Starting out
I'm a compulsive reader and will read just about anything - especially enjoy crime fiction - usually more classic detective style than slice 'em and dice 'em - although I do enjoy Kathy Reichs. Love literary fiction, classic fiction, childrens' books and non-fiction on travel, history and animal psychology.
So a quick recap of reads so far this year -
Pure in heart - interesting but weird, disconcerting, it appeared to be a fairly standard crime story, but the crime remained unsolved, and it wasn't altogether clear what had happened. Probably fairly true to real life, but as a crime novel unsatisfying.
Far from the madding crowd - bit of a surprise this, I really enjoyed it. Have had several attempts at Hardy in the past and never got very far, but this grabbed me. Dramatic stuff, even though it did remind me sometimes of Stella Gibbons!
Firewall, I'd read before and enjoyed - v. good tv adaptation of this too. The plot did have some big holes in it, but it was a fun book to read.
The Hours - enjoyed it, much better than the film (but isn't that nearly always the case?). Suspect that I may have enjoyed it more if I'd been familiar with Mrs. Dalloway, which I must read sometime, although I think it helped that I did know at least a little about Virgina Woolf's background. Must put Mrs. Dalloway on my must-read list.
Written in blood etc. Not one of Brookmyre's best, I don't think, but he captures a certain period incredibly - I think he and I must be of a similar age, as his recollections of schooldays were uncomfortably accurate, and as with all his books, there were some great laugh out loud moments.
Currently reading Purple hibiscus. I've previously read Half of a yellow sun by the same author which I absolutely loved. Purple is very powerful but it hasn't swept me away yet in the way that Yellow sun did - will report further later in the book - I'm about half way through.
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