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!

The choices from my February reading are as follows:

M. L. Stedman - The Light Between Oceans

I made sure that I read this book before seeing the film, as it's had so much hype. But the book didn't disappoint. It opens with the event that changes the lives of Tom Sherbourne and his wife, Izzy. A boat is washed up on the remote island off the Australian coast where they live alone, where Tom is the lighthouse keeper. In the boat is a dead man - and a living baby. Izzy believes the baby girl is a gift to them to make up for the three babies she has lost, and soon is so attached to the child, whom she names Lucy, that Tom can't think of tearing them apart. He had a hard childhood, followed by military service in World War I, and his wife has brought new meaning to his life. The novel raises many moral questions about truth, love, blame, and compassion. Sumptuous description, atmospheric and emotional. Can the film live up to the book? I'll find out soon.

Update just before publishing this: I enjoyed the film, but to me the book had more depth, and I'm glad I read it first.

Louise Douglas - The House by the Sea

Edie travels from England to Sicily after her mother-in-law Anna dies, to deal with the inheritance of the family's crumbling villa. She has to meet up with her estranged ex-husband, Joe. There is so much emotional turmoil between them, as Edie still blames Anna for the death of their young son Daniel, ten years earlier. But somehow as they have to sort out the will, the villa and its secrets embrace Edie, and she discovers that all is not as it seems. Many resentments and hurts are exposed as she peels away the layers that have kept her insulated in the past years, face her grief and find out if she can finally heal. Emotionally raw, and atmospheric in setting, the novel also opens a window into Sicilian family life.

This novel is nominated for an award by the Romantic Novelists' Association, results to be announced on 8th March.

Victoria Hislop - The Island

Alexis arrives in Crete for a holiday with her boyfriend, pondering on the future of their relationship. It's also the island where her mother was born and grew up, though Sofia has never talked about her life before her marriage. But at last she has revealed to Alexis the location of her birthplace, and given her the name of Fotini, a local woman who knew her family. Understanding that her relationship with Ed is faltering, Alexis leaves him at the hotel and takes a solo trip to the village of Plaka. Here she searches out Fotini, and listens with incredulity to the story which she tells. It is irrevocably bound to the small island off the coast, Spinalonga, a place of suffering, but from which hope is born. A sweeping story of tragedy and new beginnings - a compelling read.

My best reads from January are:

Richard Osman - The Thursday Murder Club

Recommended by many, this novel turned out to be every bit as good as the hype. A group of pensioners living in a retirement village spend their Thursdays looking at cold cases to keep their minds active, but suddenly find themselves in the middle of a real murder. They have all had active careers - from former nurse Joyce who writes her personal thoughts in a diary every day, to Elizabeth, who had a job that no-one can talk about, and Ibrahim, who was a psychiatrist. We're also introduced to a young policewoman who had been at the Met but has run away to a backwater, and her boss who is dissatisfied with his lonely life. But the novel s not just about the hunt for a killer. Richard Osman explores the innermost thoughts of men and women, their fears of losing their faculties, their loves and friendships, and how life is there to be lived to the full even in later years. I can't wait for the next book.

Terry Pratchett - The Colour of Magic (Discworld Series book 1)

Having been aware for many years of the renowned writer Terry Pratchett and his famous Discworld series of books, I thought it was time that I read one. I wasn't disappointed. The disc which contains this world is supported by four gigantic elephants, on the back of an even more massive turtle which swims through space. It's peopled with humans, animals, heroes, and mythical creatures. Magic is an everyday occurrence. The failed wizard Rincewind becomes reluctant companion to the world's first tourist, accompanied by his faithful luggage made from sentient pearwood, which moves around on its own multiple legs. Together they lurch from one adventure to another, even falling off the rim of the world at one point. Wry humour abounds. Entertaining and entrancing - I shall be reading more of this series in the future.

Rebecca Serle - In Five Years

It took me a while to get into this book, but eventually the story gripped me completely. Dannie believes she has the life she wants, as she's about to get her dream job and is in a relationship with the man who seems perfect for her. Yet on the night she gets engaged, she has a vivid dream that it's five years on, and she's in a different apartment with an unknown man. She experiences a depth of emotion with him that she never had experienced before. When she wakes, her life goes back to its previous path. The date she saw in her dream approaches, the dream man turns out to be real - and Dannie does her best to make sure that the vision won't come true, as it would hurt all those she loves most. Intense, surprising with unexpected twists and turns. An intriguing book.

I enjoyed reading these books this December:

Victoria Connelly - The Beauty of Broken Things

Another heartwarming book by this author. Orla has used all her remaining money to buy herself a run-down castle in East Anglia, where she can hide from the world. Her only outlet is to buy damaged but beautiful objects on the internet, and post them on social media. She believes she's safe from the outside world in her protected existence. But unexpectedly, Luke turns up on the doorstep. He has come to tell her news of a tragedy that affects them both. His vulnerability is as great as her own, and she must decide whether to stay hidden away or begin to face life again. But it's not easy to face your own demons, as both Luke and Orla discover. 

Wendy Clarke - We Were Sisters

Described on the strap line as 'an absolutely gripping psychological thriller', this novel lives up to its description. A totally different atmosphere for me after the other novels I've been reading lately, and I wasn't sure that I was in the right mood for this when I started. But the book became compelling and I was startled by the unexpected twists and turns as it progressed. Young Brighton mum Kelly is struggling with a new baby son at the time her twin daughters are starting school. There seem to be so many things for her to worry about - and then she finds a locket in the baby's pram. She's certain it belonged to her long-dead foster sister, Freya. Flashbacks follow Kelly's love-hate childhood relationship with Freya, while in the present day she's uncertain whether she's imagining the threats to her and her family's safety. I was kept guessing throughout the book, and was glad that I did read to the end. 

Lucy Coleman - Snowflakes over Holly Cove

I chose to read this novel in December because of the title, and it was advertised as a Christmas book. Actually, most of the story takes place before Christmas, so it didn't quite hit the festive spot. But everything does come to a conclusion at Christmas, so I was finally left with a seasonal feel. High-flying magazine journalist Tia is picking up the pieces after a meltdown following a family tragedy. Her boss, Camilla, sends Tia to take on an assignment in a remote cottage on the Gower Peninsula. She's to interview couples about their ideas of the perfect Christmas. Here she reviews her own life and worries that she's going to end up a younger version of her boss, consumed by her job and with no loving attachments. But the rugged Welsh coast holds secrets, and the people she meets are to have a profound effect on her life - especially a certain young man who's also hurting. An enjoyable read.

My best reads from November are:

Nicola Cornick - The Phantom Tree

A newly discovered Tudor portrait displayed in a gallery throws Alison Bannister's life into disarray. Purported to be a painting of Anne Boleyn, Alison knows that it is actually Mary Seymour, daughter of Henry VIII's last wife, Katherine Parr, and her last husband, Thomas Seymour. The reason she knows is that she grew up with Mary at Wolf Hall - Alison is a time traveller. She is stuck in the twenty first century, and can't find her way back to search for her lost child. But the painting hides clues that Mary has left, and Alison must trust in Adam, the historian who discovered the painting. To make matters more difficult, Adam and she fell in love several years earlier, but she couldn't sustain the relationship as she knew she would have to leave him if she wanted to go back to Tudor times and find her baby. Vivid scenes of Tudor England and the enigmatic character of Mary intersperse with Alison's desperate search to discover the truth about her son and also what actually happened to Mary. A riveting time-slip novel by an accomplished author.

Zhang Ling - A Single Swallow

This book was interestingly different, written by a Chinese author and translated into English. It's set mainly during World War II in China. The novel begins with the ghosts of three men meeting when the final one of them dies in his nineties.One of them, Liu Zhaohu, was a Chinese soldier. Two of them are American - the man known as Pastor Billy, a missionary; and the last to die, Ian Ferguson, who had been a soldier too with the American army in China. These three men are connected by the woman that each of them loved in a different way. They even called her by different names: Stella, Ah Yan (Swallow), and Wende (or 'wind'). Through the story of each ghost we follow Ah Yan's life from childhood to maturity, and the difficulties of being a woman at that time in Chinese history. The novel portrays a fascinating picture of a land and culture very different from our western existence. Colourful and compelling.

Rosemary Goodacre - Until we meet again

This is a tenderly written historical novel with a captivating love story. In the months before the start of World War I, Amy, the daughter of a schoolmaster, falls in love with Edmond, younger son of a local landowner. Despite opposition from his family, they become engaged. But as Edmond leaves university and signs up for the army, their plans do not run smoothly. Not to mention Amy blotting her copybook in the eyes of his family before they have even been married. Despite all, Amy and Edmond's love is a strong anchor for them as they are torn apart, each wanting to serve their country and bring to an end the horror of war. Sorrow is laced with joy in this well-crafted novel that holds the interest from start to finish, and gives the reader a flavour of what it was like to live in those times. I look forward to reading the next instalment of this trilogy.