Friday, June 20, 2014

Swansea's answer to ...

For my #100happydays photo challenge today I've used a photo of my two current library books. Libraries make me very happy!

But what is particularly interesting about these two books is the blurb on the cover.

Jacqueline Winspear's is described by Associated Press as 'The British counterpart to Alexander McCall Smith's The No. 1 Ladies' Detective Agency,' while the Spectator is more specific when they say James Runcie is 'Grantchester's answer to Alexander McCall Smith.'

I'll let you know what I think when I've read them but maybe that's where I'm going wrong in the marketing in of my books. I should get someone to describe me as Swansea's answer A McM S. It could change my life.

Quick reviews of other books I've read recently:
The White Princess by Philippa Gregory - continuing the Cousins' War series, quite good but drags on a bit for the last third of the book;
Lamb, the gospel according to Biff, Jesus' childhood friend by Christopher Moore - hilarious;
Love from both sides (can't remember author), - only read a few pages because just too crude;
The birds of the air by Alice Thomas Ellis - ditto but because too literary and descriptive for my late night reading;
A married man by Catherine Alliott - good yarn by one of my favourite romcom authors - you get what you expect.

One of my favourite bits in Lamb is where Biff is helping Jesus plan the sermon on the mount and, in particular, the beatitudes. Having decided to give the meek the kingdom of heaven the first suggestion for the persecuted is 'a basket of fruit?'

1 comment:

Trubes said...

Quite an eclectic assortment of reading there Liz, I re read your book whilst on holiday in Anglesey recently. Ian asked me what I was chuckling about but I told him he wouldn't understand...'girls stuff'.
I've written about our holiday in Wales on my blog, I've been experimenting with my new camera.... with some quite good results (she said modestly)..take a peek, if you so wish.
Hope you yours and dear George are well and enjoying the lovely weather,
love di..xx