Time, as it always does, has rushed on, and our annual May trip to the rolling hills and lush green valleys of eastern Missouri’s wine country has come and gone. It was a wonderful, restful vacation despite a few less than ideal circumstances. One of these being the fact that I got some kind of intestinal bug on Tuesday, the day we left, that brought with it a two-day fever and off-again, on-again stomach cramps that didn’t go away until Saturday morning. The other was a week-long rainy forecast.
Don’t feel bad for me though, we really did have a relaxing and refreshing time together. I didn’t get any pictures to share this time, just the mental ones I took of the beautiful green countryside that we drove through each day on our outings. We did a lot of exploring, and a lot of reading. I decided to let this post serve as an “I’ve returned” message followed by some mini-reviews of the books I managed to get through over the course of this past week.
(image from the 2008 reprint)
Bean Blossom Dreams: A City Family’s Search for a Simple Country Life ~Sallyann J. Murphey
–published 1994
–Hearst Books
–318 pages
–4.75/5 stars
Knowing I was going to be spending a week in an area of the country that gives me peace and tranquility put me in the mood to return to an old favorite, Bean Blossom Dreams by Sallyann J. Murphey. The tag line, A City Family’s Search for the Simple Country Life, tells it all pretty well. Bean Blossom Dreams is one of a handful of memorable books that came to my attention because of a display table at a small but interesting independent bookstore that used to exist in an upscale shopping area in Tulsa, OK. I enjoyed listening to British accents of the while I shopped. I consider Bean Blossom Dreams a real treasure not because I have a secret desire to go live off the land but because I grew up in the countryside and I enjoy nature and wide open spaces. That and I admire the fact that these two artistic, creative people made a choice to follow their dreams. For a book written in the early 90’s it is surprisingly relevant today, perhaps more so. Its emphasis on organic growing techniques and environmental responsibility sound more at home today. This isn’t a preachy book, it is just a fun, charming view of one family’s move to the country. The later half of the book is filled with recipes and creative ideas. It is a quick, pleasant read that brought back all kinds of memories from previous readings and was a perfect beginning to the vacation.
Curios ~Richard Marsh
–originally published 1898, this version July 2007
–Valancourt Books
–156 pages
–4.5/5 stars
I visited the library the day before we left and found that my inter-library loan request for Curios: Some Strange Adventures of Two Bachelors had arrived. With only a week-long check out time I decided to bring it along on the trip. The book was written in 1898 by Richard Marsh and it was on the recommendation of another Richard (see review here) that I added this to my queue. Mr. Pugh and Mr. Tress are bachelors who prize themselves on their bizarre collections. The two exist somewhere between being friends and arch-enemies and Curios is a collection of seven short stories describing some of the more memorable events in their collecting lives. Each story is told by either Pugh or Tress which gives them a very subjective quality that adds interest to the tale. These short stories are alternately humorous and creepy and are nothing if not page-turning. I thoroughly enjoyed the experience and would recommend everyone add this to their list, at the very least for the next R.I.P. Challenge. This book brought to mind stories by Poe, Lovecraft, and Wodehouse. Highly recommended.
Strange Light ~Larry Niven
–published 2010
–DreamHaven Books
–23 pages
–4/5 stars
I was thrilled when Lisa Snellings recently sent me copies of her ongoing chapbook series, published in limited editions by DreamHaven. The “Strange” series consists of the work of various authors, inspired by the artwork of Lisa Snellings. I am a big fan of her work as well as that of Larry Niven, so diving right into this was a no-brainer. Strange Light contains three short stories. The first, Doubling Rate, was the longest and the best of the three. The protagonist is Wednesday Gaventry, a woman who at a very young age detected an astrological anomaly. The story reviews the course of her life as it is revolves around this discovery. While it had a definite beginning, middle and end I see the seeds of a larger idea. It will be interesting to see if Larry Niven builds from it in the future. The second story in the collection, The Artists, is set in Niven’s Draco Tavern universe. I am a big fan of the Draco Tavern short stories and so I enjoyed this latest, light-hearted entry into the series. I am not sure anyone unfamiliar with the stories would enjoy it as much as I did, but it was still fun. Betelgeuse is the third and final story in the book. It is a melancholic tale of missed opportunities that seems prophetic in these waning days of NASA’s space shuttle program. Short, but very effective.
My Year ~Roald Dahl
–published 1993
–Jonathan Cape Ltd
–64 pages
–4/5 stars
I continued my vacation reading with another last minute library arrival, My Year by Roald Dahl. Written near the end of his life, My Year is a short month by month journey through the year. Each chapter is filled with reminiscences of a full and interesting life interwoven with brief discourses on the flora and fauna native to the English countryside that appears each month. It was perfect vacation reading, particularly looking out over the foggy, rainswept valley of Hermann from the back porch at the Inn. There is nothing spectacularly profound in this slight volume, and yet its very simplicity is testament to the larger truths that it contains. If I’ve learned anything in my recent Roald Dahl reading it is that this man kept his eyes open and appreciated the simple things, and his recollections of these events are told in the kind of clean, conversational manner that makes you feel like you are sitting at his feet, listening to him tell his stories to you and you alone.
Poirot Investigates: 11 Complete Mysteries ~Agatha Christie
–recorded July 2003
–BBC Audiobooks America
–4.25/5 stars
During our trip up and back, and on the days we journeyed along winding roads throughout the countryside, we listened to an Agatha Christie short story collection entitled Poirot Investigates. Expertly narrated by David Suchet, who portrays Poirot in the BBC series, these 11 short stories are like having a delicious dessert. There is nothing particularly filling about them, yet they were each an enjoyable confection. It helps that Mary and I are so very fond of these characters from the BBC television and film series. Each of the stories are told by Poirot’s good friend, Captain Hastings, whose viewpoint of the unabashedly arrogant Poirot are often quite humorous. Proving that we are not too old to be juvenile in our entertainments, Mary and I laughed uproariously at the language choices of Dame Christie. I’ve listened to several other Agatha Christie stories but have never experienced her writing in this way. It seemed that in nearly every story, Captain Hastings or some other character either “ejaculated suddenly” or “sputtered impotently”. It doesn’t help that coupled with these phrases was sentence structure that often made you think Hastings was sexually preoccupied with Poirot. While this was obviously not Agatha Christie’s intention, I am not ashamed to admit that we had to stop the CD several times to quiet our guffaws before moving on. We are so easily amused. David Suchet is an excellent narrator. In fact all three of the Christie narrators I’ve listened to, Suchet, Emilia Fox, and Hugh Fraser are fabulous to listen to.
Going Solo ~Roald Dahl
–published 1986
–Farrar, Straus and Giroux
–208 pages
–4.5/5 stars
Finally, my vacation reading came to a close with the second part of Roald Dahl’s autobiography, Going Solo. This book picks up where Boy ends and covers the early part of Dahl’s job with Shell Oil and his time as a member of the RAF during WWII. Boy was so fantastic that I thought it would be hard to top, but top it he does. As Dahl writes early on:
He stays true to his word and every page is a fascinating, almost unbelievable account into this chapter of young Roald Dahl’s life. From recounting harrowing snake and lion stories in East Africa to his first encounter with Germans on the day England declared war to his heroic efforts in the skies during WWII, Going Solo is a quick, page-turner of a book that I highly recommend. I cannot tell you anything about it, because it would really spoil everything for you, but trust me, this is one you should read.
That was my vacation in the pages for the last week. While we did much more than read, reading is such a huge part of our lives and it is no surprise that we would both make time to revel in one of our favorite pastimes during our time away. I am refreshed and renewed and ready to rejoin the blogging world. You’ve been missed and I look forward to catching up with you.
I’m so happy that you and Mary had such a wonderful, relaxing time! I can think of no two people who deserve it more. š (But I’m still sorry you were sick, and I hope you’re feeling 100% now.)
And wow! That is quite a nice pile of reading you got through.
Welcome back, we’ve missed you! Wonderful vacation report and book reviews, Carl, though I am sorry to hear of you being ill during what should have been a happy, healthy time. At least it does sound as if it was mostly happy, and you did get some good reading in. Missed the wine, though, eh?
I believe the link on Curios isn’t working, by the way, and I’m glad you liked the book. Interesting, I’ve not had that reaction to Christie, but then it may be a matter of listening for it rather than hearing it. You will see, if you visit my blog, that I have read and posted on More About Boy. I’m now reading Going Solo. The other Dahl book you review here also sounds interesting, but I’ll have to get to it later on, there are too many other things on the teetering TBR stack just now without adding a library book. The Niven book, at 23 pages, seems more (or should that be less?) than short, it seems nearly inconsequential. Hopefully this material will be included in a book-length work in the near future. I’ve been hoping for a second Draco Tavern collection, perhaps that story, at least, will be part of one.
The relaxing holidays are always the best š
You and Richard have made me wish I’d nabbed some Dahl books from work, but I have so many on my tbr pile…
Glad you had an Happy Anniversary trip. Sorry for the less than pleasant intestinal circumstances. Sounds like ya’ll made the most of it anyway! Hermann is a beautiful place that i’d like to go back and spend more time in myself.
Anyhoo, you and Richard have definitely got me on the lookout for Roald Dahl’s autobiographical works. Even tho i also have way too much on the TBR pile, it probably takes up it’s own shelving system at this time!
So glad you were able to still have a wonderful vacation despite the rough start! Although I don’t know if we can forgive the fact that you don’t have any pictures to share with us š
Iliana: I know, I’m bummed about it myself. If it wasn’t raining my stomach was cramping, so photography was just not in the cards. Next time.
SGist: Dahl’s biographies are so wonderful. I cannot recommend them highly enough. They are unlike any other autobiographies I have ever read.
Fence: I know the feeling. I’m glad my books are friends…if they had any enmity in their hearts towards me I could easily be buried alive!
Richard: I forgot to add the link before I left this morning and then got to work to discover that the city had a big phone line outage so our internet was down. I’ve now fixed it.
Glad you are enjoying the Dahl. I’ll be over to check out your review and get caught up on all your posts.
I did really miss the wine, a lot!
I hadn’t had that reaction to any of Christie’s work so far either. I think it was more obvious in a series of several short stories when almost every one included someone ‘ejaculating’.
I know that Lisa Snellings and DreamHaven have several more authors doing these and then the plan is to collect them all in a hardback format. I have slightly larger Strange books by Gene Wolfe and by Peter S. Beagle that I look forward to reading.
Debi: Of course, as fate would have it I have felt great all this week during my return to work. Ha! Oh well, we did honestly have a really good time and I really did enjoy all that I read, so I cannot complain.
Sorry to hear you got sick Carl!! What a bummer man! Hope you’re feeling better now. Ah…I see in your comment to Debi now that you are feeling better just in time to go back to work š Love how that works, lol.
I’ve just requested Bean Blossom Dreams from Paperback Swap! It sounds fantastic…sounds similar to Animal, Vegetable, Miracle, a book I’m reading right now that I’m really enjoying. I’ve been wanting to get Strange Light for awhile now too! I have the other Strange books, but haven’t gotten that one yet! Glad to hear it’s a good one. And My Year by Dahl sounds fantastic as well. As usual, you’ve done your damage on my wishlist š
Wow, that’s a lot of reading. Sounds like a good vacation despite the calamities.
I recently watched Murder on the Orient Express and Albert Finney does such a good job acting as Poirot. Very eccentric. Hasting doesn’t make an appearance in this one, but now that you mentioned the language choice in the book, I may have to pick up a Poirot mystery to check it out. Agatha Christie is always so much fun š
So sorry to hear that you guys were not feeling well on vacation.. but glad you managed some enjoyment despite it all.
I don’t know if his books mention his first marriage to Patricia Neal (nice name!) the actress.. here’s some information in case it wasn’t mentioned (from IMDb):
When his then-wife actress Patricia Neal suffered a series of devastating strokes in 1965, he was appalled at the lack of effective rehabilitation. He subsequently designed techniques that restored her to full functionality after the doctors had told him she’d never recover. His techniques are now standard procedure throughout the world in the treatment of stroke victims.
Deslily: Yes, it wasn’t my ideal pick, but at least it didn’t involve vomitting…could have been much worse. thanks.
Neither Dahl book goes up to the point of him getting married and I only knew that because you had mentioned it before. There was a mention in My Year of some invention he made, which must be this, but it didn’t go into detail. Thanks for the info because I had forgotten that I wanted to research this when I got back from vacation.
Maria: I need to watch that version of Murder, despite my love of David Suchet as Poirot. I see it at the library all the time and should just pick it up.
Chris: Sorry about the damage! Bean Blossom Dreams is a sweet little book, I do believe you’ll enjoy it. I’m reading another book right now that I’ve been thinking you would probably like, but I’ll save it until I finish and do the review. š
I just finished Going Solo last night. I think it’s MUCH better than Boy, but perhaps it’s just the times it covers are more interesting to me. It’s written more for adults, which I liked, an actual autobiography as opposed to Hey kids! Read about my childhood! Still, I liked both books very much.
Now that I’ve read three non-fiction books in a row, it’s time to get back to some genre fiction! I’ll see if I can find something around here… š
Richard: I agree that Going Solo is definitely more adult focused. Although I suspect many children could read it and comprehend it the subject matter is much more intense. I like Going Solo a bit more, it flows better and is certainly very exciting, but I enjoyed them both very much.
I have no doubt you’ll track down something to read… š
* Newsflash * I decided to start a fantasy novel, Lord of the Changing Winds by
Rachel Neumeier, the first book in the Griffin Mage Trilogy.
Richard: I didn’t think it would take you long.
So glad you had a good vacation, and so sorry it began with a stomach bug (yech!). Impressive lot of reading & listening too! I love Suchet’s Poirot, he has the fussiness perfectly. Bean Blossom Dreams sounds like an interesting read. Could easily be 70’s nostalgia also…
Glad you had a good time you two lovebirds. Now if you would only have found time to get some reading done. š
Jeff: Exactly! There was entirely too much necking going on and not enough reading. š
ds: Suchet is great as Poirot, and he does a great job with the voices and personalities of Hastings and Inspector Jap as well.
Okay, due to the wonder that is PaperbackBookswap i now have Boy and Going Solo coming in soon and have wished for My Year. I have to thank Richard yet again for recommending that site. You really do need to check it out Carl.
(even tho my mom is ‘still’ fretting herself senseless over the supposedly massive amounts of postage i’m outlaying. My standard response has been, “have you been enjoying the books i’ve been bringing you? Her response “yes”! Then don’t worry about it!!!! ^_^
Lovely post header photo by the way. Thanks for the Curios recommendation – just added to to my list. Glad you were able to enjoy your vacation aside from your illness and the rain. A vacation under the weather is better than a healthy week at work.