An October apple crop opposite a friend’s house.

TV and films

Wheel of Time Season 2***** Amazon Prime.I hope they continue for the originally planned 8 seasons since I can’t see how they could finish the story in the currently committed three. So far from the books that I’m getting confused but it’s still splendid. The locations and costumes are superb and the story, though confusing at times, is intriguing. Sometimes when you know the book that isn’t the case, but here they’ve tweaked just enough to retain interest in what happens next.

Amazing Railway Adventures with Nick Knowles: Romania***** Ch 5. The presenter brings a really personal touch to his travel stories and visits some iconic places. I particularly liked this episode with Dracula’s castle, but all the series is worth watching.

The Tape ***** YouTube. We rewatched this delightful romance set in Cornwall. The director and the lead actors are friends which is why we watched it initially but it was really good.

Books

Highly recommended

Disrupted Engagement by Nicky James (V&D)***** I think this series just gets better and better. The character development is superb, and the cases that accompany the romance are nicely complex and always solved. However, I understand from her newsletter that the next volume will not have any police work in it which is a shame, even though I love the characters and will be interested in their wedding planning.

Equinox by Eli Easton and RJ Scott**** Another mystery for the sheriff and the man he is beginning to care for, this time involving wolves. Great follow-up to Solstice.

The Village Healer’s Book of Cures by Jennifer Sherman Roberts***** Excellent historical with paranormal elements and an unexpected (m/f) romance. Based around Matthew Hopkins, the Witchfinder.

Lightning Strike Blues by Gayleen Froese ***** Refreshing take on superhero theme. Hints of a happy ending for Gabe though there is no in-book romance. This was an ARC and I have reviewed it in more detail elsewhere.

Recommended

I followed Twist in the Tale on RJ Scott’s website, which had various authors writing short stories on the Halloween theme. I didn’t read them all – I tend to back away from horror, and from stories set in series I’m not familiar with, but enjoyed those I did read. There’s something for everyone but I think she’s taking the series down at the end of November so hurry! I must recommend: Heart-shaped Box by Suki Fleet.**** The story is exciting. It references and uses minor characters from Foxes but you don’t need to have read that.

Home Improvement by Tara Lain**** Basically just a nice romance but mixed with rock star problems of fame which made it interesting.

Morning Report by Sue Brown.**** A nice mix of angst and romance for ranchers Luke and Simon. Sue’s stories are mostly UK based so a ‘western’ series is a new treat. Hunted Mate by Sue Brown**** An excellent first book in what promises to be an interesting series, providing safety for shifters on Sapphire Ranch which, whilst set in America and on a ranch is not particularly ‘western’. The focus in on the shifters who are in danger and their human mates.  I intend to follow the series.

Alec by Kaje Harper**** This is an exciting romance/thriller in the Single Dads of Gaynor Beach series by various authors. I might try some of the others. The Rebuilding Year by Kaje Harper**** Why did I think I’d already read this? Great story with a lot of excitement though I could have done without the fire which is a personal trigger and not a criticism.

The Long Game by Ellie Thomas**** Beautifully written mm romance set in eighteenth century Britain, featuring  a Black protagonist and his extended family. Also A Marriage for Three by Ellie Thomas **** I bet Georgette Heyer would like to have written this! A regency romance with a difference. This was another ARC and a very welcome one.

Tinker’s Apprentice by Jordan Castillo Price **** Quirky novella with some unusual mechanical magic and strange ‘counterparts’ (soulmates?) called auxiliars.

Can’t fool me by Fiona Glass **** Fun short story which is a sequel to Ghosts Galore. Just right for Halloween. Free to download at https://www.prolificworks.com/author/fiona-glass

Out of the Shadows by Jamie Lynn Miller**** Nice story about a cop and an actor abused by his ex. The story explored the reasons people sometimes stay with abusers.

September fruit. A poor harvest this year – the blossom and the insects didn’t come at the same time!

Recommended viewing:

The Woman in the Wall BBC***** Excellent drama based around the people and communities involved in the Magdalen Laundries in Ireland.

DNA Season 2**** Enjoyable follow up to Season 1. BBC iPlayer

Into Death Valley with Nick Knowles. Ch 5. **** Fascinating.

BBC Proms especially Chineke with Akugbo playing Haydn’s trumpet concerto. Mostly on iPlayer. I won’t give the series stars because it really does depend on your tastes so check the programmes before watching.

Recommended reading: (a good crop for September – better than the pears)

Fiction:

Mr Mercedes by Stephen King***** for the writing but I didn’t personally like it and particularly hated the planned attack on a concert which mirrored, for me, the attack on the Manchester Arena so recently.  

Just Stay Away by Tony Wirt***** Gripping thriller where a young boy threatens the main character’s sanity. Amazon freebie when I got it but it’s cheap and it’s on KU.

Midnight in the Renaissance Elevator  by various authors ***** Excellent anthology centred round a misbehaving elevator at a writers’ con which inspired the collection. There’s a mix of heat, paranormal elements, etc. but the standard is consistently high and I can guarantee that you’ll enjoy at least the majority, whatever your personal tastes. However, I ought to warn you that Remi Varlow’s story is a teaser for a series and not just a story set in the ‘verse of a series so unless you know their writing and think you might continue, you could skip it. The anthology is sold in aid of a charity, The Trevor Project.

Woods of the Raven by Mary Calmes***** A small town witch deals with incursions by evil fae. Good use of myth and legend, and a nice slow burn romance.

Stone Heart by Jenn Burke***** A lovely ending to the gargoyle trilogy.

Magic Burning by Kaje Harper***** Superb addition to the Carnival of Mysteries series.

Gluttony and other hungers by TJ Nichols***** Bittersweet finale to the Mytho series though I believe there’s to be a spin-off novel about two minor characters. The focus here was mostly on the wedding (plus the hate crimes surrounding it) and was a fascinating look at cultural differences.

Speaking in silence by Jackson Marsh***** Excellent mystery for the Larkspur Academy men. This time, an earldom for Archer is at stake.

These Toxic Things by Rachel Howzell Hall**** Excellent crime story despite being written in present tense. Unusual main character who creates memory banks with holograms etc.

Roustabout by Morgan Brice (Carnival of Mysteries)**** A great addition to the series. Both MCs are also people with magical powers so it’s just that bit different.

Repairing Destiny by Geneva Vand**** Nicely told YA mm fantasy adventure involving a prince and his mate.  Reviewed in more detail for Scott Coatsworth.

Non-fiction:

The Fallen Stones by Diana Marcum**** (Non-fiction) Fascinating account of a journalist’s sojourn in Belize, writing about a butterfly farm that supplied the living butterfly exhibits worldwide. It was made more interesting in that it brought real life elements to Julie Bozza’s The Butterfly Hunter trilogy and NR Walker’s Imago series both of which I loved.

Factfulness by Hans Rosling**** (Non-fiction).Interesting explanation of why we get the wrong impressions about various world issues. I got more than an average score on the initial questions so maybe I’m not the target audience. For those I got wrong my guesses (which might still have been wrong) were mostly informed by more up to date data. The book was published pre-covid and pre the withdrawal from Afghanistan and the war in Ukraine.

In our August garden

I’ve been watching (other than news and sport)

Earth. BBC. **** Chris Packham presents a history of origins in David Attenborough style. Worth viewing.

Why buildings collapse BBC **** Frightening look at why some building collapse without apparent warning. The focus is on the apartments in Florida but the current situation with RAAC in UK makes it compulsive viewing.  

I’ve been reading a lot (the Brit summer didn’t happen) and can highly recommend the following:

Wrath and other Troubles by TJ Nichols***** Lovely (as usual) volume in the Mytho series. After the vote as to whether the paranormals are human…

Seeing through Shadows by Jackson Marsh***** Great addition to the Larkspur Mysteries – Chester (new character) and Frank Andino.

To love the dragon king by Antonia Aquilante ***** A new writer to me. Gorgeous mm fantasy romance with enough thriller element to counteract sweetness. This was an ARC but I’m very happy to promote it. I’ve reviewed it in more detail for Scott’s review site.

Defying Logic by Nicky James***** Excellent missing persons mystery in the Doyle and Valor series with Quaid and Aslan developing their relationship and their lives in the aftermath of the previous book. I don’t think it would be as good if not read in order.

Help Wanted by Marshall Thornton***** Nice addition to the series (Pinx Videos in LA). Javier is wrongly accused.

Solstice by Eli Easton and RJ Scott***** Will definitely follow the series! Sheriff and animal behaviourist investigate murder with help from a dog.

The Blue Bar by Damyanti Biswas***** Another new writer to me. Gripping crime story set in Mumbai. Will order the sequel when it comes out. Interesting to see similarities and differences between Indian and UK police (with their common origin).

Sapphire Water by Adam J Ridley***** This rounds off the series with the siblings getting jewels and having to deal with various paranormal problems. This time it’s a ‘lost’ half brother. It was good seeing all the characters again and watching the town develop. Satisfactory conclusion to the story arc.  

Stardust Wake and Jurassic Dark by Si Clarke. ***** Quirky shorts in the Starship Teapot ‘verse including how Lem got Spock!

Tracefinder: Contact by Kaje Harper. ***** Totally intriguing story about an undercover cop (Nick) and a guy with the ability to ‘find’ people (Brian).  The series continues with Changes**** and  Choices**** Well worth following the whole story.

Those Easter lambs grew up and are indistinguishable from their mothers apart from the fact that the mothers are shorn.

Just recommendations again, with one warning.

TV

There she goes. **** BBC iPlayer David Tenant in a fascinating series about  a family with a severely learning disabled child.

Umbrella Academy Season 3**** Netflix How dark can it get? And now we have to wait till 2024 and hope the actor/writer strike doesn’t make it even further away.

Books

The Butterfly Hunter boxed set by Julie Bozza**** Trilogy of novels plus a short story.A lovely mm romance set mostly in the Australian outback with elements of paranormal or at least a nod to Dreamtime stories.

Dead Souls by Ian Rankin.**** Gripping novel in the Rebus series – one I’d missed!

Power of Zero series by Jackie Keswick****

I’d read the first in this series and finally got to the rest!

House Hunt**** Jack goes UC re drugs, then gets kidnapped during investigation re break ins at Nancarrow Mining. Quite tense and complex.

Swings and Roundabouts **** More excitement for Jack and Gareth. Murder mystery in Sweden.

Dating Games ****  shorts set during the other novels

Apidae by Xenia Melzer**** Possibly the last in a great series about a detective who can communicate with insects, spiders, etc. .

Unstable Connections by Nicky James**** Discoveries re Juniper in the Doyle/Valor series.

Inevitable Disclosure by Nicky James***** Really gripping plot and the Doyle/Valor relationship is progressing nicely.

The Altered 3 by Anabelle Jacobs**** This finishes the story arc nicely. An interesting shifter mm trilogy.

The Distant Echo by Val McDermid**** It was weird reading something I watched on TV ages ago. Some differences – I think due to them wanting to give detective Karen Pirie a greater role in this first of a TV series.

Overdue and Occultism by Jamie Sands**** Sweet mm story featuring a witch and a ghost hunter in a haunted NZ library.

The Clockwork City by Shelley Adina **** Excellent addition to her steampunk universe, plus a murder investigation. An ARC read which I have reviewed for Scott Coatsworth

Luck of the Draw by Addison Albright**** Nicely told story of an arranged marriage but a bit short. Another ARC read with a review for Scott

The Untouchable Sky by Will Forrest* One star because it ended on a cliffhanger without ever having referred to a series. Quite an intriguing story about a young man who learns about his magic in adulthood after having been treated as insane. Included here as a warning. By all means read it if you’re happy to read the entire series.

I happily rewatched Casablanca, and saw a lot of the coverage of Glastonbury. Nothing else of note.

Books

A stand-alone non fiction book:

The Vanishing Triangle by Claire McGowan*** An absorbing look at crime against women in modern Ireland but it was rather repetitive. Written by a crime author rather than a journalist it was surprisingly poorly structured. Very thought provoking, and has broader implications for other countries too.

Some series:

I really enjoy good series, and find a great deal of pleasure in getting to know the characters, both major and minor, in detail, and being immersed in the location.

General fantasy

Empire of Grass by Tad Williams**** General fantasy. This volume hooked me into the universe just as much as book 1 but I resented the way it ended on cliffhangers for virtually all the main characters. Plus the sequel is priced higher for the ebook despite a font problem which had me nearly giving up with the first book which I had in paperback.

Emily Wilde’s Encyclopaedia of Faeries by Heather Fawcett**** Fascinating magic and world building. There is a  sequel. This is not an mm series but there is a delightful ff pairing of minor characters which is treated as perfectly normal and adds to the pleasure of the story.

Series with mm focus:

Broadway Butchery by CS Poe***** Book 3 in the Memento Mori series. I find both Larkin and Doyle totally fascinating, and the mysteries are nicely complex as is their relationship. Highly recommended. .

Eruca by Xenia Melzer**** Good second investigation for this pair. Andy’s ability to communicate with insects is both helpful in terms of police work and devastating for him.

Elusive relations by Nicky James**** I am following this series set in Toronto about this couple of detectives in an enemies to lovers situation.  

Ellery Mountain series by RJ Scott****  There are ten books altogether and I have now read them all. It’s nice to follow multiple characters and get to know the town plus following the setting up of a retreat for veterans. Each story is ‘just’ a pleasant and well written romance but the series as a whole deserves four stars for the world building and the way even minor characters are developed so that the reader cares what happens to them.

Hidden Gem by Lissa Kasey. **** I like Lissa’s writing. This is an mm series. Worth wading through the mild bdsm to get the fascinating sci fi plot. I might read book 2 but suspect a lot of the story has already been covered, briefly, and it’s about minor characters from book 1 rather than more about the main pairing, which I liked.

Flowers bought to add cheer to a cool wet May.

I found my extensive lists were getting in the way of my writing, so will, for the time being, just entio things of real note.

Viewing:

Unforgotten Season 5. ITV . I had been sad to lose Cassie as the lead detective but thought her replacement was great. Jessie is an interesting character with her own set of personal problems and this helped develop Sunny’s character too. A strong plot with a clever ending enabled the series to branch out from the old formula which I thought was getting a bit tired.

Annika Season 1. BBC. Where Nicola Walker ended up after Cassie ‘died’ in Unforgotten! Interesting police drama with quite a lot of the main character, Annika, ‘speaking’ her thoughts to the audience which was a new ‘breaking the fourth wall’ departure for cop shows in my experience.  Nice locations from Glasgow out to the islands.

Reading

The Witchwood Crown by Tad Williams. This is the first novel in the new series (The Last King of Osten Ard) set in the kingdoms familiar from Memory, Sorrow and Thorn. I’d read the bridging book, The Heart of What was Lost. I don’t think anyone who hadn’t read the first series or the bridge would have the slightest chance of understanding what was going on, but I was completely hooked and drawn back into the world. Simon, hero of the first series and now high king, is reaching the end of his reign but old problems are returning. Fabulous cast of well developed characters, and some superb world building. I really feel as if I’d been in Osten Ard. I have already bought book 2 – in ebook format this time. Book 1 was a requested gift, in paperback format, and the font was so small I had serious problems reading it but had to know what happened.

Lambs in April, northern England

I decided to change the format of my reviews at least until someone complains. For the time being I’ll just do recommendations for five star viewing and reading for the month in question. I still have a full record of all I’ve watched and read but won’t share unless asked!

Here we go with recommendations from April.

Viewing:

Umbrella Academy S2***** Netflix. I am mesmerised by this series. Sci fi, adventure, and mystery with totally relatable characters. Will the gifted group save the world or is their presence the actual threat?

Carnival Row S2***** Amazone Prime. I adored Carnival Row and am sad that it finished but appreciate the explanation that the story is indeed over. However, I wish they’d think up another story using the same incredible world with all the detail – it seems such a waste not to! Season 2 was dark. At times I could barely watch, and it made Game of Thrones look tame. But it was wonderful and the ending was marvellously satisfactory.

Blue Lights***** BBCThis is a brilliant and superbly acted cop drama set in Belfast in the present day. Three new cops are being mentored by three ‘old hands’ and we are introduced to all kinds of believable back stories plus all kinds of believable crime. At times I left an episode not altogether sure whether I’d watched a drama or a real life story. I understand a second season has been commissioned and can’t wait.

Reading:

Arthropoda by Xenia Melzer*****Excellent crime story with a detective who can talk to insects. A totally ‘new’ concept that makes for fascinating detection. There’s a hint of cop buddy romance but I suspect it’s going to go the bromance or ACE relationship router. I’m going to follow the series.

Madison Square Murders by CS Poe.***** Intriguing ‘cold’ case crime drama with fascinating detectives and a hint of mm romance. When I finished the last page I went straight to buy the second in this Memento Mori series.

How to love thine enemy by Eli Easton***** As usual, I am fascinated by this author’s world of dog shifters, both born that way and ‘quickened’ and this time she adds Inuit culture and locations.

Bought daffodils. The ones in our garden are the mini variety and we don’t pick them.

Both reading and viewing in one post this time.

The best of what I read:

Sloth and other delights by TJ Nichols***** I adore this series. The characters are so complex and interesting and the world building is amazing. To say that it follows a human cop and his dragon shifter partner doesn’t give it any of the nuances it deserves. I know there are at least two more volumes and am not sure whether to gobble them up or ration myself.

Keeper of Enchanted Rooms by Charlie N Holmberg***** Gorgeous mf romance set in an alternate universe where magic is normal but rare. Merritt inherits an enchanted house and Hulda is sent to help him adjust. There is plenty of danger, not least from the house, but also from a fascinating villain. The magic is interesting and unusual. Apart from the added magical element the period (mid nineteenth century) is beautifully evoked.

Deliverance by Jason Bray**** Fascinating real life Merrily (crime series about diocesan exorcist) and it seems Bray helped Rickman create some of Merrily’s cases and solutions. Probably mostly of interest if you follow the Rickman series.

The Knight and the Necromancer by AH Lee**** Interesting and three dimensional characters plus good world building and some fascinating magic. This is volume one; Roland and Sair have started to bond and Queen Daphne might be safe for now, but there is no resolution or even a HFN. I shall be reading the sequel.

Postscript by Anne Barwell**** A delightful mm romance featuring a magic bookshop and a possibly ghostly cat. I enjoyed both threads of the story, past and present, but am still slightly confused by the apparent time travel, something that always plays havoc with my brain.

Run Wild, Run Free by Fiona Glass**** Pleasant gentle romance set in ‘50s UK though I was a bit puzzled by the way 18 was referred to as a special birthday. At the time, 21 was the usual celebration. I was also concerned that Joe couldn’t access further education at an art college. He would have left school at 15 and gone ‘down the pit’ or stayed till 18 at which point his local authority would have provided further ed without cost to his parents.

Stone Skin by Jenn Burke**** Lovely sequel to Stone Wings. The cursed gargoyles make fascinating characters.

Queer Weird West Tales ed. Julie Bozza.**** As is usual for an anthology, this is a mixture of excellent and merely good. One story,The Train Ticket by Dannye Chase, really resonated with me. In my alter ego on AO3 I’m partially responsible for a collection of stories that echo this one: Ain’t no rest for the wicked: tales of the train ed moth2fic and rubyelf. The tales are not specifically fanfic but use fandom tropes and in some cases backgrounds. https://archiveofourown.org/collections/aintnorestforthewicked )

Safe House by Chris Ewan**** Unusual spy thriller set on Isle of Man.

The Peacekeeper by BI Blanchard**** Some brilliant world building in this crime story set in an AU where America was never colonised. However, although I enjoyed the details of the twentyfirst century life of Native Americans, I realised who the killer was long before it dawned on any of the police/peace keepers. Worth reading but I won’t follow the author.

Readable:

Clueless by E Broom*** Cute story but the magic didn’t quite ring true

The Christmas Rescue by VL Locey*** Nice romance featuring the snowed-in trope.

Pole Position by Kristian Parker*** Thoroughly readable mm romance set in the world of Formula 1 motor racing and in the Queen’s Crescent ‘universe’ that the author is developing. I find it hard to get into the mindset of top sports people and although I watch and enjoy Formula 1 this didn’t appeal to me as much as I hoped.

Year of the Rat by Marshall Thornton*** Competent private investigator story about freeing an innocent man from prison. There were a lot of mysteries about the PI narrator and then right at the end he was linked to a different series and I was somehow disappointed.

Blinding Light by BL Maxwell*** A Rocktoberfest novel and this time there was plenty of interesting information about management and backstage things. However, the mm pairing agreed not to explore their feelings till after Rocktoberfest then when that was over we saw them leave, and the next chapter was an epilogue which assumed they were together. There was some explicit UST earlier but I found the ending disappointing.

On the third kiss by George Loveland. *** Pleasant mm romance, nicely written but with some tired tropes.

Still Life with Murder by Patricia Ryan*** Competent crime investigation story set in Boston, US, in the aftermath of the civil war. I wasn’t sufficiently drawn to the female sleuth to continue with the rest of the series.

Less recommended:

Bear and Fred by Iris Argaman** Intended as a memorial to children uprooted by WWII, this is a disappointing book that glosses over some of the worse aspects of the children’s experiences and relies on the ‘ahh’ factor of the teddy bear. It’s a children’s book and is not, I think, the best of its kind. It compares very unfavourably with books like Judith Kerr’s When Hitler Stole Pink Rabbit, and whilst it is perhaps aimed at even younger readers I feel if they aren’t old enough to hear sad stories they should perhaps be made to wait a while. It is also worth noting that the book is not really suitably formatted for ebook reading. I got it ‘free’ as an Amazon Prime first read but would have felt let down if I’d paid for it.

The Christmas Ghosts of Rothery Hall by Graham Peace. Abandoned. The style simply wasn’t for me so this isn’t an actual criticism, just an expression of personal taste.

Windswept and Interesting by Billy Connolly. Abandoned. Somehow, Billy’s humour and fierceness don’t come across in the written word the same way they do in live performances. I got bored very quickly.

I have been culling my tbr pile on my Kindle and have deleted a large number of books I should never have downloaded in the first place. I haven’t listed them and it wouldn’t, in most cases, even be fair to say I abandoned them as I didn’t read more than a few pages. (Less than the ‘sample’ Amazon tend to offer!) I think once upon a time I was beguiled by offers of free books, and in some cases of extremely cheap ones. I hope I have learnt my lesson. The cull continues…

Excellent viewing:

The Third Man***** I didn’t mean to watch but got hooked for yet another viewing. Brilliant as ever.

Vera 12:Episodes 2 and 3 (ITVX)***** As I’ve said before, I love this series, not least because it’s set in my native city.

The Bay Series 4**** (ITVX) I think the cop show set in Morecambe has developed well and it’s good the way the cops’ personal problems are not only made very real but don’t overshadow the crime plot. They also feed into it in unexpected ways.

Unmasking my autism – Charlotte McGuiness BBC**** Interesting programme looking at autism in women.

The boy, the mole, the fox and the horse.**** Animated film for children and adults first shown at Christmas and still available on iPlayer for the rest of the year. Recced last month and it got an Oscar for best animated short so I thought I’d mention it again.

The Night Stalker My5**** Real life crime in Perth, Australia. It was interesting to compare their policing with ours (UK), and the reactions of the victims added to the effect of the show.

Watchable

The Blob***(and the real one***). I can’t recall the name of the ‘real’ programme (or which channel both were shown on) but it was about slime mould and was fascinating at times. Then we watched the old film which, although dated, had some extremely tense moments.

Rocketman*** The Elton John biopic. I quite enjoyed the music.

Dire

The Wall. All4. Canadian noir. ** Almost abandoned but husband was watching. The entire thing is filmed either in semi darkness or against snow, both of which are presumably correct for the Canadian mining town setting, but the French Canadian accents were difficult and many of the subtitles were set against snow… Virtually all the cast spent their time in winter weather gear and it was often impossible to tell who was who. The plot, or what I gathered of it, was less than inspiring.

Better BBC iPlayer. I actually abandoned this even though husband was watching. The lead character is a female, ethnic minority, corrupt cop and the whole thing seemed so full of stereotypes and attempts to break some kind of wall that I just couldn’t watch.  

We’ve had less snow than most. I expected to see our tree like this but we’ve only had hard frosts and bitter cold. This pic was taken in a snowier year.

Books by authors I already knew.

The recommended:

The Narrow Door by Joanne Harris***** Brilliant writing. I love her unreliable narration – sometimes deliberate and other times unconscious on the part of the narrator. This novel had a lot in common with Gentlemen and Players, the first book in the Malbry series. It’s a psychological thriller that investigates a death that occurred half a century ago through the eyes of the sister of the deceased and one of her staff at St. Oswald’s. The suspicion builds and builds but we are never sure till the very end. Like Stephen King, Harris has a knack for drawing the reader into a strange but recognisable world and every chapter is like attending a master class in the art of writing.

Warning: Deep Water by AL Lester ***** A brilliant novella set just post WWII -probably perfect. Second Wind**** is also good. The title refers to a position in an orchestra. The Celtic Myths series **** was excellent. I had already read and enjoyed Let Sleeping Dogs Lie, so I borrowed the rest of these short stories from KU. (As the crows fly, Taking flight, Surfacing again, and Playing chicken.) They’re delightful romances with various LGBT+ combinations. The author has taken elements of myths and woven them into contemporary tales. The writing in these and the longer novellas is beautiful and the author is good at creating believable characters in fairly short pieces.

Claiming Rys by Annabelle Jacobs**** A well written and exciting beginning to a series about shifters, witches and fae living in and around Clumber Park in Nottinghamshire (somewhere I once visited frequently). I liked the characters and the careful explanations of skills, magic, etc. and I will be following the series.

Chainsaw Heart by Kiernan Kelly**** A sweet ff romance with just enough drama to keep it interesting all the way through. I’ve always liked Kiernan’s writing and this was no exception.

Time’s Convert by Deborah Harkness**** A return to the world of the All Souls trilogy which I loved. This was equally gripping (it even invaded my dreams) but I didn’t feel as concerned about Phoebe and Marcus as I did about Diana and Matthew, and would have liked Diana and her family to have featured more in this volume. I also found the structure, with the book hopping between the eighteenth century and the present day slightly jarring at times. So although I love the ‘world’ the author has created, and her very complex vampire, witch and daemon characters, this volume doesn’t quite make the five star pantheon.

Melody of the Snow by Blake Allwood **** For once I dithered about awarding four stars to this author but the book was beautifully written and kept me engaged. It’s just that it had, for me, too little drama. Family and career decisions don’t really enthuse me the way crime or the paranormal do. However, as a romance, with a lot of detailed and interesting information about a number of things like the hotel/resort business, drag queens, and singing careers, I knew it should be recommended.

Readable:

Driven Snow by Tara Lane*** I’m on the fence about this. Tara Lane is a good writer and I wanted to see what she did with a ‘twist’ to the story of Snow White, particularly because I did an mm version myself (Silkskin and the Forest People). It was clever and at times exciting but was at heart a college story which doesn’t appeal to me much. Recommended for those attracted to tales like that.

Books by authors new to me.

Recommended:

From the cradle by Mark Edwards and Louise Voss**** A really good exciting police procedural involving child snatching, with interesting characters and unexpected twists and turns. Well written with a lot of fascinating psychological insight into motives and reactions. I will be looking for the next in the DI Lennon series.

Spell it out by Andy Gallo **** Plenty of drama and romance in this short mm paranormal novel. I will probably get the sequel as I liked the main characters and the minor ones too. There was perhaps too much explicit sex for a short piece but it was at least counterbalanced by magic and angst.

Readable:

Muted Chords by Samuel York*** A disappointing addition to the Rocktoberfest series. This was quite a sweet romance though it really seemed like lust rather than love at first sight and the author didn’t make me believe in a HEA. There was very little about the way the music industry works, and the drama that enlivened the plot was unlikely and poorly explained. Readable, but only just. 

In Tune by Elle Keaton*** Another Rocktoberfest novel Again, less background information than I would have liked but the characters were interesting and the plot was pleasing.

The Running Girls by Matt Brolly*** I ended up mostly skimming this crime story set on the island of Galveston off the coast of Texas because there was a lot of repetition. The events, most of which took place during a hurricane, were quite exciting but I resented the way a totally new character was introduced quite late in the story and used as the explanation for everything.

New Edge Sword and Sorcery Issue #0 *** Some very gory stories and some interesting articles. This was an ARC I read and reviewed for Scott’s Liminal Fiction group and although I found the articles quite fascinating I might not have continued with the stories if I hadn’t felt obliged by my commitment to review.

Silent Scream by Angela Marsons *** Interesting plot and resolution. Some gratuitously unpleasant scenes. I think it would have been better to let the reader investigate alongside the police rather than showing flashback interludes from the pov of one of the criminals. Not terribly well written. I won’t be following the further exploits of DI Kim Stone.

Poor:

Interviews with an ape by Felice Fallon** I was really disappointed in this. I requested it as a Christmas gift but had obviously misunderstood the blurb and reviews. To begin with, I knew I was getting a fictional account of interviews with a gorilla who learnt to sign. Fine – and interesting. But the interviews were, it turned out, interviews the gorilla managed to have with a pig, a foxhound, an orca and an elephant. Nobody ever said how he managed this. I’m sure the stories were based on true events but they didn’t ‘change my mind’ (as one reviewer suggested) – I, along with almost anyone who would read this in the first place, already deplore cruelty to other species. I know classics like Black Beauty, or more recently Babe, have changed attitudes but both were consistent within their fictional worlds. This wasn’t. This is Ms Fallon’s first novel and I won’t read any more by her.

And not for me:

The Congressman’s Whore by Nacht and Clancy. Abandoned. A kind of mm version of Pretty Woman with an added political agenda. Far too much very boring sex. I assume they got together at the end and didn’t want to follow the journey.

Our crocus are out, but may not survive the forecast cold snap.

Some friends have been discussing the way they have not renewed their TV licences  because they never watch BBC, in real time or via streaming services, and I was surprised. I wouldn’t have missed most of these programmes for the world! I also watch a lot of news and political programmes but mostly not on BBC.

Things I would recommend from my February TV:

Happy Valley season 3 ***** (BBC iPlayer) Excellent cop/family drama set in West Yorkshire, starring Sarah Lancashire who is brilliant in the role of Catherine Cawood and ably backed up by a stellar cast. This was always intended to be the final season but people are already hoping for spin-offs.

Doc Martin Seasons 1-10***** (BBC iPlayer)We binged watched the entire series over January and February and enjoyed it enormously. Think Last of the Summer Wine crossed with The Detectorists, add a large helping of House and set in a facsimile of Brigadoon, but in Cornwall.

The Magic of Mushrooms **** (All4) Richard Fortey and Patrick Hickey explore fungi. I knew most of what they said, but it was good to have it all put together in one place!

The boy, the mole, the fox and the horse.**** (BBC iPlayer) Animated film for children and adults first shown at Christmas and still available for the rest of the year. Interesting, and beautifully made.

Inside Our Autistic Minds ****(BBC iPlayer) presented by Chris Packham. Very well done and interesting, especially to our family with our autistic grandchild. Packham (who is autistic himself) explores the experiences of four people with very different expressions of autism and helps them make films explaining themselves to their families and to the world at large.

The World’s Most Scenic River Journeys. ****(My5). We watched the programme about the Mosel which the presenter insisted on calling by its French name, the Moselle. We know that part of Germany well by road and it was lovely to see it from a different angle.

The Impressionists: Painting and Revolution.**** (BBC iPlayer) I had already seen some of the programmes but it was interesting to watch them again.

Linda Ronstadt: The Sound of My Voice**** (BBC iPlayer). A look at the singer’s life including interviews with her. Interesting, and obviously full of lovely music. I hadn’t realised that she also flirted successfully with operetta.

Secrets of the Jurassic Dinosaurs**** (BBC iPlayer) The presenter followed palaeontologists recovering dinosaur fossils from a ‘dig’ where a lot of them died. It really brought home to me how far the Jurassic period was removed in time from the later dinosaurs such as T Rex.

And one I could do without…

The Wall (Canadian Noir on All4) Husband is still enjoying this but I’ve given up. The subtitles are frequently shown against snow and the Canadian French is not always clear to the foreign ear. The whole setting is stark  with blinding snow and gloomy interiors and whilst I know that’s probably realistic I wasn’t enjoying it. Added to that I found I didn’t care much about the police, the victims or the other characters.