The Taxidermist's Daughter

I thought this was a great book and would certainly recommend it as a Good Read.  I love to read a book where I learn something new ~ this time it was information and details on taxidermy.  Not something I want to try for my self but fascinating all the same.

The story takes place over less than a week in the very wet Summer of 1912.  The 'daughter' of the title lives with her father in an isolated and rapidly deteriorating house in the marshes of an estuary in Sussex.  The descriptions of the house and the area are atmospheric and disturbing and made even more worrying through the daughter's amnesia over events which happened 10 years previously.   There is mystery upon mystery, well rounded characters and a sound plot line.  

I have not read Kate Mosse before despite being constantly recommended to read the Labyrinth books.  Maybe when the Pile in the Conservatory has diminished somewhat!

Last night was Book Club (2) at B's house.  We had been reading David Nobbs' (of Reggie Perrin fame) story of Henry Pratt.  This was my choice as I had read it before and I found it laugh-aloud funny.  

It is quite a sad story of a boy from the time he was born until he is 18 but so exaggerated and written in such hilarious one-liners that I hadn't really cottoned on to how dreadful his life was.  But it's dreadful in the sense that Buebottle's is.  I mean poor Bluebottle was 'deadded' every week but sprang back in the next episode.  

I'm not sure whether the book is comprehensible to anyone other than a Brit as much of the humour relies on dialect and Yorkshire customs ~ and specifically in the 1930s to 50s. 

Earlier in the day I had been to the Museum which was nice. The idea was to view old maps of the area and then catalogue.    Pat and I spent ages poring over them  and noting the differences from today so we didn't get an awful lot done really.   But there' always next time ~ and it's good to familiarise oneself with the artefacts!  

Back soon

Po xx