Recent reading

This weekend I went to a Eurovision-themed figure skating disco, bet you didn't expect that! Or rather, my niece was the one who wanted to go, and my sister and I went along. After a few minutes of feeling like Bambi on the ice, I remembered at least how to skate forwards, and did not fall. I wonder if that will have been the last time in my life that I wear figure skates (I borrowed them for the occasion).

The Kelpie's Pearls by Mollie Hunter (1964)
This one is much more of a children's book than the two previous ones I've read by her before. It's a story about the uneasy co-existence of the world of kelpies and witchcraft with the modern world where one can take the weekly bus to Inverness. Morag is an old woman who really just wants to chat with the kelpie by the pool and be friends with the boy who likes animals, but once someone gets wind that the kelpie gave her pearls, she gets no peace. Her attempts to get rid of the curious crowd backfire, until the kelpie helps her... I continue to enjoy Mollie Hunter, and have three more of her books in my bookcase to go.

The Secret Lives of Country Gentlemen by K J Charles (2023)
I needed some page-turney comfort reading, and K J Charles as usual delivered! Solid entertainment in the best sense of the word, recommended. I loved the setting on early 19th century Romney Marsh, and Joss Doomsday the harried manager of the smuggling family was great. I liked Gareth Inglis as well (of course I can never resist someone who is fascinated by natural history), and the balance between romance, plot, and supporting characters worked well for me.

Note to self: don't forget to nominate for unsent_letters_exchange...