Well, time seems to have flown by since I wrote my first entry back in January - since then, I've read another 17 books and listened to 5 on Audible and had a fabulous holiday visiting southern Africa: a helicopter flight over Victoria Falls in Zambia, wildlife safari in Chobe National Park, Botswana and a number of day trips from Cape Town in South Africa.
I'm really loving the Audible experience especially when I'm still in bed first thing in the morning - I just pop the headphones in and lie back to enjoy being read to by an expert. Call me lazy if you like but it's a really mellow way to start the day and I'm quickly becoming a bit of an addict! And it's the audio books that have been the highlight of the year so far in terms of pace and narrative:
The Map of Salt and Stars by Jennifer Zeynab Joukhadar
A beautifully crafted story of Noor, who is uprooted from her New York home after the death of her father to go and live in Homs, Syria just as the Civil War begins. Each chapter is interwoven with the story of Rawiya who disguises herself as a boy and joins renowned mapmaker, El Adrissi on his journey through the Middle East and North Africa in the Middle Ages. Noor's journey mirrors that of Rawiya as the family leaves Syria to find a place of safety after their home is destroyed by the bombs. Written in the voices of the two girls at the heart of the story this is both a tale of adventure and a moving account of the life of a refugee.
A Darker Domain by Val McDermid
When Di Karen Pirie is asked to investigate a 20 year old missing person case alongside a kidnap gone wrong from the same time in her role as Chief of the Cold Case Unit, she has to balance the demands of each. But what is the connection between Missing miner, Mick Prentice and Cat Grant, killed during the a shoot-out at the handover of the ransom payment? A cleverly worked plot with fully developed and believable characters - a cracking good read with a satisfying conclusion.
Entry Island by Peter May
Sime McKenzie is sent to Entry Island in the St Lawrence River to investigate the murder of a prominent businessman and has the strong feeling that he's met widow and prime suspect, Kirsty Callow before but this is not possible. Memories from his family's past, recorded in a series of diaries begin to resurface in Sime's dreams providing an intriguing historical backdrop to the story and gradually they help to shed light on the mystery. Engaging characters and a plot skillfully woven with the story of the highland clearances in the 19th Century, this novel combines two of my favourite genres: crime and historical fiction making it a great read (or in this case, listen).
I have read a couple of pretty good books, too - more of that next time but I'm off to continue reading The Thirst (Harry Hole #11), by celebrated writer and seriously sexy Norwegian, Jo Nesbo - 100 and odd pages in and shaping up very nicely.
