by Rachel Cusk
Much more familiar Booker territory than my last entry.
A woman has an encounter with an artist's paintings in the Paris of her youth.
Years later she invites the artist to join her and her family on a remote salt marsh where they live. The book revolves around what unfolds during that summer and what maybe love and friendship means. Parts I enjoyed as good writing, much was very angsty. Not my favourite 6/10
by Maggie Shipstead
Unlike many Booker prize novels this was a gripping story from the start and that maintained that driving pulse throughout nearly all of its 600 pages, The story of a woman looking to make history in aviation by a round the world trip north to south in the 1950's.
The flight was never completed and our hero and her navigator were presumed dead as they were never found.
This is the story of her life and that of her brother and a childhood friend called Caleb. It was a great story and therefore in danger of not making the shortlist! 9/10
by Pierre Lemaitre
This was written in homage to Alexander Dumas and The count of Monte Christo.
It is a story of revenge and a definite feel of Lemaitre letting his hair down and having fun in this story set between the wars. Great fun 8/10
