This is my first heap of August books, all had been requested on line.
So what have I got this time..................
Firstly a couple of non-fiction. "Life of a teenager in wartime London" has already been here once several months ago and I didn't read it then, maybe I will this time. The other non-fiction is by the author I went to listen to at the Felixstowe Book Festival ..........."The Stopping Places" by Damian Le-Bas.
I'm having trouble concentrating on factual books at the moment so it's a good thing there are plenty of crime fiction. The new Carola Dunn in the Daisy Dalrymple series. The next three (in one book) that I've not read by Ngaio Marsh. Jessica Fellowes is an author I don't know. There are 2 more British Library Crime Classics and the two books by Cyril Hare are also re-prints from the Golden Age of Crime.
Ordinary Fiction is the new one by Trisha Ashley - light fluffy fiction, two books from publisher Persephone that I thought I would try as the library had them available and Dear Mrs Bird which someone must have mentioned as I have no idea what it is.
The book that didn't get photographed is another crime fiction "Silent Scream" by Angela Marsons. This author was mentioned to me in comments and I picked up a copy of one of them off the shelves at Debenham library a couple of weeks ago and didn't like it. But before that I'd ordered this one which is actually the first of a series featuring D.I.Kim Stone. I sat and looked at it while |I had lunch and got past the first few pages so will carry on and see how far I get.
Should be enough for 4 weeks considering that I'm supposed to be making a start on decorating the big bedroom.
Many thanks for comments yesterday
Back Soon
Sue
The house of hopes & dreams is a lovely read. X
ReplyDeleteOh good, I like a light read now and again but hope it doesn't make me cry too much
Deleteah, there's a little bit at the start that might be a bit raw for you, so be warned. However, it turns out to be a really lovely story, light & fluffy but not too sickly sweet. Enjoy it. x
Deletep.s if you want more easy to read stuff, look out for Heidi Swain books. Oh they are lovely and delicious, and, set in East Anglia, mainly in and around Norwich as that's where she lives.
Thank you for the info on the Heide Swain books, Sadie. I enjoy books set in East Anglia even though I live in Devon!
DeleteMargaret P
I really need to get into this ordering on line method, first thing would be to get a pin number, I suppose! My selections from the library van have been pretty awful lately. I should be ashamed to admit that I am suffering from serious library book-envy, but I am. You have given me lots of new leads to follow. Enjoy your summer reading.
ReplyDeleteWe are so lucky that it's free to order, I would have to be much more choosy if I had to pay - 50p or £1 in some counties.
DeleteMaybe it's a good way to cool off in this hot weather - sit in front of a fan with a book and a cold drink. It looks like a fantastic mixture of books there. Great fun!
ReplyDeleteShould give me a choice of what to read, most I know will be OK
DeleteI would be interested to hear what you think of Greenbanks when you have read it, I own it, but haven't yet read it myself. Happy reading!
ReplyDeleteI hope I can get into it and will let you know
DeleteI think, back in the 80’s, I read all Ngaio Marsh books.
ReplyDeleteI have no idea why I've never read them before but enjoying them now
DeleteI haven't read any of those in your pile, but at present I am really enjoying " Eleanor Oliphant is fine"...have you read it? It is a book club selection and I absolutely love it...don't want it to finish, though I do want to know what happened to her as a child, which hopefully will be revealed before the end! Just hoping it wont be another " Miniaturist"...that was a good read but totally spoilt by the ending ..or lack of !!
ReplyDeleteI Tried hard to read it as everyone was raving about it but just didn't like it. I might try again another time
DeleteSuch a good way of getting through these very hot days. I like reading myself and have been to the library twice this week (we have a rather big one over here, fortunately). I have to admit it's not all top-literature ;-)
ReplyDeletehttps://ruraltownliving.blogspot.com/
I read more crime fiction than anything else. Not keen on anything that requires too much thought and concentration
DeleteGreat selection of books this month, Sue. We have been given The Alchemist this month for our readers’ group-I’m the only person in the group who hasn’t read it before! At least it’s quite short after our very long The American Wife which was the one for August. Happy reading.
ReplyDeleteI don't know either of those, I will investigate
DeleteGood luck with the big bedroom, we have just finished our big room, and thank goodness comes to mind. I'm really happy with a pile of books to read.
ReplyDeleteBy the time I'd taken all the stuff I need upstairs and had spread out some dust sheets I was melting so it will have to wait for cooler days. I intended to wait until september but because of a hold up with the plumber coming I want to get started before.
DeleteAt least in the heat the paint dries quickly
DeleteThat's a good selection 🙂
ReplyDeleteshould keep me busy
DeleteA great book selection, Sue. However, I bought Dear Mrs Bird and I've read about 1/2 way but I've put it down and read several others since (especially the crime novels of Alison Bruce, set in Cambridge, and the 4th travel/memoir by Karen Wheeler, which I loved.) Somehow I don't think I will get back to Mrs Bird, and eventually it will find it's way to the charity shop. I thought it would be fun, and in a way it is, a young woman thinking she's taking up work on a newspaper (she wants to become a war correspondent) but it's an offshoot of the publishing company and it's on a women's mag, the sort popular in the 1940s (i.e. a bit declasse to say the least!) and she helps type out the answers to the Agony Aunt page … I won't say more, but after a while I just found it rather silly. It might get better, I might be missing a treat. I'd certainly welcome your observations when you've read it. Perhaps you will be more predisposed to it than I have been! There are Far Too Many Capital Letter In It for my liking, this quirky Style of Writing is Simply Over-Worked!
ReplyDeleteMargaret P
www.margaretpowling.com
Oh dear, that's put me right off it before I even look at it!
DeleteOh Sue, I'm so sorry! I didn't mean to put you off it … it's just I didn't enjoy it. I do like amusing books, I love Mapp & Lucia where others might think those silly, too. Do try it, I found it fun to start with, perhaps I just wasn't in the mood for it? But I'm absolutely loving the crime books set in Cambridge by Alison Bruce, I've now ordered all of them (very cheaply, used copies mainly) via Amazon. Mrs Bird has been praised by others, it's no doubt just me! But you have some great titles there. Not read Jessica Fellowes so might try her sometime. Nor have I read Trisha Ashley, although I have heard of this writer.
DeleteMargaret P
Norfolk libraries charge 60p per reservation. I don't mind though as it feels worth it and it keeps someone in a job! I recently ordered one book and when I collected it, it was a Chinese edition! The librarian kindly ordered me a copy in English and waived the fee, very kind of her, I thought.
ReplyDeleteAre Norfolk libraries still run by the County Council? Suffolk libraries were handed over to a community interest group and most people are volunteers nowadays. They decided that allowing free reservations helped move books around the county really well as before that the staff had to spend time doing stock exchanges as books tended to stay in one library. I'm so glad they are free here
DeleteYes. Still run by NCC
DeleteHampshire charge 70p, so I try not to reserve any books.
DeleteJust finished Kristin Hannah's The Great Alone. It was okay, interesting story, but believability was a problem for me. Taking on vacation The Essex Serpent by Sarah Perry that a friend lent me. Just returned to library a stack of books most of which I started and couldn't get into. I'm getting so finicky about how well books are written and many don't meet my standards I guess.
ReplyDeleteI'll have to see if any on your stack are at my library to reserve.
Essex Serpent was another \I tried but failed to read
DeleteI've never read anything by Jessica Fellowes, but she is the wife of Julian Fellowes who wrote Downton Abbey and played Kilwillie on Monarch of the Glen. I am an American and I love British mystery novels and British TV series. My favorites are the Daisy Dalrymple series and the TV series Endeavour.
ReplyDeleteI hope they make some more Endeavour soon
DeleteWhich one didn’t you get on with?
ReplyDeleteElinor Oliphant. I could have read more but wasn't interested enough.
DeleteWhat a good selection. Was it me that mentioned Angela Marsons' books? I've just read 4 straight off and really enjoyed them and hope you will too. I'm now on an Elly Griffiths season and read one already this week and on a 2nd.
ReplyDeleteProbably. I read a bit further but it was all a bit nasty, the child abuse etc, then I flicked to the end and found two people were really just one person and the main character had also been abused as a child by her mother and a dead brother and thought No- I'm a wimp and I don't want to try any further.
DeleteI too have been making good use of my library this summer and I love that I can place holds online and then track when they will be in.
ReplyDeleteI have the Mitford Murders here at the moment as a number of people had recommended it but I can't seem to get into it. But I think that may be because I've read so much about the Mitford sisters - and read so many of their books - that I found having them as characters in a novel was distracting me too much. But don't let that put you off as many seem to have enjoyed it.
A friend bought Dear Ms. Bird and will pass it along once she's finished it so I'll be interested to hear what you think of it.
I'm in the middle of "Red Joan" at the moment - a novel based on a real life British woman who was arrested as a long time spy for the Soviets when she was in her eighties. I'm really enjoying it and as a film will be debuting this Sept. at The Toronto Film Festival and Judy Dench is starring as Joan - I'm also looking forward to seeing the film.
I just finished Ann Cleeves' latest "The Seagull" and I do recommend it. As soon as I finish "Red Joan" I'll be reading Donna Leon's latest "The Temptation of Forgiveness" - love her books - and then "The Gravity of Birds" is sitting on the coffee table waiting for me!
Enjoy your reading every one.
I liked The Seagull and have her latest book due to arrive with the library van in 4 weeks time.
DeleteHave tried Donna Leon but not got on well
Another favorite of your "regular" blog posts. Your selections always look so enticing and I spend time going back and forth to our library site checking to see if any are carried by our system. This month several are! The comments are helpful too and it is always interesting to me to see what others are reading. We have a good library here in our town and it is part of a state wide system. Search, holds, ability to make lists, reading history and even recommendations if you wish and all for free. We watch British and Australian series(mostly mystery) on DVD from our library too. It is such a great resource. I use the library app on my phone to download a book so I always have one with me. : ) Time is never wasted waiting if you have a book to read! Thanks for always sharing your books
ReplyDeleteLovely books. I am still working my way through Game of Thrones. For some reason this is taking me forever to read. I refuse to start anything else until this series is finished.
ReplyDeleteGod bless.
Thanks for sharing your selections Sue. I agree with Candace above and couldn't say it better. I enjoy the posts and comments to see what everyone is reading. Unfortunately I can't always find all the books I'd like to try from your lists as I'm living in Canada now, but sometimes I'll treat myself to a Kobo version if it's available. I prefer the physical book, however the ereader is very practical for camping trips, so I always have a stash of books on it.
ReplyDeleteThanks to everyone else who has shared their books as well.