After the Hiatus

I stopped blogging in April because I went back to work at the end of the month and had no time to do anything! I finished the LTO in English at the end of June, and it's taken me this long to recover! But I didn't stop reading.

Here are a few titles I've liked.
I usually read mysteries for relaxation and had seen good reviews of Tana French. I read In the Woods and liked it a lot. Then I got The Likeness, her follow-up novel and I couldn't put it down. Unfortunately, you have to read them in order, because the second book gives away lots of detail about the first (Don't you hate that?!) In this case, it's because she creates such interesting characters that evolve from book to book, so it's not a bad thing.

The Crossing Place by Ellie Griffiths is another mystery that I raced through. I'm interested in archaeology and this first novel fit me to a tee. The suspenseful climactic scene at the end is a bit over the top, but again I enjoyed the characters since this looks like the beginning of a series, I be looking out for her next.
Astonishing Splashes of Colour by Clare Morrall was shortlisted for the 2003 Booker and I don't know why it didn't win. I'll have to look up who beat her. This is an original narrative voice, in much the same way as The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night Time. She's not autistic, but she has synesthasia, which is the ability (or disability??) of experiencing one sense with another. In Kitty's case, it's colour. It's a quest for a mother in a dysfunctional family. You get more information about Kitty as you read on, and I don't want to spoil it. The characters feel real; the situations may be a bit exaggerated, but I don't find them unbelievable; and though some reviews have said the ending is a bit off, I liked the whole thing. I don't think life ties up all the ends anyway...