Monday Notebook

Still in Hawaii, and still in a more or less constant state of confusion re the time. But otherwise plenty interesting. …

Walked up Diamond Head with my bride this morning. Quite a hike, but worth it. Great views. My screen saver is now a photo I took, and I've posted some pics on Facebook . Here's one:

Haven't done much TV viewing so far. The hotel doesn't have TLC, so you'll have to talk Jon & Kate among yourselves. Not that I was going to change any vacation plans to watch.

Have been doing some reading. Finished "Sidetracked" by Henning Mankel, one of the Wallender books which served as a basis for some TV mysteries recently shown on PBS, and now on DVD. A bit labored, although it's interesting to read about late 20th-C Sweden. Seems less bleak than society did in the Sjowall & Wahloo mysteries I used to read. Went lighter after that: "Deal Breaker," the first of Harlan Coben's mysteries about sports agent Myron Bolitar. Very amusing, and perfect vacation reading. Will give more a try down the road.

Have just started "Before the Storm: Barry Goldwater and the Unmaking of the American Consensus" by Rick Perlstein. I liked his book "Nixonland," and this is also a good, thoughtful read. And he's a passionate writer. But I will probably save it for indoor reading, and take Robert B. Parker's "High Profile" out to the beach.

And I should pause to say any reference to going "out to the beach" makes me smile.

Anyway, this is one of Parker's Jesse Stone novels, and as far as I can tell not one that has been made into a TV-movie. I've seen all the movies, and like them and Tom Selleck's performances, so I'm curious about the book. And hopeful. Went through a long spell of reading Parker's Spenser novels years ago. We shall see.