Although I don’t drink anywhere near what Jill Stark used to put away, I related to most, if not all, of her feelings during her booze-free year. The book is easy to read. I’d definitely recommend it. The only thing that can get a little bit annoying is the constant barrage of statistics, but I suppose that is her job – she’s a health reporter.

Her honest writing has made me want to take a long, hard look at my own relationship with alcohol…

Sathnam Sanghera is the same age as I am, he’s Indian and grew up in the same part of Wolverhampton as I did. He went to the Boys Grammar, which means he had a very similar education to mine. Basically he could be me. There is so much I have identified with, both in his first book (The Boy With the Top Knot) and this, his first novel. It’s full of so many insights too. I especially like those from the point of view of the first generation of Indians to be born in England. I wish that I had realised I wasn’t the only one who had those feelings as a young adult.

Some of the characters are a little cartoonish – Ranjit being a prime example – but this is a good tale and very well told. I’d recommend it.

I just finished this prequel to Luther the TV series. Neil Cross wrote it after he wrote the TV series so there aren’t any inconsistencies between book and TV. This is very pleasing to me. One of the reasons I will never watch the film of One Day is that Anne Hathaway could never be a convincing Northern girl in my eyes. But The Calling’s characters are partly built on their TV portrayals – NC says as much in the acknowledgements – so it’s all good.

The Calling is the story of Henry, the guy whom Luther lets fall in the brewery in the very first scene. I love how the book explains everything, letting the story unfold darkly to its climax. I’d forgotten that scene in the brewery so reading the ending was just as tense for me as if I hadn’t seen it. I had to watch those first few minutes again straight after I finished the book.

The book’s style is edgy and sharp, occasionally bordering on OTT, but certainly nowhere near as ridiculous as Dan Brown. There are some very tense passages and some very, very dark subject matter. We’re talking babies, kids, dogs, that kind of thing. I was shocked. It would be wrong to say I enjoyed the book, but it is an excellent, gripping read.

This is a very easy read, split into lots of short chapters and so easy to dip into whenever you have five minutes. GP seems to have crammed a lot into his younger life and it’s interesting to see how his experiences and thoughts have manifested themselves in his art. But I have to say I didn’t recognise some of the things he did with his friends as art; it seemed like a bunch of exhibitionists dressing up (or not) and indulging themselves in the name of being creative.

This biography will be enjoyed by those who are interested in Grayson Perry but it left me feeling a little flat. His recent Reith lectures are much more vibrant and entertaining.

The first section of this is compelling, with its lovely stream-of-consciousness style. I couldn’t connect with the second section quite as much but the plot is still interesting and kept me turning the pages. The third section was extremely hard work, with its many many numbered sections. They are obviously very clever, but a little cryptic. The penultimate section is fairly edgy and menacing. The final section contains some kind of resolution.

This is an unusual book, entertaining and real. There are definitely aspects of the female characters that I relate to and it feels very much of the present time. The only problem is that doesn’t hang together as a novel for me, although I suppose it didn’t help that I read the book over a long time. I’m not familiar with that part of London either, which is a shame as the setting is almost a character of its own.

In summary I would say that NW is thought-provoking but unsatisfying.

Guardian podcast: Zadie Smith on NW

I read this book on Nat’s recommendation. It is beautifully written but I feel that it’s a case of style over content. The discussion of beauty and aesthetics was boring to me and I know nothing about Henry James so couldn’t relate to that at all. The explicit sex scenes didn’t seem to serve any purpose. Having listened to Hollinghurst discussing the book after I’d finished it, it seems that I’ve missed a number of nuances in this novel. Perhaps it’s just too clever for me.

The protagonist does have painfully perceptive moments which startled me with their insight, such as when Nick’s parents meet the Feddens he is embarassed by them in small ways such as the smallness of the drinks his father makes and how small his parents seem physically to Gerald Fedden. I feel the same about my parents sometimes. Other than a few episodes of this kind I couldn’t find a great deal to connect with in this book. All the characters, with the sole exception of Catherine, are false and unlikeable. Having said all that, I’m glad I finished reading it. I found the pace rather slow except in the final part (of three) which contains the highest proportion of plot and in which loose ends are finally tied up. There is a some satisfaction to be had when major characters get their comeuppance at the end but this is no What a Carve Up! and, as if to reflect his wishy-washiness, the protagonist’s fate is left ambiguous.

I was dead keen to read this since I loved The Casual Vacancy, J. K. Rowling’s first book for adults. It was reserved by more than 60 people at the library so I had to wait a few weeks before I got my hands on it.

This is a contemporary tale set in London (both always a plus for me), well written and the conclusion came as a complete shock to me. However, it all felt a bit flat for the first two thirds of the book. The last third saw the pace pick up significantly and I couldn’t put it down. I didn’t like the name of the hero (Cormoran Strike? Give me a break!) and some of the characters were too stereotyped. Still, I very much enjoyed the final third so I’d recommended it.

I read this book on Saira’s recommendation and I’m glad I did. It definitely reads like a book for teenagers but it’s very good anyway, totally compulsive. It’s simply but well written. The story is science fiction: part Battle Royale, part Big Brother (Channel 4 versions). It throws up some interesting ideas that will get young people thinking. Overall, a very enjoyable package.

I picked this up at the library because I loved the TV series of The Take and The Runaway. I’m not very far in but the writing seems quite simplistic, bad in places: ‘relaxed hair’?? but I’ll read a bit more and see how it goes.

Later…
Well, I have read 100 pages and I am getting annoyed that there is far too much narrative and there is far too little dialogue and action. The writing style is very immature. It’s so stereotypical too: all the women are good-looking, all the men are handsome. And the central characters being two brothers, one sensible and one out of control, is a carbon copy of The Take. I’m going to give this one up as a bad job; life is just too short. I’ll definitely watch it if it gets made into a TV drama though.