A Head Full of Ghosts – by Paul Tremblay
This was great to listen to as an audio book and in some ways it was very similar to “The Wayward Girls” by Amanda Mason. Its about a young girl who appears to be possessed – she’s around 14 years old. The narrator is her younger sister, who is 8 at the time, and is telling her story years later.
The family sell their story to a TV company, who film the family during the exorcism.
What makes this story a bit different is the twist at the end. I really enjoyed this and its definitely worth a listen.
Ghosts by Dolly Alderton
This reminded me of ‘Bridget Jones’s Diary’. It follows the lift of thirty something Nina. After the end of a long term relationship she takes the plunge into online dating. She meets what seems to be the perfect man, Max, and they start dating. The relationship seems to be going well until Max abruptly stops contacting her. Nina has problems with her other relationships too – her friend from school is married with children and they are struggling to find common ground in their friendship, her Italian neighbour is abusive and noisy, and her father is suffering from dementia.
I really enjoyed this. Its laugh out loud funning – Nina’s mother gives her a middle name of George after George Michael who’s song was number one on the day she was born – there’s even a family tradition of playing the song on her birthday only it turns out her mother was mistaken!
I thought the story of her father’s gradual decline was well handled and thought provoking.
Book Club News – Special Guest
This week we were joined by Clare Whitfield, author of ‘People of Abandoned Character’. We applied for a set of books offered by the Reading Agency. We were lucky enough to be sent a set of books. We were thrilled when they told us the author could join our Zoom meeting. There are some benefits to lockdown after all.
“People of Abandoned Character” is set in Victorian England, around the time of the Jack the Ripper murders. After a difficult childhood, Susannah goes to London and trains to be a nurse. She meets a dashing young doctor and they get married. Married life isn’t what she expected and her husband very quickly changes. She begins to suspect he may have something to do with the murders taking place – and she tried to find out what is happening.
I really enjoyed this book, it twists and turns in ever darker and disturbing circles. As the title suggests, none of the characters are particularly good, but that doesn’t stop you wanting to find out what happens and hoping for the best.
Clare Whitfield was open, warm and friendly. She was really keen to answer our questions and talk not only about the book, but the writing process and the research she’s carried out. Clare enthusiasm for Victorian England was infectious. I couldn’t believe this was her first novel – definitely looking forward to the next one.
Currently reading…
I’m reading “The Testaments” by Margaret Atwood. Its the sequel to “The Handmaid’s Tale”. I’m enjoying it so far. The world she has created is so complicated and believable.
Pixie Chronicles 