Sue Fairhead's Blog, page 18

Eat, Drink and be Married (by Eve Makis)

(Amazon UK link) I hadn’t heard of Eve Makis, but her book ‘Eat, Drink and be Married’ looked appealing when I saw it on a church bookstall… nearly five years ago. It evidently wasn’t appealing enough for me to read it before now, but I’m working through my unread books, and finally picked it up to read a few days ago.
The story is told in the first person, from the perspective of a teenager called Anna. She’s the daughter of Greek Cypriot parents who own a fish and chip shop in the UK. Anna is qu...

The Theatrical Tapes of Leonard Thynn (by Adrian Plass)

(Amazon UK link) Having decided to re-read Adrian Plass’s fictional books, I reached ‘The Theatrical Tapes of Leonard Thynn’, third in the original ‘Sacred Diaries’ trilogy. I last read this in 2017, and recalled finding it amusing. The first time I read it, which was probably in the early 1990s shortly after it was published, I had to put the book down during one scene, as I was laughing so much.
On subsequent reads I knew what was coming, but still appreciated the book. And this time, once again...

The Shepherd's Crown (by Terry Pratchett)

(Amazon UK link) I first came across Terry Pratchett in the early 1990s, and was introduced to the Discworld series soon afterwards. I gradually acquired those that had already been published, and then as new ones were written we bought them, often in hardback. I read many of them out loud to our sons, and some to myself. But I had never sat down deliberately to read the entire series from start to finish. 
So I started a full re-read of the ‘Discworld’ series just over five years ago, not all in ...

Precious Time (by Erica James)

(Amazon UK link) I have been reading and collecting novels by Erica James for twenty-four years, and have liked them all. But my absolute favourite has always been ‘Precious Time’. I first read it in 2003 and then didn’t re-read it until 2017, when I loved it just as much as I did the first time. I’m now re-reading all Erica James’ books, roughly in chronological order, and the time had come for ‘Precious Time’ once again. 
I recalled that the story was about a young mother who had decided to take...

How I wrote my first book (by Lida E Quillen and Anne K Edwards)

(Amazon UK link) I was on a flight, and had finished a book on my Kindle. I didn’t want to start another novel, so browsed through my unread non-fiction folder. When I spotted ‘How I wrote my first book’, edited by Lida E Quillen and Anne K Edwards, I decided to try that. I had apparently downloaded it at no cost as long ago as 2011, shortly after it was published when it must have been on a special, promotional offer. I see from Amazon that it’s no longer available for the Kindle at all, so the ...

The Glass Woman (by Caroline Lea)

(Amazon UK link) I hadn’t heard of Caroline Lea; nor would I probably have come across her novel ‘The Glass Woman’, if it hadn’t been this month’s book for our local reading group. I was able to buy it second-hand a year ago, from an online bookshop; it came in excellent condition and sat on my to-be-read shelf until a few days ago.
The prologue is rather chilling - it features a dead body coming to the surface of a sea, so cold that it’s covered in ice. It’s quickly clear that the whole story is ...

Gemma Alone/Gemma the Star (by Noel Streatfeild)

(Amazon UK link) I have loved Noel Streatfeild’s books for children since I first discovered some of them on my grandmother’s shelves when I was, I suppose, about eight or nine. I have acquired most of them over the years, and reread them sporadically. I picked up ‘Gemma’ to reread in January, and the sequel ‘Gemma and Sisters’ in mid-March. 
So it was time for the third in the series, originally titled ‘Gemma Alone’. I last read it in 2015 after buying a replacement to my forty-year-old paperback...

She's the One (by Cathy Kelly)

(Amazon UK link) I discovered the author Cathy Kelly about six years ago, and loved the first couple of books I read by her. I then started to acquire others, some of which I liked, some not so much. When, a few years ago, a friend gave me ‘She’s the One’, having read it herself, I put it on my to-be-read shelf. I wasn’t enthusiastic enough to read it immediately, but finally picked it up a few days ago.
Isabel and Dee are the two main characters in the book, which is mainly set in Dublin. Both ar...

A Blunt Instrument (by Georgette Heyer)

(Amazon UK link) In re-reading my collection of Georgette Heyer’s crime novels, I reached ‘A Blunt Instrument’, which I first read in 2008. And although I usually forget who the perpetrator is in this kind of book, I could recall who it was in this one. I had worked it out within a few chapters the first time I read it, and thought it quite a clever story. 
I had not remembered any of the other characters when I picked this up to read yesterday. But it was very interesting knowing from the start ‘...

Silver Wedding (by Maeve Binchy)

(Amazon UK link) Having decided to re-read my large collection of novels by the late Maeve Binchy, in roughly chronological order, I picked up ‘Silver Wedding’ a couple of days ago. I recalled liking this book very much, but since I hadn’t read it since 2003 I had no recollection of any of the characters, nor of any story other than that it related to the celebration of a Silver Wedding.
Desmond and Deirdre are the couple soon to celebrate 25 years of marriage; it’s clear from the start that they ...