The Bookseller of Kabul by Asne Seierstad

(288 pages)



This volume offers an intimate portrait of Afghani people.

This is a book telling the true story of the extended Khan family following the fall of the Taliban in Afghanistan. The bookseller of the title, is the patriarch of the family, Sultan. He is married with children and lives in a small apartment in Kabul with his extended family including his ageing mother and a nephew.
The focus of the story is upon the treatment of the Afghan women, including the situation of there now being no need to wear the prescribed Bhurkas (veils covering the entire body and face), and the growing want, and need, for independence. It also discusses the role and importance of faith and religion in the ‘new’ Afghanistan.
The story is told from a third person perspective, focussing upon the individual dramas faced by the family during the stay of the author in the Khan household. There are stories of crime and punishment, the stresses of courtship and the pilgrimage of a guilt-riddled son in an attempt to wash away his sins. The most fascinating, and moving story for me though was that of Leila, the 19 year old sister of Sultan, whose job it was to keep house for the entire family, and her desire to become more than a ‘slave’.
It is written in a very easy to read manner, and the story itself is highly compelling. The people are full of life, energy, emotion, individuality and determination, an amazing feat considering all that they have been through. The dramas are fascinating, addictive at times humorous and sometimes sickening, but they are the real-life stories of the Afghan people.
Having read this book (in just over 1 day – it is that gripping), I can now appreciate the difficulties there have been in trying to restore order and government into this war ravaged country, which to western eyes is still very old-fashioned. The west claims to have ‘liberated Afghanistan, but how can it have done so if it does not understand it?
I loved this book, and would recommend it to anyone and everyone!!

The Corset Diaries by Katie MacAllister

(344 pages)



No woman in her right mind would consent to wearing a corset for a month. Especially a "skinny-challenged" woman like Tessa. But dreams of being debt-free dance in her head at the offer of appearing in a reality TV show. "A Month in the Life of a Victorian Duke" is about real people pretending to live on an English estate, circa 1879. And Tessa's leading man-a real-life Duke-is so handsome she can barely breathe, with or without the corset...

this was a lovely fun light hearted read with plenty of laughs, just what I needed! :D

Prodigal Summer by Barbara Kingsolver

(320 pages)



From an isolated mountain cabin, Deanna Wolfe, a reclusive wildlife biologist is caught off guard by a young hunter. On a farm futher down the mountain, Lusa finds herself marooned in a strange place where she must declare or lose her attachment to the land that has become her own. A few more miles down the road a pair of elderly feuding neighbours tend their respective farms and wrangle about God.
Over the course of one humid summer, these characters find not only their connections to each other but a sense of the place they share.

this was a lovely book with losts of likeable charactes, extremely well written and highly addictive once you get into it :)

Night Swimming by Robin Schwarz

(352 pages)



An overweight New Hampshire bank employee is misdiagnosed with cancer and given a year to live in this first novel, a giddy, overblown romantic comedy. Wish-fulfillment is on the agenda for the unfortunately named Charlotte Clapp. After her doctor gives her the bad news, she decides to rob the bank where she works and run away to L.A. Miraculously, her daring life change is rewarded by unintentional weight loss—fortunate, because Skip, the pool boy at her luxury apartment complex, is a blonde Adonis (and a former lawyer), and Charlotte (now calling herself Blossom McBeal) plans to sit in a kimono by the pool, hoping desperately that he'll fall for her. Friendship is provided by Charlotte's dog-loving elderly neighbor, Dolly—and Charlotte needs it, because the police are still after her, slowly but surely tracking her to California. Schwarz's novel is as padded as Charlotte's waistline with purple prose ("The perfect silvery notes... hovered like breakable angels over the audience") and hyperbole ("One Krispy Kreme after another, until she resembled a cardboard clown with a ring of white powder around its mouth"). But those willing to read between the book's often-unwieldy lines will be rewarded with soap-operatic satisfactions.

i found this a really enjoyable read, nice and slushy with focus on the importance of friends and love. the sickly sweet ending was a little irritating, but the thing that spoilt it for me the most was the fact that Charlotte found love after becoming thin and beautiful.... what about the fat girls?

Orlando by Virginia Woolf

(192 pages)



The deliberately fanciful story spans a time period from the 16th to the 20th centuries and takes the hero, Orlando, from being a handsome boy of 16 to Lady Orlando, experiencing historical insights through encounters with figures of the time.

It didnt take long to reaf this, but unfortunately i dont think it was my kind of thing. Well written, i just didnt really enjoy the story :(

Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince by J.K. Rowling

(607 pages)



Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince, the sixth book in J.K. Rowling’s bestselling series, picks up shortly after we left Harry at the end of The Order of the Phoenix. Lord Voldemort is acting out in the open, continuing his reign of terror which was temporarily stopped almost 15 years beforehand. Harry is again at the Dursleys, where the events of the previous month continue to weigh on his mind, although not as much as the impending visit from his Headmaster, Albus Dumbledore. Given their last meeting, Harry is understandably confused as to why the old wizard would want to visit him at home.
Rowling opens with a chapter she had wanted to use for the first book, of The Philosopher’s Stone--Lord Voldemort has been creating chaos in the Wizard and Muggle communities alike, the war is in full swing and the Wizarding community now lives in fear. The press have been questioning the events at the Ministry which led to the admission of Voldemort’s return, and of course Harry’s name is mentioned a number of times. Harry’s got his problems, but his anxiety is nothing compared to Hermione’s when the OWL results are delivered. There’s a new Defence Against The Dark Arts teacher, an assortment of new characters and creatures, and startling revelations about past characters and events.
Gone is the rage-filled Harry of The Order of the Phoenix--he’s not being kept in the dark any more, his unjustified Quidditch ban has been lifted and he has matured considerably in his short time out of school. Half-Blood Prince follows Harry into the world of late-teens, and his realisation that nobody is infallible has made his growth that much easier. Accepting his destiny, Harry continues to behave as teenagers do, enjoying his time with his friends, developing his relationships outside of his usual circle, and learning more about how he must, eventually, do what he is destined to do.

it was totally unputdownable! I don't know how JK keeps these books so gripping and addictive. I was chuckling, gasping and at the end even crying! Fabulous, cant wait for number 7! just hope it doesnt take another 2 years:(
I dont want to write too much about the story cos i dont want to spoil it for those who havent yet read it :D

All Over Creation by Ruth Ozeki

(432 pages)



"All Over Creation" is the second novel by Ruth L. Ozeki. Lloyd Fuller and his Japanese wife, Momoko, have begun to feel the ravages of time. They must consider the future of their precious yet fragile livelihood on Fuller Farms in Power County.

this was an enjoyable read, not my usual fare, but still good!

The Pact: A Love Story by Jodi Picoult

(400 pages)



For eighteen years the Hartes and the Golds have lived next door to each other, sharing everything from Chinese food to chicken pox to carpool duty - they've grown so close it seems they have always been a part of each other's lives. Parents and children alike have been best friends - so it's no surprise that in high school Chris and Emily's friendship blossoms into something more. They've been soul mates since they were born. So when midnight calls from the hospital come in, no one is ready for the appalling truth: Emily is dead at seventeen from a gunshot wound to the head. There's a single unspent bullet in the gun that Chris took from his father's cabinet - a bullet that Chris tells police he intended for himself. But a local detective has doubts about the suicide pact that Chris has described. As its chapters unfold, alternating between an idyllic past and an unthinkable present, "The Pact" paints an indelible portrait of families in anguish...culminating in an astonishingly suspenseful courtroom drama as Chris finds himself on trial for murder.

I absolutely loved this book!!! I am now officially a Picoult obsessive!!
I just adore the way she moves you forwards through the story by taking you into the past to build up such a deep multi-layered and emotional story. She, and this book are truly magnificent!! I cannot reccommend her work highly enough. I will read this one again and again (when I get my own copy that is!!)

My Brother's Keeper by Patricia McCormick

(187 pages)



From the acclaimed author of "Cut" comes this new novel that explores the anguish of living with divided loyalties and the cost of keeping family secrets, as a young teen struggles to keep his family together when his father abandons them.


My Brothers keeper is the story of a single parent family consisting of mom, Eli who is slightly strange, has a bike called Tonto and a female cat called Mr Furry, Jake who has fallen into 'bad company' decided that his beloved baseball is uncool and started using drugs and finally Toby, a 13 year old who is going grey and whose best friend is the local shopkeeper called Mr. D (who also happens to be a pensioner). It is Toby who takes it upon himself to try and hold his family together after his alcoholic father left. He does so by covering up for his older brother Jake and hiding his moms bill because he knows she cant afford to pay them.Unfortunately Toby's best intentions dont always work out quite to plan and the family nearly enters meltdown before too long.
Patricia McCormick has succeeded in bringing to the fore the problems faced by teens today with regard to the availability of drugs and the hassles they can bring to a family. She also manages to touch upon the breakdown that can occur when one parent leaves, and the emotional turmoil that can be caused and what further problems it can lead to.
However, as good as the story was and as touching and likeable Toby appeared, the book seemed to be lacking a depth that would have allowed the reader to get more inside the world of the disintegrating family. The book is aimed at younger teenagers, so this may be the reason for the apparent surface nature of the drug abuse, but a great opportunity was missed to investigate and explore the sheer destructive nature of the problem at hand. I feel that the message could have been got across more clearly if the story had continued on further into 'what happened next'.
Overall this was an easy, likeable and touching read, bnut it was lacking some depth.

Pariah by Brian Vallee

(372 pages)



The murders begin in rural Pennsylvania, in a high rent nursing home. Then come more brutal killings in Spain, Las Vegas, Paraguay, all with a macabre trademark; a crisp new dollar bill stuffed into the mouth of each of the victims, most of them close associates of the late, eccentric billionaire Elliot R. Brodie.

this is truly one of the worst books I have ever tried to read!! the story was all over the place and the writing was so chauvanistic in infuriated me!!! LOL!

Still Thinking of You by Adele Parks

(563 pages)



New love, old relationships and a question of fidelity from the bestselling author of The Other Woman's Shoes.
Tash and Rich are newly engaged and wild about each other. They can’t wait to celebrate their wedding with their closest friends, all of whom have known each other since university, where they enjoyed a hedonistic whirl of parties, popularity, sex and success.
But is fun really as easy-come-easy-go in your thirties as it was in your twenties? How do relationships change once you leave college and have to cope with real life? And what if the love of that life were to reappear now?
As old, long buried passions are reawakened, the group realise that a lot can change in twelve years. And a lot can happen in seven days…

I did quite enjoy this. The range of chaacters was great, I am sure everyone will be able to relate to at least one of them. The story had a couple of twists and had me gasping and giggling all at once. I absolutely hated Mia at first, and then in the end I started to feel quite sorry for her.
The only fault i could find was that at nearly 600 pages it was a tad overlong, but definitely worth the read :D

I'm a Believer by Jessica Adams

(380 pages)



‘I’m A Bellever’ is a funny, moving and sophisticated novel about Mark Buckle, a cynical primary teacher in south London who doesn’t believe in anything, and absolutely, positively doesn’t believe in life after death. Then, five days after his girlfriend, Catherine, dies in a car accident and he’s trying to come to terms with his loss, she starts communicating with him and turns his world (and belief systems) upside-down. As the novel progresses, the truth about Mark’s relationship with Catherine is revealed. And we encounter his friends and colleagues who provide support during this difficult time including Felix, a flamboyantly camp Australian, Caroline the Sloane who just longs to meet a nice man and Tess, drama teacher and practising Christian who starts to become increasingly attractive to Mark. Jessica Adams’s characteristic humour is combined with an exploration of more serious issues that affect us all. ‘I’m A Believer’ is a wonderful novel about love, life and what lies beyond.

I found this one really hard to read for some reason. The first 100 pages were fine, then it seemed to drag on and eventually pick up ove the last 100 pages. I thought the ending was good, but I didn't really connect with any of the characters (some felt a little shallow to me).

The Prime of Miss Jean Brodie by Muriel Spark

(128 pages)



She was a schoolmistress with a difference. Proud, cultured, romantic, her ideas were progressive, even shocking. And when she decided to transform a group of young girls under her tutelage into the "creme de la creme" of Marcia Blaine school, no one could have predicted the outcome.

I enjoyed this. She was slightly reminiscent of a teacher I had once!
I would recommend this read as it is witty and emotional whilst being only 128 pages long :)

Getting Over It by Anna Maxted

(416 pages)



Helen Bradshaw, 26, has a lot to get over. A dogsbody job on a women’s magazine. An attraction to unsuitable men. Being five foot one. Driving an elderly Toyota. She is about to ditch the infuriating Jasper when she hears the news that will change her life. Her father has collapsed with a massive heart attack. Initially Helen thinks of this as an interruption in her already chaotic lifestyle. But with his death everything starts to fall apart around her – her relationship, her mother, even her cat. Her flatmate Luke has the tact of a traffic warden with toothache, her friend Tina is in love with her new man, her landlord Marcus is in love with himself, and, after the tequila incident, it looks as though Tom the vet will be sticking to Alsatians. Seems like Helen will be dealing with this one herself…

I really enjoyed this and was impressed by how unafraid to tackle the problem of grief Anna Maxted was. Having said that though it was hysterical in places and has meade me want to read more of her work :D

The Bull Is Not Killed by Sarah Dearing

(206 pages)



Into the unsettled life of a young Portuguese graduate comes the sensuous and uninhibited Luisa, a gypsy princess. The year is 1974, the hated Salazar is still in power and the turmoil of the revolution is matched only by the turmoil of their love.

this was an odd little book, not knowing much about Portugal I found it interesting, and would reccommend it :)

Charlotte's Web by E.B. White

(176 pages)



A girl called Fern loves a litte pig called Wilbur. Wilbur's dear friend Charlotte A. Cavatica, a beautiful grey spider, saves Wilbur from the usual fate of nice fat pigs, by a wonderfully clever plan (which no one else could possible have thought of).

I absolutely adore this book, it brings back so many childhood memories. Wilbur is adorable and Charlotte has to be the nicest spider in the world!

Boy Meets Girl by Meg Cabot

(272 pages)



When you work for a T.O.D. (short for Tyrannical Office Despot... also known as Amy Jenkins, Director of the Human Resources Division at the New York Journal, New York City's leading photo-newspaper), and your musician boyfriend of ten years has just announced that he can't commit to a long term relationship because he has to take it "one day at a time", and your best girlfriend is on fertility drugs because she and her husband can't seem to get pregnant, and your mother is driving cross country in an RV with a younger man, and you can't seem to be able to find an affordable studio apartment anywhere in the five boroughs, it might seem like things can't get any worse.

They can. Because the T.O.D. might make you fire Ida Lopez, the most popular employee in the paper's senior staff dining room. And Ida might sue for wrongful termination. And you might just find yourself giving a deposition in front of Mitch Hertzog, son of one of Manhattan's wealthiest law families, "a soulless corporate drone" who embraces everything you most despise... but also happens to have a nice smile and a killer bod. The last thing anybody - least of all Kate Mackenzie - expects to find in a legal arbitration is love. But that's the kind of thing that can happen when... Boy Meets Girl.

this was rather an odd book. I enjoyed it, and tobe honest was surprised that I did.
It wasn't written like a novel, but instead as a series of e-mail, IM's, letters, notes and transcripts of answerphone messages. very strange
The synopsis tells you everything you need to know about the story, needless to say there were a few laughs, and glee ant the baddie getting their commupance :)