Reading Challenge – End of Summer Update

I haven’t completed the Reading Challenge, yet but I’m nearly there. It doesn’t mean I haven’t been  reading but the dozen or so books I have read aren’t on the list. So I am manipulating the original.  http://lyndakirby.com/books-i-have-read-from-my-summer-reading-list/  

I started the Reading Challenge and read two books within the week. Since, I have slowed down and only those shown in red are finished, and the remainder have been started. I am near the end of Derren Brown and am enjoying the language. No dumbing down and keeping it simple Derren. I am also near the end of Mr Penumbra’s 24 hour book store which is a most unusal story. The Baskerville novel is hard going and the Julia Strachy is only on the first chapter. With the latter, I find the language difficult which is the same reason I dropped the PD James. 

Reading Challenge List 

A Room with a View EM Forster
On the Road Jack Kerouac 
Replaced by Death Comes to Pemberley PD James 
Next Person you Meet in Heaven Mitch Albom
Ghost Light Joseph O’Connor   Deferred
Cheerful Weather for the Wedding Julia Strachey 
The Return of Mr Campion: 13 collected stories Margery Allingham  
Mr Penumbra’s 24-Hour Bookstore Robin Sloan
Confessions of a Conjuror Derren Brown
The Unpleasantness at Baskerville Hall Chris Dolley
Death at Hungerford Stairs J C Briggs
Miss Pink Investigates Gwen Moffat (Three book set)
Rod Rod Stewart’s Autobiography
David Jason My Life
A Hopeless Murder Daniel Carson

Books Read

Miss Melinda Pink is an outdoors woman and a Director of an outdoor centre in the mountains of Wales. The plot is clever and the clues are sprinkled about for the catching but not easy to spot. It’s one of those stories when information is uncovered and you remember the point made earlier in the tale. This is Book One and, initially, I was confused about the era. It has an old-fashioned feel but the setting is modern day. I look forward to reading book two and discovering how it develops and if my view changes. 

Anyhow, those people who know me, know I am not a great music lover. I do not have any means of listening to music in my house. Go on, I’m weird. Heard it all before but I’m not unfamiliar with it and have an eclectic knowledge. So, I know Rod Stewart and some of his songs. One could not miss them or him over the years. I bought the book for a friend who is a great Rod Stewart fan. When it arrived, as you do, I flipped to the opening pages and was hooked. I agree with all the comments: self-depracating humour; honest; one of the lads; a man you can have a drink with in a pub. I can’t approve of some of his behaviour but I like the man portrayed. He’s not averse to admitting to love his women, his family, his children and his grandchildren. What!! Grandchildren. Time flies with the crow. It was a great read. I laughed aloud. https://www.amazon.com/Rod-Autobiography-Stewart-ebook/dp/B008AX1IPA/ref=sr_1_1?crid=3UGTM8WU4ZPQ3&keywords=rod+stewart+autobiography&qid=1567031004&s=digital-text&sprefix=Rod+Stewart%2Cdigital-text%2C262&sr=1-1

I went on to read David Jason’s autobiography. He is five years older than Rod Stewart but they both started their stories complaining about Hitler trying to kill them.  Both lads were brought up in working class London with a strong work ethic and business savvy. For David Jason to give up a full time job to chance making a go of acting was a huge step. But he made it. Starting in Am Dram and reps he made a name for himself as a physical comedian, able to throw himself around, and fall about. Immediately, I thought of the great scene from an episode of Only Fools and Horses when Del Boy leans on a pub counter and falls through the open hatch. I still laugh. Learning he had a soft landing does nothing to spoil the joke. https://www.amazon.co.uk/David-Jason-My-Life-ebook/dp/B00COMWJD8/ref=sr_1_18?_encoding=UTF8&keywords=Rod%3A+The+Autobiography&qid=1567031091&s=digital-text&smid=A1G3UP32AZJ14F&sr=1-18

The final story is a Cosy mystery which I thoroughly enjoyed. The characters were excellent, diverse, amusing, maddening and the plot roller bladed along with no stupid episodes or antics to transition from one scene to another. This is one of a series. The writer says he is planning on twenty books and if it goes well another ten. I’m up for that if they are as enjoyable as the first one. 

I will finish  the remaining books over the next week or so. 

Happy reading!