Reader's Corner reviews

Dark mirror by Barry Maitland

noreply@blogger.com (Lyn Baines) — Thu, 09 Jul 2009 05:05:00 +0000

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Genre - Mystery

Marion Summers dies a painful death in the London Library. The autopsy reveals that she died of arsenic poisoning, a method of murder more suited to the murky 19th century world of the Pre-Raphaelite painters & poets she was researching. Detectives Brock & Kolla investigate secretive Marion’s background & discover that her research may have been the reason she was killed. Did her discoveries threaten the career of her academic supervisor? Or was it the fellow researcher who had been following her, taking photos on his mobile phone? Or her mysterious lover, who may have been the father of the child she lost just weeks before her death? This is a complex mystery with fascinating literary & historical elements. Brock & Kolla are sympathetic characters & it’s always good to catch up with them again.

---- Reviewed by Lyn, Headquarters

Love letters by Katie Fforde

noreply@blogger.com (Lyn Baines) — Thu, 09 Jul 2009 05:00:00 +0000

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Genre - Romance

Shy Laura is about to lose her dream job in a bookshop where she’s been responsible for organizing successful author events & bookclubs. She finds herself agreeing to help run a new literary festival at the stately home of Fenella & Rupert. When she reveals her admiration for the writing of reclusive Irish novelist, Dermot Flynn, she finds herself on the way to Ireland to convince him to appear at the festival. This is a lovely romantic comedy about first love, literature & friendship. Dermot is an engagingly scruffy, sexy hero & there’s a lot of humour in Laura & Dermot’s growing relationship.

---- Reviewed by Lyn, Headquarters

Hater by David Moody

noreply@blogger.com (Paul) — Mon, 06 Jul 2009 04:55:00 +0000

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Genre - Horror

It’s just another typical day, you are on your way to work when the person walking next to turns and murders an old woman in front of you, out of the blue, for no reason at all, what would you do? What would you think?

This is just the start of David Moody's Hater. An intriguing novel, I found it strangely fascinating even if I was not absorbed by the story, I kept reading because I needed to know why people were committing these seemingly random acts of violence towards strangers as well as loved ones.

With recommendations from the directors of the Orphanage and Pan's Labyrinth.I would not be surprised if this is turned into a movie.

I can recommend this novel if you are looking for something different to read.

'Kill or be killed. Hate or be hated.'

---- Reviewed by Megan, Knox

The City & the City by China Mieville

noreply@blogger.com (Paul) — Fri, 26 Jun 2009 01:16:00 +0000

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Genre - Science Fiction Mystery

Mieville's latest offering could be read as a straight police procedural but the mean streets that his hero, Inspector Tyador Borlu, walks are twisted and tainted. Borlu belongs to the city of Beszel but his murder case leads his investigation to the city of Ul Qoma.... the only problem is that the two cities occupy the same place and the same time. The cities overlap, cross hatch and mingle. Their respective denizens have learnt to "unsee" each other in order to avoid being in "breach" of a harsh and severe higher law.
It is a fascinating concept and one that Mieville expertly plays with bringing to mind all of those cities divided by internecine conflict that currently exist in our strife torn world - think of Belfast, Beirut or Jerusalem.
I so enjoyed the book that I will now be tracking down more of this newly discovered author's work.

---- Reviewed by Paul, Headquarters

The little stranger by Sarah Waters

noreply@blogger.com (Lyn Baines) — Thu, 25 Jun 2009 01:05:00 +0000

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Genre - Literary fiction

This is an atmospheric ghost story set in England after WWII. Hundreds Hall is a crumbling stately home & the Ayres family are struggling to survive with dwindling income & only a couple of servants. Local GP, Dr Faraday is called in to attend the housemaid, Betty, & meets Mrs Ayres, her son, Roderick, who was badly injured in the war, & her daughter, Caroline. Dr Faraday was a working class boy who became a doctor & has never felt at home with the local gentry, but in the post-war world, he becomes a trusted friend of the family. The social changes of the period are obvious as the Ayres are forced to sell off their estate to property developers to survive. The strange happenings at the Hall - the running footsteps in the old nursery, the speaking tubes whistling for no reason, the fires that break out in Roderick’s room – unsettle everyone. Is a malevolent spirit haunting the family or are they tainted with madness? Echoes of Daphne Du Maurier’s Rebecca are very effective in creating an atmosphere of menace & doom in this beautifully written story of a family in a time of change.

---- Reviewed by Lyn, Headquarters

The sisters who would be queen by Leanda De Lisle

noreply@blogger.com (Lyn Baines) — Thu, 25 Jun 2009 01:00:00 +0000

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Genre - Non Fiction

Lady Jane Grey, the Nine Days Queen, is a well-known figure. Her two younger sisters are not so well-known. This excellent biography follows the three sisters as they are each caught up in the murky world of Tudor politics. Protestant Jane was declared heir to the throne by the dying Edward VI in preference to his Catholic half-sister Mary. Jane was less of a victim of powerful men than has been supposed, & De Lisle shows that she was determined to rule in her own right. However, Mary’s supporters deposed Jane & she was executed when she became a focus for rebellion. When Elizabeth I came to the throne in 1559, Katherine Grey was seen as her heir by the English nobility. She foolishly fell in love & secretly married without Elizabeth’s permission. When she then gave birth to two sons (the second child conceived while both parents were imprisoned in the Tower), the Queen’s anger was terrible, the couple were separated & Katherine died young. The youngest sister, Mary, also married without the Queen’s permission. Her choice was one of her jailers, Thomas Keyes, who was imprisoned in terrible conditions for falling in love with an heir to the throne. This is a fascinating look at the Tudor court & the perils of being too close to the throne.

---- Reviewed by Lyn, Headquarters

Pauline Bonaparte by Flora Fraser

noreply@blogger.com (Lyn Baines) — Thu, 25 Jun 2009 00:56:00 +0000

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Genre - Non Fiction

Pauline was Napoleon’s favourite sister & lived a privileged life when her brother was First Consul & then Emperor of France. She was a beautiful woman who married twice – once for love & once for money - & had many lovers. Flora Fraser specializes in writing the lives of 18th century women. Her previous books have included biographies of the daughters of George III, Emma Hamilton and Caroline of Brunswick. Pauline Bonaparte is a less interesting character than these women, her life was essentially aimless. She was privileged & she created a lot of scandal but her life was purposeless. Her most attractive quality was her loyalty to Napoleon. She followed him into exile on Elba when the rest of their siblings had abandoned him.

---- Reviewed by Lyn Baines

A perfect death by Kate Ellis

noreply@blogger.com (Lyn Baines) — Thu, 25 Jun 2009 00:53:00 +0000

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Genre - Mystery

A woman is burnt alive in a deserted field in Devon. The murder has echoes in the past when a woman was burnt alive by her husband, who suspected her of being unfaithful, on the same spot in the 13th century. An archaeological dig has just begun on the site before a new housing estate is built, & the developer’s wife has received death threats. A group protesting about the influx of holiday home owners are suspected of being involved in arson attacks on holiday homes. D I Wesley Peterson investigates the links between these events & another archaeological dig on the same site 20 years before that ended with the mysterious deaths of two of the archeologists involved. This long-running detective series combines modern day mystery with a historical subplot. Fans of Time Team will also enjoy the archaeological plots which are a big part of the series.

---- Reviewed by Lyn, Headquarters

A Winter's tale by Trisha Ashley

noreply@blogger.com (Lyn Baines) — Thu, 25 Jun 2009 00:16:00 +0000

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Genre - Romance

Sophy Winter unexpectedly inherits her grandfather’s crumbling stately home, Winter’s End. Along with the house, she inherits an eccentric family & a lot of debt. Sophy’s charming but shady cousin Jack thought he would inherit & sets about alternately trying to persuade Sophy to sell the estate to him at a knockdown price or marry him so they can live there happily ever after. Another distraction is gorgeous gardener, Seth, who plans to restore the Elizabethan gardens & doesn’t seem to have eyes for anything else. Then there’s the rumour that Shakespeare spent his lost years at Winter’s End & the discovery of a manuscript in the Bard’s hand. The grand opening of the house & garden to the public is the grand finale to this lovely romantic comedy.

---- Reviewed Lyn, Headquarters

Pride and Prejudice and Zombies - the classic Regency romance now with ultraviolent zombie mayhem! by Jane Austen and Seth Grahame-Smith

noreply@blogger.com (Paul) — Thu, 11 Jun 2009 06:03:00 +0000

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Genre - Comedy

As the last line of the blurb suggests this novel “transforms a masterpiece of world literature into something you’d actually want to read.”
Now, I am not a fan of Jane Austen and I have never read or intend to read the original, but who among us can resist the appeal of the Zombie in search of brains. There is not a large amount of Zombie mayhem, not as much as I was hoping for, however Elizabeth and her sisters do spend a lot of time practicing the "deadly arts".
This is an enjoyable read, the pictures are amusing, the story from what I can remember of the movie contains all the important bits and even though it has two authors the writing flows well.

I highly recommend this book for anyone who is looking for some light hearted Zombie fun that is not to be taken seriously.

---- Reviewed by Megan, Guest Reviewer

Vision in White by Nora Roberts

noreply@blogger.com (Sue) — Tue, 09 Jun 2009 06:27:00 +0000

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Genre - Romance

This is book one of the Bride Quartet by prolific writer Nora Roberts. Childhood friends, Mackenzie, Parker, Laurel and Emmaline enjoyed playing Wedding day when they were eight years old and now they are all grown up and have created a successful wedding planning business called Vows. Set in the beautiful Brown Estate where they also all live together, this novel is full of flowers, food and friends. Unfortunately these four women are yet to discover their own true love. Mac is the main character in this book and she is the wedding photographer who has to fight the demons of her parent’s failed marriage when she finds herself falling for Carter Maguire. A light and entertaining read.

---- Reviewed by Sue, Knox

The Gone Away World by Nick Harkaway

noreply@blogger.com (Paul) — Tue, 02 Jun 2009 04:41:00 +0000

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Genre - Romantic Post-Apocalyptic Science Fiction Fantasy

A post-apocalyptic romp of a book that leaves you slack jawed and amazed at the coruscating brilliance of the author and the bravura of his writing. Any book that has ninjas, pirates, mimes, big trucks and even bigger things that go bang in it will always have my stamp of approval!! If you have a taste for the weird, the wonderful, the witty and the satiric this is the book for you. Enjoy!!

PS: If you are in the mood for more of Harkaway's writing check out his website for a sneak preview of his next writing venture - "The Hospitality of Doctor Franzavius".

---- Reviewed by Paul, Headquarters

Naked in Death by J. D. Robb

noreply@blogger.com (Paul) — Tue, 02 Jun 2009 04:36:00 +0000

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Genre - Mystery

The first in the "...in Death" series, this book introduces us to our lead character Detective Eve Dallas. Whilst giving us a ripper crime mystery set in the not-to-distant future, it also gives us the beginning of an unusual love story between our gritty and damaged lead, and the refined billionaire Roarke.
Whilst Nora Roberts is an old hand at romance novels, she dips her toe into crime drama with a hint of her pet genre. Introducing us to several integral characters of the series and tantilising us with tidbits of the characters' pasts, she ties several seemingly unrelated threads together.
Ignoring the romance aspect (which may well turn people off from choosing this book)its well written and clever. There is never a dull moment and begs not to be put down. I would have liked for there to have been more time for the romance to develop but overall it is very believable.
Forget Nora Roberts' usual style of romance novels and give this series a try. It wont disappoint. And as the first in around 30 installments, "Naked in Death" is an enjoyable read with plot twists and personal dramas that only get better.

---- Reviewed by Eloise, Guest

Angela's Ashes by Frank McCourt

noreply@blogger.com (Paul) — Tue, 02 Jun 2009 04:18:00 +0000

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Genre - Biography

I have just discovered Frank McCourt and now on my 2nd book of his. I found Angela's ashes a great read that had me laughing and crying all the way through I could very easily read this wonderful book over and over again.

---- Reviewed by Angela, Guest

The Marriage Club by Kate Legge

noreply@blogger.com (Sue) — Mon, 11 May 2009 06:32:00 +0000

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Genre - Fiction

“They could be madly in love. You just don’t know. You never do.” Leith Kremmer and her best friend Eva agree that you can never tell what is really going on in other people’s marriages. Even when you are close friends and have shared years of gossip and personal confessions you can still never know. When Leith’s book club meets in her comfortable home to discuss Ted Hughes’ “Birthday Letters”, they enjoy a night of champagne and an elaborate Spanish supper. They laugh hysterically at the sound of her husband George, an eminent family court judge, practicing his golf swing in the upstairs den. No one suspects that Leith has come to a momentous decision and is preparing to leave her marriage and change her life. No one is prepared for her sudden death and the questions that it raises about her marriage and the secrets she has kept from them all. This is an absorbing story about marriage and society that will appeal to women of all ages.

---- Sue, Knox

The slap by Chris Tsiolkas

noreply@blogger.com (Sue) — Thu, 07 May 2009 00:40:00 +0000

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Genre - Australian Fiction

Tsiolkas has written a uniquely middle class Australian tale that exposes the domestic life of a group of family and friends in everyday suburbia. He explores the consequences when a man slaps a friend’s child at a family barbeque. The story slips seamlessly between opposing viewpoints and reveals the strain this puts on all the people involved. An intriguing look behind the curtains of our lives with an emphasis on the racial differences simmering in our suburbs. It reminded me of the the social realism of the Melbourne novel "Monkey Grip" by Helen Garner.

--- Reviewed by Sue, Knox

Jane's fame by Claire Harman

noreply@blogger.com (Lyn Baines) — Tue, 05 May 2009 06:05:00 +0000

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Genre - Non Fiction

This is a witty & informative account of Jane Austen’s reputation since her death in 1817. Although the recent TV & movie adaptations have made Austen one of the most famous authors in the world, her books were out of print for several years after her death. Her reputation was only revived with the publication of the first biography written by her nephew in the 1870s. That was when the cult of dear Aunt Jane, the refined, elegant spinster, began. Austen’s reputation in the 20th century was enhanced by the scholarly editions of the novels published by R W Chapman which was the beginning of the academic critics’ interest in her work. The explosion of popular interest which began with the BBC’s Pride & Prejudice in 1995 has led to hundreds of websites, blogs, movies, sequels & prequels of the novels. Harman explores everything from chick lit & the internet to serious academic works in this exploration of how Jane Austen conquered the world.

---- Reviewed by Lyn, Headquarters

Handle with care by Jodi Picoult

noreply@blogger.com (Sue) — Mon, 04 May 2009 04:01:00 +0000

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Genre - Family

From the opening pages we are swiftly involved in the harrowing life of a family with a child born with a brittle bone disease. Charlotte and Sean O’Keefe have coped with their daughter Willow’s numerous bone breaks and hospital visits despite the emotional and financial strain. Her older teenage sister Amelia successfully hides her suffering until Charlotte decides to sue her obstetrician, who is also best friend, for wrongful birth. The opposition to this lawsuit is strong and the pressure tears the family apart. Picoult is excellent at writing about family tragedy and gives an accurate voice to all sides of this ethical dilemma.
Insert review

---- Reviewed by Sue, Knox

Still Alice by Lisa Genova

noreply@blogger.com (Sue) — Thu, 30 Apr 2009 06:55:00 +0000

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Genre - Family

Alice Howland is a fifty year old Harvard Linguistics professor with a successful husband and three adult children. Alice discovers she has early onset Alzheimer’s disease and she begins to lose control of her life. As she struggles with words and memories she feels she is losing the respect of her family and peers. She questions what is really important to her as she learns to accept the inevitable loss of herself. Without language and memory is she still Alice?
This is an engrossing story that is tragically real and makes you worry about everything you have to lose if you lose your mind.

---- Reviewed by Sue, Knox

The lost recipe for happiness by Barbara O’Neal

noreply@blogger.com (Sue) — Thu, 30 Apr 2009 05:08:00 +0000

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Genre - Love stories

This is a delicious celebration of life, love and food. It is filled with gorgeous descriptions of meals, people and places. Elena Alvarez is the lone survivor of a terrible car accident which takes the lives of four other teenagers. After recovering from her injuries and unable to stay with her family, Elena spends years learning her trade at restaurants around the world and ends up as executive chef at newly opened Aspen restaurant, the Orange Bear. After numerous failed love affairs she may finally have found lasting love with her boss Julian. A touching romance with a taste of magic.

---- Reviewed by Sue, Knox

Jane & Prudence by Barbara Pym

noreply@blogger.com (Lyn Baines) — Wed, 15 Apr 2009 02:53:00 +0000

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Jane & Prudence met & became friends at Oxford. Jane was a tutor & Prudence her student. Now, years later, Jane is a happy but scatty vicar’s wife & Prudence a researcher in London unrequitedly in love with her dull boss. When Jane & her family move to a country parish, she is determined to find a suitable husband for Prudence. Unfortunately, the available men are a selfish widower who adorned his wife’s grave with a huge photo of himself; and a preoccupied MP who would rather complain about his busy life at Westminster than talk to Prudence at a garden party. When a new young man starts work at her office, Prudence looks set to embark on another unsuitable love affair. Barbara Pym’s novels are full of humour & so perceptive about love & relationships.

---- Reviewed by Lyn, Headquarters

The diary of a provincial lady by E M Delafield

noreply@blogger.com (Lyn Baines) — Wed, 15 Apr 2009 02:47:00 +0000

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This classic comic novel is the story of the Provincial Lady (we never know her name), her husband, Robert, children & servants, living in an English village between the wars. Our heroine has constant run-ins with the obnoxious Lady Boxe who lives at the Big House & is the sort of woman who always knows best. Cook is constantly threatening to hand in her notice, muttering darkly about the freshness of the fish & the vagaries of the Range. Robert spends the evenings falling asleep behind the newspaper. His only contribution to the household is to complain that his breakfast porridge is cold & the toast burnt. The Diary was originally published in a weekly magazine & the entries are in a breathless, witty style as the Lady rushes from one potential disaster to the next.

---- Reviewed by Lyn, Headquarters

The Notebook by Nicholas Sparks

noreply@blogger.com (Paul) — Thu, 09 Apr 2009 05:13:00 +0000

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Genre - Romance

I had seen the movie & loved it, usually the book is better. In this instance the book is soooo much better. It's compelling even though I know the story. It was a beautifully written love story, you can only imagine that the author knew these people. Nicholas Sparks has a way of making you believe that his stories are true & that anything in life is possible if you have love.

I would recommend this book to anyone & look forward to the day my daughters are old enough to read it & enjoy it as I did.

---- Reviewed by Kim, Guest

Plum Spooky by Janet Evanovich

noreply@blogger.com (Webgurl) — Thu, 09 Apr 2009 02:48:00 +0000

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Genre - Comedy/Mystery

Everyone's favourite female bounty hunter is back in Plum Spooky, a between the numbers novel. I haven't been a big fan of the Plum novels that come between the main series featuring Diesel, but with this one I've seriously changed my mind.

Diesel, a young bounty hunter with some questionable skills and special powers, drops back into Stephanie's life while he's on the trail of his cousin. His search collides with Stephanie's search for her latest FTA with some scary and hilarious results. There's monkeys, mud, rockets, trashed cars, explosions, food fights and the fire farter. Plenty of laugh-out-loud moments.

It's not essential that you've read all of the previous novels. Evanovich is the master of catching you up on the history of the characters.

---- Reviewed by webgurl, Admin

Crossed wires by Rosy Thornton

noreply@blogger.com (Lyn Baines) — Fri, 27 Mar 2009 04:30:00 +0000

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Genre - Romance

Peter Kendrick is a Cambridge lecturer, a widower with twin daughters. When he narrowly avoids running over the neighbour’s cat but doesn’t avoid a tree stump, he rings his insurance company & finds himself talking to Mina Hepponstall, a single mother living in Sheffield. There’s an immediate connection between these two lonely souls &, after Mina rings Peter at home to reassure him about his no-claim bonus, they become friends over several Sunday-night phone calls. This is a lovely, gentle romance, with the story moving between Peter’s life with his daughters, neighbours, research student & dog, & Mina’s worries over her younger sister, Jess & her daughter Sal’s lack of friends. The details of family life are beautifully observed, with lots of humour & just a hint of tragedy. A perfect Sunday afternoon read.

---- Reviewed by Lyn, Headquarters