Author: Susan Brice

  • Rebus

    I certainly didn’t intend to see any of the BBC’s strangulation of Ian Rankin’s Rebus programmes but I did, not once but twice, catch the last ten minutes of two episodes. Don’t be tempted by it. However skilled the actor, he is certainly not John Rebus. OM goodness the books are so,so much better and […]

  • Resistance – Anita Shreve

    Anita Shreve is one of those East Coast American writers who often seem to be facing out over the Atlantic, very, very taken with historical and political events in Europe. This author had written an impressive list of novels before being thrown into the limelight by Oprah Winfrey who chose ‘A Pilots Wife’ as the […]

  • Broken Light – Joanne Harris

    Most readers will be familiar with the novel Chocolat from about the year 2000 and the delightful film that followed later starring Juliette Binoche, Johnny Depp and Judi Dench. This was maybe my first foray into magic realism, long before I knew the term and I eagerly lapped up the subsequent books following the same […]

  • The Truths and Triumphs of Grace Atherton – Anstey Harris

    It is always good to have a book recommended by a friend as this was. I looked up the author and discovered she taught creative writing at the University of a Kent in Canterbury. And then I turned to the first page. My friend had not mentioned that this book, primarily about friendship of various […]

  • Ladybird Book Exhibition

    In St Alban’s Museum for the rest of the summer is a delightful exhibition about the history of Ladybird books. These books were an essential part of my childhood. At 2/6d they were attainable if one saved one’s pocket money for a few weeks and many children had a sizeable collection. We are talking here […]

  • Sally Rooney in Hebrew?

    Going sideways from the previous musing, in amongst the media hype and TV adaptations of books by Sally Rooney, I was fascinated to see she had refused to allow her work to be translated into Hebrew and thus for sale in Israel. Authors are usually delighted for their work to be sent around the world […]

  • Irish Writers

    Why are there so many well-known and successful Irish writers, particularly over the last decade I pondered. In a recent (excellent) article I read about Colm Toibin, he acknowledges the energy and power that seem to resonate through Irish fiction and indeed somewhat dominates the Booker long list. Anne Enright and Anna Burns come to […]

  • May 2024

    There was a time, many years ago now, when I was quite an authority on children’s books. I read widely and voraciously, led reading groups to extend the stamina, experience and variety of children’s reading and mentored those who were ready to move onto adult literature. Writers that I used included Penelope Lively, John Rowe […]

  • The Gardener – Salley Vickers

    I have read several books by Salley Vickers including ‘The Cleaner of Chartres’, ‘Miss Garnet’s Angel’ and ‘Mr Golightly’s Holiday.’ I enjoyed them all: imaginative, well constructed stories. This book is the author’s latest offering and continues in a similar vein, just slightly fey, just a touch of magic realism. ‘The Gardener’ is a novel […]

  • A Far Cry From Kensington – Muriel Spark

    I read this book immediately after reading ‘Hotel du Lac’ by Anita Brookner. The difference in style hits you quite full in the face and added to my thoughts that Brookner shows great elegance in her writing. I wouldn’t say that the writing here is elegant but the narrative is certainly interesting, the story well […]