sue60jeffery
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Reged: 01/06/2008
Posts: 1
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Let the Northern Lights Erase Your Name by Vendela Vida
Atlantic Books £7-99
This is a story with suspense.The main character is Clarissa, whose mother disappeared when she was 14 years old. On the death of her father, Clarissa, now 28, finds out he wasn't her real father at all.
She leaves her fiance behind in New York and travels to Lapland on a quest to find out the truth.
This book has fine description of this cold, northern area and lots of believable characters.
It's a page-turner until the suprising, thought-provoking end.
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rainbow
member
Reged: 28/05/2008
Posts: 16
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The Post Birthday World, by Lionel Shriver (Harper, £7.99)
Irina McGovern's future hangs on a birthday kiss and the decisions taken thereafter. We find ourselves wondering what we would do in similar circumstances as Shriver draws us into Irina's intense emotional and moral dilemma.
Who will it be- her partner, the safe, supportive Lawrence, or Ramsey, the hard-living snooker player, or neither, or both?
The book's parallel-universe structure enables Shriver to explore the possibilities, flaws and repercussions of Irina's possible choices.
Her skill as a writer is to unsettle us, making it impossible not to care what happens.
Is the grass greener for Irina (or any of us) in the end?
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SharonG
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Reged: 07/06/2008
Posts: 1
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"Broken. A novel" by Daniel Clay.
This beautiful, incredibly lyrical book is a debut novel.
"Broken" is the story of three families on a housing estate in the South of England. The story is narrated by Skunk, an 11 year old girl, from her hospital bed and tells of the events between the quietly-spoken, middle-class Buckleys and the Oswalds with their drug dealing, aggressive, single father and his bullying daughters. Skunk Cunningham's family are involved by accident but are integral to the story.
A wonderfully moving story exploring family love and offering hope.
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sallyj
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Reged: 10/12/2006
Posts: 71
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Life of Pi by Yann Martel
Don’t switch off! This novel is not about Maths but about the need for company when survival is tough – even if your companion is a fierce predator.
16-year-old Pi is shipwrecked and left floating in a lifeboat with an adult tiger. Death seems inevitable – either by drowning or as dinner for the feline.
Pi’s experience as a zoo keeper’s son enables him to exercise some control over the animal and the continual task of finding food and water for the tiger motivates Pi to continue living.
Sharing a boat with a tiger is dangerous but preferable to being totally alone
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emptynest
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Reged: 10/11/2007
Posts: 559
Loc: South Wales
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The Forgotten Garden by Kate Morton
This is a gem of a book that hooks the reader right from the first page. A little girl finds herself abandoned on a boat that is sailing from Britain to Australia in 1913. The book moves seamlessly back and for between 1913, 1975 and 2005 and spans four generations to try and solve the mystery of why she was abandoned and why no one came looking for her. The reader is drawn into a gripping and fascinating story which slowly fits together to reveal a frightening and horrific family secret.
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rainbow
member
Reged: 28/05/2008
Posts: 16
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The World According to Bertie, by Alexander McCall Smith (Abacus, £6.99)
At first glance, this laugh aloud novel, which is set in a block of flats at 44 Scotland Street, Edinburgh, portrays a humorous glimpse into the lives of the various residents in this up-market area of Edinburgh.
But, McCall Smith, in his typically gentle style, digs more deeply to explore the ethical issues and dilemmas faced by his unforgettable characters. It also saddens us as we commiserate with the plight of 6 year old Bertie, grappling to break free from his domineering mother, yoga lessons and pink bedroom.
And- why does his new brother so resemble Bertie's psychotherapist? A must read.
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lynnelee47
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Reged: 13/06/2008
Posts: 1
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Shadow of the Wind by Carlos Ruiz Zafon.
An engrossing read which relates the story of Daniel, son of a Barcelona book-seller who takes the boy to the Cemetery of Forgotten Books - an ancient Library. Daniel may choose one book, and takes 'The Shadow of the Wind' by Julian Carax. The boy becomes fascinated by the book, and, growing up, is consumed by the sinister secrets which surround the life and death of Caras. He sets out to discover the truth, and finds himself involved in a desperate race to save those whom Carax left behind. Beautifully written, atmospheric, and immensely readable.
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tray
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Reged: 01/10/2006
Posts: 2
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"Women who run with the Wolves" by Clarissa Pinkola Estes. I have deciede to post this book as it is totally different from my usual read and I've never read anything quite like it. It has been written by a psycho analyst and invites all women to re-discover themselves. It is a book of women's stories chosen to embolden and enrich the reader and has been discribed as 'vitamins for the soul'. It is both challenging and inspiring and speaks to the "wild woman" that resides within every woman. So, I urge you, read about your inner woman this summer....
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Dichants
member
Reged: 23/06/2008
Posts: 4
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The Mermaid's Chair
By: Sue Monk Kidd
I am a great fan of this American author, having so enjoyed her first book "The Secret Life of Bees". The Mermaid's Chair is her second book.
I enjoyed the story of a wife finding her true self after 20 odd years of marriage. The story takes place in the deep lowlands south of American. While caring for her mother, and learning of the secret family history shared by many on the small island where she grew up, our heroine rebuilds a lost relationship with her mother, as well as herself. This is truly a Woman's story, aspects of which we can all relate to: empty nest, mother daughter relationships and the changes that occur with age both in our marriages and outside of them.
I felt that the story fell short of the promise of greatness in her first work.
What I did like was the setting and atmosphere aspects. These are truly foreign and completly unknown to me so I cannot vouch for how authenticly they have been depicted, this does not take away the feeling of being transported. It is this aspect of reading that I feel we all seek.
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dryad
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Reged: 11/02/2008
Posts: 243
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THE OUTCAST Sadie Jones
This is the most powerful novel I have read in a long time – Sadie Jones writes with startling sensitivity. We soon realise where Lewis has spent the last two years and why his homecoming is not a joyous occasion. Though we do not condone his behaviour, we begin to understand. Traumatised by childhood tragedy and rejected by his father – it is inevitable that his fragile spirit breaks. Home again in his English village, he is alienated by the community and the downward spiral to despair continues. Only Kit, another damaged loner, befriends him and offers a ray of hope. In the heart warming conclusion, Lewis’s desire for justice brings redemption for them both. This beautifully written novel is not to be missed.
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rainbow
member
Reged: 28/05/2008
Posts: 16
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MIDNIGHT CACTUS by BELLA POLLEN (Pan Books, £6.99)
Alice Coleman, on a sojourn from husband, Robert, plans to convert an Arizona ghost town into a retreat. She and her two children just start to settle into their lifestyle in the desert close to the Mexican border when the enigmatic Duval appears.
As Alice is drawn into the complex lives of fugitive Mexicans, she finds herself reawakened by life on the edge.
"Discontented women are like pressure cookers", says Duval. "The steam rises and one day they just reach boiling point."
If you have ever felt like that, you understand the decisions faced by Alice.
Will she, won't she?
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sallyj
member
Reged: 10/12/2006
Posts: 71
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Diving into Light by Natasha Farrant
They say that history repeats itself and so it does in this novel. Both 22-year-old Florence and her grandmother, Mimi, are carrying the burden of experiencing an illicit love that ended in a violent death, albeit several decades apart.
Unable to cope, Florence cuts herself off from her family but the birth of her child brings matters to a head. Mimi reveals her secret past to Florence in a series of letters featuring German soldiers and a secret tunnel.
Giving birth often makes women re-evaluate both their past and their future but Florence’s past is more dramatic than most.
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Lotus68
member
Reged: 16/07/2008
Posts: 5
Loc: Suffolk, UK
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The Private Lives of Pippa Lee by Rebecca Miller
The first time I saw the title of this book I went cold all over because...it is/was my name before I was married! My initial reaction was "who wrote it and did they know me?!!"
To my relief it was not (quite!) about me. It is in fact the poignant story of vibrant 50 year old Pippa, who has reluctantly moved to a retirement home with her husband Herb who is 30 years her senior, a publisher and sometime bohemian. Pippa begins to have worrying episodes of sleepwalking and this leads to flashbacks of her life, including memories of her mentally ill mother and Pippa's subsequently reckless early life. The reflections are powerful and deeply moving; Pippa's relationships are intense and at the same time strangely vacuous and detached which makes intriguing reading. It is a sensitive but raw tale of the passage of life, reminding us of our own interactions with those who take the journey with us.
An excellent read and beautifully written.
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daffodils
member
Reged: 18/07/2008
Posts: 1
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The River Cottage Family Cookbook by Hugh Fernley-Whittingstall & Fizz Carr
Want to cook and eat healthily and have fun? Then this is the only cookery book you’ll ever need! Not just recipes but techniques, from basics such as rubbing in to scaling and filleting fish.
It is brilliantly written so that children can learn to cook from it, as well as adults do sophisticated dishes. It covers animal welfare and buying good food through to final presentation. Lavishly illustrated and full of the sheer joy of sharing good food. I just wish I’d read it earlier in my life! Do treat yourself.
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Ashbee
member
Reged: 13/06/2008
Posts: 1160
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No time for goodbye - Linwood Barclay
If you enjoy Robert Goddard, reach for Linwood Barclay’s debut novel. No Time For Goodbye is a tightly plotted thriller that neatly ties up all the threads and brings the 25 year mystery of the disappearance of Cynthia Bigge’s parents and older brother to a satisfying and believable conclusion. Was it an alien abduction or an FBI conspiracy? Did the 14 year old Cynthia know more than she admitted? No, the answer is something far more understandable but you’ll have to read the book to discover what. This is a genuine page-turner and justifiably on Richard and Judy’s summer list
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sallyj
member
Reged: 10/12/2006
Posts: 71
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Shopaholic and Sister by Sophie Kinsella
Reading the Shopaholic series is like indulging in sticky, pink candyfloss; once started it can’t be saved for later. The plots are light, airy and easily absorbed by a distracted or tired mind.
Becky is a likable heroine despite her mammoth overspending and constant inability to stick to a budget.
In this book she meets her long-lost half sister, Jess, and plans on them sharing girly shopping trips. But Jess is thrifty and sensible, the complete opposite of Becky…
Lose yourself in this feather-light story and get the sugary high of candyfloss without the calories or the sticky face!
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sallyj
member
Reged: 10/12/2006
Posts: 71
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Natural Flights of the Human Mind by Clare Morrall
24 years ago Peter Straker caused a train accident, killing 78 people. To escape the press and angry relatives of the dead, Straker is forced into an isolated life in a crumbling lighthouse.
Dreams about the victims and his own obsessive research into their lives are his only company until he meets Imogen, who has her own painful past. Slowly the two of them begin to thaw.
Any transport disaster dominates the news in the short term but how does the person who caused the accident cope in the long term? Morrall’s novel explores this theme brilliantly.
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dryad
member
Reged: 11/02/2008
Posts: 243
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SECRET Philippe Grimbert
(translated from the French by Polly McClean)
This novel is about a secret – to give clues would be to spoil the experience of finding out for oneself. The reader needs to keep in step with the narrator, to share the narrator's astonishment as the secret unfolds. He is a sickly, imaginative child born of beautiful, athletic parents; he senses there is something sinister and significant he is not being told. When he is 15, he begins to find out the truth and to understand his parents’ sidelong glances. I felt I travelled the painful journey with him and together we discovered a tale which is shocking, compelling and profoundly moving. This beautifully written book is unforgettable.
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rainbow
member
Reged: 28/05/2008
Posts: 16
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The Uncommon Reader, by Alan Bennett (Faber, £6.99)
Does the Queen read? I must admit I had never thought about it before.
In Bennett's book, she starts to read novels, and it changes everything, including her relationship with her equerries. Indeed, she even begins to neglect her royal duties as her newly discovered passion for reading is awakened.
Humour abounds, but there is pathos too as Bennett delves more deeply into the often solitary nature of the Queen's lifestyle and all the experiences she has missed out on.
The 'uncommon reader' is a royal treasure!
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rainbow
member
Reged: 28/05/2008
Posts: 16
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The Bolter, by Frances Osborne (Virago, £18.99)
Drawing on family letters and diaries, Frances Osborne recounts the scandalous, tragic life of her great-grandmother, Idina Sackville, who 'bolted' from her husband and two children in 1919 to emigrate to Kenya with a practically penniless man.
There, we meet the 'Happy Valley' set (made famous by 'White Mischief') in all their rampant games and adulterous, ephemeral entanglements.
Idina's life seems a frenetic search for pleasure within the context of the super-wealthy and titled. Her promiscuity, glamour and sexual conquests were legendary, but Osborne reveals the heartache under the brittle veneer of uncaring sophistication.
Does it end happily? Could it?
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