Currently reading and just finished

So I seem to be reading five books at the moment. (I know.) But then this is the kind of reading year I decided upon at the beginning of January. A more casual, dip into this, dip into that sort of year. Less number orientated, less pressure: more enjoyment I hope.

Anyway, I finished, Saturday the Rabbi Went Hungry by Harry Kemelman several days ago.

It's Yom Kipur and Rabbi David Small is trying to eat his last meal before fasting begins, but the phone keeps ringing. One of the calls leads him into an investigation concerning a man found dead, presumably asphyxiated, in his car, in his garage. Suicide is pronounced but it doesn't feel right to Rabbi Small and because there's an issue over the burial of a suicide in a Jewish cemetary he's obliged to look into it. When he starts to tread on the toes of various bigwigs on the Jewish council and their interests then, naturally, things become complictated. This was such a good read. Yes, it's a mystery and a good one, but all human life is here, especially the self-interest of people with money and influence who want their own way and will do anything to get it: including trying to get rid a rabbi sacked. Nan at Letters From a Hill Farm recommended this series to me and I'm so glad she did. It's taken me a while to get around to book two but it won't be as long before I read book three.

So... five books.



The Cure of Souls by Phil Rickman. This is book four in his Merrily Watkins series. Merrily is a Church of England vicar who is also the diocesan deliverance consultant, conducting exorcisms etc. This instalment centres around a ouija board incident and involves Merrily's daughter, Jane. At the moment I'm quite liking it but I can also see why it's been nearly eight years (honestly, where does the time go?) since I last read an instalment of this series. We'll see...

The First Cadfael Omnibus by Ellis Peters. Loving this. Two books read, one to go.

The Penguin Book of the British Short Story: Volume one edited by Philip Hensher. Thirty six stories from Daniel Defoe to John Buchan. I've read six and can't honestly say I was very taken by any of them. Excellent writing of course, you wouldn't expect anything else from the likes of Daniel Defoe (an OK ghost story) Henry Fielding (a diatribe on the perils of lesbianism) and Mary Lamb (two sisters who live in London go to live in the country with their grandmother, we're not told why.) I rather suspect this volume will improve.



The Morville Hours by Katherine Swift. This is gorgeous but Spring is approaching in it so I thought I'd wait until Spring is approaching here before I read on. So I needed another bedtime read and naturally I picked up:

Howards End is on the Landing by Susan Hill, for the third or fourth time, I've honestly lost count how many times I've read this gorgeous book and its sister volume, Jacob's Room is Full of Books. I 'really' hope Susan Hill is writing another book about books.

Would love to hear what you're reading in the comments.

~~~oOo~~~