Book Review Year 7 No 4
Apr. 27th, 2021 04:01 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
smallhobbitI was still waiting for my library reservations, which meant I began to read other books, only to have a flurry of arrivals near the end of the month, which I am still reading. I also discovered that you can only have 10 books reserved at one time.
Miraculous Mysteries edited by Martin Edwards
This short story collection was my reward for retiring, which meant I could read a story in the morning. These are all 'locked room' mysteries, but putting them together meant I found a certain pattern, to most of them. I did particularly like the final story, by Margery Allingham.
The Moving Toyshop by Edmund Crispin
Having started reading the Gervase Fen stories, I've decided to continue for the moment. The library has copies which means it's not costing me anything. This is supposed to be the best Fen story, but I wasn't as impressed, and I gather my opinion is shared by some others. However, I'm prepared to keep reading and the next in the series is currently slowly making its way across the county to me.
Over the Gate by Miss Read
The next in the Fairacre Chronicles. Stories about the people who inhabit the village of Fairacre as we move through a year. Yes, it's nostalgic, but the people are very real. [D4]
The Tokyo Zodiac Murders by Soji Shimada
I've had this book on my To Be Read pile for a while. Inspired in part by the Shedunnit podcast episode on Japanese Honkaku mysteries I finally read it. I enjoyed the Japanese setting, but find myself getting muddled with the names, although there is a character list at the beginning which I referred to. The solution was clever, but for me the plot was over complicated. [C4]
Aunt Dimity and the Buried Treasure by Nancy Atherton
As I get closer to the most recent books, the price goes up, so I have to wait until there's a cheaper copy for sale. Having looked again at my copy, I realise it's been signed by the author! Anyway, I liked the plot of this story, which goes back to WWII. However, I feel the villagers, who I used to enjoy, are becoming more charicatures, which is perhaps inevitable with a long running series, but still a bit sad.
That Yew Tree's Shade by Cyril Hare
I've also read most of the more common books by Hare, so again it's a case of waiting until a cheaper copy comes up and then reading it as soon as it arrives. I enjoy Hare's style and the more analytic nature of the detection. Again there are legal implications involved (Hare was a judge). And the last line is the sort of thing I aspire to in my fics.
Seven Dead by J. Jefferson Farjeon
I borrowed this from the library when I had gone to pick up SM's books. I didn't have much to read, so I thought trying a new Golden Age author could be interesting. Of course, doing that guaranteed my own books would suddenly all arrive at the library. Farjeon hasn't gone onto my 'want to read everything they've written' list, but I would certainly read another at some point. I enjoyed most of the plot, but there were a couple of things which annoyed me. However, I found it an entertaining read.
[Letters/numbers refer to my reading lists for the year, and record how I'm progressing. No A or B this month, because I reached A4 in March and B4 in February. Both will be back in May.]
Also, because I shall be including audiobooks in a monthly book update from next month, here's a quick summary of what I've been listening to since I last posted in early February. I finished The Garden of Angels by David Hewson (read by Richard Armitage). I enjoyed it. The book is set mainly in Venice during the Nazi occupation, and learning the history was interesting, as well as the plot. I then listened to Brink: Volumes 1-3: The Classic 2000AD Novel. This was a full cast production, and sadly RA was only in the first volume. Nevertheless I enjoyed the story rather more than I generally do with Sci-Fi. The Short, the Long and the Tall by Jeffrey Archer is a collection of 20 short stories, with various narrators, of which one was RA. (Tell me you're surprised). I'm not a fan of Archer, but he does tell some very good stories. And finally, Last Victim of the Monsoon Express by Vaseem Khan, read by Madhav Sharma. This was another Baby Ganesh Agency novella. I would have preferred to read the book, but couldn't get a cheap copy, so used one of my audible credits.
Lastly, my book bingo card:
Miraculous Mysteries edited by Martin Edwards
This short story collection was my reward for retiring, which meant I could read a story in the morning. These are all 'locked room' mysteries, but putting them together meant I found a certain pattern, to most of them. I did particularly like the final story, by Margery Allingham.
The Moving Toyshop by Edmund Crispin
Having started reading the Gervase Fen stories, I've decided to continue for the moment. The library has copies which means it's not costing me anything. This is supposed to be the best Fen story, but I wasn't as impressed, and I gather my opinion is shared by some others. However, I'm prepared to keep reading and the next in the series is currently slowly making its way across the county to me.
Over the Gate by Miss Read
The next in the Fairacre Chronicles. Stories about the people who inhabit the village of Fairacre as we move through a year. Yes, it's nostalgic, but the people are very real. [D4]
The Tokyo Zodiac Murders by Soji Shimada
I've had this book on my To Be Read pile for a while. Inspired in part by the Shedunnit podcast episode on Japanese Honkaku mysteries I finally read it. I enjoyed the Japanese setting, but find myself getting muddled with the names, although there is a character list at the beginning which I referred to. The solution was clever, but for me the plot was over complicated. [C4]
Aunt Dimity and the Buried Treasure by Nancy Atherton
As I get closer to the most recent books, the price goes up, so I have to wait until there's a cheaper copy for sale. Having looked again at my copy, I realise it's been signed by the author! Anyway, I liked the plot of this story, which goes back to WWII. However, I feel the villagers, who I used to enjoy, are becoming more charicatures, which is perhaps inevitable with a long running series, but still a bit sad.
That Yew Tree's Shade by Cyril Hare
I've also read most of the more common books by Hare, so again it's a case of waiting until a cheaper copy comes up and then reading it as soon as it arrives. I enjoy Hare's style and the more analytic nature of the detection. Again there are legal implications involved (Hare was a judge). And the last line is the sort of thing I aspire to in my fics.
Seven Dead by J. Jefferson Farjeon
I borrowed this from the library when I had gone to pick up SM's books. I didn't have much to read, so I thought trying a new Golden Age author could be interesting. Of course, doing that guaranteed my own books would suddenly all arrive at the library. Farjeon hasn't gone onto my 'want to read everything they've written' list, but I would certainly read another at some point. I enjoyed most of the plot, but there were a couple of things which annoyed me. However, I found it an entertaining read.
[Letters/numbers refer to my reading lists for the year, and record how I'm progressing. No A or B this month, because I reached A4 in March and B4 in February. Both will be back in May.]
Also, because I shall be including audiobooks in a monthly book update from next month, here's a quick summary of what I've been listening to since I last posted in early February. I finished The Garden of Angels by David Hewson (read by Richard Armitage). I enjoyed it. The book is set mainly in Venice during the Nazi occupation, and learning the history was interesting, as well as the plot. I then listened to Brink: Volumes 1-3: The Classic 2000AD Novel. This was a full cast production, and sadly RA was only in the first volume. Nevertheless I enjoyed the story rather more than I generally do with Sci-Fi. The Short, the Long and the Tall by Jeffrey Archer is a collection of 20 short stories, with various narrators, of which one was RA. (Tell me you're surprised). I'm not a fan of Archer, but he does tell some very good stories. And finally, Last Victim of the Monsoon Express by Vaseem Khan, read by Madhav Sharma. This was another Baby Ganesh Agency novella. I would have preferred to read the book, but couldn't get a cheap copy, so used one of my audible credits.
Lastly, my book bingo card:
no subject
Date: 2021-04-27 04:43 pm (UTC)Sorry The Moving Toyshop didn't light your fire as much as anticipated. Glad you finished The Tokyo Zodiac Murders. And I am jealous of the Miraculous Mysteries. I will get to it (one day!) I've never even heard of The Yew Tree's Shade. So much to read!
no subject
Date: 2021-04-27 04:52 pm (UTC)I think you will like the Miraculous Mysteries. I just have an Ebay notification for Cyril Hare, so buy whatever is within my price range. My To Be Read pile is as large as ever!
no subject
Date: 2021-04-27 05:57 pm (UTC)Audible is useful I admit for when you can't find a book cheaply or at all.
However, I feel the villagers, who I used to enjoy, are becoming more charicatures, which is perhaps inevitable with a long running series, but still a bit sad.
I sympathise, it is almost inevitable in any long series and I often wish the writer (or show etc.) quit while they were ahead.
no subject
Date: 2021-04-27 07:12 pm (UTC)I have an interesting collection of To Be Reads and Want To Reads in my audible library.
no subject
Date: 2021-04-28 12:05 pm (UTC)I have an interesting collection of To Be Reads and Want To Reads in my audible library.
I love the names of your two Audible piles!
no subject
Date: 2021-04-27 07:30 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2021-04-27 08:01 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2021-04-29 10:49 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2021-04-29 12:44 pm (UTC)