Len Deighton, "The Ipcress File"

Possibly the first spy thriller that's ever made me laugh. In a good way, I hasten to add. Deighton's narrator has a cynical demeanour and a witty turn of phrase that make this a fun read, even though I did get lost in the plot somewhere in the middle. Most of it made sense by the end, so it's all good.

http://www.bookcrossing.com/journal/10020340

Joanna Trollope, "The Other Family"

She may write Aga sagas, but she writes them like an angel. This is a moving book, with sympathetic but realistic and consistent characterisation, honest and confident. It's a pity that one can't put a strong woman (or two) in a book without it immediately being written off as 'women's fiction'; also a pity that all the characters here are so white and straight and middle-class - actually, that last isn't entirely fair; there's quite a bit of questioning of class assumptions. Good read, anyhow.

http://www.bookcrossing.com/journal/9968441

John Grisham, "The Summons"

Something of a disappointment; this lacked the excitement and suspense of some of the other Grishams I've read. I had hoped, for example, that the main character would have made a more interesting use of his pilot's license than simply flying to a casino and back again. This was but one of many plot coupons that was introduced and then never cashed in. Dull all round.

http://www.bookcrossing.com/journal/10020349