Written by Julia Gregson.

The book starts in 1884 in Wales, with childhood friends Catherine and Deigo, it ends in the Crimea. There are lots of adventures along the way to grip you into keeping on reading.

It is a first book, and a fiction based on fact. I enjoyed reading it, and will see if there are more of her books in the library.

I approached this book with trepidation, I find often historical novels don't live up to their blurb and end up dissappointed.

I needn't have worried, this is a great read that moves along at a cracking pace.

Set in 1537 against the background of Henry VIII's dissolution of the Monastries it follows the adventures of the hunchbacked lawyer Matthew Shardlake who is appointed by Thomas Cromwell to investigate the murder of the King's commissioner sent to wind up the Benedictine monastery at Scarnsea. Against this background Shardlake uncovers not just the murderer, but also evidence that could destabilise the monarchy itself. To say any more about the plot would spoil the fun for anyone who wants to read the book.

The historical background of this novel is extremely well researched and Sansom really does give you a flavour of how life in a Tudor monastry must have appeared to people at the time. I have to admit that it took me some time to work out who the murderer was, because there are quite a few red herrings to keep you guessing along the way.

In all its a well plotted muder mystery that maintains its momentum throughout. A recommended read.

This is the first book written by Ian Rankin.

One of the Ladies in my Readers Group always talks about Ian Rankin books, I am not keen on detective stories I though I ought to give it a go. Standing in the library facing a shelf full of Ian Rankin books, I chose the thinest of them! This turned out to be not a detective book. To be fair to her, i think I shall have to read another one.

I did read it and enjoy it. It is a story about Mary and her son Sandy and why they are outcasts from their society. I am always amazed at all the "first books" I have read are so good.

I picked this book up at  a book crossing meetup a few years ago. The man in the title is born on a Monday but by Monday night he has grown up into a man. His first days are spent in a hospital with people coming in and out of his life who either want to help him or use him in some way. There are reporters and hosptal administrators. A scapegoat must be found to protect the hospital from negative publicity. All the time Soloman is getting older and more desparate to escape and so he does.  The last few chapters are about his death and burial and the rest is a rollercoaster of mishaps and actions due to Solomon's naivete. He lives his entire life including getting married in a single week.

I brought this book on Friday and finished it in almost 24 hours and it broke my heart. Sometimes I found it difficult to like the fictional protaganist, Tess but her bravery and the horror she endured was beyond doubt. Today I found myself holding my tongue and noticing things I maybe otherwise wouldn't, such as the green grass dancing in the breeze. Be warned, I found this a very powerful read!

I hav read a book in a day! It was only about 160 pages of big print.

If you have not read this ladies books, do so. This is what is says on the back of the book,
"in 1929, 26 year old Irene Nemirovsky shot to fame in France with the publication of her first novel, David Golder. At the time only the most prescient would have predicted the events that led to her extraordinary final novel Suite Francaise and her death at Auschwitz. Yet the clues are there in this astonishingly mature story of an elderly Jewish businessman who has sold his soul".

This is an amazing first novel, for a 26 year old to understand a 68 year old business mans thinking. The other book Suite Francaise is another extraordinary achievement.

I did buy these through Amazon after being told about them (I buy 2nd hand ones!)

A book by Adele Parks. The story of a thirty somethings experiences throughout pregnacy.
It is a "chick-lit" giving you an insight as to what Georgina thinks and feels about her situation, her life, love, friends and work.

I enjoyed this book. I have now read a few of Adele Parks books. I am aware that I am not in the age group these books are written for, I am from a different generation, the attitudes are very different to mine.

There seem to be a number of books/films/dramas out dealing with the September 11th attacks and their consequences. The Reluctant Fundamentalist seems, at first glance to be another one to fall into this genre.

But the plot isn't as clear as that. We have the protagonist narrating his experience of life in America to a strange American visitor in a restaurant in Lahore. He was educated at Princeton. Met and fell in love with a wealthy, if slightly unhinged, American girl. Got a job paying big money in New York. Then September 11th happened (whilst he is in Manila on business).

Slowly this ideal, American dream world begins to fall to pieces. Firstly, his girlfriend - still pining for her deceased ex - goes mad and checks herself into a clinic. Then, realising that America is interfering in too much of other peoples business (What? America would do such a thing?! No!), he grows to despise his job and adopted country.

Beautifully, simply written, The Reluctant Fundamentalist engages you in the conversation in the Lahore eating establishment. Note that you never hear the American stranger's voice - as if Hamid is inviting the reader to sit with his narrator. Which makes for an easy, comfortable read.

While the book's title describes our protagonist as a fundamentalist, I'm not entirely sure he is. He doesn't appear to be openly or strictly religious at all. In fact, his main motivations are loving Erica and trying to hold on to her when it's clear that she's gone, and trying to establish an identity.

The Reluctant Fundamentalist isn't just a story of "terror attacks. World turns on Muslims. Muslims become fundamentalists", or any other well used Islam cliche. It's more the story of a confused young man, who seemingly has the world and a future in front of him.

10/10 - for inviting me to listen to the story, and eat in the restaurant.

Although I must admit I have no intention of reading the whole thing, I've read the first five chapters or so and I have to say that if any science book can interest a sciencephobic like myself, this is it. Bill Bryson is a hugely entertaining writer with a gift for bringing historical people (and places) to life, and his obvious enthusiasm for his subject is infectious.

This is probably one to dip into on a chapter-by-chapter basis rather than wade through the whole thing. Science has never been so entertaining...

When I saw this book in Waterstones I thought great a horror story set just after the Napoleonic wars, my kind of period and it features soldiers from my Grandad's regiment in a sort of Sharpe meets Buffy type tale.

Unfortunately what I got was the story of two wishy washy gentlemen officers who in the aftermath of Waterloo find a pyramid that unleashes a demon when it gets spashed with blood. Now without wanting to give too much away the pair end up in a secret order of warrior monks at the Vatican who are assigned to tackle a renegade French officer who is leaged with the villainous Count Ordrane of the Carpathians.

While derivative of Alan Mallinson's Matthew Harvey tales in terms of the main character, there are also elements derived from Sharpe (Irish best friend) Moorcock in the very Melniboneon descriptions of the vampyres and angels (black broadsword, pale skins and one of them is an albino) and worse still the Hugh Jackman Van Helsing movie (Vatican secret order of kung fu fighting monks with special weapons, including Baker rifles just like Sharpe had)

The battle scenes are a bit implausable and Curran relies too much on the intervention of supernatural beings to get his heroes out of trouble. The set piece sea battle is really quite poor and Curran really has no idea about how to fight a ship to ship engagement of that period, the rating of Royal Navy fighting ships of the time or their layout and armament. Particularly ludicrous was the idea that a few sailors could carry a ship's cannon up a deck to fire on the boarders with a bag of nails, does he have no idea how much one of those guns weigh? Perhaps when he researches the next one he should read some Hornblower, Patrick O'Brian or Richard Woodman.

Now given that this is the first part of a series he also makes the mistake of killing off virtually all of the incidental characters, something Cornwell or Woodman would take several books to do in keeping with the high mortality of the times, but allowing readers to build familiar reference points and relationships within the canon. The female characters seem to be there either to mother or admire the males and consequently are even more one dimensional than the heroes.

Not impressed

I have just finished Mitch Albom's book which has been on my 'must get round to reading' list for some time.

I am glad I read it but, for me, it seemed little more than a short story. I liked the idea of having the incomprehensible parts of your life explained to you after you die and the importance of forgiveness for yourself as well as others but I was left dissappointed with the characters, the plot and the ending.

For me an interesting collection of ideas but not a book I would recommend for anyone wanting a good read

I wonder what others thought of it?

this book is by Anita Shreve, an Amercian writer.

I have read quite a few of hers and enjoyed them. She does pick a great variety of topics.
She does have some good Readers notes and reviews if you want to look her up on the Internet.

This particular book, is about domestic violence, but told from the perspective of a Journalistic Reporter covering the story. Set in New York and Maine in the 1970s.

It covers various aspects, but includes murder, suicide.

A quote on the back dor Val Hennessy of the Daily Mail: Anita Shreve's chilling, highly plausible novel moved me to tears and raised my awareness of the shame, agony and isolation endured by women married to violent men".

The Lollipop Shoes, by Joanne Harris.

This is one of my favourite authors, I have read all her books, via the library and those I have picked up from Charity Shops. If you saw the film or read her book CHOCOLAT, this is it's sequel.

Both books have that enchanting fairy tale quality, where nothing is quite as it seems. Very enjoyable, it maybe a "ladies" book, but do give it go, and see what you you think.

Hubbie bought me the 100 Classic Book Collection for the Nintendo DS. As much as I prefer holding a book in my hand and feeling the pages under my fingers I am quite enjoying this experience and have chosen The Moonstone by Wilkie Collins as my 1st read.

Never before have I read anything by Wilkie Collins and I don't think I would've chosen to read anything by him if it wasn't for this 'game'. I look forward to reading it and reading the other novels that are enclosed.

I love this book. It's incredible - compelling, compassionate, and enthralling. Set in France, 1942. Concentrates on a little girl called Sarah who is a jewish girl living in Paris. One day, soldiers around the city start 'collecting' jews and keep them in the Veledrome d'Hiver in the city's center [called the Vel d'Hiv for short] before being shipped off to concentration camps in Nazi Germany. The book starts off amazingly, getting you hooked after the first page. Highly recommended.

Hmm... I think my top 5 books you have to read are as follows;

1. Anything by Jodie Picoult. Especially 'Nineteen Minutes' - they may be depressing, but the controversial issues make you think in depth about the book.

2. Swallows and Amazons. A classic. I can't remember the authors name, but I love it. I first read it when I was about 11 years old - but don't get me wrong, it's not a child's book.

3. Northern Lights trilogy by Phillip Pullman. My particular favourite is the third, last one called 'The Amber Spyglass'. Pullman invents different dimensions in a world and a gripping story line at the same time!

4. Watership Down. Another classic. A must-read-before-you-die book. Who knew a story from the view of a rabbit could be so enthralling? I cried... I never cry when reading books [except when Hedwig dies in Harry Potter... THAT was a sad moment]. it had mixed reviews, so it's not for everyone, but don't dismiss it! Get at least half-way before deciding to give up if you're still unsure about it.

5. The Secret Garden by Frances Hodgson Burnett. Sad, but lovely.

I've just finished reading 'The Girls of Riyadh' by Rajaa Alsanea which is also controversial, but about heritage, religion and society. The book was so scandalous in Saudi that it was banned! I recommend it - a great love story, and an in depth insight into Muslim life, from an originally extremely secretive society - it's interesting to see what is so shocking for them.

Next, I'm going to start reading three books at once (I like doing this sort of thing), they are:

-The Importance of Being Ernest, Oscar Wilde
- The Bell Jar, Sylvia Plath
- The Forgotten Garden, Kate Morton

Apparently, the Bell Jar is the most depressing book ever written, or something. So that makes me slightly unsure about that choice of book!

The Pirate's Daughter by Margaret Cezair-Thompson. This seems like two bookes in wone, it is partly the story of Errol Flynn the film star, living in Jamaica. It begins in 1946, and tells the tale of the daughter, May.

The second half of the book relates the history of the polical unrest in Jamaica as the neared Independance from England and the aftermath.

It was and interesting book, and hard to put down.

Unusually, it had questions at the back for Readers Groups to consider, a short piece on the author's writing, and a list of further reading.

It was really a trip to the sun and sea, without leaving your chair.