Mrs. Pollifax and Ms. Colgan

 For the unfamiliar, Mrs. Pollifax, the creation of Dorothy Gilman, made her first appearance in print in 1966. Sixty-something, a grandmother and inordinately fond of hats, she longs for a life beyond her Garden Club and other conventional outlets. Having married and raised a son and daughter, the ever-practical Mrs. P nonetheless harbors a desire to become a spy, something she achieves courtesy of a department inside the CIA. The 14-book series takes readers from Soviet-controlled countries to China, and into the Middle East before it concludes. Gilman died almost  thirteen years ago and this Karate chopping grandma isn't her only claim to fame, though the series remains popular, fun to read and beloved if readers are to be believed. I am on Book 5 and so far, this series is living up to its much-published reputation.

As for Jenny Colgan's Five Hundred Miles From You, I  am reading chapter 51 of 84 and curious about the ending. The characters are diverse and sometimes funny through various of life's shitty situations. If early teen-age death, organ transplantation, extreme PTSD, homelessness and the vagaries of NHS nursing, among others, don't float your boat, you may give this a pass. As for me, I've had several life experiences that coincide, so I'm along for the ride. and intrigued about Ms. Colgan's sources of inspiration.

The keys on this laptop appear to be functioning at present. They did not earlier.

Thanks for reading and happy Sunday.