D is for Death / Harriet F. Townson

 

4 out of 5 stars 

Halloween Bingo 2026

I read this for the Cozy Mystery square of my 2026 Halloween Bingo card.

Dora Wildwood is delightful. She sees what's happening around her and often comments on it, often startling those listening to her. [This makes her very like Gemma Doyle of Vicki Delany's Sherlock Holmes Bookshop Mysteries. Townson manages to make Dora charming, while Delany's Gemma often grates on my nerves.] Dora is also a runaway bride. She has fled her small village for the big smoke of London to get away from Charles Silk-Butters and his boorish controlling ways.

Of course Charles pursues Dora and makes himself a nuisance because a woman must not be allowed to make up her own mind. As she flees from his clutches, Dora finds herself invited into a glorious library. But they are all glorious, aren't they? As she spends time in the stacks, Dora literally trips over a body. She has recently witnessed the Chief Librarian in a rage and now he is dead.

Dora's ability to see what's going on brings her to the attention of Detective Inspector Fox. The plot progresses at a fast clip from there. I found it a satisfying read and was pleased to see that there is now a sequel, Murder on the Royal Crescent. I’m ever so glad, as there are unresolved issues that need to be addressed. Now I just have to convince my own glorious local library to purchase it.

The Queen's Weapons / Anne Bishop

 

3 out of 5 stars 

Halloween Bingo 2026

I read this for the Dark, Darker, Grimdark square of my 2026 Halloween Bingo card.

Back to the Future. Or Mean Girls II. In many ways, this book is a repeat of the first couple of volumes of the series. Cruel and devious witches are running social circles that are deliberately nasty to decent folk. Innocent and deserving young women and men are being broken to prevent them from being rivals for power. The court of Dorothea SaDiablo (the evil meanie from the first books) is now being remembered nostalgically. Malice and narcissism are running the school that Janelle Satien tells her father, Daemon, that she simply must attend. Her cousin, Titian, is already there, but for completely different reasons (the art program). JS desperately wants to be a cool girl and fit in with the ruling clique. Her family tries to question her and gets only a ton of attitude. Is this normal adolescent girl behaviour, her father wonders, or is something darker going on? Titian and her friends find themselves targeted by the mean girls.

In some ways this is realistic. Once you've lived through enough decades, you will witness historical cycles like these. A present day example is the re-emergence of Nazism, something that our grandparents thought they had dealt with and eliminated.

I find myself magnetically drawn back to this darkish fantasy series, despite its inherent silly soap opera nature. I sometimes have difficulty keeping the multiple names of kingdoms and rulers straight, but when I'm in the mood for undemanding drama, this has been my go-to series. I only have one book left in the run. Once it's done, whatever will I do when this mood hits?

This is also Book 545 of my Science Fiction and Fantasy Reading Project.

A Trade of Blood / Robert Jackson Bennett

 

4.4 out of 5 stars 

I think I am familiar enough with this strange world now that it no longer distracts me from the actual mystery. That's a good thing, as this is a particularly intricate plot, with lots of complications and red herrings. Initially, Ana is unhappy to be sent on this assignment, as it is so boring. One member of the gentry has killed another. Yawn! Who cares? But when the duo arrive in cattle country, they find the population up in arms and Ana is delighted when weird shit is immediately obvious. Perhaps her skills are truly required. Happy squee! Yay, strangely dead bodies!

I think the author has been reading about zombie-ant fungus, which infects and reprograms the ant, sending it up to a good spore-spreading spot. The hapless ant grips a leaf with its mandibles and eventually the fungus fruits from its head, completing its lifecycle. [If this sounds overly squicky to you, this may not be your book.]

Ana is somewhat less obnoxious in this installment, though she is still retains her blindfold, her disgusting eating habits, her enormous amount of baggage, and her severe lack of empathy for those around her. If she is the Sherlock Holmes of this duo (and she is), then she is even more extreme than that Victorian detective. Meanwhile, Din is coming to realize that his abilities are changing in disturbing ways and he is worried that he has passed his best-before date much earlier than he anticipated. It's one thing to allow the Empire to modify your brain, it's quite another to run up against the weirdness of that modification so obviously.

However, it's their unusual brains that save Ana and Din physically as well as identifying the perpetrator of the crimes. Keep them coming, Mr. Bennett!

Upon a White Horse / Peter Ross

 

4 out of 5 stars 

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

Ride a cock-horse to Banbury Cross,
To see a fine lady upon a white horse;
Rings on her fingers and bells on her toes,
She shall have music wherever she goes.

I remember this rhyme from one of my childhood books and it always appealed to me. However, the rhyme is more recent than the places examined in this book. My mother's family came from Britain (among other places), so the prehistory there has been of interest to me. It was enjoyable to follow in Peter Ross's footsteps as he visited various historic sites. He has a way with words, describing these spots well and providing photos for many of them.

Ross begins with the best known of all: Stonehenge, which I have seen only through the fence which surrounded it in 1999. I longingly stuck my camera lens through the metal mesh, but we were on a birding tour and searching for Corn Buntings. No Stonehenge communing for me. From there, the author explores some (perhaps) less well known places, at least no non-English people: Silbury Hill, the chalk figures of the Uffington White Horse and the Cerne Giant. There were also sites that I only learned about a couple of years ago (Vindolanda) and one that came to the world's attention through vandalism (Sycamore Gap) when some idiot(s) chopped down an old, enormous sycamore. My best friend grew up by Hadrian's Wall, so I knew a bit about it, but I wasn't familiar with the Antonine Wall. That's probably because it was primarily constructed of turf and it has faded back into the landscape. The Romans didn't end up sticking around to make it more permanent.

The common denominator between all these places is the lack of written records. What we know about the people who built them has to be inferred from archaeological evidence and involves a certain amount of story telling. There has been a large increase in tourism to sites like these, apparently a response to the pandemic shutdown. People want to get out to touch grass (or in many of these, granite). I felt that Ross hit the nail on the head when he wrote, “Mystery is so important in a world where everything is on your phone."

Scales of Justice / Ngaio Marsh

 

4 out of 5 stars 

What a fish story this was! Inspector Alleyn is called into a murder case in a small village. One of the Old Boys has been beaten over the head and left for dead beside the fishy remains of a much desired trout known as the Old ‘Un.

Marsh teases us with possibilities of the murderer's motives. There is strong competition amongst all the fishermen to be the one to hook the Old 'Un and it has created great animosity. There has also just been a natural death, of Howard Lacklander, who had consigned his memoirs into the hands of the murder victim just before he expired. There is great trepidation and unhappiness among the neighbours about the contents of these memoirs. Marsh dangles hints about what might be causing this consternation, hinting that it might be worth killing for.

This is a very Agatha Christie like novel—set in a small village where everyone knows everyone else's business. It also shows us the class differences that were so blatant at the time. Marsh misdirected this reader quite masterfully and I was completely startled by the solution. A well plotted mystery with a perfect title.

Evil Genius / Claire Oshetsky

 

3.5 stars

I spent most of my time reading this book wondering about the title. Who was the evil genius? Surely not Celia, this nineteen year old woman with a horrible job, an abusive husband, and a controlling mother. If her life is this awful, she's no genius, evil or otherwise. On the other hand, maybe she's not the most reliable of narrators?

If I was believe Celia's account of her life, all kinds of coincidences continually happened to her. She is a runaway train, jumping the tracks of her boring life and gas lighting husband. Her job (dealing with late payments at the phone company) leads to some odd situations, which feel real enough if you've ever worked in the service industry. (I worked a telephone job for a while and was propositioned regularly by the guys who phoned.) There's the Sock Man who repeatedly phones to ask her to put a sock on his willy. The evening out with the girls that results in being propositioned by a well tailored man (her mother was a seamstress, she recognizes a well fitted suit). Finding dog poo all over his house and finding that he is an inferior fondler. It all just rolls along organically.

By the book's end, I was doubting my interpretation of events. Had Celia actually masterminded everyone's reactions to a tee? Maybe she was an evil genius? I still haven't decided and maybe I'm not meant to.

Do Travel Writers Go to Hell? / Thomas Kohnstamm

 

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

DNF @ 36%

At this point, I just disliked the author enough that I had no desire to read another word.

This book has taught me that traveling as a birder is entirely different from the regular travel crowd. I mean I already knew that, but I now realize just how different we are. If anyone on my birding tours was trolling for drugs, I don't remember it. Our tour leader in Japan regularly got soused drinking sake, but hangovers don't mix well with early mornings and bright sunshine.

I just couldn't relate. And couldn't dig up enough enthusiasm to finish the book. He's a good writer, but I'd never want to have a coffee with him.

The Odyssey / translated by Emily Wilson

 

4 out of 5 stars 

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

When I was planning a travel theme for this summer, I thought why not read one of the earliest travelogues, Homer's The Odyssey? Little did I know that I would be competing with adventurous movie goers who decided to read it either before or after seeing this year's film.

The introduction was so informative, with notes on the history of the tale and how it came to be a written document rather than only an oral tradition. I am reasonably sure that I read a different translation back in the early 1980s while studying classics at university but I remembered very few details. I was entranced by this new translation with its graceful phrasing and beautiful vocabulary.

This is really many stories strung together like a necklace. As a child, I read a lot of Greek mythology books and I was pleased to meet up again with some old friends. Bits and pieces of The Odyssey were packaged as something short-story-like and suitable for children and provided by the extension librarian. I had no idea back then of how well educated in classical knowledge I would be! This translation was very readable. I was pulled into the tale immediately and enjoyed it. I was also reminded of how different the worldview of the Ancient Greeks was from a 21st century North American. 

How to Become the Dark Lord and Die Trying / Django Wexler

 

DNF @ 18%

I may come back to this eventually, but I'm not in the right mood for it now.

I wanted to like this book. Friends have enjoyed it, people that I trust. It has things that I like: humour, snark, and an unconventional approach to a time loop. That's why I say that I may return to it someday. But these elements are so unrelenting! Davi can't seem to say anything non-snarky. At the 18% mark, I found myself avoiding reading because this was what was due at the library. That's my sure sign that a DNF is immanent.

Teach the Torches to Burn / Christina Dodd

 

5 out of 5 stars 

I absolutely adore this series and Lady Rosaline Montague! Now Princess Rosaline of Verona. I've warmed up to her new husband, Prince Escalus, too. He has gone from the man who tricked her (A Daughter of Fair Verona) to the man Rosie has dutifully chosen (Thus With a Kiss I Die) to the man that she desperately wants to get naked with (Teach the Torches to Burn).

Rosie is juggling a lot of responsibilities: wedding planning, keeping the Montagues and Capulets from shedding each other's blood, supervising the Montague kitchen, plus trying to find private time with her bridegroom. Her patience is wearing thin, especially when it becomes obvious that someone is attempting to poison her. Being who she is, Rosie makes plans.

Another fun romp through fictional Verona. If you haven't yet made the acquaintance of fair Rosline, what are you waiting for? Forsooth, get thee the first book and commence reading!

The Exquisite Torment of Loving Your Enemy / Brigitte Knightley

 

R

4.25 out of 5 stars 

The Extreme Pleasure of Reading a Fun Romance

A great follow-up to The Irresistible Urge to Fall For Your Enemy. I like this author's dedication to slow burn and unresolved sexual tension. I adore Osric Mordaunt, the Fyren assassin, who finds himself inexplicably happy, indeed even floaty, when he gets to spend time with healer Aurienne Fairhrim. And not just because she seems to be healing the seith rot condition that was killing him.

Osric is an assassin extraordinaire and occasional dickhead. Aurienne is a rather uptight goody-two-shoes healer. They are indeed star crossed lovers—who are quite determined to state that “This isn't love, dammit!” They are attempting to heal Osric's magical abilities in exchange for a donation to create a vaccine for a plague of pox. They are keeping it on the down low, however, so that Aurienne’s Order doesn't disown her. Also because they are using the Old Ways, which supposedly have been completely discredited. The two snark and whine at each other, but repeated full moon healing ceremonies are allowing them to get to know each other and grudgingly admit that it's not that bad.

Osric is an inspired creation. (Not sure what this says about me.) I tolerated Aurienne because he liked her. I also loved his pack of dogs: Rigor Mortis (Great Dane), Arson (retriever), Perjury and Forgery (border collies), Outraging Public Decency (bulldog; prolific farter), High Treason (borzoi) and Creme Brulee (whippet). Knightley's sense of humour meshes with mine perfectly. The couple's banter and their interior monologues were endlessly entertaining. The author uses the “one bed" trope exceedingly well. And that cover artwork! Gorgeous!

My only real complaint is that everything is so well wrapped up by the end of this book. I hate to see this end, but even slow burn romances must combust eventually and sexual tension must either resolve or snap. Although I am somewhat dismayed that there are only two books, let me state right now that I will gladly read whatever Ms. Knightley publishes next. She knows exactly what I like.

The Human Division / John Scalzi

 

3.5 out of 5 stars 

Book number 544 of my Science Fiction and Fantasy Reading Project

For me this was an improvement from Zoe's Tale. Scalzi moves along to focus on different characters in the Old Man's War universe. I enjoyed the change in perspective to Harry Wilson, despite the fact that he is very like John Perry: seemingly smarter than everyone around him, able to magically solve any problem at speed, sarcastic as all get out, and apparently unkillable. I guess they did train together, didn't they?

At any rate, there is a new wrinkle in the colonization of the universe. The Conclave, an association of 400 alien worlds, have given humanity notice—no more worlds for you. As a result of Zoe's Tale, Earth is now aware that the Colonial Union has been keeping them ignorant of the realities of the universe and using them as a resource for soldiers and colonists. To say there is a rift between Earth and the CU is an understatement. Will the Conclave be able to woo the home planet away?

I enjoyed the exploration of the diplomatic aspects of this universe. Ambassador Ubumwe is a wonderful character. She also is quick witted, turning hopeless situations into possibilities. She has high expectations of her staff as well as herself. Hart Schmidt is the less competent sidekick who shows how shiny Wilson and Ubumwe are.

And the next novel has been set up. Through back channel communication, the CU and the Conclave have realized that they have a mutual enemy. These mysterious bad guys have been grabbing older spaceships from both sides and using them to cause disruption. I'll be reading The End of All Things, but not until next year. My reading queue is currently over full.

Definitely Thriving / Kerry Clare

 

4.5 out of 5 stars 

This is the perfect book for a fan of Barbara Pym! I read an interview with the author, Kerry Clare, in which she said that this novel was her take on a modern Pym novel. To my way of thinking she knocked it out of the park. Not only is the author a fan of Pym, so is the main character, Clemence Lathbury. Clemence is the run-away divorcee, renting an attic room in a shabby old house. She is determined to live a life that she actually chooses and wants.

The Pym references are numerous. Clemence aspires to be an excellent woman and ends up involved in the local church's jumble sale. She finds herself an unsuitable attachment: Toby, her co-worker at a bookstore, who is as pale as any Pymian curate and suffers from debilitating allergies and food sensitivities. After their first real kiss, Toby runs away “like some untamed gazelle.” The owner of the bookstore (and the local food mart) is named Crampton. Clemence finds odd indexing jobs to support herself. Those are just the obvious ones.

Clare nails the “I want to be independent but I'm somewhat awkward about it" vibe that so many Pymian spinsters exhibit. Clemence also manages to surround herself with friends and friendly acquaintances who love the new, eccentric woman. Like Pym's single women, Clemence is willing to claim what she wants, even if her society is pushing her in another direction.

I am absolutely delighted by this little gem. I borrowed it from the library, but I have a hunch that I will need my own copy.

Murder at the Spirit Lounge / Jess Kidd

 

4 out of 5 stars 

I have finally managed to pin down what I like so much about Jess Kidd's writing—it is so calm, just like the main character Nora Breen. Wherever Nora goes, she takes her aura of calmness right along with her. But even Nora's calm gets tested in this book.

I love the fat gull that Nora has “adopted" and named Father Conway. He waddles in through her window at the boarding house and helps himself to whatever food is on offer. He is the easiest male in the novel to deal with. Nora has been enjoying the pursuit of criminals with Detective Inspector Rideout until this case, where it seems that Rideout is in the crosshairs of the killer. Nora is frustrated by his unwillingness to keep himself safe. Nora's other friend, Hosmer, has been entertaining as he attempts to educate her about music and photography. There is a moment where Nora realizes that these two men see each other as competition for her attention and she is dismayed. 

Nora is learning a lesson that has been delayed by her years in the monastery: it is very difficult for women to have platonic friendships with men. It is dawning on her that she is going to have to choose. Her fellow denizen of Gulls Nest, Bill, gets her set up with men's clothing, which she very much likes, and advises her that Hosmer loves her and to be clear and gentle with him. I think it is obvious to everyone, including Nora, that if she must choose it will be Rideout.

The mystery is solved, of course, largely due to Nora's ability to ask the right questions in a compassionate way and her willingness to delve into the past to get to the root of the problem. And her willingness to chuck a heavy shoe at a deserving target! For me, the real point of the novel is Nora's progress with life outside the monastery—supporting herself, learning her own style, and establishing new relationships. I do hope Kidd is writing a third book.

Zoe's Tale / john Scalzi

 

3 out of 5 stars 

Book number 543 of my Science Fiction and Fantasy Reading Project

The plot of this novel runs concurrently with The Last Colony and is told by Zoe Perry, adoptive daughter of John and Jane Perry, administrators of the Roanoke colony. As a teenager, Zoe has a somewhat different view of events. She is growing into her role as person of intense interest to the race known as the Obin, who achieved consciousness due to research by her biological father.

As I knew from the previous book, Roanoke has been planned by the Colonial Union as a trap for the Conclave. Much of the book is taken up with getting people to Roanoke, being told that the colonists are not allowed to use their tech, and hiding from the Conclave's ships. Plus plenty of teenage stuff. Zoe is getting old enough to figure out what she really wants in the world and this charts her course as her colony comes under attack.

The presentation is totally Scalzi. His characters are usually far more rational than actual people and there is plenty of sarcastic banter. It's been long enough since I read the previous book that I didn't mind the repetition of plot points, but I can't say that I was blown away. It was nice to have a female protagonist (and that Scalzi consulted with women to make sure that he didn't get Zoe too wrong). But I feel like all of his main characters are pretty similar.

So this book fills in some of the gaps in the previous one and answers some readers' questions. By peeking ahead, I am hopeful that the next book will feature new characters and challenges. I have it from the library and will hopefully tackle it soon.

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.

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.