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.