What I've been reading

The Hand of Fu-Manchu
by Sax Rohmer

narrated by B. J. Harrison

"Sir Denis Nayland Smith and his associates learn of a deadly organization that stalks the shadows. Their goal is to undermine the balance of global power, and they allow no one to stand in their way. They are the terrorist assassins known as the Si-Fan."

My Audible talking book subscription renews in June and I'd run out of credits, so was looking forward to filling the gap with this free podcast book, but it was awful. I didn't care about any of the characters and it is 'of its time' i.e. appallingly racist. So I stopped reading it, and Audible happened to be having a sale of all the works of P. G. Wodehouse. Perfect.

Blandings Castle
by P. G. Wodehouse

narrated by James Saxon

"Lord Emsworth is striving to remove a pumpkin-shaped blot on the family escutcheon, the Hon. Freddie Threepwood is making a last-ditch attempt to convert Lady Alcester to the beneficial quality of Donaldson's Dog-Joy, and in the bar-parlor of the Anglers' Rest, Mr. Mulliner fascinates everyone with the secret history of old Hollywood."

Only about half of the book is about Blandings Castle, but that doesn't really matter, it's the usual joyful fare from Mr Wodehouse.

Summer Lightning
by P. G. Wodehouse

narrated by John Wells

"Engaged to delightful chorus girl Sue Brown, Ronnie must persuade his uncle (and trustee) Lord Emsworth to hand over a large chunk of capital before they can marry. Meanwhile waspish Lady Constance Keeble is marshalling her forces to stop her brother Galahad causing panic among the aristocracy by publishing the tale of his misspent youth."

I think Wodehouse had got into his stride by this book, because the classic parallel story threads of romance, misunderstandings and pig theft are all knitted together beautifully at the end. One of the best stories, spoiled only slightly by the narrator's voices for various characters being so thick as to be almost incomprehensible.

Plague, Pox and Pestilence
by Kenneth F. Kiple

"Since people first settled, disease has proliferated and altered the course of history. As the horizons of the known world have been extended, germs and viruses have travelled with the explorers and destroyed the very lands and peoples that seemed to hold out such promise."

A big shiny hardback book from dad's collection of books about disease through history, with glossy pages and colour pictures. I don't know why it took so long to get through because it's really very interesting, giving a snapshot of many different communicable diseases through history. I particularly enjoyed the last section, as it described diseases that we no longer experience and we don't really know what they were - the Sweating Sickness for example, which tended to kill its victims in a matter of hours.