Sue Fairhead's Blog, page 55

The Gay Dolphin Adventure (by Malcolm Saville)

I’m so glad I decided to re-read the ‘Lone Pine’ series by Malcolm Saville. I knew I liked the books; I had forgotten how very enjoyable they are, and had not realised how much I would relish meeting old friends yet again in the covers of the books.  ‘The Gay Dolphin Adventure’ is third in the series, and I hadn’t read it since 2008. 

The first two books - ‘Mystery at Witchend’ and ‘Seven White Gates’ - featured the Morton family, Peter (Petronella) Sterling and Tom Ingles, with Jenny introd...

Lucas Out Loud (by Jeff Lucas)

I have been reading and enjoying the books by the Christian writer Jeff Lucas for over a decade now. Indeed, it’s just over ten years ago that I first came across ‘Lucas out loud’ which I borrowed from a friend. I was able to acquire my own copy recently, from AwesomeBooks (in perfect condition) and have just finished re-reading it. 

It’s quite a short book, only 100 pages in all, but full of thought-provoking anecdotes and commentary. Each section is just three or four pages, and I read aro...

Songs of the Humpback Whale (by Jodi Picoult)

I have collected quite a few of Jodi Picoult’s books over the years, many of them from church book sales or similar. I usually like the writing and find them gripping; they can be quite tense at times. So more often than not I look for something lighter. However I decided it was time to tackle one of the four on my to-be-read shelf. I chose ‘Songs of the humpback whale’ which was, apparently, the author’s first published novel.

The story is told in five different voices, distinct enough that...

Pistols for Two (by Georgette Heyer)

In re-reading my Georgette Heyer novels, yet again, I realised that it had been twelve years since I last read her short story collection, ‘Pistols for Two’. I didn’t recall any of the stories before I started, and while I did remember the conclusions of some of them as I read, I have thoroughly enjoyed them once again.

The opening story, which gives its title to the book, is about two frustrated and angry young men who are going to fight a duel. Although close friends for most of their live...

Challenges of the Narrow Way (by Bridget Plass)

Years ago I came across Bridget Plass’s book ‘The Apple of His Eye’, a Lenten devotional study guide. I already knew and loved her husband Adrian Plass’s varied books, which combine humour with poignancy and some important messages. And I found Bridget’s book both inspiring and thought-provoking; so much so that I’ve read it at least three times. 

I then discovered that she had written some other books, although they’re no longer in print.  About three years ago I managed to find ‘Dear Paul…...

You, Me and Him (by Alice Peterson)

I have very much liked the books I’ve read by Alice Peterson, and since I started reading her novels over a decade ago, I decided it was time to re-read some of them. I first came across her through the ‘Bookbag’ site; they sent me ‘You, Me and Him’ back in 2007.  I very much enjoyed it when I read and reviewed it then, and I liked it just as much on re-reading this week. 

The story is about a couple called Finn and Josie, told in the first person by Josie herself.  There are some forays int...

Big Money (by PG Wodehouse)

I started reading the ‘Jeeves and Wooster’ books by PG Wodehouse when I was about twelve or thirteen, and very much liked them. Over the years I have collected several of these, as well as Wodehouse novels about Blandings Castle, and - when I come across them - his other works too. I had no idea, until recently, just what a prolific writer he was.

So when I saw ‘Big Money’ on a church bookstall a few months ago, it was an easy decision to fork out my fifty cents.  After abandoning quite a...

The Golden Cup (by Marcia Willett)

I do like re-reading my Marcia Willett novels. They are character-based, warm and moving, yet, at times, with such interesting storylines that they’re difficult to put down. I hadn’t read ‘The Golden Cup’ for fourteen years, which turns out to be a good thing as I had forgotten not just the people and the story, but even the huge surprise that is revealed about half-way through the book, in a series of letters.

The novel features a multi-generational extended family, living at or near a larg...

The Silent Patient (by Alex Michaelides)

I hadn’t heard of Alex Michaelides, even though he comes from Cyprus, where I live. Nor had I heard of his debut novel ‘The Silent Patient’, despite its apparent popularity. It’s not a genre I would normally read, but it was chosen by the book group I belong to for the September discussion.

I was a little apprehensive as I started to read the book a couple of days ago. Billed as a psychological thriller, it didn’t sound like my kind of book at all. But the narration is clear, well-paced and ...

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

In my slow re-reading of the lengthy ‘Chalet School’ series by Elinor M Brent-Dyer, I reached the seventh volume, ‘The Chalet School and Jo’. This is one that I have in the Armada paperback edition, as - according to the official site - it hasn’t been abridged, unlike many of the others. I didn’t remember it with any particular fondness, but it’s been over ten years since I last read it. 

Jo is sixteen in this book, and has been appointed Head Girl. I didn’t quite understand why she takes up...