Welcome to today’s Reading Roundup post! I have really enjoyed my book this week. Only one, but it was quite long and complex. Here it is:
The City by Stella Gemmell
I was really pleased when I came across this book: The City by Stella Gemmell. Some of you may know that David Gemmell was one of my very favourite authors. Well, Stella is his wife. When he died part way through a book, Stella finished it. So, she then went on to write her own books. This is her first one:
“Built up over the millennia, layer upon layer, the City is ancient and vast. Over the centuries, it has sprawled beyond its walls, the cause of constant war with neighbouring peoples and kingdoms, laying waste to what was once green and fertile.
And at the heart of the City resides the emperor. Few have ever seen him. Those who have remember a man in his prime and yet he should be very old. Some speculate that he is no longer human, others wonder if indeed he ever truly was. And a small number have come to a desperate conclusion: that the only way to stop the ceaseless slaughter is to end the emperor’s unnaturally long life.
From the rotting, flood-ruined catacombs beneath the City where the poor struggle to stay alive to the blood-soaked fields of battle where so few heroes survive, these rebels pin their hopes on one man. A man who was once the emperor’s foremost general. A man, a revered soldier, who could lead an uprising and unite the City. But a man who was betrayed, imprisoned, tortured and is now believed to be dead…”
And this is my response to the book on Goodreads (and I gave it four stars):
I was delighted to see a two book series written by Stella Gemmell! As I hoped, she has her own style of writing, which I really enjoyed. Her scene-setting is excellent and very atmospheric. I could really smell the disgusting mess in the deep passages under the City and see the devastation of the lands around.
There were a lot of characters and story arcs in the book. The main ones were well drawn and interesting. In places, some of the plot became a little repetitive and could have been cut, but, in general, the story had a good pace.
I am really looking forward to reading the sequel and wonder if the author will set more books in this world.
To be honest, I have lost track of the number of weeks that we have been stuck in bed together! It seems interminable with no end in sight. Lovely Husband is trying to do his exercises regularly and diligently, and there has been some signs that he is getting stronger, but he still cannot manage the stairs.
On the other hand, I am a little better, but I am having the usual struggles with my health that I have had for some years. As I have mentioned before, I am now much more able to go up and down the stairs, although carrying heavy trays can cause difficulties. I am quite pleased with the improvements I have made and hope they will be permanent. Perhaps I will try using my exercise chair again and get rid of those bingo wings!
In addition to all of this, we are now going through a real crisis with another family member. This is causing a huge amount of stress and anxiety for all of us and we are very concerned about how this will all turn out. I won’t explain any further in order to protect this person’s privacy, but I have reached out to close friends and family members who have given us support from afar. This whole situation may hang over us for some time.
My shopping urges have not ceased, although I have managed to avoid buying new scarves! Instead, I have gone a bit mad purchasing a lot of brightly coloured mugs. We are using so many each day and the old ones were chipped and worn. I fell for these from Amazon:
Dawsons Living Multi-Coloured Stoneware Mugs Set – Amazon
I ended up getting two sets! Then, as LH loves very large mugs of coffee, I bought four in a lovely bright blue shade:
Smilatte 20 OZ Large Coffee Mug – Amazon
I don’t think LH is going to recognise the downstairs rooms when he can eventually get there!
Only joking!
Anyway, I think that is enough for now. Please keep us in your thoughts – we need all of the positive vibes that we can get.
Welcome to this week’s Reading Roundup post! I must apologise for missing last week’s. With all that is going on here at the moment, everything became too much for me and I was very ill from Tuesday into Wednesday, so was unable to write. For that reason, I am creating the post a day early!
This week I am going to talk about three of the books that I have managed to finish during this enforced incarceration with Lovely Husband. Here is the first one:
The Last Girl to Die by Helen Fields
I have read a lot of Helen Fields’ books and thought that this one, The Last Girl to Die, would be worth a look. Anyway, this is the blurb:
“The island watched and wept…
In search of a new life, sixteen-year-old Adriana Clark’s family moves to the ancient, ocean-battered Isle of Mull, far off the coast of Scotland. Then she goes missing. Faced with hostile locals and indifferent police, her desperate parents turn to private investigator Sadie Levesque.
Sadie is the best at what she does. But when she finds Adriana’s body in a cliffside cave, a seaweed crown carefully arranged on her head, she knows she’s dealing with something she’s never encountered before.
The deeper she digs into the island’s secrets, the closer danger creeps – and the more urgent her quest to find the killer grows. Because what if Adriana is not the last girl to die?”
I had found one of her recent books rather annoying, for various reasons, and that should have made me far more cautious! Oh dear…
I can’t say any more than that because of spoilers, but I suppose this is warning enough!
After that waste of time, things could only improve…
Storm Watch by C J Box
I have read almost every book in C J Box’s Joe Pickett series. This is #23, Storm Watch. Here is the blurb:
“Wyoming Game Warden Joe Pickett investigates a mysterious death at a secret remote high-tech facility in this riveting new novel from #1 New York Times bestseller C.J. Box.
When a prominent University of Wyoming professor goes missing, authorities are stumped. That is, until Joe Pickett makes two surprising discoveries while hunting down a wounded elk on his district as an epic spring storm descends upon him.
First, Joe finds the professor’s vehicle parked on a remote mountainside. Then he finds the professor’s frozen and mutilated body. When he attempts to learn more, his investigation is obstructed by Federal agents, extreme environmentalists, and Governor Colter Allen.
Meanwhile, Joe’s associate Nate Romanowski is rebuilding his falconry company, financing this through crypto mining. Nate is then approached by a shadowy group of local militant activists who are gaining in power and influence, and demanding that Wyoming join other western states and secede from the union – by force, if necessary. They ask Nate to throw in his lot with them, but he’s wary. Should he trust them, or is he being set up?
As a storm of peril gathers around them, Joe and Nate confront it in different ways – and maybe, for the first time, on opposite sides.”
Well, it was certainly a change from the previous book! This is my review on Goodreads:
What was good about this book: the return of well-known characters, such as Jo, his wife and daughters; the wonderful setting of the mountains and snowy weather; the fact that Mary-Beth works in a library; the animals; some of the plot, particularly the first part.
What was not good about this book: the confusing and weird conspiracy theories; right wing plots; the muddled plot lines; some stereotyped characters; the author’s increasingly paranoid imagination.
Yes, I loved quite a lot about the book, but the latter parts were very unpalatable indeed. Perhaps the series should change direction now or come to an end.
OK, so there was a slight improvement, with some major caveats. I then chose a completely different genre again…
Winchelsea by Alex Preston
My final book was Winchelsea by Alex Preston. First comes the blurb:
“The year is 1742. Goody Brown, saved from drowning and adopted when just a babe, has grown up happily in the smuggling town of Winchelsea. Then, when Goody turns sixteen, her father is murdered in the night by men he thought were friends.
To find justice in a lawless land, Goody must enter the cut-throat world of her father’s killers. With her beloved brother Francis, she joins a rival gang of smugglers. Facing high seas and desperate villains, she also discovers something else: an existence without constraints or expectations, a taste for danger that makes her blood run fast.
Goody was never born to be a gentlewoman. But what will she become instead?
Winchelsea is an electrifying story of vengeance and transformation; a rare, lyrical and transporting work of historical imagination that makes the past so real we can touch it.”
This was the most successful book for me and I awarded it four stars:
It has been interesting reading some of the other reviews on here. This seems to be a rather marmite kind of a book, but I like marmite and I also enjoyed the book. Well, perhaps “enjoyed” is not quite the correct word.
There was much to like: the brilliant main character, unique in many ways; the excellent scene setting; the satisfying conclusion. Some of the very dark scenes were a bit too much at times, but these were dark and terrible times. I found the writing very interesting and I wish there had been a glossary at the end.
Finally, I remember visiting many of the places mentioned in the book when I was a child, so it was intriguing to return to them: the towns of Winchelsea, Rye, Dymchurch and environs and the battle field of Culloden and the Scottish Highlands.
I am sure the book will remain in my thoughts for quite some time.
In actual fact, the book certainly has remained in my thoughts as I have had a couple of nightmares about it since I finished reading it! It is a very strange and atmospheric book.
At present, I am reading and enjoying something very different again and I hope that I am able to write about it next week. Until then…
It has been a rollercoaster week for us. We have now reached nine weeks of upstairs togetherness and are still holding on to our sense of humour, most of the time. Lovely Husband is occasionally very down and despondent, which is totally understandable. He was such a fit and active man in his younger days and this present situation is devastating for him. I am just holding on to the hope that he can regain some strength so that he is able to use the stairs and return to his former way of living.
Elder Son has been so brilliant over the weeks and we decided that he deserved a short break from all of his hard work and the pressure of looking after us. He had planned a quick holiday in Liverpool (he loves cities), so we let him go. Unfortunately, although I firmly believed that I could cope with everything on my own, I had a horrible relapse on Tuesday evening into Wednesday morning. We were able to hang on (just), but asked ES to come home a little quicker than planned on Thursday. He is home now and I am breathing a big sigh of relief. I really do need someone else around!
So, all we can do is hang on as best we can and hope that LH is soon able to regain some of his abilities. We could really do with a miracle!
As you might expect, I took a little comfort in some retail therapy this week. It was a bit silly, really, because I am only wearing thin nightwear at the moment as it is quite hot here. Anyway, the colour of this dress caught my eye – I really love bright blue. Yes, it is loose and rather shapeless, but that is perfect for me in very warm weather!
Jersey dress in electric blue – Marks and Spencer
The purchase was this viscose jersey dress in electric blue from Marks and Spencer. Now, I must actually wear it, plus some of my other items in my Summer wardrobe!
Well, we have now reached eight weeks of enforced togetherness! It is really getting a bit much, but we are still speaking to each other. Elder Son is also continuing to do as much as he can to help.
So, what can I write in this update? Lovely Husband has now been given the results of his MRI scan last week. His long-term issues with his back were noted and he has been referred to a specialist. No additional serious matters have been found, which is great. Of course, we have no idea how long it will take to see the consultant.
A GP visited today, gave us further information and checked some other issues that were concerning LH. These were clearly explained and I hope LH’s mind was set at rest. He now has to continue with the exercises set by the physio and hope that he is soon able to get downstairs again.
There will be loud cheers heard from this house when that day happens!
Other news: I am getting stronger slowly and am now able to do much more “housework” than I could at the beginning of all this. So, that is one positive thing that has come out of the situation. We have decided that ES will go on his holiday next week as I feel confident that I can manage without him for a few days. He has helped me with quite a few tasks this week, including a mountain of washing, so that the decks have been cleared. We now have to stock up on ready meals as I still can’t do any proper cooking with my lung problems.
OK, I think I have covered everything, and now we have something different…
Screenshot from @artistescher on Twitter – accessed 15/03/23
I had a poster of the above image on my bedroom wall when I was a student in the 1970s!
Hello everyone and welcome to this week’s quick catch-up on my reading! Yes, like last week, I am going to write about a couple of books that I have managed to finish during this enforced “imprisonment “ upstairs with Lovely Husband. I apologise for the brevity of these posts, but I am very tired from struggling down and back up the stairs all day!
Wolf Pack by Will Dean
My first book is Will Dean’s Wolf Pack, #05 Tuva Moodyson Mystery. Regulars will know that I have been really enjoying this series. Here is the blurb:
“When there’s a pack on the hunt, nobody’s safe
A closed community
Rose Farm is home to a group of survivalists, completely cut off from the outside world. Until now.
A missing person
A young woman goes missing within the perimeter of the farm compound. Can Tuva talk her way inside the tight-knit group to find her story?
A frantic search
As Tuva attempts to unmask the culprit, she gains unique access to the residents. But soon she finds herself in danger of the pack turning against her – will she make her way back to safety so she can expose the truth?
Will Dean’s most heart-pounding Tuva Moodyson thriller yet takes Tuva to her absolute limits in exposing a heinous crime, and in her own personal life. Can she, and will she, do the right thing?”
This was such a great read. In fact I read this latest Tuva Moodyson Mystery far quicker than the others. Somehow, it just flowed for me. As ever, the characters were intriguing and interesting, the plot had unexpected moments and twists, and the setting was well-written. As this was the fifth book, many people and places were very familiar, but the author’s writing has definitely become better and better throughout the series.
My second book was pretty interesting and enjoyable too, although more of a three star!
The German Messenger by M J Hollows
The German Messenger by M J Hollows was one of those random choices from the Library’s ebook service. I am glad that I selected it because it was a quite different take on the Home Front in WWII from my point of view. This is the blurb:
“As the bombs fall, the race to save her son begins. Liverpool, 1940. Journalist Ruth Holt is struggling in the terror of the Blitz when her young son is suddenly snatched away in broad daylight. Soon after, the kidnappers’ demands arrive. They are working with the Nazis, and she has no choice but to co-operate, or the authorities will learn that she is harbouring secrets of her own. Ruth’s job gives her access to critical information, and if she does not share it with Britain’s enemies, her child will face the consequences. Desperate, she falsifies information, lying to everyone: her employers, her family and her lover. But as the demands increase, the knife edge she walks on grows increasingly thin. If she falls, she will never save her son.”
I found the book interesting with a few flaws. The plot was set in the early weeks and months of WWII, in Liverpool. I had no idea that the area was so heavily bombed and, really, I should have known because Liverpool was a very important port and so was a target for German bombers. The best parts of the book were the excellent and evocative sections about the effects of the bombing raids on the people and buildings. How the whole feel of the area could change overnight with collapsed buildings and homeless people.
The writing of the main characters was less successful, to my mind. I found some aspects of their actions and personalities unreal and jarring. The plot was generally interesting enough to hold my attention. I did enjoy the book and may try more by this author in the future.
I am managing to read a little each day. Quite difficult when sharing a bed all day with LH! Anyway, I am planning to post again next Wednesday, if all goes well.
Hello and welcome to this Friday’s post. Yes, we have now reached seven weeks of enforced togetherness and the cracks are definitely developing!
On Monday, Lovely Husband was taken to hospital for an MRI scan. The ambulance chaps had quite a difficult time getting him downstairs and it was quite frightening for LH. It all seemed to go fairly smoothly, however, but we now have to wait for the report from the clinician. Then we will be able to make some plans with the GP. This may all take a while, of course.
Today, the physiotherapist has just left after taking LH through his exercises and adding a few new ones. He now has to get on with them until we have the above mentioned plans. To be quite honest, LH is feeling very despondent at his slow progress and is struggling with having been stuck up here with me for so long. We are beginning to consider the possibility of having a stair lift installed, which would enable him to get downstairs again. He can walk around with some support from a stick, so would be able to potter about downstairs at the very least.
Another thing we have to consider is that Elder Son has a trip away partly booked in about ten days. It is only for three days, but we need to decide how we would manage without his help and whether we would need to get someone in. I really want ES to have this break from the situation at home as this has been a huge strain on him. Younger Son is planning when he can come over to give his brother a break, but that may not happen for a while as he also has some matters of his own to sort out.
What “fun and games”!
We really need to move into a bungalow, but how do we organise that in our present state?
Anyway, I think that is all I can write for now, so I will leave you with this…
Screenshot from Twitter – accessed 16/03/23
I will attempt to write a Reading Roundup post for next Wednesday and will then update you fully on Friday. The usual pattern of Monday – Wednesday – Friday posts will have to wait a bit longer!
Hello and welcome to the latest Reading Roundup post. I haven’t been able to write one for ages and regular visitors to the blog will have seen the reasons why. Yes, we are still stuck here in bed together and I am writing this whilst Lovely Husband is resting next to me.
I have read quite a few books since I last uploaded one of these posts, but I have selected two of them to write about today. Please forgive the bare bones reviews. I cannot manage to write very much at the moment as I am also struggling with my health.
The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue by V E Schwab
The first book was The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue by V E Schwab. I am not sure what drew me to this book in the first place, but I am glad that I chose to read it. Here is the blurb:
“When Addie La Rue makes a pact with the devil, she trades her soul for immortality. But there’s always a price – the devil takes away her place in the world, cursing her to be forgotten by everyone.
Addie flees her tiny home town in 18th-Century France, beginning a journey that takes her across the world, learning to live a life where no one remembers her and everything she owns is lost and broken. Existing only as a muse for artists throughout history, she learns to fall in love anew every single day.
Her only companion on this journey is her dark devil with hypnotic green eyes, who visits her each year on the anniversary of their deal. Alone in the world, Addie has no choice but to confront him, to understand him, maybe to beat him.
Until one day, in a second hand bookshop in Manhattan, Addie meets someone who remembers her. Suddenly thrust back into a real, normal life, Addie realises she can’t escape her fate forever.”
Well, that was a surprising delight! I chose the book at random with no real idea of what it was going to be like. The theme of memory loss was intriguing to me, suffering from my own melting memories, due to a stroke. My only criticism, which made me drop one star, was the length of the book. I found myself flagging at times. There was a lot of repetition that could have been edited out.
My next book is Lynda La Plante’s Buried, #01 in her DC Jack Warr series.
Here is the blurb:
“SOME THINGS SHOULD REMAIN BURIED . . .
DC Jack Warr and his girlfriend Maggie have just moved to London to start a new life together. Though charming, Jack can’t seem to find his place in the world – until he’s drawn into an investigation that turns his life upside down.
In the aftermath of a fire at an isolated cottage, a badly charred body is discovered, along with the burnt remains of millions of stolen, untraceable bank notes.
Jack’s search leads him deep into a murky criminal underworld – a world he finds himself surprisingly good at navigating. But as the line of the law becomes blurred, how far will Jack go to find the answers – and what will it cost him?
In BURIED, it’s time to meet DC Jack Warr as he digs up the deadly secrets of the past “
I am reading this series the wrong way round! I tackled the third book before this one, but, to be honest, my feelings about both are very similar. La Plante creates interesting characters and plots, but her actual writing style is clunky. Many words and phrases are used repeatedly as if she is churning out her books.
Despite this, I found the book gripping enough and the characters were certainly engaging and, in some cases, quite intriguing. Very few of them are outright villains or “goodies”, which makes the series more interesting. I am not sure whether I will read further books in the series, maybe I will.
OK, I think this is enough to ease myself back in! All being well, I should be able to write about more books next week. I am struggling to find enough time (and peace) to read, but I have managed to finish some more books. LH is doing his best to give me some quiet time.
Hello lovely friends and visitors! Here we go with yet another report from the land of “Two Stuck In The Bed”!
Yes, we have now endured six weeks of togetherness in our, thankfully, king sized bed. Elder Son continues to be our hero, doing the shopping, tidying up, and running up and down the stairs with drinks and meals. He is being fantastic.
I am still managing to push myself a little more each week and have been using the stairs at least six or seven times every day. I have tidied and reorganised many things downstairs and done my best to keep on top of household tasks. When ES is at work, I take over the cooking and other tasks and have been able to cope quite well. Sometimes it has all got on top of me and my own health issues have taken over, but I have managed to pull myself back, with LH’s support.
Lovely Husband’s health problems and recovery have been a bit two steps forward and one step back, or even the reverse at times. Two physiotherapists came with a view to helping LH try to go downstairs. Unfortunately, he was unable to do this because he felt too weak. So, the physios have given him more exercises to do over the next few weeks to try to strengthen his legs. On a more positive note, he has been able to book an appointment for a MRI scan on Monday. Let’s hope that we get some good news from that!
I have been toying with the idea of trying to write my Wednesday Reading Roundup posts again. If everything goes well, I will attempt to post one on 31/05/23. I will also continue with these Friday health updates for the time being. Let’s hope I can soon write about scarves again! I am getting tired of wearing lounge or night wear all of the time.
Anyway, here is an image to finish the post…
Screenshot from @womensart1 on Twitter – accessed 28/04/23
Former professional school librarian, now retired through chronic illness. Trying to keep cheerful by reading, drinking lots of tea, blogging my new life, and my love of bling!
The City by Stella Gemmell
The Librain
That does seem to be the problem, there alway sis another one isn't there?! The correct decision will come to…