Over the last 2 weeks I've reacquainted myself with one of my favourite writers; T. Jefferson Parker. He's been writing excellent Southern California crime writing for almost 30 years since his debut in 1985 with Laguna Heat. Lately his writing has been very much about a young police officer named Charlie Hood. I have just broken one of my long standing rules, which is do NOT read several books by the same author in a row. I have found in the past that this will almost always effectively make you disenchanted with that author. But nevertheless I just finished reading four Charlie Hood novels back to back, and they were all excellent! I read LA Outlaw a few years back and so this time I read The Renegades, Iron River, Border Lords and The Jaguar.
One of the most thrilling books I have ever read! If you're looking for well-written suspense - this is the book for you! Quite breath-taking and absolutely absorbing.
I love the historical crime novels of Steven Saylor. Gordianus the Finder is a wonderfully wraught character, Saylor spins expert webs of mystery in his stories and the history of the pieces is nothing short of excellent. As far as I can tell. They're wonderfully snug vibrant, lusty, curious, alive novels and I always look forward to a new one appearing. The Seven Wonders is a prequel to the other novels; it takes place when Gordianus is a mere 18 years old and travels around the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World with his tutor Antipater of Sidon. As we get to know the wonders as they stood at that time Gordianus also solves a new mystery at each one. But perhaps there's a great one tying them all together....?
This is an absolute must-read! A moving story about being a teenager and finding new pieces of the jigsaw puzzle that's your past, to figure out your presence and having to make decisions that might change your entire future. One of the most talked- and blogged-about books in Sweden this summer - and very well deserved!
The most eagerly awaited UK novel of 2012. I liked it, Mr Cleave's characters come off as very believable and though I've never followed athletic cycling (which is the setting of the novel although it's not what it's about...) I really enjoyed this. There are bits when I feel ever-so-slightly emotionally manipulated, but the topics touched upon ARE heart-wrenching so perhaps it's not so suprising. The writing is often pitch-perfect and the roller-coasters of feeling we're subjected to are fascinating and, yes , gripping.
This much-lauded debut novel is a breath of Ray Bradbury. It's the coming-of-age story of Julia who happens to grow up at an extra-ordinary time in the earth's history: the planet has for some reason started slowing down, spinning more slowly thus lengthening days and nights. There's an eerie feel to the whole novel, of living on the brink of change so vast it's uncomprehensible. Julia is a great protagonist and her personal story against the weird backdrop makes the novel quite beguiling.
Don Winslow writes a cool stream. This is a prequel to the fantastic novel Savages (which has just been filmed by Oliver Stone) and lets us in on how the mirthsome threesome became who they were and who the preceeding generation was made up of. It also contains nods to several other Winslow novels which those in the know will find great fun. A cool read, but read Savages first.
This National Book Award winning novel was our book-of-the-month choice for June. It's a novel set in a rural horse racetrack environment circa 1970 and although the terminology and the language were difficult to start I think that is also where the strenght of the novel lies; the language is poetic, almost magical and the veil of almost-understanding is what lifts the story and the characters to a high level. These people will remain. It's a classic, I think and I can see why it was chosen.
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Modern Fiction Book of the Month – June 2023
A sweeping, unpredictable novel about power, wealth and truth, set against the backdrop of turbulent 1920s New York. A Wall Street tycoon takes a young woman as his wife. Together they rise to the top in an age of excess and speculation. But now a novelist is threatening to reveal the secrets behind their marriage, and this wealthy man’s story – of greed, love and betrayal – is about to slip from his grasp. Composed of four competing versions of this deliciously deceptive tale, Trust brings us on a quest for truth while confronting the lies that often live buried in the human heart. // »Join the reading group // Subscribe to the book-of-the-month!
”I was dreading the Cunningham family reunion even before the first murder. Before the storm stranded us at the mountain resort. The thing is, us Cunninghams don't really get along. We’ve only got one thing in common: we’ve all killed someone. When they find the first body in the snow, it’s clear that only a Cunningham could have committed the crime – and it’s up to me to prove it. There are plenty of killers in my family. But only one murderer…” // »Join the Crime reading group // Subscribe to the book-of-the-month!
Join our subscription Book Club and get a new book in the post every month. It’s like Christmas all year round! All picks are made personally by us in the bookshop. Choose your favourite category (or categories) and we’ll send you a new wonderful surprise each month.