I’m a big fan of Sandi Toksvig on the TV, as was Mum. She is fast and funny, with a wicked sense of humour, and last year did a marvellous job becoming one of the […]
Mum's Books
A journey through my Mum's library, reading, reviewing and gifting forward her beloved books
18. ‘Sea Glass’ by Anita Shreve.
I’m going to start by saying that I have never read any of Anita Shreve’s books before. My personal taste tends to run on a different course, but that said, I did enjoy this novel, […]
17. A Fine Balance’ by Rohinton Mistry.
Unusually, I am proud to say that this is a book I recommended and gave to Mum. Particularly after she had retired from being a primary school teacher, it was more often the case that […]
17. ‘Testament of Youth’ by Vera Brittain.
What a remarkable experience this book this has been. I readily confess, I found it quite hard to read, but have been unable to stop thinking about it ever since. It is by no means […]
16. ‘The heart goes last’ by Margaret Atwood.
I can’t help it – I see a Margaret Atwood and I simply have to read it! And I think that since the TV adaptation of the Handmaids Tale, more and more people are realising […]
15. ‘A Girl in Winter’ by Philip Larkin.
This book has taken me a while to digest, despite not being an especially long book. Philip Larkin is primarily known for his poetry, but this is a most beautifully written, mysterious, puzzling, and evocative […]
14. ‘Heat Wave’ by Penelope Lively.
What an intriguing book this turned out to be – a slim volume packed full of punch. First published in 1996, Mum read it the following year, and kept it, which is an indication of […]
13. ‘One night in winter’ by Simon Sebag Montefiore.
I watched several of Mr Montefiore’s TV series with Mum; we both enjoyed them as we agreed that he, although mildly pompous, was undoubtedly erudite, and presented his topics with an infectious enthusiasm. We especially […]
12. ‘The Cement Garden’ by Ian McEwan.
Crikey. This was Mr McEwans first novel, written in the Seventies, and it’s bleak, macabre, and haunting in a deliberately flat and atonal way. I don’t think I have ever read a book quite like […]
11. ‘And did those feet’ by Charlie Connelly.
It’s unusual for a book to actually make me laugh out loud while I’m reading it, but I have to admit this one did…several times. A little treasure found amongst her books, like a lovely […]
Mum's Books 