Despite plans to make reading a daily habit, I’ve only recently managed to start working my way through a mammoth pile of books – mostly fiction. Having finally completed Roddy Doyle’s Paddy Clarke Ha, Ha, Ha, I quickly ploughed through his Woman Who Walked into Doors. I enjoyed both for very different reasons. Paddy Clarke was hard going simply because it was one long yarn but certainly reminiscent of my school days in lots of ways. While I say I enjoyed it, it was more of a challenge to read it as it wasn’t a book I would have chosen voluntarily.
The latter was an excellent portrait of a lone woman’s fight to rid herself of an abusive husband. Not for the faint-hearted, Doyle paints an excellent picture of a brutal, but sometimes humorous existence. If you’ve not read any of his works before I think this is a good place to start.
Next on the reading list is Kate Mosse’s Winter Ghosts. Again this is not a read because the theme of the book caught my eye, but because I’ve read and thoroughly enjoyed both Labyrinth and Sepulchre. Mosse has a great aptitude for enveloping the reader in the world she’s created – OK it’s the aim of hundreds of writers but it’s amazing how many fail. This book is not on the same scale as Labyrinth or Sepulchre but set in similar mysterious surroundings. Looking forward to finishing it this week.
deilibri 