Tigers in Red Weather has created and is still creating rather a lot of, dare I say it, 'buzz' and 'hype' on GoodReads and the book blogs, with lots of good reviews and 4 or 5 star ratings. It is the debut novel of former journalist Liza Klaussmann, which after having read it I… Continue reading Tigers in Red Weather by Liza Klaussmann
Category: Reviews
The Forbidden, by F. R. Tallis
When ambitious Doctor Paul Clement takes a job at the mission hospital on Saint Sebastien, he has dreams of discovering cures for tropical diseases. What he finds is a place where the black arts are just a way of life. After witnessing the ritualistic murder of a young man said to be one of the… Continue reading The Forbidden, by F. R. Tallis
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The Pleasures of Men by Kate Williams
Another great book by a graduate of and now lecturer at Royal Holloway (where I went). Must be something in the water... I'd been eyeing this book for a while on Amazon and GoodReads, and finally bought a copy in Waterstones. As a huge fan of Sarah Waters and a good unreliable narrator, this is just… Continue reading The Pleasures of Men by Kate Williams
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You Came Back by Christopher Coake
The premise of You Came Back instantly appealed to me: Mark and Chloe lost their young son Brendan in an accident in their home. Grief-stricken, they moved out and later divorced. Now, Mark is engaged to Allison and thinks he's moved on, until he is contacted by a woman living in his old house who… Continue reading You Came Back by Christopher Coake
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When Nights Were Cold by Susanna Jones
As regular readers will know, I came across When Nights Were Cold on the Fiction Uncovered website as part of their selection of best British novels for 2012. The blurb looked appealing and I was delighted when a copy of the book was sent to me by the publisher, Mantle at Pan Macmillan. I started… Continue reading When Nights Were Cold by Susanna Jones
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The Murder of Halland by Pia Juul
What a funny little book. I was unaware of Pia Juul until The Murder of Halland was kindly sent to me by Peirene Press, a fantastic independent publisher that "specializes in contemporary European novellas in English translation." Having been aware of them for a while, I was thrilled to receive a book from their latest… Continue reading The Murder of Halland by Pia Juul
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A Game of Thrones by George R. R. Martin
Game of Thrones is everywhere. Everywhere - Twitter; the train; the bus; magazines; newspapers; and of course bookshelves and TV. I was a little late to the - I think we can call it this now, in a slightly ironic way - phenomenon. The original series of books is actually called A Song of Ice… Continue reading A Game of Thrones by George R. R. Martin
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True Grit by Charles Portis
When the latest version of True Grit was released in cinemas in 2010 (the first film was released in 1969 and starred John Wayne), I was eager to see it. Jeff Bridges, Matt Damon and the Coen brothers were a big yes, and my dad recommended the story. I'm not usually a fan of Westerns, but… Continue reading True Grit by Charles Portis
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More Lives Than One: A Biography of Hans Fallada by Jenny Williams
Last year (2011) I read Fallada's final novel Alone in Berlin, after reading about it in various magazines - it seemed to be unanimously praised, and thee subject matter seemed interesting, so I gave it a go. I wrote a review of it for a former (and frankly less good) incarnation of this blog, which… Continue reading More Lives Than One: A Biography of Hans Fallada by Jenny Williams
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Another great writer from the Penguin Bloggers Night, Nell Leyshon read from ‘The Colour of Milk’ with real feeling and engaged us all. Read Hannah’s review on her blog Writing About Books – it’s really rather good.
this is my book and i am writing it by my own hand.(…) my name is mary and I have learned to spell it. m. a. r. y. that is how you letter it.
On the very first page of Nell Leyshons newest bok, The Colour of Milk, we are introduced to the protagonist who, writing in first person is writing it by her own hand. Do not be scared off by this assumed tautology, but rest assured that it is set in 1831 and even if Jane Austen took it for granted to write not everybody else did. Definitely not hardworking fifteen-year-old farm girl Mary, whose hair I think it will surprise no one to learn is the colour of milk.
As Mary’s life is gradually introduced to us, it appears it was not easy to be her. With a truly horrible father, who beats his daughters…
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These Little Words 