Tag: Albuquerque

G00d Reads:

Kent on Patrick O’Brian

A few days ago, I stuck my nose in our Little Library and discovered a collection of 10 Patrick O’Brian Aubrey/Maturin novels. I hadn’t read any of these books since leaving Coot twenty-five years ago. The three or four books I read in the 1980s and 90s were acquired haphazardly in trades with other boaters and read without order or coherence. I set the stack of books beside my chair, took a look at the top one, started reading, and finished it the next morning. I arranged the books in order, starting with Master and Commander, and I am now on the fifth one.

I delight in the sailing descriptions. O’Brian manages to bring the life and times of the British Navy in the 18th century to life better than any other author I know. I just finished reading his account of a stormy crossing of Biscay Bay in Desolation Island, and it rang true to my own 1984 experience of that body of water. Despite the difference between a 74-gun ship of the line and a 38-foot ketch, extensive repairs were required in both cases.

More from Jim Sollars

Like Kent, Jim is from Sheridan, Wyoming, and became a sailor and a writer. Unlike Kent, Jim is prolific, with books published on Amazon in both October and November this year. Here is his latest thriller:

Friends from the Past

We are following the adventures of Ned and Kate Phillips on Instagram, the same Ned and Kate Pam and Kent met more than thirty years ago in the Chesapeake (October 1994). (See Chapter 11, Going South, pp. 109-11.)  They are now sailing from England to the Cape Verde Islands and beyond. Coincidently, if all goes to plan, Kent and Linnea will arrive via the ninety-eight-passenger Corinthian at Santiago Island in the Cape Verde Islands on Christmas morning (one month from today), but we will almost certainly miss Ned and Kate.

Kate at the Helm

Happy Thanksgiving to one and all!

 “Hang on to your hat. Hang on to your hope. And wind the clock, for tomorrow is another day.”

—E.B. White, author

Reflection, Tingley Pond, Albuquerque Bosque, November 24, 2025

See also, Linnea’s Blog https://www.caminobleu.com (coming soon) for more on the writing inspired by Evelyn Begody’s new memoir: Facing East: Boarding School & Beyond. Her account of her early education may also inspire you to reflect on yours.

Book Signings, Readings, and Reviews

Kent reading We Ran Away to Sea

Kent reading in downtown Albuquerque

Join us at Treasure House Books and Gifts in Old Town this Sunday, September 10, from 1:30-3:30 p.m. for a book talk, reading, and conversation. Come and go as you please since the space is small. Books will be available for sale.

We hope to have future events for those who cannot make this one.

In the News!

We were happy to see David Steinberg’s “Book of the Week” article based on his thoughtful reading of We Ran Away to Sea and several phone conversations over the past couple of weeks. We were pleasantly surprised to be chosen as the Book of the Week, given the presence of several much-published and well-known authors at events this week. The link to the Albuquerque Journal article is below.

Setting Sail: Memoir offers an intimate look at one couple’s life on the seas

Report on the Travel Bug Presentation on August 26

Unfortunately, we forgot to ask someone to take pictures of the talk and reading at the Travel Bug in Santa Fe last week that was attended by twenty enthusiastic people. The presentation shared by Kent and Linnea was accompanied by a slide show with a few special effects. We won’t be able to show the slides this week, but we hope to find another venue where we can repeat this performance.

Thanks for Your Support

We appreciate all of your support for this project that, like the Covid pandemic that accompanied it, often seemed to have no end. Please think about writing a few words on Amazon about your response to the book. Ask about the book at your local bookstores, and tell your friends about the book.

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