Anthony Horowitz's new Sherlock Holmes novel, The House of Silk, was one of my book group choices for 2013, and the first of those that I managed to read so far. My to be read basket is full and somehow the other books, one of which was As I Walked Out One Summers Day, just did not appeal when the time came for me to start a new book.
To my surprise I stayed with The House of Silk, even though Holmes et al. has never much appealed to me. The change of author may have made the difference! This is a pacey book, well plotted, and with some powerful insights into the social history of the times. As expected the language is somewhat stilted, but I enjoyed the range of characters, and found myself wanting to know how the various crimes were solved by the wonderful Sherlock Holmes. Springing himself out of prison was quite something!
We meet to discuss htis next week so I'm looking forward to hearing what everyone else thinks of it.
Meanwhile, there's no chance of me even starting the biography my other book group are reading this month so perhaps I'll give their meeting tonight a miss. The plumbers have taken over my house this week, and the refurbished bathroom is nearly done. Next week the decorator starts -presently the walls are splashed with trial sized patches of colours.
Thursday, March 14, 2013
Sunday, March 3, 2013
My Driver by Maggie Gee
Finally, Maggie Gee’s My Driver, bought at the Arvon course last year where
Maggie was teaching about writing a novel and I had gone along to seek help with
my poetry! That worked and this book worked for me as well. Its very fast,
funny, has a great and very real setting, and was a useful companion on flights
between London and Edinburgh this week.
Maggie’s characters are all good value, she writes with authority about the English and the Ugandans, about those different countries but I also had a sense that she had been to places in this book, had felt those places through her skin and her heart. Reading this book was like having someone talk to you, a repetition here, a small aside there –the author is in your ear. Each character has their own agenda and Maggie manages to keep this clear and important from beginning to end. A very good read.
Nearly caught up with lots of much neglected tasks on this slow Sunday, might start reading my book group book later on –now that the laundry is in progress and some rather old veg have been turned into some very nice soup.
More about Maggie here http://literature.britishcouncil.org/maggie-gee
Maggie’s characters are all good value, she writes with authority about the English and the Ugandans, about those different countries but I also had a sense that she had been to places in this book, had felt those places through her skin and her heart. Reading this book was like having someone talk to you, a repetition here, a small aside there –the author is in your ear. Each character has their own agenda and Maggie manages to keep this clear and important from beginning to end. A very good read.
Nearly caught up with lots of much neglected tasks on this slow Sunday, might start reading my book group book later on –now that the laundry is in progress and some rather old veg have been turned into some very nice soup.
More about Maggie here http://literature.britishcouncil.org/maggie-gee
Gone Girl by Gillian Flynn
I read a lot about this book: reviews seemed to be everywhere and it has been a best seller in several lists. Not sure it lives up to the Observer’s accolade of ‘thriller of the year’ but it has a good opening, keeps switching between different perspectives (and does this well) and kept my interest in the plot even when the usual key point in a crime thriller had been thoroughly dissected and was in the past.
Flynn’s style is easy to read, she draws authentic characters -I thought the twin thing was weak but I liked the two sides of every story aspect. That reminded me of Carole Shields’ Happenstance –different genre but similar structure.and a way to keep the reader interested. A good book when the flight screen at the airport has news of further and further delays to your flight, and its late, and you're’ very tired, and you can’t even be bothered to .have another cup of coffee.
More details here http://www.amazon.co.uk/Gone-Girl-Gillian-Flynn/dp/0297859382
The Man from Primrose Lane: reader, I read it
This book, by James Renner and recommended by a Saturday paper review of crime thrillers, is in the trio of books I’ve taken on journeys this month. The Man from Primrose Lane is a good book to travel with; its pacey, well written, and with the unique feature (at least for me) of time travel in the mix of child murder, family disruption, and love. I was hooked into the story when the hard-to -believe bit about backwards time travelling came in, not sure I’d continued if it had been there earlier so well done to Renner for picking his spot. An unusual book – might read his next but not totally sure.
More reviews follow –its been a busy few weeks so this blog had been neglected, now for a few catch entries.
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