Extremely loud and incredibly close by Jonathan Safran Foer

What an absolutely lovely book. could not stop reading it, but at the same kept stoping every once in a while and my imagination would wonder at what I had just read, then re-read.
No idea or comprehension of what it must be like to be in Oskar's situation and certainly no wish to know first hand either. The ending will stay with me for a long time though.

The walking dead by Gerald Seymour

A number of different stories converging on an Arab young man’s search for martyrdom in te streets of Luton. Well written and up to te very end you have no idea wich way the book will go. will he blow himself up or will he not. A lovely diary is being read in paralel by one of the main characters of his great uncle who went to fight the fascists in Spain which I guess tries to show the idealism of the different generations and perhaps the futility of it.

Kisscut by Karin Slaughter

In Kisscut Karin Slaughter has handled the dreadful subject of child abuse without any histrionics, which are an inherent danger for any author considering a story in which child abuse could be a theme. She has fashioned her story with deftness and intelligence, developing her characters within the complex framework of a gruesome set of crimes and yet as well as the gory details, you know them all better than you did at the end of the last book.

The faithful spy by Alex Berendson

present day espionage, if you call it that. American undercover with the Taliban for years forsaking wife and son for the good of his country. The predictable badies are still the badies, but at least it does ask some questions. Shame really, good story, but some trains of thought could have been followed a bit further...but I guess his home audience would have had problems with that.

Dead until dark by Charlaine Harris

A bit slow, but worth the patience. An enjoyable whodunit with the added bonus of vampires and people with special abilities. This the first in the Sookie Stackhouse series which consists of 11 books, so far.

Blue shoes and happiness by Alexander McCall Smith

Mma Ramotswe sat out under the hot Botswanan sun drinking a cup of red bush tea. She picked up the paper and started chuckling at the new advice column, Aunty Emang. At her age there were some things you just knew. There were the difficult problems, such as why a wheel was round, and the trivial, such as where her husband, Mr JLB Matekoni, had left his toothbrush.

And it was in these very trivial problems that the only begetter of the No 1 Ladies' Detective Agency specialised. "Men are weak," Mma Ramotswe mused. Her assistant, Mma Makutsi, sensed another profound insight was imminent. "Mr JLB Matekoni's weakness is cake."

This was indeed interesting and worthy of another cup of tea. Mma Makutsi went to the kitchen where she encountered Mr JLB Maketoni."Sometimes a football team wins," he said. "And sometimes it loses."

This second piece of wisdom in as many minutes was interrupted by a shout. "There's a cobra in my office," cried Mma Ramotswe.

Just then Mr Whitson, one of Mr JLB Matekoni's customers, rushed in and grabbed the snake. "You're safe now," he said. "By the way, I wonder if you can help. All the local people near the game reserve are acting strangely."

It sounded like witchcraft to Mma Ramotswe, but she decided to say nothing as a distressed young woman, wearing an apron covered in food, entered the room. "I would guess that you are a cook," said Mma Ramotswe. "You are truly gifted with second sight," the girl answered. "I am at my wit's end. Mma Tsau is giving away free food to her husband and she thinks I am blackmailing her about it."

Mma Ramotswe drank her tea and smiled kindly. "Leave it to me." Mma Makutsi was very disturbed.

Her fiance, Phuti Radiphuti, had fallen silent when she had declared herself to be a feminist.

"You must cook him a meal to reassure him," Mma Ramotswe insisted. Mma Makutsi followed this excellent advice to the letter, but Phuti failed to arrive. "Oh what shall I do?" she cried. "You must go and talk to him," said Mma Ramotswe.

"Oh thank God, you're here," said Phuti. "I was unexpectedly called away and I was worried you might think I did not want to marry you anymore." Mma Ramotswe sighed with the release of such unbearable tension.

A nurse darted into the office. "There's something strange about the Ugandan doctor," she said. "He's giving the wrong blood pressure pills."

Mma Ramotswe noted down the details before accompanying Mma Makutsi to buy some new shoes. "They look a little small."

Mr Polopetsi had grown concerned that Mma Ramotswe had made no attempt to solve any of her cases, so he drove to Mr Whitson's game reserve.

"The locals were superstitious about the hornbill," he said later.

"Sadly, it's now a late hornbill as you put it in a box," Mma Ramotswe observed tartly. "And by the way, Aunty Emang was responsible for Mma Tsau's and the Ugandan doctor's troubles."

Mma Makutsi grinned. Mma Ramotswe had saved the day again. "Time for tea," said Mma Ramotswe.

Blood Hunt by Iain Rankin

It begins with a phone call. Gordon Reeve's brother has been found dead
in his car in San Diego - the car was locked from the inside, a gun in
his hand. In the US to identify the body Gordon comes to realise that
his brother has in fact been murdered. What's more, it is soon obvious
that his own life is in danger. Once back in Scotland he finds out that
there have been more visitors than usual to his house and his home has
been bugged by professionals. But Reeve is a professional too. Ex-SAS,
he was half of a two-man unit with someone he came to fear, then to
hate. It looks like his Nemesis is back.

Overall it is an easy read. The action flows quite easily and you do not need to think too much.