Sunday Reading Update

The puppies relaxing with me while Jo was at work

Our trip to Victoria to see the Veterinary Eye specialist wasn't what we'd hoped for. After 3 weeks of making sure Bonnie got her drops, the vet checked out her eyes to see if she was now in a position to have her cataracts removed. Unfortunately, it turns out that Bonnie is blind so the surgery would be an unnecessary intrusion into her comfort. I don't know who was more upset, the doc or us.. So instead, Bonnie will have a different surgery. 😞😞😢 We love her dearly.

Well.... Let's look at books. At the moment we're enjoying the warm weather and watching the Blue Jays. Let's take a look at books I've finished, yada yada...

Just Finished

1. Ottoline at Sea by Chris Riddell (Ottoline #3). I felt the need for something light.

"If you have young children and like to read to them, the Ottoline series by Chris Riddell is worth checking out. Riddell both writes and illustrates the stories. Ottoline at Sea is the 3rd book in this 4 book series.

It's a short, fun story with neat little references to the Beatles for the adults. Ottoline lives in an apartment in the Pepperpot Building. Her parents are explorers and rarely home, communicating with Ottoline by post card. (remember them?). Her constant companion is Mr. Munroe, a friendly troll. Their parents found Mr. Munroe during one of their trips to Norway.

In this book Mr. Munroe seems sad and everywhere he looks he sees reminders of Norway. Ottoline is trying to plan a vacation with Mr. Munroe and she is kind of oblivious to Mr. Munroe's situation. She is surprised one day to find he has disappeared, leaving a note simply stating Norway. Thus begins her fun journey, accompanied by the Canadian bear who spends the winter sorting clothes in the basement laundry room.

That's really all you need to know about the story. It's short, quick, fun and lovingly illustrated. There are neat people all along the way and, yes, it's a happy ending. Sometimes even an adult needs such a story. (4.0 stars)"

2. The Sandman  Vol 4: Season of Mists by Neil Gaiman (Vol. 4). Great graphic novel series.

"The Sandman Vol. 4: Season of Mists is the 4th collection of the Sandman graphic novel series by Neil Gaiman. This edition contains an introduction by Patton Oswalt and a foreword by Harlan Ellison. This story contains comics #21 - 28 from 1990 - 1991.

In this collection Sandman must go to Hades to right a previous wrong, that of sending Nada to Hades for rejecting Sandman's marriage request. A meeting is held by Destiny, after he receives a visit from the 3 Fates. Destiny calls together, Sandman, Death and their other kin. This is where Sandman realizes he needs to go to Hades.

I won't tell you what exactly happens when Sandman meets with Lucifer, but suffice it to say that the result is that Sandman will receive many visitors in his kingdom; from Asgard, Egypt, Japan, etc. All want what Sandman now possesses and he has a big decision to make.

It's a very interesting story, continuing the excellent work from the initial stories. The artwork is edgy, the characters fascinating. My biggest complaint is that there wasn't enough of Sandman's older sister, Death. It was interesting meeting the remaining family members. All in all, the story was neat and I've now ordered the next to collections.. Darn you, Neil Gaiman!!! (4.0 stars)"

New Books

(Don't you hate it when you pick up a book and then realize that it's a book you've already read but under a different name? Luckily I didn't pay for the book, just took it from a Little Free Library)

1. Old Babes in the Woods by Margaret Atwood (2023). Amongst my favorite writers of all time.

"A dazzling collection of short stories from the internationally acclaimed, award-winning author of The Handmaid's Tale and The Testaments, stories that look deeply into the heart of family relationships, marriage, loss and memory, and what it means to spend a life together.

Margaret Atwood has established herself as one of the most visionary and canonical authors in the world. This collection of fifteen extraordinary stories--some of which have appeared in The New Yorker and The New York Times Magazine--explore the full warp and weft of experience, speaking to our unique times with Atwood's characteristic insight, wit and intellect.

The two intrepid sisters of the title story grapple with loss and memory on a perfect summer evening; "Impatient Griselda" explores alienation and miscommunication with a fresh twist on a folkloric classic; and "My Evil Mother" touches on the fantastical, examining a mother-daughter relationship in which the mother purports to be a witch. At the heart of the collection are seven extraordinary stories that follow a married couple across the decades, the moments big and small that make up a long life of uncommon love--and what comes after.

Returning to short fiction for the first time since her 2014 collection Stone Mattress, Atwood showcases both her creativity and her humanity in these remarkable tales which by turns delight, illuminate, and quietly devastate."

Women Authors Whose Work I'm Enjoying - Ruth Rendell

Ruth Rendell

Ruth Rendell, Baroness Rendell of Babergh, wrote mysteries, featuring Inspector Wexford. She also wrote mysteries under the pseudonym Barbara Vine. She was born in Essex in 1930 and died in London in 2015. Over the course of her life she wrote 24 books in the Inspector Wexford series, plus 30+ standalones and a whole bunch of other books. 😎 I've read and enjoyed two of the Inspector Wexford books and have another six on my bookshelf. Let's look at those.

1. The Best Man to Die (Wexford #4 / 1969).

"Here comes… the best man to die!

No one suspected that the jovial stag party for the groom would be a prelude for the murder of close chum Charlie Hatton. But Charlie was only the first to receive his death sentence in a string of puzzling murders involving small-time gangsters, philandering husbands and loose women. The suspense is spiced with ironic twists as Chief Inspector Wexford and his gloomy assistant, Burden, join forces with the groom to track down the murderer."

2. The Rottweiler (2003).

"The first victim was discovered with a bite on her neck. The police traced the DNA to the girl’s boyfriend, but the tabloids had already dubbed the murderer “The Rottweiler,” and the name stuck.

The latest body was found near Inez Ferry’s shop in Marylebone. Someone spotted a figure fleeing into the shadows, but couldn’t say even if it was a man or woman. The only other clues are the murderer’s penchant for strangling his prey, and then removing a small token — a necklace, a lighter.

To make ends meet, widowed Inez Ferry takes in tenants above her antique store. The unpredictable and obsessive acts of the serial murderer begin to disturb the lives of the heterogeneous little community of lodgers, especially when suspicion grows that one of them might be The Rottweiler."

3. An Unkindness of Ravens (Wexford #13 / 1985).

"Rodney Williams's disappearance seems typical to Chief Inspector Wexford—a simple case of a man running off with a woman other than his wife. But when another woman reports that her husband is missing, the case turns unpleasantly complex."

4. A Guilty Thing Surprised (1970).

"Elizabeth and Quentin Nightingale. A happy couple who lived quite graciously at Myfleet Manor in the gentle English countryside.

Elizabeth Nightingale found peace and tranquility on her nightly walks through the rich, dense forests surrounding Myfleet Manor. But the peace she treasured was shattered one night when she found death waiting in the woods.

Chief Inspector Wexford and his colleague Inspector Burden find a most unsavory case on their hands—and must use all their wit and wisdom to solve it . . ."

5. Wolf to the Slaughter (Wexford #3 / 1967).

"Anita Margolis has vanished. Dark and exquisite, Anita's character is as mysterious as her disappearance.

There was no body, no crime - nothing more concrete than an anonymous letter and the intriguing name of Smith. According to headquarters, it wasn't to be considered a murder enquiry at all.

With the letter providing them with only one questionable lead to follow, Wexford and his sidekick Inspector Burden are compelled to make enquiries. They soon discover Anita is wealthy, flighty, and thoroughly immoral. The straight-laced Burden has a very clear idea of what happened to her. But Wexford has his own suspicions..."

6. Murder Being Once Done (Wexford #7 / 1972).

"It seems fitting that the final resting place of a girl's body should be in a graveyard. But this is no peaceful burial. This is a brutal murder scene.

Under strict orders from his doctor to indulge in no criminal investigation, Wexford is sent to London for a break away from the pressures of the Kingsmarkham police force. But then he discovers that his nephew Howard is heading the investigation into the macabre murder of Loveday Morgan, whose body was found abandoned in Kenbourne Cemetery.

Despite opposition from Howard and his team, Wexford is drawn to the case. And when he unearths Loveday's connection to a religious cult whose leader was imprisoned for sexual abuse, he relentlessly pursues this sinister new lead..."

The complete listing of Rendell's books can be found at this link. Enjoy your upcoming week.

A Late Friday Reading Update (February Version)

The puppies when Jenn last visited

Hmm! This is getting to be a habit, these Friday night posts. Just back from walking the doggies. Always interesting now. We discovered this week that our Bonnie is diabetic and losing her vision. I'm giving her daily insulin injections and Jo is making sure she gets her eye drops. She's a brave trooper, not too confident when we go for a walk but the route is familiar so with a bit of coaxing she manages quite well. Tired by the end as we've got a small hill to climb up but she managed it very nicely tonight. Such a wonderful doggie. And Clyde isn't too bad either. 😀

Silent Witness was especially good tonight, very tense and also sad. We've lost two regular members of the cast so it'll be a somewhat different show in the next episodes. 

Now how about a quick reading update. I've completed 3 books since my last Friday update, last week. I'll provide my reviews and also the synopses of the books next in line. I'll also provide the synopses of 3 new books that have recently found their way to our bookshelves.

Just Finished

1. Raffles by E.W. Hornung (1898). Entertaining collection of short stories featuring gentleman thief, Raffles.

"Raffles is the first book in a collection of four books featuring AJ Raffles, by English author E.W. Hornung. Raffles, along with companion Harry 'Bunny' Masters, is a gentleman thief. This first book is a collection of 8 short stories featuring their crime adventures. The narrator of the stories is companion Bunny Masters, who becomes involved with Raffles when he approaches him, requesting assistance from his financial difficulties. Raffles invites Bunny to assist him with a caper and it all begins there.

The books were suggested by Hornung's brother-in-law, Arthur Conan Doyle (Hornung was married to Doyle's sister) and Raffles came into being, almost an anti-Sherlock Holmes. As Raffles tells Bunny, even though Raffles appears to be a well-off gentleman, appearances can be deceiving and his abilities as an amateur cracksman are necessary to finance Raffles living style. Definition of 'cracksman' - a burglar or safe cracker. During the day, Raffles is an excellent cricketeer and at night he and Bunny commit robberies.

Each burglary is different and interesting. There is steady friction between Bunny and Raffles as Raffles likes to go off by himself to plan his robberies and Bunny feels untrusted and frustrated. It's generally diamonds that piques Raffles' interest and he uses his ability at disguise when fencing the gems. The duo face threats from other burglars and also in a few of the cases from Scotland Yard Inspector Mackenzie. The book starts off with Bunny's first involvement, desperate for financial assistance. 

We also find out about Raffles' first robbery attempt. It's set in Australia where Raffles is visiting to participate in cricket matches. Needing money, he discovers a cousin who works in banking and decides to visit him to get some help. Neat twists and turns with this one as he is mistaken for his cousin and decides to rob the bank at which his cousin is employed.

There are other neat stories; Raffles trying to beat another cracksman to diamonds while visiting an estate to participate in a cricket tournament (the first time we also meet Inspector Mackenzie.) This other cracksman, Crawshay, makes an additional appearance. Having escaped from Dartmoor prison, he shows up at Raffles' digs demanding help from Raffles to escape from England. 

In another caper, Raffles and Bunny are hired to steal back a Velazquez painting, with a neat twist. The final caper involves a cruise to the Mediterranean, to steal a pearl, given as a gift by the Queen to a foreign king. Will this caper be the end of the partnership? Of course there are a couple of other capers as well. All interesting and different. Raffles is an interesting character, maybe not quite in the league of Sherlock Holmes but still entertaining. 

The stories were turned into plays, movies (David Niven portrayed Raffles), radio shows and were very successful during their time. Well worth trying. (3 stars)"

2. Artificial Condition by Martha Wells (Murderbot Diaries #2). Most enjoyable Sci-Fi story.

"It's been a couple of years since I read and enjoyed the first Murderbot book by Martha Wells. I finally dusted off book 2 of the Murderbot Diaries, Artificial Condition and sat down to it earlier this month. Such an enjoyable read.

Open your mind to a future of Murderbots, officially SecUnits, Sexbots, augmented humans, living ship's computers (ART), etc. and enjoy the world that Martha Wells has created for you to experience. The Murderbot from the first book is now searching for clues to what actually happened at the massacre where humans under his protection were massacred. 

Somehow either his memories were wiped by someone or he wiped them 'himself'. He was freed from his obligations as a SecUnit when his boss, Dr. Mensah bought him. The Bot is now traveling on a cargo ship, captained by ART who is interested in him and decides to help the Bot. They travel to the RaviHyral mine where the massacre took place (although all evidence and news of it seem to have disappeared.) ART helps make the Murderbot more human, with various surgeries.

Murderbot hires himself out to a group of scientists who were fired by Tlacey Excavations as a security expert. They want their research data back and he agrees to help. He also wants to discover what happened at the mine, so this, he hopes, will allow him access to the site. His new job turns out to be more dangerous that he thought as Tlacey has decided to get rid of the 3 scientists. So with ART's help, Murderbot will try to assist the scientists and also discover what really happened at the mine.

It's a neat, entertaining, excellent story. What a world! Do I understand everything that's going on? Nope. Does it matter? Nope. ART is a great character to go along with Murderbot. The scientists are interesting and take hold of Murderbot's heart (Does he have one?) The story is quick, with lots of action and computer stuff, to keep your attention and interest. Great story and I look forward to joining Martha Wells's world again in the near future with Book 3, Rogue Protocol (4.0 stars)"

3. Death of a Red Heroine by Qiu Xiaolong (Inspector Chen #1). This took awhile but it ended up being an excellent, rich story.

"Death of a Red Heroine by Qiu Xiaolong is the first book in the Chief Inspector Chen mystery series set in Shanghai. I bought the book in 2017 and it sat on my shelf until Nov 2022 when I dusted it off and finally gave it a try. It's now the beginning of Feb 2023 so it did take me some time to get through it. However this is no fault of the author or the story. It was well worth the effort and I'm glad that I kept reading it. (These days I usually have 4 or 5 books on the go so a relatively deep, involved story can rest on my night stand as I read shorter, quicker reads).

OK, let's get into this story. As I said, it's set in Shanghai. Chief Inspector Chen is new to his position as head of the Special Case Squad and also relatively young for the job. His promotion is an indication of his favorability within the Communist Party, a chance to promote younger members to senior positions. Celebrating his promotion and new one room apartment, Chen is having a party with a few close friends. He's advised that a body has been discovered floating in a canal a short distance from Shanghai. He assigns Detective Yu to initiate the investigation. Yu is an older cop, his father was a cop, and he's a bit jealous of Chen for his promotion. Yu lives with his wife, the lovely wife Peiqin, their son and his father, Old Hunter, in a 2 room apartment.

The investigation discovers that the body is of one Guan Hongying, a young woman who worked in a department store and who is what is called a national role-model worker; one who represents what's best in the Communist Party. Thus begins a long investigation that has criminal elements but when delved into deeper, also political aspects that will threaten Chen's career and that even of his partner, Detective Yu.

It's a rich, deep story with many intricate, related themes; crime, politics, corruption, love, friendship, cowardice, bravery, all intertwined to make a fascinating story. It portrays Communist China as it tries to convert from a socialist society to a modern, economical society. The history of China is covered, to highlight the effect the various revolutions had on people's lives; especially Chen's and his family, Yu's, etc. It's a fascinating portrayal and well worth checking out as it makes the story that much more interesting.

Chen and Yu must walk a tight-rope, but they will find that they have brave friends, colleagues and family who will help them as they try to solve the murder and bring the suspect to justice. Will justice be served? Well, you've got to check it out. Don't be intimidated by the size and scope of the story, as I almost was. It's an excellent read. (4.0 stars) (Number 2 in the series is on order). 😀"

Currently Reading

1. The Return of Tarzan by Edgar Rice Burroughs (Tarzan #2 / 1913).

"Tarzan had renounced his right to the woman he loved, and civilization held no pleasure for him. After a brief and harrowing period among men, he turned back to the African jungle where he had grown to manhood. It was there he first heard of Opar, the city of gold, left over from fabled Atlantis.

It was a city of hideous men -- and of beautiful, savage women, over whom reigned La, high priestess of the Flaming God. Its altars were stained with the blood of many sacrifices. Unheeding of the dangers, Tarzan led a band of savage warriors toward the ancient crypts and the more ancient evil of Opar . . ."

2. The Cat Who Turned Off and On by Lilian Jackson Braun (Qwilleran #3 / 1968).

"The team of Koko, the brilliant Siamese cat, and Qwilleran, the reporter with the perceptive moustache, is back in action -- with an adorable female Siamese, Yum Yum, added to the household. When Qwilleran decides to do a feature series on Junktown, he gets more than he bargained for. Not the dope den he anticipated, Junktown is a haven for antique dealers and collectors -- as strange a lot as the crafty reporter has ever encountered. When a mysterious fall ends the career -- and the life -- of one of Junktown's leading citizens, Qwilleran is convinced it was no accident. But, as usual, it takes Koko to prove he's right."

3. The Penguin Pool Murder by Stuart Palmer (Hildegarde Withers #1 / 1931).

"For the third graders at Jefferson School, a field trip is always a treat. But one day at the New York Aquarium, they get much more excitement than they bargained for. A pickpocket sprints past, stolen purse in hand, and is making his way to the exit when their teacher, the prim Hildegarde Withers, knocks him down with her umbrella. By the time the police and the security guards finish arguing about what to do with Chicago Lew, he has escaped, and Miss Withers has found something far more interesting: a murdered stockbroker floating in the penguin tank.

With the help of Detective Oscar Piper, this no-nonsense spinster embarks on her first of many adventures. The mystery is baffling, the killer dangerous, but for a woman who can control a gaggle of noisy third graders, murder isn't frightening at all."

New Books

1. Magpie Murders by Anthony Horowitz (Susan Ryeland #1 / 2016). Jo and I enjoyed the mini-series based on the book. I'm looking forward to reading it.

"Alan Conway is a bestselling crime writer. His editor, Susan Ryeland, has worked with him for years, and she's intimately familiar with his detective, Atticus Pünd, who solves mysteries disturbing sleepy English villages. Alan's traditional formula pays homage to queens of classic British crime such as Agatha Christie and Dorothy Sayers. It's proved hugely successful. So successful that Susan must continue to put up with his troubling behavior if she wants to keep her job.

When Susan receives Alan's latest manuscript, in which Atticus Pünd investigates a murder at Pye Hall, an English manor house, she has no reason to think it will be any different from the others. There will be dead bodies, a cast of intriguing suspects, and plenty of red herrings and clues. But the more Susan reads, the more she’s realizes that there's another story hidden in the pages of the manuscript—one of ambition, jealousy, and greed—and that soon it will lead to murder."

2. Hark! A Vagrant by Kate Beaton (2011). I read Beaton's Ducks in 2022 and it was excellent. This is a collection of her newspaper cartoons.

"Since Kate Beaton appeared on the comics scene in 2007 her cartoons have become fan favorites and gathered an enormous following, appearing in the New Yorker, Harper and the LA Times, to name but a few. Her website, Hark! A Vagrant, receives an average of 1.2 million hits a month, 500 thousand of them unique. Why? Because she's not just making silly jokes. She's making jokes about everything we learned in school, and more.

Praised for their expression, intelligence and comic timing, her cartoons are best known for their wonderfully light touch on historical and literary topics. The jokes are a knowing look at history through a very modern perspective, written for every reader, and are a crusade against anyone with the idea that history is boring. It's pretty hard to argue with that when you're laughing your head off at a comic about Thucydides. They also cover whatever's on her mind that week - be it the perils of city living or the pop-cultural infiltration of Sex and the City, featuring an array of characters, from a mischievous pony, to reinvented superheroes, to a surly teen duo who could be the anti-Hardy-Boys."

3. Hell Bent by Leigh Bardugo (Alex Stern #2 / 2023). This is a new fantasy 

series but not a new author.

"Find a gateway to the underworld. Steal a soul out of hell. A simple plan, except people who make this particular journey rarely come back. But Galaxy “Alex” Stern is determined to break Darlington out of purgatory―even if it costs her a future at Lethe and at Yale.

Forbidden from attempting a rescue, Alex and Dawes can’t call on the Ninth House for help, so they assemble a team of dubious allies to save the gentleman of Lethe. Together, they will have to navigate a maze of arcane texts and bizarre artifacts to uncover the societies’ most closely guarded secrets, and break every rule doing it. But when faculty members begin to die off, Alex knows these aren’t just accidents. Something deadly is at work in New Haven, and if she is going to survive, she’ll have to reckon with the monsters of her past and a darkness built into the university’s very walls."

I hope you see something that interests you. Have a great weekend.