Reviews of Books
Posted in Fiction on Feb 20th, 2012
I downloaded this using the google books app on my ipad, but I was very disappointed (in the app not the book). It always wanted to be portrait despite the fact that I always read in Landscape – I don’t think I could take notes like I can in the Kindle app and there was [...]
Posted in Fiction, Recommended on Feb 15th, 2012
I read They Came Like Swallows and so when I saw So Long, See You Tomorrow for $5 in my local book store I had to have it. I am amazed how much can be fitted into such a small space. Here is the blurb … ”This is one of the great books of our age. It [...]
Posted in Fiction, Recommended on Feb 14th, 2012
I’ve been on a bit of an Alice Munro fest. Here is the blurb … Ten superb new stories by one of our most beloved and admired writers – the winner of the 2009 Man Booker International Prize. In the first story a young wife and mother receives release from the unbearable pain of losing [...]
Posted in Fiction, Recommended on Feb 13th, 2012
As you all know, I’m a bit of a Dorothy Whipple fan – see here, here, here and here. I’ve been meaning to read They Knew Mr Knight for ages and then, luckily, a friend had a copy. I liked it, not as much as Because of the Lockwoods , it is a bit too [...]
Posted in Fiction, Recommended on Feb 10th, 2012
I read about this novel here and was very keen to read it. I bought a copy for my Kindle, but in the end I read it on my Ipod (Kindle app) and was pleasantly surprised by the experience (the small screen wasn’t a problem at all). Here is the blurb … Dublin, Midsummer: While [...]
Posted in Fiction, Recommended on Feb 7th, 2012
I’m still getting through my holiday reading – in case anyone thinks I’m reading books in one day! I really like Alice Munro’s short stories. I’ve read Too Much Happiness (check back later for a review of that one) and Hateship, Friendship, Courtship, Loveship and Marriage. I was keen to check Runaway out when I [...]
Posted in Fiction on Feb 6th, 2012
My Victorian Study Group have moved onto Thackerary. I read this years ago – about the same time as the BBC Adpatation (in fact I think that is why I read it). I didn’t particularly enjoy it and I remember thinking it was quite a slog. This time around, however, I really enjoyed reading and [...]
Posted in Fiction, Recommended on Feb 2nd, 2012
I read Middlesex and love it – in fact I lent it to someone and they never returned it (don’t you hate that?) Anyway, that mean I was keen to read The Marriage Plot doubly so because I’m also keen on 19th century literature. Here is the blurb … Madeleine Hanna was the dutiful English major [...]
Posted in Fiction, Recommended on Feb 1st, 2012
There haven’t been any posts for a while because I find it very tricky to collect my thoughts while the girls are home on holidays, but school is back today and I have quite a back log of books read. I’ve been meaning to read Jonathan Strange & Mr Norrell for such a long time, [...]
Posted in Fiction on Dec 9th, 2011
As you know, I read Patterns in the Carpet and really enjoyed it, so decided to read more Drabble. I really struggled with this one. I had to renew my library copy (which is extremely unusual). I’m not sure if it was me or the book – I have been really busy… Here is the [...]