Monday, July 31, 2023 ~ Books & More...
THOUGHTS
This week's disasters. There have been three cases of Covid in Mom's facility this week. Two day lockdown but I don't think its over; I think they need to test Mom's wing a couple of times more this week before they say that everything is okay. And just as we started to work on getting an aide for her -- so that maybe she will stop yelling for the nurses all the time and then not remember why she called for them when they finally arrive.
Sunday, it was Triple AAA baseball for the family. We had a great time and agreed that we should do it again. The Saturday game was rained out, so we got to see the the last half of the Saturday game and half of the Sunday game (because it was 4pm already). Then it home for pizza because Nanny was not cooking! BTW, the 5 year old sat there for 4 hours without a single complaint or tantrum.
OUGHTTOBIOGRAPHY
With many thanks to Elentarri and her internet filching. I'm sure it won't be much of a challenge to come up with something new on a regular basis.
~I really ought to be getting to work on sorting through the photos and souvenirs that I rescued from my parents' recent downsize and move. A lot of stuff went in the trash but I tried to save family history stuff. Now I need to get it organized, digitized and distributed.
~I really ought to be spending some time on my own closets and getting rid of unused whatever -- to make room for more unused whatever.
100 DAYS OF SUMMER
25. Based on a fairy tale or mythology.
The Last Unicorn by Peter S. Beagle
Pts: 7 RT: 297 Avg: 7.24
47. Non-fiction/memoir about aviation, adventure, or exploration.
The Wheel, the Horse and Language by David W. Anthony
Pts: 9 RT: 306 Avg: 7.28
THE BOOKS
The Last Unicorn by Peter S. Beagle
For whatever reason, it did not hold my attention. Although I did get a good laugh out of Schmendrick -- because he lived up to his name: he was doomed from the start not to succeed. I wasn't especially thrilled with narration either and wished that maybe George Guidall had been given the job.
3.25 stars
The Marylebone Drop by Mick Herron
A Slough House novella. Interesting premise well developed.
3.25 stars
The Wheel, the Horse and Language by David W. Anthony
Academic but fascinating nonetheless. It was not dumbed down but at the same time it seemed like the author could not decide if he was writing to a generally knowledgeable audience or for peer review -- and leaned too heavily to the peer review side, which interrupted the flow of his narrative.
3.25 -- lost a few because he couldn't make up his mind what he wanted to be.
A Twist of the Knife by Anthony Horowitz
I like the series but in this tale, it pissed me off how he didn't tell his wife all that was going on and that his wife wasn't his first call when he got in trouble. His wife was not a little kitten who needed to protected from life's realities. She was a tough as nails television producer. It pissed me off that he was away from home overnight and didn't even leave a note for her. And didn't she even notice that he didn't come home that night???? I'd have been calling every hospital in town. No, I did not like that part of the book. But otherwise, a good mystery. I like the author as a character in his own book.
3.5 stars -- lost a few points for the way he treated his wife.
It was a slow week for reading. Lots of little things that needed to get done and a visit with my son.
38. Book set in Canada or written by a Canadian author.
This one was DNF, more like DOA. This book was definitely not for me. Too depressing. Too brutal. And definitely not what the blurb promised.
Beautifully written. Magnificently performed. Speculative fiction. I like how short and simple she made a complicated conundrum.
Available only in audio format. All of these mysteries involve books in some way. With a couple of exceptions, they were excellent. One story was DNF; poorly written and even worse performance (she sounded like she was reading porn not a mystery). One story was almost DNF but I soldiered on and was rewarded in the end. They all ended with a lovely and satisfying unexpected twist. Bring on Volumes 3 and 4.
I don't know why I am thinking about this, but I am. 
37. Book translated into your primary language.
50. Book by an author whose initials are found in the words J-U-N-E or J-U-L-Y or A-U-G-U-S-T.
74. Fantasy that has a setting that is NOT based upon a European medieval period.
39. Book with an animal in the title or on the cover.
64. Book with a main character who is over 55.
A strange, sweet little book. Thank you, Elentarri, for the nudge. I really enjoyed the book.
Not a 100BOS read. It was interesting at first when he was talking about the Rome and life in the city at the time Augustine. But when it started getting into the philosophy of Augustine, I just stared spacing out; I could not follow what the lecturer was saying. In the end it was DNF. I should have known better; I always get left behind when talking about philosophy. 
This one is set in Arizona. Simenon lived in the US for 10 years including a few years in AZ. I loved the way he showed the difference between US police procedure and French. Published in 1949, this one is a lot lighter lot lighter than earlier books. Most enjoyable with Maigret like a fish out water, an observer, not an active investigator.
It is turning out to be a Gigi Pandian month. Maybe because I am craving light reads right now. This is a novella in the Accidental Alchemist series. It is a quick light read. 
This is Terry Pratchett's last novel, the last one he was able to finish before Alzheimer's completely robbed him of his ability to write. It is not his best book; it feels incomplete -- but then again, so was Pratchett at this point. I'm glad it was published even if it was perfect.
No Richard Jury. No Melrose Plante. No British accents. Laugh out loud funny. About the publishing industry in the US. 
Yup, it is old fart fiction, really really good old fart fiction. A good man who wants to make everything right before he dies. Lyrical, soulful, exquisitely written; sad and up-lifting in the same breath. 
Necessary roughage for the literary diet. Yes, two in one week but after Ptolemy Gray something light was called for. Pandian definitely fits the bill. Something to fall back on when I can't decide what I want to read.
We got to see our niece and her son on Friday; we don't see them very often. They were visiting her parents (my brother-in-law) at their lake house just a short drive from where we live. Very convenient. After breakfast at the pancake house, we sat by the lake and watched the world go by -- everybody on the lake has a boat of some sort (especially the folks who live on the island😉) and everybody comes floating past at one point or another. One lady was surveying the weed population. There are also loons on the lake; their call is very distinctive. Saw a blue heron, too. Later in the season, we would have seen blueberry pickers, picking blueberries from their boats. A few hours at the lake is very tranquil.
Book that primarily focuses on an immigrant experience.
Another series I am slowly working my way through. Wow. Cozy goes edgy. Politics. Pedophilia. Questions of morality. Nicely done, RB!
Interesting view of the Chinese diaspora around the world, of racism and of nationality vs ethnicity. I might even watch the documentary series the book was based on. It's on YouTube.
Not as well written as some of his other books. Not a mystery. Just a bit of time-out with the The No. 1 Lady Detectives, whose company I always enjoy. Love the cover.
Slow start, as if the author was having trouble getting into the story he wants to tell, making it an awkward start. After that, I just felt that something was missing, something I just couldn't put my finger on. "[High] moral ground is like that, slippery at the edges."
Loving Simon Vance's dry delivery. It is understated, letting the words do their work without much interference from the narrator. The story itself is a hoot.
69. Humorous memoir by comedian, actor or writer.
53. Book written or set during the interwar period (1919 through 1939).
A cozy, light read. A palate cleanser when the reading gets tough. Book 1 in the "Jaya Jones" series. They are in the Audible Plus catalog of freebies, so I will be back for more.
I like that it is partially set in Baltimore. This is not one of the better Inspector Jury series but I enjoyed it -- and laughed out loud at some of the whacky characters.
Never met a Peter Lovesey that I didn't like until I read this one. The borderline sadism was more than I want to read --and the stupidity of putting a rookie in danger didn't help either. The plot is weak and a bit more implausible that I am willing to put up in light of its other issues.
After the last book I needed something light and funny. I was planning to re-read it eventually for the humorous celebrity memoir prompt in "100 Days" and this seemed like the perfect time to pick it up.
Inspector Ian Rutledge mystery #21. Set in 1920 just after World War I. I love this series but it is dark, dark, dark. The MC is damaged goods. His war experience was horrific and he will forever carry the scars of his experience. He is also a damned good investigator. Book #21 is a cold-case story and one of the best of the series. This is one for the re-read pile.
Agatha Christie Centenary Read
This is the quarterly side-read for the Agatha Christie Centenary Read.