Fleur Fisher's 888

I like a challenge and I need organistion, so this is perfect!

I don't know exactly what I am going to read yet, but my categories will be: -

1. Virago Modern Classics
2. Historical Fiction
3. Contemporary Fiction
4. Crime/Mystery
5. New Authors (to me)
6. Second Time Authors (to me)
7. Books I own but won't want to keep after reading
8. Autobiography/Biography/Memoirs

Some books will fit into more than one category and I will put those into the one I feel is the best home.

VIRAGO MODERN CLASSICS

I have been collecting much faster than I have been reading

1. Sisters by a River by Barbara Comyns (January)
2. The Robber Bridegroom by Eudora Welty (March)
3. Millenium Hall by Sarah Scott (April)
4. The Eye of Love by Margery Sharp (May)
5. Jane and Prudence by Barbara Pym (July)
6. A Wreath of Roses by Elizabeth Taylor (July)
7. The Love-Child by Edith Olivier (September)
8. Life and Death of Harriett Frean by May Sinclair (October)

HISTORICAL & PERIOD FICTION

In other words, anything set in the past

1. Lesley Castle by Jane Austen (February)
2. The Crowded Street by Winifred Holtby (April)
3. The Touchstone by Edith Wharton (May)
4. The Making of a Marchioness by Frances Hodgson Burnett (May)
5. Counting The Stars by Helen Dunmore (May)
6. Queen Lucia by E. F. Benson (June)
7. The Faithful Servants by Margery Sharp (August)
8. Company of Liars by Karen Maitland (September)

CONTEMPORARY FICTION

This and the last category are to ensure that every novel I read fits somewhere!

1. The Road Home by Rose Tremain (January)
2. Notes from an Exhibition by Patrick Gale (February)
3. Girl Meets Boy: The Myth of Iphis by Ali Smith (February)
4. The Fantastic Book of Everybody's Secrets by Sophie Hannah (June)
5.Ten Tales Tall and True by Alasdair Gray (June)
6. Boy in the World by Niall Williams (June)
7. The End of Mr Y by Scarlett Thomas (July)
8. Novel About My Wife by Emily Perkins (August)

CRIME/MYSTERY

I read a fair bit of this, but I'm hoping that listing them will make me a bit more selective and leave more time to read other things

1. A Quiet Belief In Angels by Roger Jon Ellory (February)
2. Dead Cold by Louise Penny (March)
3. The Point of Rescue by Sophie Hannah (March)
4. An Expert In Murder by Nicola Upson (May)
5. Die With Me by Elena Forbes (June)
6. The Vows of Silence by Susan Hill (July)
7. Bleeding Heart Square by Andrew Taylor (August)
8. The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo by Stieg Larsson (September)

NEW AUTHORS (TO ME)

Just to make sure I don't fall into a rut

1.The Rising Tide by Molly Keane (January)
2.Mister Pip by Lloyd Jones (February)
3.The Night Watch by Sergei Lukyanenko (February)
4. What Was Lost by Catherine O'Flynn (March)
5. The Sweet Dove Died by Barbara Pym (April)
6. The Monsters of Templeton by Lauren Groff (May)
7. Miss Pettigrew Lives for a Day by Winifred Watson (August)
8. The Good Thief by Hannah Tinti (October)

SECOND TIME AUTHORS (TO ME)

This is to make sure I follow up authors I have enjoyed and give a second chance to those I can't decide about.

1. Playing With The Grownups by Sophie Dahl (January)
2. The Inconstant Husband by Susan Barrett (February)
3. Full House by Molly Keane (March)
4. Julianna Kiss by Hannah MacDonald (April)
5. Hunting and Gathering by Anna Gavalda (July)
6. The Nutmeg Tree by Margery Sharp (July)
7. The Dark Volume by G. W. Dahlquist (July)
8. The Glass of Time by Michael Cox (November)

BOOKS I OWN BUT WON'T WANT TO KEEP AFTER READING

The idea is to make space, though I suspect it will be filled by more books

1. The Cryptographer by Tobias Hill (January)
2. Love Falls by Esther Freud (February)
3. Digging To America by Anne Tyler (April)
4. The Story of You by Julie Myerson (June)
5. The Book of Air and Shadows by Michael Gruber (June)
6. The Private Lives of Pippa Lee by Rebecca Miller (July)
7. The Outcast by Sadie Jones (August)
8. Transgressions by Sarah Dunant (September)

AUTOBIOGRAPHY/BIOGRAPHY/MEMOIRS

I should read more non fiction

1. Me Talk Pretty One Day by David Sedaris (January)
2. Sovereign Ladies by Maureen Waller (January)
3. Daphne du Maurier : a daughter's memoir by Flavia Leng (April)
4. Elizabeth: The Scandalous Life of the Duchess of Kingston by Claire Gervat (May)
5. Poe: A Life Cut Short by Peter Ackroyd (June)
6. Paper Houses by Michelle Roberts (June)
7. The Lives of Elsa Triolet by Lachlan Mackinnon (July)
8. Agatha Christie: An English Mystery by Laura Thompson (August)

Book #1

Title: Me Talk Pretty One Day

Author: David Sedaris

Source: Charity Shop

Destination: BookMooch

Classed as: Autobiography/Biography/Memoirs

Could also have been classed as: Second Time Authors
Thoughts: A series of short autobiographical pieces, this book has the same feel as an entertaining friend of a friend recounting his experiences at some social gathering. Even the events that aren't that funny by nature are made so by the quality of the writing and the piece about the speech therapist is a work of genius.

Rating: 4.5 / 5

Book #2

Title: The Road Home

Author: Rose Tremain

Source / Destination: Library Book

Classed as: Contemporary Fiction

Could also have been classed as: -

Thoughts: A novel about the experiences of a migrant worker in London. I picked it not for the subject matter but because I have always loved Rose Tremain's writing. I'm glad I did. The characters are beautifully drawn, the settings come alive and the story ticks along nicely. Highly recommended.

Rating: 5 / 5

Book #3

Title: The Rising Tide

Author: Molly Keane

Source / Destination: Library Book

Classed as: First Time Authors

Could also have been classed as: Virago Modern Classics

Thoughts: The story of an Irish Country House and its passage between different and differing generations in the early part of the 20th century, this was a joy to read. The characters live and breathe, there is a wonderful sense of place and comedy and tragedy are perfectly balanced. There will be more of Molly Keane's work on this list before the year is out!

Rating: 5 / 5

Book #4

Title: Playing With The Grown-Ups

Author: Sophie Dahl

Source / Destination: Library Book

Classed as: Second Time Authors

Could also have been classed as: Contemporary Fiction

Thoughts: Not sure.

Rating: 3.5 / 5

Book #5

Title: The Cryptographer

Author: Tobias Hill

Source: Charity Shop

Destination: BookMooch

Classed as: Books I own but won't want to keep after reading

Could also have been classed as: Contemporary Fiction

Thoughts: This is a novel set some time in the future, about a revenue inspector sent to investigate the activities of a codemaker who has sucessfully created a new kind of currency. The characters and the plot are slight, but the prose is beautiful and throws up lots of ideas about money, trust, relationships and the nature of truth. It made me thnk, but ultimately it wasn't a book I wanted to keep.

Rating: 3.5 / 5

Book #6

Title: Sovereign Ladies

Author: Maureen Waller

Source / Destination: Library Book

Classed as: Autobiography/Biography/Memoirs

Could also have been classed as: New Authors

Thoughts: This is an account of the six ruling queens in England's history. It was well written and very readable, but for me it lacked star quality. A book for somebody who has a passing interest in history rather than somebody who has read a lot about the subject maybe.

Rating: 3.5 / 5

Book #7

Title: Sisters By a River

Author: Barbara Comyns

Source / Destination: Library Book

Classed as: Virago Modern Classics

Could also have been classed as: Second Time Authors

Thoughts: Perfection.

Rating: 5 / 5

I'm so happy you liked Sisters By a River! I read it last year as my first by Comyns and have been buying every other book by her I encounter since.

I have a few on the shelf, but I am saving them for a while and enjoying the anticipation!

Book #8

Title: Lesley Castle

Author: Jane Austen

Source / Destination: Library Book

Classed as: Historical & Period Fiction

Could also have been classed as: -

Thoughts: Lovely to find a new bit of Jane Austen!This is a beautifully presented book, containing three short early works. The first is Lesley Castle, a hilarious sequence of letters. The second is an ironic History of England, with little history but much opinion - pro York and Stuart and anti Lancaster and Tudor. The third is the Catharine, a novella that approaches the themes and style of Jane Austen’s later work. All three pieces are readable, but they read more like test runs than finished works. I’m glad I found it in the library, but I won’t be looking for a copy to keep.

Rating: 3.5 / 5

Book #9

Title: Mister Pip

Author: Lloyd Jones

Source / Destination: Library Book

Classed as: First Time Authors

Could also have been classed as: -

Thoughts: This book took me by surprise. I expected the story of an inspirational teacher introducing Dickens to a small isolated south Pacific island. I got that plus civil war, complex relationships and a whole series of twists and turns. Simple and engaging prose, but for me the balancing of themes was a little off. Good but not great.

Rating: 4 / 5

Book #10

Title: A Quiet Belief in Angels

Author: R.J. Ellory

Source / Destination: Library Book

Classed as: Crime / Mystery

Could also have been classed as: -

Thoughts: This isn’t conventional crime fiction, it’s a heartbreaking story about one man's connection to a series of brutal killings in his home town. Beautifully written and gripping.

Rating: 4.5 / 5

Book #11

Title: Notes from an Exhibition

Author: Patrick Gale

Source / Destination: Library Book

Classed as: Contemporary

Could also have been classed as: -

Thoughts: A novel about the effects of mental illness on an artist and her family The plot is slight but changing voices moving backwards and forwards in time keep things interesting. The prose is lovely though some of the dialogue is a little clunky.Overall, Patrick Gale's best to date.

Rating: 4 / 5

Book #12

Title: The Night Watch

Author: Sergei Lukyanenko

Source / Destination: Library Book

Classed as: First Time Authors

Could have been classed as: -

Thoughts: I read it after receiving several recommendations, but it didn't engage me.

Rating: Unrated - I couldn't say if it was good, bad or indiffererent, it just wasn't for me

Book #13

Title: Girl Meets Boy: The Myth of Iphis (Canongate Myths)

Author: Ali Smith

Source: ReadItSwapIt

Destination: BookMooch

Classed as: Contemporary Fiction

Could have been classed as: Books I own but won't want to keep after reading

Thoughts: Inspired!

Rating: 4.5 / 5

Book #14

Title: The Inconstant Husband

Author: Susan Barrett

Source: Gift

Destination: Undecided

Classed as: Second Time Authors

Could have been classed as: Historical & Period fiction

Thoughts: A story set in Victorian times but with a very modern sensibility. That jarred and a number of themes were introduced but not properly developed. It entertained but it didn't quite work.

Rating: 3.5 / 5

Book #15

Title: Dead Cold

Author: Louise Penny

Source / Destination: Library Book

Classed as: Crime / Mystery

Could also have been classed as:Second Time Authors

Thoughts: A traditional but modern detective story that avoids against the latest trends in modern crime fiction. No blood, gore, forensics, post-mortems or shock tactics here. Just good writing, well developed characters, an evocative setting, a well thought out plot and bigger themes than just “whodunit”. Highly recommended.

Rating: 4.5 / 5

Book #16

Title: Love Falls

Author: Esther Freud

Source: Charity Shop

Destination: ReadItSwapIt

Classed as: Books I own but won't want to keep after reading

Could also have been classed as: Contemporary Fiction

Thoughts: A seventeen year old is invited by to Italy for the summer she hardly knows. Things start well but she quickly becomes out of her depth when she becomes involved with his friends and their families. Evocative and very readable, but I can’t fall in love with her later books in the way I did with Hideous Kinky and Peerless Flats.

Rating: 4 / 5

Book #17

Title: What Was Lost

Author: Catherine O'Flynn

Source / Destination: Library Book

Classed as: First Time Authors

Could also have been classed as: Contemporary Fiction

Thoughts: A bright but neglected youngster loses her father and retrears in a fantasy world of detective and surveillance work in the her local shopping centre. She disappears early in the book and the story continues twenty years later with the stories of others on the fringes of her life ultimately uncovering what happened. Ordinarinary lives are brilliantly illuminated, as is the extraordinariness and ultimate emptiness of the shopping centre. It sounds strange but it works beautifully. The best first novel I have read in some time.

Rating: 5 / 5

Book #18

Title: The Point of Rescue

Author: Sophie Hannah

Source / Destination: Library Book

Classed as: Crime / Mystery

Could also have been classed as:Contemporary Fiction

Thoughts: A great psychological thriller. It is well written with great characterization and a seemingly unsolvable plot that twists well to a conclusion both unguessable and entirely plausible.

Rating: 4.5 / 5

Book #19

Title: The The Robber Bridegroom

Author: Eudora Welty

Source: ReadItSwapIt

Destination: Definitely one to keep.

Classed as: Virago Modern Classics

Could have been classed as: -

Thoughts: A story from the Brothers Grimm reworked, given an adult spin and relocated to Mississippi. Wonderfully written - the prose is lush and still the story rattles along. I loved it!

Rating: 4.5 / 5

Book #20

Title: Full House

Author: Molly Keane

Source: Used Book Shop

Destination: Definitely one to keep.

Classed as: Second Time Authors

Could have been classed as: Virago Modern Classics

Thoughts: Another Irish country house, another disfunctional family tied to it and another great book.

Rating: 4.5 / 5

Book #20

Title: Daphne du Maurier : a daughter's memoir

Author: Flavia Leng

Source/Destination: Library Book

Classed as: Autobiography/Biography/Memoirs

Could have been classed as: First Time Authors

Thoughts: This is Daphne Du Maurier's younger daughter's memoir of her childhood years before she went away to school. People, places and another time are beautifully evoked and the child's voice comes through loud and clear, making this a charming read.

Rating: 4 / 5

Book #21

Title: Millenium Hall

Author: Sarah Scott

Source: Ebay

Destination: Definitely one to keep.

Classed as: Virago Modern Classics

Could have been classed as: Historical & Period Fiction

Thoughts: An 18th Century gem resurrected as part of the Virago Modern Classics series. Two gentleman travellers find an independent community of ladies. One traveller is a distant cousin of a lady, and she tells them the stories how the others came to their community and how their society works. There is a wealth of detail and much incident in the different stories, adding up to a wonderfully readable book.

Rating: 4.5 / 5

Book #22

Title: Digging To America

Author: Anne Tyler

Source: Charity Shop

Destination: ReadItSwapIt

Classed as: Books I own but won't want to keep after reading

Could also have been classed as: Contemporary Fiction

Thoughts: Two sets of adoptive parents and their extended families form relationships after they both adopt Korean babies on the same. Their 'ordinary lives' over the next few years are charted and, though there is little plot development, the writing is lovely, many ideas are explored and differing characters and viewpoints are illuminated beautifully.

Rating: 4 / 5

Book #23

Title: The Crowded Street

Author: Winifred Holtby

Source: Ebay

Destination: Definitely one to keep.

Classed as: Historical & Period Fiction

Could have been classed as: Virago Modern Classics

Thoughts: Brilliant! Most simply described as the coming of age of a young woman in the early part of the 20th century but actually much much more than that. Rich in characters, settings, incidents and ideas and beautifully written, but I am not articulate enough to do it justice. Book of the year!

Rating: 5 / 5

Book #24

Title: Julianna Kiss

Author: Hannah MacDonald

Source / Destination: Library Book

Classed as: Second Time Authors

Could also have been classed as: Contemporary

Thoughts: A young Hungarian woman travels to England, her grandmother's homeland to work as a fruit-picker. Things start well, then she runs into difficulties but she learns along the way and ultimately turns her life around. The style is lyrical and many ideas are explored. The book is a little too long though, and relies a little too much on coincidence. Overall, well worth reading and more than good enough to make me look out for Hannah MacDonald's next book.

Rating: 4 / 5

Book #25

Title: The Sweet Dove Died

Author: Barbara Pym

Source: Charity Shop

Destination: One to keep

Classed as: First Time Authors

Could also have been classed as: -

Thoughts: A short and ultimately sad novel. Beautifully observed, restrained and unsensational, but at the same time gripping.....

Rating: 4.5 / 5

Book #26

Title: An Expert in Murder

Author: Nicola Upson

Source / Destination: Library Book

Classed as: Crime / Mystery

Could also have been classed as: First Time Authors

Thoughts: This is fiction, but it uses author Josephine Tey as a central character in a murder mystery set in London in 1934, during the run of her play, “Richard of Bordeaux”. Fact and fiction are cleverly mixed, the writing is in the style of the period, setting and characters are well created and the “whodunit” works well. Not quite great but good enough to make me look out for future books in the series.

Rating: 4 / 5

Book #27

Title: The Touchstone

Author: Edith Wharton

Source / Destination: Library Book

Classed as: Historical & Period Fiction

Could also have been classed as: -

Thoughts: Another gem from Hesperus Classics - a short but striking tale of how the choices we make can come back to haunt us.

Rating: 4 / 5

Book #28

Title: The Monsters of Templeton

Author: Lauren Groff

Source / Destination: Library Book

Classed as: First Time Authors

Could also have been classed as: -

Thoughts: At the centre of this book a woman searches through her family and town's history in an effort to identify the father she has never known, but shifting narrative voices bring much more. It’s sometimes odd and not without flaws, but still an entertaining and compelling read.

Rating: 4.5 / 5

Book #29

Title: The Making of a Marchioness

Author: Frances Hodgson Burnett

Source: Ebay

Destination: One to keep

Classed as: Historical & Period Fiction

Could also have been classed as: -

Thoughts: A fairy tale for grown-ups, starting light but turning darker. Completely captivating.

Rating: 4.5 / 5

Book #30

Title: Counting The Stars

Author: Helen Dunmore

Source / Destination: Library Book

Classed as: Historical & Period Fiction

Could also have been classed as: -

Thoughts: Helen Dunmore puts her spin on the story of Catullus and Clodia/Lesbia, from his point of view. Haunting.

Rating: 4.5 / 5

Book #31

Title: The Eye of Love

Author: Margery Sharp

Source: Amazon Marketplace

Destination: Definitely one to keep.

Classed as: Virago Modern Classics

Could have been classed as: - First Time Authors

Thoughts: Utterly charming.

Rating: 4.5 / 5

Book #32

Title: Elizabeth: The Scandalous Life of the Duchess of Kingston

Author: Claire Gervat

Source / Destination: Library Book

Classed as: Autobiography/Biography/Memoirs

Could also have been classed as: New Authors

Thoughts: Elizabeth Chudleigh was born into impoverished gentility, but rose to the centre of court life. She married the Duke of Kingston without revealing that years earlier she had secretly married a naval lieutenant. After the Duke's death her first marriage was discovered, bigamy fever swept London society and, in a very public trial, Elizabeth was found guilty. An amazing tale and it is very well told.

Rating: 4 / 5

Book #33

Title: Die With Me

Author: Elena Forbes

Source / Destination: Library Book

Classed as: Crime / Mystery

Could also have been classed as: First Time Authors

Thoughts: A young woman falls to her death from a a church balcony in West London. At first it appears to be suicide, but then a witness appears, links are made to other cases and the police begin the search for a serial killer. The plot is well constructed and points to a series - this is a solid, if unspectacular, start.

Rating: 4 / 5

Book #34

Title: The Story of You

Author: Julie Myerson

Source: Charity Shop

Destination: ReadItSwapIt

Classed as: Books I own but won't want to keep after reading

Could also have been classed as: Contemporary Fiction

Thoughts: A mother who has recently lost her young daughter travels to Paris. There she meets a man she knew briefly years ago and begins a relationship - or does she? Julie Myerson writes well about love, bereavement and the nuts and bolts of relationships and the prose is lovely. But she has written on similar themes better before. Her non-fiction has taken her in other directions where I hope, one day, her fiction will travel too.

Rating: 4 / 5

Book #35

Title: The Fantasic Book of Everybody's Secrets

Author: Sophie Hannah

Source / Destination: Library Book

Classed as: Contemporary Fiction

Could also have been classed as: -

Thoughts: As the title suggests, the main themes of Sophie Hannah’s first collection of short stories are the secrets people keep, the impossibility of our ever really knowing the people around us, and what happens when the boundaries of normal social behaviour are transgressed. By turns amusing, terrifying and thought provoking, the range of stories is wonderful. There are some signs that the author hasn’t quite mastered the format – the pacing is sometimes a little off or a killer punch is needed that never arrives – but the writing and ideas are excellent.

Rating: 4 / 5

Book #36

Title: Queen Lucia

Author: E. F. Benson

Source / Destination: Library Book

Classed as: Historical & Period Fiction

Could also have been classed as: -

Thoughts: This is a lovely, warm and humorous novel from 1920. It gently satirises the follies and pretensions of the middle class inhabitants of an English village, without ever losing sympathy for them. A wonderful read.

Rating: 4 / 5

Book #37

Title: Ten Tales Tall and True

Author: Alasdair Gray

Source: Used Book Shop

Destination: BookMooch

Classed as: Contemporary Fiction

Could have been classed as: Books I own but won't want to keep after reading

Thoughts: This is a wonderful, wide-ranging collection of short stories, enriched with the author's own fine lettering and drawings. Impossible to describe - the sub-title "social realism, sexual comedy, science fiction, satire" is as close as I can get" - each tale is thought-provoking and a joy to read.

Rating: 4.5 / 5

Book #38

Title: The Book of Air and Shadows

Author: Michael Gruber

Source: Local Independent Bookshop

Destination: BookMooch

Classed as: Books I own but won't want to keep after reading

Could also have been classed as: New Authors (to me)

Thoughts: A “literary thriller” following the hunt for a lost Shakespeare manuscript, which can only be discovered by deciphering a series of letters found hidden within the bindings of antiquarian books. The book alternates between three distinct narrative voices, is useful and serves to add to the suspense. On the plus side, the quality of the writing was fine, three distinct narrative voices plus twists and turns aplenty kept things interesting. On the minus side, the book was overlong and the ending jarred a little. Overall, one of the better books I have read of its type.

Rating: 3.5 / 5

Book #40*

Title: Poe: A Life Cut Short

Author: Peter Ackroyd

Source / Destination: Library Book

Classed as: Biography/Autobiography/Memoirs

Could also have been classed as: -

Thoughts: Poe and Ackroyd should have been a magical combination, but this was disappointing. 160 pages was never going to be enough and, while Ackroyd conjures up an appropriately gothic tone and the story rattles along, there is a lack of depth and analysis. To me it reads as if Acroyd intended to write a short novel but was pushed to write a biography instead.

Rating: 2 / 5

* I had two number twenties so I am skipping a number to keep things straight rather than going back and editing

Book #41

Title: Paper Houses

Author: Michele Roberts

Source / Destination: Library Book

Classed as: Biography/Autobiography/Memoirs

Could also have been classed as: -

Thoughts: Michele Roberts' memoir kicks off in the early seventies when she graduates form Oxford and arrives in London. The author's love of books and the development of her writing wonderfully conveyed (though by no means the primary focus) and the times and places are wonderfully observed. The prose though is unremarkable and maybe the book could have stood little more editing. So overall good rather than great.

Rating: 4 / 5

Book #42

Title: Boy in the World

Author: Niall Williams

Source / Destination: Library Book

Classed as: Contemporary Fiction

Could also have been classed as: -

Thoughts: This is the story of a young boy on a journey round the world, accompanied by a nun he meets on the way, as he searches for his father that he has never met.
Through all manner of trial and tribulations, and whilst learning much about different religions and cultures, the boy remains undeterred in his efforts to track down his father who he has never met before. Meanwhile, the grandfather who raised him searches for his grandson and, although he is halted on that journey, the bond between them is unbroken. Niall Williams has a beautiful, lyrical style of writing and he has created a wonderful, thought-provoking and uplifting story.

Rating: 4.5 / 5

Book #43

Title: Hunting and Gathering

Author: Anna Gavalda

Source: ReadItSwapIt

Destination: One to keep

Classed as: Second time authors

Could also have been classed as: Contemporary fiction

Thoughts: The story of four people – Philibert- a postcard seller from a wealthy background, his flatmate Franck - a talented but fiery chef, Franck's ageing grandmother Paulette and Camille - a waif like artist taken in by Philibert. The characters are both likeable and believable and their tale is beautifully written and quite enchanting. Laughter, tears, love, life, death and comedy – this could become a modern day classic

Rating: 5 / 5

Book #44

Title: Jane and Prudence

Author: Barbara Pym

Source: Used book shop

Destination: One to keep

Classed as: Virago Modern Classics

Could also have been classed as: Second time authors

Thoughts: This is a wonderful journey into the lives of the English middle-classes of the 1950s. A lovely comedy of manners, with writing succinct and clear and not a word wasted.

Rating: 4 / 5

Book #45

Title: The Nutmeg Tree

Author: Margery Sharp

Source/Destination: Library Book

Classed as: Second time authors

Could also have been classed as: -

Thoughts: Another charming story of love. As most of her work is out of print iIam ordering up as many of margery Sharp's books as I can from the Cornish Library Service. Hooray for the fiction reserve!

Rating: 4.5 / 5

Book #46

Title: The Lives of Elsa Triolet

Author: Lachlan MacKinnon

Source/Destination: Library Book

Classed as: Biography/Autobiography/Memoirs

Could also have been classed as: First time authors

Thoughts: Elsa Triolet was born into the Jewish middle classes in Moscow in 1896. She and her sister were well educated and moved in literary and political circles. She lived in Tahiti with her first husband, but left him and returned to Europe, joining the world of the Russian emigres. In Paris she worked for some time, and with great success as a jeweller. Her second husband was the surrealist writer Louis Aragon and she became an idol in literary France as the hero of his "Elsa" poems, as well as writing prolifically herself, and becoming the first woman to win the Prix Goncourt in 1946. She was active in the French resistance and embraed Stalinism after the war. Lives indeed! This is an extraordinary tale of a fascinating woman, who crossed paths with many remakable figures of her age. She reamians unknowable though, maybe because the author had no access to any of her personal papers. This is a clear, thoughtful and well written biography and I am only sorry that more of her work isn't available in translation.

Rating: 4 / 5

Book #47

Title: The End of Mr Y

Author: Scarlett Thomas

Source: Local bookshop

Destination: One to keep

Classed as: Contemporary Fiction

Could have been classed as: -

Thoughts: What if a book was cursed and everyone who read it died or disappeared? What if it provided a gateway to travel though and between minds? What if dark forces sought that knowledge? That is the core of this book. It starts really well and the story bowls along, with reality and flights of fantasy are both well depicted. There are flaws - little too much forced conversation about science, religion and philosophy and the ending was maybe a little rushed - but ultimately, I loved it.

Rating: 4.5 / 5

Book #48

Title: The Vows of Silence

Author: Susan Hill

Source / Destination: Library Book

Classed as: Crime / Mystery

Could also have been classed as: Contemporary Fiction

Thoughts: Brilliant!

Rating: 4.5 / 5

Book #49

Title: A Wreath of Roses

Author: Elizabeth Taylor

Source: Used Book Shop

Destination: One to keep

Classed as: Virago Modern Classics

Could also have been classed as: -

Thoughts: A woman on the brink of middle age spends the summer, as she has many times with two friends. She feels excluded though – the older friend has her painting and the younger a husband and new baby – and begins an unlikely liaison with a man whose charming exterior hides dark secret. The story is cleverly structured and beautifully told. The characters, all at different points in life, are perfectly portrayed and not a word is wasted. Perfection!

Rating: 5 / 5

Book #50

Title: The Private Lives of Pippa Lee

Author: Rebecca Miller

Source: Early Reviewers

Destination: ReadItSwapIt

Classed as: Books I own but won't want to keep after reading

Could also have been classed as: Second time authors

Thoughts: I made it through this book on the third attempt - I just couldn't care about the characters and what happened to them and so I was lost. Disappointing as I did enjoy Rebecca Miller's short stories,so one to pass on in the hope that it will speak to somebody else.

Rating: 1.5 / 5

Book #51

Title: The Dark Volume

Author: G. W. Dahlquist

Source/Destination: Library Book

Classed as: Second time authors

Could also have been classed as: -

Thoughts: Flawed but fabulous!

Rating: 4.5 / 5

Book #52

Title: Novel About My Wife

Author: Emily Perkins

Source/Destination: Library Book

Classed as: ContemporaryFiction

Could also have been classed as: -

Thoughts: The opening of this novel makes it clear that a man is telling the story of his wife after she has been, in some way, lost to him. He has lost his job, after they bought a house in preparation for the birth of their first child. Problems mount and it becomes clear that the narrator may be unreliable and that some facts are being withheld. The prose is lovely and the story is well constructed and both gripping and involving. After loving Emily Perkins’ short stories I was less taken by her earlier novels, but this is wonderful book.

Rating: 5 / 5

Book #53

Title: Bleeding Heart Square

Author: Andrew Taylor

Source/Destination: Library Book

Classed as: Crime/Mystery

Could also have been classed as: -

Thoughts: The mystery at the centre of this book is the disappearance of a middle aged woman. It touches a cast of displaced characters in around the lodging house she owned in Bleeding Heart Square and strange things happen as answers are sought and events unfold. The writing is excellent, the plot is well constructed and the setting in thirties London, with war looming, the British Union of Fascists prominent and the old class order starting to break down, is wonderfully evoked.

Rating: 4.5 / 5

Book #54

Title: Agatha Christie: An English Mystery

Author: Laura Thompson

Source: Independent Book Shop

Destination: One to Keep

Classed as: Autobiography/Biography/Memoirs

Could have been classed as: First time authors

Thoughts: This is a wonderful biography. It almost reads like a novel and paints a wonderful portrait of a complex woman as it travels through her life and work.

Rating: 4.5 / 5

Book #55

Title: The Outcast

Author: Sadie Jones

Source: Charity Shop

Destination: ReadItSwapIt

Classed as: Books I own but won't want to keep after reading

Could also have been classed as: First time authors

Thoughts: This is an compelling debut novel, telling a story of love, loss and suppressed emotions in middle class England in the 1950's. Very dark, and also very moving.

Rating: 4 / 5

Book #56

Title: Miss Pettigrew Lives for a Day

Author: Winifred Watson

Source: Ebay

Destination: Definitely one to keep.

Classed as: New Authors

Could also have been classed as: Historical & period Fiction

Thoughts: Bliss!

Rating: 4.5 / 5

Book #57

Title: The Faithful Servants

Author: Margery Sharp

Source/Destination: Library Book

Classed as: Historical and Period Fiction

Could also have been classed as: -

Thoughts: In 1860 an elderly man thwarts his family by leaving his fortune in the form of trust to benefit impoverished female servants. Tales of the trustees and beneficiaries and the changing nature of domestic service over the next century ensue, making this a warm and engaging read.

Rating: 4.5 / 5

Book #58

Title: Company of Liars

Author: Karen Maitland

Source/Destination: Library Book

Classed as: Historical & Period Fiction

Could also have been classed as: New Authors

Thoughts: A small disparate band of travellers come together to try to stay ahead of the plague, but the plague itself is not the only thing that they have to fear. Everyone has secrets and everyone tells lies. Wonderful storytelling, great twists and turns and a striking conclusion. Excellent!

Rating: 4.5 / 5

Book #59

Title: The Girl With The Dragon Tattoo

Author: Stieg Larsson

Source/Destination: Library Book

Classed as: Crime/Mystery

Could also have been classed as: New Authors

Thoughts: A financial journalist faces ruin when he is found guilty of libelling a corrupt businessman, but he is offered a lifeline in the form of a job investigating an unsolved mystery in the past of a wealthy incestuous Swedish industrial family. As the novel progresses he joins forces with young female hacker, originally hired to investigate his background, to investigate both strands of the plot. Both main characters are engaging and the novel is a page-turner. Some elements are inspired, but there are a few clichés and some plot points are a little guessable, so, while the book is more than good enough to make me want to read its sequels, it falls a little short of greatness.

Rating: 4 / 5

Book #60

Title: The Love-Child

Author: Edith Olivier

Source: Used Book Shop

Destination: One to keep

Classed as: Virago Modern Classics

Could also have been classed as: First Time Authors

Thoughts: Agatha has lead a sheltered life and at thirty-two she finds herself quite alone. She summons back to life Clarissa, the dream companion of her childhood and her only real friend. In time it seems that others can see her too and Clarissa begins to explore life, but Agatha resists change and a power struggle begins with devastating consequences. The story is beautifully constructed and written and it contains both surreal touches and emotional truths. Excellent!

Rating: 5 / 5

Book #61

Title: Transgressions

Author: Sarah Dunant

Source: Charity Shop

Destination: BookMooch

Classed as: Books I own but won't want to keep after reading

Could have been classed as: Crime/Mystery

Thoughts: There is no denying that Sarah Dunant can write, but the subject matter and the execution make this a book that I do not want to dwell on or keep.

Rating: 2 / 5

Book #62

Title: The Good Thief

Author: Hannah Tinti

Source / Destination: Library Book

Classed as: New Authors

Could also have been classed as: - Historical & Period Fiction

Thoughts: Good but not great.

Rating: 3.5 / 5

Book #63

Title: Life and Death of Harriett Frean

Author: May Sinclair

Source: Gift

Destination: One to keep

Classed as: Virago Modern Classics

Could also have been classed as: First Time Authors

Thoughts: This is the first-person story of Victorian woman who adheres so much to the values she was brought up with that she never truly lives her own life. Only as the end of her life approaches do questions and doubts enter her mind. Short but stunning!

Rating: 4.5 / 5

I have struggled to find a "second time author" to round off this challenge but I have Glass of Time by Michael Cox underway now and I hope to finish this challenge next weekend.

Book #64

Title: The Glass of Time

Author: Michael Cox

Source/Destination: Library Book

Classed as: Second Time Authors

Could have been classed as: Historical & Period fiction

Thoughts: I loved The Meaning of Night and was thrilled to learn of its sequel The Glass of Time. It lived up to my high expectations and more.

In 1876, more than twenty years after the murder of Phoebus Daunt, Esperanza Gorst goes to Evenwood to become the lady’s maid of Baroness Tansor, who inherited the estate disputed in The Meaning of Night.

Esperanza is there, at the behest of her guardian, to uncover the secrets that Baroness Tansor has sought to conceal, and to set right a past injustice in which Esperanzas own closest interests are bound up.

A web of deception, lies, and worse, is steadily unravelled and the story builds to a wonderful conclusion.

There is much detail and much more that I could say, but I won’t because the book itself gives you just the right amount of information at just the right time.

You can work out some things if you have read The Meaning of Night but not everything and it doesn’t spoil the journey through this book at all.

The prose is lovely (though the style may not be to everyone’s taste), the characters and vividly drawn and the depiction of Victorian England is wonderful.

Highy recommended!

Rating: 5 / 5

Mission accomplished !!!

Congratulations on finishing your 888 Challenge! :) Bravo!! Bravo!!
--BJ

Excellent Fleur! I have really enjoyed reading your reading journey - are you going for the 999 I wonder?