smallhobbit | Book Review Year 5 No 5

Aunt Dimity and the Deep Blue Sea by Nancy Atherton

Yes, I am still working my way through the series. I didn't enjoy this as much as some of the others. It wasn't based in the home village, so it lacked a number of the regular characters. Also, there was a twist, but I didn't find it very satisfying. But I have bought the next book.

The Singing Sands by Josephine Tey

The final Inspector Grant book and one I enjoyed. I liked the setting and I liked the puzzle. The ending was a bit rushed, but overall I would recommend it to anyone who likes Tey's books.

Moving Pictures by Terry Pratchett

This is the first in the Industrial Revolution series. I enjoyed it a lot. The setting for a good proportion of the book is Holy Wood, and it's about the (temporary) arrival of motion pictures to Discworld. When I finished the DEATH series I had a break from reading Discworld novels, which I think was worthwhile, because it was really good to be reading another - very funny.

Murder in the Museum by John Rowland

My BookBingo square requires a book chosen for its cover, so I looked down the library list of books and chose this one (you can see the cover on the book bingo below). There were some clever touches, but it was very much of its time (1930s) and like so many of the series I can see why it went out of print, and is revived purely as nostalgia.

Vintage Murder by Ngaio Marsh

Unlike the above, Ngaio Marsh's Inspector Roderick Alleyn has retained a following. Yes, it's of its time, but the stories are entertaining and I like Alleyn. I was able to borrow the one copy from the county library, which continues to do the rounds.

Proud by Juno Dawson

My book bingo square requires something for Diverse Reads, and I'd already seen mention of this in the Waterstones email. I had been planning to buy a copy with the book token from my mother-in-law (because she'd hate the idea), but hadn't been near a bookshop when I discovered the library had copies on order. So I reserved one for when they came in, and was the first person to borrow it. It's a young adult book, with a number of short stories and poems written from the LGBTQ+ perspective. The theme is Proud - being proud of who they are - and all the stories finish on an upbeat note. It's easy reading and absolutely brilliant. When I reserved the book, the library had ordered three copies, and I notice now they've ordered three more. Go and read it!