cafe: Waldecks, Stirling

cafe: Waldecks, Stirling

This cafe is so not-hipster that I keep forgetting to review it. After all, I did intend to test and review from a list of hipster cafes. But I'm tending to review anywhere that we stop for coffee. (Or, occasionally, for tea.)

So, Waldecks. It's a garden centre. We go there to buy plants. While we're there, we like to have coffee and cake.

Coffee is good. Cakes are traditional, get them in any non-hipster cafe. Quality is good. Lemon and coconut cake, for example, is sweet and tasty.

Rated three out of three. Admittedly we return largely because we want to buy more plants. Still, it is always a pleasant experience.

Nick Lethbridge  /  consulting dexitroboper
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"A bird sitting on a tree is never afraid of the branch breaking because its trust is not in the branch, but in its own wings." … unknown
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cafe: 5 Points, Floreat Forum

cafe: 5 Points, Floreat Forum

The second of this name but it is very new to the Forum. You can tell the manager (owner?), he is trying very hard. Keen to look out for his customers. Opening a new cafe would be nerve-wracking.

Our coffees taste good, too cool for some, just right for me. We try a friand -- everything made on the premises, we are told -- and it is delicious.

The decor is what I shall call, "factory hipster" -- hipster style but mass produced. Nice, though.

Rated two or of three: we enjoy it, we hope it succeeds, but will not go out of our way to return.

Nick Lethbridge  /  consulting dexitroboper
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"A bird sitting on a tree is never afraid of the branch breaking because its trust is not in the branch, but in its own wings." … unknown
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cafe: Floreat Kiosk, Floreat Beach

cafe: Floreat Kiosk, Floreat Beach

Have I never reviewed this cafe?! And it's our favourite cafe!

Beachside location. Open to the outdoors. People of all types and descriptions but half are also there for the beach -- or the beach volleyball next door. Child friendly, senior friendly, dog friendly in the outdoor areas.

Coffee is good, food is good, service is friendly. A good range of cakes though they tend to be of the gluten-free, healthy variety. Not my preferred style but all delicious :-)

We have even eaten lunch here... and enjoyed it each time. Latest, we both have the very hipster smashed avo with bacon, spinach and poached eggs. It's delicious and a generous sized serve.

Definitely not hipster. This is a friendly, upmarket, beachside, neighbourhood cafe. Oh, and I call it "kiosk" but there is both cafe and takeaway kiosk.

Our favourite cafe. Close enough to count as local. Yes, we regularly revisit. Rated an easy three out of three.

Nick Lethbridge  /  consulting dexitroboper
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"A bird sitting on a tree is never afraid of the branch breaking because its trust is not in the branch, but in its own wings." … unknown
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A Time to Every Purpose / Ian Andrew

A Time to Every Purpose

by Ian Andrew

science fiction

copyright 2014

read in December 2019

rated 7/10: well worth reading

I'm not overfond of parallel universe stories. Nor of fix-it-by-time-travel stories. (And that possible spoiler is pretty obvious very early in the book. Which is not a negative comment.) Yet I did enjoy this book. Perhaps because a Nazi alternative universe is so obvious to understand.

The story is well-crafted, the characters are likeable but too idealistic to be real. There is violence, there are threats, the heroes are never actually tortured (thank goodness).

The final twist is slowly revealed. Early hints build up in slow but complete detail. Much like the rest of the book: well-detailed, sometimes too well-detailed, not bad enough to be boring. I never wanted to give up reading; I was impressed by the final -- unexpected, possibly unique -- way in which the... book is concluded.

I had been wondering how the book would conclude. Prove whether or not the world is saved, that is. The ending turns out to be very satisfying, rather rose-tinted, well judged. Answers the question without adding to the complexity.

One serious criticism: the book needs a good edit by someone with a clear understanding of the rules of English:

The copy I read was from the library. A previous reader had used a pencil to correct the numerous errors: bad punctuation, mis-capitalisation, occasional wrong use of a homonym. After two or three corrections on each of the first 30 or so pages, the anonymous editor gave up... the errors, however, continue.

My rating began at six (read to pass the time), partly because it's "not my type of book". It was still enjoyable. I was tipping towards the final seven... and that rating was confirmed when I realised that the author now lives in Western Australia :-)

A complex, well-though-out book, quite enjoyable. And written by a local. For me, that's well worth reading.

Dr Nick Lethbridge / Consulting Dexitroboper

...        Agamedes Consulting / Problems ? Solved

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"[The] truth is incontrovertible. Panic may resent it, ignorance may deride it, malice may distort it, but there it is." ... Winston Churchill

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Dying for you to read my blog, at https://notdotdeaddotyet.blogspot.com.au/ :-)

Dragon Stones / Kristian Alva

Dragon Stones

(Dragon Stone 1)

by Kristian Alva

fantasy, subadult

copyright 2011

read in December 2019

rated 5/10: readable but only if there's nothing else

09mar24: Much the same opinion. Though on this reading I notice... Don't talk to so-and-so, warns Granny. Off the hero rushes -- to talk to so-and-so Sigh.

The hero is a fool -- or an innocent. I have more sympathy for some minor characters, people whose lives are torn apart by impending war but with no hope of being saved by impending hero-hood.

The plot is simplistic, occasionally stupid, easy to read.

The author is said to write "middle-grade fantasy". This book is not a high-fantasy masterpiece but it is readable.

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This is not a complete book. It is a series of adventures, reaching no conclusion. Perhaps book three will finish the story? If I read as far as book three -- check my review, I will tell you if it concludes.

The story is set in an interesting world. A number of cliché locations are cobbled together -- and explained rather than shown. Cliché characters act in rather unbelievable ways. They may act good or evil but none are particularly interesting.

Each minor conflict is resolved in a trivial fashion. The horribly injured dragon, for example, is cured with no drama whatsoever.

The target market is subadult: old enough to handle violence, young enough to need a straightforward plot. I'm an adult, I'm not embarrassed by the quality of the story. Yet the only reason that I will read book two is to see if it gets any better.

Dr Nick Lethbridge / Consulting Dexitroboper

...        Agamedes Consulting / Problems ? Solved

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"[The] truth is incontrovertible. Panic may resent it, ignorance may deride it, malice may distort it, but there it is." ... Winston Churchill

===

Dying for you to read my blog, at https://notdotdeaddotyet.blogspot.com.au/ :-)

A Shattered Empire / Mitchell Hogan

A Shattered Empire

(Sorcery Ascendant #3)

by Mitchell Hogan

fantasy

copyright 2016

read in December 2019

rated 9/10: really, really good

This series just keeps on getting better.

This is the final book of a trilogy. Plots are wrapped up, villains defeated, goodies saved (or not). An absolutely satisfying conclusion -- with world and characters ready for more. (Good news: a quick web search indicates progress on a follow-up series:-)

There is violence galore. Including battlefields dripping with blood and crowded with body parts. The hero constantly rejects violence... while practising it. There's regular internal moralising... but it adds to the enjoyment of the story. And the hero's violence? Well, only when he is forced to be violent. I know, it sounds silly -- but it works. The hero is extremely powerful and very sympathetic.

There is a constant stream of characters and situations coming in and going out. In the first book I considered this a weakness. In this final book, every odd character, every odd situation, is fitted into a closely woven pattern. Every chapter has relevance to the overall story.

The first book is enjoyable. The second is a better book. This book -- as a grand finale -- wraps up a brilliant series.

I'm hoping (after unsubtle suggestions) that Christmas will bring more books by this same author.

Dr Nick Lethbridge / Consulting Dexitroboper

...        Agamedes Consulting / Problems ? Solved

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"[The] truth is incontrovertible. Panic may resent it, ignorance may deride it, malice may distort it, but there it is." ... Winston Churchill

===

Dying for you to read my blog, at https://notdotdeaddotyet.blogspot.com.au/ :-)

Blood of Innocents / Mitchell Hogan

Blood of Innocents

(Sorcery Ascendant #2)

by Mitchell Hogan

fantasy

copyright 2013

read in December 2019

rated 8/10: really quite good

This is a direct follow-on from book one. Again, the ending is satisfactory but inconclusive. Plenty of plot threads still wide open (how long will his girlfriend remain uncured?), just a small number closed off. At this stage -- it doesn't matter.

A lot happens. Ideas which were referred to in book one are met and explored in book two. The world is still growing... Not with sudden and unexpected new developments but with more detail of book one hints. This is good! The author's wealth of original ideas is not yet exhausted.

Which does lead to a worry: will the series ever "conclude"? Not that I want it to conclude, I want more :-) I hope that there is -- or will be -- an ultimate end when I can sit back, sigh, and say, Well, that was a great story :-) No sign of that yet...

Did you notice: my rating is better for this book than for book one. That's deliberate, this is a better book. Surprise :-) Book one is worth reading, book two has more meat, more explored ideas, more feeling of "going somewhere".

I'm looking forward to finding out where that "somewhere" will be :-)

Dr Nick Lethbridge / Consulting Dexitroboper

...        Agamedes Consulting / Problems ? Solved

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"Experience is the comb life gives you once  you're bald" … per Ginger Meggs

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Dying for you to read my blog, at https://notdotdeaddotyet.blogspot.com.au/ :-)

Symbiont / Mira Grant

Symbiont

(Parasitology #2 of 3)

by Mira Grant

science fiction

copyright 2014

read in December 2019

rated 6/10: read to pass the time

Oh dear, it's the zombie apocalypse. This time, it's caused by man-made tapeworms. Well, at least that's a more believable explanation than the usual long-dead race of zombie mutants.

I did consider: do the zombies mean that this book is "horror"? Possibly... but not due to the tape-worm zombies. They are so irrelevant, really. Just background moaning drooling threat. A book about sailing does not become horror just because the sea is dangerous.

Is the book chicklit? Not in the "change of clothes every other page" sense. Is it that unpleasant form of chicklit where a woman is constantly being dominated -- willingly or unwillingly -- by men? Yes, there is a lot of that. Fortunately, the heroine is at least trying to resist.

The science is ridiculous but consistent. Though a lot of new stuff is "discovered" just in time.

The heroine is, really, a right pain in the posterior. On the other hand -- she is developing. At the end the author admits that the two-book set has been expanded to three. Perhaps the third book will allow the heroine to grow some more backbone. It's starting but it is soooo slow.

And that's a problem with this book: it is sooo slow. There is action but it is always preceded by the heroine going through pages of self-analysis. Sure, that can be interesting. But too much is, well, too much.

And then the book ends. Hang on, isn't that the same way that the first book ended -- with a raid on the very heart of the evil HQ? At least book one ended with some pretence of success. This book ends with the heroine -- metaphorically -- hanging by her fingertips with no hope of escape.

Sheesh. If you can't think of an ending -- at least a between-books ending -- give up writing.

Still. There is so little suspense that a cliffhanger ending is of little consequence.

Read to pass the time. Or read to get to sleep. Either way -- there are some interesting points being made. No matter how preposterous the setting.

Dr Nick Lethbridge / Consulting Dexitroboper

...        Agamedes Consulting / Problems ? Solved

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"Experience is the comb life gives you once  you're bald" … per Ginger Meggs

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Dying for you to read my blog, at https://notdotdeaddotyet.blogspot.com.au/ :-)

Just William / Richmal Crompton

Just William

(Just William #1)

by Richmal Crompton

humour

copyright 1922

read in November 2019

rated 7/10: well worth reading

Light, enjoyable, entertaining... well worth reading.

It must be 50 or more years since I last read a William book. When I suddenly remembered the character I couldn't resist -- I bought a set of the first ten. And started reading from the very first William book.

I must admit... I was a bit disappointed. The first few stories (the book is a series of short stories) had William as the centre of a destructive whirlwind. There were some chuckles but not much more. Fun, funny, not wildly enjoyable.

Then the writer hit her stride.

The last three stories are just what I (vaguely) remember: adventures of a boy who sometimes means well but who causes chaos and destruction all round. An irresistibly likable trouble-maker. An independent spirit who makes you smile as he makes you groan.

It rates at least six out of ten. I added a point because... well, because I enjoyed it :-)  After a slow start -- this is the William that I enjoyed in my childhood.

Should I -- as I plan -- pass it on to be read by a child? Probably better suited to a child who cannot yet read on their own. Read this book aloud and be prepared to explain so much of what was the normal way of life -- in small, fictional English villages -- way back in the 1920s.

Or read it as an adult. Enjoy a happy and simple story, set in an idyllic era which, most likely, never was near to reality.

Dr Nick Lethbridge / Consulting Dexitroboper

...        Agamedes Consulting / Problems ? Solved

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"Experience is the comb life gives you once  you're bald" … per Ginger Meggs

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Dying for you to read my blog, at https://notdotdeaddotyet.blogspot.com.au/ :-)

Elvenblood / Andre Norton & Mercedes Lackey

Elvenblood

(Halfblood Chronicles #2)

by Andre Norton, Mercedes Lackey

Fantasy, chicklit

copyright 1995

re-read in December 2019

rated 7/10: well worth reading

I am just typing, Not too complex a world... and I realise, this world really is quite complex. Yet the complexity is so logical that there are no sudden surprises. A whole new "race" is introduced -- new since book one -- but that's it. One new race in a well-defined world, a natural extension of the world of the first book.

I like the characters. There are goodies, there are baddies, there are various characters in-between. Yet, once defined, they do not chop and change. Many characters are "imperfect": unsure of themselves yet with clear moral directions. They may make mistakes (not many!) but they do not chop and change in their knowledge of right and wrong. Thank goodness!

I've read this book before, many years ago. Perhaps I read it several times, I certainly remember it well. On this reading I still enjoy it -- perhaps even more. It may be that this book two is not quite as enjoyable of book one, with several years since I have (re)read one, book two is more enjoyable with the less obvious comparison.

Sure, this book may seem like a six out of ten -- but today I will rate it as seven, well worth reading. I wanted a book to fill in a couple of days. I wanted enjoyment without too much challenge. I wanted goodies who acted the part. Elvenblood provides all of this. Plus magic, romance and dragons. Very, very enjoyable :-)

Dr Nick Lethbridge / Consulting Dexitroboper

...        Agamedes Consulting / Problems ? Solved

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"Experience is the comb life gives you once  you're bald" … per Ginger Meggs

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Dying for you to read my blog, at https://notdotdeaddotyet.blogspot.com.au/ :-)

cafe: Mary St Bakery, City Beach

café: Mary St Bakery, City Beach

Definitely not hipster. This is a flash café for a rich suburb. Where a true hipster café would have walls decorated with recycled timber fittings, this café has a feature wood wall. Nice, shiny, definitely un-hip.

The staff -- just two, it's late in the day -- are friendly, busy, somewhat distracted. We can't see tatts nor manbuns... though we agree that the man's *attitude* says, hipster. Casual, friendly, I'm one of you, man.

Why "Mary Street"? There are five of them, none on a Mary St. Just -- apparently -- a marketing name for a growing chain. Pity, I prefer an individual café with its unique style. Oh well.

This café is nice. When we're there, it's peaceful, we have a choice of seats. Just as well, we don't really like the high-stool seats. We're sitting on the broad verandah -- a feature of the newly rebuilt shopping centre.

It's taken a while to write this review... I can no longer remember what we ate, it must have been okay. I do remember that we bought a loaf of white bread -- which turned out to be very nice.

So it's a nice place with very convenient parking. And an excellent -- upmarket -- IGA next door. We won't go out of our way to visit, we will visit again if we are already close by. Two out of three.

Dr Nick Lethbridge / Consulting Dexitroboper

...        Agamedes Consulting / Problems ? Solved

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"Experience is the comb life gives you once  you're bald" … per Ginger Meggs

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Dying for you to read my blog, at https://notdotdeaddotyet.blogspot.com.au/ :-)