It's been a week or so since I last posted, which isn't a lot but I still seem to have four books to mention or review. So let's crack on...
First up, a short story collection, Midwinter Murders by Agatha Christie. I actually started this before Christmas when I was reading a few seasonal short stories and had I picked a couple from this book. It's a very good collection of wintery and Christmas tales which feature Hercule Poirot, Miss Marple and Mr. Quin and there're also couple of standalones. I liked the Miss Marple stories best, The Christmas Tragedy and Sanctuary but also a Tommy and Tuppence story, The Clergyman's Daughter, which I talked about HERE. But really this is a very solid collection of excellent stories.
And, for lovers of Agatha Christie's short stories, another seasonal collection has been compiled for publication on the 2nd. March, Sinister Spring.
Next up, Blind Descent by Nevada Barr. This is my book for this month's 'Read Around the USA challenge' which is to read a book set in Arizona, Colorado, New Mexico, Utah or Wyoming.
This is book six in the author's 'Anna Pigeon' series of crime novels. Anna works as a National Park warden and doesn't seem to be able to avoid murder and mayhem wherever she goes. (And don't us avid crime readers just love these people?) This time she's sent to New Mexico's Carlsbad Caverns NP to help rescue a friend of hers, Frieda, who is trapped, injured, in a mainly unexplored part of the cave system called, Lechuguilla. There's only one problem with this: Anna suffers from claustrophobia. It takes a while for her and the guides to get to her friend, when she does Frieda tells her that she thinks her injury was not an accident and that someone has tried to kill her. It not Good News. Now Anna is faced, not only with the trials of getting an injured person out through some very tight spaces, she also has no idea who she can trust any more. Well goodness me, I think if you're claustrophobic yourself you might want to think twice before reading this. I'm not particularly but it certainly gave me the shivers in a lot of places. The atmosphere of suspense and danger in the underground scenes was superb and nothing goes well so this is not a cosy mystery! I think this might be my favourite of this series so far, although they have all been good and I always love the NP settings and learn a lot about areas I had not previously heard of. I happily gave this 5 stars on Goodreads because I thought it was fantastic.
Next, To Be Taught if Fortunate by Becky Chambers.
This is a science-fiction novella by an author who is very popular at the moment, one of the new breed of sci-fi authors who have suddenly come to the fore. It's about four astronauts surveying four planets fifteen light years away from Earth. They've been put to sleep before they arrive at the first planet and once they finish with each planet they are put under again. This of course means that when they get back to Earth eventually, many years will have passed and their loved ones will no longer be alive. The book charts what they find on each planet, how they interact with each other and how they deal with communications from Earth. Many years into the project they start to realise all is not well with their home planet. That's all I'm going to say. For a book that's only 135 pages long this packs a punch. To start off it's full of the science of the flora and fauna they find on the planet. It tells how their bodies are subtly altered with supplements to cope with different environments as they sleep. It sounds dry but it's not, it's fascinating. Quite character-centric too. Ariadne is the narrator and she has with her two men and another female and it was really interesting to read about their relationship to one another and how they supported each other in times of stress. I liked this a lot. I haven't loved everything I've read by Becky Chambers but I think she's a very talented new name in the science -fiction genre.
And the last book I want to mention today is The Willows in Winter by William Horwood. This is the author's first sequel to The Wind in the Willows by Kenneth Grahame. All of the characters are back, Mole, Ratty, Badger, Toad of Toad Hall and are joined this time by Mole's nephew who is staying with him. Mole gets himself lost in a blizzard while on an errand of mercy and they all think he's dead. Meanwhile Toad has a new hobby, planes, and that leads to all kinds of craziness. Great stuff and I'll be reading the next book, Toad Triumphant, in May when the actual book begins.
So that's what I've read. The books I'm reading at the moment are these three:
Murder Before Evensong by the Reverand Richard Coles is a church based murder mystery set in 1988. Red Sauce Brown Sauce by Felicty Cloake is a travelogue charting the author's cycling odyssey around the UK looking at what we Brits eat for breakfast. And Letters to Alice on First Reading Jane Austen by Fay Weldon is a novella length chat to her niece, Alice, (I presume she actually existed) about Jane Austen, her life and her books. All three of these are, so far, excellent.
So, that's me up to date bookwise. I hope you're all keeping well and enjoying lots of good books.
22 comments:
How does Willows in Winter hold up to the style of the original? I am curious about it, but the Wind in the Willows was so dear to my heart (many re-reads) I'm afraid someone else's continuation of the story just wouldn't be the same.
I'm afraid I feel the same way about 'The Wind In The Willows' as your previous commenter Jeane. Continuation stories by alternative authors don't sit well with me, especially not such a classic, which holds such fond memories from my childhood.
Someone else recommended that I should try reading the Agatha Christie short stories, so I am planning to work my down the multitudinous list (I had no idea there were so many!). Before I began blogging, I was never much of a short story person, however, I have read some excellent titles over the past few years, so I am much more open to new suggestions these days - In fact, my current book is a short story: 'God's Country' by Kerry Hadley-Pryce and so far I am loving it, her writing is so wonderfully descriptive and as yet I have no idea where the storyline is heading!
I also have the Reverend Richard Coles books on my list to read, so I shall make sure I add 'Murder Before Evensong'. He always sounds like such an affable, fun loving person and when he used to do a spot on Radio 2 towards the end of the breakfast show, he was sure to leave me smiling on my way to work!
Happy Reading :)
Both of the Agatha Christie short story collections sound like fun. I just watched the movie version they did of her book Crooked House and quite enjoyed it. And I have to read Blind Descent just for the cave setting! I love books that are set in and around caves...probably because caves scare me and intrigue me at the same time. Have a great week, Cath! :D
You've had some good reads, Cath! I'm not surprised you enjoyed the Christie collection. She's perhaps best known for her novels, but the way I see it, she was at least as skilled with short stories. And I'm glad you enjoyed the Nevada Barr. I really do like her Anna Pigeon character.
I can completely agree with you about BLIND DESCENT. I read it a number of years ago, but it was certainly vivid in the descriptions and 'closeness' of the cave area for the rescue. It probably helps that I have seen Carlsbad Caverns probably 3 or 4 times. I remember the first time I visited there, we went with my husband's grandparents. His grandfather didn't want to see it in the usual way with a guide (think they had actual people guides at that time). He just walked very fast and I felt like I missed 75% of the caverns. Ha! And, no, we didn't see any unexplored parts and I didn't feel very claustrophobic. Maybe that was what was going on with the grandfather. Anyway, the next time we toured, we had a handheld unit that gave the info about the caverns.
I'm sad that Nevada Barr isn't writing this series any longer, but it was definitely a good one.
I will definitely be getting a copy of Midwinter Murder by Christie. Probably also To Be Taught If Fortunate, although I have a copy of A Long Way To a Small Angry Planet, which I probably ought to read first. Although it is 440plus pages.
I have only read the first Nevada Barr book and I have more on my shelves. Do you have an opinion if it matters if they are read in order?
Jeane: I think the sequels do hold up but, although I'm fond of the original, I'm not emotionally attached so they might not hold up for you at all. Difficult to say to be honest.
Yvonne: Sequels don't appeal to all and I quite understand why you're not keen.
Like you I was not a huge fan of short stories until quite recently, but these days I really appreciate the medium when it's done well. Agatha Christie wrote 'loads' and in my opinion she really knew how to do it.
Richard Coles affableness (is that a word?) really comes over in his book. Such a lovely way with wry humour, I'm really enjoying it. Book 2 is out this year I think.
Thanks for stopping by, have a good week.
Lark: Yes, I'm into books set in caves too though I haven't found that many. I must look on Goodreads or Amazon. But 'this' is brilliant in how it depicts caving, I loved it.
Margot: Absolutely Christie was as skilled at short stories as novels, she's written some real gems.
The Nevada Barr was superb, I'm only up to book 6 but the series is going from strength to strength. And I love her NP settings.
Kay: How brilliant that you've actually been to the Carlsbad Caves system. I loved your story about your husband's grandfather. It does sound like he was claustrophobic.
I saw that Nevada Barr had not written an Anna Pigeon book since 2016, have you any idea why?
Tracy: I know The Long Way to a Small Angry Planet is long but I think you'll find it will fly by as it's fun and very readable. I loved it.
Well, there is something of a back story with the Anna Pigeon books but not enough to interfere much so I think they can be read randomly. You'll have gathered most of her back story - how she was widowed - from book one.
Wow, another seasonal collection of Christie's short stories!
I've read the Midwinter Murders, and the summer collection: Midsummer Murders is already in my wish list. Now the spring one is coming, so we can hope to have the autumn one pretty soon, I guess? ;)
The Reverend Richard Coles seems interesting, can't wait to read your thoughts on it!
Fanda: I didn't actually know about the summer collection so thank you for mentioning that. An autumn one would be lovely too.
I finished the Richard Coles book today and enjoyed it quite a lot. I like church based mysteries. I'll be reviewing it asap.
I also like church based mysteries (also Susan Howatch's peculiar but compelling series about the C of E) and picked up that Evensong book several times last year. I will have to see if it has made it to the US.
You amaze me with how much you read, Cath. I do like the sound of Red Sauce Brown Sauce. I’ll be looking that one up for sure.
Constance: Oh yes, you mentioned Susan Howatch's series to me before, I must look at those again. The Evensong book was a fun read, nice sense of humour throughout. I liked his writing so bought one of his non-fiction books about being a vicar.
I looked for Patricia Wentworth books in the library on Monday but came up with nothing. I was surprised as I know I've seen some in there. P and I will trot off to another library at some stage to see what they have.
Val: Well, I'm not as busy as you, plus I don't have a nice lot of published works under my belt that take time to write. You can only do what you can do. :-)
Ah, thank you for the kind words, Cath. I have been reading more since my accident, but that's only because I can't write :)
I loved Nevada Barr's Blind Descent even though I am claustrophobic to a degree AND I can't bear to be underground. (I stay above ground while Denis goes on those mine tours. *shudder*) There were parts of the book that not only gave me severe shivers but made me try to read them with both eyes shut! LOL
Val: I had no idea until your comment here that you had broken your wrist. I somehow managed to miss that post. Well, at least, as you say, it does mean you can now read more but not the greatest way to acheive that. You take care.
Cathy: Yes, I'm ever so slightly claustrophobic too, not on any huge scale but if I'm underground on some cave tour I spend the time thinking of the weight of stone above and am always glad to get out. We did the Mammoth Caves in Kentucky so that gives me a very tiny idea of where Anna went. I do love reading these kinds of books though, anything about caving, mountaineering... things I would never do myself. LOL
Post a Comment