My darling Mum died in October 2017 after a short illness. Such stark words to describe so very enormous a loss. As she put it herself though, we all survive the most appalling things, things […]
Mum's Books
A journey through my Mum's library, reading, reviewing and gifting forward her beloved books
114. ‘Her Fearful Symmetry’ by Audrey Niffenegger.
I came home from doing the Sunday market last weekend exhausted and collapsed on to Mum’s sofa to read. I’ve been trying to get into a book I have been told I should read – […]
113. ‘Atonement’ by Ian McEwan.
I’m blown away, exhausted, and deeply completely satisfied once again by the intense narrative, exquisite prose, and deeply moving story within this novel. I dived into this wonderful book over the weekend with all the […]
112. ‘Blossoms and Shadows’ by Lian Hearn.
I’ve strayed away from your books recently, Mum, and been reading books I’ve purchased in charity shops when I’ve been out op-shopping for BeckyandVince. This was one of them – many, many years ago, Fourth […]
111. Two Remarkable Books By Owen Sheers, ‘Resistance’ and ‘I Saw a Man’.
Goodness me. I wasn’t expecting much when I picked up ‘Resistance’ for 50p in a charity shop in Kidderminster to read during my two week quarantine at Howard Springs in March 2021, but something about […]
110. ‘Accordion Crimes’ by E. Annie Proulx.
Massive, meaty, magnificent.
Blimey. I’m sixty!
Earlier this year I turned sixty. And I approached it with a great deal of trepidation – not because of the number, but because of where I find myself, both physically and mentally. I give […]
109. ‘Pachinko’ by Min Jin Lee.
What a surprisingly great read this turned out to be! I literally devoured it cover to cover on a rainy afternoon – knowing little but the basics of the history of the area, much of […]
108. ‘Into The Water’ by Paula Hawkins.
Paula Hawkin’s debut novel, ‘The Girl on the Train’, was a runaway success both as a novel and a movie and really, deservedly so – it had all the required elements for a good old […]
107. ‘We Need to Talk About Kevin’ by Lionel Shriver.
Oh my word. What an absolutely harrowing, enthralling, devastating book. I’m told there is a movie – I haven’t seen it and I’m glad of that as it would have entirely spoilt the unforgettable finale […]
106. ‘Nine Perfect Strangers’ by Liane Moriarty.
Picked up on a whim in a recent charity shopping spree searching for costume jewellery for BeckyandVince, and thoroughly enjoyed in an afternoon sitting! This is an entertaining and quite cleverly put together novel, using […]
Mum's Books 