The Storyteller's Library
May
Welcome to May’s, Storyteller’s Library. Some of the books this month were for research purposes and others for pleasure, including a couple more of the ‘Rivers of London’ series via Borrowbox. So here they are, the books I read (and listened to) in May:
Physical Books
Viking Folk & Fairy Tales by Flame Tree Publishing
Audio Books via Borrowbox
Moon Over Soho by Ben Aaronovitch
Whispers Underground by Ben Aaronovitch
Moon Over Soho - Ben Aaronovitch
Not as good as the first in the series but a solid second novel and the theme of jazz throughout makes for some amusing references. I missed the rivers deities in this one as they were not as heavily featured although there was a cameo appearance from Ash.
Currently listening to the third in the series before I make up my mind as to whether I shall listen to any others.
Marple by various authors.
I enjoyed this collection of short stories, however the length of the stories meant that there was little opportunity to create a great deal of depth within them. You have to know the character of Marple already in order to enjoy the nuances within them.
My favourites were Val McDermaid, Natalie Haynes and Ruth Ware who all created excellent versions of Christie’s Marple and one that I’d be hard pushed to tell from the originals. I think Christies would have approved.
Viking Stories
A great collection of stories hailing from Scandinavia and Germany. Plenty of Trolls, giants and lost husbands to be found in this volume. These stories have been edited but not rewritten and read very much in the language of the original text and so sometimes they are not as accessible as they could be but as a resource for those interested in or studying stories from this era, this is a great book for your library.
Whispers of The Underground - Ben Aaronovitch
I enjoyed this one more than Moon Over Soho. It’s a solid third novel. By this point I’m getting used to Aaronovitch’s style and phrases but there is enough variety for it not to become derivative or
This one takes the reader underground and combines the building of the underground with Staffordshire pottery, linking them together with the ethereal beings referred to as the Quiet People.
Kobna Holbrook-Smith does another excellent job of reading this one and his accents and change of tone for different situations make the story very entertaining.
Spoiler alert - The addition of Lesley as a magical practitioner is a nice one although it’s clear that she applies herself to her lessons far more than Peter Grant and so should be much more adept than she is but then this would detract from the Peter as the main character so I understand why Aaronovitch skirts around this. They make for an interesting ‘X files’ style duo though.
My only criticism of the novels is that the action scenes do seem to go on and on in a kind of ‘and another thing’ way that we've become used to in TV series when the writer continues the conflict throughout a whole episode rather than build any character arcs or depth to a story. Aaronovitch’s novels have depth but unfortunately, occasionally the action is extended beyond the realms of my belief and takes me out of the story rather than enhancing it.
That said I will be continuing to listen to the rest of the books in the series over the summer.
Wilder by Penny Chrimes
I don’t usually read children’s novels, however this one had the irritable hint of folklore, marshes and the land. Penny Chrimes has done an excellent job of recreating elements of folklore and merging them into an untamed wild that only deities can control.
This is the story of a girl, taken in by the wise woman of the village, after she wanders out of the marshes, wild and feral unable to speak English and in the company of a falcon. It transpires this child can speak to animals and the world around her but not in any way that we would recognise and Chrimes does a great job of not rationalising this element of the character, simply letting it be.
I won’t spoil it but this is a brilliant book with a strong environmental message, showing us that we are all creatures of the wild who have become tame and stopped listening to the land we came from.
Rotten Romans - Terry Deary
I love the horrible history series as a means of stealth education and if you are looking for an introduction/reminder of the different eras of history, this series is a great place to start. The facts within them are fairly reliable but as this series has been around since the 90s it’s worth noting that some elements of historical interpretation have since been updated. The series has been recently updated but if you are reading a second hand copy you might want to check facts before using them in any work you may be doing.
What Were Your May Reads?
Don’t forget to share what you’ve been reading this month in the comments below.
Next Month’s Reading List
As always you can buy any of above books in all good bookshops. If you would like to buy a copy online, please consider visiting my page on Bookshop.org where I have gathered some of the books I read and recommend. Here you will find a plethora of myth, legend and folktale.
And don’t forget to support your local library too. See if they have a copy to borrow.