Fog,Frost,Cold,Colds! and Lovely Books

The city is a sparkling frost covered Winter Wonderland at the moment ..it has been cold and still with many days and nights of freezing fog and as a result all looks magical..even chain link fences are transformed.

We got out of doors almost everyday over winter break, but have been thwarted since due to a family game of pass the parcel with a truly horrid cold..it's now my turn yuk...so indoors by the Wood stove and reading/listening time.

I'm actually on my 4th book of the year  3 listens and 1 read..this is most unusual for my recent self.
The first was a Listen and an Old Very Favourite at that.

Silas Marner by George Eliot ..unabridged read by Andrew Sachs.
I attacked the post Christmas chaos whilst listening and it certainly made the chores involved far more tolerable.... and despite my having read this book many times I still became aware of passages I hadn't noted before.
Mr Sach's made a good job, I don't remember any jarring moments. A pleasing listen.
If you are not familiar with the story- It was published around 1860'ish The central character is a single man, the Silas Marner of the title,  a weaver by trade. He is introduced as  a member of a strict religious sect and in the beginning we see him shunned by the sect over an incident that occurs whilst Mr Marner is overcome by a trance like state (he has catalepsy)
His dreams crushed and cast adrift in the World he settles in a Rural situation and lives in an isolated cottage by a disused quarry focusing on amassing wealth by working at his loom to the exclusion of anything else.
The loss of his hoard of gold and it's replacement with a lost child is the very centre of the story.
Which is in truth more valuable?  and which will lead to happiness?

Second ..a fast read "Now you see Me" [Lacey Flint book number 1] by S.J.Bolton (Thanks for the heads-up Liz)

I galloped through this book and generally enjoyed it, it was interesting if rather gory. Less gore would've been fine by me.
(The descriptions weren't scary as Val MacDermid's can be..she has written books that I have to put down in-spite of really enjoying most characters and wanting to know what happens)
The characters were mostly likeable and the story entertaining.
I had idea's of how it would turn out but didn't guess exactly. I didn't feel the need to read the final chapters midway through which was good as that's usually a sign that I'm not captured by the story and want to know if it's worth it (and is often followed by putting it down for good)  ...It seems I have little reading patience of late. So a fast entertaining read ...and I'll pick up the next in the series ...but probably at the library not as a purchase.



Third... a fast becoming Very Favourite... "The Guernsey Literary and Potato peel society" by Mary Ann Schafer & Annie Barrows

An epistolary novel, that is a book in the form of a collection of letters ( reminding myself here) in this case to and from Juliet , who I was going to say is the main character but really I think Elizabeth may be, who even though she is the subject of many letters there are none written by her.
It is an interesting and very charming book that works.
The setting is post war London and Guernsey and the correspondence begins when  a gentleman living on Guernsey writes to Juliet (who is the former owner of a book he most enjoys) and asks if this author (Charles Lamb) has written other books and if so, for the address of a book shop where he may buy them.
I read this first as a library book , last year I think and enjoyed it, bought the Kindle version $1.99 on offer (still is as I type) and this gives access to the reduced price audio book which I bought too. (you don't need an audible membership and it will play on my computer) It is a really very enjoyable listen ...the letters are read by a selection of different readers, so each person/letters voice  has there own distinctive voice! I was a little wary of what I would think of this ..but it works so well for me and has added to my pleasure in the book. This book is full of enjoyable moments .. "reading good books ruins you for enjoying bad books" and I think the audio version is the icing on a very good cake.

Fourth ..an Easy Listen ... The Man in the Brown Suit by Agatha Christie read by Emilia Fox (unabridged)

A light fast entertaining load of  enjoyable nonsense.  It's a light romantic thriller rather than a detective novel . The main character being Ann Beddingfield daughter of Professor Beddingfeld, famous archaeologist. She is quickly orphaned in the first chapter and then decides that settling for a demure, respectable and boring life does not appeal to her adventurous and romantic nature. So the adventures begin. These involve deaths, diamonds, handsome men and a trip to South Africa! (also train journeys and surfing!)
Emilia Fox does a pretty reasonable job here ..I'm note overly partial to one of her "men's" voices (Harry Rayburn's especially) but they are not quite so grating as to make me turn off.... I just wish I could change that one voice! darn it (good job he's a relatively strong silent type is all I can add) Her normal reading voice I find pleasing.









Well I'm off to make another  mug of tea, will throw more wood on the stove and find something to listen too ...now where did I leave those tissues.....and I must find the lemons...

from wiki Thanks Wiki