Maisie Dobbs

I am always looking for new authors and came across Maisie Dobbs Lesson in Secrets by Jacqueline Winspear at my local independent bookstore. There is an entire series set mostly in London before and after the first world war. It reminds me a bit of a grown up Nancy Drew. She is an independent young woman who zips around in a sporty convertible solving crimes. She has a kind father who is concerned about her, but her mother died when she was young. The time period and place plus additional characters such as her mentor, assistant, and benefactress make it different enough to be interesting while reminding me of books I have read in the past. I started reading Agatha Christie at 8 years old, but many modern mysteries are too violent and gory for me. This is evocative of an earlier time, not just in the setting, but also in the writing style.

I am just starting my fourth novel in the series and have purchased many more. The Mapping of Love and Death has been my favorite so far.

To Blog or Not to Blog - That is the Question

Clearly, I started this blog many years ago, but did not have the time or inclination to update it. It was started as a random experiment, just a place to keep a record of the books I'd read (original title Book Worm) for myself. Looking back, there have been many reasons that I had mixed feelings about blogging on a regular basis. For one thing, writing is my day job, and I was not sure if I wanted to spend my free time obligated to write. My schedule can get very busy at times. Until about a year ago, I only had a work computer. I'm also a fairly private person in general, and was not sure how much of my life I wanted to expose to the world. More recently, I've been shocked at the vitriol sometimes directed at people online from Rachael Ray to bloggers. Nevertheless, I've been considering trying it out to write about things that interest me: books, food, fashion (with a little f), travel, aging gracefully, and whatever else strikes my fancy. I also have a digital camera that I'd like to try out, and expand my horizons a little bit. I'm not sure where this will lead, but have a feeling that it will be an adventure.

For those of you who do blog, why did you start?