Other Fiction - i.e. Not thrillers or sci-fi

This is a collection of other fiction that I've read and enjoyed.
  • The Time Traveller's Wife by Audrey Niefenegger

    This fine book, now a film, is a love story with Henry, a man with a genetic anomaly who keeps slipping to different points in time as the central character. It's cleverly done. I'm not usually one for love stories - but this one is different! The book is in my opinion considerably better than the film, although the film is ok.

  • The Bartimaeus Trilogy by Jonathan Stroud.

    This is a fantastic trilogy about a demon called Bartimaeus and his enslavement by Nathan, who uses him to win and exercise power. The author does a masterful job of transferring the reader's sympathy between characters as the series progresses. Highly recommended.

  • The Kiterunner by Khaled Hosseini

    A fantastic novel - set initially in Afghanistan and then in the US. A story of betrayal and seeking redemption.

  • A Thousand Splendid Suns by Khaled Hosseini.

    Another superb novel set in Afghanistan by Khaled Hosseini. Heart rending story of two women, Mariam and Laila in war torn Afghanistan and the hardships they face.

  • The Book Thief by Markus Zusak

    A curious book, narrated by Death, about a girl in Germany brought up by foster parents during the time of the Third Reich. It's a very powerful and thought provoking read.

  • Captain Corelli's Mandolin by Louis De Bernieres

    • A love story set on the Greek island of Cephalonia - mostly during the second world war when it was taken over by the Italians and then the Germans. The central story is the relationship between Pelagia, the doctor's daughter and Captain Corelli, an Italian officer who is billeted with them during the occupation. A well written and thought provoking novel. Don't bother with the film (starring Nicholas Cage) - it's a very poor adaptation.


    The following three books form a trilogy set in a fictional South American country. It is hard to categorise them - they are a mixture of satire and humour mixed with brutality and more than a hint of the paranormal. I thorougly enjoyed them - although they are definitely disturbing in places! They can be bought as a boxed set.

  • The War of Don Emmanuel's Nether Parts by Louis De Bernieres
  • Senor Vivo and the Coca Lord by Louis De Bernieres
  • The Troublesome Offspring of Cardinal Guzman by Louis De Bernieres
  • Cannery Row by John Steinbeck
  • Sweet Thursday by John Steinbeck
  • Love of Seven Dolls by Paul Gallico
  • If Only It Were True by Marc Levy

    • A curious but delightful love story with a strong paranormal element. Translated from the French it features a woman in a coma who "haunts" the man who moves into her vacated apartment. A film (not a patch on the book) called "Just Like Heaven" has been made.

  • Uncle Petros and Goldbach's Conjectureby Apostolos Doxiadis

    • Goldbach's conjecture, as outlined by him in a letter to Leonhard Euler in 1742 states that every even number is the sum of two prime numbers. To the present day it remains unconfirmed. This story explores the life of the protagonist, Uncle Petros, through the eyes of his nephew as he attempted to solve it. A curious and enjoyable tale.