Library Book Photo and Book Review

Here's my regular photo of the books collected from the library van. Two(the Song Collector and Homecoming) are books I've seen mentioned on a blog and thought I'd like to have a look at. I might not like them but there again it might give me a  new author to read.

 'The Devils Breath' is the next in the series that I came across a couple of months ago. The one by George Bellairs is another of his books reprinted from the 50's. 'New Boy' is the latest  by Tracy Chevallier,it's subtitled Othello Retold - I usually like her books but this sounds different. 'Walk the line' by Mark Mason is a book about following the London underground lines but overground. 'The Story of Classic Crime in 100 books' by Martin Edwards - the amazon description says
'The main aim of detective stories is to entertain, but the best cast a light on human behaviour, and display both literary ambition and accomplishment. Even unpretentious detective stories, written for unashamedly commercial reasons, can give us clues to the past, and give us insight into a long-vanished world that, for all its imperfections, continues to fascinate. This book, written by award-winning crime writer and president of the Detection Club, Martin Edwards, serves as a companion to the British Library's internationally acclaimed series of Crime Classics. Long-forgotten stories republished in the series have won a devoted new readership, with several titles entering the bestseller charts and sales outstripping those of highly acclaimed contemporary thrillers'.

And finally 'Eat Well for Less' a cookery book to browse, this is the one that accompanies the TV series of the same name with the annoying Greg Wallace.


Four weeks ago I brought home these. The ones I've read have been added to the Books read 2017 page. I didn't like the New Mrs Clifton - the storyline was too obvious and I've still got  Small Island by Little Train to read.

I also read two of my own books - one by Barbara Pym and Company in the Evening by Ursula Orange.

 I've just finished this - what a treat of a book it was too.

Vicky is a young happily divorced single mother with a good job but when war breaks out and her brother is killed she agrees to have her pregnant sister-in-law come to live with her. Rene had been living with Vicky's mother who thinks it would be good for Vicky to have "company in the evening".
The book is written in the first person and Vicky thinks "Of all the unhappiness my divorce has brought upon me, loneliness has never been in the least a part. Lack of company in the evening is to me an absolute luxury".
Unfortunately Rene and Blakey (the elderly housekeeper) don't see eye to eye on anything and once the baby arrives there is a lot of friction in the house. Add in an unexpected meeting with her ex-husband, a difficult client at work and an illness for her little daughter and this makes a brilliant story.

First published in 1944 this is one of the Furrowed Middlebrow reprints by Dean Street Press and was a birthday present in April. Now I'd like to read one of her other books " Tom Tiddlers Ground", I shall add it to the other 90 books on my wish list!

Thank you for comments on the un-frugal month of July!

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Sue