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June 2023 - Week 1: What have I been reading?

 June-Week 1

What have I been reading?

Firstly, I am not the person to come to if you’re looking for what’s new and current. I grew up visiting the local library and browsing among old and unattractive books, and although I have become somewhat captive to today’s pretty covers, I am still loath (and too poor) to spend money on new releases.  I prefer to stick to libraries, second-hand bookshops and loans from friends.  When I find a good author, I usually hunt down their older books at the aforementioned spots or on Kindle where they are more affordable.

Secondly, my preferred reading at the moment is light. Not Coke Lite, just a really satisfying Coke.  I’ve read my fair share of Pulitzer Prize nominees and there’s a time and place for those too.

So here’s my current list by author: 4 fiction, 2 non-fiction.

FICTION

Val Mc Dermid: Excellent Scottish crime writer (1955- ), with various series.  I really enjoyed the Karin Pirie thriller: Still Life.

Catherine Alliot: Another prolific British writer; I guess the genre would be chick-lit? I just re-read A Crowded Marriage for the 4th time (I kid you not); the benefits of reading a lot is that some books just get deleted off my brain and I can read them again with as much enjoyment as the first time! I also re-read A Rural Affair and then for the first time (I think…) My Husband Next Door.  Great fun.

Lucy Dillon: Similar vein to Alliot. Also British. Also jolly good reads. I read A Hundred Pieced of Me and Unexpected Lessons in Love.

Sally Andrew is a South-African author and social and environmental activist.  I am on book 3 of her delightful, best-selling Tannie Maria Mysteries: Death on the Limpopo.  I love the South Africanness of it, the subtle humour and the main character who is equal parts naïve and wise. You must read them!

NON-FICTION

Both of these were very similarly themed.  They both deal with the idea of meeting God in our everyday spaces and places.

Liturgy of the Ordinary: Sacred practices in Everyday Life by Tish Harrison Warren, and…

An Altar in the World: A Geography of Faith by Barbara Brown Taylor.

I much preferred the second book, possibly because it is more apt for my stage of life.  Harrison is a 44 year old priest, but with just 8 more years and a some massively painful life experience under my belt, I felt that she was just touching the surface of some of the issues she raised.  I suspect, adults in the apex of their careers and with young families will find greater meaning.

Brown Taylor is a 71 year old writer and retired priest, and her wisdom and broader and more inclusive world view, touched my heart and soul deeply.

Happy reading.

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