A Distraction at the Bus Stop

8 books this month, so I'm well ahead of my annual goal.

DallerGut Dream Department Store by Miye Lee
Recommended by nagi_schwarz it's a department store which sells dreams, in which a new employee learns what people need in the way of dreams.  It's not within my usual genres, but I enjoyed reading it, so, if you're looking for something different, it might be worth trying.

The Reading List by Sara Nisha Adams
I read this for the current Goodreads Winter Challenge.  It brings together two people, one a teenage girl working in the library during her summer holiday and the other a lonely widower, with a series of books which they both read and how it affects them.  Set in Wembley in N W London.  Not something I would have read in the ordinary course of things, but I'm pleased I did.

Liberty Bar by Georges Simenon
Continuing my Maigret reads, set in published in 1932, it sees Maigret in Antibes in the south of France.  The story is slightly different, in the fact that Maigret is very affected by the heat and sultriness of the place and this comes through in the story, but enjoyable nevertheless.

Pyramids by Terry Pratchett
One of the standalone stories within the Discworld series. A student assassin is suddenly recalled to become the next king of the kingdom of Djelibeybi, when his problems really begin.  However, assassin training stands him in good stead, and we learn what happens when the biggest pyramid that's ever been conceived is built - no, it doesn't work out as expected.  Highly entertaining

Yarn to Go by Betty Hechtman
Recommended by therealsnape this is a cosy crime set within a knitting retreat.  An easy read, with knitting, so happily entertaining.  The first of a series and I plan to read some more.

Green for Danger: The Official Anthology of the Crime Writers' Association edited by Martin Edwards
Recent short stories set in the countryside.  I enjoyed a few, but on the whole I wasn't taken with them.

Jane Austen's Bookshelf by Rebecca Romney
Another book for the Goodreads Winter Challenge.  This one, written by a rare book seller in the States, looks at the women writers who Jane Austen enjoyed reading.  It was interesting seeing how many women writers fell out of circulation, deemed far inferior to Austen, when she herself admired them.  For anyone interested in the period or women writers in general I'd definitely recommend this.

Nobody's Boy: Sans Famille by Hector Malot
Recommended by therealsnape this was written in 1878 and tells the story of Remi, a young orphan, and the trials of his upbringing.  Sold to a travelling showman, he learns to earn money from the shows, deals with a number of misfortunes while tramping across France.  The story is told from Remi's viewpoint and so has a childlike air, but despite that is worth reading.


Here's my book bingo card: