The Broken Bubble - Phillip K Dick

Changing Planes - Ursula le Guin

Our Friends From Frolix 8 - Philip K Dick

Our Friends From Frolix 8 is a typical

Lord Peter Views the Body - Dorothy L Sayers

I really, really wanted to like this book. It held out so much promise.

This is a collection of short-stories feature Lord Peter, a highly intelligent, wealthy and athletic crime-solving aristocrat living in London in the 1920s. I love murder mysteries and stories set in Britain between World War I and World War 2 and was hoping this would fill the void left now that I've read every single Agatha Christie novel.

Alas, it was not to be.

We get told rather than shown Lord Peter's powers of deduction. In most of the stories the reader has no opportunity to solve the mystery themselves and generally the stories are not strong enough to stand on their own (although one or two have a ghoulish appeal - particularly a jealous artist who disposes of his victims by casting them in metal and turning them into furniture). I felt irritated and annoyed by the lofty arrogance of the English upper-crust and very disappointed in the book - Dorothy Sayer's works, written in the 1920s and 1930s, are still being published today, indicating they have stood the test of time.

The only thing that gives me hope are a few lukewarm reviews of this book on the internet by readers who are fans of Dorothy Sayers, who say this is far from her best work.

So I will reserve judgment on Dorothy Sayers and try one of her longer novels. But I definitely would not recommend Lord Peter Views the Body as a first Sayers novel.

The Days of Perky Pat - Philip K Dick

This is the fourth volume of the collected short stories of Philip K Dick, incorporating 18 stories written between 1954-1964.

Like all collections, there is some variety in the quality of the inclusions, but overall it is a very impressive body of work. Highlights include Minority Report, which inspired a film of the same name, but the short story in many ways has a far better plot line.

The title story, The Days of Perky Pat tells of a post-apocalyptic world where the adults are obsessed with playing a game centring on a Barbie-style doll (Perky Pat) and her material wants and acquisitions. In many ways it is a low-tech version of Second Life, created 40 years later.

It is sometimes hard to believe that Dick died in 1982. Many of his best works, written in the 1950s and 60s have been almost prophetic in nature, with aspects scarily familiar to those of us living in 2007.

Another great science fiction writer Robert Silverberg last year wrote an article reflecting on how the world is becoming more 'Phildidickian' every year, with the 21st century now producing a high-tech version of Perky Pat, a virtual girlfriend Vivienne interacting on a mobile phone near you.

Shroud for a Nightingale - P D James

Shroud for a Nightingale is my favourite P D James murder mystery that I've read to date. Set in a residential teaching hospital, appropriately named Nightingale House, one of the student nurses is dies horribly when she is fed corrosive poison in a teaching demonstration that goes wrong. The police and her fellow students are left to ponder the equally unlikely options of accident, suicide or murder. But then a second student dies an unnatural death and although the connection between the two is far from clear, Superintendent Dalgliesh from Scotland Yard has to discover the killer(s).

Like all of P D James' novels, this was an easy and engaging read, perfect for passing away a few dull hours on the tram. In addition to the mystery, James paints a fascinating picture of nursing as a profession in transition in the late 1960s - aided by her extensive personal knowledge and experience (P D James worked in hospital administration from 1940-early 1960s and then in the criminal section of the Department of Home Affairs). While some of the older nurses regarded nursing as a vocation and some of the students saw it as a stepping stone before marriage, others were fighting to professionalise the career and ensure the next generation received proper formal instruction as well as on-the-job training.

As always, there is a satisfying range of motives and personalities to confuse and mislead the reader, as well as the highly intelligent but ultimately human Superintendent Dalgliesh. Definitely worth reading.

A Slipping-Down Life - Anne Tyler

A Slipping Down Life is one of Anne Tyler's earlier books (written in 1969) but she has already found her voice, portraying the quirky lives of the most ordinary people.

The story centres on Evie Decker, a reclusive, dowdy, almost invisible teenager living with her widowed father in small town America. Teenage life has almost passed her by when one night she listens to an interview with a prickly beatnik musician, Drumstrings Casey, on the local radio station. Fascinated she begins attending his performances, where she is as invisible as ever. One night, to the perplexity of everyone who knows her, Evie spontaneously carves his name on her forehead, thus ensuring she will never be invisible again.

For a time Evie acts as a publicity magnet for Drumstrings' fledgling music career. Despite his initial revulsion towards the ordinary dowdy girl who has become part of his life, Drumstrings develops his own fascination for Evie. Impulsively they marry, to the shock of both their families, and try and settle into a life together. But in many ways Drumstrings is even less mature than Evie and they face a challenging life ahead.

Fans of Anne Tyler will easily recognise her warm and sympathetic portrayal of two troubled people whose lives intersect. While set in the unique surrounds of small town America of the 1960s, Tyler's characters are both universal and timeless. This book is a great example of Tyler's talents, even early in her writing career.

The Virgin Blue - Tracy Chevalier

The Virgin Blue is Tracy Chevalier's first novel. It tells the twin stories of Isabella and Ella, two women living 400 years apart in the same French village.

Isabella, living in 16th century France, is the daughter of a poor farmer, obliged to marry a bullying neighbour after she becomes pregnant to him. In her childhood, the villagers had driven out the Catholic priest and begin to follow the 'Truth' (new Protestant religion) of John Calvin. Isabella, however, is always regarded with suspicion by her husband and neighbours due to her red hair which is associated with the Virgin Mary. When their protector is murdered by Catholic nobles, they are forced to flee to Geneva. But her husband brings his mistrust and suspicions with him.

Four hundred years later Ella, an American, comes to live in France with her architect husband. While trying to settle into village life and learn the language and local customs, she decides to try and trace the history of her family. For reasons that never really become clear she emotionally disengages from her husband and becomes entangled with the arrogant librarian assisting her in her family research. She runs away from her baffled husband to distant relatives living in Geneva and discovers the horrific truth of the life and death of her ancestors.

I had really mixed feelings when I was reading this book. On the one hand, Chevalier's skill in evoking a time long-gone by and drawing the reader into an understanding of the everyday life and options of a 16th century farm girl is undeniably magnificent.

On the other hand modern-day Ella totally irritated and infuriated me. I had no understanding or empathy for what she felt or why she acted the way she did, and could only feel sympathy for her suffering husband.

It is perhaps telling that Chevalier's later books are almost totally set in historic times, where her rare gift of bringing history to life is showcased in all its glory.

The Transmigration of Timothy Archer - Philip K Dick

The Transmigration of Timothy Archer is the last book written by Philip Dick, and was published after his death. While Dick is most famous for his science fiction, he also wrote significant amounts of non-sci-fi, most of which is very good (The Man in the High Castle, In Milton Lumky Territory).

The character of Timothy Archer is based on James Pike, the late Episcopalian Bishop of California and a close friend of Dick's. A charismatic and highly successful church leader, Timothy Archer is also an intellectual, who finds his faith in Jesus shattered with the discovery of the Dead Sea scrolls in Israel. Following the suicide of his son, he begins to believe as fervently in the occult as he once did in Jesus and feels as obliged to spread the message of his new faith as passionately as he once preached Christianity.

The story is told through the eyes of Angel Archer, Timothy's daughter-in-law, an atheist and product of 1960s Berkley, California. In addition to their family ties, Timothy and Angel respect one another as intellectuals and have many conversations touching on philosophy, literature and history. Angel charts the downfall of Timothy Archer which eventually leads to the death of three people: his son (and Angel's husband) Jeff, his mistress (and Angel's best friend) Kirsten and finally Timothy himself.

In addition to being a well-written tragedy, Dick also paints a picture of Californian culture in the 1960s - including the intellectual community, destructive drug use and more liberal attitudes towards relationships. I found it a fascinating, absorbing and accessible read.

Grl With A Pearl Earring - Tracey Chevalier

This is one of my cousin's favourite books, and one which I had been meaning to read for over a year. I borrowed a copy from my wonderful local library but it is a book I would very much like for my permanent reading collection.

Set in Holland in the 1660s, Tracey Chevalier creates the character of Griet, a 16-year-old girl sent to work as a servant in the house of Dutch painter Johannes Vermeer after her father loses his eyesight in an industrial accident and is unable to continue to earn a living.

Griet has to navigate a difficult household including an eternally pregnant and temperamental mistress, a domineering mother-in-law, a sly and trouble-making daughter, a fractious long-serving cook and a demanding and exacting master. One of her tasks is to clean her master's art studio but she soon graduates to preparing his paints and posing for a painting. This causes tension within the household and threatens a scandal in the town but Vermeer appears to remain oblivious or indifferent to the position he is putting his young servant in.

While running errands in the market place, Griet catches the eye of the son of the local butcher, and soon his father and her family are actively encouraging a marriage they see as advantageous to both.

This book paints a particularly effective picture of the severity of life in 17th century Europe, the long hours and hard work required by all - even the more privileged - to survive, the capricious nature of life, where death or poverty can strike at any time, and the limited choices and options for most women. Yet out of this harshness, a gentle and effective story emerges.