Category Archives: Books & Reading

Sometime in the Seventies I went into the Brentano’s book store in South Coast Plaza to browse. [Brentano’s was an American bookstore chain owned by Macmillan in the 1970s and early 1980s with numerous locations in the United States, including three stores in … Continue reading →

Two stories this week: “Stations of the Nightmare, part 1” by Phillip José Farmer “My Own, My Native Land” by Poul Anderson Both of these, the first two stories in the book, came from Continuum 1 edited by Roger Elwood, Berkley Medallion … Continue reading →

The Water Room by Christopher Fowler, 2004 mystery, 2nd book in the Peculiar Crimes Unit series featuring Bryant & May I really like this series. The London setting is interesting, and the history fascinating, and the characters really shine. Bryant and … Continue reading →

As I’m sure is true for most mystery readers, many of the books I read are part of a series. It often seems that’s about all we see when we look at book listings and reviews. But these series create a … Continue reading →

Five Against Venus  by Philip Lathen (pseudonym of Robert S. Richardson), Winston Science Fiction 1952, third in series. Cover by Virgil Finlay. This one is for the 10-year-old in you. As a kid I was able to find some of the … Continue reading →

Here are all nine volumes, on my shelf. The Complete Dr. Thorndyke by R. Austin Freeman, 9 volumes, MX Publishing, UK, softcover. Also available in hardcover. Summary of first three volumes from MX website: “Volume I contains the first three Thorndyke … Continue reading →

This time it’s the shelf on which my collection of Walt Kelly’s Pogo books resides. When I was growing up, our family would visit my Aunt and Uncle every other Christmas, and I first saw Pogo books at their home. … Continue reading →

Twenty-Thousand Leagues Under the Sea by Jules Verne, adapted and illustrated by Gary Gianni, introduction by Ray Bradbury, Flesk Publications 2009 hardcover graphic novel. Verne  wrote a great many wonderful books, and this is one of my favorites. This may … Continue reading →

Death of a Busybody by George Bellairs, © 1943, introduction by Martin Edwards, British Library Crime Classics 2017 trade paper, mystery. The titular nosy parker in Death of a Busybody is Miss Ethel Tither. She has made herself deeply unpopular in … Continue reading →

Ministry of Disturbance and Other Science Fiction by H. Beam Piper, Adventure Paperback – April 1, 2007 “Oomphel in the Sky” by H. Beam Piper, originally published in Analog Science Fact and Fiction, November 1960, Aegypan 2007 trade paperback, 200 pages. This … Continue reading →