Forethoughts: A Life Apart by Neel Mukherjee

With the read through of my last novel done ‘n’ dusted I thought I’d keep the cultural ball rolling with a ‘kick around’ of A Life Apart by Neel Mukherjee. Recently published by Constable & Robinson, I’ve been looking forward to reading this debut novel ever since I first laid my bookish eyes upon [...]

Forethoughts: The Education of a British-Protected Child by Chinua Achebe

And so I come to The Education of a British-Protected Child, a book penned by one of the real icons of African literature, Nigerian Chinua Achebe. Recently published in the UK on the 12th January 2010 by Allen Lane (an imprint of Penguin), this new work from Achebe – a writer perhaps most [...]

Afterthoughts: The House of the Mosque by Kader Abdolah

In a Nutshell: Once read never forgotten, The House of the Mosque is one of these rare titles that both nurtures the soul and informs at the same time. It’s perfect for those wishing to learn a little about one of Iran’s most tumultuous periods, without getting bogged down in scholarly text.
Before I began [...]

Afterthoughts: All That I Have by Castle Freeman

In a Nutshell: Although All That I Have won’t win any prizes for being an all-out action-packed thrillfest any time soon, it stands out as being a very well written crime thriller which comes with delicious literary undertones and a delightful infusion of ‘small town’ philosophy. Very highly recommended!
Well, All That I Have (Duckworth) [...]

Forethoughts: The House of the Mosque by Kader Abdolah

And so my reading journey brings me to the gates of The House of the Mosque by Kader Abdoloah which was published in English for the first time last week (21st January) by Canongate Books. It’s a title which I’ve been looking forward to reading for some time now – not least because I [...]

Afterthoughts: Soothing Music for Stray Cats by Jayne Joso

In a Nutshell: Soothing Music for Stray Cats turns out to be an absolute gem of a novel. Fresh, invigorating, engaging – and coming with one of the most triumphantly realised characters out there – Joso’s novel stands as a prime example of why readers should never shy away from the literary creations of [...]

Forethoughts: All That I Have by Castle Freeman

Note: My afterthoughts on All That I Have have now been posted.
The reading fun never stops here at RobAround Manor as I move swiftly on to the next novel in my wobbly book pile, All That I Have by Castle Freeman, which is published by Duckworth today (21st January). And to be honest with [...]

Afterthoughts: Bequest by Anna Shevchenko

Worth its weight in Cossack gold or nothing but a pile of old slagheap?

Forethoughts: Bequest by Anna Shevchenko

Thankfully the blogging blood is finally coursing through my body again, and it’s time to move on to my 2nd read of this new year, Bequest, the promising debut novel from Ukrainian-born author Anna Shevchenko, which is published by Headline this very week (7th January).
You may remember me talking about Bequest only a couple [...]

Afterthoughts: ‘Killer’ by Dave Zeltserman

Once a hitman, always a hitman? Time to find out in Zeltserman’s latest noir novel, Killer, published by Serpent’s Tail

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