I'm reading Coe's trilogy about the life and times of Benjamin Trotter the wrong way round, chronologically speaking. But after reading and enjoying the third book in the series, Middle England, so much last month, I knew I had to find out how the whole thing started. The Rotter's Club is a 2001 novel set in … Continue reading The Rotters’ Club | Jonathan Coe #UKfiction
Bel Canto was our May book club choice. It was a reread for several of the members, but for me it was my very first time. I'm now wondering why on earth I left it so long to read. Bel Canto is a glorious story about the power of song to soothe the beast within us … Continue reading Bel Canto | Ann Patchett
After rereading some of my Porter poems for a recent post, I felt a very strong desire to read one her verse novels. But I had none to hand. However I did have a copy of Rebecca Jessen's verse novel Gap on my TBR pile. I thought, that will do for now. But for some … Continue reading The Monkey’s Mask | Dorothy Porter #AWWversenovel
I never thought I would find myself regaling my family and friends with tales of apple seeds, tulip mania and the merits of marijuana around the dinner table. I never thought I would chat with friends over a glass of wine about Prohibition, cider production and Johnny Appleseed. The Botany of Desire: A Plant's-Eye View … Continue reading The Botany of Desire | Michael Pollan
Slammerkin: loose gown or loose woman. I loved Room by Emma Donoghue - she wrote about unforgetable characters with such emotional force that I was very keen to try another one of her books. London in the 1700's was not an easy place to be if you were poor and female. Mary is both … Continue reading Slammerkin | Emma Donoghue
As you all know vampire-lit is not my usual thing. All the ones I've tried to read until now just leave me cold. They're either too tedious and ernest or too teenage-angsty. So I started reading Dead Until Dark, the first book in the Sookie Stackhouse series reluctantly. Sookie lives in a world where vampires … Continue reading Dead Until Dark | Charlaine Harris
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