01 May My reading life: April 2019
April seemed to simply fly by, I am still in the middle of reading quite a few books, including The Glovemaker on Borrowbox, Transcription from my local Library and Jane Austen at Home. I read 2 kindle books, 2 from the library and 2 on audible from borrowbox throughout the month of April. Here are my reviews
The Great Alone by Kristin Hannah
My review:
Spoilers abound.
I have always had this strange obsession with Alaska, the homestead lifestyle and the wilderness so the premise of this book was right up my alley. The tale of a family venturing into he unknown. This is however a dark book. The anger of the Vietnam war, the loneliness of domestic violence and the harsh reality of the Alaskan winter. It made me cry on more than one occasion, but a book that makes you feel, even if it is sad, is one worth reading. And until the last chapters I truly didn’t know how it was going to end. And I still want to go to Alaska.
4 dark but beautiful stars
Source: Kindle purchase
Links: Amazon Goodreads Bookdepository
The Convenient Marriage by Georgette Heyer
My review:
I’ll be honest, I’d never read any of Georgette Heyer’s books but somebody recommended I try her as I love Austen. And then this popped up on my library available list. And, surprising myself I really rather enjoyed it. With quite a dry humour, and with slightly more flippancy than Austen, Georgette Heyer tells an excellent tale. Although I’d have some niggles with the telling, I felt like I was just skimming the surface of all the characters, whereas with Austen I never felt that. Perhaps because Austen always ends with a wedding whereas this book starts with one
3 stars
Source: Audible on Borrowbox
Links: Amazon Goodreads Bookdepository
Eligible by Curtis Sittenfeld
My review:
I thoroughly enjoyed this modern retelling of Pride and Prejudice. I’m not sure it even call it a retelling as it stands well on its own. I am not a big fan of P&P retelling or continuations as I always compare them to the original but I genuinely really liked this book. And I would recommend it to other Austen fans, it was part of a series of Austen retellings and I tried reading the S&S one first and could not get into it. So I was pleasantly surprised to find this story well written, enjoyable, and funny.
3 stars
Source: Local Library
Links: Amazon Goodreads Bookdepository
I’m Fine and Neither Are You by Camille Pagán
My review:
** spoiler alert **
A very well written tale of a very ordinary story. Pagà n picks so well a sampling of white middle class suburban america, that could be a marriage that you know, your neighbours. I found this novel to be strangely uplifting. The tragedy at the start becomes the fulcrum for all this change and upheaval. And I really liked the way she wrote the central characters, none of them were wholly good or bad, they all had their flaws like normal people. I look forward to seeing what else she has written
4/5 stars.
Source: Kindle Purchase
Links: Amazon Goodreads Bookdepository
And Then There Were None by Agatha Christie
My review:
Another solid turn by Agatha Christie. Sometimes when you are reading an Agatha Christie book you think that you have heard this story before. But then you realise that this is because so many authors that have come after Christie have been inspired by HER.
3 stars
Source: Local Library
Links: Amazon Goodreads Bookdepository
So Anyway… by John Cleese
My review:
There wasn’t much on Irish tv when I was a kid and I remember watching reruns of Faulty Towers and never once growing tired of it. So it is no surprise that the creator of such gems as that would write an autobiography of this calibre. It is read by Cleese himself and I think everyone needs to consume this as an audio book. It’s is hilarious, smart, witty and at time touching. A first hand insight into the mind of one of THE comic geniuses of his time. My only wish is that it was longer
5 hilarious stars.
Source: Library Audible Download with BorrowBox – narrated by John Cleese
Links: Amazon Goodreads Bookdepository paperback
My rereads
I didn’t reread a single book in April.
Previous Months
