Book Club

[Stokey Sue]

In the same genre, a bit less cosy perhaps I’ve just started the first of FL Everett’s Eddie York mysteries - Edie is a cub reporter in Manchester in WW2. I think #3 is out today.
https://www.goodreads.com/series/377898 ... rk-mystery

[Uschi]

Talkng of cosy crime does anyone else read Elly Griffiths? Mum is into them and I'm just listeing to one on our library Borrowbox system. Quite good. I notice she was doing a book signing with Richard Coles yesterday evening so that sort of easy genre. They;re often set in Norfolk although the one I'm listening to isn't. https://www.awesomebooks.com/book/97815 ... gItbPD_BwE

I've just finished "The Crossing Places". Thanks for the tip . Have recommended the series to Axel's daughter. Best if she reads the first one in German to get her bearings, though.

[scullion]

i read one (or was it two - for the benefit of the doubt...) a couple of years back - can't remember which but i found it/them a little pedestrian - didn't really hold my attention.
maybe i'll try one again sometime in case i was wrong..

[KeenCook]

We just read Alice Munro Who do you think you are?
Apparently her daughter recently wrote an article describing her abuse at the hands of her stepfather, which I haven't had the stomach to read.
The book was very good, although nominally short stories, as they are all centred around episodes in the life of the main character, it felt more like a novel.
We all enjoyed it.

[Rainbow]

We just read Alice Munro Who do you think you are?
Apparently her daughter recently wrote an article describing her abuse at the hands of her stepfather, which I haven't had the stomach to read.
The book was very good, although nominally short stories, as they are all centred around episodes in the life of the main character, it felt more like a novel.
We all enjoyed it.

I haven't read the book but did read this article about her daughter and the stepfather's abuse. Apparently Alice Munro refused to believe her daughter and protected her husband. The article goes on to say that Alice Munro's stories take on a much darker aspect after reading her daughter's story. This is the article, if you are interested

https://www.vox.com/culture/359588/alic ... xual-abuse

[Suelle]

Talkng of cosy crime does anyone else read Elly Griffiths? Mum is into them and I'm just listeing to one on our library Borrowbox system. Quite good. I notice she was doing a book signing with Richard Coles yesterday evening so that sort of easy genre. They;re often set in Norfolk although the one I'm listening to isn't. https://www.awesomebooks.com/book/97815 ... gItbPD_BwE

Both of her series - the Archeologist/detective duo in Norfolk and the series set in Brighton - benefit from being read in order, as the main characters' lives are a big part of each book, and their stories naturally progress over time.

[Suffs]

I’ve read three of the Elly Griffith series …. I find them
enjoyable … not Val McDermid standard but fine for bedtime reading. I’ve read them out of sequence but was able to sort out ‘the direction of travel’ in my mind … but I’m going to try with others in the right order. . I spose having lived in Norfolk for thirty years now (!?!?) the setting is particularly interesting for me, and also because I have a similar mix of friends to sone of the main characters. I’ve just finished The Locked Room which is set during the first period of Covid Lockdown with a lot of reference to a small area of Norwich where I worked tor several years … particularly fascinating for me.
So, as I said, not for those wanting to be ‘stretched’ but perfectly enjoyable if not exceptional writing.

[Pepper Pig]

https://www.theguardian.com/books/artic ... ing-of-age

[Uschi]

I am onto the second Elly Griffiths now. I used to traipse to every stone circle, barrow, holy well or whatever else I could reach on my trips through the UK and loved every minute of it.
I am afraid I never felt any currents of power, the presence of those who came before me (I am mystically challenged - I blame my atheist father ), but I found it hugely interesting and read up as much as I could.
So yes, I enjoy them. The characters are fun and so far the victims have not been too badly treated.
Alex Grecian is one author that, while he tells a ripping yarn, turns me off with too vivid descriptions of the mutilations and murders.
Not too much of this here.

[scullion]

I used to traipse to every stone circle, barrow, holy well or whatever else I could reach on my trips through the UK

the farm i was at today has a stone circle, long barrow (or two, actually), neolithic/bronze age round houses and a neolithic track going from where those are on the top of the moor down to the river (that has to be crossed to get on to the farm).

[Uschi]

I used to traipse to every stone circle, barrow, holy well or whatever else I could reach on my trips through the UK

the farm i was at today has a stone circle, long barrow (or two, actually), neolithic/bronze age round houses and a neolithic track going from where those are on the top of the moor down to the river (that has to be crossed to get on to the farm).

Sounds wonderful!!! I am deeply envious. Around here, everything seem to start at the Middle Ages, except for the Neandertal, where said Neanderthalers were found, just a few miles West of Wuppertal.

[scullion]

finished off phryne fisher and have now started the 'outlander' books by diana gabaldon.
i made the mistake of picking up one of her books at the village bookswap and only realised it was the eighth in the series when i looked her up after a note on the back back about the next outlander novel.
a friend raved about the tv version but i'd rather read the books (first?).

[herbidacious]

I have just finished the first book in Asimov's Foundation series. I am now reading The Safe Keep by Yael van der Wouden. It's on the Booker Prize Longlist. I have been struggling to get into books of late but hoping I have turned a corner. I have two more books on my beside pile which I am looking forward to reading.

[scullion]

i'm on to the third of the outlander books - they are rather thick.
they also have a few little anomalies that would be due to the author being american - like calling the site of the battle of culloden - culloden field (never heard it referred to as that), maybe she is getting it mixed up with flodden field.
monopoly with dollars instead of pounds - it would have been in pounds in the time and place that the character would have played it.
plus a few others that give a little 'jolt' when i come across them.

ps. so far, (in the first one and a half books (or a bit more...) there seems to be quite a bit of sex - or 'a bit racy' as my great aunt would have said...

pps - for some reason she thinks tavistock is in scotland...

[Pepper Pig]

I have this audiobook on the go. Highly recommended if you like that sort of thing.

https://www.theguardian.com/books/artic ... -the-crown

[Earthmaiden]

I do! Looks good.

[Uschi]

I've just finished "The Lantern's Dance" by Laurie R. King. As always, it was a delight to read something by her.

Mrs King has given Sherlock Holmes a wife late in life, who enjoys sleuthing just as much as he does and who does it well, too. It does not sound promising, but King develops beautiful, rounded characters.

[Uschi]

As I am travelling a lot on the bus at the moment I have been looking for "snackish" mysteries. Nothing too demanding, but interesting enough to entertain.

Well, I found Katharine Schellman's "Lily Adler" mysteries, set in Regency England. Just the thing for "snack" reading, but still halfway complex. One thing, though, I noticed that in many such "lighter" reads the authors have a tendency to use the same words over and over again. Mrs Schelman's characters either grin or scowl. Strange, because otherwise she does not repeat things at nauseam.

I had another such mystery a while ago where the only gait available to the poor characters was "striding". Everybody strode in, out and around.

Back to Lily Adler, I can still recommend the books if you are looking for light relief.