Sue Fairhead's Blog, page 25

The Book of Hope (by Jane Goodall and Douglas Abrams)

We had one book by Jane Goodall on our shelves, but it looked a bit heavy and I have never read it. So most likely I would never have come across her newer publication, ‘The Book of Hope’ if it hadn’t been this month's choice for our local reading group. I was given the book for my birthday a few months ago, and have been reading it over the past five days or so. 
What an amazing book it is! I see that some reviewers on Amazon didn’t like the conversational style, punctuated with wee drams of ...

The Sudden Departure of the Frasers (by Louise Candlish)

I’ve been enjoying re-reading some of my collection of novels by Louise Candlish. Her more recent books have been quite tense thrillers, and I haven't even tried those published in the last few years as that isn't my preferred genre. But her earlier ones were more relationship-based, and very well-written. I first read ‘The Sudden Departure of the Frasers’ in August 2016 but seven years later I had entirely forgotten the plot. I picked it up to read a few days ago, and by the time I was half-...

Everybody's normal till you get to know them (by John Ortberg)

I always find John Ortberg’s books to be inspiring and encouraging, and I appreciate re-reading them from time to time. I last read ‘Everybody’s normal till you get to know them’ in 2016 so it was time for another re-read. As with most books of this kind, I hadn’t remembered much about it although I hope the general themes and principles were somewhere in my subconscious from previous readings.
John Ortberg is an American Baptist pastor, but not of the right-wing or fundamentalist kind. He wri...

Time for a Change (by Erica James)

I decided to start re-reading Erica James' books in publication order, at a rate of about one a month, interspersed with some new books and some by other favourite authors. Last month I read and very much enjoyed ‘A Breath of Fresh Air’, and I have just finished a book about many of the same characters, ‘Time for a Change’, which I last read in 2008. 
The first book is mainly about Charlotte, who moves back to a village in the UK after losing her husband. This one is about her sister Hilary, w...

The Secret of Galleybird Pit (by Malcolm Saville)

Having re-read the ‘Lone Pine’ series by Malcolm Saville for the umpteenth time, I decided to read some of his lesser-known books for children, which have been on my shelves for decades. I picked up ‘The Secret of Galleybird Pit’, with no memory of the story. According to a note in the front of the book, I bought it in May 1974 for the sum of 17.5 pence. I assume I read it then, but as far as I know, I have not re-read it in the intervening forty-nine years. 
Lucy, who is twelve, and her broth...

The Truth about Melody Browne (by Lisa Jewell)

Although I had seen a few books by Lisa Jewell in shops, most of them looked like thrillers and I hadn’t been tempted. Then I spotted’ The Truth about Melody Browne’ at a church book sale a couple of years ago. The cover appealed, the blurb on the back sounded intriguing, so I paid my 50 cents and it has been on my to-be-read shelf until I picked it up to read a couple of days ago.
And what a page-turner it is! It’s very cleverly written, and I can see why the author turned to suspense or thril...

Cotillion (by Georgette Heyer)

Georgette Heyer’s historical ‘regency romance’ novels have been my favourite comfort reading for several decades. I try to limit myself to about ten each year, re-reading them regularly. I like most of them very much, but one that stands out as a top favourite every time I read it is ‘Cotillion’. The last time I read it was in 2018, and although I recalled the basic plot well, I had forgotten a lot of the detail and some of the characters.
The book opens at a chilly, rather depressing mansion ...

Wintersmith (by Terry Pratchett)

When I started re-reading Terry Pratchett’s lengthy ‘Discworld’ series a few years ago - at a rate of about ten per year - I began by reading in order of publication. The series gradually develops, and some characters recur, so it’s often useful to read in order. I wasn’t quite sure where the five ‘Tiffany Aching’ books for older children and teens would fit in, so I searched and found this recommended reading order. 
However I didn’t always remember to consult it, so after reading ‘Going Post...

Furiously Happy (by Jenny Lawon)

I had never heard of Jenny Lawson, although I now realise she’s quite a well-known American blogger, who writes openly and honestly about her experience with mental illness. I doubt if I’d have come across her book, but it was allocated for this month’s local reading group. I was able to find it inexpensively on AwesomeBooks - unfortunately it turned out to be a hardback; I much prefer reading paperbacks. But it’s in excellent condition. 
The book starts with a series of prologues and disclaim...

Ladder of Years (by Anne Tyler)

I’m glad I decided to re-read the novels I’ve collected by the American writer Anne Tyler. Her style is a bit different from my usual preferred reading, and I sometimes wonder where her stories are going - but they’re very readable, sometimes light-hearted, and sometimes thought-provoking. The one I’ve just finished is ‘Ladder of Years’, which I first read in September 2005. After eighteen years, it’s not surprising that I had entirely forgotten everything about it. 
Delia Grinstead is the mai...