The story of Lizzie Borden has strangely stuck with me through my adult life since watching the movie The Legend of Lizzie Borden starring Elizabeth Montgomery (Samantha in Bewitched) when I was a child. If you don’t know it, Lizzie Borden was tried for murdering her father and step mother in 1892 brutally with an […]
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
28
Eileen by Ottessa Moshfegh
posted by Ms K
Now don’t let this put you off BUT I really needed a shower reading this book. There was something about it that made me feel grotty – and a little sick. If I could scrub Eileen’s house from top to bottom with turps, I might well have felt better. This is a dark, morbid […]
March
16
The Guest Room by Chris Bohjalian
posted by Ms K
Deary me, Readheads. This one will leave you shaken and stirred so if you are a dirty-martini-loving reader, pour yourself a stiff one and dive in. Same for those of you who prefer a good cup of tea – just make it a strong one. I have not read anything from Chris Bohjalian before and that […]
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 […]
February
07
The Wonder by Emma Donoghue
posted by Ms K
This one is another winner from Emma Donoghue – author of The Room and Frog Music – the latter I reviewed here previously, heaping upon it lots of praise. I love Emma’s work – great ideas, perfectly executed, gritty page turners and always, always intrigue. The Wonder, set in the mid 1800s, is the story […]
January
24
The Woman on the Stairs by Bernhard Schlink
posted by Ms K
I’ve started my 2017 reading journey rather differently than 2016. Drum roll please….. I read a book written by a man. If you caught Ms A’s review last month of our best picks of 2016, you’d know I only read female authors all last year. It wasn’t intentional – no 2016 resolution involved – but happily I report, book wise, […]
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 […]
