Recipe for a Perfect Wife - Karma Brown

55%
28.04.20

I don't really know what to make of this. On the one hand, it was an appealing two-day read with an interesting premise. On the other, the story depended on the protagonists' unrealistically irrational behaviour. Why do contemporary novels feature such unlikable women with whom we are expected to empathise? The ending of both narratives was decidedly iffy and heavy-handed. And, of course, it needed a decent edit, but what book doesn't these days?

The Swish of the Curtain - Pamela Brown

67%
13.06.18

With a sudden burst of nostalgia for this childhood favourite, I ordered the new edition from the library. And, while it's not exactly the epic tale of theatre folk I remembered, it's still a delightful, perceptive and engaging account of a group of overachieving children (mostly aged 13+ but teenagers had not yet been invented). It's even more extraordinary for having been written by a 14 year old, evidently an overachiever herself.

The Da Vinci Code - Dan Brown

28%
01.05.05




What can I say? It's the most-read book of recent times so is there any point in stating that it's utterly without merit, that it's boring, didactic, racist and unconvincing on every level? Why can't people see this? It's almost too depressing to think about. The only reason it gets any points at all is because I managed to finish it off. If only!