Technolandy

Day 20 (of 2024/25) fiction books

Usually on the first of the month, I highlight an  education book that I have read… but last October I made my first ‘universal fiction’ recommendation and this year I am going to echo it… sort-of…

Richard Osman (he who I highlighted with his Thursday Murder Club series) has another book that he has written with his daughter (though I notice her name is absent from the cover) called “We Solve Murders” – and while Osman is theoretically in the ‘British murder mystery genre’, I find his writing and story weaving to be a bit … different; thus why I feel confident that his writing style and story unfolding will connect with many readers beyond those that just seek a juicy mystery to follow along with… and We Solve Murders (on socials he was excited that it written with his daughter, though that’s not on the book jacket…)

Another, more delightfully wordier (not longer – but words are fun to add to the vocabulary) mystery is written by a contemporary of Osman: Susie Dent – both are regulars on British Game Shows and Panel Shows. Susie has long been in “dictionary corner’ in both Countdown and 8 out of 10 cats does countdown. She has written many lexicon books looking at words… and now she unveils her first work of fiction that made me connect a lot more to the writing of AS Byatt’s Possession than Agatha Christie… Guilty by Definition is another highly recommended book, but accessing it is in itself a bit of a mystery for you… it’s available in the UK, but not in North America until spring… but I managed to get a copy (signed – and totally worth every pound!) 

As a librarian, I also had Alone by Megan E Freeman introduced to me = and I love it. It’s a few years old now, but it’s a lovely dystopian book but written in a poetic free verse style… which will make many of my contemporaries possibly angry because is it a poem disguised as a novel or a novel using the framework of a poem? I’m not sure that it matters because I am seeing a trend leaning towards more books written in this style being preferred by more young readers… 

Especially enjoy some “book choice rules” via Alone:

Rule #1: Skip the book if I don’t like the first page.

Rule #2: Quit the book if it isn’t interesting by page 21.

Rule #3: Quit the book if there are no important female characters.

Rule #4: I can read books out of order if I want to.

And I love one of the quotes I read about Osmans books (specifically the Thursday Murder Club) but likewise We Solve Murders… why are they of such broad appeal that I don’t mind saying “if you need a book, give it a try” is because (via Esquire) “…they are really good. The writing is pithy and fresh…”. Susie uses bigger words (not in an insulting way). 

What I enjoy is reading off-education books and finding my mind drifting to non-fiction elements of life. Give these three a read (or gift them to a book lover if you need an idea)

What and how are you reading as a role model to others?