Hobbies and Crafts

Gives you a few to look for Tess anyway! :-) Hope you are well.

They all sound interesting Ann, will make a note of them all.

Have recently read "Me before You" as you say, a weepy. But I found that it made me think too. (which is a good thing)

Have also read "Paths of Destiny" another very interesting and informative book. Bought it home just how much the railways have changed lives.

Have read other books by some of the authors mentioned (Maeve Binchey, Jodi Picoult, James Patterson and Cecilia Ahern) and have enjoyed them.

My sister is an avid Jodi Picoult reader, will ask her if she has read Small Great Things.

Books read on holiday, some were paperbacks picked up in the hotel, some were on Kindle and a couple of paperbacks I took with me. All were very readable.

Nights of rain and stars by Maeve Binchi 4 strangers meet in a Greek Taverna high above the village of Aghia Anna a tragedy throws them all together. V good.

Diane Chamberlain Her Mother's Shadow. Following on from The Keeper of the light. Lacey meets up with Bobby, meets Rick. Tragedy brings her Mackenzie. Father Alec real father Tom. Excellent

small Great things by Jodi Picoult Ruth is a nurse in Labour & delivery, the only black nurse in the dept. Davis Bauer is delivered to White Supremist parents who forbid her to touch him with tragic consequences. She is tried for murder. Excellent

EVThompson Paths of destiny, set mostly in either Cornwall or the Crimean war. Alice Row orphan servant and Gideon Davey railway ganger. V good

Jo jo Moyes Me Before you a re-read of a good weepy.

James Patterson 4th of July Det Lindsay Boxer, late night show down has to fire in self defence. She is put on trial. Taking leave she gets caught up in the solving of other grisly murders. Very good

Cecilia Ahern The Marble Collector Sabrina Boggs finds a marble collection in her father's belongings. She searches for answers about the man she thought she knew who can't remember his own story.

Judy Astley No place for a man. Jess and Matt, she writes a feature for the. Newspaper, he is made redundant, son Oliver off to Oz, daughters Natasha and Zoe. Trash meets Tom a runaway. Ok.

James Patterson NYPD RED Zach Jordan new partnerKylie Macdonald. The Chameleon, Gabe Benoit & partner, Lexi. Murders of film stars, bombs etc good

Thanks for that. Some of those authors are new to me so I'll be looking out for them.

Off to the library tomorrow to return a couple of books.

Will be on the lookout for books by Robert Massie, Michael Jecks, C.J. Sansom as well as Fiona Barton and Elizabeth Louper.

If I don't find anything by any of them, I'll just grab a couple that tafe my fancy.

Been reading quite a lot recently. just haven't goy round to coming on here.

Quite a few of my usual fare, (historical novels) including:


The Leopard Unleashed, by Elizabeth Chadwick, set (mainly) in 12th Century Wales, the third of The Ravenstowe trilogy.

The Empress by Meg Clothier, also set in the 12th Century, this time in Constantinople. Agnes of france moves to Constsntinople to get married, It is a story of treachery, warfare, love and betrayal. real charecters from history. Quite a change from reading about British history.


The Second Duchess, by Elizabeth Loupas,
another new author for me, it was listed at the end of the Meg Clothier book. Found it interesting. It is about real historical figures, most of them previously unknown to me. Twenty-six year old Barbara of Austria (i mention her age because she was considered to be rather old to be getting married for the first time)
She marries Alfonso d'Este, Duke of Ferrara, a widower. His first wife died under mysterious circumstances. Barbara has a keen eye and an enquiring mind and wants to find out the truth about the death of the First Duchess.

I was spell bound by the story, the mystery, , history, politics, love and hate all play a part in this story of intrigue and passion.
Highly recommended.

Have also read some more modern books. just finished "The Widow" by Fiona Barton. Had not heard of this author, but grabbed it off the library shelf because it was less than 400 pages, so I would be able to complete it within a week!
I'm so pleased that i did! A two year old chila, Bella, disappears from her front garden one afternoon. After police enquiries a man is charged with her abduction. However, his wife "stands by her man" and even gives him an alabi.
The story is told by some of the leading characters in the book, including a policeman leading the investigation, a reporter following up every lead, and getting interviews with the women in the case, "The Widow" i.e. the suspects wife.
Something rather different from my usual reading. Will try the same author again. Well worth reading.

Another "modern" book The Lives She Left Behind" by james Long.
Set in the present day, but also going back in history. This book features reincarnation. ++++ Okay if you are willing to go with the flow. But otherwise, not for you. I liked it.

Thank you for that - it sounds just up my street. Amazon have that one and 2 others for £1.99, just downloaded.

I've been reading quite a few freebies but none worth recommending.

I eventually finished the biography of Catherine the Great just before going to Russia so it was good background reading.

Now catching up on some books that have been on my kindle for a while. Finished "Revelation" which is one of the books in the Matthew Shardlake series by C J Sansom. Tudor times, Henry has had Catherine Howard executed and is looking at Catherine Parr for his 6th wife. A series of gruesome murders seem to relate to prophesies in the Book of Revelation.....A good read if you enjoy historical crime/thrillers as I do.

I'm now reading "The Mad Monk of Gidleigh" , a medieval murder mystery by Michael Jecks.

I am working my way through a long biography of Catherine the Great by Robert Massie. It seems to be taking me ages and I'm only just over half way but I am enjoying it and learning quite a lot.

I have already read books by the same author on Nicholas 11 and the last of the Romanov dynasty and on Peter the Great. His books are well researched and very detailed but are very readable and not too academic.

'The Book of Irish Mammies' by Colm O'Regan.

Gentle leg-pulling of the Irish mother we all know & respect. :-)

I have just finished Death of a Friend by Rebecca Tope.

If you have never read any of hers this is one of the best I have read, set in Devon among a Quaker fraternity and also a horse riding fraternity (Hunt etc and protesters). Quite an intriguing murder story narrated mostly from the perspective of the DS second in charge of the case. I really enjoyed it. Mostly her books are fairly easy reads but I didn't guess the murderer until very near the end.

Have got the Lynda Bellingham book in my massive "waiting to be read' pile.

Will let you know when i have read it.

T

Hi all :-D :-D <3

I have just started reading Jobe by John Thompson, it is his first book
and I am thoroughly enjoying it :-D

I wish John all the very best with his writing and look forward
To reading more of his work in the future <3

19th century Liverpool, the hills of Everton look down on the River Mersey and the thriving port that brings so much wealth to the city. But the confusion of black roofed tenements, courts and slums that stretch as far as the eye can see reveal that amongst the gilded prosperity there lies a neglect of any pursuit beyond the merest means of existence.
Eight-year-old Jobe, born on the sloping hills is oblivious to the struggle of life in the slums where, Kitty, his Catholic mother was born or the opulence of the rolling pastures of the Wirral where his Protestant father, Albert, grew up. His parents, ostracised from their respective families because of their sectarian splitting love, live only for each other and their son. It is not until an unforeseen circumstance imposes the disease of desperation and deprivation onto their lives that they become aware of the poverty, industrial unrest and sectarian storms that are blowing through the city.

Happy reading bookworms
<3

Almost finished Linda Bellingham...There's Something I'm Dying
To Tell You....took me awhile to download and read it but eventually
got round to it.

Worth the read imo.

Just finished reading Sleepers Castle by Barbara Erskine. Really enjoyed this one, her usual time slip with murder as well Mailnly set in the time of zowain Glendwr. Didn't want to put it down, gripping.

Just finished. The Girl You Left Behind You, by JoJo Moyes.

I have read books by this author before and enjoyed them. This one did not disappoint.

It opens in France in 1916. Edouard Lefebvre leaves his wife, Sophie and goes to fight at the Front. When her town falls into German hands, Edourd's portrait of Sophie draws the attention of the new Kommandant. As his obsession deepens, she will risk everything, in the hope of seeing Edouard again.

Nearly a century Kate, Sophie's portrait is given to Liv by her husband, shortly before his sudden death.....

The story swaps between the two women/ times. Sophie, during the time of war. Liv, still trying to come to terms with the death of her husband, while fighting to keep the much loved portrait of Sophie.

A really interesting story. Kept me interested all the way through. Well worth reading.

'The Uses of Literacy' (Aspects of working-class life) -
by Richard Hoggart (1918-2014).

I've been reading my way through a few books lately.

I started with a couple of the Matthew Shardlake Tudor detective stories by C J Sansom that DetEcTive mentioned in an earlier post. I do enjoy these detection mysteries with a historical background.

Another book in the same genre that I have recently read is Frost Fair by Edward Marston

1669 Frost Fair on the Thames - a body discovered in the ice by the sons of Constable Jonathan Bale. With Bale is his friend the architect Christopher Redmayne whose brother is then accused of the murder and facing execution. Redmayne, helped by Bale, risks his professional life and personal happiness to uncover the truth and save his brother.

Hadn't come across this author before but he seems to have written quite a number of books, including the Railway Detective series. This is a typical historical whodunit but well written and an enjoyable read.

I then read The World According to Bob by James Bowen (?)

A follow on book to A Street Cat Named Bob continuing the story of the author and the cat that "adopted" him and helped him in his recovery from drug dependence.

I'm now reading The Secret Wife by Gill Paul which a friend lent me. Mersey put the gist of the story in an earlier post so I won't repeat it. I am about half way through and am unsure about it. It's not the sort of book I would normally choose and I am finding it quite far fetched in places with too many "coincidences", but I will finish it.

I have recently got round to reading a book I bought in a charity shop ages ago. -

"What Lies Beneath". by Sarah Rayne. ( not to be confused with a film of the same name).

The blurb on the back of the book says ...." THE TRUTH WILL ALWAYS COME TO THE SURFACE.....IT IS ONLY A MATTER OF TIME...
When twhe village of Priors Bramley was closed off for chemicals weapons testing during the Cold War, a long history of dark secrets was also shut away. Now, more than fifty years later, the village has been declared safe again, but there are those living nearby who who much prefer that the past remain buried......"

This psychological thriller is set in different time frames, I.e. the present day, when the village is about to be reopened to the public, the 1950's. around the time that the chemicals were dropped on the village, and further back in the early 20th Century, when we learn more about the Cadence family.

The village setting reminds me of Midsomer Murders. (sans the Barnabys"), and the psychological thriller aspect has a touch of Ruth Rendal.

I found the historical aspect of the story interesting and informative. The more modern part of the story I thought was scary escapism. To me it was a good read. I can' t remember reading a Sarah Rayne novel before, but will be on the look out for them in the future.

Will be handing the book on to a friend in the next day or so. Hope that she likes it too.

'In My Own Words' (Still Running) by Mickey Finn.

In 1964, Mickey was a twelve-year old child who was summonsed to appear at Dublin's Magistrates Court. The offence for which he was charged related to an amateurish break-in when coerced and accompanied by older children.

In terms of gravity, the misbehaviour was hardly more than a prank. In the severe surroundings of that oak panelled court, deep in the bowels of Dublin Castle, Mickey was sentenced to serve three years hard labour in what was then known as an 'Industrial School'.

Letterfrack Industrial School to which he was sent is situated in Connemara, Co Galway, one of Ireland's most isolated westerly regions. For a child from Dublin, some 130 distant, its remoteness found its equal only in a Siberian gulag; the likelihood of escape less than that from San Francisco's notorious Alcatraz Prison. Its seclusion in this malevolent place of correction was a major factor in the institutionalised abuse of children by the Christian Brothers with whom these unfortunate waifs were placed.

Many of these ill-fated youngsters had not been convicted of any offence; their crime was that they were orphaned; most if not all were victims of dysfunctional family life.

During his sentence Mickey, and the hundreds of other children who passed through this den of depravity, were methodically physically and mentally tortured and abused.

The Irish State at the time was instrumental in providing this depraved band of brothers with a steady supply of victims. With Taliban-like zeal, the Christian Brothers methodically administered random life threatening beatings merely on a whim; the more injurious were witnessed by fellow brothers and many witnessed by other terrified children.

Certainly not a cosy read.