Another World by Pat Barker

Dare I say it....I found it more compelling a read than "Regeneration Trilogy"...only I suspect because the style seems to be so much easier to read. She certainly has a good understanding of people. I think I need to read the trilogy again to check out all the references to Geordie.
9/10

There will be rainbows by Kirk Lake

A biography about Rufus Wainwright which confirms the crazy life he had growing up and maybe excuses some of his actions. It's not at all sensational and rather assumes the reader knows all about when Rufus went crazy on crystal-meth so only refers to it as a part of the biography rather than writing a story full of the gory details. A lot is written about his father, mother, aunt and sister, all famous in the music business and all with their own strange behaviours. I really enjoyed reading it.
9/10

Two Caravans by Marina Lewycka

Read this ages ago and only just got round to adding it to Beck Book Club. Very similar to her "Tractors" book and equally amusing. It's a quick and easy read about a group of migrant workers who come to England in search of holiday work.
8/10

The Reluctant Fundamentailist -Mohsin Hamid

A great read (read it all on the flight to salzburg, leaving me with nothing to read IN salzburg). A great story, and the style is compelling. I thought the politics really moving and now really want to know what other people think of it.



9/10

Eclipse - Stephanie Meyer

Yes, I read the third one. Still enjoyable, although with this book I started to get more irritated with the gender politics and not so sure about it being targeted at teenage girls (the theme of which of these two men will you choose to protect you started to grate).
Still, I will be reading the 4th...




7/10

Secret Scriptures - sebastian barry

This was a book club book. can you guess it was told by 2 people?? A woman who had been in a mental institution for 80 years and her doctor.

Mark read it just before me and didn't guess the ending until right at the end.. he obviously didn't have his feelers out because I thought it was very predictable.

6/10

19th Wife - david ebershoff

Picked this up as a 3 for 2 at blackwells.

About a sect of mormons. Like everything else I'm reading at the mo, it's several stories linking together although rather than 2 people telling the same stories this is 2 historical stories that mirror each other.

I really liked it and it gave me quite an insight into polyomy

8/10

This Charming Man - marian keyes

Similar to her other novels, a story about ladies with slightly dark undertones.

written from 3 different women's points of view, who all know the same man. Seems unrelated until the middle of the book and then it all starts slotting into space.

8/10

New moon - Stephanie Meyer

Oh dear, I'm addicted. This was the second in the teenage vampire series. It was fine, a bit simplistic, although the finish was pretty dramatic. Not enough vampire and a bit too much werewolf in this one. Let's hope Kim lends me book number 3 soon.


7/10

Private Members - Leone Fox

I'm not reading as much as I should so I need to list every book I can. This was hilarious, but I spent all the time on the train worrying people were going to read it over my shoulder.

5/10

A perfectly good family - Lionel Shriver

Picked this up on the way back from Colorado. It's no 'we need to talk about kevin', but it's a good study of three siblings who inherit their parents' house. The two brothers each ally with the middle daughter who is torn between the two. A really interesting character study, a bit depressing in places, but overall thought provoking about family and friendships.

8/10

The Glittering Prizes by Frederic Raphael

I remembered this book because it was brought out as a TV series some time ago. It's about a group of people who leave Cambridge in the 50s. A quick easy read, but I suspect better as a drama than a novel.
6/10

Twilight - Stephanie Meyer

An enjoyable, but light story about a teenage girl who falls in love with a vampire. I liked the way the characters and the story was set up, although there were places where not much was happening... I watched the film on the plane to the states which was fun as well and I expect I'll read the other books in the trilogy.

6/10

The Reader by Bernhard Schlink

One of Dad's birthday presents. Haven't seen the film, but the book is quite a good read about a young boy who has an affair with an older woman and then comes across her several years later when she is being tried for war crimes. The second part of the book moves slower than the first.
7/10

How late it was by James Kelman

Not sure who suggested this book, but I got it from Read it Swap it. It's about a drunk in Glasgow and what happens to him over about a week. Once you get used to reading the dialect, it's a good read; quite disturbing knowing that a lot of his experiences are probably happening to people every day.
8/10

White tiger -Aravind Adiga

This won the booker last year.. he's coming to bristol to do a talk and I thought I really 'should' read it!
about a guy from india who grew up in a rural village. the darkness and then moves to the city to work. He becomes an entrepreneur and the story is a series of letters he writes to the president (???) of china who is coming to visit to tell him what the real india is like.

8/10

Happenstance - Carol Shields

Another one for new bookclub

About a couple, he is an academic and she was a stay at home mum and has discovered crafting and is giong away to a conference on quilting. the first half of the story is from his point of view. and the second from hers.

I didn't realise until afterwards but both people very nearly have an affair during the week. I think the woman comes away looking much worse and I'm not sure if that's my interpretation of her, a feminist statement from the author, or actually she is naughtier!!

8/10

Mudbound Hillary Jordan

This was the first book i've read for new bookclub(which I havent managed to get to .. just reading the books!)

It's set just after the 2nd WW in america.. pretty sounth I'd say. it's about a family who move out to a farm which gets rained in during the winter (mudbound!). They have tennant farmers and one family inparticular who pay a key part are a black family, where the son has just returned from fighting in the war.

each chapter is told by a different member of the family.

8/10

A Son of the Circus

Let's be honest I love john irving but this did feel a bit silly.

It's about an indian doctor who lives in canada but spends several months a year in india. he' also a screen writter and write films that his nephew is the star of. One film he's written is similar to a real life murder 20 years ago and the story is about how they solve the murder.

He's also friends with a variety of acts from the circus.. hence the title.

7/10

The Yellow Wallpaper and other writings by Charlotte Perkins Gilman

Suzie heard this book mentioned on Radio 4 I think. The first half of the book contains a selection of short stories, the second half extracts from her non fiction work. She wrote at the turn of the 20th century and was a great feminist and sociologist. It's amazing how forward thinking she was but I have to say that it became a bit like a text book towards the end and not "going to sleep" reading. Would certainly recommend the short stories though and a taster of the essays.
6/10