Freedom by Jonathan Franzen

Briiliant book, recommended by Sarah, but I think I finished it before her. It's about an American family and the things that go on in their lives. The characters are very recognisable...I think I'm very much like Patti....and she drives me mad!!!!
Well worth a read. The only thing I didn't like is that the chapters are very long and there is often no obvious place to stop reading. So you either read into the early hours and stop when it doesn't feel like a natural stop.
9/10

Afterwards by Rosamund Lupton

Mum thought this might not be my thing either but I thoroughly enjoyed it. Sensitive and touching at some times but also a good complex mystery story. Well worth a read.

8/10

Nemesis by Jo Nesbo

My second Jo Nesbo book and no doubt I'll read more. Another swedish cop story and a good enough story to be a page turner. Won't set the world on fire but I'll get the next one in his series.

7/10

One Day by David Nicholls

Mum thought I might think this book was chick lit but far from it. The characters grabbed me and held me, and I had this disoriented feeling that they might be real - you know, when you think about them when you are not reading. ( I think Katy coined that description.) Haven't seen the film yet and don't need to - the images from reading are very stong. Read it if you haven't already.

9/10

The Help by Kathryn Stockett

I knew I had to read this as everyone over in USA is talking about it. A very good read about the relationships between black women and their white mistresses in Mississippi in the early 60s. The author was raised by a black help so I expect it's pretty authentic.
9/10

Valley of the Dolls by Jacqueline Susann

Read this book many years ago...it first came out in the 60s and caused quite a stir. It's about life in Hollywood and supposedly based on the lives of true people. It deals with drug taking and the "high" life of the famous in Hollywood. An easy read but not sure I'd call it a piece of good literature.
7/10

Girl in Translation by Jean Kwok

Again another loan from Katy. An interesting read about a mother and daughter who arrive in New York from Hong Kong and how they manage to live there. The mother never really loses her Chinese identity. Enjoyable read and I'm sure pretty authentic for a lot of people in similar circumstances.
8/10

One Day by David Nicholls

Katy leant me this and let's face it, we've all heard loads about the book and the film. It's about 2 people who meet up at various times during their lives...looks at the same date every year. I enjoyed it...I have to confess bits of it made me think about Sarah and Rick Wray (sorry). I want to see the film...I think it will be better than the book.
7/10

Crossing The Lines by Melvyn Bragg

Been promising myself I'd read some of his stuff, not because of his first name (with a 'y') but because any reviews or references I've heard are very complimentary. And he always seems interesting on t' radio.

This is about a teenage boy's rites of passage in a 1955 Cumbrian farming/industry town and where life took him from there. Beautiful use of language and very touching (and insightful) telling of a simple story. Superb portrayal of lots of characters. I want more.

Anybody want to borrow it?

10/10

Breakfast on Pluto by Patrick McCabe

A really strange book set in Ireland in the 60s/70s. It's about a boy who was fathered by a priest and handed over to a large family in the village. He grows up as a very mixed up child who spends his teenage life as a tranvestite prostitute. Very funny in places but also very sad. It was shortlisted for the Booker Prize in 1998.
8/10

Selected Poems by Carol Ann Duffy

This month's book club choice. For some reason we decided to try a poetry book although I'm not sure what everyone will make of it. The poems are chosen by Duffy from various of her anthologies. I love the last selection from The World's Wife, but am not sure I completely understand some of her earlier stuff.
7/10

Afterwards by Rosaund Lupton

Rosemary leant me this book when we were up in Norfolk. She said it was a serious weepy one.....and she was right. It's about a mum and her teenage daughter after they have been in an accident. A bit like "Lovely Bones" they are telling the story as if they are spirits - their bodies are still in hospital on life support machines. Not a story if you don't fancy a good cry!
8/10

The Secret Life of Bees by Sue Monk Kidd

Ok so I know I've read it before, but it was Book Club's July read so I read it again. Equally good the second time. I think we've all read it so can't spoil the story for you. Very interested to hear what Book Club think. Surely no one could not like it.
9/10

The Redbreast by Jo Nesbo

Nesbo is flagged as the next Stieg Larsson. Hmmm, we'll see.

Redbreast is a standard cop-v-killer story, clever and set in present day Norway and in the second world war, but not as addictive as the Larsson books & characters. There's lots more Nesbo books and I'll try some because I've already got 2 more books (think I'll also try one on my Kindle App). But I wouldn't rush if I were you. They may be formulaic.

7/10

A Week In December by Sebastian Faulks

Much faster and up to date than his earlier stuff such as Birdsong or Girl At The Lion D'or, I thoroughly enjoyed this book (though mum didn't). Good complex story about people in London only loosely connected in the run up to terrorist activity and the collapse of the world's banking & economies. Hooked me quickly and I needed to read quickly, which is a very good sign.

8/10

Early warning: now starting the Jo Nesbo books!

Any Human Heart by William Boyd

This was last month's Book Club choice and when I first got it I had my doubts about whether I'd read it or not....pretty thick book. It starts a bit slow but well worth persevering....it's a great read about the life story of a writer called Logan Mountstuart who was born at the beginning of the 1900s. It's all based on journals he kept and a real page turner. It had me completed fooled....I was about to look for some of the books it claims he wrote....until someone at Book Club told me the truth!!!!
8/10

The Cold Six Thousand by James Ellroy

The usual 600 pages of really complex story from James Ellroy which would have been virtually unreadable if I had not kept saying to myself "Is this true? Is it real?". Long ramble about America in the early 60s - politicians (mainly Kennedies) mobsters, seedy police & CIA, Cuba and other 'marginal' countries.

And there's another book to complete the trilogy! Can I face it? I will because he hasn't written anything else so I will have read all his stuff then. Phew!

8/10

Persepolis by Marjane Satrapi

Do you all know that the whole book is in cartoon format? I suspect you do.

Lovely book. Intriguing format and very effective, lots of information( and true!) story.

9/10

A week in December by Sebastian Faulks

I'm afraid that I didn't really enjoy this book....I know he's supposed to be a good writer, but I think he introduces too many characters who don't appear much in the book and also he spends a lot of time talking about the ins and out of the financial world. I didn't understand what he was on about and I don't think it's necessary to the story development. As the title suggests it's about what happens to a group of people during a week in December. They are linked loosely.
5/10

Persepolis by Marjane Satrapi

Sarah gave me this for Mothers' Day...thank you. The story is about a girl growing up in Iran, who is sent to Europe in her teens to escape living through the troubles in the country. In the second half of the book, she returns and tries to live under the religious oppression. The book is written as a cartoon and is very easy to read. However that doesn't stop it being a powerful insight into life in Iran. Well worth a read!
9/10