Alexi

The Go-Between by L P Hartley Synopsis: During the long hot summer of 1900, young Leo Colston is invited to stay for a month at a lordly, aristocratic manor in Norfolk. There he falls in love with his friend's older sister, who commissions him to ferry secret messages to the local farmer, her lover. His naivete sustains their affair, until ultimately leading to an event that will change their lives irrevocably. (From Goodreads) Thoughts: I had never heard of this book before it was chosen for the English Counties Challenge. I actually found this a very average read. I rated it as 3 stars (so I did like it, but it didn't do anything to earn a higher rating. Clearly, I missed something judging by the reviews on Amazon! Majority the full five stars. I will give the book 'emotional' and 'sensitive', which are two words that crop up repeatedly in said reviews. But spellbinding? Top five novels of all time? Superb? Really? This is a coming of age tale set in 1900, with the now older Leo looking back through his diary from the time he ran messages between his friend's sister and her forbidden lover, the local farmer. But it felt very slow and very dated, until we got close to the end when the pacing revved up a bit. It did give a real flavour of county life around the turn of the century, so a decent choice from that point, but I have read and enjoyed many of the other choices far more. 3/5 (I liked it)

London by Tube by David Revill Synopsis: If you’ve ever wanted to know where the Underground’s station names come from, then this is the book for you! London by Tube is an essential read for anyone curious about London and its historic Underground. The book takes the reader on a fascinating journey around the Tube network to reveal the history behind the names of all 268 stations. Packed full of lively stories about the colourful characters and remarkable events connected to the places that bear these names, the book delves deep into London’s rich history to recall tales of terrible fires, profligate playboys, ancient relics, devious criminals, squalid slums, lost rivers, grisly executions and unsolved mysteries. (From Goodreads) Thoughts: Can't remember how or why I acquired this but it has been on my kindle for years - in the 'pre-2014' list on my spreadsheet. I'm a proud northerner, but I LOVE the underground - although if I had lived in London longer than two four month periods, I suspect that might change with excessive use at rush hour. Anyway. As a history lover as well, this appealed. It's an impressive project, to unearth the meaning behind the names of each station, as well as the history of the lines, stations etc. with anecdotes about historical episodes to take place in/around each station. But it does become very repetitive, and the editing is really poor in the kindle editions - some typos and factual inaccuracies. Shame, because it's actually a really nice idea, that is the main well executed, but could have been better with a sharper editor. 3.5/5

When the Grey Beetles Took Over Baghdad by Mona Yahia Synopsis: Lina clings to childhood and the security of her youth during the last peaceful period for the 2500-year-old Jewish community in Iraq. When that peace begins to crumble, the usual uncertainties of adolescence are augmented by growing fear following the increasingly anti-Semitic rhetoric from the government and outbreaks of violence which ultimately drive out nearly all of the remaining 150,000 Jews in Baghdad. As Lina struggles to understand these dark changes in Iraq, her first love is forced to flee, her father loses his job, her brother is arrested, and her young friend must search among the bodies of hanged Jews for his imprisoned father. As violent coups, arrests, and executions become everyday occurrences, Lina's family must leave the country they have called home for generations. In the dangerous flight to the border, they must evade the security police, traverse perilous mountains, and entrust their lives and safety to strangers. The book will resonate with audiences of all ages. (From Goodreads) Thoughts: Wow. What a read. Light, bedtime reading this is not, but what a piece of work this 'novel' is - Yahia grew up Jewish in Baghdad and the novel appears at least semi-autobiographical. We are taught as kids about the plight of Jews in Europe through history, with obvious emphasis on Germany, Russia and Eastern/Central Europe, but what of their experiences elsewhere? Welcome to Iraq in the 1960s. We meet Lina, the novel's protaganist, as a young child in kindergarten, and follow her progress as she grows up in an Arab Jewish household, trying to hold down jobs and survive as a family against an increasingly turbulent political background. Yahia does a great job of setting the fictional Lina's 'normal' adolescence in this period and giving the reader some context to the whys and wherefores - the explosion of nationalist feeling after World War II, and the tensions between Muslims and Jews following the creation of Israel. I felt consumed by this book. To enjoy it is the wrong word given the content, but I did find it a truly excellent read that has stuck with me long after the final page. I am reviewing this in August after finishing it in early April and I have had no trouble doing so at all. 5/5 (Excellent)

Well, I have now been in my house two months. It feels longer, mind. Even the cat appears to have settled in now. I lost my mojo when we went on holiday at the end of last month (bloody inconvenient timing if you ask me, and I spent around 3 weeks slogging through American Gods. Full review to come, but 640 pages of 'not my cup of tea' later, and I really have to start giving up books rather than making my way through to the end. Ho hum. Other things going on in the background which is also reducing reading time. Perhaps a good thing, given I am now reviewing books I read in APRIL. Onwards..onwards.

I finally finished American Gods! Nearly three weeks that has taken me. Planning to spend some time this weekend updating lists and working way through ReviewsOfDoom.

Did not know you could do this at all! Will immediately investigate

LOL - the idea of someone telling you you're wrong when you lived there really amused me i read Pies and Prejudice a few years ago and enjoyed it - I was hoping for a similar read/listen but it's not happening so far. I'm close to giving up because I still have 12 hours to go!

I have been listening to a book called The North by Paul Morley on the way to and from work. As as the title suggests, it's about the north (of England). The writer grew up in Stockport. So why, WHY, have they got someone reading it in RP who can't pronounce northern names?? Blackley may look like it's pronounced phonetically, but it's not, it's Blake-ley. Dukinfield is not pronounced Dewkinfield. Ok, so the narrator probably grew up in Brighton but could someone - the author or publisher, perhaps - not have given guidance? I'm very close to switching off, and it's the first time I've been sparked into leaving an audible review!

I own a car, but hate driving it. At my previous job I got the tram to work and enjoyed it - reading time! But now, it takes me 15 minutes to drive to work, or more than an hour on public transport. Not really practical, especially working late shifts. I would love to give up the car, but so far public transport hasn't been reliable enough. I think that really has to improve. Trains would also need to become cost effective. My mum has been dying to get the train to work for years (and read!) but it's been too expensive for her until she turned 60 and got a rail pass.

Excellent! Can't wait! I have The Essex Serpent on my TBR but so many books so little time!

Let me know what you think! I have this but I'm waiting until I've finished all seven series and the new episodes. (Currently halfway through season six so not much longer )

There's a Moon Under Water in Manchester as well. There is also Peveril of the Peak, although it is not named after the Walter Scott novel. Worth a visit though just for how distinctive a place it is! I have also imbibed a few pints in the Angel, which featured in Cranford by Elizabeth Gaskell.

I laughed out loud at your review of the Eggers! Rubbish books always make for better reviews I find, both for reading and writing... Even if one does have to suffer through the pages first.

You're rampaging through the books at the moment Claire Class sounds very intriguing - the phrase 'modern day Mallory Towers' almost certain to pique my interest!

I read the latter for my South Korea book for the World Challenge, but it has been some years and I can't remember much about it I have just finished A History of Britain Volume 1 by Simon Schama. I have been reading other things alongside it but I thoroughly enjoyed it and will aim to ready volumes 2 and 3 in the not too distant future - perhaps as audiobooks. I am trying to read more British history, so I thought I would get an overview of the whole thing then dip into various bits in more detail. Schama does an excellent job of making things accessible while covering a lot of ground - from 3000 BC to 1603 in this volume. Now onto Tom Brown's Schooldays for the English Counties Challenge and I have started The Thirteen Problems by Agatha Christie on audio book on the commute.

So glad you enjoyed it as an adult on a first read! (And I also had no idea we had been doing the challenge that long!) The whole book is so beautifully written. It was definitely a great choice for the challenge. I still have Winnie the Pooh to read, which I never read as a kid. On another note: Just discovered, to my horror, that I had The Day of the Triffids out of the library for this challenge, but we are moving in two weeks and my books have been packed away in a box.. including the library book I left on the shelf. Fail.

The Glasgow trilogy sounds very interesting. Wish list ahoy!

Those covers are incredible J Reviews? What are reviews? I have just come up to the end of March myself...

Harry Potter and the Cursed Child by J K Rowling Synopsis; The Eighth Story. Nineteen Years Later. It was always difficult being Harry Potter and it isn’t much easier now that he is an overworked employee of the Ministry of Magic, a husband and father of three school-age children. While Harry grapples with a past that refuses to stay where it belongs, his youngest son Albus must struggle with the weight of a family legacy he never wanted. As past and present fuse ominously, both father and son learn the uncomfortable truth: sometimes, darkness comes from unexpected places. (From Goodreads) Thoughts: I've avoided this for so long, desperate not to tarnish my memories of the Harry Potter series (which I shamelessly loved and devoured - the first one was released when I was about 12 and I read them as they were released). In the end, I was gifted the book and I picked it up with some trepidation. Were my fears founded? Well, sort of. This does not feel like an eighth book and I feel it's a mistake for people to be expecting that. It's a play, designed to be seen on stage and not read in one's front room (one of the reasons I rarely read plays), and there is a very definite shift away from the magical world of Hogwarts to something more character focused. This is a story focusing on the struggles of growing up, and the struggles of parenting, to a far greater degree than the entirely plot driven stories of the seven novels. There's something slightly delightful in seeing our old friends as adults - struggling with the adult world, growing older, etc. However, the plot is not nearly so well thought-out and constructed, the scenes without our old friends feel like we're waiting for their return (even though the character of Albus is interesting) and there is so left to be desired. I'd like to see this as a play some day, just to see how it is staged and how they fit that all together as much as anything, but I feel that's how it should have stayed, rather than the script being released in this manner. 3/5 (I liked it)

The Wind in the Willows by Kenneth Grahame I honestly couldn't really remember if I had read this as a child, or if the characters were just so familiar to me that I felt I had. (The identity of a recent quiz question was the identity of Mole's best friend, and I had to guess at Ratty!) But as soon as I began reading it all swept me away in a familiar rush. Of course I had read it and it all came flooding back within the first few pages. The characters of Mole, Ratty, Badger and Toad became instant companions again. We can shake our heads at the irresponsible Toad, who goes out without a care in the world only to find his property seized by the masses. As a kid, there is plenty of relaxing adventure to enjoy. As an adult, knowing that Grahame was writing in the early 20th century as the 'masses' became an increasing threat on the social order, there's some more take away from it. As a child and as an adult I got so much out of this. It stands the test of time (at least to this reader born in the mid 1980s) and is a classic of the genre. A pleasure to revisit for the English Counties Challenge. 5/5 ( I loved it)

I've been so busy lately that reading has really suffered. However, half a day without power meant that I finished Career of Evil - the third in the Cormoran Strike series by J K Rowling Robert Galbraith. Brilliant escapism. Now starting On the Black Hill by Bruce Chatwin.

My memory of the Girls In Love series (referenced in said Wilson rant) was one girl instantly having to forgive best friend for behaving exceedingly badly with her boyfriend when she hadn't apologised. Girl with ham thighs realised it was ok to have large thighs when another friend went anorexic IIRC.

Congratulations on finishing the challenge Willoyd! I'm hoping to get it done by the end of the summer. We had similar thoughts on The Well of Loneliness and Cider with Rosie, but I really enjoyed the Cronin! Emma is possibly my favourite so far, with An Old Wives Tale also featuring near the top of the list.

So far behind on reviews I can't remember much about a lot of the outstanding books... Here's my attempt at something resembling the start of a catch up: Ashenden by W Somerset Maugham Synopsis: A celebrated writer by the time the war broke out in 1914, Maugham had the perfect cover for living in Switzerland. Multilingual and knowledgeable about many European countries, he was dispatched by the Secret Service to Lucerne - under the guise of completing a play. An assignment whose danger and drama appealed both to his sense of romance and of the ridiculous. A collection of stories rooted in Maugham's own experiences as an agent, reflecting the ruthlessness and brutality of espionage, its intrigue and treachery, as well as its absurdity. (From Goodreads) Thoughts: This is a collection of 'spy' stories - but it's a mistake going into this expecting James Bond. Two reasons for that - it was published in 1927, and is a lot truer to life than 007! This is a collection of short stories based around Maugham's own experiences with espionage during WWI. The characters are brilliantly drawn, and the short stories are drawn out perfectly to leave the reader wanting to know more. But that's where the trouble is - it doesn't always deliver on 'more'. A couple of the stories I was left wondering if some of the pages had gone missing in my copy. What I liked about this was the author's ability to make the characters leap from the page in what appears more a study of human nature during war time than adventure and spy japes. However, it does feel a little dated now that this genre has moved on so much. This is the first I have read by Maugham, but I intend to look out for more of his work. 3/5 (I liked it)

Agree totally - I adore much of what I've read of hers. It's comforting in a way to know I am not the only one that found this one a departure and a disappointment!