The Haunting of Hill House – Shirley Jackson

 

I’m not usually a great one for ghost stories or horror stories per se. My imagination is far too active for them, and they play on my mind. But I listened to a programme about Shirley Jackson which I found it fascinating. I was browsing in my local bookshop and came across this volume, considered to be a modern classic by penguin. So, I treated myself to it. The cover blurb suggests the story is acclaimed as one of the finest ghost stories of the 20^th century. I couldn’t comment on that because I’ve not read enough! But I have to say this was most absorbing. 

 

The word Gothic is much bandied about these days, but I would say that this really does tick all the boxes. The entire narrative has a chilling quality to it. Even the most prosaic of events still makes you feel a little off kilter. The description of the house’s layout made me feel like I was in one of those theme park houses with uneven floors and ceilings. Come to think of it they often have a haunted house theme!

 

It Isn't an out and out in your face, scary, ghosty, story. And I think that what makes it so disquieting. For it is subtle, nuanced, suggestive. The characters are all flawed, misfits in a certain sense with sub texts that leave the reader wondering and questioning.

 

Ultimately, I found myself struggling to differentiate between an actual haunting or whether the mental state of Eleanor was in question. So, I guess it’s also a psychological thriller as well as a ghost story!

                                                                                       

I won’t rush to read any more Shirley Jackson, but I won’t pass any by if they come my way.

  

1979 – Val McDermid

 

When I want to sit down and just read without having to worry about deadlines or publication dates, I go to my TBR shelf and pluck something. Well, I’m still struggling to recover from post Covid fatigue, I’ve found that I want books that just entertain me rather than books that I’ve really got to think about. On this occasion I happened to pick this Val McDermid novel. I’ve read most of her books and I’ve always found them to be very entertaining. This one is introducing a new protagonist Allie Burns, who is a journalist. It’s all that you might expect from a McDermid novel. Plenty of action, plenty of red herrings, a painstaking attention to detail. Here it is the world of journalism at the end of the 70s. So, it’s a palpable read. 

What is also interesting is that she wrote it during lockdown. It’s not the first book I’ve read by an author and it seems to me there could almost be an entire genre of lockdown literature! Granted you do need to concentrate on these type of thrillers but on the whole it’s an under demanding read that just lets you enjoy a book for the sheer escapism of it all. I believe this was a charity shop find.

 

Probably something of a niche volume, although I think it might appeal to short story aficionados, this collection of short stories are all about female hypnotists. The stories are all from the Victorian and Edwardian eras. Some of my well-known writers like Louisa May Alcott and Arthur Conan Doyle and some are from people I’ve never heard of!

 

What struck me having read all of these stories is how similar they seem to be. It’s almost as if a female hypnotist is a particular species, culturally, socially and physically! Not possible? Or are we simply experiencing the writers’ imaginings of such a person?

 

There was something deliciously Gothic about several of the stories. And I’m wondering how much they appeal to the feminists out there. For to be sure it is the male of the species who seem to suffer throughout this collection of stories! But do all the women necessarily triumph? Maybe they do and maybe they don’t! I’ll not offer any spoilers here.

 

Stylistically all the stories are of their time. They are well written and completely accessible unless you are hellbent on books and stories that employ a more modern vernacular. But as one might expect the language is formal with much detail. 

 

And if reading the stories whets your appetite to find out more there is one of the most extensive bibliographies I’ve come across in a long while. I have absolute admiration for Donald K Hartman, who must have compiled it.

 

My thanks to Librarything where I won the book in a giveaway.

 

March Round Up

 I began the month with a book that I received for a blog tour at the end of the month. Stephen Oram’s We Are Not Anonymous. I reviewed it for the blog tour. 

 https://bookphace.blogspot.com/2025/03/we-are-not-anonymous-stephen-oram-blog.html  

I’ve read a previous book of Stephen’s called Extracting Humanity, a Collection short stories. Although there is a strong science-fictiony flavour to his work, I would say it’s more speculative fiction. I reviewed that on the blog. 

https://bookphace.blogspot.com/2024/01/extracting-humanity-stephen-oram-blog.html

 

Back to the library for the second book of the month. And this was a random, unplanned pick. I came to return a book and I saw this displayed on the shelf. It’s called Heartbreak is the National Anthem by Rob Sheffield who is a writer for Rolling Stone. The book is about Taylor Swift. It’s an essay, love letter even to the artistry of Taylor Swift. He wrote about the songs as if they are poems looking at imagery and metaphor and I enjoyed the way that he examined her work as a serious creative artist rather than a popstar.

 

From time to time as a blogger, writers approach you to enquire whether you would be prepared to read and review their work. It can be a lottery. But I feel like I hit the jackpot here! A wonderful quirky offbeat collection of short stories by Katie Wimhurst called An Orchid in my Bellybutton. Who could resist a book with the title like that? It’s a wonderful collection and is one of the best books I’ve read this year. I absolutely love the stories.

 

https://bookphace.blogspot.com/2025/03/an-orchid-in-my-belly-button-katy.html

 

Another library book recommended by my yoga teacher. Anne Youngson. Meet me at the Museum. It’s an epistolary novel which won a Costa prize back in  2018 for a First novel. A delightful story of a long distance friendship and endurance, a sharing of lives and confidences. Beautifully written.

 

Last October, a good friend of mine took a trip to Louisiana. And she visited some of the old plantations. She picked up this book at one of the plantations that she visited, and the owner of the plantation signed the book. The book is called Chained to the Land and it’s edited by Lynette Ater Tanner. The interviews took place during the 1930s.It’s absolutely fascinating to read accounts of the lives of the former slaves whose memories go back to before the Civil War. 

 

In spite of the fact that my TBR book shelves are groaning with an abundance of volumes I still can’t go past a charity shop without looking to see if there are any gems just waiting for me to buy them. I found Apples Never Fall by Liane Moriarty in one of those charity shops. I’d watched the TV series when I had Covid. And I was interested to read the book. It’s better than the TV series, I think. There are some significant details that differ. In my opinion they make a better story than the changes that they made for the small screen. I’d read one of Leanne Moriarty’s books before and quite enjoyed it. This isn’t a book I would have read had it not been a pound in a charity shop! That’s not to say I didn’t enjoy it, I did, but I guess other books take priority.

 

Another charity shop volume is next. Without a dust cover, but who cares?! I don't read the cover, I read the book! Quite pertinent too. It’s Suzanne Collins The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes. It’s the prequel to the Hunger Games trilogy and as I’ve just received my copy of Sunrise on the Reaping I thought I would read this one first. It’s the type of book I just lose myself in and give myself up to escapism and adventure. And I’m a real sucker for dystopian trilogies!

 

Last but by no means least Sunrise on the Reaping. For those of you familiar with the Hunger Games series the character of Haymitch Abernathy features here and this book tells his story. We learn the reason he’s taken to drink. The familiar Hunger Games brutality endures here and in a sense there’s nothing new under the sun (no pun intended) but it’s immersi

We Are Not Anonymous – Stephen Oram - Blog Tour

 

Many dystopian tales are high tech, stylised, futuristic fantasy fables that entertain us without making us unduly uncomfortable - think Hunger Games, Maze Runner, Divergent. Bureaucratic, autocratic, technocratic. They entertain us without hurting us or alarming us unduly. 

But every once in a while, one comes along that hits home with a chilling sense of prescience. Often, they depict a near future with enough familiarity for the reader to relate. 

We Are Not Anonymous is one of those once-in-a-whilers.

 

The story spans two decades in a three country England still struggling with climate change. Beth is a ‘caster’. Naomi is a rebel opposing the regimes via Resist and Regain an organisation that makes Just Stop Oil look like kindergarten. 

 

Dystopia embraces the us versus them, good versus bad, dark versus light concepts, Anonymous is no different. Here it is the tech elite Narcissists who are the bad guys headed by Kia who experiments on children and wants complete control. Beth and Naomi want to oust Kia. But activism comes at a price. 

 

This book is heavy on mnemonics and my advice is to get them sorted in your head right at the beginning of the book – OS, BP, ANN, UBI, the L’s and, of course, AI. 

 

The creation of an alternate regime and society is at the heart of dystopian fiction. But it must be plausible. Terminologies must be relatable without extensive explanations. The reader needs to learn and understand though the narrative itself. It’s a skill for the writer and not always achieved. It is here. Trust me, you’ll be thinking about globules as if you’d had one your entire life. 

 

In some ways a story like this offers future consequences for the actions of today. The book looks at how our reliance on technology and our devices underpins everything we do. Recognisable areas of our country permanently flooded. Individuals seek to control and dictate. Surveillance and observation are everywhere. Is this a chilling blueprint for our future?  However, you cannot merely seek to preach and warn, even if you do it under the guise of fiction, without some broader dimensions. Stephen Oram has done that with a rip-roaring tale of subterfuge and skullduggery, some of it taking place on the seven seas like a pirate escapade. High octane adventure nestles alongside some domestic and family dynamics, considerations of friendships and parenthood. And the nature of activism. 

 

It is an immaculately plotted story. It has to be for there is so much going on, at times it made my head spin! But the story remains highly pertinent, this line for example.

 

‘We will resist this onslaught of unfettered belief in the flawlessness and omniscience of artificial intelligence. It’s species suicide. We will resist.’ 

With current events unfolding in this world of ours today a novel like this cannot fail to make us think about what might be ahead. 

 

My thanks to Isabelle Kenyon of Fly on the Wall Press for an advance copy of this book and a place on the blog tour. 

Links...

https://linktr.ee/WeAreNotAnonymous

https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/228567029-we-are-not-anonymous

 

 

 

 

Graffiti Girls – Elissa Soave

 

I remember reading Ms. Soave’s first novel Ginger and Me , and believing it to be something of a coming of age story. 

(I wrote about the book on this blog - https://bookphace.blogspot.com/2023/04/ginger-and-me-elissa-soave.html)

 

Graffiti Girls looks at a completely different female demographic – women in their forties looking back at their lives and wondering if they are past their sell by dates! Very different from the previous book. There’s an element of the feminist novel here but it’s also about friendships and how different women react in given situations. I found it a keen observation of the misogyny in our society. 

 

I should say that I don’t actually approve of graffiti! There are ways to get your points across, I think, particularly nowadays, but ultimately some poor sod has got to clean the graffiti off! That takes resources and manpower and detracts from the intent of the graffiti artist, I believe. I have no arguments, though, with what these four women are saying in their graffiti.

 

The four women, Amy, Carole, Elenore and Susan are friends since schooldays. They have a tight supportive friendship despite their very different characters. I liked the format of the book where each woman had a section devoted to her and the reader leant more abut her as an individual. And there were chapters that were general to all the women. They are all likeable characters, so the reader is invested in their stories and their motivations.

 

The book has an easy flowing narrative with much appeal to those of us who are older and can identify with some of the situations described in the book.  

 

Ultimately, it is an uplifting read that has a point to make but not in a preachy, hard or angry way  (even though Amy is pretty feisty!) 

 

My thanks to HQ Stories for my gifted copy. 

 

An Orchid in My Belly Button – Katy Wimhurst

 

The short story is an underrated genre. Character, plot, setting and suspense all combine succinctly to a satisfactory conclusion. It used to be far more prevalent amongst writers of substance. Think of Rudyard Kipling, Edgar Allan Poe, Daphne Du Maurier, Franz Kafka, Raymond Carver…… I could go on.  But now it seems that many short story authors fall below the radar. I long for the day when we see the longlist for the Booker Short Story Prize 20whatever……. But I guess in our money dominated times it is an economic issue that inhibits the major publishers from embracing the short story collections. 

 

I’m an eclectic reader, maybe that helps, but I love short stories. I love the skill that a short story writer displays with their ability to create a concise narrative without compromising literary integrity. So, I jumped at the chance to read this absorbing collection from Katy Wimhurst. For a start I adored the title!! Who couldn’t resist a book entitled An Orchid in my Belly Button?!

 

I laughed, I cried, I marvelled. The stories are diverse. Some juxtapose what we might see as the norm; snow falling inside rather than outside, predator rabbits and a Buddhist wolf. Another takes the capability of an everyday item to an extreme - a vacuum cleaner that can suck up literally anything! 

 

There are tales of magic, dystopia, shapeshifting, dreamlike tales, bizarre imaginings. There are fables for our contemporary times; materialism that causes a boat to sink, a stroppy mermaid aghast at the plastic pollution.

Accounts of flora and fauna growing on the human body. There is something euphoric about an imagination running so freely. 

 

I think my favourite story was Bootleg Chocolate. It was certainly the one that made me laugh the most. At times it was almost Kafkaesque, with a helping of Lewis Carroll. It’s a short story but it defies a precis, it’s so offbeat with such creative episodes within the story, very clever.

 

But as well as making me laugh I was also touched by the empathy and understanding of the natural world - The Ghosts of Crabs where little Luke can communicate with the ghosts. So many of Katy Wimhurst’s characters are in tune with the rhythms of nature and possess a reverence for living things that is almost spiritual. 

 

It may only be March, but this has been one of my favourite books so far this year. I loved it. 

 

Thank you to the author for gifting me a copy. 

February 2025 Round Up

Unfortunately, my covid recovery is taking longer than I would have liked. One visit to the surgery later and I was told it can take up to six months to fully recover. Six months?! Not what I wanted to hear. But the only silver lining is that I seem to read more books while I’m trying to recover my energy.

 

First up this month was Katie Lumsden’s The Secrets of Hartwood Hall. Reviewed on the blog here - https://bookphace.blogspot.com/2025/02/the-secrets-of-hartwood-house-katie.html

 

Closely followed by Bernadine Evaristo’s Girl, Woman, Other. One of those books I’ve been meaning and meaning to read and finally got around to it. I thought it was marvellous. I loved it’s structure and the way each of the women’s stories merged with the others in some way. It's a pertinent book and it stays with you for a long time after you finished it. I’m still thinking about it to be honest, which is probably why I haven’t braved a review as yet because I’m still cementing my thoughts.

 

I received a copy of Nick Stapleton’s How to Beat Scammers from Tandem Collective. I wrote about this book on my blog. https://bookphace.blogspot.com/2025/02/how-to-beat-scammers-nick-stapleton.html

 

Since having Covid and having such poor energy levels, my usual routine of walking to the library and the bookshop have been curtailed significantly. One of my goals, as I try to build up my stamina, is to get to these beloved venues. I’ve managed the library on a couple of occasions now. First of this month’s library books was Lottie Hazell’s Piglet. Quite an unusual book in some ways as there is an onus on the reader to summon their imaginations because we are never told what it is that Kit has done to cause such a sense of betrayal in Piglet just weeks before their wedding. Piglet loves her grub, hence the nickname, but hunger can be interpreted on more than one level. I must confess that I didn’t warm to Piglet as a character, but I did find the book an interesting one. I found there were several issues to consider - the strength of female friendship, considerations of social roots and whether you ever can completely cast them aside. An interesting debut novel for sure.

 

Canongate Books sent me a copy of Doon Mackichan’s memoir, Lady Parts. I blogged about it.

https://bookphace.blogspot.com/2025/02/my-lady-parts-doon-mackichan.html

 

Another Library book. This time it’s the wonderful Chris Whitaker’s All the Colours of the Dark. I’ve read all of his books. I’d read his shopping list if he’d let me.

https://bookphace.blogspot.com/2025/02/all-colours-of-dark-chris-whitaker.html

 

Amy Engel - new writer to me, thank you HQ Stories – with I Did it for You is a deliciously twisty tale of small town America. The paperback published on the 27^th of February, blogged here. 

https://bookphace.blogspot.com/2025/02/i-did-it-for-you-amy-engel.html

 

Another book from HQ Stories Elissa  Soave’s Graffiti Girls doesn’t publish until 13^th March so I’ll hold on to the review until then. Four women, Amy, Carole, Elenore and Susan are friends since schooldays. They have a tight supportive friendship despite their very different characters. United in their despite of misogyny they decide to take action.

 

My final library book of the month was recommended to me by my yoga teacher who has been kind enough to do some online yoga sessions with me, free of charge, until I’ve regained my stamina. It was Jo Browning Roe’s A Terrible Kindness. I loved it. I thought it was very well written, and I liked the structure. I thought the characters were well drawn and the story raised so many issues and points of discussion. I’m old enough to remember the Aberfan disaster. In this story William is one of the four hundred volunteer embalmers. Newly qualified and nineteen years of age the experience affects his whole life and relationships and causes him to appraise his past.  

 

 

 

 

  

I Did It for You – Amy Engel

I must admit that initially this book had me fooled into thinking it was set in the town where my brother lives in Shropshire, Ludlow. And indeed, it IS set in Ludlow but it’s a Ludlow in small town America! My disappointment was short-lived when I started to read this fiendishly, twisty plotted story. It’s a complex story that will have you playing amateur sleuth as you try to figure out exactly what is going on – copycat killer or the same one? 

 

In tandem with the crime aspects of the novel there are some spider web relationships enduring throughout; family, friendships, romance, law enforcement. I think the book also explores the nature of grief and what it can do to an individual. And how hard it is to escape the fetters of the past. 

 

The pace is such that the reader cannot help but read on and on to complete the jigsaw laid out before them. Secrets unfold that throw some suspicions under the bus and give birth to new ones. It is gripping.

 

The characterisations are excellent, the author’s ability to develop characters who are real and flawed and to elicit empathy even for those who have transgressed the law most horribly is admirable.

 

I didn’t see the final denouement, it really took me by surprise. So the ending was quite moving. Altogether a very entertaining read. 

 

My thanks to Rhiannon Morris at HQ Stories for my copy.

 

My Lady Parts – Doon Mackichan

 

When I’m feeling down and in the need of a cheer up, streaming a few episodes of Smack the Pony usually does the trick. So I was really excited when Canongate Books sent me a copy of Doon Mackichan’s memoir.

 

I found it unusual as a memoir because it wasn’t just the re-accounting of somebody’s life with entertaining anecdotes are so many memoirs seem to be. This pulls a punch and has a point to make. I suppose you could call it a feminist memoir but I think it goes beyond that . It examine the place of women and how they are treated, certainly in the entertainment industry but you sense that it is much broader. 

 

Doon is a force to be reckoned with. This is such a bold memoir, full of honesty and insight. The writer is unafraid to expose the misogyny that seems endemic and creates barriers for women in theatre, TV and films. She seems to have made an alternate career of sticking to her principles which I so admire.  

 

But if all that sounds a little heavy, fear not, for this is also the work of a very witty author and there’s a balance between the good times and the bad times and there were plenty of both. I guess the account illustrates the price that can be paid for being bold enough to say no and calling out the bigotry. 

 

However, it’s not all about show business. Doon speaks of her life outside of her thespian pursuits. Her early life and how she came to be involved in the performing arts.  I found the account of her son’s leukaemia very moving indeed. 

 

I also enjoyed the format of the book. Each chapter is prefaced with a casting call that gives you some hint of what’s ahead in that particular section and is a description of Doon Mackichan herself!

 

Thanks to Canongate Books

The Wager and the Bear - John Ironmonger

Q: What's the best way of trying to get a politician to actually listen to you? 

A: Get yourself stranded with one on an iceberg. 

Apologies if that smacks of spoiler. There's a vague allusion to it on the book back blurb so perhaps it's not too much of one. If ever there was a pertinent, relevant and topical book it's this one. And I have often thought that one of the most enduring ways to get ideas across is under the guise of fiction. As I sit here with the wind howling around me, a remnant of Storm Eowyn, and I recall the floods, the fires, the storms, the temperatures I scratch my head at those who think climTe change is all a conspiracy. Regardless of the human insistence on ruining this planet climate change and global warming will occur naturally simply because we are part of a solar system and our star, the sun, will get hotter. We have probably 'just' accelerated it.

The starting point of The Wager and the Bear concerns an exchange between idealistic youth, Tom Horsmith, and mean maturity, Monty Causley (he is a politician and climate change denier) in a Cornish pub that has consequences that follow them both throughout their lives. I'm not prepared to divulge what the wager is nor detail any of the consequences, I'm already worried I've offered one spoiler! Suffice to say it all makes for an enthralling and thought provoking story. 

Although the book does have points to make there's no preaching or dogma. Rather there is a story of humanity with all its ups and downs, heartbreaks and tragedies, the impetuousness of youth and the nefarious machinations of politicians, and there's love and loyalty, friendship and family. 

What really sticks out, though, is what a consummate storyteller John Ironmonger is. The narrative flows seamlessly whether the location is Cornwall or the Arctic, one sequence of events seems to glide effortlessly into the next like some of the glaciers in the tale. The text is expansive without being over elaborate. Whilst an affinity for the pertinent detail in a story can sometimes make or break it - too much and you risk boring your reader, too little and you run the risk of frustrating your reader. Pick up the balance right as Mr. Ironmonger has done and the result is just a beautiful literary experience.

It's a clever story, contemporary yet timeless. Whilst it deals with a subject that might be seen as hopeless, nevertheless, the story leads us to believe that there is hope for the future so ultimately the book is an uplifting one. 

My thanks to Isabelle Kenyon at Fly on the Wall Press for a gifted copy. 

All the Colours of the Dark – Chris Whitaker

 I‘ve read all of Chris Whitaker’s books. And I’ve loved them all. I’ve also enjoyed seeing him develop as a writer. This current work from Whitaker is ambitious in its breadth and concept. Ostensibly a crime novel it elevates itself above the bare bones of that genre by exploring issues of family, friendship, love and trauma. 

If you’ve read Whitaker’s work previously, you’ll recognise settings, style and location. We’re still in small town America, so palpably described you could be forgiven for thinking Chris Whitaker is a native of those places but he isn’t, he’s British. Maybe he was an American in a previous life! 

 

Whitaker’s characterisations are always something to behold and there’s no disappointment here. Patch and Saint leap off the page and into your hearts. Names, again, seem to play a part. Saint is perfect as was Duchess in We Begin at the End. Grace is another name or word that crops up in Whitaker’s work; the town in All the Wicked Girls was called Grace. The police play a prominent role again exerting considerable influence over the main character, here it is Nix, it was Walk in We Begin at the End. 

 

There are some humorous moments, not as dominant as in his first two books, it’s a more serious story, but wit is always appreciated. 

 

The crime story is complex and quite convoluted with twists and smokescreens that have you guessing and suspecting nearly all the way through. There is resolution at the end but most of all you want Saint, Patch and Charlotte to find peace of mind and understanding. 

 

I used to receive proofs of Chris Whitaker’s books when I had some standing in the blogger ranks. Alas that state is no more. I reserved and borrowed this from my local library. I’ve had to wait weeks for it which has disappointed me less than you might think because it means that people are wanting to read Whitaker’s work. And I look forward to his next book - who knows some publisher might think me worthy of an advance copy!

How To Beat Scammers – Nick Stapleton

 

The foreword of this book contains a chilling statement “If you haven’t been caught out yet, it’s not because you’re too clever but simply because you’re lucky. Eventually, the right scam will get you on the wrong day.”

 That is reiterated, again, at the end of book. Mr. Stapleton implies that each and every one of us will at some point, get scammed. It’s a chilling thought.

 

This is an informative and useful guide to scams, past and present, that are violating our world today. So, in that sense it is a very depressing read. It is simply dreadful to contemplate that there are so many millions of people out there making a career out of stealing data and money from decent, honest, hardworking folk. What kind of world have we become? 

 

Something else that I found very interesting in the book is that Nick Stapleton puts the scammers’ point of view forward as well! He managed to secure some testimonies from some scammers who expressed regret at what they were doing but they implied that they had no choice. Some of them were intelligent, educated people who could not secure employment in their own countries and turned to scamming to live. Some of them had the attitude that it was simply payback to white people for what they had done to their country in the past! 

 

There is no doubt in my mind that scamming is big business worldwide. And the Internet is largely to blame together with smart phones etc. and social media. Of course, postal scams, door to door scams, rogue workman are continuing and are probably some of the earliest scams, predating the internet. 

 

This book gives us some background on the scam business worldwide. Then there is a part entitled The Scam Compendium which goes through each type of scam, what happens and how the scammers operate. And there’s a final part that aims to help you help yourself if you’ve been scammed, reporting scams and talking about scams. There's also an acknowledgement that AI could further render a greater degree of sophistication to these scams. Horrific.

 

It's a useful book but it is so sad that there is a need for it.

 

My thanks to Tandem Collective for my copy.

 

 

The Secrets of Hartwood Hall - Katie Lumsden

 

There’s nothing I like better than a ‘Big House’ story. And this is a big house story. But it’s more than that as it’s historical fiction and a gothic mystery too. 

Historical fiction at its best has be authentic and convincing. There are many ways of doing that. Impeccable research that takes in the events of the period, the physical detail of the age, what people wore, how they spoke all contribute to creating a palpable landscape for the reader to navigate and believe in. Katie Lumsden’s book does exactly that. 

Gothic? It’s an oft bandied term sometimes, but sometimes the true Gothic novel is elusive and can cause dissent among those who sometimes dispute whether a story is Gothic or not.

For me, it has to be dark; a big house setting lends itself to the genre. I think there has  to be a hefty helping of the supernatural and haunting. Gloom, mystery and foreboding are all elements that contribute to the overall ‘gothicity’! It’s all here in The Secrets of Hartwood Hall. 

There is an acknowledged debt to the Brontës, in particular Jane Eyre but this is no act of plagiarism. It’s excellent storytelling with some believable characters who all add to richness of the narrative. Plenty of love, plenty of heartbreak and some twists you didn’t see coming, well, I didn’t! I guessed at several possibilities but I didn’t quite hit the mark. 

Reader, I loved it.

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.