Wednesday, February 15, 2017

Shelf Control: A Slight Trick of the Mind by Mitch Cullin

Welcome to Shelf Control — an original feature created and hosted by Bookshelf Fantasies.

Shelf Control is a weekly celebration of the unread books on our shelves. Pick a book you own but haven’t read, write a post about it (suggestions: include what it’s about, why you want to read it, and when you got it), and link up! Fore more info on what Shelf Control is all about, check out the introductory post by Lisa of Bookshelf Fantasies, here.



Synopsis from Goodreads:
Long after Sir Arthur Conan Doyle allowed him to retire to Sussex to take up beekeeping, there seems to be no end of enthusiasm for imagined versions of the life of Sherlock Holmes. There was Michael Chabon's The Final Solution in which "the old man," an 89-year-old beekeeper in Sussex is undoubtedly Holmes. Laurie King, a fine mystery writer, has appropriated Holmes and created a romance between him and young Mary Russell which has lasted through several enjoyable books. And now, nonagenarian Holmes reappears, most appealingly, in Mitch Cullin's A Slight Trick of the Mind. He is frail and forgetful but still observant and capable of shining the bright light of his insight and brilliance on events both past and present.
How I got it: My friend gave it to me in exchange for Six of Crows and Crooked Kingdom by Leigh Bardugo
When I got it: Earlier today, at lunch
Why I want to read it: Sherlock Holmes stories are always interesting, and his much-praised mind appears to be the focus of this book. 

Friday, February 3, 2017

Reading Local: The #BookbedReadsPHLit Challenge

Bookbed is a site/network of Filipino readers I joined early last year. As far as I know, this is the first reading challenge they've given out.


This year I read Alternative Alamat, edited by Paolo Chikiamco, a compilation of stories and illustrations based on Philippine mythology. Since more than one of the stories dealt with Philippine mythology in different historical periods, I think I'll use this book for any book about Philippine history.


I also read Shine by Candy Gourlay. I hope it's not too much of a spoiler to tag this for any book with Filipinos abroad, though it would probably also work for any book set in a Philippine province. 


This challenge has me excited. For the other categories, I'll probably have to go shopping a bit and browse through other people's recommendations. 

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Maira Gall