Sue Fairhead's Blog, page 4

Song of the skylark (by Erica James)

(Amazon UK link) With a few exceptions, I like Erica James’ novels very much. I’m glad I decided to reread them over the past couple of years. The two I liked least first time around proved to be rather more interesting than I had thought. And those I enjoyed the first time have been every bit as readable and moving as they were the first time.
I first read ‘Song of the skylark’ in 2016, and had entirely forgotten both the characters and the storyline. But I did recall having liked the book. This ...

The marriage portrait (by Maggie O'Farrell)

(Amazon UK link) I very much liked the book ‘Hamnet’ by Maggie O’Farrell, when I read it just over three years ago. So I was pleased when our local reading group allocated another book by the same author for September’s choice. I was able to buy ‘The marriage portrait’ inexpensively from the WorldofBooks site when I was in the UK last month, and I started reading it last weekend. 
It’s a long book, over 400 pages and I thought it might take me a week to get through it. But I quickly found it compu...

The Chalet School and Richenda (by Elinor M Brent-Dyer)

(Amazon UK link) The last time I read ‘The Chalet School and Richenda’ by Elinor M Brent-Dyer was at the end of 2015. At the time, I had the Armada paperback version, and said that I wasn’t going to look out for a full one. I’m not sure why, since the official guide states that there are ‘very major cuts’ in the abridged version. 
However, in the intervening decade, I have acquired a ‘Girls Gone By’ full edition; I don’t recall how. Perhaps my Armada was starting to fall to pieces, or perhaps I wa...

Walking the walk (by Heather Hunt)

(Amazon UK link) When I first had my Kindle, I regularly downloaded books that were offered free for a short period. I tended to have a quick glance at the blurb, as I was interested to try out authors or genres I would not normally read. One of these was ‘Walking the walk’ by Heather Hunt, which has been on my Kindle since August 2012. I chose it at random as something non-fiction with a Christian slant to read over the past few weeks while I was travelling. Apparently there are other writers wi...

Snowdrift and other stories (by Georgette Heyer)

(Amazon UK link) For nearly four decades I have been an avid reader (and re-reader) of Georgette Heyer’s historical novels. So I was very pleased when I spotted what seemed like a new publication, ‘Snowdrift’, which said that it contained some recently discovered short stories. It was on special offer at 99p for the Kindle towards the end of last year, so I downloaded it. I only tend to use my Kindle extensively when I’m travelling, so I didn’t start reading it until I was at the airport a few da...

The second chance book club (by Stephanie Butland)

(Amazon UK link) I’ve very much liked the books I’ve read by Stephanie Butland. So when I saw her novel ‘Second chance book club’ on special offer for the Kindle, it was an easy decision to download it. I decided to read it while travelling recently, and finished it at the airport, while waiting for my flight.
The main character in the book is a young woman in her early thirties called September. At the start of the story, she’s living in a flat with her boyfriend Shaun. He’s a laid-back kind of p...

Bridget Vanderpuff and the baked escape (by Martin Stewart)

(Amazon UK link) A couple of decades ago, I thoroughly enjoyed reading to my teenage sons: sometimes classics which I loved and which I thought they might not otherwise pick up to read, sometimes new books which we all wanted to read at the same time. I missed this when they eventually left home. So I’m delighted that when I visit my older son and his family, my 11-year-old grandson still wants me to read aloud to him.
Not that I read classics or even new books - it’s rather the other way around. ...

Imitation of love (by Sally Quilford)

(Amazon UK link) It has become something of a tradition that I read one of Sally Quilford’s novellas on my Kindle each time I travel to the UK. They’re usually light-weight but well-written, with interesting plots. This year I decided to read ‘Imitation of love’, which, I quickly discovered, is historical fiction. Apparently I downloaded it nearly twelve years ago, when it was offered free on Amazon. 
The main character is a strong-minded independent young woman called Catherine, and most of the s...

The burnout (by Sophia Kinsella)

(Amazon UK link) After finishing a gripping but disturbing book allocated by our local reading group, I wanted something light-weight for the next few days. So I decided to read ‘The burnout’ by Sophie Kinsella. I like this author’s writing, on the whole. Her novels often feature a somewhat naive heroine, and a flawed but likeable hero. The pace is usually good, with some ironic humour.
I was not disappointed. Sasha is the main character, and she narrates the book. She works in a marketing company...

The unspeakable acts of Zina Pavlou (by Eleni Kyriacou)

(Amazon UK link) I didn’t know anything about Eleni Kyriacou, except that she is a British Cypriot. And I definitely would not have picked up her book ‘The unspeakable acts of Zina Pavlou’ under normal circumstances. But it was allocated for the August novel in our local reading group, so I downloaded it for my Kindle a few months ago when it was on special offer. 
I knew that this novel was based on a true and rather horrific story. Apparently, back in the 1950s, a Cypriot grandmother visiting he...