The elegance of the hedgehog (by Muriel Barbery)

(Amazon UK link)

I had never heard of Muriel Barbery, but her book ‘The elegance of the hedgehog’ was chosen for our local reading group. I liked the cover when my (used) copy of the book arrived, and thought the blurb on the back sounded very interesting. It was originally written in French, so I have been reading a translation; it’s also all set in Paris. 

Indeed, it’s not just set in Paris: almost everything in the book is set in a luxurious apartment block in Paris. There are two main protagonists in the book, and at first sight they seem quite different. Renée is the concierge; she’s middled-aged, widowed and tell us that she’s somewhat overweight. 

Paloma is a twelve-year-old girl who lives in one of the flats with her parents and older sister. Her parents are supposedly socialists, but they’re also very wealthy. Paloma has decided that she’s going to kill herself on her 13th birthday, as she sees a tedious adulthood ahead of her, and doesn’t think she can escape. 

The Cupid effect (by Dorothy Koomson)

(Amazon UK link)

It’s fifteen years since I read Dorothy Koomson’s novel ‘The Cupid effect’.  Unsurprisingly, I had totally forgotten the story as well as the characters. But I did vaguely recall that I had liked it the first time around, so was looking forward to rereading it.

The  main character is a young woman called Ceri, who lives in London. Since it’s an abbreviation of the Latin name Ceresis, I thought of the pronunciation as ‘Serry’, or possibly ‘Cherry’. But she’s greeted by an old friend as ‘Kerry’, so I’m assuming that’s the intended pronunciation. Not that it really matters. The book is narrated in the first person from her perspective.

Ceri is a likable and intelligent person, who gets far too involved in other people’s problems, particularly romantic or sexual ones. This isn’t deliberate on her behalf, but she’s a good listener, and people seem to gravitate towards her, telling her their life stories. This often includes things she would rather not know, and she becomes quite overwhelmed.

The exiles in love (by Hilary McKay)

(Amazon UK link)

I’ve been enjoying rereading some of the books by Hilary McKay. She’s an author for children whom I discovered about fifteen years ago when another blogger recommended her excellent ‘Saffy’s Angel’. I reread that series last year, and then decided to reread the shorter ‘Exiles’ series. 

I read ‘The exiles’ at the end of December, and ‘The exiles at home’ in February. And I’ve just finished the third in the trilogy, ‘The exiles in love’, which I last read in 2012. Whereas the earlier two could be considered children’s books, this one is more for younger teenagers. And it’s slightly different in style. 

The Conroy family are still the main focus of the book, but each chapter opens with a brief dialogue, between Ruth and Naomi, evidently some time after the events which they are describing. It felt a bit weird at first, but I quickly got used to it, and by the final chapters had realised what was going on, though it’s all very low key.

But the bulk of the story happens when Ruth is nearly fifteen, and Naomi thirteen. Rachel is ten, and Phoebe eight. Their characters are quite distinct, and I liked catching up with them again. The story is about the summer when they - Ruth and Naomi, anyway - started exhibiting the family failing: falling in love with totally unsuitable people. 

It starts with a squashed hedgehog, which is rather sad, but Ruth then falls in love with the school bus driver. And she’s also rather keen on her new substitute teacher for Literature, who spends the lessons reading aloud from a variety of novels. Naomi finds him very attractive too. They’re the only two girls who have actually read most of the books in the school library, and Naomi in particular helps him to remember what he’s previously covered. 

Then Ruth starts to fall for a young man in the sixth form at school, who’s helping out his uncle at the butcher’s shop. Oh, and she’s passionate about Mr Rochester in ‘Jane Eyre’ and keeps reading the book until it’s almost fallen to pieces.

Into the mix comes Philippe, a French teenager, the grandson of an old friend of Big Grandma’s. He comes to stay with the Conroys for a fortnight, and turns out to be charming, friendly, and very helpful around the house. All four girls fall a little bit in love with him, and Rachel asks if he will marry her. He says he will… and he also helps Rachel to change her appearance for the better. 

Then the story moves to France where Big Grandma takes the four girls on a holiday, staying in a rather basic cottage with an outside toilet… there’s some humour as the girls experiment with their non-existent French as they try to go shopping…

I didn’t find this book quite as appealing as the earlier two, possibly because it’s more about Ruth and Naomi than about the younger ones.  Phoebe is determined to be a spy when she grows up, and Rachel eats anything and everything, although there’s no mention of her being overweight. But - perhaps since it’s supposed to be Ruth and Naomi remembering - most of the story revolves around them. We see very little of their parents, and not a great deal of Big Grandma.

Still, it’s quite cleverly done, and I did appreciate that the end of the book brings a definite closure to the Conroy ‘Exile’ trilogy.  Definitely recommended if you’ve read the first two, but it would seem a bit confusing to read this alone, as there are quite a few references to people who appeared in the earlier volumes.

Recommended to children of perhaps ten and upwards, or to adults who appreciate Hilary McKay’s style of writing.

Review copyright 2026 Sue's Book Reviews

The ideal husband (by Erica James)

(Amazon UK link)

I have liked Erica James’ books since I first started reading them over 25 years ago. As she publishes each new one - and it’s around one per year - I put it on my wishlist as soon as it’s out in paperback. I was very pleased to be given ‘An ideal husband’ for my birthday, nearly a year ago. As I was re-reading my Erica James novels at the time, I put this one on my to-read shelf, and have only just read it this week. 

The main character is a very likeable women in her early sixties called Louisae. She’s driving home on a beautiful spring day, feeling as if, perhaps, there might be something to look forward to. She’s been struggling for a couple of months, trying to stay strong. Her husband of nearly forty years announced just after Christmas that he was leaving her for a much younger woman. 

Up to that point she had thought Kip was the perfect husband. He was kind, responsible, good with the children - and their two small granddaughters - and she loved him. She was looking forward to spending more time with him as their retirement years approached. Now the future seems bleak. But nothing prepares her for the shock of seeing a ‘for sale’ board in front of their home. 

Rebel heiress (by Jane Aiken Hodge)

(Amazon UK link)

I started reading books by Jane Aiken Hodge when I was a teenager, and over the decades have collected several of them. I decided it was time for a re-read, and have just finished her historical romance novel, ‘Rebel Heiress’. I last read it in 2006, and had totally forgotten the characters and the story.

The first person we meet is Henrietta Marchmont, and we’re told that the year is 1812. She’s been living in the United States, where her mother was born. She lived with her aunt, whom she never much liked, as her mother died in childbirth. But the aunt has now died. Henrietta had always been told that her father, who was British, had gone back to the UK before she was born, and had never been heard from. 

Her aunt’s home has been left to the church, but she has discovered some papers and letters showing that her father did try to get in touch, but that her aunt suppressed the letters. And then he was told that both she and her mother died, so he made no more attempt to be in contact. Henrietta decides that her only option is to find a ship that will take her to England, so she can hope to find refuge with her father. 

Love your life (by Sophie Kinsella)

(Amazon UK link)

I’ve been reading novels by the late Sophie Kinsella for over a decade now.  For too long I ignored her writing as ‘chick-lit’, but when I was eventually persuaded to try one, I was very pleasantly surprised. She was an excellent writer, with ironic humour and interesting people. Exaggerated, perhaps, but not caricatured, or not overly so.  And her stories are quite moving, too. 

I picked up ‘Love your life’ at a church book stall towards the end of 2024, and have only just read it. It didn’t take me very long - these books are always easy to read, and I had more time available than usual. 

The main character, who narrates in the first person, is a young woman called Ava. And when we first meet her, she’s musing about a recent date she had with someone she didn’t much like. Then we see her handing her dog Harold over to her friend Nell, as she’s about to embark on a holiday in Italy. Clearly Ava is very attached to Harold. 

A leader in the Chalet School (by Elinor M Brent-Dyer)

(Amazon UK link)

It’s nearly ten years since I last read ‘A leader in the Chalet School’, one of the later books in Elinor M Brent-Dyer’s lengthy series. I had vaguely remembered that Len Maynard emerges as a leader, but nothing else. 

Jack Lambert is a new girl in this, aged eleven. Her sister Anne is also new, but Anne is quiet and conforms with others, so we don’t see much of her. Jack (whose real name is Jacynth, but she loathes it) is much more interesting. She’s outspoken, she’s mischievous, and she’s something of a tomboy. She is thrilled to be at the Chalet School, and - to start with, at any rate - works hard and makes some friends. 

But Jack is easily bored. When the girls are stuck inside due to bad weather, or when others are reading or playing quiet games, she decides to be independent. And more than once she plays a practical joke which doesn’t turn out too well. But Jack is truthful, and always owns up to her sins.

Brief shining (by Kathleen Rowntree)

(Amazon UK link)

When I started rereading my collection of novels by Kathleen Rowntree, I was certain that each one stood alone, without any overlap of characters. Nevertheless, I thought I might as well read them in order of publication, rather than the order in which I previously read them as I acquired each one.

It’s nearly eighteen years since I first read ‘Brief shining’, so I wasn’t surprised that I had entirely forgotten the story and the people involved. But what surprised me even more is that the author used names which she had used in ‘The quiet war of Rebecca Sheldon’, which I reread in January. Then it struck me: ‘Brief shining’ is a sequel. It does stand alone - I had no idea of this when I first read it - but it continues the lives of several of the characters from that book. I had felt when I finished ‘The quiet war…’ that some of the threads felt unfinished. So it’s good to know that they did continue, even though it’s set some years later.

Sally is the main character in this book, however. She’s eight years old at the beginning, and adores her family’s summer holidays at her grandparents’  home. Her grandfather, George, is approaching seventy but is active and mostly very kind. Her grandmother Rebecca has somewhat retreated from life due to a heart condition, and mostly stays in her room. Their unmarried daughter Bunny looks after them, and rather rules the roost. 

Appleby Farm (by Cathy Bramley)

(Amazon UK link)

I’ve been reading books by Cathy Bramley for a few years now, and have liked them all. So I added a couple more to my wishlist last year, and was given ‘Appleby Farm’ for Christmas. I picked it up to read a few days ago, and was quickly engrossed.

Freya is the main protagonist. The story is told from her perspective, in the first person. We first meet her working in a café, training a new employee. We quickly learn that she’s been helping out a friend who had been injured, and that this is temporary. But she isn’t really sure what she wants from life. She’s in her late twenties, but hasn’t yet settled into anything long-term. 

Out of the blue, Freya gets a phone call from her aunt, saying that her uncle has fallen from his tractor and they wonder if she could come to help out for a few days. She drops everything to travel to the Lake District, to Appleby Farm. She loves the place. She spent more time with her aunt and uncle there when she was growing up than she did with her parents. 

Emily climbs (by Lucy Maud Montgomery)

(Amazon UK link)

I reread ‘Emily of New Moon’ by Lucy Maud Montgomery in January, and liked it more than I had expected. So I’ve just reread the sequel, ‘Emily climbs’, which I last read in 2005. As with the first book, it’s set in Canada, around a hundred years ago in the 1920s. 

Emily is fourteen at the start of the book, just as friendly and sensitive as she was in the first book. She’s still living with her two aunts and a second cousin, and still writes, both fiction and non-fiction, whenever she gets the chance. Her school teacher is an excellent critic, giving her extra attention and commentary because he can see that she has a lot of potential.

The chance comes up for Emily to go to a high school, so far away that she has to have lodgings. It turns out that it’s only about seven miles from New Moon, but in those days of horses and traps, and no public transport, it’s too far for her to go daily. So she goes to stay with her Aunt Ruth, who makes even her Aunt Elizabeth look genial and understanding. 

Reluctant Phoenix (by Helen Parker)

(Amazon UK link)

I had read two of Helen Parker’s novels for older children, and liked her writing style very much. I saw that she had written a novel for adults, so put it on my wishlist and was given it for Christmas. I’ve been reading ‘Reluctant Phoenix’ over the past few days.

There are two main protagonists, Heather and Beth. They’re around the same age, I assume in their early twenties, but very different in personality. And in the first few chapters we meet them in very different circumstances.

At the start of the book, Heather is studying Arabic in Cairo, in January 2011. This is when the Egyptian revolution began, and Heather is caught up in it right at the start. She’s initially nervous, then worried… then makes a bad decision which ends in disaster for one of her friends. 

The chocolate run (by Dorothy Koomson)

(Amazon UK link)

It’s over fifteen years since I read ‘The chocolate run’ by Dorothy Koomson. I’m starting to reread her novels, and couldn’t remember anything about this one. The title appeals, as does the byline on the front: ‘Who needs love when you’ve got chocolate?’ 

However, while chocolate is somewhat significant in this book, it’s mostly about intimate relationships, not all of which were based on love. The main protagonist - and narrator - is a young woman called Amber. I liked her, on the whole. She’s a cautious person who is loyal to her friends, and conflict-avoidant. She likes to be a peacemaker whenever possible, and tends to make jokes rather than get caught up in serious conversation. 

And she loves chocolate. She likes the smell, and the sensations of it melting. When she meets a new person, she associates them with a particular form - or bar - of chocolate. Sometimes she realises she’s wrong, or that the person has extra layers, but it’s a clever method of showing her impression of people without too much description. 

The exiles at home (by Hilary McKay)

(Amazon UK link)

It’s a long time since I read ‘The exiles at home’ by Hilary McKay. I don’t know why I left it so long, as these books are thoroughly enjoyable. I reread the first book in the series, ‘The exiles’, at the end of December, so I felt as if the characters were familiar to me. Hilary McKay’s writing is excellent; she has a gift of characterisation, which makes her people memorable. 

Ruth is the oldest of the Conway offspring. She’s thirteen at the start of the book, and tries to be responsible. But she has a tendency to act without thinking. She is a very good artist, but generally uninterested in school. The next child, Naomi, is twelve, and her main interest is gardening. 

The ‘little ones’ are Rachel, who is nearly nine when this book opens, and Phoebe who is nearly seven. Rachel generally tries to stay out of trouble; she’s usually placid and practical. She’s also very keen on eating. Phoebe is much more intuitive and tends to drift through life with little interest in the consequences of her actions.

A secret garden affair (by Erica James)

(Amazon UK link)

I have liked all the books I’ve read by Erica James, since my husband first gave me some of her books over twenty-six years ago. She’s quite a prolific writer of character-based novels, and I usually acquire each one after it is published as a paperback. I was given ‘A secret garden affair’ for Christmas 2023 but had not read it until the past few days, as I was slowly re-reading my collection of Erica James’ books at a rate of about one per month.

The main character in this book is a likeable young women called Libby. She’s in her late twenties, and we meet her on her way to stay at Larkspur House. The novel is set in 1981, so the whole country is obsessed with the upcoming wedding between Prince Charles and Lady Diana.  Libby is taking refuge after she caught her fiancé in bed with her best friend, three weeks before her wedding. She feels betrayed and deeply hurt, and knows she will be welcomed, loved and not judged by Elfrida and Bess, two women in their late seventies. 

Big sky (by Kate Atkinson)

(Amazon UK link)

I hadn’t previously read anything by Kate Atkinson. But she’s a bestselling author, and her book ‘Big sky’ has several positive recommendations on the cover. I understand that it’s fifth in a loose series involving a private investigator called Jackson Brodie, but it isn’t necessary to have read the earlier ones. 

I doubt if I would have picked this up even if I’d seen it secondhand, but it was this month’s read for our local book group. So I bought it (used) last year, and have been reading it over the past week. It’s quite a long book - nearly 500 pages in my paperback edition - and we’ve been quite busy with guests. 

In addition, it really didn’t grab me. If it hadn’t been for the upcoming book group, I would probably have given up after about fifty pages. The first chapter is gripping: two Polish girls are video chatting with a man in the UK who is promising to find them work in hotels in London. They’re quite wary, but everything seems authentic. And he’s even going to pay for their flights. At the end of the chapter, we learn that he is not who he says he is…

Watch the wall, my darling (by Jane Aiken Hodge)

(Amazon UK link)

I discovered some of Jane Aiken Hodge’s novels when I was a teenager, and on the whole liked them very much. One of my favourites was ‘Watch the wall, my darling’, quoting the famous line which ends… ‘while the smugglers go by’. I last read it in 2008, so had forgotten all the people and the storyline, although I realised that smuggling must somehow play a part.

This novel is set in Sussex, by the coast, during the Napoleonic war period. The heroine is a strong-minded, feisty American girl called Christina, who is in her early twenties. We meet her travelling across the marshes in a hired coach, with a very nervous driver and groom who have been paid well to take her to her destination. She’s been warned by a landlord that she should not travel, and it’s so dark and gloomy - and the journey is taking so long - that she begins to think that she should have take his advice.

The coach has to halt due to branches across the road, and when the three travellers start to pull them aside, they are attacked by masked men. When she says who she is, they are allowed to travel again, with dire threats if they tell anyone what happened. And, at last, Christina arrives at the mansion where, she hopes her grandfather is expecting her. She has never met him, but had promised her late father that she would try to get to know her English family. 

The quiet war of Rebecca Sheldon (by Kathleen Rowntree)

(Amazon UK link)

It’s a long time since I acquired and read the novels by Kathleen Rowntree. I decided to reread them, choosing the order of publication, although each novel is complete in itself, without any overlap of characters. [Or so I thought.]*

So I began with ‘The quiet war of Rebecca Sheldon’, which I read in 2001. I had totally forgotten what it was about, and so was mildly surprised to find that it’s historical rather than contemporary fiction. The novel opens in 1892, when the teenage Rebecca is visiting her schoolfriend Louisa Ludbury during the summer holidays. Rebecca merely tolerates Louisa, who prattles a lot, because she’s rather keen on Louisa’s older brother George.

Mrs Ludbury, who is widowed, is a small and very snobbish woman who tends to look down on anyone who isn’t in her social circles. She doesn’t even like the fact that she lives on a farm; she never wants the farming discussed in the house, and really doesn’t want George to end up as a farmer. And she definitely doesn’t want him marrying Rebecca, whom she insists is a ‘shop girl’. 

Ruey Richardson - Chaletian (by Elinor M Brent-Dyer)

(Amazon UK link)

It’s nearly ten years since I read ‘Ruey Richardson - Chaletian’ by Elinor M Brent-Dyer. It's 44th in the original series. I recalled that I was very pleased to have acquired a ‘Girls Gone By’ full edition, and then a tad disappointed that the book wasn’t all that interesting. So I wasn’t expecting much of it. Still, I hadn’t remembered most of the details, and once I’d started I found it hard to put down. 

The book follows on directly from ‘Joey and co in Tirol’, which I reread - and very much enjoyed - last month. It follows Ruey, the Maynards’ new ward, in her first term at the Chalet School. She is looking forward to it, but she hasn’t been to a boarding school before. So she’s not entirely happy about the rules, and bedtimes in particular. However, she’s a likeable girl, and mostly happy to go with the flow.

Ruey is disliked on site by Francie, a girl in her form who had hoped to become Margot Maynard’s best friend. This thread runs through the book, mostly in a low-key way, and is eventually resolved rather unexpectedly. 

The sunrise sisterhood (by Cathy Bramley)

(Amazon UK link)

I’ve liked all the books I’ve read so far by Cathy Bramley. She’s quite a prolific writer, and I regularly put one or two more of her books on my wishlist. However, it sometimes takes me a while to get to reading new books. I received ‘The sunrise sisterhood’ for Christmas 2023, and have only just read it in the past few days.

The story revolves around three women, with each short chapter headed with Liz, Clare or Skye. I found this a tad confusing at first, but gradually found I could remember them and their backgrounds. The author does a good job with characterisation; they’re not entirely three-dimensional, but quite distinct, with their own voices.

Liz is the owner of a catering company, but she’s done very little in the past few months. Her best friend, and partner in the business, Jen, died in a car crash over a year earlier, but she is still grieving. She’s also lost her enthusiasm for everything other than a few small events.  She has lunch with Jen’s ex-husband Mike, who is also an old friend of hers, and he says he needs repayment of a large loan he gave her company when it started out…

I've got your number (by Sophie Kinsella)

(Amazon UK link)

Our local reading group wanted something light for the post-Christmas/New Year period, and opted for ‘I’ve got your number’ by Sophie Kinsella. Sadly, the author died at just 55 towards the end of last year. I had previously read this book, in April 2015; after nearly eleven years, I had forgotten everything about it, other than that (as hinted by the title) there was a misplaced mobile phone.

Poppy is the main character in this novel. She’s a typical Kinsella heroine: feisty, generous, kind.. and somewhat impetuous. I couldn’t help liking her. We meet her when she’s panicking about having lost her engagement ring. She has been at a gathering of her closest friends, prior to her wedding, in a hotel. One of them badgered her to borrow the ring to try it on, and Poppy was too generous to refuse. Then it got passed around, and she kept her eye on it, but events overtook them… and the ring vanished.