Books - April 2026
Apr. 16th, 2026 04:06 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
smallhobbit6 books, and I'm planning on reading another when I'm away, but that will go into May. Total books to date is 33.
The Judge's House by Georges Simenon
Maigret has been sent away from Paris, there's no indication why. It's a small coastal town with some very strange goings on, and odd relationships. Despite being in exile, Maigret slowly works out what has happened in a very satisfactory way. Once more, it's a different set up and fascinating to see the way people behave.
Death of a Bookseller by Bernard J Farmer
One of the runners up for the Shedunnit book connected month. Too long and the plot was too drawn out.
The Retired Assassin's Guide to Orchid Hunting by Naomi Kuttner
In order to read this book I had to buy a new copy, which is not something I would generally do. However, it was so enjoyable that it was well worth it. It's cosy crime, the second in the series, with a retired assassin, an ex-art thief, and a young man who is in contact with the ghosts of dead residents. It's set in a small town in New Zealand, I really like the characters, and there's a cat, also, orchids.
Three Bedrooms in Manhattan by Georges Simenon
Not a Maigret this time. It's a story of two people in Manhattan who meet and their emotions and relationship. Very different from the other Simenon books I've read, but his grasp of character still shines through.
Broken Light by Joanne Harris
I read the book very quickly, but in the end, although the concept was really interesting, and the ideas behind it extremely relevant, I found it disappointing. Although not a fantasy, I think it uses ideas from that genre, which is not one I enjoy, so that may have had something to do with it.
Odd One Out by Lissa Evans
I'm currently reading the library books by Lissa Evans that I haven't already read, and wasn't sure about this one to start with. However, it was another book I read quickly - wanting to finish it before I went away - and this time I thoroughly enjoyed it. There are a number of different individuals, each with their own story, who for different reasons are the odd one out. Taking place in a large town, they all come to interact in different ways, and as the story unfolds, the different layers of the characters become visible, so that by the end I was wanting things to work out for all of them.
The Judge's House by Georges Simenon
Maigret has been sent away from Paris, there's no indication why. It's a small coastal town with some very strange goings on, and odd relationships. Despite being in exile, Maigret slowly works out what has happened in a very satisfactory way. Once more, it's a different set up and fascinating to see the way people behave.
Death of a Bookseller by Bernard J Farmer
One of the runners up for the Shedunnit book connected month. Too long and the plot was too drawn out.
The Retired Assassin's Guide to Orchid Hunting by Naomi Kuttner
In order to read this book I had to buy a new copy, which is not something I would generally do. However, it was so enjoyable that it was well worth it. It's cosy crime, the second in the series, with a retired assassin, an ex-art thief, and a young man who is in contact with the ghosts of dead residents. It's set in a small town in New Zealand, I really like the characters, and there's a cat, also, orchids.
Three Bedrooms in Manhattan by Georges Simenon
Not a Maigret this time. It's a story of two people in Manhattan who meet and their emotions and relationship. Very different from the other Simenon books I've read, but his grasp of character still shines through.
Broken Light by Joanne Harris
I read the book very quickly, but in the end, although the concept was really interesting, and the ideas behind it extremely relevant, I found it disappointing. Although not a fantasy, I think it uses ideas from that genre, which is not one I enjoy, so that may have had something to do with it.
Odd One Out by Lissa Evans
I'm currently reading the library books by Lissa Evans that I haven't already read, and wasn't sure about this one to start with. However, it was another book I read quickly - wanting to finish it before I went away - and this time I thoroughly enjoyed it. There are a number of different individuals, each with their own story, who for different reasons are the odd one out. Taking place in a large town, they all come to interact in different ways, and as the story unfolds, the different layers of the characters become visible, so that by the end I was wanting things to work out for all of them.
The Goodreads Winter Challenge finished at the end of March:
And my book bingo card:
And my book bingo card:
