I’ve read and enjoyed several novels by Robert Harris. I liked The Ghost about a ghost writer and some shenanigans (you can read my review here).  I’m a fan of Harris’s novels about Cicero–Imperium and CONSPIRATA– (you can read my reviews here and here).

But I was not pleased with Robert Harris’s new novel, The Second Sleep. A young English priest named Christopher Fairfax is send by his Bishop to the small village of Addicott St. George to perform burial ceremonies for the village priest, Father Lacy, who recently died. This simple mission becomes complicated as young Fairfax discovers the old priest had a collection of banned books hidden away. Burying a suspected heretic in the church cemetery becomes problematic in these medieval times. And, as Fairfax investigates the old priest’s death–termed an accident–suspicions form that foul play may have been involved. So far so good.

But The Second Sleep goes off the rails as Fairfax enters a relationship with the local Lady Dunston who is engaged to Captain Hancock. Captain Hancock’s obsession–like that of another Captain…Ahab–leads to destruction. There’s a mystery in The Second Sleep but it’s not enough to save the novel. Downbeat and depressing. GRADE: C

No, this is not the new Emma (2020) directed by Autumn de Wilde and starring Anya Taylor-Joy as Emma and Bill Nighy as Mr. Woodhouse. This 2009 version was broadcast on PBS’s Masterpiece Theater but somehow we missed it. In the lukewarm review of the new Emma, the Wall Street Journal raved about this wonderful version so of course I had to pick up a copy and watch it.

The BBC Emma the episodes were written by Sandy Welch, writer of previous BBC series Jane Eyre and North & South, and directed by Jim O’Hanlon. This version of Emma stars Romola Garai as the spoiled Emma Woodhouse, Jonny Lee Miller as Emma’s loyal, lifelong friend Mr. Knightley, and Michael Gambon as Emma’s father, Mr. Woodhouse. I enjoyed the talented cast and the detail from Jane Austen’s 1815 novel. Yes, Emma is a brash, pampered socialite, but she learns some hard lessons by the end of this series.

Are you a Jane Austen fan? Do you like Emma? GRADE: A

Kathy Gunst first got the idea of RAGE BAKING, a collection of Recipes and conversations for our time, while watching the Brett Kavanaugh hearings. As Kathy Gunst grew madder and madder at the hypocrisy of the hearings, she decided to channel her rage into baking. Several of her friends agreed to join her in this project and Rage Baking is the result. There are essays about women interspaced with the delicious recipes. My favorite is Chocolate Raspberry Triple-Layer Cake (p. 101).

If you’re looking for an excellent cookbook, Rage Baking fits the bill. The bonus is the thoughtful essays on our current state of affairs. GRADE: A
TABLE OF CONTENTS:
Foreword by Stephanie Schriock xi
Introduction by Kathy Gunst xiii
Raging Ingredients xix
A Greener Kitchen xxv
Sugar and Spec and Done Being Nice: Cookies, Bars, and Bites 1
Whisk, Fold, Knead, Rise Up Breads 39
Bake Down the Patriarchy: Cakes 73
Comfort with a Helping of Righteous Rage: Puddings and Custards 117
No More Humble Pie: Crumbles, Pies, and Tarts 131
Mail-Order Rage 163
Acknowledgements 165
Authors’ Note 167
Contributors 168
Credits 173
Index 174

Last year I read Andy Martin’s Reacher Said Nothing: Lee Child and the Making of MAKE ME (2015) where Martin played Boswell to Lee Child’s Samuel Johnson (you can read my review here). If you’re interested in the writing process, you’ll find plenty of details about Lee Child’s method of writing novels in this book.

In With Child (2019) Andy Martin follows Lee Child around on a book tour and then chronicles the writing of Night School (2016). As a bonus, we get Lee Child’s reaction to the Jack Reacher movie, Never Go Back (2016). Needless to say, Child is not happy with Tom Cruise’s “interpretation” of Jack Reacher…but he did take the money. Yes, With Child is a step up from fan writing, but I found the chemistry between Martin and Child delightful! Are you a Jack Reacher fan? GRADE: B+

My HP OFFICEJET 6978 printer died so I replaced it with a new HP OFFICEJET PRO ALL-IN-ONE printer that was on sale for $99 (list price $169.99). The HP instructions said EASY, FAST INSTALLATION! FALSE! The printer installation was neither easy or fast. I followed the instructions to go to the HP installation web site. I downloaded the software. I ran the software. Then I tried to print. Nothing happened.

I repeated the steps. Reinstalled the software. Still nothing. With frustration mounting, I went to the HP Tech Support web site and started an online CHAT with Manish Kumar, a tech support representative. It took about a half an hour, but Manish Kumar finally got my new printer to print. The problem was caused by conflicted software issues.

Once upon a time, you could just plug a printer into your computer, plug the printer into a power source, run the installation software and the printer would print. Now, in this Wi-Fi, wireless printing world we’ve slid backwards. More complications, more issues, less reliability. How are you and your printer getting along?

Donald E. Westlake’s Double Feature first appeared in 1977 under the title Enough. In Charles Ardai’s Introduction, the title change is explained which makes sense to me. Double Feature consists of two novellas. The first–the longer one–is called “A Travesty” and features a clever (perhaps too clever) movie critic, Carey Thorpe, who “accidentally” kills his girl friend, Laura Penny. Thorpe thinks he can escape Justice, but then he finds out Laura Penny was being followed by a private detective, John Edgarson. In his surveillance, Edgarson records Thorpe’s presence at Laura Penny’s place…and finds a damning clue. Edgarson blackmails Thorpe. But, things get more complicated. The police detectives investigating the murder, Staples and Bray, include Thorpe in some other murder investigations and we discover Thorpe is a gifted sleuth (maybe because of all those crime movies he watches). I particularly liked the Lock Room murder mystery. Donald Westlake takes us on a wacky ride through a tangled web of lies and deception. Marvelous!

The second novella, “Ordo,” is much more serious fare. Ordo is a sailor in the U.S. Navy who discovers one of the hottest female stars in Hollywood, Dawn Devayne, was once his wife. Estelle Anlic, after divorcing Ordo after a brief marriage, goes on to transform herself into another persona. Ordo’s quest to find the Estelle he once loved leads him to dark places. These two novellas show the versatility of Westlake’s talent to write comedy…and tragedy. Highly recommended! Are you a Westlake fan? Do you have a favorite Westlake novel? GRADE: A

Although it was not yet ten years that he had been fighting in Gaul, he captured more than 800 cities, subjugated 300 nations, fought 3 million men at different times, killed 1 million of them in battle and took as many prisoners. (Plutarch, Caesar, 15.5)

Crossing the Rubicon: Caesar’s Decision and the Fate of Rome by Luca Fezzi (translated from the Italian by Richard Dixon) presents a tale of ambition and politics and civil war. Caesar decides to challenge Proconsul Pompey and ignores the Roman Senate’s command to disband his troops. Caesar crosses the Rubicon and risks everything to become the most powerful man in the Roman Empire. Luca Fezzi’s writing style, far from academic, tells the thrilling story of a brilliant general with much higher aspirations.

On top of the great story, Crossing the Rubicon explores how to manage risks, how to make decisions (Pompey made some major gaffes), and when to gamble…and when not to. I found Crossing the Rubicon a revealing history and a useful guide. Have you been to Italy? GRADE: A
TABLE OF CONTENTS:
List of Maps vii
A Note on the Text viii
Translator’s Note ix
A Note on Source x
Prologue xvi
Part I Background
1 The Stage and Its Main Characters 3
2 Plots and Scandals 39
3 The Arrival of the ‘First Triumvirate’ 53
4 Caesar, Gaul and Rome 67
Part II Rome In Chaos
5 From the Death of Clodius to a Sole Consul 89
6 Winner in a Tight Corner 107
7 Winds of Civil War 127
Part III From The Rubicon To The Surrender of Rome
8 The Rubicon 149
9 The Escape from Rome 166
10 Caesar’s ‘Long March’ and Pompey’s Flight to Brundisium 194
11 In Caesar’s Hands 224
12 The Battle Fought, the Res Publica, and the City 245
Glossary 279
Chapter Notes 285
Bibliography and Further Notes 301
Acknowledgements 330
Index 331

Elderhood: Redefining Aging, Transforming Medicine, Reimagining Life by Dr. Louise Aronson both explores the aging process and Dr. Aronson’s career as a geriatrician. I admire Dr. Aronson’s dozens of stories where she admits she made mistakes dealing with aging patients. Aging is complicated and the health care system doesn’t make it easy or simple to treat the many problems of aging patients. Doctors struggle to get it right despite the pressure to limit time with patients. Elderhood provides a guided tour of aging and shows you what to expect. We all age differently, but we can all pursue smart choices to make our aging less dire.

Dr. Aronson provides a list items essential for a “good old age”: good genes, good luck, enough money, and one good kid, usually a daughter. Without these, a nursing home looms as your final destination. I learned a lot from Elderhood. You would, too. How long do you want to live? GRADE: A
Table of Contents:
Conception
Author’s note xiii
Birth
1 Life 3
Childhood
2 Infant 13
Memories – Lessons
3 Toddler 24
History – Sick – Assumptions
4 Child 41
Houses – Resurrection – Confusion – Standards – Other
5 Tween 63
Normal – Different
6 Teen 75
Evolution – Perversions – Rejuvenation – Gaps – Choices
Adulthood
7 Young Adult 105
Trauma – Modern – Indoctrination – Mistakes – Competence – Shame – Bias
8 Adult 137
Oblivious – Language – Vocation – Distance – Values – Truth – Biology – Advocacy – Outsourced -Zealot
9 Middle-aged 192
Stages – Help – Prestige – Complexity – Combustion – Sexy – Disillusionment – Priorities – Sympathy
10 Senior 241
Ages – Pathology – Communication – Freedom – Backstory – Longevity – Childproof – Reclamation –
Elderhood
11 Old 273
Exceptional – Future – Distress – Worth – Beloved – Places – Comfort – Tech – Meaning – Imagination – Bodies – Classification
12 Elderly 324
Invisibility – Duality – Care – Education – Resilience – Attitude – Design – Health – Perspective
13 Aged 363
Time – Nature – Human – Consequences – Acceptance
Death
14 Stories 397
Coda
Opportunity 403
Acknowledgments 405
Notes 407
Bibliography 433
Index 436

The actual title of this series was Alcoa Presents: One Step Beyond. It was an American anthology series created by Merwin Gerard. The original series was broadcast for three seasons by the American Broadcasting Company (ABC) from January 1959 to July 1961 (96 25-minute episodes). You could consider it a Poor Man’s The Twilight Zone despite its paranormal plots and claims of realism. Check out some of the soon-to-be Stars who appeared in the series:
Luana Anders (“The Burning Girl”)
John Beal (“The Lovers”)
Warren Beatty and Joan Fontaine (together in “The Visitor”)
Whit Bissell (“Brainwave”)
Robert Blake (“Gypsy”)
Charles Bronson (“The Last Round”)
Walter Burke (“The Front Runner”)
Veronica Cartwright (“The Haunting”)
Louise Fletcher (“The Open Window”
Joan Fontaine and Warren Beatty (together in “The Visitor”)
Arthur Franz (“The Call from Tomorrow”)
Ronald Howard (“The Haunting”)
Werner Klemperer (“The Haunted U-Boat”)
Robert Lansing (“The Voice”)
Cloris Leachman and Marcel Dalio (together in “The Dark Room”)
Christopher Lee (“The Sorcerer”)
Robert Loggia (“The Hand”)
Jack Lord (“Father Image”)
Patrick Macnee (“The Night of April 14th”)
John Marley (“The Night of the Kill”)
Ross Martin (“Echo”)
Patty McCormack (“Make Me Not a Witch”)
Ann McCrea (“Night of the Kill”)
Yvette Mimieux (“The Clown”)
Elizabeth Montgomery (“The Death Waltz”)
André Morell (“The Avengers”)
Patrick O’Neal (“The Return of Mitchell Campion”)
Maria Palmer (“The Secret”)
Edward Platt (“The Burning Girl”)
Donald Pleasence (“The Confession”)
Suzanne Pleshette (“Delusion”)
Paula Raymond (“Emergency Only”)
Pernell Roberts (“The Vision”)
William Schallert (“Tidal Wave” and “Epilogue”)
William Shatner (“The Promise”)
Torin Thatcher (“Doomsday”)
Yvette Vickers and Mike Connors (together in “The Aerialist”)
Robert Webber (“The Captain and His Guests”)
Peter Wyngarde (“Nightmare…”)

If you’re a fan of The Twight Zone, you might enjoy these episodes. I picked up this 4-DVD box set at a Library Sale for 50 cents. Well worth it! Have you ever seen One Step Beyond? It was shown on the SCI-FI CHANNEL in the 1990s. GRADE: B

What better way to celebrate PRESIDENTS’ DAY than to read a book about our current President, Donald J. Trump. And who better to report on the chaos in the White House than Washington Post national investigative reporter Carol Leonnig and White House bureau chief Philip Rucker, both Pulitzer Prize winners. Beyond the daily chaos of scandal, investigation, Impeachment, and constant lies, Rucker and Leonnig present a President bent on perpetuation of his own power, even when it means imperiling our Democracy.

From the early days of the Trump Administration through the Mueller Investigation to the run-up to Impeachment, A Very Stable Genius delivers a portrait of a man unhinged–the very opposite of a very stable genius. Readers of this book will come away with a wealth of inside information–Rucker and Leonnig somehow accessed key insiders who are terrified about what Trump might do next–and insight into the plans for the 2020 Election. Could our country survive another four years of this madness? Will Trump win again? Check out the Presidential ad below. GRADE: A
TABLE OF CONTENTS:
Authors’ Note xi
Prologue — 1
PART ONE
1. Building blocks — 11
2. Paranoia and pandemonium — 25
3. The road to obstruction — 19
4. A fateful firing — 52
5. The G-Man cometh — 66
PART TWO
6. Suiting up for battle — 81
7. Impeding justice — 95
8. A cover-up — 109
9. Shocking the conscience — 129
10. Unhinged — 147
11. Winging it — 162
PART THREE
12. Spygate — 183
13. Breakdown — 198
14. One-man firing squad — 211
15. Congratulating Putin — 225
16. A chilling raid — 236
PART FOUR
17. Hand grenade diplomacy — 257
18. The resistance within — 278
19. Scare-a-thon — 294
20. An ornery diplomat — 316
21. Gut over brains — 328
PART FIVE
22. Axis of enablers — 349
23. Loyalty and truth — 366
24. The report — 380
25. The show goes on — 395
EPILOGUE 412
Acknowledgements 419
Notes 427
Index 443