Turning Pages

For the rest of this year, my first blog-post of each month will be devoted to the novel I will be reading that month. I've joined The Year In Books and you can find out more about it (if you aren't already taking part) by popping over to Laura's blog Circle of Pine Trees, and joining the group. You can go the whole hog and do all the technical stuff, or just register your intention. I did finally manage to get the 'button' onto my blog - it is a bit tortuous for a technophobe like me!

I'm a little late joining, so here I'm reviewing January's book which I read without actually being part of the group. I'm sure that you, like me already read more than one book a month! I did re-read a couple of old favourites in January, I've always got one on the go, and I have been re-reading Anne Granger's 'Mitchell and Markby' series; I finished 'Flowers for his Funeral' and 'Where Old Bones Lie'. They aren't heavy, just a jolly good read if you like English detective fiction .... more updated Christie than anything too modern. As you can clearly see, these books have been read more than once!

The new book which I read was a Christmas present from Jim. Elly Griffith's fifth book in her "Ruth Galloway' series, "Dying Fall". Elly writes about Ruth, a forensic archeologist working at the University of North Norfolk, who unwittingly becomes involved in a series of murders, a very married, bluff Northern detective working in King's Lynn, and a cast of truly original and fascinating characters. Ruth lives with her baby daughter in a cottage on a windswept isolated spot on the North Norfolk coast; however this book takes her up to Lancashire to find out more about the death of her old University -pal,Dan, a lecturer at the Uni up there. Dan contacted her out of the blue excited that he had made an astoundingly important archeological discovery, and fearful that his life may be in danger.

The story unfolds with many a fascinating twist, more bodies , and the unexpected close encounter with  Ruth's ex-lover, Detective Chief Inspector Harry Nelson, father of Ruth's daughter. Well written, very enjoyable, though this was my least favourite novel by Griffiths as it takes Ruth Galloway far from her stamping ground in Norfolk; I found I missed being able to place the characters in an environment I am very familiar with, recognising the places and roads travelled. That's not to say it isn't a good book - just that I enjoyed it less than the others. It hasn't stopped me ordering her next one when it is released.

SO, my Book for February. I must be one of the last people to discover A Game of Thrones! My friend Katy bought and read ALL the books, and watched the serial on Sky Tv long before it was on general release here. I borrowed the first book in the series,  written by George R. R. Martin, A Game of Thrones, but fell at the first hurdle. It is a big book, which wouldn't normally deter me, but I took one look at the list of characters and quailed - there were hundreds of them, and I thought I would be incapable of sorting the four Houses out, and which character belonged to which. And so I gave up after half a chapter, and never bothered watching the series when A Game of Thrones fever hit the UK. However, some face book chatting  sparked my interest, and I decided to purchase the first two books in Kindle form, and here I am, ready to go! I'll let you know next month how I got on. My photograph, at the very top, is of the DVD cover, as I bought the kindle editions, and treated myself to the first two seasons on DVD. I look forward to reading the choices of those of you who have signed up.