Catching Up With Tea With Tales

Tea with Tales began this month with a reading from A Necessary Evil by Abir Mukherjee. This is the second book in the series featuring Calcutta-based policeman Captain Sam Wyndham and his sidekick Sergeant Banerjee. It’s 1920 and the two detectives have witnessed the assassination of a Maharaja’s son in broad daylight. Their investigation leads them to a kingdom rife with division and danger at every turn. It’s a brilliant glimpse into India under the British Raj, the plot’s pacey with characters you will warm to. (Available in regular and large print at the library)

The stand-out book at this month’s Tea with Tales was Breath by James Nestor. Nobody realised how life-changing breathing through your nose consistently can be. Or how often we mouth-breathe, particularly when asleep. The couple who’d been reading Breath had taken to trying the simple trick of putting a piece of Sellotape over their mouth in order to breathe better at night. A refreshing night’s sleep was the result. Everyone should try it! (Available in e-book, print and e-audiobook format via Libby)

Another of our readers has recently discovered Edward Rutherford’s historical books, and as e-audiobooks running to 24 hours you only need one book for a whole month. She found Sarum: the novel of England quite interesting, though a bit long-winded. The book takes you through the history of England beginning with prehistoric Britain, through the rule of the Romans, the founding of Sarum and the building of Salisbury Cathedral. The novel also describes key events in history such as the Black Death, the Civil War, the war with Napoleon, the development of the British Empire and so on.

She thought she’d continue with another Rutherford a month, with a bit of light relief in between. Such as Ruth Shaw’s memoir The Bookseller at the End of the World, a gentler and fairly interesting read. (The library has this in print, large print, talking book as well as e-book and e-audio formats.)

Our next reader enjoyed My Good Life in France by Janine Marsh. In this book, the author tells her story about taking her father to France to buy some wine. Instead of finding a nice restaurant for lunch, they were given coffee at a real estate office where Jeanine bought a run-down farmhouse. Here she settled in, renovating the house and taking in stray animals. More challenging was dealing with the local bureaucracy, the language and local culture. (The library has this in print, large print, e-book and e-audio formats.)

Lee Child is a guaranteed good read and our next reader really enjoyed Echo Burning, where maverick hero and ex-military policeman, Jack Reacher, helps protect a young woman from an abusive husband soon to be released from prison. He’ll continue to read one in this series per month. (The library has this series in talking book, large print, e-book and regular print formats.)

Other titles our Lee Child fan enjoyed included Clouds of Witness by Dorothy L Sayers in which Lord Peter Wimsey has to uncover the truth behind the murder of Denis Cathcart, the fiancé of his sister Lady Mary. Charged with committing the crime is Gerald, Duke of Denver, Peter and Mary’s brother. It’s a classic country house mystery, complicated by the reluctance of Gerald to co-operate. Is he guilty or covering up for somebody else? (Available in large print and as a talking book from the library)

Then there was San Andreas by Alastair Maclean.  This novel is set on a British Merchant Navy hospital ship during World War II. Supposedly immune from attack, things go wrong when its escort frigate is sunk, and U-boats and German aircraft are relentless in their pursuit. It’s up to Bosun Archie McKinnon to discover why and uncover a mysterious traitor. Never a dull moment in this thriller from a classic author. (The library has a copy of this in large print.)

Next we heard about Love and Fury: The Magic and Mayhem of life with Tyson by Paris Fury. The book shows the background to Tyson’s boxing success, the highs and lows – including problems with depression, his OCD and alcohol - and what sees them through. Both are from Traveller families, so there’s some insight into this as well. An interesting read.

After reading her way through the Seven Sisters series by Lucinda Riley, our final reader had discovered the earlier books are at least as enjoyable. Such as The Italian Girl, a novel about two opera singers and their enduring but obsessive love for each other, and the secrets that haunt them. With a setting that takes you from the backstreets of Naples to the glittering world of opera, this is an evocative romantic novel. (Available in regular print from the library)

8 November 2023

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