Saturday 31 January 2015

In January I have been reading...





Oh, how I loved this book. I have read a few spy books recently, but they have tended to be quiet different in pace to this! Once I had appreciated the level of action that was going to take place in this story, I couldn't put it down. It's rare for my husband and I to share books because we have quite different interests, but I have been recommending this one to him non-stop since about page 30. I am still quite bereft at having finished it!

***** 


Following I Am Pilgrim was a tall order, but Us did a pretty good job of it, frankly. I have to confess that I am one of probably a handful of people in the world who didn't love One Day. I'm sorry. I really enjoyed the cultural references to an era that I was growing up in, but I really didn't like Dexter, or the ending, and I could go on, but I know I'm going against the grain here. But that's what's great about books, it would be dull if we all had the same opinion of everything we read. ANYWAY, Us made me much happier. I liked the characters and could empathise with their emotions and their journeys (both physical and metaphorical). I enjoyed the Grand Tour Of Europe because it reminded me of my inter-railing days, and I just 'got' Us in a way that I never managed to get One Day. A heart-warming read.

*****


You know where you are with a Marian Keyes book. I think that perhaps I loved her earlier work more (although it's a while since I read them); there were some parts of the plot of this that I thought were rather weak. But I still laughed and laughed at points in the story, and I thought that Stella was a very sympathetic character. This is a lovely warm read.

*****


So I mentioned this in my last post (and it is still free if you have Kindle Prime membership). But I read it, and I didn't love it as much as I had hoped. It's a bit too predictable (I know it's a romantic comedy, so you can't expect too many surprises), a bit too cliched (particularly in terms of Sarah's Americanisms), and the 'flouncing off in a strop' plot device is used an awful lot. But there were parts of the story that I did enjoy, and if romantic comedies are your thing it's still worth a try. Maybe this is another One Day and I'm going against the grain...

*****


This is a collection of short stories, and I read the Christmas Pudding story not long after Christmas, and then put the book to one side until later this month. I love Hercule Poirot, and there is the bonus of a Miss Marple story at the end here too. Some of the stories are more ingenious and pleasing than others, but all in all it was an entertaining read.

***** 


Here's another book that I mentioned in my last post, and fortunately it lived up to my expectations, although the plot did not pan out as I had anticipated.
 I previously read and loved the Lewis trilogy and Entry Island, which all combined crime with fascinating social history, and whilst Runaway follows a similar formula, the social history is very much to the fore. The story takes place in two timeframes- 1965 and 2015, and both are equally well-written. In 1965 we read a coming of age story about a group of boys seeking fame and fortune. In 2015 we see the repercussions of their 1965 lives. Their story is beautifully crafted and full of contextual background, particularly of the 1960s. If I am being picky, I felt that the ending was a little rushed, but the book was very much a journey, so I can forgive that. 

I kind of need a half star here, because I feel that it is worth more than 4 stars, but I didn't quite love the ending enough to give it 5. But you get the picture.

*****

I've set myself a target of reading 50 books in 2015, and I'm off to a pretty good start! Goodreads tells me that I read 36 books in 2014 (although I'm not convinced that I recorded everything that I read last year on there), so time will tell whether I am successful!

I hope you are spending at least some of your weekend tucked up in the warm with a good book. Let me know what you're reading if so!

x



Saturday 17 January 2015

Let's try again

Time to actually try and get into some kind of blogging habit, Even my mum has told me that I should be doing it! I am so far behind with sharing what I was reading towards the end of 2014 (and let's face it, 2014 seems like aaaaages ago now), that it makes more sense to start afresh and then revisit those reads at some point. So, I thought I'd do a really easy post of what I have been buying in 2015. This has the added benefit of being a confessional. My name is Sarah, and I am addicted to tracking the price of e-books and swooping when the price drops. I know, I'm the sort of person who is destroying the future of bookshops. But to counter this I am also unable to walk past a bookshop without making a purchase, so I'm not all bad.

This is the state of the problem two weeks into 2015. Don't laugh.


I can't wait to get cracking on this. I loved Peter May's Lewis trilogy and gave his latest, Entry Island, 5 out of 5 stars in the autumn. Runaway was published this week and sounds every bit as good.


Total contrast, but I love a good family saga, Joanna Trollope or Maeve Binchy stylee, and I have read great things about A Place For Us, also published in the last week. And Harriet Evans is lovely on twitter, so do give her a follow if you read this and enjoy it.


The House of Silk isn't newly published, but the price of it dropped below my threshold this week, and it has been on my list for a while. Sorry again, publishers and bookshops.


Ditto this. I have a few gaps in my Lacey Flint collection, as I started with book 4 and then went back to the beginning.


Matt Dunn is a great writer. If you enjoyed the Lucy Robinson or Mhairi Macfarlane books that I recommended last year, you'll like his work. AND, if you have Amazon Prime, it's FREE here! What more can you ask?




And finally,I bought the Complete Mapp & Lucia for the princely sum of 77p. This week I finally watched the series that was on television over Christmas, and it had me in hysterics, so I am really looking forward to this.


Well, that doesn't look too bad really, does it? We'll gloss over the books that I bought at the end of December for now, because looking at my account at a certain online retailer, there were quite a few. Ditto the books that are currently on my purchasing wish-list. There's a whole extra blog post right there, and I'll try and write it in the very near future.

Thanks for reading! Let me know what books you have been buying so far in 2015, and make me feel better about my habit!

Sarah x

P.S. I've got some weird formatting things going on, because I tried writing this on my iPad and it didn't really work out. So sorry, I will try and get rid of them and/or not do that again!






Tuesday 30 September 2014

This month I've been reading...




This is Tempe Brennan tale number 16, and I found it quite disappointing. There were two disparate strands to the story, both of which had promise, but which were woven together in a way that was totally unbelievable, with some very loose ends left hanging. There were also some disappointing/frustrating things going on in Tempe's personal life. Book 17 is out now, and I will be keeping my fingers crossed that it is back to classic Kathy Reichs form. Please don't go all Kay Scarpetta on us, Tempe.

*****


Here we have another of those 'bargains' that have been sitting unloved on my virtual bookshelf for months. But HOORAY- when I finally read it this month I really enjoyed it! Set both during the Spanish Civil War and in the 21st century, this story is well-written, with well-crafted characters, and is part romance, part family mystery. If you have enjoyed Katherine Webb, Kate Morton and Victoria Hislop's writing, you'll like this. I mention Victoria Hislop because her book The Return is pretty much by only previous education on the Spanish Civil War, to my shame. I won't give any spoilers, but the ending of The Perfume Garden is really pleasing in the way that it links together lots of key incidents that occur during the story. A fab read.

*****


I am very nearly at the end of Entry Island, and it is completely brilliant. Partly murder mystery (set on Entry Island in the Gulf of St Lawrence in Canada), and partly a man's experience of the forced clearance of crofters the Scottish Highlands, it is a very cleverly woven story with lots of atmospheric detail about the islands. If you have read and enjoyed The Lewis trilogy you will also enjoy this. I am really hoping that the ending of the story is as good as the first three quarters have been.  If so, it is my book of the month!

*****


Monday 22 September 2014

Ahem. Remember me?

*waves* I'm the one who hasn't updated her book blog since June. School holidays, sunshine, lazing around etc etc- I won't even bother to try and make excuses. Strangely enough I HAVE read quite a few books over the summer though, so behold a quick whizz through my summer reading library. Many of these had been languishing on my kindle for quite a while, so don't expect anything 'currently popular' (I have been making a conscious effort to read the books that I bought thinking "just £1.99- what a bargain!" and then promptly forgot about). Also, I don't profess to be someone who picks a high-brow book to read on a sun lounger, but for the most part these books kept me gripped and/or entertained during the glorious summer of 2014.




Lisa Jewell is one of my favourite authors when it comes to writing about families and relationships. The Third Wife contains a host of brilliantly realistic characters and complex family dynamics. I loved it from that point of view- first class. I found the ending really frustrating though. I won't say anymore for fear of spoiling it for anyone reading.

*****




This book is focused on a period of European history that I knew nothing about- 1970's Italy, when the Red Brigades were attemping to destabilise the country through sabotage, kidnappings and assassinations, including that of the prime minister Aldo Moro in 1978. The story switches between the 1970's and modern-day Florence, where an American girl has disappeared. Of the two I preferred the historical sections of the book, but the story has something for everyone- crime, romance and political history. I recommend!

*****



I had been meaning to read this for ages, and quickly followed it up with the sequels Tuesday's Gone and Waiting For Wednesday. Part four of the series, Thursday's Children, has also been published and awaits me. Now, I enjoy a psychological thriller, but not one that hits too close to home or is too creepy. This series is perfect for me from that point of view- some other Nicci French books that I once enjoyed (I'm thinking in particular of Secret Smile and the Safe House) are a bit too creepy for my tastes now. Frieda Klein is a really interesting character and I enjoyed reading the books one after another, which heightened the tension of one particular storyline that runs through the series. Something about the books niggles me and stops me from rating them more highly, but I will definitely be reading the rest of the series.

*****



I feel a bit controversial here- Amazon is full of rave reviews for The Rosie Project, and although I liked it, I didn't love it. I'm sorry. If you know lots of scientists or geeks, there is a lot that feels familiar here. It's funny and sweet, but it just didn't hit me. I must have a heart of stone.

 ***** 



By contrast, I loved this book. I had few preconceptions about it, other than that it was American and black in humour, and that can go one of two ways for me (no one EVER mention Vernon God Little to me please). After about two chapters I was utterly confused about where on earth the bonkers story was going to go next, but in the end I loved it. I really grew to like Harold, the Silver family and the raft of associated characters. Despite the crazy plot and the blackness of the humour it is heart-warming and ultimately about a family learning to work together to deal with whatever life throws at it. There are a lot of clever little observations about modern life. There's also quite a lot of awkward grubby 'action' too (if you get my drift)- don't say I didn't warn you! Anyway, moving on. I was sad to finish this and say goodbye to the Silvers.

****


And there you have it- my holiday reading (I might have missed some-I will have a look through my 'read' folder and check). And I'll be back later in the week (honest!) with what I've been reading in September. If you've read any of the above or anything brilliant over the summer, do let me know!

Friday 20 June 2014

The Unfinished Symphony Of You And Me


I can sum up this book in a sentence for you by saying that it is a perfect holiday read. Buy it now (only £1.99 on Kindle- what a bargain) and enjoy whilst lounging around in the sun (with a G&T if the sun is over the yard arm).

 I discovered Lucy Robinson's writing last year, when I laughed and laughed at A Passionate Love Affair With A Total Stanger (prior to that she wrote The Greatest Love Story Of All Time, which I haven't read yet). I think you can probably guess from the titles and jackets that they aren't high-brow reads, but they are very well-crafted indeed. They are essentially romances, so you can guess what the end-point of the plot is going to be, but they are definitely not formulaic, and there is plenty of humour and swearing along the way. 

I absolutely loved the backdrop to The Unfinished Symphony Of You And Me. It is set in the world of operatic music, and Sally the heroine is a wonderful but untrained singer (within the confines of her wardrobe). There is reference to Alfie Boe (bonus point from me for that one) and a cast of brilliantly eclectic characters. I found Jan Borsos, the Hungarian student who had walked across Europe Mister Magnolia-style with only one shoe, completely hilarious, and ex-boyfriend Julian was really quite delicious. The story isn't all a laugh a minute, there is a terribly sad story in Sally's past, and for a little while I wasn't sure that the ending that I had predicted was going to be the case at all. I ended up doing my usual trick of staying up until midnight with my eyes propped open to enjoy the last third of the book in one go, and it was just brilliant. 

Funny, heart-warming and mentioning both Alfie Boe and Les Mis. That's pretty much all the boxes ticked as far as I am concerned- a great read!

*****


Three more to try


 Jojo Moyes is brilliant; I think we all know that. The One Plus One is her most recent book, and has believable characters, warmth, sadness and humour. I loved it.



I am a bit obsessed by You Had Me At Hello . I recommend it to everyone, and it's still only 99p on Kindle. You'd be BONKERS not to own it at that price. Think of One Day, but funny and with characters that you care about. It's perfect.



Vince & Joy are my favourite Lisa Jewell couple, I love them. This is an oldie but a real goodie.

Tuesday 17 June 2014

The Strange Fate Of Kitty Easton


After my last read, I needed to choose something from my virtual bookshelf that I was fairly certain to enjoy, and this was just the ticket. The Strange Fate Of Kitty Easton is the sequel to The Return Of Captain John Emmett , in which we are introduced to former infantry officer Laurence Bartram, who is called upon to solve the mystery of a man's death in the aftermath of WW1. I read the first book at the end of last year and enjoyed it, and was looking forward to picking up the story of the main character again.

The Strange Fate Of Kitty Easton takes place in 1924, four years after the first book, and once again Laurence Bartram becomes embroiled in mysteries- this time linked to the estate that he is invited to visit. There are puzzles galore, all connected to the Easton family, who have seen a series of tragedies in their lives. Elizabeth Speller's writing is definitely not fast-paced, and with both books I found that it took me a little while to adjust myself to the pace of the story. The Easton family mysteries are interesting, and cleverly interlinked, but what I enjoyed most about the book was the historical setting of the story, with the aftermath of WW1 still clearly so affecting in a variety of ways. I am fascinated by this period of history and yet only know a very limited amount about it, so I really welcomed  reading a fictional account of a visit to the Empire Exhibition, and considering the impact of whole villages enlisting for regiments together. Laurence Bartram is a really interesting character with his own demons to battle, and these are beautifully woven into the story too. 

I really hope that there will be more Laurence Bartram stories, because they are so well-crafted and a delight to read.

*****


Three more to try



The true story of the disappearance of Saville Kent is cleverly referenced in The Strange Fate of Kitty Easton and is a fascinating read. 


I confess, I haven't read Wake by Anna Hope yet, but I have heard brilliant reviews of it, and have just added it to my wish-list. It focuses on the same era as Kitty Easton, and bears similarity in its take on the impact of the Great War on life afterwards.


Very different in style and mood to the other books mentioned here, but still set in the aftermath of the Great War, the Daisy Dalrymple mystery series sees the heroine and amateur sleuth stumble across a huge number of murders. Murder on the Flying Scotsman is the fourth in the series, and I think, the best of those that I have read so far. The impact of the war on Daisy's life is often mentioned, despite the light-hearted nature of many of the stories, so it isn't an entirely frivolous choice on my part.


As ever, please let me know your thoughts, or if you have read any other books in a similar vein that you would recommend. I am racing through my current read, so I'll be back again soon!

Thursday 5 June 2014

The Beauty of Murder

I've been rather useless at blogging of late it seems- we had a busy half-term, but I also got a bit caught up on this, my latest read, for what seemed like weeks, and I still can't decide what I thought of it.

The Beauty of Murder is A.K. Benedict's debut novel, and it is a clever and ambitious story. It was a Kindle Deal of the Day when I bought it, and a synopsis describing a complex murder mystery set within Cambridge is always going to get me One-Clicking. The main character has just arrived in the city as a lecturer at the fictitious Sepulchre College, finds the body of a young woman in the grounds of Great St Mary's Church, and so the mystery begins. The book takes place in more than one time-frame (I won't spoil it by saying more than this), and there is reference to the draining of the Fens around Ely in the 17th Century, which I found quite interesting (I'm a bit of a geek and we visited Ely last weekend and went out on the river, so that might just be me though). 

I liked the book, but I didn't love it. I found pretty much all the characters other than mysterious older lady Iris unlikeable (there was potential for me to warm towards the female DI though, if she appeared in future books), and I'm not really very good with philosophy- I glaze over a bit, so I struggled with some minor elements of the story. I did really enjoy the setting, the atmosphere and the overall concept of the story though, and I would look of for future work by the author.

*****
Three more to try


Alison Bruce is the Queen of Cambridge crime writing in my opinion, and The Backs is the latest in her excellent DC Gary Goodhew series.



Kitty Peck is one of my absolute favourite heroines, and I am anxiously awaiting the sequel to this gruesomely gripping tale. I loved this book.



A far more gentile third choice- the Sidney Chambers stories are set in beautiful Grantchester (and occasionally Cambridge city) and are both quirky and easy to read. An ITV series (starring Robson Green) should be on our screens at some point in the next year, but for the meantime, this is the first book in the series (Mysteries 2 and 3 are also available now).

I'll be back again soon I hope! If you've read The Beauty of Murder, let me know what you thought of it please!