It has been a while since I wrote about what I've been reading. My last exultant cry was at the completion of Volume 2 of the Picasso biography. After that I read the catalogue for the Picasso: Challenging the Past exhibition at the National Gallery in London. It was an interesting read even though I had not seen the exhibition; but in a way I was caught up with Cubism, and so I suspect I shall return to the catalogue later in my progress through his life and work.
On loan from a friend, I read a few of James Lee Burke's books, including Tin Roof Blowdown, and am impressed with his ability to conjure a place, its feel, food, sounds, and smells. However, unfortunately, I quickly found that the plots were formulaic, so I shall have quite a gap before reading another.
I had looked forward to Barbara Nadel's Ashes to ashes. This is in her series of books about an undertaker in the East End of London between the two World Wars, and I have found the first two fascinating historically, and was anticipating the third. Disappointment ensued. This one is set wholly in St Paul's cathedral during a bombing raid, and did not engage me at all. I found it to be the product of lots of fascinating research but lacking a good story.
On the other hand, my current bedtime reading is Barbara Nadel's latest Inspector Ikmen novel:River of the dead (sorry, previously I had put Pretty dead things), and I am thoroughly enjoying that. Indeed were it not for Wimbledon tennis being on this week I would be wanting to plough on with reading the novel.
Donna Leon's The girl of his dreams is her enjoyable latest novel set in Venice. That with An incomplete revenge by Jacqueline Winspear, and a whole list of other detective stories are passed on to my mother - not only so that she can enjoy them, but it gives us something else to talk about. Unfortunately she sees very few people.
I enjoyed them all:
When will there be good news? by Kate Atkinson is an absorbing novel as well as a mystery, and is set in Edinburgh which is a bonus for me.
The brass verdict by Michael Connelly is up to his usual good standard.
Tea time for the traditionally built by Alexander McCall Smith is lovely, as ever - but I must admit that the books are rather amuses bouches rather than a decent meal.
Private patient by P.D.James is her long awaited latest, and I found better than her previous two.
Careless in red by Elizabeth George is ok, but I found it told me a little more about surfing than I wanted to know. It did make me think that being a writer with a series devoted to one main protagonist must be a pain at times if you want to write about something different. This novel has ex Inspector Lynley, emotionally fragile - so a known character but in an altered state, and also in this case in a different setting. However, his London police sidekick also is involved, so, .... Anyway, it's good fun.
Murder in the rue de Paradis by Cara Black is as ever fast paced, feisty, and political and I love it. Aimee Leduc is an IT wise fashion loving version of V.I Warshawski, but more enjoyable for me because it is set in Paris rather than Chicago.
A darker domain by Val McDermid was also much enjoyed, but somehow read slightly as if it was being written with later adaptation for TV in mind.
Other bedtime reading included Netherland by Joseph O'Neill, which I had bought for my husband. It is a delightful exploration of a sense of place, and struck me very much as a male version of the novels of Anne Tyler.
Talking of a sense of place, I read Real Swansea by Nigel Jenkins. This is an excellent history of the city written with a personal passion by a poet from the area himself. I enjoyed this as much as any good novel. Something had attracted me to the book in the Mission Gallery in Swansea, and I'm really glad that I bought it as the area is one we plan to revisit. Nigel Jenkins teaches writing at the University there, and if his teaching skills area as good as his writing, I envy his students.
A short history of progress is an interesting publication of lectures by Ronald Wright. It tells of what we have not learned from our history, repeating mistakes made even in Neandertal times. Subjects such as these can be fascinating, but also rather depressing comment on the inabilities of human kind.
Deaf sentence is by David Lodge, a witty writer whose work I enjoy. Once more it is set in a university milieu, and includes the humour and sadness of human interaction - and in this case the difficulties of growing old.
This is mostly bedtime reading. After the Picasso I have not read much 'serious' stuff. I did enjoy Linocuts of the Grosvenor School, and of course the Penland book on bookmaking which I raved about a couple of posts ago. Finally - I have just read the catalogue of the Unpopular Culture exhibition we saw last year. The catalogues had been sold out at the time, and it was good to revisit the subject. Indeed we are going to try to catch the show again on its tour round the country.
I have now read most of the catalogue for the Richard Long exhibition. Once more it is an excellent publication with the initial essay illuminating influences on Long during his student days. I found the description of composer John Cage's philosophy at the time fascinating, and I suspect that once I have finished the final essay I shall return to re-read the book before going on to Land and Environmental Art.
7 comments:
I absolutely love your picture at the top, and thank you so much for the short reviews. I have noted down several to follow up! It is always good to have a recommendation or two written in the back of my diary.
If you liked Tin Roof Blow Down go back into James Lee Burke's catalog and read "In the Electric Mist With Confederate Dead" or "Burning Angel".
You will be rewarded.
Yes, I love the work too! And have also noted some of the titles into my library list notebook. I don't know how you manage to read so much...I can't keep up with the piles on my desk while the list just grows.
I can hear the worry in your voice concerning your mother and am sorry for that. I've had those with my own parents, now long gone but still missed.
Hello ElizH, and thanks. I am always leary of actually recommending books, so I hope that my comments do not lead to disappointment.
Deb, yes, I have read the Electric mist one, and loved it except for the weirdness of the photograph at the end which struck me as a step too far. I have not read Burning Angel and will keep it in mind.
Marja-Leena thanks. The bedtime stuff I read for about a half hour or so before going to sleep, and then perhaps reach a point where I just have to finish the book in one go during the day. I have piles waiting to be read, however, and most of them need time and concentration.
My mother takes up a lot of my thinking and emotional time, but at least it gives me an excuse for why I do dedicate so much time to lighter reading!
As an avid reader, I love to hear about the current favourite of others( I have the David Lodge on my list)
I'm engrossed in 'The Dark Side of Love' by Rafik Schami after recommendation in the Guardian (http://www.guardian.co.uk/books/2009/may/16/dark-side-love-rafik-schami)
It's been likened to Tolstoy or Marquez but so far it most reminds me of Lois de Bernieres 'Birds without Wings'. For all that it's a doorstop, it's very plainly written, normally I have to read a 'serious' book alongside a lighter one but I haven't needed to so far.
Thank you Mags, I shall look into that one. I'm afraid that I was put off Louis de Berniers by not at all wanting to read past page 50 of Captain Corelli's Mandolin. I certainly should not condemn him on one book alone, and I must say I am attracted to the subject matter of Birds without wings.
Thanks for writing about your reads. I'm visiting London soon and am usually overwhelmed when I'm in the bookshops surrounded by English books. Over here you have a much smaller selection. When I have so much choice I often strike a complete blank. Now I have been jotting down tips from magazines, etc. even though I have piles of still unread books, I can't stop buying. I have just finished Engelby by Sebastian Faulks and certainly found it worthwhile.
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