Poolside Reading

This year's holiday reading.

A Long Way Down - Nick Hornby. France. Quite frankly, a disappointment.

Bad Influence - William Sutcliffe. France. Enjoyed. I'd not heard of this writer before. My sister-in-law frowned on this book as it was from the point of view of a ten year old boy and unusual povs had been overdone. I later caught her reading a book from the point of view of a family dog.

The Line of Beauty - Alan Hollinghurst. France. This just went on and on. I enjoyed it for a while and then it went on and on. I was glad when I'd finished it.

I'll Go to Bed at Noon - Gerard Woodward. France/Bristol. I can't praise this novel more, and it turns out that this account of an alcoholic family in the 1970s is basically a true story - things like the mad brother selling the lead pipes from the bathroom to buy booze happened in the author's own family.

The Accidental Woman - Jonathan Coe. Bristol. Odd, debut novel from Mr Coe. Worth looking at.

August - Gerard Woodward. Cyprus. This one comes before I'll Go to Bed at Noon, the same family in the 1960s. Excellent stuff.

The North of England Home Service - Gordon Burn. Cyprus. Obscure offering from the Alma Cogan author. Good.

The Amateur Marriage - Anne Tyler. Cyprus. Nick Hornby's favourite author, apparently. Very good.

Brick Lane - Monica Ali. Cyprus/still reading. After several false starts I am on my way to the end now.