When She Was White by Judith Stone

This is a curious biography of Sandra Laing. Sandra's parents were white, so obviously when she was born, in apartheid South Africa, she was classified as white. However, her dark skin and frizzy hair resulted in "scandal-tongues" gossipping about her mother, and made her life very difficult. She was expelled from her whites-only school, was reclassified as coloured, eventually reclassified again as white after a long and bitter campaign waged by her father, then ran away from home to live with her black boyfriend in Swaziland.

The story seems to come out in fits and starts as Stone tries to piece together what happened to Sandra, as Sandra herself seems to have blanked many of the events of her childhood and struggles to understand the things that happened to her as she was growing up.

Stone peppers the narration with psychological sidenotes relating to the effects of living in apartheid South Africa, identity confusion and family breakdown. She also picks up the story from a variety of friends and from documents in Sandra's government file. It makes for a slightly awkward read at times, but is very interesting and informative.


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Father Brown Stories by GK Chesterton

What a revelation! I loved reading these. Was particularly struck by the character of Flambeau. In the first couple of stories he was a great villain, and, I surmised, a Moriarty-type figure, whose scheming ways would be pitted against the intellect of the short, dull priest. But no! Soon he was a close friend of Fr Brown's! This seemed to epitomise the difference between Poirot and Brown. Father Brown works out who did it, hears their confession, counsels them - then appears to let them go! His eyes are always on the bigger picture. Great stories, thought provoking morals. Highly recommended.

Looking for JJ by Anne Cassidy

Shortlisted for the Carnegie Award, and quite right too. Particularly interesting to read after the recent renewed interest in the Jamie Bulger killers. What is it like to take on a new identity? Pretty much a one day read.
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The Last Gospel by David Gibbons

Really quite silly - particularly the conclusion, although I always feared it would be! - but fun as well, just what I wanted. A page turner, from Claudius to Pompeii, to Jesus, lots of my favourite subjects in there. Of course, the Church is the big baddie, and all a bit daft, but nevermind!
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Magic: New Stories edited by JK Rowling

Magic little book of short stories, published to raise money for one parent family society. Wide variety of stories, just what I needed at that point in the term!
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The Hours by Michael Cunningham

I enjoyed reading this book; I was very conscious of it being well written, good prose. But at the same time I was wondering, how did this win the Pulitzer Prize? And then, in the very last line, I finally saw the final connection. Read the last chapter again and was surprised I'd missed it! And that seemed to make it all worthwhile. Interesting.
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City of the Beasts by Isabel Allende

This is one of Allende's books for young people, and as such it reads very differently from her other novels such as House of the Spirits. I have to say that I prefer her writing for adults, but this is quite a magical story. Alex and Nadia meet in the rainforest, and go on a spiritual journey in order to grow as people and, more importantly, to save the People of the Mist. Sometimes it is unclear whether the events they are experiencing are hallucinations or real.

I suppose this novel falls under the genre of magic realism; however, I sometimes wondered if I was supposed to believe certain descriptions, with the willing suspension of disbelief, or not.

I have enjoyed this story, but I look forward to be more transported by an adult Allende novel in the future!


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Bog Child by Siobhan Dowd

I read this one in a day! Another good book by Siobhan Dowd, who sadly died of cancer after writing this one. Such a shame - she is a very talented writer, and this is another moving story set in the border between Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland during the Troubles. An Iron Age body is found in a bog, like the Tollund Man, and this sets the scene.

A Swift Pure Cry by Siobhan Dowd

What an intensely sad and moving book. Very well written. I highly recommend. About a poor Irish family, in particular, Shell, just turned 16, and her relationship with her father, the local priest, and a worldly wise boy.

The Shoe Queen by Anna Davis

I'm not sure what I expected when I started reading this book, but for a start I hadn't expected it to be set in the twenties! Lots of shoes, some intrigue, and a bit of an unexpected ending.

Girl Meets Cake by Susie Day

I can't quite remember the order I read my summer books in ... Anyway, this was a good one, about a girl whose parents work in a boarding school who ends up with a made up gingerbread boyfriend. Very fun.

The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes by Arthur Conan Doyle

What can I say. Very exciting, fun and entertaining. And then Sherlock came out! Complete with Sherlock's website and Dr Watson's blog! Great stuff. I was really in the mood for it having read this book so recently!