When Christine Lucas wakes up in a strange bed next to a middle-aged man wearing a wedding ring she starts to panic. But in the bathroom she finds photographs which seem to say this is her home and the man is her husband. And the man himself confirms this. Over and over again. Dr Nash, [...]
Continue reading about A serious distraction or a perfect gift?
After last week’s blog kindness has been very much in my mind. So today’s topic is a kind of extension of that thinking. I want to start with a topical challenge for you: Would you voluntarily donate a kidney to a complete stranger? Think carefully about that before you read on. Would you? My current [...]
Fear not, I don’t intend to bang on about Malta ad nauseam. In fact this is only my second, destined to be last, post on the subject. But one thing struck me forcibly during our stay there. The friendliness and kindness of the people. Car drivers would stop – with a smile! – in the [...]
It’s a long time since I read my last (and until now, only) novel about hermaphroditism: Middlesex by Jeffrey Eugenides. Perfect title, huh? But I loved that, so when I saw that another one on the subject had come out this year, it went straight onto my wish list. It’s Annabel by Kathleen Winter. A [...]
Continue reading about Neither male nor female, bond nor free
Have you heard of Super Thursday? Nor me. A least I hadn’t until this week. This year Super Thursday fell on September 29th. And on that day a raft of books were launched onto a unsuspecting public, books that the publishers (and authors) hope will become Christmas bestsellers. Titles by folk like Robert Harris, Joanna [...]
Whenever I hear of a book that falls into the same category as mine (medical-ethical novels) I tend to pounce. Is this book serious competition? Has this author stolen my thunder? Can I learn anything from the way he or she has tackled the subject? What should I avoid? So when I found three all [...]