What book are you reading atm?? CHAPTER TWO

Snap by Brenda Bauer. A crime novel that was a bit different. I found it hard to get into but then I really enjoyed it as it went along. A mother leaves her three children in the car when she breaks down on the motorway, to find a phone (pre mobile days), but doesn’t come back. This obviously causes huge trauma for the family as they descend into a chaotic lifestyle. But the eldest boy is determined to find out what happened and who murdered their mother.

Creation Lake by Rachel Kushner. A strange book. It was interesting but seemed to just skirt around the story didn’t really get into it fully, I thought. A lot of stuff about Neanderthal man and Bruno living in a cave, strange. Her back story would have been interesting and she touched on that a bit. Overall I enjoyed it, especially the setting in Southern France.

Read it last year, the sequels sound great too.

Man in the high castle by Philip K Dick.

Alternative history based in a world ruled by the Axis powers who triumphed in world war 2.

I read it and the sequel this year. Both great reads. I found the sequel better, well worth a read. Might get the first 2 next.

They are prequels.

I imagine when McMurtry was writing Lonesome Dove and you would get bits where the men would talk about their days as Texas Rangers it must have put into his head the idea that it would be good to cover that aspect of their lives.

I know when I was reading Lonesome Dove I was thinking I bet the story of their younger years would be a great to read, it was a real tease when reading Lonesome Dove, so glad McMurtry decided to write about that aswell.

The Missing Ones by Patricia Gibney

This is the debut novel of Irish crime fiction writer Patricia Gibney and introduces us to Lottie Parker, a detective in the Gardai.

This novel centers around a Church cover up of horrific abuse and murder of children placed into St. Angela's institution. It's a very good read and I look forward to reading more by an Irish author in the crime fiction genre.

Murder at Gulls Nest by Jess Kidd.

A straightforward whodunnit, but the twist was the person who wants to solve it is an ex nun from Mayo, though it’s set in an English boarding house just after WW2. A good read and the first in a series with this character, Nora Breen.

Heads You Win - Jeffery Archer.

I had read some of his books years ok and found them quite good but really struggled with this. The plot was dull and the whole narrative poorly written and cliche ridden. When one of the characters says ‘I‘m from Ireland . . . to be sure’ it set the tone for the rest of the story and should have been my cue to give up unfortunately I didn’t. I don’t think I’ll read any of his again.

Gone The Next - Ben Rehder

The story of a child abduction the was the first in his Roy Ballard series. The wisecracks were a bit flat for me and naming the streets as he was driving was a bit irrelevant. Not for me but others may like it.

The SS Terra Nova: 1884-1943 by Michael C Tarver

A bit of boring read as it is really just about the boat in terms of who owned it, who captained it, her various roles as a whaler, sealer, and polar exploration ship. Was hoping for more on thr polar exploration side.

My Life by Marc Chagall

Autobiography of the early years of the artist giving insights into his inspirations - basically his colourful jewish family and neighbours in Belarus.