by Barbara Casey | Sep 22, 2015 | Book Reviews, Fiction, Uncommonly Good Mysteries
DI Marjory Fleming… a character I’ve learned to love
Aline Templeton’s DI Marjory Fleming mystery series has been on my radar for four years, ever since one of my favorite mystery writers, Louise Penny, recommended it on her blog.
Alas, my library didn’t carry the books, so I placed a sticky note in my “authors to read” file to remind myself about this new author to try… someday.
Well, I was between books last year… slowly climbing up the library’s reserve list for Deborah Harkness‘ new novel, and went browsing through my to-read file looking for ideas.
And there was the sticky note saying “Aline Templeton – good author- per Louise Penny – DI Marjory Fleming.”
My library still didn’t have the books so I checked on Amazon and found ALL of the DI Fleming thrillers just waiting to be downloaded to my Kindle. Of course, I started with book 1 – Cold in the Earth – and I’m so glad I did. What a terrific introduction to a mystery series that is already a cut above most others in the field.
Here’s my review of the first book… and I know already that I’ll be following DI Marjory Fleming for the long run.
The main character, Detective Inspector Marjory Fleming, is a tall, athletic woman who is married to a sheep farmer in the Galloway, Scotland area. Fleming’s staff call her “Big Marge” when she’s not in hearing distance. Marjory and Bill have what appears to be a very strong marriage… until an outbreak of foot-and-mouth disease threatens their way of life.
Bill follows the slaughtering of his neighbors’ cattle and sheep as officials attempt to halt the spread of this dreaded animal virus. And the disease keeps coming closer and closer until Marjory and the kids must leave the farm or face an indefinite quarantine keeping them away from job and school. Bill is left on his own to cope with angry neighbors and his own fears about their livelihood… not to mention the possible killing of his beloved sheep.
At the same time that the future of their farm is in jeopardy, DI Fleming finds herself heading up her first murder investigation. It appears that the body of a young woman found on the Mason farm has been gored to death… through the heart. And the Masons happened to own a bull called “Satan,” wild, uncontrollable and a possible murder suspect.
![[Image of Pamplona statue by Xauxa HÃ¥kan Svensson via Wikimedia Commons]](https://barbaracasey.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/09/PamplonaStatueCrop-227x300.jpg)
Image of Pamplona statue by Xauxa Hakan Svensson
A murder mystery with twists and turns
As Marjory begins to unravel the intricate threads of the murder mystery, we learn firsthand about the highly bizarre behaviors of the Mason family. Central to the plot is a psychologist named Laura who has arrived in Galloway to learn more about the whereabouts of her missing sister. Laura’s counseling experience helps us, as readers, get a glimpse into the dysfunctional minds of the Mason family.
The book doesn’t skimp on details, either. I liked the way the story line wove “tough” and somewhat offbeat subjects into a murder mystery. The story begins with a reminiscence of running-the-bulls in Pamplona, then ties in Laura’s sister, foot-and-mouth disease, the plight of animal farmers and “bull” psychology very neatly into the eventual outcome. In fact, the photo of the Pamplona statue that I use in the post depicts the powerful energy of the bulls in the story.
Templeton’s writing is superb. Her ability to bring characters alive on the page is masterful. And I love stories where I learn new things. The whole bull theme is very cool. Foot-and-mouth I experienced firsthand, when I spent the winter of 1967-68 in England. I wasn’t a vegetarian then, but I might as well have been for the absence of meat on the table and in the markets.
If you are a mystery book fan like I am and enjoy a “meaty” read (no serial killers, thank goodness), I think you’ll enjoy DI Marjory Fleming and her crew. The first few Kindle books in the series are only $2.99 each. I’m hooked and already waiting for book 10.
DI Marjory Fleming Books Listed in Order
- Cold in the Earth
- The Darkness and the Deep
The fishing industry is going belly-up, causing local fishermen to move into drugs transport via the waterways. Aline Templeton puts you inside the mind of DI Fleming and also the community in which the crime takes place. You feel the anguish of the people involved and get a good understanding of the complex situation which the police are trying to unravel.
- Lying Dead
In book 3 of the series, Marjory’s investigative team is stretched to the limits, there are so many possible villains. It turns out that a woman found bludgeoned on a mountainside had prior relationships with many of the locals, including one of DI Fleming’s own detectives. What I especially like about these mysteries is Templeton’s method of letting the reader follow each detective’s logic (and intuition). We can “hear” Marjory mentally weigh the pros and cons of the possibilities. I’ve got sucked in to every story so far.
- Lamb to the Slaughter
- Dead in the Water
- Cradle to Grave
- Evil for Evil
- Bad Blood
- The Third Sin
by Barbara Casey | Sep 22, 2015 | Book Reviews, Fiction, Uncommonly Good Mysteries
My review of The Long Way Home – Louise Penny’s 10th book in the Chief Inspector Gamache series
Many readers of Louise Penny’s Inspector Gamache/Three Pines books don’t know what to make of the newest installment in the series, The Long Way Home. Some found the conversations boring, others wondered where the action was, and quite a few Amazon reviewers just plain didn’t like the ending.
Me? I thought it was her best book to date.
And the ending made me cry. At one in the morning, when I finished reading the story and then tried falling asleep.
Except I kept thinking about the book. And when I woke up in the morning, I was writing a review in my head.
Redemption for… Gamache, Beauvoir, the Morrows and a couple of art professors
After the bang-bang, shoot-shoot excitement of the previous book, How the Light Gets In, and its facile ending, I wondered where Penny would go with this 10th book featuring Chief Inspector Gamache. Could she redeem her writing reputation with this new book?
Well, yes.
The Long Way Home is as much about Penny’s redemption as it is about Gamache’s and Peter Morrow’s… and the two art professors who are at the center of the story.
The usual cast of characters is present: Jean-Luc Beauvoir, Gamache’s son-in-law and police sidekick for many years, the artist Clara Morrow, Myrna the bookstore owner/psychologist, comfort-food dispensers and Bistro owners Gabri and Olivier, and Ruth, the famous poet. Armand Gamache’s wife, Reine-Marie, plays a bigger role in this book than in most of the others. And that’s not surprising, given the emotional and physical turmoil he was left to bear at the end of the last book.
The Gamaches have moved from Montreal to the village of Three Pines. Gamache has retired from the force, and is enjoying the peacefulness of his new life, after dealing with murder for so many years. He is also undergoing therapy with Myrna and daily confronting the fear and guilt that still linger after his injuries.
Revelations on a park bench
Very early every day, Armand Gamache walks over to the bench overlooking the village and opens a tiny book that he refuses to show anyone. He reads a few lines, comes to a bookmark placed there by his father and realizes he is not ready to go farther. Clara Morrow joins him on the bench and he senses she wants to reveal something important… but she stops before she can do so. Likewise, he is not willing to share what he is seeking: balm for his wounds.
The book he is reading: There Is A Balm in Gilead.
One day she tells him. Her husband, Peter, was supposed to have returned after a year’s trial separation – and didn’t. She would like Gamache to investigate why, fearing that Peter may have done harm to himself or that he didn’t love her anymore. She had an urgent need to know and, despite his fears about getting back into the investigation game, Gamache agrees to help her. In fact, all of their friends get involved in this intricate puzzle of the travels and whereabouts of Peter Morrow.
A breakdown? Or a breakthrough?
What I appreciated about “the long way home” that Penny traveled in this search for Peter was the intricate building of clues, the superlative dialogue, and the willingness of the characters to see past the obvious. The story essentially is a detailed travelogue into Peter Morrow’s mind and emotions.
If you’ve read any earlier books in the series, you’ll recall that Peter tended to play it safe and became bewildered and jealous when his artist wife, who took artistic chances, became more famous than him. As Peter unravels and then reintegrates the pieces of himself, we only see him through the clues he leaves. And through the feelings of those who love him.
The solutions to figuring out Peter’s whereabouts came partly through his credit card charges and partly through works of art he sent his nephew for safe-keeping. The Three Pines “explorers” who followed his tracks realized that Peter was either having a nervous breakdown – or a major artistic breakthrough.
Their first impression was negative, but when they looked more closely, they found things they hadn’t seen before. When they turned one of the pictures upside down, they saw a totally different work of art, evoking another emotion entirely. The “way home” to creative genius starts with a few painful steps, a few brush strokes on paper or canvas. Does Peter make it all the way? Well… that conclusion comes at the end of the book.
My summary: Louise Penny hits a home run with The Long Way Home
My previous favorite of the Gamache/Three Pines series had been The Beautiful Mystery. After reading the one in between that book and this one, I wasn’t at all certain that I’d continue following Louise Penny’s mysteries.
I’m very glad I did. This book kept me in a state of wonder all the way through. The relationships, the impeccable dialogue and the seat-of-the-pants journey made me a Louise Penny fan all over again.
The ending was tough, but the book was, after all, about courage, about facing our bogeymen, about redemption. About release, about coming home.
Chief Inspector Gamache books in order
I highly recommend that you read the Gamache/Three Pines books in publication date order. The relationships are such a part of each story and the characters grow (or regress) according to Penny’s story line.
Those of us who really get into these books almost feel like members of the village. We eat at the Bistro, buy our books in Myrna’s book shop, wave hello to Rosa the duck as she waddles after Ruth, the poet. We sink our tushes into the Adirondack chairs in Clara’s garden and feel the soothing peace that emanates from Three Pines (a village that, for some reason, does not appear on any map).
If you haven’t read the books, here’s the list in order of publication.
- Still Life (start here to get a feel for the place and the characters)
- A Fatal Grace
- The Cruelest Month
- A Rule Against Murder
- The Brutal Telling
- Bury Your Dead
- A Trick of the Light
- The Beautiful Mystery
- How the Light Gets In
- The Long Way Home
- The Nature of the Beast
- A Great Reckoning
- Glass Houses
- Kingdom of the Blind
- A Better Man
- All the Devils Are Here
- The Madness of Crowds (release date 8/24/2021)
Read more reviews for The Long Way Home at Amazon.
by Barbara Casey | Sep 19, 2015 | Barb Recommends
Bubbly Poetry – My Ode to Pure Soap
Do you ever get giddy about the products you love? Like soap, for instance? I am such a fan of Cal Ben’s Pure Soap that I even wrote a poem about it, my “Ode to Pure Soap.” I mean… this is a soap that doesn’t make me sneeze or itch.
I’m not a person who enjoys shopping. I don’t spend hours browsing the aisles, checking out the latest and best… of anything. So when I find a product that works for me, I tend to keep buying it.
That’s the case with the bath soap I’ve been using for the past 12 years or so.
I have allergies, so picking up a bar of soap in the supermarket is not something I can easily do – even if I’ve run out of soap for my shower. It’s tough for me to walk down that aisle, never mind stand there and choose the least-perfumed item on the shelf.
I like the Dr. Bronner Soaps that my health food stores have always carried – and which you can now buy at any grocery store or pharmacy… but, as a single parent, they’ve been a little out of my budget range.
When I started going to Sunshine Natural Foods store in Seminole, Florida (around twelve years ago), I was introduced to the nirvana of pure soaps and that’s what I’d like to tell you about today… Pure Soap from Cal Ben.
And, yes… I really did write a poem about it… you can see it below.
ODE TO SOAP – by Barbara Casey
Let me never run out of my favorite soap
I like it above all the others
It lathers and cleans at a price I can pay
A wonderful boon for us mothers.
I’ve loved you, dear soap, for a number of years
You’re the best that I’ve found on the market
And now that my health food store’s 10 miles away
I can’t even find you at Target.
With thinking cap on and budget in mind
I searched high and low for my bar
And found you online – at Amazon, too!
No need to climb into my car.
You can keep your old Doves and your Irish Springs, too
They’re handy, but make me start sneezing
Pure Soap’s what I want and I’ve got it now, too
In a 12-pack and that’s what’s so pleasing.
© 2013 Barbara Casey
Pure Soap
Finding a local resource for my bath soap was not easy
When I lived in Seminole, Florida, my closest health food store carried this brand of soap. In fact, they introduced me to Cal Ben’s Pure Soap many years ago. They still carry it.
But I’m clear across the county now and none of the local shops have it. So I went to the soap maker’s website and had them ship me a 12-pack, because I didn’t want to run out and my old health food store was a little far to go for one bar of soap. I paid $32.00, including shipping, for 12 bars of soap (in 2013), which arrived about a week after I ordered them online.
Silly me… what I should have done is looked on Amazon.com first. With my Amazon Prime account, I get free 2-day shipping on most items I order.
Here’s how Cal Ben makes their Pure Soap
Cal Ben’s literature describes their soap-making process as the “Cauldron Method.” I don’t know what image that conjures up for you… but it sounded pretty cool to me.
They actually do make the soap base in open cauldrons, using high grade white vegetable tallow, pure coconut oils and a few drops of almond oil, which are mixed for five hours before a salty solution is added to separate out the impurities. Then the soaps are refined with “washing” three times to remove even more impurities. Blending takes place next to give the soap its smooth texture and rich lather. Then the soaps are dried for 48 hours, after which they are triple-milled to create a longer-lasting bar.
Cal Ben Pure Soap doesn’t contain any artificial detergents, toxic antibacterial chemicals, coloring dyes, lanolins or harmful perfumes. It doesn’t make me sneeze, itch or break out. I have fairly dry skin and I find it’s gentle enough to use every day. It rinses off cleanly and is just… a really good soap at an affordable price.
About the almond essence they add to Pure Soap
My order of 12 soap bars arrived on a Friday sealed in a cellophane wrapper. That night, I opened one of the packages of soap and noticed that the almond scent was a little stronger than I was used to.
Saturday morning I called the health food store where I used to buy Pure Soap and asked if the almond essence was normal… because I had never noticed it when I bought the soap at the store.
Here’s what happened.
At the health food store, I either grabbed a bar off the shelf or from the basket they kept the bars in when they had lots on hand. The almond scent had “gassed off” between the time they unpacked the case of soap and the day I dropped by to purchase some.
So that’s what I’m doing at home – storing my 12 bars of soap (well, 11 now… one’s gone into the shower) in a basket to allow the scent of the almond oil to dissipate some before I use the soaps.
Learn more about Cal Ben and their soap products here
To learn more about the Cal Ben products firsthand, you might want to visit the Cal Ben website. They also make laundry soaps, dishwasher detergent, liquid hand soaps and more.
by Barbara Casey | Sep 1, 2015 | Book Reviews, Fiction
The Aubrey-Maturin Series by Patrick O’Brian… with Reading Order List
H.M.S. Surprise by Logawi via Creative Commons
Master and Commander is the first book in Patrick O’Brian’s wonderful 21-book historical fiction series known as the “Aubrey-Maturin Series.”
It is also the name of the adventure movie with Russell Crowe, although much of the action in the film was actually derived from books much farther down the list, especially Number 10, The Far Side of the World. So the 21 books are now known by the series title “Master and Commander” as well as “Aubrey-Maturin.” Not too confusing, I hope.
The Aubrey of the beloved books is Jack Aubrey, an officer of the Royal Navy whose heroic exploits we follow through 21 delightful books and much of the Napoleonic Wars. Stephen Maturin is his unlikely sidekick, confidant and best friend… the ship’s surgeon and an intelligence officer whose doings are not always known to Jack Aubrey.
So here we go… off to sea and the farther reaches of the earth. No Dramamine needed. Just bring your imagination and let’s see if I can convince you that Patrick O’Brian’s sea-faring adventures will keep you engrossed – I mean so completely engrossed – that it might be some time before you come up for air. There are 21 books in the series, after all… and not a moment to be lost!
[PS] If you get hooked on the series like I did, you’ll want to bookmark this page for future reference. Patrick O’Brian’s Aubrey-Maturin books are listed in order below.
[PPS] I don’t normally re-read novels, but this series is so good, I’ve read the entire series 3 times (so far). I catch a different nuance every time and it never, ever bores me.
(1) Master and Commander – Book 1 of the Aubrey-Maturin Series
Imagine yourself sitting in the music room of the Governor’s House on the island of Minorca in the year 1800, listening to a concert in which you are so transported by the music that your right hand moves in time with the violins – up, down, sideways. Ahhhh… bliss.
And then the concert-goer next to you has the audacity to suggest that you were not even keeping time with the music. And then as you gently, quietly hum in unison with the cello pom, pom-pom-pom, poom, your head bobbing in time, an elbow smashes into your ribs and an angry voice hisses at you to “shush.”
For Lieutenant Jack Aubrey, that was one more negative piled on to an already large heap that included his promised command of a ship being taken away at the last moment. Hopes high, then dashed low. A familiar theme throughout these books… and part of what keeps us readers engaged book after book.
But the news turns brighter when Jack receives a commission for a naval vessel – at long last. Not a war-ship, of course; rather a little transport sloop known as the Sophie. He will be its Master and Commander…not yet a Post Captain, eligible to command larger vessels, but it will do for now.
And the surly patron of the arts from the concert turns out to be a trained physician in need of transportation. As “luck” would have it, the Sophie’s previous surgeon has gone to another ship and so Stephen Maturin is invited to become the Sophie’s new surgeon. Stephen is not particularly adept at remembering where to stand when sails need to be raised or how to safely climb aboard the ship after a trip to port and, for a man with a command of so many other languages, the lingo of seamen seems to be somewhat beyond his ability to grasp. On the other hand, he performs wonderfully as a physician and surgeon, keeping wounded sailors alive better than most in his profession.
Jack Aubrey takes command of the Sophie, a rather sluggish boat with an under-manned crew, the remains of its previous crew who were not invited to join the departing captain on his new ship. But Jack is nothing if not resourceful and is able to call in a couple of favors to replenish his manpower, allowing him to set off on his first official voyage, that of convoying a small fleet of merchant ships to Cagliari, an island in the Mediterranean.
This is a humdrum routine for Captain Jack Aubrey, whose first task is to get his gun crews up to speed and his second, to outfit the Sophie to sail much faster. Daily practice at the fourteen 4-pounder cannons accomplishes the first mission. The second mission required a little delicate subterfuge with the navy stores, but it earned the Sophie a new mainyard and much more speed for Jack’s preferred plan of taking prizes. For Jack Aubrey is a master at capturing enemy ships, whether it is part of his naval orders or not. “Lucky” Jack Aubrey, they call him, for good reason.
On land, Jack does not function as well as he does at sea. Dr. Maturin, on the other hand, loves his opportunities to go ashore and find new specimens of flora and fauna to inspect and dissect. Maturin’s sea legs are a little slow in coming and the eye that is so keen at birdwatching does not always figure out what is happening in front of him on the ship’s deck, no matter how many times it is patiently explained by one crew member or another. This theme runs through all the books and makes the usually competent Maturin an entirely endearing character. Trepanning the gunner’s brain on the deck of the Sophie is child’s play compared to recalling the names of the 21 flags and multiple masts on the ship.
Aubrey lets his anger and impetuousness get the better of him on land, the main reason his promotions are always slow in arriving, but at sea he is a master in battle planning and quick life-saving action. Ineffectual as a sailor, Maturin otherwise is a master botanist, studious zoologist and resourceful ship’s surgeon. His intelligence work is merely hinted at in the first book, but his importance to government affairs becomes much more evident as the series progresses.
This link takes you to the Sophie’s voyages on a map, as portrayed in Master & Commander.
An invitation into the wonderful world of Aubrey and Maturin
Master and Commander lays the foundation for a deep understanding of man-of-war ships, of naval etiquette and bravery, of early 19th century medical procedures, of close and lasting relationships and long-into-the-night reading. The journeys of the Sophie and the adventures of her captain and crew are a captivating, colorful tapestry created by Patrick O’Brian’s dry, sly wit and exemplary writing.
This first book in the series introduces us to life on the shores of the Mediterranean in the year 1800 and to the very real dangers faced by captain and crew on the oceans of the world, especially in times of war – in this case, war with France and Napoleon. In fact, Jack and his crew are captured by the French toward the end of the book and must face a court-martial for the loss of their beloved Sophie, who now belongs to another navy altogether.
Ups and downs, like the waves on the ocean. High then low, with a few storms and calms interspersed. A life lived boldly. Loves felt deeply. Rewards given handsomely… or taken away by spite. A rich storyline, endearing people and so much to learn. My favorite combination for a fiction novel.
I hope you’ll decide to travel with Jack and Stephen and the Sophie and the Surprise and the loves of their lives… for they are coming into the picture, too. Come… the winds are in our favor – and there is no time to lose.
What’s a destitute sea captain to do when peace is declared? Hide from his creditors on land… or become a temporary substitute captain on another man’s ship? For Jack Aubrey, the choice is clear and he is given the acting command of an awkward vessel called the Polychrest, which had somehow acquired an alcoholic gibbon named Cassandra. New tensions between Aubrey and Maturin increase because of… what else… a woman. And not just any ordinary woman. Diana Villiers is an important part of the story and this second book sets that stage brilliantly.
Aubrey and Maturin’s main voyage in Book 3 is a long one: to deliver an emissary of the King of England to the Sultan of Kampong. Their travels take them by way of Bombay, India where Diana Villiers is now living. Jack Aubrey has been given command of an older but reliable vessel, H.M.S. Surprise and his completely competent capabilities at sea are proven over and over on this long, eventful trip.
The action in The Mauritius Command is based on real events during the Napoleonic Wars.
In the novel, the British Navy elevates Captain Jack Aubrey to acting Commodore of a small fleet aimed at taking over some harbors currently occupied by the French in and around the island of Mauritius (east of Madagascar in the Indian Ocean). Aubrey, accustomed to being a hands-on captain of a single ship must now organize and placate a number of individual post-captains, each of which has his own advantages and idiosyncrasies.
Watching Captain Aubrey struggle with the politics of the situation and then rise to the occasions as needed is a treat. You feel like cheering by the end of the book when… (oh, I won’t give it away, sorry).
Dealing with Captain Bligh (he was a real naval officer and The Bounty was a real ship). Transporting prisoners to Australia. Spy stuff. Battles at sea. Shipwrecks. And rescues (sort of). Oh yes, icebergs, too. The action in this book never stops. It took me a while to catch up on sleep after staying up late reading this book.
The United States finally declares war on England, but many in the newly fledged country still have ties with Great Britain and aren’t happy with President Madison’s war, as they called the War of 1812 back then. Captain Aubrey and Stephen Maturin still haven’t made it home, and end up in the United States as prisoners of war after yet another naval battle in which the Americans were victorious. Their escape is fraught with danger, yet thrilling. Oh yes, Diana Villiers features prominently, which adds to the tension and suspense. Another book to keep you reading late into the night.
After escaping from America, Stephen urges Diana Villiers to marry him, so that she may not be an alien on British soil, subject to possible incarceration, since the two countries are at war. When she does not agree, other measures must be taken, including a trip to France, which is also at war with England. Stephen gives a talk at the Institut, and installs Diana with a friend for her own safety.
Jack, in the meanwhile, gets to know his children again, after such a long absence at sea. But, of course, duty calls (by way of Stephen’s intelligence work this time) and the two head for the Baltic on a delicate mission.
Threading their way through treacherous waters, the boat hits a reef and Aubrey and Maturin and their crew are once again in the hands of their enemies… this time the French. But you know that there are 21 books in the series, so an escape is made (this one rather unusual) and the pair are headed back to England once more, with Diana Villiers.
Stephen dutifully asks for her hand in marriage and she says……… (oh, c’mon, I’m not giving that away).
Because of his legal problems at home, Captain Jack Aubrey has accepted a commission to join the blockade squadron at Toulon. The ship he commands is the unseaworthy “Worcester.”
At least he has many of his former crew and Stephen Maturin joining him on this tedious work of sailing back and forth, back and forth… in perfect formation with the flag ship. Jack’s nemesis, Admiral Harte, gives incomplete details to Jack on a delicate mission… one that is bound to fail because of that.
Fortunately, Jack had demanded his orders in writing and he was later given temporary command of his beloved old ship “Surprise” for an even more delicate mission to determine which of three local leaders would best provide port privileges for the Royal Navy while thwarting inroads from the French at the same time. We get to see Aubrey-as-politician at work, with surprising results.
While waiting for refitting in Malta, the Surprise’s sailors become more and more dissolute, with money to pay for “fancy girls” and liquor. French intelligence, at the same time, is getting increasingly knowledgeable about Royal Navy affairs and Dr. Maturin, meanwhile, is entering into an interesting relationship with a would-be lady spy.
In addition, the identity of a traitor in the naval hierarchy is revealed, but the only ones who know who it is… are us readers. I won’t divulge what happens to “that scrub Admiral Harte” in the book, but Jack’s nemesis finally gets what’s been coming to him through 8 previous books.
Captain Jack Aubrey receives an unexpected commission in his beloved ship Surprise that will take him to “the far side of the world” protecting British whalers from the American ship “Norfolk.”
By the time I was halfway through the book there had already been a pregnancy, two suspected murders, storms and the taking of a prize.
If you saw the movie, you’ll have heard about the ship’s “Jonah.” That’s here, too.
Here’s the link to Master and Commander – the movie in case you’d like to compare stories between book and film.
Master and Commander – the Movie
The action in Master and Commander: The Far Side of the World is taken from more than one of Patrick O’Brian’s books and primarily from #10 The Far Side of the World. Russell Crowe dyed his hair blonde and gained weight for the role, creating a very good facsimile of how I envisioned Captain Jack Aubrey. Paul Bettany as Dr. Stephen Maturin was altogether too good-looking for the part, given the descriptions of Maturin in the books. But he was still a good foil for Aubrey’s ebullience and sense of duty.
The movie is definitely worth seeing to get the flavor of the times and the sense of being at sea in the early 1800s, without all of the conveniences we now enjoy for our comfort and safety. Captain Aubrey was known for thinking on his feet and Crowe portrays this very well in the film.You can almost smell the gunpowder from the cannons in the battle scenes and I can still see Jack Aubrey with tongue in cheek discussing the “lesser of two weevils” with the officers at dinner.
If you’ve read any of the books, you’ll appreciate seeing how the movie portrayed Captain Aubrey’s steward “Killin” and also his coxswain “Bonden,” both of whom were very well cast. Tom Pullings, too. The replica ship Surprise used in the movie is now on display at the San Diego Maritime Museum.
UPDATE: I watched the film again last year (had to get a DVD copy from the library; mine was a videotape and my VCR is long gone) and so much of the action feels just like O’Brian’s descriptions in the books. Lots of material from the books is crammed into the movie, but I enjoyed seeing these “old friends” in action, rather than just imagining them.
Books 11-21 Are Listed Below:
I included Amazon links for the first 10 books in the series, but for the next 11, here’s a direct link to Amazon’s listing of the Aubrey-Maturin books on Patrick O’Brian’s author page.
(11) The Reverse of the Medal
(12) The Letter of Marque
(13) The Thirteen Gun Salute
(14) The Nutmeg of Consolation
(15) The Truelove
(16) The Wine-Dark Sea
(17) The Commodore
(18) The Yellow Admiral
(19) The Hundred Days
(20) Blue at the Mizzen
(21) Unfinished final book **
** Patrick O’Brian was working on book “21” when he died in 2000. Diehard Aubrey-Maturin fans were grateful for these few chapters of what, we’re sure, would have been a glorious closing to the Aubrey-Maturin tales.
by Barbara Casey | Aug 30, 2015 | Barb Recommends
Great American Cookies – A Vintage Cookbook That’s Worth Republishing
Lorraine Bodger’s Great American Cookies Cookbook
My favorite recipe books are now considered “vintage.”
I cannot imagine why Lorraine Bodger’s Great American Cookies hasn’t been reprinted, but the only versions I’ve found are dated 1985 (the one I have) and 1987 (with the same title but different graphics on the dust jacket).
This is the very best cookie recipe book I’ve ever seen and deserves a wider audience.
Fortunately, a number of affordable almost new and used editions are available at eBay
and Amazon in good, clean condition and a few are even offered with Amazon Prime, so 2-day free shipping is available for them.
The recipes in this book are so tasty, it’s worth adding to your collection… even used.
Great American Cookies contains some of the best recipes for a variety of cookie types: drop cookies, bars and squares, chocolate and nut yummies, holiday treats, party delicacies including meringues and ladyfingers… plus there’s a fun chapter on cookie-cutter bears, gingerbread friends, funny faces and more that children will enjoy decorating.
Pecan Pie Squares – A recipe to cherish
My sticky notes permanently mark page 43 in the “bar cookies” section for the most delicious and easy-to-make Pecan Pie Squares, which I usually bake at Christmas time and page 63, with the easiest and tastiest Pecan Shortbread I’ve ever found. Here in Florida, I can buy fresh pecans pretty inexpensively, so that’s why the pecan cookies are front and center.
Oh well… at least I have my own copy. But I wish you could, too.
Fun cookies for kids
Lorraine Bodger wrote, designed and illustrated Great American Cookies. Here’s an example of the very clear diagrams she created for the children’s cookies section. I didn’t include the recipe, but I wanted to show how clear and instructive the illustrations are.
The example I chose (below) is for Mittens and Gloves cookies, but there are equally terrific graphics for Brown Sugar Bears, Jam Pinwheels, Funny Faces, Snowfolks and Greeting Card cookies.
Bodger’s illustrations make the recipes easy to follow
My favorite cookie cookbook – now a collectible
Here’s why I like this book so much:
- The recipe wording is very easy to follow
- The ingredients are mostly items I have in my pantry
- The black-and-white graphics clearly demonstrate some of the more complicated steps, such as twisting the chocolate and vanilla ropes in a cool-looking twist.
There’s a Refrigerator Cookie recipe on page 79 that I want to try, too, so I can compare it to the recipe my mom marked “Excellent” in her copy of The American Woman’s Cookbook.
by Barbara Casey | Aug 29, 2015 | Barb Recommends
Corningware Stovetop Cookware in Pyroceram is Back!
Were you even aware that stove-top-safe Corningware had gone off the market for a few years?
My stove top-safe Corningware casserole/pot
For the past dozen years or so, any home cook wanting to purchase Corningware cookware – that could be used on the stove top – had to settle for “vintage” pieces they could find on eBay or at garage sales. That’s because the company that bought the Corningware name in the late 1990s decided that the Pyroceram technology was too expensive to produce anymore.
It just wasn’t cost-effective… when the original cookware didn’t seem to ever wear out and was handed down from grandmothers to mothers to daughters (and sons, too).
The substitute products apparently worked okay, but you couldn’t take them from the freezer and place them directly into a hot oven, like you could with the Pyroceram pieces. And they had a stamp on the bottom saying they were not for stove-top cooking.
Well… shoot! My trusty old Blue Cornflower casserole dish is kind of the Superman of cookware.
And it came with a detachable pot handle for stove-top cooking.
Pyroceram was even used on the nose cones of anti-aircraft missiles in the late 1950s because of its ability to withstand extreme temperature changes.
Just like the Corning pots in my kitchen.
Here’s why the original Pyroceram Corningware is sought after
With my “vintage” Corningware pans, I can:
- Reheat frozen leftovers in the oven (or microwave) without thawing first.
- Saute onions, mushrooms or whatever on the stove top on medium-high – or high – heat.
- Bake macaroni and cheese, scalloped potatoes and more in the oven.
- Create killer cheese sauces when a “heavy” pan is called for.
- Safely heat foods in the microwave.
- Soak my casseroles in water with dish liquid and clean off any stuck-on food easily. Repeat, easily.
- Store food in the freezer… because all my dishes have tight-fitting glass lids.
In short, we “vintage” Corningware owners got used to depending on cookware that was versatile, sturdy, and safe. And that didn’t crack or shatter under extreme temperature changes.
Corningware is hi-tech? Yes!
Corningware Pyroceram was invented in 1953 by Dr. S. Donald Stookey of Corning’s Research and Development Division. He was researching heat-resistant materials that would withstand thermal shock on the nose cones of ballistic missiles… and then adapted this technology for cookware.
That’s why the “original” Pyroceram Corningware dishes can go directly from freezer to stove top or oven without breaking. They were designed to withstand sudden temperature changes.
I still have my Corningware pot handle!
You can buy stove-top Corningware again!
After a long period of not being able to buy new Corningware sets to replace those we had accidentally dropped or given away, we can breathe a little easier now, because the manufacturer has (finally) re-introduced some Pyroceram-based dishes. They don’t offer many, so far… but at least they started with Cornflower Blue.
And just in the nick of time, as baby boomers like me start to downsize and hand down our cookery items to kids and grandkids. In fact, I inherited two of my mom’s Corningware casseroles and was very happy to add them to my previously small collection… especially after learning that the company that took over Corning’s cookware division wasn’t making their new products with the same glass-ceramic material (Pyroceram) that was used to make my own indestructible dishes.
If you want the “original” technology, look for the pans with the 10-year limited warranty. The Pyrex glass lids carry a 2-year limited warranty.
Corningware isn’t terribly sexy, as far as cookware goes… but you can’t beat the versatility of the Pyroceram casserole dishes. I use mine many times a week as saute pans, pots and casseroles… not to mention as storage containers and serving dishes.
I can’t imagine what I’d even replace them with, so I’m delighted to see the “original” high-tech dishes are available again.
Corningware Pyroceram Set – Click graphic for reviews
Info about “modern” Corningware stovetop cookware
I checked the manufacturer’s website (WorldKitchen.com) and they don’t offer that many stove top cookware items yet.
Plus… the stove top designs were easier to find on Amazon.
When you search for “vintage” Corningware, make sure you use the keywords “Pyroceram” or “stove top” so you don’t inadvertently crash and burn with the newer, less-heat-resistant models.
By the way, Amazon has all kinds of vintage Corningware for sale – used, of course – but it’ll save you schlepping around to garage sales. Here’s the link for Amazon’s vintage pieces
, if you’ve been looking to add to your collection.
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