Britt-Marie Was Here by Fredrik Backman
Britt-Marie Was Here, in classic Fredrik Backman fashion, is a novel ultimately about community and coming into oneself. Backman has always written incredibly tender and…
Book Reviews
The Madness of Crowds (Chief Inspector Gamache Series #17) By Louise Penny
Having just read the six most recently published Chief Inspector Gamache crime novels in a row, this reader is grateful that the events in each…
The Voices Beyond (Oland #4) By Johan Theorin
Originally written in Swedish, this 462 page book is set in the period around 1935 to 2000, when much of Northern Europe was being alternately…
The Boy in the Striped Pyjamas by John Boyne
I read this novel some years ago, after the film was released in 2008, and found, generally, the film true to the book. There was…
The Windsor Knot (Her Majesty The Queen Investigates #1) by S. J. Bennett
I have to admit, I really quite enjoyed this! I don’t think this is for you if you’re not a fan of the monarchy, because…
The Marmalade Diaries by Ben Aitken
Really, this should be sub-titled Old Folks’ Home for 35 Year Olds. Written in the present tense, it’s the author’s daily diary of life as…
The Ghosts of Paris (Billie Walker #2) By Tara Moss
Billie Walker, Private Investigator, is hired by a wealthy client to find her husband, who has been missing for over two years. Her husband’s last…
The Boys by Ron Howard and Clint Howard
I’ve always enjoyed any production involving Ron Howard, either when he appears on screen or, more thoughtfully, behind the camera. Like most people, I first…
Travels with Herodotus by Ryszard Kapuscinski
In this gem of a book, Kapuscinski, as a matter of introduction, starts telling us how, at the University of Warsaw, he first ever heard…
A Theater For Dreamers by Polly Samson
One of the most pleasant tasks at the SMSA library is the inventory of books (or stock taking), as it not only allows the staff…
The Little Wartime Library by Kate Thompson
This book is a love-letter to libraries, and all who work in them. It is based on the extraordinary true story of the Bethnal Green…
The Locked Room by Elly Griffiths (Dr Ruth Galloway #14)
This latest instalment in the adventures of Dr Ruth Galloway does not disappoint! This is the first book I’ve read that is set during the…