Never Let Me Go, Kazuro Ishiguro

I didn't enjoy this book at all. I didn't like or relate to any of the characters, and thought they were all very hazily and inconsistently drawn. The plot is not properly explained and those parts of it that are, are faintly ridiculous. I will not be watching the film or re-reading this book and I wouldn't recommend it.

The Long Song, Andrea Levy

A novel about slavery in Jamaica. It is readable and the plot is quite compelling but I didn't love this book. There was something about it which I just didn't connect to. The historical references are very interesting, as is the context of racial tensions as slavery ended. Enjoyable but not fantastic. I preferred Small Island.

What Was Lost, Catherine O'Flynn

Another excellent book. It is very funny in places and all the characters are likeable as well as very well defined. It is very easy to read and excellently written. It is about a host of different people in a small town and set over about 20 years. It is part mystery and part social commentary. Another one I would definitely recommend.

Room, Emma Donoghue

This book is brilliant. It is written from the point of view of a little boy, who was born in an enclosed room where his mother is kept prisoner by a rapist. It is very cleverly written because, although dark in places, this is not a depressing book and it could easily have been. It is a very thought provoking book and I very much enjoyed it. I would definitely recommend it.

The Post Office Girl, Stefan Zweig

An average readable, forgettable novel. The main character is a woman and I don't think she was a very realistic, maybe because the author is a man. This book was light relief after Stern but nothing amazing.

The Life and Opinions of Tristram Shandy, Laurence Stern

This book took me 3 months to read which is something of a record. It is a bit of a struggle in places but it is an interesting book, if not a page turner. I gave up on the notes half way through because, although they were useful, they made it a much harder read. The book is funny in places, although a lot of the jokes are word plays so they don't really translate into modern language. I am glad that I read it but it doesn't go to the top of my list.