Hobbies and Crafts

I like the sound of those books Ann so The Crossing Places and The Stone Circle are now on my To Be Read list.

I still haven’t replaced my kindle and with libraries closed I’m reliant on the Libby app for my books but I’m managing to get enough books that I like to keep me going.

I’ve recently read The Glass Room by Ann Cleeves, which is one of her “Vera” books. I’ve read a couple of her books about the detective Vera Stanhope and they are OK but I much prefer her Shetland series of books.

I also read End In Tears by Ruth Rendell. This is one of her Inspector Wexford books and as well written as all her books. I don’t want to give the story away but Wexford has a bit of a moral dilemma in his family which sort of overlaps with the murder he is investigating.

Next came Moscow Sleepers by Stella Rimington. This is one of her books featuring agent Liz Carlyle of MI5 and is a story of espionage and counter intelligence. Even though the story is obviously exaggerated to make an interesting and exciting book, a lot of it seems quite realistic. As a former Director General of MI5 Stella Rimington does know her subject. It is a stand alone book but does bring in events and characters from earlier books she has written.

I’ve reserved The Mirror and the Light, which is the third book in the Wolf Hall trilogy so I’m looking forward to reading that soon.

Just finished Hidden Depths by Ann’s Clerves. A ‘Vera’ book. The first I have read of hers and I enjoyed it, well written and kept me guessing.

I’ve just finished reading The Mirror and The Light by Hilary Mantel. It’s the third book in the Wolf Hall trilogy and takes Thomas Cromwell’’s story up to his death. I thoroughly enjoyed it but I did find it harder going than the earlier two. It also took me a while to get into her style. She mostly just calls Cromwell “He” and sometimes I had to stop and think: is she referring to Cromwell or the person she’d just mentioned e.g. she would write something like “Gregory said he saw Call-Me. He thought....”. Who is He? Gregory? Call-Me? No, she means Cromwell. Having said that, once my brain tuned in it was fine and I loved the book. I think I will have to re-read the whole trilogy at some time.

Just finished At the edge of the Orchard by Tracy Chevalier. It took me a while to get into it because it was so descriptive that it read like a text book. But once I did get into it I really enjoyed it. The book cover doesn't really describe the part of it that I enjoyed and found the most interesting. While the apple orchards methods and family trials were very readable, for me it was the other story about William Lobb (he was a plant collector in 19th century) and the story worked around him and the giant Sequoias of California. Having seen a few of them it was easy to picture.

Just fisishes The House Share by Kate Helm (who also writes as Kate Harrison.

I found it hard to put down, creepy and gripping.

Immi thinks she has found the perfect new home in The Dye Factory with Camille Ashleigh, Dex, Bernice, Lucas, Veronica and Zoum but when sharing a house with 7 murder suspects you can' lock the danger out

I’ve been reading all the time but nothing very special. However I thought I’d add something to the thread as I would hate to see it fade away.

I’ve mostly been reading detective type novels. I’ve read one or two Michael Jecks medieval mysteries, a couple of Ann Cleeve’s Shetland books and a couple of her earlier ones about a birdwatching detective, one or two David Baldacci books, and two Peter Robinson books featuring DCI Banks.

I never did replace my broken kindle and I am not confident about spending time in the library so I am using the Libby app which has been a boon. I can’t get everything I want as not all the library books have been digitised yet but the app has certainly helped me through lockdown.

Just checked my list and so far this year I have read 41 books, quite a mixture of authors, Just finished Nora Roberts one The MacGregors, Daniel and Ian. Quite light reading but all I seem to want to read at the moment. Now reading one by Judy Finnigan Eloise picked up on the free book stall we had until the end of September. Again fairly light but set in Cornwall which I like.

Wild Swans by Jung Chang is my latest read. It is biographical/autobiographical as it starts with her grandmother’s life during the time of the foot binding and ends with her own life and her scholarship to Britain in the early 90s.

Tawny, I bought Wild Swans off a second hand book stall years ago and still haven’t read it but OH did. He thought it was very good so I must get around to tackling it. Did you enjoy it?

I loved Wild Swans

Just finished The Horse Dancer by Jo Jo Moyes. I really enjoyed it even though not being somebody mad on horses. I found it fascinating and I do always like her books.

Read that one quickly. The Salt Path by Raynor Winn. True story couple made homeless, he is ill with a terminal illness. The choose to walk the South West Coastal path. Very well written and very emotive. I enjoyed it even though with so many memories at times it was hard going.

I can’t remember whether I’ve ever read any Jojo Moyes but I do like horses (I learnt to ride in my late fifties). I’ll give it a go if I see it. I will look out for The Salt Path as it sounds a good read.

I’ve been reading my way through the library’s stock of police/detective type books using Libby. A while ago Detective recommended a series of books by Linda Costello. I’ve managed to read two of them, Sworn to Silence and Shamed, and really enjoyed them. They are about crimes in a small American town where the ‘English’ and the Amish exist side by side. The Chief of Police, Kate Burkholder, was brought up Amish but left the community. I found it very interesting learning more about Amish culture and beliefs.

Just finished the Clockmakers daughter by Kate Morton I did enjoy it but found it a little confusing as it covered linking family stories in several different eras

I am about half way through The Salt Path that AnnG recommended. Some lovely descriptions of nature but it’s quite an emotional read and at times I feel that I am struggling with them through both the physical pain and the emotions. At times it is hard reading for me as I have just lost my brother to a terminal illness and I know that in his last months he found solace in the natural world.

I am sometimes finding it a little bit repetitive but I am interested enough in the story to order the follow up book The Wild Silence as an ebook through the Libby app. Apparently there is a wait of about 6 weeks for it so it must be popular.

My latest read is Mary Boleyn-The Great and Infamous.... by Alison Weir.

It is a non fiction book about Mary Boleyn. It starts with the reputation that she gained and then looks at it in more detail to see if her reputation was really deserved. It goes on to also look at how Mary was treated by the other people in her life too.

Sounds interesting but I do find Alison Weir a bit hard to read as she gives so many facts my poor brain can’t keep up.

It does sound interesting Tawny. I like Alison Weir but I know what AnnG means. Her books can be very dense sometimes with all the facts and dates and characters. One of OH’s Christmas presents was A.W’s book on Eleanor of Aquitaine which he has now read and enjoyed so I shall be reading that before long. She’s one of my favourite historical characters.

At the moment I am halfway through Wild Silence by Raynor Winn, a follow up to her book The Salt Path

Has anyone read "The Weight of Ink" by Rachel Kadish. My cousin has just read in New York and says its brilliant, but maybe heavy reading.....might g et it..

I have just ordered " Weight in Ink"...:) x