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I have moved the blog to another site as it seems more appropriate for what I want to do.

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No Title, No Author

My latest book to review has no author or title. The idea is to read the book and try to guess the author. Those who are successful get a chance to win the 'ultimate summer reading bookshelf'. It's run by lovereading.co.uk in conjunction with Headline.

I'm 100 pages into the book and struggling to get on with it. So far I've been introduced to the family; from the mother who's just about to turn 80 through her children to her grandchildren. I've struggled to keep up with who is who and I'm not particularly drawn to any of the characters. The mother is going to have a big birthday party with everyone invited and it seems she will reveal a secret.

I will stick with it because I rarely leave a book half read, but not sure this is going to be a good review....

Update - last night I got to 180 pages and it's all starting coming together now. I've finally clicked with who all the characters are and how their relationships with each other work. It's getting better!

The Invention Of Wings by Sue Monk Kidd

Reviewed January 2014:

I wasn't so sure about this book at first. It is about two girls from the deep south in the 19th century; Sarah and her slave Hetty. It felt like a story I already knew and didn't grip me like some books have. That soon changed as Sarah grew up and the story took a more complex turn. I liked the way both girls were fighting their own battles in different ways. I found the interaction of the two kept me interested. This book explored both slavery and feminism and did this well. I wasn't sure about the end point though; I felt it needed a few more days to complete the story properly. Perhaps this was the author's intent to keep the reader wanting more. Overall a good read with strong characters which will stay with me for a while.

Reviewed for Mumsnet

One Step Too Far by Tina Seskis

‘One Step Too Far’ was a gripping read right through to the end. I wasn't too keen on the main character, Emily, to begin with, but I was intrigued about her history. As I read on I began to identify with her and think about what I might do if I needed to reinvent myself. The outline of the book gave me the impression that it would be a very sad, and perhaps hard to deal with, story. I actually found myself willing Emily on, hoping she could do well for herself and get over her tragedy. The twist was completely unexpected, and heartbreaking, but it made me identify more with the characters than I was first expecting. Some sensitive topics, but they were approached with respect and care. I look forward to her next book! 

Reviewed for lovereading.co.uk

A Man Called Ove by Fredrik Backman

Ove is a grumpy old man who has a life behind him and not much ahead of him. His story started with his rude introduction to his new neighbours and ended with me in tears! It is a mix of old memories with new interactions which encourage you to see more to Ove than just the grumpy man next door.


If you liked Jonas Jonasson this is definitely one for you. It is emotional, funny and heartwarming. I loved the way Fredrik Backman developed Ove's character throughout the book. My favourite book of 2014 so far! I can't recommend it enough.

Reviewed for lovereading.co.uk