YvonneSharing my recent past, current, and immediate future, reading schedules; together with my most recent and upcoming reviews. All book titles have links to posts which share more information about both book and author.
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This weekly meme, hosted by MizB, over at ‘Should Be Reading’, is a snapshot of where I am at in my reading schedule. To play along, just answer the following three questions… • What are you currently reading? • What did you recently finish reading? • What do you think you’ll read next? As I probably won’t be able to contribute every week, I have taken the liberty of adding in a couple more What’s?, which came to mind.
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WHAT BOOK ARE YOU CURRENTLY READING?
‘The Clock Of Life’ by Nancy Klann-Moren
In the small town of Hadlee, Mississippi, during the 1980s, Jason Lee Rainey struggles to find his way amongst the old, steadfast Southern attitudes about race, while his friendship with a black boy, Samson Johnson, deepens. By way of stories from others, Jason Lee learns about his larger-than-life father, who was killed in Vietnam. He longs to become that sort of man, but doesn’t believe he has it in him.
In The Clock Of Life he learns lessons from the past, and the realities of inequality. He flourishes with the bond of friendship; endures the pain of senseless death; finds the courage to stand up for what he believes is right; and comes to realize he is his father’s son.
This story explores how two unsettling chapters in American history, the Civil Rights Movement and the Vietnam War, affect the fate of a family, a town, and two boyhood friends.
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WHAT BOOK DID YOU RECENTLY FINISH READING?
‘The Property Of A Gentleman’ by Catherine Gaskin
Shortly after her mother’s death in a Swiss plane crash, Jo Roswell is sent from the London auction house where she works to the remote and mysterious Thirlbeck – stately home of the Earl of Askew.
Jo’s task is to evaluate the house’s contents for a sale, but she soon finds herself drawn into the complex lives of Thirlbeck’s inhabitants, each with their own secrets and desires.
Jo is absorbed by the tragic story of The Spanish Lady, whose young life was cut short at Thirlbeck many centuries before. She also encounters La Española, the brilliant diamond which, according to legend, brings disaster to all who try to possess it. And she is shocked to learn of her own mother’s connection to Thirlbeck.
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WHAT BOOK DO YOU THINK YOU WILL READ NEXT?
‘St Bartholomew’s Man’ by Mary Delorme
Rahere, a humble young boy in 12th century England; not a good time to be an orphan. And yet he is in the right place at the right time. Raised and inspired by kindly monks, they arrange for him to be mentored musically by the countries’ finest. He learns well, playing at the court of King William Rufus.
Incurring the Kings wrath, Rahere disappears mysteriously one night. After years, he is found. Have the torture and beatings in Rochester Castle, reduced his resolve to create great things? Can he repay the monks for their unselfish support? Will a grand tour to Rome show him the way? How can his great dream be realised?
Rahere has better friends than he ever believed possible, but there is so much to overcome…
Subtle, moving, beautifully told, and based on all the real facts available, ‘St Bartholomew’s Man’ will take you in accurate period detail, to a time in the 12th century when life was brief and harsh. To the time a humble man, a mere court jester to King Henry 1st, yet a man with great vision was formed, who was to lay the groundwork to one of the worlds greatest institutions, hundreds of years ahead of it’s time … St Bartholomew’s Hospital
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WHAT WAS THE LAST BOOK YOU REVIEWED?
‘The Diabolist’ by Layton Green
In this gripping thriller, the bizarre murder of a Satanic priest in San Francisco draws Dominic Grey and Viktor Radek, private investigators of cults, to the scene. Witnesses claim a robed figure, seemingly able to appear and disappear at will, set fire to the priest. When the leader of another Satanic cult in Paris dies under similar circumstances, the case only grows stranger… and more dangerous.
Convinced that a charismatic New Age prophet is behind the murders, the investigators undergo a perilous journey into the world of the occult as they try to penetrate the prophet’s inner circle. From the catacombs of Paris to London’s nefarious East End, from the haunted walls of York to a monastic fortress in the Sicilian wilderness, the case plunges Viktor and Grey into a vortex of black magic, ancient heresies, and the dark corners of their own pasts.
The Diabolist is a chilling novel that not only pulsates with action and suspense, but also mines a trove of fascinating historical, philosophical, and paranormal research to probe some of our closest held beliefs. From the opening pages to the astonishing conclusion, this latest installment in one of today’s most original new thriller series is not to be missed.
Read My Review Here
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WHAT BOOK REVIEW ARE YOU WORKING ON NOW?
‘Dance The Moon Down’ by Robert Bartram
In 1910, no one believed there would ever be a war with Germany. Safe in her affluent middle-class life, the rumours held no significance for Victoria either. It was her father’s decision to enroll her at university that began to change all that. There she befriendes the rebellious and outspoken Beryl Whittaker, an emergent suffragette, but it is her love for Gerald Avery, a talented young poet from a neighbouring university that sets the seal on her future. After a clandestine romance, they marry in January 1914, but with the outbreak of the First World War, Gerald volunteeres but within months has gone missing in France. Convinced that he is still alive, Victoria’s initial attempts to discover what has become of him, implicate her in a murderous assault on Lord Kitchener resulting in her being interrogated as a spy, and later tempted to adultery. Now virtually destitute, Victoria is reduced to finding work as a common labourer on a run down farm, where she discovers a world of unimaginable ignorance and poverty. It is only her conviction that Gerald will some day return that sustains her through the dark days of hardship and privation as her life becomes a battle of faith against adversity.
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Stop by and leave a link to your own reading schedule, I can’t wait to visit and check them all out!
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Looking forward to your review of Dance The Moon Down. I so hope you decide to read ‘St Bartholomew’s Man’ next as I’m curious to find out more.
An extremely wet day here, I’m not looking forward to the ‘back end of the hurricane’ being forecast for the weekend. Do you think we have had our summer?
Hi Tracy,
As you seem to have quite eclectic tastes in your reading material, I would highly recommend that you try ‘Dance The Moon Down’ if you get the opportunity, I would like to think that you wouldn’t be disappointed.
I am not that far into ‘St Bartholomew’s Man’ yet, but it is shaping up into a thoughtful and engrossing semi biographical story, which I am so pleased I decided to include in my review list. Kelly has already finished reading her copy and it sounds as though she also enjoyed it, so hopefully her review and thoughts will swing it for you!
Despite one or two short, sharp showers, it has been a lovely week here in Somerset so far and in no way looks as though Summer is over, although temperatures down by a couple of degrees is making all the difference to how I feel! There seems to be two different and diverse forecasts around for the weekend ahead, so I am guessing that basically they don’t have a clue what is going to happen and are doing the usual trick of hedging their bets!
Have a good one, whatever the hurricane decides to do!
Yvonne, Tracy…..
I did enjoy St. Bartholomew’s Man very much, but don’t think it’s one I’ll review. Despite the fact it’s “my kind of book”, there were a few things that were a bit “off” for me. I don’t often say this, but the book could have been longer. I felt some of the characters could have been developed more and was bothered by a few of the abrupt jumps in time (passing years). Overall, though, I thought it was very good and I’m glad I discovered it here!
Hi Kelly,
Thanks for the feedback, I appreciate it.
Personally, I am rather enjoying the book so far, although I am not very far into the story percenatge wise, but do seem to have covered quite a bit of Rahere’s life already, so I am wondering where the rest of the book is going to take me!
Have a great weekend.
Dance the Moon Down sounds interesting and I’m definitely intrigued by The Property of a Gentleman. I’ll have to be on the lookout for both of them.
Hi Katherine,
‘The Property Of A Gentleman’, was originally written way back in the 1970s, when author Catherine Gaskin was busy fast building her reputation of being .. “The Queen of Storytellers” and “The Girl with the Golden Pen.” The slower pace of story building and the highly descriptive nature of the dialogue, are indicitive of the times and made a lovely change from todays much faster, pacier writing style. This is one I would highly recommend.
Thanks for stopping by, your visit and comment are both appreciated.
Dance the Moon Down sounds very good, so I look forward to your review. I’ll also be interested to know your thoughts on St. Bartholomew’s Man.
Here’s my wrap-up:
Finished: St. Bartholomew’s Man by Mary Delorme
Current: Deeply Odd by Dean Koontz
Next: (possibly) Sister by Rosamund Lupton
Last review: The Choiring of the Trees by Donald Harington
Next review: Enemies at Home by Lindsey Davis
Hi Kelly,
‘Dance The Moon Down’ was an excellent story, even more compassionate and emotional when you consider that it was written by a male author, in what is still considered to be a predominantly female dominated genre.
My reading is very slow right now, as is my reviewing schedule … There just seems to be so much else to try and focus on in my life, that even my beloved books are having to take something of a back seat.
I am not too far into ‘St Bartholomew’s Man’, but so far it is living up to the expectations I had of it and I look forward to reading your thoughts about it, should you decide on an official review!
I loved your very personal review of ‘The Choiring Of The Trees’ and ‘Sister’ sounds like a terrifying and highly charged story. Funnily enough, we had a copy of this donated into the charity shop, just the other day and I really wish now that I had payed more attention and bought it! Rosamund Lupton is very firmly on my reading list with ‘Sister’ and her latest book ‘Afterwards’, which sounds equally as disturbing!
Thanks for taking the time to share your wrap up
Looks like you’ve got some interesting reads going. I do look forward to your thoughts of Dance The Moon Down. That one and The Property of a Gentleman sound intriguing. Enjoy!
Hi Naida,
All of the books featured this time, are well worth the read and I really can’t choose between them, as they are so diverse and unique in their premises.
I am just starting on ‘St Batholomew’s Man’ and so far that is also shaping up nicely as a winning story!
Thanks for stopping by and have a good weekend.
The Catherine Gaskin story sounds really good Yvonne. I hope you enjoy The Clock of Life, it sounds like interesting subject matter for a story. Happy reading 🙂
Hi Lindsay,
It was nice to go back in time with the Catherine Gaskin story. Somehow the whole style of writing and language was so different then and I really did enjoy the change.
I know that racial tensions continue to play such an everyday part in the lives of so many people, however by the 1980s coloured racial tensions seemed to have played themselves out here in the UK, whilst in the more Southern States of the USA, things were obviously still in a much more fluid and transitional state, if ‘The Clock Of Life’ is to be believed. A good social commentary and some excellent characterisations, made this a great book.
Thanks for stopping by and enjoy the rest of your weekend.