Katheryn Thompson's Blog, page 17
May 14, 2017
Things that Make Me Instantly Want to Read a Book
Above: accurate representation of my to-read list
I do try to be selective about which books I add to my to-read list, but there are certain things which make me instantly want to read a book. Here are some of them:
1. Books about books
I need to read The Book Thief, How to Find Love in a Bookshop, The Storied Life of A.J. Fikry, and so many more.
2. Old friends reuniting
I loved A Wedding In December, and I have The Fifth Letter on my to-read list. In a similar vein, I would recommend Amsterdam, and I want to get my hands on It's Always the Husband.
3. Locked room mysteries
I would recommend The Moonstone and Fantasy in Death. I also want to read The Strings of Murder and Cover Her Face.
4. Books where the characters are locked in during an investigation
I highly recommend And Then There Were None and Murder on the Orient Express, and my to-read list includes The Woman in Cabin 10 and Icy Silence.
5. Memory loss
My favourites include The Vanishing Act of Esme Lennox, Before I Go to Sleep, and Elizabeth Is Missing. I'm also looking forward to reading The Housekeeper and the Professor.
6. Strong female protagonists
I love the In Death series by J.D. Robb, the Kim Stone series by Angela Marsons, and Kill the Father (to be the first in a series featuring Columba Caselli). I'm also eager to try the Natalie King series by Anne Buist, and the Millennium series by Stieg Larsson.
7. Plot twists
I highly recommend The Ice Beneath Her, I Let You Go, Before I Go to Sleep, and Gone Girl. I'm hoping for similarly jaw-dropping plot twists in Big Little Lies, I'm Thinking of Ending Things, It's Always the Husband, and The Kind Worth Killing.
8. Alternating points of view and/or timelines
I would recommend The Trouble with Goats and Sheep, The Vanishing Act of Esme Lennox, I Let You Go, and The Ice Beneath Her. I want to read All the Light We Cannot See, The Secret History, and Big Little Lies.
9. Good book covers
My favourites include The Children Act, The Trouble with Goats and Sheep, The Countenance Divine, and The Road. My to-read list includes Lucky Jim, The Last Days of Leda Grey, and Everything I Never Told You.
10. Interesting retellings
I want to read The Penelopiad, The Song of Achilles, House of Names, Holmes: Volume 1, and A Study in Charlotte.
What things make you instantly want to read a book? Let me know, either in the comments below or via Twitter!
May 7, 2017
The Best Books You've Never Heard Of
While a lot of popular books are popular for a reason, there are also lots of excellent books which are so often overlooked. So here are some of my favourite books which you've (probably) never heard of:
Air And Angels (Susan Hill, 1991)
Furnished with a spotless reputation and an unimpeachable record as a don, the Reverend Thomas Cavendish is destined to become Master of his Cambridge college. Fending off the attentions of the young Florence, a friend of his sister's who has set her heart on marrying him, he dedicates himself to the pastimes of the respectable: walking the flat planes of the Fens and tending to his indoor aviary. That is, until the arrival of Kitty. From here on, Cavendish's life of leisure and respectability seems a mere distant memory, as his obsession ferments within him and leads him down a dark path to destruction.
Similar books:
Rebecca (Daphne du Maurier, 1938)
The Small Hand: A Ghost Story (Susan Hill, 2010)
The Woman in White (Wilkie Collins, 1860)
The Comforters (Muriel Spark, 1957)
Caroline Rose is plagued by the tapping of typewriter keys and the strange, detached narration of her every thought and action. Caroline has an unusual problem - she realises she is in a novel. Her fellow characters also seem deluded: Laurence, her former lover, finds diamonds in a loaf of bread - has his elderly grandmother hidden them there? And Baron Stock, her bookseller friend, believes he is on the trail of England's leading Satanist.
Similar books:
The Bookshop (Penelope Fitzgerald, 1978)
The Driver's Seat (Muriel Spark, 1970)
The Uncommon Reader (Alan Bennett, 2007)
The Countenance Divine (Michael Hughes, 2016)
In 1999, a computer programmer, Chris, is trying to fix the Millennium Bug while also trying to figure out himself, as he secretly belives himself to be chosen for something important, and his colleague Lucy, who is working on a mysterious art project. In 1888, Jack the Ripper stalks the back alleys of London, following the instructions of his master. In 1777, William Blake, poet and engraver, has a spiritual vision, and believes that he can resurrect Milton. In 1666, John Milton finishes reciting his epic, by which he will be remembered forever, but the air is thick with Popish plots and Restoration fears, not to mention the smoke from the Great Fire of London.
Similar books:
Cloud Atlas (David Mitchell, 2004)
Paradise Lost (John Milton, 1667)
Possession (A.S. Byatt, 1990)
A History of Britain in 21 Women (Jenni Murray, 2016)
“The history of the world is but the biography of great men.” Or so Thomas Carlyle claimed. Jenni Murray, a journalist and broadcaster who has presented BBC Radio 4’s Women’s Hour since 1987, provides an alternative history, in A History of Britain in 21 Women, through short, fascinating, and humorous biographies on twenty-one women who have made Britain what it is today: Great.
Similar books:
Desert Queen: The Extraordinary Life of Gertrude Bell, Adventurer, Adviser to Kings, Ally of Lawrence of Arabia. (Janet Wallach, 1996)
Game of Queens: The Women Who Made Sixteenth-Century Europe (Sarah Gristwood, 2016)
Wilde's Women: How Oscar Wilde Was Shaped by the Women He Knew (Eleanor Fitzsimons, 2015)
Shoes for Anthony (Emma Kennedy, 2016)
Eleven year-old Anthony lives with his mother, father, older sister, and two older brothers in Treherbert, a small Welsh mining village. All he wants is a pair of his own shoes, but instead he's stuck with a pair of wellington boots which belonged to Mr Morris, and which Anthony's Mam exchanged with his widow for a pie. Except for the rations and the fact that his sister has joined the WAAF, and his brother their attempt at the Home Guard, the villagers of Treherbet wouldn't be able to tell they were in the middle of WWII. But when a German plane crashes into the mountain, American soldiers start turning up, and the miners are ordered to cut corners to meet the supply for coal, Anthony and his village discover what war is really about.
Similar books:
The Chilbury Ladies' Choir (Jennifer Ryan, 2017)
Inside the O'Briens (Lisa Genova, 2015)
The Trouble with Goats and Sheep (Joanna Cannon, 2016)
Silent Night (Mary Higgins Clark, 1995)
When Catherine Dornan's husband, Tom, is diagnosed with leukemia, she and their two young sons travel with him to New York during the holiday season for a lifesaving operation. On Christmas Eve, hoping to lift the boys' spirits, Catherine takes them to see Rockefeller Center's famous Christmas tree; while there, seven-year-old Brian notices a woman taking his mother's wallet. A St. Christopher medal tucked inside the wallet saved his grandfather's life in World War II, and Brian believes with all his heart that it will protect his father now. Impulsively, Brian follows the thief into the subway, and the most dangerous adventure of his young life begins.
Similar books:
And Then There Were None (Agatha Christie, 1939)
Gone Girl (Gillian Flynn, 2012)
The Pelican Brief (John Grisham, 1992)
An Unsafe Haven (Nada Awar Jarrar, 2016)
Hannah, a journalist, grew up in Beirut, where she now lives with her husband Peter, an American doctor whose marriage to Hannah hasn't given him citizenship and is therefore unable to practice medicine. Maysoun works for Red Cross and moved to Beirut from Baghdad, where her mother still lives, to escape the conflict. With her father gone, Maysoun is trying to convince her mother to join her in Beirut, even as a childhood friend of Maysoun's tries to convince her to join him and his family in New Zealand. Anas, his German wife Brigitte, and their two children live in Damascus. They live closer to the conflict than the rest of the characters, and Brigitte has accused Anas of being willing to endanger the lives of their children, in order to maintain the illusion of Syria as home.
Similar books:
The God of Small Things (Arundhati Roy, 1997)
The Kite Runner (Khaled Hosseini, 2003)
When We Were Orphans (Kazuo Ishiguro, 2000)
Air And Angels (Susan Hill, 1991)Furnished with a spotless reputation and an unimpeachable record as a don, the Reverend Thomas Cavendish is destined to become Master of his Cambridge college. Fending off the attentions of the young Florence, a friend of his sister's who has set her heart on marrying him, he dedicates himself to the pastimes of the respectable: walking the flat planes of the Fens and tending to his indoor aviary. That is, until the arrival of Kitty. From here on, Cavendish's life of leisure and respectability seems a mere distant memory, as his obsession ferments within him and leads him down a dark path to destruction.
Similar books:
Rebecca (Daphne du Maurier, 1938)
The Small Hand: A Ghost Story (Susan Hill, 2010)
The Woman in White (Wilkie Collins, 1860)
The Comforters (Muriel Spark, 1957)Caroline Rose is plagued by the tapping of typewriter keys and the strange, detached narration of her every thought and action. Caroline has an unusual problem - she realises she is in a novel. Her fellow characters also seem deluded: Laurence, her former lover, finds diamonds in a loaf of bread - has his elderly grandmother hidden them there? And Baron Stock, her bookseller friend, believes he is on the trail of England's leading Satanist.
Similar books:
The Bookshop (Penelope Fitzgerald, 1978)
The Driver's Seat (Muriel Spark, 1970)
The Uncommon Reader (Alan Bennett, 2007)
The Countenance Divine (Michael Hughes, 2016)In 1999, a computer programmer, Chris, is trying to fix the Millennium Bug while also trying to figure out himself, as he secretly belives himself to be chosen for something important, and his colleague Lucy, who is working on a mysterious art project. In 1888, Jack the Ripper stalks the back alleys of London, following the instructions of his master. In 1777, William Blake, poet and engraver, has a spiritual vision, and believes that he can resurrect Milton. In 1666, John Milton finishes reciting his epic, by which he will be remembered forever, but the air is thick with Popish plots and Restoration fears, not to mention the smoke from the Great Fire of London.
Similar books:
Cloud Atlas (David Mitchell, 2004)
Paradise Lost (John Milton, 1667)
Possession (A.S. Byatt, 1990)
A History of Britain in 21 Women (Jenni Murray, 2016)“The history of the world is but the biography of great men.” Or so Thomas Carlyle claimed. Jenni Murray, a journalist and broadcaster who has presented BBC Radio 4’s Women’s Hour since 1987, provides an alternative history, in A History of Britain in 21 Women, through short, fascinating, and humorous biographies on twenty-one women who have made Britain what it is today: Great.
Similar books:
Desert Queen: The Extraordinary Life of Gertrude Bell, Adventurer, Adviser to Kings, Ally of Lawrence of Arabia. (Janet Wallach, 1996)
Game of Queens: The Women Who Made Sixteenth-Century Europe (Sarah Gristwood, 2016)
Wilde's Women: How Oscar Wilde Was Shaped by the Women He Knew (Eleanor Fitzsimons, 2015)
Shoes for Anthony (Emma Kennedy, 2016)Eleven year-old Anthony lives with his mother, father, older sister, and two older brothers in Treherbert, a small Welsh mining village. All he wants is a pair of his own shoes, but instead he's stuck with a pair of wellington boots which belonged to Mr Morris, and which Anthony's Mam exchanged with his widow for a pie. Except for the rations and the fact that his sister has joined the WAAF, and his brother their attempt at the Home Guard, the villagers of Treherbet wouldn't be able to tell they were in the middle of WWII. But when a German plane crashes into the mountain, American soldiers start turning up, and the miners are ordered to cut corners to meet the supply for coal, Anthony and his village discover what war is really about.
Similar books:
The Chilbury Ladies' Choir (Jennifer Ryan, 2017)
Inside the O'Briens (Lisa Genova, 2015)
The Trouble with Goats and Sheep (Joanna Cannon, 2016)
Silent Night (Mary Higgins Clark, 1995)When Catherine Dornan's husband, Tom, is diagnosed with leukemia, she and their two young sons travel with him to New York during the holiday season for a lifesaving operation. On Christmas Eve, hoping to lift the boys' spirits, Catherine takes them to see Rockefeller Center's famous Christmas tree; while there, seven-year-old Brian notices a woman taking his mother's wallet. A St. Christopher medal tucked inside the wallet saved his grandfather's life in World War II, and Brian believes with all his heart that it will protect his father now. Impulsively, Brian follows the thief into the subway, and the most dangerous adventure of his young life begins.
Similar books:
And Then There Were None (Agatha Christie, 1939)
Gone Girl (Gillian Flynn, 2012)
The Pelican Brief (John Grisham, 1992)
An Unsafe Haven (Nada Awar Jarrar, 2016)Hannah, a journalist, grew up in Beirut, where she now lives with her husband Peter, an American doctor whose marriage to Hannah hasn't given him citizenship and is therefore unable to practice medicine. Maysoun works for Red Cross and moved to Beirut from Baghdad, where her mother still lives, to escape the conflict. With her father gone, Maysoun is trying to convince her mother to join her in Beirut, even as a childhood friend of Maysoun's tries to convince her to join him and his family in New Zealand. Anas, his German wife Brigitte, and their two children live in Damascus. They live closer to the conflict than the rest of the characters, and Brigitte has accused Anas of being willing to endanger the lives of their children, in order to maintain the illusion of Syria as home.
Similar books:
The God of Small Things (Arundhati Roy, 1997)
The Kite Runner (Khaled Hosseini, 2003)
When We Were Orphans (Kazuo Ishiguro, 2000)
April 29, 2017
April in Books
Desert Queen: The Extraordinary Life of Gertrude Bell, Adventurer, Adviser to Kings, Ally of Lawrence of Arabia. (Janet Wallach, 1996)Gertrude Bell (1868—1926) explored, mapped, and excavated the world of the Arabs. Recruited by British intelligence during World War I, she played a crucial role in obtaining the loyalty of Arab leaders, and her connections and information provided the brains to match T. E. Lawrence's brawn. After the war, she played a major role in creating the modern Middle East and was, at the time, considered the most powerful woman in the British Empire.
Four stars. Wallach entwines her narration with excerpts from Gertrude's own letters, which really help the reader to get a sense of what she was like. My only criticism is that at times Wallach perhaps embellishes a touch too much in order to set the scene. Overall, a highly readable and informative book on a woman who deserves to be far better known.
Similar book recommendations:
1. Game of Queens: The Women Who Made Sixteenth-Century Europe (Sarah Gristwood, 2016)
2. A History of Britain in 21 Women (Jenni Murray, 2016)
My Sweet Revenge (Jane Fallon, 2017)Paula has had Robert's back since they got together as drama students. She gave up her dreams so he could make it. Now he's one of the nation's most popular actors. And Paula's just discovered he's having an affair. She's going to remind Robert just what he's sacrificing. And then she's going to break his heart like he broke hers. It will be her greatest acting role ever.
Four stars. My Sweet Revenge is the perfect escapist novel. It's engaging and witty, and had me hooked, and laughing out loud, from the start. One of many great quotes: "Robert always walks at a pace that suggests he's being followed by something big and scary but doesn't want to alert it to the fact he's trying to get away by actually breaking into a run."
Similar book recommendations:
1. Deal Breaker (Harlan Coben, 1995)
2. Gone Girl (Gillian Flynn, 2012)
3. Partners (Nora Roberts, 1985)
Notes on Blindness: A Journey Through The Dark (John M. Hull, 2017)Having entirely lost his sight, academic John M. Hull started to make audio diary entries whenever he was struck by a certain event, experience, thought, or dream. The result is this fascinating and thought-provoking book.
Four stars. Notes on Blindness will possibly make you think twice next time you encounter a blind person, remembering Hull's frustration at how sighted people will insist on asking where he is going when he wants to know where he is; it will probably make you laugh, when Hull's son explains to his dad that he needs the light on to be able to see, and cry, when Hull describes his struggle to reconnect with his parents; and it will definitely make you think.
Similar book recommendations:
1. 31 Treats and a Marriage (Lynn Farley-Rose, 2016)
2. Inside the O'Briens (Lisa Genova, 2015)
Conspiracy (S.J. Parris, 2016)Heretic-turned-spy Giordano Bruno arrives in Paris from London to find a city on the edge of catastrophe. King Henri III lives in fear of a coup by the Duke of Guise and his fanatical Catholic League, and another massacre on the streets. When Bruno’s old rival, Father Paul Lefèvre is found murdered, Bruno is drawn into a dangerous web of religious politics and court intrigue. And watching over his shoulder is the King’s mother, Catherine de Medici, with her harem of beautiful spies. When murder strikes at the heart of the Palace, Bruno finds himself on the trail of a killer who is protecting a terrible secret. With the royal houses of France and England under threat, Bruno must expose the truth – or be silenced for good…
I'm still reading this one, so watch this space!
What have you read this month? And what do you think of my month's reading? Let me know either in the comments below, or via Twitter!
April 23, 2017
Judging Books By Their Covers
10.
Knots and Crosses (Ian Rankin, 1987)I bought this copy of the first book in the Inspector Rebus series at a charity shop. There's just something about the design I love, especially since the book itself is quite small and slim.
9.
C. S. Lewis - A Life: Eccentric Genius, Reluctant Prophet (Alister E. McGrath, 2013)This biography of CS Lewis was given to me as a Christmas present, and I love the picture of Lewis on the front, and above all the way the illustrator has managed to capture his imagination. There's something magical about this book cover, which is perfect for its subject matter.
8.
The Small Hand: A Ghost Story (Susan Hill, 2010)Unfortunately I don't own this book, as I borrowed it from a library (and apparently they expect to get their books back). Nonetheless, this is a stunning cover and there is something fairytale-esque about it; perfect for a ghost story, especially one with such elegant prose.
7.
The 24-Hour Wine Expert (Jancis Robinson, 2016)Who says you need pictures to make a book cover attractive? I bought this book on Amazon, and was even more delighted with its appearance when it arrived, for the book itself is very slim with an oddly tactile cover. This is the perfect book to read through once and then keep as a reference book, so an attractive book cover is even more important than normal.
6.
The Picture of Dorian Gray (Oscar Wilde, 1890)One of my all-time favourite books, I already owned a copy when I spied this beautiful edition in Waterstones. I couldn't resist buying it, especially since, probably because it is relatively short, it was such a reasonable price. Something about it just appeals to me - probably the colour scheme.
5.
The Children Act (Ian McEwan, 2014)Another one which I borrowed from the library, I am highly tempted to buy this one for myself as I love the story itself as much as the cover. I'm not sure why I like this one so much, probably just because I, oddly, really like rain (you have to when you live in the North West of England).
4.
Perfume: The Story of a Murderer (Patrick Süskind, 1985)Bought at a church-fundraising stall, this cover is just stunning. And it can't have been easy to visually recreate scent.
3.
The Trouble with Goats and Sheep (Joanna Cannon, 2015)This one probably looks really boring, but I assure you that it's truly beautiful. I was lucky enough to win this book in a Goodreads giveaway, and I treasure this large, hardback copy. Maybe it's the colour I like so much?
2.
The Countenance Divine (Michael Hughes, 2016)Just wow. Another one I won in a Goodreads giveaway, this cover is jaw-droppingly beautiful. It took me a long time to decide whether to put it in first or second place.
1.
The Road (Cormac McCarthy, 2006)In the end, I had to choose this book to go in first place. It really is one of the most beautiful covers I have ever laid eyes on, and when I bought it, in a charity shop, it was mainly for the cover.
April 16, 2017
Top Ten Kick-Ass Heroines
"I look cute in a tiara."
1. Deputy Captain Columba Caselli first in Kill the Father (Sandrone Dazieri, 2017)
Deputy Captain in Rome's Major Crimes Unit, Caselli is a fierce, warrior-like detective, recovering from something she refers to as "the disaster", with eyes which could bore through steel.
2. Lt. Eve Dallas first in Naked in Death (J.D. Robb, 1995)
A lieutenant in the Homicide department of the futuristic NYPSD (New York Police and Security Department), Dallas' retorts are as quick as her mind and her reflexes. Haunted by her past, she slowly comes to trust in others, above all her ex-criminal, billionaire husband Roarke.
3. Hermione Granger first in Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone (J.K. Rowling, 1997)
Muggle-born Hermione is the real hero of the Harry Potter series. Intelligent, brave, and fiercely loyal, she is a true Gryffindor, and Harry and Ron would be lost without her, as would the war against Voldemort.
4. George Kirrin first in Five on a Treasure Island (Enid Blyton, 1942)
A tomboy through and through, George is the cousin of Julian, Dick, and Anne, and owner of Timmy. "Master George", and never "Mistress Georgina", of Kirrin Island, she is headstrong and courageous with her father's fiery temper.
5. Kate Shackleton first in Dying In the Wool (Frances Brody, 2009)
When World War One ends, Kate's search for her husband, a surgeon who is missing in action, draws her into investigating similar cases for other women. Soon she is a private investigator in her own right, inspired by her father, a West Riding police superintendent, and aided by ex-policeman Jim Sykes.
6. D.I. Kim Stone first in Silent Scream (Angela Marsons, 2015)
Detective Inspector in the West Midlands Police, Stone rides a 600cc Kawasaki Ninja, drives a Volkswagen Golf GTI, is building a 1954 BSA Gold Star, and listens to classical music. Haunted by her past, Stone relies on DS Bryant, her colleague and the closest thing she has to a friend, for the social side of her job.
From my to-read list:
7. Charlotte Holmes first in A Study in Charlotte (Brittany Cavallaro, 2016)
Sherlock Holmes' great-great-great-granddaughter, Charlotte has inherited not only Sherlock’s genius but also his volatile temperament.
8. Natalie King first in Medea's Curse (Anne Buist, 2015)
A forensic psychiatrist who rides a Ducati a size too big and wears a tank top a size too small, King likes men but doesn't want to keep one, and really needs to stay on her medication.
9. Lisbeth Salander first in The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo (Stieg Larsson, 2005)
Salander, an investigator based in Sweden, is a misunderstood genius with a troubled past and a cache of authority issues.
10. Constable Sammi Willis first in A Time to Run (J.M. Peace, 2015)
A constable in the Queensland Police, Sammi is kidnapped, in the book which introduces her, by a serial killer. But unlike his other prey, Sammi is a cop and she refuses to be his victim.
Who would you add to this list? Let me know, either in the comments below or via Twitter!
April 8, 2017
10 Books To Read If You're Short Of Time
1.
Amsterdam (Ian McEwan, 1998) (178 pages)Clive Linley, eminent composer, currently working on The Milennial Symphony, and Vernon Halliday, editor of the broadsheet The Judge, are connected by their friendship, and their love for one woman: Molly Lane. Molly's funeral, at the start of the novel, has far-reaching conseqences for both Clive and Vernon, as well as for another of Molly's former lovers, foreign secretary Julian Garmony.
2.
Animal Farm (George Orwell, (113 pages)One night on Manor Farm, Major the boar recounts his vision of a utopia where his fellow creatures are no longer the slaves of humans. Before long his dream comes true, and for a short while all animals really are equal. But then the clever pigs educate themselves and soon learn how to extend their own power.
3.
The Awakening (Kate Chopin, 1899) (116 pages)Set in New Orleans and on the Louisiana Gulf coast at the end of the 19th century, the plot centers on Edna Pontellier and her struggle between her increasingly unorthodox views on femininity and motherhood with the prevailing social attitudes of the turn-of-the-century American South.
4.
The Body in the Library (Agatha Christie, 1942) (191 pages)When the Bantry's wake up to find the body of a beautiful, young stranger in their library, Dolly Bantry knows there's only one person to call: her old friend Miss Marple.
5.
The Comforters (Muriel Spark, 1957) (188 pages)Caroline Rose is plagued by the tapping of typewriter keys and the strange, detached narration of her every thought and action. Caroline has an unusual problem - she realises she is in a novel.
6.
The Great Gatsby (F. Scott Fitzgerald, 1925) (115 pages)Nick Carraway, the narrator, a young man from the Midwest, moves to fictional West Egg in the hope of making a career for himself in the bond business. When his neighbour, the eponymous Jay Gatsby, invites him to one of his infamous parties, Nick, like everyone else, starts to wonder who Gatsby really is.
7.
Lord Arthur Savile's Crime and Other Stories (Oscar Wilde, 1891) (192 pages)This is a collection of short, semi-comic mystery stories written at the height of Wilde's creative powers. It includes: Lord Arthur Savile's Crime, The Canterville Ghost, The Sphinx Without a Secret, and The Model Millionaire.
8.
Silent Night (Mary Higgins Clark, 1995) (177 pages)On Christmas Eve, hoping to lift her two sons' spirits after their father is diagnosed with leukemia, Catherine Dornan takes them to see Rockefeller Center's famous Christmas tree; while there, seven-year-old Brian notices a woman taking his mother's wallet. A St. Christopher medal tucked inside the wallet saved his grandfather's life in World War II, and believing that it will protect his father now, Brian follows the thief into the subway.
9.
The Small Hand: A Ghost Story (Susan Hill, 2010) (167 pages)Returning home from a client visit late one evening, Adam Snow takes a wrong turn and stumbles across the derelict old White House. Compelled by curiousity he decides to enter, only to be repelled when he feels the unmistakeable sensation of a small hand creeping onto his own.
10.
Surfacing (Margaret Atwood, 1972) (186 pages)The protagonist, a young woman from whose perspective the book is told but whose name is never revealed, returns to northern Quebec to the remote island of her childhood, with her lover and two friends, to investigate the disappearance of her father.
Do you wish you had more time to read? Which books would you add to this list? Did you enjoy any of these books? Let me know, either in the comments below or via Twitter!
March 31, 2017
March in Books
Second Life (S.J. Watson, 2015)After their mother's death, Julia took on the responsibility for her younger sister, Kate, a role she continues to play many years later, having adopted Kate's son Connor when she was unable to cope with him. Julia, a recovering alcoholic, has a few shadows in her past but now lives a happy life, working as a photographer, with the now teenage Connor and her husband, a surgeon, Hugh. But then Kate is murdered. And, struggling to cope, Julia decides to set up an account on the same sex-site which Kate used before she was killed. At first Julia convinces herself that she is doing it to try and get to the truth behind Kate's death, but after a while she isn't so sure.
Three stars. The problem with this type of thriller is that the protagonist is usually at least mildly annoying, and their actions implausible. And so it was with Second Life. However, for the majority of the book, Julia makes some stupid decisions but she isn't blind to her actions, and Watson does an excellent job in creating her character so that the reader feels as if they understood Julia, and especially her motivations. However, for me the ending got a bit too out of hand, and the resolution of the book, even outside of Julia's actions, was a little too implausible.
Recommended for:
Fans of thrillers and/or romantic suspense, who don't mind sexual content
Book recommendations if you enjoyed Second Life:
My Husband's Son (Deborah O'Connor, 2016)
I Can See You (Karen Rose, 2009)
The Road (Cormac McCarthy, 2006)A man and his son walk through post-apocalyptic America, heading for the south. They have a pistol and two bullets, an old map preserved in torn fragments, the clothes they are wearing, a cart of scavenged food, and each other.
Four stars. McCarthy has a beautifully terse style of writing which gives little away, not even the names of his characters. This is a dark and powerful tale of life, love, and hope, which will keep you reading until you reluctantly, and uneasily, turn out of the light and dream of it.
Recommended for:
Anyone who enjoys so-called modern classics, dark fiction, and a distinctive style of writing
Book recommendations if you enjoyed The Road:
The Girl with All the Gifts (M.R. Carey, 2014)
The Big Sleep (Raymond Chandler, 1939)
The 24-Hour Wine Expert (Jancis Robinson, 2016)Respected wine critic Jancis Robinson gives the reader a whistle-stop tour of wines, in all their varieties and uses, to help them become a "24-hour wine expert".
Four stars. Makes for a very interesting first read-through, and an ideal one to keep and use as a reference book when needed (especially when it has such a beautiful front cover). It covers all the basics, and points you in the right direction for further information, and Robinson's style of writing is concise and conversational without being patronising.
Recommended for:
Anyone who likes to drink wine, but wishes they knew more about it
Book recommendations if you enjoyed The 24-Hour Wine Expert:
The Oxford Companion to Wine (Jancis Robinson, 1994)
Wine Grapes: A complete guide to 1,368 vine varieties, including their origins and flavours (Jancis Robinson, 2012)
Game of Queens: The Women Who Made Sixteenth-Century Europe (Sarah Gristwood, 2016)Sixteenth-century Europe saw an explosion of female rule—whether they were on the throne or behind the scenes, women held unprecedented power for more than a hundred years. From the rise of this age of queens to its eventual collapse, one thing was certain: Europe would never be the same.
Five stars. Gristwood smoothly navigates the reader through the individual lives of the women who made sixteenth-century Europe, and their impact on one another and Europe as a whole. She presents the facts clearly and concisely, speculating to interesting effect where necessary. It is a testament to her style of writing (with a little help from small chapters) that such a heavily factual book is such an easy read.
Recommended for:
Everyone, unless of course you are already an expert in this area, or just genuinely hate non-fiction and/or history
Book recommendations if you enjoyed Game of Queens:
A History of Britain in 21 Women (Jenni Murray, 2016)
Winter King: Henry VII and the Dawn of Tudor England (Thomas Penn, 2011)
Evil Games (Angela Marsons, 2015)Kim Stone is a Detective Inspector in the West Midlands Police. She listens to classical music, drives a Golf GTI, rides a 600cc Kawasaki Ninja, is building a 1954 BSA Gold Star, is haunted by her past, and has dark brown eyes which could bore through steel. And in Evil Games she is up against a highly intelligent and dangerous psychopath, whose cat and mouse game could have fatal consequences for Kim as it forces her to face up to her past.
Five stars. D.I. Kim Stone is now one of my all-time favourite characters. In fact, I think I have a slight crush on her. I hadn't read the first book in the series, but Evil Games works perfectly well as a standalone, especially since it reveals so much about Kim's past. I now intend to read the series, past and future, in its entirety.
Recommended for:
Anyone with the slightest interest in crime fiction, especially when it's character-driven, or anyone looking for a new favourite character
Book recommendations if you enjoyed Evil Games:
Naked in Death (J.D. Robb, 1995)
Kill the Father (Sandrone Dazieri, 2017)
Desert Queen: The Extraordinary Life of Gertrude Bell, Adventurer, Adviser to Kings, Ally of Lawrence of Arabia. (Janet Wallach, 1996)Turning away from the privileged world of the "eminent Victorians," Gertrude Bell (1868—1926) explored, mapped, and excavated the world of the Arabs. Recruited by British intelligence during World War I, she played a crucial role in obtaining the loyalty of Arab leaders, and her connections and information provided the brains to match T. E. Lawrence's brawn. After the war, she played a major role in creating the modern Middle East and was, at the time, considered the most powerful woman in the British Empire.
I'm still reading this one, so watch this space!
March 20, 2017
What just happened?
Some of my favourite books are downright weird, so I thought that I would share them with you, because we all need a little weirdness (and a lot of books) in our lives:
The Comforters (Muriel Spark, 1957)
Caroline Rose is plagued by the tapping of typewriter keys and the strange, detached narration of her every thought and action. Caroline has an unusual problem - she realises she is in a novel. Her fellow characters also seem deluded: Laurence, her former lover, finds diamonds in a loaf of bread - has his elderly grandmother hidden them there? And Baron Stock, her bookseller friend, believes he is on the trail of England's leading Satanist.
Why you should read it:
It's metaliterary; it features the woman I aim to be when I grow older, Laurence's elderly, jewel-smuggling grandmother; and it's the debut novel of Muriel Spark
Similar books:
The Uncommon Reader (Alan Bennett, 2007)
The Roman Actor (Philip Massinger, 1626)
The Driver's Seat (Muriel Spark, 1970)
The Countenance Divine (Michael Hughes, 2016)
In 1999, a computer programmer, Chris, is trying to fix the Millennium Bug while also trying to figure out himself, as he secretly belives himself to be chosen for something important, and his colleague Lucy, who is working on a mysterious art project. In 1888, Jack the Ripper stalks the back alleys of London, following the instructions of his master. In 1777, William Blake, poet and engraver, has a spiritual vision, and believes that he can resurrect Milton. In 1666, John Milton finishes reciting his epic, by which he will be remembered forever, but the air is thick with Popish plots and Restoration fears, not to mention the smoke from the Great Fire of London.
Why you should read it:
It's genre-defying; Hughes deserves kudos for even attempting such an ambitious debut novel; and it has one of the most beautiful covers I have ever seen
Similar books:
Cloud Atlas (David Mitchell, 2004)
Paradise Lost (John Milton, 1667)
Possession (A.S. Byatt, 1990)
Perfume: The Story of a Murderer (Patrick Süskind, 1985)
Perfume is the story of Jean-Baptiste Grenouille who, since his birth in Paris in 1738, appears ordinary, harmless, perhaps even a little dim-witted, while also making everyone around him feel ill at ease. Why? Because Grenouille was born with an extremely acute sense of smell, perceiving through scent rather than vision, and without an odour of his own. Perfume is the story of a murderer.
Why you should read it:
It's an entire book about a man with a really good sense of smell; everyone should read more translated literature; and it will linger with you for some time, like any good scent should
Similar books:
Amsterdam (Ian McEwan, 1998)
The Picture of Dorian Gray (Oscar Wilde, 1890)
Little Face (Sophie Hannah, 2006)
Purity (Jonathan Franzen, 2015)
Pip Tyler doesn't know who she is. She knows that her real name is Purity, that she's saddled with student debt and a reclusive mother, but there are few clues as to who her father is or how she'll ever have a normal life. Then she meets Andreas Wolf - internet outlaw, charismatic provocateur, a man who deals in secrets and might just be able to help her solve the mystery of her origins.
Why you should read it:
Love him, hate him, or have barely even heard of him, Jonathan Franzen is a big name in the field of literary fiction; it features the most messed-up people I have ever encountered; it will get under your skin
Similar books:
Amsterdam (Ian McEwan, 1998)
The Mandibles: A Family, 2029–2047 (Lionel Shriver, 2016)
The Corrections (Jonathan Franzen, 2001)
Surfacing (Margaret Atwood, 1972)
The protagonist, a young woman from whose perspective the book is told but whose name is never revealed, returns to northern Quebec to the remote island of her childhood, with her lover and two friends, to investigate the disappearance of her father.
Why you should read it:
It explores some extremely deep, dark, and important themes; the prose is exquisite; at a mere 186 pages you have nothing to lose by giving it a go
Similar books:
The Awakening (Kate Chopin, 1899)
The Vanishing Act of Esme Lennox (Maggie O'Farrell, 2006)
The Bell Jar (Sylvia Plath, 1963)
Ulysses (James Joyce, 1920)
Reimagining Homer’s epic poem The Odyssey as the travels and trials of an everyday man through the crowded streets and pubs of Dublin, Joyce weaves strikingly versatile prose styles and varying perspectives to encompass the whole of life within the hours of a single standard day, June 16th, 1904.
Why you should read it:
It is one of the best books ever written; you don't have to pretend to understand it (because no-one really does, at least not in its entirety); it will impress everyone you tell
Similar books:
The Odyssey (Homer, c.675–725 BCE)
The Life and Opinions of Tristram Shandy, Gentleman (Laurence Sterne, 1759)
Mrs. Dalloway (Virginia Woolf, 1925)
The Comforters (Muriel Spark, 1957)Caroline Rose is plagued by the tapping of typewriter keys and the strange, detached narration of her every thought and action. Caroline has an unusual problem - she realises she is in a novel. Her fellow characters also seem deluded: Laurence, her former lover, finds diamonds in a loaf of bread - has his elderly grandmother hidden them there? And Baron Stock, her bookseller friend, believes he is on the trail of England's leading Satanist.
Why you should read it:
It's metaliterary; it features the woman I aim to be when I grow older, Laurence's elderly, jewel-smuggling grandmother; and it's the debut novel of Muriel Spark
Similar books:
The Uncommon Reader (Alan Bennett, 2007)
The Roman Actor (Philip Massinger, 1626)
The Driver's Seat (Muriel Spark, 1970)
The Countenance Divine (Michael Hughes, 2016)In 1999, a computer programmer, Chris, is trying to fix the Millennium Bug while also trying to figure out himself, as he secretly belives himself to be chosen for something important, and his colleague Lucy, who is working on a mysterious art project. In 1888, Jack the Ripper stalks the back alleys of London, following the instructions of his master. In 1777, William Blake, poet and engraver, has a spiritual vision, and believes that he can resurrect Milton. In 1666, John Milton finishes reciting his epic, by which he will be remembered forever, but the air is thick with Popish plots and Restoration fears, not to mention the smoke from the Great Fire of London.
Why you should read it:
It's genre-defying; Hughes deserves kudos for even attempting such an ambitious debut novel; and it has one of the most beautiful covers I have ever seen
Similar books:
Cloud Atlas (David Mitchell, 2004)
Paradise Lost (John Milton, 1667)
Possession (A.S. Byatt, 1990)
Perfume: The Story of a Murderer (Patrick Süskind, 1985)Perfume is the story of Jean-Baptiste Grenouille who, since his birth in Paris in 1738, appears ordinary, harmless, perhaps even a little dim-witted, while also making everyone around him feel ill at ease. Why? Because Grenouille was born with an extremely acute sense of smell, perceiving through scent rather than vision, and without an odour of his own. Perfume is the story of a murderer.
Why you should read it:
It's an entire book about a man with a really good sense of smell; everyone should read more translated literature; and it will linger with you for some time, like any good scent should
Similar books:
Amsterdam (Ian McEwan, 1998)
The Picture of Dorian Gray (Oscar Wilde, 1890)
Little Face (Sophie Hannah, 2006)
Purity (Jonathan Franzen, 2015)Pip Tyler doesn't know who she is. She knows that her real name is Purity, that she's saddled with student debt and a reclusive mother, but there are few clues as to who her father is or how she'll ever have a normal life. Then she meets Andreas Wolf - internet outlaw, charismatic provocateur, a man who deals in secrets and might just be able to help her solve the mystery of her origins.
Why you should read it:
Love him, hate him, or have barely even heard of him, Jonathan Franzen is a big name in the field of literary fiction; it features the most messed-up people I have ever encountered; it will get under your skin
Similar books:
Amsterdam (Ian McEwan, 1998)
The Mandibles: A Family, 2029–2047 (Lionel Shriver, 2016)
The Corrections (Jonathan Franzen, 2001)
Surfacing (Margaret Atwood, 1972)The protagonist, a young woman from whose perspective the book is told but whose name is never revealed, returns to northern Quebec to the remote island of her childhood, with her lover and two friends, to investigate the disappearance of her father.
Why you should read it:
It explores some extremely deep, dark, and important themes; the prose is exquisite; at a mere 186 pages you have nothing to lose by giving it a go
Similar books:
The Awakening (Kate Chopin, 1899)
The Vanishing Act of Esme Lennox (Maggie O'Farrell, 2006)
The Bell Jar (Sylvia Plath, 1963)
Ulysses (James Joyce, 1920)Reimagining Homer’s epic poem The Odyssey as the travels and trials of an everyday man through the crowded streets and pubs of Dublin, Joyce weaves strikingly versatile prose styles and varying perspectives to encompass the whole of life within the hours of a single standard day, June 16th, 1904.
Why you should read it:
It is one of the best books ever written; you don't have to pretend to understand it (because no-one really does, at least not in its entirety); it will impress everyone you tell
Similar books:
The Odyssey (Homer, c.675–725 BCE)
The Life and Opinions of Tristram Shandy, Gentleman (Laurence Sterne, 1759)
Mrs. Dalloway (Virginia Woolf, 1925)
March 13, 2017
Songs that Match Books
"Where words fail, music speaks." (Hans Anderson)
The Big Sleep (Raymond Chandler, 1939)
When the wealthy, but paralysed, General Sternwood is blackmailed over the youngest, and wildest, of his two daughters, Carmen, he hires Los Angeles PI Philip Marlowe to make the problem go away.
Private Investigations (Dire Straits, 1982)
The God of Small Things (Arundhati Roy, 1997)
The first page throws the reader headfirst into the lives of Ammu and her twins, Estha and Rahel, and the consequences of their rebelling against "the laws that lay down who should be loved, and how."
River Lea (Adele, 2015)
Gone Girl (Gillian Flynn, 2012)
It is Nick and Amy Dunne's fifth wedding anniversary, presents are being wrapped and reservations made when Nick's clever and beautiful wife Amy disappears.
Black Heart (Stooshe, 2013)
The Great Gatsby (F. Scott Fitzgerald, 1925)
It's 1922, and Nick Carraway moves from the Midwest to West Egg to make a career for himself in the bond business. And then he meets his neighbour, Jay Gatsby, a man as mysterious as he is suave, and whose lavish parties are the talk of the city.
Twenty-something (Pet Shop Boys, 2016)
The Kite Runner (Khaled Hosseini, 2003)
Amir, the son of a wealthy Kabul merchant, a member of the ruling caste of Pashtuns, is the unlikely friend of Hassan, his servant and a Hazara, a despised and impoverished caste. But friends they are.
He Ain't Heavy, He's My Brother (The Hollies, 1969)
Perfume: The Story of a Murderer (Patrick Süskind, 1985)
Jean-Baptiste Grenouille was born in Paris in 1738 with an extremely acute sense of smell, perceiving throug scent rather than vision, and without an odour of his own.
Darling Violetta (Jessamine, 2003)
A Quiet Belief in Angels (R.J. Ellory, 2007)
Growing up in the 1950s, Joseph Vaughan was at the centre of a series of killings of young girls in his small, rural community. Barely a teenager himself, Joseph becomes determined to protect his community and classmates from the predations of the killer.
Nervous (X Ambassadors, 2015)
Rebecca (Daphne du Maurier, 1938)
Orphaned and working as a lady's maid, the protagonist can barely believe her luck when the dashing widower Maxim de Winter suddenly proposes to her. It is only when they arrive at his massive country estate that she realises how large a shadow his late wife will cast over their lives.
Picking Up the Pieces (Paloma Faith, 2012)
The Road (Cormac McCarthy, 2006)
A man and his son walk through post-apocalyptic America, heading for the south. They have a pistol and two bullets, an old map preserved in torn fragments, the clothes they are wearing, a cart of scavenged food, and each other.
Somewhere Between Highway 61 & 49 (Chris Rea, 2005)
The Trouble with Goats and Sheep (Joanna Cannon, 2015)
It's the summer of 1976 and, in the cul-de-sac where this beautiful story in set, the heat wave is being blamed for everything. Including the disappearance of Mrs Creasy.
Glory Days (Bruce Springsteen, 1984)
Do you think that these songs match these books? Which song and book pairings have I missed? Let me know either in the comments below or via Twitter!
The Big Sleep (Raymond Chandler, 1939)When the wealthy, but paralysed, General Sternwood is blackmailed over the youngest, and wildest, of his two daughters, Carmen, he hires Los Angeles PI Philip Marlowe to make the problem go away.
Private Investigations (Dire Straits, 1982)
The God of Small Things (Arundhati Roy, 1997)The first page throws the reader headfirst into the lives of Ammu and her twins, Estha and Rahel, and the consequences of their rebelling against "the laws that lay down who should be loved, and how."
River Lea (Adele, 2015)
Gone Girl (Gillian Flynn, 2012)It is Nick and Amy Dunne's fifth wedding anniversary, presents are being wrapped and reservations made when Nick's clever and beautiful wife Amy disappears.
Black Heart (Stooshe, 2013)
The Great Gatsby (F. Scott Fitzgerald, 1925)It's 1922, and Nick Carraway moves from the Midwest to West Egg to make a career for himself in the bond business. And then he meets his neighbour, Jay Gatsby, a man as mysterious as he is suave, and whose lavish parties are the talk of the city.
Twenty-something (Pet Shop Boys, 2016)
The Kite Runner (Khaled Hosseini, 2003)Amir, the son of a wealthy Kabul merchant, a member of the ruling caste of Pashtuns, is the unlikely friend of Hassan, his servant and a Hazara, a despised and impoverished caste. But friends they are.
He Ain't Heavy, He's My Brother (The Hollies, 1969)
Perfume: The Story of a Murderer (Patrick Süskind, 1985)Jean-Baptiste Grenouille was born in Paris in 1738 with an extremely acute sense of smell, perceiving throug scent rather than vision, and without an odour of his own.
Darling Violetta (Jessamine, 2003)
A Quiet Belief in Angels (R.J. Ellory, 2007)Growing up in the 1950s, Joseph Vaughan was at the centre of a series of killings of young girls in his small, rural community. Barely a teenager himself, Joseph becomes determined to protect his community and classmates from the predations of the killer.
Nervous (X Ambassadors, 2015)
Rebecca (Daphne du Maurier, 1938)Orphaned and working as a lady's maid, the protagonist can barely believe her luck when the dashing widower Maxim de Winter suddenly proposes to her. It is only when they arrive at his massive country estate that she realises how large a shadow his late wife will cast over their lives.
Picking Up the Pieces (Paloma Faith, 2012)
The Road (Cormac McCarthy, 2006)A man and his son walk through post-apocalyptic America, heading for the south. They have a pistol and two bullets, an old map preserved in torn fragments, the clothes they are wearing, a cart of scavenged food, and each other.
Somewhere Between Highway 61 & 49 (Chris Rea, 2005)
The Trouble with Goats and Sheep (Joanna Cannon, 2015)It's the summer of 1976 and, in the cul-de-sac where this beautiful story in set, the heat wave is being blamed for everything. Including the disappearance of Mrs Creasy.
Glory Days (Bruce Springsteen, 1984)
Do you think that these songs match these books? Which song and book pairings have I missed? Let me know either in the comments below or via Twitter!
March 1, 2017
February in books
Kill the Father (Sandrone Dazieri, 2017)When a six-year-old boy and his mother go missing, and then the mother is found beheaded, Rovere, the Chief of Rome's Major Crimes unit, is one of the few who doesn't suspect the boy's father. Aware of the consequences of investigating the case formally, he persuades Deputy Captain Columba Caselli, on leave after a recent case ended in disaster, and Dante Torre, a man who spent his childhood locked inside a concrete silo after being kidnapped by a man he knows only as the Father, to investigate off the record. Working together, this unorthodox pair soon discover that the Father has returned to what he does best.
Five stars. Columba and Dante are perhaps the most fascinating and unusual partners I have ever encountered in fiction, and I am utterly besotted with them. Kill the Father is as intelligent as it is page-turning, and the sleep I lost over it was worth it.
Recommended for:
Everyone, but especially anyone who has grown disenchanted with the thriller genre
"I don't know if I would have found you, but I do want to free that child in the video before he turns into someone like you. The world only needs one Dante Torre."
Go Set a Watchman (Harper Lee, 2015)Jean Louise Finch, perhaps best known by her childhood name of Scout, is living in New York, twenty-six years of age, but she returns home to Maycomb, Alabama to visit her aging father, Atticus Finch. As memories come flooding back to her, Jean Louise struggles to understand what has happened to the town and the people she once loved. And hardest of all, she struggles to understand whether she can still love them.
Four stars. The characters are exquisite, perhaps most so in their flaws, and I particularly fell for John Finch (Uncle Jack). I loved Lee's lucid style of writing, particularly the way in which she often writes what Jean Louise wants to say before what she actually says, which was perfect for asking the uncomfortable questions raised by this book.
Recommended for:
Anyone who, like me, has still not gotten around to reading To Kill a Mockingbird (which I am now very excited to read)
"Had she insight, could she have pierced the barriers of her highly selective, insular world, she may have discovered that all her life she had been with a visual defect which had gone unnoticed and neglected by herself and by those closest to her: she was born color blind."
My Husband's Son (Deborah O'Connor, 2016)Heidi and Jason are a married couple, united by the fact that Heidi's daughter Lauren was murdered six years ago, and Jason's son Barney disappeared a year later. Their fragile marriage is shaken when Heidi, by chance, sees a boy whom she is convinced is Barney, but whom Jason is equally convinced is not. Whether Heidi is seeing this, or whether Jason either doesn't recognise his own son or is hiding something, Heidi cannot get the boy out of her mind and determines to get to the truth.
Two stars. My main problems were my inability to sympathise with Heidi, whose actions were questionable to say the least, and the lack of a twist in the ending. I found Heidi's hypocrisy especially hard to handle, as she rebukes Jason for keeping secrets from her all the while keeping secrets of her own. And while O'Connor kept me wanting to read, I found the ending to be ultimately what I was expecting, with even the final 'twist' becoming apparent to me some time before the end.
Recommended for:
Anyone who is fan of domestic thrillers, because I am in the minority with my opinion and even if you agree with me, this is still a very readable book
"I thought of Vicky going up to Barney's room every week with her dusters and polish. The way Jason spent his time scouring the internet forums for potential sightings. I envied their defiance, their right to keep everythign ready, just in case. I envied their right to hope."
Perfume: The Story of a Murderer (Patrick Süskind, 1985)Perfume is the story of Jean-Baptiste Grenouille who, since his birth in Paris in 1738, appears ordinary, harmless, perhaps even a little dim-witted, while also making everyone around him feel ill at ease. Why? Because Grenouille was born with an extremely acute sense of smell, perceiving through scent rather than vision, and without an odour of his own. Perfume is the story of a murderer.
Four stars. This is an extremely unusual book, and perhaps for that reason alone it is worth reading. Süskind creates an utterly unsympathetic character, but he makes us want to read about him (because whatever else Perfume may be, it is highly readable). What does this say about Grenouille? And, more importantly, what does this say about the reader? Perfume will linger with me for some time, like any good scent should.
Recommended for:
Anyone who is looking for something different, and who is able to handle some quite dark and disturbing imagery and ideas
“For people could close their eyes to greatness, to horrors, to beauty, and their ears to melodies or deceiving words. But they couldn't escape scent. For scent was a brother of breath...He who ruled scent ruled the hearts of men.”
Second Life (S.J. Watson, 2015)After their mother's death, Julia took on the responsibility for her younger sister, Kate, a role she continues to play many years later, having adopted Kate's son Connor when she was unable to cope with him. Julia, a recovering alcoholic, has a few shadows in her past but now lives a happy life, working as a photographer, with the now teenage Connor and her husband, a surgeon, Hugh. But then Kate is murdered. And, struggling to cope, Julia decides to set up an account on the same sex-site which Kate used before she was killed. At first Julia convinces herself that she is doing it to try and get to the truth behind Kate's death, but after a while she isn't so sure.
I'm still reading this one, so you'll have to keep an eye out for my review!
