Sappho-Parisian Manners, A realistic novel

by Alphonse Daudet
The attraction of this book for me was it's publisher, Vizetelly and Co in 1888. This was the famous publisher of Zola novels who was tried for publishing such obscene works as La Terre!
Sappho is full of melodrama and not a book to grip you. A story of a young aristocrat, Gaussin and his relationship with an aging prostitute. The ending is predictable but it moves along at a good pace and the numerous illustrations are fun. 5/10

Angels Flight

by Michael Connelly
The next Bosch and we cover a lot of ground from Civil rights, child sex crimes, and corrupt cops on the LAPD. Add to that problems with Harry's marriage and you realise this book is not short on plot.
The body count is quite high in this one and as ever has a fairly ambivalent conclusion. A good listen on the commute to work though. 7/10

Those who leave and those who stay

by Elena Ferrante
Part three of the Neopolitan quartet and Lenu and Lena grow up. Lenu leaves, goes through university and marries into a good northern family. Lena leaves her husband and works in a sausage factory owned by Bruno from the beach in Ischia.
We are taken on a whirlwind tour through late twentieth century Italian history and some long drawn out passages on life as a mother which can be a bit tedious. I finished this book absolutely infuriated with Lenu. For someone intelligent and able to think and write about feminist issues how can she get so taken in by a shit who she knows the complete history of. I know I have to read part four but Lenu and I are not friends at present so I am putting it off! 7/10