As the nights continue to draw in (January is my least favorite month) I turn as always to the comforting power of books as I await the lighter nights of early Spring. As always I have predominantly been reading murder mysteries and other historical novels as I await my first trip of the year to Edinburgh in February!
As the days get shorter, and the nights draw in and everyone is now back at school or university what better than to settle down with a series of books set in the home of all things autumn and fall related, New England? The ‘Truly Devious’ series of books (the fifth book is set to be released in December of this year) by Maureen Johnston are set in the Ellingham Academy near Burlington, Vermont. The Ellingham Academy is a school for gifted children who otherwise don’t fit into the normal schooling system. Autumn leaves, maple syrup, and murder await the enthusiastic reader!
As the Autumn leaves continue to change we are naturally drawn to stay indoors more and what a better idea to stay indoors with a really good book especially if the weather outside is dreadful! Though to be fair I do like getting outside a lot at all time of the year; especially when you’ve been out for a blustery walk and come back to a lovely cup of tea and have something wonderful to read!
I write this blog post on what is probably the first truly Autumnal day of the year in Ireland; rainy, windy weather coupled with a noticeable drop in temperatures have hailed the arrival of the new season. All that I want to do on a day like today is to stay inside drink tea, listen to the radio, and read something cosy and purposefully set in autumn or with autumnal themes. Read on for three ‘Beyond the Bookcase’ autumnal edition reading recommendations!
As you may or may not know; I love a good detective novel. Particularly those set in the ‘Golden Age’ of crime fiction between the two World Wars (1919-1940). Whilst I admire and love Agatha Christie’s Hercule Poirot books (I’m not much of a a fan of her Miss. Marple books) by far my most favorite female author from this period is Dorothy Leigh Sayers or Dorothy L. Sayers as she is better known. Dorothy L. Sayers is famous for the Lord Peter Wimsey detective novels which also feature Harriet Vane the crime fiction writer and some would argue a parody of Sayers herself (alas to the best of my knowledge I am not related to the great woman herself!)