I got some books for Christmas - of course - and will probably get some - I hope - for my birthday on 4th January. I normally wait until after my birthday to assess the entire haul and choose a new book for the new year, but for some reason this time I wanted to… Continue reading Let The Right One In by John Ajvide Lindqvist
Category: Fiction
Best of 2013
2013 has been another fantastic year for books, with some super duper award winners and releases. I've read a relatively low number of books this year (about 35 I reckon), and I haven't loved them all, but there have been a few real gems (click on the links for my original reviews). Brain on… Continue reading Best of 2013
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Snow White Must Die by Nele Neuhaus (2010)
Is it ever wise to impulse-buy a book? Annoyingly the answer is sometimes yes and sometimes no. I've bought a lot of books over the years on the spur of the moment, both online and in bookshops that I've put on the shelf and then never bothered with again... luckily, that did not happen on… Continue reading Snow White Must Die by Nele Neuhaus (2010)
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The People in the Photo by Helene Gestern (2011)
I'm a big fan of Gallic Books and was very pleased when they sent me this novel out of the blue, despite never having heard of it or author Helene Gestern. According to Gallic's website The People in the Photo has won more than twenty literary awards, which is incredible. It has a very simple… Continue reading The People in the Photo by Helene Gestern (2011)
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The Goldfinch by Donna Tartt
Where do I begin? The Goldfinch. The Goldfinch. It still hasn't entirely sunk in that Donna Tartt has written another novel; that it is out this year; that it is called The Goldfinch. And yet I have read a proof copy of it, all 771 pages, kindly sent to me by someone at Little, Brown.… Continue reading The Goldfinch by Donna Tartt
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Burial Rites by Hannah Kent
I think it is far to say that in the time since it has been published, less than a month, Burial Rites has become a bit of a 'sensation'. It is everywhere, and everyone seems to be talking about it. I don't usually rush to read books that have a lot of hype around them,… Continue reading Burial Rites by Hannah Kent
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Monsieur Le Commandant by Romain Slocombe
Gallic Books kindly offered to send me a review copy of Monsieur Le Commandant - the cover got me straight away. A beautiful graphic font, not too busy, and a French stamp mingled with a Nazi eagle in the corner - something that becomes more and more poignant and chilling as you make your way… Continue reading Monsieur Le Commandant by Romain Slocombe
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The Age of Miracles by Karen Thompson Walker
When The Age of Miracles came out last year it was a very 'buzzy' book that got a lot of good reviews, both in media and the blogosphere. It was also very popular and much talked-about because it was Karen Thompson Walker's first novel, and was written in the mornings before she went to work as a book… Continue reading The Age of Miracles by Karen Thompson Walker
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Review: A World of Love by Elizabeth Bowen
Elizabeth Bowen is widely considered to be one of the greatest novelists of the 20th century, but she only came to my attention about a year ago when one of my favourite bloggers, Book Snob, AKA Rachel, wrote a review of her novel The House In Paris. Rachel has reviewed several of Bowen's novels and… Continue reading Review: A World of Love by Elizabeth Bowen
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Review: Almost English by Charlotte Mendelson (Man Booker Prize 2013 Longlist)
Almost English came to me by chance, and I was instantly taken with its cover (they are so, so important, aren't they?). It is not only striking but carefully designed, and modern too. 'Modern' - what I mean by that really is that it does not look like a lot of other book covers knocking… Continue reading Review: Almost English by Charlotte Mendelson (Man Booker Prize 2013 Longlist)
These Little Words 