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It has been two months since I

This thriller book was an exciting rocket ride right to the end. The story takes place in the late 1950’s during the Cold War and the space race between the US and USSR. We start off with our main character, who has no memory of who he is and how he ended up in such a strange situation. Follett does an amazing job drawing out this character by having him rediscover his identity and the people in their life. The pacing in the book kept me intrigued throughout the story. The mystery of our main character amidst a critical rocket launch, creates a tension filled backdrop with elements of love and hatred, camaraderie and betrayal and ideological differences. I highly recommend Code to Zero for anyone wanting to read a great mystery thriller in the Cold War era.

Today marks one month of my social isolation as a result of COVID-19 safety measures. This involves working from home, staying home except for the essentials and keeping a two meter distance from others. The first week, it was a bit of a novelty, including thoughts of money and time saved. As time passed and more news started coming in, reality has slowly sunk in. News of people passing away, people you know who have become infected, makes it impossible to ignore.

Thoughts of the

Today marks two weeks of social distancing as a result of COVID-19, which feels like a good time to think about the changes. As everyone should know at this point, staying at home is the best way to combat this virus. Luckily, I am able to work from home and I have everything I need to do my job. At first the biggest change is dealing with the lack of connecting with people face to face. Technology does provide a lot of alternatives such as social networking, messaging apps and video chat. Another difference is having almost no travel time. In two weeks, the only traveling I have done is just quick walks within a few blocks of my home. There are many paths in the area and very few people use them, so it

After over a decade and spanning 15 books, the final book of the Change is here. The Emberverse Series created by S. M. Stirling is the longest series I have ever committed to and there is a good reason. The characters, locations and events were described in such a vivid manner. Rather than create a fantasy world in a different realm, we are presented with our own world, but changed to include fantasy elements. Without giving too much away, do yourself a favour and give the first book a read (Dies the Fire.)

The Sky-Blue Wolves is the last book in the series. It takes place nearly fifty after the original book. Except for one gap, all books in the series continue one after another. For the first time, we get to see what is happening in Eurasia in more detail. Previous books have mainly focused on North America, with some time in Europe and Australia. It is hard to talk in detail about what is happening in this book, as I would not want to spoil previous books. But, what I can say is that the story was gripping right to the end. The only negative I can say is that sadly this is the end of the series. We are given a glimpse of what may happen afterward, but nothing is guaranteed.

Black Chamber by S.M. Stirling

My rating: 5 of 5 stars

I have read many of Stirling’s books and really enjoy how he creates the characters and their stories. I have mainly read his books from The Emberverse series, which is one of my favourite alternate history timelines. Black Chamber is the first book in a new alternate history where Theodore Roosevelt has a second term as President and the changes this brings about to the US and the World. Starting with the one change, which leads to the ripple effects of alternate history, we get to see an interestingly progressive America in the early 20th century. This book introduces us to the Black Chamber, a espionage agency within the US and specifically agent Luz O’Malley who is spying on the Germans during World War I before America joins the war. Without giving too much away, the plan created by the Germans and how Black Chamber operates kept me fully engaged throughout the book. If you’re a fan of alternate history during World War I or just enjoy a good spy book, I would recommend this book. I hope to see further stories in the alternate history timeline from Stirling soon.

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For the third year I will be completing the Canadian Cancer Society Relay for Life in Brampton tonight. This amazing event is working to help create a world where no one fears cancer.
Please use the link below to help support this cause.

Update: made my goal!