Lilian's Tree

 I have read seven books this month with a new author, Hira Arikawa being my featured author. I didn't have any books by an author, with the surname starting in A, so I asked a good friend, Wendy and she made the suggestion.  The book she suggested was The Travelling Cat Tails,  by Hira Arikawa. Set in Japan, it tells the story of Satoru and his cat Nana. Satoru takes Nana to visit several friends, with the hope that they will take Nana for him. The story is told from Nana's point of view and you learn about Satoru at different stages of his life, through this journey. Beautifully written but have your tissues ready. 84, Charing Cross Road, by Helene Hanff, was mentioned by a friend, Kerry Farmer and I found my copy and read it. It is a series of letters between Helene and a bookshop at 84, Charing Cross Road. A delightful read. Two more of Jane Bettany's were also read, Murder at Maple Grange and Murder on Bluebell Hill.  Featuring Violet Brewster as the amateur sle...

 This month I read six books, of which three were paperback ones. But there was one paperback one I didn't finish, something I don't do often. In The Dead Of Night, by Greg Haddrick, is about the murders of Russell Hill and Carol Clay in the Wonnangatta Valley, Victoria. The book tells the story of how the investigation took place and how the police painstakingly put their case together. Very interesting read. The Knitting Club at Wagtail Ridge, by Janet Gover. Set in the Hunter Valley Region of New South Wales, it is about Bree Johnston, a former city lawyer, leaving that life behind and doing something very different, in Wagtail Ridge. There is a love interest, a controlling grandmother, family struggles and the townspeople. An easy read. A Bird In The Hand, by Ann Cleeves. (Ann writes the Vera Series, that I enjoy reading and her new Two Rivers Series, that has got me hooked.) This book is the first featuring George and Molly Palmer-Jones. Set in Norfolk, it is about a birdw...