Jousting gremlins and other stories

     There are gremlins in the lists! Picture mischievous creatures suitably armoured and caparisoned, lances at the ready, ladies' favours proudly worn. The reality is nothing as romantic or bizarre, just malfunctioning booklists. I've been trying to add things to the lists on the left and they are either not recognised at all or are being linked to the wrong site, which is frustrating. Meanwhile W.G. Sebald moved himself (the cheek of it!) back up to "Current Reading" from his proper "2008" position. I'll stand no nonsense from these writers, dead or alive, so I've removed him....

         

      However, gremlins apart, reading has been progressing. Finished a few days ago was Adele Geras's excellent Hester's Story, which I enjoyed greatly and which will get a post of its own soon.

         

     "Current Reading" is now the beautiful and unusual account of the creation of a garden, Katherine Swift's The Morville Hours. Described by Sir Roy Strong as "a magical and moving book"  and by Anna Pavord as "an intriguing...story of a place, a person and her plants", a hundred pages in I'm loving this, and can't wait to get back to it.

       

     Up next for review will be Alice Hoffman's The Third Angel. I read her Blackbird House a while ago, so I'll be keen to get on with her latest book which is set mainly in London and covers three generations of women and the years from the present to the 1950s.

      

     Then comes a bestselling author whose books I have never read. My introduction to Jodi Picoult will come through Change of Heart, which promises tough themes and moral dilemmas.

Comments

[Barbara]

I've read several of Jodi Picoult's books and have a couple more lined up waiting. I've blogged about how the books are formulaic and yet they are a jolly good read when you want something that will grab your attention. Normally I steer away from 'issues' books but I make an exception for these.

[adele geras]

I don't know the etiquette of being pleased that your book is going to appear on Cornflower, but I am very pleased indeed, so thank you!

It will also be very interesting to see what you think of Jodi P. I read My Sister's keeper when it came out and couldn't put it down. None of her others had quite the same punch as that first one and I have given up on a couple of them, but this one sounds good.

[Kelly]

Jodi Picoult lives right here in Hanover, NH. Her book 19 Minutes draws on the locale, apparently -haven't read it yet...

[Simon T]

All and sundry have told me I must read Jodi P...

And, Mr. Sebald, the insubordination!

[Fiberjoy]

My Sister's Keeper is definitely a keeper. This was be far the best of her books I've read. Overall she's not an author I actively seek.

[Lizzie]

I must get hold of a copy of The Morville Hours - the garden is literally down the road, and I have visited, some years ago now. It's a beautiful and very interesting garden, and Cornflower, the cakes on sale that day were to die for. Well maybe not, but you know what I mean. The book sounds yummy too.