A collection of Ghostly tales set at Christmas and originally published in Christmas magazines and annuals from 1867 to 1940; some are better than others but all show the large range of tales out there as no two are alike.

Recommended for Fans of Kate Mosse's The Mistletoe Bride & Other Haunting Tales and similar.

“Perhaps there is some secret sort of homing instinct in books that brings them to their perfect readers. How delightful if that were true.” 

I don’t know how this can be when you consider the subject matter but the genre for this novel is most readily classified as “uplift literature”. Indeed it is currently number 5 on the following list https://www.goodreads.com/list/show/5035.Uplifting_Fiction. Not the kind of genre I go for but somehow I am guessing this is one of the best examples of it’s type?

I bought the book because it was on sale by audible and had a lot of recommendations from my GR friends and as always they did not steer me wrong. It’s told in an epistolary format and is principally about the lives of members of a book club in wartime (WWII) and postwar Guernsey. Probably due to its epistolary format, it strongly reminded me of 84 Charing Cross Road by Helene Hanff but with a strong and sometimes wicked sense of humour. Let's say the leading character in this book gives one of the best reasons not to marry someone that I have heard to date (I am in absolute agreement! :)).

This is recommended to Historical and Uplift Fiction lovers, to people who believe that reading books and novels can change your life, and to silly old romantics that don’t mind a cry and a laugh.

Also, the audio version of the book read by Charlie Norfolk is highly recommended. She was bl**dy excellent!

This is a story of 17th Century Canada written from three different first-person perspectives, Snow Falls an Iroquois girl, Bird a Huron Warrior and Christophe a Jesuit Priest. While there was much I didn’t like about our protagonists, I found all three of them to be extremely compelling as the narrative lunged helplessly to their stories ultimate and inevitable conclusion.

This is a story of faith and people. It is both quiet and introspective, while possibly being one of the most gruesomely violent tales I have read. Not sure who to recommend this one too as I can’t think of any parallels but if you come across one please do comment and tell me about it.

While I think that [b:Do Not Say We Have Nothing|31549906|Do Not Say We Have Nothing|Madeleine Thien|https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1473220440s/31549906.jpg|47869112] will always remain my favourite of the 2016 Man Booker shortlist, it is my opinion that this book of Historical Fiction based in the 19th Centruy highlands of Scotland certainly deserved its place.

Presented as a series of documents from the 19th century murder case of Roderick Macrae, a 17 year old responsible for the murder of three individuals by his own omission, it is not so much a who done it as a why he did it. It’s also a highly recommended historical commentary on the Scottish crofting community, “educated” and “scientific” attitudes to the working and criminal classes and a discussion of the legal system of the 19th Century.

I read this book for a real life bookclub and I am looking forward to debating why Roddie did it really! This is recommended to lovers of trial and historical fiction.

I think that within this novel Sally Rooney has managed to capture the weird type of relationships (both friendships and relationships) that young people have. She absolutely has the snobbery of Trinity students to the few working class members in their ranks to a T (personal experience :)). The dialogue seems sparse at first but is actually just the way we talk I guess. Yes, a discussion of whether to TV should be turned off after sex is initiated does occur :)

If anything the book is a little too real in places and when it comes down to it do I really care if 20-year-olds get back together or what shit heads teenagers can be to each other? Sometimes I felt it seemed to overreach itself - not sure what I mean by that. Still, a very strong four stars methinks.

Recommended to anyone interested in exploring the lines between friendship and romantic love.