What I've been reading over the past two months.

"A Whistling Woman" by A.S. Byatt
Quite good and went back to telling a gripping story like in Possession along with all the usual heavy intellectual musings (the good story made all that easier to take). Seemed like things were going to end very very badly but it just ended somewhat badly and wasn't as dark as it could have been. Hope and salvation came through an 11 yr. old boy who managed to see more clearly than others. Interesting that Byatt had a son who died at age 11 - a very black time in her life as one can imagine.

"The House in Paris" by Elizabeth Bowen
Really quite intriguing, somewhat like Henry James. She set the reader up very cleverly...you really wanted to keep reading. In university I felt Henry James was pretty hard slogging. Perhaps I should give him another try now.

"The Magician's Assistant" by Ann Patchett
A very enjoyable read although the ending left me somewhat dissatisfied. I also felt the same way in Bel Canto.

"House of Splendid Isolation" by Edna O'Brien
Very interesting Irish writer and managed to present both sides of the conflict well. I look forward to reading more of her work.

"The Man in the Queue" & "The Singing Sands"
by Josephine Tey
These light little mysteries were just perfect to pass the time on the plane.