29 Mar-9 May 25 (audiobook)
Trix and I loved listening to this on our commutes. Rosamund Pike does a lovely narration and we enjoyed that she played Jane in the 2005 film. We found watching the various films and TV adaptions (except Zombies - still to scary for a 9yo) whilst listening to the book fun and I believe knowing the story actually enhanced Trix‘s reading as otherwise it could have been a bit beyond her.
Need to read Dickens for contrast.

24 Apr-9 May 25
A strange collection of slightly intertwined stories of rejection, self-hatred and nihilism. It is gross, disturbing and violent at times, but I also found it quite compelling. All of the characters are somewhat addicted to the online world and their own fantasies. Not sure I could recommend it to anyone but it certainly made me think. I believe it was a Jaclyn Crupi recommendation. Also worth reading Vulture review.

21-3 Apr 25
Light and predictable but nevertheless an enjoyable read.
Gail is having a bad day - informed that the principal at her school is retiring and not only is she being overlooked for promotion but the new principal is bringing her own VP. So she is already on edge before attending the festivities for her slightly estranged daughter, Debbie‘s, wedding.
The awkwardness and anxiety was certainly relatable.

29 Mar-20 Apr 25
Beautifully written and quite a compelling read.
Akbar tells the story of Cyrus, an Iranian-American whose mother was killed when the US shot down an Iranian passenger plane and who is trying to understand the nature of martyrdom in the context of his own life and addiction.
A little predictable but nevertheless a compelling and provocative read and so beautifully written.

11-28 Mar 25 (audiobook)
A short but engaging story about Stanley, a boy who is arrested for stealing sneakers that had been donated to raise money for a homeless shelter, and sentenced to a youth detention centre where the boys are sent out every day to dig holes in a scorching hot desert. Very much in the tradition of tall tales and adventure stories, the characters are engaging and all comes to a satisfying ending. A good listen.

3-28 Mar 25
2024 Booker Prize. The narrative follows 24 hours in the life of a group of Astro/cosmonauts in the international space station as they orbit 16 times around Earth. What this narrative allows Harvey to do, however, is give the reader a different perspective on our planet - the lack of borders, the beauty, the inevitability (and our hopelessness) of natural disasters. I do wish I read it quicker - really a book to read in one sitting.

2-10 Mar 25 (audiobook)
Trix could not remember this and, given her current interest in historical disasters via the I Survive series, I thought she may enjoy a re-listen. It is an amazing story

14 Jan-2 Mar 25
Finally finished! I remember enjoying this book at uni, but re-reading in anticipation of Polly studying it for IB LIT has been tedious. Perhaps it was because the structure was no longer novel? Or maybe it is a book that needs to be studied and discussed rather than read for pleasure? I may need to do some additional reading to appreciate it whilst it is still close to mind because as the moment it just seems contrived.

15 Dec-2 Mar 25 (audiobook)
I appreciate the LGBTQI+ friendliness of this book and its general message of found families and acceptance. It is great to be able to share and normalise all types of relationships and families with middle grade readers. But I did find this dragged a little. There was still lots of humour, particularly Luci and TBone, but I was less invested. Trix enjoyed.

22-3 Feb 25
One of Polly‘s IB literature book so quickly read whilst she was home for the weekend. It was fun and frivolous. I believe I saw the opera 20 years ago. All a bit silly and I now realise I probably should have read The Barber of Seville first.

4-5 Feb 25 (audiobook)
This seemed so light and fluffy after Navalny, but it was enjoyable even if Shiloh did really grate on my nerves at times. Perhaps Rowell wanted to portray her as authentic, but I did see her as a bit of an attention seeker. Her high school relationship with Cary drove me a little insane. I did like Cary, both mothers and Juniper.

31 Jan-3 Feb 25 (audiobook)
A fantastic memoir of Alexei Navalny, an incredibly brave Russian who trained as a lawyer and used his education, position and charisma to expose the corruption of Russian officials and challenge Putin for the presidency. Much of the book was written in a prison cell as Navalny was arrested re-entering Russia after his recovery from being poisoned by the state. An important and moving read from such an impressive man.

29-30 Jan 25 (audiobook)
It was so lovely to be immersed in Eilis‘ world for the last few days (particularly after the frenzy of Navarre). Toibin‘s writing is such a contrast to Yarros: subtle and understated.
This sequel takes place 20 years after Brooklyn, when Eilis flees life amongst Tony‘s tight Italian family in Long Island and returns to Ireland.
Like Rooney, Toibin draws sympathetic characters who struggle to communicate their desires.

28-9 Jan 25 (audiobook)
I loved this gentle story of belonging, homesickness and regret.
Like so many Irish, Eilis leaves her home and family to seek work elsewhere, in this case, Brooklyn. She suffers tremendous isolation and homesickness but eventually starts to find her feet in her new home, excelling at work and at night school and maybe falling in love. But tragedy sees her return home to Ireland and reconsider the life she could have there.

25-7 Jan 25 (audiobook)
I was sucked in to the dragon world again and it was fun. I am fond of Xaden, Violent doesn‘t really drive me that crazy and I appreciate the other characters. But I have kind of already forgotten what happened and why I was so into it a couple of days later. And I assume there will be a significant wait for the next one.
No idea who the ‘brother‘ is. I thought Dane but upon relistening realised it couldn‘t be.

20-4 Jan 25 (audiobook)
Done with the re-read. Not sure whether it stood up to a re-read but I listened quickly and am ready for number 3.

20-22 Jan 25 (audiobook)
Decided on a quick re-listen before the third instalment. Yes it is probably trashy dragon porn, but I am sucked in. Funny, I can‘t deal with ACOTAR or many of the other romantasy series, but I do like this one.

14-9 Jan 25 (audiobook)
A lot more complex than Mayflies, with a large cast of flawed characters, Caledonian Road centres on a year in the life of middle-aged writer, Campbell Flynn, in which his life unravels. At times it does feel like watching a train wreck as O‘Hagan foreshadows Campbell‘s (and many of his contemporaries‘) fall from grace.
Reflecting the zeitgeist (Me Too, Brexit and Putin-era Russia), this is a compelling and provocative read

12 Dec-13 Jan 25
Lovely to return to the world of Amari with Trix for the summer holidays, even if it is becoming a little dark.
Amari continues her fight against Dylan , who is becoming increasingly unhinged, perhaps due to the influence of the Despicable Wonders. Despite her inclination to go it alone, Amari learns to accept help from others.
The last few chapters did choke me up. Looking forward to the story continuing.

12-3 Jan 25 (audiobook)
I knew nothing other than this was shortlisted for the 2024 Booker and acclaimed by other readers before starting this debut novel. Set in 1960s Netherlands, it is a story of repression, silence and complicity. I did see the ‘twist‘ coming quite early on but don‘t feel that spoiled it in any way.
Reparation is a topic that interests me greatly. So much of what we have was taken from someone else.

27 Dec-12 Jan 25
2024 NYT top 10 but, perhaps due to my complete lack of knowledge of South American culture and history, I found it hard going.
Enrigue tells a tale of the conquistadors‘ arrival in Mexico City. It is a visceral reimagining of drug-induced dreams and bloodthirsty practices. Somewhat reminded me of Bolano.
Perhaps audio would have been better to avoid the names, but it may stay with me longer than more enjoyable reads.

9-12 Jan 25 (audiobook)
It would be dishonest to pan this: I listened voraciously and wanted to find out what happened to Frankie. But Hannah‘s books are not for me. She throws obstacle after (predictable) obstacle at her heroine before coming to the also predictable happy ending. Reminds me of other bestselling writers such as Bryce Courtenay.
I did appreciate the prompt to think more about nurses in war and the role of women in Vietnam.

4-8 Jan 25 (audiobook)
DONE! The final book in the collection. I particularly enjoyed Fry‘s introduction to this book, which acknowledges that some of these stories are repetitive of earlier tales but notes the audience seeks the comfort of the familiar. Sherlock and Watson behave just as we have come to expect and Conan Doyle continues to be a fabulous storyteller. There is some novelty in having Holmes tell a couple of the tales.

28 Dec-3 Jan 25!(audiobook)
Another good addition to the collection. The Devil‘s Foot was probably my favourite but The Dying Detective was also memorable.

24-27 Dec 24 (audiobook)
Phoebe checks in to a luxury hotel intending to kill herself but finds she is surrounded by people attending the wedding of a neurotic bride, Lila. Lila begs and bribes Phoebe to delay her suicide so as not to spoil her perfect wedding and an unlikely friendship begins.
Whilst the plot reads like a setup for a romcom, the writing delves deeper than expected, examining loneliness, expectations, and finding life‘s meaning

25 Nov-26 Dec 24
The Blue Sisters grew up with an alcoholic father and a mother who had prioritised him over her four daughters. Now, 12 months after an opiate overdose by Nikki, the most conventional of the four sisters, the remaining three are each unravelling. Mellors tells the story of the sisters‘ grief and of the friendship and friction between them incredibly well. I love Mellors‘ stories and their (primarily) NYC backdrop.

23-4 Dec 24 (audiobook)
Decided I needed some relief from Sherlock whilst I was out doing Christmas lunch errands (hell on Christmas Eve) and whilst I did really enjoy this, it wasn‘t light. Yes it was sometimes funny but also sad just how naive Margot was (about sex abuse, having a baby, drug addiction, money) and how few avenues there were for support. Highlighted generation and wealth gaps for me and did provoke more thought than expected.

20-23 Dec 24 (audiobook)
I particularly enjoyed this longer Holmes story. The historical aspect of the operation of the freemen‘s lodge and the Pinkertons was fascinating.

15-9 Dec 24 (audiobook)
This collection contains more stories about Moriarty, including how Holmes managed to survive their clifftop fall. My favourite is the Six Napoleons, which was quite faithfully recreated for the Sherlock series.

26 Nov-14 Dec 24 (audiobook)
Dryly humourous, this is the story of Lionel Baker. Lionel lives a quiet, rule-abiding existence working for the Department of Magical Youth inspecting orphanages which home children with magical abilities until he is asked to inspect an orphanage housing six extraordinary children, including Luci, the actual antichrist.
Heartwarming and funny, Trixie and I enjoyed this audiobook.

12-3 Dec 24 (audiobook)
Listened to much of this whilst putting the endless lights on the upstairs Christmas tree. Quite the task this year as the tree is enormous.
Having recently watched Sherlock, I was completely confused by my vague memories of reading the book as a teenager and the modern TV retelling.
Not really spooky but Fry‘s story about Conan Doyle‘s superstitions and fascination with the occult was interesting.

5-12 Dec 24 (audiobook)
Another collection - the last Conan Doyle wrote before killing Holmes off. I particularly enjoyed Silver Blaze, the Yellow Face and the Naval Treaty. And the reader is introduced to both Mycroft and Moriarty. Fry‘s forewords are particularly interesting. He has clearly been a fan all his life.

This collection comprises of 12 short stories that are classic Holmes. It was fun to listen to these after having finished watching the Sherlock series as a family and to recognise bits and pieces that were incorporated into the modern day retelling, particularly in the form of book characters. A Scandal in Bohemia and The Copper Beeches were probably my favourites. I was going to take a break at the end of this collection but decided to push on.

28-30 Nov 24 (audiobook)
The second Sherlock Holmes novel in this collection. I could really listen to Stephen Fry reading anything but I did enjoy this story for its introduction of Mary as Watson‘s love interest. I found Holmes‘ drug use a bit shocking - and wondered whether I should have allowed Trix to listen unsupervised. There probably were racist elements but I thought on the whole it was anti-colonialist.

7 Jul-27 Nov 24 (audiobook)
Finally finished this first story after Trix hijacked my account to listen to the whole series (which I wanted to encourage!) A good introduction to the characters and to Holmes‘ methodology but not the most riveting case. I did read them as a teen but looking forward to listening to Fry‘s narration of the entire series. Having piqued Trixie‘s interest, we have all been watching Sherlock, which is fantastic.

25-7 Nov 24 (audiobook)
I didn‘t expect much from this; after I bought the hard copy, Bella told me not to bother. Maybe that is why I enjoyed it.
Rooney tells the story of four people in their early 30s, all having experienced various degrees of mental health issues. There are the usual intellectual conversations (via email between the two women this time) and miscommunication, but ultimately this reads a little more like a conventional romance.

16-25 Nov 24 (audiobook)
I have been along for the ride for many of the Rick Riordan books (literally, as Trix has listened to most of them during commutes to and from school) and read all of the early books to Polly. But they have become increasingly formulaic and it really felt as though this was just to meet a publishing deadline. Guess I am not the target audience - Trix found it entertaining enough, although does enjoy the earlier books more.

22-5 Nov 24 (audiobook)
I was a mild TNG fan in my teens but have never watched an Xmen movie. Nevertheless, I do like Shakespeare and memoirs and Stewart‘s voice, so gave this a go. There were some amusing anecdotes but it was a little self-serving to me. Stewart seemed disingenuous and keen to paint his relationships with women in the best possible light. I do agree with his politics and his stance against domestic violence. Maybe just a pick?

1-24 Nov 24
A recommendation from Hill of Content, this is a beautiful, terribly sad book.
It alternates between the viewpoints of John, Margaret and their three children as they deal with the suicide of a parent and then the mental illness and addiction of one of the children. Haslett considers the familial links of depression, treatment and the impact it has on immediate family members. And it is relentless - there is no cure in this scenario.

17-21 Nov 24 (audiobook)
I loved this audiobook but can understand it would be a difficult read.
Set in Northern Ireland during The Troubles, the story is narrated by Middle Sister, an apparently Catholic teenager who is negotiating entry into adulthood in a suspicious, conservative and fearful society. She is stalked by the lecherous middle-aged Milkman and unsure about her relationship with Maybe Boyfriend.
The Wee Sisters are wonderfully funny!

14-6 Nov 24 (audiobook)
I absolutely hated this book, only finishing because it was short and I could then pan it.
The repetitive, simple writing style drove me crazy and was exacerbated by the bland, childish narration. The text was so laboured and obvious - it was clear from the start that you could not change the present, but could change the future. And the characters were incredibly obtuse. I cannot remember a book I have enjoyed less.

10-3 Nov 24 (audiobook)
In some near future the British government‘s Ministry of Time somehow finds a door to time travel and use it to rescue a handful of people from past eras to train them to live in our time. It sounds even sillier when I write it down!
The premise didn‘t make much sense to me but there were aspects of the book I enjoyed, particularly the difficulties the historical characters have adjusting to modern life, which were amusing.

31 Oct-17 Nov 24 (audiobook)
Beatrix and I were quickly hooked on this story of Auggie Pullman, a boy born with severe facial deformities who, after being homeschooled for his primary years, is encouraged to start attending a public middle school. Auggie is bullied relentlessly but also finds friendship and eventually acceptance. A good reminder for all of us of the importance of kindness above all else.

5-9 Nov 24 (audiobook)
We, of course, learned a great deal about Cook‘s first voyage at school but I knew very little about his other two voyages and had not known what a prominent figure he was in his own time. This was a very informative account but it was also engaging. I appreciated hearing about Cook from a modern viewpoint - Sides did not shy away from the sometimes brutal misdeeds of Cook and his men which no doubt led to Cook‘s death.

31 Oct-4 Nov 24 (audiobook)
A look at some of the more interesting stories, characters and controversies that have surrounded the Academy Awards over the course of its history including the Fontaine/deHavilland rivalry, Citizen Kane debacle, House of Unamerican Activities, #Oscarssowhite and Harvey Weinstein. Recommend to those with an interest.

8-31 Oct 2024
Two very different brothers in the immediate aftermath of the death of their much loved father.
Whilst there were many characteristics of Rooney‘s previous books, I enjoyed the differences in Intermezzo - the focus on male characters and in particular the happy ending. Ivan‘s chapters were easier to read but once I grew accustomed to the style of Peter‘s voice, I also enjoyed his story.

13-30 Oct 24 (audiobook)
A fun read on the school commute. I know I have seen the Studio Ghibli movie (possibly before having kids) but I remembered very little of the story.
Following a classic fairytale trope, Sophie is the eldest of three sisters, so destined for little. But cursed by the Witch of the Waste she meets Howl and the occupants of his enchanted castle and discovers she may be able to overcome the disadvantage of being the oldest.

26-30 Oct 24 (audiobook)
An entertaining look at the history of the Kings (and few Queens) of Britain from the fictional King Arthur through to Queen Elizabeth I. At times I found Mitchell‘s humour a little cringeworthy, but this is informative if irreverent history for those who know the names (not difficult with so many Henrys and Williams) but little detail. Did nothing to improve my view of the current monarchy or their presumed right to rule.

23-6 Oct 24 (audiobook)
Narrated by both Riley Keough and Julia Roberts, this is the story of Lisa-Marie Presley in her own words. Some of it confused me as it was not strictly chronological. What did come through was the love and appreciation she had for her father. And the difficulties in her relationship with her mother, Priscilla. The loneliness and addiction were heartbreaking. Not 100% successful for me but a very interesting text.

20-22 Oct 24 (audiobook)
A fictionalised account of Nancy Wake, an Australian woman who worked with the resistance in occupied France before becoming a British special ops agent.
Clearly it is a fascinating story but I found the device of moving between two timelines artificial. I also was frustrated by the fictionalisations (Marcelline was a fabrication!) and how much was deleted. I should not have listened through to the acknowledgements.