dryad
member
Reged: 11/02/2008
Posts: 243
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Dark Echo – F G Cottam
The supernatural element of this novel certainly took me outside my comfort zone! Dark Echo is an unlucky, evil boat. Despite this knowledge, a young man falls under the boat’s spell and with his father plans to sail across the Atlantic. His girlfriend, however, is uneasy and begins exploring Dark Echo’s past; if she is to save the life of the man she loves, she must discover the boat’s terrible secret.
F G Cottam is a powerful storyteller with an amazing skill for evoking an atmosphere of menace and revulsion. This is a spine chilling thriller – you have been warned!
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dryad
member
Reged: 11/02/2008
Posts: 243
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Remember Me . . . by Melvyn Bragg
This is a beautifully written novel. It is about a relationship between two students – a French girl and an English boy; they meet at university at the beginning of the sixties, fall in love, get married and then slowly and painfully their relationship disintegrates. These characters are so finely drawn that I felt I knew them well. I shared their dilemma; I could sympathise and empathise. Remember Me . . . is a passionate love story which is very powerful, deeply moving and ultimately tragic. The intensity of its polished prose puts this novel in a class of its own.
Edited by dryad (28/04/2009 18:42)
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dryad
member
Reged: 11/02/2008
Posts: 243
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ALL THE NICE GIRLS Joan Bakewell
In 1942 the Ship Adoption Scheme forges a link between a girls’ grammar school and a merchant navy ship. Staff and pupils share the experiences of seamen, battling with the German U-boat blockade; there are letters, meetings and passionate affairs. The boldness of the crew is reflected in the attitude of the headmistress and her sixth formers. Life is precious and no opportunity must be missed.
This wartime novel is romantic but not sentimental. It explores the poignancy and power of love, showing how even a doomed relationship can leave a legacy of hope and happiness for future generations. Excellent!
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paulagalvin
member
Reged: 20/07/2007
Posts: 170
Loc: leixlip
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DECEMBER by Elizabeth H.Winthrop.
Isabella Carter has not spoken for months and her parents robust marriage is beginning to show signs of strain.We feel Isabella`s pain and adolescent bewilderment as she struggles between her wish to communicate with her parents and her desire to maintain control of the status quo or relinquish it.Into this claustrophobic world ,an unlikely saviour emerges...
This is a beautifully controlled novel,with the tension crackling and fizzing below the surface,but never spilling over into cliche or easy solutions.
An uplifting tale,inspiring and thought-provoking.
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paulagalvin
member
Reged: 20/07/2007
Posts: 170
Loc: leixlip
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WINTER IN MADRID by C.J.SANSOM.
This powerfully evocative and beautifully written novel is part history,part love story set in post-civil war Madrid.It tells the story of Harry Brett,a decent gentleman who becomes embroiled in the machinations of the British Secret Service.
His patriotism,his loyalty and his love are all tested and he is forced to make difficult choices .
It is a story of friendship and betrayal,loves lost and found and a yearning for a simpler world which will never return.This is a compelling and thrilling story told against the background of the grinding poverty and chaotic ruin of the once glorious Madrid.
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paulagalvin
member
Reged: 20/07/2007
Posts: 170
Loc: leixlip
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THE OUTLANDER by GIL ADAMSON.
Mary Boulton has killed her husband .Pursued by her brothers-in-law,she seeks sanctuary and finds it amongst the outcasts,the eccentrics and the loners .
The wilderness through which she journeys is hostile, yielding neither shelter nor warmth. Relying on the comfort of strangers,this enigmatic widow`s tale unfolds in this fast-paced and thrillingly picaresque novel.
Her inner turmoil and hallucinatory flashbacks are told in a stark,spare style.Adamson`s language is hauntingly beautiful
and images will remain with you long after you have closed this remarkable debut novel..
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paulagalvin
member
Reged: 20/07/2007
Posts: 170
Loc: leixlip
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SHE`S COME UNDONE. by WALLY LAMB.
Your heart will break for Dolores Price,an innocent growing up in a cynical world,a vulnerable soul in a harsh ,dispiriting environment.
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You will laugh at her outrageousness,cry with her when she experiences heartbreak and be with her throughout her struggle to outlive the ghosts who have haunted and blighted her life.
This is a powerful story of a sensitive and caring woman striving to break free of psychological and physical chainsl .This is a compellingly beautiful tale.I could not put it down.
Edited by paulagalvin (20/05/2009 22:49)
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paulagalvin
member
Reged: 20/07/2007
Posts: 170
Loc: leixlip
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WHEN WILL THERE BE GOOD NEWS by KATE ATKINSON.
This is simply un-put-downable,it defies all classification,it`s funny,it`s a murder mystery,it`s a human interest story,it is better than the sum of its parts.
A child witnesses the brutal killing of her mother and siblings.
Thirty years later,the murderer is released.
A thrilling chain of events ensues but it is never(ever!!!) predictable.
Kate Atkinson has avoided the formulaic and the cliche to deliver a stunningly brilliant novel .
Her characters are all slightly off-centre ,slightly disturbed(or downright odd) but she imbues them with such ordinary humanity that you will love them.
A joyful,life-enhancing coup -de-maitre..
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paulagalvin
member
Reged: 20/07/2007
Posts: 170
Loc: leixlip
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BROOKLYN by COLM TOIBIN.
This is a beautifully crafted novel from the pen of the twice-shortlisted Booker Prize contender.
It tells the story of Eilis Lacey who leaves small-town Ireland to grapple with the uncertainties of life in Brooklyn.The characters she encounters,particularly the embittered spinsters in her boarding house ,are drawn with great humour and genuine insight into the female psyche.
When a family crisis ensues, the newly glamorous and confident Eilis must return to Ireland .
But where does she truly belong?
Read this gently moving story to discover where her heart lies.
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Ginnie
member
Reged: 24/06/2008
Posts: 1063
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Testimony by Anita Shreve
As an Anita Shreve reader I was not disappointed with this novel.
Three senior student boys and a younger girl from a private school have been filmed in sexual activities. The reader is made to think and consider all possibilities.
Who is responsible for the life changing event?
Would the outcome have been different if certain characters had acted differently?
Why would one young man's character change apparently overnight?
Was the girl, although younger, the initiator of the whole thing?
This book held my interest from beginning to end. A must read.
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suepd
member
Reged: 27/03/2008
Posts: 7
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Too Close To Home by Linwood Barclay
After the runaway success of No time for Goodbye, I couldn't wait to
start his new book and I wasn't disappointed. When the whole family next door are murdered one night, the Cutter family are understandably shocked, but shock turns to fear when Jim Cutter begins to think that the wrong family might have been targeted. Secrets from the past begin to emerge as Jim digs deeper.
Unfortunately, i found that about 2/3rds through the book began to lose the tension that had gradually built up and the ending was predictable.
If you like Harlen Coben, then you'll enjoy this - but read No time for Goodbye first
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rainbowmaker
member
Reged: 19/07/2009
Posts: 1
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The Vanishing Act of Esme Lennox by Maggie O' Farrell
Inmates of the mental institution that has been Esme’s home since her late teens are to return to the community.
Iris, granddaughter of Esme’s sister, Kitty, is traced by the authorities and, as Iris and Esme spend time in Iris’s home which Esme remembers so well from her childhood, their stories unravel.
Iris is torn between her lover, Luke, whose wife, Iris discovers, is pregnant and step-brother, Alex, who’s married Fran but declares he’s still in love with Iris.
Meanwhile, Esme recalls her early years and the conflict with Kitty who now has Alzheimer’s and a lot to answer for.
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linzy
member
Reged: 13/03/2008
Posts: 82
Loc: west mids
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The Shadow of the Wind by Carlos Ruiz Zafon is a memorable book to read it has love, hate, history and humour. Its set in 1945 in Barcelona but goes back in time as the young man who finds the book try's to find out about the mysterious author. Other people are drawn into the story and their lives and loves mingle with the main character. I laughed, cried and enjoyed the characters, especially the tramp who he meets and their bond grows as they discover the truth.
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suepd
member
Reged: 27/03/2008
Posts: 7
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The House at Riverton by Kate Morton
I've recently agreed to swap a book for Kate Morton's next book, The Forgotten Garden as it had a good review, as had The House at Riverton, which i had just started to read. Now i think perhaps i shouldn't have! After all the hype, what a disappointment The House was. A much, much too long story of life in service in the 1920s, as seen through the eyes of 90 something Grace, a ladies maid (eventually) at Riverton. I did struggle through all 600 pages in the hopes that it might at least go out with a bang - but no, an entirely predictable whimper!
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Debsfran
member
Reged: 02/08/2009
Posts: 1
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Pride and Prejudice and Zombies by Jane Austen & Seth Grahame-Smith
Turning Austens classic romance into a macabre zombie ridden novel is brave. The mere idea would send shivers down the spine of many an Austen fan. But as Elizabeth rips the heart out of Lady Catherines ninja, Austen meets Stoker in a head on battle and both emerge victorious. The author leaves the classic story intact but builds it in a new and surreal world. You soon find yourself considering that the zombie infested English countryside creates a far more exciting backdrop to the loves and dalliances of the Bennet family than the original. Even Mrs Bennet is less wearisome.
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Deborahn
member
Reged: 17/08/2009
Posts: 7
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The Road by Cormac McCarthy
This book tells of the last days of the world: every living thing, plant, animal, human, is dead; apart from a few, mostly brutalised survivors. Man has destroyed the world somehow, the worst that could happen has happened. The terrible inevitability of this destruction is underscored by the barbaric practices that are described. A man and his son walk alone, towards the coast. The love the father has for his son, and his need to protect him from the endless threats they encounter, is what keeps him alive, and what gives this novel its heart. Cormac McCarthy is a great writer, for this is not just a terrible story but it is beautifully, captivatingly told. The powerful language is structured into short lines and paragraphs, which lend it a stripped, laid-bare power. This is a book that stays in the heart and mind: truly gripping and mesmerising.
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Deborahn
member
Reged: 17/08/2009
Posts: 7
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Hallo paula, Your review of When Will There Be Good News caught my eye because I have just begun to read it. I don't usually go for detective stories but I like Kate Atkinson and I am really enjoying this. I notice you read a lot!
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beau
member
Reged: 25/03/2009
Posts: 98
Loc: Planet Beau
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FAR NORTH - MARCEL THEROUX
This is a book with teeth and it nips as sharply as the arctic landscape where the story is set. As a survivor of a ravished settler community, Makepeace Hatfield sets on a quest to re-connect with society. It is a story of survival and the quest showcases hostile landscapes, events and people encountered along the way. Hatfield is a credible protagonist and a first person narration gives an honest account of the journey and a slow unfolding of the story behind it. Nothing is wasted by Hatfield, including the language which is succinct yet – dare I say – luminous.
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I am not an old hippie.... I am a hip oldie
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paulagalvin
member
Reged: 20/07/2007
Posts: 170
Loc: leixlip
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HI Deborahn
yes I love books always have a few on the go....am currently reading the new Colum Mc Cann one "Let the world spin" an absolutely beautifully crafted novel,will do a review when finished.Glad you like the Kate Atkinson,she is so funny!!
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paulagalvin
member
Reged: 20/07/2007
Posts: 170
Loc: leixlip
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Sorry it`s called "Let the great world spin" always getting book titles wrong!!!!  
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