The Mark (by Tim LaHaye and Jerry Jenkins)

(Amazon UK link)

I did like the early books in Tim LaHaye and Jerry Jenkins' ever-increasing 'Left Behind' series about the tribulation. But each subsequent book seems to have covered less and less, with no character development whatsoever.

'The Mark' (which we borrowed rather than buying) covers the next few days in the lives of the Tribulation Force - the small band of Christians who were converted after the rapture. They are settling into a new 'safe house' after the resurrection of Nicolae, the anti-christ.

New rules in the global society state that everyone must receive a mark on his forehead, indicating allegiance to the government, or be executed. So the believers who are still working for Nicolae, keeping their faith secret, must plot an escape, in a way that ensures they will not be traced.

The plot is exciting, and I was interested to know what happened, but I still couldn't really bring myself to care about any of the characters, as they are all so remarkably flat. I felt more emotion at the execution of total strangers than in any of hte interactions of the main cast.

There's a lot of theology and 'preaching' in the book, with experts explaining how it all ties in with a literal interpretations of the Biblical book of Revelation. All rather long-winded and, in my opinion, not very interesting.

The Black Sheep (by Georgette Heyer)

(Amazon UK link)

I do like Georgette Heyer's books, particularly her historical romances. They're not just light fiction - the research is always excellent, the settings realistic, and the characters delightful. I re-read them all regularly. Although I've collected most of her books from charity shops, they remain in print almost constantly.

'Black Sheep' is about Abigail, who lives with her charming (though nearly brainless) wealthy sister, and her highly-strung romantic niece Fanny. Unfortunately, Fanny has fallen in love with an impoverished fortune-hunter.

Abigail tries to release Fanny from her infatuation, with little result. Then his uncle appears on the scene, the 'black sheep' of the family. He has no family feeling, so although Abigail hopes he too will see the improvidence of the match, he has no intention of doing anything about it.

However, rather to Abigail's surprise, she gets along extremely well with the uncle, as they share a sense of humour. Eventually he does take a hand to assist her, in an amusing and unexpected way.

Racy, fast-paced, with likeable characters and - as ever - a most satisfactory ending. Very enjoyable.

(I wrote a longer review of 'Black Sheep' on re-reading six years later in 2008)

Parson Harding's Daughter (by Joanna Trollope)

(Amazon UK link)

I've enjoyed most of Joanna Trollope's modern novels, so thought I might try one of her historical ones, which were originally written under the pseudonym of Caroline Harvey. They're mostly out of print now, but can often be found second-hand or in charity shops.

'Parson Harding's Daughter' is about a young woman called Caroline, the rather unconventional daughter of the local parson. She has a brief love affair that comes to nothing when her beloved sails to India.

Some years later, Caroline's father's sponsor wants her nephew (who just happens to be Caroline's previous admirer) to settle down in India, believing him to be rather wild and associating with people she doesn't approve of. So she arranges for Caroline, who is still unmarried, to join him.

Caroline is quite eager to go, but quickly discovers just how far he has fallen into a low form of life, particularly gambling and heavy drinking. Nevertheless, she does what she can to look after him, having no other prospects. She befriends the servants and slowly gets to know the local folk.

I suppose it's a realistic portrayal of life in colonial India, with a courageous girl making the most of appalling circumstances. I found the book a bit disturbing in places, although the ending is encouraging. I doubt if I'll read it again.

But if you love historical fiction, the writing is good and seems authentic, so it may be worth reading. 'Parson Harding's Daughter' is no longer in print, but fairly easy to find second-hand.

The Sheep-Pig (by Dick King-Smith)

(Amazon UK link)

One of my favourite modern children's authors - whom I only discovered when my sons were small - is Dick King-Smith. Most of his books are about animals endowed with rather human characteristics, and are full of gentle humour and great characterisation.

One of my favourites, which I found lying around and picked up to re-read, is 'The Sheep-Pig'. It's the story of Babe, a highly intelligent piglet who has ambitions to be a sheepdog. He is a remarkably diplomatic and polite pig, who treats sheep with respect and thus is as successful - if not more so - than most sheepdogs.

It's a lovely story with some humour, excitement and tension, and (of course) a happy ending. Highly recommended to read aloud to younger children, or for reasonably confident readers of about six or seven. But be aware that there are some clear indications of how pigs are treated at farms, in the early chapters. 

This book was made into a film: 'Babe' which is suitable for all the family, and keeps reasonably close to the book. We saw it in the cinema a long time ago, and all enjoyed it. However, afterwards my older son, aged about eight at the time, insisted that he would never eat any 'pig meat' again. He kept to his resolution, rather to my surprise, and became fully vegetarian in his teens.

Grianan (by Alexandra Raife)

(Amazon UK link)

I am enjoying Alexandra Raife's books, gradually collecting them on my shelves. They're all character-based, all set in Scotland - at least, so far.

'Grianan' (known, for some reason, by the more prosaic title of 'Mountain Heather' in the USA) was the third of her published novels. In this book, a young woman called Sally escapes from her well-ordered life to Grianan, to help run her aunt's country hotel. She meets and is instantly attracted to Mike, a young married man.

Sally immerses herself in her work to try and forget him, but he recurs in her life after an appalling tragedy.

A pleasant enough book, although I was a bit shocked about the assumption that two people attracted to each other would naturally end up in bed together, even after very little acquaintance. However, other than this I found the characters believable and likeable, and the plot well-developed with a reassuring ending. 

Recommended.

An innocent diversion (by Kathleen Rowntree)

(Amazon UK link)

I like Kathleen Rowntree's novels. Unfortunately they all seem to be out of print now, although they can sometimes be found second-hand. I can't even find anything much about the author online.

'An innocent diversion' features two very different women. Sonia always dresses immaculately, and keeps her home spotless. She is kept in high style by her ex-husband David. Fran, by contrast, is a farmer's wife with two daughters. Her adult daughter Heather works in Sonia's favourite shoe shop.

One day, Sonia bumps her car into that of Jason, a young bank employee, and then befriends him.

The plot alternates between Fran's life and Sonia's life, as circumstances gradually draw them closer and closer, until eventually they have one meeting.

Various emotions are uncovered, and I found the people to be charming and believable, and the plot is not at all predictable.

The whole book is written in the present tense, which seems odd at first, but it works well. An enjoyable book, with a hopeful conclusion.

Belonging (by Alexandra Raife)

(Amazon UK link)

I only discovered Alexandra Raife's novels last year, on the recommendation of a relative. Once I start enjoying a writer's work, I like to collect everything they have written, so I put some of her books on my wish list, and received one for Christmas.

'Belonging' features Rebecca, who leaves her high-powered job in Edinburgh after a shock. She goes to stay at Ardlonach, the family ancestral home, which has been converted to a hotel.

When she arrives, Rebecca finds that her cousin Tony has walked out on his wife Una. Rebecca agrees to take on the management of the hotel temporarily. Despite discovering some dubious practices, and clashing with some of the staff, she and Una between them begin to make a success of it.

Meanwhile, Rebecca gets to know the neighbours (some of whom appeared in one of the earlier books by the same author) and finds herself falling in love.

Towards the end of the book, Rebecca manages to resolve a problem which has been worrying her for a while, and her future starts to look hopeful.

All in all, a very pleasant book. Lovely people and places, a gentle and relaxing read.