Monthly Archives: April, 2015
The Thread by Victoria Hislop
I have been suffering from breast cancer and am unable to enjoy many of my usual hobbies, so I have been reading even more than usual. With that in mind, my friend Jill gave me The Thread by Victoria Hislop. She had really enjoyed it and so passed it on. I had never read any …
The Driver by Mandasue Heller
Manchester’s ‘Queen Of Gritty Crime’, Mandasue Heller is the bestselling author of 14 hard-hitting novels. Heller was born in Warrington, Cheshire, England and moved to Manchester in 1982. She spent ten years living in the notorious Hulme Crescents in Manchester which have since become the background to her novels. She is not only a talented writer, but …
Hearts of Horses by Molly Gloss
The Hearts of Horses was written by Molly Gloss. The author was born on 20, November 1944 and grew up in Oregon, USA. Gloss grew up in rural Oregon and began writing seriously when she became a mother, she is currently best known for historical and science fiction. She now lives in Portland, Oregon and has taught writing …
Homeland: A Collection Of Poetry
I must first declare a personal interest: Homeland, published by United Press, is the first anthology that included a poem that I had written, and I was thrilled. The anthology, Homeland, was published following a UK national competition. The theme of the competition was to write a poem based on your local area. Entries were received from …
It’s Not Fair by Gill Hines and Alison Baverstock
It’s Not Fair is a book about raising children. It was written by Gill Hines and Alison Baverstock. Dr Baverstock is a published author and a senior lecturer on the Publishing MA at Kingston University. Kingston University is a public research university located in Kingston upon Thames, southwest London, England, UK. It was originally founded in 1899 …
To Kill A Tsar by Andrew Williams
I found this book in my local library. I was intrigued by the title and I enjoy history. Andrew Williams is a British writer and former television journalist who was born on 8 May, 1962 in Sheffield, England. He was educated at Trinity College, at Oxford University, Oxford and is a former Senior Producer and Director …
The Driver’s Seat by Muriel Spark
Muriel Spark was once commonly mentioned in the same breath as Evelyn Waugh and Graham Greene, this is due in part to her being Romantic Catholic, but mainly due to her precocious talent. Despite this, before The Driver’s Seat was book of the month at my book group, the only other book of hers that I …
Closure by Larry Quartley
I review a great many books and am asked to review a great many more. So when Larry Quartley asked me to review his debut crime novel, I was happy to slot it into my list. Quartley is a British author who was born in the county of Hertfordshire, England just North of London. His has …
The Nation’s Favourite Poems with Forward by Griff Rhys Jones
For the first time ever, the book of the month for my local book group was a book of poetry. There is a poetry group in the village too, but this book was chosen for the book group, not the poetry group. There was some dissension in the ranks on this basis. I belong to …
Vagabond by Bernard Cornwell
Bernard Cornwell, OBE was born in London, England on 23 February 1944. His father was a Canadian airman, and his mother was English, a member of the Women’s Auxiliary Air Force, WAAF. He was adopted at six weeks old and brought up in Thundersley, Essex by the Wiggins family, who were members of the Peculiar People. That is a strict sect who …
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