Hazel Walker
Reged: 02/12/2005
Posts: 25
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It's easy: just write a review of 100 words or less on any book and post it here in the forum, and if our books editors select it, you will win all the books featured on the Woman & Home books page that month.
Reviews must be original, of course. The value of the prize varies, depending on the books we feature, but is rarely less than £50.
Good luck!
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Dotty
member
Reged: 06/09/2006
Posts: 7
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To Kill a Mocking Bird by Harper Lee.
This is a beautifully written book set during the Depression in the southern states of America. It tells the story of the Finch family, and this is narrated by Scout the youngest of the two children of Atticus Finch, who is a lawyer.
The main story in the book is that of the trial of a negro for raping a white woman. Atticus defends him but of course, he is up against a lot of prejudice and the scales of justice are heavily laden against the negro.
As well, the book recounts the adventures of Scout and her brother, Jem, and particularly of their friendship with the recluse, Boo Radley.
Atticus is portrayed as a very wise man, who teaches his children about the ways of the world and of human nature. He is the sort of person one would want to turn to for advice as he always seems to know the right thing to do.
This is surely one of the best books I have ever read.
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RedSpirit
member
Reged: 29/09/2006
Posts: 4
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The Time Traveler’s Wife
by
Audrey Niffenegger
The remarkable love between Clare and Henry unfolds as they face complex challenges thrown at them by his genetic condition of time travelling. As they struggle with unpredictable journeys into both past and future the reader is drawn deeply into their lives. Written from both their perspectives it reflects the ordinary yet soulful quality of being in relationship with one you love with heartrending complications; What's it like to meet your husband when he thinks you’re meeting for the first time? How to make the painful decision of whether to have children? What to do with unwelcome knowledge from the future? How to cope with the uncontrollable nature and risks of the condition? The authors craft is in creating a story that can touch each of us as it intensely explores hope, longing, life, loss and ultimately love.
I was touched to my core reading this – I recommend you give yourself plenty of time to indulge in this book and space to cry, even my husband shed tears.
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waterbaby
member
Reged: 23/08/2006
Posts: 42
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Perfect Match by Jodi Picoult
Nina Frost's occupation as an Assistant District Attorney specialising in child abuse means she spends her days in court trying to protect her young victims and winning for them the satisfaction of their violators being sentenced. Thus she protects herself from getting too personally involved. However, when Nathaniel, her five year old son, drops the bombshell that he has been abused, Nina is sent reeling into the world of extreme protectiveness that only mothers can feel for their own children.
How far will Nina go to avenge this intrusion on her child's life?
I thought this book might have been a bit of a tricky subject but the reader gets so involved and can physically feel Nathaniel's own sorrow, plus his bewilderment at what is happening to his parents. This was the first book by this author that I have read but will delve into her others now.
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Janecaroll
member
Reged: 05/10/2006
Posts: 1
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The Tea House on Mulbery Street by Sharon Owens.
Penny and Daniel Stanley own Muldoon's Tea Rooms and the book follows the everyday life of them and their customers. We soon get to know the main characters, Brenda the artist, Sadie's sadness, Claire's battle with a past she can't let go and of course the Stanleys themselves. We quickly become drawn into their lives and those around them.
There is sadness, self discovery, a journey home, mouth-watering deserts and of course, a happy ending!
This is a feel good book to curl up with on a winters evening... Enjoy!
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suz
member
Reged: 05/10/2006
Posts: 3
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The Other Side of You by Sally Vickers
Psychoanalyst David McBride describes a series of consultations with a failed suicide, Elizabeth. A dry-as-dust case history? Not a bit of it. Sally Vickers' novel blossoms from prosaic beginnings. There are insights galore into the human condition, but these are delivered within the context of a passionate and multi-layered love story. By means of visits to Rome, and via a shared understanding of the life and works of Caravaggio, both David and Elizabeth discover ways in which their damaged lives may be changed.
This is a wonderful novel - a thought-provoking and entertaining read.
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suz
member
Reged: 05/10/2006
Posts: 3
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My apologies for incorrectly spelling Salley Vickers' name in my review. Here is a corrected version:
The Other Side of You by Salley Vickers
Psychoanalyst David McBride describes a series of consultations with a suicidal patient, Elizabeth. A dry-as-dust case history? Not a bit of it. Salley Vickers' novel blossoms from prosaic beginnings. There are insights galore into the human condition, but these are delivered within the context of a passionate and multi-layered love story. By means of visits to Rome, and via a shared understanding of the life and work of Caravaggio, both David and Elizabeth discover ways in which their damaged lives may be changed.
This is a wonderful novel - a thought-provoking and entertaining read.
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AlisonC
member
Reged: 08/10/2006
Posts: 1
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It is through the descriptive narration of this true story that we discover the true extent of the abuse that the author endured from her father during her childhood and as it continued as a adult. We are informed of what Jane tolerated before finding the strength to put an end to her abusive past and how she thought to protect herself and her children. This book is very moving and highly addictive as we embark on a journey of isolation and secrecy by entering a world that we would otherwise find hard to believe.
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Dotty
member
Reged: 06/09/2006
Posts: 7
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Judith Dunbar's parents emigrate with her little sister to live in Singapore and leave Judith behind to attend a boarding school, where she meets Loveday, an irrepressible, impetuous character. Loveday takes her to her family home at Nancherrow and Judith is captivated by her fun loving family. They are separated by the war and tragedy strikes them both but later they are reunited at Nancherrow and both find their happy ever after.
The story of their tragic war years is quite thought provoking, although Judith personally seems a fairly unemotional person and seems to recover very quickly from the terrible events.
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Buzz50
member
Reged: 14/09/2006
Posts: 5
Loc: East Yorkshire
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Five People You Meet In Heaven is an ‘uplifting’ book that once started, you want to read without interruption until you get to the last page. Mitch Albom writes about an ordinary maintenance man in a smooth, easy to read way. The story starts at the end and is about Eddie who finds himself in heaven after a freak accident. Eddie’s life is told by the five people he meets in heaven and he learns how his life touched theirs without his even knowing them and he discovers why he followed a path in life he never intended to.
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Jane_H
member
Reged: 31/10/2006
Posts: 1
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Empress Orchid by Anchee Min.
From a humble childhood, Orchid enters the Forbidden City and will go to any lengths to win favour with the Emperor. But to what cost? Set in 19th century China, and based on Tzu Hsi, China's last Empress, this is a dazzling and exotic story of forbidden love, betrayal, politics and power. Packed with fascinating facts and beautiful descriptions of Imperial China, it is truly enlightening. Loved it.
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audreysimpkin
member
Reged: 05/11/2006
Posts: 1
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War Reporting for Cowards by Chris Ayres: A true story by Chris Ayres a 'celebrity' reporter based on the West Coast of the USA who ends up, through every fault of his own, being an 'embed' with the United States Marines during the 2003 Iraq War. Cringe-worthy in places, at times laugh-out-loud hilarious. A look at the Iraqi conflict from a self-confessed coward's point of view. As an Army wife, used to hearing war described mostly in acronyms (about which I have no idea), it was refreshing - and I mean no dis-service to the author by this - to read a more 'girly-fied' version of military manoeuvres.
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britab
member
Reged: 05/11/2006
Posts: 1
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The Prize Winner of Defiance, Ohio by Terry Ryan.
With endless good-humour and spontaneous wit, mother-of-ten, Evelyn Ryan, somehow manages to rise above her poverty of circumstance, to feed and clothe her growing family by entering '25-words-or-less' slogan competitions, in America's 1960's jingles heyday. If there are such things as guardian angels, Evelyn definitely had one! The true story of an inspirational mother, written by Terry, child number six. A must! Once you start to read it... I guarantee you won't be able to put it down!
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Filly
member
Reged: 24/08/2006
Posts: 639
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Swimmer in the Secret Sea by William KOTZWINKLE
Perhaps one of the most moving books that I have ever read. William Kotzwinkle manages to describe the deepest of human feelings with this book. It is what could have been a "happy-end" story. Parents waiting for their first child to be born and the tragic, but unfortunately not rare, outcome. Their mourning and the father's quest for the perfect resting place for his child. A sad tale, but written in such a way that the dignity and the desperation of this young couple is keenly felt by the reader. An excellent read, perhaps not to be recommended to too sensitive expectant mothers.
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cassie
member
Reged: 24/04/2006
Posts: 198
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One Good Turn by Kate Atkinson
I don’t really like murder mysteries but I have enjoyed the other books by Kate Atkinson so thought I’d give it a go. I’m so glad I did.
A driver brakes to avoid hitting a pedestrian and is in turn hit by another car. This loosely links together a number of bystanders and the story begins to follow the lives of each of these people. The characters are ordinary people, some more interesting than others and some downright un-likeable. Each character has their own secrets which are gradually revealed. Although it is obvious they are all moving towards each other for the finale there are many twists and turns in the plot. Nothing is what it seems.
I don’t want to explain in more detail for fear of spoiling the plot. Read the book. 
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Anthea
member
Reged: 03/09/2006
Posts: 3
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Hello. Where can we find out who wins the books? I never know where to look.
Anthea
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ANGELA62
member
Reged: 04/08/2006
Posts: 75
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THE TAKE (Martina Cole)
Yet another East End gangland saga. Freddie introduces his younger cousin Jimmy into the life of crime only to be usurped by him at a later date. All their businesses are masterminded by Ozzy from his prison cell. He is in the know about everything and everyone and God help anyone who crosses him. The families are complex.
The recurring themes are violence, sex, bad language and the most vicious of murders. A real page turner, yet despite the descriptive content, it is imperative to know how these people end their days. In Cole’s inimitable style, even the most corrupt person can be portrayed as good and honest.
Angela62
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julie
member
Reged: 31/03/2006
Posts: 1
Loc: Have been living in Geneva for...
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Oscar and The Lady in Pink Eric-Emmanuel Schmitt
This is a beautiful, but sad story,with the underlying message to live life to the full.
Oscar, terminally ill in hospital, is persuaded by elderly hospital visitor Grannie Rose (the Lady in Pink),to write letters to God.
One day equals ten years, and every night Oscar writes a letter about his life. We meet Oscar at the age of ten, and he leaves at 110, having married, adopted a daughter, and lived his life to the full with joy and adventure.
It helped me question the fear of dying in a positive way.
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Happily married for more years than I like to admit to.
Two bi-lingual grown up children (now 24 and 21)
who survived immersion into the Swiss education system at 8 and 5 years of age.
Woman and Home helps keep me up to
date with changing trends in England.
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sallyj
member
Reged: 10/12/2006
Posts: 71
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The Kite Runner by Khaled Hosseini
This is an excellent first novel about loyalty, friendship and betrayal.
Privileged Amir grows up with low-caste Hassan, the son of his father’s servant, in 1970s Afghanistan. The boys are close and Hassan is incredibly loyal to Amir, even though he must also serve him.
However, Amir is jealous of the affection and respect his own father shows to Hassan.
Hassan helps Amir to win a kite-fighting competition and also his father’s approval. But then Amir betrays Hassan in a terrible way.
Only after Hassan’s death, twenty years later, can Amir make amends in an exciting and gripping climax.
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CarolineN
member
Reged: 13/12/2006
Posts: 95
Loc: Scotland
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A Place Called Here by Cecelia Ahern
Have you ever spent ages looking for a missing sock but never found it?
Have you ever wondered where your favourite earing dissapeared to?
Sandy Shortt is just the person for you. Sandy spends her life looking for missing items and discovers that she has lost more than she first thought.
Cecelia makes the unbelievable believable in this easy to read but delightful story which has a deeper meaning if you care to look for it.
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sallyj
member
Reged: 10/12/2006
Posts: 71
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An Unsuitable Job For a Woman
By P.D. James
A P.D. James novel with only a very minor for Adam Dalgliesh? It sounded like fish without enough chips.
But private eye Cordelia Gray proves that her profession is more than suitable for a plucky young woman. Hired to investigate the reasons behind a student suicide she uncovers one murder, witnesses another and is herself nearly killed.
Mix in a coded message in a prayer book, friends of the deceased with something to hide plus an alcoholic family doctor and the result is a gripping story.
This book is stimulating and satisfying with no need to add salt and vinegar!
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Daisycat
member
Reged: 09/06/2006
Posts: 654
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The Playground Mafia
by
Sarah Tucker
Caroline Gray is now a divorcee with a little boy who is about to start school. On searching for a new home Caroline decides to move to Frencham, where her two school friends live with their families. Caroline is feeling very pleased with herself as the house she has bought is within the catchment of the best state school in the area and her friends children already attend. Its the first day of school and Caroline is very nervous and is greatly supported by her son Ben as they enter the school gates...and so the story begins.
If you have ever been in the position of running the gauntlet of a school yard and the politics involved or are about to embarke on this stage in your life this book is for you. You experience the ups and downs of being a working mum trying to juggle lifes everyday happenings together with the internal politics of school life, which is anything but boring. While reading this I laughed and cringed at the antics these parents got up to just to get their children on in life, regardless of the damage they caused. It reads very true and could be considered a good guide as to the dos and donts of school politics.
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Dotty
member
Reged: 06/09/2006
Posts: 7
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1984 by George Orwell.
I read this in my teens, but decided to have another go at it, and it impacted on me in a much stronger way this time. This is written in the then future and Britain has become part of a larger continent called Oceania. The population are basically a lot of brainwashed zombies but the hero, Winston, begins to fight against Big Brother. Unfortunately, he is ultimately crushed.
The country portrayed displays some startling and worrying similarities to modern day Britain and is a wake up call for those of us who believe everything they are told.
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PARV29
member
Reged: 30/12/2006
Posts: 1
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A Gathering Light by Jennifer Donnelly
This unusual novel is based on a real life murder which took place, in 1906, in New York State. Mattie, the fictitious narrator, is torn between assisting her impoverished widowed father and her desire to gain a college education. The book succeeds on several levels. All the characters, however minor, have considerable depth, and the background and time in which they are placed are beautifully drawn. As Mattie tells her story, the life of the murder victim is also revealed. Thus two women`s lives are cleverly interwoven in the novel which is long remembered afterwards by the reader.
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lynne
member
Reged: 13/03/2006
Posts: 938
Loc: The Far North Of England
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Thirteen Moons by Charles Frazier.
Sold by his family, Will Cooper's exquisitely told life story is set in the turbulent 19th Century American Frontier. This sumptous historical fiction totally immerses the reader in an epic love story. Will's passion for a woman, his adopted people and for his land is totally believable.
So insightfully written, it deserves to be savoured and read slowly. It will touch you on all levels.
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didi
member
Reged: 24/02/2006
Posts: 1
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Dead Simple by Peter James
A murder, mystery set around the Brighton area of England.
The groom goes missing on his stag night and his four friends, get killed in a drunken road traffic accident.
The distrought bride and bestman, try to help the police as much as they can, but why would the groom disappear days before he was due to marry the love of his life?
There are so many twists and turns in this book, you won't be able to put it down until you've discovered the truth behind the mystery.
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member
Reged: 30/04/2006
Posts: 23
Loc: Nottingham
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Stuart- a life backwards by Alexander Masters
Stuart Shorter was a happy, loveable child but became a drug addict, psychotic, frequently homeless, repeatedly arrested. He and Alexander Masters formed an extraordinary friendship while fighting a campaign to free two wrongly convicted prisoners. Stuart agreed that Masters could tell his story, but backwards, starting at the end of his brief life and – reluctantly on Stuart’s part - working back to the shocking probable sources of Stuart’s problems. I defy anyone who has read this story not to develop a greater empathy and tolerance towards the plight of homeless people and those who work with them.
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CharleneC
member
Reged: 11/01/2007
Posts: 1
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The Memory Keeper's Daughter. by Kim Edwards.
Under what circumstances would you decide to give up your newborn baby? Dr David Henry makes this choice one winter night in 1964, when his twin babies are born. The first child is a healthy boy. The second, a little girl,has Downs Syndrome. A life defining moment is unfolding.Dr Henry chooses to send his daughter away to a special clinic, and tells his wife that the child has died.From this moment on, the lives of everyone involved will be forever changed. But not even Dr Henry is in complete control. He is about to make a discovery that changes everything.
Edited by CharleneC (26/01/2007 22:54)
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JackieFranklee
member
Reged: 21/01/2007
Posts: 2
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One Big Damn Puzzler - John Harding
A lawyer visits an idyllic South Sea Island, abandoned by the US Military with a landmine legacy. His aim is to persuade the inhabitants to make a claim against the government for their injuries. OCD, "Ladyboys", and hallucinagenic drugs are just some of the devices used by Harding to create an hilarious exploration of the devastating impact the West can have- in both landmines and "compensation culture". Is the march of so-called progress really this relentless?
The combination of all these strands results in a fantastic read. Serious issues are addressed, but with an incredibly deft and light hearted touch.
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Mrsaris
member
Reged: 07/02/2007
Posts: 1
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Divas Las Vegas
by Belinda Jones
This book follows the crazy saga of two English girls from Devon, England as they leave their quiet little English town behind to follow their dream to Las Vegas where the air is 70 % oxygen and 30 % confetti to find themselves husbands and have a double wedding. Izzy and Jamie, both in their late twenties are sick and tired of ‘crap’ boyfriends and now want to find themselves walking down the aisle together with ‘crap’ husbands from Vegas. Twenty-seven-year old Jamie wants to forget about her teenage boyfriend, CJ who now is about to marry his sister, Nadine. . Together with her friend, Izzy both girls travel to Vegas on a high-rolling, husband grabbing adventure!
Edited by Mrsaris (07/02/2007 09:18)
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waterbaby
member
Reged: 23/08/2006
Posts: 42
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Entwined (Lynda La Plante)
What is the connection between two women in newly liberated Berlin? Both are suffering from locked away memories of their childhood - the terrible experience and survival of the Holocaust.
A murder hunt brings a baroness and a circus performer together and we learn of the strange and powerful empathy that twins can have for each other.
BE WARNED. A disturbing story about nightmare years yet lightened in the surroundings of the Big Top. An 'unputdownable' book.
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Tabbycat
member
Reged: 26/02/2007
Posts: 1
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Miss Garnet's Angel Salley Vickers
Following her closest companion's death, retired teacher, Julia Garnet, exchanges her unremarkable lifestyle for six months in Venice. Painted panels in the local church depicting the journey (physical and metaphorical) of Tobias from the Apocrypha intrigue her. Changes wrought in Tobias prove to be the work of his travelling companion, finally revealed as the Archangel Raphael.
Julia's Venetian "journey" and characters she interacts with parallel those of Tobias, producing fundamental changes within her.
Vickers' story is wrapped in haunting and mystical language; the imaginatively drawn characters, set against the art, beauty and mystery of Venice, fully engage the reader.
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zennor
member
Reged: 31/08/2006
Posts: 1586
Loc: Falmouth in Cornwall
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Second Honeymoon - Joanna Trollope
Edie coped with her first two children leaving home but the pain of her youngest son fleeing the nest is almost more than she can bear! That coupled with her sister's turbulant marriage, an almost neglected husband and revelations about the true state of her offsprings' true financial and emotional circumstances make a novel that is extremely readable and extremely difficult to put down!
It is so true to life that some of us could have almost written the script!
This is no 'Aga Saga' - this is real life and a highly recommended read! Joanna has excelled in her latest bestseller!
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watercolour
member
Reged: 04/03/2007
Posts: 2
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The Gypsy Madonna by Santa Montefiore
Mischa discovers on his mother's death that she had possession of a valuable painting. In order to solve the mystery of why, he returns to France, the country of his childhood and recalls those often turbulent and disturbing times. This part of the book is written with great sensitivity but the tone and mood changes when he reaches mid-teenage years, almost as if penned by a different writer.
The conclusion is a little disappointing and I do not think I have read a better book than the author's 'Meet me under the ombu tree'. However, this is still a very enjoyable read and a pleasant change of subject matter
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ANGELA62
member
Reged: 04/08/2006
Posts: 75
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CONGRATULATIONS on your win, Jennifer.
See private mail.
Hope you enjoy your books - mine are fantastic.
Regards,
Angela
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MarieBr
member
Reged: 09/03/2007
Posts: 7
Loc: Northumberland
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Thin by Grace Bowman
A moving, inspiring and very readable account of the author’s experience of and recovery from anorexia. Now married and approaching 30, Grace reflects on what caused her to begin a diet and be unable to stop. As her story unfolds, you marvel at Grace’s self-awareness, cry for her supportive, helpless parents, and come to understand the many complex causes of the condition. Such was Grace’s control, that her road to recovery began when she decided that enough was enough. Above all, the book gives a message of hope. Recovery comes from relinquishing control and focusing on the needs of others.
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primrose
member
Reged: 11/03/2007
Posts: 1
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The No. 1 Ladies' Detective Agency. Alexander McCall Smith
My new favourite author! This delicious series of books features the charming, clever detective Precious Ramotswe. Precious lives in her hearts desire, Botswana. Like many women she faces doubts and fears but outwardly is strong and determined. She runs the detective agency. This heroine is beautiful. Confidently, comfortably overweight she manipulates people around her with grace. The book includes stories about missing children, drinking tea and the local garage owner all woven together quietly amidst the understated Botswana background. It is like no other read and as such - a must. You will not be able to forget this book.
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zennor
member
Reged: 31/08/2006
Posts: 1586
Loc: Falmouth in Cornwall
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Whitethorn Woods by Maeve Binchy
Maeve Binchy is such a comfort ... her books are full of wisdom with the characters all carefully interwoven. This latest offering centres cleverly around the theme of the Holy Well in Whitethorn Woods where people go hopefully to pray to St.Ann for a variety of personal reasons. The Woods are threatened by a new road and we learn about the past and future hopes of the residents in Rossmore in an astute and gentle way in which Maeve Binchy excells! A book for bedtime which will not cause sleepless nights - a book for Granny with inoffensive language, but best of all a book to enjoy and enjoy again another day!
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lynne
member
Reged: 13/03/2006
Posts: 938
Loc: The Far North Of England
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Our book club read this recently.........loved it!
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sallyj
member
Reged: 10/12/2006
Posts: 71
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On Beauty by Zadie Smith
The New England Belsey family have problems. Kiki is struggling with Howard’s adultery whilst his academic career is faltering. Their three teenagers are discovering that life is not always fair.
When Howard’s arch-rival Monty Kipps arrives at the university, the two men lock horns but their wives form a tentative friendship. A death and a disappearing painting propel the novel to its explosive climax.
Brilliant, Technicolor language illuminates this compulsive tale - thick ankles are “like the ones Tom and Jerry played around”. This book demands that you settle down for a marathon word fest amongst imperfect yet likeable characters.
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Lesley49
member
Reged: 26/03/2007
Posts: 8
Loc: Peel, Isle of Man.
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Dead Simple by Peter James
This is a thriller that I came across by accident but which has led me to become hooked on the author.
The plot starts with a stag night prank that goes horribly wrong, leaving the impending groom encased in a coffin.
The story introduces a police detective who is leading the hunt for the missing groom and the plot twists and turns toward an unexpected ending.
This is the sort of story where you get half way through and then suddenly it makes you think, "whoa, I wasn't expecting that". I can't say much more without giving the plot away, but Peter James has a fascinating imagination.
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AlisonP
member
Reged: 01/04/2007
Posts: 1
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Buttertea at Sunrise (A year in the Bhutan Himalaya) by Britta Das
I love armchair travelling. I'm interested in people's lives and I like books that have at least a thread of fact running through them.
This book hit all the spots.
Britta is a Canadian physiotherapist who visited Bhutan and was drawn to work there. She tells her own story and that of countless Bhutanese villagers.
Britta's writing draws you in, so you feel you are experiencing life in our time in another place.
Don't miss it.
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MarieDH
member
Reged: 31/03/2007
Posts: 5
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Five People You Meet In Heaven
It is a book with a story but more importantly with a message and it is that message that I will focus on here. The author teaches us that, for our life to be rich, we must have and indeed acknowledge that we may all have great teachers and that we can all be great teachers. It is a book about the lessons we learn, the lessons we miss, and the lessons we should say thankyou for.
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JustMe
member
Reged: 31/03/2007
Posts: 60
Loc: Shropshire Hills
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The Invisible Girl by Peter Barham
This book is incredible. The memoirs of Peter Barham about his beautiful daughter and her battle with anorexia. She had a very successful, though short, life. She inspired others, she could be bitingly sharp and always hilariously witty and clever. This book made me want to laugh and cry. I wanted to know her. I felt I did know her. The complications of her relationships with her parents, her internal struggle, her ambition and her successes are revealed in a touching narration by her father, with emails and insights from her peers after her death. Superb.
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Buzz50
member
Reged: 14/09/2006
Posts: 5
Loc: East Yorkshire
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Mary Wesley - A Sensible Life
I only read Mary Wesley’s ‘A Sensible Life’ because it was taking up too much room on my bookshelf but it proved a most enjoyable read. Beginning in 1926 it combines an eclectic mix of English middle-class families who are in Brittany for the Easter Holidays. Flora, whose parents are too wrapped up in themselves to care much what happens to her is lonely and alone yet she captures the hearts of two sisters and three young men on the verge of adulthood. Flora’s story, woven with interesting characters spans 40 years during which time she is lost, betrayed and moreover loved. A completely satisfying read.
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claires
member
Reged: 07/04/2007
Posts: 2
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The Tenderness of Wolves by Stef Penney
It is the title that attracts you to this book and the following pages do not disappoint.
Set in the 1860’s Canadian frontier it evokes hardship, loneliness and the power and beauty of the land. The central person is a tough back-woods farmer’s wife who bravely sets out, at the on-set of winter, in pursuit of her missing son who is suspected of murder. The story brilliantly moves between characters capturing their complex individualities and history whilst continuing to build intrigue and suspense.
A fabulously written, enthralling and prize winning, debut novel.
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claires
member
Reged: 07/04/2007
Posts: 2
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The Tenderness of Wolves
It is the title that attracts you to this book and the following pages do not disappoint.
Set in the 1860’s Canadian frontier it evokes hardship, loneliness and the power and beauty of the land. The central person is a tough back-woods farmer’s wife who bravely sets out, at the on-set of winter, in pursuit of her missing son who is suspected of murder. The story brilliantly moves between characters capturing their complex individualities and history whilst continuing to build intrigue and suspense.
A fabulously written, enthralling and prize winning, debut novel.
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Lib
member
Reged: 07/04/2007
Posts: 228
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The View from Castle Rock by Alice Munro
In this book Munro goes in search of her roots. From Will O'Phaup, grandfather of the Scottish writer James Hogg, to her father who farmed turkeys and fox fur in the American Depression, all Munro's ancestors leap from the page and engage our imagination. She recalls her own childhood and young love, writes of the hopes of her first marriage and reveals the solidity of her second.
Munro writes perceptively of the complexities of family life and those hidden ties that link her to past lives, while celebrating the joys of the present time.
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HeidiMary
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Reged: 09/04/2007
Posts: 1
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The Egg Race by Polly Williams
Another cracking (!) read from the author of 'The Rise and Fall of the Yummy Mummy'. This time her focus is thirty- something women with loudly ticking biological clocks. The story centres on Stevie who is about to marry a man who, whilst not making her earth move, is the nearest she can get to husband material! The story carries you along with a poignant humour as she deals with a series of crises involving her family as well as some old friends and unlikely faces from the past. A real page turner of a romantic comedy with a likeable central character whom you really hope will find happiness.
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Jacqueline
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Reged: 20/01/2006
Posts: 5
Loc: North Devon
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Crow Lake by Mary Lawson
When I read Joanne Harris's (Chocolat) comments on Lawson's first novel I was impressed that such an accolade could be bestowed by a recognised author onto an apparent "rookie" in the profession. And, Harris was right to praise this work - this is a sensitive, passionate tale of a bereaved family of 4 young orphans in the rural outback of Canada. The descriptions of each individual's hunger and thirst for, and pleasure and disappointment with life, all different, but inexorably intermingled with each other, will have you reaching for the tissues in either sympathy and/or empathy before the last page praying for a conceivable resolution - and Lawson doesn't thwart our appeal.
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clare29
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Reged: 07/03/2007
Posts: 24
Loc: South London
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Time Traveller's Wife - I also loved this book - it really seemed to get "under the skin" as it were - and Henry and Claire became very real to me, although I was always trying to work out where in time they were!
I only saw this post tonight (16 April 2007) as I am a rather intermittent follower of forums. But as I enjoy reading, it's always good to see if anyone likes the same books I do.
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lynne
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Reged: 13/03/2006
Posts: 938
Loc: The Far North Of England
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Well done Sally.......it looks like you are in for some good reads!
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sallyj
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Reged: 10/12/2006
Posts: 71
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The Undomestic Goddess - Sophie Kinsella
Rock solid ‘roasted’ chick peas, an untamed ironing board and a gardener who can see straight through her ‘housekeeper’ act. Top lawyer, Samantha Sweeting, leaps all these hurdles as she plummets from law firm partner to cleaning her new employer’s toilets. With absolutely no domestic experience can she live up to her own ‘cordon bleu trained’ boasts?
This book is a delightful departure from Kinsella’s Shopaholic series. It takes the reader on a frothy roller coaster of humour and romance as Samantha’s life is turned upside down.
But beware – it may leave you questioning your own 9 – 5 office existence!
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sallyj
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Reged: 10/12/2006
Posts: 71
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Thank you, Lynne. I've received a box of 13 books! That should keep me busy for a while. Good Luck to all the other reviewers out there.
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janis
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Reged: 24/01/2006
Posts: 5
Loc: Lnacashire
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I too enjoyed this book enormously. It is quite unique and a rather challenging read. I have passed it on to several friends but most of them found it 'difficult' and 'strange.' I thought it was excellent and shed a tear at the end - always a good sign!
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happiness28
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Reged: 29/05/2007
Posts: 1
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Fans of Maggie O' Farrell will not be disappointed with her latest novel, 'The Vanishing Act of Esme Lennox'. This is a story of family - of sisters and sisters, of brother and sister, all inextricably linked. The power of O'Farrell's writing lies in her ability to blend narrative voices so expertly that they all appear to be present at once, telling their tale to the reader. Esme's story is heartbreaking and provokes sympathy; Kitty's constant ramblings reveal the true events and Iris, as a young modern woman, with issues of her own, is left to pick up the pieces. A stunning read.
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Stella
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Reged: 03/06/2007
Posts: 1
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The Mathematics of Love by Emma Darwin
Two stories alternate through the book, seemingly very different, but inextricably linked by the end.
Major Stephen Fairhurst, maimed at the Battle of Waterloo, travels Europe, mourning his lost love and searching for meaning in his life. He befriends an independent-minded woman, passionate about photography.
Anna, a lonely teenager in the mid-seventies, is left to fend for herself one summer with unknown relatives. She is befriended by exotic neighbours, who help teach her about photography - and life. The themes of photography, independent thought and especially the importance of love for others, blend the two stories satisfyingly into one.
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mbing
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Reged: 11/05/2007
Posts: 3
Loc: Cambridgeshire
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The Last Detective by Robert Crais
When the step-son of ex-special forces Elvis Cole is kidnapped, everything points to a revenge kidnapping relating to events in Cole's army life. How could the kidnapper know the details of military operations unless he was there?
A true 'can't put it down' thriller, this book has clever twists and turns, deep characters, and bucket loads of plot.
This is the seventh Cole novel, and Crais’ tenth bestseller, so there’s lots more once you’re hooked. Other examples of his work include TV scripts for LA Law and Cagney and Lacey.
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SUEG
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Reged: 07/06/2007
Posts: 1
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'Ghostwalk' by Rebecca Stott is a beautifully written, thought-provoking, literary novel. It’s also a page turner. Set in present day Cambridge, it’s the story of Lydia Brooke, who is caught up in a web of ghosts, time slips, scientific intrigue and murder when her ex-lover Cameron asks her to complete the book that his mother, a historian, was writing before she was found drowned---and, mysteriously, holding a glass prism in her hand. Why did this happen? The hairs on the back of your neck will rise with a frisson of exquisite terror as you discover the truth.
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feathers
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Reged: 20/05/2007
Posts: 563
Loc: Tyneside
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Those who save us
by Jenna Blum
Although this is quite a thick book it was so compelling I devoured it in 24 hours. The narrative switches between the wartime years in Germany and the USA in the 90s where the main characters settled with a GI husband after 1945. Key characters are Trudy and her mother, Anna, who has never talked about what she endured to survive in Nazi Germany. It's only through a university project Trudy is running examining how ordinary Germans lived through these extraordinary years that she finally learns the truth about her heritage. But her mother, who has learnt to hide the past, is silent to the end.
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Frailty
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Reged: 19/11/2006
Posts: 2
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The Inheritance of Loss – Kiran Desai
Set in India during the Ghurka uprising , there is much to enjoy in this book. There are many telling phrases and descriptions such as the Gymkhana library, slowly mouldering away.
The extreme poverty and difficulties of those at the bottom of the social scale and the impossibility of change are a constant theme.
Most of the characters are unsympathetic, any redeeming features quickly over shadowed by another instance of selfishness or callousness. It isn’t one to read as a bit of escapism. Look out for the endearing depiction of the dog Mutt, an uncomplicated joy in so much gloom.
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sallyj
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Reged: 10/12/2006
Posts: 71
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Innocent Traitor – Alison Weir
This is the historical novel for those who don’t usually choose them. Using the present tense, it brings to life the story of the highly intelligent Lady Jane Grey. Her short life, cruel treatment and unfair manipulation is recounted vividly from several intermingled viewpoints.
We hear of the death of Henry VIII and witness that of his son, Edward. From then on Jane’s days are numbered and we share her prison in the Tower of London. Finally, her last moments are described by the executioner himself and I guarantee you will shed a tear.
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aggipanthus
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Reged: 05/04/2006
Posts: 179
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'Something Like Love' by Catherine Dunne (Pan Books £6.99)
Rose's husband Ben walked out on her and their childrren after twenty years of marriage, and eight years on decides to walk back in - or tries to. This is the story of how a woman once depressed, confused and a little scared, learnt to live as a single mother. She picked herself up, started what was to become a successful business, and found an inner strength to fight her husband, and find an even better life, and a better man. Amongst other things this is an object lesson in how to give your ex his comeuppance!
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ANGELA62
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Reged: 04/08/2006
Posts: 75
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THE CONSTANT GARDENER
By John le Carre
Tessa, the young lawyer cum aid worker, murdered in Nairobi with the African doctor purported to be her lover.
Justin,‘the deceived’? Justin was ‘the professional bachelor’, and had reached his ceiling in the Foreign Office, but surprised all by marrying the much younger Tessa. He is cleared of conspiracy and murder. He sets out on a long and arduous journey to unravel the mysteries of her work and to bring to justice the bent African government, the multinational pharmaceutical conglomerates that are killing innocent Africans used as guinea pigs to promote their ‘cure’ for tuberculosis.
What becomes of Justin? Read on...don’t watch the film.
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sallyj
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Reged: 10/12/2006
Posts: 71
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Cold Hit by Linda Fairstein
Try this if you’re a Patricia Cornwell fan.
Alexandra is a feisty Assistant District Attorney in New York, specialising in sex crimes. One evening she is called to view the body of an elegant woman which has been pulled from the water. She has been tied to a ladder and raped.
Cooper and her detective colleagues are plunged into the international art world of the dead woman. Their job is made harder by the fact that the victim’s marriage had broken down and she had two lovers. Or is the murder linked to a major art theft several years earlier?
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LindyLouMac
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Reged: 12/07/2007
Posts: 1
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One of my favourite reads so far this year and in my opinion even better than the author's excellent debut novel `Emotional Geology'.
With this second novel I feel that Linda Gillard has established herself as an author to be watched by those who enjoy contemporary literature.
The story of the Dunbar's and their complicated familial relationships will stay with me, long after I finished reading. It is a disturbing but compelling tale as one is drawn into the lives of the family members.
The jumping backwards and forwards in time of the narrative I at first found confusing and had me flicking back and forth checking points. However for me this style added considerably to the understanding, because of the complexity of the story. I am intrigued as to how Linda Gillard tackled the writing of these different sections? Anyway the technique works very well with Flora's narrative starting the novel with her own funeral and then continuing to be inserted throughout.
I admire the author for tackling such a difficult theme so sensitively without causing angst.
I feel that I could say more but not without spoiling the plot for those who have yet to read this.
I am now encouraging family, friends and others to read the work of this brilliant new author if they have not already discovered her themselves.
I had a very enjoyable few hours immersed in the life of the Dunbar's and am now looking forward to the publication of her third novel.
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nina1973
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Reged: 08/07/2007
Posts: 8
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I was reading some of the book reviews above and began thinking what book would I recommend over all others. And for me it has to be 'The five people you meet in heaven' by Mitch Albom. I chose to read this book 6 months after losing my mum, when I had many questions (mostly unanswerable), and was struggling to cope. The author has written this book in such a beautiful way, delicate at times then more hard hitting at others.
When the main character of the book tragically dies, he arrives in heaven to be greeted by five people that he has significantly or igsignificantly been involved with during his existence on earth. They are there to remind him of valuable lessons he has lived through before arriving at this point.
This book planted a seed in my mind which helped me to view heaven and my mum in a comforting way. This book is by no means trying to impose that heaven is that way, but for me at a time when I was very confused - it was just the tonic I needed.
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ongoingstudent
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Reged: 03/07/2007
Posts: 8
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This book will save your life by A M Homes
This intriguing book takes the reader on the weird mental, and literal, journey of Richard, a well-off American divorcee who has hit a mid-life crisis. As his senses begin to reawaken - sometimes in quite spectacular fashion - he starts to notice things about himself and his environment in sometimes bizarre ways. This reawakening leads to him collecting an assortment of entertaining characters on his journey.
This was a book that left me with a feeling of needing to keep in touch with reality, just in case it somehow passes me by. Sheer curiosity kept me turning the pages.
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maidofkent
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Reged: 14/07/2007
Posts: 2
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There are whispers of the Brontes all the way down the shadowy corridors of this novel, surprisingly Setterfield's first. Gothic, oppressive, disturbing, it is beautifully written, and completely gripping. The heroine is suitably solitary and questioning, the main protagonist, Vida Winter, decidedly peculiar, telling a story that twists, repels and misleads wonderfully. But the strength for me of this book is that the author understands, how good books catch at one's vitals, and how bereft one feels when one is finished. As an encouragement for total immersion, I have not found a better. Start reading and you will find it hard to stop, and when you have to, you will mind. What better reason to begin?
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paulagalvin
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Reged: 20/07/2007
Posts: 170
Loc: leixlip
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I have just finished reading "The Glass Room" by kathryn Holmquist.It really is page-turning,taps into the zeitgeist,turns on all the right taps,knobs and buttons and is basically a redemptive tale.A great book to take on holiday, sip it as you would a sweet and possibly cloying cocktail!!!!!!!!!!!
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paulagalvin
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Reged: 20/07/2007
Posts: 170
Loc: leixlip
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I am reading the most truly wonderful book i have read in years!!!!!!!!!!I heard the author speak at the "Dublin Writers`festival" about a month ago and I was so moved by her reading of it and the book itself,that I simply had to go out and buy it."It" being "The post-birthday party" by Lionel Shriver.
it is simply a sumptuous read;intelligent,without being off-puttingly intellectual,beautifully written and so acutely aware of what makes women and to a lesser degree men tick.you find yourself nodding in agreement to all the internal monologues.
The novel tells the tale of Irina Mc Govern,a childrens`book illustrator,who takes out her "husbands" friend for dinner and afterwards,is tempted to kiss him.
but does she?it is on this seemingly frivolous whim ,that the entire novel is based.It follows two distictly separate storylines;one in which she does and one in which she does`nt,each one is utterly plausible,each one beautifully written so it is all up to you the reader to see which choice was best.
i found it an utterly beguiling read;she beautifully catches the cadences of ordinary speech,the petty pointless bickering of long-established relationships,the constant yearning for "another" (even when things are perfect)
lionel Shriver is funny.There are some fantastic one-liners in her book and you really will laugh out loud,or quietly chuckle.i really loved"one of the luxuries of which the underpriveleged were deprived in the United kingdom was consonants"
I think she is a superb writer and if you have ever wondered "What if"...........this is the perfect book for you!
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paulagalvin
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Reged: 20/07/2007
Posts: 170
Loc: leixlip
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It is called the post birthday world ,not party-sorry!
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paulagalvin
member
Reged: 20/07/2007
Posts: 170
Loc: leixlip
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P.F.Galvin
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waterbaby
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Reged: 23/08/2006
Posts: 42
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The Memory Keeper's Daughter by Kim Edwards
Every word demands to be read.
During a snowstorm David, a doctor, delivers his son followed by an unexpected twin who has Downs Syndrome. Deep and angry memories of his childhood lead David to tell his wife the second baby died and ask his nurse to take the child to an institution.
The consequences of this decision have a huge life-changing impact on so many lives. The worry of being found out (David), an unfulfilled marriage (wife) feelings of inadequacy (son) and ... read to find out.
Read slowly and enjoy the beautiful use of language describing secrets, tangled lives, sadness and love.
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paulagalvin
member
Reged: 20/07/2007
Posts: 170
Loc: leixlip
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"Back When we were grown-ups"by Anne Tyler tells the tale of Rebecca,who has dutifully performed the tasks required of her as a mother and wife and discovers that in this process,she has somehow lost herself.
She simply disappears one day and re-invents herself.This is a beautifully-wrought,deeply affecting tale ,told with Tylers`typically understated wisdom and knowledge of humankind.
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paulagalvin
member
Reged: 20/07/2007
Posts: 170
Loc: leixlip
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A Wedding in December" by Anita Shreve brings together seven former classmates for the wedding of two of their number.Throughout the course of two days,passions are rekindled,old animosities inflamed and some interesting secrets explored and divulged.It is a beautifully narrated tale,exquisitely perceptive and elegant.
Shreve manages always to be sentimental and poignant without mawkishness.I think she is a superb story-teller.
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paulagalvin
member
Reged: 20/07/2007
Posts: 170
Loc: leixlip
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Colm Toibins "the master" is truly magnificent;it tells the tale of Henry James and is written in his exquisite style.
it is beautifully written and perfectly envisions the James as he might have been,it is perfectly mannered,polished and poignant as it depicts a man who had everything yet failed to achieve what he would have liked most;intimacy.
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Sealover
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Reged: 31/08/2006
Posts: 1271
Loc: Devon
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The Distance Between Us by Maggie O'Farrell
In Hong Kong it's Chinese New Year and Jake goes through an horrific experience which has major repercussions on his life. Trying to escape his claustrophobic existence and in search of his roots, he heads for Scotland. When he reaches his destination he meets Stella, who has also abandoned her everyday life to return to a place which only her sister, Nina, knows the significance of. A beautiful, romantic tale with a surprising twist at the end. If you have something important to do, don't start this book - you won't be able to put it down!
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Sealover
member
Reged: 31/08/2006
Posts: 1271
Loc: Devon
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How can two tiny Korean babies, adopted by very different Baltimore families, have such a profound effect on the lives of those who have chosen them? Fans of Anne Tyler's stylish writing will love this book and those who have never experienced her are in for a treat. Jin-Ho joins the Donaldson's, a close-knit family not afraid of expressing their feelings. Sami and Ziba Yazdan, both of Iranian origin, become the parents of tiny Susan. The story of these two disparate families, who stay in contact over the years, is both touching and funny. A great read.
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paulagalvin
member
Reged: 20/07/2007
Posts: 170
Loc: leixlip
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"The Way I Found Her" by Rose Tremain is an utterly beguiling read;it is exquisitely written,beautifully evocative of a certain time and place.The place is Paris and Lewis,our hero of fourteen years travels there with his mother,Alice who is translating the medieval romances of Valentina,a glorious exotic.Lewis falls in love with her and the labyrinthal story that follows involves secret trysts,intruiging characters and a slowly-unravelling and ultimately tragic denouememt.It is told through the eyes of Lewis,a highly intelligent and complex boy and therein lies part of its huge appeal.Readers,I loved it!
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Lib
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Reged: 07/04/2007
Posts: 228
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The Diana Chronicles by Tina Brown (published by Century)
This book is unputdownable! Not only is it a gripping account of the life and death of a modern icon, it's also a social commentary and a psychological examination of a beautiful but flawed princess. Diana has entered into a Faustian pact with the media which she cannot break. Charles, who turned away from his wife in life, fights his corner for her after her death. These two unhappy people can only be together when apart. This modern Greek tragedy, beautifully written by someone who knew Diana personally, gives us a fascinating insight into the aristocracy in our media-driven world.
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Foxie
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Reged: 09/08/2007
Posts: 7994
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The City Lawyer by John Grisham
Michael Brock thought he had everything required for a perfect life - an upward career in a law firm with a five figure salary, a wife with a fast track medical career, a luxurious apartment in the 'right' part of the city and his and hers sports cars until one fateful morning. Michael and eight work colleagues are held hostage by a homeless man who is eventually shot dead by police marksman. Unravelling the reasons why he was taken hostage leads Michael to re-evaluate his life in his quest to achieve justice for the dead man.
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I've learnt that people will forget what you said, people will forget what you did, but people will never forget how you made them feel. Maya Angelou.
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Helen_Holmes
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Reged: 17/08/2007
Posts: 3
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The Tenderness of Wolves, by Stef Penney
Don’t miss this breathtakingly beautiful novel, set in Canada in 1867, and combining elements of murder mystery, psychological thriller and historical narrative. A mother sets off on an epic journey into snowy wastes to find her 17-year-old son, who is suspected of a brutal murder. On the way, she bumps up against others' lives, and eventually discovers herself through the redemptive power of love. The labyrinthine threads of the story are inextricably intertwined around a complex cast and the dialogue is gritty and realistic. The descriptive language is poetic, and conjures up the icy landscape so evocatively that your own bones ache!
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paulagalvin
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Reged: 20/07/2007
Posts: 170
Loc: leixlip
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Yes ,I loved this book too,I think it is her best yet,very fluid and movingly written.Am looking forward to her next already,have also submitted a review.Happy reading... 
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paulagalvin
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Reged: 20/07/2007
Posts: 170
Loc: leixlip
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Although I thoroughly enjoyed this book,there was something irritating about the tone,something vaguely do-gooderish about it.It ticked all the right boxes,the wife trying to "find herself",the well-meaning but misunderstood husband,the hard-working Al and Caroline and Caroline`s struggle to bring up Phoebe,the rebbellious son etc.
It seemed to me as if the author had done a lot of creative writing courses,learned what you need to include in a book,to make it appeal to women of a certain age and then went for it.Does anyone else feel that about it?
Having said that,it is very skilfully written but appears to lack passion.
Someone once said to me that when you say a book is not good...what you are really saying is "I could do better"
and I am certainly not saying that...it is just my observation,whatdyathink? 
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paulagalvin
member
Reged: 20/07/2007
Posts: 170
Loc: leixlip
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If you liked this you will love "The Vanishing Act of Esme Lennox" by Maggie O`Farrell.Cannot recommend it highly enough....brilliant!!!
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Sealover
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Reged: 31/08/2006
Posts: 1271
Loc: Devon
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Paula, I do agree with you about "The Vanishing Act of Esme Lennox". It is a truly remarkable book. I don't often read books more than once, but I have already read this one twice and enjoyed it just as much the second time and will probably read it again and again. Oh how I wish I could write like her!
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paulagalvin
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Reged: 20/07/2007
Posts: 170
Loc: leixlip
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So do I!!!!!!!!!!!She writes so smoothly and seemingly effortlessly.Who else would you rate up there with her?
I am always trying to "discover" new authors-I tend to fixate on one,read all of hers(because I tend to read women authors,no particular reason or prejudice,just seems to work that way...
Happy reading!!And with the weather here in Ireland all grey and gloomy,there is nothing better than curling up with a good book under the duvet!!!!!!!
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Sealover
member
Reged: 31/08/2006
Posts: 1271
Loc: Devon
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I've only got one more Maggie O'Farrell book left to read now, so I'm torturing myself by saving it in the hope that she'll get a move on a write another one soon!
I also like Anne Tyler and I see that you have read some of hers, too, Paula. Have also read one Jodi Picoult, which I enjoyed, and have another to read. She may become a favourite. I've almost finished Half of a Yellow Sun, but won't comment on that as I see it's the Eyes Down book and don't want to spoil it for those still reading it.
Also enjoy Sebastian Faulkes, especially Human Traces and have Birdsong to read. And Marian Keyes always has me giggling, which can't be bad on a dreary day! I particularly like Rachel's Holiday.
But my all time favourite author (well, at the moment at least!) is Ian McEwan. I think his style is just perfection, his stories are intelligent and believable and I swear that I've met some of his characters! I loved Saturday and Atonement in particular and see that the latter has been made into a film. Not sure if I'll go to see it as I'll be very, very cross if they've got it wrong!
Would love to know what others think of my favourites and also any recommendations - I've only got 25 books left to read in my own personal library and couldn't bear to run out!
Paula, I've seen your other message about prioritising and leaving the housework - couldn't agree more! Weather here in the southwest has been wet and miserable today, so I've had a "duvet day" - the dust will still be there tomorrow!
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paulagalvin
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Reged: 20/07/2007
Posts: 170
Loc: leixlip
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oh what a joy!!a woman after my own heart...i am amazed at the number of messages I post and people do not even bother to respond,i just think it is rude,rude,rude!!!!!!!!!!!Rant over(for now)
Yes,Sebastian Faulks is a dream..have you read "Human Traces"..truly marvellous.
What about Niall Williams? Books that are almost transcendent,spiritually uplifting.."As It Is In Heaven" and "Four Letters of Love"
Marian Keyes I have never read but hear great things and on the subject of Irish authors,try Anne Enright and Aidan Higgins.
After three layers of dust,no more will settle!!!!!!!!!!! 
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Sealover
member
Reged: 31/08/2006
Posts: 1271
Loc: Devon
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And I see we are both night owls as well, Paula!
Human Traces was marvellous. Don't know Niall Williams, but will put on my wish list - which gets longer every day! Will also try the two Irish authors, too and let you know what I think. You see, that's my problem - someone mentions a new book and I'm off to get it! It's as if I think that the bookshops will run out if I don't get it NOW!
Well, I suppose I'd better get some sleep - but I'll have to have a little read first! Night night!
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jantrigano
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Reged: 05/08/2007
Posts: 340
Loc: Scottish Highlands
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Hi Paula and Sealover - wow you really are both night owls , aren't you ? Loved your suggestions re books and authors and you have certainly given me a few different ones to think about. I love Joanne Harris, and although not very fashionable now, I still enjoy Agatha Christie for a bit of old fashioned charm - just love Poirot and Miss Marple ! I also have really enjoyed Alexander Mccall Smiths series of 44 Scotland Street, Espresso Tales etc - not so keen on the Ladies Detective stories. Hope you are tucked up in bed now. Byeeee - Jan
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Sealover
member
Reged: 31/08/2006
Posts: 1271
Loc: Devon
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Hi Jantrigano - I suspect that Paula is like me in that she feels its a waste of good reading time to go to sleep! Glad you liked the suggestions. Do let us know if you try any and whether you love 'em or loathe 'em! I haven't read any Joanne Harris yet, but she is on my Wish List. I've read a few of the Ladies Detective stories and rather liked them, especially if the book I've read just before was a bit manic! They are so gentle and really nothing happens, so I just let the nice words roll over me and pretend I'm in the Botswana sunshine instead of the Torbay rain! I will have a go at some of AMS's other books, though. Agatha Christie, I must admit, has never been up my street. However, having said that I have stayed in the hotel in Aswan on the banks of the Nile where she apparently got her inspiration for Death on the Nile. Lovely hotel and a stunning spot. I've also enrolled for an Agatha Christie murder/mystery creative writing event which the local adult education college is putting on in September as part of AC week (she lived round here so she's quite a local heroine!). The idea is that we have a sort of writing workshop on the Tuesday, discussing ideas and how to write murder/mystery short stories. Then we go home and write a story which we read to the group on the Friday evening, over a glass of wine. Should be fun!
So, as you can see, if I'm not reading a book, I'm trying to write one! I just love words! Nothing published yet, but I have high hopes!
Perhaps I'll just slope off and have a little read now!
Bye for now.
Steph (aka Sealover)
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jayra
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Reged: 20/05/2007
Posts: 198
Loc: Scotland
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Hi book lovers! I love reading too but I'm not a night owl - as I work full time and up at 6.30 every morning,I save my reading for bed but I'm a bath at 9 girl and in bed by 9.30, hoping to get an hour to hour and a half to read before dropping off! Otherwise it's holidays.
I really enjoy reading books by Anne Tyler, Margaret Atwood, Anita Shreve (most of them), Rosie Thomas (try 'Iris and Ruby'- a lovely, well written novel), Jodie Picoult (easy reading but, often a surprising twist at the end)- to name but a few.
John Grisham, Patricia Cornwell, Lionel Shriver and (when looking for something more gruesome)James Patterson can also 'float my boat'!
'The Kite Runner' by Khaled Hosseini was a wonderful recent read, also 'The Time Traveller's Wife' by Audrey Niffeneger - you either love or hate it.
Presently reading the Book Club choice - ' Half of a Yellow Sun' and looking forward to starting the Memory Keeper's Daughter by Kim Edwards.
Happy Reading - I'll think about you as I nod off tonight.
Jenni x
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Sealover
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Reged: 31/08/2006
Posts: 1271
Loc: Devon
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Hope you're having a lovely sleep, Jenni! OK, so now I have to add Iris & Ruby and the Memory Keeper's Daughter to my wish list! I can't for some reason, get on with Margaret Atwood. Tried three of her books and none of them did it for me, although everyone tells me how great she is. I do agree that The Kite Runner is a great read. It's a really haunting story and difficult to get out of your brain, isn't it? John Grisham I like sometimes - loved A Painted House and if all else fails I just dribble over his photo! If you like a bit of gruesome, I wonder if you've tried Nicci French or Tess Gerritsen? Both are full of enough blood and gore to keep you awake at night!
Sweet dreams!
Steph
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jayra
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Reged: 20/05/2007
Posts: 198
Loc: Scotland
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I forgot - I also enjoy Nicci French - Killing Me Softly (such a clever title) was unputdownable; if there's not such a word, there ought to be!
Cat's Eye by Margaret Atwood was my favourite of hers and one of my very favourite books but I agree, some are hard and I haven't enjoyed all of her books - found The Blind Assassin impossible to follow, comprehend or like, despite persevering.
I'll look out for Tess Gerritsen.
Happy Reading, Jenni x
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Sealover
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Reged: 31/08/2006
Posts: 1271
Loc: Devon
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Quite agree, Jenni, Killing Me Softly is great! I've tried Alias Grace, The Robber Bride and Oryx & Crake by Margaret Atwood - all highly recommended by three different people. The Robber Bride I just managed to get through, gave up half way on Alias Grace and as for Oryx and Crake - don't think I got beyond page 4! It's always great to hear of new authors, isn't it? The anticipation of starting a new book is wonderful! And no matter how often I go in to a bookshop "just to look" I always come out with at least one book and usually three!
I will probably finish Half of a Yellow Sun tonight and then have to choose the next one! Life is just full of choices!
Steph
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Frailty
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Reged: 19/11/2006
Posts: 2
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The Secret River - Kate Grenville
A London waterman, William Thornhill, is deported to Australia with his wife and child, who he loves dearly.
There are matter of fact descriptions of lives ruled by poverty in both countries, and of what people will do to carry on living, England too had a kind of caste system.
Slowly, William makes a place for himself, but the new migrants and the aborigines have different ideas on how to live life and eventually Wiliam has to make a decision.
A thought provoking book, which shows that you can never say 'I would never do that'
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NancyMoo
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Reged: 29/08/2007
Posts: 3
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A Smoker's and Dog's Guide to the Gal-Alexy (Bess Macpherson)
This book is not a novel, but an exquisite insight into the mind of Bess: a middle aged woman going through her second divorce.
A compilation of her random thoughts gives her take on the everyday and the not-so everyday and follows her journey "from insanity to sanity and back again".
Funny, sad, intelligent and a little bit wacky, this book is an essential read for all women and has an uncanny ability to reach out and touch you whatever page you open it and whichever mood you happen to be in.
A real coffee table must-have.
Edited by NancyMoo (29/08/2007 14:41)
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sallyj
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Reged: 10/12/2006
Posts: 71
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Plain Truth – Jodi Picoult
A newborn is found dead in a barn. Amish girl, Katie, denies the murder and her pregnancy, despite having obviously just given birth. She is bailed on condition that her attorney, Ellie Hathaway, lives with Katie and her family until the trial.
Ellie is forced to live the Amish way, without telephones, electricity or cars. Katie is forced to face the fact that American justice does not forgive in the Amish way.
Picoult’s depth of research makes this book compulsive on two levels – as a courtroom drama and a fascinating ‘through the keyhole’ look at the Amish way of life.
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Sealover
member
Reged: 31/08/2006
Posts: 1271
Loc: Devon
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Skipping Christmas by John Grisham
With daughter Blair away in Peru, ignoring Christmas seems like a good idea to Luther and Nora Krank. Why spend all that money for just one day when they could be enjoying a Caribbean cruise instead? So they set about telling everyone that they won’t be doing Christmas this year. Eyebrows are raised, heads are shaken and scowls exchanged. The Krank house sits dismal and lonely amongst the twinkling lights and plastic snowmen in the neighbourhood. Of course, all comes right in the end in this unashamedly schmaltzy story. Not Grisham’s usual gritty courtroom drama, but a funny, feelgood fable.
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aliirv
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Reged: 15/05/2007
Posts: 245
Loc: northern ireland
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The House at Riverton by Kate Morton
Told in flashback by Grace in 1999, we follow the story of the Hartfield sisters Hannah and Emmeline during the 1st World War and into the 1920's. Aged 14, Grace starts working for the family as a housemaid and forms a strong attachment to them. We know at the outset of the book that the sisters are witnesses to the suicide of a young war poet one summer evening. The slowly meandering story takes us from Graces early days as a servant to the final shocking truth about that hot, summer night. This is a delightful book which brings the class system of the early 20th century alive, whilst always reminding us of the impending tragedy.
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Sealover
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Reged: 31/08/2006
Posts: 1271
Loc: Devon
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The Perfect Summer by Juliet Nicolson
Industrial strikes and the possibility of war did nothing to stop the hedonistic upper classes from enjoying the uninterrupted sunshine of summer 1911. While they revelled in the celebrations surrounding the coronation of George V, the working classes sweated in the heat to cater to their whims. The thoughts of a Queen and a butler, a debutante and a trade unionist conspire to give us an insight into what was a perfect summer for some, but less so for others. Funny as well as informative, this is a smashing read!
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sallyj
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Reged: 10/12/2006
Posts: 71
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Anybody Out There? By Marian Keyes
Reading Marian Keyes' ‘Anybody Out There?’ is like drinking a pint of Guinness; light froth on the top but immensely satisfying beneath.
Join Irish ex-pat Anna in the glitzy world of New York cosmetics PR as she attempts to contact her beloved absent husband, Aidan, and struggles to live without him.
Stir in a mad private detective sister and a dose of air guitar and watch the bubbles rise. Drop in Anna’s raw anguish at Aidan’s silence and plumb the depth of black emotion that a sudden separation brings.
This book will make you laugh, cry and reflect.
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Sealover
member
Reged: 31/08/2006
Posts: 1271
Loc: Devon
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The Old Man Who Read Love Stories by Luis Sepulveda
Recommended to me by another Book Club member, this novella is an uplifting read. Short as it is, it has many facets, telling the tale of an old man living in the Amazonian jungle. Although almost illiterate, Antonio adores love stories and laboriously reads the romantic novels given to him. His life is, however, turned upside down when he is forced to hunt a jaguar which has turned into a man killer after her cubs have been savagely and needlessly murdered. I loved this wonderfully haunting fable that is as sweet as it is bitter.
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Sealover
member
Reged: 31/08/2006
Posts: 1271
Loc: Devon
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My Lover’s Lover by Maggie O’Farrell
Can’t decide what kind of books you like? Try this! Part ghost story, part love story, part psychological drama, part tale of deceit and betrayal, all these elements coming together to make an engrossing read. Does Lily imagine the ghostly presence of Marcus’s ex-girlfriend, Sinead, when she moves into his flat? Why is flatmate Aidan so uncommunicative and sullen? What is the truth about Sinead? Was she murdered? Is Marcus’s professed love for Lily real? What is the secret that Aidan is keeping from Lily? This atmospheric story twists and turns in myriad ways, luring you to a stunning conclusion.
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Sealover
member
Reged: 31/08/2006
Posts: 1271
Loc: Devon
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The Memory Keeper's Daughter by Kim Edwards
But for a blizzard on the night that Norah Henry gave birth to twins, many lives would have been different. Norah’s surgeon husband, David, delivers the babes, a healthy boy and Phoebe, who has Down’s syndrome. Appalled, he begs nurse Caroline Gill to take the tiny girl to an institution and leave her there, telling Norah that the baby died. Caroline, unwilling to abandon Phoebe, raises her as her own. Not until Phoebe is an adult does Norah learn that her daughter did not die. A remarkable story of how lives may be changed by the simple falling of snow.
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Sealover
member
Reged: 31/08/2006
Posts: 1271
Loc: Devon
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Over by Margaret Forster
This is the story of a family unravelling when they should be drawn together. Miranda, the 18-year-old daughter of Don and Louise, twin to Molly and older sister of Finn, is drowned in a sailing accident. Determined that someone must be held culpable, Don abandons his career in an obsessive search for details of the boat in which Miranda died and the reasons why she, an inexperienced sailor, was alone at sea. While Louise and her children deal with Miranda’s death in their own ways, the family is torn apart by Don’s fixation. This powerful chronicle of love, grief and loyalty is both moving and thought provoking.
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DebbieWhite
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Reged: 07/09/2007
Posts: 7
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The House at Riverton by Kate Morton (Pan priced at £7.99)
A beautifully written story which follows the life of Grace, a young girl in service as a housemaid. Duty, self sacrifice and loyalty give way to secrets and despair as we are transported from 1999, the present, back to the early 1900s, the devastating Great War years and then to the decadent 1920s. With overtones of Gosford Park, Kate Morton captures the mood of English society in the early 20th century taking the reader through wonderful scenes of garden parties, debutante balls and staid dinner parties. Atmospheric and gripping with the final secret revealed on the very last page. Brilliant!
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saragrland
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Reged: 14/10/2007
Posts: 2
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review - the irresistible inheritance of Wilberforce
This intriguing book chronicles the life of a somewhat isolated and complex individual from present to past. It manages to cleverly depict from the character’s perspective what it is like to live with the ill effects of alcohol addiction, which is novel, insightful and impressive. Whilst the first part of the book is inspiring and compulsive reading, during the middle chapters the book struggles to provide enough new and discerning information about the characters and past situations to keep you as hooked as at the outset; but it does offer a ménage of eccentric characters, flawed relationships and captures how an person’s future can turn out far different than as expected. Once finished it will also leave you with some food for thought about the way we live our lives in general.
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Susiesue
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Reged: 16/10/2007
Posts: 14
Loc: Cardiff
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This thought provoking book leads us on an endearing, emotional journey. We travel through what might some think of as an unconventional heaven. Eddie 83, died heroically trying to saving a young girl from a fairground accident.
Arriving in heaven he is met by five people, who had not obviously crossed his path but have definitely influenced the pattern his life took.
Each interaction is transfixing, you're eager to continue the journey to the final destination and outcome.
Moved to tears, unable to put the book down, it made me reassess my life and the possible outcomes of any actions
From
Susan Lang
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Nameless
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Reged: 21/10/2007
Posts: 5
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The Harmony Silk Factory by Tash Aw
This unusual story is the first novel by Tash Aw. Set in Malaya around the 1940s, it concerns Johnny Lim, who rises from humble beginnings to a position of power and influence. He marries a woman called Snow, who dies giving birth to a son, Jasper.
The first part is written by Jasper, who has a low opinion of Johnny;apparently he committed many terrible crimes. The second part is a diary kept by Snow before she died: in this we see a completely different picture. The final part, by their mutual friend Peter, makes everything clear at last.
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waterbaby
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Reged: 23/08/2006
Posts: 42
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The Friday Night Knitting Club by Kate Jacobs
This is a light easy read following the setting up of a knitting club. We learn of the women's lives, hopes and dreams and see them come to fruition. A lesson in the comradeship of women, good times and bad, support and trust. Brave Georgia who owns the knitting shop while bringing up her daughter. Cat, her schoolfriend, from years past who reappears Darwin who cannot knit. Anita with her words of wisdom. All different ages, all with their own problems, all being there for each other.
A different version of the Supper Club perhaps.
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lynne
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Reged: 13/03/2006
Posts: 938
Loc: The Far North Of England
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Relentless. Simon Kernick
This pacey thriller hooked me on page one. It’s a breakneck speed read with more twists and turns than the final of Strictly Come Dancing.
Decent, law abiding John Merron receives a phone call from a friend, screaming for help. The last words he hears are his home address.
He scoops up his children and runs from the house not knowing that within minutes he will be hurtled into a world of violence. He will be very lucky to escape with his life…and where is his wife?
This book should come with a health warning.
Pick up this book late at night and sleep becomes unimportant. I stayed awake until 3 am to finish it and could not put it down.
Even if George Clooney had been giving me a foot massage I probably wouldn’t have noticed !
This would be an exciting distraction from Christmas preparations. I am definitely asking Santa for Simon Kendrick’s other books.
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VickiH
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Reged: 31/10/2007
Posts: 12
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Anyone but him, Sheila O'Flanagan
What would you do if your mother came home from a cruise with more than a tan to remember the holiday by? That's the question 2 sisters are left pondering when their Mother returns home, complete with a toy boy in tow. What does he want? Money? Somewhere to live? Surely he has an alterior motive?
The sisters set out to dig through his past, convinced they'll find a way to get rid of him. After all, anyone would be more suitable as a potential step father than him... anyone but him...
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tizliz
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Reged: 02/11/2007
Posts: 1
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Making Money by Terry Pratchett
Though all Terry Pratchett books can be read as stand alone books you will enjoy this one more if you have read Going Postal where Moist von Lipwig given another chance uses his wiles as a con man to save the post office. Now he is ‘persuaded’ to do the same for the banking system.
There are all the usual jokes, vampires, werewolves, assassin’s guild but this series of books (Raising Taxes is next) is not as good as his witches books even though he does include the unseen university as he needs the advice of a dead wizard.
There is the usual sub-plot of having a dig at society i.e. that the banking system runs on trust and can be easily toppled (very topical).
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sallyj
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Reged: 10/12/2006
Posts: 71
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Can Any Mother Help Me? Jenna Bailey
This book tells the true story of a group of lonely but intelligent mothers from across England, who formed the 1930s equivalent to the Woman and Home internet forums.
The Cooperative Correspondence Club was a private magazine to which all the women contributed and it was circulated by post as a ‘round robin’.
Within this supportive network the women discussed everything from childbirth to war and eventually, widowhood and old age. Through sharing the details of their lives they became close and started to meet up whenever possible.
A collection of ordinary yet compelling stories that deserves to be read.
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jose01
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Reged: 10/11/2007
Posts: 1
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Murder Most Fab by Julian Clary
I was pleasantly surprised by this book. It was well written, but a little risque, well quite a lot risque, not for people who are likely to be embarrassed. Not my usual kind of read.
Its about a male prostitute Johnny Debonair living with a female prostitute and she encourages him to murder. (I know what an odd combination.) The first murder was because the gentleman he was servicing claimed he had Cancer and wanted to end his life. Unfortunately this claim was untrue, it then goes on to other murders to cover tracks, but in the end he cannot get away with it.
It is well worth a read. I did not buy this book, it was loaned to me.
I would be encouraged to buy another book written by Julian Clary and felt this first attempt at being an author was very good.
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Bobby
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Reged: 17/11/2007
Posts: 1
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The Lovely Bones by Alice Sebold
A young girl is murdered and spends many years watching the activities of her former life as 'life' moves on. The book shares my theory on heaven, basically there are different 'planes' and you do what you do best! Wonder how many of 'us' identify with Franny!
Had the same kind of feeling as the 'chicken soup for the...' books - or 'Doris Stokes' books. Tugged on the heart strings that the cosmic balance is inevitable ... like the cable show 'touched by an angel' it gives the same 'pit of the stomach' understanding.
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BC41
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Reged: 05/11/2006
Posts: 233
Loc: England
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On Writing - Stephen King
If you're turned off by horror and gore, you may not read this book because it's by SK. Shame. You're missing out on an excellent book which not only contains practical tips for writers but also a brief biography which explains his love of the dark. It also details the accident that nearly killed one of the world's most popular authors, and how his love of the written word kept him going. Fascinating.
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poshpaws
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Reged: 15/11/2007
Posts: 4
Loc: Grampian
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I read about this book, including interviews with some of the surviving members, quite recently - thanks for reminding me about it, I'm going to see if I can find it at amazon.
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If at first you don't succeed ... don't try skydiving.
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efrogwraig
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Reged: 22/11/2007
Posts: 2
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Resistance by Owen Sheers
1944 and Germany has won the War.
In a remote Welsh Valley the women wake up to find all their menfolk have left
to join the resistance. They do what women always do, just get on with things.
When a German patrol comes into this valley the women embark on a path of passive resistance which changes as the winter sets in. Sarah Lewis a young woman develops a friendship with Albrecht as he talks to her of music and poetry and things her husband never knew about.
Bleak, realistic, heartbreaking but hopeful. My book of the year.
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mag860
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Reged: 04/09/2006
Posts: 82
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P.S. I love you - Cecelia Ahern
A wonderfully poignant book which captures many of the emotions felt by someone whose husband has died. Holly and her husband Gerry joked about her needing a list to remind her to do things if he should die. When he succumbs to a brain tumour at the age of 30, Holly discovers that Gerry has has left letters to be opened on the 1st day of each month after his death. The bitter sweet emotions created by these letters is almost tangible. It will make you laugh and cry, and will certainly make you remember those you have lost.
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aliirv
member
Reged: 15/05/2007
Posts: 245
Loc: northern ireland
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The Tenderness of Wolves by Stef Penney
Set in the snow-bound wilds of Canada in 1867, this book traces the hunt for a murderer. A sullen teenage boy has disappeared after the brutal slaying and this combined with the sudden appearance of a stranger in the isolated township leads to a voyage of self- discovery for a mother. As she follows the trail left by her son, her story is inevitably intertwined with that of other settlers in the desolate region.
A poignant and moving debut novel from an accomplished writer.
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BarMC
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Reged: 06/08/2006
Posts: 4
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The Amazing Adventures of Dietgirl by Shauna Read
Shauna Reid (Dietgirl) from Australia was 23 years old and 25 stone in January 2001 and determined to somehow lose her weight.She created a weblog "The Amazing Adventures of Dietgirl" which follows Shauna's diary of adventures as she curbs the calories and starts to enjoy the gym.
This book is hilarious, action packed and entertaining with romance thrown in. A truly inspirational story and a must for anyone embarking on losing weight in 2008.
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janbryn
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Reged: 06/01/2008
Posts: 4
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On Chesil Beach-Ian McEwan
An elegant book which is much more than a well crafted description of a disastrous wedding night. Florence and Edward, products of the post war era and its severity, fail to adapt to the sexually liberated swinging sixties;their initial comic fumblings move with a certain inevitability to a tragic outcome. We learn that lives can change in an instant and founder because of what is left unsaid. A well written novel in which the tension is palpable, the awkward exchanges between the young couple touching and McEwan's dissection of their characters and relationship masterly.
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pennywales
member
Reged: 06/01/2008
Posts: 1
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The Boy with No Shoes
by
William Horwood
A fictional biography, Jimmy is the fifth child of the family and illegitimate; his older siblings tease and torment him, his mother is portrayed as uncaring. It is the story of his painful growing up and the relationships he forges as a child and young adult. Set in Kent, the author draws you into seaside setting with delightful descriptions.
A beautifully written book, the prose is simple, its meaning so rich. Sentence and paragraph lengths are varied to regulate the tempo of the story to perfection. I couldn’t put it down but didn’t want it to end either!
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nandan
member
Reged: 09/01/2008
Posts: 12
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Written on Glass by Judith Lennox
Set in post war England, this is a story of two neighbouring families torn apart by love, loss, betrayal and misunderstanding.Brothers Dick and Will are rivals for Julie's love, she adores both but in different ways.Marrying one will estrange the other. Her brother, Marius, returns from the war and looks up an old girlfriend. When he finds her, she gives him news that will change his life forever.Old childhood friend,Topaz, who considers herself lonely, unlovely and unloved, watches as passions and secrets develop and unfold.There's no happy-ever-after ending, the characters
develop in a totally unexpected but intriguing way.
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sugarbaby
member
Reged: 10/01/2008
Posts: 2
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A thousand splendid suns by Khaled Hosseini
This book is an unforgettable story about two different women thrown together in troubled times of the Taliban in Kabul. Mariam is only fifteen when she is sent to Kabul to marry the violent bitter Rasheed, who is thirty years older. Nearly two decades later, in a climate of growing unrest, tragedy strikes the fifteen year old Laila, who has to leave her home & join Mariam's unhappy household. Lalia & Mariam finally find consolation in each other, despite their different backgrounds. When the Taliban arrive in Kabul, life becomes a struggle against brutality, starvation & fear. The women's ensurance is tested beyond their worst imaginings and they carry out a dangerous mission. In the end, love triumps over death & destruction & life behind a burkha. A fascinating insight into what women have to put up with in Afghanistan.
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sallyj
member
Reged: 10/12/2006
Posts: 71
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My Sister’s Keeper – Jodi Picoult
Do you believe in designer babies, bred to save a sick sibling? Would you ask your teenage daughter to donate a kidney to her sister? Is it fair that your sick child always comes first and the rest of your offspring exist in their shadow?
These questions and more bubble and simmer all the way through Picoult’s compulsive novel.
Anna was conceived to donate umbilical cells to her ill sister, Kate. But as Kate relapses, more and more is expected of Anna. Finally, Anna hires a lawyer to fight for her medical emancipation but he brings his own emotional baggage…
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sugarbaby
member
Reged: 10/01/2008
Posts: 2
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The Book Thief by Markus Zusak
This beautifully written book keeps you guessing until the end. Set in l939 in Nazi Germany, the book follows the story of nine year old Liesl and her fascination with books. The importance of words is a theme that runs throught the book, from Liesl stealing them and Maz writing them, to the use of words by the Nazi proganda machine. Sadly Liesl is sent to live with a foster family after her parents are taken away for being communists. The story follows Liesl and family as they negotiate the difficulties of living in Germany at this time. The narrator of the story is Death. However he is fair & vulnerable. As expected in these times, the book deals with some difficult subjects and there is plenty of tragedy. Well worth reading this excellent book.
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Frangelina
member
Reged: 13/01/2008
Posts: 116
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Painting Mona Lisa by Jeanne Kalogridis
This isn't a book I would usually have picked up, but I was leant it by my daughter and what a fantastic read.
The story has so many twists and turns that it is a highly believable account of what could have happened around the time that Leonardo painted his famous picture.
A great historical type novel which keeps you enthralled from beginning to end. There were some gory bits (where I admit I had to close my eyes)fitting of that period in history but ultimately this is a story of betrayal and love and passion.
It's well worth picking up.
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Angelique
member
Reged: 17/01/2008
Posts: 1
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Karma by Holly A Harvey
Paige is twenty-eight, and seems to attract bad fortune. She’s in debt, single, unappreciated at work…and, as if things were not bad enough, has a school reunion approaching. People think she’s a pushover and a betrayal makes her re-evaluate her life, with hilarious consequences.
The book follows her adventures as she tries to right a few wrongs she feels Fate has dished out to her. Karma owes her, and she’s going to redress the balance.
This book is comedy fiction with many plot twists, equally funny and touching. You could say, it’s a ‘Paige turner’!
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nandan
member
Reged: 09/01/2008
Posts: 12
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I have read all Maggie O'Farrell's other books and thoroughly enjoyed them, but I think After You'd Gone, which I've just finished, was the best of the lot. It has stayed with me for days,and I'm finding it difficult to pick up another book although I have a pile 3 feet high waiting to be read!It is a book of such extraordinary depth and feeling. Alice, lying in a coma,slides between different levels of consciousness. She relives her troubled childhood and youth and her passion, longing and grief for her soulmate. Her parents,worried sick, have long buried issues to resolve. A truly wonderful read
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megrose489
member
Reged: 21/01/2008
Posts: 1
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Claude Izner - Murder on the Eiffel Tower (Gallic Books, £7.99)
This murder mystery is set in the Paris of 1889, when the newly completed Eiffel Tower was the entrance to the Universal Exposition. A young bookseller, Victor Legris, attempts to solve the meaning behind a succession of deaths, brought about, apparently, by bee-stings. In the course of his investigation he adds to his difficulties by falling in love with the red-haired bohemian, Tasha Kherson. But who can he trust? Nineteenth century Paris is brought to life and peopled with fascinating characters in this page-turner, where all is not what it seems.
Edited by megrose489 (21/01/2008 15:25)
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Gervase
member
Reged: 23/01/2008
Posts: 1
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A Spot of Bother by Mark Haddon
Real people, real life, real location! Who would have thought reality could be such a page turner. This beautifully written story is compelling reading and yet any of us could be married to George, be arranging our daughter's on/off wedding or worrying about our son's love life. Haddon shows an understanding of family dynamics and portray crisis, learning and eventual harmony with great expertise and humour.
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sallyj
member
Reged: 10/12/2006
Posts: 71
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The Book Thief by Markus Zusack
Pack this book to save luggage space on your family holiday - it was written for young people but is compelling reading for parents and grandparents too.
Liesel is a young girl growing up in wartime Germany with foster parents. She experiences both the harshness of those times and the loyalty and kindness human beings showed to each other.
The book stands out because of its unusual narrator - Death. But he is neither sinister, nor frightening - just someone who gently carries souls away.
Don’t spoil your holiday fighting over who gets to read this fantastic book first!
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judyw
member
Reged: 03/02/2008
Posts: 1
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A Short History of Tractors in Ukrainian by Marina Lewycka (Penguin)
Nadezhda's aged widowed father is in love - with Valentina, a Ukrainian woman half his age. But does she love him or is she after his passport and money? Nadezhda is suspicious and sets about to try and rid her father of this woman. But her father's reluctance to part with his bride and Valentina's tenacity and determination means her job will not be an easy one. Along the way, Nadezhda discovers secrets about her own immigrant family; secrets she cannot ignore. A thoughtful, funny read with many touching moments and a satisfactory ending.
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roger60
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Reged: 05/02/2008
Posts: 1
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The Memory Keeper's Daughter is a stunning book. Concerns a doctor whose wife gives birth to twins, but the girl is Downs Syndrome, and this is the early 60's when such children were put into institutions. The nurse takes the daughter home, and decides to adopt her and raise her herself. The story concerns the doctor eventually finding out she is still alive, and doing well.There is tragi-comedy and bleakness, as well as a real sense of hope in this story which draws you on and on.
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clare
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Reged: 21/03/2006
Posts: 27
Loc: Upper Norwood
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I'm reading "Flight of the Falcon" by Daphne du Maurier. Not one of her better known novels, it includes murder, intrigue, historical pageant, all set in Italy. I'm thoroughly enjoying it, it's quite a page turner (and most of my reading these days is restricted to the bus!)If you want a good story, well written in a clear prose style, this could be it!
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Typical Libran, always up and down.
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sambo
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Reged: 07/02/2008
Posts: 1
Loc: Cornwall
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About a book I have read:
Snow Flower and the Secret Fan, By Author Lisa See 'Bloomsbury' £7.99.
This passionate story is set in nineteenth Century China, about two girls following punishing customs, such as the agonies of foot binding. Also their journey into marriage and its devistating ups and downs. I was truly engrossed into this beautifully written novel, so realistic in bringing alive an entire culture, the reader can actually feel the pain and anguish the girls go through (some parts are heartbreaking). You can not put this book down,so pick it up as its so well written and believable, its not to be missed.
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Cherryl
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Reged: 10/02/2008
Posts: 1
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The Lovely Bones by Alice Sebold
The Lovely Bones is a beautifully written and incredible tale of grief and acceptance. The story is told through the eyes and memories of the now dead and murdered Susie Salmon (fourteen). Susie allows us to travel the paths of her family, friends and killer following this cataclysmic event. The narrative is quietly humorous throughout its sadness and the murder which is, in fact, just background to the story, is told in a way that avoids the feeling of horror without glossing over the facts. This enthralling and moving tale is a truly astonishing read.
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wordsmith
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Reged: 09/02/2008
Posts: 7
Loc: worthing, west sussex
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Case Histories by Kate Atkinson (Black Swan 2004)
With leafy, erudite Cambridge as the backdrop, Jackson Brodie, a private detective and 'weekend' father is approached by a seemingly unconnected group of people to solve several 'cold cases' dating back to the early 70's. Two violent murders and a missing child are embroidered into an intricate tapestry of flashbacks including a window into Brodie's own tragic past. Kate Atkinson presents each 'case' as a series of bite size notes and asides and allows us to follow Brodie as he unravels them, more often than not with his sugar-hyped four year old daughter in tow. Be prepared to attempt everyday tasks one-handed - this is a book you will not be able to put down until the very last page.
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jil3563
member
Reged: 11/02/2008
Posts: 3
Loc: Worcestershire
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Thriller - Stories to keep you up all night- Edited by James Patterson
As a lover of thriller books I am always looking for new authors but often reluctant to pay £10 or more and not be sure I will like their style. This book edited by James Patterson (a favourite author of mine) has over 30 short thriller stories all by different authors giving a great read, but also an opportunity to try out some new names. All the stories were well written but some styles were not as much to my liking as others, but I have now got a list of at least 6 new authors that I have not read before.
Great entertainment - great value and a great introduction.
Edited by jil3563 (11/02/2008 10:53)
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zennor
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Reged: 31/08/2006
Posts: 1586
Loc: Falmouth in Cornwall
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Notes from an Exhibition by Patrick Gale
The characters leap out of the pages in this skilfully written story of the life of Rachel Kelly, a talented but troubled artist living in Penzance.
The narrative is strong and convincing and everyone knows of an 'Antony' the Quaker - quiet, solid and reliable who holds everything together in a calm and positive way. The house and its inhabitants come alive on every page and we dread the tragedy of its final pages ...
It is a long time since any book has given me such enjoyment and I cannot wait to read more of his work.
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sallyj
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Reged: 10/12/2006
Posts: 71
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Random Acts of Heroic Love by Danny Scheinmann
If you feel men are incapable of deep romantic love then this book will change your mind.
In 1992 Leo is separated from Eleni by death. In 1914 Moritz is separated from Lotte by war. Grief-stricken Leo searches for Eleni’s presence in ants and other insects, whilst delving into quantum physics for explanations of love. Moritz escapes from a prisoner of war camp and walks home across Siberia, writing letters to Lotte that can never be posted.
This novel interweaves the separate stories of the two men, revealing their connection, across the years, only at the end of the book.
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emmaspud
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Reged: 16/02/2008
Posts: 3
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The Man in the Picture by Susan Hill
As a huge fan of Susan Hill’s short stories, I felt hugely excited by this neat little hardback. Dr Parmitter, a collector of art, procures a sinister, enchanting painting of a Venetian carnival, which brings a curse to all who study it. Associates of the scholar start to go missing; the anguished faces of those kidnapped start to appear in the painting, striking fear into the hearts of all who observe it. Hill’s narrative is simple, fresh and macabre, being one of those stories that haunts you, igniting your imagination with imagery that lingers for days after reading it.
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FiFi
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Reged: 29/03/2007
Posts: 388
Loc: Berkshire
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I put this on the main board but I think maybe I should have posted it here...
Review of Monster Love by Carol Topolski
This book lures the reader into its web with a “net curtain twitching” introduction to the Gutteridges. One cannot help but be intrigued by the life they, and their neighbours lead. Once comfortably drawn into the story the horrors that lie behind closed doors are exposed and the book becomes uncomfortable to read but just too good to put down.
This original novel introduces us to the minds of two evil parents but through exploring their own childhoods, it becomes apparent their current actions whilst unforgivable, are very much a result of their past. Their crime has far reaching implications for all those they come into contact with and kept me enthralled to the end.
Not for the faint hearted.
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keziah
member
Reged: 23/02/2008
Posts: 3
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Atlantis by David Gibbins
Reviewed by Kez Russell
Although Atlantis is an old myth, Gibbins' novel is given credence by the fact that the author himself is Cambridge archaeologist. So when his characters work out the position of Atlantis through underwater archaeology, classic texts and clues found on archaeological digs, it is believable. Unfortunately Gibbins ignores the huge scope of the sunken culture. His characters bypass the ancient citadel to fight against an 'enemy' that is a confused mix of cold war Russians and Muslim terrorists. With stereotypical and token characters and unimaginative writing, Atlantis is disappointing - not so much for its content as for its misadvertising.
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judi_t
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Reged: 23/02/2008
Posts: 1
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We Need to Talk About Kevin by Lionel Shriver.
This is an engrossing book about an incrdibly difficult subject. Although the topic of high school massacres is harrowing it is the way that we see the development of the child through the eys of the mother that draws us in. Finally, it is up to the reader to make up their minds as to what or who was truly responsible for this tragedy. Is it a case of nature or nurture? I leave it to you to decide, but you will never find a better book upon which to base your feelings on this unresolved dilemma.
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dryad
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Reged: 11/02/2008
Posts: 243
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FRIDAY NIGHTS Joanna Trollope
Joanna Trollope's unique skill for writing about relationships is demonstrated superbly in her latest novel. It is Eleanor, retired and solitary, who begins the circle of friends when she invites two single mothers, Paula and Lindsay, to visit her one Friday night. Later others join the group - Jules, young and unconventional, Blaise, a successful business woman, and Karen, wife, mother and breadwinner. Over the years the six women become firm friends. Then along comes Jackson, Paula's new partner - attractive, fascinating...trouble! The links of friendship are put to the test and stretched to breaking point; Friday nights will never be the same again.
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dryad
member
Reged: 11/02/2008
Posts: 243
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NO! I DON'T WANT TO JOIN A BOOK CLUB Virginia Ironside
As Marie Sharp approaches her sixtieth birthday she decides to keep a diary. Sometimes the entries are nostalgic but mostly she focuses on the present. She welcomes 'senior citizenship' and plans to enjoy her mature years. Learning a language, Open University Courses and joining a book club do not feature on her agenda - definitely not! The only new experience she needs is becoming a grandmother. She wants to do 'old things', like using her Freedom Pass on London transport. This is a funny, heart warming book which will strike a chord with any woman who likes the idea of growing old disgracefully.
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dryad
member
Reged: 11/02/2008
Posts: 243
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INVITATION TO THE WALTZ Rosamond Lehmann
This novel is about Olivia, the 17 year old daughter of a wealthy middle class family in the England of 1920; she has been invited to the coming-out dance of an aristocratic neighbour. Outwardly nothing much happens but inside Olivia's head and heart the action is intense; her thoughts and feelings are captured perfectly. There is something touchingly familiar about her excitement and panic as she gets ready for the big night - a red silk dress that now seems too bright, hair pinned up so tightly it hurts and far, far too much scent! At the dance she has partners both young and old and sometimes, having no partner, she takes refuge in the cloakroom; she is not enjoying 'the strange anxious hours'. When someone, who has promised to dance with her, forgets, she plunges to the depths of despair and wonders how she can live if things like this happen. But the next moment the handsome host appears on the moonlit terrace and she survives...for now. Olivia's story is both poignant and amusing; she is such a likeable, engaging character that I feel I want to know more about her. I am looking forward to reading the sequel - The Weather in the Streets.
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dryad
member
Reged: 11/02/2008
Posts: 243
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OSCAR WILDE AND THE CANDLELIGHT MURDERS Gyles Brandreth
In 1889 Oscar Wilde, poet and playwright, finds the mutilated corpse of a young boy in a candle lit room of a London back street. With his friend Arthur Conan Doyle, creator of Sherlock Holmes, he returns to the scene of the crime - the corpse has vanished! Scotland Yard has no interest in the case until remains of the body appear so meanwhile Oscar Wilde takes on the role of detective and sets about unravelling the mystery. He is a larger that life character - flamboyant, outrageous and witty. The London of his time is richly atmospheric; the sordid world of vice and violence is as convincing as the luxurious life of champagne and oysters. While other bizarre and brutal murders are uncovered, the plot speeds along to an exciting climax. The solution to the mystery is totally unforeseen and very satisfying. This novel is the first in a series; I hope the others are equally entertaining.
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dryad
member
Reged: 11/02/2008
Posts: 243
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INVITATION TO THE WALTZ Rosamond Lehmann
(I have edited the review I posted earlier - this one is 100 words approx. Sorry - I loved this book so much and had so much to say! Do you remember your first dance?!)
This novel is about Olivia, the daughter of a wealthy family in the England of 1920; she has been invited to the coming-out dance of an aristocratic neighbour. Outwardly nothing much happens but inside Olivia's head and heart the action is intense and her feelings are captured perfectly. There is something touchingly familiar about her excitement and panic as she gets ready for the big night. At the dance she has a variety of partners but sometimes takes refuge in the cloakroom, not enjoying 'the strange, anxious hours'. Olivia's story is poignant and amusing; you will enjoy reading about this very likeable character.
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dryad
member
Reged: 11/02/2008
Posts: 243
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OSCAR WILDE AND THE CANDLELIGHT MURDERS Gyles Brandreth
(I have edited the earlier version of this review too - the revised one is 100 words approx. Sorry again! I really enjoy detective stories and this one was brilliant!)
In 1889 Oscar Wilde finds the mutilated corpse of a boy. With his friend Arthur Conan Doyle he returns to the scene of the crime - the corpse has vanished! Scotland Yard has no interest in the case until remains of the body appear so Oscar Wilde takes on the role of detective himself. He is a larger than life character - flamboyant, outrageous and witty. The London of his time is convincing and richly atmospheric. While other bizarre murders are uncovered, the plot speeds along to an exciting climax and the solution to the mystery is totally unforeseen. A very entertaining detective story!
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JoannaSa
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Reged: 24/02/2008
Posts: 1
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Kate Saunders has managed to create the impossible – a current day Little Women meets Pride and Prejudice.
A delicious tale of love and intrigue, the Marrying Game tells the story of four sisters struggling to cope with their father’s suicide. With his death the ancestral home of the aristocratic yet impoverished Hasty girls is under threat.
The Hastys though are determined not to allow Melismate to be torn from their grasp. As the bailiffs threats come ever closer, the eldest, Rufa, devises a cunning plan. With her sister Nancy they head down to London and so the Marrying Game begins
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sallyj
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Reged: 10/12/2006
Posts: 71
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On those occasions when it’s too much effort to immerse yourself in a novel, try these bite size chunks of female fiction. Contributors range from Veronica Bright, who won the Woman and Home 2005 short story competition, to Penny Vincenzi and Alexander McCall Smith. Subject matter covers sibling rivalry, reaching milestone mid-life birthdays and learning to read.
This book is like a box of chocolates – once you start you’ll want to finish the whole lot! But best of all, the book was published in association with Woman and Home in order to raise money for Breast Cancer Care.
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mbm
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Reged: 02/02/2008
Posts: 3
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Anyone heard of an author called Sue Welfare? She's really good! Just read "Off the Record" - its light & relaxing.
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cherry25
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Reged: 02/03/2008
Posts: 2
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The Thirteenth Tale - Diane Setterfield
This timeless story looks back on famous author Vida Winter's life that she has always kept very secret. Whether the truth is actually told remains in doubt throughout the book.
The main feature of the book is an old house and the disturbed family that live in it. The tragic tale of twin girls gradually unfolds alongside fragments of the storyteller's own sad life
It takes a long time for the story to piece together and the Thirteenth Tale is revealed at the end. This is a real page turner and I was gripped from the first page
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dryad
member
Reged: 11/02/2008
Posts: 243
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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.
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frycake
member
Reged: 10/03/2008
Posts: 1
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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.
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dryad
member
Reged: 11/02/2008
Posts: 243
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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.
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keziah
member
Reged: 23/02/2008
Posts: 3
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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.
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keziah
member
Reged: 23/02/2008
Posts: 3
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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.
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dryad
member
Reged: 11/02/2008
Posts: 243
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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.
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Marchbirdy
member
Reged: 02/04/2008
Posts: 40
Loc: Manchester
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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!
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sallyj
member
Reged: 10/12/2006
Posts: 71
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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.
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dryad
member
Reged: 11/02/2008
Posts: 243
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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.
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Debbie_123
member
Reged: 19/04/2008
Posts: 1
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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!
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dryad
member
Reged: 11/02/2008
Posts: 243
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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.
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Vicky123
member
Reged: 22/02/2008
Posts: 2510
Loc: Essex
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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.
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debbsie
member
Reged: 24/04/2008
Posts: 4
Loc: Derby, Derbyshire central Engl...
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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.....
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janbryn
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Reged: 06/01/2008
Posts: 4
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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.
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sallyj
member
Reged: 10/12/2006
Posts: 71
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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.
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dgt3
member
Reged: 29/03/2008
Posts: 120
Loc: Cornwall
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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.
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dryad
member
Reged: 11/02/2008
Posts: 243
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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!
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Va1
member
Reged: 13/05/2008
Posts: 1
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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.
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aggipanthus
member
Reged: 05/04/2006
Posts: 179
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'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.
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rainbow
member
Reged: 28/05/2008
Posts: 16
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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.
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sue60jeffery
member
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
member
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
member
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
member
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
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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
member
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
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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
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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
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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
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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
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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
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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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rainbow
member
Reged: 28/05/2008
Posts: 16
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Rainbow's End, by Lauren St John (Hamish Hamilton, £17.99)
Told through the eyes of a child growing up in Zimbabwe (Rhodesia then) in the 1970's, Lauren St John's autobiographical account is about extremes.
On the one hand, we have the beauty of Africa, the freedom of a white childhood on an idyllic farm with wildlife and privilege all around.
On the other, we have the impact of war, terror and ever-present fear which shape and limit her childhood experience.
And through the intertwining of these perspectives , St John increasingly questions everything she has been told about race, hierarchy and birthright.
The vividness and directness of this book capture the essence of the Zimbabwe conundrum.
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rainbow
member
Reged: 28/05/2008
Posts: 16
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The Woman in the Fifth, by Douglas Kennedy (arrow books, £6.99)
Following an 'incident' at the American college where he taught, Harry Ricks escapes to Paris to write a novel.
The story unfolds amidst the squalor and underworld of the Turkish district of Paris as Harry sinks to rock-bottom.
Then he meets the elegant, smouldering Margit, a cultured Hungarian who seems to read his innermost thoughts, and Harry becomes inescapably entangled.
So far, this is almost predictable, but Kennedy surprises us until our disbelief is challenged to the extreme.
I can't say more- you have to read it for yourself. Love it, hate it, you won't want to put it down.
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dryad
member
Reged: 11/02/2008
Posts: 243
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THE GUERNSEY LITERARY AND POTATO PEEL PIE SOCIETY
Mary Ann Shaffer
How does a roast pig dinner suddenly become a literary society? A clue – the German Occupation of Guernsey. Is potato peel pie a joke? Certainly not – it is a reminder of the hardships endured by the Islanders.
In 1946 a mutual love of the writer Charles Lamb sparks the correspondence between a Guernsey farmer and Juliet, a London author. Soon other members of this extraordinary book group are also writing to her about their literary tastes and their experiences. Later, when Juliet visits Guernsey to continue research for her new book, she sends friends at home a lively commentary on life on the island.
The letters are fascinating – funny, tragic, uplifting – fine evidence of the strong bonds of love and friendship forged in war time . . . and afterwards. This book is a gem.
Edited by jdm (10/08/2008 21:37)
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cherys
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Reged: 15/08/2008
Posts: 1
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WHAT WAS LOST by Catherine O'Flynn
This stunning debut, set in a shopping centre, focuses on the disappearance of schoolgirl Kate Meany. O'Flynn’s warmth and gut-wrenching humour in handling this bleak subject have won her a batch of well-deserved awards.
The novel opens with Kate's spy-log on shoppers, training for the detective work she longs to do. It then leaps twenty years: Kate’s vanishing cast long shadows on people she never even met. When narcoleptic security guard Kurt spots her on his CCTV and store manager Lisa finds Kate’s toy they are brought together, solving her mystery and laying their own ghosts. Unmissable.
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dryad
member
Reged: 11/02/2008
Posts: 243
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OF MERCHANTS AND HEROES Paul Waters
A passion for Ancient History drew me to this novel which is set at the end of the third century BC. The narrator of the exciting story is a young Roman. His father’s tragic death sets him on a path to revenge; along the way he meets men driven by greed, vanity and power and others who strive for what is honourable in life, particularly in politics and war. This quest for excellence encourages the reader to consider what mattered then, what matters now and whether time has made any difference at all. Paul Waters writes with remarkable eloquence; his debut novel is a joy to read.
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zennor
member
Reged: 31/08/2006
Posts: 1586
Loc: Falmouth in Cornwall
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A SWEET OBSCURITY
Patrick Gayle
Following on from the immense pleasure of Notes From An Exhibition I discovered this intriguing tale of the musical and gifted Eliza and her precocious niece Dido and their gradual transition from grimy London to God's Own Country in West Cornwall..
This is another totally compelling novel by the addictive Patrick Gayle which leaves you hungry for more ...
I am overwhelmed by his talent and cannot wait to read his next book ..
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billie
member
Reged: 21/11/2007
Posts: 149
Loc: Derbyshire
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Divas Don't Knit by Gil McNeil
This modern day story really warmed my heart with the true to life happenings. Jo and her two boys Jack and Archie have to rebuild their lives again after losing her husband and their dad. So they move to the seaside and take over her Grans wool shop. The story unfolds with lots of humour, touches of sadness but best of all the feeling of being at her side the whole time and cheering her on!It also started me knitting again and searching for new projects to do.
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dryad
member
Reged: 11/02/2008
Posts: 243
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FIRMIN Sam Savage
Firmin is a rat, charming, intelligent, imaginative and literary too. Born in a bookshop – the runt of the litter – he survives by chewing books. Miraculously he learns to read and later develops an insatiable hunger for literature. He dares to be different, preferring humans to rats; his attempts to make friends with the bookshop owner nearly end in tragedy but happily he has more success with a local writer. Firmin is saddened by plans to replace the bookshop, bars and stores with grey concrete and government buildings. Alas, sometimes there is a downside to change. This illustrated book is highly original and very entertaining.
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dryad
member
Reged: 11/02/2008
Posts: 243
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A LIFE IN TIME AND SPACE – THE BIOGRAPHY OF DAVID TENNANT
Nigel Goodall
I rarely read biographies but when I saw David Tennant smiling at me from the bookshelf, how could I resist? I had my purse out faster than you could say ‘Doctor Who’. The book presents fascinating information about David’s career in film, television and theatre, as well as amazing photographs dating back to 1994. However, what I enjoyed most was David’s comments on a wide variety of roles. Whether he is Casanova or Doctor Who, a Shakespeare prince or a Nicci French villain, he shows dazzling enthusiasm and passion for his work. This biography captures the essence of a truly charismatic actor.
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rainbow
member
Reged: 28/05/2008
Posts: 16
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Life Class, by Pat Barker (Penguin, £7.99)
The young Paul Tarrant and his fellow students at Slade School of art not only discover how to draw in their life class, but are quickly thrust into the harrowing lessons of life that they experience during the First World war, both in London and in Belgium.
As always, Barker conveys the awful immediacy of war in the trenches in unremitting detail and authenticity. Who could possibly emerge unchanged after this life class?
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rainbow
member
Reged: 28/05/2008
Posts: 16
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Exit Music, by Ian Rankin (Orion, £7.99)
Fans of Rebus will probably feel mixed emotions as they read this eighteenth and final novel about Edinburgh's most famous Detective Inspector.
As always, Rankin draws us into the murky underworld which simmers beneath Edinburgh's gentile facade. We encounter the intermingling of wealthy Russian entrepreneurs, the seedy world of porno tapes, one of Rebus's old enemies, 'Bid Ger' Caffery, and... Members of the Scottish Parliament.
Throughout his quest to find the murderer of a dissident Russian poet, we commiserate with Rebus as his life as a D.I. comes to an end.
How can he face his exit music?
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waterbaby
member
Reged: 23/08/2006
Posts: 42
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Vanish by Tess Gerritsen
Dr Maura Isles is in the cold room of the morgue when she hears a noise. Your nerves tingle as you read how one body is still breathing. Thus starts a story about murder and blackmail and how people in the higher realms of power can physically abuse and scare others. Your heart will beat faster as you experience a hostage situation, it will break in sympathy with a young girl's fear and you will pray for a newborn baby's safety. The scarey thing is that life can really be like this. An unputdownable read.
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Brenda1948
member
Reged: 12/01/2008
Posts: 575
Loc: West Sussex
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The Pain and the Privilege by Ffion Hague
Did you know that, during his marriage to Margaret, Lloyd George had a 30-year affair with his secretary? Ffion tells the story of Lloyd George's complex relationships, and at the same time tells us a great deal about his political life and the social mores of the time.
As a former political secretary, and now a politician's wife, Ffion was well placed to write this book, and she has written and researched it beautifully. She is scrupulously fair in the way she deals with each of the women, and with Lloyd George himself.
A great book for the long dark evenings ahead.
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billie
member
Reged: 21/11/2007
Posts: 149
Loc: Derbyshire
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"Can't Wait to Get to Heaven"
by Fannie Flagg
This is a wonderful story about "Elner" who resides in Elmwood Springs America. Elner gets stung by wasps and falls out of a tree whilst picking figs and ultimately dies in the first chapter, but then she sets off on a journey to meet her maker, leaving her friends on earth devastated. I found myself wishing I'd known "Elner" and all her friends in the story. There were parts in the book when I laughed out loud. The characters came to life inside my head from the very beginning.This is a book to keep and treasure.
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rainbow
member
Reged: 28/05/2008
Posts: 16
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The Careful Use of Compliments, by Alexander McCall Smith (Little, Brown, £16.99)
Straightaway, we enter the genteel world inhabited by Isabel Dalhousie, editor of Review of Appied Ethics, and we can almost hear her 'doux' Edinburgh accent as she grapples with the philosophical issues presented by both her professional and personal life.
Isabel's domestic situation is more complicated now with the arrival of baby, Charlie, whose father, the handsome (and much younger) Jamie, is an ex-boyfriend of Isabel's niece, Cat.
To add to Isabel's entanglements, she is confronted by the possibility of having been offered fake paintings.
McCall Smith is at his most winsome in this novel.
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Ninette
member
Reged: 04/10/2008
Posts: 2
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The Faces of Angels by Lucretia Grindle
Honeymooning in Florence isn’t the dolce vita Mary Warren hoped; then she’s attacked – with devastating consequences. Courageously, a year later, she returns to lay her ghosts and start anew, only her attacker remains at large – with Mary determined to bring them to justice. In an evocative mixture of art, travelogue, bitter-sweet romance and the politics of religion, it’s hard for the reader not to look-up and wonder that they aren’t in Italy. An undeniably clever, atmospheric whodunit with a real difference, this powerful novel, like the haunting beauty of an angel in a renaissance painting, remains with the reader forever.
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Ninette
member
Reged: 04/10/2008
Posts: 2
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A Tangled Summer by Caroline Kington
For a humorous and intriguing summer read, forget the beach: head for the country.
Tangled perfectly describes the lives of the Tucker family: Jenny, who knits and dreams, stage-struck Stephen, scheming Charlie and studious Alison, longing for freedom. Ruling them is wily Grandma and Nemesis, Elsie with ultimatums and secrets of her own. As if that isn’t enough, their home, Marsh Farm, is threatened. Will the Tuckers pull themselves together and save it? More importantly, will they save themselves? This entertaining tale is a ‘Cold Comfort Farm’ for the twenty-first century and there’s plenty of comfort – and joy in that.
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freddie
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Reged: 05/10/2008
Posts: 2
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Having just seen the film The Duchess I wanted to read the book. It is a great book packed with so much more than the film could ever take on. Even though you may have seen the film the book is well worth tackling and has loads of historical quotes and extracts from letters etc. It is a truly amazing story of a lady ahead of her time and obvious comparisons to the Princess of Wales - diana must be in your mind. She was a lady who wanted to be herself in a time when that was not possible. Do read it as so much better than the film although I thoroughly enjoyed that.
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freddie
member
Reged: 05/10/2008
Posts: 2
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Tess of the D'Urbevilles is a truly great read. well all of Thomas Hardy books are but this one will enrapture you all the way through with Tess. also extra inspiring if you have seen the BBC production recently. As usual the book is far better and fuller with the haracters being larger than life. A real page turner you cannot fail to enjoy.
Edited by freddie (05/10/2008 19:11)
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Ginnie
member
Reged: 24/06/2008
Posts: 1063
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The Boy in the Striped Pyjamas by John Boyne
This is a sensitively written book for older children. It is about two boys, who are exactly the same age, on either side of the fence at Auschwitz.
The story is seen through the eyes of Bruno, a German boy, who has to relocate to Poland when his father is promoted by Hitler. He feels that his situation is equal to Shmuel's, a Jewish prisoner, as they are both in places they don't want to be. The end for the friends is shocking.
All ages will learn from this book and parents should read it before giving it to children.
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saragrland
member
Reged: 14/10/2007
Posts: 2
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The House of Souls by F.G Cottam
This is an unusual book, beautifully and articulately written. It could be described as a crime investigation with a supernatural twist.
Set in modern times but linked to the death of a women and a boy from the 1920's onward, Paul Seaton has to take a very difficult personal journey back to a derelict house, using all his interpersonal and researcher skills to save four students from an awful fate.
This layered book really needs to be read more than once so that you can consider in more depth the characters and their relevance at different stages of the story.It takes various turns which make the journey of the story unpredictable. With such a pleasurable use of the English language, I would strongly recommend you give this book a read. The story is highly original and so even if this is a book you wouldn't ordinarily read I would urge you to try it, as I think you'll soon become a fan of Cottam's work.
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dryad
member
Reged: 11/02/2008
Posts: 243
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TESTIMONY Anita Shreve
The headmaster of a New England boarding school is handed a shocking videotape. The repercussions of the ensuing scandal are superbly illustrated by multiple voices. As the spotlight shifts from the students involved to their parents, friends and teachers, the realism of the emotions is deeply moving. The carnage includes broken relationships, lost opportunities and ruined reputations but ultimately, as one of the students demonstrates, there is also hope; he suffers but he refuses to be destroyed. In Testimony Anita Shreve examines how ordinary people react when something extraordinary happens. I found this novel uplifting, thought provoking and utterly compelling.
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dogwithnobrain
member
Reged: 19/10/2008
Posts: 1
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ALL GOOD FUN UNTIL SOMEONE LOOSES AN EYE - CHRISTOPHER BROOKMYRE
For All you Mums out there who dream of a female equivalent of James Bond.
You will become Jane - a mid-forty Grandmother who feels limited in what she has achieved in life. She discovers the length you will go to protect your children.
As she learns that motherhood will push you to extremes to achieve your aim, Jane becomes expert in theft, fraud, and fighting to the death. Once you have read this.... Nothing will stop you chasing your dreams!
Edited by dogwithnobrain (19/10/2008 13:44)
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iallan
member
Reged: 20/10/2008
Posts: 1
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The Bone Garden
By Tess Gerritsen
The Bone Garden is a gripping read and a fast paced sometimes gory medical drama. Two stories intertwine throughout the book one set in present day Boston where the discovery of an old skull in a garden provides a welcome mystery for the house’s new owner. The other story transports you back to 1830s Boston where the notorious serial killer, the West End Reaper, had a rein of terror. How are these stories linked and what are the consequences for all the main characters? I couldn’t put this book down and can’t recommend enough. Enjoy!
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independentwoman
member
Reged: 22/10/2008
Posts: 7
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London The Novel by Edward Rutherford
As someone who loves to find out about people in history this book intrigued me right from the beginning. It charts the history of London from Anglo Saxon times right up to the 20th century, by following the lives of different families and their descendants through events like the roman invasion, the dissolution of the manasteries, the plague and great fire of London continuing to WW2. Although fictitional these people seem oh so real. Definitely unputdownable!!! 
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Ginnie
member
Reged: 24/06/2008
Posts: 1063
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Hunting Unicorns Bella Pollen
An American comes to England to do research for a television programme about the English aristocracy and losing their automatic right to sit in the House of Lords.
She uncovers a sinister family story along with the gentle eccentricities of the upper classes. She could blow the family apart but will she.
The story is told through her eyes and those of the older,dead, brother of the family watching over his brother.
This is a lovely book; funny and sad. I enjoyed it from beginning to end. Did she find Lions or Unicorns?
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cathgee
member
Reged: 15/11/2007
Posts: 6
Loc: Argyll
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The Consequences of Love by Sulaiman Addonia. This is a first novel by the author. Naser was born in Eritrea and taken to Jeddah by his uncle to escape the ravages of war. Life in Saudi Arabia was so different, growing up under the strong influences of the Islam and the fear of the Religious Police. Men were free to come and go as they pleased and women were but shadows, hidden away and treated like chattels. A world of black and white. This is a story of how Naser found love. Whilst sitting under a tree a shadow dropped a note at his feet. Would love conquer all, or would the two be torn apart before they could ever meet face to face.
This is a moving tale giving deep insight into the trials of living in such a strict regime.
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dryad
member
Reged: 11/02/2008
Posts: 243
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LA’S ORCHESTRA SAVES THE WORLD Alexander McCall Smith
When La’s marriage fails, she moves from London to a Suffolk village to recover. Shortly afterwards the Second World War begins; she tends chickens and grows vegetables but she longs to do more so. . . she forms an amateur orchestra – her mission is to raise morale. Musicians come from the village, the nearby town and the air base. La has vowed never to love again but will she resist the handsome flautist – a young Polish refugee? This is a moving story about the power of music, love and friendship in war time – a poignant reminder of the courage shown by our nation during the Second World War.
Edited by dryad (02/11/2008 21:33)
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rainbow
member
Reged: 28/05/2008
Posts: 16
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The Comfort of Saturdays, by Alexander McCall Smith (Little, Brown, £17.99)
All the favourite characters are here in McCall Smith's latest novel set in genteel circles of Edinburgh.
Isabel Dalhousie, philosopher and editor of 'The Review of Applied Ethics', now finds herself experiencing a mixture of emotions- doubts, anxieties, guilt- as she adjusts to motherhood and her relationship with baby Charlie's father, the much younger, very attractive Jamie.
However, this does not prevent Isabel from entering once more into the fray when justice appears compromised. Is this altruism or interference in the lives of others?
The ethical questions raised engage and challenge the reader.
The comfort factor will warm winter nights!
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Ginnie
member
Reged: 24/06/2008
Posts: 1063
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The Road Home Rose Tremain
In The Road Home Rose Tremain makes you care about the widower who makes the long bus journey to England, his promised land.He needs money for his often truculent mother and his young daughter.
The wonderful pen portraits of the people he meets and the ones he has left behind bring the story to life.
He is both naive and determined and you hope that his hard work, and, some good luck will ensure that he achieves his goal.
This is a well written book that I would recommend to anyone
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kittikat
member
Reged: 13/06/2008
Posts: 4
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The Interpretation of Murder: Jed Rubenfeld
When a wealthy young debutante is found bound, whipped and strangled in a luxurious appartment in the city, and another narrowly escapes the same fate, the Mayor of New York calls upon Sigmund Freud to use his revolutionary new ideas to help her recover her memory of the attack and solve the crime. But nothing is as it seems and there are those in high places determined to stop the truth coming out and also stop Freud's startling theories taking root in America. A very atmospheric story which melds fact and fiction seamlessly together.
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kittikat
member
Reged: 13/06/2008
Posts: 4
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The Gift: Cecelia Ahern
Lou is a busy man, always needing to be two places at one time. He doesn't have time to listen to his wife or spend time with his children. He meets a homeless man, Gabe, outside his office block and being intrigued offers him a job in the mail room. Then Lou starts to be uncomfortable with him when Gabe seems to be in two places at one time. Who is this guy and why is he so popular with the rest of the staff? As Christmas gets nearer Lou begins to realise the value of time with his family and doing things for the joy of it. He belatedly discovers what is important in life yet it is the hardest lesson he will ever learn.
This book has made me value my own family and to appreciate that time spent with them is more important than any job could ever be.
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Nameless
member
Reged: 21/10/2007
Posts: 5
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The House of the Spirits by Isabel Allende
This novel, written some years ago, has become a classic.In the 1970s there was an army coup in Chile,during which President Allende was killed. His cousin Isabel wrote this book based on what happened in the years surrounding that event. However it is a work of fiction, about several generations of one family. In spite of the serious subject, there is plenty of humour and a wealth of fascinating characters. In particular there are several strong women who manage to survive the horrors of the times.So don't be put off by the theme - read and enjoy it!
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leatherdykeuk
member
Reged: 03/12/2008
Posts: 1
Loc: Chesterfield UK
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An Ungodly Child
by Rachel Green
ISBN 1905108648
It is unfortunate, when falling in love, if the object of one’s affections is the Angel of Pestilence and you subsequently contract a rare and incurable disease. This happens to Harold Waterman, who in despair turns to the Dark Arts and summons a demon called Jasfoup for help. The novel romps through a quest to find the cure, involving a trip back to Eden to steal an apple from the Tree of Life, and leads to betrayal and infamy.
And tea. Regular and often and preferably with a biscuit.
"An Ungodly Child" is a wild romp of novel and unput-downable.
Edited by leatherdykeuk (03/12/2008 13:38)
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Nameless
member
Reged: 21/10/2007
Posts: 5
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Silver River by Daisy Goodwin
You may be familiar with Daisy Goodwin as the compiler of poetry anthologies, but this is something completely different, which she calls "a family story". As a child Daisy felt neglected by her mother, and it is only when she investigates the remarkable history of her family that she begins to understand the reasons for this apparent neglect.Much of the action takes place in Argentina, and the Silver River is the River Plate. But before that the family lived in Ireland, at the time of the potato famine,and Daisy visits both countries to find out more.
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debbsie
member
Reged: 24/04/2008
Posts: 4
Loc: Derby, Derbyshire central Engl...
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Sniper by Sgt Dan Mills
Ok want a true un-edited, nitty gritty, tail between the teeth, edge of the sofa type book well read this, I could not put it down. But there again I dont read love stories.
It is a true life defend your life and look out for others type job. The government tel us our lads, hubbys and boys, daughters wives and girls are out there on a PEACE keeping mission well read on and be mind blown its grenades at all hours and bullets on ambush, mosques as ambush stations and all that can be thrown at our troops. Be prepared to be a page turner. 100 out 10 good on yer mate. Believe it all. 
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kittikat
member
Reged: 13/06/2008
Posts: 4
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Plain Truth by Jodi Picoult
This story centres around a murder which takes place in an Amish community in Pennsylvania. An 18 year old single Amish girl falls pregnant and gives birth in secret but denies it when the body of the baby is found concealed in a barn. Ellie Hathaway, an attorney and family friend, comes to defend her but is up against the prosecution who have a strong case and also the principles of the Amish faith. The clash of cultures make it almost impossible for Ellie to defend Katie the way she feels is best for her.
An excellent story which gives great insight and understanding of Amish culture and religious beliefs. The characters are strong and totally believable and I was hooked from the first page.
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kittikat
member
Reged: 13/06/2008
Posts: 4
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A Deadly Deception by Margaret Thompson Davis
A Glasgow pensioner, Mabel Smith, needs some extra money so decides to work for an adult chat line. No one will ever find out and it is the solution to her money problems. One of her regular 'clients' John, thinks he has fallen in love with her and is desperate to meet her in the flesh. Unfortunately Mable hasn't been honest about her looks; what she has done is describe her lovely young neighbour Cheryl with the blond hair and trim figure instead. Mable keeps giving excuses as to why they can never meet so John becomes obsessed with finding this elusive woman of his dreams; he carefully combs sections of the area where he suspects she lives as the anger builds up in him with terrible consequences.
An enjoyable fast-paced thriller, easily believable in this age of chat-lines.
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campion
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Reged: 13/05/2008
Posts: 112
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when will there be good news? by Kate Atkinson
Atkinson always , but always surprises. Just when you think you have got the hang of her intelligent,quirky plotting something new and surprising reaches up and grabs your viscera.And changes your view of the world she created.Of the world, really. Who can you trust? What is trust founded on? How, ever, can we know our own hearts? And if we do, what can the outcome be? How , ever, do we deal with loss and how does it shape our destiny?
And then , of course, there's Jackson Brodie.Who? likeable and sane, he appears in and shapes many Atkinson novels . You can depend on Jackson even if he doesn't get a great deal in life.And in this novel we have Reggie - a young, bright and appallingly lost girl.Together they encompass events which are dreadful, ordinary, explicable and inexplicable and almost everything is traced back to loss. Nothing is easy and nothing is as it seems ; but Atkinson can deal , and humorously too, as well as wisely, with themes like compassion, redemption, loss and love.Brilliant!
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Campion
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fsa
member
Reged: 29/01/2009
Posts: 2
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I was reading one of the recommended books, "A Small Part of History" and was drawn to another title called "After River" by Donna Milner.
What a fabulous book, I can't tell you how much I enjoyed it, so much so I consummed it in one sitting.
If you like family sagas, with a touch of scandal and a lot of pathos, this is one for you.
You'll have gathered I'm trying very hard not to give away the plot.
A fantastic what if I had known then as a child, what I know now as an adult, would I have done anything different story.
Please try this one.
Fran
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smilingdiva
member
Reged: 02/01/2009
Posts: 1
Loc: England
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Having just read The Island by Victoria Hislop which I had been waiting to read for ages, I couldn’t recommend it enough.
It had me in tears throughout from its powerful descriptions to the background of the story. The way it is written is beautiful and within minutes I was engrossed within the story & the lives of those characters on the page.
Having been to Spinalonga myself it made the whole experience of this story all the more realistic as I could picture each scene that folded out on the page.
A truly magical read.
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Scarlets
member
Reged: 01/04/2007
Posts: 1889
Loc: Just across the pond
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If you enjoyed the Bone Garden, give Peter James a go. First books a few years ago are not so good. Then he changed completely.
His latest books are about a detective in Brighton.
First one was DEAD SIMPLE. My heart rate increased by so much just on the first few chapters. My sister could not read that part. She got her husband to read it and tell her what it was about.
He has written a few more since then and I have enjoyed all of them.
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kiwichris
member
Reged: 13/08/2008
Posts: 6
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A Handful of Earth, by Barney Bardsley
A year after the death of her husband from a lengthy and difficult illness, Barney Bardsley set out to take her scruffy allotment – and her life – in hand. This is the chronicle of a year of growing and healing – a journey touched by great sadness and loss, but also lifted up by honesty, generosity, humour and hope. Beautifully written, down to earth and yet reflective, this is a book that shines a light on life. Wonderful for those who have suffered loss, for gardeners, for mothers – and for those who love a book that gives more with each read.
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rainbow
member
Reged: 28/05/2008
Posts: 16
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Deaf Sentence, by David Lodge (2008, Harvill Secker, £16.19)
Set in Lodge's familiar world of academia, this novel portrays the stark reality of progressive deafness in minutely accurate detail.
Desmond Bates, a professor of linguistics, has taken early retirement because he can no longer hear well enough in an interactive teaching context.
With a mixture of pathos and humour, Lodge provides a perceptive account of Desmond's efforts to deal with the demands of an ageing father, weird student and his wife, Fred, against a backdrop of misunderstandings, silence and 'faux pas'.
If any of you are dealing with deafness, as I am, you will suffer and laugh in turn at Desmond's challenges. Lodge 'hits the spot' with this account.
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Ginnie
member
Reged: 24/06/2008
Posts: 1063
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Half of a Yellow Sun Chimanda Ngozi Adiche
This is one of the most thought provoking, moving books I have ever read.
The author has written, with great insight, about the war in Biafra, mainly through the eyes of one family and their immediate relationships with friends and servants.
It is a story of great love and loyalty for each other and for Biafra. There is betrayal at all levels but there is always hope.
Some of the scenes are unbelievably harrowing and shocking.
I learnt such a lot from this book.
The book within the book: 'The World Was Silent When We Died'.
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Angel99
member
Reged: 09/02/2009
Posts: 2
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Queen Victoria - A Personal History by Christopher Hibbert
What an eye-opener! I have always had a love of historical biographies and I thought this would be the perfect time to read this one on the eve of the release of the new film 'Young Victoria'.
For those people who find historical biographies long-winded, verbose and sometimes very hard work will notice Hibbert's refreshing way he presents the late Queen. Each part of her life is set out in different chapters yet the whole book is as one and reads like a hard-to-put-down novel. This allows it to be read with ease and if the reader forgets an historical fact then it is easy to refer back to. And, boy, are there a lot of facts in the life of this incredible woman?
Queen Victoria was an amazing woman who wasn't afraid to voice her opinions, even when sometimes she got it wrong. She had an isolated childhood but blossomed into a fiesty and passionate queen who was deeply in love with her husband Albert even when she had to live the last forty years of her life without him.
Great Britain ruled the waves in the 19th century and who better to sit upon the throne of this vast empire but a truly remarkable woman.
This is a glorious and fascinating book. You will not be disappointed. It brings to life the world of Victoria and you realise that despite the royal title she was still a woman and never always got it quite right but was stubborn enough to see everything through. A great lady!
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Ginnie
member
Reged: 24/06/2008
Posts: 1063
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The Accidental Time Traveller by Sharon Griffiths
A young reporter is sent to interview an elderly lady living in a house that was built 50 years previously. Rosie arrives at the door and then suddenly she is transported back to the 1950s, living in a house with no modern amenities in post-war austerity, and working in a chauvanistic, technology free, newspaper office.
What is happening? Is she part of a reality show? Why is she there? It all seems so real.
This is a well written book about life in the 1950s. The explanation is a surprise.
An enjoyable, easy to read book.
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Natsuki
member
Reged: 14/05/2008
Posts: 10
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The Elephanta Suite by Paul Theroux
This book tells the tales of 3 sets of Americans visiting India. The individual stories of the wealthy retired couple, the jaded middle aged lawyer and the young female traveller are all very different. What links them however is that each of them stay at some point in the Elephanta Suite in a plush Mumbai hotel. They all come to India to discover and understand this enchanting country, but in the end they leave having discovered more about themselves. Could this be the magic of the Elephanta Suite? An enjoyable read.
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Barney
member
Reged: 01/04/2008
Posts: 2478
Loc: UK
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God's Own Country by Ross Raisin
Sam Marsdyke is the narrator and main character of this book set in and around the Yorkshire moors. Sam has been pushed to the edge of society and banned from school following an alleged rape. He loses himself on the family farm carefully watched by his taciturn father and anxious mother. The story shows the difficulties faced by farmers and their way of life while highlighting the effect an influx of townspeople has on that traditional way of life. When a new family, with a teenage daughter, from the town move close to the family farm Sam is instructed to keep away. Sam and the daughter form an unlikely friendship. The cause and effect of these changes are seen through the narrator's eyes and the whole story coloured by the fluctuating state of Sam's mind. A fascinating read.
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rainbow
member
Reged: 28/05/2008
Posts: 16
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The Girl on the landing, by Paul Torday (Weidenfield & Nicolson, £12.99)
We think we know the person we have married, but do we?
After a visit to Ireland, Michael's changed behaviour arouses a mixture of responses in his wife, Elizabeth. Suddenly, life with Michael is more fun and passion abounds. Elizabeth finds herself giddily in love with him after all these years.
But a rather sinister set of events threatens their new found joy.
Who is Lamia? What is Michael's medical history? Why does he take the tablets Elizabeth discovered?
Guaranteed to keep you guessing late at night!
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beau
member
Reged: 25/03/2009
Posts: 98
Loc: Planet Beau
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THE ALMOST MOON - ALICE SEBOLD
This book relates the relationship between a mother and daughter and an act of brutality which, although not pre-meditated, is ultimately borne from their long burdened history. It deals with the difficult subject of mental health and how it impacts on those in proximity and, as the story unfolds over a twenty-four hours’ period, the reader too will be drawn into the dual world of light and dark. This book is both shocking and moving and will challenge any preconceptions the reader may have had. Sebold has given the reader the evidence of the case - now what’s the verdict?
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I am not an old hippie.... I am a hip oldie
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Natsuki
member
Reged: 14/05/2008
Posts: 10
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On Chesil Beach, Ian McEwan
Not many authors could take such a simple idea, and spin it into such a beautifully written and enchanting story. The book begins by introducing a young couple on the first night of their honeymoon, in a hotel on Chesil beach at the beginning of the 60s. The focus moves between the couple on that night, as they come to term with what marriage actually means, and their lives leading up to this point. It's an intriguing tale, which leads the reader to think about attitudes to sex at that time, before the wave of sexual freedom which came later that decade.
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rainbow
member
Reged: 28/05/2008
Posts: 16
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Young Hearts Crying, by Richard Yates (Methuen, £7.99)
By the author of Revolutionary Road which was recently released as a film starring Kate Winslet, this novel transports the reader back in time to the early 1950's.
What happens to the great 'American Dream' within the context of marriage and suburbia? How do aspiring poets and painters survive amidst the pressures and frustrations of having to earn a living? What do their wives do in the meantime?
Yates allows us to enter the dream with Michael and Lucy Davenport, but will it live up to their youthful expectations?
A bitter sweet novel laced with large shots of sour in the whisky.
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Natsuki
member
Reged: 14/05/2008
Posts: 10
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The 19th Wife, by David Ebershoff
In the 19th century, Ann Eliza Young scandalously leaves the Mormon faith, and her plural marriage to the then Prophet, Brigham Young. She travels America, drawing large crowds to hear her tale, crusading to put an end to polygamous marriage. Fast forward to the present day, and despite the Mormons relinquishing this practice, a breakaway sect continues to believe in 'celestial marriage'. We follow the story of Jordan, a son of a polygamous union, as he fights to discover whether his mother really did kill his father. Was it her, or was it, as he suspects, one of her 'sister wives'?
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cromarty
member
Reged: 09/04/2009
Posts: 1
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The Suspicions of Mr Whicher by Kate Summerscale.
This is a beautifully written and unhysterical book about the appalling true-life murder of a child in the 1860s which is said to have inspired novels by Wilkie Collins and Charles Dickens. With many modern day echos, the suspicions of Mr Whicher, the detective called in to investigate the murder, lead to such shocking conclusions that the Victorian public cannot accept them. In time the murderer confesses, and, fascinatingly, the book then follows their subsequent life right up into the 1940s. The book obviously concentrates on the police investigation and the characters involved, but a coda at the end of the book reminds us of the most important person in the story - the victim.
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rainbow
member
Reged: 28/05/2008
Posts: 16
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The Outcast, by Sadie Jones (Vintage, £7.99, 2008)
In her debut novel, shortlisted for the Orange Broadband Prize, Sadie Jones creates a bleak landscape of a Surrey community in the 1950's, full of hypocrisy, abuse, double standards and preoccupation with class.
Lewis suffers in silence his mother's death by drowning, lack of communication, the ongoing violence towards neighbouring children by their sadistic father, and all the ways in which people prefer not to see what is really going on. But, then, not surprisingly, he loses control.
I could hardly read this quickly enough as the pace is just so fast and the characters so convincing. Totally absorbing.
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dryad
member
Reged: 11/02/2008
Posts: 243
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The Stepmother’s Diary – Fay Weldon
This novel offers a new slant on a well known fairy tale for here we have not the wicked stepmother but the wicked stepdaughter. Sappho and Gavin are happily married; however, Gavin’s manipulative daughter is far from happy and then the trouble begins. Sappho’s mother looks after ‘the stepmother’s diary’ and is shocked by what she reads. Will Sappho discover a way to outwit them all – not only stepdaughter but husband and mother-in-law too?
Fay Weldon always shows acute insight into the female mind; in this brilliant new novel she focuses on the complications of family life in today’s world.
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maxijam
member
Reged: 17/04/2009
Posts: 2
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'Me and Mr Darcy' - Alexandra Potter
New York bookstore manager Emily Albright is at the end of her tether after yet another disastrous date. All she wants is her very own Mr Darcy but it’s hard to find the perfect man when they have to measure up against the honourable, devastatingly handsome leading man of ‘Pride and Prejudice’. A chance encounter leads her on a literary tour of Jane Austen’s England, along with a rather grumpy, badly dressed journalist called Spike whose first impression of Emily isn’t much better than hers of him. But is Emily letting her own pride and prejudice cloud her judgement?
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dryad
member
Reged: 11/02/2008
Posts: 243
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The Girl on the Landing – Paul Torday
This is a fascinating novel: do we ever really know a person? Michael is a wealthy, rather boring man, locked into the routine of working as Secretary to his gentleman’s club in Mayfair or stalking deer on his estate in Perthshire. However, a visit to friends in Ireland appears to trigger a change in his behaviour. Though she is puzzled, his wife, Elizabeth, delights in the company of the ‘new’ more exciting Michael. But then she discovers the truth about Michael and his past and her world is shattered. This is a compelling and unsettling story – definitely a page turner.
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dryad
member
Reged: 11/02/2008
Posts: 243
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Portobello – Ruth Rendell
On a shopping trip someone found an envelope containing money. Rather that reporting the matter to the police, he wrote a note which he then stuck to a lamp post near his house. He suggested that anyone who had lost a certain sum of money, should phone the number written below.
This note is the catalyst for the story – it links the lives of a number of very different people, people with obsessions, problems, dreams and despairs. Set in the bustling Portobello area of West London, this disturbing psychological thriller demonstrates yet again that Ruth Rendell is an outstanding writer.
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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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Re: Win all the books on our books page
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