January Wrap Up

January Wrap Up

 

I feel like I’ve more or less lost January! On the 2nd I started to feel unwell, and, on the 4th, I tested positive for Covid. I’d managed to avoid it for five years and then, boom, it hit me with a vengeance. I continued to test positive for over two weeks. The euphoria of finally testing negative made me think that I was well, but it has taken another couple of weeks to start feeling human again. However, I did have time to read and whilst there were days when I felt too ill, I’ve managed to read a variety of books.

 

The Garnett Girls – Georgina Moore

I’ve interacted with Georgina Moore in the past when my blogging still seemed to count, and she was a publicist. I was interested in her first novel, and I tried to secure a copy in various ways, all unsuccessful! Then I came across a hardback copy in my local community centre. I pounced upon it gleefully.  I enjoyed it immensely; an atmospheric tale of family and the effect parents can have on their children.

 

The Family Remains – Lisa Jewel

Purloined from the same source as The Garnett Girls this is the sequel to The Family Upstairs. It was a perfect read when you’re languishing on your sick bed. Twisty mystery and dark…. 

 

Ultra Processed People – Chris van Tulleken

For some time now I’ve been trying to decrease the amount of processed food I eat. It’s been time consuming and sometimes expensive. It seems that the healthier the food is the more costly it is! This book in part explains why but it has caused me to modify my diet even more! But I do wonder whether the damage to my body is done and is irreversible. It also made me realise why there is so much ill health. It is quite frightening what people are putting in their bodies without understanding what it is doing to them. I find myself reading ingredient lists even more carefully than I was already doing! It was very readable. The danger of books like these is that you can become blinded by the science, but I did not find that to be the case. Very thought provoking.

 

Blessed are those Who Thirst – Anne Holt

I find crime novels easy to read. No matter how convoluted the plot might be I still tend to read them quite quickly and they are another perfect read for a convalescence. This was a charity shop find that has been slumbering on my TBR shelf for years!! I’ve read several of Holt’s books and always enjoyed them. Scandi, uncompromising thrillers. Bring ‘em on!

 

The Whalebone Theatre – Joanna Quinn

Another gem found in a charity shop. I’d seen this on social media, and it felt like the kind of book I would like. And I was not mistaken. I liked the convoluted family dynamics and it’s what I call a big house story, and I love big house stories. As a debut novel I found it typical, an exuberance of language and detail, possibly an overlong book but who cares? It was an immersive story, and I found myself rooting for all the children. Heartbreaking in parts but uplifting in others.

 

The Harder I Fight the More I Love You – Neko Case

Many years ago, my brother turned up with an external hard drive full of thousands and thousands of songs. And he let me loose on it for 24 hours. I found many old favourites, but I also found some new music I’ve never listened to before. And one of those artists was Neko Case. And I absolutely loved her. I subsequently sought out all her albums and bought them and although she rarely appears live in the UK, I’ve managed to see her twice. So, it was a no-brainer that I would buy this memoir of hers. I wasn’t sure what to expect. I love her songs but is that sustained through prose? Yes, it is. It’s one of the most readable memoirs I’ve ever come across. 

I bought it one day and by the next I finished it. It’s such a conversational and inclusive style of writing and the obstacles and heartbreak that she’s endured throughout her life are quite hard to read at times. But it's certainly done nothing to dampen my enthusiasm for her as a musician.

Living with a Serial Killer - Delia Balmer

I picked this up in my local library during a post covid walk which turned out to be too far and I was wrung out afterwards!! I had watched the TV series. I thought Anna Maxwell Martin and Sean Evans were very good in the lead roles and I thought the TV series was very faithful to the book. I also watched the documentary afterwards, which featured Delia Balmer herself. Not my usual choice of book but it was an interesting enough read although I felt the poor lady had plenty of issues before she was subjected to this horrific ordeal. But I'm glad she got to speak her truth.

The Unpicking – Donna Moore

An unsettling tale which is dark. Three generations of brave Scottish women endure abuse and the corruption of a police force. The three protagonists are plucky and resourceful but your heart breaks for them.

Out of Character - Alison Steadman

And the final book this month is another library book. I've admired Alison Steadman ever since I saw Abigail's Party on TV.  I've seen quite a bit of her work over the years. In common with much of the nation I tuned in to watch the Gavin and Stacey Finale on Christmas Day. It occurred to me that Ms. Steadman has had quite a journey artistically over the years and whilst for a while perhaps, Abigails' Party maybe defined her surely Pamela Shipman is a crowning achievement? I was interested to read her memoir. Strange that I've read two memoirs this month! But both have been very enjoyable and well written. 

Footnote: although the font is all uniform in this draft, I noticed that some has changed when the post is published. I don’t know why and I can only apologize.

 

Invisible Strings - 113 Poets Respond to the Songs of Taylor Swift.

 

I find that I cannot usually read a poetry collection from start to finish. I dip in and out as the mood takes me. And I prefer to read poetry aloud. That doesn't go well on any kind of commute, I find! And so it takes me a while to read through a poetry book especially one of length. And that is really my way of apologising for taking so long to post anything about this book!

It's a fascinating premise; 113 poets (Why 113 you may ask? If you need to ask then you are not a Swiftie?! 13?!) have been brought together by poet and professor Kristie Frederick Daugherty to present poems inspired by the songs of Taylor Swift.

The collection also contains an erudite essay by Sir Jonathan Bate Senior Research Fellow at Oxford University and Regents Professor of Literature at Arizona State University who has no hesitation in equivocally affirming that Swift should be considered a poet and details why from her use of poetic devices to her releasing an album on Emily Dickinson's birthday! (in fact Swift and Dickinson are sixth cousins, twice removed). 

As for the poems themselves, and I confess I still haven't read the whole collection, the onus is on the reader to find the comparisons between the poems and Swift's songs. Not all are obvious which might frustrate some people. And I think that to try too hard to determine which song the poem is about might detract from the poem itself. Sometimes it's a giveaway word like 'jewelled' or the age of a protagonist '22' but ultimately I found myself not really worried about whether I had 'guessed' the song correctly, and although it is fun to try and figure it out, I simply allowed myself to be enveloped by the poetry. Poetry is so subjective and not all of these will resonate with everyone. You find your favourites. I especially liked Firstborn by Jeannine Oulette which I think might have been inspired by August and Plural as the Universe by Susan Rich and I think The Man has inspired that one. 

But I guess it beggars the question, do you have to be a Swiftie to enjoy these poems? No, you don't.

My thanks to Isabelle Wilson at Headline for the copy I won in a giveaway. 

Disappoint Me - Nicola Dinan

 'This is a most impressive debut novel and my ‘bookstinct’ is telling me it could be very important.'

I wrote that as a concluding sentence in my review of Bellies,  Nicola Dinan's debut novel. I'm now in possession of her second novel, Disappoint Me. She doesn't. Disappoint me, I mean. Far from it. If anyone thought that Bellies was a one off, a fluke, one of those 'everyone has a novel inside them' books never to be repeated, think again. If this new novel doesn't cement Dinan as an exceptional literary talent I don't know what will. This is writing of high quality in its intent and execution. The prose is sparkling, witty and insightful. It shows a writer who thinks deeply and the resulting story is so thoughtful.

The characters are intense and complex, the themes challenging and thought provoking. And the author demonstrates a perception that has you incredulous that she has been able to articulate so effectively things that you didn't know you thought. It's all that literature should be.

So what's it all about? 

'Max is 30, a published poet and grossly overpaid legal counsel for a tech company. She's living her best life! Or is she? The debris of years of dysphoria and failed relationships rattles around in her head. When she tumbles down the stairs at a New Year's Eve party and wakes up in hospital alone, she decides to make some changes. First things first: a stab at good old-fashioned heteronormativity.

Vincent, corporate lawyer and hobby baker. He's trad friendship group may as well speak a different language to Max, and his Chinese parents never pictured their son dating a trans woman. It's uncertain terrain, but Vincent cares for Max in a way she'd long given up as a foolish fantasy.

Vincent is carrying his own baggage. On his gap year in Thailand a decade earlier, he vied for the attention of a gorgeous traveller, Alex with secrets of her own. Is Vincent really the new face of the Enlightened Man, or will the ghost of his past sabotage his and Max's happiness?'

Like Bellies it is about the experiences of a trans woman navigating a thirty something world. But it is a dual narrative between Max and Vincent so you get both perspectives, all eloquently described. Parenthood, relationships and forgiveness form the central themes from a trans, homo and heterosexual point of view. All the characters count - Max's brother. Vincent and Max's friends, all the parents.  They are part of the whole story, participants not bystanders. The characters aren't always engaging but they are real, they are flawed as people are and - they disappoint. 

'People are what they are, and sometimes they're just an ongoing series of small disappointments.'

'Life is a series of happy endings and sad endings, a handsome lover or career often marking the board up between epochs. She'll, (Max's friend, Simone), find someone, or several people, but I don't think anyone can say any of us will find someone for forever.'

There's plenty of quotable maxims in the book. For me, anyway, one of the marks of a good book are those lines that you read and want to punch the air in celebration of their astute accuracy. 

Thank you Doubleday for an advance copy. It's been a privilege to read it.

A Voice in the Night - Simon Mason

 

Crime series are never in short supply.  Avid readers of the genre love them. I guess that's why there's an abundance! I'm a fan myself. Something I have noticed over the years is that they can be formulaic. I am not intending that as a criticism. In fact, I think that may be part of their appeal, the reader knows what they're going to get and there's a comfort in the familiarity. And often, because you're tuned into the formula you can sometimes solve the crime alongside the detectives. But every so often it is refreshing to buck the trend. 

Which brings me to Simon Mason. The premise is simple, but original. Two Oxford detectives share the same surname, Wilkins, but their characters and temperaments couldn't be more different. Together they solve crimes and murders. Not easily. They are so different that their methods and approaches clash. A Voice in the Night is the fourth in the series and each one has a different dynamic. A Killing in November sees a Gulf state ruler and Syrian refugee lawyer entangled in a murder.  The Broken Afternoon is a missing child story, Lost and Never Found has a missing celebrity and a homeless man called 'Waitrose' because of the shopping trolley he uses for all his stuff. And in A Voice in the Night a linguistics professor goes awol in Oxford. The crime in each book is dealt with differently as, realistically, all crimes must be. There's no formula. 

They have all been exciting books to read and I think this fourth one may be the best yet. The plot is complex and multi stranded with plenty of red herrings and dead ends but enough clues for the astute reader to figure out the perpetrator alongside Ryan and Ray. There's the additional simmering challenge of a new Superintendent who seems to have Ryan and Ray's cards marked. Accompanying the exposition of this and the crime are the private lives of the Wilkins's. Both are parents with different styles of parenting. Ryan's chaotic, sometimes belligerent lifestyle and attitude contrasting acutely with the educated and organised Ray. There were times when I found myself frustrated by Ryan's lack of tact and finesse and his general sloppy attitude. The perception he brings to the solving of crimes does not extend to his dealings with people!! Ray is more solid and dependable, predictable almost except that he does something quite unexpected in this book that throws into question his dislike of Ryan. It all gets the reader thinking which is just great. I do hope the series continues. 

My thanks to riverrun books for a gifted copy. 

Books of 2024

Chloe Dalton and myself.

This year I'm going to buck the trend and not do a top 10 books of the year. I might have bucked the trend last year and not done a list. I can't remember, but then I'm old. I could look back I guess. I have. I didn't. So I'm really bucking my own trend here!  I do sometimes question the value of this exercise which many folk do with alacrity. I used to do it with alacrity in the days when I mistakenly thought that I was an okay blogger but now I wonder how a subjective list of books is of any interest or value to anybody? It feels like an expected exercise somehow in the tenuous world of social media. #booktwitter #bookstagram etc. Another thing I don't do is announce how many books I've read in the year. I've never seen reading as a competition. I've nothing against people setting themselves personal goals for whatever reason but I feel no need to do that for myself where books are concerned or shout about it. I think I'll just witter on about some of the books I've read. 

One big change this year for me has been the opening of an independent bookstore in my little town. We've been some years without one so I was overjoyed when Read on Sea opened. In addition to being the purveyor of fine books and a decent cup of coffee the shop has hosted some literary events that have introduced me to new authors. I've had copies signed, I've had photos with authors and I've listened to these authors talk about their work and read from their books.  I'm sure that dimension adds to my overall appreciation of their books. I've met Syd Moore, A.G.Brogan, Tim Burrows, Ashley Oakley, Fiona Cummins, Natalie Bennett, Debz Hobbs-Wyatt, Georgie Spearing and Chloe Dalton. Most are local authors. In addition to the events every Tuesday at about 11.00 am the owner reads one chapter from a random book. Today it was Jonathan Livingstone Seagull which I read years ago and it was great to hear some of it again. 

So what of the many books I read this year? Highlights? Well, there was a new Elizabeth Strout which is always a delight. And I treated myself to. signed copy. Although if I'm honest, I didn't engage with this one as much as I have with the other ones. I think perhaps I need to re-read it. I read Samantha Harvey's Orbital the Booker prize winner and was much impressed. I also enjoyed Ferdia Lennon's Glorious Exploits, a book that has garnered some awards including the Waterstones debut fiction prize award. 

Canongate Books sent me a copy of 3 Shades of Blue by James Kaplan a book for jazz heads. I absolutely loved it. I blogged about it.

https://bookphace.blogspot.com/2024/03/3-shades-of-blue-miles-david-john.html

Chloe Dalton's Raising Hare was a big favourite. I also got to meet her and she signed my copy as well as agreeing to a photo with me! It's an uplifting book and a must for nature lovers. What was great too was how the experience opened up the natural world to the author in a way that was quite transformative. 

I love it when you get hold of a book that you have no or few expectations of and it turns out to exceed all your expectations. I can say that of Debz Hobbs Wyatt's If Crows Could Talk. It was so good. Another book I did blog about.

https://bookphace.blogspot.com/2024/10/if-crows-could-talk-debs-hobbs-wyatt.html

I've done a few blog tours and read several proofs from Fly on the Wall Press over the years so when its founder and owner Isabelle Kenyon published her first novel I was intrigued to read it. A thriller set in Mormon country. Another book where I did not know what to expect. It's an impressive debut.

 https://bookphace.blogspot.com/2024/03/the-dark-within-them-isabelle-kenyon.html

Another writer who I was very aware of and had always intended to read was Fiona Cummins. And I had no idea she was so local! I met her at our local bookshop and very quickly devoured everything she's written. I love the character Saul Anguish who features in her most recent stories. All of Us are Broken is the first of her books I read to feature Saul. 

So far I've only mentioned about seven books. And as I look through my list of books I've read this year I could easily be here until next year talking about them!! There was only one book I DNF'd. It was called Leave No Trace:Festifell by Jordan McMahon and the reason I couldn't finish it was not because the book was bad it was because the print was way too small and gave me blurry vision. Might be an age thing. There were no books I didn't like. I blogged about many of them.