The White Lie by Andrea Gillies

This book is loooooong. In my view, unnecessarily and unrewardingly long. It is similar to the Secrets of the Tides in its themes although the family which the novel dissects are more aristocratic.  The novel is narrated mainly by Michael, a young boy who goes missing, and who gradually reveals the various secrets and lies which surround his disappearance.  The characters are well defined, especially the troubled Ursula, and the plot is intriguing. But it's substance is insufficient to justify its length and unfortunately I don't think it's worth the slog.

The Bellweather Revivals by Benjamin Wood

In the style of A Secret History, this novel follows a young group of Cambridge students who experiment with the hypnotic, healing and anaesthetic powers of music. It all goes wrong, of course.

An interesting and excellently researched novel with very powerful themes and perfectly chosen language. There was something slightly superior about some of the dialogue which was a little hard to swallow but overall an engaging novel which is definitely worth a read. Wouldn't be surprised if this was on the Booker Longlist.

The Secrets of the Tides by Hannah Richell

A novel about the Tides family who are ripped apart after a tragic accident. Dora, the youngest daughter, is seeking to heal the rifts and the novel follows her journey to discover the secrets each family member is guarding. Predictable and rather depressing this book is well written but not very uplifting. A good example of a theoretically good book which is hard, in practice, to enjoy.

The Story of Beautiful Girl by Rachel Simon

A novel about a young girl (Lynnie) with learning difficulties who is sent to an American mental hospital by her family in the 1950s. Lynnie falls in love with a fellow patient, a deaf man, who helps her run away whilst pregnant with an abusive warden's child. Although Lynnie is eventually returned to the hospital, her baby is born during the brief escape and is brought up by an elderly widow.

I really enjoyed the writing in this novel, which is easy to read but also very poignant ("Self pity is a worse adversary than ignorance"). The characters are complex but well portrayed so surprisingly easy to engage with. The novel is narrated by different characters but the narrative is not disjointed so the overall thread is very compelling. A well written and enjoyable novel.

The Memory of Love by Aminatta Forna

A novel about a British psychologist (Adrian) who travels to Sierra Leone post-civil war to work in a mental hospital in the capital. If you are interested in psychology and/or the Sierra Leone civil war this book would be an excellent read because it is very well researched and sympathetically portrayed. The novel describes the challenges Adrian faces with locals who regard psychological illnesses as normal and who are living with the scars of such recent conflict.

As well as he well researched historical context, the writing is good, the characters likeable and the plot engrossing. Personally I thought the love triangle cheapened the novel slightly but it did make for a more intriguing plot.

An interesting book which I enjoyed.

Waiting for Sunrise by William Boyd

This is a novel about an actor turned soldier turned undercover agent during World War I. It is also a spy novel which I understood. Whilst this is all well and good for me, I imagine that those readers with a bit more political nous may find the simplicity of the narrative a little dull. I enjoyed the plot which I found gripping and engrossing but as I say, I am one of those people who got lost after the first 4 words of Tinker Taylor Soldier Spy.

The writing is very good, particularly the unusually natural dialogue, so this book is readable and enjoyable whatever your views on the story line. For me, the characters let this down slightly as they are a little too extreme to be truly believable. Nevertheless, a good spy thriller which is worth a read.

A Fine Balance by Rohinton Mistry

A wonderful book which is excellently written and with a very moving, well told plot.  The book is set in India and is about two Hindu tailors who travel from their small village to a large seaside city to find work, and end up caught in the political and religious turmoil of the 1970s.  The characters, particularly the four main characters, are very well drawn, realistic and compelling which makes the narrative even more poignant.  Although this novel is very sad in parts it is not depressing and will stay with you well after you've finished it.  I very much enjoyed it.  Thanks Andy.