Category: Events

Nonfiction November: Week 1 – My year in nonfiction

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November is always a very busy time in the book blogging calendar and one of the many reading events taking place is Nonfiction November – which actually begins today, while we’re still in October, because of the way the dates fall this year.

Nonfiction has never formed a big part of my reading, but I find that taking part in this event helps me to focus on the few nonfiction books I’ve read and the many I would like to read, so it’s still worth trying to join in, I think! Each week throughout November, one of the challenge hosts (there are five) will post a different topic for us to discuss. I doubt I’ll have time to post every week, but the first topic is an easy one:

Week 1 – Your Year in Nonfiction: Celebrate your year of nonfiction. What books have you read? What were your favorites? Have you had a favorite topic? Is there a topic you want to read about more? What are you hoping to get out of participating in Nonfiction November?
(Hosted by Heather of Based on a True Story)

I’ve read even less nonfiction than usual this year, which is disappointing, although in my defence I’ve also been reading Rebecca West’s very long travelogue, Black Lamb and Grey Falcon, throughout the year in addition to the books listed below:

The Black Count by Tom Reiss – A biography of General Thomas-Alexandre Dumas, father of the French author Alexandre Dumas.

The Angel Makers by Patti McCracken – A book about a group of female serial killers in a Hungarian village who murdered over a hundred men between 1914 and 1929.

Eighteen: A History of Britain in 18 Young Lives by Alice Loxton – A fascinating look at eighteen historical figures, with a focus on how their first eighteen years shaped the rest of their lives.

Most of the nonfiction I tend to read is biography, history or true crime, so I haven’t been very adventurous this year! I enjoyed all of these books, though, particularly Eighteen and The Angel Makers.

This November I’m planning to read another true crime book, The Peepshow by Kate Summerscale.

Do you like to read nonfiction? Will you be joining in with Nonfiction November this year?

#1970Club – Some previous reviews

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1970 Club, hosted by Stuck in a Book and Kaggsy’s Bookish Ramblings, starts on Monday and we will all be reading and writing about books published in that year. It seems to have been another great year for publishing – I have previously read and reviewed six books on my blog and thought I would list them before the week begins. If you haven’t decided what to read yet, maybe you can find some inspiration here!

Fifth Business by Robertson Davies – The first book in Davies’ Deptford Trilogy. This one is set in a small Canadian town and follows the sequence of events triggered by the innocent act of a boy throwing a snowball. I still haven’t read the other two books.

Charity Girl by Georgette Heyer – There’s usually a Georgette Heyer novel suitable for the club, no matter what year it is! This one from 1970 is not one of my favourites, but I still enjoyed it – Heyer is almost always fun to read.

The Crystal Cave by Mary Stewart – As a fan of Stewart’s romantic suspense novels I wasn’t sure if I would like her Arthurian books, but I actually found them equally enjoyable. This is the first of her three novels about Merlin and I loved all of them.

Ibiza Surprise by Dorothy Dunnett – Dunnett is better known for her historical novels, which I love, but she also wrote a series of contemporary mysteries featuring portrait painter Johnson Johnson and his yacht, Dolly. This one, as the title suggests, is set in Ibiza.

The Embroidered Sunset by Joan Aiken – This is an entertaining modern thriller with a plot that isn’t to be taken too seriously! It also has an ending that took me completely by surprise.

The Child from the Sea by Elizabeth Goudge – I love Elizabeth Goudge and this was the first of her books I read. It tells the story of Lucy Walter, a mistress of King Charles II, and is beautifully written, with some lovely descriptions of Wales.

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Have you read any of these books? What else have you read published in 1970 – and will you be taking part in 1970 Club next week?

#1937Club – Some previous reads

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1937 Club, hosted by Stuck in a Book and Kaggsy’s Bookish Ramblings, starts on Monday and we will all be reading and writing about books published in that year. It seems to have been another great year for publishing – I have previously read and reviewed nine 1937 books on my blog and thought I would list them here before the week begins. If you haven’t decided what to read yet and are looking for some last minute ideas I can recommend most of these!

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Death on the Nile by Agatha Christie – One of several Christie books published in 1937 and one of her most famous Poirot mysteries, set on a cruise along the Nile.

The Nutmeg Tree by Margery Sharp – The first Sharp novel I read and enjoyed, with a heroine I loved.

The Road to Wigan Pier by George Orwell – Orwell’s fascinating non-fiction book about the living conditions of working class people in the North of England.

An Infamous Army by Georgette Heyer – Not one of my favourite Heyer novels due to the long descriptions of the Battle of Waterloo. I’ll be reviewing her other 1937 book next week.

Dumb Witness by Agatha Christie – Another Poirot mystery, starring an adorable dog! Also in 1937 there was a collection of short stories, Murder in the Mews.

Under the Hog by Patrick Carleton – A great novel about Richard III – surprisingly sympathetic for its time!

Hamlet, Revenge! by Michael Innes – This Inspector Appleby mystery is set in a country house during an amateur production of Hamlet.

Wolf Among Wolves by Hans Fallada – A long novel set in Germany during the Weimar Republic (I read an English translation by Philip Owens).

Alas, Poor Lady by Rachel Ferguson – Published by Persephone, this is an interesting novel exploring the employment opportunities (or lack of them) for women from wealthy families who find themselves in need of work.

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Have you read any of these? Which other 1937 books have you read – and will you be taking part in the club next week?

#1962Club – Some previous reads

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1962 Club, hosted by Simon of Stuck in a Book and Karen of Kaggsy’s Bookish Ramblings, starts on Monday and we will all be reading and writing about books published in that year. It seems to have been another great year for publishing – I have previously read and reviewed six 1962 books on my blog and thought I would list them here before the week begins. If you’re looking for some last-minute ideas I can recommend all of these!

The Mirror Crack’d from Side to Side by Agatha Christie – There always seems to be at least one Christie option for every club year! In this one, Miss Marple investigates a poisoning during a party hosted by a famous actress.

The Bull from the Sea by Mary Renault – The sequel to The King Must Die, but would probably work as a standalone. The two books retell the Greek myth of Theseus.

Something Wicked This Way Comes by Ray Bradbury – A wonderfully eerie and atmospheric story in which a very unusual carnival arrives in Green Town, Illinois.

Devil Water by Anya Seton – A fascinating historical novel set in Northumberland and Virginia during the time of the Jacobite Rebellions of 1715 and 1745.

We Have Always Lived in the Castle by Shirley Jackson – A strange, unsettling novel about two sisters living in an isolated house with a tragic past.

The Moonspinners by Mary Stewart – One of my favourite Mary Stewart suspense novels, with a beautiful Greek island setting!

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Have you read any books published in 1962? Will you be joining in with 1962 Club?

20 Books of Summer – 2023

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20 Books of Summer, hosted by Cathy at 746 Books, is a very simple idea: make a list of twenty books (there are also ten and fifteen book options) and read them during the months of June, July and August. However, it’s not as simple as it sounds and despite taking part for the last six years, I’ve never been able to complete it! I usually do read twenty books during that period, but not necessarily the books on my list – although last year I came very close and managed to read nineteen of them.

This year’s 20 Books of Summer starts on Thursday 1st June and finishes on Friday 1st September. I have listed below the books I would like to read:

NetGalley books
1. The Graces by Siobhan MacGowan
2. The Witching Tide by Margaret Meyer
3. Disobedient by Elizabeth Fremantle
4. Fair Rosaline by Natasha Solomons
5. Learned by Heart by Emma Donoghue
6. A Lady’s Guide to Scandal by Sophie Irwin

Read Christie 2023
7. Death Comes as the End by Agatha Christie

Classics Club
8. Strangers on a Train by Patricia Highsmith
9. Fire from Heaven by Mary Renault
10. The New Magdalen by Wilkie Collins

Reading the Meow at Literary Potpourri
11. The Cat Saw Murder by Dolores Hitchens

‘Summer’ books
12. The Summer Tree by Guy Gavriel Kay
13. A Song for Summer by Eva Ibbotson

Others
14. The House with the Golden Door by Elodie Harper
15. The Ionian Mission by Patrick O’Brian
16. The Embroidered Sunset by Joan Aiken
17. Throne of Jade by Naomi Novik
18. Wonder Cruise by Ursula Bloom
19. The Reckoning by Sharon Penman
20. Atlas: The Story of Pa Salt by Lucinda Riley and Harry Whittaker

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Have you read any of these? Which do you think I should read first? And are you taking part in 20 Books of Summer this year?

#1940Club – Some previous reads

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1940 Club, hosted by Simon of Stuck in a Book and Karen of Kaggsy’s Bookish Ramblings, starts on Monday and we will all be reading and writing about books published in that year. It seems to have been a particularly great year for publishing – I have previously read and reviewed ten 1940 books on my blog and thought I would list them here before the week begins. If you’re looking for some last-minute ideas I can recommend most of these!

Sad Cypress by Agatha Christie – This is one of two Christie novels published in 1940. One, Two, Buckle My Shoe, which I haven’t read yet, is the other.

Miss Hargreaves by Frank Baker – An entertaining and imaginative read (and one of club co-host Simon’s favourites).

The Winter is Past by Noel Streatfeild – One of Streatfeild’s novels for adults, set during the winter of 1939-40.

The Strangers in the House by Georges Simenon – This is one of Simenon’s standalone romans durs or ‘hard novels’.

Black Plumes by Margery Allingham – A standalone crime novel set in and around a London art gallery.

The Man in the Moonlight by Helen McCloy – The second book in McCloy’s Dr Basil Willing mystery series.

There Came Both Mist and Snow by Michael Innes – The first of two books published in 1940, both from Innes’ Inspector Appleby crime series.

Verdict of Twelve by Raymond Postgate – This was one of the first British Library Crime Classics I read and still one of my favourites.

The Corinthian by Georgette Heyer – There are also two Heyer novels published in 1940, this one (which is great fun) and The Spanish Bride.

The Secret Vanguard by Michael Innes – Another Inspector Appleby novel, but more of a spy thriller than a mystery this time.

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Have you read any books published in 1940? Will you be joining in with 1940 Club?

Nonfiction November Week 4: Stranger than Fiction

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I haven’t managed to take part in all of the weekly posts for this year’s Nonfiction November, but I particularly wanted to join in with this one – an intriguing new topic for 2021.

Week 4: (November 22-26) – Stranger Than Fiction with Christopher at Plucked from the Stacks: This week we’re focusing on all the great nonfiction books that *almost* don’t seem real. A sports biography involving overcoming massive obstacles, a profile on a bizarre scam, a look into the natural wonders in our world—basically, if it makes your jaw drop, you can highlight it for this week’s topic.

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One book came to mind as soon as I saw this week’s topic…

The Dead Duke, His Secret Wife and the Missing Corpse by Piu Marie Eatwell

Here’s what it’s about:

In The Dead Duke, His Secret Wife and The Missing Corpse, Piu Marie Eatwell gives a thoroughly researched account of one of the most bizarre legal cases of the Victorian and Edwardian eras. In 1897, Anna Maria Druce approached the courts to request the exhumation of her father-in-law’s grave. She sensationally claimed that her father-in-law, T.C. Druce, was actually the 5th Duke of Portland and had been leading a double life until deciding to kill off his alter ego. Druce had faked his own death, she said, and if his coffin was opened it would be found to be empty. This would leave Anna Maria’s son as the true heir to the Portland fortune. This was only the beginning of a fascinating legal battle that would continue for years, attracting a huge amount of media attention and capturing the imaginations of the public.

And here are my thoughts, taken from my review originally posted in 2015:

With tales of secret wives and illegitimate children, fraud and forgery, stolen evidence and unreliable witnesses, lies and deception and double identities, this could have been the storyline of a Wilkie Collins or Mary Elizabeth Braddon novel (and Eatwell does draw some parallels with the lives and works of these authors and others). As a fan of Victorian sensation novels, it’s not surprising that I enjoyed this book so much.

I particularly loved reading about the eccentric lifestyle of the 5th Duke of Portland. Becoming increasingly reclusive in his later years, he rarely went out in daylight and constructed a labyrinth of underground tunnels beneath his estate. He often wore six coats at the same time, had a large collection of wigs and only ate in the mornings and evenings. His alleged alter ego, T.C. Druce, who ran a London department store, was said to have some similar habits, which added some support to the theory that the two men were one and the same.

I was impressed with the huge amount of research the author must have carried out while she was writing this book, drawing on newspaper articles, letters, photographs, census records and other documents to build up a full and balanced picture of the case. Every time a new character is introduced we are given details of their family history, personal background, appearance and personality, all of which helps to bring them to life rather than being just names on the page. Further notes are provided at the back of the book, along with a list of primary and secondary sources.

In the final three chapters, set in 2013, Piu Marie Eatwell describes some of the new evidence she was able to discover during her investigations and her enthusiasm for the subject really shines through here. It must have been a fascinating book to research and it was certainly a fascinating book to read!

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Have you read this book – or any other non-fiction books that are ‘stranger than fiction’?