Richard & Rachael Heller. The 13th Apostle

36AD: Micah -- Jesus' friend, trusted confidant, and the 13th Apostle -- inscribes a message, upon which mankind's fate would one day be determined. Present day: Internet forensic specialist, Gil Pearson, is recruited to decipher an ancient diary and reveal Micah's hidden message, which may lead to the most mysterious of the Dead Sea Scrolls. Working with the enigmatic Sabbie Karaim, Gil becomes embroiled in an international mystery spanning two thousand years, and for which others would gladly give their lives -- or, more willingly, take his.

This is a great story and interesting theory about Jesus and his 13th Apostle. I liked the pace as well as the philosophical aspects. However, some parts of the storyline were too far-fetched for my liking. It's a good read, but not in the league of some of the other conspiracy stories around....

Chris Kuzneski: Sword of God

Tunnelling deep under one of the most holy cities in the world, an ambitious young archaeologist slowly works her way towards an unthinkable goal. Somewhere ahead is a chamber containing the collected fragments of an ancient scripture, a find of unimaginable significance. Meanwhile, halfway around the world, a covert military bunker holds a macabre secret. An elite special-forces officer seems to have been brutally murdered – but how, and more disturbingly, why? Any hope of solving the mystery rests on the grisly clues that remain. As the race to uncover the truth begins, a plot unfolds that could burn all of civilization in the fires of holy Armageddon. THOSE WHO LIVE BY THE SWORD...

An enjoyable, pacy and exciting read with a lot of humour, and not too gory in its details. Some sections were slightly confusing, e.g. the connection to the Sword of God is not clear to me. But I'll continue to read the remaining books of Kuzneski...

Chris Kuzneski: Sign of the Cross

No secret will keep for ever ... A Vatican priest is found murdered on the shores of Denmark nailed to a cross. He is the first victim in a vicious killing spree that spans the world. Each horrific murder exactly mirrors the crucifixion of Christ. Meanwhile, deep in the Roman Catacombs of Orvieto, an archaeologist uncovers an ancient scroll dating back two thousand years. The scroll, he knows, holds the key to a dark and treacherous secret that will rock the very foundations of the Church. But only if he can decipher its lost meanings, and only if he can live long enough to reveal them ...

Another pacy read by Chris Kuzneski. This was less violent than the Plantation, but more confusing than the Secret Crown. This seems to tie in well with Dan Brown's style of writing. The humour, however, is particularly enjoyable...

Ann Pearlman: The Christmas Cookie Club

Every year on the first Monday of December, Marnie and her twelve closest girlfriends gather with batches of beautifully wrapped homemade cookies. Everyone has to bring a dish and a bottle of wine and, as they eat, they take turns telling the story of the cookies they have baked. Stories that, somehow, are always emblematic of the year that has just passed: Marnie's oldest daughter has a risky pregnancy, Jeannie's father is having an affair with her best friend, Sissy's rapping jailbird son will be a father soon and Charlene is trying to overcome the death of her beloved son Luke. The Cookie Club is about the passion and hopefulness of a new romance, the betrayal and disillusionment some relationships bring, the joys and fears of motherhood, and above all, it's a celebration of the friendships between women.

This Christmas story was very emotional, funny and sad at the same time.

Jane Green: The other woman

Ellie and Dan are living proof that opposites attract. He always follows instructions and she throws the manual away. He loves sports whereas Ellie's allergic to any form of exercise. Ellie doesn't have a mother. And Dan does - a mother who wants to take over. At first Ellie is thrilled to have Linda as her 'adopted' mother but when she and Dan decide to get married and wedding plans progress, she starts to wonder: is she marrying Dan or his mother?

This women's fiction book has been a great read to chill. At times funny and sad, the story of Ellie's and Dan's relationship with one another but also the relationship to their parents and in-laws was enjoyable and yet thought-provoking. Some parts of the story were predictable and the happy ending seemed a bit too far-fetched, but still it was a good and fast read.

Chris Kuzneski: The Plantation

Across the country, people are being kidnapped. Jonathon Payne is following the clues from his girlfriend's disappearance to a New Orleans plantation-and the South's most violent and shocking secret.

This story was incredibly pacy and humorous, but also very violent and bloody. It was also interesting to find out about Kuzneski's research prior to this story. I found the story very disturbing at times, but still enjoyed reading this book.

Chris Kuzneski: The Secret Crown

Bavaria, 1886 King Ludwig II, infamous for his eccentric behavior, is declared insane by his government and removed from his throne. A day later, Ludwig’s corpse washes up in the shallows of Lake Starnberg. Rumours about the cause of the tragedy abound, but few people know why Ludwig was really killed. Or what secret was silenced by his death. Germany, present day . . . Hidden among the crates in a newly discovered Nazi bunker are documents stamped with a black swan, the insignia of the murdered king. As a favour to a friend, Jonathon Payne and David Jones fly to Bavaria to protect the documents, but soon face a life-or-death battle against an unknown enemy. From the depths of the Black Forest to the water canals underneath Ludwig’s castles, the duo must solve the mystery behind the king’s death or share his tragic fate.

This has been a hugely successful birthday present for me! The read reminds me of Dan Brown, but the characters are more illustrious and the storyline is less confusing. A fantastic and pacy read!

Jodi Picoult: Handle with care

Charlotte O'Keefe's beautiful, much-longed-for, adored daughter Willow is born with osteogenesis imperfecta - a very severe form of brittle bone disease. If she slips on a crisp packet she could break both her legs, and spend six months in a half body cast. After years of caring for Willow, her family faces financial disaster. Then Charlotte is offered a lifeline. She could sue her obstetrician for wrongful birth - for not having diagnosed Willow's condition early enough in the pregnancy to be able to abort the child. The payout could secure Willow's future. But to get it would mean Charlotte suing her best friend. And standing up in court to declare that she would have prefered that Willow had never been born...

As usual in Jodi Picoult fashion the book is a great read presenting an unbelievable moral dilemma for the O'Keefe family. Although the story line was gripping and the effects of the lawsuit on Piper, Charlotte, Sean, Amelia and Marin were displayed brilliantly, it was too telling that Willow was always referred to and never "spoke" for herself. If would have been great to get Willow's point of view, which would also have made the ending more surprising...

Jodi Picoult: House Rules

Jacob Hunt is a teenager: brilliant at maths, wicked sense of humour, extraordinarily organised, hopeless at reading social cues. And Jacob has Asperger's. He is locked in his own world – aware of the world outside, and wanting to make a connection. Jacob tries to be like everyone else, but doesn't know how. When his tutor is found dead, all the hallmark behaviours of Jacob's syndrome – not looking someone in the eye, odd movements, inappropriate actions – start looking a lot like guilt to the police. And Jacob's mother must ask herself the hardest question in the world: is her child capable of murder?

Another fascinating read by a great author. The reader can identify easily with all characters and it is shockingly easy to see how Jacob could be considered a cold-blooded murderer, when all he wants to do is help....

Aimee Bender: The particular sadness of lemon cake

On the eve of her ninth birthday, unassuming Rose Edelstein, a girl at the periphery of schoolyard games and her distracted parents’ attention, bites into her mother’s homemade lemon-chocolate cake and discovers she has a magical gift: she can taste her mother’s emotions in the cake. The curse her gift has bestowed is the secret knowledge all families keep hidden—her mother’s life outside the home, her father’s detachment, her brother’s clash with the world. Yet as Rose grows up she learns to harness her gift and becomes aware that there are secrets even her taste buds cannot discern.

This was a fantastic read initially. Unfortunately, the story got stranger by the page and the end left me with a sad and bitter after-taste, as the gift of Rose's brother Joe is not exploited well enough.

Barbara Delinsky: The Family Tree

Dana Clarke has it all -- a husband, Hugh, who she adores, a beautiful home in a wealthy area, and a baby on the way. But, when her daughter, Lizzie, is born, what should be the happiest day of her life turns out to be the moment that her world falls apart. Lizzie is beautiful, healthy, and black! ...

This was a great read and it strongly reminded me of Jodi Picoult's dilemmas. It's interesting to see each person's reaction to the fact that the little girl is black. The story is gripping, but unfortunately, the end is too weak for my taste. Still, a great read!

Jane Green: Bookends

Cath and Si are best friends. Total opposites, always together, and both unlucky in love. Cath is scatty, messy, and emotionally closed. Si is impossibly tidy, bitchy, and desperate for a man of his own. They live near each other in West Hampstead, close to their other best friends Josh and Lucy - who are married, with a devil-spawn child called Max and a terrifying Swedish nanny, Ingrid. When Portia steps back into their lives, - beautiful Portia, the undisputed queen of their group at university, who broke their collective hearts one night and from whom they have all gradually, silently, grown apart - her reappearance sets off a chain of events that tests them to the limit. Does Portia have a hidden agenda, or is she just looking for happy endings all round? Whatever the answers, none of them could ever predict the outcome ...

Although the book started like any usual "women's fiction book", I soon discovered that there was more to it. The stories around the friendships and lost contact struck a chord, but also the fact that not all is rosy! A brilliant read...

Scarlett Thomas: The end of Mr Y

When Ariel Manto uncovers a copy of The End of Mr. Y in a second-hand bookshop, she can't believe her eyes. She knows enough about its author, the outlandish Victorian scientist Thomas Lumas, to know that copies are exceedingly rare. And, some say, cursed.With Mr. Y under her arm, Ariel finds herself thrust into a thrilling adventure of love, sex, death and time-travel.

This was a bizarre book, which I hadn't expected like that at all. Although there were some interesting philosophical approaches such as the "Gedankenspiele", the story got stranger by the page and thus difficult to follow.

Cecelia Ahern: The Book of Tomorrow

Tamara Goodwin always had everything she wanted. Why would she ever give a thought to tomorrow? But suddenly life takes a difficult turn, and Tamara faces the hard decision to swap her glamorous town living for life in the country. However, Tamara is soon lonely and longing for her old life. Then a travelling library arrives in the village, bringing with it a mysterious leather-bound book locked with a gold clasp and padlock. What Tamara discovers within its pages takes her breath away and shakes her world forever.

This was an interesting and gripping story about love and deceit in a family, where only some lies and half-truths have been told to protect others. Tamara and her grieving mother are interesting, as are Marcus and Weseley, but Rosaleen and Arthur are suspicious right from the start. However, the huge lies they have been living with weren't predictable either. The only criticism of this book is that some overly long descriptive passages were included, which were not really helping the storyline or characterisation.

Cecelia Ahern: The Gift

Lou Suffern is practised in the art of concealment. He is, also, always overstretched, trying to do too many things at once. His overburdened schedule gives him few moments of peace, even in his sleep. And when he spends time at home with his wife and family, he is always distracted, and, mentally, somewhere else. On a cold winter morning, Lou is on his way to work when he encounters Gabe, a homeless street dweller, sitting outside an office building. Lou is intrigued by him, and contrives to get him a job in the post room. But this act of charity rebounds on him, and Gabe’s presence begins to grate on Lou -- particularly when he discovers that the latter seems capable of being in two places at the same time. Christmas is drawing near, and before the season is over, Lou’s life will be irrevocably change by the casual act of kindness he has performed.

Although this seems to be a Christmas story and is set around Christmas, it actually is timeless. It's a great story about love, about juggling life and work, about being everywhere at the same time. The conflicts between Lou and Ruth but also between Lou and his work colleagues are very realistic and help the reader identify with the characters. Although Lou is rather unlikable and egotistic it becomes obvious that he genuinely tries to do what he thinks is the best for his family.

Celia Rees: Sorceress

The story is taken over by a young modern-day historian called Alison Ellman and a Native American Indian called Agnes, who realises that there is a spiritual link between herself and the long-dead English girl. The pair track down the truth of what happened to Mary, each in their own way. But it is through Agnes that Mary's story truly unfolds as the girl goes on a spiritual journey of self-discovery. In a trance-like state, she becomes Mary. We learn of her marriage to the Indian warrior Jaybird, their children and the suffering of her people when war comes.

Although it was interesting to find out more about Mary and although it was great to learn more about the Indian settlements in the past and the present, the story became to disjointed towards the end.

Celia Rees: Witch Child

Mary's grandmother is executed for witchcraft, and Mary is forced to leave her home to avoid the same fate. At first she flees to the English countryside, but when the atmosphere of superstition and suspicion becomes all consuming she leaves on a boat for America in the hope that she can start over and forget her past. But during the journey, she realises that the past is not so easy to escape.

This is a gripping story about people's superstitions and the preacher's fear to lose their sheep to the so-called witches. The storyline hinted at Salem, but it would have been nice had that been followed up more rigorously.

Rick Riordan: Percy Jackson

The Lightning Thief - The Sea of Monsters - The Titan's Curse - The Battle of the Labyrinth - The Last Olympian
Look, I didn't want to be a half-blood. I never asked to be the son of a Greek God. I was just a normal kid, going to school, playing basketball, skateboarding. The usual. Until I accidentally vaporized my maths teacher. That's when things started really going wrong. Now I spend my time fighting with swords, battling monsters with my friends, and generally trying to stay alive.

This series of Young Adult books is gripping for its storyline, and at the same time it is a great introduction to the Greek mythology. Many of the stories are quite commonly known, however, there are some less popular and famous Greek myths that have also been interwoven. Although the thought of the Greek Gods interfering with today's civilisation sounds far-fetched, it is carried off feasibly in this series.

Donna Leon: Brunetti 19 - A question of belief

Venice is sweltering in a heat wave, and Leon's doughty copper is looking forward to getting away from the city and relaxing with his family in the relative cool of the mountains. But his colleague Ispettore Vianello has other things on his mind than the weather; his aunt, seemingly befuddled by an obsessive belief in horoscopes and astrology, has been siphoning off considerable amount of cash from the family business. Vianello asks Brunetti if it would be possible to trail her -- and this unorthodox investigation points the detectives in the direction of one Stefano Gorini. This beneficiary of the aunt’s largesse is not everything that he seems. At the same time, it appears that there have been irregularities in the courts. At the Tribulane, an usher with a previously spotless reputation, Fontana, has been involved in suspicious business with a judge, Luisa Coltellini -- it appears that justice has a price. And then Fontana is brutally killed. Brunetti and Vianello now have more than enough problems to keep them even busier than usual.

Another Brunetti-story, which is entertaining for both the crime story and the treatise of Italian life and society. I read this story at a time, when personally visiting Venice, which made it the more real and accessible...

Monica Ali: Brick Lane

Nazneen is a teenager forced into an arranged marriage with a man considerably older than her--a man whose expectations of life are so low that misery seems to stretch ahead for her. Fearfully leaving the sultry oppression of her Bangladeshi village, Nazneen finds herself cloistered in a small flat in a high-rise block in the East End of London. Because she speaks no English, she is obliged to depend totally on her husband. But it becomes apparent that, of the two, she is the real survivor: more able to deal with the ways of the world, and a better judge of the vagaries of human behaviour. She makes friends with another Asian girl, Razia, who is the conduit to her understanding of the unsettling ways of her new homeland.

This is an interesting story about Asian culture and life-style in a western country. Although for a western reader it is difficult to follow in places due to the cultural differences, the book provides a brilliant insight into the trials of an Asian and half-Asian family making their way in England.