A Happy New Year!
Here are the books that I've enjoyed reading most during December.

Jane Bailey – What was Rescued

Four children, Arthur and his young brother Philip, young Welsh girl Dora, and Pippa who is from a privileged background, meet on board a ship carrying British children across the Atlantic to America during World War II. But they fall foul of enemy submarines, and the ship is torpedoed. Some of the passengers survive, and stay in touch during the following years. As the children grow up, they meet and form new relationships, but much of their lives bears the burden of the shipwreck. Love, loss, painful secrets and betrayal are all part of their future experiences. An intriguing exploration of ‘survivor guilt’, with very different characters sharing a tumultuous experience and how it changes everything in their developing lives. 

Rachel Burton - A Bookshop Christmas

I like reading a seasonal romance at Christmas, and this one hit the spot nicely. Young widow Megan has returned to help her mother run the family bookshop in the historic city of York. In an attempt to boost the profits of the struggling business, she's come up with several ideas - she's rearranged the furniture, refreshed the stock, and formed a book club. Maybe the most audacious idea is to host a book launch for popular literary author, Xander Stone. Unfortunately the handsome author seems to be a most unpleasant man, unwilling to engage with his devoted fans and derogatory about provincial bookshops and romance novels. Megan and her friends in the book club vow to alter his views. As Christmas approaches there are surprises unfolding in Megan's life, not the least that Xander Stone seems to be reluctant to return to London, and she's going to find out more than she bargained for about what lies beneath his crusty exterior. Full of festive atmosphere, Christmas lights and all things about novels, this romance hits all the right buttons for a festive read..

T. M. Logan - The Catch

Abbie's new boyfriend, Ryan, looks to be perfect - handsome, polite, successful, charity volunteer and caring of his girlfriend. In fact, she's glowing. But her father, Ed, can't take to him. When Ryan and Abbie become engaged, he feels as if his worst nightmare is coming true. But because he loves his daughter, and his wife and mother-in-law both think he's imagining things, he keeps his suspicions to himself. However, the relationship begins to escalate at a rate much faster than he expected, motivating Ed to begin investigating Ryan secretly. It's not all above board, but he's desperate to find out some proof to convince his family that he's right. A novel that keeps us guessing throughout - is Ed imagining it, or are his suspicions true? This psychological thriller is well-written and compelling, with unforseen twists and turns.

My best reads from November are:

Louise Douglas – The Scarlet Dress

When Alice disappeared from the holiday camp, all that was found was her scarlet dress on the beach. The verdict was that she had drowned herself in the sea. But almost twenty five years later, when the camp is being redeveloped, her remains are found buried beneath it. Marnie was only a child when it happened, but losing Alice, her idol, so soon after the death of her mother, left her traumatised and unable to speak. She thinks she may know secrets that could lead to the identity of the killer. Will, Alice’s boyfriend at the time, has returned, and he’s determined to uncover the truth about her death now. He believes that Guy, the son of the camp owners, has something to do with it. But Will is hiding secrets of his own. So many people have been frozen in time by Alice’s disappearance, and old wounds need to be uncovered and healed before anyone can move on. A touching and gripping mystery.

Liz Talley - Adulting: A Novel

Chase London hasn't had a normal childhood - she's been working as an actress since her early years, with her mother managing her life and her career. Now she's a mess, constantly in rehab, but falling off the wagon readily. She's not fit to take on any new role - but her mother Lorna has other ideas. She hires Olivia Han, who has a reputation for pulling wayward young women into shape. Her 'Adulting' programme is different from other methods, and soon Chase finds herself in a remote cabin belonging to her new therapist, learning how to deal with normal life. But Olivia has plenty of baggage of her own from her past, including a difficult relationship with her sister Neve. When Neve turns up at the cabin, Chase begins to see the cracks in her therapist's cool facade. As she learns her life skills, the three women all begin to work through darkness from their early lives. Old and new love relationships cause added complications. I was drawn into the stories of the women, intrigued at how they work out a way to go forward. A satisfying read.

Jamie Beck - If You Must Know

This family-based novel explores two very different sisters reacting to tumultuous change in their lives. Amanda is the elder of the two, and has always felt closest to her mother. She resented that her younger sister, Erin, was always their father's favourite. But the family was recently devastated by their father's sudden death. Their mother is trying to cope with adjusting to widowhood. Amanda takes comfort in her seemingly perfect marriage to Lyle, and her approaching motherhood. But her own bubble is about to burst. Her husband suddenly abandons her, and it turns out he's been dishonest with the whole family. Erin also has ended her latest relationship, and the two young women are becoming worried about their mother's health. As the three women are forced into closer contact, they begin to realise that maybe they're not as different as they thought. A hunt for Lyle draws them unexpectedly together. The story is an interesting exploration of character and extreme circumstances, and kept me turning the pages.

These are my choices from my October reading:

Keith Stuart - The Frequency of Us

This is a split-time novel with a difference. Will is almost ninety, living in Bath in 2007. But the life he's living is not the one he believes is his. He has memories from World War II when he and his wife Elsa were in a bomb blast. But after it she's gone forever from his life, and everyone thinks he's imagined their relationship. Into his run-down home comes Laura, a young woman whose own life is held together by a thread. Her last chance to make something of her job as a carer is to decide whether Will can cope in his own home, or whether he has dementia and needs residential care. Somehow the two make a tentative connection, through Will's obsession with the radios he used to design. Laura feels a strange atmosphere in the house - but is it just that she's suffering withdrawal symptoms from her antidepressant meds? Science and fantasy, real problems and the poignancy of love, loss and despair combine to make an intriguing read.

Heidi Eljarbo – Hidden Masterpiece

The third in the Soli Hansen mysteries, set in World War II Norway. Yet again young art historian Soli is involved in a mission to outwit the Nazi force occupying her country, and save a painting by the Dutch artist Rembrandt from their clutches. Wonderful atmosphere, filled with edge-of-the-seat moments as Soli and her friend Heddy make a dangerous journey across a snowy Norwegian landscape. Although dedicated to her mission, her heart is sore because Nikolai, the man she loves, is missing, and she has heard that a precious artifact entrusted to her care has fallen into the hands of Nazi sympathisers. A thoroughly enjoyable book, enhanced for me by memories of three wonderful Norwegian holidays.

Brad Parks – Interference
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An intriguing thriller with a scientific background. Although it's set in the world of quantum physics, there’s no need to feel put off by the subject. The principal narrator is Brigid, wife of Matt Bronik, a physics professor at the U.S. Dartmouth College. Matt begins to have mysterious seizures, which is particularly stressful for Brigid, also mother to their ten-year-old son, as she has considerable hearing loss. When her husband is kidnapped, local police detective Emmett Webster is called in to investigate. Recently widowed, he needs something to focus his attention, and despite the disapproval of his superiors, he keeps on working the case doggedly. Throw into the mix a multi-billionaire who may have an ulterior motive for kidnapping the scientist, and Matt’s doctoral student, Sheena, who seems to have developed miraculous powers related to his experiments - not to mention his colleague David who could be trying to hide his own misdemeanours - it all combines into a fascinating read. I was hooked until the end.

My best reads from September are:

Adrienne Chinn - The English Wife

A novel which is set in two significant eras in history. At the end of World War II, Ellie travels from the English town of Norwich to Newfoundland in Canada to join her new husband Thomas. Through the novel we see their experiences in Wartime Norwich, and how their relationship unfolded. This alternates with Sophie’s story, beginning on September 11th, 2001, when her plane is diverted on its way to New York from England. When she realises that a catastrophic event has stranded her near the home of her aunt Ellie, she decides to contact the family she has never met. Sophie’s parents had broken contact with Ellie, but are now both dead. As the novel progresses the secrets of the past begin to unfold. Sophie finds herself attracted to Sam, prickly widower of Ellie’s daughter Winnie and father to Becca. He’s still grieving for Winnie and has left his city job to raise his vulnerable daughter at Ellie’s peaceful home. Sophie herself makes many mistakes but all becomes clear when the veil is lifted from the past and the truth is finally revealed. An intriguing read.
 
Sue Moorcroft - A Home in the Sun

This is the first novel by this author that I have read, but I shall certainly be reading more. After a blissful few years in Malta, Judith returns to England mourning her lover Giorgio. Somehow she needs to pick up the threads of her old life. Her house is currently rented to Adam, someone she knew at school and admired from afar. Adam is now divorced, and a successful photographer. Unexpectedly Judith finds herself working as his assistant. But there are tensions as she wants her house back. Judith’s family also have their problems, including her sister Molly and her stepson Kieran, who has always been close to her. Despite the growing attraction between Judith and Adam, she still feels drawn back to Malta. The plot follows many twists and turns, tugging at the reader’s emotions as Judith searches for peace, while trying to help those who need her most. A supremely satisfying read.

Only two books from my reading this month - one very long!

Kirsty Wark – The House by the Loch
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This is the second novel written by the Scottish broadcaster. A deep and intricate story about three generations of a family whose home is in Galloway, south-west Scotland. An incident on Loch Doon involving the boy Walter in 1941 holds a grip on him that reverberates down the years. In present day, Walter’s children hold a family gathering at the houses he gifted them on the loch side. Their own children are present – Patrick’s two daughters, Carson and Iona, and Fiona’s son Pete. As the story of Walter’s grandchildren unfolds, there are flashbacks to his own youth as an engineer at the Loch, and his marriage to bright spark Jean from nearby Ayr. Jean’s fragility also has long-reaching effects on the family. Following a sudden tragedy, each member of the family struggles to find a way to go on, and there are many secrets still to be revealed. A good read, though for me it sagged a little in the second half of the book, before picking up pace again towards the end.

Sarah Harrison - A Flower that's Free

This is the sequel to 'The Flowers of the Field', and follows the story of Kate, Thea's adopted daughter. Early in the book we learn who her real mother is, and this creates a thread of tension running through the novel. Always rather a rebel, feeling she doesn't fit in, Kate travels from her Kenyan home to London where she meets Thea's family. She strives to find fulfillment for herself in the world. Then she finds love but there are difficult choices to make as the story moves into World War II. The author doesn't hold back on depicting some of the horrors of the war, in several different countries. Despite it being a very long book it kept my interest up to the end. I read it originally when it was first published in 1985, and it's interesting to see how writing styles have changed over the years. I reckon that the stories of some minor characters would not be included in a more recent novel. But very well written, full of tension, with a great sense of place and immediacy.

Fern Britten – The Postcard

Penny has an enviable marriage to vicar Simon, with a gorgeous baby daughter, Jenna. She lives in an idyllic part of Cornwall, and can’t understand why she feels a total failure. To make matters worse, the successful career she had in television seems to be in trouble. The final straw comes when her estranged younger sister, Suzie, turns up, stirring up the difficult family memories that Penny had thought she’d escaped. The novel continues the stories of people first met in other novels by the author, and introduces more intriguing characters. Village life is drawn colourfully, creating a mix of emotions in another of the author’s tales of Cornish village life. Warm and sympathetic.

Danielle Girard – Whiteout

A thriller set in USA. Lily wakes up in crashed car, beside an unconscious man she doesn’t know – and can’t recall her own identity or what happened. There are only disjointed flashbacks in her mind, and she can make no sense of it. She finds out her name from the driving licence in her bag. From this point she begins a journey of discovery and terror as she tries to piece together her life and keep safe from someone who seems to want her dead. Ambitious detective Kylie is also on a quest, to find the killer of another young woman whose body appeared in a local dumpster. But her attempts to solve the crime seem to be thwarted at every turn – who is sabotaging her investigation? She believes there’s a connection to Lily, and the two women’s lives begin to converge as leads are woven in confusion. A lot of suspense, many threads to untangle, but overall a satisfying read.

Elle Newmark – The Sandalwood Tree

A fascinating weaving of tales from two turbulent times in the history of India. In 1947, on the eve of Partition, American Evie arrives in northern India with her husband Martin and their five-year-old son Billy. Martin served in World War II and came back altered, with hidden demons he cannot speak about. Now he’s studying the momentous changes in India for a history PhD, and Evie hopes that during their time there, they will rediscover the closeness of their early marriage. But he remains locked in his personal nightmare. Her curiosity is roused when she discovers letters hidden in their Victorian house – correspondence between two young Englishwomen, Adela and Felicity in 1855. As Evie follows a trail which gradually reveals the secrets of their lives in India during the Sepoy Rebellion, she experiences more of the realities and history of the people inhabiting this exotic country. Their stories also help her to learn more about herself and how she can face the future. A deeply emotional and engrossing read.

These are my best reads from June:

Claire Amarti - The Silent Daughter

There are a lot of secrets in this thriller, not least those held by the main protagonist, Sadie. For some reason she has returned to her home town to teach at the private school she attended as a scholarship girl. But somehow it's not been a success, and she's being let go at the end of her probationary time. Then Devon, a talented pupil from a wealthy local family goes missing. Parents begin to withdraw their daughters, and Sadie is asked to return to her post as no teachers want to apply while there's a girl missing. But is Sadie returning to danger? She's had threatening letters, and there are her own secrets that could bring more problems. An intriguing read.

Christina Courtenay - Echoes of the Runes

An intriguing 'time-slip' romantic novel, set in modern day Sweden and in Viking times. Mia's gold serpent ring has been passed down through the generations of her family. A visit to the Historical Museum of Stockholm brings her face-to-face with its twin - and also to Haakon, an archaeologist with an interest in Viking sites. Soon the pair find themselves in charge of a dig investigating anomalies at the house Mia has just inherited from her Swedish grandmother. Mia is torn between her English fiance, Charles, and the increasingly deep connection she's feeling with Haakon. Both are experiencing waking dreams about a Viking called Haukr and his Welsh hostage Ceridwen. The plot is deftly woven between the two timelines, with plenty of authentic background and colour from this author who explores her own Swedish heritage. Thoroughly enjoyable.

Andrea Levy - Small Island

What to say about this multi-award-winning novel, that hasn't been said before? Finely drawn characters, evocative description, and a story that generates a lot of soul-searching. Hermione travels from Jamaica to join her new husband, Gilbert, who fought for Britain in World War II and took the opportunity to make a new life in England. He travelled on the Windrush months earlier, and she expects to find him established in London and doing well. What she discovers shocks her to the core. With flashbacks, and the story told from many viewpoints, we see the old attitudes to people of different colour that are shocking and shameful to a modern reader. Definitely a novel to make the reader think, showing up historic racist attitudes. Well worth all its accolades.

The best of my reads from May are:

Lynda Rutledge - West With Giraffes

This was a refreshingly different novel, which captivated me from beginning to end. Set slightly in the future, in a time when giraffes have become extinct in the wild, Woody Nickel, now aged 105, is in a nursing home. He begins to write the story of his amazing journey across America as a teenager in the company of two giraffes who had survived a hurricane while being brought across the Atlantic in 1938. Heading for the San Diego zoo in California, the seventeen-year-old dust bowl orphan is inspired to follow them to the place where he believes he can fulfil his dreams. By blagging, feinting and sheer bravado he ends up partnering the elderly zoo keeper he calls 'The Old Man' on a precarious trip with their priceless cargo across the southern states of America. Set mostly in the final years of the Depression before World War 2, it's a coming-of-age novel with a difference. 

Zara Thorne - Escape to Sunrise Cottage

This is a gentle book, satisfyingly warm. Artist Violet has been betrayed by her fiance Jayden. She decides to spend the summer alone in the Sussex cottage which was left to her by her grandmother, after whom she was named. She's realised that her relationship is over, and wants time to repair her emotions. But there's an attractive antique dealer, Max, living nearby, who begins to break down her barriers. Is it time to move on; can she trust him? - And who is sending her threatening letters? The village atmosphere is delightful in this romantic excursion.

Jeff Wheeler - Broken Veil (Harbinger book 5)

Another satisfying read from this fantasy author for young adults. I had read the first four in the series some time ago, but finally returned to this concluding book. I was glad I'd read the Kingfountain series in the meantime as I would have missed the significance of two characters who came into the story. But somehow all the threads of the plots throughout the five books were drawn together, and I felt it worked well. The author's imagination always captivates me.

These are my favourite reads from April:

Lisa Hobman - Dreaming Under and Island Skye

Juliette leaves her Costwolds home to find solace in the village where her mother was born on the Isle of Skye in Scotland. She's looking to heal her grief and find a reason for starting afresh. Although some of the locals welcome her, there are others who seem to resent her arrival. But soon a young boy and his dog are making inroads on her heart. Can Jules heal the hurts of those around her before her time in the atmospheric visit is up, and moreover is there laughter and love for her as well in the future? An enjoyable read, with an agreeable Scottish flavour.

Minka Kent - When I was You

Orphaned Iowa heiress Brienne is recovering from a mugging, and has taken in a lodger, a young male doctor who works at the local hospital. She hasn't been out much, and can't deny that she's beginning to fall for Niall. Strangely, a key is delivered to her, one which means nothing to her. When she begins to investigate it, suddenly her life descends into chaos. It turns out that she's not who she thought she was. But why does she have all these false memories? Who is the young woman who is using her name? The only constant in her life is Niall. The reader goes on a journey full of twists and turns as Brienne's life spirals into danger, and she tries to work out who she really is. Full of suspense.

Emily St John Mandel - Station 11

This was recommended to me some time ago by a member of my family, and I finally got round to reading it in April. I was quite taken aback when I realised that it was about a pandemic! But to be honest, the 'Georgia Flu' in the novel is just a device for wiping out 99% of the earth's population and leaving it in a post-apocalyptic state: sparsely populated, without technology, governments, or law. The storyline flips between different time lines: before, during and after the plague, with not much about 'during'. The death of actor Arthur Leander onstage while performing Shakespeare's King Lear in Toronto is a key moment. All the other main characters are connected with him, whether it's Kirsten the child actress who witnesses his death, his ex-wife Miranda who is the artist and author of the science fiction comics about Station Eleven, Jeevan the trainee paramedic who tries to revive him, or his friend Clark who later collects pre-pandemic artifacts. Years later, Kirsten eventually finds a home with the Travelling Symphony, a group of musicians and actors who perform orchestral music and Shakespeare plays to the survivors. Their slogan is 'Survival is Insufficient', a quote from Star Trek. The characters are drawn with depth, their reactions to an apocalyptic situation fascinating and believable.

My favourite reads from March are:

Jenny Kane - Midsummer dreams at Mill Grange

Archaeological expert Thea has taken a new job, in charge of the restoration of a Victorian Manor house on the edge of Exmoor. A team of volunteers is working to have Mill Grange ready to open to the public in a few months' time. An additional bonus is that Thea will be working with her best friend, Tina, who works for the Trust in charge of the project. But her main motivation is to escape the attentions of former boyfriend John, who has become a pest. He's refusing to believe that their short-lived relationship is over. Thea has to cope with all the personalities among the volunteers, including the enigmatic Sam who won't step inside the building. Then charismatic television archaeologist Sean arrives to offer his services to the restoration of the old house. Thea believes him to be a love rat, but there's something about him that draws her to him. Romance, mystery, and a house full of history - a winning combination. The only slight downside to the book was that the two main female characters' names begin with 'T' and there are also two prominent male characters beginning with 'S', which was a little confusing at times.

George R. R. Martin - A Game of Thrones

Having never watched the television series and hearing how many people raved about it, I was feeling that I had missed out and it was time to read the first book of A Song of Ice and Fire. I had read an excerpt years ago and hadn't been tempted to go further then. But this time I persevered and was rewarded with a MASSIVE read. It totally enveloped me, and took me three weeks to finish. The scale is huge, with several extended families and their retainers all fighting for supremacy in this mock-Medieval world. Loyalty, betrayal, sibling rivalry, war, sorcery: it's the stuff of myths and legends brought to life. Written in the raw with no holding back, blood and gore as well as riches and jewels. The drama is all-encompassing, the reader left on the edge of their seat at many times. The pervading quote is all too true: "When you play the Game of Thrones, you win or you die. There is no  middle ground." I will probably go on to read the next in the series at some point, but in the meantime I think I need a rest!