Saturday, January 11, 2020

Read, Reading and to be Read

Throughout December, over Christmas and into the New Year I seemed to read quite a lot of different books. Some of them by new authors, some by old favourites. 

More fiction than non-fiction and also some short stories by a local author. 


Running up to Christmas I dipped into Nigel Slater's Christmas Chronicles which is a joy to read and nudges you gently into feeling festive.  John Lewis Semple's The Private Life of the Hare is still to be read as is Mudlarking by Lara Maiklem.  It's Gone Dark over Bill's Mother's by Lisa Blower is a set of short stories written by a local author.  I have mixed feelings about them.  Stark and gritty they are about growing up and mostly the bad memories attached to experiences during childhood and teenage years and feelings about parents and siblings.  The Woman in the Photograph by Stephanie Butland I am still reading it's set in the 1960s, 70s and 80s and also 2018.  It's about a young woman local newspaper photographer who in the early 60s dares to leave home, boyfriend and father and becomes involved with members of the Women's Movement and her friendship with one of them.  In the present the niece of this woman is putting together an exhibition about her Aunt with the help of and photographic records of the now elderly photographer. 



As usual I've been reading my favourite genre Crime and Detective fiction.  I read Blood on the Rocks by one of my favourite local authors Priscilla Masters over New Year. It's the latest DI Joanna Piercy novel set in and around the nearby Staffordshire Moorlands town of Leek.  As always I enjoyed it but I found the ending a bit unnerving and it left a bitter taste with its hints of controlling and manipulation.

Many years ago I used to read Gladys Mitchell's Mrs Bradley books, the language was archaic even then but I quite enjoyed Death comes At Christmas which actually stretches out until Easter before the mystery is solved.   I've also found two new detective series by writers Cara Hunter and Conrad Jones  I've read all four of Cara Hunter's books set in Oxford and I like the way she writes them.  No chapters, written from two viewpoints and also with tweets, local newspaper online newsfeed and letters, e-mails and written interview reports and statements. The Anglesey Murders by Conrad Jones are newly discovered and I found the first one intriguing but quite blood thirsty, I think there were more murders than in Midsomer.  I have the second one (above) yet to read so I'll see how it goes.

Below are a few photos from Thursday morning's walk around the lake. 

The lighting was so strange with a sort of intensity that you could almost feel and touch. 
 
It was so quiet too which was good, just the sound of birds in the trees and on the lake.
 
Of course by the time we were walking back on the other side of the lake the lighting had changed completely.

But it seemed for just a short time that we were in another world.

31 comments:

  1. It’s lovely to find new crime writers; I have jotted their names down. I’m loving Kate Ellis and Sarah Ward thanks to you. I will check out the others too. Thanks. Just reading the very last Louise Penny : A Better Man. Excellent as always. Enjoy your weekend. B x

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    1. I must look out for the last Louise Penny Chief Inspector Gamache book at the library, I have the latest Kate Ellis Wesley Peterson one reserved there, hope it comes through soon:)

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  2. I've still not read a Priscilla Masters book, but I have them on the list as I remember you've recommended them to me before. I've also been recommended Cara Hunter, but I've yet to read the first one!

    That's a lovely tulip colour combination in the first photo!

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    1. I loved the colour of the tulips - quite spring like after the reds and greens of Christmas:)

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  3. A super selection of books Rosie. I will be looking out for the John Lewis Semple book and I've heard about Mudlarking on Twitter - it sounds fascinating :) I spotted you were reading Cara Hunter when I check your books read list for inspiration and have downloaded one of hers to my Kindle but can't remember now which series it is and whether it is set in Oxford. Anglesey Murders appeals after our holiday there but it depends how blood thirsty and graphic it is!!!!

    Lovely atmospheric photos of the lake :)

    Enjoy the rest of your weekend.

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    1. The first of the Anglesey books I read was set around Trearddur Bay, Rhosneigr and South Stack - all places we'd been last September! There were lots of bodies by the end. I've only ever seen the Oxford books by Cara Hunter, I must see if there are others set elsewhere. Hope you had a good weekend:)

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    2. I read the second of the Anglesey books and it really was full of lots of blood thirsty and quite nasty murders so I'm not bothering with anymore:)

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  4. My OH is into crime fiction.He found a book by Donna Leon and could not put it down.They are set in Venice and I think he has now read three,all very good.
    We really must visit Trentham Gardens.Your photos,as always, are great.Barbara

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    1. I like Donna Leon's Commissario Brunetti books and love the descriptions of Venice and his elegant life there. Trentham is beautiful in all seasons for different reasons. Late summer and Autumn are the most colourful:)

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  5. What an amazing walk with the different light, stunning.

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    1. The light was very unusual that morning, very intense:)

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  6. Some interesting looking reads there. I think I would love the Hare book ( I'm determined to get a photo of one this year, they always elude me!) and I bet the mud larking one is good. Love those alliums or are they dandelion clocks?

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    1. I'm looking forward to the hare book, I've enjoyed a few of his other books. They are dandelion clocks, the whole sculpture is called dandelions, there is a fairy on one of them:)

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  7. O my goodness, those dandelions are just beautiful.
    Briony
    x

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    1. The are lovely when the sun catches them and they twinkle in the light:)

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  8. Love your words about the lighting, when you began your walk..........

    And of course, always love reading suggestions....

    📚 📚 📚

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    1. The light was most unusual and it somehow felt quite special to be walking in it:)

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  9. It really does seem otherworldly and those dandelion clock sculptures look a bit alien too. Thanks for the reading recommendations always so useful. How nice to see the tulips too. 😊

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    1. I'm usually drawn to pink and mauve tulps so thought I would have two different colours and I really like the colours together:)

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  10. The Private Life Of The Hare is on my "to read" list, but I doubt I'll change the habits of a lifetime and start reading crime books. Walks around lakes are always a pleasure, even in winter.

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    1. I'm looking forward to reading Private Life of the Hare, I've enjoyed two or three of his other books. I noticed he's written one about the pricate life of the owl too. Hard to change reading habits, I don't think I've ever read science fiction, time shift books or anything about vampires. Just remembered we did Brave New World at school which I hated and also Tiger in the Smoke which I loved - my tastes set out quite early - although at that time was was into historical fiction:)

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  11. It's always good to get some new ideas for books, i'm a big fan of crime fiction. The photos are lovely, very atmospheric.

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    1. Thank you Pam, crime fiction seems to be my first choice in reading matter these days especially when the stories are set in places I know:)

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  12. The dandelion heads are so pretty.
    Your dusk pictures look so serene looking across the water.

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    1. They are lovely arent they? The photos were taken around 9.30a.m. in the morning the light was so unsual for that time of day:)

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  13. Those photos are magnificent. I love the lighting; it's so dramatic.

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    1. Thank you for visiting and for your kind comment:)

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    1. It was very strange light for mid morning:)

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  15. Thanks for the book recommendations, Rosie. I love mysteries and am always looking for new writers. So many good books out there but I could do with less blood and gore.
    Amalia
    xo

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    1. Thank you Amalia, yes those last books set on /anglesey were very blood thirsty, I won't read any more of those:)

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