Elif Shafak I have read four of Elif’s books and, for me, There are Rivers in the Sky is the finest so far. Previously, it was The Island of Missing Trees, a tale told around a divided Cyprus as observed by a fig tree. Yes, you read that right. Elif writes with passion in all her books, exploring subjects that matter deeply to her—cultural, political and for silenced people,…
Yes, I thought a photo of the front cover would grab your attention. A Curious History of Sex by Dr. Kate Lister is an interesting and witty journey through the, well, history of sex. Not the whole history of course, as Kate says that would be a mighty tome indeed. It is a book about how cultural attitudes have changed over the centuries towards various aspects of sex and…
Lanny is one of the most original books I have ever read, up there with Milkman by Anna Burns — winner of the Booker in 2018 — although as stories go they are chalk and cheese. Milkman tells the story of ‘middle-sister’, a woman who lives in an unnamed city, although clearly Belfast during the troubles. She’s currently going out with ‘maybe-boyfriend’, but life for her is never that…
A book review of After the End by Clare Mackintosh After the End by Clare Mackintosh is a heart wrenching tale of a parent’s worst nightmare; having to make the decision whether your child lives a severely disabled and shortened life or dies peacefully. A decision that Clare, herself, has had to face. That fact makes this novel not only well researched and well written, but also very brave….
A book review of The Dutch House by Ann Patchett. A beautiful, beautiful book. Read it. Danny and Maeve are brother and sister growing up in Pennsylvania in a plush and grand three storey country house built at the beginning of the 20th century by the VanHoebeeks. Just after Danny was born their mother, who came from a very poor background and struggled to live with such overwhelming grandeur,…
A book review of Platform Seven by Louise Doughty. Platform Seven is a slow, dull and ultimately unsatisfying book by Louise Doughty. It’s the tale of Lisa, a ghost who is confined to Peterborough railway station. As the story progresses she slowly begins to remember what has happened to her, and the relationship with Matthew, Matty. As well as Lisa, the story weaves around the lives of Dalmar, the…
A book review of Small Great Things by Jodi Picoult. Small Great Things is about racism. I was about to type ‘racism in America’, but that would incorrect. It’s a book about racism; set in America. Racism has no boundaries. It is an interesting book, a thought provoking book and an important book. Ruth is a paediatric nurse; a good one; a black one. A white supremacist couple come…
A book review of Bookworm by Lucy Mangan. Bookworm by Lucy Mangan has a sub title; A Memoir of Childhood Reading. It’s a perfect description for an almost perfect book. A book that’s delightful, witty, interesting and unadulteratedly opinionated. It’s the kind of book that you’ll read again and again. I’ve already read it twice—and I shall read it again. Lucy Mangan is a self-confessed bookworm and loner; always…
A book review of The Blackwater Lightship by Colm Tóibín. Colm Tóibín is one of those gifted writers who is able to write moving, interesting, stirring and striking prose with such ease and with such a sparce use of vocabulary. And this book is no exception. The Blackwater Lightship is the sad tale of Declan Devereux, a young man dying of Aids in Ireland in the 1990s. He had…
A book review of Old Baggage, by Lissa Evans. This is a witty and delightful book. Beginning in 1928 the tale follows five years of the lives and losses of two middle-aged women, Mattie and The Flea, who live in ‘The Mousehole’ on Hampstead Heath. They are both former suffragettes. Mattie, who carries a club of polished ash in her handbag, doesn’t even know how to slow down, let…
