This is the blog of a twenty-something Londoner, who loves books with stylish covers and what’s inside them too.
Reviews, bookish acquisitions and random thoughts all jotted here. You can read my review policy here.
Want to contact me?
Favourite authors right now
Muriel Spark, Sophie Hannah, Wilkie Collins, Alan Bennett, Tom Rob Smith, Peter Carey, Linwood Barclay, Fyodor Dostoyevsky, Neville Shute, Truman Capote, Oscar Wilde, Harper Lee, Daniel Keyes.
Genres I like
Contemporary Fiction (the darker the better), Thriller / Crime, Classic Literature, Modern Classics.
Book memes
Booking Through Thursday, Teaser Tuesdays.
I’m also a member of a London-based bookgroup, which you can find out more about here.
Book Challenges 2009
Dolce Belezza’s Japanese Literature Challenge 3
- Sputnik Sweetheart (Haruki Murakami)
- Out (Natsuo Kirino)
Savidge Reads Sensation Season
- Armadale (Wilkie Collins)
- The Moonstone (Wilkie Collins)
Bibliofreak’s November Novella Challenge
- The Stepford Wives (Ira Levin)
Novel Insights 
Hey, hope you read ‘Twisted’ and enjoy it as much as I did. Here is my review.
http://teawithmarce.blogspot.com/2009/10/thriller-review-twisted-by-andrea-kane.html
Hey! I’m new to this book blogging thing and can count the number of British book bloggers I’ve come across on one hand. This means I rarely see any familiar books being reviewed, but I’ve found plenty on here!
Just thought I’d say hi 🙂
Hi Lila, thanks for stopping by and welcome to book-blog land!
Nice insights (literally), I like that even though bibliophiles can span generations, they can read the same books & agree they are good. One small thing that needs explanation (generational thing I guess), what is ‘memes’. It occured to me that while I would like to write a novel, creative non-fiction in the form of reviews is just as rewarding because there is the reading (yippee) & dabbling in writing. Then reading (snaps again) other readers reviews so its positives all around. Anyway, thank you for an enjoyable read. I prefer the UK approach to reviews, that could be because of our (New Zealand) link back through colonisation etc, cultural tastes being similar etc.
Just discovered your blog. You have interesting stuffs here. Great!
Fabulous blog!
-An english major who loves to read (and spends too much time and money doing it)
Just stopped to say hi, I am a American Book blogger.
Nice insights (literally), I like that even though bibliophiles can span generations, they can read the same books & agree they are good. One small thing that needs explanation (generational thing I guess), what is ‘memes’. It occured to me that while I would like to write a novel, creative non-fiction in the form of reviews is just as rewarding because there is the reading (yippee) & dabbling in writing. Then reading (snaps again) other readers reviews so its positives all around. Anyway, thank you for an enjoyable read. I prefer the UK approach to reviews, that could be because of our (New Zealand) link back through colonisation etc, cultural tastes being similar etc.
+1
Hey Novel Insights!
I just ran across your blog and decided to contact you about my new philanthropic organization called Gone Reading International.
We market a line of unique gifts for readers and donate 100% of the profits to fund new libraries in the developing world. You can read more about us at http://www.GoneReading.com, or I can email a short “about us” document.
Any chance you can mention us in your blog???
We’re finding that readers love what we’re doing, but spreading the word on a philanthropic budget is a challenge! Let me know what you think, and thanks in advance for your time.
Regards,
Brad
P.S. In thanks for a mention, I’m more than happy to list you on our “blogs we love” page. Just let me know…
Where’s William Trevor in all of this????? One of the best books EVER has to be “Felicia’s Journey”. Forget the movie: awful. A really enjoyable audio book is the Penguin audiobook in which Aidan Gillen narrates. It’s absolutely brilliant. Enjoy.
Mention Alan Bennet and Oscar Wilde in the same breath and you’ve got an admirer for ever. And how about the starry-eyed Christopher Isherwood? Most recent reads: Birdsong (Sebastian Faulks) and Centre of my World (Andreas Steinhofel), both highly recommended; and Her Fearful Symmetry (Audrey Niffenegger) which was an improvement on the usual airport newsagency fare.
I haven’t yet read any Isherwood although I have a copy of Goodbye to Berlin at home waiting to be picked up! I’ve never read any Faulks (was put off by the cover of Birdsong – I know this is silly – and am intrigued that you enjoyed Her Fearful Symmetry. After The Time Traveller’s Wife I was a bit tentative about spoiling my excellent impression of Niffenegger!
Mmmm. Her Fearful Symmetry won’t *spoil* your impression of Niffenegger but it won’t enhance it either, I dare say. There are some really helpful comments from your followers. I’m looking forward to following up a lot of them. Now if I could just get near a decent bookshop!
And meant Bennett, not Bennet!
Thanks Pamela. Well maybe I won’t prioritise that one. Happy hunting for that bookshop!