Sometimes books are the main event; sometimes they’re good to keep you company. Danny Wallace’s mildly amusing ‘join me’ definitely belongs to the latter group and kept me entertained without demanding my full attention. Who is Danny Wallace and why does he want me to join him? He’s less well-known than friend and fellow funny […]
I wasn’t initially convinced by ‘The Book of Lost Things’. An adult fairytale? Yes, possibly, if kept fairly short and written by someone like Angela Carter. But 502 pages of adult fairytale? At least it wasn’t recommended by Richard and Judy, which most of the books I read for my fiction book group seem to […]
This book opens with so much praise from critics that it’s initially a challenge to find where the story begins. It is recommended by newspapers from Britain, Australia and New Zealand, magazies including ‘Saga’ and ‘Good Housekeeping’, and it was part of Richard and Judy’s Book Club, and it was shortlisted for the 2007 Man […]
Not all books repay rereading; this one does. With only two weeks to go now until the publication on July 14th of ‘To Set a Watchman’, it seems timely to reflect on Harper Lee’s previously published and much lauded novel, ‘To Kill a Mockingbird.’ Harder Lee’s 1960 novel is considered a masterpiece of American literature […]
Impulse book purchases. Sometimes they’re a great idea and you know almost from the first page that you’ll be buying the up the author’s entire back catalogue / future releases. Sometimes it’s better to read a few reviews first to get a better feel for the contents than the cover and blurb provide. ‘When we […]
Naptimes keep me sane. Lack of naptimes…well, let’s not dwell on their effect just yet. I’m determined that my children will nap most days until they are at least in pre-school / nursery, preferably beyond (because pre-school / nursery will wear them out, right? Right?) Sometimes it’s nice to get some parenting advice and I’d […]
Delays at the dentist? Traffic on the tube? It must be bonus reading time. Bonus reading time is what happens when you’re meant to be doing something else but there’s a hiccup and instead you get to read. This is why I always keep a book in my bag; you never know when you might […]
What if the past didn’t happen the way you thought it did? What if you could dig up the truth? Would you want to? Should you? What might you learn if you did? Such is the premise of Harlan Coben’s seventeenth crime novel, ‘The Woods’. What’s it about? Twenty years ago four teenagers enjoying summer […]
The Bees: accept, serve and obey. Or else. I enjoy reading dystopian fiction and I like bees, as long as they stay next to the flowers and away from my children, but I’ll be honest: I think it was the brilliant yellow cover that first attracted my attention. What’s it about? Flora 717 is a […]
It’s actually quite rare for me to buy books new. Honest. New to me from a second hand shop – sure. New as a gift from a friend or family member – definitely. New as a gift for my son or daughter or other lucky friend / family member who loves books – yep yep […]