Book Review Year 6 No 5

[smallhobbit]

The 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 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:

Comments

[mafief]

Five more to go! Almost there.

[smallhobbit]

I've still got two Free Choices to use (in addition to the centre square) so it should now be fairly easy.

[kingstoken]

Your card is looking awesome, so many bingos, and you're getting really close to a full card. When I created the card I obviously didn't know what was going to happen this year, so we might need to use an alternative for the "Book on Display at the Library" square

[smallhobbit]

Thank you. I've used my two substitute categories, but I've still got two more free choices (I'm playing by last year's rules) so I can always use one for that square, but I agree Book on Display at the Library may need substituting or a broadening of the definition.

[margaret_r]

Not far to go with it! Our library has opened again but with controlled numbers and time limits. I haven't ventured in yet, might wait until there's more browsing time.

[smallhobbit]

I rarely browse in our library, just reserving the books I want and collecting them so, apart from a set collection time it won't make too much difference to me.

[aome]

I'm sorry the Lady Hardcastle mystery didn't work for you - that's always disappointing, to have a book that one finds "meh." I'm glad others' recommendations were more enjoyable!

[smallhobbit]

Don't apologise. In theory it should have been a good fit; those two things just put me off.

On the other hand I've started the third Olivia Yu Su Lin book which seems as promising as the first two.

[therealsnape]

Miss Read! She's one of two authors of whom I have the collected works (Agatha Christie being the other). I so love those books.

[smallhobbit]

It was your mention of her which finally pushed me to buying the book. I shall be reading more!

[therealsnape]

Glad to hear it didn't disappoint!

[debriswoman]

Interesting selection...The Miss Read books are a favourite of mine...evocative of a time and place:-)

[smallhobbit]

I do like to read a variety of books! I shall be reading more of Miss Read - they are lovely.

[luthienberen]

Hurrah on such excellent progress! A nice mix on genre books to in your review.

Village School sounds like a comforting read.

Glad your local library is reopening! Unsure when ours will, but all in time x

[smallhobbit]

Thank you. I like to get recommendations so I do read a variety of genre.

Village School is very comforting - and yet not 'everything is lovely' - it remains realistic.

I was expecting it to be the central library which opened so was delighted when I found it was ours.

[moth2fic]

I liked the Miss Read books - they were very real to me because my mother was a village schoolmistress!

Glad your library is getting its act together!

[smallhobbit]

Yes - even though they're fiction they're very true to life.

Tomorrow I can reserve books!