It seems like there is a glut of books now where two parallel narratives in two times link up to solve the mysteries of the other, one being in the past and the other being in the present. It feels like it's own genre, perhaps. One of the finest examples of this is Sebastian Barry's …
I think everyone has heard of Liane Moriarty by now. Her books are huge bestsellers and are being adapted into movies and TV series. I think what makes her so enjoyable is that though she writes about serious subjects, she remains grounded, and often though her books look at complex problems, there's always a balance …
There are days when it's raining or or nights when it's chilly and you just want to curl up with a bestseller, easy read thriller. You could do a lot worse than this one. It's one of those books that gets labelled as the next Girl On The Train. And perhaps that's about right. I …
I picked this up because I really like books like Like Water For Chocolate, stories that have a hint of magic, but that are otherwise kind of about everyday life. (Magic realism is one of our favourite genres). Rose Edelstein is turning 9 when her mother makes her a beautiful lemon cake with chocolate icing. …
Continue reading The Particular Sadness Of Lemon Cake by Aimee Bender
Vincent Bijlo is more well known in The Netherlands where he works in TV, radio and theatre, as well as in stand up comedy, so I had never heard of him before Holland Park Press asked me to review this book for them. (As always, all opinions herein are my own, and the book was …
Ruby Lennox narrates this story of her life and her family. Funny, startling and often sad, she is the child of a woman who doesn't want kids, and a father who cheats. The book also slips backwards in time to take in the lives of her ancestors and the events that shaped their lives. The …
Continue reading Behind The Scenes At The Museum by Kate Atkinson
I was sent this book by the author for review, and I was kind of blown away by her story. Luellen is the daughter of Allen Smiley, a man who was very publicly known to be a member of the organised crime syndicate in LA, but whom she knew as Daddy. As a sheltered child, …
I really enjoyed this unusual book, a Booker Prize winner back in 1984, which was recommended to me for my reading list this year. It tells the story of Kere, a woman who lives in a tower and has distanced herself from other people, especially her family. But she finds herself drawn out of herself, …
Although to younger readers, Steinbeck's novel Of Mice And Men might be more well known, this was the book that the author felt was his master work. It's the story of the Trask and Hamilton families, who live and grow in the Salinas Valley in California, the place that Steinbeck hailed from. Originally the book …
Not an easy read, this book follows the story of Teresa, a young girl on the verge of womanhood whose unhappy mother has raised her to look for an idealised heroic man, what her grandfather called Arias, wild men who ride out of the desert on white horses and steal hearts. The image is personified …
