lnr | Books three, four and five of 2005

Three books since I last caught up. One of which I finished last night and one of which I started in the bath this morning and finished this afternoon.

Book 3: Yes I know I said I'd finished these, and in some sense I have. But despite the fact the author didn't write any more of the series some other writers have done so since and Visitors to the Chalet School (Helen McClelland and Elinor M Brent Dyer: ISBN 0-00-694595-3) is a sort of collaboration between Elinor's biographer and some old notes which Elinor herself had made on the term in question. It's set early in the series, Following on from The Princess of the Chalet School, and fills in a term which had been left out of the original series. Nothing quite so terribly exciting happens - so little so that I can't remember much, but it's a nice little book. And it's strange to have Joey all young again at 15, but still striving as always to put the world to rights. Fun.

Book 4: A Good Hanging and other stories (Ian Rankin: ISBN 0-75280-943-1) leapt of the shelf at me when I was in on my own the other night, as something that would be fairly light reading. Which is odd really given that some of the stories are a little gruesome. But what with one thing or another Rebus usually finds out what's going on and gets his man. Nice to read it in short story size chunks for a change. I've got the next couple in the series to read at some point, and I'll be looking forward to them.

Book 5: Grue bought this volume (ISBN 0-733-55580-2)and two others to read on the plane on the way over from Australia. She gave two of them to me and the third to Rachel, on the principle we'd enjoy them and could swap once we were done. Rachel got through hers long before I got round to either of mine. They're a kind of guilty pleasure really, this sort of story. They're clearly fluff, as evidenced buy the fact each of the two stories in this volume lasted only a couple of hours. But still a pleasure even so. And yes, my eyes get a little damp towards the end when the guy and girl get each other, as you've known they would from the instant they laid eyes on each other on the first page. Of course. Two daft worlds: New Orleans mobland and a Boston hospital witha serial killer on the loose. And of course they're rather predictable. I can't resist quoting a line from the blurbs about each:

Bulletproof Billionaire (Mallory Kane): So what would happen when his love and loyalty were at war and this high-stakes case took an explosive turn?

Intensive Care (Jessica Anderson): Ripley's fiery resolve to seek the truth, however, soon melted Cage's doubts about her, and eventually only he could save the beautiful doctor from the deadly killer who had made her his prime target...

They're both a bit "tall dark handsome bloke saves tiny petite woman from danger" for me, dammit I want to be the one doing the saving sometimes. But still harmless enough. And I have another pair left in the other volume, for another rainy day when I feel like brainless entertainment.