Book Review - Origin

This is Dan Brown's 5th book in the Robert Langdon series that started with The DaVinci Code. Each book has gotten progressively more boring and this last one is the worst. He spends most of his time doing a travelogue on religious sites in Spain. There is little suspense or character development. I started reading this and then dropped when the latest John Sandford book was released. I picked it up again but found myself literally skimming it because it was so uninteresting. Now I've gone looking for another book to read. Do not waste your time or money on this one.

Hidden Paris Ghost Town

Book Review - The Midnight Line

Jack Reacher is back in Lee Child's latest story. Reacher happened to find a West Point class ring in a pawn shop and typically he sets off on a mission to find the owner and story of why the ring was in the pawn shop. Along the way he triggers some thugs who try to take him out. This only encourages him more. When he finds the answers to his questions, he realizes he needs to do whatever is necessary to help a fellow alumnus. This is one of the better Jack Reacher tales.

Paris and Classical Music

Save the Date

Date changed.

On Wednesday, August 15, 2018 I will be giving a talk at the World War II Museums Lunch Box Lecture Series. These are a twice a month free lectures on various war related topics. The speakers range from history professors to amateur history buffs like me. I will be talking about U 853 which was the last German submarine sank off the east coast. If you are in New Orleans on that day, feel free to drop by.

Book Review - Two Kinds of Truth

Harry Bosch is back and working as a consultant to the San Fernando police department. When a family run pharmacy is robbed and the owner and son murdered, he gets sucked into a case with twists and turns and learns firsthand what drives the opioid epidemic and why it is so hard to stop. At the same time, he is being accused of framing the perp on an old case and must defend his honor with the help of his brother, the Lincoln Lawyer.

There are lots of action in this novel and will keep your interest.

Beaujolais Nouveau

Today is Beaujolais Nouveau day. All over Paris there will parties to celebrate the arrival of the latest vintage of Beaujolais wine....as if you need an excuse to drink wine.

Paris Flea Market

One of my favorite places in Paris.

Ardbeg 10 Year Old

Ardbeg is distilled on the island of Islay. It was named a World Whiskey of the Year in 2008.

Color: Pale, almost clear
Nose: Strongly peaty
Palate: Very mellow. It has no harshness. You can swish this whiskey in your mouth for a long time.
Finish: Sweet

This is a classic example that you don't need ageing in fancy wood to make a good whiskey. This whiskey is reasonably priced and I will add this to my birthday list.

Finland Swedish Heritage Day

Today is Finland's Swedish Heritage Day. It celebrates the shared history of Sweden and Finland. Finland was part of Sweden in the 13th century with both languages being spoken. Even when Finland became part of Russia, Swedish was still one of the official languages. today, about 5% of Finns speak Swedish.

Sweden also provided support to Finland during the Winter War and many Swedes volunteered to fight. If you want to see a movie about these volunteers, go find and watch "Beyond Enemy Lines".

Head Count

Saudi Arabia broke the century mark last month by beheading 13 for drugs or murder. This now brings their year to date total to 103.