I am in the throes of watching IPL cricket at the moment, also tennis from Miami and find I am in danger of falling behind with the blog and posts. So I am doing one of my catch ups to let everyone know of recent purchases, books received and current reading.
The Gentle Art of Tramping by Stephen Graham. Publisjed by Bloomsbury and a little pocket book to pop into your, 
er, pocket. It was first published in 1924 but the joy of tramping/walking/hiking is as relevant now as then. It is full of widsom and joy though I did blink at the following advice: "In a snake swarming country it is as well to avoid caves, especially those with many ledges. Sleeping against walls has its dangers not only from snakes but from scorpions. In tarantula country a sleeping bag or hammock is preferable to a bed spread on the ground"
I suggest that all readers take note.
The Five by Hallie Rubenhold. This is the story of the untold lives of the women killed by Jack the Ripper. They have been dismissed as Victorian prostitutes and not much notice taken of the – the only reason we know of them is because of their ghastly end. They came from London, Wolverhampton, Wales and Sweden. The blurb reminds us tht they were never 'Just Prostitutes. They were daughters, wives, mothers, sisters and lovers. They were women. They were human beings"
I am looking forward to reading this one.
The Gown – Jennifer Robson. Really enjoyed this book and read it straight through in one sitting. Set in 1947 when England was recovering from the War and life was bleak and hard it creates the atmosphere perfectly. I was a child of the fifties and things were still pretty basic then so I do have a vague idea of just how dull and grey life was. then came the engagement of Princess Elizabeth to Prince Philip and, just as we still do today, the country went potty at the thought of a Royal Wedding.
The story revolves around two people who are both embroiderers at Norman Hartnell the popular designer of the 
day. Miriam has escaped from the camps in Germany and is frightened, friendless and alone. She becomes friends with Anne, another survivor of the war and the Blitz and they become friends. they are both chosen to work on the intricate embroidery of the wedding dress. If you pull up a photo of the dress you will see just how elaborate it was. the descriptions of the work, how the materials were prepared and the hours of work involved form a fascinating part of this story.
Part of the narrative is set in 2014 when Anne’s granddaughter, who emigrated to Canada, is left some of the embroidery as a memento. Nobody in the family knew of her connection with the wedding as she had never spoken of her ife in London, having a secret to hide. She decides to go to London to see if she can trace her grandmother’s early life. I will say no more but do read and enjoy. It is the kind of book that is readable and engaging and will never feature on any award list and can be dismissed by the litterati. But that does not matter at all.
Moray Dalton – various. If you log onto Amazon and check this author out you will find several books that have been reprinted recently by this author. The author wrote two well-received early novels, Olive in Italy (1909), and The Sword of Love (1920). However, her career in crime fiction did not begin until 1924, after which Moray Dalton published twenty-nine mysteries, the last in 1951. The majority of these feature her recurring sleuths, Scotland Yard inspector Hugh Collier and private inquiry agent Hermann Glide.
These are available as e-books or paperbacks and are published by Dean Street Press. They are engaging and enjoyable and now I have to add this writer to my list of Books to Track Down. I can tell you now they are very hard to get hold of and those that I have traced very expensive so I am hoping that Dean Street Press continue to republish some more.
I have recentlyl read the latest David Baldacci which was so enthralling I have already forgotten what it was about. Ditto the latest Stephanie Plum by Janet Evanovitch. I enjoyed it but it was exactly the same as the previouos twenty and, as with Baldacci, I have already forgotten the stroy. But great fun. Don't get me wrong.
I have also tracked down a rather nice edition of Dombey and Son and that is going to be my next Dickens.
I am off to Torquay in ten days and am going to visit the home of Agatha Christie. Sooo excited at the thought of this and will be posting photos and burbling.
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