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
Tag: review
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
The Maid’s Room by Fiona Mitchell – Q&A session
Today I’m really pleased to be joined by Fiona Mitchell, whose novel The Maid’s Room, has just come out in paperback. The story of two sisters, Dolly and Tala, Filipino maids to the privileged community in Singapore, The Maid’s Room is a sometimes shocking, sometimes funny account of the hidden lives of others and how… Continue reading The Maid’s Room by Fiona Mitchell – Q&A session
Review: The Seven Deaths of Evelyn Hardcastle by Stuart Turton
Sebastian Bell wakes in a wood, yells “Anna!” and swears he saw a woman shot before his eyes. Waiting, chasing, he hears a stranger approach behind him, slip a compass in his pocket and say “east.” Bell, who can remember nothing of his life before this moment, finds himself in Blackheath, a house isolated in… Continue reading Review: The Seven Deaths of Evelyn Hardcastle by Stuart Turton
Review: We Own the Sky by Luke Allnutt
Warning. This is a dreadfully sad book. Unless you have a void where your heart should be, you will need tissues and possibly, some consoling biscuits. On the face of it, it’s a bog standard boy meets girl story. Rob meets Anna at university where she is wowing people with her accountancy skills and he… Continue reading Review: We Own the Sky by Luke Allnutt
Review: Two Cousins of Azov by Andrea Bennett
What a treat to read something as fresh and nicely eccentric as this. A book that’s full of stories, without being a book about stories, if that makes any sense. Two Cousins of Azov or You can’t pickle love (it has a subtitle) ostensibly tells the story of Gor and Tolya, the two cousins of… Continue reading Review: Two Cousins of Azov by Andrea Bennett
Review: The Music Shop by Rachel Joyce
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
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
Susan E Barsby 