Saturday by Ian McEwan

"Henry can't resist the urgency of his cases, or deny the egotistical joy in his own skills, or the pleasure he still takes in the relief of the relatives when he comes down from the operating room like a god, an angle with the glad tidings – life, not death."

This was one of those occasions where I made the mistake of purchasing the e-book rather than the physical variety. I wish I hadn't. This was so great that it really deserved sharing. There is so much going on here in so few pages, it is expertly rendered and almost poetic in its depth.

One of the more unexpected notes is the literary references which pepper a novel about a neurosurgeon. It is really interesting to see the interactions within a family peopled by the artistic, creative types - Hugo the musician, Daisy the poet; and the practical - Henry the surgeon and his wife , the journalist, a chronicler of facts. It was almost hand crafted for someone trying to finish the 1001 list of novels to read before you die ( hello – that's totally me!).

It is amazing how McEwan captures the heightened sensations of a post 9-11 world, coupled with much more immediate threats of violence. This book has non-stop thrills and spills that have your heart beating at a faster pace, while it also tugs at your fears about ageing and dementia.  How can so much fit within such a slim volume? It truly is a masterpiece.

I feel it would be terribly mean of me to give away the main action, other than to say it is gripping and you definitely need to get yourself a copy. Energy, suspense, depth of feeling, this one has it all.

5 out of 5 this one really spoke to me.

The Corrections by Jonathan Franzen

“It’s the fate of most Ping-Pong tables in home basements eventually to serve the ends of other, more desperate games.”

Rare is the novel that can make you laugh out loud one minute and hate yourself the next. This is such a novel and it is just as good as all the critics would have you believe. Every family is a bit of a basket case aren’t they? Recognising aspects of my own in this novel was equal parts mortifying, entertaining and sad. It really is no surprise to me that this novel has been so well regarded ( yay another tick on the 1001 novel list) including winning the 2001 National Book Award for Fiction and 2002 James Tait Black Memorial Prize (thanks Wikipedia).

Albert and Enid Lambert remind me of my parents, particularly in the way Enid espouses judgements on all who will listen and Alfred’s worsening grip on reality. I could see the worst aspects of myself and my brother in the behaviour of their three children, Gary, Denise and Chip. Let's hope my parent's upcoming cruise is not as eventful.

I'm glad I read this when I did. I think I'm the right age. Old enough to have lived and made some interesting mistakes, and young enough to be confused by the notion of ageing and the way it creeps up on you. Sometimes I feel like a bit of a fraud like Denise, trying to be the perfect daughter. Its probably something a lot of people can relate to. Substitute the ping pong table with a pool table and you have my parent's house summed up.

 5 out of 5 -  all families are weird, all relationships are strange.

Empire of the Sun by J G Ballard

"All afternoon they moved northwards across the plains of the Whangpoo River, through the maze of creeks and canals that separated the paddy fields."

As a fan of Ballard's work, I'd resisted this particular novel for quite some time, due mainly to the subject matter. Somehow graphic violence seemed more palatable at a remove, like car crashes, crazy apartment buildings and other worlds. War novels tend to be my last choice for reading material, that's just me, I find the idea that the world never learns from any of them one that is difficult to swallow.

Having got that out of the way, I have to say reading this novel inspired by Ballard's childhood traumas, certainly gives additional meaning to the bleak, lack of hope that peppers his other works. Shortlisted for the Booker Prize this is a fast paced read that also ticks off another 1001 novels entry for my list obsessive tendencies.

A young, aircraft obsessed boy growing up in the privileged ex-pat surrounds of  Shanghai has his world turned upside down by Japanese occupation. The author captures the confusion, the starvation, the horror and the loss of innocence inherent in such traumatic circumstances with such vivid attention that I almost flew through the pages.

Definitely worth a read.

5 out of 5, at times cocktail olives can be your friend.

Nights at the Circus by Angela Carter

"She had a brisk air of bristle, like a terrier bitch. There was ex-whore written all over her."

Despite what amounts to a very cool looking cover and the fact that I've really enjoyed some other works by the same author; this one just really didn't do it for me. Perhaps it was the continued weirdness, yes , I get that its fantasy but the cockney feathered lady was just a little bit too much for me, never mind the other weird characters.

I have to say, I find the idea of the circus repugnant and I'm never sure why. Other people I know marvel at Cirque de Soleil, but for me the circus is to theatre as porn is to movies. Sure its filmed the same way, but it leaves you feeling a bit dirty and the stars strike me as something tainted. It's a personal bias but one that probably drives my inability to engage with this novel.

It also doesn't help that Jack comes across as such a hopeless sap. I prefer a male protagonist that is a bit more together than this love sick pup who at times really loses it 'cock a doodle doo".

2 out of 5, I'm scared of clowns