I was lucky enough to find a copy of Anita Shreve's Eden Close on a book case at my Father in Law's cricket clubhouse a couple of weeks back and just from reading the cover was intrigued to read more.Eden Close was the daughter of Andrew's childhood neighbours. They grew up together as childhood companions. Tomboy Eden accompanied Andrew and his friends as they went about doing the things that boys of that age do.One night everything changes. Eden is blinded by the same gun that was used to kill her father. They went their separate ways until Andrew returns ... read more

 Yet another Anita Shreve novel that I picked up from a charity shop, but Sea Glass is really quiet different to many of the others that I have read.Set in the US in 1929 this book looks at the impact of the Wall Street Crash on the mill workers of Ely Falls and their families. This is a period in American history that I have to admit to not knowing much about at all, but its impact on day to day living has so many parallels to the current impact of the "credit crunch" on many people. The story of Honora Willard setting up home with her ... read more

After my previous Mary Wesley experience I felt a little flutter of concern as I pulled Part of the Furniture out of my bag whilst undertaking our long journey home from Tallinn. I think my fears were a little unfounded though.In 1941 the wonderfully named Juno Marlowe accompanied two of her childhood friends to Euston station as they went off to serve with the forces. As she then tried to cross central London on foot she finds herself caught up in an air raid. I kind local man takes pity on her and brings her into his home to shelter from the ... read more

 I'm pretty sure that I read some Mary Wesley several years ago, but unfortunately I'm completely unable to remember which books, or much more about them than the cover style from the mid 90s. An Imaginative Experience starts off quite strangely with a woman halting an InterCity train so that she can run into a nearby field to right a sheep that was laying on its back. What follows from there is actually quite a standard modern novel. A well written, but slightly predictable, love story. A good read, but nothing stands out to make it spectacular. ... read more

I seem to have been reading very slowly lately, but I can promise you that it is nothing to do with the quality of the last book I've finished. If you saw the TV adaptation of Housewife 49 or enjoyed the book version of Nella Last's War then you really must not miss Nella Last's Peace: The Post-War Diaries Of Housewife 49.After the war Nella Last continued writing her regular diary as part of the Mass Observation project and this second book covers the post war period, when Nella was trying to come to terms with her new peace time role. She ... read more

I have to admit that it was the cover of this book that first drew me to it in a charity shop several years ago. I'm a complete sucker for original design Penguin books and I still always first do a visual sweep of charity shop shelves to see if there are any orange or green spines that I should look at first.The title of this one also appealed. Ever since I started reading Enid Blyton as a child, I've always loved mystery, and later detective, stories.Originally published in 1951, An English Murder is, as the title suggests, the story of an English murder. One ... read more

 The Franchise Affair by Josephine Tey is one of the books that I found here in the flat back in November. I went through a phase hen I was a teenager of buying up as many of the Penguin Crime Classics that I could get my hands on. I read a few of them at the time, but then managed to shockingly forget that they existed until last year.The Franchise Affair is one that I did read before, but even still I remembered it being good enough to easily read again - and I'm glad I did.Written in 1948 the book is about two women who are accused of kidnapping a ... read more

  Out of the Blue by Charlotte Bingham is just a bit weird to be totally honest with you.One morning Florence Fontaine finds a strange man asleep in her guest cottage. He's wearing some rather outdated clothes and seems to have no idea who he is or where he is. Circumstances mean that Florence ends up taking him under her wing as her, and her family and friends, try to work out exactly who he is.The book seems to flit between this bizarre set up and Florence's daughter Amadea's life in Swindon. Amadea becomes involved in helping to identify the young man, ... read more

I've previously read quite a few of Anita Shreve's books and I have to say that I've enjoyed most of them. Nowadays I keep an eye out for any I haven't read whenever I go to a charity shop or book sale.The Pilot's Wife contains some beautiful writing that really makes the hairs on the back of your neck stand up in places. Kathryn Lyons is woken in the early hours of one morning by a man knocking at her door. He is a representative from the pilots' union. The simple words of "Mrs Lyons?" when she answers the door tell her that her worst fears ... read more