Circus of Wonders by Elizabeth Macneal

The story is set in the 1860s England, when freak shows were popular and showmen raced to get the next big wonder. Nell is sold to Jupiter’s Circus of Wonders by her father. The story took me through an internal debate – from the exploitation of these people whose only fault was to be different by greedy showmen to the thirst of the common people to see these people (but not see them as a person) and then, that some of the acts had the chance to thrive, be themselves and be part of a family. The story also covered the Crimean War, a war I knew little about. The setting was well described, as well as the characters, making it a great read.

The darkest evening by Ann Cleeves

Vera leaves for home one snowy night, and comes across an abandoned car, with a toddler in the back. What follows is an English country house mystery, involving Vera’s own estranged family. As ever, the new characters are engaging, the mystery baffling until satisfyingly resolved, and Vera herself, gruffly endearing.

Girl in the walls by A.J. Gnuse

This was such a different story. Elise is the girl in the walls, living in a house without the occupants knowledge. The writer did a good job of keeping me off kilter, keeping the story unsettling with short chapters changing the points of view. There was horror, sadness and hope.

Infinite splendours by Sofie Laguna

There is no-one like Sofie Laguna for creating beautiful children and inflicting terrible damage on them. Lawrence is ten, living in rural Victoria with his mother and younger brother, after his father died in the war. He is good at school, and just discovering a passion for painting when his uncle arrives, changing their lives forever. As disturbing as it is beautiful, it’s about the beauty and fragility of childhood, the impact and legacy of trauma, the atmospheric landscape, and the power of art – not power to console, or provide solace necessarily, but as an expression. Not a hopeful story, but it is hauntingly affecting.

Snow by Orhan Pamuk

‘Ka is a poet, back in Turkey from political exile in Germany. He travels to snowy Kars, a city far from Istanbul, where he grew up, to investigate local elections, a group of young women who had committed suicide, and to win the love of an old friend, Ipek. It becomes an impassioned tussle between the East and the West, within Turkey and the hearts of its people. It’s about art, poetry, religion, poverty, love, yearning, and place. There is mystery, a touch of magical realism. I found The Museum of Innocence more engaging a story, but this was surprisingly easy to listen to.

Before the storm by Di Morrissey

Di Morrissey set the tone of this book in the beginning acknowledgements, it was an ode to regional news, and that is what we got. It was reinforced through the character’s dialogue, so much it began to annoy me. Aside from that, I enjoyed the storyline and it was an easy read with a predictable ending.

Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix by J.K. Rowling

All the love, friendship, loyalty, humorous antics (Fred and George!), imaginative detail, and magic expected of the whole series, with increasing teenaged angst levels. Harry is a bit painful to be with in this book, but other characters, and the thrill of the journey are more than enough to make up for it.

Engleby by Sebastian Faulks

Four and a half stars for this utterly compelling story of a complicated, clever, perplexing man’s life, from childhood, through his student days at Cambridge, and working life in London. Mike Engleby tells his own story, and he is a brilliantly unreliable narrator. As well as the murder mystery which unfolds slowly, the book is about politics, psychology, philosophy, Cambridge life in the 1970s, the nature of friendship, and of self. It’s funny, disturbing, thought-provoking, clever, and enthralling.

The boy who lived with the dead by Kate Ellis

This is the second book in the Detective Albert Lincoln trilogy. Once again the Scotland Yard detective is sent to the country to solve a crime a year after the plot of the first book. Albert is still dealing with those events while being thrust into a new mystery. Once again I did not guess the culprit until the end. I am interested to see how it all ends for the detective in book 3.

The funny thing about Norman Foreman by Julietta Henderson

A couple of weeks ago my son introduced us to Norman, his new puppy. I had just started reading The Funny Thing About Norman Foreman. A funny coincidence. So here is me with Norman, even though he is so black and you really can’t see him very well. Norman, the puppy, has a beautiful personality and so too does Norman Foreman, the main character of this book. He is a boy with a big heart and the story follows his and his mum’s journey to the Edinburgh Fringe comedy festival. This book is a charming, often funny, and cheering read. It is a book that gets better the further along you read as you get introduced to some very interesting characters along the way. I’ve read a few books lately that have been page turners but their endings were a bit disappointing. Not so this book, starting off slowly, its pace really picks up at the end and I loved it.