Those of you that follow my blog know that I have recently made quite an effort to read some of Catherine Cookson’s extensive catalogue of novels. Having recently moved back to the North East, I wanted to read books that evoke the heart and the spirit of the land that I now, once more, callContinue reading “The Kindness of Catherine Cookson”
Tag Archives: Books
My Thoughts on Home Going by Yaa Gyasi
Homegoing by Yaa Gyasi My rating: 5 of 5 stars I came across this book after a recent episode of This is Us featured Rebecca and Randall discussing it. Both Randall and Rebecca confessed to sobbing at a key moment in the book. Deciding that I needed to get a hold of this book, IContinue reading “My Thoughts on Home Going by Yaa Gyasi”
The Instant by Amy Liptrot
The Instant by Amy Liptrot My rating: 3 of 5 stars This book was a bit of a mixed bag for me. At times the writing was beautiful. At other times, the only words that came to mind were self-indulgent and twaddle. I came to this book because of the author’s previous work, The Outrun,Continue reading “The Instant by Amy Liptrot”
The Branded Man by Catherine Cookson
The Branded Man by Catherine Cookson My rating: 4 of 5 stars Continuing on with my immersion in the works of Catherine Cookson, I delved into The Branded Man. Published in 1997, one year before she died, I think in this work, more than in her previous, we can really tell that she was strugglingContinue reading “The Branded Man by Catherine Cookson”
A review of Dear Evelyn by Kathy Page
Dear Evelyn by Kathy Page My rating: 5 of 5 stars An expansive, yet shatteringly intimate portrait of a long-term marriage, Dear Evelyn is one of those books that got under my skin. It is a masterpiece of characterisation, with both Evelyn and Harry portrayed with almost careless skill, both characters growing and developing asContinue reading “A review of Dear Evelyn by Kathy Page”
Catherine Cookson’s Plainer Still
Plainer Still: A New Personal Anthology by Catherine Cookson My rating: 4 of 5 stars This is an interesting addition to the vast body of work produced by a prolific writer, but very different to her usual story-telling novelistic form. Comprised of a series of poems, essays, recollections, and snapshots of her life, the bookContinue reading “Catherine Cookson’s Plainer Still”
Review of Trans by Helen Joyce
Trans: When Ideology Meets Reality by Helen Joyce My rating: 5 of 5 stars This is not an academic review. I read this book because the issues are important to me, and I prefer to have an informed, considered, opinion, rather than one incubated on the toxic platform of Twitter. The opinions I express hereContinue reading “Review of Trans by Helen Joyce”
Ten Books that Live With Me
I did one of those Facebook things some time ago where I listed 10 books that have stayed with me throughout my life. I took the list quite seriously at the time. For me, it was not enough to simply list the books, I wanted to try and find something that encapsulated why the bookContinue reading “Ten Books that Live With Me”
Atonement by Ian McEwan, An Old Favourite Read Again
Shortlisted for the Booker in 2001, I will never understand how it did not win. In 2010, Time Magazine listed it as one of the top 100 English language novels since 1923. Atonement by Ian McEwan My rating: 5 of 5 stars It is always interesting coming back to a book you read many yearsContinue reading “Atonement by Ian McEwan, An Old Favourite Read Again”
My Year in Books – 2020, Lockdown and the Struggle to Read
Looking at my Goodreads annual summary of my reading is always of interest to me. I love looking back at what I have read over the year, looking over my reviews, especially ones that I wrote earlier in the year. Anyone who has ever heard me talk about books knows that my test of aContinue reading “My Year in Books – 2020, Lockdown and the Struggle to Read”
Deborah Siddoway 