Our Noble Selves

 by Kate Atkinson

This novel is set in 1951 London amid the preparations for the forthcoming Festival of Britain. 

Our hero is Harry Flynn an ex journalist who spent much of the recent war as a prisoner of the Japanese, working on the "railway"-an experience he chooses not to discuss. 

What starts as a meander around the site and it's preparation soon becomes more mysterious as a date that Harry goes to the pub with disappears and Harry is accused of being the reason for her disappearance.
Peopled with a great cast of characters and a manic plot this book hurtles along at an alarming rate, much like the roller coaster in the final pages. Great fun 8/10

Cold Sunset

 by William Boyd

The third title involving Gabriel Dax and his reluctant involvement in the murky world of ninety sixty spies. This novel includes all of the normal suspects plus some and takes in Moscow, Oslo and the Greek Islands along with a start in the US. Full paced caper and a lot of fun 8/10

Returning to Reims

 by Didier Eribon

A memoir by a gay man who now is a successful academic, it tells the story of growing up in a working class family and having to leave to fully discover his sexuality and realise his academic aspiration.

There is a lot of points in crossing class barriers that rang true. The difficulty and outright violence faced by being part of a minority group was painful to read.

I felt at times it tripped over itself as to whether this was a book about sexual awakening or about leaving family but I guess that was partly the point - the two were intertwined and difficult to separate, 

It was very good on the shift in working class voting behaviours from left to right and what may have brought that about. 7/10

The Housekeeper

 by Rose Tremain

An imagined tale of how Daphne Du Maurier has an affair with the Polish housekeeper of a large Cornish estate. The story is told by Danni - the housekeeper of the title, and details there meeting, falling in love and eventual ending of the affair when du Maurier becomes scared of her reputation being harmed. She draws on Danni to create the evil Mrs Danvers in Rebecca.

It's a great idea but it never quite worked for me. The supporting characters were never real enough and the love affair was awkward. Maybe the film will be better 6/10

In One Brief Moment All Eternity

 by Elif Shafak

One thing I love about Elif Shafak's writing is her empathy with the downtrodden and minorities. In this book, based loosely around the life of Gustave Flaubert we hear from the women who knew him be they family, lovers, people he met or sought out, or even characters he brought into being in his novels.

In her notes to readers she calls this book her love letter to literature, and in more than one instance it felt like the author had put the story down and addressed the readers directly. I am not sure I liked this but it is a quibble. 

It is not a novel I would consider her best, but it was a good read and I would recommend it to others. 8/10 

Switzy

 by Emma Cline

 A man with dementia is travelling to Dignitas to end his life. He calls off in London to see his daughter and tries to see an old friend in France. It was absorbing but I did not enjoy it that much I may have had Booker fatigue by the time I read this. 6/10

The Long Call

 by Anne Cleeves

The first novel featuring Matthew Venn. It is set in North Devon and involves a murder of a man on a beach followed by the abduction of two women with Down's syndrome. A good mystery that kept you guessing until the end. 8/10

Cross Channel

 by Julian Barnes

Great collection of short stories by Julian Barnes dealing with the interaction between the French and the English at various times through history.  Very funny in places and thoughtful in others. I really enjoyed it 9/10