A gripping and shocking tale of life in the trenches during World War I. And I didn't see that punchy ending coming. ... On the downside, John Boyne sA gripping and shocking tale of life in the trenches during World War I. And I didn't see that punchy ending coming. ... On the downside, John Boyne seems to have attended the same writing school as Sarah Waters re. how to make dialogue sound as if it belongs in the first half of the 20th century: throw in the expression *that's all* ad nauseam....more
Every now and then I need to feed my Slough House addiction. However, even though this book is in the Slough House series, none of the Slough House ocEvery now and then I need to feed my Slough House addiction. However, even though this book is in the Slough House series, none of the Slough House occupants featured. Still, it was a fine read....more
I went into this with zero knowledge, expecting, from the title, a huge dose of heterosexuality, so I was very pleasantly surprised. The double story I went into this with zero knowledge, expecting, from the title, a huge dose of heterosexuality, so I was very pleasantly surprised. The double story makes the book doubly gripping: we get Evelyn's life story, but we're also left wondering till the end why Evelyn has chosen an unknown journalist to write her biography....more
There’s a Slough House series reading order list somewhere online that claims that this is book 0. Slough House isn’t mentioned here, but three periphThere’s a Slough House series reading order list somewhere online that claims that this is book 0. Slough House isn’t mentioned here, but three peripheral characters are. I was happy to delay the sad day when there will be no more Slough House to read.
This one was slow-going, mostly centred around a hostage situation. And, judging by the reviews, I might not even have understood the final twist? ......more
Kafka-esque, bizarre. Anders wakes up one morning to discover that he is no longer white. He has turned into a black man. The story didn't quite grab Kafka-esque, bizarre. Anders wakes up one morning to discover that he is no longer white. He has turned into a black man. The story didn't quite grab me....more
Shay is a lonely statistician living in New York. Her roommate crush has a girlfriend and wants her to move out. Her best friend has become a busy motShay is a lonely statistician living in New York. Her roommate crush has a girlfriend and wants her to move out. Her best friend has become a busy mother. She has no permanent job. In a low mood, Shay witnesses the suicide of a woman in a green polkadot dress, Amanda, who throws herself in front of a subway train.
Shay becomes obsessed with Amanda, finding out where she lived and leaving a flower on her doorstep, attending her memorial service, and hanging out with her friends. Shay just wants to belong. And her life now takes some very positive turns: new flat, new job, new love interest.
Until the bombshell lands. This was non-stop twists and turns, and I found it gripping....more
It is 1962. Edward is beside himself with lust for his girlfriend Florence.The pill is just a rumour. Free love hasn't arrived yet. Florence is chasteIt is 1962. Edward is beside himself with lust for his girlfriend Florence.The pill is just a rumour. Free love hasn't arrived yet. Florence is chaste and innocent. To relieve his desire for her, Edward is compelled to marry Florence. They are both virgins. And it is their wedding night. Each of them is consumed by fears and doubts of very different kinds. ... The writing here is exquisite. What a compelling story....more
Romance is not my genre. Read this for my book club. Set in New York, the story takes literary agent Nora and her pregnant sister Libby to Sunshine FaRomance is not my genre. Read this for my book club. Set in New York, the story takes literary agent Nora and her pregnant sister Libby to Sunshine Falls in North Carolina for a month's holiday. Sunshine Falls is the setting for Nora's client Dusty's highly successful novel, loved by Libby. For fun on the holiday, Libby creates a checklist of Sunshine-Falls-esque practices that the sisters should indulgence in over their stay. ... Let the romance unfold. ......more
Costa is a technological genius. He accidentally creates a wormhole through to another time, inhabited by himself and two of his friends, Eva (an ex-bCosta is a technological genius. He accidentally creates a wormhole through to another time, inhabited by himself and two of his friends, Eva (an ex-banker), and Iris (a revolutionary lesbian feminist).
The space-time fork occurred during the financial crisis of 2008. Through the wormhole, they can send digital packages to each other, learning of the political and economic systems in their respective realities.
In the Other Now, capitalism is over. Varoufakis goes into extraordinary detail about how this happened and what replaced it. The overview is fascinating. But the detail is convoluted, awkward, and tedious....more
Fi returns home to find a family moving into her house. The story of how this came to pass is then backfilled alternately by Fi recounting her experieFi returns home to find a family moving into her house. The story of how this came to pass is then backfilled alternately by Fi recounting her experience on a crime victim podcast and by her husband Bram making a confession by Word document. I found the book gripping. But ... ***SPOILER ALERT***: I could not understand why Bram didn't do at the outset what he did at the end. It would have saved everyone a lot of bother....more
There are two points of view in this historical fiction tale, largely base on reality: that of young British spy, Eve, sent to France in 1915 to work There are two points of view in this historical fiction tale, largely base on reality: that of young British spy, Eve, sent to France in 1915 to work in the restaurant of René Bordelon, a profiteering collaborator; and that of Charlie St. Clair, young American pregnant and unwed, searching in 1947 for her beloved cousin Rose who went missing in the second world war. The two POVs come to overlap into a powerful and gripping story, revealing the heroic and erstwhile hidden exploits of the Alice Network, a group of female spies who helped defeat the Germans in the first world war....more
Lily grows up in a family where her father beats up her mother. And her mother stays with her father. Lily has never been able to understand this. SheLily grows up in a family where her father beats up her mother. And her mother stays with her father. Lily has never been able to understand this. She considers her mother to be weak. This is the backdrop for Lily's love life after leaving home. The story is intense, passionate, gripping, powerful, intelligent, and satisfying. I really enjoyed this....more
Libby is disturbed that her act of heroism reached the papers. She doesn’t want to be found. This is the catalyst for a rollercoaster sequence of evenLibby is disturbed that her act of heroism reached the papers. She doesn’t want to be found. This is the catalyst for a rollercoaster sequence of events that dig up old secrets and turn her world upside down. I found the first part of this book to be slow-going. But once the first killer twist hit it picked up speed and became quite gripping....more
Emily sends a text message with a typo to her office friends group rather than to her boyfriend, as intended. The type hopes her boss *dies* ... whichEmily sends a text message with a typo to her office friends group rather than to her boyfriend, as intended. The type hopes her boss *dies* ... which he does, the same evening. ... A great little thriller packed into about 30 pages....more
I was enchanted by this extraordinary idea for a book. Labatut weaves a coherent story from unlikely threads of history from the discovery of the PrusI was enchanted by this extraordinary idea for a book. Labatut weaves a coherent story from unlikely threads of history from the discovery of the Prussian blue pigment to the theory of quantum mechanics, drawing in fevers, erotic dreams, drugs, and madness from where geniuses leap to new and dark places. What physicists and mathematicians see at the heart of these discoveries as World War II approaches can compel them to abandon their own careers in horror....more
