2025- October - Act of Oblivion by Robert Harris

For me, it was a good read. The second half was slow  and drawn out with all the writing  and reminiscing that Ned was doing, but wow, what an ending.  Very well researched, though I suppose he put words in peoples mouths, as  he would have to do.  I would love to go to New Haven and see if the structure is still the same. 

From FW: I, too, really enjoyed the book. 

I do wonder if other episodes in English history had been written in this form whether I'd be a history (ish ) whizz by now, as I found it absolutely fascinating. The characters were real, if more than zealous, and so well painted. I haven't read any other books by Robert Harris and now feel they need to be on my Christmas list 😁

I'm going to give it an 8 as I don't think I'll have time to read it again with the pile I have waiting for me. If I were thirty years younger it would have been a 9 ( but I wouldn't have had the time to read it!!)

From TC: I really enjoyed Act of Oblivion and rate it 10/10.  I thought it might be a bit boring and heavy but found it well written, good pace and I could engage with the characters. 14/10/2025

2025-September - Elephanta Suite, by Paul Theroux

 The Elephanta Suite: I should have read a little about it before I got stuck in as I expected more overt linking of the three sections as I was reading it. I only realised afterwards, on reflection, that it was indeed linked by different experiences of Americans there. Duh!

I found it quite thought provoking, not least after the last of the stories had a quite unexpected (for me)

 ending.

The author is one I've heard of but never read before. I liked his style, even though I might have steered

clear of the book if details of the content would have been on the blurb.

My rating- a 6.   FW

Now, the Paul Theroux book - started off ok and well written just lost interest with all the sordid affairs 

and exploitation of young indigenous girls - read about 150 pages and scanned the rest,  didn't think it

was  worth my time! Barely 5/10  Agreed with Dwight when he asks on P167 -"How had he been 

corrupted so  quickly...prey"!! and P244 -top "most things that people....with it." Did the 3 main

 characters link up? 

(must have missed that bit!)  SC

But I have read the book. Took it to Amsterdam & Bruges and got strangely hooked on it on 

Eurostar 2 weeks ago and was pleased to have a book that was well crafted and I looked forward 

to reading it -  actually stopped reading occasionally to stare out of the window and 

ponder on how I would have reacted if something in the plot had happened to me.

HOWEVER... writing this 2 weeks on I can't remember anything about what I read! It was 

totally forgettable.   I didn't 'get inside' any of the characters' heads in any of the stories. 

The book didn't linger in my brain afterwards. I read it then moved on with my life.

SO... it's a 5 for me.  HB

And my review from 2013:

Not finished. It was a depressing book made up of three stories about different Elephanta suites. 

In all stories Americans come to India. the first, after Mr. & Mrs each have a brief affair with an 

Indian they are effectively thrown out and possibly killed. 

In the second a business man in India becomes enthralled with a young girl, then his business partner 

leads him into eastern mysticism, and Dwight gives up all to pursue it, handling over 

the American business to Shah, who is eager to grab it. The third was about a young girl in an

 Ashram, who tries to leave. Marks - 1

2025-August Days from a Different World - John Simpson

 His 4th Autobiography. His earliest years remembered. What he remembers himself from those times, with the turbulent state of his mothers household, and also added in things about British and world history that make it more interesting, as well as what other people were doing at that time - 1944-1952.

 It was difficult to get started because it was not exactly linear, but more interesting finding out about what was happening in the world later in the book, because this was my time. 

It seems that quite a few people skimmed through the middle of the book and just read the beginning and end.  It was the kind of book that you could pick up and put down, and just read bits. 

There was lots of discussion about his early life, and the things that he thought he saw. His life was reflecting the decline of England?  

The book was well written. The overriding comment was that people  were glad to have read it, but didn't enjoy it.

MArks - 4-6-6-7-6-6-8-5-5 = 53/9 - about 6. 

2025- July - We Solve Murders by Richard Osman

 We had a blank month on our library reading list, so we chose this book.  It's different, it's suspend belief funny, and enjoyable. 

Retired detective Steve Father in law of Amy, a close protection officer, whose blood has been found at three murders of customers of her company, Lots of possible villains who all have a finger in it somewhere, and people who are nefarious behind their innocuous cover stories.   Amy is protecting a very rich female author, who when asked if she has something says 'yes, I think I've got one somewhere', or 'Doesn't everyone have a private jet?'  And she is horny as hell. 

My Mark 8 - I would read another of his stories along this line. 

9,9,8,8,7,5,4,2.5  Avg: 6.5

2025- June- A pocketful of Happiness - Richard E Grant

 This is the story of his wife Joan's death from cancer, interspersed with reminiscences. It is hard to give any feelings about it. You can't believe that it was written as a money making thing. It is very personal, so why publish it aside from a few copies for the family. 

Nobody thought very much of it, too many references to celebs that he knew and we had never heard of. 

Agreed mark of 3. 

2025- May - A Man Called Ove by F. Backman

 I have enjoyed this book. It is very emotional at the end when a new family of the same sort of mindset is looking at his house. I loved his hate of the white shirts bureaucrats and the way that he treated them and the way that he looked after his neighbours, if somewhat unwillingly.   Mark - 9 from me. 

PH: A man called Ove is one of my favourite books.  A gentle, easy read, original story line and well written, with great bits of humour too.  As a cat lover, I loved the cameo roles played by the cat.   Not exactly a literary classic, but a very nice book – hence a 9 out of 10 from me.

Books for 25-26

 

SIMPSON                  DAYS FROM A DIFFERENT WORLD                 29/07/2025 THEROUX                 ELEPHANTA SUITE                                            26/08/2025 HARRIS                     ACT OF OBLIVION                                             23/09/2025 TYLER                       NOAHS COMPASS                                            28/10/2025 MACINNES               IN ASCENSION                                                   15/11/2025 FALLON                    JUST GOT REAL                                                 16/12/2025 BROAD                     ABROAD IN JAPAN                                             27/01/2026 DENCH                     SHAKESPEARE: THE MAN WHO PAYS THE RENT  24/02/2026 BARRY                     OLD GOD'S TIME                                                24/03/2026 CRAIG                      THREE GRACES                                                 28/04/2026 CATTON                   BIRNAM WOOD                                                   26/05/2026 MCCALL SMITH       PAVILION IN THE CLOUDS                                 23/06/2026