Sue Fairhead's Blog, page 40

Leading Men (by Christopher Castellani)

I had never heard of Christopher Castellani, and I’m pretty sure I would not have come across ‘Leading Men’ left to my own devices. But it was this month’s read for our local book club, so I downloaded it for my Kindle. The reviews on Amazon were mostly very positive, so I quite looked forward to reading it - and that despite the fact the the blurb calls it ‘heart-breaking’.

It didn’t break my heart. I didn’t think it wonderful. I struggled even to finish it - I felt no eagerness to keep reading...

Why Shoot a Butler? (by Georgette Heyer)

Although I’ve been reading - and re-reading - Georgette Heyer’s historical romance novels for around forty-five years, off and on, I only discovered her crime/detective novels in 2003. There are twelve of them and I managed to acquire them all over some years. At the start of this year I decided to re-read them (other than one which I did not like at all). I’m reading them in publication order and have just finished ‘Why shoot a butler?’ 

I had quite forgotten that in addition to reading this bo...

Christmas at the Island Hotel (by Jenny Colgan)

I always seem to have mixed feelings about novels by Jenny Colgan. I’ve read several - a friend remarked that I have quite a collection given that I’m not a huge fan of her writing. And I keep putting more of them on my wishlist. I was given ‘Christmas at the Island Hotel’ last Christmas, and although it’s not remotely seasonally appropriate, I decided to read it over the past few days.

The reason I wanted this book is that it’s part of a series about some people who live on the (fictional) isla...

A Charmed Life (by Francis Bridger)

I don’t remember where I found the book ‘A Charmed Life’ by Francis Bridger, back in 2006. But I do remember being intrigued by the idea that a Christian academic would write a book about the spirituality contained in the Harry Potter series. The book was written at a time when only the first four books had been published although when I read it, all except the last one were out, and I had read all six.

The author wrote the book as a kind of defence against the extreme reactions against the Harr...

The Prodigal Wife (by Marcia Willett)

I’ve been enjoying re-reading my novels by Marcia Willett, but my favourites are the Chadwick Trilogy, which I re-read over the past few months. I remember being delighted when she wrote a sequel, ‘The Prodigal Wife’, set about ten years after the end of ‘Winning Through’.  I first read it in 2010, and had pretty much forgotten what it was about. So it was a good time to re-read it. 

There’s a useful family tree at the start of the book, showing the relationships between all the Chadwicks, and t...

Dark Chapter (by Winnie M Li)

I had not heard of Winnie M Li, who is a Taiwanese American writer. I very much doubt if I would have read her novel ‘Dark Chapter’, had it not been this month’s assigned read for our local book group. Even then I nearly gave up a couple of times while reading it - it’s not my kind of book at all, and in places is quite traumatic. 

I read the book on my Kindle, as that was the best value when I searched two or three online bookshops - and I don’t regret that, as it’s not a book I would lend or r...

Not Scarlet but Gold (by Malcolm Saville)

In re-reading the ‘Lone Pine’ series by Malcolm Saville, I was looking forward to reaching the last seven, which I had very much liked - and re-read regularly - in my teenage years. The reason for this is that the older six Lone Piners, who have remained the same age over several decades of adventures, are now growing a little older, more mature, and more aware of their romantic feelings. ‘Not Scarlet but Gold’ is fourteenth in the series and I last read it in 2010.

In my previous read-throughs ...

Charismatics in Crisis (by Nick Cuthbert)

Living in Birmingham in the 1980s and 1990s, I knew of (and had met) Nick Cuthbert, and recognised him as an interesting and thought-provoking speaker. So when I saw that he had written a book, ‘Charismatics in Crisis’ it was natural to buy it many years  ago now.  I don’t think I read it for a while, however  but I finally picked it up to read in 2006. 

I recalled being unsure what to expect, and a tad surprised that it really didn’t have much to do with the charismatic movement - so rampant an...

The Truth (by Terry Pratchett)

I’m mostly enjoying re-reading Terry Pratchett’s lengthy ‘Discworld’ series, more so with the later books, although for most I have only previously read them once. That’s the case with ‘The Truth’, 25th in the series, which we acquired in hardback shortly after it was published in 2000. I read it aloud to my sons, who were teenagers at the time, in March 2001. 

I didn’t remember much about this book, other than that it involved a newspaper. I had quite forgotten the young and enthusiastic Wi...

The Day You Saved My Life (by Louise Candlish)

I am very much enjoying re-reading my collection of novels by Louise Candlish. She has a very readable style, believable characters, and cleverly written plots which take unexpected detours and turns - and which, a decade or so after first reading, I have entirely forgotten.

I first read ‘The day you saved my life’ in 2012, and while I vaguely recalled the first chapter - the tension surrounding a boat trip in Paris, a terrible incident which happens at the end of the chapter - I couldn’t ev...