schopflin's reviews
694 reviews

The Bolter by Frances Osborne

fast-paced

3.0

I enjoyed this, but have so many problems with it. It's written in a slangy and gossipy style and not always well. There are some editorial howlers. There's a fair amount of unthinking colonialist racism and snobbery that I think creep in because the author is so besotted with the world she writes about. However, it shows signs of deep research, and I did get a good sense of the woman at the centre of it and her world. 

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Racism, Colonisation, and Classism

Birnam Wood by Eleanor Catton
Did not finish book. Stopped at 57%.

This is well-written but it's clear from the start that none of it's going to end well and all the characters are deeply unsympathetic. I probably read to about as long as it should have been ..

Plunder: a memoir of family property and Nazi treasure by Menachem Kaiser

medium-paced

4.0

I have a lot of Holocaust memoir in my collection and it's interesting to read the 'grandchild' books that are emerging. I think this is a fascinating and well-told examination of family heritage. The author is honest about his ambivalent reasons for pursuing his family property and, like life, there are no neat endings. 

The Last Colony: A Tale of Exile, Justice and Britain's Colonial Legacy by Philippe Sands

slow-paced

3.5

I'm not going to pretend that international law makes easy reading, but if anyone can connect it to the human story, it's Philippe Sands. This was a fascinating tale, well told and highly evocative of place as well as an under the bonnet look at international courts. 

Bleeding Heart Yard by Elly Griffiths

fast-paced

4.0

A birthday treat for me, loaned from a friend. I really like the Harbinder books and this was highly enjoyable. There was lots of recognisable social commentary, much of it very funny. In common with the first book, but unlike the second one, the 'plot' characters were mostly fairly unsympathetic. But I get the impression that in the absence of Ruth and Nelson, we are going to build up the characters from 'West Kensington Station'. 

Sea of Tranquility by Emily St. John Mandel

fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Loveable characters? Yes

4.0

This was a surprise to me. I don't read a lot of SF and I started to get irritated in the third chapter but ... I kept going and then it all made sense. A lovely book, with a warm heart to it. 

Visit Sunny Chernobyl - Adventures in the world's most polluted places by Andrew Blackwell

medium-paced

3.5

How much you enjoy this depends on how well you get on with the writers voice. There were many things I liked, intelligence, humour, self-deprecation, but it can be a bit puerile. A couple of chapters included references to relevant history and literature and I realised that I felt it was missing that wider context. However, in its own way, it did highlight the complex issues around pollution, conservation and the environment, and our complicity thereof. 

The Tunnel Through Time: A New Route for an Old London Journey by Gillian Tindall

informative medium-paced

4.5

Absolutely fascinating and brilliantly researched book for the London history nerd. Tindall concentrates on in-depth history of three areas: St Giles, Bishopsgate and Stepney. This may not be what some people are expecting! Her own personality and opinions do come across and they may not be your cup of tea. 

The Last Remains by Elly Griffiths

fast-paced

4.0

A good ending. Not too neat, plenty of tension, all the characters like themselves but still interesting.

The Burglar Who Counted The Spoons by Lawrence Block

fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character

3.5

I really enjoyed this although it's really not about the mystery, much more about literature and obscure facts. I realise that Block has chosen to keep Bernie the same age (or he would be about 75 now) while New York ages and changes, but I am still uncomfortable with the number of college-age women he shags.