Summer reading sugggestion

Those lazy, hazy days of summer are almost upon us.  Are you looking for some books to read while relaxing at the cottage or on the beach?  If so, I would like to suggest my latest novel The Roving Reporter: Scanning the Globe in the 1990.  It is the sequel to my previous book The Missing Reporter.  If you are interested, check out my author's web page,  Just click on the link below.

Joanne Madden – Author

You can also google joannemadden.ca to reach my author's webpage.  The books are available on Indigo and Amazon.

The Roving Reporter: Spanning the Globe in the 1990s is the sequel to my second novel, The Missing Reporter. It chronicles the further adventures of Sandra McKay, a spirited journalist from Prince Edward Island. The novel takes place from 1990 to 1997, just before the Millennium and the digital age. After being abducted by ruthless mob boss, Bruno Rossi, Sandra travels to France to recover from her ordeal and to visit her cousin, Dennis Casey, a man with a secret. Dennis' friend offers Sandra a job as a foreign correspondent based in London. She travels around the globe, accompanied by Colin Purcell, a crusty English photographer. During her seven years as a world reporter, Sandra covers major stories in Britain, France, Italy, South Africa, Japan, Hong Kong. Mexico and Australia. Meanwhile, she finds herself targeted by the mob.

The Missing Reporter is a story of intrigue and suspense, set in 1989.  What happened to TV crime reporter Sandra McKay?  Why did she suddenly vanish after starting a new job.  Is her disappearance linked to the death of prominent dental surgeon Lawrence Somerville, whose brother works for a mob boss?  Intrepid private detective Norm Trapper in on the case and he is looking for answers.

I hope you enjoy the books and I thank you for your support.  By the way, I have started working on the third and final novel of my "reporter trilogy."

- Joanne

Vocabulary Quiz: Words that begin with the Letter "M"

 

 
Number 16 Vocabulary Quiz #11

Test your knowledge of words that begin with the letter "M."  (Note: All definitions have been taken from the Merriam- Webster Dictionary).  Ready! Set! Go!

1.  Metrology

A.  The study of maps

B.  The study of measurements and weights

C.  The study of metrics

D.  The study of urban sprawl

E.  The study of particular weather patterns

2.  Misanthrope

A.  An unhappy person

B.  An angry person

C.  One who dislikes humankind

D.  One who is extremely cruel

E.  One who has many enemies

3.  Miscegenation

A.  A mixture of races, especially marriage, sexual relations or reproduction between a white person and a member of another race

B.  Migration of a specific ethnic or racial group

C.  Forbidding of marriage or reproduction of people of different races

D.  Friendship between people of different races

E.  None of the above

4.  Manumission 

A.  The buying and selling of slaves

B.  The disciplining of slaves

C.  The capture of a fugitive slave

D.  A secret gathering of slaves for the purpose of escaping

E.  Freeing from slavery

5.  Misandry

A.  Male stereotypes

B.  Dislike of, contempt or, or ingrained prejudice against men

C.  Male solidarity

D.  Male chauvinism

E.   A list of male attributes

6.  Mellifluous

A.  Sweet tasting

B.   Distasteful, sour

C.  Sorrowful, sad, doleful

D.  (Of a voice or words) sweet or musical to hear

E.  Artificially honey-flavoured

7.  Melancholy

A.  A short temper

B.  A carefree feeling

C.  State of sadness or depression

D.  Homesickness

E.   Illness

8.  Marauder

A.   A plunderer, a raider

B.    A landowner

C.   An explorer

D.   A liar

E.   A rodeo rider

9.  Marzipan

A.  A chocolate topping with hazelnuts

B.  A strawberry gelato

C.  A creamy banana dessert

D.  A sweet yellow or white paste of ground almonds, sugar and egg whites.

E.  A caramel topping with ground almonds

10.  Megalomaniac

A.  A person who is insane

B.  A serial killer

C.  A compulsive cheater

D.  One who speaks incessantly

E.  A person who is obsessed with their own power

ANSWERS

1.  B

Metrology (noun): the science of weights and measures or of measurement; a system of weights and measures

2.  C

Misanthrope (noun): A person who dislikes human kind and avoids human society.

3. A

Miscegenation (noun): a mixture of races especially: marriage, cohabitation, or sexual intercourse between a white person and a member of another race

4.  E

Manumission (noun): The act or process of manumitting, especially formal emancipation from slavery

5.  B

Misandry (noun): A hatred of men

6.  D

Mellifluous (adjective): Having a smooth rich flow; filled with something (such as honey) that sweetens

7.  C

Melancholy (noun):  A state of sadness or depression of spirits; dejection

8.  A

Marauder (noun):  One who roams from place to place making attacks and raids in search of plunder

9.  D

 Marzipan (noun): A confection of crushed almonds paste, sugar, and egg whites that is often shaped into various forms

10. E

Megalomaniac (noun):  One who suffers from a delusional mental illness that is marked by feelings of personal omnipotence and grandeur

- Joanne

Why I am cheering for the Montreal Canadiens to win the Stanley Cup this year

I live in Toronto and I have been a Leafs fan all my life, although I was thoroughly disappointed by the team's 2025-2026 season.  To be frank, it was a complete and utter disaster.  I hope the situation will greatly improve now that the Blue and White have a new general manager and are about to hire a new coach.  The Leafs were also fortunate to win the draft lottery and will have the first pick of the new crop of NHL players.  Next season has to be better.  It couldn't be much worse.

The last time the Leafs won the Cup, way back in 1967, they defeated the Montreal Canadiens.  So, why do I find myself cheering for the Habs, who were the Leafs' greatest rivals for years.  The answer is simple.  It's about time that Lord Stanley's Jug came home to Canada.  It's been 33 years since a Canadian-based team has won the Cup.  That would be the Montreal Canadiens in 1993, which coincidentally is the same year Gary Bettman became commissioner of the National Hockey League.  Frankly, I am tired of sun-belt teams in Florida and California and Las Vegas winning hockey's greatest trophy.  The Tampa Bay Lightning captured the championship in 2020 and 2021.  The Las Vegas Golden Knight won in 2023 and the Florida Panthers won in 2024 and 2025.  See what I mean.

Hockey has a great history and an outstanding tradition in Montreal.  It really matters.  I watched how enthusiastic the city's fans were for their team.  They were really rocking (By the way, I felt bad for the Buffalo Sabres, but I wanted Montreal to win more).  You won't see Montreal's excitement in Florida or North Carolina.  It's not just that they are American.  Places such as Minnesota, Buffalo, Detroit, Chicago, Boston and New York, Pittsburgh, Philadelphia and Colorado also have a hockey history., and they actually have winters.  However, hockey has Canadian roots.  In fact, the inaugural Stanley Cup Championship took place on March 22, 1894.  It was a contest between the Montreal Amateur Athletic Association. (MAAA) and the Ottawa Hockey Club, also called the Ottawa Generals.  The game was part of a tournament designated as the Dominion Hockey Challenge by Lord Stanley, the Governor General of Canada.  Montreal defeated Ottawa by a score of 3-1, marking the first time the Stanley Cup was officially awarded.

The Montreal Canadiens have won 24 Stanley Cups.  I want them to win their 25th.  Bring it home, Habs!  Someday, maybe the Leafs.

- Joanne

Will this be a lost season for the Blue Jays?

The 2026 season is on the line for the Toronto Blue Jays.  If they don't pick it up soon, they won't be in contention for a playoff spot.  Yes, I know it's only early May, but the Jays have a lot of ground to make up.  As I write this, they are 9.5 games behind the AL East Division leaders, the New York Yankees.  Only the woeful Boston Red Sox have a worse record.  

It seems like the Jays are at the tipping point.  They need to have a winning streak soon.  The injuries haven't helped, especially the one to catcher Alejandro Kirk, but good teams can overcome injuries. The Jays seem mediocre at the moment.

The magic of last season, doesn't seem to be there right now.  The bats have gone cold.  Vladdy is hitting well, but not for power.  He only has 2 home runs so far, but his batting average is an impressive .319.  He has 43 hits and 16 RBI.

Some of this is not unexpected.  It's almost impossible to replicate what happened last season,  However, GM Ross Atkins failed to make up for the loss of Bo Bichette's production.  Anthony Santaner struggled last season and couldn't be counted on to surge this season.  As it turned out, he underwent surgery and will be out for months.

The season isn't lost yet, but time is running out.  If the Jays' hitting drought doesn't end soon, I'm afraid they won't be in contention.  They've lost that winning feeling and they need to get it back before it's too late.

- Joanne