Sue Fairhead's Blog, page 31

Tom Tackles the Chalet School (by Elinor M Brent-Dyer)

In my gradual re-read of the lengthy Chalet School series by Elinor M Brent-Dyer, I reached ‘Tom Tackles the Chalet School’. I didn’t read this book last time I did a read-through, as I had forgotten that it appears out of sequence, chronologically.  ‘Tom Tackles…’ was originally written as a two-part story for a ‘Chalet School for Girls’ publication, and wasn’t published as a hardback book until several other subsequent books had been printed. It was originally listed as 31st in the series, but...

Eat, Pray, Love (by Elizabeth Gilbert)

I had seen the book ‘Eat, Pray, Love’ advertised a few years ago. Some reviews were glowing, but others were so negative that I decided not to put it on my wishlist. I didn’t  know anything about the author, Elizabeth Gilbert, and I’d almost forgotten about it when I saw the book on a church book stall a few months ago. The blurb on the back made it sound quite appealing, so I decided to buy it. 

A week or so ago, I started reading. I had somehow assumed it was a novel - I evidently didn’t notic...

All the Places to Go (by John Ortberg)

I’ve very much appreciated John Ortberg’s books over the sixteen or so years since I first discovered his writing. He’s an American pastor from an evangelical Baptist background, but he’s far from being a fundamentalist. He writes with some humour, some personal anecdotes, and an excellent way with words that makes even well-known truths take on a new light.

I’m gradually re-reading some of his books, and have just finished ‘All the places to go’. I last read this in 2016, amused that the front ...

A Risk Worth Taking (by Robin Pilcher)

I’m glad I decided to re-read my books by Robin Pilcher; I recalled that he wrote slightly harder-hitting novels than his late mother, but that he shared her gift for characterisation, creating three-dimensional, sympathetic people. I’ve just finished ‘A Risk Worth Taking’, which I last read in 2005; it was the Robin Pilcher’s third published novel. 

The book is primarily about a man called Dan Porter, and we meet him struggling to wake up after throwing his alarm clock on the floor. It’s a good...

Cross Purposes (by Stephen Hayes)

It’s always difficult to write a review when one ‘knows’ the author, even if online rather than in person. That’s the case with ‘Cross Purposes’, which I recently read on my Kindle while travelling. Steve Hayes, who wrote it, is someone I have corresponded with for around three decades, on forums and social media. I read his first two children’s novels, ‘Of Wheels and Witches’, and ‘The Enchanted Grove’, and liked them both although the combination of politics and fantasy isn’t normally a genre...

Rosa and the Special Prize (by Darcey Bussell)

Last Summer, while in the UK, one of the books I started reading to my five-year-old granddaughter was ‘Rosa and the Special Prize’, by Darcey Bussell. Now retired, she was the principal dancer with the Royal Ballet for some years. The book says it’s 10th in the ‘Magic Ballerina’ series, but it didn’t seem to matter much that my granddaughter hadn’t read or heard any of the previous books in the series.

Rosa is the name of the main protagonist of this story. I assume she’s about ten or eleven, t...

Little Faith (by Nickolas Butler)

I hadn’t heard of Nickolas Butler, and probably would not have come across his book ‘Little Faith’ if it hadn’t been this month’s read for our local book group. 

The novel, set in a small rural community in the United States, takes place over the course of a year, written in sections denoting the different seasons. Starting in Spring, we meet five-year-old, Isaac, playing hide-and-seek in a cemetery with his grandfather. Most of the story is told from the point of view of the grandfather, Lyle, ...

Monstrous Regiment (by Terry Pratchett)

In my gradual re-read of Terry Pratchett’s lengthy ‘Discworld’ series, I had reached ‘Monstrous Regiment’, which I only previously read once in March 2004.  It was shortly after publication date, and I read it to my two sons, who were teenagers at the time. We had mixed feelings about it at the time, and I recalled it being about a girl who joined the army… so I didn’t think it would be all that appealing.

It turned out to be more interesting than I had expected. Polly is the main character, and...

The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society (by Mary Ann Shaffer and Annie Barrows)

I hadn’t heard of Mary Ann Shaffer or Annie Barrows, and probably wouldn’t have picked this book up based on the cover (the re-jacketed one shown on the Amazon link is much nicer). But the title was so intriguing, that after some indecision, I paid 50 cents for it at a church book stall… nearly three years ago. ‘The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society’ has sat on my to-read shelf since early in 2020, and I finally picked it up to read a couple of days ago. 

I quickly discovered that th...

Breathing Lessons (by Anne Tyler)

I’m glad I decided to re-read my books by Anne Tyler. She’s an American novelist who writes in a quirky, light style with amazing attention to detail, and a depth of understanding of human nature that makes the books surprisingly profound and thought-provoking.

It’s more than twenty years since I last read ‘Breathing Lessons’, and all I remembered about it was that it took place over the course of one day, when a middle-aged American couple made a car journey.  Essentially, that’s the plot. In t...