HP Elite X2

My work gave me one of these a couple of weeks back, and so I thought I would give an early review.  In case you cannot tell from the picture, the Elite X2 is a lot like the Surface Pro...the latest one.  I'm not sure what number they are up to, and I don't care.

It's a tablet with a detachable keyboard.  The keyboard is much like the Surface, in that part of can cling (probably magnetically) to the lower edge of the tablet, the part below the actual screen.  This gives it that desired ergonomic, slanted keyboard.  

Now, I have tested a recent Surface with the slanted keyboard, and I did not really like it.  The keyboard is not supported between the screen and the front edge, and on the Surface, this makes the keyboard bounce in a way that I found...disconcerting.  I had an original Surface RT, where the keyboard rested flat on the table or desk, and I got used to the flat keyboard.  I did not really like the new Surface TypeCover for extended typing.

But, you should note the silver upper side (I keep having to avoid the word "surface" to avoid confusion), which is a bit sturdier than the plastic upper side of the Surface TypeCover.  I don't know if it is metal or what, but it is a bit stiffer than the TypeCover, and so typing this review on it is not disconcerting in the same way as the Surface TypeCover.

So, I like the keyboard.  It should be said that I really like laptop keyboards.  I love the feel of not having to move the key more than the tiniest bit.  I feel like I type faster, even though I have no objective proof to back that up.

The screen is very bright, and extremely sharp.  It is a 12 inch screen with 1920 x 1280 resolution, and that is the first problem...at least for me.  That is an extremely high resolution for a 12 inch screen.  That is the same as the resolution on my 24" monitor.  Everything is very small, and for a 61 year old man with less than perfect eyesight, that is a bit much.  And, as anyone who has used an LCD knows...well, at least the ones who have tried to lower the resolution, things can get a bit fuzzy if you lower the resolution.  There are other ways to effect changes in the size of text on the screen, but even they are less than ideal.

I feel like this resolution is a downside to this device.

I like the pen, but I have to admit that I have not used it much.  The kickstand works well, though I have not had a real need to adjust it from a single position.  The kickstand has a first position with what I would call a soft lock.  When you push it out, it goes out a bit and stops.  This position is good for typing.  There is no click at the stop, but the resistance gets stronger, and from that point it simply requires a little more pressure to move it along until the screen is nearly level with the desk surface.  This makes it very easy to snap the kickstand out for writing, and then you can adjust it for other things you might be doing with your Elite.

There is a tiny problem with the keyboard, but it is how close it sits to the bottom of the Windows desktop.  It makes it difficult to touch the icons on the Taskbar.  It is about the smallest of problems, but I am trying to be thorough. 

I have not had a chance to check out the Bang & Olufsen speakers.  Speakers can be a problem in a work environment, especially when you work in a cube with others in close proximity. 

I like the Elite X2.  A while back, I looked at the Spectre X2, which is the consumer version of the Elite.  Now, I want the Spectre, which should have most of the same features at a better price...at least I hope so.

HTC One Max - A Review

I have been using the HTC One Max for some time now, and it seems that it might be time to provide a review.

I have been using it for about 11 months now and I have learned it's quirks.

First, HTC Sense is worthless.  Generic Android is much better and Sense only gets in the way of doing things.  So, first I turned it off and later I installed the Google Now Launcher which I actually like, though it is far from perfect.

I have my phone from Verizon, and between HTC and Verizon there is far too much bloatware on this phone for my taste.  There are a group of Verizon apps that cannot be uninstalled, which is really annoying, since I use only one Verizon app, the one that lets me check my data usage.

The screen is enormous, which I love and I have never once been sorry that I chose one of the largest phones on the market (5.9").  Unfortunately, HTC made some unfortunate choices which are rather annoying.  The HTC One Max has only two buttons, a home button and a back button.  They are backlit, but the lighting is so feeble that they can only be seen when the phone is off.  So, they can be seen when they cannot be used, and cannot see when they can.  Great work, HTC.  Couldn't you find anything stupider to do?  Oh wait, you did.

Because there are only two buttons, there is no dedicated button to view the list of running programs, so that you can switch between them.  No, you have to double tap the Home button to bring up a screen of the running apps, not a list, but a grid.  Actually, I suppose that makes two stupid choices.  More excellent work HTC.  Double tapping is not easy.  Single tap, home screen, double tab running apps grid.  Only about 40% of the time, my attempts to double tap bring up the Home screen.  The grid is not as good as a list, because when you have 4 or more apps open and want to close an app, you have to slide up through the app above the one you want to close.  About 5% of the time, that switches to the app on the lower line, or the one above it.  It isn't that often, just enough to be annoying.

So, each HTC change makes the phone worse. 

Also, the power button is in a perfect place, so that when you pick up your phone, it will either turn on or shut off, depending on what it was before you picked it up.  HTC, didn't anyone actually test the phone by picking it up?  It seems like a simple and obvious test, but obvious they did not perform that test.  Fortunately, a gel case fixed that.

One last thing, and probably the smallest of all.  The phone is white.  No one in their right mind wants a white phone, and yes, I am looking at all of you white iPhone users...you are NOT in your right mind.  Of course, you chose Apple, so you were mostly there already before proving it my buying a white phone.

So, what is my overall opinion of the HTC One Max?

I love it.

My problem is that I have owned three HTC phones, one of the first batch of Windows Phone 7 Phones (yea, that was a brilliant decision Microsoft), an HD7, and then an HTC Trophy 7.  I loved both of those phones, much more than the HTC One Max.

Hmmm, I wonder why?

Oh, it might be because Microsoft was smart enough to decide not to let OEMs modify the OS, and the hardware was set in stone, 3 buttons on the front, one camera/shutter button on the side.  No alterations.  No deciding that you know better and messing around with it.

The HTC One Max is a very good phone, but if they had left Android alone, and stuck with the standard button arrangement it would be a nearly perfect phone.

I wanted a big screen, and I got it, and that is why I love the HTC One Max.  If it were smaller, this would be an annoying phone.  I look at the HTC One remix on Verizon and notice that the extra hardware buttons are gone and it uses the onscreen buttons and it appears to have all three, so while a 4.5" screen is too small, at least they corrected one problem.

Book #27

Key Out of Time

Andre Norton

This is another of the Time Agent novels, that includes Ashe Gordon and Ross Murdock.  In this one, they are on a distant planet and use the time machine to try to learn some of the history of the planet.  When things go wrong, they get involved in that history.

I won't go into greater detail for fear of giving away the plot.  This is a good book in an older style of Science Fiction, and it is much like the Science Fiction I cut my teeth on, 40 years ago.  You must understand that this was not the most recent Science Fiction even then.  It has a pretty good story, and Ashe and Ross are good characters that are familiar to those who have read books in the Time Agents series.  I have only read two others, and I was not sure about one of them until I read this one.

Much of Norton's catalog can be gotten for free on Kindle, so there is plenty to read if you want to come to know one of the lesser, but still significant writers from the middle years of Science Fiction.  She was not really on the cutting edge, but she had a good career as a writer.

This was a good read, especially at the price.

Book #26

The Swords of Lankhmar

Fritz Leiber

The Fifth Book of Fafhrd and the Grey Mouser, and the first novel.

The enemy is rats, but the book takes a rather roundabout way to get to the final battle scene, where Fafhrd arrives in the nick of time and the Mouser shows that is the trickiest of thieves and the most dangerous swordsman in Lankhmar.  Of course, Mouser isn't trying to steal anything in this one.

The story begins with our heroes returning to Lankhmar, and finding rather their reception rather warm.  Our heroes are up to the challenge of an angry mob, and then find themselves addressed by the Overlord's Chamberlain as, "Fafhrd, the northern barbarian and brawler," and "that mongrel and long-suspected burglar, cut-purse, swindler and assassin, the Gray Mouser."  This brings the offer of a job, to protect a grain ship, and a special passenger.  Now, I won't go into too many details, except that they meet a two headed seamonster, and it's German speaking master.  Yes, you heard that right, German.

That is just one of many twists and turns in this excellent adventure novel.  The split up after arriving at their destination, Fafhrd lingering behind while the Mouser travels back to the Overlord with unusual tales that the Overlord will not listen to.  Fafhrd fights his way back around the Inner Sea, avoiding raiders and finally meeting up with his wizard, Ningauble.  Mouser goes through his own adventures while rats threaten Lankhmar, and finally seeks his wizard, Sheelba.  The ending involves....big breath....mummies, rats turned to human size, Ghouls with transparent flesh, regular sized rats who use swords, pikes and crossbows, and thirteen god-like War Cats, and a feisty kitten who finds his true destiny.

So, yes, there is a lot going on and toward the end is can be a little confusing, but it is fun throughout and our heroes get the jewels and the girls at the end, but not the recognition they deserve for saving the city.

Book #25

Arsene Lupin, gentleman-cambrioleur

Maurice LeBlanc

Yes, a second book about the great French burglar, Arsene Lupin.  This time though it was in the original French.  I have not had so much fun reading a book in a long time.  It took me several pages to get back into the way of reading French with any speed, and it was hard sometimes to pick it up and get going again, but as I read it, the transition become easier and easier and I also found myself learning more and more new French words.  I learned French 30 years ago, but I do not have a very large vocabulary and increasing my vocabulary is always a nice treat.  Though I do worry that I might be learning Victorian era words that are no longer in use in current French.

This volume is more of a collection of short stories, but the stories are related, at least most of them.  We see Arsene on a ship, and being saved by a young lady, though saved is a relative term.  He is arrested, but outsmarts the police to secure his release.  He then returns to his usual sort of crimes, though we see his very first theft, and finally at the end, we see him solve a rather tricky problem to find a way in to commit a crime and then he recants his crime for the sake of the same lady that he met on the boat in the first story.

Now, this final problem, which involves finding a lost secret passageway also involves the famous English detective, Herlock Sholmes.  Obviously, this is not much of an attempt to hide the identity of the detective he is borrowing from Arthur Conan Doyle, and LeBlanc does a pretty good job of presenting Sholmes in an accurate way.  Not entirely accurate, but close enough for those with a casual acquaintance with the detective.  Sholmes finds and opens the secret passage in just a few minutes, showing that he is not less smart than Arsene, and in fact he might have caught him, if Arsene had not gotten that one step ahead, by figuring out the secret before Sholmes even arrives.

Overall, it was a great read, and I can highly recommend it, if you read French.  If not, then the English translation should be available.

Book #24

I hope that anyone reading this will understand that I am not only way behind on my original goal, but way behind on getting my reviews posted.  I will try to change that, and to find something else to write about soon.

Just in case anyone is reading this.

Swords Against Wizardry

Fritz Leiber

I hope by book four of the adventures of Fafhrd and the Grey Mouser that you are up to speed on the whole "Swords" link in the titles.

The first half of Swords Against Wizardry deals with their attempt to collect certain legendary gems and their adventures along the way, and what happens when they attempt to sell the gems they have acquired.  In keeping with the general pattern of the stories, they are equal to the task of acquiring a treasure and rubbish at turning it into gold that they can spend.  Out heroes start by climbing Stardock, the highest mountain in Newhon, and along the way they run into invisible adversaries, and even collect a reward from two invisible ladies...well, actually two rewards, but only one they can carry away when they leave.

This is followed by the story of how they swindled out of their reward, which leads each to take a contract to the distant land of Quarmall.  The Lords of Quarmall is the first of the stories that was written, and most, or at least a good bit, of it was not written by Fritz Leiber.  He gives his collaborator, or one might say benefactor, full credit, both in the dedication of the book, and in a short forward.  The first part of the story was written in 1936.  Fritz Leiber took up the tale 25 years later and finished it.  Our two heroes show themselves not only to be fantastic swordsmen, but also quite cunning.

More fun reading and there are still three to go.

Book #23

Swords in the Mist

Fritz Leiber

So, the third book of Fafhrd and the Grey Mouser.  More fighting, more wizards, and more fun.

This time round, our two heroes face a cloud of hate, Fafhrd becomes a disciple of Issek of the Jug, and then quite literally becomes Issek of the Jug, After that the two swordsmen take to the sea, where they find the sea a mistress they can share, and then find a hole in the water that leads to pleasant dealings with the Sea King's concubines, followed by adventures facing the Sea King's curse, and finally, Ningauble sends them to earth, yes, our earth, where they come finally to face a great evil in the Castle Mist. 

More fun, and more quick easy reading.

...and One Week with the Hisense Sero 7 Pro

So, I did actually buy the Hisense Sero 7 Pro, and yes, I did take back the Sero 7 Lite and got a refund.  So, I got to try out the Lite for a week, as I discussed in my last post, and now I have spent a week with the Hisense Sero Pro 7.

So, after a week, and I can say it is just as good as the Sero 7 Lite, which if you will remember, or just read right below this, I liked a lot.  The screen on the Sero 7 Pro is gorgeous, though to be quite honest I cannot see what all the fuss is about.  Is the 1280 x800 screen better than the 1024x600 screen?  Yes, but I really do not see a big difference.  Is the 7 Pro faster?  Probably, but not so that I would really notice.  Is the battery life better?  To be honest, I have not really noticed, but then I have not had time this week to really put it through its paces.

What will you really notice as differences between the Lite and the Pro?  Well, there is the pebbly back on the Pro, while the Lite had a back of smooth, some would say slippery, plastic.  The pebbly back is nice and grippy, but it also makes the tablet feel a little thicker.  Overall, yes the pebbly back is better.  The other difference you will notice is that there is a cover over the SD card slot...and it does not fit perfectly.  Oh, it fits well enough, but it is not completely smooth with the top of the tablet, when there is a disk in the slot. 

Now, if you were to hold them in your hand, you would notice something else.  The Sero 7 Lite has the power and volume buttons on the left side.  The Sero 7 Pro has the two buttons on the right side.  Obviously, you won't really notice that unless you hold them both.

So, the last difference to note is the camera on the back.  I have taken only one picture, and it was okay, but I do not plan to run around and take pictures with my tablet.  I did not mind that the Lite did not have a rear facing camera.

My conclusion is that Hisense has hit a homerun on their first try at a tablet.  Both of the Hisense Sero 7s are good tablets.  One is the equivalent of the HP Slate 7 or ASUS MeMo Pad 7 but you save $50-70.  The other is the equivalent of the Nexus 7, and you save $50 there.  In both cases, you get less storage, but you have the SD card to make up for that.  I think Walmart has a winner on its hands.

Book #22

Swords Against Death

Fritz Leiber

The second book of Fafhrd and the Grey Mouser.  Now, the fun really starts.  In this volume we see a living house that knows how to protect itself. We learn that dead thieves can be more dangerous than living ones, and that even death himself is no match for a well placed sword. They encounter a man plagued by the ghosts of those he killed.  While trying to return home our heroes encounter a sunken city, and seven priests protecting a sleeping god.  Back in their home city of Lankhmar they look into a rash of thefts and find themselves facing off against the high priestess of a bird goddess.

Now, something new is thrown into the mix here in the second collection, as we meet wizards, Sheelba of the Eyeless Face, and Ningauble of the Seven Eyes.  These two become the mentors of our two heroes, and in this volume.  We see them in the first story, which is more of a setup than a full story, and then the two wizards reappear in the final stories in the volume.  First, each wizard sends his hero after the Mask of Death, which leaves each sworn to kill the other to recover the mask.  Then, in the final story, the two wizards call their heroes to stop a threat to the world of Newhon.  Of course, things go wrong and it is Fafhrd who must rescue Mouser from the Bazaar of the Bizarre.

This is another fun read, lots of adventure, lots of action, and lots of fun.

Book #21

Wild Wales, The People, Language and Scenery

George Henry Burrows

Wild Wales is the account of George Burrows' walk through Wales in 1854.  Now, we are not talking about a little walk, we are talking about months of walking across a major portion of Wales.  He starts in Chester and enters Wales traveling to Wrexham and then on to Llangollen.  He spends some time at Llangollen while he walks all over the surrounding area.  Then, a long journey takes him out as far as Holy Head on Anglesey, on a round trip that eventually totals nearly 200 miles, all on foot.
 

After covering North Wales, Burrows begins his journey through South Wales.  Now, while stationed at Llangollen, his wife and daughter came to Llangollen with with him.  They only take a couple of short walks with him, always staying behind at the house in town.  As he began his trip south, they returned to England to wait for him.
 

He started south as Fall started, crossing South Wales on foot.  He travels something over 200 miles south through Wales to Swansea and then east to Chepstow.  That is the end of his journey in Wales.

Aside from the description of the landscape, Burrows tells us much about the Welsh people that he meets.  He was a student of Welsh poetry, and many of his side trips are to visit the home or birthplace of some great Welsh poet.  He also tells us some very amusing stories about certain famous Welsh persons.  At least they were famous in the 19th Century.
 

Wild Wales is not a travel guide.  I cannot find most of the places that he mentions, so reconstructing his trip using Bing maps has been difficult.  It isn't really a travelogue either.  It could be called a travelogue, based on the descriptions of where he went, as well as the local history, but it is interspersed with tales of individuals he met along the road, and his reaction to them.
 

So, should you read it?  Probably not.  I read it in little bites over a long time, and I am not disappointed that I did, but I doubt I will ever read it again.

Book #20

Swords and Deviltry

Fritz Leiber

I feel like I should be able to say...This is the first book of Fafhrd and the Grey Mouser, and that should be enough, but these books are no where near as popular as they should be.  I discovered them many years ago, while looking at a list of the books that inspired Gary Gygax to invent Dungeon and Dragons.

Now, having said that, obviously, these are fantasy books, but to my mind they are more than just fantasy books, for they are the collection of the stories of the two greatest heroes of fiction.  Now, understand that there may be greater heroes, but in my opinion, Fafhrd and the the Grey Mouser can match up against any PAIR of heroes anywhere.  Single heroes need not apply.  Heroes with sidekicks need not apply. 

Fafhrd is a giant barbarian, depending on the story, anywhere from 6'6" to 7" tall and wielding a heavy broadsword, which he calls Greywand, like a rapier.

Grey Mouser is a tiny urbanite, again, depending on the story, anywhere from 5' to 5'6" tall and wielding a rapier and dagger, which he calls Scalpel and Cat's Claw.

The first volume includes three stories, one about how Fafhrd came to leave his barbarian tribe from the Cold Waste, one about how a wizard's apprentice called Mouse proved that he was more Mouser than Mouse, and the third where the two meet, and have an adventure that causes them to lose their loves and avenge their deaths.

This is not High Fantasy.  These heroes do not save the world, nor fight immense powerful evils...okay, well they do fight some very powerful things, but not to save the world.  These stories are a more approachable fantasy.  The heroes are seeking their fortunes, but mostly they are seeking forgetfulness. 

This first volume may be the weakest of the lot.  The later volumes are just stories, places where the heroes run into strange things, seek great treasures, and generally have exciting adventures.  Ill Met in Lankhmar is the story where they meet and it is a good one, but both of the earlier stories seem a bit forced, as if the writer needed to explain how these two men came to the city of Lankhmar, and was not as worried about creating a great story.  The two stories are good, but not as good as some in the later volumes. 

It is still a great read, and all the books are available on Amazon.

Book #19

The Inimitable Jeeves

P.G. Wodehouse

This is in the form of a novel, but it is really a collection of short stories.  If you have seen the Jeeves and Wooster TV series, then the stories in this book will be familiar.  Most of the stories concern the many loves of Bingo Little, an old school friend of Bertie's.  Mr. Little falls in love rather easily, in only 253 pages, he falls in love no fewer than six times. And no fewer than five of the 23 episodes of the show are based in part or in total on this one book.  Now, I do not know if I think that makes it the best Jeeves and Wooster book, but it does have some of the most memorable stories.  After seeing the TV series, reading The Inimitable Jeeves is like coming home to an old friend.

Book #18

I am catching up on things.  I want to be up to date at the end of June, when I will have to admit that I am not going to make my goal.  So, there will be several more books appearing over the next week.

Arsene Lupin

Maurice LeBlanc

Now, during the Victorian era, everyone knows that Arthur Conan Doyle was writing the Sherlock Holmes stories, and though you may not know it yet, I am a huge Sherlock Holmes fan.  Now, some few out there who know the real me, will know that I speak French.  I spent two years in France, 35 years ago, and later took a minor in French.  So imagine my surprise when I found that while in English, Arthur Conan Doyle was writing about the great detective, Sherlock Holmes, there was, in France an author by the name of Maurice LeBlanc who was writing stories about Arsene Lupin, not a detective, but a great criminal, a gentleman burglar. 

I found that Amazon has a number of Arsene Lupin books, for free on Kindle.  Unfortunately, I cannot find anywhere that discusses the stories and novels and puts them into their proper order, either by publication, or story chronology, so I had to pick one at random, and this was it.

Now, I do not want to give away any spoilers, because the twists are what make this story fun, but Arsene's modus operandi is to send a letter to his victim saying exactly what he is going to steal and when, and then carry out the theft just as described.  In a theft that occurred three years before our story, the man who was robbed, after receiving the letter, actually hired guards, and when the guards arrived...they were men hired by Arsene. 

Also, in this story, Arsene plays a long game, the theft described above, is the same victim who is robbed in the story.  I found the whole thing a lot of fun.

Oh, and this time I read a translation.  The next book I read will be in the original language.

Book #16

I have fallen a bit behind in getting these posted, so you may see several more books over the next few days.  The one that follows was finished several weeks ago.

Cocktail Time
P. G. Wodehouse

How about a novel, that starts with an old man using a slingshot to knock the top hat off an acquaintance, which causes that acquaintance to write a novel.  When the novel becomes a hit, the acquaintance, an eminent barrister does not wish the publicity, so he lets his nephew claim to be the author.  Of course, as in any Wodehouse novel, the nephew is a nitwit and that is where things really get fun.

Cocktail Time is an Uncle Freddy novel.  Now, Uncle Freddy is another of Wodehouse's wonderful characters, and this is another example of why Wodehouse is the accepted master of the Comedy of Manners (look it up, I do not really have time here).

Things go from bad to worse for the barrister, when first his nephew and a con man try to get some extra money off the barrister.  There is a letter involved, and eventually Uncle Freddy ends up with it.  Now, he wants to extort something from the barrister, but what Uncle Freddy wants is for the barrister to treat his sister better (the barrister's sister, not Uncle Freddy's).

I cannot even talk about the plot without ending up in a twisted story, but it is that twisted story that is at the heart of Cocktail Time's and indeed Wodehouse's charm.  I won't go further in laying out the plot, both to avoid spoilers and to keep my brain from getting overloaded and overheating.  Just read the book, it is great fun and you won't regret a minute of it.

Book #15

Keeping It Real
Justina Robson

Imagine if something that never existed blew up.  And caused us to actually meet up with things that don't exist.

Well, that is the story that precedes the story in Keeping It Real, the first book in the Quantum Gravity series.  Is there anyone out there who remembers the Superconducting Supercollider?  It was a huge supercollider, like the one at CERN, but the funding never came through and it was never built.  Well, in the Quantum Gravity series it was built, I guess, and then one day it disappeared....and all hell broke loose, sort of.

Basically, it seemed to punch a hole in the Time-Space Continuum and connected Earth with five other dimensions.  Now, Earth is Otopia, and the other dimensions are Alfheim, Thanatopia, Demonia and Zoomenon, and a dimension of faeries.  So, here is where it gets real weird.

Alfheim is inhabited by elves, yep, elves.  Demonia...yep, you guessed it, demons.  Thanatopia, undead. Zoomenon is inhabited by elementals, primal beings of earth, air, water, fire, and also metal and wood, possibly others. And the realm of the faeries as well.

So, our hero, Lila Black is a cyborg, and her job is bodyguard to an elf rock star.

Okay, this keeps getting weirder, and it does.  What shows the talent of Robson is that she keeps the story moving forward without bogging you down too much with all of this backstory.  Also, despite all of this, the story is really more of a hard science fiction novel.  In many ways it fits in well with the genre of paranormal romance, only so far there are no vampires, just elves and demons, and yes they have magic.

I should just tell you to go read the book.  If you like paranormal romance, and you like science fiction, I think you will like this one.  However, be warned that this falls into the genre very tightly, and there is sex in the novel, fairly graphic sex, but only a few times, and in all cases it fits into the story neatly...mostly.

It's a good read, and a lot of fun, and I am moving on to book two in the series.

 

Book #14

Leave it to Psmith
P.G. Wodehouse

Yes, more Wodehouse.  Though Jeeves and Wooster are first in my heart, in the world of Wodehouse, you have already seen that I enjoy the stories told by Mr. Mulliner, and now, you will learn that I also enjoy the stories set at Blandings Castle.

The story revolves around a Mr. Psmith (the P is silent) and after starting off in London, he and the lady he has just met move to Blandings Castle, the fictional setting of many Wodehouse stories and several novels.  Blandings Castle is the home of the Earl of Emsworth, a rather doddy old man, his sister Constance, a rather formidable Lady, and yes, the capital L in Lady is appropriate, Emsworth's feckless son, Freddie Threepwood, as well as Beach the butler, Angus McAllister, the head gardener, and at least at the moment of the story, Baxter the secretary.  To those who have read any Blandings Castle stories, these are well known characters.

In typical Wodehouse fashion, the plot is convoluted, and set off with the most hilarious mistakes and missteps.  I would have to write a thousand words to do the plot justice, so I won't bother, except to note that this story actually involves gun play, which is most unusual in a Wodehouse story and also involves certain persons of a quite unsavory nature, but as it always does with Wodehouse, things work out in the end.  And in fact, one spoiler here, Mr. Psmith ends up replacing Baxter as Lord Emsworth's secretary.

Great fun and well worth the read.

Book #12

Seventh Son

Orson Scott Card

 

This is the first book of the Alvin Maker series, or as the author names them, The Tales of Alvin Maker.  From one viewpoint, they can be called alternate history stories.  It is sometime in the early 19th Century, but the present United States is actually three countries.  New England is still controlled by the English, under The Lord Protector, which would be the successor (probably a few generations of) of Oliver Cromwell.  In this time line there was no Restoration.  The Stuarts set themselves up in the South Coastal states as a Kingdom.  Between the two, you have the United States, which covers the coast from New Amsterdam (New York) down to the Chesapeake Bay, but also extends inland to the great lakes....or at least the first one.

 

Now, most things don't make a lot of sense as you start this book, but you pick up some along the way.  There are states of Suskwahenny, New Amsterdam, New Orange, New Sweden, and the strangest of all, Irrakwa, which is actually a Native American run state.

 

Our story starts at the Hatrack River in the Hio territory, where Alvin is born as his family is passing through.  The family then moves on to the Wobbish territory, further west.  We are truly taking the frontier of the America at the time.

 

Now, the other thing that is different about the Tales of Alvin Maker is...there is magic.  Most of the magic is very small, and referred to as a knack.  Take note of the small that I just mentioned, it is important.  There aren't really spells per say, though they do mention hexes, calmings and fendings, but most of it is just having a knack for doing something.

 

But, Alvin Junior is the Seventh Son of a Seventh Son, and that means something a little different.  Now, the story only follows Alvin to the age of ten, so we do not see a lot of what he can do and even he does not understand it, and.....I'm not going to give any more of it away.

 

I bought the books used some time ago, and never read them, because I wasn't sure I would like them.  I am somewhat surprised to say that I liked the first one.

Book #7

Mr. Mulliner Speaks
P.G. Wodehouse

Yes, P.G. Wodehouse again.  I needed something fun and light after being bludgeoned by another volume of The Wheel of Time.

This is the second volume of the Mr. Mulliner stories.  The stories are told by Mr. Mulliner, a patron of a pub called the Angler's Rest, where he is a regular imbider of a Hot Scotch and Lemon.  The stories all concern persons related to him, most carrying the last name of Mulliner.

In the preface of the omnibus edition, The World of Mr. Mulliner, he gives an anecdote from Oliver Wendell Holmes about writing so funny that it gave his butler convulsions and vowing never to write as funny as he can.  Wodehouse then follows with:

"I must warn my public that in 'The World of Mr. Mulliner' I am writing as funny as I can, and can only hope that there are no ill results."

 

For those who have read any of the Jeeves and Wooster stories, it is easy to say that the Mr. Mulliner stories are in the same vein, but a bit sillier.  Some will find that hard to believe, after reading any Jeeves and Wooster book, but it is true.

 

This second volume is notable for finishing with a series of Bobbie Wickham stories.  Bobbie Wickham is a rather pretty young lady.  Men are constantly falling for her, and then being put off because she puts them into the most embarrassing situations imaginable.  She was once the intended fiancé of Bertie Wooster, who managed to escape from her, and the stories are generally about men who decide that they are better off without her.

 

More fun with Wodehouse and a truly enjoyable read.

Book #6

The Shadow Rising
Robert Jordan

Having just finished book #4, The Shadow Rising, I’ve decided to give up on the Wheel of Time books for a time.  I have two reasons.  One, I do not like them as much as I had hoped, and two; they are each so long that it is taking me way too long to get through one.  I will never get anywhere near 100 books reading these massive things.

The Shadow Rising is 980 pages in paperback.  While the writing is okay, and the stories are enjoyable, there is just way too much filler to keep you plugging along and they are just too long.  I have felt this before and even mentioned it before, and in my opinion, some editor should have told him to cut at least 100 pages out of this thing.  Each of the four I have read would have been better for significant tightening.

But, not liking them is a much harder thing to describe.  I can point to what I do not like, which includes the entire plot line about the Seanchan, but I have not been able to figure out exactly why I do not like that plot line, except that is makes me nervous and anxious.  All I can clearly say is that I do not like it.

The Shadow Rising includes a change in the general formula of the first three books.  Just like the first three books, Jordan splits the group up and sends them in different directions.  Perrin returns to the Two Rivers with Faile; Elayne and Nynaeve are off to Tanchico in Tarabon looking for the Black Ajah and; Rand, Egwene are off to the Aiel Waste.  Unlike the first three books, Jordan never brings them back together.  Each of the three groups deals with the problems before them, and finally Rand takes another step forward to his destiny.

But, I won’t be back to them right away.

Book #5

Carry On, Jeeves
P.G. Wodehouse

I’ve been falling behind, and not just in reading enough books.  I finished this one over a week ago and I forgot to write and post about it.

Carry On, Jeeves is a collection of short stories first published in 1925.  The first story is the tale of how Jeeves and Wooster met, Jeeves Takes Charge.

I am also a big fan of the Jeeves and Wooster series done by the BBC and also shown on PBS.  I was surprised in reading this collection to find that almost every story here provides at least a partial plot for the show.

If you are interested in reading Jeeves and Wooster, but unsure about where to start, then Carry On, Jeeves would be a good place to start.