Reading etc.

I’ve been blogging for a long time. However, the only people I have ever met through blogging have been a couple of people who blogged on the platform I started on. It was called 20six and it has long since disappeared off the internet forever [actually, is that even possible?] but it was my first blogging community and it still has a place in my heart.

So, it was lovely when Heather, one of those 20sixers, contacted me to say that she and her husband would be in Ireland and could we meet again. I followed her blog for years. Sadly she has stopped blogging which is such a pity as she was a talented writer; moving, interesting and hilarious by turns. I say this here because when I met her, it was so exciting to talk about her life and what other bloggers were doing that I forgot entirely to say please go back to writing. Twitter is all very well in its way but it’s just not the same. I’ll say it when I see her next; she and her husband enjoyed the best weather of the summer in Ireland so I feel that we might be able to persuade them to come back.

“A Clash of Kings (A Song of Ice and Fire, Book 2)” by George R. R. Martin

“A Storm of Swords: Steel and Snow (Book 3 Part 1 of a Song of Ice and Fire)” by George R. R. Martin

“A Storm of Swords: Blood and Gold (Book 3 Part 2 of a Song of Ice and Fire)” by George R. R. Martin

“A Feast for Crows” by George RR Martin

So, I’ve continued reading the Game of Thrones books. I’m enjoying them. Look, I’m not alone here. More blood and gore than I like and a bit long winded but I have always been a fan of the fantasy novel. I am making Mr. Waffle watch the telly series with me as well. He is not enjoying it. To be honest, I am not enjoying it hugely either but I feel strangely compelled to watch it. For my money, the books are better.

“High Wages” by Dorothy Whipple

Young woman who works in a shop makes good through her own industry. Unfortunately, falls in love. I am really enjoying all the Dorothy Whipples that I can get my hands on. She’s terrific.

“They were sisters” by Dorothy Whipple

A story of three sisters. One is beautiful and self-centred, one marries a bad lot and one is plain and responsible and ends up happiest. Another fantastic Dorothy Whipple novel.

“Number 11” by Jonathan Coe

I am a big Jonathan Coe fan and I would read any of his books. I quite enjoyed this morality tale but it is not his strongest work and, in places, feels like a number of vignettes strung together rather than a coherent novel. If you were launching on an exploration of Jonathan Coe’s work, I would not recommend that you start from here.

“The Murder of Roger Ackroyd” by Agatha Christie

I haven’t read this in years. My enjoyment on re-reading was somewhat marred by the knowledge of who the murderer was. But still surprisingly enjoyable.

“Death of a Nurse” by MC Beaton

Another Hamish Macbeth mystery. Pity me.

“Viper Wine” by Hermione Eyre

I should have loved this. Strong, interesting writing based on true historical events. But I did not. As a friend said to me, it felt more like an MA thesis than a novel. The author wears her learning very heavily and, at times, it felt like ploughing through a primer on England under the Stuarts. There was an artsy conceit of linking historical preoccupations with current ones (lead make-up/cosmetic surgery etc) which did not work for me. I did not enjoy this at all; it may not have been helped by the fact that I really expected to.

“The Unknown Bridesmaid” by Margaret Forster

I read this immediately after “Viper Wine” and the sense of being in the hands of a competent novelist who knew how to engage readers was a huge relief. This is an engaging short novel about the relationships between mothers and daughters. Perhaps not particularly cheerful but interesting.

“Bossypants” by Tina Fey

This largely left me cold. It’s a series of work done for other contexts strung together into a memoir. It’s not particularly good as a memoir but it is entertaining in parts.

“Darkmouth: Chaos Descends” by Shane Hegarty

I have to stop reading these. I understand that they are not bad at all if you are a ten year old boy but I am not a ten year old boy and, frankly, this was tedious.

“The Bone Clocks” by David Mitchell

This is a really long book. You know when you are really enjoying a book and you don’t want it to end? Well this is what this book is like. I loved it. It’s literary fantasy which I think is a genre that David Mitchell pretty much has to himself. It’s about a group of immortals and humans interacting and fighting a war that most humans don’t know is going on. Fantastic. In every sense of the word.

“I Heart London” by Lindsey Kelk

This kind of book wouldn’t normally be my cup of tea. I read it because I was curious about the author. Slightly tedious romantic comedy. Not for me, I fear.

“Funny Girl” by Nick Hornby

About a female comedian making it in the 60s. Very readable like all Nick Hornby but a bit forgettable.

“La vérité sur l’affaire Harry Quebert” by Joël Dicker

This is a story about a young author helping to solve a mystery involving an older author. I did not like it. I read it in French but the effect was disorientating as it is set in North America and it felt like I was reading an English book in translation rather than a French original. Only merit as far as I was concerned is that it may have improved my French.

“To Kill a Mocking Bird” by Harper Lee

I haven’t read this since I was in school but I reread it recently after Harper Lee died. I think it is a much better book than I realised when I read it the first time. Well worth re-reading.

“Futebol” by Alex Bellos

I started reading this when the World Cup was being held in Brazil to get a feel for Brazilian football. It’s a bit out of date and I didn’t enjoy it but over many months made my way slowly but surely to the end. Perhaps more entertaining for those with a greater interest in football.

“Darkmouth” by Shane Hegarty

These are books for children written by an Irish Times columnist I always liked. Daniel absolutely loved them. I read the first two because I was curious. They’re fantasy books where you can get into a parallel world from a North Dublin seaside town (essentially Skerries). Not for me but very acceptable for the young people.

“Lolly Willowes” by Sylvia Townsend Warner

This is a curious book. It’s set in the 1910s. It’s about a woman who never marries and lives happily in the family home with her father until he dies. Then she ends up living with her brother and his family in London and it’s all a bit grim in a reasonably affluent way. That’s about three quarters of the book. Then she ups sticks and goes to become a witch. I thought from reading descriptions it was going to be a hilarious romp but it’s not. On the cover, John Updike is quoted as saying that it is “eerie” and it is. Worth a read though.

“The Shepherd’s Crown” by Terry Pratchett

Sadly, the last Pratchett. And, it pains me to say it, not a particularly good one. It’s alright and it’s quite sad when poor old Granny Weatherwax dies (about page 2, I’m not ruining it for you).

“Career of Evil” Robert Galbraith

Third in this series about a detective and his beautiful sidekick and quite enjoyable. As good as the first and better than the second in the series. I will certainly read number 4 when it comes out.

“American Gods” by Neil Gaiman

This is a clever novel about all the gods from the old world who find themselves in America where people don’t believe in them much anymore and the new American gods (reality TV, money, whatever you’re having yourself). A bit too long (part of the problem may have been that I had the “author’s preferred text”) but clever and worth a read.

“City of Bohane” by Kevin Barry

This book is superbly written. The language is fascinating and brilliant. However, the plot leaves a great deal to be desired. It’s set in a parallel, terrifying Ireland in a city in the west. Notwithstanding the flaws in plot (i.e. hardly any) I would definitely read another book of his.

“Stones of Dublin” by Lisa Marie Griffith

I won this book by filling out a form at a book fair. Very thrilling – it arrived out of the blue in the post. I really enjoyed it. I find generally that books of Dublin history are pitched at the wrong level for me, either much too general containing information I largely already know, or far too specific containing information I’m not sure I really want to know (you know the kind of thing – a detailed history of the lives of the inhabitants of numbers 73-75 Ranelagh Road between 1900 and 1911). For me, this book hit the rather large middle ground between these two extremes perfectly. A good history of Dublin and well worth a read.

“Disclaimer” by Renee Knight

This is a thriller with a twist. I don’t normally like this kind of thing and I didn’t like this. I thought the whole premise was utterly ludicrous and couldn’t get over that.

“Tea with Mr Rochester” by Frances Towers

These are lovely short stories about slightly neglected women. It made me remember how much I enjoy a good short story yet, I so rarely look to take them out of the library or buy them. I’m not quite sure why novels hold me so much in thrall when there are such wonderful collections of short stories out there including this one.

“The Priory” by Dorothy Whipple

This is an epic tale of what we in Ireland would call a “big house” family. It covers the lives and loves of all the members of the household upstairs and downstairs and I really enjoyed it although (spoiler alert) my heart sank when the housemaid who got herself into trouble tried to drown herself. Things more or less work out for the upstairs denizens but things downstairs are a bit grim.

“A Game of Thrones (A Song of Ice and Fire, Book 1)” by George R. R. Martin

I can’t believe that I have started reading this series. I felt that “Game of Thrones” had captured the attention of the world and I knew nothing about it so I might as well try one of the books. 800 or so pages later, I’m not sure that I entirely see the attraction. It was fine. I will probably read the other volumes but I wouldn’t be entranced, now. The pedant in me did not like that on page 1, the author used “disinterested” when he meant “uninterested” or “indifferent”.

Maybe I need to watch the TV series to understand the attraction? Mr. Waffle is strongly against this, if this means he has to watch it too.

Somewhat reading related; did everyone in the world know this extraordinarily clever guessing game thing, Akinator? It’s amazing although very weak on Georgette Heyer heroines, I note.