Whether it is the opening line, the first paragraph or the first few pages, the beginning of a story must draw a reader in, entice her or him to read on, to sink deep into the world the writer has created. Each of the following books opens in different way be it philosophical musing, lyrical … Continue reading Openings
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My Reading – June 2019
Murder at Westminster Abbey by Amanda Carmack'Out of my way, you foul hedge-pig! Ain't you ever been told to give way to ladies before?' The Devil in the Marshalsea by Antonia Hodgson They came for him at midnight. There was no warning, no time to reach for the dagger beneath his pillow. The Five: The … Continue reading My Reading – June 2019
My Reading – May 2019
Song of the Sea Maid by Rebecca Mascull I think I had a brother once. A Gentleman in Moscow by Amor Towles At half past six on the twenty-first of June 1922, when Count Alexander Illyich Rostov was escorted through the gates of the Kremlin onto Red Square, it was glorious and cool. Painting in … Continue reading My Reading – May 2019
My Reading – April 2019
Tombland by C J Sansom I had been in my chambers at Lincoln's Inn when the messenger came from Master Parry, asking me to attend him urgently. A Pure Clear Light by Madeleine St John 'Simon, there's a woman over there who keeps looking at us.'
My Reading – March 2019
The Familiars by Stacey Halls I left the house with the letter because I did not know what else to do. The Innocents by C. A. Asbrey The blade slipped through the skin, twisting and gouging over and over again until the soft flesh was mushy and yielding to the blade. The Watermelon Boys by … Continue reading My Reading – March 2019
My Reading – February 2019
The Western Wind by Samantha Harvey Dust and ashes though I am, I sleep the sleep of angels. How to Behave Badly in Renaissance Britain by Ruth Goodman Welcome to a century of bad behaviour. How To Be a Tudor: A Dawn-to-Dusk Guide to Tudor Life by Ruth Goodman Just before dawn the cockerels began … Continue reading My Reading – February 2019
Favourite Books
While each year I read dozens of excellent and memorable books, there are few that I feel compelled to reread. There are a handful, though, that I keep coming back to. No doubt the primary reason for re-reading is that these particular books have an emotional appeal. There is the added delight of discovering new … Continue reading Favourite Books
My Reading – January 2019
Call of the Curlew by Elizabeth Brooks Virginia Wrathmell knows she will walk on the marsh one New Year's Eve, and meet her end there. The Corset by Laura Purcell My sainted mother taught me the seven acts of corporeal mercy: to feed the hungry; refresh the thirsty; clothe the naked; shelter the traveller; visit … Continue reading My Reading – January 2019
2018 – A Year of Reading
For about twenty years now, my goal has been to read a book a week. It is not such a difficult thing to do, but something I seem to be incapable of achieving. I usually manage to read forty-eight books, give or take a couple, each year. In 2017 I reached fifty books but this … Continue reading 2018 – A Year of Reading
My Reading – December 2018
Shell by Kristina Olsson The day the great man sang, heat blazed in haloes over Bennelong Point. The Way of All Flesh by Ambrose Parry No decent story ought to begin with a dead prostitute and for that, apologies, for it is not something upon which respectable persons would desire to dwell. The Ghost Tree … Continue reading My Reading – December 2018
