Two mini reviews

Lack of time meant I had to choose between reading less (never going to happen) or writing shorter reviews.




The Hour I first Believed by Wally Lamb, published by HarperCollins, 626 pages. Magnificent!









No Time For Goodbye by Lynwood Barclay published by Orion, 437 pages. Compelling.

Roast Books

Ok, I know it's been ages since I last posted a review but I succumbed to swine flu and wasn't capable of much more than sleeping. If you want to join my pity party then you need to go here. Dress code is PJs, slippers and comfort blanket.

Before I got ill I had the time to indulge myself in a few books published by Roast Books. I've been following Roast Books since it was little more than a twinkling concept in Faye's mind as a new university graduate.

I am a devoted fan of Roast Books because they do something very few publishers do; they publish novellas. I think novellas are way too underrated and am so pleased to have discovered a publisher who wants to get them out to fill a very big gap in the market.

The first book I read was 'Little Roasts - a collection of short stories'. This will come as no surprise to people who read my blogs regularly and know what a short story addict I am.

The first story in this collection is Brian, McMurphy & Sally Too by Rowena Macdonald, an incredibly emotive story of friendship and love. It managed to thrill and shock me. At the end I longed to read more.

A Sop of All this Solid Globe by Keith Scales is very 'small town' North America. I know that may not mean much if you didn't grow up on that continent but you'll understand after you've read it. And, read it you should.

Circling by Mark Kotting is very suspenseful, very cleverly written. It left me thinking about it for a long time after I'd finished reading.

Rudimentary Mathematician by Nikhil Pandhi is short but very cinematic. Almost disturbingly so.

Selling Light by Effie Gray is wonderfully quirky. The book came alive from the first page and each character called out to me for attention in equal measures. At times I realised that I was holding my breath as I read. My reading time is usually just before I go to sleep but in this case I did something I rarely do and took Selling Light into the bath with me to increase my reading time. The ending pleased me greatly and I have to say that I think this novella is a real treat. Buy it for someone you love.


Lizard by L.Schick reads with an almost dreamlike quality. I'm talking about dreams where nothing makes sense if you think about it too hard but somehow you just know it is right and unfolding the way it has to? It entertained me hugely and I wanted to know what happened next each time I reached the bottom of the page. It is the most unique story I have ever had the pleasure of reading and I look forward to whatever this author dreams up next.


I've got several more Roast Books on my to be read pile and I am looking forward to continuing the experience. Roast Book's blog is here, the full catalogue is here, and you can follow Faye on Twitter.

I think the world needs to know about Roast Books so please plug it on your blogs and websites.

Finally, I feel that I should point out that novellas make great Christmas stocking stuffers and while you're at it why not treat yourself to a 'great little read' too?

The Season of the Beast by Andrea H. Japp

The Season of the Beast is brought to you courtesy of those clever people at Gallic Books who provide you with the opportunity to enjoy French to English translations of some very good reads.

I've spent the past six weeks reading this novel by Andrea Japp (translated by Lorenza Garcia), partly because it has been a hectic and exhausting six weeks and partly because I was doing my utmost to take my time and savour this mystery.

Set in medieval France it tells the absorbing tale of Agnes de Souarcy, an admirable and believable character whom I found myself fascinated with. The struggles everyone faced in daily life back in 1304 is portrayed in the most vivid way. Some of the most mundane scenes are absolutely shocking because of this writing skill. An added bonus is the Historical References and Glossary which added layers to the detail within the story.

The suspense in this novel is exquisitely delivered in rich detail page by page. I found myself either cheering Agnes on or greatly concerned for her well being throughout the novel. The fact that I found myself so engaged with Agnes and the troubles she faces is, to me anyway, the prefect example of the quality of content you'll find between the covers of The Season of the Beast.

A word of warning for those of you who will buy The Season of the Beast after reading this post: there is a second and third installment in the Agnes de Souarcy chronicles called The Breath of the Rose and The Divine Blood. Buy them all at the same time because when you finish reading The Season of the Beast you will be desperate to know what happens next.

Sadomasochism for Accountants by Rosy Barnes

Sadomasochism for Accountants is about love, laughter and lunacy, though you may doubt me after reading the title. I don’t believe you can experience one of the former two without the latter lurking sensed but unseen in the shadow of those emotions. In her debut novel Rosy Barnes blends the three in a variety of ways that should seem familiar in varying degrees to most adults.

Rosy's style reminds me of Carl Hiaasen. Loads of characters make this story a comedic romp with each playing a significant part in the plot. You might expect so many major characters to make the story a confusing muddle but each has an unexpected depth which makes them vital to the reader's enjoyment of the story as a whole.

As Rosy says on her website - 'Buy the book - Ah go on. Go on, go on, go on'

Find out more about Rosy follow this link to her website and to find out more about Marion Boyars follow this link to their website

Cloths of Heaven by Sue Eckstein

Sue Eckstein's debut novel, The Cloths of Heaven, is a treasure.

The scented evenings, heavily weighted with West African heat, seemed to rise from the pages as I read. I felt as if I was curled up on a cushion, watching but unseen, as the plot unfolded like many layers of delicate, luxurious fabric. At times I found myself holding my breath as I read.

The characters are unexpectedly real. Everyone has met personalities like these in their own lives and I found that this familiarity drew me deep into the novel. At times I felt an inkling of what it must feel like to be a stalker; that urge to vicariously experience more of another's life, the reluctance to be parted from them. I felt a slight sense of grief as the novel ended simply because it finished so perfectly and, I wanted to spend more time in their world.

I particularly liked the fact that Sue wrote short chapters and these allowed me to move along the book at a steady pace, picking up different characters viewpoints as the story progresses and blending what I knew from previous pages with what the next character believed to be the truth.

The Cloths of Heaven mimics real life effortlessly, recounting it with maximum impact packed full of vivid imagery, scents and palpable emotions.

For a more traditional review you can follow this link to Caroline Smaile's blog or this one to Bookersatz.

The Cloths of Heaven is published by Myriad Editions.

You can read the first chapter here.

You can buy a copy here and here or any good bookstore. On the 9th of August I will be interviewing Sue on my Chez Aspie blog and giving away a signed copy of The Cloths of Heaven courtesy of Myriad Editions.

You can find out more about Sue at Myriad Editions or by following her on Twitter.

The Dolce Vita Diaries

I just loved everything about this book, the cover art, the photos, the recipes and the story that wraps round it all.

Jason, Cathy and their daughter Rosie move to Italy to nurture their olive grove. Sounds idyllic doesn't it? Well according to Cathy and Jason the answer is yes and no. After reading their book I am inclined to agree but I was left with more of the 'yes' resounding in my head and less of the 'no'.

This is a blunt, vivid account of their struggles to live their dream. They did it but I'll leave it to you to decide if they think it was worth it.

I am willing to bet you can't read the book without wanting to adopt an olive tree.

Go. Read. Discover Nudo.

The Dolce Vita Diaries is published by The Friday Project

The Letters by Fiona Robyn

I was lucky enough to meet Fiona Robyn when she came to town to read some of her poetry on a Tongues and Grooves evening.

Fiona's poetry is exquisite; the words are almost palpable, ripe, warm and juicy like blackberries eaten as fast as they can be picked off the sun warmed brambles.

Much to my delight her fiction has the same cadence...one which, to my mind, is reminiscent of Gregorian Monks chanting their prayers.

The Letters flings the reader up onto an edge of adrenaline fuelled frisson before dropping you into fur lined ruts where you could happily luxuriate forever.

There is a decadent syncopation to The Letters.

The Letters, published by the wonderful world of Snowbooks, is a treat from start to finish. You can buy a copy here, here or here as well as any good book store and you can find out more about Fiona here.