#Dorothy Gilman

[booksformks]

Book Review: The Elusive Mrs. Pollifax

The Elusive Mrs. Pollifax (Mrs. Pollifax, #3)by Dorothy Gilman 5 out of 5 stars Mrs. Pollifax is recruited to deliver some passports to the Underground Resistance in Communist Bulgaria. It seems like a straightforward courier job, but nothing is ever straightforward with Mrs. Pollifax. She befriends a group of young hippie tourists, and when one of them is arrested for espionage, Mrs. Pollifax…

[iklees]

Mrs Pollifax 13-14 / Dorothy Gilman

Mrs Pollifax #13, Mrs Pollifax #14

Twee opeenvolgende boeken, die zich allebei afspelen in het Midden Oosten. In Mrs Pollifax: Innocent Tourist (13) gaat Mrs Pollifax mee met Sebastian Farrell, die in Jordanië contact moet leggen om een manuscript van een oude vriend te bemachtigen. Hij leent Mrs Pollifax van de CIA om de onschuldige aard van zijn bezoek te benadrukken. Helaas is Mrs Pollifax zo'n geweldige "onschuldige toerist" dat iemand in het vliegtuig op weg naar Amman zonder haar medeweten iets in haar bagage stopt om dat het land in te laten smokkelen. Met als gevolg dat Farrell en Mrs Pollifax op een gegeven moment achterna worden gezeten door verschillende partijen die iets in handen willen krijgen. Daarna stuurt Carstairs het tweetal in Mrs Pollifax Unveiled (14) naar Syrië, om een ontvoerde Amerikaanse op te sporen en, zo mogelijk, te redden.

Altijd leuk. Innocent Tourist is een nogal standaardvervolg in de series. Unveiled vond ik interessanter, door de inzichten van Mrs Pollifax in haar ontwikkeling als spion, terugwijzend naar veel van de eerdere boeken.

He stopped, and when he turned to look at her a chance ray of moonlight illuminated his face and she saw that his eyes were glazed with terror. "One mile," he said, and then, "Someone is following us. We are being followed." "How do you know?" she whispered, alarmed. "Listen," he said. She listened but heard nothing. Farrell and Joe, returning to her side to ask why they'd stopped, looked at her questioningly. "He says we're being followed." "Oh God," murmured Farrell. "What does he hear?" Joe whispered to Antun in Arabic. "He says he has heard the snap of trees being cut—off to our right—and he has seen birds fly away—and he knows how to listen." Amanda returned to join them, saying, "What—" "Sssh," whispered Mrs. Pollifax, and in the silence that followed they could hear at some point behind them the snap of a thorn tree branch, and suddenly Mrs. Pollifax realized that she was the eldest member of this group and that, tired as she was, Carstairs had placed her in charge. When Farrell hissed, "We can't stop like this, we've got to make a run for it," she said,"No."

[myriad-rainbows]

The Elusive Mrs. Pollifax: It is a beautiful week in Bulgaria and you are a horrible CIA asset harmless American tourist

[darklingichor]

Mrs. Polifax and the Whirling Dervish by Dorothy Gilman

I read this one at the same time that I read The Heartic’s Apprentice. They are oddly similar. Both seem to be written with a spiritual quest in mind, and while that’s cool, it was at the cost of the plot, in my view.

Emily’s assignment in this one is weird. She is suppose to accompany a fellow agent around Morocco, matching pictures of operatives to the operatives themselves, there was some chatter that someone was impersonating one of the agents and causing trouble.

Emily meets her contact in Morocco, and he is an asshole. This makes the first half of the book really irritating. The asshole falls by the wayside after a while, and it becomes more tolerable, but it is very slow.

The Whirling Dervish in the title doesn’t show up until the very end, and I have to say, he is the most interesting thing about the book, and not even the character, but the google search he inspired.

I thought that the “Whirling Dervishes” were performers, that it was folk dancing, I had only ever seen quick clips. I had no idea at all that it was the meditation and prayer of a mystic sect of Islam! I am woefully under informed on the Sufi sect of Islam. I don’t remember any class that really covered it, and I didn’t know enough to even look up what I didn't know.

When the holy man in the book explains the “dance” I was fascinated and took to google. It was amazing to see and to read about. That was the best takeaway from the book, I learned something new about something beautiful.

[whimseysthrone]

Mrs. Pollifax, elderly women as spies cont.

Mrs. Pollifax, elderly women as spies cont.

As I was writing last week’s post, I knew that I was forgetting something. I’d read fun stories about an elderly woman involved in espionage before. Or more accurately, I’d listened to them: some of my childhood’s many long car rides were filled with hours of Dorothy Gilman’s Mrs. Pollifax books on tape. Young Henry thought those books were both hilarious and excellent. I haven’t read them…

[jolenes-book-journey]

Happy 2023 Holiday Season

Well, it has been a pretty happening year for all of us I thing. We just wanted to wish everyone a Happy 2023 Holiday Season and the beginnings of a great new year. We were able to get the first two childrens/young adults books republished. They are now available in paperback, hardback, eBook and even audiobook formats for everyone to enjoy. Check their pages Enchanted Caravan and Carnival Gypsy…

[queerographies]

[Quello che ho da dire lo dico da sola][Margherita Giacobino]

Quello che ho da dire lo dico da sola di Margherita Giacobino è un libro fatto di percorsi solitari, eccentrici e ribelli, scandalosi e marginali, tanto più interessanti di quelli che obbediscono alle regole del consenso e del mercato.

Quello che ho da dire lo dico da sola è un libro fatto di percorsi solitari, eccentrici e ribelli, scandalosi e marginali, tanto più interessanti di quelli che obbediscono alle regole del consenso e del mercato. Di autrici scomparse che sono più vive e attuali che mai nelle loro pagine. Di scritture passate che sono in anticipo sul tempo presente, e aspettano un futuro che non è ancora arrivato.…

[brokenfuturerpg]

PBS FEMENINOS POR EDAD

Hola personitas. Venimos con un aporte que nos ha costado un tiempito reunir. Es posible que algunos PB tengan 1 añito más de lo que pone, porque igual cumplieron recién. Esperamos les guste ^^

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[artemismatchalatte]

Looking for a good read about or by sapphic women or gay/bi men?

Look no further! I gave all these books 4 or 5 stars when I read them. 

Lesbian and bisexual women (subject and author): 

Two or three things I know for sure by Dorothy Allison (lesbian memoir)

My Lesbian Experience with Loneliness by Kabi Nagata (graphic novel, lesbian memoir)

The Sealed Letter by Emma Donahue (historic fiction, bisexual woman and lesbian wlw relationship)

Juliet Takes a Breath by Gabi Rivera (ya contemporary, lesbian mc)

Fried Green Tomatoes at The Whistlestop Cafe by Fannie Flagg (historic fiction, butch/femme wlw)

Annie on my Mind by Nancy Garden (ya lesbian classic)

The Well of Loneliness by Radclyffe Hall (historic fiction, lesbian classic)

The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo by Taylor Jenkins Reid (historic fiction, bisexual woman and lesbian wlw relationship)

Marbles: Mania, Depression, Michelangelo and Me by Ellen Forney (graphic novel, memoir- even though it’s mainly about bipolar disorder mostly she is bisexual and it’s mentioned in the novel)

Lesbian or Bisexual Woman author (not necessarily an LGBT subject): 

Mrs. Dalloway, To the Lighthouse and A Room of One’s Own all by Virginia Woolf (bisexual author)

Frankenstein by Mary Shelley (bisexual author)

The Little Stranger by Sarah Waters (lesbian author)

The Yellow Wallpaper (and other stories) by Charlotte Perkins Gilman (bisexual author)

The Asylum for Wayward Victorian Girls by Emilie Autumn (bisexual author)

Passing by Nella Larsen (bisexual author)

Transgender Topics: 

Female Husbands: A Trans History by Jen Manion (LGBT history- only concerns relationships between historic AFAB couples and AFAB people who lived as men for many reasons- wider career opportunities and being able to marry a woman were the two most common reasons cited across all stories chronicled) 

Gay Men and Bisexual Men (subject and/or author): 

The Song of Achilles by Madeline Miller (historic fiction, Greek Myths)

Notes of a Native Son by James Baldwin (gay author, essays on race in America)

Boy meets Boy by David Leviathan (ya contemporary mlm romance)

If We were Villains by M. L. Rio  (ya, dark academia, mystery)

The Gentleman’s Guide to Vice and Virtue by Mackenzi Lee (historic fiction, bisexual mlm, ya) The two sequels also have more lgbt characters. 

[healerqueen]

I responded to the booklist question! I'm sure I forgot some but whew it still took forever to write.

What about you? What are some of the books youve read the most?

Good question! I finally started keeping a list, so I have something to work from. That way I won't draw a blank.

My top five or six favorite authors and series are: J. R. R. Tolkien's Lord of the Rings, C. S. Lewis's Narnia books, Rosemary Sutcliff's Dolphin Ring series (beginning with Eagle of the Ninth), Enemy Brothers and The Reb and the Redcoats by Constance Savery the Queen's Thief series by Megan Whalen Turner, and The Mysterious Benedict Society (original trilogy and prequel) by Trenton Lee Stewart.

There are many other books and authors I love. I listed several of my childhood influences in this post featuring my 50 favorite children's books (focusing on ones I grew up with as a young person).

Here's my list of favorite books I've read the most or ones I think are worth rereading: The Ordinary Princess by M. M. Kaye (a delightful original fairytale about a princess who refuses to stay in her tower)

The Reluctant Godfather by Allison Tebo (romantic comedy fairytale retelling, with an emphasis on the comedy) Mrs. Frisby and the Rats of NIMH by Robert C. O'Brien (adventure about a mother mouse seeking to save her family) The Gammage Cup by Carol Kendall (middle grade fantasy adventure)

Dragon Slippers and Tuesdays at the Castle by Jessica Day George (original fantasy in the style of fairytales) Princess Academy by Shannon Hale (fantasy adventure and coming-of-age story about a group of girls who attend school for the first time)

The Secret Keepers by Trenton Lee Stewart (urban light fantasy with dystopian elements) The City of Ember by Jeanne DuPrau (middle-grade, post-apocalyptic dystopian) The Arrival by Shaun Tan (a wordless graphic novel that conveys human experiences through surrealism)

The Saturdays by Elizabeth Enright (vintage contemporary about a lively family) Derwood, Inc. by Jeri Massi (modern contemporary mystery about another boisterous family) The Westing Game by Ellen Raskin (quirky vintage mystery with an interesting cast of characters) Historical Fiction: Carry On, Mr. Bowditch by Jean Lee Latham Caddie Woodlawn, Family Grandstand, and other books by Carol Ryrie Brink Rebecca's War by Ann Finlayson Understood Betsy by Dorothy Canfield Fisher Knight's Fee by Rosemary Sutcliff

The Lost Baron by Allen French The Wheel on the School by Meindert DeJong By the Great Horn Spoon by Sid Fleischman A Single Shard and Seesaw Girl by Linda Sue Park The Bronze Bow and The Witch of Blackbird Pond by Elizabeth George Speare The Secret Garden and A Little Princess by Frances Hodgson Burnett Wives and Daughters by Elizabeth Gaskell A few books I discovered more recently that are now all-time favorites: Seventh City by Emily Hayse, The Letter for the King by Tonke Dragt, Valiant by Sarah McGuire, Out of the Tomb by Ashley Stangl, the Mistmantle Chronicles by M. I. McAllister, Escape to Vindor by Emily Golus, Chase the Legend by Hannah Kaye, The Key to the Chains by Allison Tebo (sci-fi), Rebel Wave by Tor Thibeaux (undersea dystopian) Historical fiction: Listening for Lions and Angel on the Square by Gloria Whelan, Courage in Her Hands by Iris Noble, Victory at Valmy and Word to Caesar by Geoffrey Trease, historical fiction Westerns and mysteries by author Elisabeth Grace Foley

Mystery/suspense: The Unexpected Mrs. Pollifax by Dorothy Gilman, The Moonspinners by Mary Stewart

[violsva]

July and August Reading

So this summer was not a great time for reading or for anything else. Except crafts. Last week I did so much crochet I bruised my fingertip.

Recent: A Short History of the World According to Sheep by Sally Coulthard started good but got more irritating over time, and I ended up skimming the last few chapters.

Very much liked Patchwork: A World Tour; I still really want a general history (specifically one starting before 1700), but this was very diverse and very pretty.

I read the first of Jewelle Gomez's Gilda Stories, which was very well done, but the author's note was more evidence that debates over moral storytelling are not limited to modern tumblr.

In August I finished another Biggles book, and now the next time I feel like Boy's Own Adventures I can get on to the resolution of Von Stalhein's arc and widen my fanfiction options.

And then I deliberately picked up Circle of Magic: Sandry's Book for comfort reading, which it provided. Also more craft books and more RWRB fanfic.

Current: Just finished Agatha Christie's The Moving Finger in audiobook for more comfort reading. I remember liking but also being annoyed by a paranormal romance about how great small towns are, and it probably says something very clear about me that Horrible Things Happening in Nice Small Towns are, conversely, very comfortable.

Terry Pratchett's Interesting Times, because I wanted to reread a Discworld book and I knew I'd only read this one once ... but unfortunately there was a reason for that. Which of course is going to be true of anyone who wrote that many books over that much time.

Sarah Caudwell's The Shortest Way to Hades, which is great. One of the nice things about this series is that I can think things like, "Ah, what an interesting choice to refer to Euripides' Helen in this particular narrative. What might that imply for the main mystery plot?" (I'm less than halfway in and don't know if I'm guessing right yet.)

My current purse book is The Unexpected Mrs. Pollifax by Dorothy Gilman, which will probably go slowly but which I am enjoying very much when I remember it's there.

And a facsimile copy of William Blake's Songs of Innocence and of Experience.

Future: The library for some reason hasn't got any of K. J. Charles' recent releases.

I have another Christie audiobook lined up. In print the Caudwell will probably take me a while yet. But it's occurred to me that autumn is coming up, and this year I want to actually read The Haunting of Hill House.

[thegreenleavesofspring]

You know I think that maybe part of the reason that I am the Way that I am is because I grew up reading Agatha Christie and Dorothy Gilman. In my teen years I was very fond of the Superintendent Battle mysteries.

[iklees]

Mrs Pollifax 7-8 / Dorothy Gilman

Mrs Pollifax #7, #8

In Mrs Pollifax and the Hong Kong Buddha (#7)moet Mrs Pollifax gaan kijken wat er aan de hand is met het CIA contact in Hong Kong -- informatie die haar kennis Sheng Ti (zie Mrs Pollifax at the China Station, #6) zou kunnen verschaffen. Mrs Pollifax merkt al snel dat er dingen niet kloppen, maar in wat voor wespennest ze is beland, weet ze pas als het haar bijna haar leven kost. De gebeurtenissen in Hong Kong waren zo heftig, dat ze toch even aarzelt bij haar volgende opdracht, in Mrs Pollifax and the Golden Triangle (#8).

Cyrus, regarding Bishop steadily, said, "Not sure that Emily—after the Hong Kong misadventure—ought to tackle anything for you so soon. Just getting over it, you know. This trip—pure holiday—is actually to—" Bishop's face sobered as he turned to Mrs. Pollifax. "Still nightmares?" She shook her head. "Not now, no." She smiled. "Cyrus recommended some wonderful therapy for me, I've been taking lessons in magic from a retired magician." Bishop whistled. "Good heavens! Karate, yoga and now magic… Have you sawed anyone in half yet?" She grinned. "No, but I'm growing rather clever at palming coins." He nodded. "Okay, you no longer have nightmares and you can palm coins but how is your back?" "Healing." Bishop looked at Cyrus and then at her and shook his head. "I must be losing my grip but I suddenly realize I can't push this Chiang Mai errand no matter how uncomplicated it is. The Department can be quite ruthless, you know, but damn it I can't. If you're still recovering from Hong Kong I'll cease and desist and leave quietly." Mrs. Pollifax considered this thoughtfully. "On the other hand," she said softly, and hesitated. "On the other hand don't they say that when a person has fallen off a horse the best prescription is to climb back on the horse at once? If it's just a small errand—" Cyrus said, "It wasn't a horse you fell off, Emily." "No," she admitted, "but—is that all? Just collect a small package?"

Allebei deze boeken heb ik eerder gelezen -- in het Nederlands -- en nooit herlezen omdat ik me kon herinneren dat ik één ervan erg akelig vond, maar niet meer wist welke van de twee. Het moet deel 7 (Hong Kong) zijn geweest. Wat Mrs Pollifax meemaakt is wel ernstiger en gevaarlijker dan in de andere boeken, maar het had op mij nu niet meer zo'n sterk effect. Misschien omdat ik er nu niet door verrast werd?

[purolibro]

end of year reading 2023

classics:

norwegian wood by murakami (i was on vacation, my phone was dying and i only had this book)

secret garden by burnett (our library copy has a missing page so i had to go to gutenburg.org to finish)

daddy-long-legs by webster (only to cross off the “letters” category in my reading bingo; i also considered this “(not so) dark academia”)

manga:

usotoki rhetoric by ritsu miyako (period mystery; couldn’t get enough)

daddy, the beard gorilla and i by koike sadaji (bittersweet slice of life about a widower and his kid moving in with his younger brother)

series:

elemental logic by laurie j. marks (hurts so good; some ugly crying but could not get enough of it and i love the glyphs)

haley and nana stories by maggie hogarth (cozy and cute litrpg with calligraphy but found myself arguing against the religious views)

fave library discoveries:

linnea at monet’s garden by bjork and anderson (children’s book with gorgeous illustrations; counted this and sequels as my “cottagecore” reads)

a month in siena by hisham matar (wonderfully written about art and author’s grief for his father)

chord by rick barot (amazing poetry by filipino-american queer author; enjoyed it more than his galleon book)

other people’s recs:

one long river of song by brian doyle (savoured the heck out of this essay/poetry collection; reccd by austin kleon)

kamogawa food detectives by hisashi kashiwai (loved the japanese drama so I didn’t need the rec; saw it on ig and immediately got a copy)

at the amberleaf fair by phyllis ann karr (jo walton rec; i discovered a lot of older sff via walton’s blog at tor)

new release:

salvage right by lee and miller (i am obsessed with the liaden books)

other memorable reads: t. kingfisher’s minor mage and wizard’s defensive guide to baking and dorothy gilman’s clairvoyant countess picked up on sale at work.

I enjoyed the reading bingo so much I made another one for next year with old & new categories and added a 3x3 mini movie bingo as well.

I read about 126 this year aiming for at least one more, but next year, I’m lowering my goal to 75 to ease the pressure.

[darklingichor]

Mrs. Pollifax and the Hong Kong Buddha

I like this one a lot, but it is darker than the others.

Emily, newly married, is called on to go to Hong Kong and check on the well being of a young man she'd helped in the last look, and also to report back on a man who is suspected of being a double agent.

I love all of the Polifax Buddies (Like Bond Girls, except, no sex and they don't normally end up dead) and I really like that we get reappearances as books go on. This one has one of my favorites. Robin is a jewel thief turned interpol agent. He's witty and almost reluctantly cheerful. He is hands down one of the funniest characters aside from Carstairs and Bishop, Emily's CIA handlers. Their comedy usually comes in the the form of worrying about their agent and finding out what sort of hijinks she's getting herself into.

It's good that we have Robin for relief because,like I said this one leans a touch dark, in comparison to the others. This one highlights, drug abuse, social inequality and cruelty in a way the the previous ones didn't.

It wasn't bad, and the effect on the tone was subtle until close to the end, but it was definitely different.

[tellurian-in-aristasia]

Aristasian Book Club

The old Aristasian forums had a lot of chatter, at different times, about starting a Book Club, and few suggestions for rancinated reading were tossed out, but none of them really ever seemed to take off. Maybe some Aristasians were voracious readers, but most of the chatter in elektraspace seems to be about movies and clothes. I started keeping a list when titled books were mentioned:

Princess Anne - Katharine L. Oldmeadow The Constant Nymph - Margaret Kennedy The Abbey Girls at Home - Miss Oxenham Carmilla - J. Sheridan LeFanu Olivia - Dorothy Bussy Herland - Charlotte Perkins Gilman Moving the Mountain - Charlotte Perkins Gilman With Her In Ourland - Charlotte Perkins Gilman Mizora: A Prophecy - Mary E. Bradley Understood Betsy - Dorothy Canfield Fisher