Recently I Read... Spring 2016 (part one)

I've had a bit of a blogging hiatus due to life getting busier and busier of late, and I've made a decision that rather than giving full reviews of every book I've read I'm going to review most of the books in 100 words or less in a series of posts 'Recently I Read...)  The stand-out books I read during this time will get full reviews soon as I have to recommend them to you properly!

Here's the first batch of books I read -

The Cricket in Times Square - George Selden
A classic children's book about a cat, a mouse, a cricket and a boy.  Set mainly in Times Square subway station, George Selden's gentle tale gives the reader a flavour of New York life, and even though it was written in 1960 it's still charming and relatable.  Garth Williams accompanying illustrations are gorgeous.

The Thing about Jellyfish - Ali Benjamin
Suzy is grieving her best friend Franny who died by drowning in the sea.  Convincing herself that Franny was stung by a jellyfish and that's the cause of death, Suzy makes it her mission to learn all she can about them.  An interesting idea but I found myself switching off during the fact-dropping sections in this YA book.

Miss Brill - Katherine Mansfield
This collection of short stories in the Penguin Little Black Classics collection interested me as I have been meaning to read Mansfield's work for a while.  That's the great thing about the series - it's a brilliant way to try new authors.  The story of the title was my favourite, an examination of loneliness, whilst the other two were both centred around relationships.  Whilst I admire Mansfield's writing and ability to capture character and setting so well in a short word count, it hasn't made me buy any more of her works as yet.

D is for Dahl - Wendy Cooling
Non-fiction book of facts about Roald Dahl that my son got out of the library.  Both of us enjoyed dipping into this book and finding out more about Dahl's stories, writing process and life. 

Recently I Read...Spring 2016 will return!