A good month of reading, despite holidays and other distractions. 17 books, of which 4 translations, 2 in foreign languages, 2 poetry collections and 10 crime novels (or psychological/political thrillers).
Crime/thriller
Miyuki Miyabe: All She Was Worth
Peter May: The Blackhouse
This was a reread for the virtual Crime Book Club. I love the atmosphere Peter May has created of the very harsh, rather alien way of life on the Isle of Lewis. The description of the two-week guga hunting trip on the rock is not for those of a squeamish disposition like me. Although, interestingly, the animal rights activists are not presented in a particularly sympathetic light either. An uncompromising look at believable rather than ‘nice’ characters, with lots of back story, but they are all complex and ring true.
Dominique Manotti: Escape
Anna Jaquiery: The Lying-Down Room
Eugenio Fuentes: The Depths of the Forest
Harriet Lane: Her – also reviewed on CFL
Julia Crouch: The Long Fall – also reviewed on CFL
Maurizio de Giovanni: The Crocodile – review forthcoming on Crime Fiction Lover
Michael Arditti: The Breath of Night
An incendiary political thriller and a hunt for clues about a dead missionary who is going to be canonised as a saint. This book is about the Philippines during the Marcos regime and after, with very vivid, harsh and poignant descriptions of daily life and the contrast between rich and poor, expats and local people. The constant shift between time frames work well, as it shows so clearly ‘plus ça change plus c’est la meme chose ‘ and the afterword is a masterpiece in apologetics.
Louise Millar: The Playdate
Believable tale of motherly angst and struggle to balance work and childcare, a social life and relationships with the other sex, all in an anonymous big city. Three main female characters are all plausible and there is much to sympathise with in each one… until you discover that each one of them has some unsavoury secrets.
Poetry:
Adam Wyeth: Silent Music – my poetry tutor and a very talented poet indeed (no, he doesn’t read my blog, so I can praise him without hoping for leniency on the next module). More detailed review will be coming up shortly.
Gossip/Groupie Fanfiction
Angela Bowie: Backstage Passes
Pamela Des Barres: I’m With the Band
It was interesting to read these two in quick succession, as they are so similar in subject matter, and yet so different in tone. Angela Bowie’s account is quite bitter and all about point-scoring (perhaps understandably so, as Bowie’s super-stardom and drug-taking in the 1970s cannot have been easy to live with, although it sounds like Angela was keen to give as good as she got). She also sounds extremely self-centered and takes herself far too seriously. Meanwhile, Pamela comes across as very needy and rather silly at times, but also self-deprecating and humorous. Not the kind of life I would recommend as aspirational for young women: gain fame by being linked to famous people. The endless recitals of drug-taking and sex scenes become terribly dull and repetitive after a while, rather than titillating.
German:
Hilde Spiel: Ruckkehr nach Wien
French:
Martin Vidberg: Le Journal d’un remplacant – wise, wry and funny observations (in cartoon format) about life as a supply teacher at a school for children with special emotional needs.
Other:
Courtney Maum: I’m Having So Much Fun Here Without You
And my Crime Fiction Pick of the Month (a meme hosted by Kerrie over at Mysteries in Paradise) was a tough choice, as I enjoyed most of the crime I read this month very much. But in the end, I think the political thriller of Dominique Manotti wins out, as it taught me a lot of new things about the Red Brigades, Italian exiles in France and the pomposity of the French literary world. Besides, who can resist this gorgeous cover?
findingtimetowrite 