Saturday, April 05, 2014

The Year in Books - April

I'm a few days late with this post so I'm rushing straight in with a few comments about the books I have managed to read in March and which books I hope to read in April.  


My first March read was the book I wrote about in my March's The Year of Books post.  The Outcast Dead by Elly Griffiths was as absorbing and unputdownable (is that a real word?) as I thought and hoped it would be.  I love this series of books about forensic archaeologist Ruth Galloway so much I had this book from the local library so it isn't amongst those in the photo above which divides into the two sections of have read and to be read.

My second read for March was A Common Place Killing by Sian Busby.  Set in the dusty and dirty bomb wrecked streets of London in the heat of July 1946 the underlying theme is of a general disillusionment and hopelessness of living in deprived conditions where long queues for food and rationing coupons were still the norm and the criminal undercurrents caused by black marketeering spivs and a struggling, understaffed police force made life bleak and sometimes dangerous.  The author, who died in 2012, was the wife of the BBC Economics editor Robert Peston.  After her death he transcribed the last chapters of the book from her hand written notes.

My third March read was by another of my favourite authors Imogen Robertson. Circle of Shadows is the 4th in her series about the detecting skills of Harriet Westerman and Gabriel Crowther.  I find these novels, set in the 1780s both intriguing and atmospheric.  They are well written and well researched.  This book is set in the fictional Court of Maulberg where murder is the order of the day.  Masked balls, automata, secret societies, spies and alchemy all add to the intrigue within this very closed society.

There are links to the above three books in my sidebar.

For April I have just started reading one of the books in the photo above namely The History Room by Eliza Graham so far it's ok but the one I'm looking forward to reading for this month is How Many Camels are there in Holland? by Phyllida Law.  I adored her book Notes to my mother-in-law so I'm hoping this one will be just as funny, touching and heart warming as that.  After that I may just get to The Dinosaur Feather, a Danish crime novel by Sissel-Jo Gazan.  I have books reserved at the library so if they become available first I may change my plans.

Joining in with Laura at A Circle of Pines for The Year in Books

28 comments:

  1. I have noted some of those down.Note to myself-must find more time to read!

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    1. I have far too many books to read at the moment! I think I have more time to read because I don't knit or sew:)

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  2. I am very bad at making time to read and really must reserve a few more at the library. I do find it hard to get back into a book if I haven't read it for several weeks. x

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    1. You are very busy with all your lovely craft work, gardening and drawing, Simone I guess it is hard to find time to read as well:)

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  3. I have just finished reading The Crossing Places by Elly Griffiths, really enjoyed it , stayed up much to late reading. Thanks for the introduction

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    1. Glad you enjoyed reading The Crossing Places, Debbie - hope you read some more of the series as well:)

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  4. I don't really read crime books although I have read a couple of Elly Griffiths on your recommendation which I enjoyed mainly because of the main character and the east coast location.

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    1. Glad you enjoyed the Elly Griffiths novels, Elaine - I think Ruth is a wonderful character and the settings atmospheric too:)

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  5. If unputdownable isn't a word as I used it often and it's the perfect word for some books!

    CIrcle of Shadows sounds like a very interesting read.

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    1. I came to the Crowther and Westerman novels the wrong way round after I'd read Imogen Robertson's The Paris Winter. I still have the first one to read but they are very intriguing and entertaining:)

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  6. I've made a note of the Circle of Shadows - thanks Rosie. A friend of mine is reading many of the Scandi crime novels, and having seen some of the TV dramas I imagine they are a great read for crime-novel fans.

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    1. I've read a few scandi crime novels by Henning Mankell and Stieg Larrson. I love the Crowther and Westerman series by Imogen Robertson and also her book The Paris Winter.

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  7. Wow, you are such a fast and wide ranging reader! I wish that I could read that fast, I am still on a book that I started in think in February! Must read more. The Phyllida Law books sound interesting, I look forward to hearing what you think of the new one. xx

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    1. The first Phyllida Law book I read was very amusing even though about a serious subject - as is her new one - but she writes so well that it lifts you above the serious subject matter so well:)

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  8. I also enjoyed the Phyllida Law book so have ordered this, thank you for the recommendation.

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    1. It was very witty and charming wasn't it? I'm sure the new one will be the same:)

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  9. You have been reading a good variety of books. I like the sound of the Phyllida Law book. I've had so many reserved books from the library come at once I don't know which one to start and there's always my book group one to read, too. I'm a slow reader unless it's non fiction or a detective novel and then I get through a book quite quickly.

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    1. I can always zip through a detective novel quite quickly too - I'm longer with other books. I have three reserved at the library and I'm sure they will all be avaialble at the same time!:)

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  10. I know the feeling Rosie, I'm behind with my posts, commenting and reading. Where does the time go?!

    I've made a note of the Phyllida Law books, they sound like good reads. The Dinosaur Feather sounds intriguing too.

    Just

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    1. I feel as if I'm 'chasing my tail' this year for some reason! Phyllida Law's books are charming and funny even though about such serious subjects:)

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  11. Thank you Rosie, A common Place Killing has been added to my wish list.

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    1. I wasn't sure if I would like that book but I couldn't put it down - the descriptions of war torn London are wonderful:)

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  12. I love to see recommended reads from other bloggers, but my Amazon wishlist is now as long as my arm, possibly longer! I need more time to read them! Thanks for reviews.

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    1. I know what you mean! I have three books reserved at the library - all the latest novels by my favourite authors, plus those I've bought recently plus others I want to follow up. As they say too many books, not enought time:)

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  13. Gosh I just can't get through one book in a month let alone three! Too many other things going on in my little head!
    xxx

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    1. Now I'm retired I have a lot more time to read especially as I don't do any kind of craftwork and my creative writing has come to a standstill for the moment - as has my family history research. I've always been an avid reader ever since I was a child, always had my head in a book:)

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  14. Wow, impressive reading!

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