A new Rachel Joyce is always something to look forward to. Joyce specialises in writing about ordinary people, their trials and tribulations and funny ways. Especially their funny ways. It’s 1988. Frank owns a music shop. He insists on selling only vinyl, despite this being the dawn of the CD. But Frank is not just… Continue reading Review: The Music Shop by Rachel Joyce
Category: reading
Review: How to Stop Time by Matt Haig
Ever wanted more time? Wouldn’t it be useful to live longer, learn more, have more experience, travel… How about 600-700 years? That’s the premise of How to Stop Time – a type of people, referred to here as Albas, who age very slowly. The story is narrated by Tom, very much in the present day,… Continue reading Review: How to Stop Time by Matt Haig
Review: Secrets of the Italian Gardener by Andrew Crofts
Today I welcome Andrew Crofts onto the blog as part of the blog tour for his new paperback title: Secrets of the Italian Gardener. You may have read Andrew Crofts before, without knowing it. He’s a ghost writer. I’m always impressed by the idea of ghost writers, putting all that work in and not getting… Continue reading Review: Secrets of the Italian Gardener by Andrew Crofts
Review: Greatest Hits by Laura Barnett
Laura Barnett’s The Versions of Us still sits on my TBR pile but I was interested in the idea of her second novel, especially when it was announced that Kathryn Williams would be providing an accompanying soundtrack. Greatest Hits is the story of Cass Wheeler, a retired folk-pop singer-songwriter from the 1970s who takes a… Continue reading Review: Greatest Hits by Laura Barnett
Review: Greatest Hits by Laura Barnett
Laura Barnett’s The Versions of Us still sits on my TBR pile but I jumped at the chance of reading this because I LOVE the idea of a book with an accompanying soundtrack. There aren’t many books that do this; there are variations, obviously, such as playlists featuring songs mentioned in all the Rebus books,… Continue reading Review: Greatest Hits by Laura Barnett
Damian Barr’s Literary Salon
Some of you may know of my love for the US author Richard Russo. When I heard he was making a rare UK appearance at Damian Barr’s Literary Salon at the Savoy I knew I had to make the effort to go. A Monday night and a trip from Nottingham and back for work the… Continue reading Damian Barr’s Literary Salon
Bringing back the bodies… *
I was delving into the BBC’s website the other day and came across one of my favourite authors, Barbara Trapido, on the Book Club programme. She and the audience were discussing The Travelling Hornplayer. Trapido has written seven novels and four of them are linked. By linked, I mean that characters return and live on… Continue reading Bringing back the bodies… *
Review: The End We Start From – Megan Hunter
Novellas still seem rare but are often intriguing. There is much in the 170 pages of The End We Start From that could have been fleshed out and given more detail but I’m not sure the end result would have been as powerful. All you need to know is that an enormous flood has wiped… Continue reading Review: The End We Start From – Megan Hunter
April reading round up
I feel perhaps I should change the target for my reading challenge this year, I’m well over halfway towards it already. I didn’t expect to get through so many books this year and still manage to keep up with writing every day but it turns out a healthier eating and exercise regime can have unexpected… Continue reading April reading round up
The Comfort of Others: Q&A with Kay Langdale
I’m so pleased to welcome Kay Langdale to the blog today, to answer questions about her most recent book, The Comfort of Others. Minnie and her sister Clara are two elderly spinsters living in an old house in the middle of a housing estate. They have an ordered lifestyle, trying where they can to stop… Continue reading The Comfort of Others: Q&A with Kay Langdale
Susan E Barsby 