Reviews 

A short ‘academic’ lit-crit study, heavily pushed on my kindle. I don’t normally read such things, but Scott is such a heavyweight and...

A library book from P. Set in the 1970’s, a mildly bored and disaffected teenager is sent off to live with his hippy uncle on a houseboat...

Don’t think I have ever read any Doris Lessing. This struck me as both ponderous and dated. A middle aged woman discovers that motherhood...

Another of P’s library books; I found this a curious mixture of annoying and extremely good. An autobiographical (I assume) story of a...

Bought this, slightly conned by Waterstones’ promotion, as it is being serialised on the TV. Don’t think I have read a Le Carré since...

This feels like a bit of a cheek (is a book of about 30 lyric poems really a book?) but I am in the middle of a lengthy biography of...

I wasn’t even aware I had this book – obviously a Radio 4 inspired impulse buy. But very good, even following Ms. Austen. Courtroom drama...

Haven’t read any Lawrence for ages; I think that no.223 inclined me to read another novel of thwarted love across the classes. The sex is...

Had been meaning to re-read this for years and finally stole my parents’ copy from Bristol a few weeks ago. Leavis, I am sure, was...

L used to be a big fan of James Lee Burke (and James Ellroy), but Burkes’ more recent books seem to me have to become very repetitive...

Not certain whether I have read this before; certainly seen it on TV with Warren Clark and (?) Hayden Gwynne. What struck me is how...

Tried ‘How Far Can you Go’ on return from Spain, but I couldn’t go very far; too many characters sitting around in a church in the...

1st book about Maria Kallio. Character of some interest but plot very cliched; could almost be 'My First Barbie Doll'. Get this from...

Aeroplane reading en route for Spain. Haven't read a David Lodge for years. Coming of age novel, apparently quite autobiographical, set...

1st book about Maria Kallio. Character of some interest but plot very cliched; could almost be My First Barbie Doll. Get this from...

Finnish thriller for a change - I got muddled as I was expecting Scandinavian names and places. However with place names like Tapiola and...

Hard to place. Quite good, reminded me of 'American Beauty' (the film, not the Grateful Dead) in places. Cynical, at times, book about a...

Pretty long, 10 days to read although it is January, and we have D+Z back from Australia. Plus, lots of snow (which hasn't interrupted...

By far the worst book I have attempted to read (ever?!), didn't finish it. Luckily only cost a few pennies. Characterless characters, if...

I have read this before, but equally good 2nd time round. Fast-paced and with a brilliant plot. Does the Wennerstrom empire appear in the...