Whenever I finish a book, I write a short review on the Shelfari website – I keep all my reviews private as I often include spoilers, but it helps me keep track of what I have been reading. This is also where I set myself a target of 100 books in 2014, and I’m glad to say I have met this target – although I have to admit to not finishing a few of these books as I made it my policy to give up on books that I hate – life is too short!
Over the course of the year, I have given five star ratings to a total of 11 books. I’ll be publishing a short synopsis and review on here every day until New Year’s Eve. These aren’t necessarily books that were published this year; instead this is just a list of the books I loved the most in 2014.
Starting today with…
Small Island by Andrea Levy
It is 1948, and Hortense has moved from Jamaica to London to live with her husband Gilbert. She is horrified with the room she ends up living in, which Gilbert rents from Londoner Queenie. We find out more about her, and her back story, and at the same time we find out more about Queenie and her life.
This book fascinated me and I loved finding out about the characters – and often finding out how they have got to where they are. We find out a lot about London in the 1940s and the racist attitudes Hortense and the other characters have to deal with, and in this way we find out more about the characters themselves.
Title: Small Island
Author: Andrea Levy
Publication date: 2004
My Shelfari rating: Five stars *****
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