My dad bought me The Safekeep for my birthday on the strength of the cover and me being married to a Dutchman. The chapter-long sex scene was a bit of a shock. I love a bit of smut but it just felt so unnecessary, didn’t move the plot along at all. I loved it, but have to pause before recommending it to people so they don’t think I’m a huge perve.
I’m on the second book in Andrew Taylor’s Ashes of London series, which are murder mysteries set in London in the immediate aftermath of the Great Fire. Full of fascinating details about how the city was destroyed and rebuilt and the various intrigues snd schemes surrounding it. It does have a character called Catherine who goes by “Cat”, which I’ve always found insufferably pretentious and try-hard in literature and real life but she redeems herself by being rather psychopathically violent.
I’ve been forcing myself through Long Island Compromise, which I really wanted to like as I loved Fleishman is in Trouble - but all the characters are not only unlikeable but also utterly charmless and not funny. I just can’t make myself read the last 100 pages.
Our Friends, by Hisham Matar is wonderful and really interesting on life in exile, especially as a writer, and on male friendship.
All the Beauty in the World, by a security guard at the Met is excellent on the very specific feelings and reactions people can have in relationship with great art. And the rest of it is good enough that it’s an enjoyable read.
The Mercies by Kiran Millwood Hargrave is fine (Norway in 17th century, witch hunting) but sent me back to Burial Rites by Hannah Kent about Iceland about 50 years later. Truly a wonderful book.
I am reading an absolutely BOBBINS vampire series (Jay Kristoff's Empire of the Vampire) and LOVING it. It's set in a medieval northern-French-ish world overrun WITH VAMPIRES who can only be defeated by VAMPIRES WHO ARE LIKE BLADE, and the Blade-esque main character is an Arsehole With Feelings. Oh it's so ROTE but I've been writing and (whisper) publishing VERY high level stuff recently and I needed a mental break.
As an Irish woman I can say with confidence that there is more to Ireland than Catholicism, Magdalene Laundries ( which were truly truly awful), abortion and Guinness. And the transformation of the society over the past 30 years has been remarkable, it's not perfect but it is a story worth telling...... Speaking of modern Irish fiction, I thought Paul Lynch's Prophet Song was extraordinary, but as the mother of teenage boys incredible difficult to read . I sobbed into my wine in Heathrow airport when I finished it ....
I'm currently reading Wellness by Nathan Hill. A fat 600 pager, it's the immersive story of a marriage, and the challenges of parenthood. I'm 40% of the way in and enjoying it immensely. It is laugh-out-loud funny at times, while also feeling like it has a lot of depth.
Fifty years since the Vietnam War—- so have been reading more first hand accounts. One abandoned in hell by Albracht and Wolf really eye opening about an era I lived in but only had main stream media as news . Hard to stop thinking about our motivations as a nation .
Am in Ireland having an Anne Tyler fest when into our hotel walk four American sisters in their ?50s who look so weirdly alike - all blond, good-looking and tastefully dressed but with a faint air of concern constantly hovering about them. They kept turning up wherever we were and it struck me they’d be great subjects for AT.
Wasn’t for me! Felt cold and bleak and dark - which was obviously the point. I can cope with a depressing book though. No, it was all the shagging. Too much. Had to skip through all that squelchy lesbian sex.
I'm racing through the Jackson Brodie series by Kate Atkinson and am adoring them - so clever and funny and twisty and how she just brings it altogether at the end is amazing. can be done individually or as a series and would highly recommend
Not a new book, but one recommended in passing by you Esther, I have just finished A Spool of Blue Thread by Anne Tyler and what a THRILL it was. A total masterclass in writing siblings and family relationships.
Also have Consider Yourself Kissed to read next, can’t wait
I struggle a bit with the changing point of view too. I’ve just read A Wreath for the Enemy which has this and though it was very good and I liked it a lot and appreciated what the differing perspectives gave, I did miss that original narrator. If it would have sustained that voice throughout I think I would have loved it. Long Island by Colm Toibin - I loved Brooklyn and was a bit reluctant to go back to the same territory but he is such a safe pair of hands I really enjoyed it. I’m currently reading Saturday Lunch With The Brownings by Penelope Mortimer which is a short story collection. I don’t read many short stories these days but these are just right for my frazzled brain at the moment, sharp, timeless little portraits of the underside of motherhood and family life. I will look for her novels after this. I have seen The Safekeep about a bit and this has made me want to read it, also Barbara Pym news! I really liked Excellent Women and always meant to read more.
My dad bought me The Safekeep for my birthday on the strength of the cover and me being married to a Dutchman. The chapter-long sex scene was a bit of a shock. I love a bit of smut but it just felt so unnecessary, didn’t move the plot along at all. I loved it, but have to pause before recommending it to people so they don’t think I’m a huge perve.
I’m on the second book in Andrew Taylor’s Ashes of London series, which are murder mysteries set in London in the immediate aftermath of the Great Fire. Full of fascinating details about how the city was destroyed and rebuilt and the various intrigues snd schemes surrounding it. It does have a character called Catherine who goes by “Cat”, which I’ve always found insufferably pretentious and try-hard in literature and real life but she redeems herself by being rather psychopathically violent.
I’ve been forcing myself through Long Island Compromise, which I really wanted to like as I loved Fleishman is in Trouble - but all the characters are not only unlikeable but also utterly charmless and not funny. I just can’t make myself read the last 100 pages.
Our Friends, by Hisham Matar is wonderful and really interesting on life in exile, especially as a writer, and on male friendship.
All the Beauty in the World, by a security guard at the Met is excellent on the very specific feelings and reactions people can have in relationship with great art. And the rest of it is good enough that it’s an enjoyable read.
The Mercies by Kiran Millwood Hargrave is fine (Norway in 17th century, witch hunting) but sent me back to Burial Rites by Hannah Kent about Iceland about 50 years later. Truly a wonderful book.
Good news about Barbara Pym!
Oh I adored Burial Rites ! One of my favorite books ever !
I am reading an absolutely BOBBINS vampire series (Jay Kristoff's Empire of the Vampire) and LOVING it. It's set in a medieval northern-French-ish world overrun WITH VAMPIRES who can only be defeated by VAMPIRES WHO ARE LIKE BLADE, and the Blade-esque main character is an Arsehole With Feelings. Oh it's so ROTE but I've been writing and (whisper) publishing VERY high level stuff recently and I needed a mental break.
As an Irish woman I can say with confidence that there is more to Ireland than Catholicism, Magdalene Laundries ( which were truly truly awful), abortion and Guinness. And the transformation of the society over the past 30 years has been remarkable, it's not perfect but it is a story worth telling...... Speaking of modern Irish fiction, I thought Paul Lynch's Prophet Song was extraordinary, but as the mother of teenage boys incredible difficult to read . I sobbed into my wine in Heathrow airport when I finished it ....
I loved the Bee Sting so much I was just too annoyed it pipped that to a big award. was it the booker? I can't remember. but I cannot forgive
I thought that was one of the most original books I’ve read in years
I bought Leonard and Hungry Paul by Ronan Hessian for my son, but of course he hasn’t read it, so I’m nicking it back, so I can read it.
I'm currently reading Wellness by Nathan Hill. A fat 600 pager, it's the immersive story of a marriage, and the challenges of parenthood. I'm 40% of the way in and enjoying it immensely. It is laugh-out-loud funny at times, while also feeling like it has a lot of depth.
liked it a lot, but didnt love, thought it was exceptionally clever and loved the beginning.
I loved that - especially the last 50 pages!
Fifty years since the Vietnam War—- so have been reading more first hand accounts. One abandoned in hell by Albracht and Wolf really eye opening about an era I lived in but only had main stream media as news . Hard to stop thinking about our motivations as a nation .
Am in Ireland having an Anne Tyler fest when into our hotel walk four American sisters in their ?50s who look so weirdly alike - all blond, good-looking and tastefully dressed but with a faint air of concern constantly hovering about them. They kept turning up wherever we were and it struck me they’d be great subjects for AT.
Thanks Esther! Have you read The Broken Country literally best book ever
Highly recommend The Safekeep, I kept thinking about it for days after I finished it
Wasn’t for me! Felt cold and bleak and dark - which was obviously the point. I can cope with a depressing book though. No, it was all the shagging. Too much. Had to skip through all that squelchy lesbian sex.
I skipped all that too
I'm racing through the Jackson Brodie series by Kate Atkinson and am adoring them - so clever and funny and twisty and how she just brings it altogether at the end is amazing. can be done individually or as a series and would highly recommend
I have just finished So Thrilled For You and it was all the superlatives - would recommend it to everyone
great title
Adored Barbara Pym, when I read her years ago. So exciting about TV adaptation.
Not a new book, but one recommended in passing by you Esther, I have just finished A Spool of Blue Thread by Anne Tyler and what a THRILL it was. A total masterclass in writing siblings and family relationships.
Also have Consider Yourself Kissed to read next, can’t wait
Yes I’ve also read that recently A Spool of blue thread, having been reminded of it on here, and I had it in my bookshelf for a few years, unread.
I struggle a bit with the changing point of view too. I’ve just read A Wreath for the Enemy which has this and though it was very good and I liked it a lot and appreciated what the differing perspectives gave, I did miss that original narrator. If it would have sustained that voice throughout I think I would have loved it. Long Island by Colm Toibin - I loved Brooklyn and was a bit reluctant to go back to the same territory but he is such a safe pair of hands I really enjoyed it. I’m currently reading Saturday Lunch With The Brownings by Penelope Mortimer which is a short story collection. I don’t read many short stories these days but these are just right for my frazzled brain at the moment, sharp, timeless little portraits of the underside of motherhood and family life. I will look for her novels after this. I have seen The Safekeep about a bit and this has made me want to read it, also Barbara Pym news! I really liked Excellent Women and always meant to read more.