Seven in July

 

I read seven books in July.

 

 

The Girls by John Bowen

I picked up this book from a bookshop table, attracted by the front cover – and then even more attracted by the back cover where a review by the Washington Post said:

‘[For] those who feel Barbara Pym-ish on some days and Stephen King-ish on others’

Barbara Pym, author of mid-20th-century novels of English life is one of my very favourite writers. I haven’t read Stephen King (have seen the film Misery …) but I get the gist.

And I would say that review is spot-on.

This is a reissue of a book first published in 1986. I like the authorial writing style and the mix of (very) black-edged comedy, crime and relationships.

Recommended.

 

 

Cousin Kate by Georgette Heyer

I bought four GHs in the Christian Aid Book Sale this year.

‘Kate’ is left a penniless orphan but is swept up by her very grand Aunt Minerva who, it turns out, has a very gruesome motive for inviting her niece to live with her. If I thought I was getting a cosy Regency after the macabre-ness of The Girls I was soon disabused of that …

 

 

The Unknown Ajax by Georgette Heyer

Because of a family quarrel, the Darracott heir is only now meeting the relatives he will be supplanting. But ‘Ajax’ is a delightful Yorkshireman who ultimately charms the whole family and saves it from disgrace.

 

 

Nightshade by Michael Connelly

A police procedural set on Santa Catalina Island, off the coast of Los Angeles. A good read – my first Michael Connelly.

 

 

Christmas at the Island Hotel by Jenny Colgan

This is the fifth in Jenny Colgan’s ‘Mure’ series and the only one I’ve read. Enjoyable cosy quick read, set on a fictional island somewhere north of Shetland. Probably won’t read the others though as reviews suggest the main characters’ back stories vary and there are other inconsistencies.

 

 

The Trad Wife by Carrie Hughes

Many millions of people follow Faith on social media as she documents her apparently perfect life on a ranch in Utah – handsome husband, five adorable children, grows lavender, makes cheese etc. Etc.

Mel, desperate to make money to support herself and her daughter, is delighted when an approach to Faith for an interview leads to an invitation to visit.

Accepting the invitation is something Mel very much comes to regret. No spoilers – but there are several heart-stopping moments before the satisfying ending.

 

 

From Peach Street to Lobster Lane by Felicity Cloake

I've read One More Croissant for the Road in which Felicity Cloake (cookery writer for The Guardian) intrepidly cycles and eats her way around France in search of the perfect croissant, giving them marks out of ten.

This is her third cycling expedition – an account of cycling across America to find out just what is American cuisine. Cycling in the land of ten-lane freeways and big weather is brave to say the least. Among much else, she discovered that, outside the cities, the global chains do not hold sway and that the ethnic mixes that make up the States have resulted in some fabulous food.

In this book, she chooses to rate pies, some savoury but mostly sweet (in fact, mostly too sweet).

I love her writing style and for taking me vicariously on her food adventures.

I’ve now acquired, but have yet to read, her second food trip, Red Sauce Brown Sauce – around Britain to discover the perfect breakfast. (I don’t yet know what her verdict is on sauces but for me it’s: pass the HP please.)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Seven in May

I read seven books in May.

 

One More Croissant for the Road by Felicity Cloake

Cookery writer Felicity Cloake had her own ‘tour de France’ – cycling (2300km) around the country in search of the perfect croissant, and has written a delightful book about the experience. She ate fabulous and not so fabulous meals, and in the book she gives a recipe from each region. The ultimate croissant (9/10) turned out to be from her last stop, Paris, from the Blé Sucré patisserie.

During the 2020 lockdown we got veg and various other provisions delivered by a local company. One time, having run out of bread flour they substituted buckwheat flour and most of it was still in the (large) packet. So when I came across Felicity Cloake’s recipe, from her journey from Saint-Malo to Redon, for Crêpe Complètes made with the flour, I gave them a go. With an egg and grated cheese on top they were trés delicious.

 

Riding Pillion with George Clooney by Geraldine Ryan

Geri is a much-published short story writer, particularly in women’s magazines (for whom she has also written serials). This collection of a dozen stories showcases her versatility and demonstrates how she is inspired by the daily lives of women at different stages of their lives – I was particularly fond of Bernadette in the title story as she bravely moves out of her comfort zone.

 

Daughters of the Labyrinth by Ruth Padel

Read for book group. An area of history none of us were familiar with – the treatment of the Jewish community living on Crete when it was under German occupation during WW2.

Ri, a successful artist living in London, goes back to her ancestral home in Crete following the death of her husband. Her mother is ill and in her delirium she lets slip a family secret. As well as being a book about the wartime history of the island it’s about relationships between mothers and daughters so a good read on several levels.

I wasn’t sure about the first person, present tense, narration – first person can sound self-conscious, and the present tense plain irritating, so the two together in a book (as opposed to a short story) is hard to sustain successfully, in my opinion.

 

1979 by Val McDermid

The first in her new series – the next one due imminently is 1989, and so on; the books will chronicle history, changing attitudes etc as well as following reporter Allie Burns. In 1979, Allie and her colleague, Danny, infiltrate a splinter Scottish Independence group bent on aping IRA violence, and investigate an insurance scam that comes only too close to home.

 

The Wife by Meg Wolitzer

Bought at Christian Aid booksale. I’d vaguely heard of the film with this name (with Glenn Close) but hadn’t connected the two when I picked up this book.

I haven’t read any of Alison Lurie’s books for decades but her name came to mind when I started this – about a literary, warring couple. I appreciated The Wife for the writing and deplored the way (mostly) American men lorded over the literary scene in the mid 20th century, some quite undeservedly … but I don’t feel invested enough in the story to seek out the film.

 

The Hive by Gill Hornby

Bought at Christian Aid booksale.

It's the start of another school year at St Ambrose. But while the children are in the classroom colouring in, their mothers are learning sharper lessons on the other side of the school gates. Lessons in friendship. Lessons in betrayal. Lessons in the laws of community, the transience of power... and how to get invited to lunch.

I loved this, wanted to know the end but didn’t want it to finish – the best kind of read. The dialogue was so sharp, each character so distinct. And it was so funny in places (yes, Heather, thinking of your lunch menu). 

 

The Fishing Fleet: Husband Hunting in the Raj by Anne de Courcy

Bought at Christan Aid booksale

From the late 19th century, when the Raj was at its height, many of Britain's best and brightest young men went out to India to work as administrators, soldiers and businessmen. With the advent of steam travel and the opening of the Suez Canal, countless young women, suffering at the lack of eligible men in Britain, followed in their wake. This amorphous band was composed of daughters returning after their English education, girls invited to stay with married sisters or friends, and yet others whose declared or undeclared goal was simply to find a husband. They were known as the Fishing Fleet, and this book is their story, hitherto untold.

I love this kind of social history, although I skipped the parts about the tiger hunts.