Came for the cover, stayed for the historical fiction, but ultimately I think the blurbs raised my expectations too high. Hernando Cortés arrives in Moctezuma‘s court and power games ensue as we are immersed in the rich details of Aztec life. I found it lacked something to keep me hooked and it really requires detailed and focused reading. 6/10

Abulhawa portrays many facets of Palestinian experience and confronts us with the question of how does one respond when our rights and choices are increasingly diminished? As a vehicle for conveying this necessary story it‘s hugely successful. For me, it did fall a bit short in terms of the personal relationships; trauma and conflicts between characters are often resolved in mere pages undermining their impact. 7/10

Is Troubles well written and thoughtful? Yes! Is this novel interesting, funny, historical, laden with metaphor and intriguing characters? Yes! Are there cats? Yes! But honestly, despite all this I just found it a bit boring and plodding. I did enjoy the use of press clippings which really immerse you in the political climate of the British Empire in the 1920‘s. 6/10

Bleak and painful. Whilst Bolla portrays the impact of violence and turmoil suffered by the Balkan people, Arsim takes centre stage. A difficult and unpleasant character, as destructive as the war raging on in the background. Difficult to rate as the strength of this novel lies in how unlikeable it is. 8/10

A great companion for a Mediterranean trip. August Blue is alluring, hard to put down and sprinkled with witty humour and biting social commentary. I have a sense that a little too much goes left unsaid to really understand what‘s going on, and I didn‘t get particularly invested in Elsa‘s narrative; we join her following THAT performance when she is trying to redefine and reassess who she is. Ultimately the dreamlike prose pulled me along. 7/10

Kadare‘s novel about the Kanun, a traditional legal system, and blood feuds paints a stark and grisly view of the Albanian Alps. The plot follows Gjorg during his Bessa (30-day truce) before he faces retribution. I didn‘t find the story that gripping but the sense of place and insight into the Kanun was both fascinating and bleak in equal measure. 6/10

Aisling is such a familiar and endearing character. A great end to the series which captures the experience of being an early 30‘s millennial in Ireland. It sensitively handles some big issues without losing any wit or charm. 7/10

Equally heartwarming and heartbreaking, the Elected Member explores the events and complex family relationships which led to the favourite child, Norman‘s, drug addiction and hospitalisation. Funny and packed with surprising revelations. 7/10

This is a novel with a lot of secrets. There‘s a hint of Shirley Jackson and Poe to the unnerving atmosphere but it‘s missing the tension and drama for me. The prose is deliberately obtuse, the narrator unwilling or unable to speak directly, and the reader is left to decide much of what has happened for themselves. I like being challenged but the effort doesn‘t seem to pay off. I‘m not sure we are given enough to fully trust the author. 5/10

Powerful, disorientating and unsettling writing, Hurricane Season holds nothing back. The narrative is tied together by a murder mystery, what befell a local woman known only as the Witch, but in reality this book is an exploration of machismo and trauma in all its facets. It might be early but I wouldn't be surprised if this is one of the best novels I read this year. 9/10

At first, I wasn‘t sure what to make of Miss Brodie and her prime as she is presented with reverence by her young pupils. The layers gradually unfold as the Set mature into their teenage years and they themselves gain a better understanding. A short novel with a lot of depth, talking points and humour. 8/10

Georges Perec‘s undertaken the unenviable challenge - one entire novel, written excluding the letter ‘e‘. Quite the achievement, however frequent tangential excursions belaboured the prose, often leaving me detached. Gilbert deserves credit considering the extra trouble rendering comprehensible English text while sidestepping definite articles. Intelligent, entertaining yet unnecessarily contrived. 5/10 overall (10/10 effort!)

It‘s been a long time since reading Never Let Me Go but there are strong reminders and I do like Ishiguro‘s sentimental sci-fi. Klara and the Sun hints at so many interesting issues (ethics, class, race, politics, environmentalism, etc) yet it completely shies away from exploring any of them with depth. It‘s an enjoyable story, I just felt there were too many plot holes and missed opportunities for it to be a great one. 5/10

I got a great sense of time and place reading Something to Answer For although I felt that the Suez crisis had little bearing on the core narrative. Townrow is on his way to Egypt following the death of his friend (?). As a very unreliable narrator, he slowly pieces together a past, present and future, the truth of which we are left to discern for ourselves. Engaging storytelling but ultimately tedious and felt a bit low stakes. 5/10

American Psycho has a certain level of cult status. I found it (intentionally) slow and repetitive in the first half and it perhaps could have made the same point in a shorter novel. It becomes a violent and seriously uncomfortable book, although I imagine more shocking on first publication than it is now in 2024. Nonetheless effective in capturing the ruthless, nihilistic persona of Patrick Bateman - time to watch the film! 6/10

I can understand why Crooked Plow has received such acclaim, the subject is important and painful. The story starts with a big impact as we follow the lives of Bibiana and Belonisia, two daughters of tenant farmers in Brazil. I felt some of the tension was lost through repetitive storytelling which slowed the pacing, but it was definitely worth reading. 6/10

A fun story about a man suddenly who finds himself a cheese salesman. Genuinely made me laugh! 7/10

The Vegetarian is very moving and intriguing. The narrative is told from 3 separate perspectives offering a complete exploration of trauma, emotional breakdown and mental strain. Is Yeong-hye mad or is her behaviour a logical conclusion of the society she‘s been subjected to? There are elements I didn‘t fully understand but it still left a powerful impression. 7/10

I was a bit disappointed with this novel, I expected a heartwarming tale of nerdy Oscar trying to find his place in life but it was mainly about sex, with some long tangential sections (and footnotes) thrown in. It reminded me of House of Spirits but its central characters are all crass, horny misogynists. Insight into the history of the Dominican Republic seems an important story to tell but it felt disjointed from the narrative. 5/10

Work on my yard will have to wait, I just couldn‘t put this down. Arresting and bleak, and much more emotionally intense than I had expected. The Road is, on the surface, a story of survival in the aftermath of an apocalyptic catastrophe, but it‘s also a story about love and the bonds between a father and son. 9/10

In order to avoid an awkward wedding invite, Arthur Less finds himself on a international adventure. A fun, light novel with some charming and humorous lines. This book doesn‘t take itself too seriously and I don‘t think we are supposed to, even if the Pulitzer implies something more literary or groundbreaking. 7/10

It‘s difficult to review this novel in light of the hype that has developed around Sally Rooney. As her first published novel, I think it reflects her experience - a campus/romance by and for young women. There is some great prose; the distinctive short, clipped sentences convey a real sense of personality. But I don‘t think it successfully tackles the issues raised, there‘s very little character development, and no tension or resolution. 5/10

I‘ve read many polarised reviews of this one and to some extent I agree with all of them. It‘s a big book - an epic. Where there was fast paced action and adventure I found it gripping, but I also found myself trudging through sections all too often to be able to call it a pick. I am intrigued to know the direction the rest of the trilogy takes us but might need a less gruesome palette cleanser first. 6/10

I don‘t know how many novels about grief I‘ve read, perhaps this is the only one. It‘s certainly the only one that captures it so clearly, gently and delicately. 9/10

Naked Lunch is very successful at inserting you into a paranoid, dysfunctional, disorientating and disturbing world of addiction whilst critiquing the society which enables it. However, it is a tough and brutal book to read in more ways than one. 6/10

Unknown language is a curious and engrossing sci-fi apocalypse/evolving dystopia informed by, and interspersed with, the texts of a 12th Century Abbess (now saint). Probably not for everyone but I thoroughly enjoyed it. 8/10

I wanted some light hearted escapism for my holiday and it‘s hard to imagine the destruction of life on earth could make for an absurdly fun tale - yet here we are! Let‘s hope the sea doesn‘t freeze over before the end of the journey…
8/10

A gripping short story that was hard to put down. Zweig uses a story within a story to frantically capture Dr.B‘s experience of a certain horror, using the chessboard to ramp up tension without distracting or slowing the pace. Well worth reading and interesting to continue the theme of obsession from the last book I read. 9/10

I can‘t say why, but had a lot of fun reading this. Y/N doesn‘t care for boy bands yet one day finds theirself deeply obsessed with K-Pop‘s latest young star. The novel shifts in lines from thought provoking and esoteric to satirical pretension then devolves into the absurd. It‘s difficult to define and somehow that‘s the point, right? Can you find the one you love without losing yourself, can you really know anyone and what is ‘self‘ anyway? 7/10

A curious premise and classic thriller. The tension ramps up effectively as Bruno‘s obsessive madness escalates but I found the pacing off in the second half. 6/10

I like the concept and shifting prose of Portrait, but ultimately didn‘t find the events interesting or the writing exhilarating enough to keep me engaged and it became a bit of a chore to finish. I enjoyed all the Dublin references to think of whilst I walk around the city. 6/10

An entertaining novella about the mysterious Miss Golightly. Fun and quick to read but unfortunately laced with overt racism and lazy homophobia. Perhaps time to finally watch the film. 6/10

Finally got round to reading Dorian Gray. I think it suffered by being such a well known story and even for all Wilde‘s humorous and often quoted quips, it couldn‘t meet my expectations. Still, its originality shines! 6/10

The compelling and intricate narrative gradually builds layer upon layer, giving different perspectives of overlapping events and gaining pace towards the climax at the end. I was impressed with how convincing each of the very different characters were and the use of second person was intriguing. But for all that, I‘m not sure if I enjoyed the actual story that much. 7/10

Aisling is a familiar old friend now and up to her usual tricks in the third instalment of this fun and endearing series (is it starting to get a bit repetitive?). Glad to see some necessary self reflection and mental health awareness this time but I thought poor Carol, business partner and bedrock of Ballygobrunch was a bit neglected. To be fair, Ais is overwhelmed with her bridesmaid duties, family, new man and a demanding client as it is. 6/10

Circe is a mesmerising novel, I loved hearing these familiar tales woven together and the exploration of her character throughout. At times it was a little disjointed but the writing was so engaging it was easy to overlook. 7/10

A short story told well, really well. I hadn‘t read anything by Hemingway before and was expecting something complex but quite the opposite - a succinct and impactful glimpse into a brief moment of one man‘s struggle. 8/10

Adventurous. I can‘t think of any other words to describe this amazing autobiographical story that transports you from tropical Togo to the endless night of Greenland. 7/10

What makes Persepolis a powerful book for me is not the incredible first-hand account but that Marji also had the ability to tell it in such an engaging way. It is a very personal history, I appreciate her honesty regarding her errors and failings and I‘m left wanting to learn more about Iran and those with a less fortunate and privileged experience than our narrator. 8/10

On the whole Sapiens is a fascinating and thought provoking perspective on our history as a species. I felt the writing had a condescending tone which continued even when the author made some wild assertions, leaving me skeptical as to how factual and well sourced the book actually is. Nonetheless it presents an interesting idea of our past in an enjoyable read. 6/10

Insightful account of 70s London that critiques class and racism through the lens of Karim as he finds his way through young adulthood. I caught a glimpse of the tv show as a kid and from those vague memories I thought I might enjoy the novel but I found the characters quite exasperating and it was a struggle in the end. 5/10

Dark and comedic, and at times disturbing. I loved how Welsh has managed to develop such complex characters and humanise them, whilst also embedding political and societal issues in this tapestry of vignettes. The code-switching and use of Scots added another layer of richness as well. Might not be for everyone but it‘s a brilliant novel. 8/10

How do you capture the entire gamut of social media in a novel that is only 200 pages long? In fact, try doing it in only half the novel. This was dizzy, funny, terrifying, and ultimately heart wrenching. Im still struggling to accept that some of the most beautiful prose I‘ve read is in a novel which is 30% cringy sex jokes.

Merteuil and Valmont weave increasingly elaborate schemes and affairs as they each compete for the others approval. The letters reveal so much personality but you never know if you can trust the authors‘ intentions as the stakes and consequences become increasingly severe. 8/10

An intriguing detective mystery and sets the tone for the next book on my reading list…
7/10

Another dark and evocative tale, it‘s clear why Poe is so renowned as a master of gothic fiction. I love how he can conjure up an incredibly precise setting in so few pages although I didn‘t enjoy this plot of this one as much as the others. 6/10

I read a few of Poe‘s short stories for Halloween and this was definitely my favourite. Poe manages to develop a lot of tension in a few short pages and a sense of mystery and foreboding. 8/10

A disorientating novel within a novel within a novel. As witty as it is confusing; flitting from ancient legend to modern myth as the narrator and characters soar across Dublin and Ireland. I expect there‘s much more depth to be revealed on second reading. 6/10

Funny, inventive and totally illogical. Perfect escapism on a rainy Sunday. 7/10

A small group of well-to-do gather to spend a summer at Crome. Each brief chapter could almost be read as its own short story, (one of which seems to have evolved into A Brave New World). I didn‘t find it particularly exciting or eventful but there were humorous moments as Huxley mocks and humiliates his cast of self-centred socialites. 5/10