What’s on my bookshelf: February

Thistles and Kiwis

So it is time again for a review of the month’s reading, a post to contribute to the what’s on your bookshelf challenge is hosted by fellow bloggers  Deb, Sue, Donna and Jo. The idea is to share what you’re reading, what you’ve enjoyed lately share – why they resonated with you, how they made you feel, who are your favourite authors and what you recommend.

First up, The Cartographers by Peng Shepherd. When I picked it up, I thought it was going to be a typical locked door mystery, but gosh it was a whole lot more. There are maps, hidden rooms and villages, a family mystery and a whole lot more. Even if you aren’t a fan of fantasy fiction, this will transport you to a whole world of what can be found, and hidden, in maps. I loved this book, highly recommend it and imagine this will be on my list of favourite books this year.

Next up is The Resemblance by Lauren Nossett. As the blurb says:

On a chilly November morning at the University of Georgia, a fraternity brother steps off a busy crosswalk and is struck dead by an oncoming car. More than a dozen witnesses all agree on two things: the driver looked identical to the victim, and he was smiling.

After confirming that a ‘crosswalk’ is a pedestrian crossing, I got really into this tale of blackmail, murder and the appalling rituals of fraternities. It is a good story, and quite gripping, but there were a couple of things that didn’t quite ring true. I won’t say what they are as it might spoil part of the plot in case you do pick it up. All I can say that I am glad all that sorority/fraternity stuff does not exist at Scottish universities!

So onto three books, very different from each other. This month’s re-read was a book of short stories by Alexei Sayle (who will be well known to some readers as a comedian and writer) Barcelona Plates, first published in 2000. These black comedy tales are quite fun, and may well not be to everyone’s taste, but they are well written and made a very welcome change from detective novels! Side note: I went to hear him do a reading from the book in Glasgow. He came across as such a nice person when I went up to get my copy signed. Never forgotten!

Recommended by Jo over at And Anyways… Everyone on this train is a suspect is amurder that takes place on the Ghan, the famous train that runs between Adelaide and Darwin. This is the second book by Stevenson (the first is Everyone In My Family Has Killed Someone), and is a fun book with larger than life characters and references to current and past works of fiction. I wish, though, I had read the other book first, as there were lots of references to the first plot.

So to Evelyn Anthony’s Tne Tamarind Seed, first published in 1971, and there are moments when it does feel a little dated. When I found a copy in a second hand book shop, I remembered the title and presume my mum must have had a copy lying about. It was made into a film in 1974 starring Omar Sheriff and Julie Andrews, an unlikely pairing but obviously stars at the time. Anyway, it is a a romantic spy thriller – if you can imagine such a thing. Think young British woman who falls in love with a Russian diplomat and how he manages to get asylum….all that in one, short book with lots of action and plot twists. I actually enjoyed it, and feel I should now watch the film but wonder how dated it will be.

I listen to podcasts a fair bit, but did manage one audio book, Elly Griffiths The Zig Zag Girl. This is the first of the series featuring DI Stephens and Max Mephisto. The book is set in Brighton in 1950, and starts with the body of a young woman cut in three which reminds Stephens of an old magic trick. If you like a decent mystery with a touch of magic then this book is for you.

Finally, another find in a second hand book shop, Elizabeth David’s Italian Food. First published in 1954 (the year rationing finally finished in the UK after WW2), the version I found is from 1987. It makes interesting reading, and worth remembering that when it was first published, many of the ingredients we now take for granted, were unavailable or hard to find outside of London. She even refers to courgettes (zucchini) as ‘little marrows’ (which of course they are). It is an interesting read rather than a book to cook from, and definitely one for those who have an interest in food and its background rather than an everyday recipe book.

So that is my most recent reading – what have you read recently? Here are my ratings using the scheme we use in the book club I am part of, items related to the book out of 5.

  • Peng Shepherd The Cartographers 5 maps
  • Lauren Nossett The Resemblance 4 students
  • Alexei Sayle Barcelona Plates 4 cars
  • Benjamin Stevenson Everyone on this train is a suspect 4 trains
  • Evelyn Anthony The Tamarind Seed 4 spies (because 3.5 spies doesn’t make sense!)
  • Elly Griffiths The Zig Zag Girl 3 magicians
  • Elizabeth David Italian Food too much of a classic to rate.

Thistles and Kiwis is a Wellington, New Zealand based blog written by Barbara, who likes cats, summer, good food and pretends to garden.

You can find Thistles and Kiwis on Facebook, and also on Instagram @thistlesandkiwis. If you want to get in touch, email me on thistlesandkiwis@gmail.com or lofgren@thistlesandkiwis.com

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Published by Thistles and Kiwis

Loves summer, sunshine and cats. Beginner gardener, likes eating, cooking and reading about food

39 Comments

  2. I need to read a lock room mystery for my book club challenge and had never heard that term before. I’m going to have to see if The Cartographers is available through our library; that sounds like a good one!

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    1. I think you would enjoy The Cartographers.

      BTW – I was most impressed with myself in a recent word puzzle that I knew that in the US ‘ascot’ is not a horse race (Royal Ascot) but what I would call a ‘cravat’ and was able to solve the clue!

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  4. I smiled at the Elizabeth David review – it reminded me of being asked by my O Level cookery teacher to bring in green and red peppers for the whole class because I lived near the only greengrocer she knew which sold them. This would have been early 1970s. I had never seen them before (my mother certainly would never have thought of buying them)!

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    1. I remember the rarity of peppers too – I am pretty sure you could only get green ones for a while, and as you say, they were hard to find. In fact, my mother claimed you couldn’t buy cauliflower in Scotland when she moved up there – but it was during the war!

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  5. How cooking (and the ingredients we use) has changed over the years. I looked at several recipe books published by charities for fund-raising today whilst sorting through donated books at the Hospice shop. Some date back to the 1960s while others are from the 1990s – even during that time span the offerings are very different and the choice of ingredients used much broader.

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    1. It really has. So much more variety is available and people are willing to try more things I think too. My father-in-law when he was alive wouldn’t eat rice as it was ‘foreign’ – but he did eat rice pudding so there was no logic there!

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  7. I have that Elizabeth David on my bookshelf but have never read it cover to cover – and must rectify that. Off to see if The Cartographers is in the library …

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  11. Hi Barbara I’m currently reading the first Benjamin Stevenson book now and it’s very entertaining. I’ll read the train one afterwards, good to know you thought you should have read the earlier one first! The cartographers sounds like a good puzzle. Thanks for joining us for WOYBS with your great reviews!

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  13. I recognised the font of the train one but was thinking it was the Richard Osman (?) books but then when you said the 1st book, yes of course it’s that. Funny what gets imprinted on your brain without you realising….and I vaguely remember the Tamarind seed. I might track down a copy (I must have seen the movie, not read the book) #WOYBS

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  14. Years ago I read a few of Evelyn Anthony’s books – The Tamarind Seeds was one of them but for the life of it I have no recollection of the storyline. Might be time to revisit her works. But I do remember The Brighton Mysteries (Stephen’s & Mephisto) a good series to read. 

    Cathy #WOMBS

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  16. …And now I want to go to book store! Wait…I did place an order for some new reads yesterday, I guess I’ll have to wait for those 🙂 I read the Tamarind seed a long time ago, as I remember it, it was a very good book.

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  17. I’ve just finished the sequel (or second in the series) to The Resemblance. I enjoyed it but didn’t love it.

    I’m a huge fan of Benjamin Stevenson’s series so I hope you get to read the first book. (And his other work.)

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  18. Gosh a couple of those books do look quite dated don’t they? I am going to see if I can get the Cartographers as I am attempting to the do the book challenge and need one about a locked room and your review of this one made it seem very interesting. Bernie

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  20. Looks like you’ve had quite the literary journey this month! It’s always fascinating to see how each book leaves its mark, whether it’s through gripping plot twists or nostalgic vibes. Keep those recommendations coming!

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