Author Archives: Sparky
Carnival Venezia 2 preview
I have been very busy of late doing mostly not-very-fun things. And I certainly haven’t been doing much travel which is why I have been posting only my book reports. But Marlene and I do have another cruise coming up, at the end of April. One week on the Carnival Venezia. This will be our … Continue reading
“Terrible Swift Sword” by Bruce Catton
Copyright 1961 by Bruce Catton. Published by Broadway Publishing Group, a division of Random House Inc, New York. This is the second volume of Catton’s Civil War trilogy. It covers just one year of the war – 1862. That year warrants an entire volume because it is the year that shaped the war. When the … Continue reading
“Dirty Work” by Stuart Woods
Copyright 2003 by Stuart Woods. Published by Penguin Putnam, Inc, New York. This is a book featuring Stone Barrington, Esquire, a lawyer who doesn’t mind getting his hands dirty. In this Barrington novel – the 9th of 67 (Woods is very prolific) – the “dirty work” is photographing a husband getting a “happy ending” massage. … Continue reading
“The Coming Fury” by Bruce Catton
Copyright 1961 by Bruce Catton. Published by Broadway Publishing Group, a division of Random House Inc, New York. I mostly read fiction. Mysteries, with some action/adventure thrown into the mix. But on rare occasions I read some non-fiction. This is one of my rare non-fiction readings. [NOTE: The image is for the audiobook version, but … Continue reading
“Dead Shot” by David Benjamin
The usual disclaimer: David Benjamin is a lifelong friend so I might be biased. But I think I know a good book when I read one. This is a good book. Copyright 2023 by David Benjamin. Published by Last Kid Books, Madison WI. This is #4 in Benjamin’s series featuring Jim Otis, a disgraced ex-cop … Continue reading
Carnival Liberty Day 9: New Orleans LA to Lehigh Acres FL
We had sent our large suitcase ashore because, on previous cruises, getting an elevator in the disembarkation rush was nearly impossible and carrying a heavy suitcase down 4 flights is not fun. Today we had no problem getting an elevator but then had to wait for our disembarkation number to be called because all the … Continue reading
Carnival Liberty Day 8: At sea
Valentine’s Day. We had breakfast as usual, but called again for our complimentary trays of petit fours before we went up. It was my third call, which was a little annoying. Room service said they couldn’t deliver because we had our “Do Not Disturb” sign up, which wasn’t true. But we took the sign in … Continue reading
Carnival Liberty Day 7: Cozumel, Mexico
The day started badly. I was “multitasking” at breakfast, which meant I was catching up on the emails and text messages. Marlene hates that when we are having a meal. I didn’t think I was ignoring her, but she did. She stomped away. She was pretty cold to me most of the rest of the … Continue reading
Carnival Liberty Day 6: Belize City, Belize
I don’t like Belize City. It is the most charmless city in Central America, in my opinion. But the port area is interesting. It is an old-school port; not one built for the huge, modern cruise ships. It is a shallow-water port which means that the ship has to anchor more than a mile offshore … Continue reading
Carnival Liberty Day 5: Roatan, Honduras
Our first port was one we have visited several times: Roatan, Honduras. Specifically, Mahogany Bay, the Carnival-only port on the south side of the island. We started the day with breakfast in the buffet, then went ashore. This is a typical made-for-cruisers port. Lots of shops and bars, all overpriced. There is also a beach … Continue reading