Dec 24, 2009 Posted by booktiger

When A Crocodile Eats The Sun – Peter Godwin

I seem to have read a number of books recently which filled me with various emotions – anger at injustice, sadness at the blind greed and selfishness of the human race, and rage at people who use power for their own ends, whilst trampling on anyone around them who gets in their way. When A Crocodile Eats The Sun is a memoir from the journalist, Peter Godwin who was a white who was born and grew up in... read more

Dec 23, 2009 Posted by booktiger

Flat Earth News – Nick Davies

I am really not a big fan of the mainstream media – that, as most of you will know, is no secret. I don’t like sensationalism, I hate celebrity culture, and I dislike the paternalistic, materialistic nonsense which seems to be characteristic of most news channels today, whether visual, audio or written. I came to Flat Earth News with this attitude, and this book didn’t just reinforce it... read more

Dec 23, 2009 Posted by booktiger

Ritual – Mo Hayder

I like to read everything. I will sit down and read Dostoyevsky as soon as I will read James Patterson. Ritual was at the James Patterson end of the spectrum and that doesn’t mean its a bad thing. It was an easy read, with a page turning plot, characters that weren’t too complicated or deep and an ending that kept you guessing most of the time, although the false clue was a little obvious. Two... read more

Dec 23, 2009 Posted by booktiger

Farewell Borders…

Last night I attended the closing sale of Borders UK – a company which has gone into receivership and finally closed it’s doors on 22nd December 2009. It was a grim picture – with everything selling for 90% off, the scene was one of carnage. Books were placed randomly on the few shelves that were left, and crowds of people were pushing past one another to see what they could find. I... read more

Nov 6, 2009 Posted by booktiger

The Night Watch – Sarah Waters

The Night Watch follows the intertwined lives of 6 young people living in London during the war. All of them are experiencing their own struggles and none of them quite ‘fit in’ to the norm. Kay, who dresses in men’s clothing and longs for a wife, is a night time ambulance driver during the Blitz. Helen, constantly searching, fights her own demons.  Duncan spends the war in prison, and... read more

Oct 27, 2009 Posted by booktiger

30 Years of Stunning Writing, and Still Going Strong

I was pleased to find this article on the Guardian website this morning about The London Review of Books. I am a regular subscriber of this exquisitely written publication and although I probably have about a year’s worth of backlog to read, it never goes out of date and I am never disappointed when I pick up a copy and immerse myself in one of the essays therein. To me, The London Review of Books is... read more

Oct 26, 2009 Posted by booktiger

Revolutionary Road – Richard Yates

Revolutionary Road can be summed up as a depressing book written in beautiful, poetic prose. I hadn’t expected to enjoy it, but despite the darkness of the subject matter and the full awareness of how it was going to end up (tragically -that was clear from the first page), I was riveted. It is a rediscovered American classic which, I believe, has recently been made into a film. I can see why –... read more

Oct 26, 2009 Posted by booktiger

What happened????

Hello… Remember me? I’m that person who used to read lots and lots of books and then would write reviews about them which were hopefully interesting and intelligent, always personal, and generally timely…i.e. shortly after I finished the book. And then…I vanished. I have had to apologise on my other blogs as well. Over the summer, things just got away from me – life and work... read more