Divided the group.  In favour, the beautiful and succinct writing style, exceptional depiction of characters and picturesque description of locations.  However criticism was mainly the despondency and feasibility of the storyline Read more

Mixed reviews.  Descriptions of Murano, Venice and glassmaking spanning five centuries were informative and liked by all; however, characters seemed 2-dimensional and the shifting timeline was gimmicky and didn't help the plot. Read more

Reviews divided the group.  A modern version of David Copperfield.  “The wonder is, that you could start life with nothing and end with nothing, and lose so much in-between”. Read more

Well received.  Harris' style combining fact with fiction increased our understanding of the start of WW1.  The number of letters exchanged was astonishing, as was the Post Office service. Read more

A scientist's struggle to save his marriage and relationship with his teenage son via a Grand Tour of Europe.  Hilarious in parts, sad in others. A good read for a rainy February. Read more

Debut novel from the Countdown word expert.  A group of lexicographers solve word puzzles to find a murderer.  A good read, however less use of obscure words would have been an improvement. Read more

Booker Prize winner 2020. Beautifully written.  A hard read but a great story.  The impact of poverty and alcohol addiction on a family in Glasgow during the Thatcher years. Read more

We liked the book and felt that the writing style was pacey and gritty.  The book had a complex plot, involving three separate storylines which only converged towards the end. Read more

We all thought that the book was easy to read despite being over 500 pages long, and more suitable for reading whilst lounging on a beach. Read more