It took Joseph Knox eight years of “lunch breaks, stolen hours and ruined holidays” to complete Sirens, but when Lee Child sums up your debut novel as “Razor-sharp urban noir – very special indeed” you’ve got to feel that the toil was worth it.
As a huge fan of Lee Child’s novels, I was anticipating a treat of a read.
Ely has joined the Window Wanderland revolution! As the sun went down on 23rd October 2020, the lights in 140 Ely homes & businesses went on, illuminating their window artwork.
Window Wanderland began in 2015 when Lucy Reeves Khan used her experience of isolation as a force for good, inspiring communities to transform their streets into unique ‘galleries’ for neighbours to enjoy together. Such a fun idea and Lucy can’t have known how much this kind of togetherness would be so desperately needed in 2020.
Back in July, I read about a collaborative community arts project in our home city, called All Together Now. An invitation was extended to artists & makers to propose some “fun and unexpected things to happen in the city”. Intriguing! The focus was on encouraging local people to get creative during lockdown and involved in activities to be shared & enjoyed by locals and visitors.
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Harpy: half-bird, half-human.
This book wouldn’t ordinarily appear on my radar; I normally gravitate towards a crime thriller or historical novel. When given a chance to read a proof copy of The Harpy, I looked up Megan Hunter’s debut novel: The End We Start From. It was described as “a gripping novel”, “strange and haunting”, “beautifully spare”. Good vibes so far!
Intrigued, I began reading…
We’re in the fourth week of COVID-19 lockdown. It’s certainly been tense at times in the Smith house, but we’re all still healthy, and I’m incredibly grateful for that; I sincerely hope you and your loved ones are well, too. The weather has been gorgeous for the most part, which has helped as the boys love being outdoors.
For less favourable days, I’ve tried to find some new indoor activities that we can do as a family, and I was delighted to find Draw with Rob on YouTube.
I’m going to begin with a confession: before October 2019, I hadn’t heard of Lesley Kara! Then I was invited to a soft launch of her second novel, Who Did You Tell? Not wanting to meet Lesley in a state of ignorance, I bought a copy of her first novel, The Rumour.
Now, I love books but I don’t have anywhere near the time I’d like to sit and read. Fast-paced, gripping books are, therefore, perfect for me. And, The Rumour was just that.
Anticipating another can’t-put-it-down book by Lesley, I started reading my proof copy the day after the book event. Did it live up to expectations..?
#100DaysNoTV 