The Long Take

by Robert Robinson
I did not expect to like this novel. A novel written largely in verse about a Canadian soldier returning to America after the second world war.
He travels from New York to California and the book gives us impressions of his experience and flashbacks to France. I found it mesmerizing and much better than I expected it to be. The experiences, past and present, are presented raw and without comment - a good read 8/10

Normal People

by Sally Rooney
The writing here is compelling and it drew me in against my will. The subject matter are two young people from Ireland, both intelligent but both flawed in some way. They have a peculiar relationship that lasts through various angst that did wear me down a bit. I can see why people rave about Rooney's writing talent but I fear I am a little too old for the subject matter to resonate with me. I have still not made up my mind about this book. 7/10

The Mars Room

by Rachel Kushner
This is a story about life in a Californian prison and the lives of those incarcerated there. It is a depressing and tedious life that is reflected perfectly n this book. I did not enjoy it. 4/10

Warlight

by Michael Ondaatje
This was a fascinating book. It did however fall into two parts. Part one set just after the second world war is full of Dickensian characters and Wilkie Collins mystery as Nathaniel and his sister are seemingly abandoned by their parents and looked after by various seedy characters.
The second part moves on to 1959 and Nathaniel is working for the government trawling through files to see what still needs to be destroyed to protect the history being written about the still recent war. It is also where he slowly unpeels what happened with his parents-or his mother at least. I found this second part of the book less convincing. Too many unresolved questions. Characters who are painted so vividly in part one fade away leaving you wanting more. What did happen to his father? The writing, as you would expect, is beautiful 8.5/10

Washington Black

by Esi Edugyan
This is in many ways a tall yarn in the style of Peter Carey and I loved it.
It tells the story of a slave called George Washington Black and the brother of a cruel slave owner. His nickname is Titch and he is a mad inventor who takes Washington on board, releasing him from the ever close cruelty inflicted on his fellow slaves. Trying to get a flying machine to work they have a number of adventures and following a tragic suicide both Titch and Wash make a dramatic escape taking the across America to the Arctic and eventually to Europe and Africa.
Beneath the adventure there is the pain of finding a place of belonging and home and self worth. It is the best booker nominee I have read so far this year 9/10

Snap

by Belinda Bauer
This worked as a crime novel but not sure how it ended on the Booker longlist-other than Val McDermid is one of the judges this year and she appears on the cover of the book raving about how good it is.
It has a good plot line which keeps you reading but the language was pretty underwhelming and cliched in places.
It is the story of Jack who gets abandoned by his mother- along with two younger siblings- on the hard shoulder of the M5 while she goes to call for help. She never comes back and is found murdered a week later. The story is what happened next. 7/10

The English Patient

by Michael Ondaatje
Fascinating book examining the interaction of four characters in an abandoned villa in Italy at the end of the second world war.
The characters are wonderfully portrayed and tension remains throughout. A book to read in large chunks and let the prose wash over you. 9/10

The Water Cure

by Sophie Mackintosh
I did not enjoy this book. Set slightly in the future you guess it appears at first to be a tale about some distopian future but starts to shed scales and reveal what seems more like child physical and sexual abuse. Very little that is redeeming about it. 4/10

From a Low and Quiet Sea

by Donal Ryan
A collection of short character studies of three very different characters that are brought together in the final chapter in a rather contrived way.
I enjoyed the writing but didn't feel it held together as a novel. 7/10

In our Mad and Furious City

by Guy Gunaratne
This story is told in a number of different voices over 2 days on a London housing estate. It tells the story of young second and third generation british asians as well as giving us the background on early immigration waves from the West Indies and Ireland. It took me a while to get into the language but I enjoyed the book a lot. 8/10

Flights

by Olga Tokarczuk
This is a collection of tales wound together by airports and flights and travel. They go back and forth in time and are beautifully told. Almost before you realise it you have tumbled into a new story and then just as you are settling down with it you take off on the back of another story. 8/10

Dawn of the Belle Epoque

by Mary McCauliffe
I have always enjoyed Mary McCauliffe's writing about Paris, ever since Paris Notes-which I still miss by the way.
This is a very readable book and well researched, and it left me wanting to seek out places I have never been to in Paris-small galleries and quirky corners. It's also about 19th Century France/Paris so how can you not love it. 8/10

Brideshead Revisited

I really enjoyed revisiting Brideshead after a long break-it must be 30 years ago I last read it. It has lost nothing of its attraction and I fell in love with the characters all over again. 9/10

Blood Wedding

by Pierre Lemaitre
Typical Lemaitre, gruesome, gripping and full of twists and turns it is a can't put down, can't take any more type of book. 9/10

A far cry from Kensington

by Muriel Spark
Really enjoyed this. Great characters with a narrator offering useful asides to the reader which made me chuckle on ore than one occassion. Will definitely read more of Muriel Spark 8/10

The Saint-Fiacre Affair

by Georges Simenon
An unusual tale where it is not clear a murder has taken place but a lady is dead and her death was induced by a malevolent act.
This book is more interesting for the back story on Maigret's childhood on an old landed estate. I enjoyed it a lot 9/10

The Beast in Man

by Emile Zola
A rereading of this novel, which was even more powerful than when I first read it, exploring mental illness and psychosis to a devastating conclusion. 9/10

Winter

by Ali Smith
Second in a planned quartet charting the state of modern britain. Ok storyline, funny in places and a /great quirky introduction. 7/10

A Sultan in Palermo

by Tariq Ali
Fourth in the Islam Quintet this as the title suggests is set in Palermo in the court of King Roger in the twelth century. It tells the tale of Idrisi the court cartographer against the backdrop of encroaching christian invaders. Great story with a different ending to what I had expected 8/10

Balzac

by Graham Robb
Telling the life of a figure like Balzac is difficult. He spent much of his life constructing stories about his life while running away from his creditors or lovers that seperating fact from fiction becomes very difficult. Robb recognises this difficulty but puts together a very readable account of A life of Balzac. However, I finished by thinking this was one life amongst many that could have been constructed and many others that probably died with Balzac and his acquaintances. 8/10