A Big Wide World of Books

Yes Morag, we are all fading a bit. But news to tell is that Kevin MacNeil, author of The Stornoway Way, joined our book group session last night, and we had a most convivial session discussing literature local, Hebridean, Central European and worldwide. He's up here for a month doing a Writing Residency for Shetland Arts, and was very impressed with some of the stuff he's seen from local authors. We think someone still needs to write the Great Modern Shetland Novel.
Next project for the book group is translated Polish, Czech and Hungarian fiction, which might be more intellectual than some of the stuff I've been reading of late.
Have read some interesting stuff though, including The Prizewinner of Defiance, Ohio, which is a memoir of a family which survived on the mother's competition wins in 1950s USA. Charming book. Also read something a bit different - a crime book set in North Korea. It's The Corpse in the Koryo by James Church. A bit confusing but an interesting depiction of life in that country. And a nice book of poems by Sophie Hannah: Pessimism for Beginners. And Shetland Saga - a play I'd never heard of before, based round that time when the Bulgarian klondyer crew were stranded here for months.

Finally, I'd like to send international greetings to the book group at Crawford County Library, Michigan, USA, who we were delighted to hear follow our blog! Now we know someone's reading it, we shall be encouraged to write more.

Where is everybody??

Here I am,feeling very guilty because I have not contributed to the blog for some weeks now,and I discover that there has only been one other posting since my last one. Come on guys,share your reading experiences with me,especially since I am yet again having to miss the Book group meeting in favour of my belly-dancing class,but I will be along at the end,if only to sample Aileen's amazing Guinness cake!
Well,I finally finished my e-book,althuogh by the final chapter the reader's voice was beginning to annoy me to a point where I just wanted it to END!!! Mental note -next time I choose a talking book, make sure I can endure the reader's voice for 12 hours!!
Anyway,I'm back with a real book -Madness of a Seduced Woman -second time round and every bit as good as when I first read it all those years ago. If you're stuck for a really brilliant book,this is the one to choose.

Travel books

I seem to be having the same problem with travel books as I have with biographies, ie losing interest half way through and giving up. There just isn't the same amount of suspense as with fiction. I tried reading Round Ireland with a Fridge by Tony Hawks, which was funny but after a while I just stopped caring if he got round Ireland with a fridge or not. Think I will try Dervla Murpy's Full Tilt next and see if I get on any better.

I will really need to have another go with the biographies as well at some point.

Clash of interests

I must say I am fairly miffed that the bookgroup now seems to have permanently moved to Tuesdays,which is no use to me because it clashes with my nightclass! However,I will keep reading according to the chosen themes and hopefully I'll get back to the group later in the year.
The biography I was going to recommend was Pamela Stephenson's "Billy" and for travel I would go with any of the Bill Brysons as I loved them all and would re-read if I didn't have so many other things to get through.
I borrowed my first e-book a couple of weeks ago,so I listen to it while doing all that boring stuff around the house. Won't say what the book is till I finish it,but yes,once again I'm reading,or rather,listening to crime. Not sure if I'm going to become a fan of talking books,as you can't just flick back a few pages to check stuff like you can with a "real"book! Anyway,I'll write more on it when I finish it,which should be this weekend.

History and biography

We've just got a book into the Library called 'Get off your Arse and Lose Some Weight' which is the kind of thing I should be reading!
But I'm reading about explorer and writer Freya Stark for the group's biography phase - she seems like an impressive woman and the history of the Middle East that it involves is interesting too. Baghdad was a beautiful and important city until the Mongol hordes invaded, and it's been pretty much downhill ever since, it seems.

New Year reading

Well I started the New Year with the proof copy of Ann Cleeves new book and finished it last night and all I can say is wow!,what a brilliant book. I won't give anything away,but this was a really good read with a well-paced,exciting storyline. Well done Ann,yet again. I'm glad it's only fiction though,otherwise I might be getting a bit wary now about lone hillwalking,especially around the cliffs!!
Anyway,it's back to the self-help/life improvement books for January -am currently reading one on how vinegar,honey and garlic can improve virtually every aspect of your life! As well as handy tips for cleaning your household appliances and making your hair shiny,there are also some amazing recipes. I made a casserole last night involving all three ingredients which came really good - big thumbs up from the whole family. But the flavour may have been down to the bottle of red wine I added!
Oh, and I'm starting on Peter Kay's book tomorrow,as my chosen biography for the Book Group.
Hope it's as funny as everyone says.

Happy New Year

Happy Newerdy to fellow book groupies not to mention the millions around the world who read this blog! Thank goodness we've turned the corner of the long dark days. Things can only get better. Not read anything earth shattering lately though I have ploughed through a few books just to keep suicidal thoughts at bay. One was Library Confidential by Don Borchett - claims to tell the full story of life in a (Californian) library. ("Puts the Shhh in Shocking!") Though he's an amusing writer at times it has to be said that he reveals himself as just another library nerd as he spends more time describing their system for e.g. overdues or donated books than he does on anything vaguely shocking. For fellow library anoraks it is interesting to see just how similar the whole library experience is round the world. We - and any library I guess - could supply our own tales of 'gangstas, geeks and oddballs' to rival his, should we dare break confidences. It's ultimately quite an affectionate book too.
Have also been treated to an advance copy of Ann Cleeves' White Nights, her second in the Shetland... quadrilogy?! (series of 4 anyway) and it's really pretty good. It's rapidly changing hands round the office and I still harbour hopes that ITV will buy the TV rights and we'll wipe the floor with Bergerac.