Various ramblings by the small hobbit

11 books this month, although a number were short, and started last month.

Cold Comfort Farm by Stella Gibbons
This was one of the books I felt I really should read.  Although it's supposed to be funny, I wasn't amused.  I disliked the heroine and found the ending very fairy tale like.

R.U.R. by Karel Capek
The book where the word 'robot' came from.  Written in 1920, it has a lot to say today about people thinking they can do as they please and being horrified at the consequences.

Apple of my Eye by Helene Hanff
Recommended by pushkin666 it's a portrait of New York from the 1970s.  I enjoyed her very personal view of the city.

A Shroud of Snow by Sarah Hawkswood
The latest in the Bradecote and Catchpoll series, I had pre-ordered my copy so read it as soon as it came out - which confused Goodreads, which doesn't believe books can be published anywhere before the US.  I really enjoyed the mystery and the characters.  It's set in Worcester in 1145, with a quick trip to Gloucester :)

Maigret and the Old People by Georges Simenon
Once more I was taken by the different characters, and didn't anticipate the solution at all, although it made perfect sense.

By the Pricking of My Thumbs by Agatha Christie
A Tommy and Tuppence mystery.  I know many Christie fans like the couple, but I'm not drawn to them.

The Medici: The Golden Age of Collecting by Massimo Winspeare
I was given the book when we visited Florence.  I've looked at the pictures, but finally got round to reading the text.  I should have stuck with the pictures!  The author was really only interested in the importance of the articles collected - ignore the cost, buy the pretty.

A Telegram from Le Touquet by John Bude
I haven't been a great fan of Bude before, but I enjoyed this book and the collection of characters.  Set partly in England, partly in France, there was plenty to keep me guessing.

The Choir on Hope Street by Annie Lyons
I enjoyed seeing the different characters and how they coped with life problems, sometimes successfully sometimes disastrously.  The ending is perhaps more positive than in real life, but that's not a failing for a book, while the main characters don't have the ideal ending, it's positive, and definitely feel good.

Tea is So Intoxicating by Mary Essex
British Library Women Writers series, written in 1950.  So many characters making bad decisions because of who they are.  And yet I found it a fun read.  It revolves around creating a tea shop in an English village, which it turns out isn't as easy as it might seem.

Maigret and Monsieur Charles by Georges Simenon
The final Maigret book which still had me sucked in.

I have finished my book bingo card for this year!

Following on from yesterday's thefridayfive I'm now completing a meme thatjustwontbreak posted at the end of April:

This week I'm reading: Agatha Christie: An Autobiography, Maigret's Mistake by Georges Simenon, The Truth by Terry Pratchett, and Marked for Death by R O Thorp

My favourite book of all time is: I still cannot decide

My current favourite book (read or re-read in the last 3 months) is: The Retired Assassin's Guide to Orchid Hunting by Naomi Kuttner

The last book I bought was: Stories for the Twelve Days of Christmas a pre-order from British Library Women Writers

The first book I bought with my own money was: Probably something from the St Clare's series by Enid Blyton

The first book I received as a gift was: No idea, but I frequently received books for birthdays and Christmas

The last book I received as a gift was: Cranky Ladies of History by Tansy Rayner Roberts

The last book I borrowed from the library was: Marked for Death by R O Thorp

The book physically closest to me right now is: The Life of Mammals by David Attenborough

This or that
Physical book or e-book: Physical
Used or new: Used, which includes library books, although occasionally I'm the first to borrow a book so it could be described as new
Fiction or non-fiction: Fiction
Read at a coffee shop or at the park: Home, in bed
Paperback or hardcover: Paperback generally, library books may be hardcover
Romance or Crime: Crime

Yes or no
Stream of consciousness? No
Poetry? No
Memoirs? Sometimes
Philosophy? No
Thrillers? Yes
Chronicles? Probably not
Travel logs? Maybe
Dialogue heavy? yes

10 books, but that stretches over the second half of April as well, bringing my annual total to 43 books.

A Vow of Sanctity by Veronica Black
Third is the Sister Joan series, this one is set on the side of a lake in north-west Scotland.  I enjoyed the setting and the plot, where I was definitely wrong-footed, but in an entirely plausible way.  Things weren't as they seemed, but they did all make sense.  I'm definitely enjoying the series.

The Labours of Hercules by Agatha Christie
Poirot is preparing to retire and takes on a series of cases, each one of which will have a connection to the mythological labours of Hercules.  A really enjoyable collection of short stories.

Signed, Picpus by Georges Simenon
Back on my goal to read all the Maigret books in the library this year.  Maigret is in Paris and once again this is a very different story, which I enjoyed.

The Spring Begins by Catherine Dunning
One of the British Library Women Writers series, and one I could borrow from the library.  It was written in 1934 and set in the period.  The story of three women either working for the big house, or for one of the neighbours.  It looks at the limitations of their lives and how they finally find fulfilment in their individual ways.  I liked it because although the story felt more modern, it was accurate to the sense of the times, rather than reading back and importing more modern thoughts.

Welcome to the Hyunam-Dong Bookshop by Hwang Bo-Reum
Set in Seoul in South Korea, the characters are all struggling to conform in modern Korean society with the dominant work ethic.  I liked seeing the way the characters reacted with each other and how they were starting to grow, but would have no wish to visit the bookshop.

A Midnight Pastry Shop Called Hwawoldang by Lee Onhwa
Again set in South Korea, this is more of a fantasy.  It looks at the regrets of a number of people who have died and how they are given closure by the pastry shop.  It was easier to read than the previous book, feeling more positive in the outcomes.

Women on the Case by Sara Paretsky
Short crime stories by female writers with female protagonists.  Definitely a varied collection, but I only skipped through a couple of the stories.  Worth reading if you're looking for slightly different stories.

Maigret and the Tall Woman by Georges Simenon
Again set in Paris, a very different story from the previous one I read.  I do like the way the books bring in so many different people with different motives and behaviours, all of which feel very grounded in the setting.

Cranky Ladies of History by Tansy Rainer Roberts
This was given to me as a present and was highly entertaining.  Based on real women, but in short story format.  They were fascinating.  I'd very much like to have met some of the women, and am very glad I didn't meet others!

CWGC Battlefield Companion Somme 1916
Produced by the Commonwealth War Graves Commission this short book looks at the history of the battle of the Somme, mostly from the British and Commonwealth view.  The book itself is a guide to a number of the cemeteries in the region and looks at which regiments were involved in the fighting in that particular area.

8 books this month, so I'm well ahead of my annual goal.

DallerGut Dream Department Store by Miye Lee
Recommended by nagi_schwarz it's a department store which sells dreams, in which a new employee learns what people need in the way of dreams.  It's not within my usual genres, but I enjoyed reading it, so, if you're looking for something different, it might be worth trying.

The Reading List by Sara Nisha Adams
I read this for the current Goodreads Winter Challenge.  It brings together two people, one a teenage girl working in the library during her summer holiday and the other a lonely widower, with a series of books which they both read and how it affects them.  Set in Wembley in N W London.  Not something I would have read in the ordinary course of things, but I'm pleased I did.

Liberty Bar by Georges Simenon
Continuing my Maigret reads, set in published in 1932, it sees Maigret in Antibes in the south of France.  The story is slightly different, in the fact that Maigret is very affected by the heat and sultriness of the place and this comes through in the story, but enjoyable nevertheless.

Pyramids by Terry Pratchett
One of the standalone stories within the Discworld series. A student assassin is suddenly recalled to become the next king of the kingdom of Djelibeybi, when his problems really begin.  However, assassin training stands him in good stead, and we learn what happens when the biggest pyramid that's ever been conceived is built - no, it doesn't work out as expected.  Highly entertaining

Yarn to Go by Betty Hechtman
Recommended by therealsnape this is a cosy crime set within a knitting retreat.  An easy read, with knitting, so happily entertaining.  The first of a series and I plan to read some more.

Green for Danger: The Official Anthology of the Crime Writers' Association edited by Martin Edwards
Recent short stories set in the countryside.  I enjoyed a few, but on the whole I wasn't taken with them.

Jane Austen's Bookshelf by Rebecca Romney
Another book for the Goodreads Winter Challenge.  This one, written by a rare book seller in the States, looks at the women writers who Jane Austen enjoyed reading.  It was interesting seeing how many women writers fell out of circulation, deemed far inferior to Austen, when she herself admired them.  For anyone interested in the period or women writers in general I'd definitely recommend this.

Nobody's Boy: Sans Famille by Hector Malot
Recommended by therealsnape this was written in 1878 and tells the story of Remi, a young orphan, and the trials of his upbringing.  Sold to a travelling showman, he learns to earn money from the shows, deals with a number of misfortunes while tramping across France.  The story is told from Remi's viewpoint and so has a childlike air, but despite that is worth reading.


Here's my book bingo card:

Seven books I own, no caption, no comment. 

Seven books I own, no caption, no comment. 

Seven books I own, no caption, no comment.

I've read 10 books this month, which seems a little ridiculous...

The Shadow Puppet by Georges Simenon
Continuing my plan to read all the Maigret's in our library this year.  A Parisian based mystery, where all is not as it seems.

Stories for Lovers edited by Lucy Evans
The latest edition in the British Library Women Writers series.  These are short stories from the 1920s through to the 2000s.  I enjoyed some of the stories, mostly the earlier ones.

Murder at Gulls Nest by Jess Kidd
I've read a number of books by Jess Kidd, but this is her first crime mystery.  It's set in 1954 in a seaside town in Kent.  It wasn't a brilliant story, although by the end I'd enjoyed it.  I suspect because I'm used to reading crime novels written in the 1950s it felt a bit out of time.  A second in the series is due out later this year, so I'll probably read it at some time.

Death on the Downbeat by Sebastian Farr
A Shedunnit runner up this month, which had appealed for a while.  I liked the idea of the orchestra conductor being shot in the middle of a concert and the story being told in epistolary fashion, with lots of musical references. But I didn't enjoy it.  

The Edge of Darkness by Vaseem Khan
The next in the Persis Wadia series, I reserved a copy as soon as I knew the library were getting them.  Persis, the first female inspector in the Indian police force, has been banished to the Naga Hills.  A murder is committed and events tie in with both the current unrest (it's 1951) and previous times.  It's a locked room mystery with an interesting cast of characters and a lot of action.  I thoroughly enjoyed it.

Fra Angelico by Christopher Lloyd
Mainly talking about the over 50 colour plates of his paintings, while also providing details about Fra Angelico's life.  Not my preferred style of painting, but nonetheless very interesting.

The Fire Next Time by James Baldwin
I'd not come across Baldwin before, so it was interesting to read his very powerful essay on the plight of black people in America in the 1960s.  What's alarming is that although some things have changed, 60 years on many attitudes haven't.

The Double Turn by Carol Carnac (E C R Lorac)
The latest British Library Crime Classics book, featuring Inspector Rivers.  This one was written in 1956 and features some interesting characters and a lot of twists and turns.  It also gives an idea of London at the time.

The Saint-Fiacre Affair by Georges Simenon
This time ends up back in the small town he grew up in and where there are people he still recognises.  Very different from the one I read earlier in the month, although both date from the same time.

War with the Newts by Karel Capek
This took me a while to get into, although even at the beginning I knew I wanted to read it.  Capek, a Czech, wrote this in 1936 as an allegory on the current political situation.  Some of his observations of different national characteristics are hilarious, others terrifying.  If you're looking for something a bit different to read this year, then I'd recommend this.  A sea captain discovers a colony of newts in Sumatra who can be trained to do various things, and things take off from there.

Continuing with the challenge dreamersdare made, here are more top 10 series.  This time I've gone for crime fiction books, and again in no particular order:

1. Malabar House series by Vaseem Khan
Set mostly in Bombay just after Independence, these are stories about Persis Wadia, the first female Indian detective, who's shunted off to Malabar House to keep her out of the way.  Nevertheless she gets involved in a number of high profile cases and becomes better known.  Vaseem Khan is a British writer, who spent 10 years in Mumbai.  The series is ongoing and I'm currently reading the latest The Edge of Darkness which is set in the Naga Hills in north-east India.  There's lots of details about the time, and gripping stories.  I've also enjoyed the Baby Ganesh series, which sees an ex-detective inspector in Mumbai who is sent a baby elephant by an uncle, and the crimes he solves.

2. Maigret by Georges Simenon
There are about 75 Maigret novels.  I started listening to them as audiobooks, bought a few hard copies, and am currently working my way through all the books available in our county library. The series starts in 1931 and while Maigret is based in Paris, he's fairly often in different parts of France, or visiting countries nearby.  I enjoy the atmosphere and the strong sense of time and place, as well as the variety of crimes Maigret is faced with.

3. Bradecote & Catchpoll series by Sarah Hawkswood
Set in the 1140s and based in Worcester and the surrounding area, so a similar time period to Cadfael,  Hugh Bradecote is the Under-sheriff and therefore a representative of the authorities in solving crimes, and he works with the vastly experience Catchpoll who is the Sheriff's Sergeant and Walkelin, the serjeanting apprentice.  I like the main characters, who are very human and seek to do their best for those around them, in what can be very difficult times.  The next book Act of Betrayal is out in September.

4. Jackman & Evans series by Joy Ellis
I listen to these on audiobooks.  DI Rowan Jackman is a modern day detective in the Fenland of Lincolnshire (Joy Ellis' home territory) and is assisted by his sergeant, Sally Evans.  There's a team of recurring characters and some interesting crimes, darker than some of what I read.  Black Notice is the latest, which came at towards the end of last year.

5. Inspector MacDonald series by E C R Lorac
I've only read the books which have been republished in British Library Crime Classics, but have enjoyed those.  The series begins in the early 1930s and runs through to the 1950s.  I like MacDonald, who is competent and thoughtful.  Most of the books are set in England, with a number in the Lake District.  Once more the description of place is excellent - I'm not inclined to read through long descriptions, but these are written so that the reader feels themselves there, rather than simply admiring the view from a distance.  They also give an incidental view of life as lived by most people at the time.

6. The Su Yin series by Ovidia Yu
Originally called the Crown Colony series, but with the passing of time this has become inappropriate.  The first story is set in Singapore in 1936, when Singapore was under British rule, and the series moves through the Japanese occupation, and has now reached the late 1940s, with the strong demands for independence from the returning British.  Su Yin isn't in the police force, but frequently (other than during the war years) works with Inspector Le Froy.  The next book The Tembusu Tree Mystery is out in June.

7. The Dinner Lady Detectives by Hannah Hendy
Two late middle-aged school dinner ladies become unexpected amateur detectives in a series of cozy-ish mysteries.  Lighter fare than most of the above, but I have a soft spot for the two, who are married to each other.  Entertaining with plots relevant to the small town they live in.  Implausible, but it all makes sense.  A Curiously Convenient Device is out next month.

8. Follet Valley Mysteries by Ian Moore
These stories are not to be taken seriously, but are great fun.  The murders happen in bizarre ways, and the main protagonist and foil is Richard Ainsworth, an English proprietor of a French guest house, who has pet hens who he has named after classic film stars. The latest in this series of books set in rural France is Death and Boules.

And lastly, two classics:

9. Sherlock Holmes by Arthur Conan Doyle
The original stories.  Some are better than others, but the characters of Holmes and Watson are enduring.

10. Miss Marple by Agatha Christie
An overlooked older lady with a very sharp mind and a real knowledge of how people think and behave.

Finally, an honourable mention to Discworld by Terry Pratchett.  Here, I shall simply quote the Librarian, "Ook!"