Sue Fairhead's Blog, page 20

The Theatrical Tapes of Leonard Thynn (by Adrian Plass)

(Amazon UK link) Having decided to re-read Adrian Plass’s fictional books, I reached ‘The Theatrical Tapes of Leonard Thynn’, third in the original ‘Sacred Diaries’ trilogy. I last read this in 2017, and recalled finding it amusing. The first time I read it, which was probably in the early 1990s shortly after it was published, I had to put the book down during one scene, as I was laughing so much.
On subsequent reads I knew what was coming, but still appreciated the book. And this time, once again...

The Shepherd's Crown (by Terry Pratchett)

(Amazon UK link) I first came across Terry Pratchett in the early 1990s, and was introduced to the Discworld series soon afterwards. I gradually acquired those that had already been published, and then as new ones were written we bought them, often in hardback. I read many of them out loud to our sons, and some to myself. But I had never sat down deliberately to read the entire series from start to finish. 
So I started a full re-read of the ‘Discworld’ series just over five years ago, not all in ...

Precious Time (by Erica James)

(Amazon UK link) I have been reading and collecting novels by Erica James for twenty-four years, and have liked them all. But my absolute favourite has always been ‘Precious Time’. I first read it in 2003 and then didn’t re-read it until 2017, when I loved it just as much as I did the first time. I’m now re-reading all Erica James’ books, roughly in chronological order, and the time had come for ‘Precious Time’ once again. 
I recalled that the story was about a young mother who had decided to take...

How I wrote my first book (by Lida E Quillen and Anne K Edwards)

(Amazon UK link) I was on a flight, and had finished a book on my Kindle. I didn’t want to start another novel, so browsed through my unread non-fiction folder. When I spotted ‘How I wrote my first book’, edited by Lida E Quillen and Anne K Edwards, I decided to try that. I had apparently downloaded it at no cost as long ago as 2011, shortly after it was published when it must have been on a special, promotional offer. I see from Amazon that it’s no longer available for the Kindle at all, so the ...

The Glass Woman (by Caroline Lea)

(Amazon UK link) I hadn’t heard of Caroline Lea; nor would I probably have come across her novel ‘The Glass Woman’, if it hadn’t been this month’s book for our local reading group. I was able to buy it second-hand a year ago, from an online bookshop; it came in excellent condition and sat on my to-be-read shelf until a few days ago.
The prologue is rather chilling - it features a dead body coming to the surface of a sea, so cold that it’s covered in ice. It’s quickly clear that the whole story is ...

Gemma Alone/Gemma the Star (by Noel Streatfeild)

(Amazon UK link) I have loved Noel Streatfeild’s books for children since I first discovered some of them on my grandmother’s shelves when I was, I suppose, about eight or nine. I have acquired most of them over the years, and reread them sporadically. I picked up ‘Gemma’ to reread in January, and the sequel ‘Gemma and Sisters’ in mid-March. 
So it was time for the third in the series, originally titled ‘Gemma Alone’. I last read it in 2015 after buying a replacement to my forty-year-old paperback...

She's the One (by Cathy Kelly)

(Amazon UK link) I discovered the author Cathy Kelly about six years ago, and loved the first couple of books I read by her. I then started to acquire others, some of which I liked, some not so much. When, a few years ago, a friend gave me ‘She’s the One’, having read it herself, I put it on my to-be-read shelf. I wasn’t enthusiastic enough to read it immediately, but finally picked it up a few days ago.
Isabel and Dee are the two main characters in the book, which is mainly set in Dublin. Both ar...

A Blunt Instrument (by Georgette Heyer)

(Amazon UK link) In re-reading my collection of Georgette Heyer’s crime novels, I reached ‘A Blunt Instrument’, which I first read in 2008. And although I usually forget who the perpetrator is in this kind of book, I could recall who it was in this one. I had worked it out within a few chapters the first time I read it, and thought it quite a clever story. 
I had not remembered any of the other characters when I picked this up to read yesterday. But it was very interesting knowing from the start ‘...

Silver Wedding (by Maeve Binchy)

(Amazon UK link) Having decided to re-read my large collection of novels by the late Maeve Binchy, in roughly chronological order, I picked up ‘Silver Wedding’ a couple of days ago. I recalled liking this book very much, but since I hadn’t read it since 2003 I had no recollection of any of the characters, nor of any story other than that it related to the celebration of a Silver Wedding.
Desmond and Deirdre are the couple soon to celebrate 25 years of marriage; it’s clear from the start that they ...

Apples Never Fall (by Liane Moriarty)

(Amazon UK link) I very much liked the first few books I read by the Australian author Liane Moriarty, so put a couple more on my wishlist. I was given ‘Apples never fall’ for my birthday a year ago; for some reason I didn’t start it until last weekend, but I finished it in just three days despite it being quite a long novel close to 500 pages). 
The story involves the disappearance of a woman in her sixties called Joy. She’s married to Stan, and they have four adult children: Amy, Logan, Troy and...