Review: The Banner of the Passing Clouds

The Banner of the Passing Clouds by Anthea Nicholson

My rating: 3 of 5 stars



Interesting blend of historical fiction and magical realism. Great use of real history to inform plot and create some great irony. Heartbreaking, clearly well researched, and quite intriguing. I look forward to seeing what she does next.



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Review: Boys Don't Knit

Boys Don't Knit by T.S. Easton

My rating: 5 of 5 stars



Very funny, and very dramatic. Alongside the double entendres and hilarious character development (noticing the type of wool a girl's jumper is made of while trying to see down her top), there's a great deal going on about teen (and specifically gender) stereotypes, youth crime, dysfunctional families and the ageing society. Perfect for teen lads, I couldn't get enough of it. I was behind Ben all the way; I haven't been this hooked on a book for a long time, and I've never laughed aloud in public at a book so often. Highly, highly recommended. For everybody.



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Review: The Overhaul

The Overhaul by Kathleen Jamie

My rating: 4 of 5 stars



I read this in India this January. A strange book to read in a foreign country, 'Overhaul' is a lyrical poetry collection grounded in the British (specifically Scottish) countryside. The collection shows Jamie making greater use of rhyming forms, connected series, and impressions of immediacy (particularly with nods to previous elemental use of the moon in self-reflexive moments); however, I think that the strong thesis and narrative flow which made 'The Treehouse' so amazing is missing from this collection.



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Review: Dreams Of Rivers And Seas. By Tim Parks

Dreams Of Rivers And Seas. By Tim Parks by Tim Parks

My rating: 5 of 5 stars



First great novel I've read, and fantastic to read on-site, as it were. Very ambigious, Parks has some great ideas which he gives to a dead character and explores in depth with an immature protagonist. The plot appears obvious at first, but surprises the reader with characters who have more commitment to each other, and less ambition, than we first suspect.
Great depiction of a dysfunctional family, great unobtrusive use of the exotic setting. Doesn't quite take the remarkable ideas into anything memorable or concrete, and the ending is forgettable. However, it's intelligent, interesting, and unlike anything I've read before. Ace



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Review: The Overhaul

The Overhaul by Kathleen Jamie

My rating: 4 of 5 stars



I read this in India this January. A strange book to read in a foreign country, 'Overhaul' is a lyrical poetry collection grounded in the British (specifically Scottish) countryside. The collection shows Jamie making greater use of rhyming forms, connected series, and impressions of immediacy (particularly with nods to previous elemental use of the moon in self-reflexive moments); however, I think that the strong thesis and narrative flow which made 'The Treehouse' so amazing is missing from this collection.



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Review: Snapper

Snapper by Brian Kimberling

My rating: 4 of 5 stars







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Review: March Violets

March Violets by Philip Kerr

My rating: 4 of 5 stars







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Review: Italian Ways: On and Off the Rails from Milan to Palermo

Italian Ways: On and Off the Rails from Milan to Palermo by Tim Parks

My rating: 5 of 5 stars







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