I have enjoyed Bring Up the Bodies by Hilary Mantel more than Wolf Hall and Shirley Roberts said the same, although Shirley has tackled the third in the series The Mirror and the Light and thinks the book could be condensed as the author seemed to get carried away with words. I am about to start Where the Crawdads Sing, by Delia Owen, so I will give an opinion next month on that one. Shirley has also enjoyed Jeffrey Archer’s As the Crow Flies a typical Jeffrey novel.
Heather has listened to a few audiobooks, one in particular Nanberry by Jackie French, set in 1789, in which John White, Australia’s first surgeon, adopts an aboriginal boy to raise as his own, was very much enjoyed. Heather has also enjoyed Growing up Aboriginal in Australia, childhood stories of family, country and belonging. This anthology is edited by author Anita Heiss.
Maxine has read a few spy books but also a book of short stories written by Alice Munro, a Canadian author who won the Nobel Prize in 2013, Maxine is looking forward to reading The Redhead by the Side of the Road by Ann Tyler.
Janet chose two books to tell us about Blind Justice the True Story of the Death of Jennifer Tanner by Robin Bowles. In 1984 Laurie Tanner finds his wife dead on the family farm with a gun in her hand, an apparent suicide, but the discovery of human remains on the same farm a few years later sets in motion queries about the suicide. Janet also enjoyed The Convert by Stephen Hertmans, a journey across medieval Europe and forbidden love. The author lives in a village in Provence where people have spoken of ancient pogroms and hidden treasure. Sounds a good read, I think I will look for this one.
So, as we struggle on with the virus and social distancing, enjoy your reading and let me know of any `can’t put down’ books you have read.
Geraldine McCorkell