Book Review Year 6 No 8
Nov. 6th, 2020 03:06 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
smallhobbitNine books in the space of seven weeks - the benefits of the library being open and saving time by working from home and therefore reading longer at night.
False Scent - Ngaio Marsh
Another Inspector Roderick Alleyn mystery and one I enjoyed very much. In fact I must have read the whole of the second half of it one Saturday morning.
Capital Crimes (London Mysteries) - edited by Martin Edwards
Another set of Golden Age of Crime short stories, which was going to be my book for when I went to London in the summer. It had been bought with a book token from my mother-in-law, and put to one side. So instead, since I had time off, I read a story each day to make the day feel a bit different from normal. A wide variety of stories, and a book I enjoyed.
When Hitler Stole Pink Rabbit - Judith Kerr
I'd been meaning to read this book for a couple of years, and finally borrowed it from the library. It's semi-autobiographical, telling of Anna, a young Jewish girl and her family's flight from Berlin in 1933. The book is written for young teenagers, but I enjoyed it, and probably had a much greater understanding of what was happening than I would have done as a teenager - it's told from Anna's perspective, but there are clear signs of how her parents are feeling.
South Riding - Winifred Holtby
When the library finally re-opened, this had been on my 'to be read' list for a couple of years, so I decided to broaden my reading a bit and borrow it. The book was written and set in Yorkshire between the two wars, and gives an accurate view of what life was like at the time. It wasn't the easiest of reads, but I'm glad I finished it.
Village Diary - Miss Read
The second in the Fairacre Chronicles. Much lighter than the above, and yet as accurate in its observations of the times. This was written in 1955, and gives a sympathetic view of a rural village and the characters within it. An easy and pleasant read from the library.
Murder by Matchlight - E C R Lorac
Thanks to the Shedunnit podcast I have found a new crime author I really enjoy. The book is set during the London blitz, and has wonderful descriptions of the times (it was written in 1945). There's a fascinating crime and an interesting cast of characters. The detective is described as being rather characterless, but he's efficient and competent, so I'm perfectly happy. I'd definitely recommend this to anyone who likes Golden Age detective fiction.
The Measure of Malice (Scientific Detection Stories) - edited by Martin Edwards
I've got quite a collection of these British Library Crime Classics short stories books now. Yes, this was my October holiday book, so was read during my not-going-away holiday. As usual the stories are of varying standards, but I enjoyed them.
Murder at the Grand Raj Palace - Vaseem Khan
The next in the Baby Ganesh Agency - and set in the Grand Raj Palace in Mumbai. It's an enjoyable plot, and this time while ex-Inspector Chopra investigates the murder, his wife, Poppy, looks into the disappearance of a bride. So, two entertaining stories at once.
Aunt Dimity & the Lost Prince - Nancy Atherton
I read this in the gap between returning one set of library books and collecting the next. It was a pleasant enough read, but for me not as good as some of the others. Also, too much travelling up and down a motorway for the Cotswolds.
False Scent - Ngaio Marsh
Another Inspector Roderick Alleyn mystery and one I enjoyed very much. In fact I must have read the whole of the second half of it one Saturday morning.
Capital Crimes (London Mysteries) - edited by Martin Edwards
Another set of Golden Age of Crime short stories, which was going to be my book for when I went to London in the summer. It had been bought with a book token from my mother-in-law, and put to one side. So instead, since I had time off, I read a story each day to make the day feel a bit different from normal. A wide variety of stories, and a book I enjoyed.
When Hitler Stole Pink Rabbit - Judith Kerr
I'd been meaning to read this book for a couple of years, and finally borrowed it from the library. It's semi-autobiographical, telling of Anna, a young Jewish girl and her family's flight from Berlin in 1933. The book is written for young teenagers, but I enjoyed it, and probably had a much greater understanding of what was happening than I would have done as a teenager - it's told from Anna's perspective, but there are clear signs of how her parents are feeling.
South Riding - Winifred Holtby
When the library finally re-opened, this had been on my 'to be read' list for a couple of years, so I decided to broaden my reading a bit and borrow it. The book was written and set in Yorkshire between the two wars, and gives an accurate view of what life was like at the time. It wasn't the easiest of reads, but I'm glad I finished it.
Village Diary - Miss Read
The second in the Fairacre Chronicles. Much lighter than the above, and yet as accurate in its observations of the times. This was written in 1955, and gives a sympathetic view of a rural village and the characters within it. An easy and pleasant read from the library.
Murder by Matchlight - E C R Lorac
Thanks to the Shedunnit podcast I have found a new crime author I really enjoy. The book is set during the London blitz, and has wonderful descriptions of the times (it was written in 1945). There's a fascinating crime and an interesting cast of characters. The detective is described as being rather characterless, but he's efficient and competent, so I'm perfectly happy. I'd definitely recommend this to anyone who likes Golden Age detective fiction.
The Measure of Malice (Scientific Detection Stories) - edited by Martin Edwards
I've got quite a collection of these British Library Crime Classics short stories books now. Yes, this was my October holiday book, so was read during my not-going-away holiday. As usual the stories are of varying standards, but I enjoyed them.
Murder at the Grand Raj Palace - Vaseem Khan
The next in the Baby Ganesh Agency - and set in the Grand Raj Palace in Mumbai. It's an enjoyable plot, and this time while ex-Inspector Chopra investigates the murder, his wife, Poppy, looks into the disappearance of a bride. So, two entertaining stories at once.
Aunt Dimity & the Lost Prince - Nancy Atherton
I read this in the gap between returning one set of library books and collecting the next. It was a pleasant enough read, but for me not as good as some of the others. Also, too much travelling up and down a motorway for the Cotswolds.
