Posted in Weekly Posts

This Week In Books (January 13)

Posted on by cleopatralovesbooks

This Week In Books

Hosted by Lypsyy Lost & Found my Wednesday post gives you a taste of what I am reading this week. A similar meme is run by Taking on a World of Words

Alongside the TBR Reduction plan I am making an effort to read some of the older items that are lurking on it – these are usually in kindle format so I have started The Siren by Alison Bruce which was purchased on 29 July 2012 soon after I read the first in this series featuring DC Goodhew, Cambridge Blue. The choice was also prompted by the fact that I have the sixth in the series, The Promise, from NetGalley to read soon!

The Siren

Blurb

All it took was one small item on the regional news for Kimberly Guyver and Rachel Golinski to know that their old life was catching up with them. They wondered how they’d been naïve enough to think it wouldn’t. They hoped they still had a chance to leave it behind – just one more time – but within hours, Rachel’s home is burning and Kimberly’s young son, Riley, is missing.
DC Goodhew begins to sift through their lives, and starts to uncover an unsettling picture of deceit, murder and accelerating danger. Kimberly seems distraught but also defensive and uncooperative. Is it fear and mistrust of the police which are putting her son at risk, or darker motivations?
With Riley’s life in peril, Goodhew needs Kimberly to make choices, but she has to understand, the one thing she cannot afford is another mistake. Amazon

So that’s the something old, now for the something new…

I have just finished The Things We Keep by Sally Hepworth

The Things We Keep

See yesterday’s post for the synopsis and a taster from this book

And next I’m going to read one from ‘I should have read this ages ago’ pile; Burial Rites by Hannah Kent

Buriel Rites

Blurb

A brilliant literary debut, inspired by a true story: the final days of a young woman accused of murder in Iceland in 1829.
Set against Iceland’s stark landscape, Hannah Kent brings to vivid life the story of Agnes, who, charged with the brutal murder of her former master, is sent to an isolated farm to await execution.
Horrified at the prospect of housing a convicted murderer, the family at first avoids Agnes. Only Tóti, a priest Agnes has mysteriously chosen to be her spiritual guardian, seeks to understand her. But as Agnes’s death looms, the farmer’s wife and their daughters learn there is another side to the sensational story they’ve heard.
Riveting and rich with lyricism, BURIAL RITES evokes a dramatic existence in a distant time and place, and asks the question, how can one woman hope to endure when her life depends upon the stories told by others? Amazon

What are you reading this week? Please leave your links in the comments section below

Author:

A book lover who clearly has issues as obsessed with crime despite leading a respectable life

63 thoughts on “This Week In Books (January 13)”

  3. I just finished reading Elizabeth Gilbert’s inspiration non fiction latest, Big Magic, Creative Living Beyond Fear which was full of lots of interesting inisghts, anecdotes and quotes and now I am reading a Canadian novel called February by Lisa Moore, historical fiction, set around the sinking of an oil rig in Newfoundland.

    Like

    Reply

  4. I read the Hepworth book which though dealing with an emotional topic was very “readable”. Burial Rites though I did finish it was very somber, very heavy and the overtones of sadness were too much for me. It was throughout the book. I felt that the writing and descriptiveness of the weather was brilliant though. You could feel that awful weather being part of the “heaviness” you felt throughout the book.

    Like

    Reply

  6. I think I also have Burial Rites buried somewhere in the depths of my TBR pile, so high time I retrieved it.
    I really like Gary Goodhew and have been following the series (just finished The Promise a few days ago), so enjoy the Alison Bruce. But then I am partial to a little Cambridge setting.
    I was about to start reading The Turning Tide by the call girl formerly known as Belle du Jour (a thriller rather than a memoir, this one promises to be), but last night a friend of mine showed up with a book they had promised to lend me a long time ago, so I’ll have to read that first: Christos Tsiolkas’ Dead Europe.

    Like

    Reply

    1. Those TBRs hide a treasure trove don’t they? I am enjoying The Siren, it’s just a shame I’m going to miss a few in the series now to read the latest one – the trouble with my kindle purchases is I forgot I had a lot of them (until my super spreadsheet)
      I didn’t know Belle du Jour had written a thriller – interesting!

      Like

      Reply

  7. I hope you enjoy Burial Rites as much as I did. I’m reading Atul Gawande’s sobering Being Mortal and Penelope Fitzgerald’s The Bookshop which I feel I should have read years ago.

    Like

    Reply

    1. I spend as long faffing about choosing books to read as I do reading them sometimes! This year I’ve decided that at least one book a month must be one that has been hanging around for more than two years (there are a few to choose from) because that way at least I might remember why I chose them in the first place and another from within the last two years.

      Liked by 1 person

      Reply

  11. I was considering starting at the oldest book on my TBR as well, and working through… except then I read the sample for the oldest one and felt it wasn’t enough to fully make a decision, so I sort of put it on hold and the whole plan fell apart before I even got started.

    Burial Rites sounds really interesting. Hope you enjoy it!

    Here’s my post this week: https://keysandopenmind.wordpress.com/2016/01/13/www-and-wippet-wednesday-13-january-2016/

    Like

    Reply

    1. That sounds like one of my plans! I’m aiming to work through the books that have been hanging around for more than two years – just one a month and one bought in the last couple so this month the two choices ended up together…

      Like

      Reply

  14. Oh, these do look great, Cleo! And it’s very nice to know that I’m not the only one who has books that have been lurking on the TBR for a while. Looking forward to your reviews!

    Like

    Reply

    1. I used to always read them in order but since blogging it has gone awry partly because I don’t like reading a series of books back to back and what happened was I forgot I owned The Siren until I listed all my books for my TBR count. I still remembered how much I’d enjoyed the first in the series though…

      Like

      Reply

  17. I have the first book in the Goodhew series, Cambridge Blue, on my Kindle and need to read it. I also have Burial Rites. I can remember that one was quite the talk a while back. And I also have a copy of The Things We Keep. Can you see why I’m trying to read what I already own? LOL

    Enjoy, Cleo!!

    Like

    Reply

    1. I really enjoyed Cambridge Blue and it stayed in my mind but I actually didn’t realise I had The Siren on my kindle until I listed all my books for the TBR count – I’ve got high hopes for Burial Rites – I’m with you trying to read some of my own books this year.

      Like

      Reply

  18. My book club read Burial Rites last year, and it was one of our favorites! The book is beautiful, and we had a fantastic discussion too. I hope you enjoy it! I’m about to start The Things We Keep, which sounds amazing. Have a great week!

    Like

    Reply

  22. I probably will get a copy of The Things We Keep later this year, the storyline sounds really interesting, sad but interesting.
    I am in the middle of Atonement, I should be done with it before the weekend, it’s a great read. Next is Nabokov’s Lolita.

    Like

    Reply

  26. I’m almost envious of the fact that you’re reading Burial Rites for the first time! (I think this form of envy is something only book lovers can understand!). It is a truly amazing book and I count it as one of the best books I e ever read. Ever. But of course, I don’t want to build it up too much for you… Lets reconvene when you’re done!

    Like

    Reply

  30. I was reading Burial Rites, got distracted, so it was left aside, and the pharmacist and manager of Boots mentioned she’d been recommended it, so I said, I’ll lend you it, as I lend the assistants in there books all the time. It must be about four months ago and now, after reading Nightblind, I really want it back. I’m going to have to say, How are you getting on with Burial Rites, or something?! I hate things like this -especially as I now want to read it! I’m such a woose!

    Like

    Reply

  31. Burial Rites is lurking on my kindle too. I bought it on spur of the moment and then couldn’t remember why I wanted it. You just reminded me it was because it sounds a good story.

    Like

    Reply

Leave a reply to Margot Kinberg Cancel reply

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.