Pulled this one off my daughter‘s bookshelf hidden amongst the many started-but-not-finished books. I knew the story having seen the TV drama 20 years ago but it was enjoyable nonetheless. Heartwarming is the best word to describe this wartime novel.

A fascinating account of an incredible mission which changed the tempo of a war and in doing so potentially saved many lives. A well written account that is packed with detail, without being monotonous and slow.

Penguin Clothbound Classics edition - beautiful product. Love this story. “ A true Englishman never jokes about anything as serious as a bet”. A timeless classic.

If you‘re a fan, you‘re a fan. Despite a few cringeworthy anecdotes by today‘s standards, Sir Roger reveals behind the scenes knowledge on the world‘s most famous spy series.

An accessible book about Maths (if there is such a thing) which uniquely relates the concepts to recipes, helping to illustrate the points.

A witty account of travel to some unique spots that won‘t be on many people‘s bucket lists. I like travel a lot and like visiting unusual places so this was a hit with me. Read if that‘s a bit of you too.

Given its short length, everyone ought to read this book, either to their children or for themselves. You have to keep in mind that it was written during World War 2 and controversially challenges the political and economic ideals of communism and the Soviet Union, to the point that its being publication could have threatened the allies‘ relationship during the war. It‘s satirical and still relevant, yet could be enjoyed by a child at face value.

Jack Reacher is my guilty pleasure and Echo Burning was my eighth one. I love all of them, but this wasn‘t a personal favourite of the ones I‘ve read. However, it has the twists and turns that are characteristic of Child and reveals exist enough hints as the plot involves for the reader to guess the twists, but still feel clever by doing so.

Knowing how successful the author is I had high hopes. This was my first foray into Patterson‘s work and I will need a strong recommendation on what to read next to give him another chance. It was OK. The chapters were alarmingly short and it flitted around too much at the start for my tastes. A little fanciful and perhaps aimed at the casual reader to bash through on holiday rather than for a serious reader to absorb themselves in.

A very short read. Interesting to ponder on how widely applicable the content is to modern times, despite being an ancient text. Worth picking up if you are into that sort of thing...

Reading this after seeing the 2013 film is probably the wrong thing to do...I couldn‘t help but picture scenes from the film as it closely follows the plot. But this is an exceptional story and a quick and easy read.

Assessable, bite-sized lessons that broaden your understanding of how the world‘s politics and economy have been shaped over the last 150 years.

Masterfully blends fictional characters around true and tragic events to illustrate the plight of refugees through recent history. Written for children but enjoyable as an adult with an interest in history, politics or current affairs. Helps the reader realise how lucky they are not to live through such events but how those who have are often just like them but living in the wrong place at the wrong time.

As a mountaineering and special forces enthusiast I was extremely excited to read this book. It paints the picture of an exceptional accomplishment in shaving 7 years off the previous record by climbing all 14 8000m mountains in only six months. Something that the mountaineering community believed impossible. You read this to understand the accomplishments rather than for the writing quality. Nims brags in places, but if I were him I‘d be worse!

Despite a somewhat self-indulgent title and introduction, the ideas presented are interesting and helped me to see areas such as classical literature and poetry in a different light after an uninspiring introduction to such things during my own school experience. An enjoyable, assessable and well-paced educational read.

I love Poirot novels but this one, for me, was not Chirstie‘s best work. I found the pace too steady and there were too few twists and turns. There are much better Poirot tales out there.

Despite it‘s age, the pace of this crime thriller is palpable. This, combined with a unique twist at the end makes for a most memorable read.

Despite the tragedy of her death and the horrific world events surrounding it, this is a wonderful book which captures the essence of being a young teen. Despite being in permanent lockdown, she thinks and feels much of the things that a 21st century teen does. Her honest and open account of her feelings, set against the backdrop of such an important historical event makes for essential reading. As poignant and relevant today as in the 1940s.

One of those books that I read without knowing anything about it but found it captivating. Somewhat dated but in a nostalgic sense.