Few Books have ever had such as impact as Wild Swans. Since its first publication it has been translated in 39 languages and sold more than 10 million copies. Through the story of three generations of women in her own family - grandmother,mother and daughter - Jung Chang reveals the whole tragic history of China's twentieth century.
This book is a tale of extraordinary cruelty and bravery. Breathtaking in scope and unforgettable.
Off the Beaten Track by Kathryn Thomas
My favourite far away places - kathryn travels to exotic locations such as Antarctica. Papa New Guinea, Ethiopia, Mali, Venezuela, outback Australia and the Himalayas. Kathryn's encounters with these places and their people make for riveting compelling travel writing. The reader is taken by the hand and lead into the heart of these places.
The perfect book for an armchair traveller or a daring backpacker.
Fastnet Force 10 by John Rousmaniere
You won't be able to put this book down! It's exciting, exhilarating and frightening, especially if you are a yacht sailor. I am in awe of the bravery of all concerned.
The Forgotten Garden by Kate Morton
This book is a piece of magical fiction. It is a powerful, moving story of lies, love, searching, and finally, knowledge. It tells of a poor little rich girl and her ambitious, devious mother who only wants the very best for her daughter. Whatever Rose wants, Rose gets. Nothing is allowed to get in the way, and when Eliza comes into the picture, she and Rose develop a powerful bond. There is mystery galore in this novel, going back through generations of the Mountrachet family. What happened to the beautiful Georgiana? Why? There are many questions to be answered, and the story eventually unravels the mystery. We travel from Australia to Cornwall, firstly with Nell, who has to search out her origins, and later, with Cassandra, Nell's granddaughter, who hopes to find the answers to so many questions that have haunted Nell throughout her life.
Tiger Hills by Sarita Mandanna
Tiger Hills is a utterly engrossing tale that will seduce you from page to page and hold you until the end. It is based in 1878 in southern India. The main character is a little girl called Devi who is adored by everyone in her family. She befriends a young boy called Devanna who's life is beginning in tragic circumstances. The two friends quickly become inseparable. Their futures seem to be inevitably linked until one night Devi meets a tiger killer and makes a decision that changes their lives forever.
Marley& Me by John Grogan
You've probably heard of this book by now as it is an international bestseller and has been made in a Hollywood blockbuster.
This book conjured up all my emotions with a well written story about a mischievous family pet and his funny behaviours.
A perfect book for a gift for anyone.
Tragedy is a word too often used. Nevertheless, in Star of the Sea Joseph O'Connor manages to achieve a real sense of the tragic, as personal dramas of the most distressing kind play themselves out against the background of the Irish potato famine and the almost equal nightmare of the mass emigration that it caused. As passengers die of starvation and disease in steerage, a drama of adultery, inadvertent incest and inherited disease plays itself out in first class. O'Connor raises, and does not attempt definitively to answer, real questions about responsibility and choice.
