Several books going at once.

I recently bought a beautiful reading journal from Amazon. Although ordered in Australia it was sent from America. It has challenges in it, places for notes and lists and all those things book and stationery lovers like to accrue. I am loving filling it out and becoming organised for my reading that has finally left the slump behind and is going full tilt. The warmer weather, though nowhere near hot and all the spring blooms have me enthused.

Books I’m into. For Rayne’s group at Fullers I am reading the Irish book, the Colony by Audrey Magee. It is a beautiful book. The year is 1979 on an island on the west side of Ireland. Only 82 people live on the island. Four generations of women, great grandmother, grandmother, daughter and her son. Their men have all died at sea fishing. To make ends meet with the other inhabitants they rent accommodation out to two men for the summer at enough money to get them through the winter. Masson, who is a French linguist studying the old language and Lloyd, an English artist who craves isolation. The two men do not get along as they record the landscape, people and language. The islanders do not approve. There are many relationships to delve into. I love it. Beautifully written. Every once in awhile a paragraph is inserted of a killing between the English and the IRA from the troubles that are happening at the same time on the mainland. The contrast between the two is stark. It goes back and forth. Remember it is 1979.

Next book is If On A Winter’s Night A Traveller by Italo Calvino. I am thoroughly enjoying this book but must take notes, read each paragraph slowly and closely to understand it. The penny has finally dropped and I am in the swing of it. I can’t wait to discuss it in Adam’s book group at Fullers for ‘All the books you wanted to read’ group.

Next up is my bus mall book on kindle. The very easy to read, James Patterson book series of the Washington DC detective Alex Cross. I am on the 28th book in the series and have followed Alex Cross and his wonderful family for years. James Patterson doesn’t write literary fiction but he can certainly tell a rollicking good crime novel for entertainment. He knows how to turn them out and create an extremely good lifestyle for himself. Easy to read waiting for the bus while all the young people in hoodies, with scooters and skateboards with attention seeking behaviour keep the police in tow.

I still need to finish Cold Enough for Snow by Jessica Au as I put it aside to begin the book group books. It won’t take long to finish up that delightful read.

The next two books are audible books. The first is one I dip into while in the car. The Gifts of Reading by various authors. Robert Macfarlane, William Boyd, Chigozie Obioma, Roddy Doyle, Jan Morris, Michael Ondaatje, Sally Vickers and more. It is a series of essays about giving and receiving gifts of books, the author’s style related to this and the books they cherish as gifts. I really enjoy hearing their perspectives on books as gifts and their own books. Definitely a book for those who love books about books.

Last but not least is the audible book I listen to at nights when I can’t sleep. Many older people have a hard time sleeping and audible authors can be good friends to have around in the dead of night.

The book is This Much is True by Miriam Margoyles. It is her auto biography and she reads it. Many people will know her as a stage actor, film actor (Harry Potter) and television presenter in the UK and Australia. I saw her years ago on stage here at the Theatre Royal when she was touring for Dickens Women. She knows a lot about the theatre and Dickens as well as other writing. However she does not mess around with genteel language. If you don’t want to know about her intimate, and I mean very intimate stories of her youth with men then discovering her lesbian roots as she puts it do not read this book. She uses a lot of very foul language too that at times can be very grating. People either love her or not. I have always enjoyed her adventures on the road and on stage and how she tells it as it is. None of the aforementioned faults bother me. It has been quite a funny trip through her life so far.

Well, you are now caught up with my brain activities.

Mr P has returned from his family trip to Canada. Ollie is improving and now Mr P is home I will be able to get out and take some photographs and maybe some metal detecting at the beaches. We have had a warmer than usual winter and no doubt we will have a hotter summer soon. So as I read all the northern hemisphere stories and blogs about people settling into cozy activities I am smelling the blooms that are newly arrived everywhere. I have to say the word cozy is greatly overused up north you guys.

All the best, stay well and keep reading until next time. I’ll find a photo or two to add below.🤠🌻