Books of the Week

 It's going to take me awhile to get back into the groove of book blogging, as evidenced by the generic header for this post. 

Over a week ago I finished reading The Searcher by Tana French, the first book in the Cal Hooper series,  published in 2020. Cal Hooper, the former Chicago police officer and a newcomer to a small Irish village in the west of the country, is a wonderful, multi-dimensional character. I very much enjoyed the reading--it swept me away in a good way. But in many ways, it was a hard and sad story, despite the well-drawn characters. I do heartily recommend it, and the writing is brilliant. 

I listened to Snow in April, a short Rosamunde Pilcher novel. This easily could have been a much longer book, and I think it would have benefited greatly from the typically lengthy Pilcher treatment. I enjoyed every minute, especially the misadventure of siblings Caroline and Jody to Scotland. If you enjoy Pilcher, you will like this--It was published in 1972, and is an earlier book than many of hers that I have liked.  

I'm currently reading a historical novel by Beatriz Williams. Our Woman in Moscow has a dual timeline, and I don't feel it's effectively managed.  The chapters for each timeline do not dovetail well, and at times the entries seem pointless because they don't move the plot forward at all. A frustrating read, but I discovered all of this too late, so will plow through to the end. The setting's era is 1940-1952, and is set in Rome, Paris, New York, and Moscow. Twin sisters, each very different, but they, too, are not well-drawn. I just don't believe in them. Sigh. I've enjoyed others of Beatriz Williams's books, but this is not one of them. 

I have a new laptop computer and it will take me more time than I have right now to add images and links. I will be back!