A little cooler here this week, and some rain. I know there are people who lost power for long periods of time some places. I hope you’re all safe and comfortable. Take care of yourselves!
Five years! It’s been five years since the last Flavia de Luce mystery by Alan Bradley. The new one doesn’t come out until September, but here’s a heads-up in case you’re a fan of the series. I’m reading What Time the Sexton’s Spade with Rust. Here’s the summary from the publisher.
Flavia de Luce has taken on the mentorship of her odious moon-faced cousin Undine, who has come to live at Buckshaw following the death of her mother. Undine’s main talent, aside from cultivating disgusting habits, seems to be raising Flavia’s hackles, although in her best moments she shows potential for trespassing, trickery, and other assorted mayhem. When Major Greyleigh, a local recluse and former hangman, is found dead after a breakfast of poisonous mushrooms, suspicion falls on the de Luce family’s longtime cook, Mrs. Mullet. After all, wasn’t it she who’d picked the mushrooms, cooked the omelet, and served it to Greyleigh moments before his death? “I have to admit,” says Flavia, an expert in the chemical nature of poisons, “that I’d been praying to God for a jolly good old-fashioned mushroom poisoning. Not that I wanted anyone to die, but why give a girl a gift such as mine without giving her the opportunity to use it?” But Flavia knows the beloved Mrs. Mullet is innocent. Together with Dogger, estate gardener and partner-in-crime, and the obnoxious Undine, Flavia sets out to find the real killer and clear Mrs. Mullet’s good name. Little does she know that following the case’s twists and turns will lead her to a most surprising discovery—one with the power to upend her entire life.
What about you? I hope you’re doing okay. And, I hope you found some good books to read in the last week. What are you reading?
Hello! All is well here in Northern California, in the 80s right now, but 90s coming right up. I managed to sneak in a fourth book this week, mainly because two of my books were very quick reads. I’m excited that my NetGalley feedback ratio has now reached 98%, my highest ever, as I’m trying to be even more selective with my requests.
Holly Cassidy’s second Christmas romance, THE CHRISTMAS COUNTDOWN, is a delight from beginning to end. It’s well written and a quick read–I finished the book the same day I started it. It goes down smoothly–not a lot of angst or poor communication between the two appealing protagonists. And, yes, it would make a good Hallmark movie. Accountant Callie is trying to recover from a recent breakup with her boyfriend of 10 years. And to make things worse, she and her ex still work at the same company. Callie’s sister, Anita, who is much more outgoing, devises a creative Advent Calendar to shake Callie out of her low mood and chronic lack of self-confidence. It’s in the form of a package to be opened each day in December, one day a gift and the next a holiday-related task that she and Callie will do together. But when Anita is called away on business for three weeks, pastry chef Marco volunteers to accompany Callie on these tasks, in return for accounting help with his business. Marco is an adorable character, and although he is also recovering from a betrayal by his most recent girlfriend, it’s not something we hear much about, and he doesn’t seem to be suffering. I loved reading about the town of Fallbrook in all its holiday glory and about Callie and Marco’s developing relationship (the rare closed-door sex scenes are unnecessary to the story). This charming book left me in a good mood, and what more can you ask of a Christmas romance? (October)
The Minuscule Mansion of Myra Malone was one of my favorite books of 2023. Excited to read Audrey Burges’ second book, A HOUSE LIKE AN ACCORDION. I was happy to find that Burges has once again exercised her formidable creative abilities. But although both books have a hefty dose of magical realism (which I really enjoy), this one has a MUCH darker tone. Thirtyish Keryth has to wear gloves so no one will notice that her hand has disappeared (although she can still use it), and she fears for the rest of her body. She hopes that tracking down the many houses in which her family has lived will lead her to her long-absent father. He and Keryth, and possibly others in the family, share the ability to manifest what they draw, and he has always warned Keryth never to draw something living. But now she suspects that he is somehow drawing her. This story requires the reader to keep track of the different time periods in which important events in the past are described. And, between chapters, there are letters or newspaper articles that highlight the effects of these events. I especially enjoyed reading about Harold, an audio artificial intelligence representation of Keryth’s late father-in-law, which her husband Max’s company has programmed to interact with the family from a disembodied voice. I also relished reading about Keryth’s school friends from years earlier, who rally around her when she needs them the most. And Keryth and Max’s teenage daughters are relatable and engaging characters. There’s no doubt about it–this story is STRANGE–but it’s also absorbing and worth the effort to keep up with it as it unfolds. I found the ending particularly satisfying. But if you’re looking for something as light and charming as Myra Malone, this is not the book for you.
A SCANDAL IN MAYFAIR is the fifth in Katharine Schellman’s reliably entertaining Lily Adler Mystery series, set in Regency-era England. Lily is a well-to-do widow who styles herself “A Lady of Quality,” offering “discreet inquiries, confidential investigations, and mysteries solved.” But when a young woman asks her to steal the will of her late father after her uncle has turned her out of her house and refused to allow her to marry a man she considers the love of her life, Lily is reluctant to get involved, She would rather shy away from such a dangerous, illegal activity, especially since she has recognized the woman’s fiancé as a scoundrel she has encountered in the past. At the same time, a neighboring neurodivergent girl has complained that the woman who lives next door is raising poisonous plants with the intent to use them on her enemies. Lily wants to help out as much as she can, while (mostly) operating within the boundaries of period society and the letter of the law, but she soon finds herself involved more than she ever expected. It is fascinating to see how Lily approaches these assignments, with the help of a close married friend and with the dashing, damaged Jack Hartley, the best friend of her deceased husband, not to mention the local constabulary. And yes, there does turn out to be a connection between the two complaints. I guessed the twist early on, but it didn’t spoil the plot for me. The author has beautifully captured the time period and its customs and created a character to root for in Lily. Her relationship with Jack is developing, with hopefully more to come in future episodes. (August)
If you are looking for a change of pace in your reading routine, a book that can make you look at your life in a different way, THE LANTERN OF LOST MEMORIES by Sanaka Hiiragi may be the right pick for you. It’s a short book (224 pages), lovingly translated from the Japanese, which imagines an outpost for the newly deceased where the host (also dead) asks you to put together a collection of your own photos–one for each year of your life–that will be combined in a lantern that ushers you into the afterworld. But that’s not all. You also have the opportunity to visit one day, one place, that was special, to experience it again–this time as an invisible observer. Once the premise is explained by the host, we spend some time with three people who confront their mortality in wildly varying ways. One is a 92-year-old nursery school teacher who succumbed to a disease in her old age. The second is a 47-year-old yakuza who was stabbed in the back by someone who didn’t like the way he lived. The third is a little girl who was brutally mistreated by her violent stepfather and her negligent mother. And then there is the host, who can’t remember any of his past or why he died. He’s hoping one of the people he meets will recognize him and thereby restore his lost memories. This is such a deceptively simple, beautiful book that provides a window into what makes these three travelers special and how they are connected, and allows us new insights into how we will be remembered, and what is worth remembering. The ending is unexpected and deeply satisfying. I loved it. (September)
Margie, The Lantern of Lost Memories sounds so intriguing! I’ll have to see if I can find it here.
I read A Scandal in Mayfair. I really liked this latest Lily Adler mystery. The Christmas Countdown is the other one that interests me. I’ll have to look for that one.
98%! Wow! You’re doing better than I do, Margie.
Looks like you had a stellar reading week Margie! I have Audrey Burges’ second book downloaded to read, but hadn’t heard about the others.
Last week Van Dusen Gardens; this week a memorial/celebration of life (two years after she died) for my husband’s mother. Extended family got together. There were bagpipes, memories were shared, music was played, a lectern was knocked over by a niece’s rambunctious boys (only two items shattered). Good to see everyone.
This week I read a new historical fiction novel – briefly mentioned by someone last Thursday – called THE HAZELBOURNE LADIES MOTORCYCLE AND FLYING CLUB by Helen Simonson (she of Major Pettigrew’s Last Stand, one of my favourite novels of all time).
This latest novel is set in 1919 England just after WW1 and does such a good job of showing how the end of the war impacted women, men and society as a whole.
– the women who filled in admirably at all manner of occupations while men were fighting in the war, and so have glimpsed a bit of freedom and perhaps more fulfilling lives – what happens to them now as the men return and go back to their jobs?
– and what of the men who have returned from the war with injuries and find themselves unemployable and not given the chance to work because it’s assumed they won’t be able to manage either physically, mentally, or both?
– and the people who are of the ‘wrong’ ethnicity or have the ‘wrong’ skin colour – how do they make their way in this time of change?
– and what of the women who have ambitious dreams for their futures but society frowns on them for having dreams unsuitable to proper young ladies?
– and what of friendships? Will they survive these new times?
Although for me the story started slowly (but I think it was necessary in order to set the stage) it wasn’t too long before I was fully invested in both the story and the writing. The author weaves several issues into an entertaining, thought-provoking, suspenseful, at times heart-wrenching tale. There is wonderful dialogue, there are friendships, there is romance, there are characters galore to love and root for, there are characters that disappoint because one expects better from them, and there are characters to downright loathe with all your being.
I love Helen Simonson’s writing and I believe this novel is worth your time.
Unrelated to the novel, I don’t know if any of you are familiar with the website fantasticfiction.co.uk? It’s a great resource for readers. You can search any author and you will be directed to the books they’ve written, with a synopsis of each of them. You are clearly shown the correct order of books that are part of a series. And often authors will recommend the work of other authors which in turn leads you down any number of delightful rabbit holes, and is likely to increase your book wish list to unmanageable lengths. Lots of fun though!
I’m on hold for THE HAZELBOURNE LADIES MOTORCYCLE AND FLYING CLUB. Thank you for your review. All the more reasons to want to read it now.
Lindy! I use fantasticfiction.co.uk all the time! Not as often as I did when I was working, but it’s a great site. I also like stopyourekillingme.com for mysteries, but Fantastic Fiction is more up-to-date.
Lindy, I won the Helen Simonson book from Goodreads a few months ago. Based on your review, it sounds wonderful and I’ll have to move it up on my TBR list! Thank you.
Lindy, I loved Major Pettirgrew’s Last Stand, so i will see if our library has this new one, it sounds great.
I too use Fantastic Fiction – it is so handy when you (I!) can’t remmeber which author wrote which book, and, as you say, it is also good for checking the sequence in which series were written. Amazon often promises this, then when you click on the link it is nothing of the sort.
I too love FantasticFiction.com. and also StopYoureKillingMe.com, AND I love Helen Simonson’s writing
It’s been in the 80s here in NJ which is not normal for us in May. On the plus side I’ve already started harvesting some produce from our garden – Swiss chard, snow peas, and garlic scapes.
This week I read PEOPLE IN GLASS HOUSES by Jayne Castle. It’s the 16th book in her paranormal series set on the planet Harmony. It was predictable but it was a light read which is what I wanted.
An ARC of COME SHELL OR HIGH WATER by Molly MacRae, the first book in her new Haunted Shell Shop series set on an island off the coast of North Carolina and featuring a shop haunted by the ghost of a pirate. This wasn’t for me. The characters on the island were supposed to be quirky but I just found them annoying.
Sandy, Jackie has read all the Jayne Castle Harmony books, but I don’t think she knows about this one. Will have to tell her about it.
Wow! That’s early for your garden, isn’t it, Sandy? Very nice, though!
I haven’t read one of Jayne Castle’s Harmony novels in quite some time. I used to read them as soon as they came out. I may have to check out a couple.
Warming up to the 80’s there in So Cal. Finally!
Looking forward to the new Flavia book…as long as Jayne Entwhistle does the audio version. This was one of my audio series, and Jayne’s narration was one of the things that kept me listening despite some of the slower books. She is Flavia, and I don’t know that reading it or anyone else reading it to me would allow me to enjoy it. No word yet, but I know the audio version is coming. I keep checking.
Enough about what you’re reading. Here’s what I am reading:
I just finished MURDER ON THE MED by Nancy Cole Silverman. This is the third Kat Lawson mystery. This one is set on a luxury cruise ship on the Mediterranean. Kat is just there to do a story on the ship, but she stumbles on something else while she is there. It comes out next week, and it is a great book.
Next us for me is FONDANT FUMBLE, the newest Cupcake Bakery Mystery from Jenn McKinlay. Looking forward to catching up with all the characters.
You’re right, Mark! Finally, your kind of weather. Enjoy it! Ours has cooled off some. We’re below average right now.
Well, that’s saying something that Silverman’s book is great. Isn’t it nice to enjoy a book in a favorite series?
Good morning. Our weather has been warmer lately, which is good. Still plenty of rain (like last night), but only in small doses. So glad we don’t live in the areas with extreme weather. I’ve always loved this time of year with the long days and more sunshine. In the winter, when I get up at 6 it’s still dark out for an hour, but this time of year it is already light.
I read the first four (I think) of the Bradley/Flavia de Luce books, but then just drifted away from the series. Not sure why.
Jackie liked her last book (Lora Leigh) and is now reading a Cynthia Eden book set in New Orleans, SAVE ME FROM THE DARK (Death and Moonlight Book 2). She read the first one a while ago and is enjoying this one too.
I mentioned Frances & Richard Lockridge’s Flair for Murder last time. I liked the collection of Captain Heimrich short stories. Funnily enough, when I got to the one (longer) Mr. & Mrs. North story, which I had saved for last, I quickly discovered that I had already read it. Pam North’s reunion with some old friends from childhood turns, as it will, to murder.
I’m enjoying the Philip K. Dick collection, Second Variety, even though some of the stories are pretty dark. A couple were adapted into episodes of the Prime Video anthology series, Philip K. Dick’s Electric Dreams, though in a changed manner. For example, “Exhibit Piece” reads like an episode of the original Twilight Zone. George Miller is an expert on the 20th Century, and seems to prefer it to his own time 200 years in the future. He even dresses in authentic mid-20th Century business wear. Then he hears someone talking in his museum exhibit of a typical 20th Century home and goes in to investigate. I could hear Rod Serling setting the scene in my mind. Sadly, the television adaptation bore little resemblance to the story, turning it into a Virtual Reality piece. Read the original.
I’m enjoying the first (of three) volume of Carol Shields’s short stories, Various Miracles.
I’m closing in on the end of the first volume of Edmund Morris’s biography of Theodore Roosevelt. It’s 1898 and Roosevelt is Assistant Secretary of the Navy in the first McKinley administration, pushing hard for war against Spain in Cuba and the Philippines. The Maine has been blown up and he wants war. Within three years he will get even more famous as a Rough Rider, get elected Governor of New York, and become Vice President in McKinley’s second term, only to succeed to the Presidency in the summer of 1901 after the President’s assassination.
Have a safe week, everyone.
Good morning, Jeff. Are you going to be moving on to the next book in Morris’s biography of Roosevelt? Just curious.
Like you, I drifted away from the Flavia books. I read a few more than that, but they began to feel the same to me, so I quit. It had been so long that I decided to read and review this one for Library Journal.
I like May in New York. I’m not going this year, but it’s the time of year I usually try to get there. Enjoy the weather!
I think after I finish the first volume, I might take a little break, but I will read volume 2. This all started because someone had left a copy of the second volume in our basement laundry room/library. I might just pick that one up rather than getting the Kinsdle edition from the library, as I did with the first one. I like to look at the footnotes occasionally, and with the ebook edition, I need to go to the beginning of the Notes and scroll page by page until I reach the right chapter.
I’m a book nerd.
Oh, I get it, Jeff. I read the footnotes, always the acknowledgements, parts of the index. I enjoy being a book nerd.
Me too! I love a list or a note, and I read them all.
Hi Jeff, Even though you haven’t finished the Theodore Roosevelt biography, and even though it’s unlikely I’ll ever be able to bring myself to read it – I really enjoy, and even look forward to, the short snippets you write about it every Thursday. I hope you start the next volume soon!
Thank goodness for a sunny day. Memorial Day was a total washout, but it did let me concentrate on reading – a silver lining, right?! And what a fun book I read – an ARC of “ Elizabeth of East Hampton” the 2nd book of “For the Love of Jane Austen Series”. Emma of 83rd Street was the first book. This was a fabulous book! I absolutely devoured it in two days. A fun, updated retelling of Pride and Prejudice. It was a delight to see how all of the characters would enter the story. Elizabeth “Lizzy” Bennett is the central figure, running her family’s donut shop in the Hamptons, keeping it, and her family, afloat after Mr. Bennett’s stroke. All of the sisters are there – Jane, a school teacher, Mary, an activist for the environment, Kitty, a business major, and Lydia, a silly social media influencer wannabe. Mrs Bennett is busy coming up with new pyramid scheme ideas to sell her latest clothing inventions. And Mr. Bennett helps out where he can with the donut shop, but then tends to hide away in his boat that he never got around to sailing around the world.
Enter Will Darcy and Charlie Pierce, with Charlie’s two sisters, as summer resorters, renting a hideous town eyesore that never fit in with the rest of community’s buildings. Wandering into the donut shop on their first day in town, Charlie is instantly smitten with Jane. Will is intrigued by Lizzy, but she doesn’t take to him, as he arrogantly looks down on the town and its inhabitants. The usual story unfolds, misunderstandings between the couples with the ultimate happy ending. Lots of fun with this new take on the story. Highly recommend.
Have a great week!
Oh those books sound great, Mary!
I have put Emma of 83rd Street on my wish list, thank you for telling us about it.
Elizabeth of East Hampton sounds fun, Mary. I love that Lydia is a social media influencer. That fits! I can see that it’s a fun read.
Enjoy the week, and the weather! Happy Reading!
Thanks to these great reviews, I’ve already added a couple new books to read from this morning’s post. And I picked up the latest Anne Hillerman novel yesterday at the library.
I quickly read a couple very popular books this week – FUNNY STORY by Emily Henry and THE GUNCLE ABROAD by Steven Rowley – so other library users can jump on the bandwagon. Both stories revolve around the complications of love and family. Fun reads, enjoyable authors, amusing and endearing stories.
A more typical selection for me, Phillip Margolin’s BETRAYAL, seventh in the Robin Lockwood series of a defense attorney based in Portland, OR. This is only the second book I’ve read in the series. The author knows well both the profession & location. Gripping plot with drugs, murder, gambling – just generally bad behavior – leading to the trial.
And I’m glad I finally read A QUIET TEACHER by Adam Oyebanji. I placed this on my TBR way back in Nov 2022 when it was reviewed here. A bullying parent is murdered at a private day school in Pittsburgh. To add a level of intrigue, the main character is in hiding from a Russian hitman. Throw in some various atypical characters and a handful of current social/political issues, the result is a very layered and unusual story.
Adam Oyebanji is one of the authors I saw at the Aberdeen library event I attended a couple of weeks ago, MM. He was a good speaker, very self deprecating but clearly very clever. He’s had what sounded like an exciting career in counter-terrorism intelligence, but he insisted it was really very boring.
I’m sure every career has its boring moments, Rosemary, but those of us on the outside don’t see them that way. I remember when you said you saw Adam Oyebanji. I enjoy hearing authors talk about their books and their background.
Loved Funny Story, MM, as you know from my earlier review.
You’re right about A Quiet Teacher. It wasn’t what I expected at all, but I did appreciate it.
Hello everyone! I was in the mood for humor, so I bought a Christopher Moore novel, COYOTE BLUE, for my Kindle. I thought his FOOL, a parody of King Lear, was one of the funniest books I’d read in years. Only about 20% into COYOTE BLUE and not as enamored as I was with FOOL, but I’ll give it more time. After this, I’ll go back to the Karen Pirie series; next is #6, STILL LIFE.
Every time you or Jeff mention Karen Pirie, Kim, I say I need to read those books. I just placed a hold at the library on The Distant Echo, the first in the series. Thank you for nudging me.
Mornin’, all – Happy Thursday at Lesa’s!
Being very much in need of an escape recently, NetGalley helped by allowing me the pleasure of an escape to Greece with a protag and her new pals who I enjoyed spending time with.
BRING ME SUNSHINE by Alex Brown
Description from NetGalley –
BRAND NEW from bestselling author Alex Brown
Mamma Mia meets Shirley Valentine in the brand-new holiday romance for 2024 from the International No.1 bestseller.
Gina Bennett has had enough after her husband of twenty-seven years lets her down one time too many. Deciding to choose herself, she embarks on a transformative solo journey to break free from the monotony of her life.
She escapes to the gorgeous Greek island of Kalosiros, where she holidayed in her youth, and where she had her first romance with the handsome Nico. Encountering two kindred spirits in Rosie and Deedee, the women bond over art classes and cocktails, renewing their lust for life and a shared quest to find Gina’s lost love.
Together, they navigate the challenges of middle-age, self-discovery, and the liberating power of skinny-dipping. Will Gina find love again with her teenage sweetheart Nico, her husband, or with someone new?
Bring Me Sunshine is a wonderfully uplifting, coming-of-middle-age story about female friendship, romance and starting over, set on a gorgeous Greek island in the sun. The perfect summer read!
Reminds me a little, Kaye, of the movie Finding Juliet. Loved the search for the long-lost love in that movie. I’m glad you found an escape!
Now reading Shae by Mesha Maren, fiction about a 15 year old girl in West Virginia. I expected extreme poverty and it was there. Her mother is either separated or divorced or a single mother, I don’t know. They survived on the leftovers from the school cafeteria. So they eat a lot of tater tots and not much else.. Shae meets Cam on the school bus. Cam is for Cameron but wants to be a woman. They have a friendship and later, it develops into Shae getting pregnant. She has a Caesarian and the doctor (maybe not skilled) cuts into her bladder. Gets infection and they load her up with oxycontin. Easy to see an addiction will be starting,.
Oh, Carol. Sounds like such a tragic book. It’s hard to see a happy ending with that one.
Hi Lesa and everyone,
It’s cloudy and windy here and the highest temperature we can expect it 59F – but we’ve had some fabulous sunny days too. On Tuesday Nancy and I walked at Castle Fraser, and the grounds and gardens were looking spectacular. We who live here and walk at these estates throughout the year can really appreciate the changing seasons; there is always beauty somewhere. Just now everything is bursting into bloom. In the walled garden, which is lovingly tended by a team of National Trust gardeners, there’s everything from rhododendrons to ‘poached egg’ plants (limnanthes douglasii), the hawthorns are smothered in pink blossom, and the blue Siberian irises are stunning.
Lesa, I’ve only read the first one of the Flavia de Luce series, keep meaning to read more (I even have some of them) but when?
My reading this week has been slow. I think that’s partly because I’ve been busy with other things, and partly because I am finding GAUDY NIGHT, the most acclaimed of Dorothy Sayers’ Peter Wimsey books, a trudge. I imagine that when I first read it, decades ago, I was impressed with all the Oxford talk and Peter’s aristocratic tics, but now I just find all of it irritating. The privilege, the sexism, and the downright snobbery, all of which were no doubt perfectly acceptable in the early 20th century, seem odious now (although British society is unfortunately still riddled with all of them, and will never be free of its class system.)
Harriet Vane is one of Sayers’ better characters, but in this novel she is surrounded by far too large a cast of spinster dons, college staff, students (who all indulge in the slang of the day, so that it’s sometimes very hard to know what they’re talking about) and Peter’s wealthy friends. It’s very hard to differentiate one member of the teaching staff from another, especially as Sayers will, sometimes in the same line of dialogue, refer to somebody by name and then as ‘The Dean’ or ‘The Warden’ in a most confusing manner.
I really should just give up, but I need ‘an academic thriller’ for my 52 Book Club Challenge. Having said that, Gaudy Night is hardly a thriller, though I suppose it’s intended to be. Or is it? I wonder if Sayers, who admitted that she was sick to death of Wimsey, just wanted to air her views on the parlous position of women in academia (‘Shrewsbury College’ is constantly under financial pressure, unlike places like Christchurch [‘The House’], with their longstanding endowments and super rich students) and indeed in life in general.
Anyway, when I finally reach the end of this book I will be starting THE CAT WHO COULD READ BACKWARDS by Lilian Jackson Braun. It looks like a lot more fun.
We are almost at the beginning of a month of several live music events. Last night we were at The Lemon Tree in Aberdeen to see BLUE ROSE CODE aka Edinburgh singer/guitarist Ross Wilson and his band. His music is hard to define, probably a mixture of soul, blues and country. He grew up in a housing scheme, his mother was an addict and he was raised by his grandmother. He has had many addiction issues himself but is now in good health. He’s an amazing performer, we enjoyed the evening.
Next week we will be going down to Manchester to see PET SHOP BOYS perform at the new Co Op Live arena, which seems finally to be open after many teething troubles and last minute cancellations of concerts. Shortly after we come back we will be away again, this time to Moffat in the Scottish borders for the Eden Festival, with performers like The Zombies, Leftfield, Valtos, Fat Suit, Corto Alto, Project Smok and many more. And shortly after that we will be going right down to the south of England for David’s nephew’s wedding. Thank goodness July looks a little more peaceful (so far…)
On television I started watching FAT FRIENDS, which is an old serial about people who join a slimming club. Each of the characters has a story to tell, and whilst there’s a lot of humour, the programme also focuses on the darker sides of these people’s lives and the way in which weight is tied up with so many other issues. Alison Steadman plays a woman who has won an award for best slimmer of the year (or something like that) and is now terrified of putting the weight back on again. A much younger Ruth Jones (of Gavin & Stacey fame) plays her vastly overweight daughter. James Corden (co writer and star of Gavin & Stacey) is also in the cast.
I’ve also noticed that BBC I-Player is showing a 1987 adaptation of John Le Carre’s A PERFECT SPY, so I have that on my Watchlist.
The council has closed our river walk while it fells a lot of precarious and probably dangerous trees. It is so sad to see them go, but no one wants to find themselves underneath ten tonnes of tree trunk. The worst thing is that, as they will then be replanting the banks with new trees that will be better adapted to the conditions, the path will be closed till November. It will be sad to be without my most local walk for all those months. There are others, of course, but none quite so beautiful. But all things must change.
Today I was at Crathes castle policies with my friend Sue and her Welsh Springer Spaniel, Basil. Tomorrow I am walking with a friend at the Torry Battery, which is on a hill above Aberdeen Harbour, On a good day the views are spectacular, so fingers crossed!
Have a great week all,
Rosemary
Rosemary! First, I had to look up poached egg plant. What a beautiful flower! I can see why you enjoy the changing seasons at the gardens where you walk.
You’re right. Braun’s book is light and fluffy compared to Gaudy Night. I read Sayers years ago, and I totally agree with you. I think I read them because I thought I should. I’m glad I did, but that doesn’t mean I have any interest in going back again.
With all your music events and art shows, I’m surprised you ever thought you’d have time for Charlie. I think he’s much better off with your daughter!
I’m sorry about your local walk, but it sounds as if it will be much safer. However, you’re going to miss summer and fall there. I’m sorry, Rosemary.
Haha – I did make time for Charlie when I had him! He’s with Anna because she really wanted the company – I stayed with her for a few months last year and when I left she really didn’t want Charlie to leave too, so he stayed! But you’re right, he probably does have a better life down there, plus, he now has little Herbie. They have settled down with one another really well, and play a lot. Herbie follows Charlie around all the time, checking on what he’s doing and why, and getting involved somehow. He’s also fascinated by Charlie’s tail, so that frequently gets a chew. On the whole Charlie is admirably patient with the little pest!
Don’t worry about my river walk, Lesa – there are plenty of others, and there are other places where you can access the river bank, it’s just that all of them require a drive to get to. It’s just so easy having ‘our’ one 5 minutes from our house. Maybe I’ll discover some new walks!
Thank you, Rosemary. It was nice to have an update on Charlie and Herbie. Since I don’t have any cats right now, I follow a few people who are cat lovers on Facebook. I get a daily fix. I’ll get a cat or two again someday, when I’m no longer traveling.
I know you made time for Charlie. I’m just glad he has someone (and now Herbie!) most of the time now.
I’m about to start The Picture House Murders by Fiona Veitch Smith. It’s the first book in a series in which I’ve already read and reviewed books 2 and 3.
Interesting, Marleen. Thank you for sending information on The Picture House Murders. It sounds good! I could get a free copy on Kindle, so I grabbed it.
This week I enjoyed Earl’s Trip by Jenny Holiday, which was mentioned here last week, and Love at First Book by Jenn McKinlay, which several folks here have already read and loved. I really appreciated the literary quotes strewn throughout the book, I wanted to note all of them down! It was far from the main point of the book, but I found the mother-son relationship dynamic in the context of cancer really thought-provoking.
I’m on hold for The Earl’s Holiday, Trisha. I agree. It was a well-developed relationship.
The weather’s been nice here, and is even cooling down a little. Everybody is dreading the triple digits.
Went to a BBQ on Sunday. It was very nice. Won $15 in a party game. Some guy proposed to his long time fiancee, with a rock the size of a walnut. All the guys with serious girlfriends went pale. Now I have to go to the wedding, because I’m a Witness, even though I don’t know these people that well. It was total surprise to everyone.
This week I read:
The Demon of Unrest by Erik Larsen; I really enjoyed The Devil in White City, so I was looking forward to this one, about the firing on Fort Sumter that started the Civil War. The book is loaded with facts, but Larsen can’t quite seem to absorb the zeitgeist of the antebellum era. I think he’s used to writing True Crime, where there is a clear cut bad guy, but none really exist here. I also suspect he’s unsure who the audience for this book is supposed to be, and that makes him cautious, too cautious, I think.
Scribbles from the Middling Cat by RS Vern; Prose poems about middle class life in the big city from the viewpoint of a cat. Illustrations, too!
Blackmail 101 by Sophie Michaels; Life in small town Maine isn’t all peaches and cream as the town blames our sleuth for bringing in a crime wave. When a former student shows up, after being stalked, Teach and her supercop boyfriend go to an isolated cabin and all Hell breaks loose. The story seems very unlikely, but I was entertained, as stuff kept getting thrown at the reader from nowhere.
Taken by Stacey-Deanne; Authors keep asking me to review these BWWM romance books, for some reason. In this one, years after the Civil War, a young Black Woman is kidnapped and taken to an Apple…well, plantation isn’t really the right word with apples, is it? It’s an orchard. She picks apples, and gets harassed a lot until she and the primary harasser, the overseer fall in love and run off. Just…What?
Shadows on the Sun by Michael Jan Friedman; Another Star Trek novel, this one focuses on Bones. The Enterprise is to help out with a planet becoming unstable, as the assassin class is refusing to die out. McCoy is one of the only people to ever go there. Then, wouldn’t you know it, but the diplomats are his ex-wife, and the former friend she left him for. You know how it’s going to end at that point, but it’s nice to see Bones get some exposure as something besides Spock’s foil. He doesn’t even mention green blood.
The Dollmakers by Lynn Buchanan; I’m sure I read a story or three just like this in an old Ace double science fiction book or something. This is an old sci fi tale cosplaying as fantasy. A young maker of dolls, basically magically animated robots, goes about trying to end the menace of the big bad Shod, only to find more than she wanted. The more things change, the more they stay the same.
Not a big fan of attending weddings. Hope you enjoy it, Glen.
I had already removed my name from the Larsen book. You just confirmed that I was right. I looked at it at a bookstore, and decided it wasn’t for me.
You’re right. Taken sounds like a “what?” Why?
Down in the more southern areas of California, or at least in the Goleta/Santa Barbara area, it is coolish most of the time. Most days we have overcast skies all day. We enjoy this weather but most people don’t. The temperature midday is 64 and it won’t get much higher than that. And unfortunatley the pollen count is high.
Today I had a doctor’s appointment and it is latish where you are, so I will make this brief. My appointment was with an opthalmologist to be measured for cataract surgery, and I will have cataract surgeries starting in mid-June.
I am reading SKELETON-IN-WAITING by Peter Dickinson. It is an alternate history published 1989 and the sequel to KING AND JOKER, which is one of my favorite books ever. It is a reread; I did not like it very much on the first read but this time I am liking it a lot. One never knows.
Glen is now reading reading DEATH OF A BUSYBODY by George Bellairs, which Lesa reviewed just two days ago. He has just read a few pages at this point.
Tracy, I hope Glen likes Death of a Busybody. You’ll have to let us know.
I’m afraid overcast isn’t my type of weather. Give me sunshine, with an occasional rainstorm just for variety. I love the sound of rain, and the smell afterwards.
I have this to read next on my Kindle as I received an advanced copy through NetGalley. Believe it or not, I have never read a Flavia book before.
At the moment I am obsessed with both Ian Moore and Jean-Luc Banacek, again, I received advanced copies of their latest books through NetGalley. I loved both of them so much that I went ahead and bought all of the other books in both series. Earlier this week, I was delighted to discover that the Brittany books by Banacek are a series on MHz choice. They’re a lot different from the books, but I’m really enjoying them.
Flavia isn’t for everyone, Pattie. And, I’ll admit my sister and I both quit after 4 or 5 in the series. And, some people love the entire series.
I only read one book by Jean-Luc Banacek, but I have a second one. Isn’t it nice to find authors that become an obsession?
Hi Lesa,
My current reads are Daughter of Mine by Megan Miranda and One Perfect couple by Ruth Ware, the New Couple in 5B by Lisa Unger (audio) and netgalley of A novel love story by Ashley Poston (kindle).
Hi, Katherine. I saw Ruth Ware on a Poisoned Pen video earlier this week on YouTube. She’s very entertaining.
Checking in late on a Saturday afternoon as it has been a very hard week. If you saw what happened to Dallas Tuesday morning, you have some idea of what we went through. We missed the twister touchdown nearby and we missed the baseball hail. We did not miss the straight line winds that git to 90 MPH. Our first power outage started at 6:10 am and went for over 34 hours. Lost the contents of the fridge and the top level of the stand alone freezer. Got sick from the heat.
Power came back and over the next couple of days and has gone out several times. Local places that had ice jacked a ten pound bag to 3 and 4 dollars. Last night was the first night we made it through without an outage. Last night was also the first time we made it through without a storm. Had another severe storm late this morning into the afternoon. Everything held. All together, since Tuesday, we have lost power for over 40 hours.
There is heavy tree and house damage in my part of NE Dallas where many traffic signals remain out. The house is intact as is the big tree. Neighbors on each side of me were not so lucky and there are fences down everywhere. Power lines and huge trees across the roads. Today is the first day we have not heard at least one transformer explode. Basically, we are going through what Houston went through a couple of weeks ago without the steel girder transmission towers coming down.
Read an Eve Dallas book and worked on an ARC of Clete by James Lee Burke.
But, for the most part, once the power came back on from the initial outage, I was so damn heat sick, I got on the bed, laid in front of the bedroom fan, and just watched tv. I am worn out and exhausted from the stress of the week and trying to cope with stuff.
There are many folks far worse off. I know that. But for me, in the shape I am in these days being disabled and all, this was way too much.
I don’t know you since I’m new to this blog, but I am mightily sorry for you. What a horrific thing to go through! I appreciate that you felt able to tell us about it. I wish you strength.
Thank you, Lindy. Kevin has his own blog, but he also sends me reviews, and I’m grateful. But, he does have physical problems, and it’s a shame they didn’t get the power on sooner for him. I’m sure it was a problem, but they’re supposed to have him on track to get it back sooner because of his needs.
Kevin, I’ve been watching your posts on Facebook, and I’m sorry. The heat, lack of electricity, and the loss of everything in the frig. I”m sorry. I’ve been thinking of you. I’m sorry. I understand how the heat can get to you when you already have physical problems. I’m sorry.
Thanks for telling me Lesa.