlie, and the Sandman bases of NorAm regroup in the shadow of IAR.

Meanwhile, Kirin, Kerris and the others journey to the mysterious city of Shin Sekai under the 'protection' of the Snow Guard. Here, they discover a gruesome secret at the heart of the Capuchin Council and the Court of the Rising Suns. With snow and Snow thwarting their every move, the leaders of the Nine Thousand Dragons will be hard-pressed to get out of this New World alive."

6. The Art of Neil Gaiman by Hayley Campbell (2014).

"The world is simply composed of stories."

Novelist, comics writer, scriptwriter, poet, and occasional artist, there are few creative avenues Neil Gaiman hasn't ventured down—from unforgettable books like The Ocean at the End of the Lane and American Gods to groundbreaking comics and graphic novels like The Sandman and Violent Cases; from big-screen fantasies like Coraline and Stardust to small-screen epics like Doctor Who and Neverwhere; and from short stories to songwriting, stage plays to radio plays, journalism to filmmaking, and all points in between.

The Art of Neil Gaiman is the first book to tell the full story of his amazing creative life. Never-before-seen manuscripts, notes, cartoons, drawings, and personal photographs from Neil's own archive are complemented by artwork and sketches from all his major works and his own intimate recollections. Each project is examined in turn, from genesis to fruition, and positioned in the wider narrative of Gaiman's creative life, affording unparalleled access to the inner workings of the writer's mind.

Utterly comprehensive, lavishly illustrated, The Art of Neil Gaiman is the fully authorized account of the life and work of one of the world's great storytellers."

7. The Day of their Return by Poul Anderson (Flandry #4 / 1973).

"Aeneas is the powder keg of the universe, a frontier planet where rebellion is a way of life--and death. Smarting under the thumb of the Terran Empire after an almost successful war against Imperial rule, the Aeneans are swept up in a fanatical religious movement that promises the return of the Elder Race."

Women Authors Whose Works I've Been Enjoying - Victoria Thompson

Victoria Thompson was born in Washington, DC in 1948. I discovered her Gaslight mysteries back in 2012 with the first in the series, Murder in Astor Place. Since then I've enjoyed the 1st six books in the series. They got better and better. Since the first book in this series came out in 1999, she has published 27 more books in the series. She also has other series published but this is by far the most prolific. I'll provide the review of the 6th book and also the synopses of a few others to give you an idea of the series.

1. Murder on Marble Row (#6 / 2004).

"I've enjoyed the Gaslight Mysteries since the very first book. Murder on Marble Row by Victoria Thompson is the sixth book in the series. In this latest mystery, mid-wife Sarah Brandt and Detective Sgt Frank Malloy investigate the murder of wealthy industrialist Gregory van Dyke. He is killed in an explosion at his office. Suspects abound; oldest son Creighton who has left home and taken up with anarchists, van Dyke's partner Mr. Snowberger with whom there has been considerable enmity, youngest son Tad, the anarchists, etc. Frank is assigned the case by the Police Commissioner, Teddy Roosevelt, himself, which adds to the pressure on him.

It's an entertaining story. Both Sarah and Frank are wonderful characters, both with their own issues. Sarah has strong feelings for a young girl living in an 'orphanage' but her lifestyle as a mid-wife makes her concerned about adopting her. Frank's young deaf son, Brian, has shown steady improvement after surgery to repair his club-foot and Frank is now trying to sort out whether he should go to school. We don't see as much of Sarah's neighbor, Mrs Ellsworth but there is enough to still enjoy her character. But in this story, Sarah's mother, Mrs. Decker, plays a bigger role and her common sense attitude and straight forward ways are a breath of fresh air. She accompanies Sarah in her investigations, even travelling on the subway and wandering around the streets of the seedier areas of New York. It was nice to see her playing a bigger role.

All in all, it's an entertaining story, frantic at times and it progresses very nicely, investigation mixed with the personal lives of Sarah and Frank. The picture of New York in the early 1900's is well portrayed and the characters are all interesting. Has their been progress in Sarah's and Frank's relationship? Well, somewhat maybe, but you'd have to read it to come to your own conclusions. Still entertaining and enjoyable, much recommended. (4.0 stars)"

2. Murder in Chinatown (#9 / 2007).

"Sarah Brandt finds herself involved in the secretive world of Chinatown when she is called to attend the Irish-American wife of a Chinese merchant. Since the United States government has prohibited Chinese women from immigrating, many Chinese men in New York City have married Irish girls. Although these women encounter prejudice from the white community, Sarah learns that the women are quite happy with their lot in life.

Their mixed-race children don’t necessarily share their contentment, however, and when one of these girls runs away, Sarah uses her detecting skills to help her family find her. When the girl is later murdered, Sarah must ask her friend, Detective Sergeant Frank Malloy, for help. Has someone in her family killed her for rejecting an arranged marriage with a Chinese man to elope with a penniless Irish lad? Has her would-be fiancé killed her for dishonoring him? Or has someone in her husband’s family killed her because of her mixed blood?

Together, Frank and Sarah must learn to understand the Chinese culture before they can unravel the secrets of Chinatown and find a killer."

3. Murder on Lenox Hill (#7 / 2005).

"A midwife working in the tenements of turn-of-the-last-century New York, Sarah Brandt is summoned by the wealthy Lintons to confirm their worst fear: their teenaged daughter is with child. It's a mystery, however, since the young woman - mentally still a child herself - is never left alone.

With the help of her friend Detective Sergeant Malloy, Sarah vows to crack this delicate case, especially since suspicion is on those close to the Lintons. Then, when one of the suspects is poisoned, Sarah knows she must uncover the truth before more lives are ruined."

4. Murder on Bank Street (#10 / 2008).

"In the four years since her husband's death, midwife Sarah Brandt has become an angel of mercy in the tenements of turn-of-the-century New York. Now, Detective Sergeant Frank Malloy has taken up the task of solving the murder of Dr. Tom Brandt. But the shocking revelation he discovers may destroy Sarah-and Malloy's hopes for any future with her."

So there you go, a brief taste of Thompson's Gaslight series. If you want a complete list of Thompson's writing, check out this link. Enjoy the rest of your June. 

My First Post of June 2024 - A Reading Update of course.

June 2024 has started off kind of miserably. We've had rain and high winds, the spruce and pine trees have been shedding all over the yard. But today is very nice, sunny and cool. So after this, my plan is to finally get around to mowing the lawn... I could just hire a couple of sheep maybe??? No, no... I'll mow the lawn. The dogs will appreciate it. 

But first, a reading update. I've finished one very small book in June but also three others since my last update. I hope to finish one more today.

Just Finished

(I completed my May Focus Author - John Creasey but completing two more books for a total of three in May)

1. Inspector West Takes Charge by John Creasey (Inspector West #1 / 1942). Another excellent police procedural from Creasey, along with his Commander Gideon series.

"English author John Creasey was a prolific author with 7 or 8 series to his credit, written under various pseudonyms. He can be hit or miss, depending on the series, I think, but when it comes to police procedurals, he had a specific talent. Inspector West Takes Charge is the first book in the Inspector Roger West series of 43 books. Like his Superintendent Gideon series (written as JJ Marric), this story was matter-of-fact, entertaining, with enough action to keep you happy, a well-written mystery, and peopled with excellent characters. 

The main characters, Inspector West of Scotland Yard, his wonderful wife Janet and their best friend, a sometime criminologist who helps West (at least in this story), Mark Lessing, are all excellent. They each possess their own talents for deduction and gauging people and feed off each other. West's boss, Superintendent Chatworth is crusty and irascible but at the same time encourages West and even encourages him to use Lessing's abilities as he could do things that the police aren't entitled to do. The other inspector who is chiefly involved in the investigation, Inspector Lampard is also kind of crusty but with hidden depths and talents.

As to the suspects and victims, Creasey, there are a mixed bag of excellent characters and so many suspicious people that, at least in my mind, the mystery remained unsolvable until the satisfying.

Add to this, the setting, England around WWII, with gasoline and ration restrictions and still in blackout conditions and with the Home Guard patrolling, and it makes for an superbly described and crafted story.

Oh yes, the story. Just basically, suspicious deaths in the Prendagast family, leaving only one distant relative as inheriting a bunch of money and the successful cigarette business. The deaths are listed as death by misadventure, but neither West nor Lessing are willing to accept that and even West's boss isn't ready to accept it and gives West a fortnight to see if they are wrong. Many suspicious activities ensue, leading West to suspect a certain shifty lawyer, Potter, who has his fingers in many pots. 

Nastiness abounds, leaving the gang, shaken and stirred and a few more bodies. Who is the perpetrator? Well, that will take you the story to find out, although I'm sure there are many people who can figure it out fairly easily. To me, the ending was a lovely surprise and there was joy in getting to this final conclusion. Excellent introduction to Inspector West. I look forward to #2 and many more. (4.5 stars)"

2. Meet the Baron by John Creasey (The Baron #1 / 1937). I've read a couple of other books in this series, but I plan to work from the front from now on.

"I've read two other books in the Baron 'mystery / thriller' series by English author, John Creasey but I've now decided to get focused and read from the first book, Meet The Baron (appropriate title, eh? The first book in the Toff series is called Introducing the Toff, so he does sort of have a theme.

Anyway, I can't say I enjoyed this first book as much as I enjoyed the first books on Creasey's Inspector West or Commander Gideon series but it was still an interesting introduction to the character of the Baron, in reality an upper class guy, who lives on the edges of bankruptcy, one John Mannering. Mannering likes to gamble and to live expensively, dating show girls, going to the races, all those things. In appearance, he seems well off, but in reality, his funds are dangerously low.

So, after attending a function hosted by Lord Fauntley, Mannering comes up with an idea. He decides to become a 'cracksman', basically a cat burglar. He starts by robbing Lord Fauntley and finds ways to disguise his appearance, to break into buildings and safes, to fence the items he steals.  He enjoys the thrill of the hunt for targets, the breaking and entering, the avoiding detection and arrest. He also has fallen deeply for Lord Fauntley's daughter, Lorna, a lovely, intelligent, beautiful lady, who has been working to become a successful artist.

As the Baron becomes more successful, the police become more and more involved. Because many of the thefts take place at parties held by the entitled rich and that Mannering has attended all of these functions, the main police inspector, Inspector Bristow, asks Mannering to help him investigate, to keep an eye during these functions; a request Mannering finds amusing but agrees to help.

That is the premise of the first story. Mannering continues to operate as the Baron, while 'helping' Bristow, who he actually admires. One of his robberies, a pearl necklace, brings some of his acquaintances under Bristow's intense gaze and this causes Mannering some difficulties, as he doesn't want someone else implicated or hurt because of his crimes. 

It's an imperfect introduction but still informative, with lots of action and intensity. Creasey knows how to flow a story to hold your attention. The characters, from Mannering, to Lorna, Bristow and the others that surround them, are all interesting and sympathetic. It's an entertaining first book and I'll continue to follow the Baron's adventures. (3.0 stars)"

3. To Walk in the Way of Lions by H. Leighton Dickson (Upper Kingdom #2 / 2012). The first book in his series was pretty good but it's really taken off with this 2nd book. So good.

"To Walk in the Way of Lions is the second book in the Upper Kingdom series by Canadian fantasy author, H. Leighton Dickson. I enjoyed the first book very much, it being a satisfying intro to this series. But in this second book, Dickson has really found her stride. Once I got back into the flow of the story and re-familiarized myself with the unique characters, I found the story fascinating, emotional and at times (especially as we get into the last chapters) breath-taking.

We find our intrepid team, led by Captain of the Queen's Guard, Kirin Wynegarde-Grey, a golden lion, in the midst of their journey to the edges of the known Kingdom, trying to find Solomon, a being that has psychically made his presence known to various members of the group. The rest of the group are Kerris Wynegarde - Grey, Kirin's brother, a grey lion; Fallon Waterford, the Scholar, a lioness; Major Ursa - Laenskaya, Kirin's #2, a snow leopard and fierce; Shera al Shiva, the Alchemist, a mysterious, sexy leopard and the Seer, Sireth, a mongrel lion (mixed breed). They are accompanied by 8 leopards, part of the Queen's Guard and various horses (these aren't vegetarians, btw)

The journey will travel from Nepal (the names are all subtly altered and half the fun is trying to figure out what the place is in our current times) across Iran, Syria and ultimately to Turkey where they will finally meet Solomon (who do you think he might be?). The journey will suffer many, many trials and tribulations and also many deaths. They will battle the climate, bears, dogs (cats natural enemies) and even other cats trying to destroy their mission. 

It's just so excellent. The internal strife, the internal relationships, even romances between the members. There will also be quite a few shocks. I found myself feeling their emotions, found myself crying at parts of the story, laughing with some of the humor. It's just such a wonderful story, exciting adventure, mystical, sexy (yes, even with the story being about cats) and touching.

I was thinking of other books that have aroused so much feeling in me and for the most part they've been written by women authors. Not to say that a man can't grab you the same way, but I just found that interesting. Anyway, #3 sits on my bookshelf and I look forward to getting at it. Check the series out. (5.0 stars)"

4. Catwings by Ursula K. Le Guin (Catwings #1 / 1988). I've been reading Le Guin's books this year and thought it might be interesting to also check out this children's series.

"I've been working my way through Ursula K. Le Guin's Sci - Fi, her Fantasy, fiction and even poetry and essays. I discovered she'd also written some children's series so I thought it might be fun to try Catwings, the first in a 5-book series about a family of cats who have wings and can fly. Needless to day, it was short and cute.

Mrs. Jane Tabby, a single mother cat, lives with her four children by a garbage dumpster in a dangerous city slum. She doesn't know why but her four kittens, Thelma, Harriet, Roger and James all have wings. When one day she sees Harriet fly into the sky to escape an angry dog, Mrs. Jane decides that her 4 children must leave the dangerous city and fend for themselves.

So there is the cusp of this neat, little story. The 4 kittens fly into the country and have to try to survive. And they do have many tribulations. The birds are afraid of the flying cats so Mr. Owl attacks James and injures his wing. He also attacks Roger. A family of noisy raccoons argue all the time, keeping the kittens awake. They have difficulty finding food and are getting thin.

What will happen to them? Well, it's a very short story so I won't say anymore. Suffice it to say, the drawings by S.D. Schindler are lovely. The story is interesting and kids would love it, especially the ending. And then they can move onto the next book. 😃😸 (3.5 stars)"

Currently Reading

1. Surfeit of Lampreys by Ngaio Marsh (Inspector Alleyn #10 / 1940). Marsh is my June Focus Author.

"Ngaio Marsh's most popular novel begins when a young New Zealander's first contact with the English gentry is the body of Lord Wutherford -- with a meat skewer through the eye...The Lampreys had plenty of charm -- but no cash. They all knew they were peculiar -- and rather gloried in it. The double and triple charades, for instance, with which they would entertain their guests -- like rich but awful Uncle Gabriel, who was always such a bore. The Lampreys thought if they jollied him up he would bail them out -- yet again. Instead, Uncle Gabriel met a violent end. And Chief Inspector Alleyn had to work our which of them killed him..."

2. The Paton Street Case by John Bingham (1955). I've enjoyed a couple of other of Bingham's mysteries. I've had this for a little while.

"When there is a fire at 127 Paton Street, arson is immediately suspected. At first it seems a clear-cut case--until the insurance men find a corpse in the first floor flat. Are the two crimes related? Why are the bespectacled German-Jewish couple who own the premises bristling with defensive hostility? Who had left a cigarette end on the scene of the crime? The list of solutions seems endless; but inevitably the widening ripples begin of crime begin to point the way back to the cause of it all."

3. A Circus of Hells by Poul Anderson (Lt. Flandry #2 / 189). I've started a new 12 + 0 challenge, with a list of sort of pulp Sci Fi books. We'll see how it goes.

"DEATH MOON!

Crack Lieutenant Dominic Flandry was not a man easily swayed from his duty to the Empire... not, that is, until galactic vice king Leon Ammon offered him a million credit bribe, a voluptuous woman called Djana, and a commission to explore a dark and treasure laden moon.

But within the desolate peaks and valleys of that strange world of ice and shadow, Flandry found more he had bargained for. Supposedly barren, the planet swarmed with a hideous race of strange, inhuman creatures... infernally controlled by a deranged and brilliant computer brain. Each creature, like a piece in a bizarre and lethal chess game, was programmed to kill.

And although Flandry did not know it – so was the woman he loved..."

4. Six Ostriches by Philipp Schott (Dr. Bannerman #2 / 2023). I enjoyed the first book, which is set in Manitoba.

"It’s springtime in rural Manitoba, and the snow has finally left the exotic animal farm when an ostrich finds and swallows a shiny object. (Because this is what ostriches do.) Cue veterinarian and amateur sleuth Dr. Peter Bannerman, who surgically removes the object, which looks like an ancient Viking artifact. Soon after, people around are horrified by a series of animal mutilations. This sets Peter, and his talented sniffer dog, Pippin, on the hunt for answers. Peter begins to suspect a link between the Viking artifact, the mutilations, and a shadowy group of white supremacists on the internet.

Before long Peter and Pippin are in over their heads, and the only way for them to get out alive will be to unmask the mastermind before they end up among their victims."

New Books

I'm going to cherry pick a bit here. There was a Rotary Club Book Sale this past weekend and I also visited the local Hospital Auxiliary Thrift Shop, while Jo was working there so I've too many new books to list them all. You can find the Auxiliary's website at this link. Check it out.

1. Boxers and Saints by Gene Luen Yang (2013). I've enjoyed other graphics by Mr. Yang. Looking forward to checking out this box set.

"In two volumes, Boxers & Saints tells two parallel stories. The first is of Little Bao, a Chinese peasant boy whose village is abused and plundered by Westerners claiming the role of missionaries. Little Bao, inspired by visions of the Chinese gods, joins a violent uprising against the Western interlopers. Against all odds, their grass-roots rebellion is successful.

 
But in the second volume, Yang lays out the opposite side of the conflict. A girl whose village has no place for her is taken in by Christian missionaries and finds, for the first time, a home with them. As the Boxer Rebellion gains momentum, Vibiana must decide whether to abandon her Christian friends or to commit herself fully to Christianity."

2. Redhead by John Creasey (Dept. Z #2 / 1933). I found a few other books by Creasey at the Rotary Club sale; Two for Inspector West, A Splinter of Glass, The Double Frame and Inspector West Leaves Town. I foresee a 12 + 4 challenge in 2025 featuring Creasey's work.

"Martin Storm’s visit to New York seemed like it was a success. But that was until his car was machine gunned and the police had to smuggle him out of the country…

But Martin finds no safety at home, either, and the search begins to find the man who is hunting him down.

He soon discovers that he has become involved with an American underworld boss who is planning to expand his business to Britain. Will he be able to escape the gangster’s clutches, or will he become a victim in his complex game?"

3. Monstress, Volume 4 - The Chosen by Marjorie Liu (Monstress #4 / 2019). I really like this series, very exciting. I won't wait too long to read this. In other graphic series news, I also got Sandman #10: The Wake by Neil Gaiman.

"A new war between humans and Arcanics is bubbling to the surface. A rift in the sky has revealed the devastating potential of the long-imprisoned Monstra. And Maika Halfwolf is at the center of it all.

In this fourth volume of MONSTRESS, Maika comes closer than ever before to the answers she’s long sought - but those answers carry a steep price. As her friends and allies reveal long-held secrets and shifting allegiances, Maika finds herself at the mercy of the Lord Doctor, a charismatic demagogue whose connections to Maika and Zinn run deeper than anyone could have imagined."

4. A Year of Last Things by Michael Ondaatje (2024). I also found a book of poetry by Margaret Atwood that I'd not read before at the Rotary Club sale, The Animals in that Country (1968).

"With A Year of Last Things, acclaimed novelist Michael Ondaatje returns to poetry, where he began his career over fifty years ago, and what a return it is.

Born in Sri Lanka during the Second World War, Ondaatje was sent as a child to school in London, and later moved to Canada. While he has lived here since, these poems reflect the life of a writer, traveler and watcher of the world – describing himself as a “mongrel,” someone born out of diverse cultures. Here, rediscovering the influence of every border crossed, he moves back and forth in time, from a childhood in Sri Lanka to Moliere’s chair during his last stage performance, from icons in Bulgarian churches to the California coast and loved Canadian rivers, merging memory with the present, looking back on a life of displacement and discovery, love and loss. At first sight it is a glittering collection of fragments and memories – but small, intricate pieces of a life are precisely what matter most to Ondaatje. They make an emotional history. As he writes in the opening poem: “Reading the lines he loves / he slips them into a pocket, / wishes to die with his clothes / full of torn free stanzas / and the telephone numbers / of his children in far cities”. Poetry – where language is made to work hardest and burns with a gem-like flame – is what Ondaatje has returned to in this intimate history."

5. Complete Cartoons of the New Yorker by Robert Mankoff (2004). Jo found this for me at the Thrift. I leaf through it a bit every day. I'm currently in the 1920's

"The book that Janet Maslin of The New York Times has called "indispensable" and "a transfixing study of American mores and manners that happens to incorporate boundless laughs, too" is finally available in paperback—fully updated and featuring a brand new introduction by Adam Gopnik.

Organized by decade, with commentary by some of the magazine's finest writers, this landmark collection showcases the work of the hundreds of talented artists who have contributed cartoons over the course of The New Yorker's eight-two-year history. From the early cartoons of Peter Arno, George Price and Charles Addams to the cutting-edge work of Alex Gregory, Matthew Diffee and Bruce Eric Kaplan (with stops along the way for the genius of Charles Barsotti, Roz Chast, Jack Ziegler, George Booth, and many others), the art collected here forms, as David Remnick puts it in his Foreword, "the longest-running popular comic genre in American life."

Throughout the book, brief overviews of each era's predominant themes—from the Depression and nudity to technology and the Internet, highlight various genres of cartoons and shed light on our pastimes and preoccupations. Brief profiles and mini-portfolios spotlight the work of key cartoonists, including Arno, Chast, Ziegler, and others.

The DVD-ROM included with the book is what really makes the "Complete Cartoons" complete. Compatible with most home computers and easily browsable, the disk contains a mind-boggling 70,363 cartoons, indexed in a variety of ways. Perhaps you'd like to find all the cartoons by your favorite artist. Or maybe you'd like to look up the cartoons that ran the week you were born, or all of the cartoons on a particular subject. Of course, you can always begin at the beginning, February 21, 1925, and experience the unprecedented pleasure of reading through every single cartoon ever published in The New Yorker .

Enjoy this one-of-a-kind portrait of American life over the past eight decades, as captured by the talented pens and singular outlooks of the masters of the cartoonist's art."

... and two more

6. Tombland by C.J. Sansom (Matthew Shardlake #7 / 2018). Great series. I need to read #6).

"Spring, 1549. Two years after the death of Henry VIII, England is sliding into chaos…

The king, Edward VI, is eleven years old. His uncle Edward Seymour, Duke of Somerset, rules as Protector. Radical Protestants are conducting all out war on the old religion, stirring discontent among the people. The Protector's prolonged war with Scotland is proving a disastrous failure. Worst of all, the economy is in collapse, inflation rages and rebellion is stirring among the peasantry.

Since the old King's death, Matthew Shardlake has been working as a lawyer in the service of Henry's younger daughter, the Lady Elizabeth. The gruesome murder of the wife of John Boleyn, a distant Norfolk relation of Elizabeth's mother - which could have political implications for Elizabeth - brings Shardlake and his young assistant Nicholas Overton to the summer assizes at Norwich. There they are reunited with Shardlake's former assistant Jack Barak. The three find layers of mystery and danger surrounding the death of Edith Boleyn, as more murders are committed.

During their investigation, a peasant rebellion breaks out across the country. Yeoman Robert Kett establishes a vast camp outside Norwich and leads a force of thousands to overthrow the landlords. Soon the rebels have taken over the city, England's second largest.

Barak throws in his lot with the rebels; Nicholas, opposed to them, becomes a prisoner in Norwich Castle; while Shardlake has to decide where his ultimate loyalties lie. As government forces in London prepare to march north and destroy the rebels, he discovers that the murder of Edith Boleyn may have connections reaching into both the heart of the rebel camp and of the Norfolk gentry...

Tombland is both a thrilling murder mystery and a vivid and engaging portrait of a divided nation."

7. Songs in the Year of the Cat by H. Leighton Dickson (Upper Kingdom #3 / 2013). 

"SONGS IN THE YEAR OF THE CAT is the Third in the Original Series by H. Leighton Dickson and picks up where TO WALK IN THE WAY OF LIONS leaves off. Ancestors are rising in the west and armies are moving from the North and the East. Captain Wynegarde-Grey has only just returned to the capital of the Upper Kingdom and he is immediately pulled into the conflict as cauldrons of oil are burning all along the Great Wall and the drums of war force all soldiers back into duty. But a mysterious woman is changing things, manipulating behind the scenes as Sherah al Shiva, ninjaah and sorceress, slips back into his life with companions that could divide the known world. This is a sweeping post-apocalyptic tale of genetically altered lions and tigers, wolves and dragons in a world that has evolved in the wake of the fall of human civilization. Half feline, half human, their culture blends those of Dynastic China, Ancient India and Feudal Japan where humans are legend and kingdoms have risen in their stead. Fans of Tolkien, GAME OF THRONES, PLANET OF THE APES or Japanese anime will be entertained in these intelligent and beautifully written pages in a blend of science, fantasy and zoological speculation."

I did buy a few more books. If you happen to have access to Goodreads and are interested, this link will show you the books I've read, am reading and am waiting to read. Check it out.

Now I'm off to feed the pups their lunch and then get that darned lawn mowed!