I’ve read a lot of books in 2017 but only reviewed half of them. Too many have not been worth reviewing; others I’ve been too lazy to review and then there are those I keep going back to that have been reviewed too many times already. The classics. This book doesn’t fall into any of […]
Author Archives: Ms A
April
17
Hillbilly Elegy by J D Vance
posted by Ms A
There’s not a single person I know that wouldn’t take something away from this book which probably explains why it’s a number one New York Times Bestseller. Released in late 2016 and timed to perfection, this personal memoir of US businessman J D Vance offers insights into the disintegration of towns and communities in the rust-belt of America. The […]
April
16
Storm and Grace by Kathryn Heyman
posted by Ms A
Not everything is how it presents. Including this book. On the surface, Storm and Grace could be mistaken for a contemporary Mills and Boon, complete with alpha male and remote island setting. But the reality is the exact opposite. In fact, I would go so far as to say that it’s a clever and very deliberate […]
March
09
Swimming Lessons by Claire Fuller
posted by Ms A
Well hello page-turner. I’ve loved spending the last week with you. I’m normally more immune to the charms of your type, but I’m willing to admit you have me hooked. Swimming Lessons by Claire Fuller is a brand new, perfectly sized and perfectly paced novel about marriage, love, life and truth. It is set in the modern day (I […]
March
03
The Essex Serpent by Sarah Perry
posted by Ms A
Some books should be bought and some should be borrowed. I made the mistake of borrowing this one and my local Library had to fight hard to get it back. It took two renewals and one late fee for me to finish it off but it was worth every bit of the hassle. The Essex Serpent […]
January
20
Fight Like a Girl by Clementine Ford
posted by Ms A
The world is not equal for women and Clementine Ford is angry. In this hold no punches book, she shares some of her most personal experiences as a girl in this world and how they shaped her views on feminism. I have the utmost admiration for Ford’s fearless, loud and unapologetic commitment to exposing the brutal realities of […]
January
01
Book Ends
posted by Ms A
I think I might have lost some friends in 2016. Actually, I feel they were more pilfered from me than lost, but I’m determined not to sound bitter. There was that one friend I ran into at the bookshop nose deep in Ms K’s reviews to choose her next book and another friend who hopefully enquired […]
December
04
The Good People by Hannah Kent
posted by Ms A
I’ve toured the world in fiction in 2016 but am wrapping up my travels with a last-minute stop in 19th century Ireland courtesy of Australian author and household name in the making, Hannah Kent. I heard Kent talk about this book long before I started it and was blown away by the sheer force of […]
November
20
Today will be Different by Maria Semple
posted by Ms A
Promises promises. I’ve been in a bit of a rut in 2016. Working partly from home, avoiding most major life decisions (as well as the gym), this book title called out to me like a bottle of Shiraz on a Friday night. Don’t get me wrong, it wasn’t anywhere near the self-help section. It was […]
October
16
His Bloody Project by Graeme Macrae Burnet
posted by Ms A
To paraphrase Orson Wells’ famous line about art, I don’t know anything about books but I know what I like and His Bloody Project is it. Not just because it’s a page turning thriller or because of its brooding premise, but because it’s so original, so authentic and so intelligently crafted. This novel is based on the true […]
