38) By Grand Central Station I Sat Down and Wept by Elizabeth Smart So this is about as far from my typical read as it’s possible to get: I picked it up at the trusty Acton Central community bookshelf, partly because the title rang a bell from past studies, and partly because it was thin… Continue reading Year 2 / Book 38: By Grand Central Station I Sat Down and Wept
Author: nicktemple1
Year 2 / Book 37: A Dark Redemption
37) A Dark Redemption by Stav Sherez I’ve been running behind on reviews, as work has been a bit busy, but am catching up gradually on books I’ve read. This is a really good police procedural by Stav Sherez, a British crime writer I hadn’t heard of until stumbling across on the Guardian books pages… Continue reading Year 2 / Book 37: A Dark Redemption
Year 2 / Book 36: Grit
36) Grit by Angela Duckworth So this is an interesting book. I was biased towards it from the start, having long been of the view that most of the good stuff takes perseverance, something I’ve written about a few times in different ways. This book, based on years of research, puts some evidence and substance behind… Continue reading Year 2 / Book 36: Grit
Year 2 / Book 35: The Thirst
35) The Thirst by Jo Nesbo I'm mid-way through a book on the Booker longlist and a business book based on scientific research...but there are times when you just have to reach for some Scandinavian crime: pure, instant escapism. Jo Nesbo is the publisher-acclaimed Scandi noir king, and a massive bestseller with his series of… Continue reading Year 2 / Book 35: The Thirst
Year 2 / Book 34: A Beautiful Young Wife
34) A Beautiful Young Wife by Tommy Wieringa Tommy Wieringa is a Dutch writer, and this slim novel(la) is the first I've read by him: I can't remember where I ran across his name but he's been on the Wish List for months, and I took the plunge a few weeks back. And I'm very… Continue reading Year 2 / Book 34: A Beautiful Young Wife
Year 2 / Book 33: Missing, Presumed
33) Missing, Presumed by Susie Steiner This came highly recommended, although I think it was last year's thriller / police procedural of choice (there's now a follow-up on the market as well). For obvious reasons, I won't go too much into the plot, but it starts with a young woman disappearing, and that is the… Continue reading Year 2 / Book 33: Missing, Presumed
Year 2 / Book 32: The Fact of a Body
32) The Fact of a Body by Alexandria Marzano-Lesnevich In my search for new books to read and to expand my repertoire (left to my own devices, I might only be reading about Icelandic detectives with a drink problem), I've taken to listening to book podcasts, asking lots of friends for suggestions but also reading… Continue reading Year 2 / Book 32: The Fact of a Body
Year 2 / Book 31: Black Water Lilies
31) Black Water Lilies by Michel Bussi This book came weighted with a lot of chat on the front cover: "Ends with one of the most reverberating shocks in modern fiction" says the Sunday Times. "A dazzling, unexpected and haunting masterpiece" says the Daily Mail. It's a bit unfair, really, on both the book and… Continue reading Year 2 / Book 31: Black Water Lilies
Year 2 / Book 30: White Sands
30) White Sands by Geoff Dyer Geoff Dyer is recognised for being a bit uncategorisable, which makes describing his books a little tricky to say the least. Suffice to say that he is one of my favourite writers and that he walks along the tightrope between non-fiction and fiction in his books. This collection, his… Continue reading Year 2 / Book 30: White Sands
Year 2 / Book 29: The Ballad of Peckham Rye
29) The Ballad of Peckham Rye by Muriel Spark My experience of Muriel Spark had been limited to the Prime of Miss Jean Brodie before this, so thanks to Gen for sending this little gem through. It's a slim, sharp novel featuring a mischievous Scotsman, Dougal Douglas (or possibly Douglas Dougal) causing havoc amongst the… Continue reading Year 2 / Book 29: The Ballad of Peckham Rye
Dog-eared Man: a book a week 