Currently reading Safe and Sound by Laura McHugh. Not loving it, but will continue because it's a book club selection. Laura is a local author who kindly attended one of our book club meetings a few years ago, so we remain loyal to her. But really, her books are kind of gritty for my taste.

I am really enjoying The Spellman Files by Lisa Lutz and look forward to reading the second in the series. As one reviewer said " I wish I'd written this book ! "

I remember reading a couple of the Spellman books and enjoyed them but tapered off the series for some reason. There was to have been a movie but I can't find that it was ever made.

I am struggling to read a non-fiction book about Women Detectives in Victorian Britain. Not exactly gripping stuff although well researched. I feel I should read it all out of respect for the author and her hard work!

Just finished a rather over-loaded book A Week in December by Sebastian Faulks. The setting is the guest list to an 'important' London dinner party with the final chapter given over to the event itself. The chapters deal with the main guests, who range from a dodgy hedge-fund manager, an sneering literary critic, a famous footballer, a down at heal barrister and the bored wives of the wealthy men. Around these people we get chapters on teenage drug problems, Muslim radicals, mental illness and, perhaps to 'round it off' a woman (not a guest) who is the driver of a London Underground train.

Well written but too much to easily digest.

I am about half through reading the Marple book by Mark Aldridge. It is not very interesting as it has reviews of her books and details of publication and not much gossip about them that I had expected! Perhaps it will improve when we get to the movies and TV adaptations.

A book I received as a Christmas gift Blythe Spirit by Ian Collins. It is the biography of Ronald Blythe, the writer who became well-known after the publication of Akenfield the story of an East Anglian (Suffolk/Essex) village as told by the local people to the writer. We are told that Blythe came from a poor family who had always worked on the land, the oldest child who was always 'different' and rather fey. After basic schooling he found a job in a library and tried to write borrowing the style of authors he admired. Success came late after encouragement from artists and musicians who made the area their home and he really came into his own in later life with regular columns in The Church Times, writing about the countryside and 'nature'. He died not long ago aged 100.

However . . . ( and please no hate/dislike mail . . which I have received here in the past and don't want to be ejected from RP) Blythe was a very private person, living a simple life and Collins, who befriended him in later life has 'dwelt' much on the fact that he Blythe was gay, (as is Collins) a fact that although accepted by the community was not openly discussed 'back in the day'. So we get a number of mentions of tumbles in the hay with handsome young farm boys, soldiers, even a postman. I notice in the reviews of this book no mention of the 'g' word appears in the obit. of the Church Times but is greeted with enthusiasm in the Guardian. I feel Blythe would not have enjoyed this unnecessary intrusion into this aspect of his private life.

I finished reading Safe and Sound by Laura McHugh. Although I have met the author and she seems a perfectly nice young woman, I can't help but wonder how and why she writes such dark novels. This is only my second one of hers, but I doubt that I'll read another. Just too dark to be an enjoyable read for me.

I agree with you, Vee. People's private lives and what they divulge is their own business.

I once read a biography of Noel Coward that outed everyone mentioned excepting his dog!

I preferred the dignified book about Coward written by Cole Leslie.

I rarely read biographies other than ones about the theatre as the behind the scenes chat is the most interesting for me.

Annpan, somewhere in the Blythe book it describes how he changed his very rural Suffolk accent so he sounded rather like Noel Coward. And did you know that apparently Cole Leslie real name was Leslie Cole? When he first met Coward he introduced himself as 'Cole' (surname first as men did back in the day) then added 'Leslie' . .which stuck!

Yes, I knew that! Coward seemed to call him Coley at times. There was a fashion for baby-talk and Coward once lamented to him "Coley, Noely hasn't dot a poonie" with his coffee cup.

This was in a train dining car and incensed the pukka Sahib soldier sitting nearby, apparently!

I very much enjoyed his book and would dip into chapters until the book got lost in my moves! Sadly I have lost so many books over the years, never to be obtained again.

Not that I have room for them here anyway!

My account disappeared while I've been away on vacation. I'm not even sure how I got here, but it was convoluted. Any suggestions?

Okay, found it!

Carolyn, glad you are safely back. Tell us about your 'trip'. Was this the cruise you mentioned a while ago?

I wondered why everyone was so silent and then I realized I hadn't clicked 'follow' on the March thread so wasn't getting any messages here. For Pete's sake....Anyway, I finished the book about Agatha Christie's Miss Marple and enjoyed it but I do think it is for fans and not sure those who haven't read the books/seen Joan Dickson would like it.

Now I have just gotten four books from the library that I had to wait for--one since last November. I'm not at all sure I can finish them in the allotted time. I'm going to start with the latest Brittany mystery by Jean-Luc Bannalec. Dessert first!

Enjoy, Ginny! I liked that book a lot.

Donna

Vee, thanks for asking. Yes, this was the long awaited cruise to Tahiti and other South Pacific islands. It was a first for me and something I had wanted to do since reading Hawaii by James Michener back in the 60s. The scenery was gorgeous, of course, but I was surprised by the rural and natural look of the islands, unlike the Hawaiian islands. It was a very long flight, and I was pretty wiped out with jet lag for awhile, but it was a different and interesting experience. I had the idea that cruising would be easy. Little did I know that you go on all those explorations after being taken over to land by a small boat. Never too old to learn!

Ginny, I am glad you got back about the Agatha Christie book. I made a comment that I was disappointed that there was not enough about behind the scenes and too much about the productions and reviews.

There was little added to my knowledge other than we are lucky that Joan Hickson agreed to go on playing the role. I think she was the best Miss Marple and I have some DVDs and even videotapes to enjoy again at times.

I have always deplored adding the character to stories that she was not in and changing the plots. At least she cannot be added to any production of Death Comes as the End!

Annpan, I enjoyed reading about the various editions and printings of the Miss Marple books but this book did have a bit of "grocery-list" approach. I'm still glad I read it and will also read his Poirot book. And you are right. Joan Dickson was not only the best film/TV Miss Marple, she was the only one worth watching. Margaret Rutherford made her into a farce and these latest versions made so many dramatic and unbelievable changes to the character and the stories that I couldn't bear to watch more than a bit. A travesty.

The Joan Dickson Miss Marple versions are so full of wonderful British character actors and so perfectly done in terms of period clothing, hair, furnishings that I don't know how they could ever be surpassed. Like you, Annpan, I have them on DVDs so they will always be available to me if they ever stop showing them on TV.

I have started A German Requiem, the next in line Bernie Gunther book by Phillip Kerr. I like them a lot but in small doses. Bernie goes from German policeman through WWII and is now a private detective. The books are not written in serial order, so you have to search and make a list to read them correctly, sort of like your very own mystery.

Ginny, one Christie adaptation I like is Witness for the Prosecution. I have the DVD with Toby Jones in a main role.

It was a short story but was expanded in several interpretations. This one is chillingly good! The older movie with Marlene Dietrich was good too.

I am starting Spoon River Anthology by Edgar Lee Masters. If you read my most recent favorite book, How To Read a Book by Monica Wood, you will understand why I went looking for this old classic.

I just finished reading the newest book by S.J. Wynde, Cici and the Curator and the Search for Treasure. While I liked it, I liked her previous book Cici and the Curstor more.

After finishing The Spellman Files I decided to continue the series with The Spellman Curse. I thoroughly enjoy the delightfully clever way she writes about this quirky family.

I finished The Malcontenta, a Lolla and Brock book by Barry Maitland. I like these books but keep forgetting about them. It is a mystery series, of course.

I'm also listening to Ina Garten's memoir , Be Ready When The Luck Happens, when doing my daily walk and am really enjoying it.

Based on a friend's recommendation (uh-oh, dangerous), I'm going to give Sipsworth by Simon Van Booy a go. Wish me luck.

I have seen that book and it intrigues me. Can't wait to hear what you think of it.

On a not unrelated note......I have a friend who takes it personally if I don't like a book she liked.

I finished An Island of Suspects by Jean-Luc Bannalec last week and wrote a quick review here--but it isn't here for some reason. I'll just say that it was a great addition to his Brittany mystery series. As usual, I had to google places to see them, tho Bannalec's writing is so vivid you can almost see via his words.

I was very interested to read that a group of Acadians were settled on this island after they were expelled by the British from their Canadian homes in the 1700s. I thought all the Acadians so expelled went to either Maine or, more famously, Louisiana. Some years ago, my husband and I had an amazing trip to 'French Louisiana' or Cajun Country, as it's called. Fabulous people, food, music, culture and more. He was ready to move. :)

Ginny, I really hope to visit Brittany someday, because of Bannalec’s wonderful descriptions. I also google images of the areas he describes.

Donna

Msmeow, I hope you get to Brittany and we will look forward to your trip report!

A recent enjoyable quickish read was Sheep's Clothing by Celia Dale, a writer who I was unfamiliar with. Not quite a whodunnit and set in the then down-at-heel Notting Hill area of London (now v trendy and expensive). A middle aged con artist and her younger side-kick make a good living helping themselves to the valuables and cash of trusting old ladies. All very believable and still, of course, happening today although with the benefit of computer technology.

A total contrast to the above book. Divided Lives by Lyndall Gordon. L D is a South African writer of Jewish heritage and her book is a mix of auto biography and biography of her mother, a frustrated writer and poet. From a young age she was thrown together with her mother, an invalid, who years later was found to have epilepsy, a 'condition' then considered to be of neurotic origin, and never talked about in the family. For both mother and daughter the physical journey to their roots in Israel and their journey to family acceptance of their academic skills (LG writes literary biography) takes up most of the book plus later academic studies in NYC universities and Oxford.

I must admit I found the book somewhat turgid and heavy-going.

Donna, yes Spring has turned up here with some sunshine and warmth plus the usual displays of daffs and early blossom. Has it sprung where you all are?

In Western Australia we are having an unwelcome return of Summer temperatures! I have been stuck indoors. My reading chair, bought in 2017, has become uncomfortable so I shall be shopping with my Eldest GD driving, to look at furniture shops.

I think I have changed shape as the chair is fine!

We are coming up on a year here in n FL. Apparently this winter was extremely cold for this area. We had lots of frost and temps below freezing, and even had snow one day in Jan! Spring is here now, though. Nights are still chilly ( in the 50s) but it’s getting into the mid 80s in the afternoons. Fortunately the humidity hasn’t kicked in yet. We’ll enjoy it while it lasts!

Donna

Does anyone read Lisa Scottoline ? I found a list of her book titles and some of them of quite funny.

https://www.scottoline.com/books/#alphabetical

I have daffodils, hellebores, and flowering quince in bloom and peonies up and getting taller by the day.

I had my reading chair and ottoman cleaned this morning and have moved to the chaise longue in my bedroom while they dry. I can't remember when I last had the chair cleaned, but today's price shocked me! Then there is the price of eggs and butter . . .

I have just finished reading Winter in Madrid by C. J. Sansom. Set in the early WWII era, an interesting but depressing book with the will we, won't we join the Germans question and the difficulties for the ordinary population and the fictional characters as well as some real governmental people. The author's comments at the end were quite good.

Carolyn, I have read about the egg problem but not dearer butter. What is that about?

I have not had eggs for ages as I ate too many scrambled or in omelettes with the palsy eating problem, when confined to soft foods and soups.

I hope your chair has come up well. I had one steam cleaned and the fabric dried rough.

I also had one reupholstered and re-sprung and gave it away as it was no longer comfortable. That was expensive and I vowed to buy new after that!

I am very fussy about my reading chairs and shipped a comfortable one from the UK to Australia. I had stayed in High Wycombe where famous brand chairs are manufactured and picked up a good recliner cheaply.

I was surprised to have such a good brand of seating in the rented house and found that the local workmen made them at home from timber off-cuts and their wives sewed fabric scraps for chair cushions for their own homes. The second hand shop was full of them!

Bon, I’ve read quite a few Lisa Scottoline books. I finally stopped because they all seemed to have the same plot.

Hooray, Ann! I’m so glad you found a chair you like!

I finished reading Sipsworth by Simon Van Booy. It's a heartwarming little novel that is not about what you think it's about. And if you think you know what it's about, there is still something in it that will surprise you. Makes you stop and think.