by Helen Macdonald
Christmas gift.
Review: An excellent book that I could not stop reading. It’s an amazing blend of a woman dealing with grief, the synergy between a hawk and it’s human ally, and a touch of the story of T H White. I was a big fan of the Once and Future King, and other Arthurian fables growing up. I work with bereaved people as an adult. Birds of prey are fascinating, but usually at more of a distance than this – this book provides a very close up view. Brilliantly done.
by Boria Sax.
Christmas/birthday book tokens.
Review: A fantastic journey through the ways that black birds have crossed paths with their human neighbours spanning history, geography and culture. It’s a great glimpse into our fascination with the corvid family as it covers some science, some myth, some poetry.
by Sarah Perry.
Christmas/birthday book tokens.
Review: I have been wanting to read this since I heard it discussed on the radio months ago. It didn’t disappoint. It gives a sense of history, but the characters are really relatable and interesting. It brings together the big sweeping changes (medicine, housing issues, politics) with personal experience.
by Adam Kay. Lent by a friend.
Review: Subtitled Secret Diaries of a Junior Doctor, you know this is not going to be an easy read, even if the title wasn’t a huge clue. It is actually a really funny book if you enjoy black humour and I really liked it. It is also heartbreaking.
By Elise Hooper. Christmas list again.
Review: This is a brilliant novel following the story of the youngest of the sisters made famous by Louisa M Alcott’s Little Women – Amy March. In real life she was May Alcott and she was an artist who travelled and took lessons. It’s a wonderful story – although that may partly be because I loved the first novel as a child – and made me want to go a study art history.
By Esther Woolfson. From my Christmas list.
Review: This is a fascinating story of one woman’s experience of having birds as part of her life. Not as a professional or for research, but sharing a home with them. I love how the author’s intrigue leads her to do research which she shares, so it’s partially experiential, but partly facts about how birds fly, and sing and lots about corvids.
Book 40 – The Little Shop of Happy Ever After by Jenny Colgan – was earmarked for me weeks ago, when my boss said she had found the perfect book to end my challenge. One of the best things about this is how seriously everyone else has taken it, given I essentially made up the rules as I’ve gone along.
This is a book about books – absolutely the right thing to finish on. And a good example – by myself I would not have picked this up in a shop – the frankly dreadful title – and even that much pink is usually too much for me! But, as is pointed out in the book, you should judge by appearances (books and covers….). Continue reading Book 40: The Little Shop of Happy Ever After
Lady Molly of Scotland Yard by Emmuska Orczy was by way of a treat for myself after reading lots of books suggested by other people. I have been an enduring fan of her Scarlet Pimpernel books for decades (actual decades!). I also like Sherlock Holmes stories and thought this might be an intriguing mixture. Continue reading Book 39: Lady Molly of Scotland Yard
This book – Quarter Past Two on a Wednesday Afternoon by Linda Newbery -was recommended by my lovely boss, who is also very enthusiastic about reading. My main trouble reading it was that it came in hardback, which is harder to tote about. Once I got started though it was a great read – it’s about family, and loss, and friendship, and life. Continue reading Book 38: Quarter Past Two on a Wednesday Afternoon
forty books 