📘Recent reads…..

To provide a little distraction from that heavy weigh me down feeling of sadness I’m prone to at this time of the year plus all the other happenings that cropped up, quite a bit of resting and much reading went on during the past few weeks ……our last month of Summer.
And in the spirit of a certain games show I read (at least) 4 large and 4 small😊

After a couple of disappointments (which I’ll tell you about sometime) I moved on to others in the pile of books on the table

and began with Monica McInerney’s because it sounded a little bit crazy…….followed by one that began on an imaginary island in the South Atlantic then moved along to a much much larger real one called Australia.
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On to a bit of fun (found in a street library) a book featuring a book blogger, finishing with a surprise loan from a friend (who does not usually let her books out of her sight).
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These ‘four large ones’ were interspersed with the ‘short ones’ making interesting reading all round.
Family Baggage – Monica McInerney 2005.
A funny, warm and moving novel of family secrets, dilemmas and dynamics

Such an easy ‘gentle’ read about family that sounded like fun with a little bit of ‘mystery’ to it as well. About a family who deal in travel, a family who stand up for each other, who have each other’s backs……the travel part was right but after one of them goes missing things turn out to be a bit more complicated than they originally thought.  

The Sea Captain’s Wife – Jackie French 2024.
A compelling story of murder, mystery, and mutiny on the high seas – and a love so intense it can overcome two different cultures..

I thoroughly enjoyed the first part, almost like a magical mystery tour of life on a remote island ‘run’ by females where single girls can claim shipwreck sailors as their husbands (once the men wear socks knit by the girl) – but lost interest when the storyline moved to Australia. It became more of a history lesson on times as they were, the thoughts and activities of ‘those times’ had to be added because the author seemed to need to write about everything she’d researched.

Over my dead blog – Sarah E Burr. 2023.
A Book Blogger Mystery #1.

Main character Arwen Lark moves across country to be independent. Known locally as Winnie she’s become a successful book blogger (using a pseudonym) when her brother Strider (now a ‘famous movie star’) comes to visit. Unfortunately his visit coincides with the murder of a local newspaper reporter…..who he just happened to be with that very same evening. So she and a couple of friends set out to clear Strider’s name and find the killer.
Easy to read, maybe a little too wordy at times but all added to the story. I certainly didn’t suspect the actual killer!

The Big Sleep – Raymond Chandler 1939. 
A debut novel turned into a series – Philip Marlowe #1

A comment from me about always trying to read the first book in a series first and how discovering it was the author’s actual first novel was like icing on the cake resulted in a friend loaning me her very old copy of this book.
“It was my father’s” she said. “I know you will enjoy it but I do ask that you look after it”.
Which I most certainly did!
Last year it was my first Western…this year my first old style Private Eye

Delightfully drole, deliciously descriptive in simple sentences with acts and subjects that would’ve had any censors of the time scratching their heads. No wonder it was made into a movie – twice.

The full 1946 version (Humphrey Bogart) can be watched HERE.
The 1978 colour version (Robert Mitchum) – similar but not the same- can be viewed HERE

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Blind Spot – Paula Hawkins 2022. (Mystery thriller) 
A short story by the author of The Girl on the Train – part of The Reading Agency Quick Reads series. Began well, slowed down then lost its way…..sort of had an inkling of ‘who dun it’. Didn’t see the ending though, wondered if better fleshed out as a full length novel.

Breakfast at Tiffany’s- Truman Capote 1958. (Classic/romance)
A good read that flowed along and had you wondering…..”Oh Holly what are you going to get up to next”…..each time you turned a page. Like many things in life – sadly nothing lasts forever

Lastly two very short stories by female New Zealand author Katherine Mansfield (1888 – 1923). I’d seen her name mentioned on other book blogs and as I’m finding I really do enjoy the shorter more concise length I thought I’d see what I could find online.

The Garden Party 1921 
The Little Girl 1921 
Both found here https://katherinemansfieldsociety.org

Click the link below to see what others have been reading 
What’s on your Bookshelf 

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