Recent Book Read

Inside Dickens' London by Michael Paterson.

I have just started this book and it does not disappoint. It accumulates many written descriptions of London in Dickens' time, a time I am fascinated with.








Cannery Row by John Steinbeck.

A classic I just read for my bookclub. Short, sweet and entertaining.

Pigeon English by Stephen Kelman.

This book was nominated for the 2011 Man Booker Prize. The top 5 nominations are always worth a read every year. This one deals with a young immigrant boy who is caught in a harrowing and rough part of London. It is based on a real person.






Mapp & Lucia by E. F. Benson.

This was a book club choice and I found it hard to get into but managed to find it entertaining once in. It is about catty English women in early 20th century. I was astounded to find there is a whole series of books on the characters. I will not be reading them.

Mr. Chartwell by Rebecca Hunt.

It turns out the artist in the studio next to mine spent a year writing this fictional account of Churchhill and his depression which was published by Penguin. It is a great short and sweet read.

The Sense of an Ending by Julian Barnes.

This was the Man Booker 2011 winner and well worth the read. Very introspective, philosophical and surprising.








The Hand that First Held Mine by Maggie O'Farrell.

I thought this book had such a nice flow to it. It was a book club choice and because I didn't manage to finish it in time I learned the surprise ending before I read it. That didn't seem to take away from the book at all though.

I will post books as I read them on the side bar under My Library.