Sept Reads 2024

The Singing Sands, Josephine Tey

I thoroughly enjoyed the author’s style, there are moments of quirky humour, and I liked the characters. But as far as the detection goes, this story focuses more on Grant’s emotional well-being. This is the first and only book I’ve read of the author’s and one of a series featuring Detective Alan Grant. In a modern novel, some might look at his detection as lucky guesses, which he takes while meandering from place to place. The truer detection comes towards the end, so that for a long while I felt as if the story wasn’t going anywhere. This may be owing to the age of the book, and I can’t help feeling I might have enjoyed this more had I read them all. Yet, the read was enjoyable. I only took longer than average to read this because I took it on holiday.

Some of Us Had Been Threatening Our Friend Colby, Donald Barthelme

These short stories read at face value might well leave the reader asking WTH did I just read? The first story of the title screams satire (against capital punishment), which gives us a clue, though some of the other tales are harder to interpret. On the one hand, these stories read as nonsense, and it can be a struggle to work out what the author’s actually talking about. My mind wandered, though I can appreciate the surreal world Barthelme presents to tell his type of fiction. I still have to wonder if something like this would ever see publication today and I can’t call them enjoyable or particularly thought-provoking.

Morvern Callar, Alan Warner

Any book that doesn’t use punctuation annoys me from the beginning, but I decided on this occasion to stick with it. I ended up skimming, which I hate to do; I dislike giving up on any book. MAJOR SPOILER ALERTS AHEAD: Most books give you someone to root for. Is this supposed to be Morvern, a woman who talks strangely (I’ve Scottish friends and never heard them talk like this), is clearly psychotic enough to chop up her boyfriend who committed suicide, take part in group sex, spend his money, and get the one and only manuscript he wrote published under her name? I failed to see the point of this acclaimed work.

Mr Finchley Discovers His England, Victor Canning

Charming seems to be a word that floats around this book (series) and it’s certainly that. Although different, this story set in the 1930s reminded me of A Diary of a Nobody in that it’s a telling of one man’s story. When Mr Finchley takes an unexpected holiday, he certainly didn’t foresee the adventures he was about to face. Comedic disasters might be a term one could use for this, as Finchley falls naively into one potential mishap after another, yet seems elevated by having them to become a type of man he never thought he could be. My enjoyment was probably enhanced by knowing where the places he visits are situated.

Update Sept 2024

 Hi Everyone!

AT HOME:
Ouch! One car ‘passed’ its MOT. Bill: £54.85 MOT, £19.98 for new windscreen wipers, £27.50 labour plus £9.50 VAT. Told Hubby he’s in wrong business if they can charge £27.50 to change wipers. Told him to make sure he checks his wipers next time before it goes in (he usually does), as could have done that himself, and saved over £30. Not the best month for bills with two car bills and the cost of a laptop battery.

Alas, my health issues were ticking along not fine but steady, and then acupuncture made things worse for the first time. This could be because it was my first try of a five-week gap with a view to a longer increase. Still not perfect and took over a week to calm down, hence September’s news and book reviews are a little late. I can only hope this doesn’t happen after the current five-week interval, or we may need to rethink and try once a month again.

FILM/TV:
Out of all we’ve watched, I have to throw the spotlight on 3 Body Problem showing on Netflix. Based on a book, this show has to be one of the most absorbing and intelligent science-fiction shows I’ve seen in a long time. We started watching it mostly because of people who said they couldn’t understand it. I don’t pretend knowledge of all the scientific principles used, but I don’t believe it’s necessary. I still followed the story and got the basics enough not to become confused. Possibly, one reason (and I’ve found this with writing) is out of those who complain early on are sometimes the type of viewer/reader who prefers every detail spelled out. A British audience seems to be far more comfortable not to have all the questions answered at once. 3 Body Problem is such a programme, but the threads do come together over the episodes.

WRITING:
Some good news. I managed after too much time wasted to get a new laptop battery locally. Contacted a shop someone recommended (but I’d not come across despite all my online searching) on a Thursday, dropped my MacBook in on Friday, got a call saying all done early Sunday morning. No fuss. And a tremendous sigh of relief from me. Then pain delayed things (apologies, but I’m not one of those to find writing a distraction when in pain, more like the pain interrupts the flow of my thoughts), but I now feel up to writing again.
Stay happy and healthy!
Sharon x

August Reads 2024

My reading for the last month is pitiful because, strangely, I couldn’t focus on a book during this last holiday; perhaps because the ship was swaying so much, or because I’ve been suffering from a lack of proper sleep for a long time (or both), I fell asleep an awful lot, especially when I tried reading. Hope to do better in September.

The Night Eternal, Guillermo Del Toro and Chuck Hogan

Parts of this book were enjoyable, but out of the three, I’m afraid this last book in the trilogy dragged in places for me. I also found some of the plot points a little too convenient; a little Deus Ex Machina. The ending was also a little over the top. I can’t help feeling, in order to heighten tension, some stories drag out action scenes beyond human endurance. While we expect that in many action films, I’m not sure it works so well on the page. Because of this, I can’t help feeling the writers always wanted this to air as a show.

Firefly: What Makes Us Might, M.K.England

Another decent addition to the Firefly universe with a writer who portrays the characters ‘voices’ and personality. Enough intrigue and action, and for those of us who are fans, one way to continue to enjoy the series, which ended far too soon.

July 2024 Reads

The Strain, Guillermo Del Toro and Chuck Hogan

Having watched the series, I wanted to read the books, although having completed the first, there was no true reason to — the adaptation was more than decent, though characters are a little stereotypical and wooden at times. Still, this first of the trilogy doesn’t entirely disappoint. I like the way the authors created unconventional vampires. That, when turned, people become monsters different from the classic. If anything, the TV series humanised those turned more than the book does. I can’t say I found this scary and there were few creepy moments, but I’m hard to scare. The fear here comes from a pandemic of epic proportions running rile and of a type that would be tough to make anyone believe until the situation was far beyond saving. Here, losing someone means to lose them to something truly worse than death only to have them perpetuate the disease with an ease rarely seen in the modern vampire genre. The ease and speed with which the vampires propagate is what makes this story frightening. This is for anyone who likes their vampires nasty.

Shadow Walker, Prometheus 3, Esther Mitchell

I can’t read this author without imaging these stories as a filmed series. It’s hard to believe they’re not more widely read. The effort put in to the creation is clear. Another way to look at them might be a supernatural take on Suzanne Brockman’s work, and by that I don’t mean a facsimile. These are extremely different, but the blend of romance and action is there. I quickly grew to love the two leads in this novel. Trevor and Jaye are a couple you can’t wait to reconcile, and the need to know what happened between them is only one thing keeping the reader engaged. This is the best book in the series so far, an emotional tug of war. I love the author understands how people can feel several emotions at once, using that passionate upheaval to pull the reader apart in a chapter, a paragraph, or even a sentence.

A Summer Fling (audio), Milly Johnson, read by Colleen Prenderghast

I’ve listened to several of the author’s work on audio, but this one was the first that took me a while to get into. I admit almost stopped listening a few times, but a few threads kept me wondering enough to finish this. As I learned more about these characters and their stories took on more shape, I grew slowly invested in them. Though the reader hopes for and expects happy endings here, the journeys aren’t easy, and are sometimes surprising. Filled with some fun characters, I ended up enjoying most of the storylines, in particular the one featuring Vladimir Dark. Still, this one felt a little overlong, though that’s understandable when featuring a large cast with all the required outcomes.

The Betrayals, Bridget Collins

Like a beautiful orchestration. When I began reading this, I thought I was in for a treat, but that feeling dissipated. I felt dumped into a setting, into a world I didn’t quite understand. I doubt many of us have heard of the term Grand jeu, and even when I looked it up, the idea of a university situated around this ‘game of music’ made little sense to me. However, as the story continued, it worked like a gentle rift, building up to a majestic crescendo. The plot could be called basic, but it’s the style of the writing where individual notes tug on the heartstrings in various ways that’s slowly gripping. The even obvious plot points weren’t at all diminished even if I spotted them. A strange but unexpected love story.

The Fall, Guillermo Del Toro and Chuck Hogan

The second book in The Strain trilogy. This one certainly picks up the pace, leaving the reader with an edge-of-the-seat feeling. This is bleak in the best sense, and a great set-up for the last book.

The Cat Who Saved Books, Sosuke Natsaukawa

This odd sounding book caught my attention and I’m so very glad it did. Lightly mystical stories that pass through four strange labyrinths with a talking cat as the guide, slowly revealing why books are so important and why people love them. This left me smiling and unable to part with the novel. One for those who love books, or a great present to give or read to someone. For anyone who wishes to pass their love of books on.

June 2024 Reads

Not much read this month owing to a busy holiday and health issues, but here they are:

Anna Dressed in Blood, Kendare Blake
I confess the title made me pick this up, that and the cover, though I’d heard a little buzz about this book, and I was interested to see how YA horror would work. The book’s well-written and entertaining, but ultimately too short to give the reader the pay-off the idea deserves. To make that clearer, to develop the love-interest element and to keep Anna scary enough required more time than this length of books allows for. Saying that, I feel the author did well in the allotted space, and certain genres require authors to keep to certain word counts. Still, I can’t help feeling the story would be far better had the book been longer, providing more time for something other than love (or is it infatuation?) to develop more believably, and also hiking up the creepy factor and scares. Hence, the genre still confuses me a little.

The writing is of YA style, be it an elevated type, and the details graphic without being gory like an adult horror novel might be (though no story needs to be graphic to be scary). The story itself was fun with some prominent characters, but as someone who read Stephen King, and James Herbert, when I was barely a teen, I guess it’s confusing why this category exists. Also, the protagonist is 17, which is adult enough for me. Sure, in the UK and USA it’s generally 18 by law, but what you can and can’t do by age can be a little ridiculous. A 17-year-old can surely read adult horror, and many start reading and watching far younger (not debating whether they should here). Anyone of that age might find this book to be as mild as I did, but the story was an excellent idea and the novel entertaining.

The Taking, Dean Koontz
A re-read for me that made me instantly question how I ever could have forgotten this book. Or perhaps the subject didn’t connect with me as a younger reader. Koontz is often ‘accused’ of injecting his religious beliefs into his work. The same could be said here, though to good effect. This is an alien encounter like no other, blending horror and supernatural elements expertly, yet being in some ways thought-provoking. Those who enjoyed Phantoms might like this, and there’s no need to let personal faith or lack of spoil this. Highly imaginative, and the story has a satisfying conclusion.

Update June 2024

 Hi Everyone!

AT HOME:

Enjoyed a lovely break in one of our favourite places: Tintagel. One of our main reasons to stop for a few days was to put flowers on a friend’s grave in St. Materiana’s Churchyard on what would have been his birthday, and to spend an afternoon with his wife, including going to lunch. Although I struggled somewhat, I still completed a walk to Rocky Valley, which included some amazing views of Bossiney Beach. I’ve been to both before, of course, but had not seen them from this viewpoint along the coast. I’ve been joking I’m officially old as I’ve now got myself a pair of walking/hiking sticks, but everyone of all ages was using them and some steps on the coast path can be so steep, it’s worse than trying to step onto a chair. Once I had one leg high enough, there was nothing left to push with. I’ve since looked up how to use them correctly and recommendations say they enable people to walk farther, save fatigue, and strain on many areas of the body. The ones I bought aren’t wonderful, but if I get on well with them, I may invest in a better set. I could have used them at the beginning of the week rather than the end, but I’ve got them for next time.

I also finally spent my birthday money buying a few souvenirs. I was especially pleased to find two excellent panoramic prints, one of Tintagel and one of Boscastle, which weren’t too big, and make lovely keepsakes. Naturally, we enjoyed some lovely meals notably at Charlie’s, the Boscastle Farm Shop, and we at long last made it to Inkie’s Smokehouse at Golitha Falls. I probably shouldn’t mention it as it’s always been heaving (or closed) when we’ve tried to go, and the increased foot traffic, although bringing more visitors to the falls (free), has eroded the area. I also note that the toilets are still ‘under refurbishment’ but as that sign has been up for over a year, I have to question its authenticity. Only horrid Portaloos on site, I’m sorry to say.

FILM/TV:

At long last finished all 15 seasons of Supernatural, and I completely understand the fan base. It’s impressive that they kept the story flowing so long, increasing the trials and tribulations as one should do in a long running show. Although it leaves a viewer somewhat bereft when one stops after viewing for so long, I feel they stopped the story at the right point. No one can face a greater foe than… well, in case anyone hasn’t seen it, I won’t spoil anything; those who know will get my point.

Moved on to watching The Wheel of Time series, and think it’s a decent adaptation from the books. I read them so long ago, it’s hard for me to remember every detail, but the salient points are all there. It’s hard to please everyone with any book adaption and with something this epic, it’s impossible to include every point.

Also watched A Murder at the End of the World on Disney, which has kept me gripped even though I feel the protagonist is, at times, TSTL (too stupid to live). The ending was a surprise. Most of all, we’ve had a blast watching Fallout. I guess dystopian western sci-fi is the best way to describe it. Funny, entertaining, and yes, violent and a little gory in places, though that part maintains a somewhat cartoonish edge in that it’s fast and never quite believable. Mind, I don’t even find the violence in most horror films believable. People don’t continue to rise to their feet despite the odds, and would many times die of shock. I guess Fallout could also be called shocking for those who cannot believe what humanity is capable of. But the series isn’t what I expected, constantly moving, interconnecting the characters in surprising situations, with barely a pause. I also love the music they chose for the soundtrack.

We’re into the Tom Baker era of Doctor Who and I have to say, although I’ve liked many of the Doctors, and as much as I have a huge soft spot for Jon Pertwee, in part because he was my first Doctor, in part because he was so good in the role, Tom Baker takes the award for best original Doctor. His was the perfect balance between eccentricity and seriousness. I’m also surprised that as a child I didn’t realise how ahead of the time the female companions were. They were always strong-willed, independent women. Strange that the Beeb allowed these characters, though I won’t go into why I think so. Let’s say I heard they didn’t exactly practice what they preached, especially all those years ago. Even more recently women have had to, and still, campaign for equal pay. Admittedly, often these companions rushed somewhat foolishly right into danger, but at least they didn’t sit still, waiting to be rescued.

WRITING:

Following on from what I said last month, I have been writing, postponed for a week when away, but in the days allotted for writing, I’m pleased with my progress.

Stay happy and healthy!

Sharon x

A Hurt Softened

Wrote nothing on the blog the last couple of weeks, first because we were away on holiday. Second, because I take a week to physically recover from trips these days. I never imagined my life being ruled by an ailment, but then most of us don’t fixate on what might happen. It’s true that you can worry so much, you forget to live. To get some living, we had a break at one of our favourite places: Tintagel in Cornwall, where we enjoyed some marvellous sunsets. Not a terrible view.

We met up with our friend’s other half for lunch, and got some walks in, including the coast path from Tintagel to Rocky Valley, which offers some wonderful views not only of Rocky Valley itself, but of Bossiney Beach. I thoroughly recommended the trek.

Visiting Tintagel is bittersweet now because a dear friend lies buried in St Materiana's churchyard. As we all have to lie somewhere, eventually, there are worse places. Our friend was evacuated to Tintagel as a child during the war, to live a long happy life there, finally to die in a well-loved home surrounded by beloved family, never to leave even in death. I guess none of us can hope for more. For me, it feels strange to say that somewhere that has always brought me peace, now also brings a little pain, but many loving memories soften the hurt.