The Uninvited Guests by Sadie Jones

I'm slightly confused as to whether I enjoyed this book. There were parts where I was really gripped, and I enjoyed getting to know all the characters at the beginning. However, whilst there were some odd aspects to the uninvited guests, especially Charlie, and it was clear they were supposed to be ghosts, I just don't think it was executed well enough. There were times where events were just trying a little too hard to be strange. But I did like all of the characters, especially Emerald, Ernest and Patience, which I feel is an important part of a story. Smudge was also a lovely character, and her quirks made me love her all the more. The ending did bring the story to a good conclusion, but it was just the main body which lacked something. I give this book 5/10.

A Tiny Bit Marvellous by Dawn French

I was quite disappointed with this book, as I'd really enjoyed Dawn French's second book, 'Oh Dear Silvia'. The main problem was that I didn't like any of the characters. Mo was drippy and depressing, but didn't seem to improve much until the last few pages. Dora was an irritating and extremely stupid teenager who acted more like a little child. The language used in her chapters, whilst probably accurate for girls her age, was painful to read. I'd rather it had been third person to avoid this. Oscar's chapters were more enjoyable and quite amusing, however. I found it hard to get into the story and to care about the characters. The ending was good, though, but it was far too late to rescue the book as a whole. I give this book 3/10.

The Memory Keeper's Daughter by Kim Edwards

This was a really moving and interesting book. After reading the synopsis where it explained that David Henry gave away his daughter because she had Down's Syndrome, I couldn't imagine how he could do it and how he could keep it secret, so just had to pick up the book. How the event affected his family without them knowing the truth was tragic yet fascinating to read. I wasn't sure whether to feel sorry for Norah, however, once she began cheating. Phoebe sounded absolutely lovely and I loved the character of Caroline Gill who seemed so brave and inspiring. The twist in the tale towards the end was a real shock, and I thought the ending was perfect. I give this book 9/10.

A Street Cat Named Bob by James Bowen

This was a lovely read, even though the style was a little simplistic. But then again, James Bowen wasn't a writer, and this wasn't meant to be a literary masterpiece, just an account of his story. I certainly enjoyed it for what it was and fell in love with Bob - no surprises there! It was interesting to read a story from the point of view of the type of person that often doesn't get much of a voice in society. And it was heartwarming to read about how his life was turned around by the chance meeting with a beautiful cat. I give this book 8/10.

The Silent Tide by Rachel Hore

I really enjoyed this book, it had me gripped right from the start. The story of Isabel was fascinating and I fell in love with her as a character. As things began to deteriorate in her life, I genuinely felt sad for her as if I knew her. Emily was the main character from the present day, and although I did enjoy her story, too, she wasn't as gripping a character. Her relationship with Matthew was a strange one, as the reader was clearly supposed to think he was marvelous, which I did not. After their break up, she pined for him, and this irritated me because I never thought he was particularly amazing. Towards the end of the novel, there were a few dramatic twists in the tale which I had not been expecting at all, and which had me in shock. The ending was particularly unexpected, but it was the perfect way to end the story. I give this book 10/10.

The Woman Who Went to Bed For a Year by Sue Townsend

This was quite an entertaining read as it had a lot of satirical undertones and made a lot of funny judgements of society in general. The story had me hooked as I was eager to know how the story would progress - especially to see who would put up with looking after Eva for such a long time. It is such an unlikely scenario, especially when Brian's mistress comes to live in his shed, but it is done so well that it convinces the reader that it is actually happening. The added dimension of the twins going to university and how they have their own story lines and issues created extra interest. Although, their names Brian Junior and Brianne were maybe going a bit too far in the believability stakes! Overall, though, it was a good, if slightly strange, read and I give this book 8/10.

Life, Death and Vanilla Slices by Jenny Eclair

Although this book was meant to be funny, it was actually pretty sad, too. The opening chapters that describes Anne's life were really quite depressing! And as we get to know Anne and Jean and their combined histories, there is a real sadness underlying all of the comic scenes and irony. My favourite scene in the book has to be when Anne's son comes across his mother in the nude after she believes he is a burglar - this actually made me laugh out loud, a rare thing in a book (mostly I laugh on the inside). I would have preferred the consistency of chapters just from Anne or Jean's points-of-view because occasionally Jess or one of Anne's sons would take over the narrative, but I suppose this was needed to reveal certain aspects of the story. But overall, it was a good read, and there were parts where I was thoroughly gripped. I give this book 9/10.