Review: Lethal White

Lethal White by Robert Galbraith
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Another highly accomplished Strike novel. Once again, just as she did with the Harry Potter series, Rowling excels at writing characters. Not one of the characters feel false or one dimensional - even the less likeable ones have depth.

There were a few times that the story dragged but, overall, Strike and Robin are so compelling, you are willing to overlook the odd duff chapter or two.

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Review: The Life and Loves of a He Devil

The Life and Loves of a He Devil by Graham Norton
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

I think this is best "read" as an audio book as Norton narrates it. As the late Northern Irish comic Frank Carson used to say "it's the way you tell them". Norton's gift for story telling is absolutely how he says thing rather than what he says. He doesn't say anything thing profound in this book in which outlines his passions (hence the title) but narrates in such a way, you find yourself laughing out aloud at tales that in other hands would be mundane.

To be honest, it's like a lengthy version of his radio show without the celebrities or Maria McErlane (though, both are frequently referenced). Not a bad thing at all if you're an avid fan of the show (which I am).

Probably wouldn't have bought it if there hadn't been a e-book/audiobook deal, but still really enjoyed it.

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Review: The Colour of Time: A New History of the World, 1850-1960

The Colour of Time: A New History of the World, 1850-1960 by Dan Jones
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

A stunning work of art - illustrator Marina Amaral has painstakingly brought colour (and life) to black & white photos of iconic moments in history. The detail is just amazing; so amazing that you sometimes forget that the image didn't always have colour.

Jones' historical blurbs that accompany the photos are just the right mix of information and accessibility. You actually feel you're learning something but, at the same, are not overwhelmed by fact.

This is definitely a book I will keep on my shelves and re-read multiple times.




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Review: The Light Years

The Light Years by Elizabeth Jane Howard
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

An absorbing family saga. Howard's skill is to have numerous characters and make you care about all of them. Though, I could have done without a fourth set of cousins being introduced in the second part. While they were all individually interesting, they meant I started to lose track of who was who - I did have to keep flipping back to the family tree at the start of the book to remind myself who was a sibling, who was a cousin, and how old they they were.

However, there is a disturbing incident that happens early on in the secondary part. While Howard clearly indicates this incident is wrong, she doesn't mention it again. An underlying theme of the book is the sacrifices and compromises we make for our families. But this particular incident shouldn't be seen as something that someone has to put up with for the sake of familial harmony. Therefore, I was concerned that it wasn't addressed further. (In fairness to Howard, she may deal with it later in the series.)

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