It's been a good month of reading, helped I suppose by the fact that the weather has been half really nice and half really rainy. Reading on the patio once the sun has left the area where I have my chair, with a cup of coffee and the occasional biscuit on a plate is always good for my reading mojo. When the weather turns wet I can retreat into the lodge and sit in the cool ... with more coffee even closer at hand.
The first book that I read in July was this one. Not one of Jack's finest offerings I'm afraid, I really do think that her earlier books were so much better.
This book has been donated.
Alan bought me this book while we were on holiday in Thornthwaite, Cumbria earlier this Summer. We were in Booths buying some bits for our evening meal and they had a wonderful book selection there with lots of local authors, and James is from Cumbria. I rarely buy books, even new books at full price but Alan talked me into it ... you can imagine how easy that was. 😄
It is a wonderful book and a very special read, telling of his time spent on a remote Norwegian island with one of the last of the 'duck-ladies'. Helping build the duck houses, looking after the ducks and then harvesting the eider-down ... the traditional non-cruel way.
Nigel's review sums it up perfectly in just a few words.
Kept.
Upside Down Cooking by Dominic Franks
I actually treated myself to this as a pre-order to get a bit of a discount. I follow Dominic on Instagram now, I used to follow his blog way back in the day when we lived on our second smallholding and I had a HUGE collection of cookbooks. We shared random recipes from random books each month.
This novel approach to cooking is so unusual that I just have to try it out ... there is a sheet of ready rolled pastry in my fridge just waiting for me to spring into action.
It will be ... 'So Good'.
(If you know you know!!)
Kept.
This is an outstanding book and one that I was recommended to read and I'm glad that I did. It's brutal in places, with violence towards the writer graphically told, but overall the story is heart-warming as she comes to understand that her upbringing and lack of education can be changed. She takes small steps forwards rather than great strides but ultimately makes a great and very educated life for herself.
After reading the book I did some research on Tara and her family, it was very interesting.
This book has been donated.
Lifting the Latch by Sheila Stewart
I just could not get into this book at all, which really disappointed me. I gave it a good shot, but maybe because the last three books had been so good this one was a bit of a let down. I gave up just a quarter of the way through.
This book has been donated.
Another book that Alan bought for me, luckily it was half price at the garden centre because I didn't think very much of it. Her humour just wasn't mine and the foods although tasty looking just were not that special and occasionally over-complicated.
This book has been donated.
I am already into my first book of August, Raising Hare by Chloe Dalton and it is shaping up to be a very good read. So, I'm hoping for lots of sunny days on the patio, finding shade under the umbrella with copious mugs of coffee, and lots of time for reading in the month ahead.
Happy reading. 📚
Sue xx
I would just like to point out, that although I provide links to Amazon for all the books that I read each month, not all my books are bought from Amazon. If they are some of them were bought from the Used section rather than full price.
I share the links so that you can learn more about the books that I write about for yourself, or read reviews from others that have read them. Of course most of the books I talk about would also be available from your local library, and if you are very lucky you might even find them in charity or thrift shops.
There are so many ways to bring books into your home if you love reading. 📚
That upside-down cookery book looks fun; I'll look out for it. His recipes are intriguing. I've read Educated; it was a book club choice and gripping. Also Raising Hare, and now a friend has given me a proper copy (I read it on kindle) so I'll definitely reread.
ReplyDeleteIf you look for him on Instagram he's very good at sharing lots of the upside down recipes for free. 😀
DeleteI bought a Rebanks book in a CS a few weeks back for 50p. Now if only I knew where I put it! I must check out Dominic Feanjs, sounds intriguing
ReplyDeleteOh gosh that was a bargain, it only came out at the end of last year and this month in paperback. The upside-down recipes really grabbed by attention, I love watching him do them. 😄
DeleteJames Rebanks is the husband of Helen Rebanks, author of The Farmers Wife a book I know you have in your collection.
DeleteYes, that's how I first heard about him. I also have another of his books in the queue to be read. 😀
DeleteFRANKS. What is the matter with autocorrect lately?
ReplyDeleteHaha ... I guessed. My son sent me a text the other day telling me that he'd polished a car 'ready for Christmas'. I thought that's a bit early ... then I got another text telling me it was 'for Chris'. 😄😂
DeleteThe inventor of autocorrect died.
DeleteThe funnel will be held tomato.
~ skye
Haha ... that sums it up perfectly!!
DeleteOh crikey I often come unstuck when texting because of predictive text doing weird things! Technology and AI drive me NUTS!
ReplyDeleteI like the look of the Upside Down Cooking book. Must look out for that one, and the James Rebanks one sounds good. I'll check the library website I think. Thanks for the tips :)
Angie
They will both be great books to get from the library, I hope you enjoy them. xx
DeleteI read Educated many years ago (chazza shopped, of course!) and it lived with me for a long time afterwards. An incredible read. I'm currently ready Rory Stewart's Politics on the Edge, I'm already a fan of his travel writing but I'm absolutely transfixed by it, I never thought I'd find a book about a politican's memoirs quite so fasciniting, I don't want it to end! x
ReplyDeleteFascinating! Butterfingers!
DeleteIt's a very strong book isn't it, that's why I didn't feel the need to keep it. :-)
DeleteWhat with predictive text and butterfingers we're having a good day aren't we. ;-)
Deletelol As if I haven’t got a long enough list of books I want to read I'm always interested in what others are reading so often add to it ones recommended by bloggers.
ReplyDeleteI’ve just added Educated to that list…..and have discovered it’s in the library here so it could be read sometime soon.
I do hope you enjoy it if you can get hold of it. I am exactly the same with recommendations for books from people that I know and feel are like-minded souls.
DeleteThanks for the recommendations, I particularly like the look of The Place of Tides
ReplyDeleteAlison in Devon x
It is a brilliant book and definitely worth a read. His writing is so easy to sink into and it's an unusual subject.
DeleteI have read Educated twice and recommended it to others. I love reading about other people’s book choices for inspiration. Catriona
ReplyDeleteI didn't think that I would need to read it again, hence me donating it. It's the sort of book that really stays with you isn't it, depending of course what was going on in your life while you read it the first time. I've been known to almost surface read some books and then not retain them at all, maybe if I've read them when I've been out and about or on holiday for instance.
DeleteI've read Educated a really good book
ReplyDeleteIt really is isn't it. I'm glad so many of us have read and liked it.
DeleteI must look into the Educated book. It seems like one I could really get into.
ReplyDeleteGod bless.
I think it would suit you Jackie from things that you have said in the past. xx
DeleteI am so sad to read that you didn't get on with lifting the latch. It's told in his dialect, so it does take time to adapt to it, but it is a wonderful true account of a the simple life that many country people lived even in the first half of the 20th century.
ReplyDeletePerhaps that was a major part of it, but I just couldn't get into it at all. Hopefully, now that I have donated it someone else will have that chance.
Delete