From my monthly visit to my favorite charity shop.

I've read all Mma Ramotswe books, one Professor Dr. von Igelfeld Entertainments and one The Sunday Philosophy Club book. I've quite liked Mma Ramotswe series, the other series haven't impressed me so much. Now I think I've found my McCall Smith favorite, 44 Scotland Street.

44 Scotland Street was first published as a serial in The Scotsman, in a way novels used to be published in earlier days. That explains the episodic structure of the novel. The novel is mostly about Pat, a student on her second gap year, who is accepted as a tenant at 44 Scotland Street in Edinburgh's New Town, and her roommate Bruce and their neighbors. They are quite an interesting lot. Mother and son Pollock and rather imperceptible father Pollock form a funny and at the same time scary family, mother Irene being the scariest of them, of-course. Episodes of mother's and son's sittings with psychoanalyst are among my favorites, but the South Edinburgh Conservative Ball organized by Bruce's boss and his wife, were above all.

All characters aren't ridiculous, for example an anthropologist Domenica. (I just wondered why an interesting widely travelled woman in fiction / TV-series so often is an anthropologist. I know many nurses who have travelled more and lived more interesting life than any anthropologist I know. )

There is also a hint of a romance in the novel, of-course. There is also a painting in the art gallery that employes Pat. It's Peploe?. The question is resolved at the end of the book, when Samuel Peploe's grandson makes a brief appearance in the book. The fate of Peploe? is the only fate sealed on this novel. If you like to know what happens to Pat and her friends and neighbors, you have to read other books of the series.

To Mium as RABCK

Thank you for the book from my wishlist. Seems interesting.
I have read from McCall Smith only Mma Ramotswe-books, so let's see what I think about this one.

I just couldn't get myself immersed into the serial structure of the book. I found this a bit disappointing after the Mma Ramotswe books that I really love. I begun to read this many times but always just picked another book instead - a bit boring. The book is ok, but not astonishing.

The book will be released in a bc-meet-up in Morrison's Turku ( http://www.rafla.fi/morrisons-turku/en/front_page ). If no one wants the book it will be released later somewhere else.

Picked this up at the latest Turku meet-up - never read anything by this author before so don't know what to expect, but I'm curious nevertheless!

Oh my... usually I like episodic novels that revolve around various people but this, this was a total bore. All characters were either dull, infuriating or both, I kept reading in the hope that the story would develop into something worthwhile but after 200 pages I realised it won't, so I pretty much skimmed through the rest of it. Apparently this is a series and there are several more books about the same (?) bunch people, but there was not one single character I'd want to hear anything more about. As you can tell, I really did not like this one. I hope the next reader can appreciate it a little more!

Will send this on to jo_an_a who had it on her wishlist. Happy reading! :)

Thank you very much for the book, Sakirmo! I too have read and liked Mma Ramotswe books, so I am curious about this one.

Taking this to the book swap shelf.

For my birthday I am sending a bunch of books towards new adventures.