How exciting to review a book by someone I know. (To clarify, I do not actually know Lia but we chat on Twitter – she posts about food, parenting, exhaustion and Bon Jovi, and who am I to diss any of that?) Somewhere Close to Happy is Lia’s debut novel and has the loveliest cover… Continue reading Review: Somewhere Close to Happy by Lia Louis
Tag: novel
Review: The Beekeeper of Aleppo
Oh, this is a simple and lovely book. And a timely book, also. It is told by Nuri Ibrahim, the titular beekeeper of Aleppo who has had to flee Syria with his wife Afra. Nuri and Afra are in a bed and breakfast in Brighton with several other refugees, all waiting to see if their… Continue reading Review: The Beekeeper of Aleppo
Woolf Works: my month of reading Virginia Woolf
My reading group’s choice for March was The Waves by Virginia Woolf. I have a lot of Woolf on my shelves but haven’t got round to reading very much so I was glad at the choice. Until I picked it up and tried to read it. It’s well known as her most challenging work and… Continue reading Woolf Works: my month of reading Virginia Woolf
Review of 2018
Woah! I read a LOT in 2018. 91 books so far and a week still to go. I’m not quite sure how I fitted all of this in, except that I’ve stopped cycling to work and now have tram time. To be fair, two were novellas in flash, one was a short story in a… Continue reading Review of 2018
Review: Once Upon a River by Diane Setterfield
In a yoga class once (stay with me) the instructor talked of yogis who sat on the banks of the Ganges and allowed their thoughts, worries, stories to drift away on the water. If there was ever a book that described this, Diane Setterfield’s Once Upon a River is it. It’s a book about water,… Continue reading Review: Once Upon a River by Diane Setterfield
A childhood in books
As promised, I wanted to write about a childhood in books with a few featured. I have also decided to commit to blogging and reviewing every day in December and tagging authors to give them a boost about how much we appreciate them. (You can find out more about this here on Twitter – do… Continue reading A childhood in books
Review: How We Remember by JM Monaco
Today I’m hosting the blog tour for JM Monaco’s how We Remember, a debut novel of dark family secrets and their after effects. Jo O’Brien, Irish-American professor of Art History living and working in London, returns home after her mother’s death and, in the process of clearing out her mother’s diary and papers, is reminded… Continue reading Review: How We Remember by JM Monaco
Review: Take Nothing With You by Patrick Gale
A new Patrick Gale is always something to celebrate but in recent years his books seem to have taken on an extra quality. I do feel he’s one of the country’s best writers – portraying empathy, love and the human experience with deftness, wit and a sure touch. We must celebrate him more. Perhaps a… Continue reading Review: Take Nothing With You by Patrick Gale
Review: The Lost Letters of William Woolf by Helen Cullen
What a lovely premise this book has. As soon as I heard it, I wanted to read it. William Woolf works for the Royal Mail at the Dead Letters Depot. Woolf is a Letter Detective, sorting through all the letters that never get delivered. He tries to deliver or return them, seeking out the stories… Continue reading Review: The Lost Letters of William Woolf by Helen Cullen
Review: Your Second Life Begins When You Realise You Only Have One by Raphaelle Giordano
Phew! What a title! Your Second Life is a French phenomenon. Published three years ago, word spread and it’s now a bestseller, staying in the French top ten for over a year, despite its terrible title. Now it’s coming to England. It’s rather cute to look at, a small hardback with a Tiffany blue cover and… Continue reading Review: Your Second Life Begins When You Realise You Only Have One by Raphaelle Giordano
Susan E Barsby 