Category Archives: Book Reviews

Book Review: The Midnight Library by Matt Haig

Posted on October 14, 2022 by Susannah J. Bell

My rating: 4 of 5 stars It’s funny how the right book comes along just when you need it most. This was one of those books. While reading it, I had the kind of thoughts that went “this is the … Continue reading →

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Book Review: All Change by Elizabeth Jane Howard

Posted on October 8, 2022 by Susannah J. Bell

My rating: 3 of 5 stars When I first started this series over Christmas last year, I wanted to read nothing else in the months that followed. Gradually it dawned on me that although the books are well-written and the … Continue reading →

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Book Review – Bookworm: A Memoir of Childhood Reading by Lucy Mangan

Posted on September 5, 2022 by Susannah J. Bell

My rating: 5 of 5 stars What a wonderful book! Full of books you wish you’d read as a child with hilarious scenes of Lucy reading those books and not wanting to do ANYTHING except read them. Very funny and … Continue reading →

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Book Review: The Small Hand by Susan Hill

Posted on August 14, 2022 by Susannah J. Bell

My rating: 4 of 5 stars A quiet novel of intense mood and atmosphere with moments of profound creepiness. Not particularly scary but definitely unnerving. I loved the premise of the story, the main character (who doesn’t want to be … Continue reading →

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Book Review: Casting Off by Elizabeth Jane Howard

Posted on August 9, 2022 by Susannah J. Bell

My rating: 5 of 5 stars Or three weddings and a funeral! After the phenomenal misery of Confusion, this came as a bit of a relief. For some of the characters, anyway! Without giving anything away, one of my favourite … Continue reading →

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Book Review: Sherlock Holmes and the Sussex Sea-Devils by James Lovegrove

Posted on July 28, 2022 by Susannah J. Bell

Sherlock Holmes and the Sussex Sea-Devils by James Lovegrove My rating: 5 of 5 stars Most public libraries I’ve belonged to pride themselves in starting every series of books with the second one. My current library goes one better: it … Continue reading →

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Book Review: Death in Holy Orders by P.D. James

Posted on July 19, 2022 by Susannah J. Bell

I can’t understand why I’ve never read P.D. James before.  It might have to do with an adaption of one of her books on the radio which – at the time – I couldn’t get into.  I thought it sounded … Continue reading →

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Book Review: The Strawberry Thief by Joanne Harris

Posted on July 19, 2022 by Susannah J. Bell

For reasons which quite escape me, I’ve somehow managed to miss the two sequels following Chocolat, an error I will rectify as soon as possible.  Although, to be honest, once I’d finished this book I wasn’t sure I wanted to … Continue reading →

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Oh William! by Elizabeth Strout

Posted on June 28, 2022 by Susannah J. Bell

My rating: 4 of 5 stars A masterclass in minimalism. I’ve not read Elizabeth Strout before and wonder if I may have benefited from reading earlier works which could have enhanced this story. However, even without them, this is a … Continue reading →

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The Three-Body Problem by Liu Cixin

Posted on June 21, 2022 by Susannah J. Bell

My rating: 3 of 5 stars While I enjoy a strange read, this was so strange as to be alienating. The science was intriguing but the story, I’m afraid, was not. Characterisation was virtually non-existent, except perhaps for the policeman … Continue reading →

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