The Moonstone by Wilkie Collins.

The English like to say this made him the real founder of modern detective fiction (and not Poe).

He was more popular than Dickens in his day but Dickens won the test of time, I guess. He's definitely a worthy rival though, hilarious and witty.

Camus, The Stranger Pretty sure this is a deep, albeit brief book told in the first person. The protagonist is an ordinary, but alienated French guy in Tangiers (?). Think Casablanca for setting. Through a very short series of questionable choices, he becomes the main character in a court drama on ...

I've already conceded I can maybe manage the recommended daily allowance for salt and not much less. As for blood pressure, it's probably just advancing age and maybe genetics (it never used to be an issue for me). Anyways, I understand bp meds are very effective these days. Just need to get my ass...

How bout those Canucks.

As such, cutting back on salt (or at least sodium) is is huge problem for me. This old dog is not inclined to start making all his meals from scratch. I have never really salted my food much (except for meat - one of the few things I do cook). Salt reduction is a real pain in the ass is all I can s...

I drove by a protest of 50-100 people in my little town of 8000. I had to slow down to read their signs to know whether to wave at them or flip them off. Turned out to be one of many protests nationwide. Had to go home to unload the groceries and do a quick read up on what was going on. I put on a ...

The Green Light has been abandoned but I hope to soldier through.

Carmilla, by J. Sheridan LeFanu, Irish Victorian-era writer.

I think this is going to be an erotic vampire story. It's in a collection of ghost stories by the same author. I'm in a ghost story mood.

Not long before or after that I was using kosher salt (no iodine) because a nutritionist I used to listen to said to use it. Then I decided iodized salt was probably best. I'm just not using it at all. A lot of ingredients, like cheese or tomato sauce, already have it. I also stopped using stock cu...

The Green Light , by Jules Verne. This is painfully reminiscent of all the transportation instructions my poor ADHD brain was ever subjected to throughout life, all rolled up into one interminable journey. I think there are three chapters just about a steamboat ride. What a relentless guy. Unfortun...

Time to do a 180 with food, so I ordered a Mediterranean cookbook that I have high hopes of liking. This will be quite a change from grandma's cooking, which is what best describes my style until now. Also, has anyone noticed we, as a society, are poisoning ourselves with salt? One teaspoon is alrea...