Author: Alexandra

Did I?

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Ah, that is the question, isn’t it. 

Did I or did I not pre-order the new Commodore Callback flip phone. 

A wonderful retro Motorola style phone harking back to our innocent days before Apple burst our bubble and got us all hooked on so-called ‘smart’ phones, doom scrolling into the wee small hours of the morning. 

Commodore, yes, that Commodore of the gaming platform/computers of our misspent youth, has jumped into the phone arena with a delightful InterNot phone pared down of those ugly ‘smart’ features that suck up all our energy and time, and is bringing us not a dumb phone, but something in between.

This clamshell style phone will still allow you to send and receive messages, make calls and keep connected with friends, and, it comes with a 48 MP Sony rear camera and an autofocus front-facing camera. Also … music. It comes with a great pair of headphones and …

Runs 99% of Android apps in Linux. Maps. Music. Messages. Rideshare. Camera. Retro Camcorder. Mindful Games. QR code scanner. Podcasts. Voice notes. Calendar. Even Commodore 64 Ultimate remote control.

What more could you ask for.

𖡼.𖤣𖥧𖡼.𖤣𖥧

Secrets of State by Matthew Palmer

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This is a solid outing from Matthew Palmer, an author that knows his stuff. SECRETS OF STATE, is a thriller with all the right ingredients, that hit all the right notes. The characters are nothing new, but familiar territory is okay as long as there is enough elsewhere to make up for it. And while the plot is nothing new either—terrorists stealing a nuclear weapon to blow up a city—again, that was okay, as the author came at this from a slightly different angle, with a new view while covering old ground, which freshened up a doomsday scenario with likeable enough characters that were engaging.

Set against the backdrop of simmering tensions between India and Pakistan, Palmer gives us a what-if that’s oh so plausible right now. And while most authors are focused on the usual suspects and setting that are becoming tired, he reminds us that the world at large is still a very dangerous place and has far more players on the world stage than we usually think about.

What sets SECRETS OF STATE apart from the average read, are the small things. And it’s not often we get a view of places like Mumbai and it’s slums—never mind the people that live there. A thoroughly enjoyable, and quick read, so much so I’ll be buying a few more of Palmer’s works as I suspect they’ll be just as enjoyable a romp as SECRETS OF STATE was.

10 Pet Peeves

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We’ve all done this one before, but I’m updating this one to include a few that bugged in this last month.

  • It drives me nuts when someone tells you not to break up a relationship over politics. Honey, let me tell you, if you’re compromising your values to suck up to a jerk who votes right-wing conservative, it’s time to move countries.

  • Sending me a link to go watch a video or listen to music where I have to create an account and or sign in. Not. Going. To. Happen.

  • People who don’t RSVP. Listen birdbrain, you were sent a card with all the details on asking you to respond as soon as possible. How hard is it to respond with a simple, ‘Yes’ or a ‘No’?

  • Idiot drivers … you know the ones, they park across two spaces, take up all the room at a traffic light, roll through on a No Right Turn On Red, who block the bike lane … etc., etc., etc., …

  • Companies who discontinue that one line of product you absolutely love in favour of an inferior version.

  • People who let the door go in your face as you’re walking behind them.

  • The lack of civility, like, everywhere.

  • That guy who takes up two seats on the bus because he has to sit with his legs wide open. Listen son, if you’re that well endowed, go work at a stud farm.

  • Also, people who talk loudly. I mean. All. The. Damn. Time.

  • People who call me Alex after I’ve been introduced as Alexandra, when clearly, we don’t know one another and have never met before. Please. Don’t.

And you, what are your current pet peeves?

State of Terror by Hilary Clinton & Louise Penny

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STATE OF TERROR, a taut, tense, whiplash-inducing thriller, is so up to the minute in world events it seems like the authors, Hillary Clinton and crime fiction author, Louise Penny, had a crystal ball to look into scrying possible scenarios … no, wait … they did. In the form of Ms. Clintons and her years as Secretary of State. Her experience and skill, among other things, provide the backdrop to this immensely addictive thriller.

From the well delineated characters, including the secondary characters who are just as pivotal in the plot, through to the non-stop and relentless pace. We are whisked along by the unfolding events all the while chewing the inside of our cheeks, fretting along with Secretary of State, Ellen Adams, and her closest confident and Counsellor, Betsy Jameson.

These two women whose bond throughout was a joy and a surprise, never mind the clever wit and snark. I also love that relationships play a large part in events, decision, and actions throughout. Which makes the stakes all the more threatening when they’re seen intimately, up-close and personal with frightening consequences.

Political intrigue, high-stakes espionage, traitors, misdirects, subterfuge, and the ultimate terror of a radical terrorist group laying hands on not one nuclear weapon, but three, set the stage and scope for this well-plotted emotional roller coaster ride of a thriller. That, in the end, had real bite.

Grab a large glass of your favourite wine, curl up on the sofa and get ready for Ellen and Betsy to get it done—two truly iconic women!