I've been reading voraciously over the past six or eight months. I can't seem to get enough! Most, I've purchased through Amazon, but let me give you a hint: Look for the 1-cent specials. Believe it or not, some fairly recent titles can be purchased for as little as $4.00 ($0.01 for the book + $3.99 for postage). Also, check multiple Amazon sites and other booksellers. Sometimes, I can order from England and, even with the higher postage, still buy a book for less than it would cost me on this side of the pond. This is especially true if you favor the English authors (I do). Most from England, which I buy for 1 pence, are retired library books. That means, they are hardback books. I favor hardback books, for they are easier to hold, typically use larger type, and look nicer in my library (Dare I admit that?).
Written by Bob Hogue, the commissioner of the Pacific West Conference, a columnist for MidWeek magazine, former sports director for KHON-TV, and former Hawai`i state senator, The Sands of Lanikai is a must-read for anyone with an interest in the days of Pearl Harbor and, especially, in the history of Hawai`i.
Just as young Paul Sands arrives in Honolulu aboard the SS Lurline, his grandfather is found dead in his stateroom. Paul must learn how and why his grandfather died, especially at that particular point in time. Along the way, he grows from an irresponsible young man into a mature young adult, who is ready to take his place in the world. It is not easy, for all around him, bombs are falling and spies are slinking about (You didn't know the Kailua / Kane`ohe area was so lively, did you?). It was in late 1941 and early 1942.
The author shares with his readers the folk legends and folklore of the Hawaiian people and the history of the land. He even drops a few names we know, such as HPD Det John Burns, who would later serve twelve years as Governor of Hawai`i.
This is historical fiction and mystery at their best. Of course, there's a pretty girl. You won't want to miss reading a single page.
There's no okina in "Hawaii" in the title of this book, but make no mistake about it, it is as Hawaiian as a mainlander could hope to write. In actual fact, it is a composition of articles, which Mark Twain (yes, good old Samuel Langhorne Clemens) wrote for the San Francisco newspaper while he spent four months of 1866 in the Hawaiian Islands.
Hawai`i was different in those days, yet many of the sites he describes exist today. He talks about riding a spirited horse around Diamond Head and viewing the volcanoes on the Big Island at night, not far from his hotel, which still exists today. He talks about funeral rites on the grounds of `Iolani Palace and the daily business of King Kamehameha III, who was in power in those days. He talks about taking the Hana Road to Haleakala, the volcano on Maui.
In short, if you love Hawai`i and are into Hawaiian history, you do not want to miss this first-hand glimpse into life in Hawai`i, when Hawai`i was still Hawai`i. Be forewarned, however: At the beginning of the books, Mr. Twain reflects shock at the ways of the Hawaiian people. It is not long, however, before he is completely captivated by them. They won his heart completely.
Detective Inspector Robert Colbeck investigates railway related crimes for London's Metropolitan Police Department (Scotland Yard). The media have dubbed him The Railway Detective. Calm, poised, well-dressed, intelligent, and experienced in his profession, he discovers who ran the train off the tracks or killed policemen transporting a criminal and threw them into the path of an oncoming train or... Well, the list is growing. Already, author Edward Marston has written and published eight Inspector Colbeck mysteries; a ninth mystery is due to be released in April (UK) and July (US).
To balance Colbeck's somewhat stilted personality is his detective sergeant, Victor Leeming, who is as large and powerful as a bulldog and, from Mr. Marston's descriptions, seems to bear resemblance to same. Too, the good Inspector Colbeck's lady, Madeleine Andrews, is about to become his wife (as related in Blood on the Line). She enjoys a privilege not afforded many women in the 1850s, when these mysteries are set: She is an artist, who is gaining a name for herself through her paintings of the steam engines of the era. Her love for them comes naturally, for her father drives engines for one of England's noted railways.
These mysteries are police procedurals, allowing the reader to follow the logical progression in the solution of each case. They flow easily, although they include surprise twists and turns that make it difficult for the reader to guess whodunnit before the end of the book. They are true to the period in which they are set, sharing with us the excitement of the industrial revolution (1825-1850), when these iron horses were coming of age and when sailing ships were being replaced by steamships. This is law enforcement in the day when common sense took precedence over forensic science, which barely existed. Colbeck predicted the day would come when the police department would have photographs of criminals. DNA testing? Not even a glimmer in these men's eyes.
I've read all eight in the series and can't wait for the ninth, which my husband pre-ordered for my Christmas present.
Titles:
* The Railway Detective
* The Excursion Train
* The Railway Viaduct
* The Iron Horse
* Murder on the Brighton Express
* The Silver Locomotive Mystery
* Railway to the Grave
* Blood on the Line
* The Stationmaster's Farewell (coming out this year)
If, like me, you're a madly passionate fan of British comedy, then you are well familiar with Diana Trent, curmudgeoness of the Bayview Retirement Community in Bournemouth, England. To her credit, she spent her life as a noted photojournalist, who had no fear when it came to covering such global hotspots as Korea and Vietnam. Now, however, she has passed the mandatory retirement age. To add insult to injury, she has been diagnosed with polymyalgia, which leaves her reliant on steroids, which in turn, make her bones brittle. And, so, she has been forced to give up her active life for one in a retirement home. Such is the thesis behind the situation comedy, Waiting for God (BBC, 1990-1994).
And, so, it naturally followed that I would want to learn more about the actress who portrayed this banner-waving, insult-slinging patron of getting what one pays for, even if it comes at a cost of a few friendships. After all, I can see myself in Diana, as I'm sure many, if not most, people can. Even if we do not live out our Diana sides, they exist.
That actress is Stephanie Cole (1941- ), who studied at the Bristol Old Vic Theatre School and cut her teeth on playing women much older than she. In fact, when she was 16, she portrayed a woman 90. Written when Miss Cole was in her mid-50s, A Passionate Life follows her life from childhood with a single mom, aunts, and great aunts to 1998, when the book was published. Along the way, she experiences the ups and downs of life, but more important, she receives good advice, such as that offered by noted actor Albert Finney. He told her to "Blow dat sax," meaning to give each performance all she had to give it. She certainly blew dat sax in her portrayal of Diana Trent.
She follows her experiences as she sought to find her spiritual self. Reared in the Roman Catholic Church, she went through a period in her young adult years when she doubted her faith. Through the years, she studied other faiths until she returned to Christianity but not in a way that a recognized denomination would proscribe. For her, however, it works.
I could go on and on through this delightful read, but I'll save some of the high points for you to discover for yourself. Be sure to be on the lookout for her meeting with Sir John Gielgud. It's a treasure!
Stephanie Cole can be seen in Seasons 1-4 of Doc Martin (ITV). Season 4 is now showing in the States; Season 5 is showing in the UK.
A middle aged theology professor and his father fly to Honolulu from London in order that the father can see his sister one last time before she passes away of cancer. On their first full day there, the father absently steps in front of a car (they drive on the wrong side of the road in Honolulu, after all) and is taken to the hospital with a broken pelvis. The professor soon begins dating the woman whose car struck his father even as he shuttles back and forth between the hospitals where brother and sister are patients.
We follow the professor as he uses the last rays of sunset to find his missing keys in the sand and chuckle as he struggles to understand a culture that is a mixture of American and Hawaiian and definitely different from his own. But just as soon as the reader decides this is a tongue-in-cheek comedy, the tables turn.
Having been a priest (who lost his faith), the professor now is sought after by his dying aunt to help her understand the biblical teachings regarding death and the hereafter. One would hope he would rediscover his faith in the process, but by the end of the book, he is back at home and delivering a lecture that comes across as, well… if not atheistic, then most definitely anti-Christian.
I enjoyed this book until the professor began lecturing on reasons to doubt the teachings of Jesus Christ. Now, if he had thrown in similar reasons to doubt Allah and Yahweh and Buddah and…, maybe I could have accepted it. The slam of Christianity, alone, however, turned me off completely; in fact, it gave me nightmares. For that reason, I am going to call this a terrible book. I will not read more from David Lodge.
