Paris During the Commune

by William Gibson
This book is a collection of letters written by a British Methodist minister who was responsible for a Paris circuit. It is compulsive reading as he outlines what it was like living as an ex-pat during the bloody weeks of the Commune. In many ways it offers an alternative view, suggesting at times it was not as bad as it seemed and suggesting the commune were just a bunch of rabble rousers. Even though the description of Paris burning and the column in place vendome being pulled down are absorbing. For the immediacy and quirky angle this is well worth a read. You will need to get a second hand copy. 8/10

Hard Revolution

by George Pelecanos
I read this book shortly after reading the Turnaround and found that both books were very similar in style and approach so while I enjoyed the first book I enjoyed this less. Having said that the musical references and the depiction of the banality of normal lives during what history will determine as seminal moments is masterful storytelling. 6/10

Cain

by José Saramago
Very witty take on the Old Testament but it may get a bit laborious if you do not know the Old Testament in the first place. 7/10

The Turnaround

by George Pelecanos
This is an interesting tale of teenagers growing up and racism in 70's Washington and the consequences 3 decades later.It does not turn out like I expected which I enjoyed. It was a good read 6/10

The Map and the Territory

by Michel Houellebecq
This is the story of an artist called Jed Martin and features a character called Michel Houellebecq. I found it very amusing and the first part of the book works extremely well. In the later part of the book things take a rather black turn and without losing its way, I felt it rather petered out. Having said that I enjoyed this book far more than his other books that I have read and find the arguments that have raged over plagiarism of wikipedia part of the amusement factor. 8/10

Life and Fate

by Vasily Grossman
I read this book after a heavy sell on the BBC and by the publisher Vintage in September this year. I have to confess that I found it a bit of a struggle. There were a lot of intertwining stories giving a fantastic picture of how difficult and disjointed living through war can be, both for families and a community as a whole.
Having said this, I found the stories too disjointed and struggled throughout remembering who was who. Not as good as I was hoping it would be. 6/10

Bartleby, the Scrivener

by Herman Melville
This short story is fascinating and if asked to review it I think I would have to say "I would prefer not to". The purpose of it I do not know and true to Melville's comments at the beginning there is little to tell of Bartleby's history but it is a great read, if not a little quirky. 8/10

Half Blood Blues

by Esi Edugyan.
I enjoyed this book about a group of jazz musicians who get together at the beginning of the second world war in Berlin and Paris. The book moves between then and now and gradually explains why certain things happened and why certain things did not. Along the way it mixes in historical figures who add interest. Would definitely recommend to a friend. 8/10

Jamrach's Menagerie

by Carol Birch Amother Booker nominee and an interesting tale based around two factual events. However, the middle section involving lizard hunting and shipwreck was far too long for me and the shipwreck in particular needs a strong stomach to get through! Having said that it was a gripping tale and an almost upbeat ending! 7/10

The Last 100 Days

by Patrick McGuinness There was an element of nostalgia reading this book having visited Romania during the disctator's regime and having vivid memories of the TV coverage of his final days in 1989. The story is enthralling and I enjoyed it a lot. Not sure I would read it again but definitely worth reading and I liked the dvice of putting the narrator centre stage but at a late enough time to be an outsider looking in. 8/10

The Sisters Brothers

by Patrick deWitt This was a very engaging, black comic book. It was one of those books where I would like to ask the author why he wrote it in the first place. It is basically about two brothers who go out and play cowboys and then go home to mum. Why would you write that book? Why would it make the Booker longlist. I do not know but I am glad he did and glad it did. 8/10

The Sense of an Ending

by Julian Barnes A short novel of 150 pages but none the less compelling for all that. All the way through the book the narrator was being told he did not understand and even when made clear at the end it took me a while to understand. This was great story telling and I would give it the Booker now so that probably means it won't make the shortlist! Still a good book though 8/10

The Stranger's Child

by Alan Hollinghurst This is a fascinating book with its wide sweep of twentieth century Britain and the effects of a gay war poets relationships with a Cambridge friend and his sister on their immediate families and those who came after. It works best in the early parts of the book I felt but all in all, and to use a technical term, it was lush! 8/10

An Uncertain Place

by Fred Vargas
Another enjoyable crime novel with Adamsberg. If I say it involves chasing vampires it would give the wrong idea. It is a search for a serial killer very firmly set in the modern day, but it still has the delightful quirkiness which is so attractive in this series. This one was slightly off the pace of some of the others I have read 7/10

Beyond Suspicion

by Tanguy Viel
A short thriller translated from french. It was very well written and could easily be read at one sitting. Mind you, I hated the ending 7/10

Paris Trance

by Geoff Dyer
This is a novel set in Paris and covering the lives of 4 twenty-somethings discovering life and each other. It is amusing in places, but generally covered a way of life I found it hard to connect with and yet still seemed rather predictable. However, I did like Spunky the dog! 6/10

The Invention of Paris

by Eric Hazan
Subtitled A history in Footsteps this a great book covering the history of various quarters of Paris and how it has developed into today's city. From the broad sweep to the intricate details this is a great book that makes you want to get back to the city and start exploring immediately. One word of advice. Unless you know the city really well it is useful-and will probably add to your enjoyment-if you have a map/street atlas close by. 8/10

A Visit from the Goon Squad

by Jennifer Egan
The Goon Squad is time and this is a novel about time and its passing and it deals with time in the way that time deals with us. That is, moving at different speeds -sometimes fast sometimes slow. I felt the technical skills in this book outweighed the story at times but a thought provoking book. Didn't enjoy the last chapter. 6/10

Miss Smilla's Feeling for Snow

by Peter Hoeg

I really enjoyed the first two thirds of this book but feel that it then started to lose its way. Probably all that snow! Still an enjoyable read 6/10

The Invisible Woman

by Clare Tomalin
This was a fascinating biography and commentary on how history can be manipulated. It leaves many questions unanswered, not least being what did Ellen Ternan think of Dickens and her relationship with him, but this in itself is comment on how difficult this book was to write. 8/10