So it is time again for a review of the month’s reading, a post to contribute to the what’s on your bookshelf challenge is hosted by fellow bloggers Deb, Sue, Donna and Jo. The idea is to share what you’re reading, what you’ve enjoyed lately share – why they resonated with you, how they made you feel, who are your favourite authors and what you recommend.
First up, a book that I have very mixed feelings about. Well written and an intriguing story, what starts out as a honeymoon trip to a Greek island, turns into tragedy and almost a sort of Gothic horror. None of the characters were likeable, which I felt deliberate, but the tense atmosphere is well portrayed. In the second half of the book, I had such a realisation of the absolutely horrific thing that had happened to the main protagonist, that I actually gasped out loud. Not a book to take on holiday to a Greek island.
After that, I needed something that was quite the opposite, so turned to Joanne Tracy’s (of And Anyways…) One For Sorrow. This was such a delightful read, with a happy ending, intriguing plot and likeable characters. I loved it and it was the perfect antidote to my previous read.
Keeping in the ‘feel good’ mood, I read the other two volumes of E.M. Delafield’s The Diary of a Provincial Lady series, both of which I enjoyed for the umpteenth time – you can tell by the state of the cover (edition bought in the 1980s).
Then we have Butter by Asako Yuzuki. As The Guardian review states, this book is:
Based on the real-life case of the “Konkatsu Killer”, in which a con woman and talented home cook called Kanae Kijima was convicted of poisoning three of her male lovers, Butter uses its sordid source material to interrogate the impossible beauty standards to which Japanese women are held.
I partly loved it – the description of the food, how each character explored their relationships with food, the slow burn of the story – and partly felt it was too long. I would be really interested to know if anyone else has read it.
Two books I really enjoyed this month couldn’t have been more different. Elly Griffiths’ The Postscript Murders is not quite a cosy crime, but a ‘nice’ crime novel nonetheless. The death of a ninety-year-old woman with a heart condition should absolutely not be suspicious. However, that this woman had been a ‘murder consultant’ who plotted deaths for authors, and clues as to why her death might not be quite so natural, a local policewoman, a carer, an elderly neighbour and a cafe owner with a past all get together to solve the crime. If you like Richard Osman, you will like this
One of my favourite Kiwi authors is Laurence Fearnley, so I was delighted to see (and read) her new book At The Grand Glacier Hotel. Following a disastrous family holiday, Libby and Curtis make a promise: If they ever visit the West Coast of the South Island again, it will be to stay at the majestic Grand Glacier Hotel. Move forward twenty years, and Libby is recovering from cancer, and she and her husband make the promised return. Everything goes wrong again, and after a storm separates her from Curtis, Libby finds herself alone in the isolated hotel. Making friends with the eccentric owner and another local, she gradually begins to find out who she is and, as the blurb on the back says, reconnect with the person she once was. It is a marvelous book, full of special moments. This is Fearnley’s third book exploring the senses, this one about sound. It will definitely be on my ‘book of the year’ list.
I listened to one audiobook this month – B is for Burglar by Sue Grafton, one of the early ones in that series which was a good listen.
So that is my most recent reading – what have you read recently? Here are my ratings using the scheme we use in the book club I am part of, items related to the book out of 5.
- Scarlett Thomas The Sleepwalkers – so unsure what to give this – I will go with 4 Greek Islands because of the writing, but not a book for the faint hearted.
- Joanne Tracey One For Sorrow – 5 magpies.
- E.M. Delafield The Provincial Lady in America – 5 transatlantic liners.
- E.M. Delafield The Provincial Lady in Wartime – 5 Woolton pies.
- Elly Griffiths The Postscript Murders – 5 detective novels.
- Asako Yuzuki Butter – 3 bowls of noodles
- Laurence Fearnley At The Grand Glacier Hotel – 5 hotels
Thistles and Kiwis is a Wellington, New Zealand based blog written by Barbara, who likes cats, summer, good food and pretends to garden.
You can find Thistles and Kiwis on Facebook, and also on Instagram @thistlesandkiwis. If you want to get in touch, email me on thistlesandkiwis@gmail.com or lofgren@thistlesandkiwis.com