pickA well written historical fiction set in the 7th century. Three monks leave Ireland to find an island without any people so they can live without any negative worldly influence. Train and Cormac are very likable men. Artt is more unlikely to be by the two other monks. The island is covered with sea birds, which are used for foods, fire, down, feathers until they leave for the winter. Will they survive? Lots of rituals and ceremonies. 4/5 stars
pickWe just got home from our walk and Sietje is out cold!
This got some mixed reviews, but I love ED, so I had high hopes and wasn‘t disappointed! It‘s historical fiction and while it‘s about 3 monks who sail off the coast of Ireland to find a small island to live in seclusion on, the star for me was the natural setting and Trian and Cormac‘s spirits. Artt on the other hand can take his megalomania right to “the bad place.”
Beautifully written.
Finished the March trilogy this morning and got Cutting for Stone completed this afternoon and am onto reading Haven for #deweysreadathon
#12Booksof2023 #September
I think I missed a day. Oops.
In September, I started to get my reading mojo back and my top pick was the fifth book in the Fiona Griffiths series. I highly recommend starting at the beginning.
August is flying by and I haven‘t even started my#BookSpin or #DoubleSpin. So many books, so little time.
pickTen minutes in the library and no reading glasses 😱. Chose this on the strength of the cover and ED's name. Delighted to discover it was about 7th Century monks and the founding of what would become Skellig Michael. It's a suitably tight and tense story, with themes dismayingly relevant today👇. Artt is the sort of charismatic monomaniac the world never seems to be in short supply of. I wanted to shove him off a cliff, to spare Cormac and Trian.
pickI am trying to stop myself from moving through this series too quickly, but it's hard not to run right out and check out the next book each time! I did grab 2 on this trip to the library...and then finished them both in two days 😂. This one was tough to read, as one of the main characters is in a downward spiral, and it hurts to watch 😔. It ends on a plot turn that made me glad I had the next one at hand!
pickThis author is amazing. She seems to be on a historical fiction kick lately. Somehow she takes these super religious Irish Catholic settings and makes them sort of horrifying. In this, a trio of monks set off to build a monastery on a remote island. Tbh I mostly felt bad for the wildlife. But the zealot in charge is sort of astonishing. Definitely recommend this.
#BookSpinBingo @TheAromaofBooks
pickI know this one had some mixed reviews, but I found it thought provoking. Religious extremism, the effects of solitude, “othering” of people were all themes that resonate today. Perhaps the part I found most interesting is leaning on the idea of god‘s gifts as an excuse to pillage the environment. Parts of this book have very much stuck with me.
Well I went way off my predicted #weeklyforecast!
Finished Silent Parade
Read section of LNATTC #sundaybuddyread
Listened to Librarian Spy #audiohistoricalfiction
But then did a marathon reread of the next 3 books in Louise Penny series #serieslove2023
