Roopa Farooki: The way things look to me

At 23, Asif is less than he wanted to be. His mother's sudden death forced him back home to look after his youngest sister, Yasmin, and he leads a frustrating life, ruled by her exacting need for routine as a consequence of her Asperger's syndrome. Everyone tells Asif that he's a good boy, but he isn't so sure. Lila has escaped from home, but she leads a wayward existence, drifting between jobs and men, obsessed with her looks and certain that her value is only skin deep. And then there is Yasmin, who has no idea of the resentment she has caused. Who sees music in colour and remembers so much that sometimes her head hurts. Who doesn't feel happy, but who knows that she is special and that she has a devastating plan.

This story was a great read. The story lines were all well developed and researched carefully and each character's viewpoint makes it clear to the reader that even if we are "neurotypical", we might have some "non-neurotypical" traits within us. The ending of the story leaves some aspects open so that the story doesn't end like a cheap chick-lit story, but a serious and wonderful literary achievement. A fantastic read!

Linda Gillard: Star Gazing

Blind since birth, widowed in her twenties, now lonely in her forties, Marianne Fraser lives in Edinburgh in elegant, angry anonymity with her sister, Louisa, a successful novelist. Marianne's passionate nature finds solace and expression in music, a love she finds she shares with Keir, a man she encounters on her doorstep one winter's night. Whilst Marianne has had her share of men attracted to her because they want to rescue her, Keir makes no concession to her condition. He is abrupt to the point of rudeness, and yet oddly kind. But can Marianne trust her feelings for this reclusive stranger who wants to take a blind woman to his island home on Skye, to 'show' her the stars?

This was a great read - romantic, sad, emotional, uplifting, suspenseful and pacey. The storyline was fascinating and the characters incredibly convincing. Marianne's blindness was particularly well-developed. At times the story was slightly overdone and reminded too much of simply chick-lit, but overall it was a satisfying and quick read.

Anne Zouroudi: The Messenger of Athens

When the battered body of a young woman is discovered on a remote Greek island, the local police are quick to dismiss her death as an accident. Then a stranger arrives, uninvited, from Athens, announcing his intention to investigate further. His methods are unorthodox, and he brings his own mystery into the web of dark secrets and lies. Who has sent him, on whose authority is he acting, and how does he know of dramas played out decades ago?

The storyline and the characters were interesting and the setting gorgeous. However, the story telling itself was confusing with a range of voices and views merging into one another so that it was at times difficult to determine who is talking when....

Michael Niavarani: Vater Morgana

Es kann zu Verwicklungen kommen, wenn man versucht die deutsch-österreichisch-amerikanisch-schwedisch-britisch-persische Familie endlich einmal unter dem Christbaum zu versammeln oder das persische Neujahrsfest "Nowrouz" gemeinsam zu feiern. Es kann schon kompliziert werden, alle Cousins und Cousinen, Tanten und Onkel in den Sommerferien zu besuchen. Es kommt aber definitiv zu einer globalen Katastrophe, wenn man den Tod des eigenen Vaters vor dessen Mutter geheim halten muss, weil die liebe Verwandtschaft befürchtet, dass Mamanbosorg, meine persische Omi, diesen Schock nicht überleben wird.

Eine unterhaltsame Familiengeschichte mit viel Kultur und Wortwitz. Manchmal war es etwas enttäuschend, aber im Allgemeinen recht lustig.

Ben Sherwood: The death and life of Charlie St. Cloud

When he was a boy, Charlie St Cloud almost perished in a car crash that killed his little brother, Sam. Years later, Charlie is still trying to atone for his loss. It is only when he meets Tess Carroll, a captivating, adventurous yachtswoman, that he is faced with a choice- between death and life, the past and the present, holding on and letting go. The Death and Life of Charlie St Cloud is a romantic and exhilarating novel about second chances and the liberating power of love.

It has taken me a long time to pick this book up and to start reading it. Somehow I always felt it was going to be a tedious read and I shouldn't force myself through this when there are so many good books out there. How wrong I was!!!
The characters are interesting, the storyline is fascinating and one big twist makes the book a real page-turner. Sometimes sad but overall an encouraging read for anyone who has lost a loved one.

Schilddorfer & Weiss: Narr

Ein grausamer Mord, ein Kreuz mit geheimnisvollen Symbolen steht nicht weit vom Tatort entfernt. In den nächsten zwei Tagen werden Mitglieder der österreichischen Regierung systematisch ermordet. Georg Sina und Paul Wagner kommen einer Verschwörung auf die Spur, die bereits angezettelt wurde, als 1814 der Wiener Kongress tanzte. Zwischen Wien und Berlin beginnt die Jagd auf vier mysteriöse, verschlüsselte Dokumente. Können Wagner und Sina eine Revolution mitten in Europa verhindern?

Eine interessante Lektüre mit viel Geschichte und Spannung. "Ewig" war zwar packender, aber dennoch war auch diese Verschwörungsgeschichte toll zu lesen.

Chris Kuzneski: The Lost Throne

Hewn into the towering cliffs of central Greece, the Metéora monasteries are all but inacessible. The Holy Trinity is the most isolated, its sacred brotherhood the guardians of a long-forgotten secret. In the dead of night, the sanctity of the holy retreat is shattered by an elite group of warriors, carrying ancient weapons. One by one, they hurl the silent monks from the cliff-top - the holy men taking their secret to their rocky graves. Halfway across Europe, a terrified academic fears for his life. Richard Byrd has nearly uncovered the location of one of the Seven Ancient Wonders - the statue of Zeus and his mighty throne. But Byrd's search has also uncovered a forbidden conspiracy, and there are those who would do anything to conceal its dark agenda...

An interesting approach to Greek history and the history of the Spartan culture. Another great and enjoyable, pacey read about antiques and lost cultures.

Trisha Ashley: Twelve Days of Christmas

Christmas has always been a sad time for young widow Holly Brown, so when she's asked to look after a remote house on the Lancashire moors, the opportunity to hide herself away is irresistible – the perfect excuse to forget about the festivities. Sculptor, Jude Martland, is determined that this year there will be no Christmas after his brother runs off with his fiancée and he is keen to avoid the family home. Suddenly, the blizzards come out of nowhere and the whole village is snowed in. With no escape, Holly and Jude get much more than they bargained for – it looks like the twelve days of Christmas are going to be very interesting indeed!

What a nice Christmas story! The book started as a great mystery and romance women's fiction book and I was keen to find out more about Holly and Jude. Only, towards the end the story was too predictable and flat. A shame, really, but it still helped to get into the Christmas mood...

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...