Select by book title:
Select by author surname:
Featured Book Reviews
Case Histories by Kate Atkinson
Cambridge is sweltering, during an unusually hot summer. To Jackson Brodie, former police inspector turned private investigator, the world consists of one accounting sheet - Lost on the left, Found on the right - and the two never seem to balance.
Kate Atkinson has an innovative style and her previous novel Emotionally Weird earned a respectable four-star rating. Case Histories gets a modest three-stars. The main problem is it's just too messy. Events are eventually sort of connected but only because the author has decided to connect them before the book finishes, not apparently out of any logical link.
Silks by Dick Francis
Silks is the first novel written with significant input by Dick's youngest son, Felix. Previously, Felix had assisted in the research of many of Dick Francis novel's but following the author's death in February 2010, his son has taken over the Francis legacy.
Silks, true to the Francis form, offers suspense, twists and turns that will keep you guessing throughout. Well researched information of both the racing world and the world of law help maintain a healthy level of interest - much of the information being gathered from the writer's own experiences.
Flashes And Specks by Mark Pogodzinski
Flashes And Specks begins with the suicide of Henry's cousin, Carter. The cousins use the comic book world to escape from their own worlds, comic book heroes being a prominent and occurring theme throughout Flashes And Specks, particularly the notion of hero verses villain.
I was not initially expecting to like this book but by the time I'd finished it, I was converted enough to consider it almost a 'must read'. Flashes And Specks is just the right length for what it is but at the same time, it leaves you wanting more. Insightful, mind-bending and at times challenging to the point of being slightly depressing, Flashes and Specks will make you consider your own feelings on life's challenges. Surprisingly unforgettable.
After The Fire by Belva Plain
No matter how we may feel about it, divorce is common in our society. Often the individuals who suffer the most are the children. The plight of children surviving the divorce of their parents has been the subject of much discussion and debate. Although some couples manage an amicable separation, others use their children as pawns to get what they want. Discord among parents is not a new theme but, in Belva Plain's novel, After the Fire, Plain takes this theme to an unusual and heartbreaking level.
After the Fire threatened to overwhelm me at times. It may make you take a second look at your own choices in life. Who do you give power over yourself? Do you really see your partner, or do you only see what you want to? How does one survive after being betrayed by someone you love so dearly? Belva Plain recounts this tale with clarity and insight, making this a novel worth reading.
Angela's Ashes by Frank McCourt
Angela's Ashes dispells some of the stereotypes and myths by providing one child's view of growing up Irish. Still, McCourt's childhood was really no different from the millions of other impoverished children in the world. He just wrote it down well.
As I was reading, I couldn't help but wonder what McCourt's childhood would have been like if his father had not been an alcoholic. His family probably wouldn't have returned to Ireland and his story wouldn't have been any different from the other Irish immigrants struggling to make a living in the United States. Perhaps the reason that so many were left with strong impressions after reading this memoir was due to the fact that Frank McCourt tells his story with humour and honesty.