Book Review Year 6 No 5
Jul. 11th, 2020 11:23 amThe good news is that from next Monday we should be able to order books from our county library system. Even better, despite my initial fears, my local library is one of two in the whole of Gloucester from which books can be collected, at a pre-arranged time slot. English libraries have been permitted to do this for the last month, and for the last week have been permitted to open. I understand that, with all the procedures which need to be gone through, they might not be able to do so immediately, but I do find the 'look we're doing amazing things' somewhat annoying.
Anyway, back to the book review!
A Quiet Life in the Country by T E Kinsey
I think this was recommended by![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png)
aome and is a murder mystery set in 1908 in Gloucestershire. For some reason this didn't work for me. Maybe it was because it was set too close to home - the town and village names have been changed, but are still recognisable: Chipping Sodbury has become Chipping Bevington and the village where the main characters now live, Littleton Cotterell, is a combination of Littleton-upon-Severn and Frampton Cotterell. I also found the considerable references to past events a distraction. The mystery is interesting, but the book style is not one which appealled to me.
Village School by Miss Read
I had said I wouldn't buy any new books, but work my way through some of my TBR pile, but when I was shopping online for some birthday presents on a charity website I spotted this, which was on my library list, so decided to buy a copy. Set in a fictitious village school in the 1950s in rural England (and written in 1955) I found it a lovely look at life in a village school, with some very accurate character observations. It was very easy to read - it took me three days - and I really enjoyed it. Definitely feel good, but not ignoring the problems of the times.
Spinsters in Jeopardy by Ngaio Marsh
Continuing my read through of the Roderick Alleyn mysteries. This one is set in the south of France, and I enjoyed the ideas behind it. I'm now reading the next in the series. Co-incidentally I discovered Drama were broadcasting some of the 1993/94 series with Patrick Malahide as Alleyn, so we've been watching them, which we've enjoyed.
Annihilation by Jeff Vandermeer
Another![[community profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/community.png)
ushobwri suggestion, this time from necessarian who described the book as a horror story with an ecological twist. It was a very interesting idea, but not something I would generally read. This is the first book in a trilogy - I'm not likely to read the others, but I wouldn't definitely not read them. For someone who the premise appeals then I'd recommend it to them.
The Perplexing Theft of the Jewel in the Crown by Vaseem Khan
Second in the Baby Ganesh Agency books and set in Mumbai. An interesting mystery, which touches on the result of colonialism, but also features a young elephant (Ganesh). I enjoyed it and the next in the series will be on my reserve list as soon as the library opens its portal.
Aunt Dimity & the Village Witch by Nancy Atherton
Continuing my series read of cozy mysteries. Although set in Finch, my preferred location, this didn't appeal as much as some have. The plot was an interesting one, but somehow it failed to grab me as much as some have. Anyway, I have ordered the next one via Ebay. One point of interest is that the copy I read came from Harris County Public Library, Houston, Texas.
Cop Hater by Ed McBain
Also aushobwri recommendation by badly_knitted . This is the first of the 87th Precinct novels. Slighty to my surprise, I did enjoy it - and even had to skip forward a few pages at the end just to see what happened. There's plot and procedure. It's written in 1958 and therefore reflective of the times and the attitudes towards women, but I could accept that. I might read more of the series at some point, although I wouldn't work my way through as I do with some other series.
I now have only two books left from theushobwri suggestions I received last November. One is on the library 'order as soon as its open' list and the other I'm waiting for the price of a secondhand copy to come down a bit.
And my book bingo card:
( Book bingo card )
Anyway, back to the book review!
A Quiet Life in the Country by T E Kinsey
I think this was recommended by
aome and is a murder mystery set in 1908 in Gloucestershire. For some reason this didn't work for me. Maybe it was because it was set too close to home - the town and village names have been changed, but are still recognisable: Chipping Sodbury has become Chipping Bevington and the village where the main characters now live, Littleton Cotterell, is a combination of Littleton-upon-Severn and Frampton Cotterell. I also found the considerable references to past events a distraction. The mystery is interesting, but the book style is not one which appealled to me.Village School by Miss Read
I had said I wouldn't buy any new books, but work my way through some of my TBR pile, but when I was shopping online for some birthday presents on a charity website I spotted this, which was on my library list, so decided to buy a copy. Set in a fictitious village school in the 1950s in rural England (and written in 1955) I found it a lovely look at life in a village school, with some very accurate character observations. It was very easy to read - it took me three days - and I really enjoyed it. Definitely feel good, but not ignoring the problems of the times.
Spinsters in Jeopardy by Ngaio Marsh
Continuing my read through of the Roderick Alleyn mysteries. This one is set in the south of France, and I enjoyed the ideas behind it. I'm now reading the next in the series. Co-incidentally I discovered Drama were broadcasting some of the 1993/94 series with Patrick Malahide as Alleyn, so we've been watching them, which we've enjoyed.
Annihilation by Jeff Vandermeer
Another
ushobwri suggestion, this time from necessarian who described the book as a horror story with an ecological twist. It was a very interesting idea, but not something I would generally read. This is the first book in a trilogy - I'm not likely to read the others, but I wouldn't definitely not read them. For someone who the premise appeals then I'd recommend it to them.The Perplexing Theft of the Jewel in the Crown by Vaseem Khan
Second in the Baby Ganesh Agency books and set in Mumbai. An interesting mystery, which touches on the result of colonialism, but also features a young elephant (Ganesh). I enjoyed it and the next in the series will be on my reserve list as soon as the library opens its portal.
Aunt Dimity & the Village Witch by Nancy Atherton
Continuing my series read of cozy mysteries. Although set in Finch, my preferred location, this didn't appeal as much as some have. The plot was an interesting one, but somehow it failed to grab me as much as some have. Anyway, I have ordered the next one via Ebay. One point of interest is that the copy I read came from Harris County Public Library, Houston, Texas.
Cop Hater by Ed McBain
Also a
ushobwri recommendation by badly_knitted . This is the first of the 87th Precinct novels. Slighty to my surprise, I did enjoy it - and even had to skip forward a few pages at the end just to see what happened. There's plot and procedure. It's written in 1958 and therefore reflective of the times and the attitudes towards women, but I could accept that. I might read more of the series at some point, although I wouldn't work my way through as I do with some other series.I now have only two books left from the
ushobwri suggestions I received last November. One is on the library 'order as soon as its open' list and the other I'm waiting for the price of a secondhand copy to come down a bit.And my book bingo card:
( Book bingo card )
