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This is the section where you can read reviews written by Calderdale readers that will tell you what they thought of a particular book and why. You won't find professional critics playing clever here!

Whether it's a thumbs up or a thumbs down, the best book they've ever read or a candidate for Room 101 - you'll find out here from Calderdale readers saying how it was for them!

Elland Library Readers' Group

Girl in a Blue Dress by Gaynor Arnold

"Easy to read and kept me turning the pages, but I did find it being about Dickens and his wife and yet not about them a bit irritating. But overall I did enjoy it and made me want to check out various details such as did Mo Dickens really meet Queen Victoria."

"This Dickens / Victoria period is very interesting. The domestic and personal arrangements of the characters made enjoyable reading. It made me try to find out which of the Gibson / Dickens was true. Whist Mrs Dickens did not attend her husband�s funeral it was a very quiet affair with only 12 people attending at Westminster Abbey."

"A very good read. Story sped along. I liked the way the past and the present interlaced. Language and dialogue used defined the characters well. It made me want to get a biography of Dickens and find out more."

"I found Dodo a bit spineless but the era which the book is set was the norm for married women. I wanted Dodo to not be so accepting of her lot and allowing 'things' to happen to her. I felt that the parallel with Dickens was a bit surprising which spurs me to find out more. The author took me very much to task with emotional responses to the death of Alice and when her children returned to after Alfred's death. I would like to read more of this authors work."

More reviews of Girl in a Blue Dress|.

Sowerby Bridge Library Afternoon Readers' Group

Restless by William Boyd

"Initially I thought I would be confused with the 2 narrators. However, it was a real 'page turner' and I thoroughly enjoyed the story. I knew Romer was a double agent - he had to be! I will read more of William Boyd."

"I found this story about Eva Delectorskaya and Lucas Romer fascinating. It was amazing what went on and how these things worked. I noticed however, that a similar situation was mentioned recently in a newspaper column, so it wasn't so ridiculous."

"This kept me gripped until the last page. A well written plausible tale. I will look for more books by this author."

"A spy story with a difference. Not riveting, but an easy bed-time read. A strange style of writing; as if written by more than one person and didn't always gel. Didn't encourage me to read any more of his books."

"I was hooked by the first paragraph, and wanted to try to read it slowly, savouring the descriptive passages, but the story took over and I had to keep turning the pages to find out what happened to the mother and daughter. I'll definitely look for other books by this author."

More reviews of Restless|.

Still don't know what to read? For more ideas, see our complete list of book reviews.

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