Historical fiction
The protagonist is a novice monk (Brother Diggory) who is the only survivor of the Black Death from his monastery. He travels around England, closely followed by the plague (without making the connection that he is actually a carrier of the disease). Various adventures ensue.
Science Fiction
This is a “disaster movie” sort of book. As it is by Jim Al-Khalili, the science is plausible, but the characters are all very shallow, and I wasn’t able to bring myself to care very much about them.
Enjoyable tosh.
Literary fiction/Fantasy
I enjoyed this version of the Beowulf saga told from the point of view of the monster, which leant it/him some sympathy.
R is for Roberts
The last of my 6 books of SUMMER. I reviewed it here
Non-fiction e-book
An account of the damage that Public (i.e. private) School education does to small boys and how that damage and it’s subsequent effect is carried over into adult life. The author was a Public School boarder at the same time as some senior members of the current British Government, and there are many anecdotes and insights that shed light on some behaviours we see. I recommend this to anyone who wants to know why these men behave as they do.
Post-apocalyptic, dystopian Science Fiction
This book is all about eugenics, and Christian fundamentalism, and is as nasty as you would expect. There is a sort-of happy ending, but it is a bit far-fetched, and relies on a sort of “Deus ex machina”.
I confess this is a re-read, and that I bought this collection of Wyndham’s books because I like the covers.
Nordic crime, translated from Icelandic by Quentin Bates
Ice and Crime series, books 1 and 2 (e-books)
Cookie-cutter crime novels, the first made interesting by the inclusion of a Sri Lankan character. There is a fox, but it isn’t as visible as the title makes it seem. I enjoyed it enough to buy the next in the series., which turned out to be okay, but with less-interesting characters.
Literary fiction.
The story of one boy’s summer. I absolutely loved this book, and would thoroughly recommend it.
Literary fiction, translated from Russian.
I have had one or two of these little classics lurking on my shelf for ages, so it was about time I read at least one of them. This is the tale of how a seemingly minor accident can be misdiagnosed and subsequently lead to a major illness and death. It is quite a chilling little read.
Crime fiction
A man is murdered at the dinner table. A guest confesses. Can it be that straightforward? Obviously not.
This wasn’t so awful as to make me throw it across the room, but it wasn’t very good. I didn’t like any of the characters, which is a shame, because there was potential to be a good story. A gay couple, their adopted son, and a ridiculous amount of back-story. I still don’t really understand why the murderer felt they had to do it.
Science Fiction
A robot equipped with an AI brain that can learn has the equivalent of a nervous breakdown when overloaded, but is unable to explain what has happened. We follow the robot through various “careers” as it gradually degrades and descends the ladder of usefulness.
I loved this book. I loved the robot, and actually cried over the way it was treated. The ending was a bit obvious, but the book was mostly wonderful.
Literary fiction / Fantasy/ Folklore
Long listed for the Booker Prize 2022
A short, fantastical account of a few days in the life (or possibly death) of a boy, Joe, and the rag and bone man who aids his transition from one state to another. I liked this a lot, and I think it will make the Booker shortlist, but probably won’t win.
Crime
I like an interesting take on crime, so these “birder murders” caught my eye. DCI Jejeune would rather watch birds than solve crimes, which makes him interesting, if annoying. Each book has a short factual section about the particular birds that feature in the story, which is useful if, like me, you know nothing about birds. There is an interesting cast of recurring characters, and I am surprised that this series ( there are 7 so far) hasn’t been optioned for TV. It would stand up very well against the likes of Vera, Dalgleish etc.
musings 