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andrew61

andrew61

Joined January 2017

I'm on GR at https://www.goodreads.com/user/show/11281092 and welcome litsy friends
review
andrew61
Berlin Game | Len Deighton
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I love spy fiction, so it's bizarre that this is my first Len Deighton. I enjoyed it so much that I immediately ordered books 2+3 in the trilogy. Bernard Sansom is a senior officer in the service running a source in E Berlin who wants to escape, but London wants him to carry on. It emerges that someone is passing info to the Russians, but can Bernard find the source. Gripping to the very climactic end. Excited that I have so many more bks to find.

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andrew61
Demon Copperhead: A Novel | Barbara Kingsolver
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Dickens used the pen to reflect on poverty in 19th c London, so BK exposes the destruction of opioid addiction in appalachian America in the early 2000s. The plight of Demon is devastating as the plot follows the structure and characters of Copperfield, creating a lead to whom the reader becomes emotionally attached. My only issue was reading Copperfield, so recently, it was a distraction from fully enjoying it, but this is a remarkable book.

Cathythoughts Great review. It‘s such good book 👍🏻 5d
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andrew61
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This is a very enjoyable series set in Kent and the dungeness coast. DI Alex Culpidi is on sick leave after the events of the last few books but becomes curious about the murder of a couple in a local house. As she is dragged into the investigation, she quickly becomes at risk herself as it also involves historic events covered up by her close friend.

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andrew61
Universality: A Novel | Natasha Brown
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My 2nd booker book is a satirical look on modern media. From a young reporters account of a raid upon a rave in which a gold bar is stolen, to the reporter's encounter with her obnoxious University friends and ending with a populist columnist at a literary festival, a character typical of today's media when saying anything outrageous is free speech. It is a short book that deserves a reread and definitely an appealing new literary voice.

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andrew61
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@quietjenn @Tamra @CarolynM @sisilia @Caryl @daena @elkeOriginal @Gissy @Aimeesue @Bookbuyingaddict @julieclair @willaful @LeahBergen #persephoneclub
Another great read with (reminded me of a lost lady by WC) a central character who is the hypnotic femme fatale who attracts everyone except the sceptical narrator ,here Frankie burnaby who as a child loves the stranger + her parents forbid her to contact but as adult sees the spider like risk.

LeahBergen Pretty photo! I really enjoyed this one, too (and still need to review it). 😆 2w
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andrew61
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My 1st foray into the booker longlist was this story of the big freeze of 1962/63 winter in a small west country English village. 2 couples like very close to each , one the local GP + wife, the other farmer + wife. The women are pregnant and form a close bond despite their diffences. This book weaves an intricate Web of deceit, past lives, and future hopes amidst an evocation of winter + a country not yet shifting from post-war to swinging 60s.

Tamra I‘ve been wanting to read this one since last winter. ❄️Glad to see you liked it! 3w
Graywacke Fantastic. Will you continue to pursue the longlist? 3w
andrew61 @Graywacke it depends on how many I can access from the library before the shortlist is announced. I'm in a queue for several but looking at where I fall on the list I may not get to them before the prize night. Just finishing unavailability. How are you doing ? 2w
Graywacke @andrew61 hi. I‘m reading the last longlisted one i have. 🙂 But five are en route. I‘m planning to read the whole list. It‘s something I‘ve been doing for several years now 2w
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andrew61
The Memory Box | Margaret Forster
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Catherine is grieving her father + beloved stepmother. Her birth mother, susannah, died when C was a baby but left a box with a curious mix of objects. C feels little for her mother, but as she chooses to search the meaning in the objects, she learns more about a woman connected to her but unknown but more about herself. This is a reflective book with no dramatic reveal, but the writing is compelling with no word wasted, + I was completely hooked.

Cathythoughts Sounds lovely. Stacked. 3w
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andrew61
Symposium | Muriel Spark
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A comic tale of middle-class manners where the dark humour is biting as Muriel Spark paints a picture of gross characters happy to moan about each other in one breath while hugging in the other. Set around a dinner party, we meet a number of couples as they prepare for the event. With a spate of burglaries occurring in the area there also seems to be a connection to the feast. Spark is a reassuring favourite writer who never fails to captivate me.

CarolynM Great review. I love Muriel Spark but I‘ve not read this one yet. (edited) 4w
Centique @CarolynM I need to read more from her - but I loved A Far Cry from Kensington 4w
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andrew61
Red Or Dead | David Peace
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This is a challenging read but once you get into the rhythm of the prose style it is immensely rewarding. Bill Shankly is a complicated character ,obsessive about football and success for Liverpool fc, but also incredibly humble and humane. The last 200 pages when we follow him in retirement are incredibly moving with his willingness to talk to anyone at anytime being notable. If the stories told are true it is a remarkable tribute to a great man.

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andrew61
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My final holiday reading review is for this 2023 booker nominated family saga. I recall enjoying Skippy Dies a few years ago, so with mixed reviews, I was unsure how this book wd go as we follow the 4 members of the Barnes family through the collapse of the Irish economy. Sprawling in scope, I loved the slow reveal secrets that explain characters' decision-making + emotional reaction to events. I really enjoyed the narrative +was totally absorbed

Tamra I‘ve been iffy about this one, but as time passes I‘m more interested. 2mo
Cathythoughts I found it an absorbing read too. I‘ve never read Skippy , must get to it. 2mo
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andrew61
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It doesn't look like I've moved other than to grab wine + pizza, but book 2 on our holidays was this very good spy thriller set in bahrain after the Arab spring revolts. Shane Collins is a jaded CIA operative, divorced, and a heavy drinker living in the American community, having to temper his anger at a younger boss. When he is attracted to a bahranian woman, and he becomes attached to his source in the protest movement, the story gains pace.

Aims42 Pffft, you‘re on vacation, move if you want to, sit if you want to 🤪🙌 Your book sounds good! 2mo
Cathythoughts Sounds perfect ! Moving is overrated 😂 2mo
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andrew61
David Copperfield (Revised) | Charles Dickens
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In anticipation of reading Demon Copperhead I decided to take this classic on holiday, making my luggage 2lb heavier. I have not read it before and was soon totally lost in a world I thought I knew already. The characters are astonishing from the well-known Uriah Heep and Micawber to the wonderful Mr Dick and Traddles. I can only imagine the anticipation of waiting for a new chapter to appear each week. A brilliant read.

Cathythoughts Great review Andrew. I havnt read it but I loved Demon. We read it for our Bookclub and had a good discussion. 2mo
sarahbarnes I‘ve never read this before either. Enjoy the holiday! 2mo
Aims42 Great review! I haven‘t read it or Demon Cooperfield, but Demon has been on my mental TBR list. I‘ve been seeing more and more mentions of it (Demon) lately, might be a sign from the universe to read it 🤩 Your vacation view looks lovely! Enjoy!! 🍷😊 2mo
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Ruthiella “Janet! The donkeys!” 😂 I often forget how funny Dickens can be. 2mo
BarbaraJean @Ruthiella That scene has lived rent-free in my head since grad school and I‘m not mad about it. It still makes me laugh!! (edited) 2mo
LeahBergen What a perfect reading setup! 2mo
youneverarrived What a view! I‘m glad you enjoyed the book. I‘ve not read this one but the ones of his I have read are definitely memorable. 2mo
andrew61 @Cathythoughts definitely going to read demon v soon Cathy 2mo
andrew61 @sarahbarnes thank you 2mo
andrew61 @Ruthiella @BarbaraJean Yes, I loved Betsy Trotwood and the donkeys. Its difficult to divorce yourself from cinematic imagery especially Tilda Swinton chasing the donkeys and plan to watch the film again. Although I also had a battle to not Google WC Fields and was v pleased to remember who was Micawber in the b/w version! 2mo
andrew61 @youneverarrived thanks , definitely need to read more dickens but always feel overawed by the size. 2mo
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andrew61
The Burning | Jane Casey
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Thought I'd try the first maeve kerrigan having heard Jane casey talking about the most recent. She is an enjoyable character, being the only female detective in an all male murder squad. In this story , what appears to be another victim of a serial killer, has Maeve wondering about anomalies which allow her to prove how good a police officer she is. Enjoyable and will read more in the series.

OutsmartYourShelf This first book is ok, but I think the books definitely get better as you go along & I'd say 'Cruel Acts' & 'The Close' are probably my favourites. I recently re-read the whole series leading up to the release of the latest one & noticed quite a lot I'd forgotten from my initial read of them. 2mo
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andrew61
Cold Fish Soup | Adam Farrer
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A memoir about the author's love of a small North East coastal town Withernsea. Adam moved with his family as a teenager, + in a series of essays, he tackles his memories, which are, in turn, funny ( I laughed out loud about seaside seagulls), to the moving thoughts about his older brother. Mens' mental health is a significant theme in this book, which I found explored a difficult theme very well with reflection also upon family + aging. Very good

bibliothecarivs Added to my wishlist. Thanks! 2mo
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andrew61
Ladder of Years | Anne Tyler
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There's something comforting abt reading Anne Tyler, knowing that there are so many more of her novels that I have yet to try. Delia Grinstead is a 40 yr old mother, wife, + sister, these are her roles in life, so on a day at the beach she simply walks off + creates a new home with a job in a town she does not know. I loved how Delia, in turn, discovers her identity while her family adjusts to her absence. Should it have ended as it did, not sure.

Centique I havent read this one but I do love Ann Tyler too! Stacking 👍 2mo
andrew61 @Centique I think you'll enjoy. She makes ordinary lives extraordinary. 2mo
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andrew61
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Catching up on last weekends rdng + this v good spy story. Scarlet King is a British agent who, in 1946, helps kidnap a German scientist to Eng + then rises through the ranks of the secret service nearly to head MI6. When historian Max Archer is invited to meet Scarlet in her 90s, she has a story to tell which could be a bigger scandal than the Cambridge 5 + the establishment tries to stop the leak. Fast paced,+ well researched, the pages flew by.

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andrew61
The Exiles Return: A Novel | Elisabeth de Waal
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This excellent story centres on 3 people returning to Vienna Post ww2 for a new life. Pr Adler confronts nazi suspicion in his old lab in a brilliant scene. Kanakis is a rich exile who wants to buy property + surround himself in admirers. Resi is a beautiful teenager sent to family. Compelling read.
@quietjenn @Tamra @CarolynM @sisilia @Caryl @daena @elkeOriginal @Gissy @Aimeesue @Bookbuyingaddict @julieclair @willaful @LeahBergen #persephoneclub

Tamra Adler‘s story was compelling and I felt drawn into his quest to create a new life post exile. (edited) 2mo
Itchyfeetreader Oh - this sounds like something I would like but am trying so hard to clear the years of stress book buying trolley this year ! 2mo
LeahBergen Great review, Andrew! And I like to see your shelf of Persephones peeping out from the background. 😄 2mo
Cathythoughts Great review… I‘m finding it compelling too. 2mo
andrew61 @Tamra @Itchyfeetreader @Cathythoughts @LeahBergen I'd hesitate to say this wasvon my favourites of our persephone reads, but it is definitely up there. Despite the ending, Adler and Nina left me feeling very satisfied. 2mo
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andrew61
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This was an enjoyable bit of gentle crime set in 1901 in the inner temple of the English legal system. When the Lord chief justice is found murdered on the steps of Gabriel Ward KC'S Chambers, he is told to investigate the crime. With his forensic intelligence, he is a very readable character who also has to deal with a trial concerning the authorship of a child's mouse story. The crocheted Paddington bookmark is a lovely fathers day present.

LeahBergen What a sweet bookmark! 🥰 3mo
Centique Oh that is a gorgeous Paddington! Very jealous! 😍 2mo
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andrew61
The Exiles Return: A Novel | Elisabeth de Waal
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I am enjoying our latest foray into the persephone catalogue + so far this is an interesting tale of several individuals returning to Vienna post ww2. This was a very powerful scene in which Pr Adler is confronted by Dr Krieger + ends up justifying himself. Very powerful+ required a reflective pause
@quietjenn @Tamra @CarolynM @sisilia @Caryl @daena @elkeOriginal @Gissy @Aimeesue @Bookbuyingaddict @julieclair @willaful @LeahBergen #persephoneclub

LeahBergen That passage stopped me in my tracks, too! 2mo
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andrew61
BIRDING. | ROSE. RUANE
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I do like stories set in faded English seaside towns + this setting of lost glamour perfectly suited this story of 2 very different women confronting their past + current lives. Lydia was part of a one hit pop duo who has been asked to accept an apology from a man who sexually assaulted her and flees to stay with her old friend. Joyce, a woman in her 40s, lives with her mother who treats her as a sister + smothers her life. Very readable, + v sad.

sarahbarnes This one is on my list. Great review! 3mo
Cathythoughts Love your description of faded seaside towns and lost glamour. I think I‘d like this too. Stacked. 3mo
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andrew61
Squeaky Clean | Callum McSorley
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A darkly funny crime story set in Glasgow. Trigger warning for violence. DI Alison McOist (Ally McOist in Glasgow is a constant joke) is suspected by colleagues of being dodgy but is pulled into various crimes in which a local car wash seems central. When a local gangster who Ally wants to nail is interested in the car wash, the plot thickens. Really great characters + a dark plot meant this was a cracking read altho very dark and violent.

ShelleyBooksie Adorable reading companion. 3mo
dabbe 🖤🐾🖤 3mo
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andrew61
Julia | Sandra Newman
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Irl grp last night had an Orwell themed chat about Wifedom + this excellent retelling of 1984 from the perspective of Julia. We discover about a childhood in which she betrays her patents, her work in the ministry, and Obriens recruitment of her to use sex to reveal male enemies of big brother. If the world wasn't increasingly resembling the dystopian society imagined 70 years ago, this would have been a fun read, but today, it felt disturbing.

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andrew61
The Bureau | Eoin McNamee
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In a great episode of Take Four Books the author talks abt his own family (disgraced lawyer father who opens a bureau de change on the irish border + br who is kidnapped by gangs) which inspired this fictionalised story again of a true tale of a murder/suicide. At the centre is Lorraine, who is gangster Paddy's lover + as the rivalry + gang wars of the Irish troubles the bk builds to the climax with which the bk has opened. Brilliant writing.

Cathythoughts Enjoy. Gorgeous picture 3mo
andrew61 @Cathythoughts thanks Cathy, it was my mother in laws 90th last weekend, so it was a celebration in filey. I managed to grab 5 minutes in the sunshine with my book . 3mo
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andrew61
All Fours | Miranda July
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A book I finished last weekend as I try and read the women's prize shortlist. Interesting to be in the head of a 45 year old artist who hits a mid life crisis as she goes on a cross country drive to NY but stops halfway where she renovates a motel room + has a non consummated sexual encounter with a ynger man. What follows is the exploration of her sexual encounters as she rationalises her life. Its taken me a week to process, + still not sure.

BarbaraBB It‘s such an impactful read, whether you like it or not. Glad that you did! 3mo
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andrew61
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A fascinating story of a woman lost in the shadow of a man's life story, a tale as old as time. Eileen O'Shaugnessy wrote a dystopian poem '1984' before her husband George's opus, went to Spain & helped order the republican fight leading to her facing death on both fascist + stalinist blacklists,+gave ideas toward Animal Farm, but is barely mentioned in Homage to Catalonia or biographies of Orwell. An excellent book that was compelling read.

tpixie Amazing. Sounds like a book Marie Benedict would write.- 3mo
charl08 Loved this book. So insightful about the co-writing that he benefited from on his novels. 3mo
youneverarrived Fab review! How did book club go? 3mo
andrew61 @youneverarrived thanks, book club is next Wednesday and we are discussing it with Julia which I am really enjoying . 3mo
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andrew61
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The dramatic opening to this women's prize winner (sat in a pile for some times) then gives way to the story of a man redeeming himself by caring for his brother and sister in laws children as well as other curious characters he meets over the next year. A strange tale and Harry Silver is an endearing character who seeks forgiveness for his actions, which caused the crisis. It's darkly funny, an enjoyable read.

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andrew61
The Smile of a Ghost | Phil Rickman
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Nothing like reading in the park which is what we found ourselves doing at the weekend and this tye 7th in the merrily Watkins series finds the diocesan exorcist faced with the mystery of an apparent suicide from the tower in ludlow Castle mirroring that of a famous haunting (apparently true tale). Usual enjoyable story.

Cathythoughts We‘ve been enjoying the good weather here too. 🌞 📚 4mo
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andrew61
Fundamentally: A Novel | Nussaibah Younis
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Two women from similar London Muslim backgrounds meet in a Syrian camp for isis brides. Nadia is a UN worker, an academic, who wants to derdicalise the women who have been living with isis husbands, often young and impressionable. Sara is one of those who joined isis. A book about a very important subject as states remove individual citizenship, but told in an accessible Manor with humour and from an informed writer. A good read.

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andrew61
Babycakes | Armistead Maupin
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A while since I delved into the world of
28 Barbary Lane and with Aids now having begun its impact the 'family' Michael at a loss enjoys a London flat exchange with a naval officer awol from the Royal yacht. Mary Ann and Brian, meanwhile, are unsure about trying for a baby as Mary Anne's TV career blossoms. Loved it and love this community. I'll try not to leave so long until the next.

Leftcoastzen It‘s a pretty special place . I am pondering a reread ! 4mo
CarolynM ❤️ 4mo
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andrew61
Guide Me Home | Attica Locke
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A great piece of writing bringing the trilogy about black Texas Ranger Darren Matthews to a close. The author nails the politics of America today as a politician who has his eyes on greater rewards finds the indictment of a black law officer a personal crusade. Attica Locke is brilliant on race and politics as the story centres on the disappearance of a black student in a very white Uni house, as well as a creepy village created by a big company.

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andrew61
The Trespasser | Tana French
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The last Dublin murder squad series is a twisty story in which a bit part character takes centre stage. Antoinette Conway, a woman of colour, is disliked by her colleagues except for her partner Steve. When they are allocated the murder of a woman in her flat, their boss has an older DS babysit them who appears to steer them off course. Is it Antoinettes's paranoia, or is the case set up for her fall? Great storytelling in a great series.

sarahbarnes I read The Hunter and The Searcher and might have to check this series out now. 4mo
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andrew61
The Weekend | Charlotte Wood
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An excellent read in which 3 older women go to their recently deceased friend house to sort through her belongings. The gap in the group creates new tensions as all 3 struggle to adjust to new dynamics. The women are brilliantly portrayed as they have to accept ageing in a world where older women are often ignored despite their talents + personality. Stone Yard Devotional was so good, + this makes me want to read more of the author's work, v good

LapReader The Natural Way of Things would be my suggestion to you. 4mo
andrew61 @LapReader thanks I will definitely try that soon👍 4mo
Cathythoughts Great review, I have this on my kindle. I must get to it 👍🏻 4mo
See All 6 Comments
andrew61 @Cathythoughts yes I'd recommend it Cathy it's really good. 4mo
Anna40 I loved this one too 4mo
Centique I also loved this and I feel like it went under the radar. Such interesting characters and amazing how you saw things so differently from each point of view. 4mo
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andrew61
Night Boat to Tangier | Kevin Barry
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In a Spanish boat terminal two aged Irish men Maurice and Charlie hand out flyers in their search for a young woman. What follows in thus brilliantly told novel is the story of their life as we find out more about how these are not two gentle pensioners + the young girl is part of their past. Beautifully told but with a gloriously dark humour and sinister undertones. 5*

Cathythoughts Great review! 4mo
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andrew61
Blue Sisters | Coco Mellors
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When picked for my next reading grp I groaned + after meeting the 3 sisters in the 1st 3 chapters abt each of them i didn't feel that I wanted to invest in a model, a corporate lawyer, + a boxer the first two with addiction issues. But as I persevered, I found the relationships relatable particularly as they deal individually with grief of a dead sibling. The dynamics of each to the other was well done, + I put it down gripped + glad I'd read it.

TrishB One of my faves of last year. 4mo
TheLudicReader Funny, isn‘t it, our preconceived ideas about books. I love it when I‘m proved wrong. 4mo
youneverarrived Same @TheLudicReader. I really liked it! 4mo
andrew61 @TrishB @TheLudicReader @youneverarrived It was definitely a book that i wouldn't normally pick up but enjoyed it tremendously so will be looking forward to our discussion, I expect it will be a perfect reading group book. 4mo
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andrew61
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This is one of those books that I keep seeing everywhere at the moment so I thought I'd give it a go. Set in the 1970's in a West Yorkshire village two teenage girls become obsessed with the Yorkshire ripper and set out to find if he is someone hiding in plain sight in their community. The book is more about tensions in families and other issues than the ripper with lots of obligatory references to 1970's culture. An enjoyable read 3.5*

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andrew61
The shuttle | Frances Hodgson Burnett
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I think everyone has posted about the melodrama in this book. Certainly the characters couldn't be more extreme in traits with Nigel being a perfect villain + Betty his nemesis with a tension filled ending. I liked the political aspect with the emphasis on US progress while Britain is in decline
@quietjenn @Tamra @CarolynM @sisilia @Caryl @daena @elkeOriginal @Gissy @Aimeesue @Bookbuyingaddict @julieclair @willaful @LeahBergen #persephoneclub ⬇️

andrew61 It is very interesting to consider the societal aspects of the book, particularly in tandem with something like the secret garden where there is heavy moral message in the characterisations and plots even touching on empire. I know little about Frances Hodgson Burnett, so I was intrigued by her writing here and her themes. She is definitely an American who has strong views. I would however happily buy a typewriter from G Shelden 5mo
Tamra @andrew61 George Sheldon was such a likable personable character! Despite the fact it‘s totally predictable he‘ll meet with success, it wasn‘t at all a distraction. 5mo
Cathythoughts Great review Andrew. I‘d definitely buy a typewriter from G Sheldon too. 😁 5mo
LeahBergen Great review! I also enjoyed comparing this to her children‘s novels as I was reading. And I think G Selden would do very well in sales with our group! 😆 5mo
Bookbuyingaddict Iv just started it but v late in bed last night and must admit the beginning isn‘t as gripping 🧐 as other Persephones so fingers crossed 🤞 itll pick up as it‘s a bigger nearly 500 pages 📑……. 5mo
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andrew61
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Another very enjoyable book from the DS Alex Culpidi series set in Dungeness. When a body is found in the freezer of a property on the market for sale, a chain links it to the development of land for new houses, which houses badger setts and local wildlife. The subsequent investigation touches on local mp's , businessmen, and environmental campaigning. Really good series, and I plan to read the next one soon.

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andrew61
Family Album: A Novel | Penelope Lively
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Set in a rambling country house, this is the story of Alison + Charles, who bring up their 6 children with the help of au pair Ingrid. As adults the children reflect on an unconventional childhood + strange parents, + we learn more of the secrets in this middle-class English family. Penelope Lively is adept at drawing out jealousies and tensions within families, and I love her writing. Always entertaining. Cake + tea brings mothers day to a close

LeahBergen This sounds like my cup o‘ tea. Stacked! 5mo
CarolynM Great review. I think I‘ll make this my next Penelope Lively. 5mo
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andrew61
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I picked this up in the library and it is an excellently scary set of tales based in a haunted hotel on the fens. The underlying them is treatment of women over the years from the opening images of a woman blamed by villagers for children's deaths by plague, to hotel staff being mauled by lascivious men. The reading was enhanced by my then listening to the BBC series which came first + led to the book. Definitely worth reading and enjoyably creepy

LeahBergen Stacked! 6mo
Cathythoughts I‘m stacking too 👍🏻 6mo
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andrew61
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Set in Tenessee in 1952 this is a great story of a family of 3 brothers + a father who is returning after a long absence. The father E F Bloodworth, in his 70s has a reputation for violence in the past and for playing the banjo. The bk also focuses on his grandson Fleming. This was a really enjoyable family drama with great characters and some brilliant scenes. Evokes the region + tensions within families, as well as the exuberance of youth well

TrishB Great review 👍🏻 6mo
LeahBergen This sounds good! 6mo
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andrew61
Close to Home: A Novel | Michael Magee
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Irl grp tonight had a good discussion abt Cal, + this great tale of Sean, a young irish man who, on returning from his degree in Liverpool to Belfast, is drawn back into a life dominated by the next party. A random act of violence drags him further down a path to oblivion until he meets an old friend, mariead. A story of the difficulty of life in a city in which the young are still impacted by the past + whether an individual can escape. V good.

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andrew61
Unexplained Laughter | Alice Thomas Ellis
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A curious story that combines wonderfully ascerbic humour from Lydia, a London journalist, who returns to her Welsh cottage with her put upon friend Betty, with lovely descriptive writing. Lydia + Betty mingle with the locals and enjoy the various relationships that allow Lydia scope for her barbs. There is also a strange supernatural thread + commentary by a curious absent character, Angharad, which perhaps added little. Very enjoyable ⬇️

andrew61 and will read more by the author as I love that gently dark middle class writing reminiscent of spark et al. Picked this up after it was referenced by Jonathan coe on the New bbc book prog Take four books which is good albeit I am still annoyed about the bbc axing open book a great programme specifically focused on books as they also did a few years ago with the film programme. 6mo
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andrew61
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I was a little unsure abt the idea of a prequel when I have travelled over 20 years in the Tom Torne series but this was a great page turner that explains a lot of the detective's back story. Set in 1996, as the country is gripped by the European championship, a little boy is snatched in a park under the eyes of the two mothers. As the plot unfolds, we learn of thornes dissolving marriage and how he met Phil Hendricks. Good read

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andrew61
Purple Cane Road | James Lee Burke
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Last week, I read the 11th Dave Robicheaux, which, as usual, followed the similar formula and usual themes in Dave's life. Here he finds out that his mother, who left him, + his dad inbthe 60's was killed by cops. His search for the killer finds him against corrupt police and politicians as well as a rogue hit man. Enjoyable but I did feel after 11 books, the same formula and themes are getting a little too familiar. May leave bk 12 for a while .

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andrew61
Cal | Bernard MacLaverty
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A beautifully told story abt a young Catholic man living with his father in a loyalist community at the height of the troubles. Haunted by his part in the killing of a local police man he tries to get out of more ira activity. When he meets the widow of the victim, a love affair seems inevitable but doomed. A brilliant book that I couldn't put down + was immersed in brilliant writing. I saw the film in the 80s so will be interested to watch again

Texreader Looks like a good book for #Ireland #foodandlit this month @Catsandbooks 6mo
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andrew61
Something in Disguise | Elizabeth Jane Howard
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A gloriously dark tale of an English family. May has remarried the gruff retired colonel Herbert , using her money they buy a monstrous house as his daughter Alice and her 2 children, Elizabeth + Oliver, leave the home. The children's ill-fated love lives are explored with portraits of various characters being caustic + very funny. Men in this book are particularly ridiculous, but it is the ending that allows the writer to wallow in black humour.

LeahBergen It‘s wonderful, isn‘t it?? I‘m currently reading Odd Girl Out and absolutely loving it! 6mo
andrew61 @LeahBergen yes I loved it. I had my suspicions about Herbert when may started to feel unwell but was still shocked at the ending and loved his comeuppance although was sorry about Claude. Also the car incident with John Cole was shocking. The characters and descriptions of domestic life in all its guises was brilliant. Thanks for the recommendation I will definitely read more by her + have After Julius picked up at a charity shop. 6mo
LeahBergen Oh, poor Claude!! I was totally surprised at the car incident, too. After Julius is really good! 6mo
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andrew61
Deep as Death | Katja Ivar
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After the events in book 1, Hella returns to 1950's Helsinki, having been kicked out of the police and working as a private investigator. When she is asked to look into the murder of a sex worker, she quickly clashes with two police officers who were involved in her dismissal. A very enjoyable crime novel set in 50's Finland, which alternated chapters from hella and one of the officers. Will read book 3 soon.

MrsMalaprop 📷👌❤️ 6mo
sarahbarnes Great photo. 😊 6mo
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andrew61
Family Roundabout | Richmal Crompton
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I very much enjoyed this inter War story of two families and the widowed matriarchs who are very different with parenting styles that put each other at odds. The story of the impact on the children who, in the end, seem lost while the g/children appear to be a thriving new generation.
@quietjenn @Tamra @CarolynM @sisilia @Caryl @daena @elkeOriginal @Gissy @Aimeesue @Bookbuyingaddict @julieclair @willaful @LeahBergen #persephoneclub ⬇️

andrew61 I loved the authors brilliant characterisation of the individual family members albeit the men are all fairly pathetic. The end scenes of Mrs fowler and Mrs Willoughby reflecting on the fact they have missed on a lifetime of friendship because of their images of each other is very poignant. There is so much in this book that I enjoyed and it felt like the cazaler chronicles may have drawn inspiration from the tale. 7mo
Cathythoughts Great review Andrew. Yes poignant that these two women missed a lifetime of friendship together, I‘ve seen this happen with in-laws in families… such a loss at the end of the day. They had so many loved ones in common. 7mo
LeahBergen Great review, Andrew! 7mo
Bookbuyingaddict Great 👍 review I‘m just finishing it now as I type : it has been my favourite ❤️ Persephone since high wages , and yes hadn‘t thought about it but compares beautifully to the wonderful cazalet chronicles. I do love a good family drama 🎭 Iv just realised it‘s one of my favourite troupes 😆 it‘s a 5star read from me- I wish some one would drown Bella 😆 in a vat of tea 🫖 6mo
Tamra Sounds like I really need to get to 5mo
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andrew61
Sacrilege | S.J. Parris
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Catching up with last weekends reading and knowing that there are no more shardlake books, the stories of Giordano Bruno set in Elizabethan England are an enjoyable alternative. The 3rd finds our Italian ex monk going to Canterbury to save the life of Sophia, who has been accused of murdering her husband while his spy master Walsingham wants him to look into a plot to use the bones of Becket to start a Catholic plot. Good fun, historical crime.

TiredLibrarian I loved the Shardlake books, so this sounds good! Is it best to read them in order, or can I start with this one? 7mo
andrew61 @TiredLibrarian I think it's worth starting in order. Not absolutely necessary but you get to know recurring characters and themes. 7mo
TiredLibrarian @andrew61 Thanks; I'll look up the first one! 7mo
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andrew61
The Heart Of A Woman | Maya Angelou
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Another fascinating trio into the fascinating life of Maya Angelou. It opens with a brilliant portrait of an aging Billie Holliday spending days in Maya's home, moves to NY + Maya involved in the civil rights movement as well as acting + bringing up her son, before her setting off the Africa with her South African freedom fighter husband. What a life. Written poetically but so compelling a tale, you can't put it down.

Cathythoughts Great review. 7mo
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