The Help by Kathryn Stockett

Now a Hollywood movie, The Help is an amazing book you will thoroughly enjoy.

Authoress Kathryn Stockett has managed to write a superb novel that will make you feel as if you are right there in Jackson, Mississippi, in the early 1960s.

The Civil rights Movement had begun, and the difference between the rich white people and their black maids was wide.

One young white woman wanted to change things.

Miss Skeeter was a young college graduate who with the help of two black friends, Aibileen and Minnie, both maids , decided to write a book.

The story is told through the narratives of each of the three women.

You will laugh, you will cry, but you will love their characters and not want to leave them when you reach the end of the book.

And what better thing can you say about a book?

The Sense of an Ending by Julian Barnes

Winner of the 2011 Man Booker Prize, Julian Barnes's The Sense of an Ending is a beautifully written slim volume about a man who, later in life, looks back with regret for things he did in his youth.

Each word is carefully crafted and not padded out like you see in so many books.

Tony Webster remembers in detail the many philosophical conversations he had with  his friends at a middle-class public school in the 1960s.

He needs to look back to make sense of events that have happened since.

The ending is totally unexpected and if you'd not fully understood the book as you were reading it, this will make you want to go back and read it again, as suddenly all the slots fall into place.

This book has invariably been described as "masterful", "imaginatively crafted", "elegant", "wonderful" and "beautifully written" to mention a few comments from the top book critics.

Buy it yourself and see what you think. You are sure to not be disappointed.

Snuff: Discworld Novel 39 by Terry Pratchett

In Snuff: Discworld Novel 39, Sybil, Commander Vimes's wife, insists he has a break at her ancestral pile in the country.

Green fields, fresh air, relaxation.

Not quite. It is not long before Vimes finds himself investigating a murder while leads to an even graver crime being committed.

Previously, Sir Terry Pratchett's books brought us stories that we humorous with an undertone of morality. In this latest Discworld novel, the morality is more deeply entrenched and the humour less so.

There are some funny scenes throughout, but in the main it is serious book that will make you think.

Some critics have even suggested that Sir Terry Pratchett's illness may be affecting his writing. He is suffering from Alzheimer's Disease.

1Q84: Books 1 and 2 by Haruki Murakami

 If you have read any of Haruki Murakami's previous books, you might find it a lot easier to get the grips with the surrealism portrayed in 1Q84, which is a parody of George Orwell's 1984.

The letter 'Q' in Japanese sounds like the number 9, hence the title.

Haruki Murakami is a Japanese author who has successfully broken the East/West barrier, and is probably the most famous author ever to come out of Japan.

Even the staid Guardian has described him as "one of the world's greatest living novelists".

1Q84 is based around two main characters who are seemingly living on parallel universes within the same city.

He is a writer and teacher, and she is a female assassin.

Their lives are inextricably drawn towards each other, and while at the start of the book you may be perplexed as to their relationship, all will be revealed, slowly.

An amazing book. Highly recommended.

If you are new to Haruki Murakami, it is advised you read After The Quake first.

The Drop by Michael Connelly

The Drop is yet another fantastic Harry Bosch story by the one and only Michael Connelly.

Harry Bosch is just three years away from retirement and he has been placed in the Deferred Retirement Option Plan (DROP).

He is desperate for more cases, and he gets his wish, with two on the one day.

First, the Regional Crime Lab throws up a positive DNA match for an unsolved rape and murder that took place in 1989.

Only problem is the accused, who is currently locked up for a different rape, would only have been 8 years old at the time.

Has something gone wrong at the lab?

Then a councilman's son dies after falling from a hotel balcony. Did he jump or was he pushed?

Councilman Irving demands Bosch investigate his son's death, despite previous enmity between the two men.

Bosch discovers that a serial killer has been operating in the city for up to 30 years, and that there is a deep political conspiracy going on that involves the police department at political level.

Typical Michael Connelly. Just pure brilliant.

Into the Darkest Corner by Elizabeth Haynes

Into the Darkest Corner

Into the Darkest Corner is a very impressive first novel by Elizabeth Haynes, that will grip you from the very start.

It's a psychological thriller about a normal woman who develops Obsessive Compulsive Disorder, through the behaviour of another close to her. We see close at hand how a woman is affected by domestic violence, willing her to get out of her situation.

This is a real page turner that is best read when you have no other pressing activities to take you away, but don't read it late at night or you may not be able to sleep!

Into the Darkest Corner is one of the best books on the market which is highly recommended reading, unless you are of a very nervous disposition.

Available in Kindle and Paperback.

The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle

The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes

It is hard to believe that The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes is once again a best seller, and in the 21st century too!

This collection of short stories about  the master of crime solving, Sherlock Holmes, by the one and only Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, is now wowing a brand new audience that are probably the great-great grandchildren of the people who first helped Sir Arthur Conan Doyle shoot to stardom.

Originally published in The Strand Magazine, each complete short story is a whodunnit murder/mystery that will keep you guessing right up until the end.

All 12 of the short stories are written from the viewpoint of Watson, Sherlock Holmes's trusted friend.

Set in Victorian Britain, the language used throughout is easily readable and highly absorbing. Having read those stories years ago, it's been a joy to re-visit them once more.

This is a must for every family home. Brilliant stuff. Classic yet timeless could best describe The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle.

Available in Kindle, Hardcover, Audiobook, Audio download and Paperback.

That Summer in Ischia by Penny Feeny

That Summer in Ischia

A beautifully-written first novel by Penny Feeny, That Summer in Ischia is a story spanning 3 decades.

Best friends Helena and Liddy both travel together to the island of Ischia off Italy's coast in the Mediterranean to take up positions of au pairs to two wealthy Italian families.

With dreams of love and romance under the hot summer sun, the two friends find themselves under police arrest when a child in their care goes missing.

Held separately, their friendship falls apart as they blame each other.

25 years later, they accidentally meet up and journey back to Ischia to find out what really happened.

This is a wonderful book, well written. The reader is drawn in to their lives and That Summer in Ischia is hard to put down, wanting to know what happens next.

A great summer read that will leave you wanting to read more by Penny Feeny.

That Summer in Ischia is available in both Kindle and Peperback.

Negotiate by Jay Laurell

Negotiate

The title 'Negotiate' seems to have confused a lot of readers of this fantastically-paced book by Jay Laurell, as there is very little negotiating actually going on!

Invariably described as one of the best books in a decade, Negotiate is set in the US where persons under the control of the mysterious Diablo have set a series of bombs in 8 FBI buildings in 8 different cities.

If they are set off, thousands of lives will be lost.

President Stanton cannot accede to terrorist demands due to the governments frequently affirmed policy, yet is aware that a terror worse that 9/11 will be unfolded should those bombs explode.

Tremendous drama in Negotiate, this is a thriller that will thrill. This is a book that is very hard to put down, and should appeal to a wide range of readers.

Available in Kindle edition.

Falling Star by Diana Dempsey

Falling Star

Falling Star is a delightful first novel by Diana Dempsey.

Set mainly around the life of Natalie Daniels, the fictitious news anchor on a US TV channel, whose boss, with one eye on budget and the other on the ratings, want to dump her for a younger and cheaper model.

Meanwhile, Natalie's husband has left her, and a new man steps into her life in the form of a gorgeous Australian TV news agent, who is about to propose to someone else.

This book is funny, and uplifting, and fast-paced, and a wonderful read.

It would seem Diana Dempsey has experience of working in TV news channels, as the details in her book would suggest a great deal of working knowledge.

Falling Star might be a book for the girls, but try it, you may be pleasantly surprised.

Falling Star is available in both Kindle and Paperback.

Cold Kill by Neil White

Cold Kill

Cold Kill is the 5th book in a series by British crime thriller writer Neil White but can be read as a standalone book by its own.

A policeman's daughter is murdered in horrific circumstances. Three weeks later, a crime boss's daughter is murdered in similar fashion.

Detective Sergeant Laura McGanity finds herself in danger as the killer closes in on his next target.

Meanwhile intrepid reporter Jack Garrett is also on the case, and while researching for his story, he finds the two cases are linked.

This book is fast-paced and gripping, and a thoroughly enjoyable read, and Neil White is quickly establishing himself as one of the great crime thriller writers, such is the popularity of his books.

Available in Kindle or Paperback.

Previous books in this series with the lady detective and the male reporter include:

Lost Souls

Fallen Idols

Dead Silent

Last Rites

When God Was a Rabbit by Sarah Winman

When God Was a Rabbit, by Sarah Winman

When God Was a Rabbit is the first novel by Sarah Winman, and readers seem to either love it or hate it.

It follows two people, brother and sister, as they make their way through life.

Elly is born in 1968 and the first part of the book is aptly named 1968 as we follow her through her childhood in the south of England and onwards with close reference to brother Joe.

We laugh and we cry as events unfold, both world and local, as the children grow up to become adults, and then face the trials and tribulations that accompany friendship, love, relationships and events.

At times very funny, and at other times very serious, 20 or 30 somethings should find plenty to empathise with.

One Day by David Nicholls

One Day by David Nicholls

One Day by David Nicholls follows the life of two people, Emma and Dexter, who meet on the night of their graduation on St Within's day in 1988, and agree to meet yearly afterwards.

With character plays between the people they become, One Day is easily readable and enjoyable as we learn about their lives, their personalities and how they interact with each other every 15th of July.

By the end of the book we have become so attached to these characters, we feel sad that the book has finished, and that in itself makes it very readable.

David Nicholls previous work include his huge bestseller, Starter for Ten

The Stranger's Child by Alan Hollinghurst

The Stranger's Child by Alan Hollinghurst.

We have waited 7 long years for Alan Hollinghurst's long-awaited follow up novel to his Man Booker award winning previous novel, The Line of Beauty


It has been well worth the wait, The Stranger's Child follows the lives of two families from the brink of World War I right through the whole of the 20th century.

Beautifully written and easily readable, the story of The Stranger's Child, beings in the summer of 1913 when upper class poetry student stays the weekend at his Cambridge University friend George Saul's house called Two Acres.

The events of that weekend intertwine the two families irrevocably, and we see a changing Britain through their eyes throughout the next 80 years.

Highly recommended reading.

A Feast for Crows: Book 4 of a Song of Ice and Fire by George RR Martin

A Feast for Crows: Book 4 of a Song of Ice and Fire by George RR Martin.

 Many readers have confessed to feeling a disappointment with this book after the epic rise of George RR Martin's earlier books in the same series,  A Song of Ice and Fire.

Many of the earlier characters are barely mentioned, as they have been saved for another of his books, A Dance With Dragons: Book 5 of A Song of Ice and Fire (Song of Ice & Fire 5)


Instead we have the Martells of Dorne seeking revenge, and many other characters carrying out horrific and foul deeds brought about through political intrigue and dark magic.

Some readers loved this book so don;t let this put you off. Some feel it is the best in the series, so it is up to you, the reader, to decide if A Feast for Crows is for you.

A Storm of Swords, 2 Blood and Gold: Book 3, Part 2 of a Song of Ice and Fire by George R R Martin

A Storm of Swords, 2 Blood and Gold: Book 3, Part 2 of A Song of Ice and Fire by George R R Martin is a continuation of his colossal and stunning epic series.

Widely acclaimed as the best yet, in  A Storm of Swords, 2 Blood and Gold the Lannisters and Tyrells are now allied together, presenting an overwhelming force for the Starks.

Beyond The Wall, John Snow is on a spying mission to learn the plans of the wildlings, but finds his loyalties torn.

Meanwhile Daenerys Targaryen is attempting to amass an army from the cities of Slaver's Bay over the far Eastern waters and finds herself entrenched in freeing the peoples there, delaying her return to Westeros.

A Storm of Swords, 2 Blood and Gold is unputdownable!

A Storm of Swords, Steel and Snow, Book 3, Part 1 of A Song of Fire and Ice by George R R Martin

A Storm of Swords, Steel and Snow, Book 3, Part 1 of A Song of Fire and Ice by George R R Martin is a continuation of his highly-acclaimed epic series.

The third book is split into two parts and in A Storm of Swords, Steel and Snow, winter rapidly approaches the Seven Kingdoms which have been torn apart by war and feuds.

A little bit of magic creeps into this book so insidiously you'll hardly notice the change, but this is another powerful story that'll have you on the edge of your seat, rapidly turning pages, absorbed in the action and desperate to know what happens next.

In A Storm of Swords, Steel and Snow, Brother Mance Rayder prepares to lead the wildlings from the Northern borders South towards The Wall.

Newly crowned Robb Stark in the House of Stark in the North has to stretch his defences against not only the threat coming from the wastelands, but from the Lannisters to the South where his sisters are held captive.

A Clash of Kings: Books 2 of a Song of Ice and Fire by George R.R. Martin

A Clash of Kings by George R.R.Martin

The second volume in A Song of Ice and Fire, A Clash of Kings is just as exciting and gripping as the first.

The Seven Kingdoms are divided and in tatters, while beyond The Wall to the north comes a great cold, bringing with it the walking dead.

The stories are told from the points of view of various members of the Stark family, the once and future kings, whose father had been brutally murdered.

With its dark air and medieval setting, A Song of Fire and Ice is a fantasy series for adults that can rival Tolkein's Lord of the Rings

A Game of Thrones (A Song of Ice and Fire Book 1) by George R.R. Martin

A Game of Thrones by George R.R.Martin

Invariably described as the best new fantasy trilogy since Stephen Donaldson's "Chronicles of Thomas Covenant" - and I loved those books - A Game of Thrones is the first of three in the series called A Song of Fire and Ice.

The Seven Kingdoms south of The wall are threatened with rivalry, greed, treachery and war. Meanwhile a darker force is moving in beyond the Wall.

Each chapter in the book is named after the character whose viewpoint you are learning about, and there are many characters each of which are utterly believable. There is no good, nor evil. Everybody is in shades of grey. In this world with a recorded history of 8,000 years, you live or you die.

Invariably described as gripping, highly readable, wonderful, highly recommended, A Game of Thrones is not one to miss!

London Calling (Inspector Carlyle 1) by James Craig

London Calling by James Craig 

James Craig has written a winner with this action-packed political thriller.

Our hero of the day is down-to-earth London Police Inspector John Carlyle whose job it is to track down a brutal murderer.

The country is in the middle of a General Election and the leader of the opposition, Edgar Carlton, a powerful and ambitious man from an upper class background, goes out of his way to ensure the killer is not found, because it could compromise his position.

An exciting and fast-paced thriller, this book is un-put-downable and a thoroughly good read as well as insightful into the world of power and murky politics.