It's a rainy day in Grey. Not terribly cold. But the clocks went back an hour last night and the kitties don't recognize 'fall back'. They weren't terrible, though. Up at 6:30 a.m. (which is really 7:30). Still, it wasn't light out yet.
November 1, 2020 is just the kind of day to tuck up and read. So I'll give some suggestions from the Harris-Wilson-Wilson-Harris library.
We are huge Bill Bryson fans around here. We've read a lot of his books. Probably not all, because I think he cranks them out faster than we can consume them.
This one's pretty funny - like all of them. Bryson has a quirky, self-deprecating sense of humour that shines in his prose.
This one's about his real-life adventure taking on the Appalachian Trail. It's the longest hiking trail in the U.S., clocking in at 2,200 miles (or so, no one is quite sure about its length). When he can't find anyone to make the trip with him, an old acquaintance from decades before volunteers. A wheezing, overweight guy who had an aversion to exercise and a love for greasy fast food. Imagine the antics that ensue as they make their way through 14 states - with all the snow, wind, rain and river-fording that it involves. It's a hoot, and they've made a movie out of it starring Nick Nolte and Robert Redford.
I bought this one at the library book sale pre-pandemic (like I don't have enough). But it was for a good cause. Basically the librarian said, just give us what you can afford and pick out as many books as you need. Gotta love small town charity.
So I ponied up $20 and picked 4 books. Bargain, eh? I'm a big fan of the Scottish crime writer Val McDermid who can write a ripper of a novel. The Last Temptation is a thriller about this bent dude who has a real grudge against psychologists. As in, he goes on a killing spree to try and rid the world of them.
It's dark. It's scary. It's not for the faint of heart. But it's cool. And the way she builds the mystery and the suspense is a sight to behold. I love the fact that she has named her sub-genre Tartan Noir. It fits.
Finally, one of my very favourite authors, Louise Penny, has outdone herself with "All the Devils are Here".
Just finished it yesterday and I have to say it was extremely satisfying. It's set in Paris and you feel like you're walking the streets with Armand and Reine and the rest. She reunites the Gamache family, subjects them to a terrifying plot that could affect products and places around the world, and puts them in real, life-threatening danger. Fun, eh?
Actually, it's expertly crafted and Penny shows her journalistic chops by weaving very possible facts with her fiction. If you want a true page turner, this is your book.
Now, it's time to rummage through the shelves and rustle up another. Having done all my housework yesterday, I can really relax. Yay. Until next week.
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