5 Stars

Bitter Greens by Kate Forsyth

BITTER GREENS by Kate Forsyth, Review: Beauty & gravitas

Kate Forsyth’s Bitter Greens was a Library Journal Best Book of 2014: Historical Fiction. Bitter Greens Synopsis Charlotte-Rose de la Force has been banished from court by the Sun King, Louis XIV, after a series of scandalous love affairs. She is comforted…

A Partial History of Lost Causes by Jennifer Dubois

A PARTIAL HISTORY OF LOST CAUSES by Jennifer duBois, Book Review

A Partial History of Lost Causes Synopsis In Jennifer duBois’s mesmerizing and exquisitely rendered debut novel, a long-lost letter links two disparate characters, each searching for meaning against seemingly insurmountable odds. In St. Petersburg, Russia, world chess champion Aleksandr Bezetov begins…

Andrew Kaufman's The Tiny Wife

THE TINY WIFE by Andrew Kaufman, Review: An absolute gem

The Tiny Wife Synopsis A remarkable short novella, a modern fable that is weird, uplifting and romantic all at the same time – from the author of All My Friends are Superheroes. A flamboyantly-dressed man enters a bank, and proceeds to…

Anthem by Ayn Rand

ANTHEM by Ayn Rand, Review: Moving anthem for individualism

Rand’s Anthem is a short but moving exploration of the power of the words ‘we’ and ‘I’. It shows how taken to the extreme on mass each of these words can evoke singlemindness leading to oppression that could prove disastrous to mankind.

David Nicholls One Day Book Review

ONE DAY by David Nicholls | Book, Movie & TV Series Review: Depth & compassion

One Day by David Nicholls oozes humour, depth and compassion. Why I recommend the audiobook, consider the movie a poor substitute but love the TV series also.

Has a novel ever made you laugh and want to cry at the same time? One Day did that to me.

Nicholls forces us to fall in love with his lead characters, Emma Morley and Dexter Mayhew, as we check in with them each year on the anniversary of their first liaison. How can one not feel a connection to these characters when they think the same things we have all thought? How can one not feel empathy for these hapless individuals when we have all made similar mistakes in our own lives?

Life of Pi Book Review

Life of Pi, Book Review: Yann Martel’s life-affirming gem

The Life of Pi novel, Yann Martel’s debut, truly deserves the accolades it has received. I was thoroughly engaged and entertained by this tale. Read my full review including some memorable book quotes below and we answer your burning question – was Life of Pi based on a true story?

The Girl Who Kicked the Hornet's Nest Review - Stieg Larsson

The Girl Who Kicked the Hornet’s Nest by Stieg Larsson, Review

The Girl Who Kicked The Hornet’s Nest, the finale of Stieg Larsson’s groundbreaking Millennium Trilogy wholeheartedly deserves its place amongst the bestselling crime fiction of this decade.
The action begins swiftly, exactly where Larsson left readers in the cliffhanging ending of The Girl Who Played With Fire.

Wanting by Richard Flanagan

Book Review – WANTING by Richard Flanagan

BOOK REVIEW Evocative. Wanting by Richard Flanagan is a story that will move even the most hardened of souls. Flanagan dares to ask the question, what is the difference between a savage and one that is civilized? This is a…