I splurged. I bought books!
I just realized I wrote that like this was an extraordinary occurrence- even added an exclamation point. Might as well tell the truth. Buying books comes naturally to me. This behavior was actually encouraged by my parents: Instead of saying ‘ooooh Mom…….can I have those earrings? (or t-shirt or whatnot)’, I’d say ‘ooooh Mom….can I have that paperback?’ And Mom (or Dad) would say ‘Yes’. You see? Early training does stick. But back to my treasure.
When the libraries closed last year, I turned to my still-to-be-read-piles of books on my shelves. Unfortunately, I couldn’t always find quite the right book for my mood. Then I found ThriftBooks. Very reasonably priced and quick to arrive, I am hooked. I haven’t bought many new releases this past year, rather, I’ve been sticking to those that have been out for a bit. Better late than never.
I read the first in the Cormoran Strike series The Cuckoo’s Calling and liked it so much I had to get The Silkworm. Cormoran Strike is Robert Galbraith’s flawed private detective. The Cuckoo’s Calling established him as an intelligent detective but quirky; an odd childhood with a distinguished military career cut short. When we meet him, he is down on his luck. Short of clients, cash, and recently thrown out of his girlfriend’s apartment, Cormoran has no choice to but to live in his office. Into this arrangement comes his new temporary secretary, Robin Ellacott. I enjoyed the development of the characters as well as the plot line. I am looking forward to reading more about this duo.
I could spend quite some time extolling on the delights of Kerry Greenwood’s Phryne Fisher mysteries. Her books have become a lovely escape during this pandemic. Worried? Stressed? Twitchy? Stop doom scrolling and vanish into 1929 St. Kilda. For a moment, just play pretend you are there…… intelligent, resourceful, daring, stunning (she was portrayed by Essie Davis), and Uncle Scrooge McDuck wealthy. You have Mr. and Mrs. Butler attending to your every need, Dot the faithful assistant, and Bert and Cec the cab driving back up. Relax and enjoy. Sooner or later you will remember things like- no air conditioning, sketchy medical care, you know, reality. That’s okay – it was nice while it lasted.
Last bit of treasure was Snobbery with Violence. I’ve never read Marion Chesney/M. C. Beaton so this is a brand new adventure. I do like period pieces and haven’t read an Edwardian in ages. I am looking forward to this one.
I seem to have prattled on. Can’t help it – books bring that out in me!
Thank you for reading and stay safe!
AnotherDay - vmc 