The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time by Mark Haddon

'The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time' by Mark Haddon

A murder mystery novel like no other. The detective, and narrator, is Christopher Boone. Christopher is fifteen and has Asperger's Syndrome. He knows a very great deal about maths and very little about human beings. He loves lists, patterns and the truth. He hates the colours yellow and brown and being touched. He has never gone further than the end of the road on his own, but when he finds a neighbour's dog murdered he sets out on a terrifying journey which will turn his whole world upside down.

REVIEW

This was last months bookblub book. The book is about Christopher, a teenager with Aspergers, who writes a book about his investigation of his neighbours dog being murdered with a garden fork. Throughout the book we also learn about the problems there is with Christopher's family life.

I liked the character Christopher, and how the author shows Christopher's thinking and how he rationales everything he is doing. The beginning of the book was ok, I found the middle a little boring - dragged a bit! And the ending was ok. I did find the story line was broken up a little by Christopher's explanation of the maths and science, yes I do think this information should have been included as it was part of Christopher's logic but I just found it was a little to much for me.

I did find it hard to read to start with and I wouldn't put it in my favourite top 10 but it is worth a read as it doesn't take long!

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The Secret Keeper by Kate Morton

'The Secret Keeper' by Kate Morton

1961: On a sweltering summer's day, while her family picnics by the stream on their Suffolk farm, sixteen-year-old Laurel hides out in her childhood tree house dreaming of a boy called Billy, a move to London, and the bright future she can't wait to seize. But before the idyllic afternoon is over, Laurel will have witnessed a shocking crime that changes everything. 2011: Now a much-loved actress, Laurel finds herself overwhelmed by shades of the past. Haunted by memories, and the mystery of what she saw that day, she returns to her family home and begins to piece together a secret history. A tale of three strangers from vastly different worlds - Dorothy, Vivien and Jimmy - who are brought together by chance in wartime London and whose lives become fiercely and fatefully entwined. Shifting between the 1930s, the 1960s and the present, The Secret Keeper is a spellbinding story of mysteries and secrets, murder and enduring love.

REVEIW

I loved the way this book jumped from present day to the past. It keeps you guessing all the way to the end, I couldn't wait to finish the book. I wanted to know more all the way through - wanted to know all about Dolly and Vivien and was dying to know how the girl we were reading about in wartime London came to kill a man in her own garden almost 20 years later. How a loving caring mother could kill a man for what seemed to her daughter Laurel who had witnessed the killing - a senseless death. Laurel has kept the killing a secret from everyone - its now 2011 and she wants to find out why her mother would kill for what seemed no reason. The ending had a fantastic twist that almost took my breath away. Very well written, I could not put the book down.

Well worth reading, would highly recommend.

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Postmortem by Patricia Cornwell

'Postmortem' by Patricia Cornwell

A serial killer is on the loose in Richmond, Virginia. Three women have died, brutalised and strangled in their own bedroom. There is no pattern: the killer appears to strike at random - but always early on Saturday mornings.

So when Dr Kay Scarpetta, chief medical officer, is awakened at 2.33 am, she knows the news is bad: there is a fourth victim. And she fears now for those that will follow unless she can dig up new forensic evidence to aid the police.

But not everyone is pleased to see a woman in this powerful job. Someone may even want to ruin her career and reputation ...

REVIEW

This was a bookclub book and I have to say I was a little unsure about reading it. I just thought, its a little long and I really wanted a quick easy read (been very busy lately so haven't had much time for reading). I even debated not reading it but I'm glad I did. From the first page I was hooked. I enjoyed the whole story - we see a Medical Examiner at work whilst all around there is murder and mayhem. The only things I did think was that there was a little to much information sometimes but I could see the point to this as Patricia is setting the story line for not only this story but for the ones to follow.

Once you have picked up this book you'll find it difficult to put it down. Would recommend.

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Where'd you go, Bernadette by Maria Semple

'Where'd you go, Bernadette' by Maria Semple

Bernadette Fox is notorious.

To Elgie Branch, a Microsoft wunderkind, she's his hilarious, volatile, talented, troubled wife.

To fellow mothers at the school gate, she's a menace.

To design experts, she's a revolutionary architect.

And to 15-year-old Bee, she is a best friend and, quite simply, mum.

Then Bernadette disappears. And Bee must take a trip to the end of the earth to find her.

REVIEW

The majority of this book is told via emails, newspaper articles, school reports etc. which I did find it made for a very interesting read. I did laugh a few times and find the book overall ok but it just wasn’t that memorable. I read the book about 6 weeks ago (little behind in writing my reviews!) and cant really remember all that I read and wouldn't re-read and cant remember any memorable quotes. The ending was rubbish with a lot of things unexplained.

Would not really recommend.

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The Midwife's Daughter by Patricia Ferguson

'The Midwife's Daughter' by Patricia Ferguson

Violet Dimond, the Holy Terror, has delivered many of the town children - and often their children - in her capacity as handywoman. But Violet's calling is dying out as, with medicine's advances, the good old ways are no longer good enough.

Grace, Violet's adopted daughter, is a symbol of change herself. In the place where she has grown up and everyone knows her, she is accepted, though most of the locals never before saw a girl with skin that colour. For Violet and Grace the coming war will bring more upheaval into their lives: can they endure it, or will they, like so many, be swept aside by history's tide?

REVIEW

Very mixed feelings about this book. I started off enjoying the beginning of the story about Violet, the local unqualified midwife who delivered babies and laid out people from not so wealthy town folk. Violet adopts a black daughter and this brings huge upheaval to her life. The story starts of well, with issues of race, class and kindness, but I found the middle of the book a little boring and the ending was such a disappointment. I did expect a happy ending for Grace after her hard childhood but sadly this wasn't to happen. I felt the ending was rushed and that the author went in a direction that shocked not only me but all those in bookclub. We all felt let down with the ending. It's such a shame as the book was well written.

If you have nothing else to read, then I would recommend but otherwise not. There are a lot better books - it's the ending that let's it down.

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Can You Keep A Secret? By Sophie Kinsella

'Can You Keep A Secret?' By Sophie Kinsella

Emma is sitting on a turbulent plane. She's always been a v. nervous flyer. She really thinks that this could be her last moment. So, naturally enough, she starts telling the man sitting next to her - quite a dishy American, but she's too frightened to notice -all her innermost secrets. How she scans the backs of intellectual books and pretends she's read them. How she does her hair up like Princess Leia in her bedroom. How she's not sure if she has a G-spot, and whether her boyfriend could find it anyway. How she feels like a fraud at work - everyone uses the word 'operational' all the time but she hasn't a clue what it means. How the coffee at work is horrible. How she once threw a troublesome client file in the bin. If ever there was a bare soul, it's hers.

She survives the flight, of course, and the next morning the famous founding boss of the whole mega corporation she works for is coming for a look at the UK branch. As he walks around, Emma looks up and realises...

It's the man from the plane.

What will he do with her secrets? He knows them all - but she doesn't know a single one of his. Or... does she?

REVIEW

After the last book I read (A stolen life by Jaycee Dugard) this is just what I need. A lighthearted read. I've never read any of Sophie Kinsella books, but I have heard that she is a good writer and everyone I know who have read any of her books have fully enjoyed them, so I was looking forward to reading it.

I couldn't stop laughing at some of Emma's confessions. This made me laugh out loud - an easy read which I didn't want to end. Love a happy ending.

Would recommend as a fun easy read.