What I've been reading

Entertaining Cancer (the Buddhist way)
by Devamitra

"Who would have thought that having cancer could be so instructive, and at times so amusing? Devamitra writes of his experiences with a style unique to him: beautifully crafted, engaging, witty, poignant, reflective and always disarmingly honest."

This is the book written by the chap who stayed with me and road tested my accommodation while on his recent promotional book tour. It's easy to read but not the laugh out loud funny account that some say it is. Devamitra refers to it openly as his 'swan song' and wants to see if he can get it stocked in WH Smith before his demise - I hope he manages it.

The Yogi's Joy: Songs of Milarepa
by Sangharakshita

"Milarepa was a yogi and Tibetan Buddhist mystic of great learning and turbulent worldly experience.  Here, three of these songs are explored in such a way that the wisdom and teachings Milarepa drew out in his songs are made relevant to life for us today."

This is the book that I took on retreat and ended up reading twice. If it hadn't been for the retreat I might not have managed it once, but it was worth the effort and will probably show its value when I need to look up historical enlightened Tibetans for a future project. Until then it stays on the shelf.

Hungry Hill
by Daphne du Maurier

"The Brodricks of Clonmere gain great wealth by harnessing the power of Hungry Hill and extracting the treasure it holds. The Donovans, the original owners of Clonmere Castle, resent the Brodricks' success, and consider the great house and its surrounding land theirs by right."

Considering how wonderfully Daphne du Maurier can write, I'm always disappointed by a less than wonderful story. It's a family saga, and I do like a saga, and it got better the more I read, but still - most of the people described come to a sticky end or are in some way damaged. The stern overbearing grandfather, the dissolute son, the shabby gambling-addicted widow, the beautiful but fragile sister who met an early death, enough already.

The Mitford Murders
by Jessica Fellowes

"It's 1919, and Louisa Cannon dreams of escaping her life of poverty in London, and most of all her oppressive and dangerous uncle. Louisa's salvation is a position within the Mitford household at Asthall Manor, in the Oxfordshire countryside. There she will become nursery maid, chaperone and confidante to the Mitford sisters."

It wasn't bad, but it wasn't very good either. I didn't believe in any of the characters, not even the Mitfords, who are real. The mystery was sufficiently mysterious but not too confusing; I think it was just the writing that let it down. Faintly interesting trivia: the author's uncle is the writer of the popular Downton Abbey TV series and she has also written books to accompany that (which I will not be reading).