Hannah Morgan-Lewis
An enjoyable modern comedy of manners, I thought the characters were true to life and I loved the shifting perspectives. I also thought the way that this was plotted was ingenious with the murder mystery party run by the contolling mother Margaret. The problems that the characters faced in the book such as Tommy finding modern life and aging difficult, George and Stella being in the middle of a divorce and Helen having problems with her 10 year old daughter were very relatable, yet this was still a funny, touching novel. I thought the ending was well-handled too. I think this would make an entertaining TV series.
A snowy thriller that keeps you guessing until the end. I thought the plot was terrifically well executed and very clever. Adam and Will are two warring brothers, one of whom goes missing on a mountain in France in 1988. Twenty two years later a group of people meet in a Chalet for a holiday, but which guests are connected to the brothers and how? Who is looking for revenge? I thought the characters were very well written and suitably unpleasant and self-centered, both in 1988 and 2020. A very good book for a bit of escapism in a winter setting with lots of fab descriptions of ski holidays in luxurious surroundings. Would definitely read more by the author and I think this might be one of my favourite books this year.
Thanks to the Pigeonhole for allowing me to read a copy with no obligation to provide an unbiased free review.
Set in 18th century France, this novel imagines life in the Chateau of the duc D'Amboise for his wife and five mistresses. Murdoch explores their backgrounds and shows how women had little power over their lives as they are forced to give up their previous lives for the financial support of the duc, leaving behind husbands and children. Worse still, in the plotting the duc's wife Charlotte makes against the mistresses that she dislikes, planting incriminating forged letters and humiliating her rivals. It shows how easy it is for women to fall from grace when they are at the mercy of the favour of a man who can tire of them or of his wife suddenly deciding that they should be moved and eat with the servants.
Whilst I found this a little hard to get into at first, as there are quite a few characters with similar backgrounds to get to grips with, I found that once I got into it I wanted to find out what happened next. Some intriguing characters helped, including Charlotte who feels neglected by the duc and unable to produce more children, and de Villiers, the roguish tarot reader who sets the cat amongst the pigeons! The period detail is well realised, giving a good sense without becoming overly descriptive or slowing the plot. Overall, I think this is a hidden gem that's worth persevering with.
I received a copy of this from booksirens and I am leaving a voluntary review.
Thanks to Pigeonhole for allowing me to read this early and enjoy the book alongside other readers.
Set in the 14th century during the reign of Edward iii, this book very cleverly weaves a tale around the family tree of the Capet royal family of France. However, it centers around the fight between England and Scotland. Harry de Lyon, newly knighted, is rudely awakened by a violent raid on a Scottish castle where the inhabitants are massacred and a mysterious boy taken prisoner. Manipulated by his superiors who use his lack of wealth as a leverage point, he is forced to take on the savage prisoner as his squire. Whilst it takes some time, Harry and the boy (Iain) eventually become friends and develop a growing romantic attachment to one another.
I loved the depiction of the growing relationship between the two, but this is the type of book to make grandma blush! Several pigeonhole readers found this a little too explicit in places. I thought it also required a little suspension of disbelief in places regarding the attitudes towards homosexuality at the times, but if you are into this kind of book as I am, the sex scenes are hot!
It's obvious that the author has put a great deal of research into the period and used real people and historical fact whenever possible. The plot is gripping, with lots of adventure alongside the romance, the book would stand up without the explicit scenes, but they added to the story for me.
I was sad to finish the book. I felt like I really got to know the characters in the story, not just the two protagonists, but also Harry's enemies, the servants at his home and his allies and friends. Will definitely be looking out for more from this author in future.
Some of this was just a bit preposterous, I enjoyed the first one in the series more. Happy to read about the wandering around eating and drinking and having dinner parties, but as other reviewers have noted, the plot seemed a bit of an afterthought which was wrapped up rather quickly (and I found a bit unbelievably).
A grumpy old man re-discovers life novel greatly enhanced by a cast of enchanting characters and a wealth of stories. The characters are really lovingly drawn with all their flaws, particularly the women who are deeply appreciated by the men for their personalities rather than the way they look. Loved Henry the loveable art forger. Probably a little too sweet for some tastes.
In the 1970s, a bohemian family move into an old farmhouse. Shunned by the locals who consider them outsiders, the mother struggles with bringing up five children with an absent partner. This is made particularly difficult when the two adolescent daughters seemingly start attracting an otherworldly presence, especially when the press and a team of paranormal researchers become interested.
In the present day, Lucy, the younger daughter visits her mother after she experiences seeing a ghostly girl in the garden of her nursing home. Despite Lucy's reservations, she is pushed by her mother to meet with a new group of paranormal researchers who are determined to get to the bottom of what happened at the house.
The dual narrative works really well and makes this a gripping storyline. Just when you want to find out what happens next, the narrative viewpoint shifts. It also keeps you guessing until the end. The author builds up the creepy atmosphere in the house particularly during the investigations. I also thought the characters were very well written, especially the two girls who are very different. A really good spooky autumn read.
I didn't realise initially that this was a bridging novel between two books that explained gaps between gaps, and I think I would have benefited from reading the first book before I read this one, however, it wasn't that difficult to pick up. I thought this was accomplished historical fiction that seemed to be well researched, based on real events and characters, and I would be interested in reading more of the series. Set in Ireland during the reign of Charles iii, the plot centres around Faolan Burke moving into the house of Thomas Wentworth, the Lord Deputy of Ireland. Some well drawn characters, I especially liked how Faolan and Denisa, Wentworth's personal assistant were portrayed. Although this is not a short book, I didn't find it a long read as there was plenty happening and it gave a good sense of the period.
Not a bad attempt at writing a slash foursome! Inevitably it got a bit confusing during the sex though, and in some of the multiple first person narratives. I think that I found Noah a bit too helpless which I am generally not a fan of. Although his mutismbwas handled quite sensitively, he was still a bit of a sweet little baby gay. Sex was hot though.
This was the first time I'd read this despite having read the first 6 Anne books as a teenager. Not my favourite. I felt like I should have been more emotionally invested because of the subject, but I found it hard going (can't believe it took me so long to finish it). To be honest it was quite dull and repetitive in parts. Rilla is okay but I didn't really find her a strong enough character to carry a book and the rest seemed to be mainly Susan Baker. Don't think I will be returning to the last two books again, although I'll probably make a future pilgrimage to the first six.
This was my first time reading anything by this author, so I was not familiar with the series, but it wasn't too hard to pick up. Set in the reign of Richard II this seemed well researched with some cameos from some historical figures! It was the kind of book you end up looking for additional historical information about, and the end note helpfully explains where the author diverged from history. I found the characters well written and I would be happy to read more about Crispin and Jack's adventures. Instead of one mystery, there are several cleverly interwoven including the possible murder of the Queen and a mysterious document which could be a lost gospel. If you are a fan of the Shardlake series, I think you would probably enjoy reading this too.
Sorry, not my cup of tea. Wasn't that engaged with the plot, had no Christmas vibes, not much about the developing relationship, a rushed sex scene, too many characters I didn't care about and I can't believe I paid for it.
A Victorian gothic novel which investigates ideas that a person can be born ‘bad' and can be identified as a criminal by their features. The story centres around Cora Burns, a young woman who has grown up in a workhouse, an asylum and has spent time in gaol for a crime. She finds a position in a mysterious house where the owner is doing research mainly on Violet, a mysterious little girl.
The storyline is very well plotted, using different timelines and journal entries from another researcher who is hypnotising a woman in an attempt to find more about her. There is a strong sense of mystery about the story, and the reader has to prize out the puzzle of what is going on, what happened in the past and how the characters are related. I thought this was brilliantly done and kept me guessing until the end.
Cora is an incredibly interesting character, at turns meek and submissive, then resisting violent emotions and desires to hurt people who cross or annoy her. I love what the author did with her friend Alice, I thought that was really clever. Cora develops throughout the story from someone who has no control over what happens to her and is institutionalised to a woman who is fully in control and making her way in a society which stands against her. The story perfectly illustrates the position of lower class women and in particular the lives of the outcasts in society and how they were treated in the period. I thought that the author presented a historically accurate view - this was a tragic childhood but it was not all beatings and starvation, she was treated reasonably by some of the staff, who just didn't know what to do with her.
Overall, I thought this was a good story and particularly liked the inclusion of the journal entries. The gothic elements were well handled and didn't become too over the top. It was also a book that made me think but without becoming too obvious about it.
A lively, well illustrated history of ideas around the Fourth Reich, this covers right from the rebuilding of Germany to the present day, both from the side of people who hoped (and still hope) that the Fourth Reich would mean a resurgence of Nazi ideas about racial purity and empire building, and those who saw it as the complete opposite, more of a utopia far beyond Nazi ideals. I liked that the author covered history, political thought and also how the idea was covered in popular culture, the depiction of Nazis as the enemy in films and the obsession with alternative history. I thought that it is a timely book considering the rise of populist politicians throughout Europe, and the author shows that if we forget the legacy of the far right, we are doomed to repeat the history. I thought that it was an accessible, interesting read and I liked the author's approach. He had obviously done a great deal of research and the book has extensive footnotes and an excellent bibliography.
At this rate I am going to have to start describing myself as a YA reader! I thought this book was fabulous, very well written and gripping.
The story is told by Violet, who is looking back on the events that happened to her and her friends. After a tragic accident which leaves her and her mother alone, she is sent to a girls' school which was the site of witch trials. Violet attracts the attention of Annabel, one of the teachers, who has set up an exclusive club for girls she considers exceptional. Along with her three friends they attend to discuss women through history and through their lessons they become interested in witchcraft themselves. Robin in particular is drawn to performing rituals and they start to believe they have real power.
I thought the witchcraft elements were really well handled and I loved the way the author incorporated elements of mythology into the story. The perils of being a teenager in the 1990s are brilliantly and very accurately described, as is the friendship between the girls. I loved the way that the mystery of the missing girl unfolded and I thought that the plot was quite unexpected. Violet is a great narrator, looking back at her teenage years with some regret. Some of the book gets a bit far fetched at times, but overall, I really enjoyed it.
Girl, Woman, Other by Bernadine Evaristo was a worthy winner of the Booker Prize 2019. The book explores the lives of a number of interconnected women and one genderfluid character. An experimental novel that uses the medium of short chapters about each one woman followed on by another linked character. Some readers may find it a bit too experimental as Evaristo does not use traditional punctuation, although this is not a difficult book to read and is in fact, very accessible. There are a number of extremely memorable characters, including Amma who is at the centre of the novel. She puts on a play a feminist play about amazonians. The book explores the lives of black women over a century and explores their different lives and experiences of fitting in and finding a place in society. Also, highlighting how our perception of race, feminism and gender has changed. Families are always at the heart of the stories. I really enjoyed reading this book, and would give it a five star rating.
The Passengers by John Marrs
A very clever set up leads to a fantastic thriller full of twists and turns and unexpected moments.
Set in a future not unlike the present where society has come to rely on autonomous cars to the extent that the government is outlawing the use of non autonomous cars; Libby is participating in a jury considering if an autonomous car is responsible for killing some pedestrians or if it was their own fault when someone hacks into the cars and takes control. What follows is a rollercoaster ride where the jury are forced to decide who lives and who dies. This is all made worse by the inevitable online publicity, and a great feature of this book is online snippets that add to the realistic feel of the novel.
The characters are well drawn and there are some great funny moments particularly with the aging actress trapped in a car who has no idea what's going on. I think the author has made great use of his former experiences of writing articles about celebrities!
Whilst this is a really entertaining read, it does also make you think about reliance on technology and how it can encourage snap judgments based on little more than how a person appears and a mob mentality. The inquest where the jury are deciding is attended by an expert who is more excited by the online stats generated by what's happening than by the thought that someone is about to die.
This month the book is 99p on Kindle and would make a great holiday read.
Very much enjoyed this and I couldn't wait to read the next stave (read on Pigeonhole). I thought it was a bit of a departure from purely romance as it's also very much about family. Fixie finds it impossible to stand up to her overbearing family who tend to take advantage of her and make her feel anxious and like she has to overcompensate, which is why she continually tries to fix people's problems. At the beginning she can be quite annoying as she doesn't stand up for herself, but it's worth sticking around for the whole story. Sophie has created such a wonderful blend of characters, particularly the characters who work in the shop, and it's hard not to like such an uplifting story. I also think that it would be a good Christmas read as some of it takes place in the run up to Christmas, and it is the kind of story that gives you the warm fuzzies!
A wonderful novel of a dollmaker travelling to meet a woman whom he has fallen in love with who lives in a kind of home for people who are suffering from mental illnesses. The novel combines the story from Andrew Garvie's perspective, the letters Bramber writes to him telling her about her day to day life and her past, and the beguiling short stories Andrew is reading by the fictional author and dollmaker Ewa Chaplin. The short stories are original in the way that they leap straight into the stories as if they are almost novels in their own right, and they are full of magic realist wonders, transgressive love stories and populated by little people and people with disabilities and disfigurements. Andrew himself is exceptionally short and I think the way that the characters are portrayed is really well executed. Andrew comes to wonder if the stories are actually influencing his own plot as he sees the similarities in the stories he is reading with what he is currently doing. Whilst Bramber is afflicted by a sense of guilt Andrew has his own demons to contend with - I liked the parts where he has discussions in his head with the doll ‘the Artist' who orders him around. This is a magical book I devoured.
A book that I would have probably liked better when I was younger. Brandes takes the story of the last few months of the Romanov's lives and adds magic and a romance between Anastasia and a guard called Zash. She had obviously researched the period thoroughly, but I wasn't entirely convinced by the magical elements. To me it felt like an unfortunate hybrid between real history and fantasy. The magic and the secret magical history of Russia wasn't really explained, and it was as if you were diving into a second book in a series. I wanted a bit more world building and description. Why did the Bolsheviks ban magic? However, this may have been a deliberate choice to normalise the magic elements.
The first part takes place in the quarters where the family is held and can be quite dry at times, contrasting with the fast pace of the second part. First part Nastya is actually quite annoying, but I think she's probably quite true to life!
Anyway, I just want to say that whilst this wasn't my cup of tea, it does have some charming elements particularly in the second half and would probably appeal much more to fans of ya fantasy/magic novels with a romantic twist. This is not a genre I tend to read much of though (I am so old and decrepit ya didn't really exist when I was a young adult!).
A book that will probably divide opinions, mine too. I wasn't a great fan of the beginning, other people (on Pigeonhole) found it hilarious, but I just feel vaguely depressed and too old for descriptions of bad sex and taking drugs and getting wasted. It did pick up though, I thought the first person narrative of coming out and entering into a relationship with a polyamorous controlling lesbian were very convincing, you can definetly see how a controlling relationship can happen to someone and the excuses that you can make for their behaviour. Plus I liked the little streams of story running through like her correspondence with a war veteran, joining a lgtbq jive class and her relationships with her friends and family. I also found the second half funnier, it was as if once the writer had calmed down and got into the writing, the funny parts shone through without there needing to be a ‘look, hilarious straight dissapointing sex!' ‘getting wasted in a toilet' label all over it!
A good erotic romance, hot and sweet. The kink of the older, bigger man taking care of and controlling a younger, smaller man (without the bdsm elements of pain or restraint) might not be to everyone's tastes, particularly as Ash seems to physically shrink through the course of the novel, but I enjoyed it. I thought the sex was a bit more realistic than some of the m/m books I've read in the past too.
A very intriguing premise for a novel. Told from the perspectives of Arty, a teenager who lives in a secluded matriarchal community and a mysterious figure who is being held captive at an unknown point in time. Arty is forced by circumstances to leave her idyllic community and seek her way in the world. I absolutely loved the way the author describes the way that Arty sees and deals with the outside world and it makes the reader think about things that we take for granted such as using phones and social networking. She meets some interesting people on her journey and both her plot and the mystery of the person in captivity keeps the reader gripped. I read this on Pigeonhole and it kept everyone guessing right up until the end. Highly recommended YA, this is not a genre I read often but it is the type of book anyone would enjoy.
The Night Tiger by Yangsze Choo
I think this is probably going to be one of my favourite books of the year. A beautifully written magic realist historical novel set in Malay during the 1930s. The story centres around Ren, a young boy who is given a mission by his British master (who has died) to return his missing finger to his grave, preventing the master from walking the earth in search of it, and Ji Lin, a young woman who works as a dance partner but wishes to become a nurse. Along with Ji Lin's stepbrother Shin, they are mysteriously connected by the Confucian virtues.
A great part of the story is taken up with Chinese traditions and mythology, which is fascinating. The main motif of the story is that there is a were-tiger killing and mauling people, this is part of the magic realist aspect as well as imagery the author uses to describe the reoccurring dreams where Ren and Ji Lin communicate.
The time period and the place are perfectly chosen as you get the amazing imagery of the tiger and the sense that things are changing as the expats live and work in Malay. Another important character is William, who works as a doctor and is Ren's new master. The characters are also very well written and it's the kind of book that you could easily re-read to pick up more of the hints in the story. As readers have found on Quercus's brilliant #NightTigerTogether Twitter book club, it makes for some brilliant discussions and would make a perfect book club read.
I listened to the audiobook of this, which I thought was extremely well done with some really good narrators.
The story centres around a family of three sisters, Althea, Violet and Lilian, and their extended family and how they cope when Althea and her husband are sent to jail for fraud, leaving their two daughters in limbo. Even worse, Althea and Proctor are hated by the community where they live.
The story is narrated first person by the sisters, and in letters from Proctor to Althea. The sisters, along with their brother who is not as prevalent in the story, have all been affected by their unhappy childhood after their mother died leaving them to be looked after by their stern father. Althea has married her childhood sweetheart Procter, and is kind of a pillar of the community until she gets caught, although she has a difficult relationship with her daughter Kim. Lilian lives in the house where she grew up, widowed and caring for her late husband's grandmother. Violet is separated from her wife and struggling with anorexia and bulimia. The brother Joe is the only person who seems to have got off without becoming miserable and he and his wife are pillars of the church. Kim is mixed up and feels like Althea hates her due to her mother's strict attitude to her, and Baby Vi shows signs that she is becoming anorexic as well. Althea refuses to see the girls and Kim feel like it is because she hates her.
Food and hunger is a major theme of the book, as is the imagery of a river that Althea keeps going back to in her mind. The sisters are all forced by circumstances to take responsibility for themselves and their own happiness. The characters are beautifully crafted and you really feel as if you know them and will miss them after the book is finished. Aside from the sisters, I thought the characters in the prison where Althea is incarcerated were great, and Ni Ni the Korea grandmother living in the family home was so fantastically narrated by the voice of Lilian, she really brought her to life. Althea's daughters Kim and Baby Vi also provide pivotal roles to the story.
This was a brilliant book that I really enjoyed listening to, full of beautiful little touches. It explores the history of the characters in detail and why they are the way that they are.