Thursday 30 March 2017

Books read in March

March was an average reading month for me... six books tends to be my default number and if I manage that then I'm quite happy. Not that it bothers me, I read what I read... it's whether I enjoy the books that's the main factor. So when that is taken into account then it's actually been quite a good month.

Anyway, these are they:

15. To Helvetica and Back - Paige Shelton

16. The Brutal Telling - Louise Penny

17. The North Face - Mary Renault

18. L'Auberge - Julia Stagg

19. The Cloud Roads - Martha Wells

20. On the Shores of the Mediterranean - Eric Newby

My usual mixed bag... two crime stories, two general fiction, one fantasy and a non-fiction travel book. Two were a bit so-so and four very enjoyable. A month where two thirds of the books you read are good to very good is about as much as you can ask for really.

I'm struggling with a favourite. Two books *just* have the edge and those are The Brutal Telling and The Cloud Roads.


















Two very different books but both absolutely superb. Two things they have in common is a wonderful sense of place and the kind of paciness I enjoy. Always something happening in both books. I don't think I will choose between them... I'll award them joint first place in my affections.

So now it's almost April and the year is slipping away. This 'time speeding up' thing as you get older is scary. It makes me feel that I really *must* read what I like, when I like. So, on that note I suddenly felt like reading some Pern books by Anne McCaffrey so that's what I'm going to do. I shall spend a couple of weeks indulging in one of my favourite science-fiction series of all time and read these two books:



















And then maybe this:

















*What* a gorgeous cover! So that's my reading plan for the first part of April. What are yours? Tell all. :-)

~~~oOo~~~

7 comments:

DesLily said...

I don't know why I have not gotten into Louise Penny. A number of them really look good. But I find myself trying hard (not fully successful) not to begin something like that as (once again) I have too many books here and will soon have to thin them out even if I don't want to! That being said I just sent for 2 books on native americans, found another 2 at friends of the Library for .50 cents each. With all that has gone on since Thom died my head cannot stay focused. The want is there . just not my head. *huge sigh*..the cold lingers by keeping me weak feeling. I hope this is not my heart valve because mentally I am not ready. *another big sigh*.. don't know why I am venting on your book blog! love you

Nan said...

You are way, way ahead of me this year, my dear blogging friend! I'm at 12. Just busy, busy during the day, and tired at night. haha! And to DesLily, I am so not a fan of LP's series. I read 3 of them and just quit.

BooksPlease said...

You are quite right - read what you like when you like! So, I don't have a reading plan, apart for the next book for my local reading club, which is Night Falls on Ardnamurchan by Alasdair Maclean. Oddly this is the second book on crofters to come my way as the book my son gave me for Mother's Day is The Crofter and the Laird by John McPhee, so I want to read that soon too.

It really is a good month when the majority of the books you read are so good and the others aren't 'bad' either.

Val said...

I think reading as you please because you please sounds a very good idea .
I'm always impressed by the amount of reading you do ..especially as we have the added bonus of your really useful reviews!
We are well spoiled.
Have a Lovely weekendx

Cath said...

Pat: Enjoy all your books on Native Americans. I have several I could lend you if only they would hurry up and invent a Star Trek transporter!!!

Sending *hugs*.

Nan: I'm guessing I will slow down at some stage and come the end of the year we will be in sync. I'd put money on it actually. LOL!

You're not the only person I know who doesn't like LP so her books are not everyone's cup of tea.

Margaret: Funny you should end up with two books on crofting. (My Scottish ancestors were crofters in Aberdeenshire funnily enough.) Sometimes that's the way a bookish craze for a particular subject starts, something which I'm very prone to.

Val: Thanks for your kind words. It's a quiet weeknd for us before the school Easter hols start and grandparent duties begin. :-)

Yvonne @ Fiction Books Reviews said...

Hi Cath,

I have more or less given up trying to fit in all the books I have won or been sent, let alone books from my own shelves which I keep looking longingly at!

Like yourself, I have decided to read at my own pace and confine myself to writing promotional posts for many of the review requests I receive, although I do like to recieve copy for a good guest post and I have a few of those coming up.

Needless to say, the first two books on your round-up list are the ones which caught my eye. I have never read anything by either author, although of course I do know of Louise Penny, as she is so popular amongst our fellow bloggers.

'L'Auberge' definitely has one of the worst cover art presentations I have seen in a long time. The overseas versions as seen over at Goodreads, are so much better, although still not brilliant!

I hope that you have enjoyed the superb weather of the last few days and 'Happy April Reading' :)

Yvonne

Cath said...

Hi Yvonne: The trouble is I keep adding to my shelves. I am managing to read a few of my own books this year... but I think I'm buying more than I've read!

Yes, Louise Penny's books are extremely popular but - like all authors - she's not for everyone. Several people I know don't care for CI Gamache at all.

I'm glad it's not just me who dislikes that cover. It looks like a child's scribble.

Yes thanks, I've enjoyed the nice weather. The school hols are upon us and with them the grandkids so I'd be glad if it stayed this way for the next two weeks. After that, I don't mind.

Take care.