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
76. ‘The Thunderbolt Kid’ by Bill Bryson.
I do love Bill Bryson, and so did Mum. His sense of humour sometimes feels more British that American – very dry and acerbic – perhaps because he lived in the UK for a long […]
75. ‘Tolkien’, by Michael White
I should begin by making it completely clear that the ‘Lord of the Rings’ is, and has always been, the book(s) I would be most likely to choose, should I be forced to choose just […]
74. ‘My Name is Lucy Barton’ by Elizabeth Strout.
I think this may well be the best book I have read thus far this summer. Those who know me well will know that I rarely cry; tears do not come easily to me in […]
73. ‘Imposture’ by Benjamin Markovits
Well, now, what an fascinating book this was! The mystery and intrigue begin straight away in the prologue, and segue neatly into a semi-biographical, semi fictional account of a strange affair and a Gothic obsession; […]
72. ‘Snap’ by Belinda Bauer
Good weather is, I find, very conducive to reading! There are few things in life I enjoy more than sitting in the sunshine, with my hat on of course, and reading.. perhaps another is curling […]
71. ‘Dark Shadows Falling’, by Joe Simpson.
OK, Mum, NOW I understand why you have so many books about mountaineering, and especially books by Joe Simpson. What a book! The opening chapter is without a doubt one of the best opening chapters […]
70. ‘Sleeping on Jupiter’ by Anuradha Roy…and an Indian memory of my own.
Ah, India. How I love you, with all your brilliance, colour, clamour, spirituality, beauty and squalor too. The two years I spent in your embrace, which sums up exactly how it felt to be there, […]
69. Everest, The Book Test and a daft story.
I’m fascinated by mountains – one of the most wonderful road trips I have ever taken was through the Swiss Alps. Magnificent things! However, mountaineering is not something I have ever aspired to, or had […]
68. ‘Vanity Fair’ by William Makepeace Thackeray
What a wonderful book this is! I admit I have not re-read it this time, although I have read it several times in the past, most recently when I was working in Indonesia; I just […]
67. ‘Beloved’, by Toni Morrison
Without a doubt, one of the most powerful, devastating, moving and eye-opening novels I have ever read in my life. This book astonished me the first time I read it, back in the 90’s, and […]
