Absent - Katie Williams

68%

03.04.25

Like Williams' later book, My Murder, this story of a coming to terms with being dead was both emotionally involving and beautifully written. It was also, unfortunately, quite similar to the (later) TV show, School Spirits - I hope Williams got some credit.

The Gathering - C J Tudor

68%

03.10.24

Despite the sometimes clunky phrasing, despite having too many characters, despite the confusing plot with an ending that had me asking, "OK, but what about...?", despite not being a fan of gory horror, despite the moral messaging that was as subtle as, well, a vampire, I kind of loved this. The tone, the pacing, the ethical grey areas, the setting and above all the clever worldbuilding all had me caught up in this alternative - yet maybe not so alternative after all - universe.

I'm Sorry You Feel That Way - Rebecca Wait

 68%

01.09.23

This book is much better than the weird cover image suggests. It's character led - without feeling unfocused - and so sharply observed that it's impossible not to flinch - or to laugh out loud at the awkward humour of dysfunctional families who just want to find some sort of mutual understanding.

(Fleeting and unnecessary mention of the pandemic. This annoys me more and more. It's fiction - there's simply no need!)

Unraveller - Frances Hardinge

 

68%

09.12.22

Hardinge is back on track after the rather disappointing Deeplight. Here's her typical robust world building, unflinching examination of power, politics, love and friendship, arresting turns of phrase and vivid characters. Maybe a little too episodic and drawn out but that's only a minor issue with this quality of writing.

Apples Never Fall - Liane Moriarty

 

68%

10.01.22

This was the Moriarty book I should have been reading (for book club) over Christmas. As much as I resented having to pay £9.99 for the Kindle ebook, it was infinitely better than Nine Perfect Strangers. The characters were vividly drawn, and every detail of the story became satisfyingly relevant in some way - until it was spoiled by the silly pandemic chapters at the end, which not only made the book 50 pages too long but also read as if the publisher had asked the author to shoehorn them in at the last minute to make the story 'current'. It was a shame as, until then, the delicious unlikeliness of almost everything in the novel had been what made it so enjoyable.

Side note: I plan to avoid the current pile of pandemic-set stories. I understand publishers like current affairs, and authors like the challenge of deciding how their characters might react to lockdown, but I read novels to experience other worlds - if I wanted contemporary realism, I'd read the news. Still, I've started a new pandemic label, in case I can't avoid it.

The Plot - Jean Hanff Korelitz

 68%

25.08.21

I should have been reading something worthy but this exuberant journey into a writer's fragile psyche was much more fun. The eponymous plot wasn't all that exciting but the unlikely story of the (allegedly) stolen story unfolded and - importantly - ended pleasingly. Not high literature, despite its pretensions, but a good read.

Note: another new label: writers on writers. As good as this was, authors often fall back on what they know best: writing. When a character is a writer, you can't help thinking - enough self-reference! Get out and get some proper life experience!

Pilgrims - Matthew Kneale

 68%
15.10.20

I much enjoyed Kneale's English Passengers nearly 20 years ago and, while not quite in the same league, this was a similarly well-researched, well-characterised and entertaining insight into all the aspects of the extraordinary 13th-century trend for walking from Britain to Rome (and back). 

Once Upon a River - Diane Setterfield

68%
17.09.19

This is as cheesy as an Oxford Blue but I do like something to savour, even if at times it's crumbly and over-ripe. It's otherwise notable for the majority of characters being good and decent, which doesn't happen much in fiction as it doesn't often make a good and decent story, but somehow it works here.

The Mermaid and Mrs Hancock - Imogen Hermes Gowar

68%
27.06.19

I like a quirky, historical romp and this is indeed both quirky and rompy. What sets it apart, though, is the quality of the writing: lyrical, layered prose with few of the usual jarring cliches. Yes, some of the characters are a little sketchy, and it could have done with a little structural support for its meandering plot, but in general both fun and thought-provoking.

Eleanor Oliphant is Completely Fine - Gail Honeyman

68%
14.04.18

This is the Current Big Thing so, of course, I really wanted to hate it and, indeed, the narrator is incredibly irritating at first. But she mellows (or, more likely, the author forgets to make her quite as annoying) and I enjoyed the redemptive story despite myself. I also liked Glaswegian setting, a surprisingly rare location for bestselling novels.

Frederica - Georgette Heyer

68%
26.03.18

Ah, sparkling indeed.

A Morbid Taste for Bones - Ellis Peters

68%
28.10.15

I don't know how I've managed to avoid reading a Cadfael mystery until now - perhaps I thought I already had as my mum still has numerous copies and of course it's impossible not to picture Derek Jacobi with a tonsure. Perhaps they're a little outdated now - short on introspection and graphic unpleasantness and long on entertaining, well-researched, character-driven stories. I read it in about 3 sittings and have already got the next from the library.

The Bees - Laline Paull

68%
18.05.15

Dystopian science fiction? Political fable? Over-researched anthropomorphised animal story? Well, yes, all of those. Which is quite an achievement. Even more of an achievement is that it's also a good story - I had to wrench my library copy off my mum and buy her one for herself. Overall, I'm not entirely sure what to make of this odd novel with its improbably near-immortal multi-skilled bee heroine but I think I enjoyed it.

Americanah - Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie

68%
02.12.13

This is a book about the challenges of both immigration and return, and of finding the mould that fits you best. The writing is beautiful and measured, the characters vivid and interesting, but it does seem, at times, like a collection of anecdotes sourced from the author and her friends, and it is so long that it sags towards the end. But it certainly makes you think afresh and explore Lagos on Google Maps.

Are We Nearly There Yet? - Ben Hatch

68%
15.11.11

It's a brave author who seeks me out as a book blogger to review his work. Particularly if previous reviews are less than glowing (my husband isn't convinced that I actually like reading). But Ben Hatch is braver than most - not many people would be keen to take on the challenge of driving 8000 miles around Britain with his young family to review tourist attractions for a guide book. He also seems like a nice bloke in real life (and self-deprecating in his book). So, though my reviews are blunt, my heart is not of stone and I was happy to join his Twitter publicity campaign. Not that he really needs it - 35 five star Amazon reviews can't be wrong, can they? It's usually just my lone voice whining in the wilderness.

So how fortunately that it's such a rewarding read. It helps, of course, that I can identify with the craziness of toddlers, the terror of Watership Down, the stress of merging on motorways. But it's also highly readable: a story well told, very funny in places and very moving in others. Balanced with the comedy and occasional disasters of the trip is a parallel tale of Ben's father's terminal illness. By examining his complex and often contradictory reactions to his dad's rapid decline, the book is given a greater depth. In the end, it's a convincing case for the importance of family - they might disagree with you, irritate you, embarrass you and disapprove of you but that's exactly why you love them.

In the interests of fairness, I will add that it could do with a second copy edit, and a proofread to pick up the usual formatting errors on Kindle. But hey, here's one for the reviews: I've given it the same score as "To Kill a Mockingbird" and "The Great Gatsby".

The Great Gatsby - F Scott Fitzgerald

68%
03.10.11

Another 20th-century classic that has somehow passed me by all this time. I have encountered, and been impressed by, some of Fitzgerald's short stories in the past but never his novels. This is one of those you think you've read, until you read it. Then you think you'd have remembered it if you had read it. While the plot and character development are a tad flimsy, I was bowled over by the richness of the prose, unfashionably and unapologetically poetic, conjuring a vivid sense of atmosphere, of the studied superficiality of the lives it describes. This is the American epic that so many modern writers (stand up, Mr Franzen) try to recreate but can't quite match.

To Kill a Mockingbird - Harper Lee

68%
29.07.11

I have no idea how I've managed not to read this for so long. It's one of those classics that you can almost get away with not reading, because it's so absorbed in literary culture. It's about a court case, right? And racism? Told from a child's point of view. Well, sort of. My impression is that it's more character-driven than plot driven - the plot is almost incidental, a devise to throw light on the vividly drawn population of a particular town. The court case is almost an awkward intrusion among other tales of childhood. But it's not told from a child's point of view at all - the narrator is an adult remembering events as a child, which (whisper it) doesn't always ring too true. It is also rather weighed down with metaphor - almost as if it was written in order to inspire a million essays. I did enjoy it but, as with all classics, let's not get distracted by sentimentality here.

Carter Beats the Devil - Glen David Gold

68%
11.10.10

A thriller, yes, but oddly the plot got in the way of the exuberant re-creation of stage magic in the days before television robbed us of our wonder. A compelling hero, unusually feisty heroines, vivid historical detail and, on another level, an encyclopedic portrayal of the life of early-twentieth century showmen. You can sit and think about the complexities (life versus art; show versus reality; what magic really means) or you can sit and gasp in the audience and just go with the flow.

The Children's Book - AS Byatt

68%
31.07.10

It's more a matter of admiring this book than enjoying it. Its startling complexity - of characters, of plot, of historical background - is in notable contrast to most modern novels but there's the additional rich sensuality, in all its best and worst forms, that really marks it as a rewarding read. The narrative distance was no doubt a deliberate style, but prevented any of the large cast from actually coming alive.

The Yiddish Policeman's Union - Michael Chabon

68%
22.05.08



On the one hand, Chabon writes with a lyricism you can roll in and savour and think 'this is where the others go wrong'. On the other, his cleverness can get the better of him and it's hard to know what's going on. But for his ambition, his imagination, his surreal world view, he is certainly up there with the best modern novelists. [Later note: this was a reading group choice in early 2009 and was unanimously unpopular for being too pretentious. While that is certainly a flaw, the actual plot and ideas raised should have stoked a good discussion.]