Read: The Dark Remains by William McIlvanney & Ian Rankin 📚★★★☆☆
Mcllvanney left half a manuscript, finished by Ian Rankin. Good page turner. Especially enjoyable for the 1972 Glasgow setting, chain smoking, pints & whisky in pretty rough pubs. The hero travels on the bus!
Tag: ★★★
In Search of One Last Song
In Search of One Last Song: Britain’s disappearing birds and the people trying to save them Patrick Galbraith ★★★☆☆
The author’s meeting with a cross section of folk working in bird conservation, talking about the birds they love. Not the usual conservation suspects, but farmers and keepers along with poets and RSPB types. The subjects sometimes had very differing opinions from each other. They also often differ and argue against the usual conservation narrative. This made for interesting reading.
Reading this in short bursts rather than a few longer sittings I was sometime confused by jumps between different conversations and subject. Each voice appeared and left without out much of a formal introduction & conclusion.
Thanks to 4th Estate & William Collins and NetGalley for this ebook in exchange for an honest review.
A Visit from the Goon Squad – Jennifer Egan ★★★☆☆ 📚 one to re-read when I am reading in larger chunks. Fragmented tales across time and characters had me a mite confused.
Read Young Mungo by Douglas Stuart ★★★☆☆ 📚
Read: We are not in the World by Connor O’Callaghan ★★★☆☆📚
Mysterious or confusing narrative, slips between times & narrators. I struggled to follow. The lurch at then end was a great surprise.
Read: Seating Arrangements by Maggie Shipstead ★★★☆☆ 📚
Read: The Burgess Boys by Elizabeth Strout
★★★☆☆ 📚
Found this a bit less satisfactory that Olive Kitteridge, which I adored. The boys have a sister & a fair bit of family tension. A lot going on, immigrants, New York & Maine, differences in class…
Read: The Cat Who Saved Books by Sōsuke Natsukawa translated Louise Heal Kawai ★★★☆☆ 📚
Carelessly throwing this into the slight, fun Japanese novel pile.
Read: Three Summers by Margarita Liberaki ★★★☆☆ 📚
3 girls growing up in Greece, lovely scenery, with the feel of long repetitive summer days. A lot going on behind the scenes that slowly emerge.
A Song for the Dark Times by Ian Rankin
Read: A Song for the Dark Times by Ian Rankin ★★★☆☆ enjoyed this tale of older Rebus.