Read this for reading group. Now I realise that this is an important story. Not a novel but one man’s account of slavery, so that the world could know what happened to him. Undoubtedly many others were in worse situations. I did think the film was very powerful when I watched it back in 2013. But I hated reading the book. Partly because the language felt impenetrable, partly because of the long dull accounts e.g description of sugar cane industry. I didn’t know where any of the places were and there were too many names to remember so it was difficult to relate to. For me, this is not a book to be read for pleasure, rather one to be studied for its historical value.

Read this for Reading Group. I chaired the meeting so ended up reading it quite in-depth; after I’d finished it I went back to the beginning and re-read a lot of it.

Indigo seems very childish for an 11 year old. I found her very irritating and sulky, although I liked the way she isn’t yet conditioned to be ‘nice’ i.e. socially acceptable. I enjoyed Karen’s story more. Her timeline jumped around but it made more sense when I went through the book again. The gradual uncovering of her illness was very clever. Indy’s story is set in South Africa, which adds another element of interest.

The book is a decent coming-of-age story. I don’t know if I would go so far as to recommend it, but I enjoyed reading it.

Read this for book group. I enjoyed Part 1, delighting in the language and sharp observations of his characters’ encounters with each other, but the book quickly became tedious and I was frustrated with so many new characters being introduced. It seemed absurd that so many of the characters were gay men. At the end, I didn’t know what I was supposed to learn, if anything. I’ve come away feeling that this is probably a good book but maybe I’ve missed something…

Read this for the September reading group meeting but I was in Dorset on holiday at the time of the meeting.

I really enjoyed the book and found it compelling from the start. I love gangster stories anyway but this book was well-crafted with five interlocking tales, each from a different character’s point of view. It’s very evocative of 60’s London; I felt like I was there. I was glad that the central character is gay. It threw something a little different and unexpected into the mix. A good read.

I read this for reading group. I enjoyed how it transported me to different worlds with its powerful descriptions of landscapes. Unlike many post-apocalyse stories, this one didn’t cover the immediate aftermath, instead we are given glimpses into the times just before the virus and also twenty years on through the eyes of the characters. I loved the connections that are gradually revealed between the characters. Surprisingly, it’s a book that gives hope.

I had a great time with this book; it resonated with me and I found it laugh out loud funny. It’s quite similar to How To Be A Woman in that it’s a cheerleader for women everywhere.

I read this for reading group. I enjoyed the writing style and the story felt original. I’ve not read any other book in which the protagonist is on the autistic spectrum apart from The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Nighttime. This one made me laugh out loud a few times, which is a bonus. The book is a rom-com and slightly formulaic; as soon as the character of Rosie was introduced I could tell how things were going to pan out. The ending was rather rushed as well.

Overall I did enjoy this book but not quite so much to seek out the sequel.

Read this for reading group. It’s well written and a good read. I liked the fact that all the characters, especially the protagonist, are unlikeable. Enjoyed the vivid descriptions but there could have been more suspense. That was probably the thing that was missing; the book felt ever so slightly bland.

What is the thing with replacing i’s with y’s though? Alice Kite becomes Alys Kyte. Made me cringe.

An excellent portrayal of schizophrenia. Agree with Jo Brand that it’s touching and sad but I felt it fizzled out a bit at the end. Similar to Elizabeth is Missing in that respect; extremely detailed and convincing portrayal of an illness but unsatisfying ending, although in this case, the author does specifically say it’s a beginning rather than an end so perhaps I’ll concede for that reason. I would recommend this book. It makes me feel sorry for Vijaymama.