This is my own personal list of the fiction books which I read and enjoyed in the second half of 2004. I've written much longer reviews of some of these books at a consumer site; follow the links if you're interested in a more comprehensive outline and opinion.

For books (both fiction and non-fiction) which I've read from 2005 onwards, please visit my Recent Reading blog.

July 2004

Susan Howatch - The Heartbreaker

Gavin is a male prostitute. He's arrogant and sex-obsessed, and sees other people as little more than 'meat'. Yet underneath his rather unpleasant exterior he's a mass of insecurity, struggling with a deeply fragmented personality. He meets Carta Graham, fundraiser for St Benet's Church, and the book is told alternatively by the two of them. It's suspenseful, sleazy (though never TOO overtly explicit), horrific in places, yet somehow gripping and exciting despite my general dislike of the genre. Susan Howatch is such a good writer, though! It makes an excellent ending to the St Benet's trilogy. I wrote a much longer review with the pros and cons, entitled 'Not the kind of book I would normally read...'.

A Manette Ansay - Midnight Champagne

This whole book takes place during one afternoon and evening - the wedding and reception of April and Caleb, a young American couple. There are vignettes of their family - rather disapproving, since the bride and groom have only known each other for three months - and friends, ncluding April's ex-fiancé. Meanwhile, at the connected lodge, a different couple are having a serious argument which has rather drastic results. Surprisingly, I quite liked this book - there was mild humour and some clever observation, and the supposed suspense wasn't really chilling in the slightest. But it was rather an odd sort of book. It was actually billed as a horror story... so my longer review is entitled, 'A horror novel for the squeamish'.

Rosamunde Pilcher - September

Oh, what a wonderful book this is! It opens in May with Verena organising a ball for hre daughter Katie's 21st birthday in September. The novel revolves around her friends who are invited, over the four months until the ball happens. As ever with this author, much of the delight is in the characterisation: Vi, the wise (but worried) grandmother; Henry, a small and lovable child, who's so gentle and caring; Virginia, Henry's mother, who can't bear the thought of her son going to boarding school at the age of eight; Alexa falling in love in London; Pandora, who ran away at 18 and - 20 years later - considers returning. They all seem such real people, although I don't mix in the kind of society Rosamunce Pilcher seems to know well. The book is also very moving in places. There was a little suspense the first time I read it, but with subsequent readings I remembered the outcome of that part, and was able to enjoy it more. The ending was bittersweet, yet encouraging. All in all, highly recommended. Definitely one of my favourite Pilcher novels. I wrote a longer review entitled 'The perfect book to take on holiday'.

LM Montgomery - Emily of New Moon

Emily's father is dying, and she has to go and live with one of her dead mother's relatives after he's died. None of them really want her - she's outspoken, honest and confident, rather than a typical well-behaved Victorian child. So she goes to live with Aunt Elizabeth who is strict but fair, Aunt Laura who loves her but is over-permissive, and Cousin Jimmy who never really grew up, due to a childhood accident. It's a nice book by the author of the 'Anne of Green Gables' author, although a little disjointed in places. There are several of Emily's letters interspersed in the book, written supposedly to her dead father. While they are a good method of giving a child's first-person perspective, they're full of spelling errors in the early part of the book, which made them remarkably difficult to read. Still, a pleasant and quick read. See 'Sad Beginning, Happy Ending' for a fuller review.

Libby Purves - More Lives than One

What a powerful book! Kit and Anna both teach at a rather poor Comprehensive school, and are married to each other. Only one small thing mars their happiness, and even that becomes solved. Then Kit takes a group of Year 7 students to Venice, accompanied at the last moment by his least favourite colleague. It goes well, but afterwards something unexpected happens whichleads to depresson and - eventually - a shocking confession. Yet so well have the characters been introduced that I found my prior judgements upended. Amazing, and extremely thought-provoking. Read more about it at this review: Teaching, Tension and Traumas.

Catherine Palmer - Prairie Rose

Rosie is 19 and an orphan. While praying in a tree one day, she observes a fight, and gets involved. Then she ends up travelling out West to Kansas to look after a small boy for a surly farmer. She's a superb cook, and soon settles in and makes friends. Inevitably romance blossoms in many directions. It's all a bit predictable for prairie-style light Christian fiction, but a pleasant read with well-rounded and believable characters.

Catherine Palmer - Prairie Fire

Jack is distrusted by the people of Hope, but mutually attracted to Caitrin, an Irish immigrant. This book follows his attempt to settle in, not helped by a loud and outspoken mother anda deeply depressed sister Lucy, who's clearly harbouring a terrible secret. A well-written light read with a dramatic climax.

Catherine Palmer - Prairie Storm

Elijah is an inspired, though uneducated preacher, who has no idea what to do with a foundling baby he's been given. Lily is bitter after the death of her baby. They meet and she agrees to look after baby Sam; however sparks fly and lots happens before the inevitable happy ending.

 

August 2004

Carole Matthews - More to Life than this

I suppose it's 'chick-lit'. I wouldn't have read it if I hadn't received it as a gift, but it started better than I expected. Kate, with a wonderful family, feels restless. So she goes on a week's Tai-Chi course with her good friend Sonia. She leaves her husband and children in the hands of an Australian au pair. Attractions abound, and some serious questions are covered about loyalty and integrity, and the difference between love and lust. It all seemed rather unbelievable, though. Too neat and tidy, very contrived. The characters were likeable if caricatured, and it was quite well-written on the whole. It was certainly interesting to learn more about Tai Chi, but I found the climax of the book rather disappointing. If anyone wants to know more, see 'There's much more to life than this book'.

Georgette Heyer - The Talisman Ring

This, in my view, is one of Heyer's best historical novels! Romance, excitement, danger - all beautifully mixed together with the most delightful characters. The excitable Eustacie who longs for adventure; the prosaic Sir Tristram who's cautious and wise; Ludovic, who left the country some yeras previously after being accused of murder, but is now workign with the 'free traders' (aka smugglers). There's a brilliant plot, memorable people, and just enough suspense to be exciting without being scary. As ever, there's also a most satisfactory conclusion. Highly recommended. More about this book at 'Romance, Intrigue and Mystery'.

Rosamunde Pilcher - Wild Mountain Thyme

Oliver Dobbs the playwright is passing through the town where his two-year-old son lives with maternal grandparents. On an impulse he stops off to see him. Victoria, meanwhile, is due a holiday. So when Oliver - her ex-boyfriend - arrives on her doorstep with his son and proposes a trip to Scotland to visit one of his favourite writers, it doesn't take much to persuade her. What a lovely book this is, mixing delight and tragendy, gentle humour and deeply moving moments. Characters are so real, even unlikely situations become believable. Wonderful and relaxing. My longer review is entitled 'Escaping to Scotland'.

Mary Wesley - Jumping the Queue

This book was well-written, but that's all I can say in its favour. Matilda, the heroine, isn't a likeable character. She's full of strange ideas, disloyalties, and unmaternal feelings. She rejects her adult children, yet becomes friendly with a murderer. It was apparently supposed to be funny but I found it dissatisfying and rather depressing. Not at all recommended. I wrote a longer review entitled 'I wish I hadn't bothered'.

 

September 2004

Mary Stewart - Airs Above the Ground

Vanessa's husband Lewis is in Stockholm, much to her annoyance, as they should have been on holiday. Unfortunately he was given a work assignment at the last minute. Now her mother's friend Carmen claims to have seen Lewis on news footage from Vienna, where a fire broke out at a circus. Carmen would like Vanessa to accompany her 17-year-old son Timothy to Vienna to stay with his father... so they set out on a most exciting trip. There's suspense (but not too much), danger, car-chases, deception and great excitement. Brilliant - I couldn't put it down. Read more about it at the review 'Suspicions, suspense and a circus'.

Caitrin Collier - Swansea Girls

Four girls in the 1950s go out to dances on Saturday nights. All is well until Helen, the most well-off of the quartet, decides to 'borrow' a glamorous and revealing dress from her father's workshop. She wants to attract a young man called Adam who is returning from the army. Unfortunately Adam isn't at all interested, but the dress causes a major incident, and all their lives change as a result. We follow the daily lives of the four girls and their families over the next few months, complete with joys and sadnesses, surprises, and the gradual maturing of each of the girls. It's well-written and mostly believable, although it took me a while to sort out who was who. I wrote a longer review of this too, entitled 'Rows and Romances in the 1950s'.

Georgette Heyer - Frederica

This is a great book! A typical Heyer Regency romance, it's one of my favourites. Frederica and her delightful family come to London to try and establish Charis, their beautiful sister, in society. They apply tentatively to Lord Aleverstoke, a distant relative. He is wealthy, arrogant and bored - but rather taken with the friendly and disarming Frederica, and her two wonderful brothers: 16-year-old Jessamy and 12-year-old Felix. Lord Alverstoke agrees to introduce them to society in order to spite his sister Louise, who is launching a rather plain daughter that season. Friendship blossoms and the tale moves on apace, complete with balloon ascensions, an excellent secretary, a planned elopement, and a most satisfying ending. Brilliant! I couldn't think of a good title for my longer review, so it's simply called 'Frederica'.

Susan Sallis - A Scattering of Daisies

A family saga set in the early 20th century. Florence Rising gives birth to April, but finds the whole process degrading. Her oldest daughter March is nine, yet already does the laundry and cooking. Eight-year-old May is pretty and loving, and March is jealous of her. They grow up, make friends, and learn about life. The book keeps moving, and is interesting but I didn't find the characters very warm. Sadnesses didn't really move me at all. Still, it was well-written and the historical background wsan't too intrusive. Pleasant enough though I doubt if I'll read it again. My longer review is called, 'Trials and Traumas, Love and Friendship'.

 

October 2004

Susan Sallis - Daffodils of Newent

This is the sequel to 'A Scattering of Daisies'. The Rising girls have grown up: April gets married in chapter 1. Her husband has a dark side after suffering in World War I. May's husband is an actor; March is unhappily married to an old man, but loved by a young and manipulative guy. Like the first book, it's well-written and kept me reading, but although the people were realistic I still didn't find myself in sympathy with them. I'm not entirely sure why. It had a hopeful ending, but I wasn't inspired to find the third in the series.

Rosamunde Pilcher - Under Gemini

Rose and Flora are twins, separated at birth. when their parents divorced, one brought up each of them. They meet in their early 20s by an amazing coincidence, and the delightful Flora gets driven into another deception by her not-so-nice sister. The scene moves to Scotland and a lovely upper-middle class family headed by Tuppy. It's a warm and often moving book with very sympathetic people from 7 to 77. Eminently re-readable, as is everything by this gifted author.

Jane Austen - Emma

So it's Austen, and there's a lot of ironic humour in the characterisations. But frankly, the book is rather dull! It's a 'village saga' revolving around the impetuous and snobby Emma Woodhouse, her over-anxious father, and their friends and neighbours. Emma's attempts at matchmaking come to nothing and the conclusion is all rather predictable. I suppose it's worth reading for the social history and the delicious ironies, but not regularly! I like other Austens better.

Frances Hodgson Burnett - The Secret Garden

Spoilt Mary - who has spent her childhood in India - arrives at Misselthwaite Manor where she's befriended by the maid Martha, but otherwise almost ignored. Her guardian owns the manor, but has been a recluse since his young wife died many years previously. Mary gradually explores the huge gardens, and discovers some secrets. She also gains health of body and mind through fresh air, good food, and not getting her own way all the time! I like the way that unpleasant characters are at the fore of this book, yet still I could empathise with and care about them. There's some snobbery of course implied in the writing (not merely Mary's own opinions) but on the whole it's a very enjoyable book for all ages, including adults.

Terry Pratchett - Wyrd Sisters

One of the earliest Discworld books, and one of my favourites. It's something of a spoof on MacBeth, so it helps to be familiar with the play to appreciate some of the humour - but not vital. Three witches meet, while the king is murdered and a lone horseman steals a baby which he hands to the witches before dying. They take the baby to a band of strolling players so that a childless couple can bring him up. Plots and sub-plots abound, with lots of humour. Very enjoyable.

Elizabeth Goudge - Island Magic

A pleasant book set in the Channel Islands. A shipwreck changes the lives of a family. Typical Goudge with a bit of mysticism thrown in, and a great deal of description, with very realistic people. Pleasant but not over-exciting.

 

November 2004

Lilian Harry - Love and Laughter

A war-time story about the Pengelly family. Lucy has held the family together despite hardships and personal tragedies while her husband Wilmot has been in a Japanese prison-of-war camp. He returns, but is changed somuch that family life becomes stressful. Lucy struggles to cope with the hotel they run, a disabled daughter,a nd elderly parents-in-law. She's supported by David, an old family friend. Very moving in places, sometimes shocking without being gruesome. Took a while to get going, but then gripping.

Joanna Trollope - Marrying the Mistress

Guy is 62 and has been having an affair with Merrion, a young barrrister, for seven years. Finally he decides to leave his wife and marry Merrion. The book covers the repurcussions - the way his children and grandchildren cope, and also looks at what might have gone wrong. A fairly positive and realistic book with athoughtful ending

Jane Aiken Hodge - Maulever Hall

Marianne, travelling on a stagecoach with a small boy called Thomas, has totally lost her memory after a crash. She is pretty sure Thomas is not her son, and the passengers know where she is to be set down. Hoever nobody comes to meet her, and she finds she has no purse. So she walks to the nearest village and asks for help from the minister. He is about to throw her out as a vagabond when an elderly lady, mistress of Maulever Hall, takes her in. There is some suspense in this fast-paced book as Marianne struggles to regain her memory, falls in love, distrusts Mrs Maulever's maid Martha, and takes pasrt ina dramatic and exciting cliax before the inevitable resolution.

LM Montgomery - Pat of Silver Bush

Pat is a nice, but rather rigid child who hates change. Like other children by this author, she has an almost mystical relationship with animals and trees, and the members of her family. Inevitably changes happen, and the book charts the way she begins to deal with them. A pleasant read.

Terry Pratchett - Witches Abroad

An old witch dies and passes her want to Magrat, and the instructions that her goddaughter in faraway Genua must NOT marry the Prince. So Magrat, Nanny Ogg and Granny Weatherwax get caught up in am amusing story of foreign travel and fairytales. Nanny's attempts at 'talking foreign' are very clever, and the deeper side of the book looks behind children's stories and some of the myths, legends and superstitions that people sometimes still believe in.

 

December 2004

Jan Karon - Shephers Abiding

A nice book for anyone who's read and enjoyed the other seven Mitford novels, but very much a continuation of the sagas of the various residents. This book focuses on Father Tim discovering a new talent as he restores a tatty old set of nativity figures, as a Christmas surprise for his wife. It's gentle, enjoyable - albeit a bit tricky to read with the Southern dialect sometimes - but really jut an extra for Mitford fans. Not a free-standing novel, so not recommended for anyone who hasn't read the others in the series.

Georgette Heyer - The Black Moth

Sir Jack Carstairs was accused of cheating at cards some years before this book opens, and fled the country. Now he has returned and ha been a Robin Hood style highwayman. He learns that his father has died, and his younger brother refuses to use his inheritance. Set in the 18th century, there are fights and chases, romance and moving sections. Tracy Belmavere makes a superb villain - cold-blooded, but with a sense of humour. Dick, Jack's brother, is ultra-respectable. And there's the typical Heyer gathering of characters unexpectedly before a satisfying ending.

Rosamunde Pilcher - Winter Solstice

A wonderful book for a few cold, wet days! Elfrida is 62, an active ex-actress who lives on her own in a small village. She is very fond of her friend Oscar; when his life takes a sudden and shocking turn, she agrees to accompany him to Scotland. Meanwhile Elfrida's distant cousin Carrie (30) has just returned to the UK after the break-up of a love affair, and Carrie's niece Lucy (14) is feeling unwanted: her divorced mother is going away for Christmas, her father's new wife doesn't much like her, and her grandmother doesn't want her. So Carrie comes to the rescue. Character-driven, moving, and absolutely brilliant.

LM Montgomery - The Blue Castle

Valency is 29, and totally submissive to her domineering mother and aunt. She's the butt of family jokes, has never been in love, and is already considered a plain old maid. She's afraid of the future, afraid of upsetting people, and very afraid of paisn she suffers in her chest. She plucks up courage to visit the doctor secretly, and receives news that she has a terminal illness. Ironically, this pushes her out of her fear and makes her determiend to enjoy what is likely to be the last year of her life. So she speaks her mind to her family and makes several stands. A charming book for both teenagers and adults, exploring romance, truth and integrity. A few surprises along the way though not all unexpected. Very pleasant.

Libby Purves - Continental Drift

Philip is a middle-aged ex-MP, rather staid and unadventurous. His wife Diana works ofr the local radio station, and becomes friendly with the Rastafarian presenter Henry, a single father. Meanwhile in Poland, the 22-year-old Eva begins a backpacking trek across Europe with the hope of visiting Phil and Diana's daughter Manda. It takes a while for this book to get started, as each cast member is introduced. It isn't as shocking or thought-provoking as some of Libby Purves' other books, but is well-written, enjoyable, and very readable.

Previous (Jan-June 2004)
2005 onwards