Category Archives: Book Reviews

Review of ‘The Last Painting of Sara de Vos’ by Dominic Smith

Posted on August 19, 2017 by

The Last Painting of Sara de Vos by Dominic Smith My rating: 5 of 5 stars Best novel I’ve read in a long, long time. Set in three time zones – seventeenth century Holland, 1950s New York, and Sydney in … Continue reading →

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Review of “When Breath Becomes Air” by Paul Kalanithi

Posted on June 22, 2017 by

My rating: 4 of 5 stars A beautifully-written memoir that reminds you that Life works in mysterious ways. As a youngster, Paul Kalanithi wanted to become a writer to come to terms with ‘the life of the mind’. Above all … Continue reading →

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Review of ‘Small Great Things’ by Jodi Picoult

Posted on June 14, 2017 by

Small Great Things by Jodi Picoult My rating: 5 of 5 stars A strongly-written novel that tugs at your heart and drills into your gut. The story centres on an African-American nurse who is assigned to a newborn baby and … Continue reading →

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Review: ‘The Course of Love’ by Alain de Botton

Posted on June 4, 2017 by

Honestly, I don’t know how to rate this novel by Alain de Botton because it does not read at all like a novel. While de Botton is undoubtedly a highly competent writer, I kept on thinking of this piece as … Continue reading →

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‘Burial Rites’ by Hannah Kent

Posted on October 30, 2016 by

Burial Rites by Hannah Kent My rating: 5 of 5 stars Artfully written, meticulously researched, a triumph of a debut for a young author. Although ‘Burial Rites’ is not an easy read – there are too many unfamiliar names and … Continue reading →

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‘Gone Girl’ by Gillian Flynn

Posted on July 26, 2016 by

Gone Girl by Gillian Flynn My rating: 4 of 5 stars Easy-to-read psychological thriller about married people behaving badly. Domestic noir at its darkest and most intriguing. Both characters of this one-time partnership are highly-flawed and headed towards self-destruction. But … Continue reading →

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‘Relinquished, Returned, Rejected’ by Jackee Ashwin

Posted on June 2, 2016 by

A true and very personal story about becoming a mother, losing one baby to forced adoption and another to stillbirth, then years later reconnecting with your adult son and making tough life decisions. Despite the difficult subject matter, Jackee Ashwin … Continue reading →

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