Looking forward to…

Episode 9

Another selection in my occasional looks back at old reviews which I finished by saying something along the lines of “I’ll be looking forward to reading more of her work/this series/his books in the future” to see if I actually did read more and, if I did, did I like the ones I looked forward to as much as the ones that made me look forward to them?

Let’s see then…

Midnight in Peking by Paul French

First reviewed 17^th May 2013. This is an interesting story of a true-life crime, the murder of a young girl, committed in the last days of old Peking as the threat of invasion, war and revolution spread fear amongst the Chinese and foreign inhabitants of the city. I said “A very well written book about a dark episode in a fascinating period – highly recommended.”  The five-star rating put French on my list of authors to read more of. But did I?

I did! But unfortunately I quickly abandoned his next book, City of Devils, another true story, this time of crime and vice in 1930s Shanghai. French chose to tell it in present tense and in a kind of stylised language meant to reflect the way (we think) people spoke back then. I hated the style so much I only made it through fifty pages, and didn’t review it. I’d still consider a future book from him, but I’d check the style first!

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The End of Everything by Megan Abbott

First reviewed 22nd May 2013. Told through the eyes of 13-year-old Lizzie. Her friend, Evie, has disappeared and Lizzie is trying to make sense of her feelings of loss, her suspicions that Evie may have been hiding something and her relationships with Evie’s family who have been her second family for so long. I said “Suspenseful to the end and with a pervading atmosphere of dread, I shared with Lizzie a need not just to know what had happened to Evie, but to understand.”  The five-star rating put Abbott firmly on my list to read more. But did I?

Indeed I did! I read and loved her next several novels, mostly about teenage girls in various extreme situations. No one does hormone-soaked teenagers like Abbott! And then… she wrote one about adults and they were just as hormone-soaked and sex-obsessed as her teens and it simply didn’t work for me. I abandoned The Turnout and, though I didn’t review it on the blog, I left an exceptionally grumpy comment on Goodreads which I ended by saying “I’ve had enough, not just of this one but, I think, of Abbott in general.” Haha! I always laugh when I look back at how grumpy I get when I abandon a book – it’s as if I take it as a personal slight! Time has passed, wounds have healed, and I’d be more than happy to read more from Abbott. And in fact I have one of her earlier books, Die a Little, waiting on my TBR… since 2015…

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Dry Bones by Peter May

First reviewed 27^th May 2013. I’d been a fan of Peter May long before I began blogging, so although this was the first of his books I reviewed on the blog it was by no means the first I’d read. This is the first in the Enzo Files series, about a Scottish scientist-turned-detective living in France. I said “I didn’t enjoy this quite as much as I did May’s China thrillers or his most recent and excellent Lewis trilogy, but nonetheless I thought it was a good read with engaging characters that certainly encouraged me to go on and read the next in the series.”  But did I?

Well, yes, most of them, though I never grew to like Enzo as much as May’s other work. However I also continued to read and love his newer standalone books, especially the ones set in Scotland – I think he’s at his best when writing about his native culture, even though he’s been a resident and citizen of France for some time now. Recently his books have diverged from my taste – they’ve been a little too based on making points about currently fashionable, hence over-used, subjects, in my opinion, so I haven’t read the last two or three. But he’s an author I will always keep an eye on and highly recommend, especially his wonderful Lewis Trilogy.

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Nightwoods by Charles Frazier

First reviewed 29^th May 2013. Set in 1950s rural America, this is the story of Luce, who takes in her murdered sister’s two children and must try to break through the protective shell they have developed to keep out the world – a world that becomes even more threatening when their step-father arrives in town. I said “A slow-burner, building an ever-increasing atmosphere of fear and unease. But there is also warmth here, room for hope and kindness and love.”  The five-star rating gave Frazier a spot on my must read more list. But did I?

No! I have a copy of his most famed book, Cold Mountain, which has been lingering on my TBR for several years now, but for some reason it never seems to make the leap onto my reading list despite the fact that I loved Nightwoods so much! Must rectify that soon!

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So, I’ve followed up on three of these authors, and banished none completely from my future reading plans. And I have books from two of them which have been lingering on my TBR for far too long. A mixed success rate, I’d say! 😀

Have you read any of these authors?
Are they on your “looking forward to” list?