PGMCC explores the Biblioverse in 2024: Fifth instalment

Books completed in 2024

Title; Author; Status; Start/end date; Number of pages

Hogfather by Terry Pratchett Reading 19/12/2023 - 15/01/2024 445 Pages
If on a Winter's Night a Traveller by Italo Calvino 05/01/2024 - 27/01/2024 272 Pages
Relight my Fire by C. K. McDonnell 27/1/2024 - 01/02/2024 518 Pages
Berlin Game by Len Deighton 01/02/2024 - 07/02/2024 296 Pages
The Chalk Circle Man by Fred Vargas 08/02/2024 - 12/02/2024 247 Pages
The Radetzky March by Joseph Roth 12/02/2024 - 27/02/2024 369 Pages
Everyone in my Family has Killed Someone by Benjamin Stevenson 27/02/2024 - 05/03/2024 350 Pages
The Accordionist by Fred Vargas 05/03/2024 - 10/03/2024 249 Pages
Poor Things by Alistair Gray 11/03/2024 - 15/03/2024 336 Pages
The Seven Moons of Maali Almeida by Shehan Karunatilaka 16/03/2024 - 27/03/2024 408 Pages
Leadership Magic by Grahame Pitts 28/03/2024 - 01/04/2024 129 Pages
The Nightingale by Kristin Hannah 02/04/2024 - 06/04/2024 468 Pages
The Leaky Establishment by David Langford 07 /04/2024 - ? Pages
Seeking Whom He May Devour by Fred Vargas and translated by David Bellos12/04/2014 - 18/04/2024 359 Pages
The Fog Horn (Short Story) by Ray Bradbury BB from jillmwo 14/04/2024 - 14/04/2024 6 Pages
Mexico Set by Len Deighton 19/04/2024 - 03/05/2024 364 Pages
Bunny McGarry Shorts by Caimh McDonnell 04/05/24 - 06/05/2024 288 Pages
Nemesis Games by James S. A. Corey 07/05/2024 - 17/05/2024 532 Pages
Beyond the Light Horizon by Ken MacLeod 17/05/2024 - 01/06/2024 380 Pages
Have Mercy on Us All by Fred Vargas 02/06/2024 - 06/06/2024 371 Pages
2024 Hugo Awards Short Story short-list 07/06/2024 - 10/06/2024
- Answerless Journey 10 Pages
- Tasting the Future Delicacies Three Times 20 Pages
- Better Living Through Algorithms 13 Pages
- Children of the Mausoleum
- The Sound of Children Screaming
- How to Raise a Kraken

My voting:
1 Tasting the Future Delicacies Three Times
2 Better Living Through Algorithms
3 How to Raise a Kraken
4 The Sound of Children Screaming
5 Children of the Mausoleum
6 Answerless Journey

West Heart Kill by Dan McDorman 10/06/2024 - 19/06/2024 272 Pages
The Heart in Winter by Kevin Barry 19/06/2024 - 25/06/2024 225 Pages
Portable Magic by Emma Smith 26/06/2024 - 17/07/2024 297 Pages
A Town Called Solace by Mary Lawson 17/07/2014 - 11/08/2024 294 Pages
The Hymn Tune Mystery by George A. Birmingham 11/08/2024 - 19/08/2025 359 Pages.
Babylon's Ashes by James S. A. Corey 21/08/2024 - 536 pages
Normal Rules Don't Apply by Kate Atkinson 06/09/2024 - 17/09/24 225 pages
Wild Justice by George A. Birmingham 17/09/2024 - 22/09/2024 457 Pages
Pretty Good Neighbor by Jeffrey Ford 20/09/2024 - 20/09/2024 10 Pages Short Story
Mortal Love by Elizabeth Hand 22/09/2024 - 364 Pages

Happy New Thread! Let your list continue with lots of good books :)

Happy New Thread!

Happy new thread, Peter!

I know I am frequently befuddled by modern life, but you shifted threads on me and it took me a while to track you down. Happy New Thread!!! Are you going to post a list of the books you got while attending Worldcon? You'd said you took a very large suitcase with you so as to have ample space for purchases. Did you fill it to capacity before returning back home?

>2 Alexandra_book_life:, >3 clamairy:, >4 haydninvienna:, >5 jillmwo:
Thank you for the new thread good wishes.

>5 jillmwo:
I have been lax regarding my posting here as books were not the only thing I brought back from WorldCon. On Tuesday evening I tested positive for Covid. Thankfully my symptoms have not been dramatic, so other than suffering bad flu symptoms for a few days I am fine. I think I am on the mend now. I think the worst thing has been my lack of focus and tiredness.

You'd said you took a very large suitcase with you...
What I actually said was that I had booked a 20kg (44lbs) check-in case. What I brought was the regular wheely case but booked the extra weight as I suspected I would have several books.

As it happened I did not buy that many books.
I had asked the owner of Wizard's Tower Press, Chaz Brenchley's publisher, to bring physical copies of "The Crater School" series. That accounted for three books I had to bring back.

As Shannon Chakraborty was going to be at the convention I brought my hardback copy of The adventures of Amina al-Sirafi over to Glasgow with me. That, of course was in the return case. Yes, she signed it.

NewCon Press was launching Ken MacLeod's new collection of short stories, A Jura for Julia. I wanted to buy a hardback copy and have Ken sign it for me, which I managed to accomplish.

I also looked up an old acquaintance who is involved with the production of the Interzone magazine. I bought a copy of the final physical edition of the magazine.

On Monday, the last day of the convention, I noticed Ellen Datlow was at the signing desks. She is a very influential editor in the SciFi world and I wanted a souvenir of her presence at the con. I ran to the Waterstone's stall and bought a copy of a new collection of stories she has edited and published, and she was delighted to sign it for me. We had a brief discussion about Albedo1 as she was familiar with the magazine having collected some Albedo1 stories in her anthologies.

So, sorry to disappoint in that I did not have a large case of heavy books to bring home. I do not think I could have managed any more.

There were many other books I would like to have picked up, but did not like the idea of lugging them to and from the airport, and also I checked that they are all available elsewhere at prices at least no dearer than they were at the convention.

jillmwo, I see from your own thread that you are enjoying The Hymn Tune Mystery. I have been slow in my reading due to the Covid, but I am enjoying it all the same. I am over 70% through it at this stage.

In terms of my little project to track down and photograph the locations in Alsdair Gray's Poor Things, I was quite successful. Of the locations I noted the only one I did not get to was the mausoleum used as a model for the one in the book. I made two excursions on my Poor Things quest. Having arrived in Glasgow on the Wednesday, I was able to spend Thursday morning tracking down the locations in the west of the city. On the Saturday afternoon I had a three hour gap in programme items I wanted to attend and this gave me the chance to find the locations to the East in the region of Glasgow Green.

A full report, with photographs, of my Poor Things quest will be appearing here soon.

On Sunday morning I went for a trek to find locations related to my grandparents. By chance these locations were only about twenty minutes walk from my hotel. I found the street where my grandmother was born and lived, the street where my grandfather lived, and found the parish hall of the church where they were married. Unfortunately the original church is no longer in existence, but the hall was used as the parish church once the original church was demolished until the parish as a entity was done away with.

My grandparents were married in 1905 and at the time the streets where they lived had tenement blocks. These have all be demolished and more modern public housing built, so I did not get to see the buildings they lived in but only the streets as they appear now.

>6 pgmcc: Oh, yikes. Well I'm glad it wasn't a severe case, but it's not fun at all I'm sure. Hope you're back to 100% soon.

>6 pgmcc: Your good luck that it was a mild case, Peter. Best wishes with it.

>6 pgmcc: Ouch. I am glad to hear that it was a mild case of Covid and that you are recovering. Best wishes!

>6 pgmcc: I am so sorry that you've been feeling under the weather! Even if relatively mild in its visitation, COVID isn't good for any of us.

As to not buying as many books as anticipated during Worldcon, I know that I used to feel overwhelmed by the various options when I'd be at a SF convention and frequently would end up buying titles that ended up having far less appeal to me than anticipated. So count yourself lucky in some regards! But congratulations on having the opportunity to chat with Ellen Datlow. She would be a very interesting conversationalist, to my mind!!

BTW, yesterday I introduced a friend to the Chaz Brenchley Mars books. She's a specialist in school stories so I thought she'd find them engaging. (Beyond her academic specialty, she'll love the humor of them.)

Thank you all for you well wishes. I appear to be getting better and now I have switched roles with my wife. She is showing symptoms and I will be looking after her.

In relation to WorldCon I thought I would share this picture that captures the environment in which the convention took place. I took this last Sunday morning while crossing the Clyde when returning from my little family history excursion.



The tall, multiwindowed building on the left is The Crown Plaza Hotel that was used as a venue for many events. The next building to the right, referred to as The Armadillo for obvious reasons, was used for some of the larger events such as The Hugo Awards, Symphony Orchestra concert, etc... There is a building directly behind the large crane which was the main centre for the convention. It also has very large halls and contained the dealers room, food trucks, art exhibitions, etc... The large flying saucer like building is the Ovo Hydro stadium, which was not used by the convention but, you have to admit, does provide a fantastic backdrop to a Science Fiction convention.

Two other hotels across The River Clyde (to the left of the picture) were also used for convention events.

There were 7,200 members attending the convention in person, with several hundred joining online.

Another attendee at the convention found a plaque attached to the large crane. I present their picture of the plaque.



The Ovo Hydro always reminds me of the cover of Consider Phlebas, Iain Banks' first published Science Fiction novel, and also the first Iain Banks book I ever read.

Oh no! I am so sorry to hear about your wife. Great photo though, and that book cover is awesome. I really need to read that one...

Happy New thread. Sorry to hear about your COVID case, I hope your wife's is short and mild.

>12 pgmcc: I wish your wife a quick recovery!

Thank you for sharing the photos. The story behind the Finnieston Crane is so interesting! This crane is a good neighbour for a sci-fi convention ;)

>15 Alexandra_book_life:
Check out what it says on the link at the bottom of the plaque. You will find that interesting.

>12 pgmcc: My instant first thought was "Good Heavens! Sydney Opera House meets Guggenheim Bilbao!"

>17 hfglen:
LOL!

>12 pgmcc: That's a fabulous photo of the convention venue. And I loved the plaque (as well as the marvelous organization behind it). I did visit the website (https://glaikit.scot/). You do manage to find the most intriguing things!

Best wishes for your wife's speedy recovery!

>13 clamairy: >14 Karlstar: >15 Alexandra_book_life: >17 hfglen: >19 jillmwo:

Thank you for your good wishes for my wife’s recovery. She tested positive today as did I. My symptoms are almost gone and my positive test today had a very faint test line.

I am watching Wicked Little Letters. Very interesting.

>19 jillmwo: I am glad you like the organisation behind the plaque.

>16 pgmcc: This is a lovely organization! They should have branches in other cities. Also, I think I would like to be there when they do their pub rounds :)))))

>21 Alexandra_book_life:
I am not aware of an organisation in Ireland doing similar civically minded work but I do know that in the noughties someone organised an official looking team to install a bronze plaque on O'Connell Bridge. It looks very official and informs the public about the tragic case of a gentleman whose carriage plunged into the Liffey. It was there for some time before the authorities became aware of the official looking bogus plaque. The Council made arrangements to have the plaque removed. Before the plaque was removed the press, in particular a free news-sheet called The Metro, urged people to campaign to have plaque remain. The day before its removal the work was called off as the Council bowed to public opinion. The plaque can still be viewed to this day in its original spot on the bridge.

>22 pgmcc: I would have been happy to campaign for the plaque to remain :) I'll be sure to take a look if I am ever in Dublin!

>23 Alexandra_book_life:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fr._Pat_Noise_plaque

The Hymn Tune Mystery by George A. Birmingham

Would I read another book by this author?
Yes, but not necessarily on the basis of only this book. I have read other books by him and have a particular interest in him and his literary work.
Would I recommend The Hymn Tune Mystery?
Yes.
To whom would I recommend it?
Someone who has a hankering for golden age mysteries and some humorous writing. I would let them know the book is not the most sophisticated murder mystery from the Golden Age.
Did this book inspire me to do anything?
Not particularly.

The first two thirds of the book is very entertaining with various descriptions of characters and behaviours of characters adding to the enjoyment. Birmingham, being a Church of England minister at the time of writing the book would have been very familiar with the clerical ranks and protocols in force in an English cathedral town. He would also be familiar with the motivations and attitudes of the clerics in such a place.

The book, however, gets a bit bogged down while he describes efforts to solve the mystery of the hymn tune. It does not recover much from this episode and the end feels a little bit rushed with the solution of the crime not presented in the slickest fashion. The end felt like he had been called for tea and had to finish the story quickly and dash for the finish line and the resolution.

Birmingham wrote over sixty novels, but only two crime mysteries, the second one being Wild Justice.

Happy new thread, and Boo to Covid! I hope you and Catriona recover quickly.

Glasgow is one of my favourite cities, and I look forward to seeing more photos from your visit there. I have to say, I am now imagining the Glaikit team to be not unlike the staff of The Stranger Times!

>26 Sakerfalcon:
I see what you mean; they are not reporting that they believe the stories, just that these are the stories they were told.

>12 pgmcc: What? No elephants?!?

Haven't posted, but have thought and felt for your family as Covid marches through. Hope you can send it on its way soonest. Also have enjoyed all the posts from your convention, etc.

>28 ScoLgo:
As it happens there were elephants every day of the convention. On our way to the airport the truck in front of us had elephants on its mudflaps. At Breakfast the following morning there was a man at another table with an elephant on his T-shirt. I was amazed how the elephants kept appearing. On one day there were three elephants spotted.

So yes, there were elephants. You should know there were elephants. Everybody knows there is always an elephant.

>29 MrsLee:
Thank you! I think I am at the tail-end. My wife is about halfway through. Our son is a bit lethargic and is afraid he may have picked up a different strain from the one he had a few weeks ago. Thankfully we are having nothing more than bad flu symptoms and we have no other medical conditions that could make things worse.

I am hoping to make more posts from my time in Glasgow. I have just been looking at my photographs with a view to posting about my excursions looking for the locations mentioned by Alasdair Gray in his book, Poor Things.

>31 pgmcc: At least you're both recovering. Get completely well soon, all of you.

>31 pgmcc: What Richard said.

>25 pgmcc: I'll go into my thinking about The Hymn Tune Mystery a bit more on my own thread later this week. I had fun with it, but I don't think that Birmingham's intended emphasis was the mystery element. I suspect for him that was just an entry to sales. IMHO, he was doing social commentary on the Church to some extent, kind of the way Trollope was doing commentary when he wrote The Warden. I only just finished the book this afternoon and I do want some time to process. (BTW, thank you for noting that Birmingham was himself a member of the clergy. I hadn't been aware of that, although the book would certainly suggest that he was very familiar with the hierarchy and mindset.)

Meanwhile, take care of the home front and speedy recovery to all.

>34 jillmwo:
Thank you! In update news I tested negative this evening, so good news.

I look forward to your commentary on The Hymn Tune Mystery.

>35 pgmcc: Good news! I hope everyone's recovery continues.

>35 pgmcc: This is excellent news :)))

After posting the good news in >35 pgmcc: I decided to make a post about my progress with the books I took to France with me. I thought I was getting Covid out of my system, which I was, but obviously the brain-fog had not cleared as much as I thought. I added the post to my third thread of 2024 rather than this one. :-)

I shall correct that now.

My mind is starting to clear slowly as the Covid leaves my system. I will start posting with baby steps. An easy task to assess my planned holiday reading and my actual holiday reading. The Physical books I brought to France are listed below:

Seeking Whom He May Devour by Fred Vargas (Translated by David Bellos) (READING)
This is How it Happened by Jo Barrett
Mexico Set by Len Deighton
The Parasites by Daphne Du Maurier
Nemesis Games by James S. A. Corey
Pleasant Places by George A. Birmingham (An autobiography)
How Novels Work by John Mullan
Benedict Kavanagh by George A. Birmingham
Leadership Magic by Grahame Pitts (READ)
Portable Magic by Emma Smith
Everyone on this Train is a Suspect by Benjamin Stevenson
West Heart Kill by Dann McDorman
The Best Stories of Arsène Lupin by Maurice Leblanc (no information on translator provided)
The Leaky Establishment by David Langford (READING)
Eat to Beat Type 2 Diabetes by The Hairy Bikers (HERE FOR RECIPE IDEAS)
The Life and Writings of James Owen Hannay by Brian Taylor (READ BEFORE: HERE FOR STUDY PUROSES)

The books I read from the above list are listed below:

Seeking Whom He May Devour by Fred Vargas (Translated by David Bellos) (READING)
Mexico Set by Len Deighton
Nemesis Games by James S. A. Corey
How Novels Work by John Mullan
Leadership Magic by Grahame Pitts (READ)
Portable Magic by Emma Smith
West Heart Kill by Dann McDorman
Eat to Beat Type 2 Diabetes by The Hairy Bikers (HERE FOR RECIPE IDEAS)

I did read books that were not on the list. These would have been on the Kindle.

The Fog Horn (short story) by Ray Bradbury
Bunny McGarry Shorts by Caimh McDonnell
Beyond the Light Horizon by Ken MacLeod
Have Mercy on us All by Fred Vargas
2024 Hugo Awards Short Story short-list
- Answerless Journey 10 Pages
- Tasting the Future Delicacies Three Times 20 Pages
- Better Living Through Algorithms 13 Pages
- Children of the Mausoleum
- The Sound of Children Screaming
- How to Raise a Kraken
The Heart in Winter by Kevin Barry
A Town Called Solace by Mary Lawson



One thing I did not add to my post yesterday is the list of additional books I bought while in France. That list will follow shortly.

Books acquired while I was in France:

The Noh Mask Murder by Akimitsu Takagi (Physical Book - Du Bray gift book for the month)
The Leaky Establishment by David Langford (Physical book)
The Fog Horn by Ray Bradbury (Kindle) Short Story
Shorts: A Bunny McGarry Short Fiction Collection by Caimh McDonnell (Kindle)
Have Mercy on us All by Fred Vargas (Kindle)
Wash this Blood Clean from my Hand by Fred Vargas (Kindle)
Mortal Love by Elizabeth Hand (Kindle) jillmwo's fault
Beyond the Light Horizon (Kindle)
The Heart in Winter by Kevin Barry (Kindle)
Maigret’s Dead Man by George Simenon (Kindle)
Maigret on Holiday by George Simenon (Kindle)
Le brave soldat Chéïk (The Good Soldier Svejk) by Jaoslav Hašek (Physical book) In French
The Beekeeper’s Apprentice by Laurie R. King (Kindle)
Sur la Dalle by Fred Vargas (Kindle) In French
The Heart in Winter by Kevin Barry (Physical book) Gift from a friend
A Town Called Solace by Mary Lawson (Kindle)
Lessons in Crime: Academic Mysteries by Martin Edwards (Kindle)
Miraculous Mysteries by Matin Edwards (Kindle)

>39 pgmcc: jillmwo's fault I'm being singled out. Did no one else here in the Pub drive you to acquire books as you sunbathed on the Riviera? I mean it was Marissa_Doyle and clamairy who were selling Mortal Love. That's how I heard about it. Let's give credit where properly due.

>40 jillmwo: Don't blame me for that book. I don't own it and haven't read it... LOL
(I think it was Bookmarque.)

>41 clamairy: Whoops. You're right. (But I like to thikn you were a reasonable first guess...) But yes, I will acknowledge that it was Marissa_Doyle and Bookmarque.

>40 jillmwo: Don't feel alone. I think I'm responsible for a large and expensive wild-flower guide.

>43 hfglen:
You are, but thankfully I managed to get a secondhand copy at a reasonable price. I have it sitting beside my computer ready for reviewing my wildflower pictures and expanding my botanical knowledge base. I spotted more varieties after putting that pdf together in July. In Glasgow last week I found a flower that Siri told me is called “police man’s helmet”. Of course, in Glasgow it would be “pole-is man’s helmet”.

>42 jillmwo:
Trying to deflect blame as a first line of defence is not considered appropriate. As my records show, you were the one firing the shot that struck me…and I thank you for it. I am waiting for my mind to totally clear before jumping in.

ETA: By the way, it was precision shooting. Comparing it to the Monaldi & Sorti book was the work of a skilled BB marksperson who studies their target and uses knowledge to take aim and maximise their hit-rate. You would be dangerous if you turned your mind to phishing.

It probably was me. Love that book to bits. Read it already! 😁

I have started reading Babylon's Ashes by James S. A. Corey, Book 6 of The Expanse. My reading mojo has been absent for the past week or so. The Expanse books are pretty good at rekindling my get up and go when it has got up and went. This book is helping, but I am still a bet lethargic.

I was browsing a bookshop today. Two, in fact. In the second one I was reading the blurb for a new novel. It is the authors debut novel. I struggled not to laugh out loud at the blurb: ...his long anticipated debut novel...
I cannot see who was anticipating it.

>48 pgmcc: Well, probably the author's agent for one. Maybe the author's devoted mother?

But you didn't say whether you escaped from the bookstore without buying anything...

>49 jillmwo:
I am embarrassed to say that I did.

Books were spotted, however, and these will be the basis of hints to my multiple offspring as Christmas approaches. These are:

Death at the Sign of the Rook by Kate Atkinson



I like the Kate Atkinson books I have read to date and will continue to read her books.

Identity by John Sweetman (No working Touchstone at present)



This appears to be a very interesting book about forensic science.

How Life Works by Philip Ball



I loved Ball's book, Critical Mass, in which he described the use of science in solving social issues.

>50 pgmcc: That John Sweetman title looks interesting. I will wait to hear your verdict.

>51 jillmwo:
The quote "A fascinating read" on the front cover is from Marie Cassidy. She was the former state pathologist and is a fascinating character herself.

>50 pgmcc: *screams* Ahh, there's a new Jackson Brodie book!!!! WOOHOO!!!

That's not going to be released here until September 3rd. I already requested it from Overdrive/Libby. They will let me know when they acquire it. Thank you, Peter.

>53 clamairy:
Glad to be of assistance.

I am sipping a g&t as I review the GD threads. I have put a lime in the g&t. While I think it is nice I think I should also have added a slice of lemon. I now know for the next time...which may also be this evening.

I am back to full health, but my wife is still testing positive for the dreaded bug. As it is Friday evening, and we have recently discovered Japanese food does not upset my blood-sugar levels, we are awaiting delivery of some Japanese food. :-)

>55 pgmcc: This does not sound like an unpleasant evening. I thought lime was mandatory in a G&T? As with most cocktail rules, I suppose they are more like guidelines, really.

>56 MrsLee:
I am used to lemon in my G&T but recently had both, and it was very nice. This evening I balked at cutting a lemon and a lime. I am not likely to balk at it at it again.

BTW, my Bento box and side of tempura prawns were delish!

>55 pgmcc: It looks like you're having a lovely evening :)

Hoping for a negative test for your wife, too...

Well, based on what my parents and grandparents told me, one drinks gin and tonic with citrus as a means of avoiding tropical diseases when stationed in warmer climes. So hopefully, whether you go with lime or lemon, you'll be okay.

>59 jillmwo:
G&Ts contains quinine which is taken in tablet form to combat malaria. On my trip to Ghana I suggested to the man beside me on the plane that I should drink G&Ts instead of taking the tablets. He said that I would probably die of alcohol poisoning before I had taken enough G&Ts to match my first tablet. On that basis I took both.

>60 pgmcc: Excellent. You'll be just fine! (Truth be told, I did recall that it was primarily for malaria, but figured the mixture probably has additional medicinal properties as well.) Hopefully, Mrs pgmcc will be on the upswing soon as well.

>55 pgmcc: Sounds delish. (Both the gin and the Japanese food.) Hope Catriona is back to full health soon.

P.S. Gin is medicinal, even without the quinine!

>62 clamairy:
We have often heard, “I’m having this wee dram for purely medicinal purposes.”

>61 jillmwo:
Thank you. I hope the next couple of days will see her test negative.

I had to bring someone to hospital today for a procedure. Their appointment was for 8am. They were checked in and admin done by 07:50. At 07:54 I was waiting for the coffee shop to open. It had a big metal shutter across the front and was due to open at 8am. At 8am I heard the electric motors kick in and the shutter started to slowly rise from ground level. All I could hear in my mind was the music from Thunderbirds.

Apologies to those of you who have already seen this on facebook. It is still true.

Books currently scheduled for delivery are:

Dog Man Series Books 1-5 by Dav Pelkey (For eldest grandchild…honest.) Due Thursday, 29th August


The Wilding by Ian McDonald 26th September


Karla’s Choice by Nick Harkaway 14th October


Sleeper Beach (A Titanium Noir novel) by Nick Harkaway 15th-18th November This is frustrating me. The release date is 7th November but Amazon is saying it will not be delivered before 15th. Grrrrr....!


The City and its Uncertain Walls by Haruki Murakami 19th November


Fortunate Son by Caimh McDonnell 20th November


It looks like I will have plenty to read over the winter months.

Awesome haul.

All of the images are showing up for me except for the one for Sleeper Beech.

>67 clamairy:
There is no image available for Sleeper Beach yet. (Please excuse my typo in >66 pgmcc:).

>66 pgmcc: my students love Dog Man!

I received the shocking news that Ken MacLeod’s wife died on 16th August. I only met her on 9th August at WorldCon.

>70 pgmcc: Oh, that's terrible news. Was she ill?

>71 clamairy:
She did not appear to be ill when I met her. I have no information on cause of death. It must have been sudden.

>70 pgmcc: That is very unfortunate.

>70 pgmcc: Oh, man, that’s terrible.

>70 pgmcc: Oh, such terrible news...

>70 pgmcc:. Engaging in conversation with someone one week only to learn of their passing a week later is certainly disconcerting and the shock would be a bit hard to process. (((Hugs)))

>76 jillmwo: I think you got it spot on. When I read Ken's post about his wife I was in total shock. The way I had met her was quite humorous and the conversation we had was very enjoyable. Ken was the main Guest of Honour for the convention and was to be interviewed on stage. I was keen to attend so I went to the auditorium about half-an-hour before the event to find four people queueing for the interview already. I took up my position as number five and a lady approached me very tentatively and asked,
"Is this the queue for Ken MacLeod?"

I replied yes, and she joined the queue beside me.

We started talking about the convention and she mentioned that she was Ken's wife. I said she should not be queueing with the plebs, and asked if she did not have a special family ticket. She said, "Oh! I wouldn't do anything like that", by which she meant accepting any special treatment.

She then asked me if Ken had ever signed anything for me. I told her I had read an early draft of his book Restoration Game and that he had put me in the acknowledgements section and had sent me a copy of the book with a "Thank you!" message.

We then talked about Glasgow, my previous visits, and my family connections to the city.

It was then time to go into the interview.

This was on the 9th August.

On the 10th I attended the launch of Ken's new book of short stories, A Jura for Julia, and got to talk with him. I was telling him about how I had met his wife and we were both laughing about it.

Having had interactions with Ken as one of my favourite writers for a couple of decades and then meeting his very pleasant wife I was feeling very good. When I read his post about his wife dying it was exactly how you described it, I just did not know how to process it. I only met the woman for fifteen or twenty minutes, but the shock belied how little time I had known her. She had struck me as a very friendly, humble person who was interested in people and all of a sudden she no longer exists in this world. Ken and she have been together since 1979 and appear to have been very close. I suspect we will not see any more books from Ken MacLeod, which is a shame, but this has really smashed his world. I feel so sorry for him.

>77 pgmcc: At any rate, Peter, I'm sure you will convey to Ken all the condolences, good wishes and hugs that the Pub can send.

Seconding what >78 haydninvienna: said.

>70 pgmcc: That is such sad news. She sounds like a lovely person and this must have been a terrible shock to Ken and the family.

>77 pgmcc: Feeling sad for you and the author. May he find comfort where he can. Sending a *hug* to you.

As suggested by >78 haydninvienna: and seconded by >79 hfglen: I sent a message of condolence to Ken MacLeod on behalf of members of The Green Dragon. The message and Ken’s response are below.

Ken, members of the Green Dragon group on Librarything have asked me to pass on their condolences and deepest sympathy to you at this time.

Please thank them all for me, Peter.

>81 MrsLee:
Thank you. It was four days ago he posted news of his wife's passing on Facebook. Yesterday he added a comment to that post:

Thank you all from the bottom of my heart. It's only today I've read through this outpouring of love for Carol and sympathy for me and our family, and I'm overwhelmed.

He and his family are looking at the funeral service as a celebration of Carol's life. They have posted pictures of her from the earliest time she and Ken were together (1979) to this August. These photographs picture her with Ken, with their children, with other friends and family. What I felt about the pictures was that the love came shining through in all the images.

>80 Sakerfalcon:
It clear from comments made by people who knew her well that she was a lovely person. My very short meeting with her left me feeling she was a thoughtful, humble and caring person.

>77 pgmcc: That's very sad news. I'm glad he is getting such good support.

Today I met a good friend for lunch. He is French and we went to a little place called the Voici Creperie & Wine Bar. No, he is not my controller. Nor am I his controller. Honest! The food was excellent as was the company.

After our meeting I did a little bookshop browsing and may have picked up a book or two...

In Alan Hanna's Bookshop I picked up How the World Made the West by Josephine Quinn.


I picked this up as it appears to be an interesting way to look at history. It has an underlying premise that it is not peoples that make history, but people, i.e. individuals who drive the connections and actions that drive change.

Precipice is Robert Harris's new novel.


I have enjoyed the previous Robert Harris novels I have read and do not think it a big risk buying his new one.

Kate Atkinson's short story collection, Normal rules don't apply, leapt out at me in Books Upstairs.


I have read a couple of Atkinson's novels and am keen to read more of her work. On the way home on the bus I read the first short story. Well, I read the first eight pages of it in the Books Upstairs coffee shop. The story is well written and it hooked me. What's more, as those of you following me on facebook will know she refers to The Green Dragon pub on the very first page. What's more, on page eight she mentions and elephant. What is there not to love about her writing?

>86 pgmcc: That sounds like a perfect outing, and what a nice bunch of books you snagged, especially the Atkinson. I didn't realize she had published a short story collection.

>86 pgmcc: I'm always looking for good non-fiction, so I look forward to hearing your assessment of the Josephine Quinn book.

>87 clamairy:
I am enjoying the book of short stories, Normal rules don't apply. The stories are all standalone, but are also linked. It is very cleverly put together, and Atkinson's humour is excellent. While the stories are standalone, they need to be read in the correct sequence to get the linkages. (That all sounds like a contradiction, but you could read any one of the stories and be happy with the story. Reading them and seeing the linkages adds a whole other dimension to the book.)

>88 jillmwo:
I will not promise a rapid processing of this book, but I will bring it with me to France next week. Did I mention we are off to France again. As my wife would say, "It is only for three weeks." I am also planning to read Mortal Love on this trip. I have identified this as my next serious read.

>89 pgmcc: ...we are off to France again. I am beginning to think that you must be favorites of the French Chamber of Commerce and Tourism. Wine, cheese, sunshine...you lead a sad and weary existence, bouncing between locales. You should at least tell us that you look peaked and that your doctor has prescribed a rest cure or something of that ilk.

>90 jillmwo:
If it helps I can tell you that I had a check-up last Monday and the doctor said my bloods and weight all improved while I was in France. On foot of that my wife argued that France is better for me than home and promptly booked the ferry to travel back to La Belle France. As it happens, we appear to be able to live more cheaply while in France. I have not looked at the detail behind this as the food prices are higher than home. It must be our eating habits in France focusing on particularly French products, wine, cheese, paté, croissant, confit de canard, cassoulet, moules frites, etc..., and eating more simply and regularly.

Alcohol is much cheaper in France. It is a custom in France to have an apéritif* at six pm and dinner at eight pm. We were in the habit of having our apéritif at the local bar. We would typically have a glass of kir each. This would cost us €5.20. When we arrived home we went to our local hotel one evening for our apéritif. We had a glass of wine and a beer. The wine alone cost €9.90. The beer was €6.00. Our apéritifs in France are obviously more healthy, also, this proves that French habits do not necessarily transfer to Ireland easily.

So, I could say that I am going to France for my health, both physical and financial.

Therefore, I am not quite peaked, but it is for my health.

*An apéritif can be anything from a glass of kir** to some small snacks and a glass of wine or some other drink.

**A kir is white wine mixed with some fruit concentrate. Our favourite uses blackcurrant juice. We go for ordinary white wine in our kir. You can also have it with sparkling white wine. If you have it with Champagne it is a kir royale. With any other sparkling white wine it is a kir petillant (pronounce pet-ee-yon).

E.T.A: I have started reading the introduction to How the World Made the West. It looks very interesting and Josephine Quinn's writing style is pleasant. In the introduction she tells the reader that she was motivated to write the book by reading undergraduate applications for her Classics Studies classes and that virtually every applicant stated they wanted to study the classics because Greece and Rome were the origins of Western Civilisation. She was annoyed that the contributions of the rest of the world were being ignored. I look forward to interesting facts and arguments.

>91 pgmcc: How many bookshops in the Loire Valley tempt you with English-language offerings? I suspect that may add materially to the cost of living in Ireland ;-)

Washing Machine Saga:

On Thursday we realised our washing machine was no working and the drum was not spinning at all, even though we could hear the motor driving away as per the programme. I concluded the drive belt had broken or somehow come off the drive wheel.

On opening up the back of the machine I found the belt had come off the spindle and drive-wheel. With a bit of pulling and tugging, huffing and puffing, I managed to get the belt back on. It only took a single push of the button to hear it coming off again and to see the drum starting to turn and stopping.

Further examination indicated the bearings had gone. Being the practical type of person that I am (honest) I looked up a video for changing the bearings on a washing machine. There was a seventeen minute video showing the process and claiming it would save me a lot of money compared to replacing the machine or paying someone to repair it for me. Well, the process involves stripping down the entire machine to get the drum out, and that is before you start replacing the bearings and putting the machine back together again. They said it would take three hours. I humbly suggest it would take three hours for a trained washing machine mechanic who has a fully equipped and spacious workshop and knows all the tricks and knacks the person in the video demonstrated.

There was nothing else to do but replace the machine. I reckoned a repair job would cost between €300 and €400. We could get a new machine for that.

Now comes the complication. We are heading to France on Tuesday. We have clothes to wash for the trip. Our son is staying here, but he has clothes to wash too. How much time will it take to have a new machine bought, delivered, and installed? It was Thursday evening and the relevant showrooms were already closed. We needed the machine quickly and had limited time available. We decided to see what our go-to electrical shop’s website had to say on the matter.

Well, the first thing we saw was something we were very sceptical about; next day delivery and installation. It was Thursday night after closing time so we reckoned if we placed an on-line order straight away the next day delivery would, at best, mean Saturday. We were not sure the delivery and installation people worked on Saturday.

Anyway, we decided to see if this was possible to order and have a machine installed no later than Monday, which would be fine for our son but too late for us.

We placed the order and were given Saturday as a possible delivery day. Within ten minutes we had a confirmation SMS text message saying the machine would be delivered on Saturday and that on Friday we would receive a text message indicating the delivery time.

Well, we were surprised that the delivery had been arranged so late on Thursday evening.

On Friday we received a text message saying the machine would be delivered between 8am and 12noon. We reckoned it would show up about 11:30am.

At 08:04 am on Saturday a van pulled up in front of our house. At 08:11 am the van pulled away having removed the old machine, installed and tested the new machine, and mentioned that we were their third delivery already that morning. I am well impressed. Well done PowerCity.

Wow. That's a wonderful story that could have gone sideways in any number of ways and usually does. Excellent!

>93 pgmcc: That's excellent service! Congrats on your new washer, may it serve many years.

>93 pgmcc:. I am sighing in relief on behalf of you, your wife, and your son. As >94 Bookmarque: notes, that kind of thing can go sideways so quickly!!

>93 pgmcc: Whew! Sometimes (not often) in the universe the dice fall just right. Glad it was so for you. Enjoy your trip, I'm looking forward on FB to more photos of discovery on your walks.

Enjoy France, Peter (I bet the weather is better too). And enjoy your new washing machine!

>93 pgmcc: This is a wonderful saga with a happy ending. I'm very impressed by the service!

Have a wonderful time in France! :))) (Which books are to follow you there?)

Yes, we are happy how the washing machine worked out.

Thank you everybody for the good wishes for the washing machine and our trip.
>94 Bookmarque: >95 Karlstar: >96 jillmwo:

We were well aware of all the pitfalls that might occur and are well pleased that they stayed away.

Of course, this morning we discovered one of the elements on the grill in the cooker has gone. The top oven thermostat went long ago but we were getting on fine without it. This may weigh the balance in favour of a new cooker as opposed to replacing the element of an ancient cooker that is already on its last legs.

>97 MrsLee: I hope I can oblige. I enjoy finding things on walks and sharing them here and on Facebook.

>98 haydninvienna: The weather may not be that much better. Apparently central Europe is experiencing heavy rains and lots of flooding.

>99 Alexandra_book_life: Books following me to France will include How the World Made the West and Mortal Love by Elizabeth Hand (a BB from jillmwo). I will also have my Kindle which has a serious number of unread books on it. It weighs a tonne.

>100 pgmcc: "It weighs a tonne.

First time round I read that as "It weighs a tome", which might be appropriate, too.

>101 hfglen: Very much so, I think.

>100 pgmcc: You do realize that when one appliance goes kaput, engenders excitement, and then gets repaired that all the other appliances all begin to act up or otherwise decline. (One assumes out of jealousy over the attention the first one received.)

Oh, just for the record, I have been known to enjoy a nice kir royale. I just never elevated it to a higher status by calling it an apertif. (I am considering how best to correct this behavior moving forward.)

>101 hfglen: >102 Alexandra_book_life:
LOL

>103 jillmwo:
Jealousy amongst white goods prolific, especially when so many of them are coming in silver and grey.

Just take your kir royale at 6pm and it is an apéritif.

My wife has been keen to get the garden in order before we go to France. Having abandoned it for four months means there is a lot of work to do. This has had a direct impact on my reading time and explains why I am taking so long to finish Normal Rules Don't Apply. I am really enjoying the stories and the links between them. Because I am not getting to read the book quickly I am not getting the best value out of the linkages.

I have about 80 pages left to read. I will probably finish it on the boat on Tuesday. Without hesitation I would recommend this book of stories to anyone. There is a touch of the weird and a significant amount of rye humour.

>103 jillmwo: If one appliance goes on strike, they all do. They all belong to the same union.

We have booked our flights for our first 2025 excursion. We are heading to visit our daughter in Cincinnati in January/February. Someone has been with them for each of her son's birthdays, but since moving to Cincinnati none of us have been over for her daughter's birthday in February. Next year will be different.

>107 pgmcc: Next year will be different. We need to be very careful when we make certain statements. Heaven knows what you might be inviting. (I'm not as clever as Granny Weatherwax in Lords and Ladies but she makes a good deal of sense.). That said, I hope all good things are in the offing as you make arrangements with airlines.

>107 pgmcc: Cinci in Jan/Feb could be very interesting weather, I hope it goes well.

>109 Karlstar:
I understand February is their snow month.

I really enjoyed Kate Atkinson’s shorts stories in Normal rules don’t apply. To get the most out of the collection you should read the collection in the order presented, and quickly. For various real-life reasons I could not read the stories as quickly as I would have wished but I still got a lot out of them. I know that had I read them in a shorter timeframe I would have benefited much more from the connections. I am rapidly becoming a big fan of Kate Atkinson’s work.

Would I read more work by this author?
Most definitely.

Would I recommend this book to anyone?
Yes.

To whom would I recommend it?
Anyone with a liking of the slightly out of kilter and who has a sense of humour.

Did this book inspire me to do anything?
I looked up other books by Atkinson and gained more information about her oeuvre. I also added some of her books to a ‘potential Christmas gift list’ that I circulate to my children at this time of year.

I have started reading George A. Birmingham’s Wild Justice murder mystery. It contains a lot of humour but also presents attitudes of the Irish in England at the time of its writing, i.e. 1930ish. Very serious matters present amidst great humour. I like his style.

>111 pgmcc: Definitely adding this one to my teetering virtual TBR stacks.

>112 pgmcc: Curious about this novel by Birmingham. I went looking at places like Gutenberg (U.S. as well as Australia), Internet Archive, University of Pennsylvania's Online Library, and a Canadian site of full text books as well. None of them listed Wild Justice although Wikipedia referenced its year of publication as being 1930. Is this one just not as well known as his other publications (on the basis of general scarcity) or is it that the content might be viewed as being inflammatory and thus too sensitive for inclusion?

>114 jillmwo:
1930 is correct. I got a kindle version. It was bundled with The Hymn Tune Mystery. They were presented as his two crime novels.

The George A. Birmingham Collection: Two Golden Age Detective Novels.

ASIN: B0C6GXR31G
Publisher: Merlin Classic Crime (26 May 2023)
Language: English
File size: 1813 KB
Simultaneous device usage: Unlimited
Text-to-Speech: Enabled
Screen Reader: Supported
Enhanced typesetting: Enabled
X-Ray: Not Enabled
Word Wise: Enabled
Sticky notes: On Kindle Scribe
Print length: 457 pages

>114 jillmwo:
I see Amazon(dot)com has Wild Justice kindle version available for $1.34.

One of many quotable quotes from Kate Atkinson's collection of short stories, Normal Rules Don't Apply.

Kitty worked at an agency called Hedge. (‘Edge with an H,’ one of the directors explained, as if that made sense.) The agency hid behind an anonymous grey Soho frontage, identified by a cryptic nameplate as if it were a brothel or an MI5 safe house rather than an advertising agency.

I have just finished reading Wild Justice by George A. Birmingham. It is a murder mystery with ensuing court case. The book is enhanced by its dealing with the complications of perceptions and prejudices held by the English about the Irish, and by Irish people against other Irish people of a different political persuasion.

The story is set in the late 1920s (publication day 1930) after the Irish War of Independence which ended with the signing of the Anglo-Irish Treaty that established The Irish Free State, a self-governed state within the British Empire. The treaty was not accepted by all and a bloody civil war followed the signing of the treaty.

The above history is the backdrop to the story. George A. Birmingham was very knowledgeable of the feelings, emotions and prejudices of people in Ireland from both sides of the political divide. His presentation of attitudes in Wild Justice is realistic.

This is a good murder mystery, but is is also a good exposé of the perceptions and prejudices involved in the complexity of Irish history.

Would I read another book by this author?
Yes

Would I recommend this book?
Yes

To whom would I recommend it?
Anyone interested in a murder mystery, or anyone with and interest in Ireland and the attitude of English people to Ireland in the late 1920s.

Did this book inspire me to do anything?
It caused me to think on the atrocities committed by both sides in any conflict zone. Conflict is always complex and it is never simple to say one side is right and one side is wrong. Every unfortunate conflict, and that is every conflict, is like this.

The book contains many themes that having read the book one might ponder. I am shielding my comments with a Spoiler mask.


Themes dealt with include:

The justice of someone being tried and punished for a crime they did not commit but the committed other crimes so it's ok.

The manipulation of people's perceptions of a group of people to dehumanise them and facilitate dreadful actions.

The presentation of cruel thugs who committed dreadful crimes as being victims.

"The manipulation of people's perceptions of a group of people to dehumanise them and facilitate dreadful actions."

This tactic has been used since the beginning of recorded history, and it's despicable behavior. We've got it going on right now in the US with legal immigrants from a certain country. And I'll stop before I go over the line...

I think I took a bullet, Peter. Well aimed.
Edited to add: Not only is it not available as an ebook, the paper copies are exorbitant. I might employ more nefarious means of acquisition.

Edited yet again... I have found some paper copies for sale, but they all seem to be an awful shape. And I don't enjoy reading paper much anyway. So I guess I'll be taking a pass.

>118 pgmcc: and >119 clamairy: I did some searching as well. My experience is pretty much the same as Clam's. To further complicate the matter, another author Kenneth Royce used the same title so Amazon muddles up all of those search results with the few results they have for Birmingham.

>119 clamairy: & >120 jillmwo:
I found Wild Justice on Amazon(dot)com but I noticed it said it was not available to purchase and asked if I had moved region recently. The site must have picked up I am on this side of the Atlantic and is maybe not selling it in the US. The link where I found it for $1.24 is HERE.

I do not know if it will show you the same page if it detects you are in the US.

>121 pgmcc: It tells me that the title is not available in my region. Clearly it's a contractual right of redistribution for this specific title that is the problem because other publications in the "Merlin Crime" series are available in the United States. (When they tell you that publishing is all about intellectual property rights and permissions, this is what they mean. Grrr.)

>119 clamairy: & >120 jillmwo:
I found several physical copies from US sellers for under $20 on ABEBOOKS(dot)com.

https://www.abebooks.com/servlet/SearchResults?an=birmingham&cm_sp=SearchF-_...

>123 pgmcc: I got the same notification that Jill did. And I did find those copies earlier on ABEbooks.com. There is one that looks a little less battered than the others. LOL

I used AS IN from your link and found the e-book for 102 rupees on the India Amazon site... LOL

>124 clamairy:
I’m fresh out of rupees.

I have started reading Mortal Love by Elizabeth Hand. This was a BB from jillmwo and she has so far never hit with a book bullet that turned out to be a dud. She has set the bar really high for this one. I am certain it will be brilliant.
:-) No pressure, Jill

>126 pgmcc: I hate to pee on your parade, but that book was actually recommended to Jill by both Bookmarque and Marissa_Doyle who had a group read thread: https://www.librarything.com/topic/359711
So you're going to have to give the credit where it's actually due if you like it.

>127 clamairy: Thank you. Reminding him of that relieves me of a good deal of pressure, worrying over whether or not my reputation with pgmcc would be forever diminished if it turned out he doesn't like it.

Whomever fired the shot, I hope you love it Pete. It's a wild ride.

>128 jillmwo: I think he was just trying to put you in the hot seat.

>127 clamairy:

Clare, you are not peeing on my parade at all. I have no argument about Marissa_Doyle and Bookmarque being the original sources for Mortal Love in this group. However, I was hit by Jill's BB fired at me in my own thread. What got me was her describing it as being like Imprimatur in a post on April 19th 2024.

https://www.librarything.com/topic/360189#8513170

Let me quote:
(Now, let me also share with you that you need to go out and get your hands on Mortal Love by Elizabeth Hand. I mean, really. Bookmarque and Marissa_Doyle got me with it and now I'm popping off a BB in your direction.)

In the very next post I admit to having been hit.

https://www.librarything.com/topic/360189#8513185

I also went to great lengths to source a copy, as described in my posts at the time.

>128 jillmwo:, the pressure is back on. However, having read the first two chapters and reread your comments on the book, I do not think there is any risk of my not liking it. Your reputation is intact. By the way, I had forgotten your complaining about all the sex in the book. It is quite blatant, even in the symbolism and rantings of a drunken poet.

Like yourself, the book has resulted in my Googling references; in my case it was for Langley and Egypt after the mention that Candell was supposed to be with his master.

>131 pgmcc: I am aghast. She shot you in your own thread? Oh, the humanity...

(I do you hope you enjoy it, because then when I read it I can blame it on you.)

"Peeing on your parade." SUCH a visual. >

>131 pgmcc: and >132 clamairy: This is the problem with the Internet today. People use Google or the Wayback Machine or something and the next thing you know they offer documentation that you're the villain of the piece.

>133 MrsLee: I must say that the same slightly discomforting thought crossed my mind.

Something happened yesterday that I found very funny. I was expecting the delivery of a parcel containing some boots (Yes, boots. Not books) I had ordered. I received an email yesterday morning telling me the parcel was out for delivery and which delivery company was carrying it.

Now, when a delivery is due to this location (secret base in a remote part of France) it does not usually arrive until late afternoon. That being my experience I was not expecting a delivery when I set out for my morning walk at 9am.

Towards the end of the first circuit of my walking route I heard a vehicle behind me and turning around I saw a large articulated lorry approaching so I stepped off the road to let him pass. In doing so I noticed a delivery van behind the truck with the logo of the company delivering my boots. I was only about 200m from the complex office where deliveries are made, so I started walking briskly to get there when the van would. By the time I was about 20m from the office the driver had opened the door and was about to climb down from his seat.

Before I continue with the story I should let you know a couple of things. Firstly, it was not raining when I set out on my walk but I was wearing my large black weather-proof jacket and a black woollen hat. I was also wearing my grey, multi-pocketed work trousers and a pair of sturdy work boots. Before I got halfway around my circuit the rain had come on and was quite heavy. Consequently I had my hood up and was looking very wet. Also, I was aware the delivery person would need to see my identification before giving me the parcel, so I had taken out my passport to be ready to prove who I was, or at least that I looked like the person pictured in the passport whose name coincided with the name on the parcel.

Back to the story.

I started walking directly at the driver’s door with a big smile on my face at the prospect of the delivery being so simple.

Well, the driver obviously saw a hooded figure in dark clothes rapidly advancing on his position. He quickly got back into his seat, slammed the van door and locked it. His face told me he was rather worried about what was happening.

As I got to the van I held up my passport open at the identification pages with my picture.

The driver looked quite concerned as he looked at my passport.

Now that I had produced some official looking identification he looked at it but obviously did not understand what it was other than some form of official identification. However, he did, very cautiously roll the window down slowly and ask what I wanted. He looked quite worried, even frightened at this stage. I still had a big smile on my face which I think did not help him.

I nodded to the parcel and he looked puzzled.

It was not until I explained in my broken French that I believed the parcel was for me that he then looked at the parcel and gave my parcel a more attentive reading.

At that point relief washed over him and he smiled and started scanning the parcel before giving it to me. He was all smiles and totally relieved. My conjecture is that he thought I was going to rob him and then when I produced identification he thought I was some form of policeman. My being a policeman did not appear to reassure him. It was only when he realised I was a customer expecting a delivery that he relaxed. He was so relaxed he could not stop thanking me and smiling.

>135 pgmcc: Oh boy, gotta wonder if he thought he was guilty of something.

>136 Karlstar:
Precisely.

>135 pgmcc: Good story :)

The poor driver! Did you apologize for terrifying him?
And do the boots fit?

>135 pgmcc: Wow. I wonder if the driver has had a bad experience or two in the past.

>135 pgmcc: Little does he know what a narrow escape he had and who he was really dealing with.

>138 Alexandra_book_life: I thought it was funny.

>139 clamairy: He was so rapturously delighted that I was neither thief nor flick there was no need to apologise. He was just over the moon. :-)

And yes, the boots fit perfectly and are very comfortable.

>140 Narilka: I felt his initial reaction was due to training and that he was following the protocol for encountering a security risk. Delivery drivers need to be on the alert for potential incidents.

>141 MrsLee: He suspected nothing. My cover is intact. All he has is the name that was on the parcel and on the passport. Sure that could be anyone.

>142 pgmcc: Waaaait a minute. I thought you said the package was boots? Your reply to >139 clamairy: gives you away.

>143 MrsLee:. I saw that as well. Revealing slip-up, isn't it?

>143 MrsLee:
A freudian slip. My proofreading is slipping. Well spotted.

>144 jillmwo:
Too sharp.

In related news, my copy of Ian McDonald’s new book, The Wilding, was delivered to my home on 26th, publication day. It will be a week before I get to hold it in my hands. I am sure it will fit perfectly and be very comfortable.

Reading update:
Still enjoying Mortal Love but am not getting the run at it that it deserves. I feel I will suffer later in the book as I will not be remembering vital details and names from the early part. Reading has been interrupted by such nasty things as gardening, touring Tours, dinner with friends, visits (yes, plural) to IKEA, drinks with friends, meals in nice restaurants,... The barriers to reading come in many forms.

>148 pgmcc:. The barriers to reading come in many forms.. And for me, the immediate question was why there were so many things needed from IKEA? I revert to the days of gasoline rationing in World War II, when posters asked in severe tones whether the viewer's trip was really necessary? How many more bookshelves can that French chateau accommodate? ;>)

>149 jillmwo:
I revert to the days of gasoline rationing in World War II, when posters asked in severe tones whether the viewer's trip was really necessary?

My wife wanted a type of mirror that we failed to get during our last visit to IKEA; that made the trip necessary. Also, we use diesel, not petrol/gasoline. Also, the food is very cheap when you are an IKEA Family member. We had two cups of coffee, two croissants and two pain au chocolat for €3.50.

As it happens, on this trip we did not buy any Billy bookcases, but to be fair to you, yes, Billy bookcases are probably the item we have bought most often at IKEA.

Security considerations and protocol forbid my telling you anything regarding the size and disposition of our accommodation. This includes not mentioning the 1,273 Billy bookcases in the ground floor rooms.

I did promise a cheese report.



Apologies for not managing to get picture the right way up. I made several attempts and failed miserably.

Well, there are no surprises here. These are all cheeses I mentioned before that I have taken a liking to. The only one I had difficulty getting was the Galet de La Loire. The shop I used to get it at is in low season and has reduced stock. It turns out that this cheese is a bit of a gourmet cheese and I was only able to find two relatively nearby locations where I can get it. By chance our mission visit to Tours brought me past one of those locations. This was purely accidental and it was pure luck I spotted the small specialist cheese shop and recognised its name as one of the locations purporting to have Galet de La Loire. The shop is called, Passion Du Fromage.

We made a point of getting the cheeses we like rather than experimenting with new cheeses. We have been enjoying nibbling these cheeses during or cheese course in the evenings. We may even have had cheese during lunch. Just maybe. :-)

Have you noticed how well wine and cheese go together.

Cheese and bourbon, also, which is what I am enjoying right now. A variety of Wisconsin cheeses - gouda based, mostly and some Buffalo Trace.

>151 pgmcc: Enjoy!
I've been buying the Saint Agur in a two pack. It's soooo good.

>151 pgmcc: Thank you for the cheese report.

"The shop I used to get it at is in low season and has reduced stock." By chance did this visit resemble the Monty Python cheese shop skit? (not the ending!)

>154 Karlstar:
”Gorgonzola!”

The shopping experience was not quite like that great sketch, but not too far off. The shop hours had been 08:30 to 13:00 and 15:00 to 20:00. During the lunch break the shopkeeper locks the shop and has their lunch sitting in the covered area at the front of the establishment. We arrived in the area at 14:50 and saw Chantelle having her break. Meal times are sacred in France so you do not interrupt anyone at such times. We chatted to people in a location away from the shop but within line of sight assuming we would see the shop being opened at 15:00.

At 15:15 we realised things were not as they had been so went over to greet Chantelle and ask about the Galet de La Loire. We had a lovely reunion and exchanged news of family and training holidays before asking about opening the shop. We were told she only opened it when customers came along rather than keep it open all the time. On asking about the cheese she told us they had none as things had slowed down business-wise. She made no move to open the shop. :-(

We eventually said farewell and left without any Gorgonzola.

>155 pgmcc: Heartbreaking.

>155 pgmcc: How unfortunate!

>151 pgmcc: That's a lovely selection! Thank you for this cheese report.

>155 pgmcc: Most unfortunate!

This reminded me of how my mom's French friends once took her to a very special cheese shop (somewhere in Grenoble, I think). The gentleman who owned the shop wouldn't sell cheese to just any customer, you had to show that you were knowledgeable. Luckily, my mom had a very impressive shopping list with her. She got to buy cheese, and then they talked about other cheeses they both liked. Then she made the mistake of mentioning a cheese you can buy at a regular supermarket. Oh, the horror. The owner was very disappointed and wouldn't talk to her any more. But she did get to keep her cheese ;)

>159 Alexandra_book_life:
LOL!

A quick update on the books I have on order which will be arriving in the next two months.

- Karla's Choice by Nick Harkaway 24th October, 2024 (Both hardback and Kindle. My wife and I both want to read it when it arrives.)
- The City and its Uncertain Walls by Haruki Murakami 19th November, 2024
- Fortunate Son by Caimh McDonnell (No Touchstone yet) 20th November, 2024
- Sleeper Beach by Nick Harkaway (No Touchstone yet) 10th April, 2025

I will follow the band and start a new thread now it is Q4.

>161 pgmcc: I have Sleeper Beach on my wish list. Looking forward to another Titanium Noir installment!

Harkaway has done a Smiley novel? That's so weird and oddly touching. I hope dad approves and that it's good. Not sure their writing styles are similar as I've never read a Harkaway.