Gorgeous weather here! 71 degrees and sunny, just perfect for a walk in a nearby park with my sister and her dog. It’s been a while since I walked with them, though, so we take it slow. Then, last night she and I (my sister, not the dog) went to see Emmet Cahill in concert. He’s an Irish singer, part of Celtic Thunder who does a wonderful concert of Irish songs, Broadway hits, and some sacred songs. Perfect for St. Patrick’s Day week.
I hope you had some beautiful weather this week, and the chance to get out and enjoy it. I hope you read a good book or two as well.
I’ll admit I’m giving up on the book I’m currently reading, Canines & Cocktails, and it will go in my stack for future giveaways. It’s subtitled “Novellas of dogs and drinks” by Delilah S. Dawson, Kevin Hearne, and Chuck Wendig. They’re all three well-known fantasy writers. I’ve been a fan of Kevin Hearne’s for years. I hosted him at the library when I was in Arizona. He had a smart publisher who issued the first three books in the Iron Druid Chronicles once every two months for six months. By the time Hounded, Hexed, and Hammered had come out, he had an appreciative local audience who showed up en masse for his library appearance. It was so much fun. His Iron Druid, Atticus, has lived over two thousand years, fighting and running from angry gods along with his Irish Wolfhound, Oberon. I adore Oberon. The two are featured in Hearne’s story in this book, “The Chartreuse Chanteuse”, and there’s finally a happy ending for Atticus.
I’m bogged down in Dawson’s story of a bartender, though, “The Bartender and the Beast”, and I think I’m just going to give up. Wendig’s story is “Whiskey Sour”.
I have plenty of other books to read this week. I have to finish two for Library Journal, and I have an enormous pile of library books.
What about you? Tell us about your week, please. What are you reading?
It’s still pretty cold and windy here in Northern CA, but we’re supposed to have highs in the seventies for the next few days. Let’s see if it lasts. Spring starts a bit early this year (March 19), so we can only hope for nice weather. I’m looking forward to a nice massage tomorrow and Henry Winkler at the Harris Center on Friday evening (I’ll be in the 4th row). Loved his memoir.
I’ve been reading nothing but Net Galley ARCs lately as I have 15 on my shelf to be read and reviewed, and even though the pub dates range from April to October, I don’t want more than 15 so I can keep my feedback ratio up (it’s currently 95%). Here’s what I finished this week:
In the first DC Morgan mystery by Clare Mackintosh, The Last Party, Welsh detective Ffion (fee YON–I looked it up) and British detective Leo came together to work on a murder case on the Welsh/English border. In that book, we learned about their foibles, personalities, and (in Ffion’s case), family secrets. There was definitely a spark between the two (they had shared a one-night stand under fake names prior to meeting as detectives), but it seemed to fizzle out at the end of the story. In book #2, A GAME OF LIES, Ffion and Leo are unexpectedly paired on a case once again, although Leo has been promoted and has resolved a personal challenge, while Ffion is still a thorn in her boss’s side. She often forges her own way ahead regardless of orders she has received, but there’s no doubt her resilience and perseverance get results. In a new reality competition show called Exposure, seven contestants vie for a big monetary prize, but–as they learn when the show is about to start–their worst secrets may be exposed on TV and they may even be closed in a small room for up to 3 minutes with their deepest phobias–water, snakes, spiders. One contestant disappears after the first episode, and there is soon a murder to be dealt with. Personally, I found the reality show setup pretty distasteful. However, the author sets up almost all of the contestants and a number of the production staff as murder suspects, so the mystery is intricate and not easily solved. Mackintosh is a competent storyteller, and the action ropes the reader in until it comes to its inevitably suspenseful conclusion. The two detectives’ relationship doesn’t progress much in this book, but there are hints that this might change in the next book in the series. I continue to enjoy these two characters, so I’m in! Side note: There are some brief sentences in Welsh, but the author makes sure we get the context. (April)
There are two mysteries at the heart of Mary Kay Andrews’ latest book, SUMMERS AT THE SAINT, both revolving around the 5-star Georgia resort nicknamed “The Saint.” One involves an 8-year-old boy who inexplicably drowned in the swimming pool 20 years ago. The other is the suspicious death of a female summer employee of the hotel. At the center of the plot is the ultracompetent (and, of course, beautiful) Traci Eddings, who was one of the lifeguards at the pool when the drowning occurred. Traci subsequently married into the resort owner’s family, now running the hotel after the death of her husband, and she is finding it increasingly challenging to resolve some of the problems faced by the resort. The beach setting is glorious, and the hotel a popular coastal destination. But there are secrets that could undermine the very existence of The Saint and lead to more deadly events. There is a large cast of characters in the story–from the arrogant wealthy owner and his wife to the diverse group of staff members to Traci’s former best friend who hasn’t spoken to her in years. There is also a bit of romance, which becomes a subplot only in the latter part of the book. With the exception of Traci, I found that the dearth of nuance in the characters and plot resulted in a predictable although satisfying resolution to both of the mysteries. But I can’t deny that Mary Kay Andrews is a seasoned storyteller with many books to her credit and a dedicated following. (April)
There’s something magical about Starshine Cove, a tiny town in Cornwall. It’s impossible to find on a map, but it’s filled with residents who support each other and welcome with open arms anyone lucky enough to find the town. In the third in the Starshine Cove series, FINDING HOPE IN STARSHINE COVE by Debbie Johnson, it’s single mom Lucy who travels from her current home in rural Ireland to the Dorset village, along with her 16-year-old daughter, Rose. She’s there to reunite with physician Ella and two of her other university friends on the occasion of Ella’s wedding. But wouldn’t you know it–Josh, a man with whom Lucy had a flirtatious encounter at an airport (under an assumed name and persona), is the groom’s brother. This is not primarily a love story, although Lucy and Josh warm to each other as the story progresses. It’s really more about domestic psychological abuse from Lucy’s ex-husband Robert. Lucy left Robert 10 years ago with young Rose after Robert had stripped her of all confidence in herself and isolated her from her family and friends. It was only when he started an affair with Lyssa that Lucy was able to flee, but Rose still visits her father in London periodically. Now it seems that Lyssa, Robert’s second wife, is suffering the same abuse and trying to find a way out of the situation for herself and their three children. The author excels in her descriptions at both ends of the spectrum– evocative, beautifully depicted details about Starshine Cove and its inhabitants on one hand and, on the other, the harsh realities of how psychological abuse by a spouse can ruin someone’s life. Lucy’s daughter Rose is the standout character for me. She is a delightful mixture of teenaged angst and mature emotional intelligence, and her take on her mother’s self-limited life is enlightening. There are characters from the previous two books that appear, but it’s not necessary to have read those books to appreciate and understand this one. Best of all, readers of the series will realize that there will always be a happy ending, even if it’s not the one we expect. (April)
Debbie Johnson’s book sounds interesting Margie, I will look for it.
That sounds great, Margie. I know how much you enjoyed Henry Winkler’s book.
Wow! 95%. I can’t seem to get past 61%. I really blew it early on when I didn’t know how important the percentage was.
Fortunately, I’m not enticed by your 3 ARCs this week. (smile)
We’re only in the 60’s here in So Cal at the moment. I’d love your 70’s. But we are supposed to get them soon.
Once again, I find myself perfectly positioned between books. Both ARCs that will be out later this month.
I just finished SECRETS OF A SCOTTISH ISLE by Erica Ruth Neubauer. This is the fifth in her Jane Wunderly Mysteries. Obviously, it’s set on a Scottish island as Jane has infiltrated an occult group getting ready for their Spring equinox ceremony. Then a woman dies. I enjoyed it, although I did find the pacing a little uneven.
Next up will be THE WITLESS PROTECTION PROGRAM, the final Catering Hall Mystery from Maria DiRico, aka Ellen Byron. I’m sad to see the series ending, but looking forward to finding out what happens to the characters.
Oh, you’ll get our 70s soon, Mark, while our temperatures are going down again. A roller coaster here, but it’s not really spring yet, so that’s okay.
I didn’t realize the Catering Hall mysteries were ending. I hope the characters do get a good conclusion.
I’m reading Mussolini’s daughter by Caroline Moorhead and it’s fascinating!
Oh, it does sound fascinating, Melissa. I looked it up when you mentioned it.
We’ve finally had a few dry days here in NJ so we’ve been able to get a few walks in and do some weeding to start getting my vegetable beds ready for spring. It hasn’t been a good reading week for me. I started at least three library books that I couldn’t get into. I only finished one book:
WHEN ALIENS WERE SLEEPING by Fiona Rourke, a paranormal romance set in an Arkansas truck stop that’s actually a secret alien way station. It was a light read and predictable.
Spring fever, Sandy? I don’t have it yet because our weather hasn’t been steadily gorgeous. It’s still up and down.
Sorry you didn’t have a good reading week.
The earliest signs of spring are here, the snow is almost gone and the rabbits are busy scampering about. A bit too cold and windy for me, good thing I still have plenty of books.
I’ve enjoyed reading British author Cara Hunter’s DI Adam Fawley series (I’ve read 2/6 to date). MURDER IN THE FAMILY is her non-series US debut and her first with HarperCollins. True crime meets reality TV, as multimedia as a paper book can be (well, it didn’t have scratch-and-sniff). With cliffhanger revelations at the end of each “episode” and an over-the-top retired NYPD detective, I did wonder what the author thinks of the US audience. The story was good, but I found the format distracting.
ANYTHING IS POSSIBLE is a wonderfully engaging collection of short stories peopled by minor characters from Elizabeth Strout’s My Name is Lucy Barton. The book won the Story Prize for short story collections in 2017.
Gudrun Cuillo not only helped restore a Tuscan wine property and nearby medieval village, she used it as the setting for her debut romance novel, CASALVENTO: HOUSE OF THE WIND. The author captures the beauty and enchantment of the Chianti district of Italian wine country and the journey of the wine from vineyard to marketing. She weaves an elegant story of discovering family and of finding meaning in life.
In Otto Penzler’s Classic Mystery series reprints John Dickson Carr’s THE PROBLEM OF THE WIRE CAGE. First off I’ll complement director Rian Johnson’s introduction, generous, but not overly long. The other thing I noticed is that the main characters are so darn likeable, so a refreshing contrast to many current novels.
THE COLDEST CASE by Martin Walker, the 14th in the Bruno, Chief of Police series. Each of these books is a delight on its own, always food & drink to complement the policing in a rural French location. This one is packed full, besides the central cold case… a litter of puppies, a bit of horse back riding, some cold war spies & the threat of wildfires.
Finally, the excellent and entertaining nonfiction book I’ve been reading, EVE: HOW THE FEMALE BODY DROVE 200 MILLION YEARS OF HUMAN EVOLUTION by Cat Bohannon. Might be too much science for some, but definitely a thought-provoking story told with curiosity and wit.
Quite a good reading week, MM! Thank you for sharing such a variety of books.
I agree. There are some days that are just too windy for me. And, today it’s going to be rainy and windy. A good reading day.
Sounds like great weather. It’s been pretty nice in South Florida, other than the occasional periods of heavy rain. But, as Jackie pointed out, I haven’t had to wash the car once since we’ve been down here, so there’s that.
I finished teh Ballingrud and Marks books I mentioned last week, and finished Elizabeth Strout’s Pulitzer Prize-winning Olive Kitteridge yesterday. This may be characterized as a novel, but to me it is a collection of interconnected short stories. If you don’t believe me, six of them were published separately in various magazines. Is Winesburg, Ohio a novel or a collection of stories? Stories, and so is this. But I am off that hobbyhorse. I liked the book more than I’d expected to. Olive is a difficult, very touchy person, a retired junior high school math teacher who doesn’t suffer fools gladly (or at all, if she can help it). Her somewhat long0-suffering husband Henry is a pharmacist in their small, coastal Maine town. She loves her son Christopher, but her way of showing it… let’s just say he has no problem moving across country to California after his marriage, which breaks his mother’s heart (not that he would know that!). The stories take place over several decades, and some of them barely touch on Olive, but Strout does a beautiful job of painted a rounded portrait of the time and place and (mostly) the difficult person at the center of it all. I’m going to read her sequel, Olive, Again,, next.
I did read Quention Bates’s 2011 Frozen Assets, his first (of three) about icelandic cop Gunnhildur (“Gunna the Cop”) Gisladottir, set at the beginning of the Icelandic financial crisis of 2008. I liked it, and I liked the smart, intuitive main character, but it wasn’t exactly a fast read you zipped through. If I read the next one, it won’t be immediately. But I would like to see what Gunna does next.
Jackie read and loved the J. D> Robb Random in Death. I can usually judge how much she likes a book by how much she talks about it while reading it, and she talked about this one a lot. She is now reading (as am I, though she is somewhat ahead of me), Iris Yamashita’s second Point Mettier, Alaska book, Village in the Dark. Too soon to say what I think of it.
Have a good week.
I agree, Jeff. I have Quentin Bates’ next book in my TBR pile, but there are a few books before that. No hurry.
I’m glad you and Jackie have each other to discuss books with. I really liked Random in Death.
My friend, Donna, really liked the Olive Kitteridge books. Those stories must have worked for you if the you’re reading the second Olive Kitteridge next.
Watching a beautiful sunrise this morning – Spring has certainly sprung early this year.
I was delighted to finally read “Deus X” by Stephen Mack Jones. I know that it has been reviewed here before, so I will just say that I enjoyed reading about the sights and sounds of Detroit. I lived, and worked, in the Detroit area for 22 years, so it was fun to revisit familiar settings. I would so love to have August as a friend just to pop in and experience his cooking. So many great sounding recipes that he dishes up. And those donuts! Maple and bacon?!! YUM!
I listened to another bucket list book – “Hank and Jim: the Fifty-Year friendship of Hank Fonda and James Stewart” by Scott Eyman. I’ve always been a fan of old Hollywood, and who doesn’t like Jimmy Stewart? These two seem like such diverse personalities to have been good friends for 50 years, but indeed they were. Meeting in summer stock theatre, their friendship endured multiple marriages (5 for Hank), war (fascinating insights into their roles in WWII), and political differences. While the book sometimes dwelled too much on some details (I don’t need to know to the nth degree what food was consumed at a restaurant!) and sparse on others (what DID Margaret Sullivan wear at her wedding to Hank?), it was still overall worth the read.
Oh, I agree with you, Mary. Wouldn’t it be great to have August Snow cooking for us? The food sounds great.
Old Hollywood is fascinating, isn’t it? And, I don’t know that story of their friendship. Sounds like a fun book.
But, while it would be cool, there would be a good chance Snow would get a call and have to leave with the meal half done.
But, we’d be friends! He takes care of his friends!
I finished the second of Mick Herron’s Slough House books, which was terrific, and I’ve started REFLECTING THE SKY, the seventh of S J Rozan’s Bill Smith and Lydia Chin mysteries. I’m a fan of S J’s and her series, but I haven’t managed to read the books in order, particularly since I couldn’t resist devouring the latest book, THE MAYORS OF NEW YORK, which came out in December 2023. So far, there are fifteen books in total, and many of them are set in New York’s Chinatown, which turns out to be a fascinating place. If you want to start with #1, it’s CHINA TRADE, but they can be read as standalones, too.
A friend tells me I’d love S.J. Rozan’s Lydia Chin/Bill Smith mysteries, Kim, since I love New York City. If I didn’t have so many books on my TBR pile, I’d be picking up China Trade at the library.
The SJ Rozan series is wonderful, Lesa. The books get better and better.
I agree, Jennifer. I’m glad I started at the beginning to watch the development of Bill and Lydia as characters, but the books get deeper and more complex as they progress.
Thanks, Kim and Jennifer, for the encouragement to read the series. I remember reading the first couple of books ages ago, and it would be fun to binge-read a bunch of them in a row.
Also, one of the minor characters in the series is Lydia Chin’s rather difficult mother, who is always making snarky comments about Bill Smith, and, frankly, other people she disapproves of. But now Rozan has been writing a series of very entertaining short stories starring the mother, in which she takes the lead and solves crimes, like people being scammed. I’m hoping that we eventually get a collection of the stories, most of which are running in Ellery Queen’s Mystery Magazine.
I wasn’t aware Rozan was writing short stories. Lydia’s mother is something else! Please let us know if you you see these released as a collection.
I have read all of the Bill Smith and Lydia Chin series, except the last two books. I have both of those and I should read FAMILY BUSINESS soon, so that I can get to THE MAYORS OF NEW YORK. That one sounds especially good.
Great picture, Lesa!
I finished 2 books this week.
I enjoyed Jenn McKinlay’s Fatal First Edition. The ending seemed a little rushed, but all in all a good murder on a train book.
Good Taste: A Novel in Search of Good Food by Caroline Scott started off slow for me, but I ended up enjoying it by the end. It is 1932 England and Stella Douglas is a moderately successful author. Her editor has faith in her and requests her next book to be the definitive book on English cooking. Learned a little more about eating eels than I wanted to, but it did bring up some interesting things like how much embellishment is okay. And the most important question, because England is a melting pot, does including Indian, German and French influences make it seem less English?
Rain on the way for Cincinnati today but yesterday was gorgeous weather in the 70’s.
Happy Reading!
Thank you, Sharon. That was a fun event.
We’re expecting rain today, too, probably coming in after yours. Yesterday was gorgeous, and now we have a week or so of not so gorgeous weather ahead.
You’re right. The ending did seem rushed in Fatal First Edition, but I enjoyed the murder on the train part.
Hi all! We headed out West for the snow for spring break and have been enjoying snowshoeing and looking out the window. It is a little hard to believe it is 70 back home, I have no idea what to wear on the plane!
I seem to have only finished two books this week, Christianity After Religion by Diana Butler Bass (super-interesting) and Murder at an Irish Castle by Ellie Branigan. The latter was pretty predictable, although I liked the assortment of characters.
I can see why you didn’t have time for much reading, Trisha, since you were actively enjoying the snow and a short vacation. Oh, it’s always cold on the plane. You can probably still wear your winter clothes.
I’ve been lucky in my reading life lately, always happy to finish the novels I start…except for the Mary Kubica book I picked up at the library and was almost halfway through before realizing I’d already read it. Anyway, now I’m reading Helen Starbuck’s The Killer Without a Face for my Sisters in Crime-Colorado book club. It’s quite good (and I know I haven’t read it before).
Colorado is getting a big snow in some places, but so far, we only have about an inch sticking to the grass and on roofs in my neighborhood. I guess we have the whole day to wait and see how it progresses. My little daffodils are happily soaking up the moisture.
Patricia,
I hope your daffodils only have moisture, and not heavier snow!
Well, that’s frustrating to read a book, and halfway through realize you’ve already read it. I’m glad your next one is good.
72 degrees in Michigan yesterday! I read outside with my six month old grandson. I am so ready for spring and summer!
After a guided tour of Antietam Battlefield a couple of years ago, I wanted to know more about the families who lived and had farms on the battlefield. I found one book, Guide to the Battlefield Landscape-Antietam’s Farmsteads by Kevin Walker. This was a pretty good book that helped give a feeling for what the families endured.
I also read The Things we Cannot Say by Kelly Rimmer. This was a pretty good book as well. Set in Poland in WW2, the book has two story lines. The first is the occupation of the town during WW2 and follows several families. The second story line is in present times, with a descendent learning about her family history.
Am currently midway thru Chat by Archer Mayor. It is always good to catch up with Joe Gunther and his team.
Hope the good weather continues and that everyone will have a good weekend.
I’m ready for spring and summer, too, Jennifer. In fact, I ordered chairs for my patio yesterday. I’m eager to sit out and read there.
There. That’s another series I need to read someday, Archer Mayor’s Joe Gunther books. I think I’d enjoy them.
Guide to the Battlefield Landscape sounds fascinating. I always enjoy reading about places I’ve actually seen.
Like Margie, I am enjoying Debbie Johnson’s Starshine Cove novels. The recurring characters are enjoyable and I like spending time with them, learning their stories. The latest, FINDING HOPE IN STARSHINE COVE left me smiling and waiting for the next one.
I knew you’d be up to date on the Starshine Cove novels, Kaye. You are the one who recommended them to me, after all! I actually asked the author on Facebook when the latest would be offered by NetGalley (since the pub date is coming up in April), and she said it was up to the publisher. Lucky I could read it in a day.
Hmm. With you, Kaye, and Margie recommending the Starshine Cove novels, I may need to read them soon. Thank you!
Our weather has been very nice but still cold for Santa Barbara. We had fun taking photos of orchids last week at the Orchid Show.
I finished YOUR REPUBLIC IS CALLING YOU by Kim Young-ha this week. The story takes place over the course of one day in the life of Ki-Yong, a South Korean with a wife and teenage daughter. Except that he is really a North Korean spy who has been in South Korea over 20 years, and has now been recalled to North Korea. About 10 years earlier the man who had run his group of spies planted in South Korea was purged and they had heard nothing from North Korea in all that time. His fairly normal life has been upended in one email, and now he is deciding how to respond. Not a perfect book but very interesting and it whetted my appetite for more reading about North and South Korea.
Last night I started reading A BEAUTIFUL PLACE TO DIE by Malla Nunn. The story is set in a small tiny town on the border between South Africa and Mozambique in 1952. New apartheid laws have recently gone into effect. This is not a totally new subject to me, but I don’t know much about it. The other book I read that set in South Africa during Apartheid was published in 1979 and set around that time. It was titled A LONELY PLACE TO DIE. A very good read so far.
Glen finished THE HONJIN MURDERS by Seishi Yokomizo, published in 1946. It was OK, he wasn’t thrilled with it. I will still give it a try. I haven’t read many Japanese mysteries from that time period. His current book is CHURCHILL’S MINISTRY OF UNGENTLEMANLY WARFARE by Giles Milton. The subtitle is: The Mavericks Who Plotted Hitler’s Defeat. He is liking it a lot. It is the second book he has read by that author.
When I read about North and South Korea, I always wonder what it would be like if the CSA had won the Civil War. Would there be these sorts of spy-jinks 70 years later?
Glen, I am sure that there would be spies in that situation, but it is hard for me to imagine that outcome. I suppose that there are alternate history stories written about that.
Hi Tracy, You and Glen pick such interesting books to read, with intriguing settings. I’m glad you’re both enjoying your current reading.
And, I bet those pictures from the Orchid Show are gorgeous!
It’s spring, and the winds have really come up. We have high wind advisories until Friday. I’m mostly planning on staying inside.
This week I read:
Fantastic Flash Fiction by Liz Tuckwell; I can’t say it’s all fantastic, but the nature of flash fiction means you don’t ever get bogged down. Mostly based on Fairy Tales. Do kids today still read fairy tales?
I Have Some Questions For You by Rebecca Makkai; Another book full of unpleasant characters, a podcast, and “elites.” Is this a Millennial thing?
The Ascent by Adam Plantiga; A Detroit cop, who actually did his job, is of course, fired, and now Walks The Earth. After foiling a rape, the local sheriff railroads him into prison. The Governor’s daughter tours said prison and…Jailbreak! I think this is supposed to be the first in a series. I’d pick up the next one.
The Cairo Garter Murders by Van Wyck Mason; I’ve been collecting the Hugh North mystery/espionage series for years, and found two in the wild. Only one more to go. This one is set in 1939, and Americans still think they can avoid the war. Hugh is on vacation in Egypt…until he isn’t. He’s quickly sucked into a serial murder case with spy jinks. I always like the period CSI section of these novels.
The Chaos Agent by Mark Greaney; This is a TOME! There’s no earthly reason for an adventure novel to be 534 pages long. The James Bond novels were maybe 160 pages. Anyway, this has a lot of action, and twists and turns, but is just way too long. Get an editor, Greaney!
The Inhumans and other stories by Bodhisattva Chattopadyhay; Sci fi from the “Radium Age” published in India. Not as “post-colonial” as the introduction would have you believe, but entertaining, and different from Western fiction, for sure. The Inhumans, a Lost Race Story is the best, but they’re all pretty good.
Campfire by Shawn Sarles; I formed a book club with my nieces, and one of them picked this on. It’s a pretty lame horror story about telling ghost stories at the campfire during a full moon, which means they’ll come true. This guy’s no RL Stine.
Glen, I love it that you formed a reading club with your nieces. I hope it continues, even if this selection wasn’t too good.
I agree with you. I don’t think there are too many novels that need to be 532 pages. I can understand nonfiction, but fiction?
Ask those nieces. I’d like to know the answer. Do kids these days still read fairy tales?
My nieces have read a few, Cinderella, and Snow White, but they missed several. I think they’re too young to introduce the original fairy tales with the horrific endings yet, and I’m certain their parents agree with me.
Oh, yes. I read all of those gruesome fairy tales, and loved them. My youngest niece is 25, though, so I don’t have a young one to ask, either.
Good morning from a rather overcast and cloudy Aberdeenshire. We’ve had rain, rain and more rain, so at least it’s dry today. Yesterday was the one day of beautiful blue skies and sunshine that we seem likely to have for the next week or so. I’m about to head off to Crathes Castle to walk with my friend Sue and her Welsh springer spaniel, Basil.
Last Sunday was Mothering Sunday in the UK, so we took my mother out for lunch in Dunbar. I’m glad to say the meal was a great success, with good food and really good service; I haven’t seen my mother eat so much for years, she had a full roast dinner followed by an ice cream sundae – more than any of us could manage at lunchtime (or in my case any other time.)
As we were in Edinburgh anyway, on Saturday night we went to see a play, A GIANT ON THE BRIDGE, at the Traverse theatre, which is often host to quite experimental works. This one was about what happens to people when they leave prison, how flawed the system is, how difficult it is for them to adapt to life ‘outside’, and the effects that their incarceration, and later problems, have on their families.
The premise sounded good, and this play has been widely acclaimed, but I found it confusing, with far too many threads. There were seven actors, each of whom came forward one at a time to tell their story. Some were supposed to be ex-prisoners, one a social worker, one the convener of a group helping prisoners to write their stories, and one the sister of a repeat offender who’s been looking after his daughter while he has been inside.
The stories were told partly in spoken word, partly in song and partly in rap. For a play that’s been around a while, I was quite surprised to find that some of the performers didn’t really know their lines. Some cameos were better than others, with the rap artist (who works as a university lecturer!) particularly good. On the whole I thought it was OK but could have done with more rehearsals and considerable slimming down of the script.
Last Thursday my friend Karen and I had a great walk in the city, starting at the beach, continuing to Seaton Park (where we at one point were wading through mud, but never mind…) and on to Old Aberdeen and the university, where we found and enjoyed a new coffee shop. Sometimes, especially when the weather isn’t great, city walks can be a very good alternative to the more rural ones. Aberdeen has so much interesting history too.
Last night we went to a local arts centre to see the film ALL OF US STRANGERS. I’m not entirely sure what to make of it. Andrew Scott and Claire Foy were both outstanding (as always) but the film itself seemed slow to me. I am aware, however, that most people thought it was fantastic and that it has received 5* reviews everywhere, so maybe it was just me.
David could not hear half of the dialogue, and there were times when even I struggled, as in the close up/intimate scenes (of which there are many!) there seems to be a fashion for putting the microphone so close to the actors’ mouths that their speech sounds muffled. I really felt we could have used subtitles. If this had been on television we’d definitely have turned them on.
I’ve started watching HOW GREEN WAS MY VALLEY on DVD at home – it is of course a very old film, and therefore quite dated, but even without subtitles I can hear every word, and I am still finding the story engaging and interesting.
For anyone who doesn’t know, the film is about a 60 year old man remembering his childhood in a small coal mining village in Wales in the early part of the 20th century. He is the youngest of seven children; his father and all of his brothers work in the pit. It is a fascinating depiction of life at that time. The film was directed by John Ford and shot entirely on a set in California, but nevertheless the story soon persuades you that you are in the valleys.
BOOKS (at last…)!
I am still reading NORA WEBSTER by the Irish writer Colm Toibin and enjoying it very much. Nora is trying to come to terms with her widowhood, cope with the profound change this has brought about in the family’s finances, and look after her two youngest children, who have their own problems to overcome. As is the way in small town Ireland, everyone thinks her business is also theirs. Her family in particular all have opinions they are only too willing to share. Nora is starting to stand up to them and plough her own furrow, but it’s not easy. She has had to return to work in the office of the factory where she was employed before her marriage, and where she now has to deal with the absolute harridan in charge of admin, a bitter woman who has resented Nora ever since their schooldays.
I’m also still reading A COUNTRY GIRL, Edna O’Brien’s memoir. I love her way of writing, sometimes quite factual but at other times lyrical and impressionistic. She is now living in London with her extremely strange and controlling husband Ernest, an aspiring author who seems rarely ever to write anything, and their two children. Ernest is so paranoid that he keeps a logbook of her supposed misdemeanours. He locks this away but she has found the key and from it learns just how much he resents her. At first she has no money and is totally under the thumb, but then she gets her first novel published. He tells her it will fail, but instead it is a roaring success (though widely condemned back in Ireland, where it is seen as sacrilegious and pornographic. Her mother is so incensed at the shame she thinks it has brought on the family that she and Edna almost never speak again.)
Ernest eventually reads the book. When she comes home, he says;
‘You can write. And I will never forgive you.’
She leaves him and walks the streets of London until a friend lets her stay in her tiny flat. When she manages to find a small house the children come to live with her, but he tricks her into taking them to him for a visit, then, once they are safely in the front door, announces;
‘You have now legally abandoned your own children.’
And that’s where I’m up to.
I also finally finished LOVE LIES A LOSS, Theodora Fitzgibbon’s second volume of autobiography. She also has a resentful, jealous and in this case violent and alcoholic husband, who like Ernest wants to be a writer but never really succeeds. He is therefore even worse once Theodora starts to make money as a cookery writer. But unlike Edna, Theodora always has another wealthy friend to turn to, and as soon as she leaves Constantin she is ‘rescued’ by another man. I believe she stayed with him for the rest of his life, but as there are no further instalments, I can only rely on what little information I can find on the net.
I need to go out before it gets dark (it’s already 5pm here) so I will stop.
Have a great week all!
Rosemary, last night we watched the wonderful 2018 documentary, TEA WITH THE DAMES, featuring Joan Plowright, Eileen Atkins, Judi Dench and Maggie Smith (in order of age; Plowright is now 94 and the other three are 89).
We’re on the third and final series of No Offence and rewatching Scott & Bailey, plus watching series 13 of both Vera and Death in Paradise. I believe the new series of Call the Midwife starts here Sunday.
Rosemary, It’s the memoirs you’re reading that sound as if they’d break my heart. Such cruel men!
I love the way you cram walks, books, movies, and plays into your life. I hope you’re enjoying them as much as it seems.
Sending hugs!
Chin-Yong Yin is the name of Lydia Chin’s mother and all the story titles begin with her name, in case anyone wants to look for them.
Chin Yong-Yun
(I remember reading one & tried a search)
Jeff, I think I have read all of the Chin-Yong Yin stories (that I have been able to find). I have bought several short story anthologies just to get those stories. But I don’t know if I have found all the stories.
I also hope that there is someday a collection of the stories, as you mentioned above.
Hi Lesa, It’s 80 in NC today. That sounded like a great concert. My current reads are Pages & Co: The Last Bookwanderer by Anna James (for middle grade march). On audio, it’s Listen for the Lie by Amy Tintera. On my kindle I am still reading Summer’s End (shady hollow mystery) by Juneau Black.
Pages & Co. is the one that jumps out at me, Katherine. And, I like some middle school books.
Good afternoon from NE Dallas where it is overcast, blowing, and we probably will be under a severe weather watch, maybe tornado watch, before another hour passes. So far, the really bad stuff is in Oklahoma and points north. I’m stressed and watching radar. It has been a very hard, and already a very expensive week, and I have rather had enough.
I finished yesterday and enjoyed Cold to the Touch: A Thriller by Kerri Hakoda. Set in Anchorage, Alaska, it read as a police procedural to me. I still have to wrote the review.
Current read is ECHOES IN DEATH by JD Robb.
Hope the storms pass you by. Stay safe.
We had nasty weather last night, Kevin. And, my sister and I went to see Mamma Mia! and she had to drive home in the dark and thunderstorms afterwards. Not fun.
I’m re-reading Neil Gaiman’s Neverwhere, one of my favorite books ever. Have some NetGalley ARCs I need to get reading.
Also, it’s a sunny day here in my part of Alaska. It’s above freezing and a good day to get outside.
Enjoy Neil Gaiman, Cheryl. And, best of all, enjoy your weather!
MONA OF THE MANOR by Armistead Maupin, the tenth and supposedly final Tales of the City book. Love these characters.
Oh, Mona of the Manor! I have a copy of that, Wiley, and need to get to it eventually.
It’s so good! A slim book but I have tried to make it last a week. Finishing this weekend.
My daughter is a BIG fan of Celtic Thunder. She started following them back when George Donaldson and Keith Harkin with a part of the group. As for what I am reading…currently I am taking a course in Ham Radio and have lots of chapters to read for an upcoming test. But other than that, I have been devouring Aaron Johnson’s National Park Mysteries. Each book takes place in a different National Park as the three main kids are trying to solve the riddle Jake’s grandfather left for them after he passed. There are only four out currently, with ten planned in the series, and I already finished three of them. I am holding off on reading the fourth one because it just came out last December so it might be a little bit before the next one is published. I hate the waiting part for the next installment, but I totally understand it.
That’s when I started falling Celtic Thunder, Sheryl, in the same years. I still like them, but I’m just off to see a couple other Celtic groups.
Oh, that’s neat that you’re taking a course in Ham Radio. You certainly don’t hear of that much.
I hadn’t heard of Aaron Johnson’s National Park mysteries. Thatnks for telling us about them!