August 2026 Wrap Up

Books Read: 

Passenger to Tehran by Vita Sackville-West (1926) 4/5 stars

This short memoir tells of the spring 1926 journey Sackville-West made to Persia -- first visiting Egypt, then coming back to England through Russia, Poland, and Germany.  It is full of beautiful prose and vivid descriptions, but mostly shows the reader the author herself through her comments, reactions, and emotions.  It's laugh-out-loud funny at times, moving at others, and always thought-provoking.  I wouldn't recommend it as a reader's introduction to Sackville-West (I would suggest All Passion Spent, or her novellas "Seducers in Ecuador" and "The Heir"), but for those already familiar with her work, this is a must read.  Note: I read the version with the introduction by her son, Nigel Nicholson, and found that it added to tremendously to the experience.

 

Mr. Zero by Patricia Wentworth (1938)  3/5 stars

This is a light, though tense, novel of espionage and suspense with a dash of romance. Though it was easy to solve, it was still enjoyable.

John Marchmont's Legacy by Mary Elizabeth Braddon (1863)  4/5 stars

This was an entertaining Victorian melodrama and while it lacked the surprises and twists that her books usually have, it was still well-written and engrossing.

The Flight of the Shadow by George MacDonald (1891)  4/5 stars

This is a typical Victorian melodrama with strong Christian overtones.  It's well-written, interesting, with a few nice twists.  Definitely not MacDonald's finest work, but still an entertaining read if you enjoy that genre.

Come, Tell Me How You Live by Agatha Christie Mallowan (1946)  4/5 stars

As with her Autobiography, Christie's archeological memoirs are chatty, insightful, and fun to read.  There are bits that were amusing to the author that don't sit well with 21st-Century sensibility, but overall it's was an entertaining depiction of living in Syria for three seasons of excavation.  

Audiobooks Completed:
The Worcester Whisperers by Kerry Tombs (2008)  4/5 stars

Inspector Ravenscroft mysteries, book 2

This is a solid mystery with appealing characters and a satisfying solution.  I didn't like that the Inspector had information that the reader did not, but other than that, I enjoyed the book.

A Body at a Boarding School by Benedict Brown (2021)  3/5 stars

Lord Edgington Investigates, book 2

A retired Scotland Yard Inspector investigates a murder with his teenage grandson learning at his side.  This is a fun, light, cozy mystery and, while not deep, did have an entertaining plot.

No. 17 by J. Jefferson Farjeon (1926)  4/5 stars

This is a delightful crime novel/adventure starring Ben, presently out-of-work from the Merchant Navy, who discovers a dead body in an empty house.  It's funny, mostly well-written, and (though often predictable), still has a few twists. 

Did Not Finish

The Bullet-Catcher's Daughter by Rod Duncan 

This is the first in a steampunk-alternate history trilogy that I really wanted to like.  My problem was twofold: the author does more telling than showing, but despite all the info given, after seven chapters I was still unable to fully grasp the world of the novel.