Read: The Slain Birds by Michael Longley ★★★★ 📚
The ravens in conversation overhead might be
Discussing us or that sheep dead in a hollow
With its yellow ear-tag and delicate black feet.
Category Archives: Book
Read: To the Dogs by Louise Welsh ★★★★☆ 📚
Glasgow crime, university prof, nearly brought low by his criminal son & family history. Twists, turns & some familiar locations.
Read: Clear by Carys Davies ★★★★★ 📚
I loved this short tale, 1840, 3 characters, the split in the Kirk & the clearances.
There was a word in Ivar’s language for the moment before something happens; for the state of being on the brink of something.
Read: Bad Actors by Mick Herron ★★★★☆ 📚
Plenty of fun poked at our political leaders. Usual spy fun & shenanigans.
Read: The Bee Sting by Paul Murray ★★★★★ 📚
A great read, multiple pov, full of surprises. Inside each character’s head indecision jerks chains. The stories shift between characters, each enough for a novel of its own. At first I felt some were left hanging, but it all weaves together.
Read: Slough House by Mick Herron ★★★★☆ 📚
Best one in the last few I’ve read. Although the back & forth between different fields of action at a cliff hanger is predictably it works. Politically incorrect attitudes from Jackson still funny. More emotion & connection to the characters.
Read: The Vagrants by Yiyun Li ★★★★☆ delicately written, horrifying account of lives in post Mao (just) China. There are very few moments of hope but my sympathy for the characters ran deep.
Read: Prophecy by S.J. Parris ★★★ 📚
Good fun trip to Elizabethan London.
Read: Joe Country by Mick Herron ★★★★☆ 📚
Still amusing and engaging, but maybe lacking the surprise of earlier ones in the series.
Read: Animal Dreams by Barbara Kingsolver ★★★★☆ 📚
Maybe too many important issues for the one book & some “too good to be true” characters but I was thoroughly engaged.