Book ~ "P is for Peril" (2001) Sue Grafton

From Goodreads ~ It is now nine weeks since Dr Dowan Purcell vanished without trace. The sixty-nine-year-old doctor had said goodnight to his colleagues at the Pacific Meadows nursing home, had climbed into his car and driven away - never to be seen again.

His embittered first wife, Fiona, is convinced he is still alive. His second wife, Crystal - a former stripper forty years his junior - is just as sure he is dead. Enter private investigator Kinsey Malone, hired by Fiona to find out just what has happened to the man they loved.

Enter also Tommy Hevener, an attractive flame-haired twenty-something who has set his romantic sights on Kinsey. And Tommy is a man with a very interesting past.

It's 1986 and Kinsey Millhone is a 36-year-old private detective in Santa Teresa, CA.  She has been hired by Fiona, the first wife of Dr. Dowan Purcell, to find her ex-husband.  He disappeared nine weeks ago ... Fiona wants to know if he has taken off (he has done this in the past a couple times) or if he's dead.  The doctor's current wife, Crystal, is a former stripper he met on a trip to Las Vegas and is convinced he is dead.  In her investigation, Kinsey discovers fraudulent Medicare activity at the clinic where Purcell worked as the medical director ... is he responsible and taken off or killed himself because he knows it's going to be revealed?

In the meantime, Kinsey is looking for new office space and finds one for rent nearby.  She is attracted to Tommy, one of the owners of the office space ... until she discovers he has a shocking past.

I thought this story was okay.  There are lots of people in this story and many who could have "dunnit" including Dr. Purcell himself.  The story ends abruptly and the usual epilogue isn't there.  There was still one aspect of the story left outstanding.  It's written in first person perspective in Kinsey's voice.  As a head's up, there is swearing.

This is the sixteenth in the "alphabet series" featuring Kinsey Millhone.  Though it is part of a series, it works as a stand alone.  I discovered this series in the mid-1990s and have read them all.  I started rereading them last year.  With the author's recent death, Y is for Yesterday will be the end of the series.

Book ~ "Picture-Taking for Moms & Dads: Recipes for Great Results with Any Camera" (2001) Ron Nichols

From Goodreads ~ Geared primarily toward beginning photographers who want to capture their family events on film, this book explains the essentials of basic photography. From point and shoot automatics to manual cameras to disposables, this guide discusses how to use any type of camera to create special family photos. 

Basic mechanics, including how to choose and manipulate film and lenses, are discussed as well as more aesthetic topics such as lighting and composition. Parents will learn how to capture a child’s point of view to enhance family history albums with beautiful portraits of their children.

I like reading books about photography to learn more about how to take better photographs and give me fun ideas.

The chapters in this book include:

• Tools of the trade:choosing a camera or film that are right for you
• Better pictures now:  five easy steps to shooting like a pro (angle of view, playtime, get close, don't hit the bulls-eye and slow down, shoot more)
• The right light:  seeing the best light for the best pictures
• Creating treasured memories:  techniques for portraits (simple portraits, pets, etc.)
• Picture-perfect vacations:  how to shoot spectacular scenes (tips for scenics and keeping film safe)
• Using and displaying photos:  how to share and enjoy your images

While this book is dated (it's from 2001 and talks about film), it is a nice beginners book.  While it doesn't tell you how to take a picture (shutter speed, aperture, etc.), it does give tips on how to take a decent picture of your kids.

Book ~ "A Toronto Album: Glimpses of the City That Was" (2001) Mike Filey

From Goodreads ~ Mike Filey's collection of pictures of Toronto from the earliest days of photography had gained a reputation as one of the most interesting visual archives of the city's history. 

This classic look at old Toronto portrays scenes of public life from 1860 to 1950, illustrating how dramatically the urban fabric and environment have changed. There are photographs of the beaches and the islands, of mud streets and gas lamps, of steam engines and trolley cars, amusement parks and the everchanging waterfront. Especially striking are the early photographs of downtown and the aftermaths of the fire of 1904. 

It will appeal to Torontonians young and old - and to anyone interested in the evolution of one of the world's fastest growing cities. 

Mike Filey had a column in the Toronto Sun for about 30 years and I read it for many years (I like learning about the history of Toronto).  I've read all his books where he compiles some of his columns.  In this book, Filey includes photographs with a description of what the picture is and what was going on at the time.

He starts by showing pictures of downtown Toronto (King/Yonge) about 1860 with dirt roads with most buildings no longer around.  He covers transportation, the growth of the city, Toronto Island, ships/boats, delivery trucks and more.

I thought the Police Commissioners' by-laws from the late 1880s re horse traffic were funny:

• No owner of any licensed cab shall drive about the streets during the day-time any notorious bad characters, or women of ill-fame.
• No driver of a cab shall appear on a stand or place for hire on Sunday.  No person licensed under this by-law shall abuse or ill-treat, or permit to be so, any horse or horses used by him.
• All licensed cabs shall drive at the rate of six miles per hour at the least.  No person shall gallop.
• Owners and occupants of livery stables shall not wash their horses in the streets and shall no permit more than two cartloads of manure to accumulate or remain at any one time between the first day of May and the first day of November.

Even though it was originally published in 1972 and reprinted in 2001, it was an interesting book because the pictures of older Toronto were great. If you live in Toronto or are from Toronto, you should check it out.

Book ~ "Walter the Farting Dog" (2001) William Kotzwinkle, Glenn Murray and Audrey Colman

From Goodreads ~ "Warning: This book may cause flatulence." 

Walter is a fine dog, except for one small problem: he has gas. He can't help it; it's just the way he is. Fortunately, the kids Billy and Betty love him regardless but Father says he's got to go! 

Poor Walter, he's going to the dog pound tomorrow. And then, in the night, burglars strike. Walter has his chance to be a hero. 

A children's beloved classic, this story will have kids rolling on the floor with laughter. Adults are permitted to laugh too.

John at The Book Mine Set blogged about Walter the Farting Dog this month.  Gord had bought me this book the summer we got married.  There was a bookstore in his neighbourhood we would walk by often and this book was prominently in the window.  I haven't read it since that summer so I read it again this evening.

It's a cute book directed at children about a dog who has a flatulence problem  The family does everything they can to make him stop but he can't.  The father finally declares that Walter has to go back to the pound but because his heroics one night, Walter gets to stay.  Yay!

The illustrations are colourful and cute.  Here's an example of when Walter was taken to the vet (notice the fart coming out of Walter's butt ... the poor vet!).

If you have a sense of humour and are looking for a book your kids will find funny, you should check it out.

Book ~ "The Icing on the Corpse" (2001) Mary Jane Maffini

From MaryJaneMaffini.com ~ If someone kills the bad guy, who's the bad guy then? When a deranged serial batterer ends up in an Ice Sculpture competition during the annual Winterlude celebrations, it looks like it might even be good news for his victims. But it's bad news for Camilla and her client, Lindsay Grace. Soon the wrong person is claiming responsibility for the crime and the real killer is lurking, making sure no one gets too close to the truth. Before long Camilla's in hot water with her client, the police, the Law Society of Upper Canada and the Crown Attorney's office. She's in trouble with her family too: but that's because of her sister Alexa's wedding preparations. Camilla would much rather pursue a killer than hunt for a butt-ugly bridesmaid's dress. She's lucky she has Alvin and Mrs. Parnell to rely on in her search for the murderer. Or is she?

This is the second book in the Camilla MacPhee series, which is set in Ottawa.

It was an okay book, not overly exciting, though. I can't say I was feeling much love for the characters other than Camilla, Alvin and Mrs. P.

The person I suspected had done it didn't so it was a nice suprise. I was okay with the ending ... it made sense and wasn't far-fetched.

I like the author's writing style and am enjoying the series and would recommend it.

Book ~ "Eat Mangoes Naked: Finding Pleasure Everywhere (and Dancing with the Pits)" (2001) ~ SARK

From Amazon ~ With her distinctive mix of brightly colored jacket art and handwritten text, SARK offers another fanciful yet thoughtful guide to life. This book exudes her characteristic outlook on life's continuous difficulty and people's "splendid imperfections". Retaining a light, positive and humorous tone, even when she discusses death, SARK advocates finding pleasure in every situation, while admitting that, as for many people, "the struggle still feels more comfortable to me than the pleasure." In the spirit of teaching what she most needs to learn, she reminds readers that "our spirits are in need of pleasure, like our bodies need vitamins, or oxygen, or water." Based on this ethic of joy, SARK demonstrates what might be gained from painful experiences, other people, mistakes, change, nature, ordinary things around the house and imaginary or vicarious adventures. She uses anecdotes from her own and others' lives to illustrate how "pleasure responds to invitation," showing up when and where we may least expect it, if we are open to receiving it. As always, SARK's simple artwork and scribbled text make readers feel like they've received a secret note from their best friend in the middle of a tedious class.

I read this book back in the summer of 2001. It is a good reminder that life is too short and we should find pleasure in all we do.

I especially liked this piece of advice ... if you are about to do something, rather than looking forward to having "a good time" (because this can cause us pressure or struggle), look forward to just having "a time". This will allow our actual experience to occur and we'll be open and accepting to receive it.

Book ~ "Dead Until Dark" (2001) Charlaine Harris

From Chapters ~ Sookie Stackhouse is a cocktail waitress in small-town Louisiana, but she keeps to herself and doesn't date much because of her "disability" to read minds. When she meets Bill, Sookie can't hear a word he's thinking. He''s the type of guy she's waited for all of her life, but he has a disability, too--he's a vampire with a bad reputation. When one of Sookie's coworkers is killed, she fears she's next.

This isn't my usual kind of book to read ... I'm not into vampires.

But I picked it up because I had gotten into True Blood over the summer, which is based on Harris' Sookie Stackhouse series of books.

The book was okay ... I did struggle through it, though. When I read a book, that's the only one I'm reading ... I usually don't have another one on the go. But I had to put this down last night and read something totally different.

Though I am looking forward to season 3 of True Blood next year, I won't be reading any more of the books.

Book ~ "The Four Agreements: A Practical Guide to Personal Freedom" (2001) Don Miguel Ruiz

From Amazon.com ~ Sit at the foot of a native elder and listen as great wisdom of days long past is passed down. In The Four Agreements shamanic teacher and healer Don Miguel Ruiz exposes self-limiting beliefs and presents a simple yet effective code of personal conduct learned from his Toltec ancestors. Full of grace and simple truth, this handsomely designed book makes a lovely gift for anyone making an elementary change in life, and it reads in a voice that you would expect from an indigenous shaman. The four agreements are these: Be impeccable with your word. Don't take anything personally. Don't make assumptions. Always do your best. It's the how and why one should do these things that make The Four Agreements worth reading and remembering.

I read about this book on B's blog a couple weeks ago.

It's fairly religious at times (I'm not) but I liked the concepts. There are four agreements:

Be impeccable with your word.
Speak with integrity. Say only what you mean. Avoid using the word to speak against yourself or to gossip about others. Use the power of your word in the direction of truth and love.

Don't take anything personally.
Nothing others do is because of you. What others say and do is a projection of their own reality. When you are immune to the opinions and actions of others, you won't be the victim of needless suffering.

Don't make assumptions.
Find the courage to ask questions and to express what you really want. Communicate with others as clearly as you can to avoid misunderstandings, sadness and drama. With just this one agreement, you can completely transform your life.

Always do your best.
Your best is going to change from moment to moment; it will be different when you are healthy as apposed to sick. Under any circumstances, simply do your best and you will avoid self-judgment, self-abuse and regret.

Book ~ Last Resort: A Memoir (2001) - Linwood Barclay

From Goodreads ~ In 1966, when his parents abandoned their suburban Toronto split-level to buy Green Acres, a cottage and trailer resort in Ontario’s Kawartha Lakes region, eleven-year-old Linwood Barclay’s life took an unexpected turn.

No more rec-room train sets. Now Linwood was hauling fish guts to the woods for burial, answering distress calls from women in the ladies’ room who found themselves without toilet paper, and standing in leaky chest-waders pounding dock posts into the lake bottom.

The chores weren’t so bad, especially when he could help his father, who had been a commercial artist before he bought his way into the tourist business. And in other ways, it was a good life for a boy. He had wheels (a John Deere riding mower), a small aluminum boat with a 9.5-horsepower outboard and only one speed (fast), and Chipper, a dog that chased boats the way other dogs chase cars, sometimes with catastrophically comic results. Linwood also had access to The Chart, a cottage reservations list that was, for him, a guide to the arrivals and departures of the guests’ teenaged daughters. Summer romances could be as intense as they were heartbreaking.

When he was sixteen, an unexpected tragedy changed Linwood’s life again. His older brother, Rett, helped out as best he could, but he was wrestling with demons of his own – often withdrawing into his own complicated inner world. Linwood found an extended family in the resort’s guests, who lent him a hand, and shaped him into the man he would become.

His mother’s eccentricities (she quit driving to shame the police for having given her a ticket) made Linwood’s new responsibilities heavier than they might otherwise have been. When he finally decided to move away from Green Acres to make a separate life, she made it as difficult as possible for him.

In the midst of all this, Linwood found his vocation, and mentors, too, in Margaret Laurence, and in Kenneth Millar, who (under the pen name Ross MacDonald) wrote a highly successful series of detective novels.

In this memoir, Linwood Barclay looks back with humour, sadness, and affection on the singular circumstances of his coming of age.

In the last couple months, I've discovered and read Barclay's Zack Walker series and really enjoyed them.

This bio (I enjoy bios) was also a good read as it was funny, honest, sad (with is brother's illness and his father's death) and frustrating (I would have had very little patience for the antics of his mother but he handled her very well).

My friend, Deb, lives not too far from where Green Acres is so I've been to some of the places he described.

I would definitely recommend this book!

Book ~ "Another Shot: How I Relived My Life in Less Than a Year" - Joe Kita (2001)

From Amazon.com ~ As he approached 40, veteran journalist Kita decided to revisit his greatest missed opportunities. It's a terrific conceit and, within the limits of his 20 specific regrets (from "losing my hair" to "working my life away"), Kita pulls it off with wit and aplomb.

After two months of conditioning, he works out with his alma mater's high school basketball team and is told that this time he wouldn't have been cut. He and his wife attend a workshop for lovers (for which he happily paid $1,000 and would do so again before spending another $10 on a Viagra pill), allowing them to have "the best sex of our married lives and with each other, no less." They also renew their vows in a ceremony far more satisfying than their overstressed wedding. Even when his quests don't pan out, Kita finds peace: so what if he can't recover that first Camaro or if that woman he was too shy to approach in college won't return his letter?

Basically a happy guy, Kita doesn't often stray toward seriousness, though he laments not having said good-bye to his father, who died at 62 (and tries to revisit him via a psychic); he also takes a day trip with his Mom to try to repair some long-standing rifts. In his conclusion, Kita lists some regrets he hasn't yet pursued that might make for a deeper challenge.

This book caught my eye at the library ... it sounded like an interesting premise.

I enjoyed the writing style and the stories. I'd definitely recommend it!

My favourite missed opportunities? Chapter 16: Not being a real man (he did a survival camp ... I can't imagine being left alone for two days!), Chapter 18: Mistreating a dog (made me hug my dog and cats), and Chapter 19: Not having a hero (he worked out with Jack LaLanne).

Would I want to relive any of my "missed opportunities"? No way ... my experiences are what make me who I am today. How about you?

I'll leave you with a quote that resonnated with me from his story about trying to find his first car ... I'll have realized a long time ago that it's only where you are and where you are heading that matters. So true!

Book ~ "Strip Poker" - Nancy Bartholomew (2001)

From Amazon.com ~ Sierra Lavotini, the gutsy, busty, blonde exotic dancer who moonlights as a catcher of bad guys, is back for her fourth raunchy and amusing adventure. Sierra, along with her fellow dancers, is out of a job after Vincent Gambuzzo, the dim owner of Tiffany Gentleman's Club, loses it in a poker game. When a gang of hoods bursts into the room to seize the take, in the ensuing fracas one player, Denny, is killed and the bouncer is badly injured. The police, including Sierra's boyfriend, John Nailor, arrest Vincent for murder, since the fatal bullet came from his gun. At Denny's wake, Sierra literally stumbles on another corpse. And so it goes. This girl is a magnet for trouble, as one of her friends points out. But with the help of her familiar supporting cast of characters, notably Raydean, her lovable but certifiable trailer-park neighbor, and Fluffy, her hairless Chihuahua, you can count on Sierra to sort it all out. Sierra displays her usual uninhibited candor and bad grammar, neither of which can be attributed to Sister Frances, a former teacher, whose advice she often gives herself. Sierra and Nailor, now an established couple after a long flirtation, enjoy steamy sex, but unexpected competition enters in the person of "Big Moose" Lavotini, a New Jersey mobster whom Sierra has long claimed sight unseen as her uncle to impress others of his ilk. While the murders are satisfactorily resolved, the author leaves a lot of loose ends that need to be tied up and soon!

Another quick read by the fabulous (I know you are, but what am I??!!) Nancy Bartholomew with a slew of qurky characters that I enjoyed. Was this the last in the series? What happened with Sierra and Nailor??!! Did Raydean return to the mothership?? I've gotta know!!

Book ~ "Film Strip" - Nancy Bartholomew (2001)

From Amazon.com ~ Who's killing the adult film stars at the Tiffany Gentleman's Club? And why? These questions perplex club headliner, Sierra Lavotini, and the Panama City police in this rollicking, steamy tale. Bartholomew moves deftly from screwball comedy to crime scene melodrama, periodically visiting the Tiffany for Sierra's performances. Sierra gets to the bottom of things quickly, her bottom, that is. When porn legend, Venus Lovemotion, is gunned down, a bullet gouges Sierra's derriere, threatening livelihood more than life. Despite the plot's immersion in a subculture synonymous with sleaze, the author avoids moralizing. Don't call Sierra a "stripper." That, she explains, connotes cheap sex. She's an "artist," the best around, and a lapsed Catholic ready to summon a Hail Mary in a pinch. She's also a delightfully acerbic narrator and a fearless detective, abetted by her feisty chihuahua and her trailer park friends, notably zany neighbor Raydean, who guards against suspected space invaders, including homicide detective John Nailor, Sierra's love interest. Bartholomew develops almost as much suspense around their romance as she does around the murderer's identity.

Nancy had suggested I check out her Sierra Lavotini series. So I did!

My flight home was 3 hours late in leaving Halifax (!!) so Sierra and her wacky cast of characters kept me company during my wait. It was a quick fun read that I finished before my plane touched down in Toronto.

I enjoyed this book. It was funny yet kept me in suspense.

Book ~ "Fodor's Around Toronto with Kids: 68 Great Things to Do Together" - Kate Pocock (2001)

Amazon.com ~ For this smart, cheerful little book, Fodor's parent-experts have hand-picked 68 terrific things to do around Toronto with a child in tow from The Bata Shoe Museum to The Osborne Collection of Early Children's Books. Written by parents who live in Toronto, this book is smart about what kids like and about what parents need. It includes all the details for planning (addresses, phone numbers, admission prices, and age-appropriateness); "Hey Kids!" info boxes filled with fun facts; ideas for places to grab a bite to eat nearby; and a cool "Games" section that will keep everyone happily occupied while waiting in line.

Even though we don't have kids, it's a great reminder and description of some of the fun stuff to do around Toronto.

Book ~ "Milkrun" (2001) Sarah Mlynowski

From Amazon.com ~ Jackie Norris' jaw drops when she gets an email from her boyfriend, Jeremy, telling her that he's seeing someone else in Thailand, where he has gone to "find himself." A harried 24-year-old copy editor at a romance publisher, Jackie decides to be proactive and speed up the process of getting over Jeremy by dating other men. But the men she meets are disappointing: a handsome stud she went to high school with is both rude and a lousy kisser, and it turns out that the goodlooking intellectual is still living with his girlfriend. Meanwhile, Jackie's roommate, Sam, separates from her longtime boyfriend and goes from being a devoted girlfriend to single girl extraordinaire, making Jackie envious. The only good guy in Jackie's life seems to be Jeremy's friend Andrew, but just as Jackie starts to fall for him, Jeremy reenters her life. Though at times annoyingly neurotic, Jackie is a likable heroine, and twentysomething singles will relate to her frustrating search for love in a big city.

I really enjoyed this book. I liked the writing style ~ funny and sarcastic. The character is very quirky and I felt at times I was sitting next to her with a glass of wine and listening to her go on and on (but in a good way!). There are lots of typos ~ very ironic given what Jackie does for a living.

I'm looking forward to reading more of her books. A couple months ago, I read her Bras and Broomsticks. Though it's directed at teens, it was enjoyable.

Book ~ "Last Trout in Venice: The Far-Flung Escapades of an Accidental Adventurer" (2001) Doug Lansky

From Amazon.com ~ Doug Lansky ventured from the peak of Kilimanjaro to Berlin's erotic Kit Kat Club to Sweden's 100 guest-capacity Ice Hotel (rebuilt each winter just north of the Arctic Circle) to a Texas cattle auction where the auctioneers "talk more and say less than a room full of presidential candidates" and lived to write Last Trout in Venice: The Far-Flung Escapades of an Accidental Adventurer. Some of his destinations are truly strange and, evidently for good reason, truly obscure though readers will definitely get a laugh from Lansky's tenure (one day) as a bellboy in Jules' Undersea Lodge (scuba access only capacity: four guests), 20 feet underwater.

Excellent book! His stories of his adventures are very funny. Much better than the Jennifer Leo series.

Book ~ "Kiss My Tiara : How to Rule the World as a SmartMouth Goddess" (2001) Susan Jane Gilman

From Amazon.com ~ Kiss My Tiara challenges The Rules and backlash books like In Defense of Modesty. Designed to help women 18-35 catch a life, not a husband, it's funny and politically irreverent, with chapters such as "Nevermind a Penis, We'll Take a Paycheck" and "How to Deal with Lunatics, Perverts and Right-wing Republicans." Like The Rules, it's based on wisdom the author received from her grandmother--except her grandmother was a feisty, gin-drinking feminist. Gilman is indignant at the mindlessness of aerobics classes, refuses to subscribe to the belief that thin thighs are more important than brains and chutzpah, and believes that if you have trouble asking for dessert you'll never be able to ask for a raise. Sprinkled with her grandmother's affirmative aphorisms ("If God didn't want us to play with ourselves, she would have made our arms shorter"), the book covers the gamut of a woman's world--relationships, money, self-esteem, sexual harassment in the workplace, and the guilt of ordering french fries. Gilman's is a sage, insightful, and witty voice in a confusing time that will make women laugh while teaching them to feel entitled, confident, and empowered.

Okay book ~ not great. Funny and crude in places.

Book ~ "The Switch" (2001) Sandra Brown

From Amazon.com ~ When Gillian hears her biological clock ticking, she is inseminated. Gillian switches places with her twin, a media escort, and chauffeurs astronaut, Chief Hart, around town. It turns out to be a fatal attraction and suspicion falls on Chief when Gillian's mutilated body is found the next day. The dead woman's boyfriend, Jem Hennings, has a vested interest in focusing police efforts on Hart but Melina has her own reasons for thinking him wrong. Jem's connection with a charismatic preacher known as Brother Gabriel is at the heart of this mildly creepy mystery, in which Melina tracks Brother Gabriel to his lair and uncovers his plot while simultaneously revealing her own dark secret.

I read this book a couple years ago so knew how it was going to end but I still enjoyed it again. There's lot of action, interesting characters and a good mystery. I like Sandra Brown's mystery novels - her romances not so much.