What didn't I like? Oh, how I wish this was a coffee table book so the images could be better appreciated, with a slot for the CD, rather than a CD case sized book. It's just a small quibble though.
Would I recommend it? Yes. If you enjoy meditation, if you enjoy photography, if you like meditative/chill music, then this is definitely for you. It truly is an experience.
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What did I like? Every single word, and most especially the glossaries. Rich in words and landscape, there is so much to enjoy, and explore in this book. I listened to the audio book, which is rather nicely done. I did query a few of the Gaelic pronunciations - being a learner of the language, not a native speaker, I may not completely comprehend the dialectal nuances. I am very pleased I opted to purchase the Kindle edition, too, so I can explore those glossaries at my leisure.
Oh, the joy I found in this book: learning new words for phenomenon I had no idea might even exist; remembering 'childish' the way children use language to describe their surroundings; and discovering new Gaelic words I wanted to include in my (ever-expanding) vocabulary.
The narrator, Roy McMillan|, did a splendid job. I'm afraid I have no idea of the name of other gentleman whose voice was used to read out various words, but his voice gave luscious contrast to Mr McMillan's smooth tones.
What didn't I like? I could find no fault with this book. I find fault with myself for not reading it sooner.
Would I recommend it? Yes! Yes! Yes! Not necessarily the audio version though - not because it is not well read, but because once you've read the book, I'm pretty sure you'll want to keep it to hand to pore over the word glossaries, and then add to your own.
Why did I read it? I had read The Wind in the Willows when I was a child, and only recently discovered that Kenneth Grahame had authored other books, about which I was unaware. This story sounded interesting.
What's it about? Two children are following footprints in the snow, when a neighbour calls them in for warming tea, and begins to tell them the story of the friendship between a boy, and a dragon living in a cave up on the Downs.
What did I like about it? It's a very nice, old fashioned story for children. Very English.
The audio was clear, without any errors.
What didn't I like? I think I may have chosen an awful audio version to which to listen. It was a full cast production, but with American actors, and, honestly, it spoilt all the fun of the story. I think if it had been a cast with English accents, it might have been better.
Would I recommend it? Oh yes, but not this particular edition. A great bedtime story I imagine.
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What's it about? A young boy goes missing in a Scottish Highlands town on his way home from school. The next morning he is found in a canal, and his two young companions claim he was snatched by a 'hoodie crow', a creature from folklore. No-one takes the girls story seriously, and blame is foisted on a foreigner who has jumped ship to escape the troubles in the Poland of the 1950s. The accusations begin to affect another Polish settler that first helped the fugitive, and his Italian fiancé’s family, who are still viewed at outsiders. Slowly, the staff of the Highland Gazette start to see through the 'hoodie crow' guise, and piece together the last hours of the tragic, young Jamie's life.
What did I like? This is not your typical crime novel. It's very slow paced, exploring the minutiae of life in a small town, in the Highlands of Scotland, in the 1950s. An exploration of the psychology of the town's inhabitants, as well as the culture. The behaviour of the (small) townsfolk is exposed: secretly knowing and even acknowledging the problems of others, but scared of being ostracised if they dare speak openly, or interfere; the lack of charity, or forgiveness of the Presbyterian inhabitants, and the suffering endured because of this attitude. Doing what is seen to be right, rather than what is right. The investigation into the assault, and murder of the young boy serving as a means to expose what lies beneath the surface of the town’s respectability.
The characters, though many, are whole, flawed, and well developed. Each with their own storyline, it was clear that the author intended more than one book about these characters, and the town.
I liked the descriptive phrases, the time taken to set a scene. I liked spending time with the various characters, and their private worlds, and inner thoughts. I also like that for all that description, the author refrains from going into details of various crimes found in the book. The reactions of the characters to what they see, and hear is enough to get the gist.
The audio recording was clear, and without issue.
What didn't I like? The author did have a tendency to go roaming, and take a very long time to return to the [a?] central plot. This did become a bit tedious at times.
I first encountered the narrator, John Keating, in the Irish Country Doctor series. While he did his best to provide appropriate accents for some characters, there was the odd issue of pronunciation that stood out. Sometimes his voice characterization worked; other times it just didn’t.
Now, the ending: It was particularly disappointing. I am still not sure if ended the way it did, in one very short, chapter, because the author wanted the reader to empathise with the disappointment of one of the main characters; or it was laziness and a quick way to wrap the whole thing up. Either way, I found it dis-satisfactory.
Would I recommend it? If you're a crime reader, and you like the sole focus to be on the investigation, and only the characters directly involved with said crime, then this isn't for you. If you like fast paced stories, that race you to the end perched on the edge of your seat, then this book isn't for you. If you like to just glimpse a character, or place as it is relevant to a storyline, then this also may not be the book for you.
If you like to take your time exploring a place, its people, and its culture, revelling in the everyday, the ordinary lives, then this could be a book for you. It is primarily a crime novel, but it is also the story about a particular time, and place.
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What's it about? While attending a funeral, a landslide occurs ripping through the cemetery and destroying "Tain", a nearby croft house, thought to be uninhabited. While checking on the damage, Jimmy Perez finds the body of a woman. Initially thought to be a victim of the landslide, upon discovering the woman was dead beforehand, Jimmy asks Willow Reeves to head up the murder investigation.
What did I like? The narration was clear, and without fault. The narrator, Kenny Blyth was decent, and good with accents.
I loved re-visiting Jimmy, Willow and Sandy, and mainland Shetland. As always, the descriptions of people and places were illuminating, and I felt right there with the characters. Anne Cleeves is very good at evoking an atmosphere.
What didn't I like? As the narrator, Kenny Blyth was a little disengaging; I found myself drifting away from the audio book, and had to rewind and re-listen a few times.
I'm not sure what it was - the narration, the plot - but the whole story seemed to just drag on, and on, though, oddly, the murder is solved in a few days. I generally like this series, but I wasn't gripped at all.
I'm afraid, too, I guessed the culprit almost from the first meeting. This has not always been the case with the Shetland series, so I was disappointed.
Would I recommend it? Oh yes, to fans of the Shetland series, and those who like crime fiction, but start at the beginning of the series as this is not a stand-alone book, given prior knowledge of some of the characters is required in order to understand certain situations.
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