What I read in August 2018 (Part 2)

H is for Hawk by Helen Macdonald is a book I borrowed from the library. I had seen a lot of posts about it on social media around the time it was published. Reading library books often means that I am behind the latest trends!

I found this prize-winning book well-written and very interesting. Apart from being autobiographical and about falconry, it is a book about grief and about TH White both as an author and a person. I read several of his books in my youth and have reread The Once and Future King as an adult. I liked some of his books very much, while others left me feeling that I had missed something. Learning about his struggles helped me to understand how his writing could vary so much.

Eye Can Write: A memoir of a child’s silent soul emerging by Jonathan Bryan

I was having a conversation with a small group of people, when one of them put a book into my hand without saying anything. I had heard of the book and thought I’d like to read it. It didn’t take long, because the print was a good size and the story was gripping. It is a truly inspirational book. I recommended it to hubby, who was more reluctant to read it because of the subject-matter. However, he is also finding it very interesting. Profits from the book go to a charity (Teach us too) to help youngsters with special needs to access a proper education. This book could be described as an antidote to Me Before You, which I wrote about in my previous post in this series.

Cousins by Salley Vickers is a book I found in the library. I have enjoyed other books by this author. I hadn’t heard about her latest titles. Strangely Cousins has some back-stories, which are similar to some in my own family. Also there are aspects of the story, which are not dissimilar to some other books I read recently. It was a good read. (I have read at least 6 of Salley Vickers’ books and am looking out for the ones I have missed.)

The Novel Habits of Happiness by Alexander McCall Smith was a book I bought second-hand at a coffee morning. Readers of this blog may remember that I have read many other books by this prolific author. I particularly like the Isabel Dalhousie series, to which this belongs. It is set in Edinburgh and I was part way through it when Hubby and I travelled to Edinburgh for a day. As I read the rest later, I could envisage some of the places where it was set. Recognising a place adds to the enjoyment in my opinion. It was a light-hearted read after some more serious books. As usual all the loose ends were tied up satisfactorily, while leaving scope for the story to continue unfolding.