Forget bakewells, victorias, roulades and other members of the Great British Bake-Off, if you want to raise a smile, try the humble scone. First of all there was Alexander McCall Smith’s The Unbearable Lightness of Scones . I don’t think I have actually read it, but being familiar with the tenor of the Scotland Street novels, I … Continue reading The Scone Effect
I wouldn’t normally comment on a book before it’s finished, but since this one has already taken up a fair chunk of my life (and crossed several countries with me!) I think an interim report might be allowed. The Lacuna is the life-story (we start at the age of thirteen and I assume we are going to … Continue reading The Lacuna
Call me cynical, but when a reviewer says that main character or even ‘star’ of a novel is a city or a country, I’ve learned to adopt a certain suspicion. Yes, I can think of dozens of books across both literary and commercial genres where the setting is a hugely memorable element of the story, but not … Continue reading The Glass Room
A month or two ago I was at the paperback launch in Bath of Kissing Mr. Wrong by local writer Sarah Duncan but only got round to reading it last week when it was a welcome distraction from the grim realities of jury service. But although this is a light read, it certainly isn’t frivolous, … Continue reading Kissing Mr. Wrong
Despite the odd nice surprise, I’ve had a bit of a reading drought recently. You know how it goes. You join a book club expecting to extend your range of reading (and therby your enjoyment) but end up with stuff you just don’t particularly take to. I’m glad to say this patch has well and truly … Continue reading Manna from heaven
Ali Bacon, Author 