Book Recommendation - Our Man in Havana by Graham Greene

Today we have had another book recommendation. This time is the well-known book, Our Man in Havana by Graham Greene.

Graham Greene is a very popular and talented writer, and some of his works have been turned into popular films. His novels are also original and in some way peculiar, but they are also thought-provoking.

Book Recommendation - The Secret Garden by Frances Hodgson Burnett

Last week we had a new recommendation from our classmate. The book on this occasion is "The Secret Garden", a lovely book for children about the journey of a little girl from India to England and from selfishness to generosity.

Book Recommendation - Mullholland Dive by Michael Connelly

Yesterday we had another book presentation and recommendation in one of the classes. This time it is a book which contains three mystery stories.

Book Recommendation - A Small Part of Me by Noelle Harrison

Today we have had our first book presentation. The book presented in class is "A Small Part of Me" by Noelle Harrison, which is mainly about family and dark secrets.

Name: A Small Part of Me
Author: Noelle Harrison
Pages: 352

Book Recommendation - The Lost by Claire McGowan

Name of the book: The Lost
Author: Claire McGowan
Number of Pages: 384

If you like mysteries and detective stories, this novel could be the one for you. "The Lost" is about two girls who go missing in a town in Northern Ireland. Paula Maguire returns to her hometown after having been away for years. She is a forensic psychologist and joins a special police unit in charge of missing people. Paula also has her own ghosts to fight against... demons she thought she had left behind, but on her return she has to face up to them.
This book is the first in a series which I'm sure you will enjoy.

Book Recommendation - The House of Memories by Monica McInerney

Name of the book: The House of Memories
Author: Monica McInerney
Number of Pages: 473

This books covers topics like grief, forgiveness, and tragedy. The central character is Ella, who flees to London after a tragic event, leaving behind her husband and her half-sister. In London she stays with her uncle Lucas, and the people who she gets to know during her stay teach her how to overcome grief and forgive herself and others.
This is a beautiful, emotional book which I am sure many of you will enjoy.

Book Recommendation - The Husband's Secret by Liane Moriarty

Name of the book: The Husband's Secret 
Author: Liane Moriarty
Number of Pages: 396

This is a book about a woman's dilemma. Cecilia discovers a letter written by her husband, which should be opened in the event of his death. Yet, Cecilia can't reading the letter, and she discovers her husband's deepest secret. This secret involves other people, so what should Cecilia do? Keep quiet and protect her husband and her family, or reveal what she knows to help someone who is suffering.

Book Recommendation - Kate Morton

Kate Morton is one of my favourite authors. Even though she is Australian, she normally writes about the recent history in Britain. Her books include some kind of mystery, combining present and past, and there is always a good twist at the end of each novel. All of her novels are captivating and wonderful. This is the novels she has written so far:

Name of the book: The Secret Keeper 
Author: Kate Morton
Number of Pages: 484


If I have to choose one of her books, then my choice is "The Secret Keeper". The beginning of the book is quite puzzling. In 1961 during a birthday party Laurel, who is sixteen, spots a stranger walking towards her house where her family are enjoying the afternoon in the garden. Before she knows what is happening, she witnesses a terrible crime. Then the book moves forward in time, and it is 2001. Laurel is still haunted by the crime she witnessed fifty years ago, so she returns to her family home and tries to makes sense of what she saw that day. The novel alternates between the present time and the past, especially events happening during the Second World War. It is a great read that you will remember forever.

Book Recommendation - After the Fall by Charity Norman

Name of the Book: After the Fall
Author: Charity Norman
Number of pages: 357

One of the most poignant books that I have read in the last years is Charity Norman's After the Fall. The novel starts when a five-year-old boy falls from the upstairs veranda of an isolated farmhouse in New Zealand and is rushed to hospital. Lonely and frantic, Martha, the little boy's mother, wait for the doctor to talk to her, she remembers the last months and the odyssey her whole family has gone through. Their decision to move from England to New Zealand seemed a right one back then, but that meant the beginning of their problems. Do you want to find out why?

Book Recommendation - Paper Aeroplanes by Dawn O'Porter

Name of the book: Paper Aeroplanes
Author: Dawn O'Porter
Number of Pages: 261

"Paper Aeroplanes" is the story of an unlikely friendship. Renée and Flo couldn't be more different. Flo is modest, studious and shy whereas Renée is outgoing and brash. Their loneliness and dysfunctional families are the two things they have in common and join them. This is a story of youth and friendship with some poignant and funny moments which you might enjoy.

Book Recommendation - Sentence of Marriage by Shayne Parkison

Name of the book: Sentence of Marriage
Author: Shayne Parkinson
Number of Pages: 415

This is a beautiful book about Amy, a young woman in New Zealand in the nineteenth century, whose life changes radically after his widowed father remarries a young woman. In the book we get to meet great, unforgettable characters. Amy is lovely, but one of the most memorable characters is her cousin Lizzie, who is stubborn, determined, and too frank. The novel is the first in a series of books, so if you enjoy the first book, you could keep reading about Amy and Lizzie, and all their relatives.

Book Recommendation - Another Love by Amanda Prowse

Name of the book: Another Love
Author: Amanda Prowse
Number of Pages: 368

The title of this book is misleading because it makes us think that it is some fluffy, romantic story. It is true that it has some elements of romance, but the main topic of the novel is much harsher. It is about the devastating effects of alcoholism on a family. It is a really moving read.

Book Recommendation - According to Olwen by

Name of the book: According to Olwen
Author: K.J.Rabane
Number of Pages: 430

I read this book a few years ago, and I still remember it fondly. The main character is Olwen, a woman in her eighties who returns to the Welsh village where she grew up. Most chapters in the novel are about Olwen's memories when she was a child, and the mischief she got up to. There are many instances in which you can't help but laugh out loud as young Olwen shows her naivete and innocence. It is a beautiful book.

Book Recommendation - Sarah's Key by Tatiana de Rosnay

Name of the book: Sarah's Key
Author: Tatiana de Rosnay
Number of Pages: 294

One of the novels that has impressed most is "Sarah's Key" by Tatiana de Rosnay. It is a hard book to read because its plot concerns the Second World War and what happened to Jews in France. It is a beautiful and extremely sad book.

Book Recommendation - The Twins by Saskia Sarginson

Name of the book: The Twins
Author: Saskia Sarginson
Number of Pages: 384

This is the kind of book that stays with you long after you have finished reading it. The novel is about two identical twins, and some tragic event in the past makes them the way they are today. One of the twins seems to have everything: career, friends, a boyfriend, but she is unable to talk about her past. The other twin is in hospital for the umpteenth time as she fights against her anorexia. There is a secret that these two sisters share, which will be revealed in the right moment. The novel alternates between the present time  (1984) and the past when the sisters were children and living with their mother. As you journey through the book, you get to know these two women and why they are now in this point in their lives. It's well worth reading.

Book Recommendation - Sleep with the Lights on by Maggie Shayne

Name of the book: Sleep with the Lights On

Author: Maggie Shayne

Number of Pages: 368

If you are keen on mysteries and the supernatural, you might want to check this book. It is about Rachel de Luca, a blind woman who is incredibly successful with her self-help books. The interesting thing about Rachel is that she is not the typical tame handicapped character, but she is cheeky, rude, and foul-mouthed. Then after many years of blindness, she is lucky to have a cornea transplant which restores her sight. The transplant comes from Detective Mason Brown's brother, who has just died and has a terrible secret. From this moment on, Rachel starts having visions of brutal murders, and she soon learns that her visions are connected to her transplant, and Detective Brown will help her discover the truth. This is the first book in a series, and I think they are all very entertaining novels. I don't usually like books about paranormal phenomena or too fantastic plots, but I found this one quite different even though it has some fantastic elements. 

Book Recommendation - One Step Too Far by Tina Seskis

Name of the book: One Step Too Far
Author: Tina Seskis
Number of Pages: 352

Emily has everything: a lovely home, a happy marriage, a beautiful family... Yet, one day she walks out of her life and starts as someone completely new. The novel keeps us guessing until the end. Intriguing and captivating...

Book Recommendation - A Boy Made of Blocks by Keith Stuart

Name of the book: A Boy Made of Blocks
Author: Keith Stuart
Number of Pages: 387

A Boy Made of Blocks is a wonderful book that will move and charm you at the same time. It is a father who finds it difficult to cope with his autistic son. The novel tells the story of this father's struggle and how he manages to finally connect with the boy through a simple computer game. A beautiful book based on the experiences of the author with his own autistic son.

Book Recommendation - Love Virtually by Daniel

Name of the book: Love Virtually
Author: Daniel Glattauer
Number of Pages: 190

If you like romantic novels, this is a sweet story about two strangers that start a 'virtual' relationship through email. The novel is composed of the emails these two people exchange. It is not difficult to understand, and I think it is quite entertaining.

And if you want to find out what happens to the main characters in the end, you can read the sequel, Every Seventh Wave.

Book Recommendation - Little Sister by Isabel Ashdown

Name of the book: Little Sister
Author: Isabel Ashdown
Number of Pages: 384

This is a thriller about two sisters who are reunited after falling out for many years. Then one of the sister's baby disappears, things become strained. Nothing is what it seems, and as you read the book, there are a few twists and surprises.