dryad
member
Reged: 11/02/2008
Posts: 238
|
|
SUFFER THE LITTLE CHILDREN Donna Leon (detective fiction)
The day had brought Dr Pedrolli great joy because his child had spoken his first word ‘papa’. However, the night was absolute hell – armed men broke into the apartment and grabbed the child. Why this happened has a simple solution – illegal adoption – but there is a complicated reason too, as the charming Commissario Brunetti discovers. The setting is Venice; the essence of this beautiful city is captured in details of buildings, inhabitants and food but we see also the darker side of corruption and evil. Donna Leon addresses both the topical issue of baby trafficking and the universal elements of love and hate. This detective novel has been described as one of her best – I agree.
|
frycake
member
Reged: 10/03/2008
Posts: 1
|
|
The Road by Cormac McCarthy
This is possibly the most harrowing yet brilliant novel I have ever read.
It is the story of one man and his son, and their struggle to survive in what seems to be a post apocolyptic world. He has no hope but for the joyous spirit of his child.
I think McCarthy demonstrates exactly the dichotomy it is to have a child and to have a duty to protect them, even when all else is hopeless.
Pick this up, and when you put it back down you will be contemplating your future, the world and your place in it.
|
dryad
member
Reged: 11/02/2008
Posts: 238
|
|
THE SPA DECAMERON – Fay Weldon
Yuletide Break for High Achievers – sixteen women take advantage of this special offer and spend ten days at the Castle Spa. These include a Trophy Wife, Journalist, Brain Surgeon, Stepmother, Weather Girl, Psychoanalyst and Ex-Vicar's Wife. Between beauty treatments and meal times they relax around the Jacuzzi and bare their souls. We hear confessions of vanity, greed and betrayal; their tales are intimate, shocking and witty. The narrator, Phoebe, is both likeable and wise; as she says, ‘if anything is stranger than fiction it’s the truth’. Fay Weldon is well known for her understanding of the female sex; in this brilliant, satirical novel she turns the spotlight on the role of women in today’s world.
|
keziah
member
Reged: 23/02/2008
Posts: 3
|
|
Dead Air by Iain Banks
Shock-Jock local DJ Ken Nott is outrageous and outspoken. He has an eye for the ladies and a vitriolic point to make – several points, in fact. Banks doesn't let his faithful followers down with a real-life adventure described in convincing monologue by one of the strongest fictional characters I've ever met. Things are getting worrying though as Nott faces death threats and discovery of more than one misdemeanour with other men's wives. Another gripping read from Banks – as the sinister conclusion approaches, putting down the book becomes an impossible cause.
|
keziah
member
Reged: 23/02/2008
Posts: 3
|
|
Monica Lewicka does not let down her hard-earned fans with this second novel. Bringing us a myriad of detailed, funny, soulful characters, here's new insight for anyone who has ever wondered about life for strangers in a strange land. Lit from within like strawberries in the sun, Two Caravans is also one of the best-researched books I've read. If you thought those two chefs put you off eating chicken, check Lewicka's too true descriptions of farm life. I read it in a day and passed it straight on to somebody I liked. I suggest you do the same.
|
dryad
member
Reged: 11/02/2008
Posts: 238
|
|
UNTIL IT’S OVER Nicci French
Astrid is a young cycle courier in London. Within a few weeks she finds herself at the scene of crime three times – three women are murdered. Is this coincidence or something more sinister? The reader is compelled to see the situation from Astrid’s viewpoint and to share her bewilderment and nightmare. Is one of her housemates the murderer? Whom can she trust? Will she be the next victim? The chill factor intensifies when we enter the mind of the killer. We are caught in an atmosphere heavy with menace, evil and foreboding. As we edge towards the inevitable climax, the tension is almost unbearable. This psychological thriller is a page turner – gripping, shocking and extremely clever.
|
Marchbirdy
member
Reged: 02/04/2008
Posts: 29
Loc: Manchester
|
|
The Crimson Petal and the White by Michel Faber
The title is a bit saucy so I'll leave you to find out the meaning for yourselves! This unique and imaginative novel begins with the narrator directly addressing the reader. He entices us to embark on a journey through Victorian London where we follow Sugar, a young, bright, self educated prostitute who is trying to improve her lot in life any way she can. The characters in this book are vibrant believable and flawed. Forget any 'Victorian novel' you have ever read, this will be the nearest thing to time travel you will ever experience. An absolute page turner - I am now reading it for the third time!
|
sallyj
member
Reged: 10/12/2006
Posts: 71
|
|
Sixteen-year-old Tessa is dying of leukaemia but has a list of things to do first, on the cusp of adulthood she wants to fit her whole life into a few months. She wants to try sex, drugs, crime…and she does, along with experiencing tender love and the security of sharing the terrible nights with someone who loves her.
Inevitably this is a sad book but Tessa’s story, and the instructions she leaves behind for her family, tell us to grab life now.
This book will leave you with a renewed appetite for living and memories of a strong-willed young woman.
|
dryad
member
Reged: 11/02/2008
Posts: 238
|
|
SLAM Nick Hornby
Sam tells us he is happy with his life – no problems at home or school and great fun skateboarding with friends. Then he meets Alicia and suddenly his life becomes complicated. He is still a sixteen year old boy but because of ‘a little accident’ he is expected to behave like a responsible adult. Nick Hornby is skilful in his portrayal of Sam; we enter Sam’s head and heart and share his thoughts and feelings. Sometimes the story is ‘laugh out loud’ funny but it is very moving too. I was touched by Sam’s attempts (not always successful) to ‘make things OK’. Gradually he realises that wisdom, confidence and strength arise from the difficult times not the easy ones.
|
Debbie_123
member
Reged: 19/04/2008
Posts: 1
|
|
Simon Beckett - The Chemistry of Death
Right from the start this novel is a mystery.Brilliant in detail.A real page turner.
The ever pleasant Dr David Hunter moves to a remote village to escape his past,only to discover his new life to be equally as tragic.There is a number of Red Herrings which keeps you on the edge of your seat.
I would highly recommend this novel to anybody who enjoys reading who dunnits.
I found it a very enjoyable read.I felt it hard to put down!
|
dryad
member
Reged: 11/02/2008
Posts: 238
|
|
REVELATION C J Sansom
Revelation is the fourth historical novel in the Shardlake series but it can be enjoyed as a stand alone novel too.
The setting is London in 1543; King Henry VIII wants to make Lady Catherine Parr his sixth wife. As the struggle for power between religious reformers and reactionaries continues, new laws mean arrest and punishment for many citizens. In an atmosphere already heavy with suspicion a serial killer is on the loose. Shardlake becomes involved when a close friend is found dead; with his assistant Barak he follows the trail of horrific murders which imitate the dark prophecies of the Book of Revelation. Opinions about the murderer vary – is he possessed or is he insane? As he edges closer to his final target, his daring and cunning almost defy belief. This novel has a brilliant plot, a rich variety of characters and a shocking conclusion – a very exciting book.
|
Vicky123
member
Reged: 22/02/2008
Posts: 2474
Loc: Essex
|
|
SHOOT THE DAMN DOG - Sally Brampton
Sally Brampton is a highly regarded journalist, author and magazine editor and this book chronicles her fight back to "normality" after a four year battle against depression and alcoholism. Extremely raw and written from the heart the book gives an honest undiluted account of her descent into this debilitating illness. The book is punctuated with interesting articles from leading psychoanalysts and psychotherapists giving a real insight to the struggle against finding a "cure" for what is now commonly known as the Black Dog. However, I do not feel it is a good read for anyone struggling with this illness because Sally's struggle back to relative normality is, quite understandably, full of negativity. I think writing the book was extremely therapeutic for her, and although I found it uncomfortable reading at some points, I did enjoy it.
--------------------
|
debbsie
member
Reged: 24/04/2008
Posts: 4
Loc: Derby, Derbyshire central Engl...
|
|
The Accident Man by Tom Cain
Another little gem of the thriller nature. Get it in the bargains The Works 3 for 5 quid.
Princess Diana, France, Fast Cars, Cover up, UK Government.
Its all there. Mr Al Fahid will be pleased with this -
A stunner of a read from the first page to the last twist turning paragraph. On par with Forsyth and McNabb etc. Action packed. Well written and maybe part true says Lee Child, ex SBS, SAS, even. Abit of lovey stuff but nothing too drastic. But plenty of other action, above and below ground, in Europe and UK. Good read for on travels in airplane or on beach..... 
|
janbryn
member
Reged: 06/01/2008
Posts: 4
|
|
Kambili, the narrator of Purple Hibiscus,Chimamanda Ngozi Adiche's debut novel, tells of a childhood and adolescence dominated by a cruel father with strict 'religious' ideals. Adiche is a skilful storyteller and this is a sensitive though hard hitting portrayal of an unhappy household which contrasts with the loving atmosphere in her aunt's home where Kambili learns to value herself and trust her own judgement. Set in Nigeria the novel speaks not only of personal but of political turmoil and we learn also of the wider social and cultural influences which colour the lives of all the protagonists.
|
sallyj
member
Reged: 10/12/2006
Posts: 71
|
|
How to Stop Worrying and Start Living by Dale Carnegie
This book has destroyed my constant negativity and replaced it with a positive grip on life. Written over 50 years ago, the advice within its pages is absolutely relevant to today’s ‘have it all now!’ society.
Carnegie cites hundreds of examples illustrating how a change of mental attitude will free up energy wasted on worry and produce peace of mind and happiness.
Don’t be put off by the slightly old-fashioned American case studies but concentrate on the little mottos and mantras at the end of each section. They’ve given me a new found confidence to face the world without fear.
|
dgt3
member
Reged: 29/03/2008
Posts: 104
Loc: Cornwall
|
|
A Thousand Splendid Suns by Khaled Hosseini
Hosseini weaves a rich tapestry of intrigue when the lives of two unlikely women become interwoven with each other when they are thrown together by marriage to the same man. This is not a story of bigamy as we know it in the western world but a realistic portrayal of the hell known as 'life' for women in Afghanistan.
Hosseini draws the reader in by his beautiful descriptive language of the rural landscape of Afghanistan but more importantly of the human story of these remarkable women. Literature of other cultures is vital in bringing to the consciousness of the rest of the world that many people live in very different ways to us.
Hosseini is a master storyteller and one to watch.
|
dryad
member
Reged: 11/02/2008
Posts: 238
|
|
COMPANY OF LIARS (a novel of the plague) Karen Maitland
In 1348 a motley group of travellers makes its way north to outrun the plague, which is spreading from the ports on the south coast. All have a story to tell but do we hear the truth or lies? It seems the quarrelsome conjuror has the most to hide and even the peddler, who acts as peace maker, is not telling the whole truth. When the rune reader predicts punishment for liars, the travellers fear a fate even more dreadful than the plague. This dark tale paints a vivid picture of medieval England; it is a refreshingly different novel – brilliant!
|
Va1
member
Reged: 13/05/2008
Posts: 1
|
|
The Twilight Time by Karen Campbell
(Hodder & Stoughton £12.99)
This atmospheric page-turner is, on one level, a gritty tale about Anna, a young policewoman trying to make her mark on the tough streets of Glasgow. In charge of the unit dealing with lowlife, pimps and prostitution, she’s disturbed to find she’s working with her former lover, now married with a child.
Shot through with dark wit and wicked observations, the book is also a wonderful exploration of the choices women make – whether it’s career, motherhood, or even selling souls on the streets. With a gripping plot, compelling characters and a haunting, lyrical style, this debut is an absolute winner.
|
aggipanthus
member
Reged: 05/04/2006
Posts: 179
|
|
'THE LOVE OF MY LIFE' by LOUISE DOUGLAS
Childhood sweethearts Olivia and Luca Felicone upset their families when they marry, but all their lives are shattered when Luca dies in a car crash. Olivia's grief is so great that for a while she loses her way, leaving her job and travelling to the north east, where the FELICONE family own a restaurant. Not everyone is welcoming, but she is drawn to her married brother-in-law, Luca's twin Marc, united in their grief. They have an affair, each trying to replace Luca. But they come to the realisation you can't replace the irreplaceable, and that even though he is dead, Luca is with them still. This is a powerful, beautifully written debut novel.
|
rainbow
member
Reged: 28/05/2008
Posts: 16
|
|
City of Dark Hearts, by William Horwood and Helen Rappaport writing as James Conan (Arrow Books)
This book is a real page turner. It is set in Chicago in 1893 where a young girl, Anna Zemeckis, goes missing. Emily Strauss, a feisty girl reporter (called 'stunt girls' in those days) sees the potential in the story and persuades the famous Joseph Pulitzer of New York World to commission her to investigate.
Immediately, against the glamorous backdrop of the World's Fair, she is plunged into a sinister underworld of violence, pornography and prostitution.
Extensive research by the co-authors ensures realistic atmosphere and chilling detail which grip the reader's attention right through to the story's compelling climax.
|
Previous
Index
Next
Threaded
[Re: 
Edit
Reply
Quote
