22 Britannia Road by Amanda Hodgkinson

I thoroughly enjoyed this book.  The story alternates between the present and past.   It is about the survival of a Polish family during and after the Second World War.   It tells the story of Janusz, Silvana and their son Aurek, separated at the start of the war and reunited seen years later in England.  The chapters alternate between their life at 22 Britannia Road, Ipswich and their separate ordeals during the war.  This structure works well and we get to hear both Janusz and Silvana’s individual voices.     I guessed early on what Silvana’s secret was, but that didn’t stop me wanting to read on as I cared enough about the characters to find out what was going to happen.  I loved the author’s attention to detail and the beautiful descriptions.  I look forward to reading more from this author. 

Amanda Hodgkinson is one of the authors appearing at the Parisot Literary Festival and I'm looking forward to going along and hearing her talk about her book.

 (Festival news can be found on festlitt.blogspot.fr/

The Magpies by Mark Edwards

I like a psychological thriller and this was a fast paced one.  The story follows Jamie and Kirsty as they settle in to their first new home together and start to plan their future.  Things soon turn sinister and their neighbours turn out to be the cause, although I did wonder if it was going to be more than that.  I enjoyed the book, but the ending seemed rushed and I was left asking many questions the main one being:- why didn’t Jamie go and speak to his other neighbours about the problems he was having.   I was waiting for a twist, which never happened!    

Toast by Nigel Slater

I knew Nigel Slater was a talented cook, but had no idea that he is also a talented writer.  His memoir, Toast, is based on a short story that was originally commissioned for the Observer.  It is a  wonderful portrayal of food in sixties suburban England.  He writes in an honest way, with nothing being “glossed” over.  At times his writing made me laugh, sigh and cringe!   Written in the form of short stories, each story uses a particular food as a framework and depicts his childhood and teenage years.  The descriptions are great – I particularly like the following (and I’m not even a big fan of bread and butter pudding!)  “You can’t smell a hug.  You can’t hear a cuddle.  But if you could, I reckon it would smell and sound of warm bread-and-butter pudding.” 

Winter in Madrid by C J Sansom

I found this an excellent and interesting read.  The author manages to convey a grim picture of Madrid following the Spanish civil war and the harshness of Franco’s reign in an atmospheric and realistic way.  It was a bit slow to start, but I persevered and was hooked.   The story follows the main character Harry Brett as he is recruited to spy on one of his old public school friends in Madrid.  It is part spy story and part love story. The characters were well drawn, if a little stereotypical.   I had no idea of the lengths that Britain went to in keeping Spain from joining the war against Britain.   It’s left me wanting to read more about this period in Spanish history.  

The Lantern by Deborah Lawrenson

I enjoyed this book.  The story follows Eve who meets Dom and, after a whirlwind romance, moves with him to the crumbling hamlet of Les Genevriers in Provence.  As they settle in to their new home all is rosy until Eve starts to question what happened to Dom’s ex-wife Rachel.  At the same time, strange things start to happen in the house.  The story also follows the life of Benedicte, a former inhabitant of Les Genevriers.  The chapters, which are very short, alternate between the present day with Eve and the past with Benedicte.    For me Benedicte’s story didn’t flow as well.  I found Eve’s story much more interesting and was thoroughly engrossed as she searched for the answers to Dom’s secrets.  The descriptions of Provence and perfume are rich and evocative.    

Foreign Bodies By Cynthia Ozick

Hmm not sure what I thought about this. The novel was shortlisted for the Orange Price for Fiction 2012.  The story is set in the 1950's and switches between New York and Paris.  It follows Bea Nightingale as she goes to Paris to “rescue” a nephew she barely knows at the request of her estranged brother.  Cynthia Ozick has a unique style and her characters all have distinct voices.  It is well written with lots of descriptive prose.  I liked the character of Bea, although at times I wanted to shake her.  There are rave reviews for this book, but I’m not sure her particular style is for me.  

Poets of 2012 - The UK Poetry Library

I was given this book as a present.  It contains some beautiful poetry.  It’s a compilation of the works submitted to The UK Poetry Library over the past year and brings together poets from all over the world.  It is the first book produced by the UK Poetry Library.  If you are an aspiring poet, take a look at their website:  www.ukpoetrylibrary.co.  It is a great website and you will see that, as well as presenting some wonderful poetry, it is also possible to submit some of your own poetry.