Winter Solstice

 What a week it has been... We started on Sunday with our annual (30th year, we think!) Open House when a huge selection of friends local and distant visit for drinks, a bite to eat and a lovely catch up!  It's such a lovely event I hope we can keep on doing this.  

Then - instead of a quiet build up to Christmas we have been to Belton House to see the Christmas lights - beautiful.  I took my newish camera and had a play around. 

Then had two lovely musical evenings - the first was The Albion Band at the Stables (MK) - a lovely gentle concert with lots of singing and joining in.  Then Raunds Community Music Festival had Jackie Oates and John Spiers at the Shared Church in Ringstead.  A lovely intimate venue that adds a perfect essence to the lovely fiddle and melodian playing we heard.  Then last night it was onto rehearsals for our DTs play next year.  Coming along nicely so far...

I decided to start a re-read of Lord of the Rings whilst I have some down time - the first time I have reopened it since I was blown away by it as a 17-18 year old.  Will it live up to my memories? I do so hope so...

Now I'm looking forward to a quiet-ish weekend - probably a mooch around somewhere we like and then off to eldest daughters for a family Christmas lunch!  Bliss. 

Seasons greetings to any readers... Back in 2024. 

Friends and music...

 A close friend has died - unexpectedly - and it is at times like these that you realise just how many things you did together, how you will miss them at other times and the person shaped hole they leave in your life. 

Sir Terry Pratchett was quite right - Do you not know that a man is not dead while his name is still spoken (from Going Postal) and No one is actually dead until the ripples they cause in the world die away…(from Reaper Man). Rest in peace my friend. 

With this friend we had a shared interest in music and the fact we have been to lots of things he would have enjoyed this last week means he has stayed front and centre in my thoughts. 

Lindisfarne at the Stables last week was amazing - a good solid set and completely sold out - we thoroughly enjoyed the evening, singing along to their hits.  The weekend we spent at the Malcolm Arnold Music Festival - a very underrated British composer.  The definite highlight of the festival was a brass band concert to kick off. Arnold was a trumpeter so knew very well how to write amazing pieces for a band.  The piece entitled Peterloo Overture with sounding brass and a myriad of percussion kept you front and centre of that violent overreaction by troops all those years ago. The Enderby Brass Band were fantastic and very talented. 

Now I'm looking forward to being transported to Northumberland tomorrow - Kathryn Tickell and The Darkening are at The Stables - always worth listening too. 

Murder, fantasy and a couple of fascinating events.

I read a huge number of children's and young people's books (sort of goes with the job) but since I have retired I have allowed myself a bit more of a free rein and actually pick up a number of books from our local book swap, charity shops and other secondhand outlets as well as buying new from independent booksellers.  Deanna Raybourn has a huge catalogue of books to her name - though they had completely by-passed me until I picked up Killers of a Certain Age ( Hodder & Stoughton 2022 ISBN 9781399713108).  Maybe the title appealed because I am 'a certain age' I'm not sure, but I found this a thoroughly enjoyable light read. Four retired assassins (all female) are on a luxury cruise when they discover someone is trying to assassinate them!  And the mayhem, killing and humour go from there - it may not be to everyone's taste but I spent a few enjoyable hours in its company. 

A night in the museum - well, the Natural History Museum in the Earth room - a spectacular setting for the launch of Katherine Rundell's Impossible Creatures. This is a fabulous read set in an archipelago where glorious but impossible creatures - like centaurs and griffins exist, but where they are fighting for their survival. Wonderful writing keeps you on the edge of your seats and makes you totally believe all these creatures do exist...  The launch was enhanced by Charles Dance reading from the first few chapters of the book - I would love to hear him read the whole book!  I can't wait for the next volume. 

The Klaus Flugge Award is a vital, high profile and thoroughly enjoyable annual event rewarding the most promising and exciting newcomer to children's picture book illustration.  This year Mariajo Illustrajo won for the innovative and empathetic book Flooded (Frances Lincoln Books).  Do get a copy if you haven't already seen it!

 

A bit of a hiatus...

Well, I have really ignored this for some time - apologies to anyone who was following it. I will most definitely try to do better - I still read a huge amount of both children's and adult books across many genres but with a definite leaning to fantasy, crime, illustrated books and some old favourites. 

I get lots of suggestions for new reading from other blogs, reviews etc. but especially from a delightful journal called Slightly Foxed which suggests titles I may never have considered.  The reviews in SF are many and varied, and the arrival of the quarterly issues are usually a time of anticipation and discovery!  See if you can get hold of a copy - it's stocked in larger branches of Waterstones and other independent bookshops. Or check out their blogs and podcasts. 

I also do short reviews and ratings of most of my reading on Goodreads - perhaps worth a look...

So - the sun is out, and I am away to find a shady spot in the garden to finish my latest read - perhaps I'll write about it here later.

Busy times

Hmm, been very busy reading and rereading for the Branford Boase award - great fun and you can see the short list here - www.branfordboaseaward.org.uk. It's a really strong short list and can't wait for the announcement of the winner in July! Judging an award - any award - is great because you get the chance to discuss books with other like minded individuals - i.e. real readers, and it's often about books you might not otherwise have read because they hadn't come across your desk or been picked up in the library.

But there's also the pleasure of reading what you like best - and I have finished one long series from a favourite author - Garth Nix's 'Keys to the Kingdom'. Lord Sunday was a fitting finale to the mayhem and battle that has troubled the house, though I was not surprised that our hero ended up as the Architect at the end of the book - though his answer to how to still live on Earth too was novel. Fantasy of a superior sort!

Then there was a new series from well established pair Paul Stewart and Chris Riddell. Wyrmeweald: Returners Wealth is the first novel set in a new world where man (the two skins) both protect and prey on the variety of wyrmes that live in this harsh and unforgiving landscape. Gripping and involving - this should be the start of another successful series from these two.

Now I must finish this post as I am reading Larsson's Millennium trilogy - and the middle of book two is calling to me!

Mr Golightly's Holiday

This is a simple tale - you think- of a slightly unworldly man who has obviously suffered some tragedy in the past associated with his family - who decides to take a holiday in Great Calne on Dartmoor. The story follows him as he gets to know the village, it's characters and its politics and settles himself into his new temporary home. Throughout the whole of his holiday Mr G seems to be getting odd, short email messages - unsigned and untraceable - are they sinister or a joke played on him by someone from the office?

Whilst he is In Great Calne he thinks he may rewrite his book (his great work) in a new and novel modern way and employs a young man - who appears to be from a very disadvantaged background - as his researcher on the internet. This is the story of the repercussions of small coincidences, meetings and interactions and the impact they have on the everyday lives of the village occupants.

The sudden realisation half way through the book of the significance and importance of Mr Golightly was a shock to the system in this very enjoyable, very readable and recommended tale.

Sequels, sequels

Hmm - two such dissimilar sequels could not be imagined but both work on their own terms.

Following on from well loved authors must be a nightmare in many respects but both of these authors have been chosen by the executors - so at least they are 'approved' in some sense.

Eoin Colfer has been recognised for his wonderful humour in many of his children's books - especially the Artemis Fowl series (read them if you haven't already), so it shouldn't have been too much of a surprise when he was suggested as the author to follow Douglas Adams and write a sequel to HHGTTG. And Another Thing follows straight on from the last of Douglas' books and offers a fun and fanciful chapter in the plot to exterminate the Earth by the Vogons. I'd like to know more about Constant Mown - and his dilemma - hope there's more to come. If you have enjoyed Douglas, Tom Holt or Pratchett try this as a holiday read - you wont be disappointed. Knowing Douglas in his University days I imagine he would approve too...

Return to the Hundred Acre Wood by David Benedictus is also a success - Christopher Robin returns from school to new adventures with Pooh and Piglet - a delight, especially with the coloured illustrations by Mark Burgess (Shepherd's illustrations colourist). Rabbit is the most eminently sensible soul, Tigger dreams of Africa and Pooh can't help being growly - he is a bear after all! Children will love this as much as our well loved originals.