Where has September gone? It seems to me to have gone in the blink of an eye and so much has happened within in it.
Six books, which I consider pretty good going as I have been back at work and also had a number of days sick, with some sort of bug which limited my reading rather and all I could cope with was awful television programmes and films, of which I dozed through a great many.
It was because of the bug that I was unable to finish and post about Mary Stewart – Rose Cottage* for the Mary Stewart Reading Week hosted by Gudrun’s Tights. I will of course review the book and it will be added to the list, albeit a little late. This was my third Stewart book and I really enjoyed it.
Marika Cobbold – Frozen Music was the second novel I have read by this author. It was very much different from Drowning Rose but was a very thought provoking novel. Marika writes with such prose and atmosphere that I really felt in Sweden. I am going to try another of her novels to experience some more of her writing.
2014 and this blog has certainly been about the author Vanessa Greene – as I have read all her books. Her latest The Seafront Tea Rooms* is released on 9th October. I can say it is a brilliant book and I devoured it within 24 hours. It focuses on that wonderful institution of tea and even more importantly afternoon tea. One of my most favourite things! I am slightly bereft now as I will have to wait ages for her next one.
Talking of tea Trisha Ashley – A Piece of Cake* this was a short diversion and perhaps not the most delicious of cake but still, it filled a gap!
Two new authors to me came in the form of Stephanie Lam – The Mysterious Affair at Castaway House* I was fickle and fell in love with the cover of this book and the dual narrative was an interesting one, from not the normal chosen decades, present and the war years but from the twenties and sixties. Castaway House was a mystery and one I hope many others get to read.
The choice for my book club was Jojo Moyes – The One Plus One* an author I have seen and heard of, but read nothing. I have no idea why, as I really enjoyed this book. It made me want to cry and laugh in equal measure and although being perhaps a bit too long it was a jolly good read.
Other exciting news was my lunch with the author Lucinda Riley. I have yet to tell you all about that and share the photos and the lovely other bloggers that I met there as well. It has been overshadowed by me falling ill and not feeling like doing much.
Just when I thought I might have gained some momentum in returning to normality – I had my broadband upgraded. Which has resulted in no phone line and no broadband. Apparently it is a minimum of 6 days to fix and it is probably my fault and I will have to pay £100+ to sort it out. All I had to do was unplug one hub and plug in the new one. I was rather forthright on the telephone, when I eventually got through and said this was unacceptable and that the customer service was very patronising, in fact when I thanked them for being patronising – I got told ‘you’re welcome, we aim to please’. Needless to say I really don’t think they understood what I meant, all the way over in India.
It just means I have not caught up many of your blogs, I will do once I am back up and running or if I am visiting my parents, so I have not disappeared just sort of in limbo!
*Review yet to appear on blog
The Book Jotter 