Norah Roberts "Irish Hearts"
ISBN 0-373-48400-3
This is two books.. Irish Thoroughbred..her first book, and the sequel to it... Irish Rose. The first book is about Dee, an orphan who moves from Ireland to America to live with her uncle Paddy. She falls in love with her boss Travis who owns a large thoroughbred farm and she marries him. The second book has the same character Dee, visiting her homeland with her husband and three children and a friend Burke. Burke takes Erin, a cousin of Dee's back to America with him to be his book-keeper. Erin and Burke marry and after a few stormy months she has her dreams fulfilled.
Barbara Delinsky "The passions of Chelsea Kane"
ISBN 0-06-104093-2
This is the story of Chelsea Kane finding his roots since he was adopted at birth. This is one of those stories where you know early on what the outcome is possibly going to be, but this does not detract from the story. A great read, keeping you captivated till the end.
Danielle Steel "Star"
ISBN 0-440-20557-3-595
Crystal is a beautiful girl, but does not recognise her own beauty. She falls in love at the age of fourteen but keeps it a secret from everyone, including the person she falls in love with. This story follows Crystal as she becomes a Hollywood Star and then finally settles down in the valley where she had grown up.
Danielle Steel "Daddy"
ISBN 0-440-20762-2-595
Ollies' wife Sarah decides that she needs to ahve a life, and decides to go back to school. Son Sam is ten, daughter Mellisa is fifteen and Benjamin is seventeen. Once sarah starts school, she doesn't return, instead she enjoys the college life. This book is about Ollie, remaking a life for himself.
Joan Junker "Down Our Street"
ISBN 9-9999-8324-3
This story is set just after the second world war in Liverpool. I found this book difficult to get into, especially since I found the two main characters, Mollie and Nellie were always laughing and joking and taking the Mickey out of each other and was written mainly in speach. Once I got into the narative, I enjoyed the laughs and it ended up being a good read.
Sheelagh Kelly "A Complicated Woman"
ISBN 0-00-649650-4
Bright Maguire and Nat Prince marry and have a daughter Oriel. This story is set in Australia just after the second world war. Oriel marries but is not in love, has two children and then decides to leave her husband. She meets her friend's husband Danuiel who she has loved since first meeting him. They live together and go through poverty but evntually Oriel's parents find out and all ends happily.
Norah Roberts "Born In Ice"
An interesting story of a woman called Brie, set in Ireland. Brie runs a guest house very efficiently. This story follows her life for about eight months. This is the most interesting Norah Roberts book I have read so far. I found it difficult to put down and though I could almost predict the outcome, it was enjoyable.
Rosie Thomas "A Simple Life"
ISBN 0-7493-2243-8
Dinah and Matthew have moved from England to Franklin, New England. However, a secret from fifteen years previous haunts Dinah and eventually leads her back to England in search of her daughter, who been adopted. An interesting tale, showing how the past can haunt our present lives.
Emma Blair "Maggie Jordan"
ISBN 0-553-40072-x
An interesting story following the life of Maggie Jordan from the flod at Heymouth, her life in Glasgow and then Spain where her and her fiance are fighting against France. She returns to Glasgow where she is living with her husband and daughter when an old friend returns to her life.
Danielle Steel "Wings"
ISBN 0-440-21751-2
Set after the first world war this story tells about Cassie and her love of flying and determination to become a pilot against her father's wishes. A compelling story that I thoroughly enjoyed.
Charlotte Bingham "Distant Music"
ISBN 0-553-81387-0
Set after the Second World War the story follows Elsie, the grand-daughter of Dotty, as she makes her way in the acting profession. Also Oliver, son of gentry from Yorkshire who goes into the acting profession even though is father does not want him to. Oliver pretends to be Cliffie's son, the butler of the Plunkett's. A lovely story showing the delights and pitfalls of the actors' life.
Patricia Wendorf "Larksleve"
ISBN 0-7088-2860-4
The first in a series of three books.
Set near Taunton, Somerset, UK, this book follows the lives of Eliza Geypaull and gypsy Meridiana Carew. It is set in the 1840's. The details in and around Taunton and Montecute is great for me, especially since I grew up in Taunton. I enjoyed hearing about the theatres and life in Taunton as well as the lives of Meri and Eliza.
Patricia Wendorf "Blanche"
ISBN 0-7088-2361-2
The second book in the series.
This book follows the life of Blanche Greypaull and her family. It also follows the life of the Carew's, especially Meridiana and Luke and their children. Another great read!
Patricia Wendorf "Bye Bye Blackbird"
ISBN 0-7088-3676-3
The third and last book in the series.
The last book in the series following Meri's grandson Sev, and Eliza's grand-daughter Eva, with the climax being the giving back of the coral pendant by Eve to Meri before she moves away from Montacute with her husband Sev to live in Yeovil. Another great read!
Select Editions (Readers Digest) "Nicholas Sparks:True Believer (the prequel to At First Sight"; "Bob Dole: One soldier's story";"Sophia Kinsella: The Undomestic Goddess"; "James Twinning: The Double Eagle"
No ISBN number
Another four stories in condensed version, all very good though I wished I had read Nicholas Spark's True Beliver before reading At First Sight as I might have enjoyed it more.
Select Editions (Readers Digest) "Jeffrey Archer: False Impressions"; "Nicholas Sparks: At First Sight";"Rosie Thomas: Sun at Midnight"; "Patricia Smiley: Cover Your Assets"
No ISBN number
These four stories are condensed stories. I have read the original story of "Sun at Midnight" and it is much preferable to the condensed version. However, all these four condensed stories are great to read, so it makes me think the original uncondensed book woudl make extremely good reading.
Daniele Steel "Thurston House"
ISBN 0-440-18532-7
Another great story written by Daniel Steel, set in the Napa Valley at the turn of the twentieth century. Jeremiah Thurston loses his first wife to illness and then twenty years later meets and marries a young love who deserts him and leaves him with their child to bring up on his own. His daughter believes her mother to be dead and it isn't until after her father's death that she discovers the truth. Thurston House, the house that Jeremiah built for his second love, is left to his daughter. An easy read.
Edward Rutherford "The Forest"
ISBN 0-345-47936-x
Another of Edward Rutherford's epic novels, this time set in the New Forest in the south of England. I foudn this book really interesting since I lived in the New Forest for nearly thirty years. He mentioned a lot of places that I knew and so could visualise. Plus he included surnames that I knew are still existing in the Forest. A great book!
Jean M Auel "The Valley of Horses"
ISBN 0-553-23481-1
A slow book to get into. Set in the distant past, describing Ayla's life in the wilds on her own. Interesting in places. However I found the ending to be very disappointing... it was as if the author had had enough of writing and stopped abruptly when the story could have been taken further.
Tasmina Perry " Gold Diggers"
ISBN 978-0-00-726239-7
The story of a young Jet setting group of people, out for the good life and money, power and sex. Although interesting in places the novel left much to be desired since there were many grammatical errors, "a" being used where "an" should have been, and extra words making the sentence illogical. The story line overall was interesting, and the murder plot a surprise.
Danielle Steele " The Long Road Home"
ISBN 0-552-14502-5
The story of Gabriella, the young girl who was hated by her mother and ill treated. Set in New York. Her father watches while she is battered and does nothing about it, finally leaving the family. Her mother goes off to Reno to remarry, leaving Gabriella in a convent at the age of ten. There she finally finds love and safety. The story tells of her growing up, finding and losing love, and surviving in the world, finally able to find forgiveness and freedom from guilt. Another great book from Danielle Steel!
Jess Foley " So Long at the Fair"
ISBN 0-09-941576-3
This story centres around Abbie, who was due to go into service when her mother walks out on the family and leaves Abbie to bring the youngsters up. Abbie studies in her spare time and becomes a teacher. Her eldest sister is about to be married and the two sisters have a great day at the fair. However disaster strikes them on their way back from the fair and the consequences last for many years, affecting Abbie's life. A great story and another difficult book to put down!
Anne Murray " Birmingham Blitz"
ISBN 0-330-36788-9
Genie is in her teens and discovers her Gran dead. This is the story of Genie and her life in Birmingham in the war years (WW2) and how Genie tries to keep the family together. Her dad goes off to war, her young brother goes to live in the country and her mum has an affair. An interesting story, easy to read, difficult to put down!
Audrey Howard " Beyond the shining Water"
ISBN 0-340-71808-0
Lily Elliot loves the sea and the ships and especially her father's boat the "Lily-Jane". When her father dies unexpectedly everything is lost due to all his debts, and life changes drastically for Lily Elliot. A gripping story that is difficult to put down, keeping you enthralled right to the end.
Danielle Steele " Echoes"
ISBN 0-552-14994-2
Beata, a German girl, meets and marries Antoine de Vallerand, a Frenchman. She is Jewish, he is Catholic. Both families do not like the association and disown them. Beata's family sits Shiva and to them she is dead. Antoine's family disown him but on the death of his father he will become Count. The story takes place during WW1 and later WW2. A very interesting read following their lives and the life of Amadea, their daughter who becomes a nun.
Aileen Armitage "Chapter of Echoes"
ISBN 0-261-66507-3
The story of Eva Bower and her friends Zoe and Fay, beginning with them finishing schooling. Eva and Zoe take a trip across france, then come back to the UK and start their new business in the fashion world. I found the story line to have a lot of unbelievable incidences and could not lose myself in the story. Not a book I would recommend.
Danielle Steel "The House on Hope Street"
ISBN 0-440-23700-9
A very easy read. The story of a lawyer and her family and the fate that befalls them one Christmas Day. The story of how the family learn to live again after the death of the head of the family. Easy to read, hard to pout down!
Paul J Newell "The Turning"
ISBN 0-9552245-0-0
A very interesting and different book. One that was very difficult to put down. It kept me interested right to the end! Lleyton Quinn gets arrested and interogated about a missing person and ends up helping the investigator. Some interesting twists in the story. The book is a blend of crime thriller and science fiction. A great read! I have also read some of this author's unpublished short stories (they were unpublished when I read them and might have since been published) which I enjoyed. I look forward to reading more from this author!
Susan Sallis "Time of Arrival"
ISBN 0-552-14903-9
This book is set in 1951, and is the story around one train journey from Bristol to Paddington. In an instant lives are changed and strangers become friends. A great read.
Rosie Thomas "The Potter's House"
ISBN 0-09-927157-5
This book is set on a tiny Greek Island where the ferry comes in only once a week in Winter time. The story of two people, Olivia and Kitty whose lives could have been interchangeable but for one incident that altered the future for Kitty. Thought provoking.
J.K. Rowling "Harry potter and the Deathly hallows"
ISBN 978-0-7475-9582-3
The last in the Harry Potter series. Equally as good as all the previous books, with the added attraction of Harry as an adult with his family, in the final pages. I think this is a series I will be reading again in the future!
J.K. Rowlingr "Harry potter and the Half-Blood Prince"
ISBN 13-978-1-55192-985-9
Harry potter's sixth year at Hogwarts. Another fantastic book of J.K. Rowling.
Michael Faber "The Crimson Petal and the White"
ISBN 0-15-602877-8
This is the story of a prostitute called Sugar, in Victorian England who climbs through the social network to become a governess. An interesting story in the fact that the author includes you, the reader, in the dialogue, especially in the introductory chapters.
Barbara Delinsky "Facets"
ISBN 0-446-35945-9
This is the story of John St George and his step-sister Pam who hates her step brother. John uses people, including his own step-mother, to get what he wants. His long time girl friend hears on the television of John's engagement, and sets out to bring John down, with the help of Pam and Cutter (who Pam would have married if it hadn't been for her step-brother). An interesting story, a bit unbelievable in places, but a light read.
James Herriot "If only they could talk"
ISBN 0-330-23783-7
I believe this is the second in the vet series but I have not yet read the first book "It shouldn't happen to a vet". I have watcched the vet series on British TV "All Creatures Great and Small" which was an excellent series, but as usual the books are even better. This first book deals with life in the early days at the Farnon's household when James first starts practicing as a vet.
James Herriot "Let Sleeping Vets Lie"ISBN 0-330-24156-7
Another book about the life of a vet caled James, in Darrowby, Yorkshire. James meets Helen and by the end of this book James has married her.
James Herriot "Vet in Harness"ISBN 0-330-24663-1
Another great book in this vet series. I found myself laughing out loud, as I did in the previous books, at some of the antics James writes about.
James Herriot "Vets Might Fly"ISBN 0-330-25221-6
The fifth book in the vet series. James joins the RAF during the second world war. However the book is still about James memories of life in Darrowby as a vet.
James Herriot "Vet in a Spin"ISBN 0-330-25532-0
The sixth book in the series deals with life in the RAF and James having to leave due to ill health that prevented him being a pilot. Again the book is mainly about his life as a vet in Darrowby. I found all the books to be extremely readable and very difficult to put down. Fantastic!
Jeffrey Archer "First Among Equals"
ISBN 0-06-100716-1
I have read several Jeffrey Archer books and have enjoyed them all. This one was equally enthralling and once started was difficult to put down. This book chronicles the lives of four men who battle for the prize of Prime Minister. Although it is a novel, a lot of the key happenings feature people that actually existed. The book I was reading said it was "the complete and unabridged version never before published in the US" (printed Oct 1993).
Judith Krantz "I'll Take Manhatten"
ISBN 0-553-26407-9>>495
Another good book by Judith Krantz, though not as compelling as the previous one I read. Set in Manhatten it centres on the life of Maxi and her family. I found the book got more interesting as I got further into the book.
Judith Krantz "Till We Meet Again"
ISBN 0-553-28014-7>>595
A fantastic read! A book that once started is difficult to put down. The story is about a young girl, Freddy, who becomes a pilot; about her mother Eve who ran away from home when she was sixteen, and about the life of the family.
Danielle Steel "Changes"
ISBN 0-440-11181-1
A great read! A very compelling story about Melanie Adams and her life as a TV presenter and her story of a heart surgeon. The heart surgeon, Peter Hallam, is widowed and has not time for love and neither does Melanie. However the two of them find that their life is destined to be together.
Chaim Potok "The Promise"
ISBN 449-01449-125 (I am assuming this is the ISBN number ..it was on the spine but did not say ISBN!)
I found this to be an unusual book. It was a very strange story and had lots of information about Jewish law and tradition. It centres on the life of Reuven and the problems that Michael has. Interesting but not easy to get into!
le Carre "Our Game"
ISBN 04027-840-6-3
I am not used to reading spy novels and I didn't think I would enjoy one. However, this book kept me enthralled right to the end. It is set in England and in Russia and centres on Larry and his life. I now understand why Le Carre is a number one best seller!
E.L Doctorow "Billy Bathgate"
ISBN 0-06-100007-8
Billy Bathgate is spied juggling by the gangster Dutch Schultz during the days of the depression. Billy gets involved with the world of the gangsters. This book is very detailed in some of the dealings with the gangster world. It is a book that I did not really enjoy, yet at the same time I could not abandon it until I had found out what happened in the end!
Annie Murray "The Narrowboat Girl."
ISBN 0-330-39628-5
Unlike the previous book I was captivated by this story! It is set in 1930's in the Birmingham area. This book centres on the life of Maryann, who has suffered abuse by her father and leaves home to join the life of the narrow boaters on the canal. A great story, that is difficult to put down. I can thoroughly recommend this book.
Annie Murray "Water Gypsies"
ISBN 0-330-49214-4
This book carries on from "The Narrowboat Girl", centreing on the life of Maryann and her life on the canals. Equally as captivating as the previous novel, being an easy read and difficult to put down once started! I will be looking out for more Annie Murray books. Her "Chocolate Girls" was a very good read too.
Sherry Thomas "Private Arrangement"
ISBN 978-0-440-24431-8
Lord and Lady Tremaine had a marriage based on the fact that Camden needed money Gigi had it. However Gigi tricked Camden into marrying her and he discovered it on the eve of his wedding. He did marry Gigi but walked out on her the day after their wedding. This book flips back between that day and ten years later when Gigi (still in love with Camden) files for divorce. Although an interesting romance, not easy to get into.
Harry Bowling "As Time Goes By"
ISBN 0-7472-5882-1
An excellent novel. Easy to read, difficult to put down, and captivating. Set in the Bermondsey area in london during the Blitz, this novel follows the life of those who live in this area. A great novel!
Harry Bowling "That Summer in Eagle Street"
ISBN 0-7472-5196-7
Another excellent novel by Harry Bowling! Again set in the Bermondsey area, but the time is now 1951. This novel follows the people in the area, especially Linda and Charlie who fall in love and end up working for the notorious Carter brothers. I will be looking for more Harry Bowling novels to read as he makes life in the East End real and vivid, showing what life was life in an era long gone.
Jeffrey Archer "Not a penny more, not a penny less"
ISBN 0-340-25573-0
An excellent book by Jeffrey Archer! Harvey metcalfe is a self made millionaire who makes his money by pulling off shady deals. however this time he makes his money off four people who find out they have been swindled and set to get back every penny that they were swindled out of. A great read!
J.K. Rowling "Harry Potter and The Goblet of Fire"
ISBN 1-55192-706-3
This is the fourth book in the series and Harry Potter's fourth year at Hogwarts with his friends Hermione and Ron. Another excellent story, full of detail and suspense that keeps the reader enthralled right to the end. A lot of detail in this book is missing from the film of the same name. As with the other books they are superior to the film!
J.K. Rowling "Harry Potter and The Prisoner of Azkaban"
ISBN 1-55192-704-7
This is the third book in the series. Another gripping read and another year in the life of Harry Potter. Equally as good as the previous two!.
J.K. Rowling "Harry Potter and The Chamber of Secrets"
ISBN 1-55192-702-0
This is the second book in the series and Harry Potter's second year at Hogwart's School. It carries on from the first book but would be a good read even if you had not read the first book. Like the first book it is full of detail and suspense keeping the reader interested right to the end. Although I had seen the film I was eager to keep reading right till the end. Gripping!
J.K. Rowling "Harry Potter and The Philospher's Stone"
ISBN 1-55192-700-4
Better (as I find most books are!) than the film which I found tremendously enjoyable. Although this is a children's book it is a great read for an adult too. The book is very descriptive, with a great plot. I got given the book at Christmas but would not start it until I had read the saga I was already into. I started this book yesterday and already have finished it and about to start the next! A fantastic read!
R.F.Delderfield "Theirs was the kingdom"
ISBN 0-340-16225-2
This book is about the "Swan" family who have the "Swan-on-wheels" transport business throughout England and Ireland. I like sagas. This one however took me a while to get into. I think that might be because I was only reading it for ten or fifteen minutes at a time. By the time I was halfway through the book, it was a different matter and I was eager to find out what was hapenning in the various regions of the business and with the various members of the family. The book spans just over ten years, from 1878 to 1890 and ends with the retirement of Adam when George, one of his sons, takes over the business and motorized transport is just becoming a posibilty. Worth reading!
Barbara Delinski "The Carpenter's Lady"
ISBN 0-06-103024-4
Deborah moves to the country, buys a house that needs renovating and attempts to hire a carpenter called Graham Reid. She hires him, the house gets renovated and they get involved with each other. A quick read but good.
Danielle Steel "Silent Honour"
ISBN 0-552-14132-1
An excellent read! Set in the USA during the period of the bombing of Pearl Harbour where eighteen year old Hiroko, from Japan is completing her education. This novel is gripping, giving an insight into the lives of Japanese in the states at this time and what they had to endure.
Jeffrey Archer "Sons of Fortune"
ISBN 0-312-99353-6
Another superb book of Jeffrey Archer's! A really good read that keeps you interested right to the last page. The book is centred around two twins, that were separated at birth, Fletcher and Nathaniel. Each is followed in their life story until, unknowing that they are brothers, they are rival politicians, each fighting for the same seat. I have yet to read a book of Jeffrey Archer's that I have not enjoyed.
Dan Brown "The Da Vinci Code"
ISBN 0-385-50420-9
I saw the film of this while in the UK and thoroughly enjoyed it. My eldest daughter said that the book was even better and when I got back to Vancouver I found that my husband had already borrowed the book from a friend. My husband said he hadn't been able to get into it, and he has since seen the film and enjoyed it. However I found the book to be much better than the film, especially as you got to see the codes written down and could take as long as you wanted with them! It was a book about subjects I had been interested in for a long time.. .. the Knights templar, the Rosicrucians, the Holy Grail and the search for it. I found it to be a great novel full of intrique.
Danielle Steele "Lone Eagle"
ISBN 0-552-14851-2
Another from my mother's collection! This story takes you through the years when Kate first met Joe in 1940 to his death at age 63 in 1974. It is a novel that is very difficult to put down! The author keeps you enthralled at all times. You know the ending early on in the story (in the first chapter) but you don't know the story until the end! A great novel!
Rosie Harris "Pins and Needles"
ISBN 0-09-191542-2
This was my light read for my return journey from the UK to Vancouver! My mum reads many many books and this was one of her collection! This novel is about twin girls, both opposites and not at all alike in any respect. They have been brought up alone by their mother. The story begins in 1924 when the twins are fourteen and about to start work as apprentices in The Cardiff Drapers. This is where their mother had worked in her pre-marriage years. Donna and Tanwen's lives go different ways and they end up dating the same boy at different times, with disastrous consequences. An easy read with a happy ending!
Marian Keyes "Angels"
ISBN 0-141-00124-0
I began this book on my flight to the UK and finished it a few days later. It is an easy read. The story is set in Los Angeles, hence the name of Angels. The main character is Maggie Walsh who has left her husband to visit her friend in L.A. Maggie and her husband Garv live in Ireland where their families are. Throughout the book you are wanting to find out if Maggie is to remain married or whether she will leave him and start a new life. A good read!
Maeve Binchy "Firefly Summer"
ISBN 0-440-20419-4
As usual Maeve Binchy writes a wonderful novel that is hard to put down! This is a novel full of love and intrique and also full of heartache. The story is centred around the Ryan family in Mountfern, Central Ireland, in a district she calls the Midlands of Ireland. The village goes through changes as a millionaire returns to his ancestors' homeland and sets about building a hotel on his land. A great story!
Audrey Howard "The Shadowed Hills"
ISBN 0-340-66078-3
I enjoyed reading this author's other two books, "A Day Will Come" and "All The Dear Faces" expecting this book to captivate me in the same way. Alas this did not happen. Perhaps I read it too soon after reading the other two, or maybe if I had read it first I would have enjoyed it more? It is set in the North of England, with some good detail in it, about things like paper mills, but overall I do not rate it as good a read as her other two.
Maeve Binchy "The Return Journey"
ISBN 0-385-31506-6
I enjoy Maeve Binchy as an author, but do not often read short stories as I find that just as you start to get involved and to know the characters, the story has ended. However, this one was at the library when I got the two Audrey Howard books out (see the reviews below), and since it is a book of Maeve Binchy's that I had not yet read I got it out. I read it and it was just as I had previously thought about short stories! Just as you are getting to know the characters the story has ended! Very frustrating and although OK to while away the odd ten minutes, not satisfactory reading!
Audrey Howard "All The Dear faces"
ISBN 0-340-58627-3
I enjoyed reading the first novel that I had ever read by Audrey Howard (A Day Will Come) and decided to read another of hers, this time "All The Dear Faces". I enjoyed this book even more than I did the other one. This author writes in detail and again the book was a decent size, being over 600 pages, so it gives you a chance to really know the characters. This book is set in Edwardian Liverpool and the surrounding areas. It centres round three families, concentrating on Mara, Caitlin and Michael from the large O'Shaughnessy family, and Elizabeth and James from the Osborne family who have a completely different background to the O'Shaunessy's. It takes you through their younger years to life during and just after the first world war. Another book worth reading!
Audrey Howard "A Day Will Come"
ISBN 0-340-57397-x
This book is centred around the life of Daisy Brindle in Victorian Lancashire, UK. It takes you through her years of deprivation to her years of abundance. It is written in detail, so you can feel you know the characters well. It is a good book to read, one that is difficult to put down!.
Billy Hopkins "Our Kid"
ISBN 0-7472-6153-9
An excellent book! It starts off with the birth of Billy in 1928 in Manchester, UK, and goes through his childhood years and the war years. I laughed out loud at times, the author has a wonderful sense of humour and he brings the story alive with his anecdotes of life. It also brought back memories of my childhood being called "daft haporth" (daft half-penny!) which is what Billy also got called! A book that will be enjoyed by many! I thoroughly recommend it.
The book that follows this is "High Hopes, A lancashire Life" by Billy Hopkins but as yet I don't have it to read!
The story of "Our Kate" by Billy Hopkins is I believe about his mother Kate, but since I don't yet have that one either I am not realy sure! If it is anything like "Our Kid" it will certainly be worth reading.
Billy Hopkins "Going Places"
ISBN 0-7553-0220-6
This book is just as good as the first of his that I read! ("Our Kid"). It is set in the 1950's after Billy's days in college and after his marriage. It too is set in Manchester UK, but also in Kenya. Excellent!
Dilly Court "Mermaids Singing"
ISBN 0-09-949097-8
This book is set in the end of the 1800's in the East End of London. Kitty is the main character in the story, starting with her in her early teens, being mistreated by her brother in law. She gets work as a servant but is quickly made a nanny, due to unusual circumstances. There is something about the story line which I found unbelievable, thinking "that would never have happened". However it still made quite enjoyable reading, but had an abrupt ending.
Josephine Cox "The Beachcomber"
ISBN 0-00-714607-8
This book is set mainly in West Bay in the South of England. The two main characters in the book are Kathy Wilson and Tom Arnold, who both end up at West Bay beginning a new life. This book weaves an interesting story. It is an easy read, full of intrique, romance and everyday life while having an unusual twist to it!.
Roy Hattersley "The Maker's Mark"
ISBN 0-330-31859-4
I finally found these books, or rather my daughter did for me!. So I was able to read Roy Hattersely's first book in the trilogy "The Maker's Mark." I had already read the second book "In that quiet earth" (see review below) and enjoyed it so much that I wanted to know what happened before!
When I started this book it was obvious that Roy was writing about his own Hattersley family, though maybe with fictional parts added. In fact I was able to find from the BMD Index (those of you who are familiar with my web pages will know I enjoy researching my family trees!) marriage of Ernest Brackenbury to (Lizzie) Agnes Skinner in 1902 at Worksop, Derbyshire. Also the birth of their daughter Enid Annie Brackenbury in the fourth quarter 1904 in Mansfield, Derbyshire. I am pretty certain it is the same characters we read about in the story.
Well worth reading.
Roy Hattersley "Skylark's Song"
ISBN 0-330-31956-6
This is the third part of the trilogy. I understand now, having read all three books, that the second book would be about the "Skinner" side of the family, although when I first read it I did not realise it was to do with the Hattersley family ancestors. This last book is to do with the "Brackenbury" and "Hattersley" family.
Another good read. All three books are excellent and tell a lot about the country and life at that time as well as weaving an intriguing story.
Maeve Binchy "Light a Penny Candle"
ISBN 0-340-33784-2
As usual Maeve Binchy's books are full of detail of ordinary lives. She weaves another wonderful story in this book, set in Ireland in the war years and in London in the years after the war. The story is about two girls, Aisling and Elizabeth. Elizabeth is a refugee from England, and Aisling is Irish. They are like sisters and are of the same age. This is a lovely novel, hard to put down and very enjoyable. The only bit I did not like was the ending which to me seemed very abrupt.
Annie Murray "The Chocolate Girls"
ISBN 0-330-49213-6
Edie, Ruby and Janet all work at the chocolate factory, Cadbury's Bourneville, in Birmingham, UK during the second world war and become firm friends. Edie marries at 19 but becomes widowed soon after. One night during the blitz an infant is put in her arms and she rears him. Her life is changed forever. Twenty years later her son is searching for his blood relatives and once again Edie's life is altered. This book shows Edie's life in this twenty year time span from 1939 to 1959 and the life of her friends Janet and Ruby too. It is a very good read, very difficult to put down and very enjoyable though tear jerking at times.
Edward Rutherford "London, The Novel"
ISBN 0-449-00263-2
This novel about London takes you through from 54BC to 1996 and involves five families through the ages (over 1000 pages). The book took me a while to get into but it was well worth it. It is full of information about the various ages, including how the exchequer got it's name, the Globe theatre, the Crystal Palace, the fire and the plague. It's interesting to hear how London Bridge used to look and to hear how the people spent their time. The novel is woven around historical facts, which makes the book really interesting. I have read his other book, Sarum which is about Salisbury through the ages. We also have his book Russka but I have yet to read it. If it is as good as Sarum and London then it too will be a good read.
Ruth Elwin Harris "Sisters of the Quantock Hills, Sarah's Story, "
ISBN 0-7636-1707-5
This is the first book in a series of four books, "Sisters of the Quantock Hills." As this title suggests this story is set near the Quantock Hills, an area I am familiar with as I grew up in Taunton, Somerset. It was interesting for me to read of the familiar names, though the village this is set in is not known to me so I am not sure if it is a fictional village.However, the story is not detracted because of it. The fact that Dunkery is mentioned as part of the Quantocks when in fact it is in Exmoor again does not detract from it.The story starts in 1910 and goes through to 1920, and concentrates on Sarah's life, the youngest of the four sisters. It is a very enjoyable story and I am eagerly awaiting beginning the next book, Frances' Story!
Ruth Elwin Harris "Sisters of the Quantock Hills, Frances' Story, "
ISBN 0-7636-1704-0
I was disappointed when I first started this book and thought it was going to be a sort of "Groundhog Day" version of Sarah's Story as there was a lot in the first chapter that was reminiscent of the first book. However, it quickly became evident that this was not the case and proved to be a very good book. The story was captivating even though you already had the skeleton of some of the story! It gave Frances' perpective on events and went into detail about her relationship with Gabriel, the eldest son of the guardians of her family.
Ruth Elwin Harris "Sisters of the Quantock Hills, Julia's Story, "
ISBN 0-7636-1706-7
This story is mainly about Julia and her relationship with Geoffrey, and later with David. It covers more years than the previous books in the series and is certainly worth reading. A very good book.
Ruth Elwin Harris "Sisters of the Quantock Hills, Gwen's Story, "
ISBN 0-76361705-9
This is the last in the series. Gwen Purcell is the third oldest sister, and this story concentrates on her, her relationship with Anthony, and the years after with her nephew Tony. The story takes us up to the beginning of the second world war. It too is a really good book, making you pick it up to find out what is happening. I would recommend that if you read one of these books, then you read them all, as together they give a wonderful insight into the life of the Purcell family, from when they were first orphaned to thirty years later.
Elizabeth Darrell "And In The Morning"
ISBN 0-09-950140-6
This story is about the second world war and centres around Dorset, UK, and the lives of Sir Christopher Sheridan, his daughter Vesta and his son David and his wife Marion. It depicts life for them and how the war and relationships alter their perpective on life. I see it was published in 1986 and on the cover it says: "An outstanding New Bestseller". Well worth reading!
Roy Hattersley "In That Quiet Earth"
ISBN 0-330-32303-2
This is a really good read. It is set in Victorian England and follows the life of William Skinner, who is at first a superintendant at the Wisbech Workhouse, and later gardener to the Hodding family. The story unfolds in 1875 and follows the life of the family and their descendants, and ends following William's grand-daughter's life. The book leaves you very much wanting to read the sequel, "Skylark Song" but unfortunately it is a book I do not yet have. I see too that I have started with the second book in the trilogy. The first book is "The Maker's Mark", again a book I do not own but would love to now read!
Jeanne Whitmee "The Long Way Home"
This is a really enjoyable read, though at times heart wrenching. It starts off with a young girl, about to produce twins, who decides that the best way for all is to give them up for adoption. They get adopted by different families and do not know of the other's existence for many years. Their lives are vastly different from each other, and from their birth mother's life. Both girls end up finding themselves in their search for their mother and family life.
Elizabeth Edmondson "The Frozen Lake"
I found this book hard to get into. However it was well worth getting into! I am not sure if I found it hard to get into because I was only reading a little bit at a time and so not really getting involved or whether it was the way it was written. Once I read more of it at a time I really got into the story line. The story unfolds in the north of England, round the lake that has frozen over once again after sixteen years. The plot is a good one, and has an unexpected ending. Well worth reading.
Rosie Thomas "Sun at Midnight"
ISBN 0-00-717352-0
This novel is set in a small research station in Antartica, where the lives of the researchers and support staff interact. An intriguing, compelling story, describing the beauty and magnificence of Antartica and the relationships that develop.
Maeve Binchy "The copper beech" and "Evening Class."
I got this two-books in one for my birthday this year (2006) from my eldest daughter. I was delighted to receive it as Maeve Binchy is a favourite author of mine. As you can imagine I thoroughly enjoyed both books. "Copper Beech" centres round the Copper Beech Tree that is in the local school. The lives that we follow are all linked by the tree in some way. As usual this story is hard to put down once started and one follows the lives of each character wondering what the next step is going to be. "Evening Class" also follows the lives of different characters. This time the lives are of those people who are participating in the Italian evening class in a school in a run down area of Dublin, and whose lives intertwine in some way. It again is a book that is hard to put down once started.
Other Maeve Binchy novels: "Night of rain and stars";"Circle of Friends" and "Silver Wedding" to name just a few.
Isabel Wolff "A question of love"
Laura, the character in this book hosts a quiz show and her ex-boyfriend appears on the show. A romance follows, but so do lots of questions in her mind as to the suitability of this romance following the disappearance of her husband a few years previous. An interesting read.
Cecelia Ahern "Where Rainbows End"
I didn't think I was going to enjoy this book at the beginning. However I soon got into it and enjoyed it very much despite my apprehensions. The whole book is a series of Instant messages, e-mails and letters between people and covers the lives of two close friends Rosie and Alex. Misunderstandings and circumstances keep them apart but they are able to keep in contact with their messages, e-mails and letters.
Barbara Delinksky "The woman next door"
I bought this novel to read on my plane trip from vancouver to the UK on march 22nd 2006. In two days it was completed and thoroughly enjoyed! The story revolves around three married couples in a suburban area of Connecticut and their neighbour.
Catherine Cookson novels: :The Cinder Path"; "Our Kate" (her
autobiography); and "Tilley Trotter" and others equally as good. I enjoy all
her books, most of which are based in the North Eastern part of England. I
have not enjoyed watching the videos of some of her books. As usual the film
is always a poor second to the book, which lets your imagination soar! The
film is someone elses idea of what they think it is like, and it never equals
your own imaginings! If you want to see the film, see it first and read the
book after! That way you should enjoy the film and then enjoy the book,
interpreting it as you desire.
"Kane & Abel", "First Among Equals" and "Matter of honour" by Jeffrey Archer.
I wasn't expecting to enjoy these novels but I did! I eagerly looked forward to reading another of his books and was disappointed when I had finished the book!.
Maisie Mosco novels: "Almonds and Raisins", "Scattered Seed" and "Children's Children" a Saga.
"The Long Way Home" by jeanne Whitmee