It was a good week here. I hope you all had a pleasant week as well. Linda and I went to Apple Butter Day in Groveport on Saturday. It’s a wonderful small hometown festival, with craft booths, food, a community chorus, and, of course, apple butter for sale. It’s only a one-day festival, and it’s just the right size. Then, we went back to her house to watch the Ohio State football game. Her husband, Kevin, was at the game in Illinois with a bunch of friends. Sunday night he made one of my favorite meals, Shepherds pie, with Irish soda bread. I’m heading to their house tonight before she and I go to see the play, “Harry Potter and the Cursed Child”.
On Friday, I’m heading to my Mom’s for two weeks, so it will be one of those times when reviews are a little irregular. But, I’ve already written the post for December Treasures in My Closet. It will run on Nov. 1. And, of course, we’ll have the Thursday posts. Everything else will be a little random.
What have you been reading lately?
I’m reading Fallen Star by Lee Goldberg. The sixth Eve Ronin mystery came out on Tuesday.
A fifty-five-gallon drum washes up in the Malibu Lagoon stuffed with the corpse of Gene Dent, the key player in a bribery scandal that ensnared several local politicians. LASD detectives Eve Ronin and Duncan Pavone know the case—and all the likely suspects—well. Just as they begin their investigation, the sheriff publicly reveals evidence linking the crime to LA’s mayor.
But Eve and Duncan realize the bombshell allegation, true or not, arises from corruption within the sheriff’s own office…because they helped cover it up years ago. If the sheriff goes down, so will they.
I know Kevin Tipple has already read the book. Here’s the link to his review since he finished it long before I am. https://tinyurl.com/ybrzt3un. He’s right. The opening sene is one of the funniest in this series.
What about you? What have you been doing this past week? What are you reading?
Apple Butter Day sounds wonderful!
This past weekend was Thanksgiving here in Canada. Our older daughter and son-in-law invited both sides of the family to dinner at their house. Everyone gets along and we all enjoyed ourselves (and dinner!) tremendously.
That same daughter was at work yesterday, which was just as well as it meant she was blissfully unaware of the drama happening at their house during the day. They’re having some major landscaping work done, and the excavator operator was not paying attention, and the excavator arm took out the power line into their house. There was an explosion, followed by a small fire in the bushes underneath, all the power bars in the house exploded, smoke everywhere inside, a TV and a lamp were destroyed, and power was out of course. Firefighters on scene to check for hotspots inside, hydro crew eventually onsite to restore power, oldest son at home and was able to rescue their dog. At least no one was injured. You just never know what might happen on any given day!
Then we also got news that David needs to have a PSA-specific PET scan to see if cancer is anywhere else in his body because the PSA number has gone up significantly (it’s meant to be at zero, so there’s a problem somewhere). It’s been a series of hoping for things – that the number would never rise above zero; then when it did, hoping it wouldn’t go up much; when it did, hoping it would level out and not go up more; now it has and we hope the cancer hasn’t spread beyond the ‘prostate bed’. Even if it hasn’t, there’s no doubt that David will have to have radiation ‘therapy’. But first the scan which is a 6-8 week wait. The stress and worry is difficult. He is calm. I am not.
Only one book read this week:
THE SPIRIT OF SCATARIE by Lesley Crewe
A historical fiction novel set on Scatarie which is a real island off the coast of Cape Breton Island, Nova Scotia and where fishing is the lifeblood. The story is told/observed by the ghost of a teenage girl who perished along with her younger sister when the ship carrying them from Ireland to Canada was shipwrecked on the rocks of the island hundreds of years earlier. From time to time this ghost gives her thoughts and opinions but neither the opinions nor the ghost ever distract from the main story; this spirit is more like a character in the novel and plays a more in-the-background role.
But this is really the story of three main characters – Hardy, Sam, and Mary Alice – all born on the island on the same day, Christmas 1922. These three have been the very best of friends their entire lives and the story follows them from when they’re tiny children to well into adulthood. WWII also features in the story.
Community is everything on Scatarie; it would be difficult to survive the hard life there without help from friends and neighbours. There’s no electricity, no running water, no indoor toilets, no phones. The storms, wind, unpredictable and dangerous weather, and cold icy winters only add to the hardships. But Scatarie can also be achingly beautiful and the people who live here are fiercely loyal to their island home.
Told in a simple straight-forward style, the situations and emotions were all the more affecting because of it. Each and every character is brought to life so effectively and with such surprising depth that my heart ached when theirs did and equally I felt joy when they did. They were quite real to me.
One of my favourite things about the book was the feeling of comfort I derived from the idea that the spirits of our much-loved and missed and departed friends and family are always still nearby and actively watching over us and trying to make sure we’re cared for.
A top read for me this year.
Lindy, I am sorry the medical worries continue. I am thinking of both you and David. Hugs!
I am very sorry, Lindy. My Dad went through this same sort of thing a couple of decades ago. Waiting is hell.
Oh dear Lindy – too much turmoil in your life right now. I’m glad that you found a comforting book to read. I will join you in hoping for a good outcome for David. I’m glad that they have been keeping up on the tests. And that he has you!
I am sorry to hear about David’s numbers. I really appreciate the way you described the waiting and hoping game around cancer, Lindy. I agree that it can be hard to stay calm and just move through the day.
Lindy, good luck. Fingers crossed for you both. My sister had recurrent cancer last years (breast cancer 15 years ago, kidney now), so everything that happens is a concern. (At the moment she is OK.)
Thinking about you and David as you wait for the scan and its results. Waiting and not being able to act is so difficult. I’m sending warm wishes and hopeful thoughts.
Lindy, I’m sorry you and David have to go through this. Waiting and wondering is almost the worst part. I’ll be sending good vibes and prayers your way.
Lindy, sending prayers for you and David. I’m so sorry you have to wait for the tests, and, then, of course, for results. Fingers crossed.
What a mess at your daughter’s house. It sounds as if everyone is okay, but I bet she was glad she was at work.
Lindy, hoping for a good outcome for you and David.
Lindy, I just don’t have the right words. But I am sending good thoughts. ❤
Lindy, I will be thinking of you while you and David wait for the PET scan. I am glad that David can be calm at this time.
Lindy, I am so sorry you are having to go through this. A friend of mine is in your position; her husband has another form of cancer. The wait for tests, appointments and results has been dreadful; one meeting with his consultant was cancelled by the hsopital just one hour before they would’ve needed to leave their house. LIke yours, my friend’s husband is calm and sanguine; she is climbing the walls. I do so feel for you both. I will be thinking of you.
Lindy, best wishes to you and David as you navigate this disease. I was diagnosed with prostate cancer while my wife was undergoing her final illness. I opted to put off treatment until aafter she passed because, well…priorities. I had radiation treatment and have been cancer-free for three years, with semi-annual checkups for another two years, then annual check-ups just to be sure. Cancer varies from person to person and I know that I have been luckier than others. I hope you can take comfort in the knowledge that medical science and treatments have been advancing by leaps and bounds, and that you both try to maintain a positive outlook. “Hopes and prayers” has often become a rather trite and sometimes meaningless expression, but please know that you have mine most sincerely.
Jerry, I thought I was alright yesterday and then you wrote in this morning, Your message made me tear up. I’m very sorry about your wife. An impossibly difficult thing to have gone through. And then your diagnosis at the same time. I don’t know how people cope.
Lindy, you cope becaue you have to. You cope because there is a world out there full of beauty and wonder and it is your duty to yourself and those you love to appreciate it to the fullest. You cope because your stength and positivity are sorely needed by those around you. You cope becuse to do otherwise would be a betrayal to everything you stand for. You cope because love is the answer, no matter what the question.
Hope you enjoy the Harry Potter play. I saw it with a friend back in the spring. Some of the effects are amazing!
We got over 2 inches of rain on Tuesday. That’s a lot in one day for us no matter what time of year. We can get rain in October, but it’s not common. This is typically Santa Anna wind season, but we can always use the rain, so I’ll take it.
Reading wise, I’m working on THE CASE OF THE CARNABY CASTLE CURSE by PJ Fitzsimmons. It’s the fourth in a historical series set in England in the late 1920’s that combines locked room mysteries with the humor PG Wodehouse. I really enjoy them, and I’m very curious to see where this one is going. I should be finishing it up on Thursday, although I have a dentist appointment and my church small group, which might make it a little more difficult.
You’re right, Mark. We loved the special effects. It was terrific. Lots of fun!
Lesa, enjoy the time with your mom. We had a couple of windy rainy days so we haven’t done much this week.
I read an ARC of Sara Driscoll’s latest FBI K-9 book Deadly Trade which is coming out on the 28th.
Newlyweds Meg, Todd and are in Hawaii for their honeymoon. Ready to get away from the resort, they take Meg’s K-9 dog Hawk for a walk in a local wildlife preserve and stumble on poachers. When Meg calls it in her boss Craig sends K-9 team Brian and his dog Lacey as well as Meg’s brother-in-law and Washington Post reporter McCord to help with the investigation. The book was less intense than previous books in the series but I didn’t mind.
The first two of P. F. Ford’s Welsh police procedurals, A Body on the Beach and A Body Out At Sea. I have the next few on my TBR pile.
A police station in Wales has become a last chance dumping ground for officers who aren’t allowed to handle any real cases. Until a newly arrived DI refuses to pass a murder case onto Regional. Now she and a newly arrived detective who’s been brought back from retirement have to prove that their inexperienced crew can solve the case.
Thanks, Sandy. I always enjoy my time with Mom.
That P.F. Ford series sounds good. I don’t think I ever read a series set in Wales.
Sounds like you’ve been having some wonderful days, Lesa. I hope that they continue st your mom’s place.
We are in Michigan’s Uper Peninsula on vacation. Not much up here except trees and water and small towns. A perfect get away. Leaf color is slightly past peak. The weather has been great – light jacket and sunshine. Had delicious pumpkin pancakes with cinnamon butter one day for breakfast. So yummy. We’re hoping that the kitchen remodel is making good progress while we’re gone.
Based on Lesa’s recommendation I read The Dentist by Tim Sullivan. I love the DS Cross character and have already started the second in the series.
Mary, I t sounds as if you’re enjoying your vacation. Enjoy the getaway!
I’m so glad you liked the first D.S. Cross book, and the character.
I just came back from a week or so at my dad’s and don’t have a lot of reading to report on. One thrill of the trip is that I was able to do the entire drive back from DE to RI in one day. Oh, and I played the license plate game with great success—18 states and 2 Canadian provinces.
Reading wise I kept listening to There is a Rio Grande in Heaven, a series of grim stories and vignettes about El Salvador and the Salvadoran diaspora. Some of it is very imaginative but it is all hard.
I also finished Notes on Surviving the Fire, which is a mystery that explores a different set of horrors—graduate school, trauma, sexual assault and wildfires. It did a good job of showing how graduate students are preyed on by their professors, the system, and each other.
Lest you think I have no fun I should mention I also re-read much of a series of very light fantasy novels about a woman discovering magic and love at midlife.
Trisha, I’m glad you read something fun. How did you know I was going to ask if there was anything light?
I hope it was a good visit with your father.
Enjoy! We saw HARRY POTTER AND THE CURSED CHILD on Broadway in June, and enjoyed it for the most part, though the teenage angst was hard to take.
I’m looking forward to the Lee Goldberg. I hope Duncan has a bigger role than in the last couple of books.
I had my six week eye checkup after my second cataract surgery and I am good to go. She said my distance vision is now 20/20. I’m still using reading glasses, but then, I’m old.
Books. Jackie read THE GHOST BRIGADES, the second in John Scalzi’s Old Man’s War series, and after a bit of a slow start, she enjoyed it a lot. The end left her teary. She has now started Abby Jimenez’s PART OF YOUR WORLD.
I know I mentioned Double Crossing Van Dine last week, and I am about to finish that short story collection, which has been pretty good. I also started the latest British Library collection of Golden Age stories, edited by Martin Edwards, LESSONS IN CRIME: ACADEMIC MYSTERIES. You can’t go wrong with that title. Oops, not the latest, as Edwards has another out now, CYANIDE IN THE SUN And Other Stories of Summertime Crime. Also, AS IF BY MAGIC: Locked Room Mysteries and Other Miraculous Crimes looks like it will be published here soon. Hmm, MIRACULOUS MYSTERIES, also a locked room collection, was published in 2017. Are they connected? The same title under a different name?
Richard Osman, The Impossible Fortune. You can’t go wrong with the Thursday Murder Club, and this is no exception, though the earlier books were probably better, overall. This is because of (as Lesa pointed out) the boring cryptocurrency storyline, at which my eyes glazed over. But, as with previous books in the series, Osman adds a fun new character here who will undoubtedly appear in future books. Elizabeth is still grieving, but Joyce’s daughter is getting married and the team is there in full force. Good but not great, perhaps, but always worth reading.
I was sick, then Jackie was, we had a nor-easter this week, and I spent part of yesterday getting my eyes checked six weeks after my second cataract surgery, all of which took away reading time. (My eyes are good, with 20/20 distance vision restored, though I do still need reading glasses.)
Anyway, I did read The Shattering Peace, the 7th in Scalzi’s Old Man’s War series, and the first in 10 years. I’ve read all the previous books, and this one is most related to books three and four – THE LAST COLONY and ZOE’S TALE. Main character Gretchen Trujillo, a diplomat (who, apparently, was in those earlier books, though it’s been so long since I read them I don’t remember the details), has to negotiate between the Colonial Union, the alien Conclave, and the Earth, and deal with the all-powerful aliens the Consu. A secret colony meant to see if all the groups can actually work together, on an asteroid, has simply disappeared, vanishing the 50,000 people on it. There is no sign of debris so it probably wasn’t blown up, but then where is it and what happened? As always, Scalzi writes a fun book. He really knows how to move things along quickly and he has enough interesting characters to keep you flipping the pages, anxious to find out what happens next. While you don’t have to read the earlier books to enjoy this, I’ve enjoyed the whole series. Good stuff.
Also reading (when I have the time) a chapter a day in that Theodore Roosevelt biography. Things were incredibly different in this country in 1902.
What’s next? Not sure. I starter Patrick Ryan’s BUCKEYE, but the new Margaret Mizushima book just came in, and there are others.
Oops. Sorry for the excessive bolding.
Jeff, We had a great time at Harry Potter. The special effects were terrific. I could handle the teen angst. I remember what my niece was like from 13 to 15! It just took a little time to get into it. The sound system needed some tweaking when they started, so that didn’t help, but they got it fixed.
I’m sorry you and Jackie were sick. Hope you’re both on the mend.
My sister is enjoying Osman’s book more than I did. And, she didn’t mind the cryptocurrency. She said it made it current. Her opinion, not mine.
I’ll look forward to what you read this week. I’m sure you won’t be able to wait for the Margaret Mizushima.
Lesa, your mention of Irish soda bread made me want to bake some — I haven’t had any in ages. Have a great time at your mother’s place.
I just finished BOY, a novel set in Elizabethan London by Nicole Galland, which I strongly recommend. It features the acting company at the Globe that Shakespeare writes plays for, and many real people in the company, including Will himself, are featured in the book. The hero of BOY is a real person, Alexander Cook, who played women’s roles in Shakespeare’s plays; in real life, not much is known about him. He is brilliantly developed into a flawed but fascinating and likable character, worried as the book opens about his future because he is in the last year of his apprenticeship and growing too old to keep playing Shakespeare’s young women. The heroine of BOY is Alexander’s childhood friend, Joan Butler, a young woman fascinated by the new sciences of her day, including medicine and botany, and desperate to learn from the era’s most famous scientific philosopher, Francis Bacon. Add the arrogant Earl of Essex and his sister to the story, and you have a very exciting plot full of complex people.
I also read the new Jimmy Perez book by Ann Cleeves, THE KILLING STONES, which I enjoyed a lot, although I remain primarily a Vera Stanhope and Matthew Venn fan.
Thanks to you, Lesa, I’m about a fifth of the way into ONE GOLDEN SUMMER, by Carley Fortune, which is great fun!
Kim, My brother-in-law usually bakes the Irish soda bread, but since he only arrived back in town that morning, Linda bought some. It was still good.
I just can’t get into Michael Venn. I read those books, but I like Vera and Jimmy Perez better.
That’s the perfect description for One Golden Summer. “Great fun!” I’ll eventually read her other books, but not back to back. One is enough for right now.
Good morning! We had a couple of days of rain this week, which postponed the seal coating of the roads that was planned. Waiting to find out when it will actually happen, which will mean parking away from our street for a day. The weather has gotten quite a bit cooler, so I packed away my summer tops and brought out my sweaters and actually wore several of them! Put out my Halloween decorations, a bit late, but they made me feel good. It will be back in the 70s in a day or two, but hopefully not for long. I’m definitely in the autumn mode. Here’s what I read this week.
AT MIDNIGHT COMES THE CRY is book #10 in Julia Spencer-Fleming’s multiple-award-winning Clare Fergusson/Russ Van Alstyne series. As regular readers know, Clare is an Episcopal priest and a former Blackhawk pilot in the military. She and Russ, who recently retired as police chief of Miller’s Kill in upstate New York, are now married and have an 8-month-old son. Having survived many dangerous adventures together in the past and enjoying a new phase of their lives, they still can’t stand by when their friends, associates, or neighbors are threatened. So when a group hands out white supremacist messages attached to Christmas candy in an annual parade, and when a former local police officer with ties to a current member of the Miller’s Kill PD disappears suddenly, Reverend Clare and Russ step in to help. Clare gets to know one of the women distributing the propaganda and her husband, and later tries to help one of the other wives, whose husband treats her poorly and may be part of a militia with a disastrous plan. I wasn’t engaged with this story as much as I have been with previous books in the series and found myself skimming some of the many pages devoted to navigating the outdoors in the winter and dealing with a very depressing theme. However, the author’s storytelling skill and writing style are still in evidence, and I hope there will be future series offerings. (November)
In A TOUCH OF MAGIC AT THE COMFORT FOOD CAFE, the latest book in the Comfort Food Cafe series by Debbie Johnson,it seems that almost all the women in Budbury moved there after having problems elsewhere, and now all of them are living their best lives in this scenic small town. Or, at least, that’s how it looks to Sarah, who has a particularly fraught history including a divorce and a stalker. She is secretly a successful author of rather strange books under a pen name, but soon after she moves into town and into a house she has never seen, that fact is easily discovered by her new acquaintances. Sarah’s biggest issue is that, from childhood, her family has made her feel like she deserves the bad luck she has had. She has ultimately sworn off any desire for romance in her life, thinking there is no way she could ever attract a good man who is willing to put up with her foibles. Sarah’s fraternal twin sister, who is married with children, appears to have had all of the success Sarah had wished for, but things aren’t always as they appear. When Sarah meets Aidan, the best-looking of the universally attractive men in Budbury, there is definitely a spark between them. Aidan volunteers to be Sarah’s plus-one at the 18th-birthday party of her nieces (also fraternal twins), so that her family will stop putting her down, and it is a memorable occasion. As they build a friendly relationship, they bond over shared issues with their dysfunctional fathers. But can they overcome–horrors!–a 16-year age difference (she’s older)? Honestly, I like both characters, although I have a couple of reservations. Sarah goes on too long about how she sees herself and how it can never work with Aidan. And Aidan is almost too patient with her. But I am willing to read any Debbie Johnson book, all of which have so far tuned out to be true comfort reads for me. The inhabitants of Budbury are beautifully detailed and unique, and the sense of community there is reassuring in these uncertain times. Lucky me–there are many more books in this series beyond the two that I have read so far, and I will definitely be seeking them out!
FIRE MUST BURN by Allison Montclair (aka Alan Gordon) is the eighth Sparks and Bainbridge Mystery–one of my favorite historical mystery series. Iris Sparks was an agent for British Intelligence in World War II, and Gwen Bainbridge lost her husband to the war and had to struggle to regain custody of their young son from her in-laws. When they met after the war, they decided to open The Right Sort Marriage Bureau together, and they have made a success of it. But at the same time, they have participated in some dangerous post-WWII projects for Iris’s ‘s former boss. Iris’s friend at Cambridge University, whom she hasn’t seen for years, is suspected of being a double agent for the enemy, and Iris is instructed to sign him up for the Marriage Bureau’s services so that a female masquerading as a romantic prospect can be planted to obtain inside information. But after a violent attack occurs, street-smart Iris and elegant Gwen get more involved to determine who has motive to cause such mayhem before a further disaster occurs. Montclair’s writing style is, in my opinion, the star of these books–particularly the clever, sparkling dialogue. The characters of Iris and Gwen. who have become fast friends despite their very different personalities and sensibilities, are becoming ever stronger and more surprising as they learn from each other. The plots in this and all of the previous books are strong and fascinating, often with guilty parties that are quite unexpected. I heartily recommend this engrossing series. (January)
Margie, as usual, we agree on many books. i was so disappointed in the new Julia Spencer-Fleming book. but sill hoping for more. And I love Drbbie Johnson’s books.
I think you and Kaye do share a similar taste in books. I don’t remember ever hearing about Debbie Johnson. I guess I missed a little being gone from the library for two years. I do check the NYT Bestseller list weekly so I can at least stay up-to-date with bestsellers. But, now I tend to read for my own reading taste. That’s comfort right there!
I was a couple Julie Spencer-Fleming books behind, but, between you and Kaye, I think I’ll skip this one.
Mornin’, everyone! Happy Thursday at Lesa’s!
i am happy to tell you about a book I LOVED!
THE WOMEN OF WILD HILL
by Kirsten Miller
Description from Net Galley
A witty, spectacular, and timely tale of modern-day witches waging war on the patriarchy, from fan favorite Kirsten Miller, the author of The Change and Lula Dean’s Little Library of Banned Books.
There are places on earth where nature’s powers gather. Girls raised there are bequeathed strange gifts. A few have powers so dark that they fear to use them. Such a place is Wild Hill, on the tip of Long Island. For centuries, the ghost of a witch murdered by colonists claimed the beautiful and fertile Wild Hill…until a young Scottish woman with strange gifts arrived. Sadie Duncan was allowed to stay.
Five generations of Sadie’s descendants called Wild Hill home, each generation more powerful than the last. Then, in the aftermath of a terrible tragedy, the last of the Duncans, once prophesized to be the most powerful of their kind, abandoned their ancestral home.
One of them, Brigid Laguerre moved to California and turned her dark gift into fame and fortune. Her sister, Phoebe, settled on a ranch in Texas, where women visit in secret for her tonics and cures. Phoebe’s daughter, Sybil, has become a famous chef. Seemingly powerless, Sibyl has never been told of the Duncan bloodline.
Now Brigid, Phoebe, and Sibyl have been brought to Wild Hill to discover their family legacy. The Old One, furious at the path mankind has taken, has chosen three powerful witches to turn the tide. The Duncans will fulfill their destinies—but only if they can set aside their grievances and come together as a family.
Margie, as usual, we agree on many books. i was so disappointed in the new Julia Spencer-Fleming book. but sill hoping for more. And I love Drbbie Johnson’s books.
Kaye, I have The Women of Wild Hill on my Kindle. It sounded good when I downloaded it, and it sounds even better now! Thank you.
I just finished Astor by Anderson Cooper and Katherine Howe. It is about the rise and the fall of the big-name family. Good thing there was a family tree in the front. Loads of interesting details which I need to digest.
Starting Courting Trouble by Lisa Scottoline, which is in a very comfortable-sized print. Appointment this morning. Sigh.
Carol, I hope your morning appointment went as well as mine did. That’s why I was late to the blog this morning.
I’m glad you found Astor to be meaty.
The Apple Butter Day sounds like fun.
We had an overnight visitor on Sunday night, a friend from Stockton who was heading for the Riverside area. It was the first visitor since we got London the cat and London was very well behaved; he didn’t bother any of us during the night (which he usually does to some extent). To get ready for her visit I did a lot of decluttering and etc. in the bedroom and that has cut back on my reading and blogging etc. The decluttering will continue.
Glen is reading A VOYAGE LONG AND STRANGE: REDISCOVERING THE NEW WORLD by Tony Horowitz. That book is about American exploration and settlement, from Columbus in 1492 to Jamestown’s founding, and is part history and part travelogue. (Actually it also covers some time before 1492 also.) Glen had this book a few years ago, decided not to keep it, and then bought another copy at the book sale this year. He is about half-way through the book and liking it.
I just finished reading GUARDS! GUARDS! by Terry Pratchett. This is only the third Discworld book I have read by Pratchett; I read MORT in 2016. So I had to get used to Pratchett’s writing again. I enjoyed the book. It did take me about 200 pages (out of 350) to really get into it. The characters are all very strange and the book is satirical. It was the first book in the Ankh-Morpork City Watch series and I hope I can find MEN AT ARMS, the 2nd book, soon.
Tracy, I’ve read quite a few of Terry Pratchett’s books, but I need to read Guards Guards. I have a friend who is a Pratchett expert, and she says that particular line in his books is really a police procedural. Someday!
I’m glad London was a perfect gentleman while you had company!
Good afternoon from a cloudy Aberdeenshire.
I am back from my travels in Bristol and Wales – and I almost forgot about our Thursdays! Fortunately it’s not too late.
Less fortunately, I have come back with a horrid bug that seems to be circulating. It has quite weird symptoms so I was glad when a friend told me she had had exactly the same thing in the previous week – before that I thought I could be having a stroke, and she thought she was developing dementia! But for both of us these symptoms soon passed, to be replaced by the usual streaming cold, which is just a nuisance and will surely go soon. And I am lucky, in that I don’t have to go to work and can just stay home and read until it passes.
We had a great time in Bristol, which is a vibrant city. Our hotel was on the dockside; shipping used to be very active here until the 1970s, but with the arrival of containers the business all shifted to Avonmouth, a deepwater dock. Now the old docks have been revitalized with hotels, restaurants, and an excellent museum, M Shed (so called because all of the units were previously alphabetised warehouses.)
My conference was in M Shed. It was hosted by the Friends of Bristol Museums, who had arranged a great day of talks and get togethers. On the previous afternoon David and I were given a behind-the-scenes tour of the museum store, which was absolutely fascinating. Bristol has a long history of engineering, especially aerospace, so there were exhibits about that, but also things related to everyday life – everything from motorcycles to a sedan chair, a television, an old tram and even a Bristol £1 note.
Bristol is tainted by the city’s long association with the slave trade. In 2020 a statue of Edward Colston, one of the most notorious traders, was toppled into the river by protestors. They had been asking the council for over 20 years to have a new plaque reinterpreting the statue; they ran out of patience. As you can imagine, this event was not without controversy, although interestingly, when the university researched people’s views they found that those who didn’t agree with the toppling thought the statue should stay in place as a reminder of the city’s darker past. Much consultation ensued re what should now happen to the statue, and it was eventually housed in M Shed, but in a recumbent position in a Perspex case, behind a screen, so that only those who want to see it will do so. The graffiti on the statue was not removed.
On Saturday we heard from one of the academics who had helped to run the consultation project. He was emphatic that in presenting (any) controversial history, context is all.
We also had a talk from a woman from the British Museum in London. Her job is to increase membership numbers and in particular to attract legacies. She had some quite radical idea that I found most interesting and will pass on to our own gallery and museums management. Of course the BM has vast resources compared to us, but the principles are much the same.
After Bristol we went to Wales. I’m sorry to say I was a bit disappointed in the places we visited; maybe we just chose badly, but every town we saw was very run down and dull. Of course we didn’t go everywhere, and when I took our guide book back to the library the guy in there told me that Cardiff is a fantastic city.
We also went to Hay on Wye, which is famous as a ‘bookshop town.’ Again I was disappointed, the town was so touristy and commercialized and the bookshops really had very little of interest. I did find some nice earrings on a market stall, but that was about it.
So now we are back. I am reading two books;
ANNA AND HER DAUGHTERS by DE Stevenson (published in 1938) – Anna and her three daughters have been living a very comfortable life in London, then her husband dies and they discover that he has spent all of their money. (Like every DE Stevenson mother character, Anna is clueless.) Needless to say, Anna’s brother steps in to ‘explain’ the situation to her, and needless also to stay, Anna is adamant that the family will not move from a London mansion to a small flat because she ‘doesn’t like flats’.
In the end Anna decides they must all return to her native Scottish town, where another handy relative finds them ‘a dear little house’ (one which would now cost quite a bit…) and Anna will – shock! – do her own cooking. She does, of course, have Mr & Mrs Gow to ‘do the rough work’, as she can’t possibly be expected to get her hands dirty. The daughters all react in different ways to their change in circumstances. The story is narrated by the middle one, Jane, who had hoped to go to Oxford but seems easily to accept that this is now not going to happen. She gets a job (two hours a day!! Anna does not approve) helping a writer to complete a biography of a Victorian woman. Mrs Millard has secrets – do we think these might help Jane? Surely not!
There are already two men on the scene. I haven’t finished the book yet, but I think we can all guess where this is going to go.
DE Stevenson is very predictable but I do enjoy one of her books every now and then. It certainly reminds me what a privileged – but restricted – life women like Anna lived in the early part of the 20th century.
The other book I am (still) reading is RESORT TO MURDER by TP Fielden. I almost gave up on this one but decided to see it through. It’s set in a Devon town in the 1950s. A young woman’s body has been found on a beach. Local reporter Judy Dimont is determined that she and her new recruit Valentine Waterford, will solve the murder. The police don’t believe it is a murder, and Judy’s boss wants to keep his business chums happy by calling it an accidental death – nothing must taint the charms of Temple Regis, which relies on its tourists to boost its fragile economy.
The problem I am having so far is that this novel has far too many characters and it’s difficult to keep track of them. I’m not sure many of them are even going to be relevant to the plot, but I suppose I’ll find out.
I also borrowed from the library WHY WILL NO-ONE PUBLISH MY NOVEL? by the late Fay Weldon, whose own novels (which include THE FAT WOMAN’S JOKE, THE LIFE AND LOVES OF A SHE-DEVIL and DOWN AMONG THE WOMEN) I devoured years ago. Of course I haven’t written a novel but I’m interested in what she has to say. Before turning to full-time writing Weldon was an advertising copywriter so she knew all about economy of words and ‘killing your darlings.’
Last weekend I attended a talk at the Treasure Hub (the store for our gallery and museums) about the ‘rationalisation project’, which is basically their need to identify and get rid of surplus items to make way for new acquisitions. It was really interesting; there are very detailed and strict procedures to be followed, and the curator explained how she decides what is to stay and what is to go.
There are some paintings with absolutely no acquisition information; they have been unable to find out who painted them, what they depict or even when they were painted. There are also numerous duplicates of things like wooden clothes pegs and flat irons. Previous managers accepted every donation from their friends (ie the great and good of the city) but these days museums have to be a lot more careful. The curator also talked about the toxicity of some items, such as celluloid dolls (I had some of these!); many plastics deteriorate but some are actually dangerous. The museum has also recently purchased a special freezer, as this is a way of getting rid of mould from textiles.
On TV we are watching the second series of THE BRIDGE, Nordic Noir set in Sweden and Denmark. We watched the first episode years ago, then the BBC kindly removed it from i-player. I found an old DVD of it in a charity shop so we are giving it another go. A ship crashes into the bridge linking the two countries. The coastguards tried to warn it to change direction but got no answer. When they board the ship they find five young people in chains and unresponsive. They are taken to hospital but no one knows who they are or what is wrong with them. The police start their investigation; then the hospital discovers these people have been deliberately infected with bubonic plague. And that’s as far as we’ve got.
Enough from me! Have a good week all.
Rosemary, when I was in college (way, way back) I did a very good paper (if I say so myself) about Bristol and the slave trade. It was actually a black history class and I was the only white person in the class. The professor (who was from the Caribbean) liked me a lot more than the rest of the class, mostly because I did the work and they seemed to be there thinking it would be an easy grade.
Rosemary, we’re watching the original Inspector Lynley Mysteries before we watch the new series. The first series covered all the novels written up to 2003 (I think), then did original stories, and the new series is doing the later novels, none of which I’ve read.
Also currently watching the Scottish VIGIL, with Suranne Jones and Rose Leslie and the ubiquitous Martin Compston and Gary Lewis (a nice guy for a change). I don’t generally get claustrophobia, but those scenes on the submarine make me glad I’ve never been on one.
That’s very interesting Jeff – I was wondering if anyone in the US would know about Bristol. It’s certainly a great city to visit – so much history. While I was at the conference David also went to see the Clifton Suspension Bridge. I used to spend part of my school holidays with a friend of my mother’s who lived between Bristol and Bath, but I remember far more about Bath than Bristol. I’d really like to go again and have a proper look around.
I’ve seen VIGIL and I totally agree – so clautrophobic. It did make me wonder how those crews cope with being submerged for so long; do they have psychological testing before they are selected? I suppose they must do.
I really must rewatch that first series of Inspector Lynley; I’ve watched a few of them, probably in the wrong order, but I can’t remember much about them, I’ve not read any of the books.
Kevin asked me just last night if I’d read or watched Lynley. He read all the books. Then, he said, I was wondering why George hadn’t written any lately, and he said he saw she had died about ten years ago. When he said that’s no excuse, I responded that it has stopped Tom Clancy, Robert Ludlem, Robert B. Parker, or others.
I think he’s mixing Elizabeth George up with someone else. She is NOT dead, she is, in fact, 76, a few months younger than me. She has a new Lynley book out in 2025.
Oh, okay. Thanks, Jeff & Kaye. He must be confusing her with someone else.
Elizabeth George is alive and well and still writing the Lynley novels. The latest was released last month. they seemed to drop in popularity afer she killed off Lynley’s wife.
Rosemary, Your trip sounds fascinating, except for returning with your own version of the plague. I’m glad it just turned into a cold.
It sounds like a trip that David probably enjoyed, too, with the behind-the-scenes tour and the suspension bridge. All in all, a little different from the festival in Edinburgh.
I think I”ll pass on D.E. Stevenson.
Rosemary, I first went to Hay on Wye ca. 1978 with my friend Bob Adey, who knew Richard Booth and got us into a couple of closed stores. I remember him having to use a flashlight (torch to you) to see his way around. Like you, I was disappointed that first time, but we went back many times over the years, and there were a couple of good places to buy crime fiction. One time I will never forget: on the day of the Royal Wedding of Charles & Diana in 1981, Bob and I and his friend Bill left our wives sitting at home in front of the television while we went to Hay to look for books! We ate at the Boat Inn outside Hay, then had a pretty empty town to look through.
Great memories there Jeff!
My husband has just been to visit one of our daughters, and he told her he had a fantastic time. I wouldn’t bother with Hay again myself. Someone else recommended the Wigtown Book festival to me, but another friend went and said she was very disappointed in it. So it’s all in the perception – or ‘horses for courses’ – Wales just wan’t my course this time!
Lesa, I meant to ask – what is apple butter? Also, have fun at your mother’s house, I’m imagining lots of jigsaw puzzles?
Rosemary, I have errands to run before finishing reading everyone’s posts, but I wanted to answer you about apple butter. The best definition I can tell you, is it’s thicker than apple sauce, cooked down until it’s thick, carmelized and brown, with spices and cinnamon. For early colonists, it was a way to preserve apples. I love it on cottage cheese. You can eat it on bread, granola, cereal.
Oh my gosh Lesa, it sounds delicious! Thanks for letting me know.
It is delicious, but what you get once a year is enough.
It’s definitely fall-like, with some rain. It’s supposed to warm up next week, though.
This week I read:
Spin Kick: The Hiss of Death by Mike Lucas; I’m always up for a matrial arts thriller. This one has a guy driving across the country, and kicking at least one person in the head in all of his chapters. There’s also a serial rapist, some college students, and the police. All of the chapters featuring the police were a complete waste of pages. And of course, the rapist and the hero went to high school together. Really? I’m not sure what makes this trope so popular except writers never got past high school.
A School Lunch Revolution: A Cookbook by Alice Waters; Ever since Michelle Obama ruined school lunches for everybody, there are a lot of books like this. I’m not sure how many schools are going to serve lamb, though.
Danger on Lighthouse Reef by PJ Stray; Some kids go to Belize, rescue a manatee, and do Hardy Boys type stuff.
The Monkey Handlers by G Gordon Liddy; A Navy SEAL turned lawyer is called to help his friend’s sister. The friend just happens to be an Israeli Commando. There’s something going on in a decaying New England town. I was hoping for Cthulu. Liddy seems lost in space during the time the cold war was ending.
Tahoe Blue Fire by Todd Borg; This almost local author is pretty popular around here. Lake Tahoe PI is called by an old lady who thinks someone is after her. A snipers pots her right in front of our hero. Luckily, she’s already paid him. The investigation leads to a former NFL player with CTE, and suddenly, the sniper can’t shoot worth a darn.
Glen, Enjoy the rain, especially since your books only seemed so-so this time.
This comment isn’t about books, but I want to thank all of you who so kindly wrote in with such caring messages for David and me. I can’t tell you how important this space Lesa provides is for me; for books obviously (I’m looking at you this week Kaye) but also because of all of you. David and I have our family of course and they are truly wonderful but knowing I have all of you in our corner and you don’t mind if I vent a bit, well … it helps more than you know. Thank you.
Lindy, Lindy. This is a special space for me, too, because everyone cares, and they have for years. They’ve been with me through a couple moves. Now, we’re here for each other. Sending hugs again.
Saturday afternoon and I am very late…. my excuse is that the internet kept going out Thursday here in NE Dallas. That afternoon I discovered that two of the windshield wipers on the car were heavily damaged and unusable.
So, yesterday, I took the Subaru over to a nearby garage I for what I thought would be a 15 minute in and out. Not only was it a three hour tour with no island time, it cost 175 bucks for the writers BEFORE the labor charge. Wound up at 266 and change. Having discovered Sunday that the ink cartridge for my old HP printer that used to be $30 was now $75, I figured the stupid tariffs were to blame. Yep.
Got back here and slid in the shower. Did not go down, thankfully, but banged myself up good. Spent much of the rest of the day in bed watching tv.
I have 2 reviews to write and no mood to do so. So, instead, I am watching football on mute and the radar as it storms here off and on and reading The Cyclist: A DS George Cross Mystery by Tim Sullivan via the publisher and NetGalley.
WIPERS. Not writers. FREAKING WIPERS. 3 different wipers and all three are different sizes. The longest on the driver’s side was 75 dollars by itself.
It also had to be replaced back in December. That was at the dealership and it was 19 dollars then for the wiper.
I may be forced to start an ONLY FANS account where I lie, shirtless, on the bed and read aloud books. I don’t think America wants that or is ready for it, but I have no choice as I don’t know five folks, ex military, that will follow my brilliant plan to take over a bank and rob it while I provide impeccable leadership and getaway driver services.
What a crazy price to pay for wipers! If it makes you feel any better, $266 in Canadian dollars sounds a lot worse – $373. We’ll soon have to give a kidney or something to pay for things.
Glad you didn’t fall completely in the shower; this sounds bad enough. Except for the reading part. Reading is the best thing!
Geez. Those wipers, Kevin! Unbelievable costs.
I’m glad to check back any day of the week. Take care of yourself. I know it’s discouraging.