Monthly Archives: March 2015

“We are All Completely Beside Ourselves” by Karen Joy Fowler (2013) – book review

Posted on March 31, 2015 by nicolaliteraryramblings

This is a book you need to be able to pick up and read in large chunks. It’s also one that is easily spoiled by saying too much and spilling the beans unwittingly to someone who is just embarking upon … Continue reading →

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“Crossing to Safety” by Wallace Stegner (1987) – book review

Posted on March 30, 2015 by nicolaliteraryramblings

To gratefully quote an Amazon reviewer : “Probably not a book to read when you’re young – if I’d read this in my 20s, even my 30s, I don’t think I’d have got it – but for the middle-aged and … Continue reading →

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“Tulip Fever” by Deborah Moggach (1999) – book review

Posted on March 28, 2015 by nicolaliteraryramblings

Freshly returned from a whirlwind overnight trip to Amsterdam, and couldn’t prevent myself from dusting down a book I read several hundred years ago to see whether it had not only stood the test of time, but had perhaps even … Continue reading →

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“The Age of Innocence” by Edith Wharton (1920) – book review

Posted on March 27, 2015 by nicolaliteraryramblings

Oh, what a discovery! Initially, found the book so sluggish, especially of course as nothing much actually happens in these aristocratic circles. Then, out of the blue, the pace quickens, the characters evolve (oh my gosh, May!!) and the whole … Continue reading →

Posted in Book Reviews, Books on the Big Screen | Tagged , , , | 8 Comments

‘Readers’ Ten Best Books of 2014′ – book list from The Guardian

Posted on March 27, 2015 by nicolaliteraryramblings

These are the new books that The Guardian readers voted their favourites of 2014 : “The Paying Guests” by Sarah Waters – read, 10/10 “Do No Harm – Stories of Life, Death and Brain Surgery” by Henry Marsh – read, 10/10 … Continue reading →

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“Station Eleven” by Emily St. John Mandel (2014) – book review

Posted on March 26, 2015 by nicolaliteraryramblings

What this brilliant new read is NOT : It is not a science fiction novel. It is not a thriller or solely a dystopian vision of a post-apocalyptic world. It is not just about pandemics or Shakespeare or nostalgia or … Continue reading →

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“Doctor Zhivago” by Boris Pasternak (1957) – book review

Posted on March 25, 2015 by nicolaliteraryramblings

Deep deep joy. I have had my tattered paperback copy of “Doctor Zhivago” in my possession ever since I can remember, and it has faithfully trotted round with me from house move to house move for an absolute age. Despite … Continue reading →

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Baileys’ Prize for Women’s Fiction # Thisbook campaign

Posted on March 25, 2015 by nicolaliteraryramblings

The #Thisbook campaign was launched a year ago by the Baileys’ Prize for Fiction team – and subsequently thousands of readers went on to put it to the vote. Here are the overall winners: how many have you read ? … Continue reading →

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“The Paying Guests” by Sarah Waters (2014) – book review

Posted on March 25, 2015 by nicolaliteraryramblings

I don’t think the day will ever come when I will see the name ‘Sarah Waters’ on a jacket cover and not want to own the book. I haven’t loved everything I’ve read of hers with the same passion, but … Continue reading →

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“Elizabeth is Missing” by Emma Healey (2014) – book review

Posted on March 25, 2015 by nicolaliteraryramblings

I would really like to sit and have a café crème with the authoress Emma Healey. She was on the cover of The Sunday Times not so long ago and I avidly read the article about the background to her … Continue reading →

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