“The Disciple of Las Vegas” by Ian Hamilton

This is the 2nd book in the Ava Lee series and absolutely the last one I will ever read. These books, are to some extent torture porn, and deal with the worst aspects of human greed. The writing style is totally pedestrian and mechanical. Truly truly a bad taste in my mouth.

“Life after Life” by Kate Atkinson

This book had some very powerfully moving sections. In particular, I absolutely loved reading about Ursula’s experiences working during the London blitz. They were described so very realistically that I felt as if I were really there. On the other hand, I found that the numerous iterations of Ursula’s life became boring and even irritating. A good book, an intelligent book.

“The Water Rat of Wanchai” by Ian Hamilton

This is the first in a set of crime novels about Ava Lee, a forensic accountant. The writing style is a bit pedantic but I enjoyed the book. Who knew that high finance theft could be interesting and violent?

“Dune” by Frank Herbert

I reread this book because I have high hopes for the movie, which is coming out next year. I believe I enjoyed it more this time than I did 30 years ago.

"Rich People Problems" by Kevin Kwan

This was probably my least favorite of the 3 books because the level of ugly behaviour was higher than usual, I thought. Also, I skipped some parts because they seemed totally extraneous. Nevertheless, the ending was pleasantly satisfying.

“Anne of Windy Poplars” by Lucy Maud Montgomery

This was a pleasant enough read, but many of the occurrences are becoming cliches. Anne always prevails.

“The Purple Swamp Hen and Other Stories” by Penelope Lively

This was an amusingly cynical collection of short stories. I like the author’s dry wit.