I’ve been reviewing for Rosie’s Book Review Team for many years – wish I could remember how many, but the first one saved on this computer is from 2016. This year I’ve reviewed nine, down a bit because I joined a book club which seems to love assigning doorstops to read. What I’ve enjoyed about being part of this team is that it’s given me the chance to explore other genres than my own. Since I write cozy mysteries, I started out reviewing just those, but now have expanded – much to my delighted discovery – into sci-fi, fantasy, dystopian fiction, romance, historical fiction and women’s novels. I’ve also made some good blogging buddies through the team. Dystopian fiction is a category I’d never explored, but thanks to the books of Terry Tyler, I’ve become an addict! The most memorable book of the ones I’ve read for the team this year is The Architect of Grayland by Evelyn Arvy. From my review: “This is an endlessly fascinating and creative science fiction novel. The world building is gradual, as needs must when you have a person set down in a vast area of nothing! I highly recommend this novel (five stars) and think that any reader would enjoy it, not just those of us who like science fiction. This story is more concerned with the strength, determination, and creativeness of the human mind and spirit, which the author portrays in an unusual setting. I hope to see a new book from this author on the #RBRT list in the coming year, along with Tony Riches (an historical fiction writer of Tudor times), and Carol Hedges (as Victorian mystery writer). Along with these three, there are certain other authors whose books I would always agree to review: Thorne Moore, Harald Johnson, and Liza Perrat. Here are the books I reviewed this year. If you are interested, the reviews can be pulled up on this web site. Plutonian Sun by R H Twitcher, Scifi Full Circle by Vered Neta, HistoricalTales Of The Risen Tide by David Reynalds, Scifi Pride & Pestilence by Carol Hedges, Histfic Mystery USS PRIMIS: The First Starship by M.H. Altis, Scifi The Twilights by Harald Johnson, Dystopia The Architect of Grayland by Evelyn Arvey, Scifi Run by Matthew Becker, thriller Lake Of Widows by Liza Perrat, Histfic I’m currently preparing to review the latest book from Thorne Moore, of whom I once wrote something like, “she could write about a paper bag and make it interesting,” and a crime thriller by Matthew Becker. 0 0
This novel begins with the introduction of Adrienne Chevalier, wife of a psychiatrist, who lives in an upscale area of Lyon in a chic apartment. Her children are away for the summer and her life is desolate, reduced to keeping the apartment perfect for her controlling husband, who ignores her. One brutally hot day, she forces herself to walk to the grocery store in the oppressive weather to buy food for her husband’s lunch, but when she gets to the checkout station, something snaps. She walks out of the store and wanders off, eventually accepting the offer of a ride by a hippie driving by in a van. He takes her out of the city to the encampment where he lives with others, raising their own food and enjoying sexual freedom. Adrienne hides there, reveling in being free of her husband and the strictures of her life. Eventually, however, she becomes disheartened with the hippie life style and flees to rural Sainte-Marie-du-Lac, a resort area where she had been with her husband. There the owner of the idyllic resort, L’Auberge de Léa, takes pity on her bedraggled state and poverty and gives Adrienne a job that pays, along with a place to stay. While there, she discovers a leather pouch of valuable coins, which unknown to her, belongs to Blanche Larue. Blanche is the second prominent woman in this book populated by women. Blanche has been trapped by her husband’s infidelity, but is trying to adjust to being newly widowed and free. Her life had always been dictated by the social norms of the village and she has had to gracefully accept her husband’s dalliances. The third woman, Suzanne Rossignol, was the original owner of the auberge many years earlier, and Adrienne finds her journal in the room where she is staying. She discovers that Suzanne’s beloved husband left home to fight in WWI and returned a stranger with a mind destroyed by his experiences. As he became increasingly and erratically brutal to Suzanne, she had to deal with him while providing for them both. Three women, each in a timeless struggle of oppression and patriarchy, tradition and abuse, against a beautiful backdrop of the tranquil French countryside. Their stories are linked by the social strictures of the time: Adrienne by her husband’s diabolical lengths to find and control her, Blanche by the social stigma of blatantly unfaithful husband, and Suzanne by a village that expects her to deal with the daily danger of her mentally ill husband. How these stories tie together will surprise the reader. This is an interesting read about a time of great change in the lives of women, and the author deals with the subject in a fascinating way through the lives of these three main characters, delving into their desires and ambitions and love of family. There are many other women in this book and without exception they are well-drawn and believable, with foibles and talents and dreams. If I had any criticism it is that the men are less so. Emile, Adrienne husband, is sharply presented as a cruel, self-centered man without a shred of empathy, determined to control her at all costs. While the reader is not introduced to Blanche’s husband except by recollection, he seems equally remote, uncaring of his wife, and amoral. Suzanne’s husband is probably the worst example of what happened to men who returned from WWI, alternately physically aggressive and catatonic. Bambou, the hippy who takes Adrienne out of the city is almost a caricature of what people think of as a hippy – warm and loving, handsome with long hair and blue eyes, and definitely enjoying sex not only with Adrienne but also with the other women in the encampment. That is not to say I did not enjoy this book! The author paints a lyrical portrait of the French countryside in details of colors and smells and landscape. I fell in love with the lake community, with its traditions and its food. It’s definitely a place I would love to visit. The author makes the reader feel great empathy for each of the main characters and to recognize what our own mothers and grandmothers dealt with in their times. I strongly recommend this book to readers who enjoy women’s fiction set in a turbulent historical time. About the author: Liza Perrat grew up in Wollongong, Australia, where she worked as a general nurse and midwife for fifteen years. When she met her French husband on a Bangkok bus, she moved to France, where she has been living with her family for over twenty years. She works part-time as a French-English medical translator, and as a novelist. Since completing a creative writing course twelve years ago, several of her short stories have won awards, notably the Writers Bureau annual competition of 2004 and her stories have been published widely in anthologies and small press magazines. Spirit of Lost Angels is the first in her French historical trilogy, The Bone Angel series. The second – Wolfsangel – was published in October, 2013, and the third, Blood Rose Angel, was published in November, 2015. She is a founding member of the author collective, Triskele Books and reviews books for BookMuse. You can find her On her website: www.lizaperrat.com Her blog: http://lizaperrat.blogspot.com On Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Liza-Perrat-232382930192297/timeline/ 0 0
It’s been a good while since I posted anything, but the Missus has been pretty busy writing. I should know, since my cat tree is in her office. As you can see, I am a large and very fluffy cat, needing daily brushing and mat removal. The most traumatic recent event, at least to my feline mind, is that Missus brought home another cat. She said it was because she thought I might be lonely, me being the sole king of the house. I think she did it to annoy me. Samantha is a pain in the neck. She is a three-year-old tabby Manx. In case you don’t know, that means she had oval eyes and a very stubby tail. She is also very small and feisty. It was marginally okay when she lived in the guest room, but Missus finally put our food bowls in the same room and our litter boxes side by side. That just encouraged Samantha to try to take over. She has her own cat tree in the office, which I like from time to time, even if I don’t quite fit. What’s hers is mine, even if it’s too small. Usually, she just sleeps on the end of the bed next to the office while I occupy my cat tree. At night and sometimes in the afternoon, she comes to sleep on the big bed. That bed is MINE, but we can share it if she stays at the other end. She eats my food from time to time and I have to put Samantha in her place at least once a day. Mostly just growling and hissing and spitting. She irritates me. Occasionally I jump on her. Then I get yelled at a lot because I instigate it. But she does mostly take her afternoon naps in the guest room, giving me some peace. Missus says I am getting a lot more exercise now since we chase each other from one end of the house to the other several times during the day. I don’t know about that. I think I am as handsome as ever and quite fit. Samantha told me she was a stray from somewhere, she didn’t know where, and she had a litter of kittens after she was picked up. It sounded like she had a tough time being a stray. Maybe that’s why she likes to drink water from the shower floor and gets into the bathroom sink to drink from the faucet. And she wants to be outside. She sits next to the front door when people are coming in and out, so she gets shushed away a lot. One night both of us got outside. The inside door to the patio had been left open, and Samantha discovered a shoe blocked the screen door just enough so she could slip out. I followed her, of course, but the screen door made a noise when I tried to slip my svelte self through, since I outweigh Samantha by eight pounds. Missus heard it and Mister discovered us sitting on the patio when he turned on the light. Samantha was urging me to follow her and explore, but honestly, I didn’t know what to do. I’ve never been outside. I think she didn’t know quite where to go either, because it was very dark out there. Anyway, Mister came out on the patio and yelled at us, so we scrambled back inside. It hasn’t stopped Samantha from sitting by the door though. In any event, my life has changed, although Missus still shares her side of the bed with me, and I get brushed and petted a lot and she cuts out all my mats. Missus has to cuddle Samantha every day because that cat is very needy. It’s okay with me as long as I get lots of attention too. So that’s the news from Chez Garfield. Maybe Samantha and I will become friends, but I doubt it. 2 0
The following day we traveled to Edinburgh, where we had a bus tour of the city. Gene and skipped the trip to the castle since we had already done that, but instead went to Calton Hill for a photo op of the city. Calton Hill is the headquarters of the Scottish government, based in St. Andrew’s House on the hill’s southern slope. There are many monuments on the hill, among them the Nelson Monument and the National Monument, which was modeled on the Parthenon in Athens and was dedicated to the Scottish soldiers and sailors who died in the Napoleonic Wars. Construction started in 1826 and, due to the lack of funds, was left unfinished in 1829. This circumstance gave rise to various nicknames such as “Scotland’s Folly.” From Wikipedea The view The Nelson Monument We ended our tour with a visit to the Palace of Holyrood, the official residence of the British Monarch in Scotland. It is located at the opposite end of the Royal Mile to Edinburgh Castle. Its building began in 1128 on the orders of King David I of Scotland and its name probably derives from a relic of the Cross known as the Holy Rood, which belonged to St. Margaret, David’s mother. The British monarch spends one week at the palace e each summer an in September of 2022, Queen Elizabeth’s coffin stayed there for two days. You enter via a gate house and then are attracted to a Victorian fountain before actually entering the palace. Inside there is a lovely open court yard. Adjacent to the castle are the remaining walls of Holyrood Abbey founded by David I. In December of 1768 the roof collapsed, leaving the abbey as it currently stands, a roofless ruin. We walked in the gardens, which were exquisitely green and colorful, and covered some ten acres, a challenging walk but worth it. On the way out, we noted a small garden building, surviving from the 16th century, known as Queen Mary’s Bath House, although it is not thought to have been used for bathing. I hope you enjoyed this overview of our tour. We have lots more pictures and memories but these are the highlights. 1 0
Our next stop, on the following day was the village of Kincraig, where we watched a sheepdog demonstration. These dogs are the very smart, athletic, and energetic border collies and we watched Ian Ross, the sheepherder, put them through their paces. There were lots of dogs, including some beautiful and friendly puppies, and I got to try shearing a sheep and also feeding a little one. The sheepherder has been a tenant on this farm for over 50 years, which means he does not own either the sheep or the land and is only allowed to live there by the landlord’s largess. He told us none of his five children were interested in following in his footsteps, and I wondered where he would go when his working days were done. Happiness is a warm puppy. We ended our day in the legendary St. Andrews, staying at the Old Course Hotel on the famous golf course. After a very comfortable night, where we toured part of the golf course, ending up in front of the Royal and Ancient Golf Club behind the 18th green. It was founded in 1754. A person can golf there, but you have to be invited and have a handicap of 6 or less. After exiting the famous greens, we visited the ruins of St. Andrews Cathedral. It was built in 1158 and became the center of the medieval Catholic Church in Scotland. The largest church to have been built in Scotland, it fell into disuse and ruin after Catholic mass was outlawed during the 16th-century Scottish Reformation. There was a lot of mist that morning which made our photos eerie. After the cathedral, we walked around the medieval town, along the waterfront, and saw the ruins of St Andrews Castle, a bishop’s palace, a fortress and a state prison during its 450-year history. Today it is just a picturesque ruin, situated on a rocky promontory overlooking Castle Sands and the North Sea. It was the main residence of the bishops of the cathedral and was first built at the end of the 12th century. In 1592, it was abandoned following the abolition of bishops in Scotland, after which it partially collapsed, leaving behind the remains of the outer walls and the castle entrance. Later that morning we visited St. Andrews University. The students had just arrived for the semester and wore their typical red gowns, lending a lot of color to the streets and the university quads. Whether the gown is worn on both shoulders, one shoulder, or no shoulders indicates what year the student is. Both shoulders is a first year. Second-year students wear the gown slightly back off their shoulders. Third-year students wear the gown either fully off the right shoulder if studying science or the left shoulder if studying arts. Fourth-year students (magistrands) wear the gown off both shoulders, across the elbows. From the St. Andrew’s University Newsletter 1 0
The next part of our tour took us to the ruins of Urquart Castle, one of Scotland’s most popular attractions. The castle ruins sit on the edge of Loch Ness and date from the 13th to the 16th centuries, though built on the site of an earlier medieval fortification. Founded in the 13th century, Urquhart played a role in the series of military campaigns fought between the kingdoms of Scotland and England in the late 13th and 14th centuries. Urquhart was partially destroyed in 1692 to prevent its use by Jacobite forces and subsequently decayed. The walled portion of the castle is shaped roughly like a figure-8 along the bank of the loch, forming two enclosures or bailies: the Nether Bailey to the north, and the Upper Bailey to the south. The curtain walls of both enclosures date largely to the 14th century. The northern bailey is where most of the remaining structures are located I was particularly interested in the old model of a trebuchet on the grounds. The trebuchet is a type of catapult that uses a rotating arm with a sling attached to the tip to launch a projectile. It was a common powerful and common siege engine that was probably used against the castle. From the shore line of the castle, we took a ferry the length of Loch Ness. Although I spent my time scanning the water for Nessie, the Loch Ness monster, I didn’t get a glimpse of her. The idea is that Nessie is actually a large sea snake and not a modern day plesiosaur. First of all, plesiosaur were not fresh water creatures and second, a lot of snake DNA has been gathered from Loch Ness. After debarking from the ferry, we got back on the bus for our trip to Culloden Moor. The story of Culloden is well-known: the site of the last battle of the Jacobite uprising in 1746, more than one thousand Highlanders lost their lives in the span of one hour. In retribution for the uprising, King George II had most of the clans slaughtered and their homes destroyed. This marked the end of the clan system in Scotland. Culloden itself is just a large field where the lines of the Highlanders and the English are marked by red and blue flags. It is somber and peaceful. We enjoyed the museum and the demonstration by one of the guides of what each side wore for uniforms, the weapons used, and the type of fighting. The next day took us to Dunrobin Castle, a breathtaking mid-19th-century edifice that began as a tower keep in the 14th century. The architect of the Houses of Parliament in London did the remodeling, along with gardens designed in the fashion of Versailles. The Castle, which resembles a French château with its towering conical spires sits on the east coast of the Northern Highlands overlooking the Moray Firth. A special treat was a demonstration of falconry by the in-house falconer. Several different types of falcons, an owl and a golden eagle were on display on their perches and he showed us the hunting skills of a Harris hawk and the peregrine falcon and how he works with them when he goes hunting. In the afternoon, we made a stop that had Hubs grinning from ear to ear – the Glenmorangie whisky distillery. We listened to the guide describe how the whisky was created and distilled and then had a whisky tasting to round up the tour. The company has half a million barrels of whisky aging on site. One thing we noticed is that all the trees around the distillery were black. This is a result of the distillate that escapes during the process, called the Angel’s Share. 0 0
The next day we left for the Highlands, my favorite part of the tour. I was happy to be seated for part of the day on the bus, and we particularly enjoyed our driver, Mark, who was kind enough to stop for picture opportunities and took such good care of our things. Driving that huge bus took a lot of skill, which I admired from my front seat. We stopped to admire and photograph Loch Lomond, Great Britain’s largest freshwater lake, and take in The Trossachs National Park, which gradually gave way from lowlands to high mountains, laced with lochs, rivers, and estuaries. Scotland is a very watery place. Then we visited the area of Glencoe, surrounded by deep valleys, rushing rivers, and waterfalls. Excavations are ongoing of the site of the Massacre of Glencoe in 1692, in which 38 members of the Clan MacDonald were killed by forces acting on behalf of the government of King William III, who doubted their loyalty to their Protestant king. The Clan had fed the soldiers and given them shelter for nearly two weeks before they turned on their hosts, in an act of ultimate treachery. (Image credit: Culture Club/Getty Images) The following day, we stopped at the Glenfinnan Monument, honoring Bonnie Prince Charlie (Charles Edward Stuart, pretender to the throne) and recognizing his leadership, poor though it was, of the Jacobite Rising of 1745. On the 19th of that year, Prince Charles Edward Stuart rowed up Loch Shiel (visible in the photo) towards the tiny hamlet of Glenfinnan with a small band of his most loyal supporters. He had called on clan chiefs to muster their men and join him here for a daring quest to restore the Stuarts to the British throne. Ultimately 1200 clansmen joined him. The rising ended in defeat at Culloden in 1746 and the Highlands suffered punishment and reprisals for years to come, including the total destruction of the clan system. The Glenfinnan viaduct is nearby and can be seen after a breathless hike up the hill behind the monument (we were given 15 minutes), which I chose not to take, although my husband did. This is NOT a photo we took, but you will perhaps recognize it as the famous bridge crossed by the Hogwarts Express steam train in the Harry Potter movies. After the stop, we traveled on to Malaig, where the bus boarded a ferry for Armadale on the southern tip of the Isle of Skye, the largest of the Inner Hebrides with stunning scenery. The ferry trip was a might chilly, so most of us stayed inside the ferry! We were then driven to Armadale Castle and Gardens, built in the 18th century and home of Clan Macdonald. The castle was abandoned in 1925, but the gardens are beautifully maintained. This last is the view from the front of the castle, would have always been approached from the water, because this was the home of a Highland Clan chief. After lunch, we drove through Skye’s Black Cuillin Hills and returned to the mainland over the magnificent Skye Bridge (obviously not my photo) for a visit to the iconic Eilean Donan Castle, which sits on a small tidal island at the confluence of three lochs and dates to the 13th century. The name Eilean Donan or island of Donan, is most probably called after the 6th century Irish Saint, Bishop Donan who came to Scotland around 580 AD. The castle was built as a protective measure against the Vikings who raided, settled, and controlled much of the North of Scotland and the Western Isles between 800 and 1266. Over the centuries, the castle itself has expanded and contracted in size. Its role in the Jacobite rising ultimately culminated in the castle’s destruction. What remained of the castle after three days of bombardment by armed English frigates was blown up by the British following a surrender. For the best part of 200 years, the stark ruins of Eilean Donan lay neglected, abandoned and open to the elements, until Lt Colonel John Macrae-Gilstrap bought the island in 1911 and restored the castle according to surviving plans. The castle is entered from the south, via a modern portal complete with a portcullis. Above the door is a Gaelic inscription which in translation reads: “As long as there is a Macrae inside, there will never be a Fraser outside”, referring to a bond of kinship between the two clans. The portal gives access to the courtyard. The keep itself, which we visited, follows the original dimensions, though the formerly subdivided ground floor is now a single room: a tunnel-vaulted Billeting Hall. Above on the first floor is the Banqueting Hall with an oak ceiling and decorated with coats of arms and 15th-century style fireplace Gene and I decided this was a good place for a picture of our tired selves. 1 0
Our tour actually began on the day we met with everyone in Glasgow, with a visit to the National Piping Centre for a demonstration by a Master Piper. Bagpipes are loud! But I learned that bagpipes probably got their origin in the Middle East. The next morning we set off by bus to visit not one, not two, but three museums. Along the way, I noted that the city had a lot of Victorian-era buildings of red and blond sandstone. Our first stop was the Burrell Collection, which houses 9000 pieces of art spanning six millennia. We were treated to an early entry to a Degas exhibit with 23 Degas works from Burrell’s original collection together in one place. I recommend this exhibit to anyone in Glasgow since it traces the development of Degas as a painter and sculptor. Then we wandered through the overwhelming collection of art in the main museum. I was so overwhelmed I only took a few – a relatively poor – pictures. After that, we went to the Kelvingrove Art Gallery and Museum, with 22 galleries with 8000 objet d’art. Here my legs gave out, but I had a grand time sitting in the enormous atrium listening to an organ recital. Our final museum of the day was the Zaha-Hadid Riverside Museum, which showcases the city’s transport, ship building and engineering history. I had restored myself enough to walk amongst the antique cars, boats and trams, but especially liked the way the spectacularly engineered modern museum opened onto the River Clyde. Just outside on the river. Glasgow’s tall ship, the Glenlee is moored. This British sail-powered cargo vessel was also an Italian ship of mystery and a training ship for the Spanish Navy over its 127 year history. A long day for someone unused to walking more than 2-3 miles a day! 1 0
After a five year delay in taking this trip (our original deposit was still there this year!) due to Covid and grandchildren, Hubs and I bit the bullet and made the trans-Atlantic flight, meeting my daughter and family in Edinburgh four days before the trip began. I’d forgotten how tired the time difference made you, but my daughter only scheduled two tours a day to account for that and our advancing years. This is the entrance to Edinburgh Castle. A steep walk uphill all the way to the top, with gorgeous views and lots of history. The second picture was taken from the end of the street where our hotel was located. You can see why the castle was never taken, although parts were blown away by cannon fire. The volcanic rock on which it sits offers a naturally defended position, with sheer cliffs to north and south. This is Mons Meg, a six-ton cannon that could fire 500-pound balls for two miles. It was a gift from Duke Philip of Burgundy to King James II of Scotland. My grandson told me he could crawl inside! This is the back of a barracks at the top of the castle – looks like it would be interesting inside, but not. This ;picture was taken in the great hall at the top of the castle complex. Lots of armor and swords etc. This was NOT Queen Mary’s primary residence – she preferred Holyrood Castle at the other end of the Royal Mile – warmer and more comfortable. But she gave birth to James I of Scotland ( who was also James Vi of England) here, because of concerns for her safety. The views from the top breath-taking (as was the climb!). We also took a long taxi ride to Midhope Castle, which is derelict but intact on the outside. Does anyone recognize Lallybroch from Outlander? Then a tortuous and expensive taxi ride to find Hopetoun House, another Outlander site. The house was built 1699–1701 and the south wing of the house is occupied by the family of Adrian Hope, 4th Marquess of Linlithgow. First seen as the Duke of Sandringham’s home, Hopetoun House has been used in seasons 1, 2 and 3 of Outlander, to recreate scenes in Scotland, England and Paris. We had a great lunch outside the original stables and enjoyed the glamorous surroundings, gardens, and manor. The following day we visited HRM Britannia, the Royal Yacht of Queen Elizabeth II for over 44 years, travelling the world and hosting state events. Today, she is a five-star museum and events venue in Edinburgh, Scotland. We had high tea to celebrate my birthday on the Fingal, a companionship to Britannia where people can book to stay. The food was overwhelming and we slept with tight bellies that night. On Sunday we had to find our own way to Glasgow, where our tour began the next morning, so we said goodbye to the family and discovered the clean and efficient Scottish bus system. More to come… 1 0
I know it’s the end of summer, but we’ve decided to take a two+ week break. I will have lots of good things to tell when I am back on line. Also, as of today, I am an octogenarian. Fancy that! Every day is a gift from God! And I leave you with a gift – the cover of my new book! 0 0
