I read a lot - this is news to no-one. Or if it is, then you perhaps don’t think you know me very well. This year’s author has definitely been Isherwood. I’ve dabbled with a bit with Capote in the spring, but really it Isherwood has been my man. I love delving into an author’s catalogue and seeing what range of stories they can tell, which characters sneak in over and over and where they like to go. I often find that the popular perception of an author isn’t quite what I find them to be. Isherwood is so much more than the Berlin Novels - and they’re certainly not my favourites.
But it isn’t Christopher that I’ve come to write about today. Herr Ishywoo is currently sat on my shelf waiting for me to finish Huxley’s After Many A Summer - certainly interesting, but with a bit too much philosophical posturing to wade through in places - and I haven’t finished that because I downloaded King of Scars by Leigh Bardugo to read on my ipad when we went camping. If Isherwood is like a nice G&T, Bardugo is proving to be more akin to crack cocaine. I cannot stop reading. And then when I do stop reading, I start thinking about when I can next snatch a few minutes to dive back in. I haven't quite stopped feeding the children dinner, or going to work, but I have done a lot of sneaking off while the kids aren't looking to get a five minute hit of the dramatical magical hijinks.
I watched the Netflix adaptation of the first novel in the Grisha trilogy Shadow and Bone and didn’t want to wait to find out what happened next - that trilogy was read in about eight days and I had to make myself stop before I pressed buy on the next set of books. I do love a good bit of fantasy adventure, but it’s been a while since I last went there. I am so happily there at the moment though. The writing style might not be quite so convincing as Mr Isherwood and some of the characters might be a little clumsy, but that doesn’t even a bit stop me. The stories are ace. So if you’re looking for something to dive into and possibly not then be able to escape from - the Grishaverse is my current recommendation. If you need to actually go to bed on time - then perhaps not. I’ve missed out the middle set of books by accident - so if you can’t find me anytime soon, then I’ll probably be gallivanting around with the Crows - anyone coming too?