Monthly Archives: September 2016

Forgotten Anthology: The Hard-Boiled Detective edited by Herbert Rhum

Posted on September 30, 2016 by Rick Robinson

this is the 239th in my series of forgotten or seldom read books The Hard-Boiled Detective – Stories from Black Mask Magazine 1920-1951 edited by Herbert Rhum, Vintage Books 1977 mass market paperback, mystery story anthology It should come as no … Continue reading →

Posted in Books & Reading, Friday Forgotten Books | 12 Comments

Trader Joe’s Brioche Toasts

Posted on September 27, 2016 by Rick Robinson

We discovered these at Trader Joe’s, and we love them. No, they’re not super lo-cal, or sugar free or low carb or any of that stuff, but they are so tasty, especially with soft cheese (such as Trader Joe’s Pub … Continue reading →

Posted in At Home in Portland | 16 Comments

Current Reading: Burley, Edwards, Nabb, Knight

Posted on September 25, 2016 by Rick Robinson

I read W.J. Burley’s Wycliff and the Three-Toed Pussy, the first in the Wycliffe series, published in 1968. It was a good introduction to the character of Superintendent Wycliffe, it showed the author’s ability to depict the Cornish coast and village life … Continue reading →

Posted in Books & Reading, current reading, Mystery | 20 Comments

Forgotten Collection: Grottos of Chinatown by Arthur J. Burks

Posted on September 22, 2016 by Rick Robinson

this is the 238th in my series of forgotten or seldom read books Grottos of Chinatown by Arthur J. Burks, Off-Trail Publications 2009 trade paper. Pulp mystery short story collection featuring undercover detective Dorus Noel. Cover art by Raphael DeSoto This book collects, for … Continue reading →

Posted in Books & Reading, Friday Forgotten Books, Mystery | 12 Comments

New arrival: Rogues edited by Martin & Dozois

Posted on September 20, 2016 by Rick Robinson

Rogues edited by George R. R. Martin and Gardner Dozois, Bantam Books, 2014 hardcover (softcover followed), 832 pages. I have the softcover, and it’s very, very thick. Talk about a big fat book! (As George Kelley likes to say). Gardner Dozois has won fifteen Hugo Awards and … Continue reading →

Posted in Books & Reading | 18 Comments

Current Reading: Krueger, Chee, Gores, Knight

Posted on September 18, 2016 by Rick Robinson

I’ve read two more books by William Kent Krueger, Northwest Angle, and the next in the series, Trickster’s Point. I enjoyed both books a lot, though of the two, I liked Northwest Angle a little better. Krueger really is a very, very good writer, and portrayal … Continue reading →

Posted in Books & Reading, current reading, Mystery | 33 Comments

Stimulating the Economy

Posted on September 17, 2016 by Rick Robinson

Fall is just around the corner, and on our property, and on the adjacent ones, there are many trees, and excepting the conifers, many, many leaves. For years we’ve been sweeping them into little piles, then using an oversize plastic … Continue reading →

Posted in Books & Reading | 5 Comments

Forgotten Omnibus: Tales of Sector General by James White

Posted on September 15, 2016 by Rick Robinson

this is the 237th in my series of forgotten or seldom read books Tales of Sector General by James White, [1999 Science Fiction Book Club omnibus containing 3 Sector General novels: The Galactic Gourmet (1996), Final Diagnosis (1997) and Mind Changer (1998). Science fiction. At … Continue reading →

Posted in Books & Reading, Friday Forgotten Books, Science Fiction | 11 Comments

Anthology, Collection, Omnibus

Posted on September 13, 2016 by Rick Robinson

I suppose everyone has their own way of defining these things, and some people get more determined about it than others, and some even strident. You’ll have your own opinions, and that’s fine, I’m just giving these the way I … Continue reading →

Posted in Books & Reading, Friday Forgotten Books | 12 Comments

Current Reading: Penny, Todd, Krueger, Grecian

Posted on September 11, 2016 by Rick Robinson

I finished Louise Penny’s A Great Reckoning a few days ago, and it’s always good to visit with the familiar characters of the Gamache / Three Pines books. This one has a plot involving the Sûreté Academy,  and Gamache, now out of … Continue reading →

Posted in Books & Reading, current reading, Mystery | 19 Comments