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.

Convent Wisdom / Ana Garriga and Carmen Urbita

 

3.75 out of 5 stars 

You're a twenty-first century woman and you're wondering what relevance the lives of early modern era nuns have to you. These two young women make the case that it's nearly impossible to face a problem that hasn't been written about by a nun several hundred years ago. In our age of women being self-sufficient and feeling all kinds of pressures, you can be both amused and amazed at the correspondence between us and them. The authors make the most convincing argument for women in Academia, their natural habitat.

”At some point in our mid-twenties we both decided (still strangers at this point) to join the ranks of academia. The vow of poverty we took when we resolved to be PhD candidates was virtually no different from the one assumed by the austere Discalced Carmelites. The academic submissiveness to professors and thesis supervisors wasn't any less unyielding than the negation of one's will inherent to a nun's vow of obedience. We didn't, in case you're wondering, take the vow of chastity, but you'd be surprised at how easily six years of graduate life in Providence (Rhode Island) can get you quasi-celibate status.”

There's no need to subscribe to any kind of faith to appreciate this book. It is based on the study of literature and history, not religion. What it clearly illustrates is the continuity of humanity. There truly is nothing new under the sun. Our problems, while feeling intensely personal, are representative of dilemmas faced by generations of women. The convent was a haven in earlier centuries for women who didn't want “normal" life of the times: overbearing husbands, unending pregnancies, no time for education, among other hardships. Convent life was no picnic, but at least you had chosen it, rather than being forced into other traditional roles.

The authors are Hispanic women and I wish I knew enough Spanish to listen to their podcast (Las hijas de Felipe). Their fun examination of the current problems of PhD students compared to historical nuns was inspired. Plus, I had to google many unfamiliar terms. I don't have any desire to watch TV, so “almond moms" were a mystery to me. It's never a bad thing to learn—no education is wasted.

The Antiquarian's Object of Desire / India Holton

 

3.25 out of 5 stars 

I didn't have quite as much fun with this third volume of Love's Academic. I'm not as fussed about a friends-to-lovers plot as I am about the enemies-to-lovers option. Amelia and Caleb have been besties since they were children, but in their alternate Victorian universe they must pretend to be academic rivals and enemies to maintain their professional reputations. And they are both tired of it.

A magical explosion (a not uncommon hazard of historical research) ends up with the couple being banished to Cumbria to inventory the enormous collection of Sir Nigel Harrow. Just when Amelia and Caleb think that they'll get some distance from their colleagues (and perhaps some privacy), two rather obnoxious men also show up to “assist.” And keep an eye on the young couple.

Holt manages to comment quite scathingly about the old boys club in academia as well as the general misogyny of a society that puts male entitlement well above female happiness. Sir Nigel's wife, who is desperately unhappy in her marriage tells it as she sees it: Sir Nigel's besetting sin is being boring. He acquires his antiques from agents, not via travel, depriving Lady Harrow of the chance to see other places. Worse yet, all his magical items cause problems that he is too dense to appreciate.

I'm not sorry to have read this, but I definitely preferred The Ornithologist's Field Guide to Love.

Turn Right at Machu Picchu / Mark Adams

 

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. Instead, I've chosen an eccentric selection of travel stories. Turn Right had a certain appeal. Let me state up front that I have visited Machu Picchu, but I took a bus; I did not hike. Nowadays, even that is beyond my capabilities as my knees have given up. I’m glad I enjoyed travel when I did. Machu Picchu is a magical place and the Peruvian people are kind and generous folk. I’m a person who finds nature and the outdoors more inspiring than any church, so Machu Picchu suited me perfectly.

I had mixed feelings as I started reading Mark Adams' account. Sitting at a desk working for a travel magazine doesn't qualify a person to undertake a mountainous adventure like this one. Take it from someone who worked a desk job in a library and undertook birding tours on vacation. I've been insect nibbled, camped in cold rain (once in a tent that collapsed), survived altitude sickness, and nursed horrible blisters on my poor feet. I could see the pitfalls ahead clearly. I think Adams could too, but he went anyway.

The history of Hiram Bingham III in Peru (bringing Machu Picchu to the Western world's attention) alternates with Inca history and accounts of Adams' attempt to follow in Bingham's footsteps. Any of these three threads alone could have been tedious, but the interplay between the three was entertaining. Adams' dry and self deprecating sense of humour saved his portion from being a recitation of discomforts.

This initial adventure seems to have primed the author's pump. Adams has written two more adventure books about Alaska and the search for Atlantis. Judging by Turn Right at Machu Picchu, they could also be entertaining reading. Machu Picchu continues to be beautiful and enigmatic. I hope it remains that way for ages to come.

A Cute Little Murder / Molly Harper

 

3.25 out of 5 stars 

I usually love Molly Harper novels. I was a little unsure when she pivoted from urban fantasy to mystery, but A Proposal to Die For was fun, so I approached this novel expecting a similar experience. I got off to a bad start with this one. I am used to Harper's sense of humour and I like it, but it seemed subdued in this book. I felt like she didn't hit her stride until page 130. That's a long time to wait.

I started to warm up to Lainey halfway through the book, but once again, that's a long time to wait. Add to that, when I noticed that I was 60% through, there was still no murder. It made me doubt the book's title. Shortly thereafter a death occurred and suddenly the pace increased exponentially. Harper is also known for including a romance angle to her books. Lainey's romance story line also took a long time to get moving. The final 40% of the novel had a lot of ground to cover.

It pains me to give a Molly Harper book less than four stars, but this one started off so sluggishly that I can't in good conscience give it full marks.

Butterfly Effects / Seanan McGuire

 

3.5 out of 5 stars 

Book 10 of the 2026 Read Your Hoard Challenge

This is another book starring Sarah Zellaby, possibly my least favourite character in the InCryptid series. This novel relates back to numbers 9 and 10 in the series, exploring the development and abilities of Sarah, the human-shaped giant wasp from Johrlac, and her cousin/love interest Artie. In an earlier book, Sarah accidentally wiped Artie's mind and tried to piece him back together with memories filched from their family. The resulting person becomes known as Arthur.

Now, members of the original Johrlac dimension come to apprehend Sarah—she has gone through the “forbidden instar" and become a queen. They also grab Arthur as evidence of her crimes. They fail to reckon with Sarah's Earth family. Her sorcerer grandfather, her dimension-jumping grandmother, her flame-throwing cousin Antimony, and Antimony's furi fiancé Sam ride to the rescue.

We learn more about the telepathic Johrlac species, which wasn't a priority for me, but it seems that this story arc is complete now. That would make me very happy. I would like to get back to Verity, Alex, and Antimony as the main focus. Antimony and Sam made this book palatable for me. Thomas and Alice are kind of in between—better than Sarah, not as much fun as their other grandchildren. I was dismayed to read in the acknowledgements how much McGuire loves writing Sarah. I personally want MORE MICE. The books where the Aeslin mice get left behind are inferior books IMO.

HAIL! CAKE AND CHEESE FOR ALL!