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John Dodds's Book Blog
Bookfan. Likes include classic fiction, crime and thrillers.
Currently reading
Steve Jobs
The Cuckoo's Calling
The Far Corner: A Mazy Dribble Through North-East Football
Forfeit
The Bicycle Book
World War I: The "Great War"
A History of Ireland in 100 Objects
The Information: A History, a Theory, a Flood
We Didn't Mean to Go to Sea (Swallows And Amazons)
Her Majesty's Pleasure: How Horse Racing Reveals the Queen
Maxwell's Ghost: Epilogue to Gavin Maxwell's Camusfearna
Gripping memoir of the years that Richard Frere spent working with Gavin Maxwell in the 1960s. Tightly written warts-and-all portrait of the writer and naturalist. Essential reading for everyone interested in Maxwell.
The White Island
In 1969, young John Lister-Kaye went to live and work with author and naturalist Gavin Maxwell on his "White Island" (Eilean Ban) in Scotland. Sadly, shortly after Lister-Kaye's arrival, Maxwell died and their joint projects had to be abandoned.The White Island is a memoir of Lister-Kaye's time on Maxwell's island. Worth reading if you are interested in Maxwell or Lister-Kaye (who now runs the Aigas nature centre in Scotland) or if you like animal stories.
Sailing: Course of My Life
A detailed account of the author's sailing experiences from 1967 to 1974. Edward Heath was British Prime Minister from 1970-74 and while in office was one of the most successful ocean racing yachtsmen of his day. Of interest to yachting enthusiasts and students of 1960s and 70s British politics.
The Crown And The People 1902 1953
Interesting period piece. Observations by Edward, Duke of Windsor, on the nature of kingship reflecting on the coronations and reigns of his grandfather, Edward VII, and father, George V.
Acqua Alta (Commissario Brunetti #5)
I enjoyed this less than other books in Donna Leon's Brunetti series.It would benefit from editing as there are several sections that add nothing to the plot or to the development of the characters. The bad guys are cardboard cutouts. And there are several extremely violent passages. (I've got nothing against descriptions of violence in principle but some of this felt simply gratuitous.)
As usual the descriptions of Venice are evocative.
Read Death at La Fenice before you read Acqua Alta as the back story to two of the main characters is given there.
![The Twelve Days of Christmas [Correspondence] - John Julius Norwich, Quentin Blake](http://booklikes.com/photo/max/200/300/upload/books/7/89/cc493694e171e4d92f1eb6b2bbc17652.jpg)
Death at La Fenice: A Commissario Guido Brunetti Mystery
Just reread this and glad that I did: it's better than I remember it.OK the characters and two dimensional and the writing is flat in places: but the plot is good; the narrative keeps you wanting to read on; the descriptions of Venice are evocative; and in the relationship between the main figure and his wife and children there is affection and comedy.
Recommended to lovers of detective fiction.
The "Times" Deceas'd: The Rare Book Department of the "Times" Bookshop in the 1960s
Enthralling memoir of a lost age.