The Adventures of Sally - P.G. Wodehouse 1922 - * * * *

One of the better Wodehouse's, I sped through this barely stopping to take a breath except when I wanted to laugh! Sally's travels around Europe and back to America make for very funny reading and I was sad to come to the end of this one although I know I have to so that I can start new Wodehouses. The thing I liked most about this was that I didn't get mixed up with the characters like I do in many of his books and managed to stay focused the entire novel. Brilliant.

Started 25th May
Finished 26th May

Stalked - Kate Brennan 2009 * * * *

This is the kind of book that would make a good horror film, the scary part would be that it is actually a true story. One of the few books that genuinely scared me and made me go around locking all the doors before bed last night this kind of book really gets under your skin. The scary thing about it is that this woman is stalked by someone she knows better than anyone who proclaimed to love her when they were together and also threw daily insults and put downs in her face ( one such occurance happens when he pats her arm patronizingly and tells her that it's such a shame that he isn't sexually attracted to her anymore and he really wishes he was but it's just not going to happen.) How insulting and demeaning, as if this man has a right to act this way and then get angry when she mentions she can't stand it anymore. Her stalker Paul sounds like a very frightening character and the fact that he is still at large after all this time means Kate has to constantly up and move house for fear of him finding her. That is no way to live your life constantly looking over your shoulder, but unfortunately it is a reality that Kate must now live with.
A riveting read.

Started 23rd May
Finished 24th May

Something Fresh - P.G.Wodehouse 1915 * * *

After a mix up at his friend's house, Lord Emsworth absent-mindedly pockets a valuable scarab and takes it back to his home Blandings, to add to his collection. Things go from bad to worse when his friend hires someone to steal the scarab back for him, which would be fine if the man he hired wasn't also up against a beautiful and secretive woman who coincidentally lives in the same block of flats as him and has been invited to Blandings as a cook ( she secretly wants the scarab). The trouble is neither knows about each other... let the chaos begin!!
Funny and easy to read, Wodehouse is not capable of writing a dud!!

Started 20th May
Finished 23rd May

The Throwback - Tom Sharpe 1978* * * *

The first Tom Sharpe I have ever read has had me in hysterics since the beginning. I finished it last night and towards the end I had to stop for a breather because my gasping and snorts of amusement was making it hard to breathe. Sharpe is effectively Wodehouse with all the rude bits thrown in. However just because he's rude doesn't mean he is vulgar and though critics have mentioned that they find him over the top he still has a jolly good sense of humour and isn't afraid to talk about anything. Don't read this on public transport as I doubt you would last the trip (the taxidermy incident nearly made me fall off my bed I was laughing so much) and besides, this type of humour should be savoured and appreciated at it's fullest sense. But that didn't stop me from finishing it all in 2 days!


Started 17th May
Finished 18th May ( late!!!)

What to Do When Someone Dies - Nicci French 2009* * * * 1/2

This is my first Nicci French novel and is certainly not going to be the last. The story is a compulsive page-turner ( I read it in just over a day) and the layout of the story is very believable. If you found out that your husband had died in a car with another women how would you feel? Hurt, angry, betrayed or not convinced? That is how Ellie feels after learning that her husband met his death in a car with a glamourous yet unknown woman. And she won't rest until she finds out the truth.
All I can say is if all the Nicci French books are this good I'll be hoicking them to the top of my TBR pile!

Started 16th May
Finished 17th May

The Murder of Roger Ackroyd - Agatha Christie 1926 * * * * *

I'd heard high aclaim for this book but seldom is praise this justified. Christie's first novel surroundingthe mysterious murder of Roger Ackroyd is a compelling and thrilling read. The ending is well known for making you go, ' I don't believe it but I knew it all along!' and I felt exactly the same after finishing. This book has really made me want to explore more of her work and I am already building up quite a collection of her books!

Started 13th May

Finished 16th May

The Girl on the Boat - P.G. Wodehouse 1922 - * * *

Wodehouse has done it yet again, this time aboard a cruise ship where cousins meet ex-fiances and new fiances meet old acquaintances who aren't always what or whom they seem ( are they ever in his books???). This book is funny, silly, and more to the point exactly what we want from Mr W. You can never feel sad when finishing any of his books, except of course for the fact that it's over. He transports us to a world where men are genteel and wear smoker's jackets and women are pretty, silly little things who need to be protected but seem to have strong opinions. You can count on the men acting like idiots and mucking up in front of the women in an attempt to show off, but with Wodehouse you are 100% sure that the women will always forgive them; that's the kind of world I'd love to live in.


Started 9th May
Finished 12th May

Notes on a Scandal - Zoe Heller 2003* * * *

Having seen the film I was immediatly making judgements about this book before I'd even started it. However the film and the book don't always cover the same ground and certainly end very differently (I prefered the ending of the film) but there were many parts that were similar. I think the idea for this story is very good and rather daring for a book, dealing with underage affairs between pupils and teachers and the consequences for all those around.
Barbara is a lonely mid-sixties spinster who spots pretty new pottery teacher Sheba at her first day in the elementary school. Recognising ( in her own head) a kindred spirit, Barbara and Sheba become very close ( Barbara records everything in her diary) and it is only when Sheba confides the news of an affair between herself and a 15 year old boy from the school that Barbara's world threatens to come crashing down.
Brilliantly addictive. The kind of book you stay up late to read even when you can barely keep your eyes open.

Started 7th May
Finished 9th May

Laughing Gas - P.G. Wodehouse 1936 - * * * *

I blasted my way so fast through this book that the first thing I did this morning when I woke up (at 4 am!) was to finish it! This is extremely funny about a newly appointed Earl - Reggie Havershot who, after being sent to America to track down his newly alcoholic cousin Eggy happens to go to the dentist's at the same time as a young child star named Joey Cooley and subsequently they are given laughing gas. When they awake... you've guessed it, they have switched bodies but still have the same minds, leading to some hilarious and typically Wodehouse situations. His books just keep getting funnier.

Started 6th May
Finished 8th May

Pig Island - Mo Hayder 2006* * * *

This book holds a certain meaning to me, for a few years ago I was on the train to London and once I'd reached the tube station I noticed an advert for this book on the wall. The image never left me and although I forgot ( many times) the title of the book I swore to myself that I would read it someday. And now I have. Mo Hayder has a brilliant way of enticing the reader into the story and keeping you there as a prisoner until you are too weak or tired to read anymore. This book barely took me any time at all and I was terrified, excited, entranced and amazed by the subject matter. I really enjoyed this.

Started 4th May
Finished 6th May

Uncle Fred in the Springtime - P.G. Wodehouse 1939* * *

Like all his books, Wodehouse manages to incorporate unique and funny language with ( most of the time) bizarre and hilarious plots! This time we are treated with a trip to Blandings' Castle, where the prized pig 'The Empress' gets embroiled into a kidnapping plot including a couple of the members of the Castle! Confused? You will be, but it's all in good fun really and another light and frothy read from the Master.

Started 26th April

Finished 3rd May