Books - February 2025
Feb. 28th, 2025 03:09 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
smallhobbitI've read seven books this month, because one was a very quick read.
Exit Strategy by Martha Wells
This year I intend to catch up on the remaining Murderbot stories and I really enjoyed seeing Murderbot in their next adventure and meeting up with some of the people they'd met before.
Verdict of Twelve by Raymond W Postgate
Read as the Shedunnit Lesser Known Author month, although not the winner of that category. It was a bit of a slog, and although possibly a good example of early Golden Age mystery, I wouldn't be looking for anything else by this author.
The Oaken Heart by Margery Allingham
Allingham is the author of the Albert Campion books, but this book is her account of how her English village acts in the year before WWII begins and on into the first half of the war. As a reflection of what life was like at the time, it should have been interesting, but her style grated and the characters really weren't interesting.
Stories for Winter and Nights by the Fire edited by Simon Thomas
A British Library Women Writers anthology, with contributions from throughout the first half of the twentieth century. As with most anthologies, I enjoyed some of the stories more than others, but I found it an excellent selection.
Chatterton Square by E H Young
I knew nothing about this book when I borrowed it from the library, except that it has been republished as part of the British Library Women Writers series. Although the copy I borrowed wasn't one of their reprints, but must have dated from roughly the time it was first published in 1947. The book itself is set in 1938 - it took me a while to work out the date, which would have been obvious to the first readers - and is a really interesting look at two very different families who live in neighbouring houses in Bristol. And as a look at life just before WWII, I felt this gave a much greater impression than Allingham's book. It's much more a slice of life than much of my usual reading, which tends towards mysteries, but I enjoyed it very much, particularly the characterisations of both those you'd enjoy meeting and those you'd try to avoid.
A Gentleman in Moscow by Amor Towles
I cannot remember where I saw this recommended, but it was clearly popular as the library had a number of copies which were being reserved. Rostov, the main character in the book is sentenced to house arrest in 1922 in the hotel where he is currently living. And what has the potential for being an uninteresting story grows fascinating with all the people he meets there. If you're looking for something slightly different, I would recommend it.
Eric by Terry Pratchett
Borrowed from the library, it's a short book and, like much of Pratchett, difficult to put down, and since I was returning the above two books to the library, it seemed sensible to finish this one too :) I wouldn't say I enjoyed it as much as some of the other books, the main character is Rincewind and I prefer some of the others, but it's still fun and Pratchett remains very relevant with his comments.
My book bingo is looking good for two months in, especially as it includes audio books:
Exit Strategy by Martha Wells
This year I intend to catch up on the remaining Murderbot stories and I really enjoyed seeing Murderbot in their next adventure and meeting up with some of the people they'd met before.
Verdict of Twelve by Raymond W Postgate
Read as the Shedunnit Lesser Known Author month, although not the winner of that category. It was a bit of a slog, and although possibly a good example of early Golden Age mystery, I wouldn't be looking for anything else by this author.
The Oaken Heart by Margery Allingham
Allingham is the author of the Albert Campion books, but this book is her account of how her English village acts in the year before WWII begins and on into the first half of the war. As a reflection of what life was like at the time, it should have been interesting, but her style grated and the characters really weren't interesting.
Stories for Winter and Nights by the Fire edited by Simon Thomas
A British Library Women Writers anthology, with contributions from throughout the first half of the twentieth century. As with most anthologies, I enjoyed some of the stories more than others, but I found it an excellent selection.
Chatterton Square by E H Young
I knew nothing about this book when I borrowed it from the library, except that it has been republished as part of the British Library Women Writers series. Although the copy I borrowed wasn't one of their reprints, but must have dated from roughly the time it was first published in 1947. The book itself is set in 1938 - it took me a while to work out the date, which would have been obvious to the first readers - and is a really interesting look at two very different families who live in neighbouring houses in Bristol. And as a look at life just before WWII, I felt this gave a much greater impression than Allingham's book. It's much more a slice of life than much of my usual reading, which tends towards mysteries, but I enjoyed it very much, particularly the characterisations of both those you'd enjoy meeting and those you'd try to avoid.
A Gentleman in Moscow by Amor Towles
I cannot remember where I saw this recommended, but it was clearly popular as the library had a number of copies which were being reserved. Rostov, the main character in the book is sentenced to house arrest in 1922 in the hotel where he is currently living. And what has the potential for being an uninteresting story grows fascinating with all the people he meets there. If you're looking for something slightly different, I would recommend it.
Eric by Terry Pratchett
Borrowed from the library, it's a short book and, like much of Pratchett, difficult to put down, and since I was returning the above two books to the library, it seemed sensible to finish this one too :) I wouldn't say I enjoyed it as much as some of the other books, the main character is Rincewind and I prefer some of the others, but it's still fun and Pratchett remains very relevant with his comments.
My book bingo is looking good for two months in, especially as it includes audio books:
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Date: 2025-02-28 04:17 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2025-02-28 05:34 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2025-02-28 06:53 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2025-02-28 06:59 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2025-03-01 11:45 am (UTC)Chatterton Square and A Gentleman in Moscow do seem interesting.
no subject
Date: 2025-03-01 12:27 pm (UTC)Both were interesting, but very different.