Jerry Seinfeld – Is This Anything?

Like everyone, I loved the TV series.

Since then I’ve not had much time for Jerry Seinfeld. He’s just not as funny.

During the Pandemic Jerry dug into his box of one liners and threw them together into a short book.

Amazon

He’s careful to say very little about the sitcom. Seems a sore point for him.

I did chuckle throughout. But it’s not essential reading.

Jerry’s thing is to see the funny side of everyday things. But I’d say George Carlin did it better.

Click PLAY or watch it on YouTube.

The Third Twin by Ken Follett

Having read all his historical fiction, I’m now moving on to Ken Follett’s other books.

This one is excellent.

The Third Twin (1996) deals with genetic engineering and the nature and nurture debate through the subject of identical twins raised apart.

Jeannie Ferrami, Psy.D., is an associate professor and criminality researcher.

She falls in love with law student Steven Logan.

Problem is — Steven is charged with rape. And DNA confirms he did it.

Or did he?

A 1997 television film based on the book starred Kelly McGillis as Doctor Jean Ferrami and Jason Gedrick as Steve. I haven’t seen it.

Happy March 193rd

#ManPlansGodLaughs

I had big plans for 2020. All postponed.

Instead I’ve spent most of the year in small town Parksville B.C. at my parent’s home. All is well with me and family. We have had very few COVID positive cases in this part of Canada. Almost everything is open.

We’re staying safe as possible in these troubling times.

Since March I’ve made about 15 overnight bikepacking trips. And now feel very confident in this new-to-me hobby.

cycling Vancouver to Calgary 2020

As days grow short I’ll cycle less, run more. Add more playground conditioning. Add basketball. Perhaps add Golf.

I’d hoped to get to Nepal for November. But they can’t get the virus under control.

I’m now looking at Hawaii.

Stay safe.

Tehran (TV series)

One nation I’ve always wanted to visit is Iran. Westerners love it there.

A new TV series on Apple TV+ gives a glimpse of Tehran. I’m sure the religious leadership there has condemned it.

It’s very well acted. But slow in places.

Tehran is an Israeli espionage thriller television series …

… about the Israeli–Iranian conflict …

Protagonist Tamar Rabinyan, a young Jewish woman born in Iran but raised in Israel, is a Mossad agent and computer hacker, sent on a mission to the Iranian capital, assigned to disabling an Iranian nuclear reactor. …

Click PLAY or watch it on YouTube.

One Good Deed by David Baldacci

I’d already written off  David Baldacci as not nearly as good as Koryta, Rankin, Silva and Michael Connelly. 

So why bother?

He’s super popular but not all that good a writer.

For some reason I tried Baldacci’s 2019 book One Good Deed and was pleasantly impressed.

It’s surprisingly and refreshingly simple.  Slower.  Cleaner.

It’s 1949. When war veteran Aloysius Archer is released from Carderock Prison, he is sent to Poca City on parole with a short list of do‘s and a much longer list of don’ts: do report regularly to his parole officer, don’t go to bars, certainly don’t drink alcohol, do get a job — and don’t ever associate with loose women.

The small town quickly proves more complicated and dangerous than Archer’s years serving in the war or his time in jail. Within a single night, his search for gainful employment — and a stiff drink — leads him to a local bar, where he is hired for what seems like a simple job: to collect a debt owed to a powerful local businessman, Hank Pittleman.

Soon Archer discovers that recovering the debt won’t be so easy. …

The Silent Hour by Michael Koryta

The 4th and last book (2009) in the Lincoln Perry series is somewhat like the rest.

Great plot. Lincoln unlikeable as ever.

Alexandra Cantrell, daughter of a notorious Mafia don, and her husband, Joshua, set up a house for paroled murderers.

Only Koryta dreams up things like this.

Parker Harrison served fifteen years for murder but claims Alexandra’s intervention saved his life. Now he wants to find her–and he’s not the only one.

Lincoln Perry takes the job.