The Snowman by Jo Nesbo

I read this August 2014
It had been on my guilty shelf for quite a while!
The cover says ' the Next Stieg Larsson' but the story isn't as rich and complicated as The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo series.
 Stil it is complincated as all good dectective fiction should be.
There is a serial killer who leaves behind snowmen... he kills and dismembers his victims.  There are loads of twists and turns throughout the plot and I loved the way the connections in the end went back to the personal life of the  detective investigating serial killers.  Set in Norway, it's very atmospheric.

I really enjoyed it
 8/10

Don't Point That Thing At Me by Kyril Bonfiglioli

I read this July 2014

It was the August Waterstones Book Club at the Arc Bury St Edmunds book.

We were asked this month to pick something from Waterstones own central bookclub chioces.

I'm rather glad we choose this as it's a quintessentially British spy/detective/art dealer/ bumbling idiot/really intelligent underneath it all type character.
Bit P.G Wodehouse/ Anthony Burgess type book to read.. written in the 1970's I found at times I didn't quite know what era it was supposed to be set in, but that didn't seem to matter much.
It had lots of little clever asides...
Very enjoyable - I think I shall rad some more of thsi author's work (unfortunately he died in 1985 but I believe more of his are being published.)

9/10

Ubik by Philip K. Dick

I read this July 2014

I have become a fan of Philip K Dick... don't know where he's been all my life but I'm glad I found him now.

Ubik is Published as a Science Fiction Masterwork... I think I have avoided Sf before much too much...
Centring aorund Geln Runciter and his company and intercompany espionage and rivarly..  Is Glen dead or not, are his employees dead or not???? who's reality is real??

Compelling stuff, just my type of book - highly recommended as they say

10/10

Balancing Act by Joanna Trollope

I read this July 2014

I won it in a Facebook Competition my copy is an uncorrected proof

I hadn't read any Joanna Trollope before, I think this was pretty much as I expected it to be.
The story centres around  Susie Moran a designer of Pottery.  Her family are also part of her business and her grown up daughters have  ideas of their own on ways to move the family business forward. Susie is a formidable determined character, knocked off her perch somewhat when her father arrives back in England - her parents having left her with her grandparents when she was a baby...
Susie seemed to be an amalgamation of Laura Ashley, Emma Bridgewater, Anita Roddick 
An enjoyable bedside book is how I'd decribe it

8/10

Tales of the City by Armistead Maupin

I read this June 2014
It was a World Book Night Book
Set in the 1970's in San Francisco, I found this fascinating.  I didn't feel dated or hackenyed and teh characters weren't too stereotyped.
As we are going to Sf next year I was of course looking out for the references about the City itslef.  I shall reread it and make notes about what to do while we are there!
A great little read
8/10

Lucky Jim by Kingsley Amis

I read this July 2014 for the Waterstones book club.

I had looked forwrd to reading this as it had passed me by when I was younger.  However I must say I was disappionted with it
It seems tired and dated somehow.  Maybe not enough time has elapsed.  Set in the world of academia in the 1950's I found it lacked any spark or anyone I would remotely care about
5/10

Flow my Tears, the Policeman Said by Philip K. Dick

I rad this June 2014
I had read Do Andriods dream of Electric Sheep and enjoyed it so bought this and Ubik.
The plot  revolves round Jason Tavener who has a TV career and wakes one morning to find he has no identity....
It's all about living in different versions of reality.  I thorughy enjoyed this book.  My kind of thing.
10/10