Sunday, January 16, 2011

New #1

To save you the scrolling... up to nine books for the year and a new #1: Major Pettigrew's Last Stand - Helen Simonson. Here's why: Wonderful portrait of English village life with all its petty biases, plus a sharper undercurrent of racism. A beautiful story of love in the older generation, and it's funny too! The best thing, though, and the element that really made this story sing for me, was the strength of characters.

5 comments:

Sarah Laurenson said...

You've read 9 books so far this year? Huh. I'm impressed.

Sarah Laurenson said...

I think I see your method now. 3 books you've read and liked so far. Yes?

McKoala said...

Yes, read nine, really enjoyed three.* Not a bad success rate. Hope it continues!

*That doesn't mean all the others were appalling (although one was!), but that I wouldn't bother recommending them to anyone else!

Stevie Carroll said...

I loved Major Pettigrew.

Robin B. said...

I've been doing a load of reading this year, too. Not so much new stuff as going back and revisiting favorite mysteries and thrillers - winter comfort food that I love.

Since I can't really dig in with the writing until later in February - other than my first chapters and character sketches, scenes, lines, etc that are piling up because I'm itiching to finsih this novel - I'm doing my due diligence instead. It's been gratifying, reconnecting with old friends.