BookBarmy – Page 2

Small Things Like These by Claire Keegan

I chose this short Christmas novella with the perfect cover during a cold and windy night over the holidays.

Brief but breathtaking, Small Things Like These was shortlisted for the 2022 Booker Prize and is set in the days leading up to Christmas.

Bill Furlong is living a quiet, simple life in Ireland. He’s a happy man and dotes on his wife and five daughters. They have enough to eat and aren’t living on credit. The town has known hard times, factories are closing, and people are being laid off. Mr. Furlong is making ends meet by delivering coal and firewood to the townspeople.

Murder at the Manor Edited by Martin Edwards

I’ve been dipping in and out of this short story collection for several months and it seemed like the perfect choice to continue during the busy holidays.

(I have a big weakness for the cover art on most all the British Library Crime Series – just can’t resist.)

From the blurb: The English country house is an iconic setting for some of the greatest British crime fiction. This new collection gathers together stories written over a span of about 65 years, during which British society, and life in country houses, was transformed out of all recognition. It includes fascinating and unfamiliar twists on the classic ‘closed circle’ plot, in which the assorted guests at a country house party become suspects when a crime is committed. In the more sinister tales featured here, a gloomy mansion set in lonely grounds offers an eerie backdrop for dark deeds.

A No for the New Year

We’re already half way through January and I’ve been missing, but for good reasons.

We had a busy, fun-filled holiday with beloved friends coming to visit from near and far. It was a wonderful whirlwind, but I did remember to pause and look around to remember these moments with those I love.

But now it’s a new year and so far, not so good. I’m sure many of you feel the same.

I like this quote:

I don’t need a New Year’s resolution. It’s the year’s turn to be better.

My Christmas Wish

I don’t need, or want any presents.

My only Christmas wish is that those I love and cherish are happy, safe and healthy — and that includes all of you lovely Book Barmy followers.

If you need me, I’ll be here. My favorite week of the year is coming up…between Christmas and the New Year. Enjoy – stay warm – read a good book or two.

Merry Christmas.

Christmas Advertising

It’s time for the annual Book Barmy collection of the best Christmas ads from around the world. As always, the UK seems to dominate our list with beautifully produced and magical holiday stories. As with the current marketing landscape, AI and social media-first storytelling play a strong role. But it doesn’t seem to diminish these sometimes corny, often nostalgic, and yet magic stories of the holiday season.

Grab a cup of something warm, and be sure to click on full screen and turn up your volume.

The Christmas Chronicles by Nigel Slater

Each November, I used to check this book out of my local library and browse through its lovely pages. But alas, before I could get through – it had to be returned. I did this for three consecutive years, until this year – finally – I found a used copy at my favorite book store .

The Christmas Chronicles takes the reader from November through January and covers everything most-British-holiday.

Each day of the season, Mr. Slater writes about food and its preparation sensuously and lovingly, but also gardening, practical tips, and decorating his home. He delves into childhood memories and fascinating insights into Christmas traditions and their origins.

Christmas Shopping

The Trespasser by Tana French

The Trespasser is the last in the Dublin Murder Squad series, and I am a big fan of the previous installments. You can read more HERE.

In each of these series, Ms. French uses a different member, or outlier, of the Dublin Murder Squad and tells the investigation from this new point of view.

In The Trespasser, Detective Antoinette Conway (formerly with the Missing Persons Unit) is a new member of the elite Murder squad and has not been welcomed kindly. So far, she has been stuck with thankless cases and has been the victim of vicious pranks, not to mention actual harassment.

Bedtime Stories Edited by Diana Secker Tesdell

We’ve been rearranging our guest room in preparation for some lovely visitors coming over the holidays. Found some some nice bedside tables and got rid of a bookcase that was much too large for the small room.

In clearing out the books from that bookcase, I found this lovely little volume, which I kept near the bed for guests. It’s from the Everyman’s Library Pocket Classics Series which was founded in 1906 by the famous Joseph Dent, a visionary publisher. He promised ‘infinite riches in a little room’. Lovely to hold, these little books have sewn bindings (quite rare), come with attached bookmark ribbons (love those) and beautiful covers. And each comes with the famous archaic quote

Everyman,

I will go with thee,

and be thy guide,

In thy most need, to go by thy side

But enough about the printing publication, what about the book itself?

The Sequel by Jean Hanff Korelitz

The Sequel is aptly named, as it is truly the sequel to The Plot.

I’ll start with commenting on The Plot which is the first book in this series. You must read it first, so you’ll understand Anna’s story as a whole. Jake is a novelist who experienced early modest acclaim, but he hasn’t been able to replicate that success in his subsequent books.

He is now a writing instructor at small, second-rate writing program in Vermont. Jake borrows a plot idea from a student and expects no one would ever notice. But someone does and begins sending him notes threatening him. The anonymous notes torments him and he perpetually worried that he would be exposed. His wife, Anna has steps in to take care of things for Jacob. And in the end, laid to rest those anonymous accusations of plagiarism that so tormented him. But there is so much more to this book than this simple recap. My full review HERE