I know the above does not necessarily have to go together but somehow in the summer I find it very difficult to settle down to What I Call Serious Reading (such fun!) - sorry for the lapse into Miranda speak, and tend to settle down to lighter novels, books that will make me feel good, that have a happy ending and, sometimes, are forgotten as soon as the last page is read. This has been the case with me recently and in the last month or so when I have been sunning in Madeira and trying to sun in England HAH, I have turned to light lit.
With Janet Evanovitch you know what you are going to get. Gorgeous hunky men, slightly off the wall feisty heroines, a food fight of sorts, disasters all round, exploding cars/microwaves/kettles - take your choice and, best of all, a hilariously barmy read that will have you weak with laughter. I have just finished Wicked Business, the second in a series about Lizzy Tucker, a pastry chef in Salem, Massachusetts, who would rather concentrate on making cupcakes for a living but seems to have supernatural powers, hitherto unrecognised. She has a sexy partner, Diesel, who is off limits as he too has weird powers and if the two of them get together and have, you know, s*x, disaster will ensue. There is an evil cousin Gerwulf Grimoire, who sounds like a refugee from Harry Potter, a search for some magic stones, a weird broomstick, a one eyed cat called Cat (gosh) and a monkey called Carl. Throw all ingredients into a bowl, stir madly and see what happens - a hoot of a book that's what.
I discovered her books a couple of summers ago and loved them, here is what I said at the time.
In the last week I have read three of the Daisy Dalrymple books by Carola Dunn, a couple of Michael Connelly, and three by Marcia WIllets. I am sure the authors will not take this amiss if I say none of them are likely to appear on the Booker List, but in my opinion are much more enjoyable and accessible than most of the titles that crop up in this competition each year (Mem: do NOT RANT about the Booker, Elaine) and have been happily ensconced in my armchair post-omelette lunch with cup of tea, choc biccy and The Birdcage by the aforementioned Marcia W. Her books are delightful, usually with two narratives hopping backwards and forwards in time, most of them are set in Cornwall and her protagonists live in lovely houses by the sea or delightful cottages down a narrow high hedged lane with gardens full of wildflowers and pansies and it is all lovely and so satisfying. There will be ups and downs along the way but we know all will end happily and be sorted out and there is a great satisfaction in that.
One book I read every summer is The Shell Seekers by Rosamunde Pilcher about which nothing need be said as I seriously wonder if there is anybody out there who has not read this simply marvellous book, great read and will make you laugh and/or cry. I do wish this author would write some more but she stopped some time ago as she grew older and can hardly blame her but oh I wish....
In the winter I always re-read her Winter Solstice which I think I like even better.
Books have been pouring into Schloss Random in the last few weeks (could not open my door on return from hols as the hallway was blocked with parcels) and I just have to much reading to do it panics me a bit. I am glad I am a fast reader and to all those publishers out there who have sent me books, I love and appreciate you all and will be getting through my To Be Read pile as soon as poss.
And if it keeps on bloody raining as it is now, then I may be able to shift quite a few.....
