Long Ride Home / Filipe Masetti Leite

 

3.5 out of 5 stars 

***2026 Summer of Sightseeing from my Sofa***

I think I heard about this trek both at the beginning and its end. Leite started out in 2012 from the Calgary Stampede. Calgary is my city and horses are one of my true loves; I remember hearing the press about this young Brazilian who was riding from Calgary to Brazil. I was reminded of his trek when his book came out and he was once again interviewed by our local media. That was 2018, so this has been on my TBR for quite a while.

The vast majority of the book takes place in the United States and Mexico. It involves a lot of rough country and more than a few dangerous roads. I believe that if you have a devoted love of horses, you will attract people who share your love. These people show up all along Leite's route, offering meals, water, fodder for the horses, places to stay and rest, and sometimes veterinary care. I'm sure he spent more time riding and camping alone, but he certainly noticed the kindness of fellow horse lovers.

The pace of the story is leisurely, as befits a horseback adventure. It is generally well told, although very basic. Things are clearly described, whether it is a grizzly bear encounter in Yellowstone or a truck hitting one of the horses in Mexico. Leite is unafraid to own his emotions, whether fear, anger, embarrassment, anxiety or joy, but it's a journalist's account of them, not really gripping to me. He maintained a blog and filmed parts of his journey for a sponsor, which gave him valuable notes from which to compose this book.

It was interesting to get to know each of the countries that he passed through. Honduras especially sounded terrifying. It was Panama that stopped them in their tracks—there was no legal way to get the horses into the country, leading to a long plane flight to get to the next destination where they would be welcome. Although I have visited many South American countries as a birding tourist, this made me realize how protected we tourists are by the tour companies.


A quick google search reveals that Leite is still doing horse related events. I was surprised to learn that he was here for the Calgary Stampede again this month, doing media commentary and filming from a chuck wagon. For what it's worth, he isn't married to the woman that accompanied him on many miles of this Long Ride. Perhaps she was overwhelmed by the crowds of Brazilians who demanded his attention once he crossed the border.

Tsalmoth / Steven Brust

 

3 out of 5 stars 

Book number 542 of my Science Fiction and Fantasy Reading Project

I was disappointed when I realized that this book takes place before Vlad and Cawti married. The GR description merely said that Vlad was in love and getting married. I thought he was finally getting over his ex-wife and moving on. He's been moping about her for many books. They were estranged in book three and this is book sixteen. This is the time to revisit their relationship? Actually, the conceit is that current Vlad is telling the tale to Sethra in the current timeline.

The novel is just what I have come to expect of this series. There is a problem which should be simple but keeps getting more and more complicated. Vlad and/or Kragar must go on numerous side quests to get needed information. Vlad cracks wise on a regular basis. He and Cawti eat frequently. There is plenty of teleporting and magic.

If you enjoy Vlad Taltos books, you will enjoy this one. I do hope that if Brust continues to write these adventures that he will finally let Vlad fall in love with someone new. That or let Cawti change her mind. Truthfully, I'm tired of him being all woebegone over her.

The Copenhagen Connection / Elizabeth Peters

3 out of 5 stars

I had to interlibrary loan this novel and, although it was pleasant enough, I'm not sure it was worth the fuss. However, I did get to it read a book set in Denmark (plus there was a pig farm which is a big plus if you grew up on one as I did).

I have enjoyed the first few Amelia Peabody books and the first two Vicky Bliss books by this author, but I found this novel slightly less enjoyable. Elizabeth Jones isn't my kind of character. She's far too focused on first Margaret and then Christian and not nearly independent enough for my taste. Still, it had a good plot and wasn't the least bit confusing. It was awfully obvious from the first pages who Elizabeth's love interest would be and the romance proceeded at the pace of an older mystery-romance, quickly.

I only managed to spend one afternoon in Denmark when I was on a birding tour in Scandinavia. Thankfully I did get a chance to tour Kronberg castle and see the Little Mermaid. Our castle tour was a bit hurried, unfortunately. Birders often aren't keen on being indoors where there are no birds. I do wish I could return while I still have some living relatives. At least this book allowed me to visit via fiction.

A Far Cry From Kensington / Muriel Spark

 

4.4 out of 5 stars 

What a lark! Why have I not read Muriel Spark before this? I did a bit of googling to find out a bit about her and consulted a page which claimed to recommend the best of her books to start with. This book was not mentioned but I believe it should be. I thoroughly enjoyed spending time with Mrs. Hawkins!

Nancy Hawkins is a sensible woman, extremely capable, and a fountain of good advice. She is observant of the people around her. She has only one weakness—she despises Hector Bartlett, a hanger on to good writers, a manipulator of women, a pushy excretor of horrible prose. Mrs. Hawkins should know, she works in the publishing industry and has to continually reject Bartlett's various submissions. Finally, in a fit of pique, she tells him to his face that he is a pisseur de copie, a urinator of inferior writing. Little does she know what this fit of honesty will cause in her life. However Nancy Hawkins doesn't let him blight her life. He does that to others.

Nancy tells us how her life proceeds, the people she spends time with, the latest tendril of Bartlett's poor attempts to change her mind. Let me just say that he should have given up! I loved this short novel and will seek out more of Spark's fiction in the future.

Where the Earth Meets the Sky / Louise K. Blight

 

4 out of 5 stars 

***2026 Summer of Sightseeing from my Sofa***

Antarctica was the stand out tourist experience of my life and penguins are among my favourite birds, making this memoir irresistible to me. I first visited this remote area in 2002 and only saw the beauty of the Antarctic peninsula, but when the cruise ended, if they had told me there was room for one more woman on the next excursion, I would have turned around and reboarded the ship and figured out how to pay for it and what to tell my employer later. It is the only international trip that I have made twice.

Louise Blight (a fellow Canadian) writes a lovely account of her three month field study of Adelie penguins. She is the junior researcher, spending plenty of time on data entry when she is not scanning the birds for band numbers, noting eggs laid, and catching and weighing chicks. Field camp at Cape Royds is a basic affair and Blight’s quarters are a tent outside the research hut. The wind and cold ensure that the researchers constantly feel hungry and dehydrated. As a twenty something, I briefly considered a degree in biology and a life in the field. May I say that I am immensely grateful that library work chose me instead! I do not have the grit required for this kind of life.

I can attest to the beauty of the Antarctic. Blight describes it well and conveys her appreciation of her surroundings clearly. The logistics of getting to and from McMurdo Station were daunting. Helicopters are a common conveyance between camps. Initially Blight was concerned about her research partner's introversion, but she also is a quiet person, so they continue to collaborate writing papers. During the three month survey, they seem to have a steady stream of visitors due to their proximity to a historic site (Shackleton's hut). Like the Canadians on my cruise ship, Blight seems to have preferred the company of the Kiwis over that of the Americans. The New Zealand and Canadian senses of humour and worldviews seem to mesh better.

If you've ever wondered about travel to Antarctica or field biology among penguins, this is the book for you. If you're glad to get home after a regular trip, consider how wonderful it would be to get back to the land of flush toilets, hot showers, your choice of food, and a temperature controlled home after a journey like this one.

Come, Tell Me How You Live / Agatha Christie

 

4 out of 5 stars 

***2026 Summer of Sightseeing from my Sofa***

I chose a theme of travel for my summer this year, but regular travel books weren't what I had in mind. This memoir relates to the travels of Agatha Christie, time traveling back to the Syria of the 1930s. Ms. Christie was both an adventurous woman and an introvert. She willingly accompanied her husband Max on his archeological expeditions in Syria, despite the discomforts of heat, dust, fleas, mice, limited diet, and rough accommodations. I think she found some of the humans along the way more challenging than the physical annoyances.

I've always been impressed by Christie's economical descriptions of her fictional characters. She achieves this same effect in this memoir, letting us know a lot about her companions without belaboring the details. She seems to have had the introvert's joy in people watching—observing their behaviour and trying to figure out what makes them tick. The intricacies of various cultures only adds to her fun.

It was enjoyable to see this area of the world during (relatively) peaceful times, before it became the site of so many armed conflicts. Despite that, there were fights between workers of various cultures on the dig site and one driver who routinely tried to run down Muslim pedestrians. One of Max's problems was keeping the peace among these labourers, banishing those who were most belligerent.

I admire Agatha's ability to go with the flow, to enjoy the personal dramas around her, and to get her work done in less than ideal circumstances. But I have to agree with her that one of the best joys of travel is returning to your own home—your own bed, bathroom, and kitchen.

A Few Green Leaves / Barbara Pym

 

4 out of 5 stars 

Book 11 of the 2026 Read Your Hoard Challenge

This novel was published after Barbara Pym's death and was finished during her chemotherapy. It is a bit more somber than her earlier books. The main character, Emma Howick, is an anthropologist, a common occupation in Pym's fiction. She has come to the small village to work on a rather nebulous project. One evening (admittedly after imbibing a little too much alcohol), Emma sends a letter to an old flame who she sees interviewed on TV. The late 1970s version of a booty call? Graham ends up renting a cottage outside the village and writing a book there.

Meanwhile, Emma is turning her eye to the customs and habits of the village community. In some ways, the novel is a requiem for a fading way of life. The rector, Tom, is no longer the man of importance that he would have been in earlier decades; indeed, he is vague and rather fixated on historical projects. The younger doctor in town is much more likely to provide a prescription than advice. The residents of the manor are uninvolved in village life.

While studying others, Emma manages to sort out her own life too. Despite Pym's grave illness and impending death, she managed to give Emma a hopeful ending—a few green leaves to improve the bouquet of her future.