Reading so far in 2015

This is a half-baked blog post. I should/would like to write reviews for these books but, if I decide to do that, I know the post will never be finished. And, just as the reason for recording my reading in 2015 so far is to encourage me to read more than I did in 2014, I would like to post on this blog more in 2015. My modus operandi for 2014 seemed to be: have an idea for a blog post > take photos/make plans, etc. > never get around to putting it online. I need to scale down the ambition of my plans and do things imperfectly if I want to do them at all.

Nicola Upson, An Expert in Murder

Julia Spencer-Fleming, In the Bleak Midwinter

Justin Cartwright, Lion Heart

Alexander McCall Smith, The Minor Adjustment Beauty Salon

Cara Trautman, Happy(ish)

Marie Astor, This Tangled Thing Called Love

I'd recommend them all, for very different reasons. The first two are murder mysteries, using Josephine Tey and a female priest (respectively) as protagonists. Lion Heart, leant to me by my aunt, is one man's quest to understand his father through researching Richard the Lionheart. I don't need to gloss Mma Ramotswe (and yes, she probably is my favourite read of the year so far). The last two are US chick lit. I particularly enjoyed the humour of Happy(ish) and, while it certainly conforms to the structural expectations of a modern, funny romance narrative and there's a slight inevitability to the ending, it held lots of quirky side stories and surprises along the way, perhaps thanks to the three-dimensional drawing of the lovely cast of characters. I haven't yet looked to see if Cara Trautman has written more: I hope so!

Last night, I read the last book immediately after finishing Happy(ish) and it was enjoyably satisfying. I then started An Innocent Client by Scott Pratt, returning me to the crime genre. I think it's going to be a bit grittier than Mma Ramotswe!