Kathryn Ledson serves an ace with the third book in her Erica Jewell series, Grand Slam. Released just in time for the Australian Open 2016 (thinking that was a marketing decision with some foresight), the book features all sorts of shenanigans on and off the tennis court … basically, wherever Erica Jewell happens to be. If…
Cathy Kelly is gifted at delivering feelgood fiction mixed with contemporary issues, making her a bestselling author many times over. I saved Between Sisters for when I needed something light, warm and easy to read, and for the most part that’s exactly what I got. Here’s the blurb: Cassie has spent her married life doing everything right…
Remember playing marbles? I didn’t play marbles a lot, but the boys at school did and I can still remember them bandying about terms like: steelies, clearies, cats eyes, and shooters. Reading The Marble Collector brought a rush of nostalgia for the days when kids played with things other than iPads, games consoles and phones….
In The Saturday Paper, author Charlotte Wood describes her latest novel, The Natural Way of Things, as a “sledgehammer”. “I like things that are subtle and elegant, but I’ve written a sledgehammer.” (The Saturday Paper, October 24, 2015) I can’t think of a better way to describe this novel. Reading Wood’s book was a visceral experience, creating tension…
Mary-Rose MacColl’s novel In Falling Snow was one of my favourite books of 2012: “… a bittersweet, touching novel that ends with an uplifting element of hope.” The same words aptly summarise her latest novel, Swimming Home. Set in the 1920s in post-war London, this new novel also deals with themes of self-discovery, family, identity, freedom, belonging…
Here’s the thing. I’ve never read a Margaret Atwood book before. Never. Having heard so much praise about her writing, I was excited when a copy of The Heart Goes Last arrived in my mailbox. Was it the best Atwood to start with? Here’s the blurb: A sinister, wickedly funny and deeply disturbing novel about a near…
It’s been a few years since I’ve read the Millennium series (and watched the Swedish film versions), but having enjoyed them, I was keen to see how a new writer would tackle the series. It’s big shoes to fill, but David Lagercrantz stepped into those shoes with style and clever storytelling. Here’s the blurb: The…
My book club read books on ‘royals’ last month, and since this was on my review shelf, it was an easy choice. At the same time, I was watching TV series The Tudors, and the month before I’d finished Hilary Mantel’s Wolf Hall. I’m in Tudor overload! Here’s the blurb: Why would a woman marry a serial…
Over the years I’ve read a few Lynda La Plante novels featuring DCI Jane Tennison. Actor Helen Mirren, who portrayed Tennison in the award-winning ITV television drama series Prime Suspect, described Tennison as “extremely directed, ambitious, talented and very uncompromising”. Fans of the series, both book and television, will know that although Tennison is an extremely skilled detective,…
I’ve had this book on my shelf for a while but after a run of books focusing on the Nazi regime, I held off reading it until I was ready. When I finally picked up the novel, I discovered a quirky character tale that lingered with me. Here’s the blurb: Aged 105, Rose has endured more…
