Read: Against Identity by Alexander Douglas ★★★ 📚
The Guardian describe this as a powerfully strange counterblast to identity fetishism and quote What we think of as our own special identity is just a suit of borrowed clothes but although I enjoyed parts the references & context in this philosopher’s book was a bit above my level.
Tag: ★★★
Read Dance Moves by Wendy Erskine ★★★ 📚
Slightly off kilter stories about off kilter characters that keep you wondering. The author leaves you waiting until you start to grasp the main ideas. All with a Northern Ireland connection.
Read: Fundamentally by Nussaibah Younis ★★★ 📚
UN newbie gets caught up with isis bride. Interesting, engaging & very mixed up on several levels. The mix of humour & seriousness felt slightly off kilter to me. The authors credentials made this more surprising when I read them.
The Distance Between Us by Maggie O’Farrell ★★★ 📚
I enjoyed the telling very much, clever switching between characters, time & location. The whole story didn’t really move or gel with me much though.
Burial of Ghosts by Ann Cleeves ★★★ 📚
Convoluted telling of a convoluted mystery. I enjoyed the twists and turns without any idea of the solution. An unstable narrator who recalls fragments of her past at different times.
Read: The Lying Room by Nicki French ★★★☆☆
As readably as usual, but I didn’t really get engaged with the characters at all.
Read Midnight & Blue by Ian Rankin ★★★★☆ 📚
Given the unlikely idea of old Rebus in jail. I was surprised that this recent one kept me interested & engaged.
Read A Red Death Walter Mosley ★★★☆☆📚
Solid Easy Rawlings, lots of details around the time & place.
Read The Last Days of Kira Mullan by Nicci French ★★★☆☆ 📚
Tricksy whodunit, lots going on. A long story even though I raced through it. Side trip to asylum, with very unpleasant staff. Plenty of detail & red herrings. Gaslighting, mental health& murder turn out to be a good holiday read.
Read: Smoke and Whispers by Mick Herron ★★★☆☆