Review: The Darlings The Darlings sees high flying family the Darlings – who also happen to be the ‘darlings’ of the financial industry – go from riches to… well, not exactly rags but perhaps a few less luxury holidays and world class restaurants. Paul Ross seems a decent enough guy, who didn’t try to game the(…)
Literary
Book Review: Me Before You – Jojo Moyes
Review: Me Before You I hadn’t read any of Jojo Moyes’ work previously and I’ll confess that when I picked up Me Before You I expected something pretty fluffy and fun. That in itself would have been fine – I enjoy chick lit and a bit of gushiness. Me Before You, however, goes way beyond(…)
Book Review: The Uninvited – Liz Jensen
Review: The Uninvited (2013) Hesketh Lock is an anthropologist with remarkable talents. He isn’t good with relationships but he’s incredibly good at spotting and analysing behavioural patterns. Therefore, when he’s called to investigate corporate cases of whistle-blowing in Taiwan and sabotage in Sweden, he’s looking for the individuals’ reasons for their actions. What he finds is(…)
Book Review: Surviving Emily – Laurie Bellesheim
Review: Surviving Emily Young lives that are cut short is never an easy subject to write about. You can speculate forever about what might have been for those that have been lost. In Laurie Bellesheim’s Surviving Emily we have two narratives running concurrently of two people struggling to pick up the pieces following the death(…)
Book Review: The Quiet American – Graham Greene
Review: The Quiet American I broke my rule when it came to The Quiet American, having seen the film from 2002, before reading the book. This isn’t a rule I break often but having enjoyed the film when I saw it a few years back I was naturally delighted to read Greene’s novel from 1955,(…)
Book Review: Dare Me – Megan Abbott
Review: Dare Me Schools are not always the easiest of places. Whether teachers and parents like it or not there are often hierarchies that develop in each school year. In Megan Abbott’s Dare Me we focus on a group of cheerleaders who have such a hierarchy in place but the foundations are ruptured by the(…)
Book Review: Losing Face – Annie Try
Review: Losing Face We live in a cruel world where individuals that are a little different are often targeted by bullies or groups that are unwilling to accommodate them. In Annie Try’s Losing Face we follow the story of an ordinary teenager whose life appears to be ruined forever by a terrible accident. Cassandra Briggs(…)
Book Review: The Tree of Everlasting Knowledge – Christine Nolfi
Review: The Tree of Everlasting Knowledge Ourania D’Andre is an electrical contractor who successfully bids for a job at the Fagan mansion. There she is brought into contact with Troy who she has a little history with. They also share grief: Troy’s brother Jason was killed years ago and both bear guilt and sadness over the(…)
Book Review: Abdication – Juliet Nicolson
Review: Abdication (2012) I quite enjoy historical fiction, especially when it’s centred around a period of history I know a little about. When I received Abdication out of the blue I was definitely interested. This still remains one of the scandals of 20th century England, the abdication of a monarch to enable him to be with(…)
Book Review: Home Front – Kristin Hannah
Review: Home Front (2012) Jolene and Michael are a ‘normal’ couple with two kids, a lovely home… and a crumbling marriage. The distance between them seems to be becoming unsurmountable and Michael caves one day and says he doesn’t love Jolene anymore. A hard statement to overcome at the best of times but when your wife(…)
Book Review: Gold – Chris Cleave
Review: Gold (2012) Oh Mr Cleave, you make it hard work for reviewers! I could just tell you about the story of Gold but there’s something in Mr Cleave’s cleverly worded synopsis that makes me want to preserve the secrecy and adhere to his wishes. So, let me just say that Gold is about: relationships, sacrifices,(…)
Book Review: Signs of Life – Anna Raverat
Review: Signs of Life What can I say about Rachel? Well, I don’t understand her, that’s for damn sure but that’s no surprise because you pretty quickly gather from the book that she doesn’t seem to even ‘get’ herself. Despite a comfortable life with a solid relationship, she’s unsettled and that leads to an affair(…)
Book Review and Giveaway: Televenge – Pamela King Cable
Review: Televenge Cable’s epic story focuses on Andie Rose Oliver who marries her husband Joe in her late teens and dreams of family and a continued devotion to God. However, Andie’s life and faith are shattered by the rise of Reverend Calvin Artury, the ruler of an extreme group of holy men that threaten to(…)
Book Review: Milligan and Murphy – Jim Murdoch
Review: Milligan and Murphy The title may make you think of some crime fighting duo like Holmes and Watson or Starsky and Hutch, but Milligan and Murphy is something completely different. Jim Murdoch takes two middle aged brothers living somewhat meaningless lives before they set out on an insightful journey. Milligan and Murphy are half-brothers(…)
Book Review: The Kure – Jaye Frances
Review: The Kure – Jaye Frances For all the strength of mankind there are many things we fear and amongst the worst are diseases. I remember my history from school, college and university, especially the Black Death which terrorised Europe in the mid-14th century and reduced the population of England from 6 to less than(…)
Book Review: The Vagabond King – James Conway
Review: The Vagabond King Growing up is never easy for anyone. Our teenage years are often a difficult time and while many thrive, others struggle under the weight of so many pressures. There are no easy solutions to maturity though, it’s simply a case of riding the wave and getting through. In James Conway’s The(…)
Book Review: Conquest – Vik Rubenfeld
Review: Conquest I’ve thought in the past about how cool it would be to be in a rock band. Imagine being young in a group like The Beatles where you don’t just wake up to fame and adoration but your every song is writing another chapter in the glorious history of music. Vik Rubenfeld’s Conquest(…)
Book Review: The Wind-up Bird Chronicle – Haruki Murakami
Review: The Wind-up Bird Chronicle Haruki Murakami’s Norwegian Wood remains my favourite novel but I have been eager to sample his other work too. I have read The Elephant Vanishes and Underground but the likes of Kafka on the Shore remain on my TBR pile, as did the epic The Wind-up Bird Chronicle, until now(…)