I'm not sure where the weeks have gone, but I am still here and have books to talk about. There will be posts coming on recent good reads, Devorgilla Days by Kathleen Hart and White Spines by Nicholas Royle, but for today, a word or two on a few others.
After long being on my radar I've now read my first Louise Penny: I thoroughly enjoyed Still Life, especially its village setting and central character Inspector Gamache, and despite a bit of an over-stretched plot device I am definitely in the market for the next in the series.
Anthony Horowitz's The Word is Murder was cleverly done, with the author putting himself into the book as an aide to an investigating officer. I don't read much crime, but this struck me as a nice twist on the norm.
Agatha Christie: First Lady of Crime edited by HRF Keating is a reprint with a new introduction by Sophie Hannah. To get the most out of it you'd probably need a closer acquaintance with Dame Agatha's work than I have, but nonetheless it includes many interesting observations on what makes her the famous and enduring success she is.
On to another huge bestseller: Rosamunde Pilcher. I recently re-read The Shell Seekers with much pleasure. It's a warm bath of a book, immersive and comforting, but what struck me was the editorial licence it displayed - nowadays a similar manuscript would be extensively pruned.
As to current reading, I've just begun Ruby Ferguson's Apricot Sky and I'm delighted so far. It looks like being a sweet and happy story and has already had me laughing out loud. Stay tuned ...
