Snow in April (by Rosamunde Pilcher)

(Amazon UK link)

'Snow in April' is one of the lighter and shorter works of fiction by Rosamunde Pilcher. She is one of my favourite modern authors. Indeed, she is probably the best writer I have come across, as far as getting inside the skins of her characters.

In this book, Caroline, who is about to get married, drives to Scotland. It's something of an impromptu visit. She takes her younger brother with her, to try and find their long-lost elder brother. They are stranded in a snowstorm and take refuge in a mansion with an unhappy young man.

It's an enjoyable light read with the author's usual excellent style despite this being one of her earliest novels. The people are believable and the ending is positive and happy, albeit rather predictable.

(You can also read my longer review of 'Snow in April' written nine years later after re-reading)

A Father before Christmas (by Neil Boyd)

(Amazon UK link)

I like the collections of short stories by Neil Boyd featuring the young Roman Catholic priest Father Neil.

'A Father before Christmas' is is the second book in the series. He is now well established in his curacy with the rather crotchety Father Duddleswell.  In this book, he learns quite a bit about women and also about life.

This made good light reading, and I found it somewhat amusing in places.

Recommended, if you like this kind of thing.

This Present Darkness (by Frank Peretti)

(Amazon UK link)

'This Present Darkness' is a Christian thriller by Frank Peretti.

I thought it a brilliant story. It revolves around the fictional small American town of Ashton. Hank, a pastor, wrestles in prayer against the forces of darkness, as a New Age conspiracy tries to take over.

Angels and demons are involved in the cast of this book, showing the spiritual battle alongside the earthly one. I found it convincingly realistic, with a satisfactory conclusion. The writing style is a bit basic and the characters not all that well-developed, but the plot is very clever.

I read this before, about eight years previously, but still found it surprisingly gripping and hard to put down.

(If you'd like to read a longer review of This Present Darkness, I wrote this one five years later, after another re-read).

The Wheel of Fortune (by Susan Howatch)

(Amazon UK link)

'The Wheel of Fortune' is a saga novel by Susan Howatch. I love her writing style and aim to read all her books at some point. But I much prefer her more recent novels about the Church of England to her historical sagas.

'The Wheel of Fortune' is the story of the house of Oxmoon. It's also about the strange power which the house seems to wield over the family.

The novel, which is long, extends over several decades. It's cleverly written and the past is slowly uncovered. Emotions are laid bare, and power struggles tear people apart.

I found this book a gripping read. It's very well-written with believable characters. Having said that, it's probably my least favourite of this author's books so far - but the bar is high. 

Other people love this book, so I may re-read it some day and see if I like it better.

The Screwtape letters (by C S Lewis)

(Amazon UK link)

'The Screwtape Letters' is classic Christian fiction by CS Lewis. He is probably best known for his 'Narnia' books for children. But he was also quite famous for his books of Christian apologetics, such as 'Mere Christianity'.

This book is all written as letters from a senior demon to his nephew. They advise how to administer temptation most effectively. A clear Christian message is presented in this rather unusual form, and is all the more striking as a result.

I read this book before, many years ago. But I found it thought-provoking and enjoyable on re-reading.

Highly recommended.

Glittering Images (by Susan Howatch)

(Amazon UK link)

'Glittering Images' is a novel by Susan Howatch, and is the first in the Starbridge series.

This book takes a while to get going, but is an incredibly powerful story set in the 1930s in the UK.

Charles Ashworth, a young clergman in the Church of England, has a commission from the Archbishop of Canterbury. He is sent to see if a bishop in the fictional town of Starbridge is potentially causing a scandal by his indiscretions.

Charles gets caught up in the strange household he discovers. Various crises start to unravel his own past, and we gradually learn about his personal hangups.

Charles meets Jon Darrow, a psychic high Anglican monk, who becomes his spiritual director. We are taken right into the ministry of psychological healing as Jon helps Charles to re-look at his upbringing and understand his repressed emotions.

There's an exciting and fast-moving plot with believable people. I thought this book amazing.

Highly recommended.

(See this post for a longer review of the novel, re-read in 2007)

Free Range Education (edited by Terri Dowty)

(Amazon UK link)

I have only 'met' Terri Dowty online, on one of the bigger forums about home education in the UK. When I heard that she was proposing to put together a book about home education, written from the perspectives of several different parents, I was delighted to be asked to contribute.

I was thus involved with 'Free Range Education' (known affectionately as FRed) almost from the beginning. So it was a great thrill, at last, to see it in print. I can't, of course, judge my own contribution, so this review is about the rest of the book.

About twenty British families write about home education, in an unstructured and very enthusiastic way. The overwhelming impression given by the book is that children educated at home, free from the restraints and curriculum requirements of school, are mature, well-spoken, well-rounded individuals with a wide variety of gifts and abilities.

Each family in the book is different, having chosen to home educate for various reasons. Each adopts a different style, depending very much on the needs of the children. We read about day-to-day life in families from all walks of life, with some briefer comments from some of the children themselves.

There are brief sections outlining the legalities of home education in the UK, and answering some of the frequently asked questions. But the main focus is the personal experiences which make this a very enjoyable and inspiring book. I loved reading it, and feel honoured to have been a part of it.

Highly recommended.

Three men on the Bummel (by Jerome K Jerome)

(Amazon UK link)

I had previously read the classic 'Three men in a boat' by Jerome K Jerome, to my sons, and we all loved it.

So I thought we'd try 'Three men on the Bummel'. It's - kind of - a sequel. This time, George, Harris and J decide to make a cycling tour of Germany.

The early chapters discuss their family life with scant regard to their wives. The later chapters describe their travels. It's rather rambling, with a bit of humour now and again.

It was a fairly good book to read aloud to young teenagers, although I would probably have skimmed somewhat if I'd read to myself.

Those who Serve (by Marcia Willett)

(Amazon UK link)

'Those who Serve' was the first published novel by Marcia Willett.

This book features two women called Kate and Cass. They are close friends who are very different in outlook. Kate's marriage is unhappy, yet she stays faithful to her husband. Cass, by contrast, has many affairs. She plays 'Russian roulette' as she puts it, despite having a happy family life.

The first chapter is a flash-forward to tragedy in Cass's life. This clearly overshadows the whole book.

I thought it very well-written, with believable people and subplots. There is a hopeful ending even in the midst of pain.

Recommended.

(I wrote a longer review of 'Those who Serve' in 2008, on re-reading)