Mystery writers: some that I like

Deborah Crombie, Elizabeth George, Kathy Reichs, and Jacqueline Winspear - stories are more serious and there are lots of details.

Diane Mott Davidson, Joanne Fluke and Mary Jane Maffini are very easy to read.

Julia Spencer Fleming and Louise Penny are probably my favourites.

I like to read a series in order because then you see the development of the characters.

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Kate Charles writes clerical mysteries but not many available at OPL.

Deborah Crombie writes about Scotland Yard detectives who are professionally and personally involved.

Diane Mott Davidson writes a cooking series. What caught my eye about the author is her involvement in the Episcopal Church; the church involvement does come into some of her books.

Joanne Fluke also writes a cooking series.

Elizabeth George writes the Inspector Lynley series which was on PBS. These are also Scotland Yard detectives.

Mary Jane Maffini is a lapsed librarian from Ottawa. She writes several different series. I like the one based in Ottawa because I know where it is all happening.

Louise Penny is a Canadian living in the Eastern Townships and the books are set there and in Montreal.

Kathy Reichs is a Canadian forensic anthropologist. The books are set in Montreal and the States and in real life this is her work.

Julia Spencer Fleming writes a series about police chief and an Episcopal priest.

Maggie Wheeler writes about the St. Lawrence Seaway and the communities that were flooded to build it.

Jacqueline Winspear writes about a female private eye who works in WWI and afterwards.　
　

Horsy novels

I have started to read some horsy novels. There are lots of them for the younger crowd but I am finding some quite good ones for adults.

So the Ottawa Public Library has redesigned their catalogue and web site. Now you can make lists for yourself or to share with others. I started one for Horse novels. I added several older items that are on my shelves.

I also found a few lists to help get me started. I will consult them as I pursue this interest in reading and horses.

Books that I am reading - what do they say about me?

Starting in my basement are the books in process - the more serious books for reflection, my Bible and my Bible reading notes. I am currently reading two books - Dying We Live by Edward S. Gleason; Bulletproof Faith: A Spiritual Survival Guide for Gay and Lesbian Christians by Candace Chellew-Hodge.

Beside my bed is usually the latest mystery book that I am reading. At present it is - The Tale Of Applebeck Orchard by Susan Albert. This is a lovely series based on Beatrix Potter in the Lakes District.

I have also started I Is for Innocent (Kinsey Millhone Mysteries) by Sue Grafton. A friend gave a large number of her books to me and I am slowly working my way through the series.

English newspapers

My dad made some good friends in England when he was stationed there during the war. I met the daughter when she came to Canada in 1967. She had been a teenager during the war. I met her again with her mom when my mom and I went to England in the fall of 1975 after my dad had died suddenly.

My mom and this family exchanged Christmas cards and various presents over the years. I remember my mom going to a local cheese producer in Vankleek Hill Ontario to buy some Canadian cheddar. It was specially wrapped to send to England.

In return they sent to us a subscription to the “Illustrated London News.” It was a very distinguished publication that started in 1842. My mom would pass the magazine to someone else when she was finished with it. It seems that the magazine made the rounds of Lachute. She was once offered a copy and had to admit that she did not need to read it as it had started out at her house!

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A much less reputable newspaper that was sometimes around in the house in Lachute was “The News of the World.” It is known to be involved with various scandals - I think my parents enjoyed it as a bit of a joke.

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Can I compare these two titles to the Ottawa Citizen or the Ottawa Sun? Not really. Now I do not read either newspaper in hard copy and when I am phoned to take out a subscription I tell them that I only read it online - which is true.

Bookmobiles

This is one of the 2 bookmobiles that the Ottawa Public Library has. I see them parked at the branch where I often go to return my library books.





Have you ever used a bookmobile? They have to be well organized to use all the space and have special shelves so that the books do not slide around.

When I was growing up in Lachute, an enterprising member of the community arranged for the McGill McLennan Travelling Library to stop in the town. This bookmobile served areas of rural Quebec. The local library facilities in English were fairly limited but I do not think the French language facilities were much better.

I remember getting large piles of children's books. I have enjoyed reading for a very long time.

Like my mom

It seems that I looked very much like my mom. When we were out together, people would remark on that fact. There are old pictures somewhere in my basement that show a very strong resemblance.

I know I am continuing some of my mom's traits and so is my sister. My sister is a great cook. I took her the contents of my mom's recipe box.

The last time I visited my sister, she put me to work cleaning silver. She said my mom had cleaned silver for her too. I have distant memories of my grandmother - my mom's mom - cleaning silver in Lachute.

I started to read the Kathy Reichs series. My mom liked them because of the Montreal connection - she went to university and lived in Montreal during the war.

Summer reading

Since I have been retired and I can easily retire to my basement, I have been reading more than one book at once. Fiction is usually on the menu as well so that makes 3 books - at least.

Nouwen, Henri - The inner voice of love. These are short reflections written during a very difficult time in the author's life. How to find love when feeling rejected.

Chittister, Joan - The Gift of Years: Growing Older Gracefully. These are also short reflections onm different aspects of aging. It is not as spiritual and reflective as I first thought but the author still has good things to say.

Fiction reading. I would like to get back to some churchy mystery series that I know about. I like series that develop the characters over time. My public library is a great resource for reading all of a series and reading them in the order published.