Currently Browsing: A-Z Challenge
Jun 19, 2008
The Righteous Men – Sam Bourne
Not long after Dan Brown skyrocketed to success with The Da Vinci Code, there arose a plethora of “Da Vinci Code clones”. You can always tell them because the reviewers comments on the front or back cover usually say something like “a rival to Dan Brown” which suggests that the book is going to involved some kind of ancient religious tradition and a page turning thriller. The... read more
May 15, 2008
Quirkology: The Curious Science of Everyday Lives – Richard Wiseman
Have you ever wondered whether a black cat crossing your path really brings you bad luck? How about what the funniest joke in the world is? Are you really connected to Sir Richard Branson by just six degrees? And how can you tell whether someone is actually lying? Richard Wiseman seems to spend his life cogitating over these kinds of questions, but unlike all the rest of us, he then decides he is going to... read more
Apr 23, 2008
Child 44 – Tom Rob Smith
Child 44 is Tom Rob Smith’s first novel, and it is an incredible way to launch one’s career as a suspense writer. Set in the Soviet Union in the 1950s and connected with real events, the book is intensely disturbing and totally gripping at the same time. What struck me most was how terrible the life was for every citizen of the Soviet Union under Stalin. It was like a different world and it... read more
Mar 25, 2008
The Secret Life of Bees – Sue Monk Kidd
I took a book off from World War I while I waited for my next Amazon delivery. I swear I keep Amazon in business. Even my postman has commented on the number of Amazon parcels that arrive at my door. In the meantime, I finished a book which had been chosen this month by my reading group which I had read before but was quite happy to revisit. The first time I read The Secret Life of Bees I was at a... read more
Feb 26, 2008
If My Father Loved Me – Rosie Thomas
Well. This book certainly slowed me down. This was my second reading group book for this month and, well, frankly, I didn’t like it. I know when I am struggling with a book because I have no urge to read when I get into bed. That is so not like me. Fortunately, last night I had had too much coffee and couldn’t sleep so managed to get it finished. It was a relief to get to the last... read more
