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Reviews by Cloggie Downunder

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The Saturday Big Tent Wedding Party: The New No. 1 Ladies' Detective Agency Novel
by Alexander Mccall Smith
Mma Ramotswe makes you feel good again! (4/23/2011)
The Saturday Big Tent Wedding Party is the twelfth book in Alexander McCall Smith’s No 1 Ladies Detective Agency series. Mma Ramotswe has plenty to keep her busy as someone is killing cattle on a southern cattle-post, Charlie the apprentice seems to have fathered twins andmore
The God of Small Things
by Arundhati Roy
Love and betrayal (4/19/2011)
The God of Small Things, the first (and so far, only) novel by Indian writer, Arundhati Roy, was written between 1992 and 1996. This (semi-autobiographical) story takes place in the village of Ayemenem and the town of Kottayam, near Cochin in Kerala, and is set principallymore
Sing You Home: A Novel
by Jodi Picoult
Another excellent Picoult (4/16/2011)
Sing You Home is Jodi Picoult’s 18th novel. As always, Picoult deals with big issues. This time it is homosexuality and the attitude of society, government and, in particular, organised religion, to those who are openly homosexual. But other issues also make an appearance:more
More Twisted: The Collected Stories of Jeffery Deaver, Volume II
by Jeffery Deaver
Excellent Deaver twists (4/16/2011)
More Twisted is a volume of sixteen tales of suspense by Jeffrey Deaver, including a previously unpublished Lincoln Rhyme story. Each of these tales, as the title suggests, has a twist. Most are set in modern times, but one is set in Victorian England and features Sherlockmore
Jasper Jones
by Craig Silvey
Execellent Aussie literature (4/12/2011)
Jasper Jones is Craig Silvey’s second novel. It is set during a hot summer in 1965 in a small West Australian town, Corrigan, and narrated by thirteen-year-old Charlie Bucktin. Charlie is surprised by Jasper Jones’ appearance at his sleepout window: Jasper needs his help.more
House Rules: A Novel
by Jodi Picoult
Excellent Picoult (3/12/2011)
House Rules is Jodi Picoult’s seventeenth novel. The story involves Jacob Hunt, a young man with Asperger’s Syndrome and an obsession with forensic analysis, who is charged with and tried for the murder of his tutor, Jess Ogilvy. Five voices tell the tale: Jacob’s own; hismore
The Hand that First Held Mine: A Novel
by Maggie O'Farrell
O'Farrell does not disappoint (3/2/2011)
The Hand That First Held Mine is Maggie O’Farrell’s fifth novel. Two stories are told in parallel: Lexie Sinclair quits Devon for London when the charismatic Innes Kent arrives on her doorstep, and starts her life at the heart of the 1950s Soho art scene; Elina and Ted aremore
The Murder of King Tut: The Plot to Kill the Child King - A Nonfiction Thriller
by James Patterson & Martin Dugard
Case closed? Probably not! (3/2/2011)
The Murder of King Tut by James Patterson and Martin Dugard is described as the Ultimate Cold Case Re-opened. In the format of James Patterson’s signature (extremely) short chapters, the story is set out over three time periods: modern day, where we follow James’ progressmore
The Postcard Killers
by James Patterson
sex and violence (3/2/2011)
Postcard Killers is the first novel co-authored by James Patterson and Liza Marklund. It’s a thriller about young glamorous killers traveling around Europe murdering couples. Plenty of sex and violence, in the short chapter format that James Patterson seems to love. Themore
The Host: A Novel
by Stephenie Meyer
Excellent non-Twilight Meyer (3/2/2011)
Stephenie Meyer’s (so far) stand-alone novel, The Host, departs from her popular Twilight series and explores the theme of bodily possession of humankind by alien souls. As we follow the soul of Wanderer, who is implanted into the body of her host, Melanie Stryder, wemore
Dream of Ding Village
by Yan Lianke
will leave you gasping (3/2/2011)
Yan Lianke’s latest work, Dream of Ding Village, is narrated by Ding Qiang: “I was only twelve, in my fifth year of school, when I died. I died from eating a poisoned tomato I found on the way home from school…I died not from AIDS, but because my dad had run a bloodmore
Small Wonder
by Barbara Kingsolver
The voice of reason (3/2/2011)
Small Wonder, Barbara Kingsolver’s second book of essays, was written after the events of 9/11, and touches on subjects as diverse as Terrorism, why the world doesn’t like America, Genetic Modification, Teenagers, Mothers, and Self-Sustainability. While I may not havemore
The Scarpetta Factor
by Patricia Cornwell
Better than the last few years (3/2/2011)
The Scarpetta Factor is Patricia Cornwell’s 17th Scarpetta novel. The Scarpetta novels have had a chequered history: they started out consistently good and then went downhill for a while. This one is quite an improvement on those of 5 or 6 years ago. While it’s a bit slow-more
Room: A Novel
by Emma Donoghue
Hard to put down (3/2/2011)
Emma Donoghue’s latest novel, Room, is told from the perspective of Jack, a five-year-old boy who has lived his whole life inside “Room” with his mother, Ma. Having Jack narrate is a clever device: through his innocent eyes and ears, we gradually learn how he and Ma come tomore
Atonement
by Ian McEwan
Mistitled (3/2/2011)
For me, Ian McEwan’s book, Atonement, was mistitled. I think a better title would have been “How to profit from ruining others’ lives”. I was prepared to give this book a chance. A slow start, but good use of language, beautifully written, characters to love and hate andmore
The Lieutenant
by Kate Grenville
A moving Aussie tale (2/3/2011)
Kate Grenville’s latest novel, “The Lieutenant” is a beautifully crafted work. The Lieutenant in question, Daniel Rooke, is based on William Dawes, a soldier in His Majesty’s Marine Force on the First Fleet which arrived in Sydney Cove in 1788. Dawes accompanied the Firstmore
Cross Country
by James Patterson
unbelievable (unbelievably bad) (2/3/2011)
"....the Tiger disappears into thin air. Tracking him to Africa, Alex knows that he must follow. Alone. "
Huh? Why would Alex Cross, a really smart guy up to now, go to Africa, where he has absolutely no jurisdiction and no support, to track a killer? Alone! Puhleese!
What amore
Southern Cross
by Patricia Cornwell
Lesser Cornwell (2/3/2011)
I read the 3 Andy Brazil books against advice from more than one person. I wanted to see for myself if they really were that bad. I liked the Scarpetta books (although I thought that the endings of some of those books were too rushed, too contrived). The Andy Brazil booksmore
Still Missing
by Chevy Stevens
A gripping read (1/31/2011)
Chevy Stevens’ debut novel, “Still Missing” is definitely a page turner. The story, about a 32-year-old female realtor who is abducted and held captive in a mountain cabin for a year, is told in the first person narrative as sessions with the victim’s psychiatrist. Chevymore
The Sound of a Wild Snail Eating: A True Story
by Elisabeth Tova Bailey
slow down and see the snails (1/31/2011)
Elisabeth Tova Bailey’s latest work, “The Sound of a Wild Snail Eating” has a title that naturally intrigues. Is this book really about snails? And if so, how interesting or exciting can that be? Is reading this book going to be like watching paint dry or grass grow? Andmore

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