Today I’m sharing the third part of Emma @Words and Peace and my discussion of The Chinese Maze Murders (1956) by Robert van Gulik. In case you missed the previous parts (Part I and Part II), this is a book written in the form of traditional Chinese detective fiction around the adventures of the real-life…
Author Interview: Venkataraman Sheshashayee ‘Shesh’
Today (as mentioned a little over a week ago), I have on the blog, Venkataraman Sheshashayee or ‘Shesh’, author of the Corporate Assassin series. Shesh has spent the past four decades working in shipping and management and is now a semi-retired CEO who still consults in the corporate world. He made his fiction debut in…
Buddy Read: The Chinese Maze Murders (1956) by Robert van Gulik: Chapters 1-7
It’s time again for Emma @ Words and Peace and I to share our discussion of this month’s buddy read: The Chinese Maze Murders (1956) by Robert van Gulik. After translating a set of mysteries featuring the real-life Judge Dee or Di Renjie from 18th century Chinese detective fiction, van Gulik tried his own hand…
Six Degrees of Separation: From Flashlight to The Law and the Lady (February 2026)
The second month of 2026 already, and its second Sunday since I'm posting a day late but still time for Six Degrees of Separation--one of my favourite memes to participate in. Six Degrees of Separation is a monthly meme hosted by Kate at Books are My Favourite and Best. Inspired by the concept of 'six…
Book Review: Assassins Are Our Greatest Assets (2025) by Shesh
Having thoroughly enjoyed the entertaining, darkly humorous and fast-paced Sixty is the New Assassin, the author's debut, I was eagerly awaiting the next instalment and Assassins Are Our Greatest Assets lived up to its promise and more. In the first book we met Ishmael Dollah, former CEO who's living a relaxed but somewhat boring retired…
Book Review: A High-Performing Mind (2024) by Andrew D. Thompson
Many thanks to author Andrew Thompson for very kindly sending me a review copy of the book via Booktasters. Setting goals that are clear and specific, always doing one's best in every pursuit, learning from one's mistakes, and focusing on the process may seem like and is, as the author himself notes, commonsense advice, but…
Buddy Read: The Guest Cat by Takashi Hiraide: Chapters 16-23
I’m back today with the third part of Emma @Words and Peace and my discussion of The Guest Cat by Takashi Hiraide, our buddy read for the month of January 2026. The books explores themes of friendship and love in their relationship with Chibi, a neighbour’s cat that starts visiting them and becomes their own;…
Buddy Read: The Guest Cat (2001/2014) by Takashi Hiraide: Chapters 1-8
It’s time for the first buddy read of the year for Emma @Words and Peace and me here at Literary Potpourri. The book we read this month is the Japanese novel The Guest Cat (Neko no kyaku) by Takashi Hiraide (trans. Eric Selland), originally published in 2001 and in translation in 2014. This is a…
Six Degrees of Separation: From the Ginger Cat Mystery to Ghachar Ghochar (January 2026)
And 2026 begins, and today is its first Saturday, this time the 3rd of January, which means it's time for Six Degrees of Separation--one of my favourite memes to participate in. Six Degrees of Separation is a monthly meme hosted by Kate at Books are My Favourite and Best. Inspired by the concept of 'six…
Book and Author Anniversaries 2026
Happy New Year! Another year begins which means it's time for my favourite annual post, book and author anniversaries for 2026. This is a post that talks about books that are celebrating important 'birthdays'--turning 50, 100, 150, 200, 250, and 300, as also authors who celebrate significant anniversaries this year. These lists, as readers of…
Literary Potpourri 