37) Havana Gold by Leonardo Padura. An obvious choice for me, really: we've just been to Cuba and I love a detective novel. So I had high hopes or this - and, as often seems the case, high hopes are followed by lower excitement... In glimpses, this was great: sultry jazz, sexy characters, and smoky… Continue reading Book 37: Havana Gold by Leonardo Padura
Category: Year 1
Year 1 reviews
Books 30-36 (& spares) / 2016
So it's been a while. Last update was start of July when I was on book number 29). So I think I missed 6 weeks. Fortunately, packed in quite a few hours of reading while on hols, so here goes. I've picked my summer faves (and one to avoid). Excuse epic post. 30) The White… Continue reading Books 30-36 (& spares) / 2016
Books 27-29 / 2016
27) The Children Act by Ian McEwan. I've read most of McEwan's stuff, and they are really novellas these days, so this was quite quick to pile through. It's eminently readable, and all seems fairly effortless as it wades through religion, medicine, law, marriage and much more. The main character is a female judge deciding whether… Continue reading Books 27-29 / 2016
Books 19-26 / 2016
[NB - apparently I can't count, so I have two number 19s (see previous post) 19) Parade by Shuichi Yoshida. If you have ever wondered what it might be like to be a disillusioned, disaffected 20-something living in a flat share in Tokyo, with an increasing air of tension, menace and weirdness building, then this… Continue reading Books 19-26 / 2016
Books 13-19 / 2016
13) The One From the Other - by Philip Kerr. I've been meaning to read a Bernie Gunther crime novel for a while, and this was worth waiting for. Set in pre- and post-war Germany, it covers a really wide range of ground whilst staying (mostly) believable and, in places, quite powerful. Gunther has a… Continue reading Books 13-19 / 2016
Books 7-12 / 2016
7) Disclaimer by Renee Knight - decent page-turner thriller type with enough character depth & twists to keep me gripped. The central premise (you open a book to find you are in it etc) is a bit hokey but well used and it all just about stands up. Good holiday fodder. 6.5/10 8) The Saint-Facre… Continue reading Books 7-12 / 2016
Books 1-6 / 2016
1) Spill, Simmer, Falter, Wither by Sara Baume. Attracted a bit of awards attention - a quite involving story of an outcast man and his outcast dog. But a bit overwritten (like someone fresh out of a Creative Writing programme) if affecting. Recommended for dog and adjective lovers only. 5.5/10 2) Jeff in Venice, Death… Continue reading Books 1-6 / 2016
Dog-eared Man: a book a week 