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Books - December 2023
Dec. 31st, 2023 03:37 pmThe end of the year and I have read 84 books, which quite nicely works out at 7 per month.
One Fine Day by Matthew Parker
This is the look at the British Empire on one day in September 1923, when the Empire was at its farthest extent, covering a quarter of the world's land and with a population of 460 million. It's a long book of over 600 pages, and I had three weeks to read it, as it was a library book and there were further reservations. I did get it back on time, having read it all and it's a fascinating insight into the different lands and the attitudes of both the colonised and the colonisers.
Father Christmas' Fake Beard by Terry Pratchett
A short story collection, some better than others, which I borrowed from the children's section of the library. Briefly entertaining pre-Christmas fare.
The Dead of Winter: Ten Classic Tales for Chilling Nights edited by Cecily Gayford
I quite like spooky tales and some of these were good, but a number weren't up to the standard of the real masters of the genre. On the whole a disappointing collection and if there is a similar book next year I won't be buying it. [A12]
Fen Country by Edmund Crispin
More short stories, many of which feature Gervase Fen, Crispin's amateur detective. I'd read a few before, but really enjoyed this collection. The stories are very short but have an excellent twist in the tail. [D12]
Who Killed Father Christmas? and Other Seasonal Mysteries edited by Martin Edwards
The British Library Crime Classics Christmas short story collection. This year they'd extended slightly further outside GAD, which meant that nearly all were enjoyable, and I'd only read one before. [B12]
Murder on the Christmas Express by Alexandra Benedict
I won this last year in a competition run by Vaseem Khan and had been looking forward to it ever since. However I wouldn't recommend it. Too many 'clever' complications, the reasoning was too laboured, and the detective was too involved in her private life. On the positive side, I had had a lovely email exchange with Vaseem Khan, and will continue to look at books he recommends, such as One Fine Day. [C12]
And that is my year completed. I have one book I'm in the middle of, which I borrowed from the library just before Christmas and which I'd reserved at the end of July, so that will count as my first book of 2024.
One Fine Day by Matthew Parker
This is the look at the British Empire on one day in September 1923, when the Empire was at its farthest extent, covering a quarter of the world's land and with a population of 460 million. It's a long book of over 600 pages, and I had three weeks to read it, as it was a library book and there were further reservations. I did get it back on time, having read it all and it's a fascinating insight into the different lands and the attitudes of both the colonised and the colonisers.
Father Christmas' Fake Beard by Terry Pratchett
A short story collection, some better than others, which I borrowed from the children's section of the library. Briefly entertaining pre-Christmas fare.
The Dead of Winter: Ten Classic Tales for Chilling Nights edited by Cecily Gayford
I quite like spooky tales and some of these were good, but a number weren't up to the standard of the real masters of the genre. On the whole a disappointing collection and if there is a similar book next year I won't be buying it. [A12]
Fen Country by Edmund Crispin
More short stories, many of which feature Gervase Fen, Crispin's amateur detective. I'd read a few before, but really enjoyed this collection. The stories are very short but have an excellent twist in the tail. [D12]
Who Killed Father Christmas? and Other Seasonal Mysteries edited by Martin Edwards
The British Library Crime Classics Christmas short story collection. This year they'd extended slightly further outside GAD, which meant that nearly all were enjoyable, and I'd only read one before. [B12]
Murder on the Christmas Express by Alexandra Benedict
I won this last year in a competition run by Vaseem Khan and had been looking forward to it ever since. However I wouldn't recommend it. Too many 'clever' complications, the reasoning was too laboured, and the detective was too involved in her private life. On the positive side, I had had a lovely email exchange with Vaseem Khan, and will continue to look at books he recommends, such as One Fine Day. [C12]
And that is my year completed. I have one book I'm in the middle of, which I borrowed from the library just before Christmas and which I'd reserved at the end of July, so that will count as my first book of 2024.
