"Free Agent"

This espionage novel by Jeremy Duns is the first in a trilogy about Paul Dark and, although it is fiction, it is based in part on actual events surrounding the Nigerian civil war. It alternates between Dark's experiences as a young MI6 recruit in 1945 (when he worked with his father and one of his father's colleagues on a top secret mission to unofficially execute Nazi war criminals) and 1969 when Dark feels compelled to travel to Nigeria to learn what a defecting KGB officer may know about his father (who has been missing since 1945) and Anna, a young Russian nurse that Paul had an affair with in 1945 who was later murdered that same year. This novel is full of twists and turns typical of British spy novels -- like authors LeCarre and Forsyth. I was surprised to learn that the author, a former journalist, lives in Sweden and was raised mostly in Africa and Asia. It was a book that I didn't want to put down so read it in a couple of evenings and highly recommend it if you're a fan of espionage novels.

pazt

The Proposal

Date night tonight was spent watching "The Proposal" with Sandra Bullock, Ryan Reynolds, Betty White, Craig T. Nelson, and Mary Steenburgen. It was a fun comedy and an unusual romance and well worth checking out in my opinion.

pazt

"Death of a Snob"

Book 6 in the Hamish Macbeth Mysteries was a short one so a very quick read! Hamish is feeling a little sorry for himself because he has a head cold and no where to go for Christmas. However, things begin to look up when Jane Wetherby, an acquaintance of Priscilla's, invites him to spend Christmas with her on Eileencraig (a lonely Scottish Island) at the health farm she owns. She has no paying guests but has invited a few of her friends to stay for the holidays. She confides in him that she thinks someone may be trying to murder her and asks him to investigate quietly. It's an unusual mix of guests and one in particular, Heather Todd, manages to get under everyone's skin so, when she disappears, no one is really too unhappy but a search for her is underway nonetheless. Hamish has a fellow guest who is helping him with his sleuthing -- could there be a romance in the air? You'll have to read it to find out!

pazt

"The Spellmans Strike Again"

The 4th book in the Spellman series by Lisa Lutz starts with Izzy transitioning from employee to running the family private investigation business. Work life is complicated (as usual) by family demands. Izzy's sister Rae is constantly needing transportation while researching legal cases trying to free wrongly incarcerated individuals. Izzy's parents have decided they want everyone out of the house on Wednesdays so they can have it to themselves then essential items start disappearing like doorknobs and light fixtures. While appearing unconcerned, Izzy's parents seem as puzzled as she is as to what is happening. There's also Izzy's personal relationship issues and the fact she's being blackmailed by her own mother. Izzy's friendship with Morty, her 80 something attorney, takes a new direction and her friend, Detective Henry Stone, attempts to give her lessons on the art of small talk and friendship. Life is never dull with the Spellmans and, as always, Lutz provides a fun read. However, I'm a little concerned that this could be the last book in the Spellman series as everything seems to wrap up a little too neatly by the end of the book. I hope I'm wrong as I would really miss reading about their adventures!

pazt

Condoleezza Rice

I am in the process of reading Condoleezza Rice's book, "A Memoir of Family-Extraordinary, Ordinary People" and I am about halfway through the book and it has been a great read so far. I received it from ReadItForward.com with instructions to pass it on when I finish it so I'm trying to read it by the weekend so I can give it to a friend (who has expressed an interest in reading it) when we have lunch next week. I'll also be passing on my thoughts to you at that time!

pazt

"The Devil Went Down To Austin"

Each Tres Navarre mystery just keeps getting better and better as far as I'm concerned. I thought "The Last King of Texas" was Rick Riordan's best one in this series but I think he's topped it with the follow up. Tres Navarre, private eye and sometimes English professor, has a chance to take a "working" vacation in Austin where he'll be teaching a course at the University of Texas at Austin for 6 weeks while also spending time with his big brother, Garrett, who works and lives in Austin. However, his time in Austin turns out to be more than just a teaching gig when his brother's best friend and business partner is murdered and Garrett is the prime suspect. Tres has a complicated web to unweave to discover who the real killer is while reconnecting with old friends and making new ones. Don't miss this book if you're a Tres Navarre fan -- or even if you aren't, I'd recommend it!

pazt

"The Water Horse - Legend of the Deep"

I checked out "The Water Horse - Legend of the Deep" from my local library after seeing previews for it on another DVD. The first time my spouse and I watched it with our 3 year old and 6 year old grandchildren who really seemed to like it. Unfortunately, I'd not had enough sleep (after watching said grandchildren) so fell asleep during part of the movie. Tonight was an opportunity for my spouse and I to watch it on our own and I made it through the whole movie. It's a charming movie about overcoming fears and believing in magic (or the impossible). There's also a bonus -- It's set in Scotland so there's beautiful scenery and the sound track is also lovely! I highly recommend this DVD for the whole family.

pazt

Postcript to Growing Up Laughing"

I had not quite finished reading Marlo Thomas' biography "Growing Up Laughing" when I wrote my previous post. Now that I have finished the last few chapters I wanted to write about her father's philanthropic project -- "St. Jude Children's Research Hospital." This hospital grew out of Danny's promise to St. Jude at a time when he needed help with his career. He had grown up in an impoverished, immigrant neighborhood where his Lebanese mother gave birth to all ten of her children without a doctor assisting and where children died of flu and rat bites because there was a lack of health care.

Why did Danny choose to build this hospital in Memphis? He had once read a news story about an 8 year old black child in the South who was struck by a car while riding his bicycle and he died after no emergency room in the area would treat him. Marlo says her father carried that newspaper clipping in his wallet for years. After Marlo became known for her role as "That Girl," her father occasionally asked her to stand in for him at fundraisers. When she married Phil Donahue,he acquired another family fundraiser. Although Danny told his children that he didn't expect them to carry on his legacy, they have continued to be involved with supporting the hospital since his death.

The book above is one of several available about St. Jude's Children's Research Hospital.

pazt

"Growing Up Laughing - My Story and the Story of Funny"

This biography (and interview with comics) by Marlo Thomas has quickly become a favorite of mine. It was just released last fall and isn't available yet in paperback so I picked up a copy from my library. Reading about Marlo's life was like a trip down memory lane because I'd forgotten how much the world has changed for women since she starred in "That Girl" on TV. Here is a quote by Marlo from Chapter 30 that is very telling, I think: "And I was learning that, even for a woman with power, the path was dotted with land mines--she's so ambitious, she's so aggressive, she's ruthless. 'Funny thing,' I used to say, 'a man has to be Joe McCarthy to be called ruthless...all a woman has to do is put you on hold."
While telling her story of growing up as the daughter of Danny Thomas and always having a house full of comedians dropping by, Marlo also intersperses interviews with comics from her dad's era as well as ones from today. There are also lots of jokes so, if you want a good laugh, just pick up her book and leaf through it to read the jokes and brighten your day.
I hadn't a clue about all the things Marlo has done throughout her adult life to enhance the status of women nor her plan to never marry then, despite that, marrying Phil Donahue. (By the way, if you're reading this Marlo, let me squelch any rumors that Phil and I were ever an item. It's just that people used to mistake my husband for Phil Donahue. I always wondered if that started rumors given he was with me and not you! When I saw the picture of Phil with Danny Thomas, I realized my husband did look a lot like Phil at that time -- except I never saw mine with a cigar in his mouth.)
So followers....if you want a quick and fun read, pick up this book by Marlo Thomas and/or give it to someone you want to make happy!

pazt

"Death of a Hussy"

This Hamish Macbeth mystery introduces us to Maggie Baird, a wealthy middle-aged and somewhat unlikeable woman, who has moved to Lochdubh with her niece (who is recovering from cancer treatment). Maggie has purchased a luxurious cottage and hired one of the local women to be her housekeeper then she proceeds to invite four former lovers to visit intending to choose one of them to be her husband and inherit all her wealth. Police Constable Hamish Macbeth has his work cut out for him when Maggie has an accident in her car that appears to be no accident! While the out-of-town police experts are brought in to solve the murder, Hamish works on his own to figure out who the culprit is.
In this book (I can't remember if M.C. Beaton does it in the other Hamish Macbeth mysteries.) Beaton has quotes at the beginning of the chapters and there were two that I especially liked. At the beginning of Chapter Eight is one by George Bernard Shaw: "Assassination is the extreme form of censorship."

Chapter 9's quote by Walter Bagehot is: "Poverty is an anomaly to rich people. It is very difficult to make out why people who want dinner do not ring the bell." Haven't you known people who just don't get poverty? I think this says it all!

Time to find the next book is this series!

pazt

"The Bucket List"

January is my birthday month so the "rule" is that I am allowed to make all kinds of choices on the home front -- although I can't say that that is all that unusual even when it's not my birthday month! Tonight I decided movie night would be "The Bucket List" - a Rob Reiner film starring Jack Nicholson and Morgan Freeman. It is a superb movie with Nicholson portraying a self-made millionaire/billionaire??? who owns a string of hospitals. When he ends up in one himself with Freeman's character as his roommate, his life changes as a friendship and a mutual diagnosis bonds them. They set off to see the world and do the things they both wanted to do before they die -- hence "the bucket list." The friendship grows as experiences and intimate details of their lives are shared. Sean Hayes plays Nicholson's assistant and Rob Morrow his doctor. The scenery (around the world) is spectacular as is the music that accompanies it. It is truly a heartwarming story and led me to ask myself at the end: Is there anything I've left undone that I really would still like to do? Although there are things I'd like to do, I can't say I have any regrets. My life has been great and my spouse and I and our children and grandchildren are close and loving -- What more could I ask for?! How about you? Would you make any changes?

pazt

Hamish MacBeth

I've been reading M.C. Beaton's Police Constable Hamish Macbeth mystery series in order so I was delighted to learn that a DVD was available at our local library from a TV series based on the books. My spouse and I have been watching this 6 disc DVD collection for the past week (2-3 episodes a night) and are sad to say that it has come to an end -- but it has a very satisfying conclusion. For those of you who have read the Hamish Macbeth books I must warn you that this series starring Robert Carlyle does not follow the books but I still liked it very much. It takes the residents of Lochdubh and brings them to life in Macbeth's world and I particularly enjoyed his day to day interactions with the townspeople who have also become his friends. The series also features Shirley Henderson (plays Moaning Myrtle in the Harry Potter movies) as the Lochdubh newspaper reporter and, although she looked familiar, it wasn't until we looked at the backgrounds of the cast did we realize why we should have known her. She's an incredible actress because she (as well as most of the cast) can convey a lot just in facial expressions. Another of my cast favorites was Ralph Riach who plays "TV John" McIver - Macbeth's assistant and the local psychic. So....I highly recommend you take a trip to Lochdubh and meet Macbeth and his neighbors. My spouse posed an interesting question at the end of the last episode -- "Are the books as spiritual as the series?" I'm still pondering that one - what do you think?

pazt