Reader Reviews
Your chance to talk about books!
Readers across Peterborough tell us about the books they've
been reading and what they thought of them.
To send your thoughts about a book, simply email
us.
Latest Reviews
*** BOOK OF THE MONTH ***
The Deadhouse, by Linda
FairsteinSet in present day New York, this crime thriller follows
Assistant District Attorney Alexandra Cooper as she investigates
the killing of a university professor.
I enjoyed the interesting addition of a bit of history -
Roosevelt Island was used in Victorian times for hospitals,
asylums, penitentiaries - which was woven into the story. Alex is a
feisty character and the relationships and interplay between her
and other cops adds dimension to the story.
A gripping plotline, well rounded characters and a bit of New
York's history - what else could you ask for!
Night Shift, by Lilith
Saintcrow"Gritty, violent ... but extremely gripping ... combined with
a feisty heroine. Well worth reading..."
Described as "urban fantasy" but also with an element of
horror.
The story centres round Jill Kismet, a Hunter who patrols the
paranormal underworld of the city and tracks down demons. She works
alongside ordinary cops in an American city - so there's a fusion
of reality and fantasy in this book.
Gritty, violent (plenty of blood and gore!) but extremely
gripping - you just have to keep reading. Combined with a feisty
heroine who's willing to do all it takes (and more) to keep her
city safe, it's a fast paced and exciting read and will make you
see the world in a different light - do you really know what comes
out at night?!
The characterisation is brilliant - humans, Weres, Jill
herself - you feel you get to know them all.
Well worth reading (as long as you're not squeamish!)
Tuesday's Child, by Louise
Bagshawe"An easy, comfortable and happy read!"
Tomboy Lucy shares a flat with her best mate Ollie, and has
the seemingly perfect job of writing reviews of computer
games. But when everything goes wrong and she
needs to find a new job, can she give up the tomboy image to become
the perfect young lady for work and romance?
A light read, with a realistic character I warmed to. Very
readable and you care about what happens to her, knowing all the
way through that her real self is bound to come bouncing back
through ... and you're just waiting for that happy ending.
An easy, comfortable and happy read!
"...a joy to read and can highly recommend it."
If you like Thomas Hardy's
novels, then the chances are you will enjoy Mary Webb's 'Precious
Bane' (first published in 1924). Both these writers have left
us a legacy of stories rich in English country customs and folklore
and offer beautiful, poetical descriptions. Furthermore,
these writers create plots as intense as a Greek
tragedy. Mary Webb (1881-1927) was born in Shropshire and spent most of
her life there. She sets the story of 'Precious Bane' in early
nineteenth century Shropshire just after the Napoleonic wars - at a
time of agricultural unrest.
The novel had unusual subject matter for its time in that it
depicted the lives of the rural poor and had a working woman, Prue
Sarn, as its main protagonist. Prue has to deal
with her obsesssionally ambitious brother and overcome the
hostility of people who target her difference (she has a
harelip) and accuse her of witchcraft. Light is a
central motif for the novel - whether it is Prue Sarn's inner
radiance or the weaver Kester Woodseave's ability to weave bright
colours.
Most members of the Glass Onion Reading Club found it a
joy to read and can highly recommend it.
World Without End, by Ken
Follett"...takes you into the medieval world seen through the eyes of
a real family of tradesmen"
This book is actually a follow-on to an earlier book, "Pillars
of the Earth" but it can be read as a stand-alone.
Both "Pillars of the Earth", and "World Without End", take you
into Medieval Britain from the 1100s to the 1300s.
The books follow a family of builders - who have high
ambitions of building great cathedrals. To achieve their dreams
they have to battle not only the poverty and difficulties of life
at the time, but also the intrigue and conflict of the
ever-powerful monasteries.
If you like a book which takes you into the medieval world
seen through the eyes of a real family of tradesmen, then this
might be for you. There's a lot of detail about building of the
time (arches, etc...) which personally I skipped over, without
spoiling the story. But if you're interested in that sort of thing
it would add more value to your read.
This book is quite a hefty read - over 1000
pages - but well worth the effort.
A Guide to the
Birds of East Africa, by Nicholas Drayson"...a gentle and light read, with an unusual setting"
Although the cover is misleading (it looks like a bird guide!)
this is a little gem of a novel.
I'm a fan of the No. 1 Ladies Detective series, and picked
this up because it sounded similar. Indeed it didn't
disappoint!
Set in Kenya, it's a gentle love story, with two men both
wanting to ask one lady to the dance ... both regulars at a weekly
bird walk, their wager is that the one who sees the most birds will
win the chance to offer their invitation to Rose.
You don't necessarily need to be interested in birds to enjoy
this book - it doesn't go into too much description.
For me it evoked the atmosphere of a beautiful country, albeit
with its problems which are hinted at but not emphasized too much.
The characters came alive for me, all from different backgrounds
and race which made for a good mix. There is an underdog for whom
everything goes wrong - will he win out in the end...?
A gentle and light read, with an unusual setting, it's ideal
for a bit of escapism!