The Uncommon Reader by Alan Bennett - 3.5 stars

[Barbara M]

3.5 stars rounded up to 4. I would have thought this was on some bestseller list but not that I can find! Like others here, I find it difficult to tell if a title fits a tag/shelf. It would help if we could search or change the order so we could make it alphabetical!

Elizabeth II, Queen of England is out with her dogs when they run off and she sees finds a bookmobile parked by the back of the castle. When she looks inside there is only the librarian and one "customer." He is Norman and he works in the kitchen. She feels obliged to borrow a book and, since she has it, she might as well read it. Of course she can read but she's never done it for pleasure. This is just life changing for her, at a late time in her life, and many people around her. Like most here, I found Shelfari much easier to find out if a book fit the tag/shelf. It would help if they allowed a search or at least let us change the order so we can go alphabetical.

This short, delightful, book has a few moments of laughter and a wonderful voice for the Queen, the Prince, Ministers, and staff around her. There isn't a lot of dialog but it is perfect. It was surprising how others around the Queen reacted to her constant reading.

This book makes me want to create a reading list.

[Karin]

This is fiction?

[LibraryCin]

Yes, it is fiction.

[Book Concierge]

It was a 3-star read for me as well. I read it back in 2008, before I was writing more detailed reviews. I don't remember much about it.

[Lisa]

I read this for a book club last year. It's a really interesting story that makes you think about what the expectations are of the Queen, and how that clashes with what she really thinks.