Hello dear reader. I hope you've had a lovely week. These last few weeks have been a bit of a daze for me. I started a new job which has taken up a lot of time, so I haven't done as much reading as I would have liked. Nevertheless, there are still some nuggets in this month's missive.
Read on for details of a complicated memoir, some intriguing crime fiction and the scariest children's book I've ever read.
One. Priestdaddy by Patricia Lockwood
This memoir from poet and novelist Patricia Lockwood is like getting a window into her brain. And there's a lot going on in there. Her dad became a Catholic priest, despite being a married father of 3, by finding a loophole in the rules. So Lockwood grew up around the church, with all its oddness and sometimes darkness. The catalyst for the memoir is her and her husband moving back in with her parents, because of health issues they can't afford to live on their own. So the book then is her in the present, writing, and in constant dialogue with her childhood memories. It's fascinating and hilarious and dark in places. Definitely unlike any other memoir I've read. On the other hand, for me it didn't touch the greatness of her semi-autobiographical novel 'no one is talking about this'.
How I read it: at home in my lunch break
Two. The daughter of time by Josephine Tey
Having almost exhausted the works of Dorothy Sayers I tried out a different early 20th century female crime writer. In this novel, a police detective with an eye for faces who is on bed rest decides to explore the evidence surrounding Richard III. Did he really kill the princes in the tower? I know nothing of the history, beyond having seen the Shakespeare play once, so I can't tell you whether her arguments are sound, but it was very entertaining to read, and a fun spin on the crime novel.
How I read it: on the way to and from seeing Beyonce. I think I was probably the only one
Three. The sports gene by David Epstein
I'm a David Epstein fan I think. I have read one of his other books, Range, which talks about the power of the generalist (of which I am one so that probably explains why I liked it), and I also subscribe to his newsletter, Range Widely, which has interesting thoughts and interviews from a wide array of people. One of his main interests is sport, and in this, his first book, he tries to identify whether there is a sports gene, aka could you genetically engineer the perfect sports person? The answer seems to be, yes, but it depends what sport you want, and if they don't like practicing then it's pointless. To get there he explores some interesting avenues, and meets a lot of people and shares some fascinating stories. He started his career as a journalist and he has a great way of reeling you in to the rhythm of each chapter as well as explaining the more science-y bits in an easy to understand way.
How I read it: it was my commuting book for a couple of weeks
Four. The dark is rising by Susan Cooper
This is supposed to be a children's book. I can tell you now, I would not have been able to handle it as a kid! It is so scary! There's also a recent Radio 4 adaptation which is equally as terrifying. It's the tale of Will, who is turning 11, and on the eve of his birthday strange things start to happen. The ravens are circling, an odd man is hanging around his village and then the snow starts to fall... It was incredibly atmospheric, and full of jeopardy. Even though it's a children's book (or maybe more young adult), and I was pretty sure that would mean everything would be alright in the end, I still wasn't completely sure it would be, you know?
How I read it: it started as my bedtime read and I had to give that up pretty quickly
Book of the month: I think I would have to go for The Dark is Rising, which has stuck in my head so completely that I need to read the next one.
Thanks for sticking with me, as always I would love to hear what you're reading. Just got reply to let me know.