“Rebel children, I urge you, fight the turgid slick of conformity with which they seek to smother your glory. ” ~ Russell Brand
I tend to read non-fiction: history, archaeology, folklore, Gaelic polytheism, and witchcraft. I listen to fiction: Scandi-Nordic crime, magical realism, and Scottish authors.
“Rebel children, I urge you, fight the turgid slick of conformity with which they seek to smother your glory. ” ~ Russell Brand
I am one of the refugees from GR, and my books are currently being uploaded (it's taken over 3 days so far), but I'm struggling with getting covers. This will be the third time I will have spent weeks scanning, and uploading bespoke covers and, hopefully, the last.
In the interim, I am unable to change the cover of this book:
This is how it current looks on my shelf:
Yet, I am unable to change it, despite having the cover scanned.
Any help/suggestions welcome.
Why did I read (listen to) it?
I had this on my iTunes in audio format for ages, so I can't actually remember why I chose it, but I'm glad I did.
What's it about? Merrily Watkins arrives in a Hereford Village with her teenage daughter, Jane. Merrily is the priest-in-charge and soon finds herself courting controversy, while struggling to make sense of her dreams. Jane, too, finds herself in a sticky situation. When they finally move into the vicarage, events seem like they will overtake them.
What did I like? The dramatic opening during a wassailing was interesting, but then the book started again with the mundane matters of moving from the pub to the vicarage, and providing an introduction to the characters introduced in the first scene. Bit of a jolt, but then matters build, and build to the point I had to listen to the last three hours without interruption - I wanted to get to the climax.
I liked, too, the somewhat supernatural element interwoven into a mystery. I am a fan of crime fiction and this added a new, and interesting element. The story was well told: dramatic opening, a quick come down, and then an enthralling ride to the finish. The characters seemed stereotypical village types - at first - but as the story continued, it became clear that there was much going on underneath; some of which is never fully explored, much as happens in real life wherein you know there is more, but you're also very aware you will never fully understand. The author really shows the incongruous nature of the modern village - old traditions meets chattering classes incomers.The audio edition I listened to from Audible was clear, and without fault.
What didn't I like? I have to admit, as much as the narration was good, and clear, the character voicing was such that I was not always sure which character was speaking. There was attempt at accents, but I was not convinced.
Once or twice there were jumps in the time line of the story that I felt left too big a gap, and for this reason I have removed a star.
Would I recommend it? Actually I would, but I'm not entirely sure to whom. That said, I will be reading the next book in the series to see how this unique, crime fiction develops.
Why did I read it?
I have a significant amount of unsecured debt which I have been paying off for years, and I am contemplating returning to university to change my life, so this book definitely caught my eye, having read the synopsis.
What’s it about? Ken Ilgunas recounts his adventures as he seeks to pay off his undergraduate debts in the first part of the book, and, then how he secured his post-graduate degree at Duke University without going into further debt.What did I think?
Though this book was what I thought it might be from the synopsis - it provided food for thought as I contemplated my own future, and how I might manage financially - somehow it missed it's mark with me. I certainly know I could not undertake the route the author chose to become, and remain debt free.
Ken Ilgunas worked in some awful places to pay off his original debt, before living in a van, parked up on campus, while undertaking post-graduate study Duke university. The path he chose to travel is definitely different from the norm including working in a remote outpost in Alaska, working as part of an environmental group both of which included room and board, so any earnings could be utilised to pay off his debt quicker. Ken then undertook a journey with a group seeking to replicate the experience of the Canadian voyageurs of the 18th and 19th centuries before undertaking his post-graduate degree without going back into debt.
Although there are some interesting anecdotes about his adventures while reducing his debt, and he provides details of his budgets, overall, something is lacking in the telling of Ken Ilgunas's tale; I’m not sure I know what though. In some sections of the book I felt I was being preached at about how bad it is to join corporate America, or the rat race; in other places, the narration became somewhat wordy in describing feelings about places and/or people. As much as the author seemed to go into detail, I’m not sure I really know just how he did cope on a day-to-day level under the strict, self-imposed budgetary, and living conditions. Throughout this recollection, I always had the feeling something was missing.
Ken Ilgunas eschews the normal path people take through life, consisting of (in his opinion) getting an education, working in a job they may dislike to paying off the debts they accrue getting that education, getting a mortgage, continuing to work in a job they dislike to pay off the mortgage and other consumer debts, then retiring without having really lived. It’s a point-of-view held by many who seek the simpler life, but others may disagree believing it is more about “dropping out” of humanity, something which Ken’s mother hints at in the book.
The narration by Nick Podehl was quite well done, though I did query the pronunciation of some words, but this might have been accounted for by the difference between American and UK English. The audio edition I downloaded from Audible was crisp, clear and without any faults.
"Walden on Wheels: On the Open Road from Debt to Freedom" is an interesting read about one young man’s journey to find his place in the world, and getting out from the under burden of being in debt, but it just didn’t quite hit the mark for me.
Would I recommend it? Yes, I would recommend it to any person contemplating university and taking on student loans. Read this first.
Why did I read it? It was recommended to me by the son of an Irish author as essential reading.
What's it about? Yes, I'm still trying to figure it out.
What did I like? The narration by Jim Norton was fine and the audio was clear.
As to the book: A very different style of book from my usual; and I guessed where it was heading, yet, despite this, it held my attention. I'm sorry, it's hard to describe. It starts someone like a biography, but soon diverts into something "other".
What wasn't too like? I was never sure where this book was going, but I cannot decide if that is a good thing or not.
Would I recommend it? Yes, just for the experience alone.
Why did I read it? It was the group read for a group on another book site.
What's it about? Essentially it is a diary of the lives of the owners of a witchcraft shop in Glastonbury, England: their day-to-day lives; and their encounters with personalities. Though in diary format, following a whole year, the entries are not all from the same year.
What did I like? I found this book very well written; not to heavy, not too light. The diary format made it easier for me to pick up and put down when other matters took precedence. It was a quick read for me.
What didn't I like? The promotional blurb, synopses, and reviews led me to believe this would be a humourous look at the oddities that sometimes converge on Glastonbury and, more particularly, in a witchcraft/occult shop. I was expecting to be as fun a read as Coarse Witchcraft, which had me in stitches from beginning to end. Whereas, the situations in Coarse Witchcraft were based on real events, and all personalities remained anonymous throughout, this was not the case in Diary of a Witchcraft Shop. Too few entries raised a smile; far more raised an eyebrow. There were some comments made in this book that I personally felt crossed the line; opinions perhaps best aired among friends, rather than copied from a diary to a published book. These entries detracted from the book's (expected?) lightness, occasionally giving the impression of a tool to vent.I also found the use of both real names (both first and last), and initials puzzling. I'm not sure providing an initial would guarantee anonymity in a small village, or community, so why not use a pseudonym instead? Real names were provided for the well-known, either to the general public or the pagan community. I felt Diary of a Witchcraft Shop could have been a much more enjoyable book, but it missed the mark somehow.
Would I recommend it? If you are looking for lots of entries similar to the one mentioned in the promotional blurb, I'm afraid you will be disappointed. Personally, I'm not likely to recommend Diary of a Witchcraft Shop despite the quality of the writing.
Why did I read it? Nora Roberts|625|Nora Roberts often appears on the readings lists of friends, and has occasionally turned up as a recommendation. As Audible were offering it for free, I downloaded the audio book.
What's it about? The three Montgomery brothers are renovating an historic home into an Inn. This book focusses on Beckett and his affections for the Inn, it's ghostly resident, and his boyhood crush, the now-widowed Clair the Fair.
What did I like? It was a light, quick listen during the commute to and from work. It wasn't an overly mushy romance.What didn't I like? It was a romance and a heavily foreshadowed one at that. I can even see the storyline, and on whom the focus of any follow-up books. The characters are as predictable as the storyline.
Would I recommend it? For readers of romance, who like a hint of the supernatural, this might fit the bill, but it's not for me, to which the shortness of this review can testify; I just can't be bothered to even write about it.
Why did I read it? I had read the first two books in the Malin Fors series, "Midwinter Sacrifice" and "Summertime Death" . I had enjoyed the former far more than the latter, and I had hoped "Autumn Killing" was a return to form for Mons Kallentoft.
What's it about? Jerry Petersson's body is found in the moat of Skogså Castle, his home. A self-made man, he obtained the castle from a family that had owned it for generations upon his return to his hometown of Linköping. Malin Fors struggles with the case, and the rest of the investigating team come to the for, as Malin's life is near to collapsing from her inability to deal with the kidnap of her teenage daughter Tove by a serial killer the year before.
What did I like? The narration by Jane Collingwood was up to speed, and I still enjoyed the male narrator of the victim's voices, and the sound effects for telephone conversations, etc. that are employed in the audio versions of these books. When parts of the storytelling began to weary me, Ms Collingwood did exceptionally well to keep me listening.
The audio version was clear, without mistakes, and the pace felt even and steady, even if the actual storyline didn't.The characterisation of Malin has felt more realistic in these last two books, and I'm pleased to find I feel comfortable with her now.
There is still an unsolved matter from the first book still lurking in the background that has kept me tempted to read this series, and mention was made of it several times within "Autumn Killing". I should like to see it resolved - eventually.
What didn't I like? For me, there was an extraordinary amount of focus on Malin's personal life, and this gave the impression of overwhelming all other aspects of the book. The murder, and solving it was secondary, if not tertiary to the inner life of the main detective, Malin. I really didn't understand this at all. There was some insight into the home and/or personal lives of the other investigators in "Autumn Killing", but there was no real surprise much of them seemed stereotypical cop characters, and because of this, I lost interest in them, too. It really felt like no effort had been made at all to draw intriguing characters other than Malin, and I was so tired of hearing her voice/thoughts, that I almost did not make it to the end of the reading.
The murders also lacked lustre, the reason for them feeling a somewhat overused (or maybe I've read too many crime fiction novels), and I feel it the whole mystery could have been far more prominent within the book overall. It was almost a cliché, like the other characters in the investigation team.
Oh, how I wish that either the author, or translator (whoever is responsible), would learn another word, or two, or three for "says". When conversations run for a while, the use of the word "says" really began to grate my nerves. Here are some options to consider: responds; posits; replies; queries; thinks aloud; states; affirms; and swears. There are any number of other words which can be found in a thesaurus which can be used as an alternative to "says". Use them. Please!
I don't know. "Midwinter Sacrifice" held so much promise for me, but any originality seems to have been depleted by "Autumn Killing", as has my enthusiasm for the series. It feels so tired already.
Would I recommend it? No, I'm afraid not. Enjoy "Midwinter Sacrifice", but I wouldn't take it any further than that with the Malin Fors series, and avoid the audiobook altogether. [See my review of "Midwinter Sacrifice" for reasons why you should steer clear of the audio.]
This is a short story, rather than a book, written and narrated by Neil Gaiman. Scary? Yes, but only if you really think about it and then you realise just how scary.
A spooky short story just perfect for the autumnal season of Halloween, as we move into the darkness.
Why did I read it? A number of my friends have been recommending the Harry Hole series to me, and the books keep appearing on (targeted) recommending reading lists. As "The Bat" was the first book in the Harry Hole series, and it was released in audio format, almost at the same time as the print copy, I downloaded it.
Aside from which, it was a Scandi-Nordic, crime fiction story set in Australia. How could I resist?
What's it about? Harry Hole is in Australia as the representative of the Norwegian police in the investigation of the murder of Inger Holter, a Norwegian national. Upon arrival, he is met by Andrew Kensington, an indigenous Australian policeman who guides Harry through the investigation, despite attempts to side-line him. It soon becomes clear that Inger's death is just one of many of young, blonde women up and down the eastern seaboard.
What did I like? Let's start with the narration by Sean Barrett. His vocal characterisation was so solid that just before the perpetrator’s name was revealed, I knew who it was by voice alone. General Australian accents are reasonably well done, even if regional differences are omitted. Have to love the various pronunciations of Harry's surname, too; it provided me with giggles. I felt the pacing of the audiobook was perfectly matched to the storyline; and it helped build the tension for me. It seems as though a considerable amount of Harry Hole's past is revealed in this book, and I think I might have appreciated "The Redbreast" (3rd in the Harry Hole series) more had I been able to read the Harry Hole series in chronological order.
I particularly enjoyed the view of my compatriots from the Norwegian perspective, well Harry Hole's perspective at least. The comparison made between Australia and New Zealand by one policeman was particularly amusing.There are great characters in this book, many of whom act as narrators of stories and tales; some of which act as clues, and Harry narrates his own past. "The Bat" was very much a character piece, and I enjoyed that aspect of it; even so, the investigation unfolded in a wonderful way; the whole coming together beautifully.
I don't understand those reviewers who say this is one of Jo Nesbø's weaker books, believing he has improved as the series has progressed, because I found "The Bat" far more enjoyable than "The Redbreast". Then again, that could be because I knew nothing of Harry Hole or his past, so did not understand his actions, or thinking.
What didn't I like? I'm not sure I have anything bad to say about this book, except, perhaps the fate of the perpetrator, I could kind of see it coming when I knew the location, which ever-so-slightly spoiled the end for me. A very small gripe though.
Would I recommend it? Oh yes. Definitely. This book made me laugh out loud, and cry, too. Odd for a crime fiction, I should think. I would also recommend the audiobook, as read by Sean Barrett.
Why did I read it? Because it was by an author listed in the Scandinavian and Nordic Crime Fiction group at another booksite, and it was on offer from Amazon's ARC programme.
What's it a about? This is the first Inspector Sejer book by Karin Fossum set in a small town in Norway. Eva and her daughter, Emma, are out walking along the river when a body appears in the water. Eva appears to recognise the shoes on the body. She tells her daughter she will ring the police and drags her to a telephone box, but instead Eva calls another number before whisking Emma to McDonalds. The body turns out to be that of a man who has been missing for months, having disappeared around the same time a prostitute died, a crime which remains unsolved. Inspector Konrad Sejer investigates both, as it's unusual for two murders to occur in the town.
What did I enjoy? The book, actually the story is tightly edited. There is no excessive anything; and it's sharp with a mystery so brilliantly conceived, I truly struggled to see the connections until the reveal. I particularly enjoyed Karin Fossum's organisation of the story: the first part set in the present, then it travels back in time with a whole section revealing how events unfolded in one long narrative, before coming back to the present and tidying up. It was a great format, though it may not sound like it from my description. It really made the story flow, and provided a real sense of suspense as I struggled to see the connection between events past and present.
Descriptions seem minimal, but everything that is needed for a good story is there. There is an absence of long, gory details about bodies, or murders, no autopsy, or long forensic scenes, which I found refreshing. The fact it is translated into English doesn't seem to have impacted on the style, or format at all. Only the main characters are fully formed, the ones on the periphery remain a little blurred. I imagine these characters will be developed further as the series continues.
What didn't I like? Strange, but I can't think of anything I disliked about "In the Darkness".
Would I recommend it? Yes. I'll definitely be reading more of Karin Fossum's book, especially in the Inspector Konrad Sejer series. I may have issued four stars, but it's closer to five.
Why not five stars then? I didn't enjoy ""In the Darkness" as much as I would have expected, given how well it's written and presented, but that it my own fault; I read "In the Darkness" over a long time period in between reading another crime fiction book. I feel had I sat down and read it over a shorter period, i.e. one sitting, and without another mystery to distract me, I would have appreciated it much more.