A very well researched book. I found the plot a little contrived, peopled by too many characters and few redeeming features between them. The love interest is a bit too Mills and Boon for my liking. I read it and would give her another chance - this is her first book - but it’s not really for me.

I read this book 11 years ago and enjoyed it as a good yarn. Rereading it, I was a bit disappointed and aware of its short fallings; a weedy main character, forced romance and killing off of the best character only part of the way through. It’s still interesting to read about the Marshalsea at the time, especially the historical notes about the real characters given at the end of the story.

Some of the characters in this book are based on real people and some events are based on written material from its time setting; I usually enjoy ‘faction’ and in many ways, this book did not disappoint. It is a wonderfully awful novel as it gives a Dickensian style commentary on class, painting a bleak life for those trapped on the bottom rung of society and how easy was the slide to the bottom. The characters are well developed, with some being irredeemable and others having a sliver of goodness, even if they make poor life choices.

18th century England seems a cruel place, where everyone is out for themselves, using others for their own gain, acting in a cutthroat manner, sometimes literally so. Hodgson’s description of prison life is graphic; you can feel the menace as you read and the paranoia of goal is very real. Who can you trust, if anyone at all? How do you stay alive? The prison hierarchy rose to the top through foul means and are determined to stay there by the use of force and intimidation. With everything stacked against you, why bother to play nice?

Hawkins, the main character, is placed in what is called the strong room. He is beaten and then put in iron head and neck braces. The descriptions of the pile of dead bodies being gnawed by rats, the sound as they scuttle around, the stench of typhus and the itch from lice are very vivid and leave nothing to the imagination. Then there’s crunching on a bull’s eye as part of your meal…. It is certainly an atmospheric book and a reminder that many so called Christian institutions were far from it! The only downside for me was the somewhat contrived ending.

I didn’t like this book. Although based on fact and, according to the author's notes, her descriptions were less awful than the reality. I didn't like the viciousness, cruelty, dishonesty, corruption and squalor it portrayed. I found the officials and trusties hard to distinguish and to remember the role of each. Samuel Fleet was better than everyone thought and Tom Hawkin's childhood friend, Buckley, was far from being a friend.

I enjoyed this: found it very interesting to learn what a debtor's prison was like three hundred years ago. It felt more like a village than a prison, with so many comings and goings. I was puzzled by the description of men calling for the porters to bring them meals and coffee and punch; it sounded like a hotel at times. And I couldn't figure out how they could afford to pay for staff and buy food and drink and pay their rent, when most of them were just about bankrupt.

I was also baffled to read that those inmates who were allowed to go out of the prison were sure to come back by nightfall, because the governor had spies everywhere and would hunt them down and bring them back. Today, a wanted man will be located the second he uses his bank card, or NI number, or passport, and his face could be splashed all over the tv and social media. But in the eighteenth century, I would have thought it was easy to escape into anonymity in London and beyond.

I kept wondering how much worse it could get for Thomas. I had my own theories about who had committed the murder; I thought it was Trim. It kept me guessing to the end.

A short rumination on his life and its changes, of various magnitude. As always, he has something interesting things to say and then to think over. Humorous in parts and, as ever, thought-provoking. I definitely recommend reading it.

The sun is dying and Project Hail Mary is initiated to find out why. Chock full of science and unlikely adventures, including a bromance with an alien. I found it hard to read but did find parts of it very funny, but the ending is cliched.

This is Rickman’s last offering in the Merrily Watkins series. Watkins is an Anglican priest who has acted as the Deliverance Minister (Exorcist) for the Diocese of Hereford and she regularly helps the police with unusual and disturbing cases. It would seem that escaping to the country is not all it’s cracked up to be as bad things start happening to a rich man who bought the house of a couple who allegedly died by suicide. Can Watkins bring peace and what does her own future look like?

The book is made up of four short stories about people who choose to return to the past or go to the future. Certain rules apply, such as not changing what happens and they must return before the cup of coffee, that has been poured, gets cold. Each story is increasingly poignant.

There are two part to this short but complex novel that raises difficult issues.

The first 113 pages are written by Fredric, telling the story about how and why he has decided to kidnap Miranda. In fact, until it happens, he has no specific idea how to deal with her. All he wants is for her to become a close friend and then she might come to love him in a way and then they can become a happy couple. What he realises is that they are so far apart, not only on personal levels, but there are wide differences in their background, such as education and achievement in their young lives so far. No matter how hard he tries to please her, Miranda’s mind is firmly set against his motive and of course, kidnapping cannot solve Fredric’s life. His idea of intimacy cannot be interpreted in the usual way of male and female relationships. He doesn’t want sexual intimacy, while Miranda’s thinking is to offer herself to him, which would release her. Not to be…

The second part consists of 143 pages, which is a kind of diary written by Miranda’s hand. I find this part very interesting, because her life has been so full of the arts, love and absolutely nothing like that of Fredric. We begin to understand that they are two individuals that cannot be farther apart. Here is a young, very ambitious woman who has lots to offer to society. I can imagine why Fredric wants to be with her. Any man would love to be with her, not only because of her beauty, but also her intelligence and charm. After Miranda’s illness and her death, I really thought Fredric might surrender to the police or even contemplate killing himself. That would have given me a kind of consolation. But not to be as the last chapter informs me that he is a psychopath. It was not an easy read, but it was a good read.

A novel about small town Irish life set in Donegal. It focuses on three families with marital difficulties whose stories are interconnected. It also touched on the vote in Ireland to allow divorce.

The story is set in Florence during the reign of the infamous Medici family and if you have been to this city, you will recognise many of the places mentioned. The Cecchi family have ‘made it’ through their work as cloth merchants. With this in mind, the head of the household has employed a painter to decorate his house as a statement of his success. Alessandra is 15 and is inevitably drawn to the stranger in their midst and her own desire to draw and paint heightens the intensity of the attraction. True love is never a smooth path and Alessandra marries a much older man, a friend of her brother. The marriage is unhappy, with the only redeeming feature being that her husband allows Alessandra the freedom to read and paint. This freedom becomes her way back to the painter. At this point in time, Florence is in flux. The old order of the Medici, the world of excess, art and learning, is being challenged by Savonarola, a monk determined to bring control of the city into Church’s hands. One of her brothers becomes a member of the monk’s pseudo police force and one is denounced for his actions, which has implications for her marriage. The city of Florence is in a burning turmoil, with much to lose or win. The same battle is played out in Alessandra’s life.

Dunant is such a great writer and here she makes real the history of Florence.

This book is about the first cohort of women undergraduates from 1920, who were the first allowed an actual degree. It follows four very different women. It’s an easy read but also extremely irritating to learn about the level of restrictions placed upon them in comparison to the males! A good holiday read.

This is a story told from Mrs Dickens point of view and that of her personal maid. It paints a grim picture of Dickens as bully, wanting to mould everyone to his will, as he does with his characters. She danced to his tune, endured ten pregnancies, was humiliated by him and eventually rejected. How much is fact and how much is fiction I don't know.

Harris’ ‘Chocolat’ series has been wonderful to follow and I have always waited in anticipation for the next episode to be published. Vianne is the ever present character and she takes us on a journey through her life, through France and through the prejudices that surround people who live outside the margins of society. This book is the prequel and we learn how Vianne came to be, how she developed her skills with both chocolate and the supernatural. It is beautifully written and Harris has done a wonderful job in planting the seeds of the series. Having said that, I would still advise any newcomers to start with ‘Chocolat’, read the series in order and then end at the beginning; it just makes sense. My best read this month!

This novel has been lauded and listed for the Booker and I have LOVED most of her previous books but I was frustrated by this one. Small town America was still there but there were rants about Trump; it was very political which I found most off putting. A revelation that not all Trump supporters are evil people was just jaw droppingly simplistic.

The main character is a very nice man but he is boring. Why does such a nice man not have any real friends? His wife isn't very nice and their relationship isn't interesting to read about. There are 2 interesting twists in the book but I felt it just petered out with a couple of odd timeline complications.

This is an easy read but intelligent read and another Pride and Prejudice spin off. It follows Charlotte Lucas who married Rev Collins after he was rejected by Lizzie Bennett.

Having watched this book serialised on a streaming channel, I thought reading it might be a bit of an anti-climax. Wrong! The written version is great and being able to visualise the actors playing the various characters made the narrative come alive. How have all these ex MI5 operatives ended up in Slough House, a scruffy building above shops? What did they do to earn the nickname ‘slow horses’? Such a wealth of repulsive characters and yet weirdly, you get drawn in and become invested. I really want to carry on with the series but it’s hard to source the books due to their popularity; the latest episode can be reserved on Borrowbox but you’re not going to get it until 2033!

I enjoyed this book but I do have to say that it took me a while to get into its three periods of history timelines. What they all have in common is the need to survive and make their way through difficult and destructive times.

The first timeline is set In mid 15th century Constantinople where two young people have to take serious risks in order to protect the people they love. Next up is Idaho in 2020 and a boy whose anger is vast but his revenge on the world is thwarted by a gentle old man. The final thread is set somewhere and sometime in the future, on a spacecraft that is taking people on a journey to find a new planet to call home. However, all is not as it seems.

How are these individuals connected? What unites them is a book within a book, an ancient Greek text that was written to cheer up an ailing niece. It is a book that provides comfort, gives hope and inspires resilience. Doerr has written a beautiful book and the journey of the book within is cleverly tracked.

I heard Katriona O'Sullivan being interviewed by Adrian Chiles on a Saturday morning chat show, and it caught my interest. This is a very powerful autobiography, focussing on her childhood and early adult years.

She's now a professor and teacher of psychology, who comes from an awful background. Her parents were both alcoholics and drug addicts, with no idea how to keep a decent house and bring up children. Dad was in and out of prison: a thief and a compulsive liar. Mum was incapable of looking after herself, never mind her four children. There was never any food in the house, never any clean clothes, the bathroom wasn't fit to use; they lived in squalor. It was commonplace for the kids to wake up and find their parents' friends, or even complete strangers, crashed out on the sofa, drunk or high after all-night sessions. To the other kids at school, Katriona was seen as dirty, stinking, and was left out of things.

Katriona’s parents never showed her any love. She refers to other local kids as "the loved ones” and wishes she had a mum who could be bothered to come to the gate and call her in for her tea as that never happened in their house. On one occasion, a drinking buddy of her dad's "Uncle Bob", abuses her when nobody is around. She's nine years old. When, weeks later, she manages to say to her mum "Uncle Bob raped me," Mum's reply was "Well, he raped me too."

The story credits a few people along the way who recognised that Katriona was not only very bright, but not to blame for being a dirty, smelly kid from this foul background. So the help that they gave her meant that she eventually grew up keen to learn and better herself, and escape from the cycle of deprivation.

A few things struck me such as how she didn't blame her parents at all, and didn't hate them, however many times they let her down, such as when her dad kicked her out when she got pregnant at sixteen. She's very good at separating bad behaviour from being a bad person. She understood that they were born into poverty and didn't manage to escape from it. She loved them.

Now, as a successful and well educated woman teaching psychology, she feels very strongly that she's just as good as anybody else and is entitled to feel proud of what she's achieved. She believes that she didn't get to where she is in spite of her background, she got there because of her background. She makes it her mission to try and create a level playing field, to give opportunities to other kids from challenging backgrounds. The most powerful book I've read this year!