Reviews of Books
Posted in Fiction on May 18th, 2012
As you know I read and enjoyed Juggling and Brother of the more Famous Jack (although I don’t seem to have written a review for that one). Hence I was keen to read Sex and Stravinski, but I was disappointed. This novel is not Trapido at her best. Here’s the blurb … The time is 1995, but everybody [...]
Posted in Fiction, Recommended on Apr 27th, 2012
I grabbed this book off the return shelves at the library. I was drawn to the cover and I am glad because I really enjoyed it and I have gone on to buy Brother of the more Famous Jack. Here is the blurb … Christina and Pam are sisters less than a year apart in age. [...]
Posted in Fiction, Recommended on Apr 12th, 2012
My girls’ school had their Anzac service on the last day of term, which made me think about Rilla of Ingleside. This novel is the last in the Anne of Green Gables series (although now that The Blythes Are Quoted is published I should say second last) and it is set during World War 1. It [...]
Posted in Fiction, Recommended on Apr 10th, 2012
I had never heard of this book until it was selected for book club – quite a pleasant surprise. Here’s the blurb … Vida Winter, a bestselling yet reclusive novelist, has created many outlandish life histories for herself, all of them invention. Now old and ailing, at last she wants to tell the truth about [...]
Posted in Fiction, Recommended on Apr 5th, 2012
I love Trollope’s writing and luckily for me he was a prolific author (I think he wrote 47 novels). Here is the synopsis from Wikipedia… The Warden concerns Mr Septimus Harding, the meek, elderly warden of Hiram’s Hospital and precentor of Barchester Cathedral, at the fictional location of Barsetshire. Hiram’s Hospital is an almshouse supported [...]
Posted in Fiction, Recommended on Mar 26th, 2012
I bought this book as a gift and as is the way with book gifts, it made its way back to me. Here is the blurb … A world of possibilities opens up for Joy Harkness when she sets out on a journey that’s going to show her the importance of friendship, love, and what [...]
Posted in Fiction, Recommended on Mar 20th, 2012
I read about this novel on someone’s blog, but I can’t remember who (sorry!). I ordered it from the library and it is obviously very popular because it took about six months to arrive. I loved this novel. It is a mixture of The Great Gatsby, Breakfast at Tiffany’s, Mad Men and Sex in the [...]
Posted in Fiction on Mar 8th, 2012
I watched the recent BBC adaptation of South Riding and had to read the novel. The novel is much darker than the TV series – lots of death, poverty and squalor. Here is the blurb … This s Winifred Holtby’s greatest novel – A rich evocation which explores the lives and relationships of the characters [...]
Posted in Fiction, Recommended on Mar 6th, 2012
I listened to this one while finishing mindless tasks – like this. I’m becoming quite a convert to audio books. I’ve always liked Ian McEwan – Atonement in particular, so I was keen to try this one. I didn’t enjoy it as much as Atonement, but I didn’t dislike it as much as Solar (here’s [...]
Posted in Fiction, Recommended on Feb 21st, 2012
I’ve been listening to The True Story of Butterfish while quilting – here is my quilt. I use the audible app on my ipod, which works well. I’ve read a few Nick Earls’ books; Zigzag Street, World of Chickens and Perfect Skin and I’ve enjoyed all of them. I’ve always described them as chick lit for [...]