Anyway, the books I read and finished this month are these:
1. The Franchise Affair - Josephine Tey. A really excellent vintage crime mystery.
2. Angel with Two Faces - Nicola Upson. Murder and skulduggery in 1930s Cornwall.
3. Greece on my Wheels - Edward Enfield. Non-fiction travelogue about cycling in Greece.
4. Mystery in White - J. Jefferson Farjeon. A vinatge mystery with a nice snowy setting.
5. The Sea Detective - Mark Douglas-Home. Scottish based modern crime story.
Very happy with the books I read in January. Two of them were terrific, and three good to very good, so I can't complain at that. I certainly have worse months than that! I managed one non-fiction which could be better, though I'm halfway through two more. I really do want to read more non-fiction this year so need to pull my finger out.
I made a good start on my three challenges, four for Mount TBR, one for The European Reading Challenge and two Vintage Mystery Scavenger Hunt. If I continue that way I shall have no trouble completing these by the ned of the year. *If*.
Hard to choose a favourite for January as two are pretty much level pegging: The Franchise Affair and The Sea Detective. I think, by the narrowest of narrow margins it's this:
The Sea Detective by Mark Douglas-Home (nephew of British PM, Sir Alec Douglas-Home for those who're interested in these things) was a thoroughly excellent first crime book by this author, well written, a good plot and an excellent setting. Look forward to reading the other two books in this 'new to me' series.
So that's the first month of the year done and dusted. Before we know it it'll be Christmas again. Just kidding...
4 comments:
well you are off and running!! I do fine when I read "reality/ bios" books I read slower, and of course depending on how many pages and how small the print is all makes a difference. The Kennedy books I read this month were easy reading and print not to awfully small. Most were short books.. under 400 pgs. I just began another mystery books with the Opium Eater in it :) I found him and his daughter interesting characters last time so hope this is as good.
Happy February! I hope it's better then January *sigh*.. we shall see!
ooooh ..if it pipped Franchise Affair then ordering it from the library was a good move!
I gobbled up my book and now feel rather lost ....you know when you become quite absorbed in what you are reading so that when you come up for air everything seems a little unreal for a while...
Ah well back to the real world and some chores whilst I wait for my read to arrive :o)
(you temptress you!)
That's a good start to the year and to your reading challenges - a nice mix of genres. I always find it difficult to choose a favourite!
Pat: I seem to be having more problems with small print these days and 'these days' more and more publishers seem to be using it. I'm now reading quite a lot of large print books.
Remind me of the title of that first opium eater book you read as I fancy reading it.
Val: Yes, I know that 'I've finished a really good book and am now a bit lost' feeling. Even worse when it means you have difficulty choosing the next book because nothing matches up to the excellence of the good one.
I've been described as many things but 'temptress' is definitely a first! LOL!!!
Margaret: Thanks. I'm really quite pleased with the good start I've made on my challenges.
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