Chitra Banerjee Divakaruni: Queen of dreams

Rakhi, a young artist and divorced mother living in Berkeley, California, is struggling to keep her footing, with her family and her world in alarming transition. Her mother is a dream-teller, born with the ability to share and interpret the dreams of others, to foresee and guide them through their fates. This gift fascinates Rakhi, but also isolates her from her mother's past in India and the dream world she inhabits, and she longs for something to bring them closer. Caught beneath the burden of her painful secret, Rakhi's solace comes in the discovery, after her mother's death, of her dream journals, which begin to open the long-closed doors to her past.

A good book with some key incidents and world history. Unfortunately, the second half of the book was slightly disappointing as it lacks the mysticism of other Divakaruni stories.

Jodi Picoult: Keeping Faith

For the second time in her marriage, Mariah White catches her husband with another woman, and Faith, their seven-year-old daughter, witnesses every painful minute. In the aftermath of a sudden divorce, Mariah struggles with depression and Faith begins to confide in an imaginary friend. At first, Mariah dismisses these exchanges as a childs imagination. But when Faith starts reciting passages from the Bible, develops stigmata, and begins to perform miraculous healings, Mariah wonders if her daughter a girl with no religious background might indeed be seeing God.

A great read, as always! The moral dilemma for all characters involved and in particular the strong motherly feelings and instincts are well developed. A must read and unputdownable...

Diane Chamberlain: The Shadow Wife

Mara Sommers and Joelle D'Angelo have been best friends for years. They have shared everything, including the joy over Mara's first pregnancy. But when something goes terribly wrong during childbirth, Mara is left severely brain damaged. Alone and grieving, Joelle turns to the one person who understands her pain: Mara's husband. When Joelle discovers their one night of passion led to pregnancy, she is torn between grief and the unexpected joy of being pregnant with Liam's baby.

A lovely story about healing, love and unexpected events in life. It was easy to identify with all of the characters and to understand their motivation for their choices. The "healer" was also a very interesting component. I only found Jo's premature labour and the events following that labour a little bit too predictable and a weak ending to a strong story...

Chitra Divakaruni: The Mistress of Spices

Tilo, an immigrant from India, runs an Indian spice shop in Oakland, California. While she dispenses the classic ingredients for curries and kormas, she also helps her customers to gain a more precious commodity: whatever they most desire. For Tilo is a Mistress of Spices, a priestess of the secret, magical powers of spices.

I came across this book and its author through the film "Mistress of Spices", which was so fascinating that I wanted to read the book, too. The film was very close to the book, but even so, the storyline and the more detailed descriptions of the spices and their powers were well worth the read. Mystical, magical and gripping...

Ronnith Neumann: Tod auf Korfu

In Agros auf Korfu stirbt ein krankes Kind. Wenige Tage später wird an einem einsamen Strandstück eine nackte männliche Leiche angeschwemmt. Hauptkommissar Alexandros Kasantzakis, der Grieche vom Festland, dem die Gewohnheiten der Inselbewohner noch immer fremd sind, beginnt zu ermitteln. Die blutigen Spuren deuten auf eine lange zurückliegende Tragödie in der deutsch-griechischen Vergangenheit hin.

Erstanden vor meinem Urlaub auf Korfu, um das Buch dann dort zu lesen und freizulassen. Gesagt, getan. Das Buch war recht interessant, da ich ein paar Orte kennenlernen konnte. Die Charakterisierung der Korfioten und der korfiotischen Kultur war auch ziemlich treffend, aber die Geschichte, die dann gleich zwei multiple Persönlichkeitsstörungen und das NS Regime des Deutschen Reiches behandelt, war dann doch etwas weit hergeholt. Dennoch war es interessant über diesen Teil der korfiotischen Geschichte zu lesen.

Rachel Hore: A place of secrets

The night before it all begins, Jude has the dream again ...Can dreams be passed down through families? As a child Jude suffered a recurrent nightmare: running through a dark forest, crying for her mother. Now her six-year-old niece, Summer, is having the same dream, and Jude is frightened for her. A successful auctioneer, Jude is struggling to come to terms with the death of her husband. When she's asked to value a collection of scientific instruments and manuscripts belonging to Anthony Wickham, a lonely 18th century astronomer, she leaps at the chance to escape London for the untamed beauty of Norfolk, where she grew up. As Jude untangles Wickham's tragic story, she discovers threatening links to the present.

Advertised as a great mystery story, this was slightly disappointing. The historical storyline was great, but the storyline set in the present was flat and didn't really add to the mystery, but slowed the pace down too much. A shame...

Clare Morrall: The Man Who Disappeared

What would you do if, out of the blue, your reliable husband disappears? Then you are told he has been involved in money-laundering. Surely the man you know intimately couldn’t be a criminal... could he? When Felix Kendall vanishes, his wife Kate is left in turmoil. As she and their children adjust to a hand-to-mouth existence, she looks back on her marriage and Felix’s orphaned upbringing in search of clues, confronting the possibility that she has badly misread him.

A fascinating read about how a family's life is shattered by one member's bad decision. Felix eventually comes back, but actually causes more disruption to his family whose members have by then rebuilt their lives without him. A wonderful book!

Bee Rowlatt & May Witwit: Talking About Jane Austen in Baghdad: The True Story of an Unlikely Friendship

May is a tough-talking, hard-smoking, lecturer in English. She's also an Iraqi from a Sunni-Shi'ite background living in Baghdad, dodging bullets before breakfast and battling through blockades to reach her class of Jane Austen-studying girls. Bee is a London mum of three, fighting off PTA meetings and chicken pox, and generally juggling work and family. They should have nothing in common. But when a simple email brings them together, they discover a friendship that overcomes all their differences of culture, religion and age. And, between the grenades, the gossip, the jokes and the secrets, they also hatch an ingenious plan to help May escape the bombings of Baghdad . . .

This is a fascinating read. It's an absolutely fascinating and unbelievable story and it makes for a gripping read. I couldn't wait to finish this book, which left me somehow disappointed, as it doesn't tell us anything about how May and her husband Ali coped with the final escape to the UK. At times, I found it hard to empathise with May and Bee, but the story definitely opened my eyes for the difficulties the war in Iraq has brought for its population. I'm keen to discuss this book with many others!

Jeffrey Archer: And thereby hangs a tale

Jeffrey Archer has a natural aptitude for short stories which are stylish, witty and entertaining. His mastery of characterization and suspense, combined with a gift for the unexpected, jaw-dropping plot twist, show him at the height of his powers and demonstrate why he is one of Britain's bestselling authors. All of Jeffrey's collections of short stories have been top ten bestsellers and he is undoubtedly the bestselling English-language short story writer of our times.

As always, I enjoyed the short stories. However, out of all the short stories written by Jeffrey Archer, this was the weakest collection of stories in my eyes. In previous collections there were more twists and turns and the stories were largely of Archer's imagination, whereas in this collection Archer merely retells stories he has come across. He is a great storyteller and so it's a shame that he relies too heavily on real incidents.

Sam Christer: The Stonehenge Legacy

Eight days before the summer solstice, a man is butchered in a blood-freezing sacrifice on the ancient site of Stonehenge before a congregation of robed worhsippers. Within hours, one of the world's foremost treasure hunters has shot himself in his country mansion. And to his estranged son, young archaeologist Gideon Chase, he leaves a cryptic letter ...Teaming up with an intrepid Wiltshire policewoman, Gideon soon exposes a secret society - an ancient international legion devoted for thousands of years to Stonehenge. With a charismatic and ruthless new leader at the helm, the cult is now performing ritual human sacrifices in a terrifying bid to unlock the secret of the stones.

This was a good read, although slightly confusing initially. The story is gripping, but a bit too fanciful for my taste. I chose this read, as it promised to be about Stonehenge, yet, the storyline about the ancient cult and the human sacrifices was not developed as believably as the Da Vinci Code.

Katherine Webb: The Legacy

In the depths of a harsh winter, following the death of their grandmother, Erica Calcott and her sister Beth return to Storton Manor, a grand and imposing Wiltshire house where they spent their summer holidays as children. When Erica begins to sort through her grandmother's belongings, she is flooded with memories of her childhood - and of her cousin, Henry, whose disappearance from the manor tore the family apart. Erica sets out to discover what happened to Henry, so that the past can be laid to rest, and her sister, Beth, might finally find some peace. Gradually, as Erica begins to sift through remnants of the past, a secret family history emerges; one that stretches all the way back to turn-of-the-century America, to a beautiful society heiress and a haunting, savage land. As past and present converge, Erica and Beth must come to terms with two terrible acts of betrayal - and the heart-breaking legacy left behind.

This was a good mystery story about family history and how individuals can impact future generations within a family. Erica and Beth were very believable and the story was interesting, but it would have been better to discover Beth protecting Erica, as this would have been more surprising to find the weaker character actually turning out to be the stronger one. The story about Caroline's life was, however, well-developed and particularly gripping.

Elisabeth Hyde: The abortionist's daughter

Nineteen-year-old university student Megan Thompson is beautiful, cool, clever and sexy – the kind of girl boys fall in love with. She’s mostly steered clear of family life since the death of her younger brother. That is until the day she hears her mother, Diana, has been found floating face down in their swimming pool. Diana, as Director of the Center for Reproductive Choice, was a national figure who inspired passions and made enemies. Detective Huck Berlin is brought in to investigate the case when it becomes clear that Diana was murdered. Several people have quarrelled with Diana on that fateful day, not least Frank, her husband of twenty years, and her wayward child. Now father and daughter are thrown together in an unexpected twist of family life.

An interesting read and fascinating crime story but not quite what I expected in that I hoped it would be less crime fiction and more of a moral and ethical discussion.

Maeve Binchy: Minding Frankie

Baby Frankie is born into an unusual family. Her mother is desperate to find someone to take care of her child and she doesn't have much time. Noel doesn't seem to be the most promising of fathers but despite everything, he could well be Frankie's best hope.

Minding Frankie is a heart-warming, hopeful, sad and funny tale about families, relationships and about how one baby can change many people's lives for the better in one way or another.

Celia Rees: The Fool's Girl

Violetta and Feste have come to London to rescue the holy relics taken from the church in Illyria by the evil Malvolio. Their journey has been long and their adventures many, but it is not until they meet the playwright William Shakespeare that they get to tell the entire story from beginning to end! But where will this remarkable tale ultimately lead Violetta and her companion? And will they manage to save themselves, and the relics from the very evil intentions of Malvolio.

I picked this book because I had read two previous novels written by Celia Rees and because I knew that it had something to do with William Shakespeare. I wasn't sure what exactly to expect, and so was quite happy with the way the story unfolded. Although it was obvious that Rees had done serious research into the era of Elizabeth I and into William Shakespeare's life, it appears that she was daunted by such a prominent era in history and so didn't touch upon history too much but instead relied on her creativity. I certainly enjoyed the read and found it intriguing to see William Shakespeare in a different light, although I also admit that my knowledge of The Twelfth Night was not good enough to see some of the similarities. Overall, I think this is a nice way to introduce Shakespeare to Young Adults, although the love stories and romantic notes were sometimes impeding the reading.

Mikey Walsh: Gypsy Boy

Mikey was born into a Romany Gypsy family. They live in a closeted community, and little is known about their way of life. After centuries of persecution Gypsies are wary of outsiders and if you choose to leave you can never come back. This is something Mikey knows only too well and the caravan and camp were his world. But although Mikey inherited a vibrant and loyal culture his family's legacy was bittersweet with a hidden history of grief and abuse.

This is a fascinating account of a child realising that he does not belong. It was a funny, sad, shocking and thought-provoking read. I can truly recommend this read although some of the descriptions of abuse are not for the faint-hearted...

Penelope Lively: Family Album

Allersmead is a big shabby Victorian suburban house. The perfect place to grow up for elegant Sandra, difficult Gina, destructive Paul, considerate Katie, clever Roger and flighty Clare. But was it? As adults, the children return to Allersmead one by one. To their home-making mother and aloof writer father, and a house that for years has played silent witness to a family’s secrets.

I expected a gripping mystery or ethical dilemma like Jodi Picoult. This was nothing like it. The story was quite captivating for the family stories and secrets, but certainly compares to Maeve Binchy more than anybody else.

Diane Chamberlain: The lies we told

After witnessing the murder of their parents, Maya and Rebecca Ward had only each other to cling to in their teenage years and beyond. Now both doctors, they have developed very different coping strategies since the tragedy. Daredevil Rebecca races off to disaster sites with an international team of doctors whilst Maya is content in her quiet medical practice and life with her husband Adam. When a hurricane devastates north Carolina, Maya is feared dead. Adam and Rebecca are left to mourn and hope for a miracle but as the days pass and hope fades, they face unexpected and unwanted feelings and Rebecca discovers that she's been burying some secrets of her own.

I found out about Diane Chamberlain, as she was compared to Jodi Picoult. It's certainly true that this book has got certain traits of a typical Picoult novel, but it doesn't really match the original. The storyline was flatter, although still interesting and the characters where slightly less realistic. Overall, though, this book made for entertaining reading and certainly won't be my last Chamberlain novel.

Jodi Picoult: Sing you home

In the aftermath of a series of personal tragedies, Zoe Baxter throws herself into her career as a music therapist. When an unexpected friendship slowly blossoms into love, she makes plans for a new life, but to her shock and inevitable rage, some people - even those she loves and trusts most - don't want that to happen.

This is yet another great read by Jodi Picoult, writer of ethical dilemmas. This story was never boring although it isn't as dramatic as some of her other books. It's a great read for the characters as well as the diversity of topics from love to gay rights...

Stephenie Meyer: Twilight 04 - Breaking Dawn

Twilight tempted the imagination ...New Moon made readers thirsty for more ...Eclipse turned the saga into a worldwide phenomenon ...And now - the book that everyone has been waiting for ...Breaking Dawn. In the much anticipated fourth book in Stephenie Meyer's love story, questions will be answered and the fate of Bella and Edward will be revealed.

Very good story and great fun to read although it was a little bit too predictable at times.

Stephenie Meyer: Twilight 03 - Eclipse

'Bella?' Edward's soft voice came from behind me. I turned to see him spring lightly up the porch steps, his hair windblown from running. He pulled me into his arms at once, and kissed me again. His kiss frightened me. There was too much tension, too strong an edge to the way his lips crushed mine - like he was afraid we had only so much time left to us. As Seattle is ravaged by a string of mysterious killings and a malicious vampire continues her quest for revenge, Bella once again finds herself surrounded by danger. In the midst of it all, she is forced to choose between her love for Edward and her friendship with Jacob - knowing that her decision has the potential to ignite the ageless struggle between vampire and werewolf. With her graduation approaching, Bella has one more decision to make: life or death. But which is which?

Fast read and pacy. Better than the second one, although some of the storylines became a bit too kitchy and cliche.