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Gamers, Vampires, Volcanoes, Demons and A Superhero Kid
My reading for July 2024 was eclectic as always but with the usual break from reality and accompanied by a cast of memorable characters. These are just post-it notes style remarks on the books I’ve read this month. TOMORROW AND TOMORROW AND TOMORROW by Gabrielle Zevin When Sam catches sight of Sadie at a crowded train station one morning he is catapulted straight back to childhood, and the hours they spent immersed in playing games. Their spark is instantly reignited and sets off a creative collaboration that will make them superstars. It is the 90s, and anything is possible. What comes next is a decades-long tale of friendship and rivalry, fame and art, betrayal and tragedy, perfect worlds and imperfect ones. And, above all, our need to connect: to be loved and to love. My daughter, A,…
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MEANWHILE…#5
This is what I’m getting up to lately… Reading: Just finished “The Half Heroes” series by Ian W. Sainsbury. Loved it but couldn’t help feeling the third book was a little rushed at the end. Rereading Julian May’s “Saga of the Exiles” Series after 40 years. Finished book 1 The Many Coloured Land and most of the way through book 2 The Golden Torc. Every bit as good as I remembered it to be, despite some language and references that would cause a bit of a stink if it was published recently. The series is out of print and I had to buy the four novels from an online site selling second hand books. When the ban cheile saw the well thumbed books she was amazed I’d actually have books that battered. But the urge to read…
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DRIVING OVER LEMONS
Given the ban on travel because of the current pandemic, and a series of unfortunate events that have prevented us from even wandering around Ireland, I've taken lately to travelling vicariously through other people's accounts of their journeys and life experiences in various parts of the world. In this adventure we're off to Andalucia in the 1980s with the first drummer of the band Genesis (I bet he's sick of being described in that way at this stage), his wife and a menagerie of both human and non-human characters. This memoir is an easy read and if I'm to be honest it's suffering from a dated feel at this stage, even though the version I read was a 25th anniversary edition with an extra chapter (that didn't really add anything to the overall story).
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MORIARTY
Moriarty by Anthony Horowitz Sherlock Holmes is dead. Days after Holmes and his arch-enemy Moriarty fall to their doom at the Reichenbach Falls, Pinkerton agent Frederick Chase arrives in Europe from New York. The death of Moriarty has created a poisonous vacuum which has been swiftly filled by a fiendish new criminal mastermind who has risen to take his place. Ably assisted by Inspector Athelney Jones of Scotland Yard, a devoted student of Holmes’s methods of investigation and deduction, Frederick Chase must forge a path through the darkest corners of the capital to shine light on this shadowy figure, a man much feared but seldom seen, a man determined to engulf London in a tide of murder and menace. THIS IS A SPOILER FREE REVIEW A sequel to House of Silk the first Sherlock Holmes novel approved…
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NECROPOLIS
Necropolis by Anthony Horowitz Evil has been unleashed on the world and only five children – with special powers – can save it. Matt and the other three desperately need to find Scar, the final gatekeeper, who has been trapped in Hong Kong, where puddles of water turn into puddles of blood, where ghosts, demons and hideous creatures stalk the streets. Matt has no choice but to follow her. Now, both imprisoned, their only hope of survival is to reach a secret door in the Man Ho temple. But even if Scar can find her psychic power, it may already be too late. THIS IS A SPOILER FREE REVIEW If you’re what Stephen King refers to as a ‘constant reader’ then you’ll know when I find an author or series of books I tend to binge until…
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MEANWHILE…#4
This is what I’m getting up to lately… Reading: Not reading anything like the volume of books I should be reading since I’m in holiday mode for the past couple of weeks. Just finished Magpie Murders by Anthony Horowitz. It’s a really satisfying twist on the whodunnit. Just started The Rise and Fall of DODO by Neal Stephenson and Nicole Galland. A SciFi (sort of…) novel about quantum physics and magic. Watching: Not finding TV very satisfying lately. Sticking to my staple diet of Luke Cage Season 2 with a smattering of Who Do You Think You Are? – both US and UK. Jessica Biel and Liv Tyler came across as very likeable indeed. Listening To: TED Talks mostly and some Robert Thurman podcasts on Buddhism. Making: Bookmarks from stone and beads and elastic and stuff. Doing: Enjoying “pottering” – nothing…
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MEANWHILE…#3
This is what I’m getting up to lately… Reading: I’m reading two books at the moment. The first is the latest from John Connolly Game of Ghosts and the other is for work Professional Development As Transformative Learning (!) by Patricia Cranton. Watching: Coming down from a staple diet of DC and Marvel binges, I’m on the lookout for something meaty. NCIS and Bull are keeping me sane in the meantime. Listening To: Not much really if I’m to be honest. I’m relishing the silence of late (a lot of voices ringing around my head all day in work at the moment). Making: Concentrating on the blog lately means the pieces of slate I picked us to make jewellery are still decorating the boot of my Jeep. But soon…very soon. Looking Forward To: The weekend.
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MEANWHILE…#2
This is what I’m getting up to lately… Reading: I’m reading two books at the moment. The first a thriller I Am Pilgrim by Terry Hayes. The second a very interesting book called Quiet by Susan Cain. Both are on my #BigBookChallenge list. Watching: As well as the usual gogglebox fodder I’ve been watching Childhood’s End, an adaptation of an Arthur C Clarke novel written in the 1950s. Listening To: Believe it or not ABBA! I heard an interview on the radio a couple of weeks ago that said the type of music you listen to can help kickstart your day…I’ll keep you posted. Making: At the moment I’m buying picture frames and distributing them around the house. It’s part of a clean sweep to change the look of the place and brighten things up for the summer. They’re appearing on walls but…
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MEANWHILE…#1
This is what I’m getting up to lately… Reading: The Book of Lost Things by John Connolly. I’m a huge Connolly fan and think the characters that populate his Charlie Parker novels are amazing. This novel is more fantasy/fable type than supernatural crime drama like his other books. Just started it, but already hooked. Watching: Madame Secretary, Elementary, Blue Bloods but I’m trying out South of Hell. The possessed woman uses her inner demon to perform exorcisms. A cast of unknowns as far as I’m concerned shows some promise but the jury’s still out. Listening To: James Taylor’s new album “Before This World”. Nine out of the thirteen tracks are worth a spin. ‘Far Afghanistan’ and a haunting version of ‘Wild Mountain Thyme’ are the stand-out songs. Taylor sounds as good as ever and the sleeve notes certainly give context…
