I’m having
a reading binge. Just allowing myself
read and enjoy and to an extent leave the housework for another day.
I have very
eclectic taste in reading. I have my
favourite genres, but I’ll give anything a try.
The Essex Serpent by Sarah Perry
I was on holiday in the UK just after this book was released back in 2016 and was intrigued. I quickly added it to my wish list, where it stayed for a good while. A post on social media brought it back into my thoughts and I treated myself. I was excited to get started and become engrossed into a good book. I didn’t find it an easy read. In the beginning, I found myself having to concentrate and even then, flip back and forth to make head or tail of the characters and story line. Although, once I got into the book, I started enjoying it a bit more. The book is set in London and Essex in the 1890s. Cora Seaborne is a widow, to an extend the death of her husband has freed her to be herself. The cast of characters is wonderful, and I found myself wanting to get to know Cora as well as her son, Luke her friend the Doctor and Martha her companion. Leaving London for Essex we meet Will Ransome, local vicar and his family. They reside in the somewhat spooky town of Aldwinter which is shrouded in mystery and suspicion. Tales of a winged serpent abound. Mysterious happenings are attributed to this beast which inhabits the marshes. There are many underlying themes in this book – science, medicine and surgery, woman’s rights, politics and of course, fantasy. Is the serpent real or a scientific phenomenon or something more ordinary? I enjoyed the book, but it didn’t have me gripped and I must admit that I almost abandoned it once. If you haven’t read it you will find it here.Coming Home to Winter Island – Jo Thomas
After reading a ‘heavy book’ I needed something light. As I scrolled through my tbr (to be read) Kindle library I was looking for something fun, an easy read. I started reading Coming Home to Winter Island when I hopped into bed, and by the next evening I had consumed it all. Like a greedy girl with a box of chocolates I read and read. I fell in love with the quirky characters and was consciously willing everything to turn out right. I was transported to a remote Scottish island and found myself examining some real issues around dementia and lifetime decisions, but in such a wonderful way. The characters are wonderfully written, and I found myself actively willing our heroine to dump that man! It is a light and wonderful read – perfect for a rainy day. I was honestly sad when it ended and started googling to see what else Jo Thomas had written. And then came the wonderful surprise. I knew the author. Years ago, I worked in Spiddal and met a great Mom and her three children. We chatted often as she came into my shop. I knew she was a writer, and although I am sorry it took me ten years to find Jo Thomas’s books, the good part is there are quite a few books I have now read and more in my tbr pile! Do yourself a favour and look up Jo Thomas – I have since read a good few of her books including her latest release Escape to the French Farmhouse, which I will review soon. Happy reading. Kerry x
