Book Addicts Anonymous

Making History by Stephen Fry

2012-01-01T11:17:00.001-06:00

I was given this for Xmas.
In short it explores a "What if?"
Very readable, and you can hear Fry's voice in the writing.

Losing You by Nicci French

2011-12-28T07:05:00.002-06:00

Nicci French is actually a writing partnership of Nicci Gerrard and Sean French. I was given this book sometime back, and I just hadn't got around to reading it before. It's a good job I chose the Yuletide period to read it, as once I picked it up...I was very reluctant to put it down. The book is very fast paced, the whole story taking place within one day, but you naturally put a book down at the end of a chapter, which this book does not have.
Giving you the bumf from the jacket does not do this novel justice.
To sum up, it is Nina's 40th birthday, she and her two children and her new partner are due to fly to Florida for Xmas. However, Nina's car develops a rattle, so she gets a friend to have a quick look at it, as she returns home she is faced , whilst trying to pack for a holiday, an impromptu surprise birthday party. Her daughter who has planned the party has not returned home from her sleepover although excited about the holiday. Nina becomes increasingly worried and reports her daughter missing, but they do not take it seriously at first.
The whole situation rapidly escalates for Nina, whilst the police treat it as just another teenager having a strop at their parents.
The novel is very well written and the suspense builds and builds. You find yourself having sympathy for Nina who is sure that Charlie, her daughter is in some sort of danger.
A brilliant fast paced book, but unless you have time to spare, you might find yourself missing appointments as you read, "just one more page"

Sepulchre by Kate Mosse

2011-12-28T07:00:00.002-06:00

This is the second of Kate Mosse's books set in the south of France, apparently a trilogy, but other than location I couldn't see the link between this and Labyrinth. (The third book is due for publication in 2012.) It is however about two sets of characters who turn out to be linked through shared family, although the main modern day character does not know this at the outset.It has mystery, suspense and murder that are all neatly tied up at the end of the novel.

Penguins stopped play by Harry Thompson

2011-12-18T09:28:00.002-06:00

I picked this up thinking it was a novel. Upon reading it I found it was in fact an account of a "village" cricket team who play cricket around the globe. I have never heard of them, but I think a cricket lover will have done.
The story is written by Harry, the captain of the team, he relates the "highlights" of the Captain Scott XIs 20-odd year history. It all starting off with him and some friends wanting to play cricket, because they never had, and then being told they couldn't join in if they had never played. Not to be defeated by this, the group of true amateurs set up their own team, and arrange their own matches, usually getting soundly thrashed, but still enjoying themselves.
I liked the book, I think someone who understood cricket would like it more.

Only Two books this time

2011-12-14T18:12:00.002-06:00

Since I last posted, I have only read two books,The Little Friend by Donna Tartt and Passion by Jude Morgan.
The first, is last etc....
Passion follows the lives of four women at the start of the 19th Century, women who through their own endeavours, or those of the men they are connected, with will become famous, or infamous.
Byron, Coleridge, Keats and Shelley are the male characters , but their female counterparts, and their lives are the main focus of this novel.
Mary Shelley, Lady Caroline Lamb, are both names most have heard of, there is also Augusta Leigh...Byron's half-sister and Fanny Brawne.
I could not quite figure who Fanny Brawne was connected to..as in the male characters...but this apart the novel was very engaging
I have read better...but it does hit the point I think Jude Morgan was making..he was, I think, trying to make people aware that some of our famous writers/poets...had the backing and inspiration from some very strong minded, clever women.
As an aside, Wordsworth, and his sister are mentioned, in passing.....I would say that they don't get a terribly good "press" from this novel.

The Little Friend by Donna Tartt
I can only assume that this novel was set in the 80s at some point, maybe the late 70s If there was a bench point at some stage, I missed it.
Saying that I loved the book. Harriet has a lot to put up with. Her elder brother was murdered when she was only a baby, her father then took a job miles away...sending money for up-keep regularly, but to all intents and purposes, he left shortly after his only son was murdered. Harriet's Mum became unhinged by Robin's death, he elder sister was not old enough to understand what had happened and is at the time of the novel, a vapid sleepy teenager.
Harriet is determined to find out what happened to Robin, and who murdered him, even though she was under a year old at the time. She takes to heart comments from unreliable witnesses and becomes obsessed with finding Robin's murderer and bringing them to justice. Her loyal friend "Hely" does his best to stand by her.
The end of the novel leaves some thing open for further exploration.
I liked most of this book, but was a little put off by the ending/non-ending.....leaving the stage open for a follow up by Donna Tartt.
I seriously hope there is another novel about Harriet, as I feel The Little Friend left many things unanswered

Hide by Lisa Gardner

2011-11-23T18:06:00.003-06:00

This is a brilliant thriller. I don't want to give anything away, but if you like thrillers Lisa Gardner is a good author to read.
Red Herrings are used, and at one point I thought I had figured out the "bad guy", but Gardner has woven her plot so intricately that it is almost impossible to second guess her plotlines.
I would strongly recommend her books

Dracula by Bram Stoker

2011-11-18T15:22:00.002-06:00

I was chastised for reading "not worthy" vampire books.
This has been on my bookshelf for a while.
Having read so many other "vampire" books this did not scare me.
Stoker's Dracula would have been very "thrilling" at the time it was published.
The book itself is very well constructed, and I'm sorry there was not much else that Stoker wrote.
My copy was a cheap Penguin classic one, but I won't be getting rid of it.
Anne Rice borrows some of the vampire "traditions" from Stoker, whilst Stephanie Mayer bends them.
If you have not read Dracula and like vampire books, I would urge you to read the forerunner of all other vampire books.

Catch up time

2011-11-12T18:33:00.002-06:00

I've read a "few" more books since I last posted.
Outlaw by Angus Donald, a great book, placed around the time Robin Hood is supposed to have lived. The "Outlaw" in question is Alan Dale. The myth/legend details are kept correct and Alan is an accomplished musician. Donald "keeps it real" by thorough research into the time period. He actually answers the question that I have often wondered....what happens to the dead after a battle?
I loved this book and will keep an eye open for more from the same author.

Haweswater by Sarah Hall.
A straightforward tale about the making of the Haweswater reservoir. With a love angle thrown in. My only complaint is that Hall refers top the Manchester Corporation Waterworks as MCW.........I know she's a letter out, being as both my Dad and Grandad worked for them...it should be MCWW, Sarah! All you have to do is look on the hydrant points, grids, etc to find this out, but otherwise, a good book

Runemarks by Joanne Harris.
A "teen" book from Joanne Harris. Set in a supposed future, Harris has her heroine set forth on a a quest to retrieve an object that will help put all right in her worlds, or so she is told, by characters who for one reason or another can not touch the object in question. A good teen book, good planning, good "quest". I finished it thinking I would like to see another teen book from Harris.

The Elegance of the hedgehog by Muriel Barberry
No hedgehogs..or actual one's in sight throughout the whole novel. But the central character Renee has a secret she wishes to keep from the inhabitants of the building where she is concierge. After all hedgehogs have a very prickly exterior, designed to keep people from discovering their soft insides.
Brilliant read.

Angelogy by Danielle Trussoni.
An abandoned child, a mysterious stranger, a hidden past are all elements in this tale. All I can say is that I am watching for the sequel to this book...there HAS to be one!

Snowdrops by A.D.Miller
This book was shortlisted for the 2011 Booker prize. Set in Russia, it covers an elaborate scheme that is common in Moscow..the scheme is fascinating. The novel well crafted, I haven't read the winning Booker prize winner for 2011...but it has to be good..as this novel is brilliant!

Dance of the Assassins by Herve Jubert.
A "teen" novel again
In 21st century London a theme park is established...set in 19th century London...all seems safe..until "Jack the Ripper" strikes! But this is a theme park! Roberta Morgenstern and her "assistant" Clement Martineau are tasked with the job of finding "The Ripper" before any more mayhem is caused in other "Historical Cities".
Well crafted, no booboo's...a good book!

The Lost Dog by Michelle de Kretser.
I'm sorry, I didn't like this , although I did finish it.
Tom does lose his dog, and does look for the diog....and...spoiler alert!!!!! Finds it again!
BUT the story is more of a "discovery"....Tom is staying in his friend Nelly's "country retreat when the dog goes missing...and for the bulk of the novel.......Tom spends his time unearthing the "real" Nelly Zhang. Although the dog is found by the end of the novel..there seems no resolution of the relationship between Tom and Nelly, or Tom and his mother.

Engleby by Sebastian Faulks
I loved this! Mike Engleby is the narrator of this novel, but again and again he contradicts himself....which is pertinent to the main plot...the disappearance of "Jen" a girl he became obsessed with whilst at university. Engleby's childhood makes the reader want to keep him safe from harm, but later on, there are disturbing elements appear. We find that Engleby confesses to the murder of Jen...but as his mental stability is called into question, so is Engleby's version of the truth...The reader is left wondering who was responsible for the murders? Did Engleby commit them..or does his disturbed mind just tell him he was responsible, and lead to him confessing?

Breaking Dawn and Eclipse by Stephanie Meyer.
I did like both these books, but do feel that they should not be made into films. I can only presume that their being filmed is to make even more money for the author. Anyone with a decent imagination can place themselves as a fly on the wall in Forks.
Although I liked these books, I don't think they are as good as The Host...an adult novel by the same author.

Sarah Hall

2011-10-22T18:34:00.002-05:00

I wonder if I can manage to read the other Sarah Hall book I have before November 17th? Doesn't seem like a big ask.....Why? I hear you call.
Because Sarah Hall will be signing her latest book in my favourite local branch of Waterstones on that day.
I'll bump it up to next on my list of "to read" books

Hammer Of God by Karen Miller

2011-09-05T09:17:00.002-05:00

This is the third in the "Godspeaker" trilogy, starting with Empress, then The Riven Kingdom.
Hekat and her Mijaki warhost are annexing more and more of the known world to Mijak, after conquering the desert. In Ethrea Rhian is now Queen and is aware of the threat from Mijak.
The novel covers Rhian's preparations for a war that could mean the end of "religious freedom" and personal freedom. After the preparations are complete the following clashes are covered. No! I won't say who prevails, you'll have to read the books to find out. In this book Zandakar finds out that Vortka is his true father, a fact the reader has known from his conception in Empress. The Scorpion Knife also reappears. I think that if Miller had made Hekat a less motivated character most readers would have abandoned the trilogy after the first book, she also makes sure that Hekat gets under the reader's skin before she becomes strongly driven.
If you like fantasy I would thoroughly recommend the trilogy.

One Day by David Nicholls

2011-08-29T12:27:00.002-05:00

After reading this book and being completely lost in Dexter and Emma's world...I don't think I would want to see the film. There were parts of the book where I literally couldn't put it down. Emma is a strong minded clever woman, while Dexter is not so strong willed, open to suggestion, but has that charm that some people seem to be born with, and because his family is fairly "well-off" he expects the better things in life. For a while everything seems to go Dexter's way, and when it stops going his way he really can't cope with it. BUT, as the title of the book suggests, it is told by snap shots of Dexter and Emma's lives on the 15th of July of each year for 20 years
I might go to see it, but won't be holding out for anything earth shattering, I have seen so many films of books that don't measure up.

New Moon by Stephanie Meyer

2011-08-26T10:12:00.002-05:00

Twilight was on TV here last week. Iv'e had all four of the books for ages, decided it was time I read the rest of them. Bella and Edward have split, not Bella's idea. She shuts herself off from the world and everything. When she eventually decides to start trying to live her life again, instead of just going through the motions, she strengthens her friendship with Jacob Black. Jacob goes through some "changes" and finds himself a werewolf. Bella keeps trying "dangerous activities" as she finds she hears Edward's voice. Whilst trying one of these pursuits, one of Edward's "sisters" sees Bella jump off a cliff. She tells Edward, he presumes Bella has committed suicide, and without checking sets about to end his own existence. Eventually the misunderstanding is resolved and Edward and the Cullens return to Forks. The book ends shortly after Edward asking Bella to marry him.
It is very well written, and the plot is pacy, the characters are very believable.

We are all made of glue by Marina Lewycka

2011-08-23T03:53:00.002-05:00

The book has such a strange title because the main character is a copy editor for a trade magazine about adhesives. But the novel explores the "glue" that keeps a family, community, and society together. Don't be put off by that summing up, as with her previous two novels, Lewycka has a prominent character who is an immigrant. In this case a quirky old lady who says at differing times that she is 96, 61, and I believe 86. It's a fun look at what happens to elderly people as they become less able to look after themselves.

The Shadow of Your Smile by Mary Higgins Clark

2011-08-19T12:16:00.003-05:00

I love books by Mary Higgins Clark, and once i pick them up, am reluctant to put them down until finished.
Her stories always seem to grab the reader's attention from the first page, the shorty, spare punchy chapters help the pace of the plot along and I think helps to create the suspense. The Shadow of Your Smile doesn't vary from others in that respect.
I often think Higgins Clark's books would translate well into TV dramas or films, but as far as I know the only one that has been made into a film is one of her earlier books, "Where are the children?"
Anyway, a brilliant book.
I'm off now to Mary Higgins Clark's website, to see if any other books have been made into films.

The Riven Kingdom by Karen Miller

2011-08-18T08:25:00.002-05:00

This book is much better than the first in the trilogy. The main female character, Rhian, is easier to like. Zandakar from Empress figures as quite an important , albeit "shadowy" character. A much more likeable novel than Empress.

Another word about the big post

2011-08-16T16:26:00.002-05:00

Empress by Karen Miller. I know I said I didn't like the main character, but as I am reading The Riven Kingdom currently, I can see why Miller made Hekat such a strong character. The Riven Kingdom is the second in a trilogy, it flows much more easily.

A World Away by Pauline Francis

2011-08-13T17:41:00.002-05:00

A World Away is meant for teens, but the story of Nadie, a native American, and Tom, a Plymouth blacksmith's apprentice is so well handled that you feel empathy for both of them. The novel is a "two voice" novel...alternate chapters, (usually,) are narrated by Nadie and Tom. Fortunately Tom is used to having to calm "savage"...i.e skittish horses...in order to "shoe" them..he applies this in his courtship of Nadie.
Again like so many books I have read lately, this novel is based on actual happenings, although in this instance the author has used artistic licence to make the story work.

Big catch-up

2011-08-11T10:04:00.002-05:00

I haven't blogged here for ages, and there's a huge pile of books that I've read.
For ease I'm just going to name the books and give a 1-5 star rating, and maybe a short comment.
Dark Alchemy Anthology of fantasy stories including stories from Garth Nix, Eoin Colfer and Neil Gaiman. 3 *. I lost interest towards the end of this anthology, but the first few are very good.
The Host by Stephanie Meyer 5*. Meyer's first adult novel, worth ploughing through the first few chapters...then it all makes sense.
The Witches Trinity by Erica Mailman, 4*. Set in Germany in the time of witch-hunting, how one word said at the wrong time can change a whole life.
The Three Evangelists by Fred Vargas. 5*. I love Vargas' novels, this one starts off with a curious occurrence, and ends up a murder investigation.
Scapegallows by Carol Birch. 4*. I didn't realise that this was based on true life when I bought it. Very engaging read.
Brief Gaudy Hour by Margaret Campbell Barnes. 4*. My friend sent me this from the USA, I read all Campbell Barnes' other books when I was expecting Samantha, my 24 year old daughter. This is about Ann Boyelyn, but told from her point of view, which makes the story intruging.
Divine Comedies by Tom Holt. 5*. It's Tom Holt, one of my favourite authors, do I need to see more?
Wolf Hall by Hilary Mantel. 4*. I really enjoyed this book about Thomas Cromwell, but I do now of people who have found it difficult to read.
Life, liberty and the pursuit of sausages by Tom Holt. 5*. This is Holt's latest novel and every bit as enjoyable as all his others. If you like of the wall humour coupled with exploration of "other dimensions" try one of Holt's books.
Company of Liars by Karen Maitland. 5*. Set in 1348, follows a mismatched bunch of people trying to outrun the plague. Very engaging book.
The Suspicions of Mr Witcher by Kate Summerscale. 4*. The book is much better than the recent dramatisation shown on TV.
Revelation by C J Sansom. 5*. Another Tudor mystery featuring Matthew Shardlake.
The Mythago Cycle by Robert Holdstock. 4*. A fantasy novel, well a pair in one book actually.
Between Shades of Grey by Ruta Septys. 5* . This book is based on a true story. It is very moving and had me in tears.
Good to a Fault by Marina Endicott. 4*. Along the lines of Jodi Picoult's writing with a similar what if theme.
Blood Harvest by S J Bolton. 5*. As good as her two previous books, Sacrifice and Awakening.
Alias Grace by Margaret Atwood. 4*. I seem to have had a run of picking up stories based on true happenings lately. Alias Grace is another based on true events.
Port Mortuary by Patricia Cornwell. 5*.
How to paint a dead man by Sarah Hall. 5*. A novel told from 4 different viewpoints which seem unconnected at first, but gradually all are drawn together.
Empress by Karen Miller. 4*. A really good fantasy novel, but the heroine in this novel is not very likeable, well, not for me as she is very self-centred and will let nothing stand in her way, no matter who or what.
Poppy Shakespeare by Claire Allan. 5*. A novel about the "mentally ill" viewed from within. Very funny and touching.
Shantaram by Gregory David Roberts. 4*-5*. This is the author's own life story, or part of it, written as a novel. A huge compelling book. (933 pages)
And I've saved a couple by another of my favourite author's until last.
The Last Dragonslayer is a children's novel by Jasper Fforde, which is about exactly what the title says. A brilliant children's book from Fforde. 5*
One of Our Thursdays is Missing by Jasper Fforde. 5*. Typical Fforde , with the return of Thursday Next. All I can say is if you like comedy writing and have a lively sense of humour, give Fforde a try.

I do find some books not so good, but to be honest, I don't normally buy ones that I would give a poor rating to. Although I did get one,you know the one's that someone on TV says is good, and it gets a lot of hype, and you seccumb and buy it. I bought one of those. I ended up dumping it in the bathroom, and about 18 months since I left it there, it is eventually finished.

Books read in last two months

2011-05-15T09:13:00.002-05:00

Boy is there a lot of them. :)
I've read two by Jodi Picoult, but not back to back . House Rules is a very moving story about a boy with Asperger's. He immerses himself completely in whatever he is interested in at the time.At the time in Jacob's life, when the book is set, his interest is in CSI type situations. Jacob's mother does wonder if he has committed the murder, but

"and when all the hallmark's of your son's condition - his tics, his inappropriate actions, his inability to look you in the eye - can be read as guilt;......."

The book explores the situation. As usual Picoult has been thorough in her research. I enjoyed it immensely.
The other was Change of Heart. Again, well researched and a deeply moving book.

The next two are by Pseudonymous Bosch. I bought them thinking they would be along the same lines as Jasper Fforde, Anonymous and Tom Holt's books. I did read them, but they are formulaic children's novels, which are possibly very good for the target audience, but to me the language was over simplistic, the plot fairly predictable, I wouldn't read any more personally, but would imagine that they would be very well received by readers from about age 8 to around 12. I do mean serious readers, the kind that become avid readers as adults. Titles...The Name of This Book is Secret, and This isn't What It looks Like.

The Slap by Christos Tsiolkas. A brilliant book.

"One day, at a suburban barbeque, a man slaps a child who is not his own..."

Definitely one worth reading, the book follows the repercussions that the act generates through the next year or so. Tsiolkas looks at the act from varying viewpoints. Very well written and plotted.

The Court of the Air by Stephen Hunt. A fanstasy novel following the lives of Molly Templar and Oliver Brooks. Two orphans who end up thrown together only to embark on an adveture which will either end up with them killed or they will save the world. Nowhere near as predictable as it sounds, and thoroughly enjoyable.

Love in a Torn Land by Jean Sasson. This is a biography following the life of a Kurdish woman, Joanna, during 19987 mainly, when Saddam Hussein had ordered his cousin "Chemical ALi" to bombard Bergalou, and other villages within the Kurdish area of Iraq. The true story is a real eye opener from someone who was there and lived to tell the tale.
I don't normally read biographical accounts, but this one had me hooked from start to finish.

A Great and Terrible Beauty by Libba Bray. This book is aimed at the teenn/young adult market, but is not condescending in any way. As with most books it starts just before the heroine loses her mother, she is then sent to England from India, and is enrolled at a boarding school...very "Little Princess" up to there, but Gemma is 16 years old, and finds herself prone to strange dreams , that draw her into a group of girls. A mystery unfolds. There is some passages in the book where the reader is taken into a "spirit world" that is very real to the girls in Gemma's circle.
A good book.

Valhalla by Tom Holt. :) I was given this for Mother's Day from my daughter, she'd managed to get hold of a signed copy for me. It is just as good as Holt's other books. Tom Holt has taken the idea of Valhalla and given it a unique twist of his own. If you like crazy situations, Tom Holt, and haven't read this book, what are you waiting for? Track it down immediately.

That's all for today. There is still a pile of 9 books that I have read and not blogged about.

Up-Date due tomorrow

2011-05-14T17:13:00.001-05:00

I have read so many books since I last posted.
I will catch up tomorrow.
I apologise for the break in service, lol

The Invention of Everything Else by Samantha Hunt

2011-03-18T10:41:00.002-05:00

At the start of the novel we are introduced to two main characters, Louisa, a New Yorker Hotel chambermaid, and Nikloa Tesla a guest at the hotel. The novel brings them together and explores how this unlikely pair of characters interact with each other.
A thought provoking book

February books!

2011-02-24T10:22:00.003-06:00

In the past few weeks I have read 3 bookis and am half way through a fourthh.
How to paint a Dead Man by Sarah Hall....follows four characters, and explores how their lives intertwine. The four separate characters have distinct sections, but the tone of the narrator gives clues as to which narrative is being followed. I didn't like this as much as Electric Michaelangelo by the same author, but it was good.

Next was The last Dragonslayer by Jasper Fforde. Although classed as a children's book, I felt this was every bit as good as Fforde's "adult" novels. It explores the possibilty of the end of magic as the population knows it. Practioners of "magic" have fallen on hard times, and these days "rewire houses and unblock drains". There is only one dragon surviving, and it's death has been predicted. The story follows on from there. I am pretty sure that this is not the last of Jasper Fforde's "young adult" books.

The invention of everything else by Samantha Hunt.
This book revolves around two characters, who meet and interact. Louisa, a chambermaid a The New Yorker Hotel, and Mr Tesla a guest at the same hotel. It is a mix of fact and fiction, as the Nikola Tesla is the book is based on the real life Nikola Tesla. It is an engaging novel exploring many different scientific ideas. The two become friends due to their love of pigeons. Not a quick read, but definitelyy worth reading.

Another catch-up

2011-02-06T08:39:00.004-06:00

I've read three books since I last posted here.
One being a pre-released title that I as sent from Waterstones, to review.
The title of the book is The Gallows Curse by Karen Maitland, it's on Waterstones.com if you want to read it. I know that I should now find Maitland's previous titles and read them.
The other two books are The House of Lost Souls by F.G.Cottam. This book takes in "evil" magical practises" substantial ghostly images, and a type of "exorcism". I don't want to give away too much, but it was a very enjoyable book of dark intrigue. To read more, click here.
And the third book is Post Birthday World by Lionel Shriver. In the first few pages of the book there is no split reality, but after a birthday dinner Irina's, the main character, life is played out in two separate realities, both of which could have sprouted from a single instant in time. The chapters are alternate, and follow each separate "fork" in her life's pathway. The only thing the reader could find confusing is that the two realities are not separated by chapter titles, or anything, but then again, Shriver expects a certain level of intelligence from her readers, also, alternate plots are becoming quite popular. I think Shriver cleverly keeps the alternates a close together as possible. Quite a lengthy, but enjoyable book.

The Thousand Autumns of Jacob De Zoet by David Mitchell

2011-01-14T07:14:00.002-06:00

I was bought this book for Yule from Oliver. His friend had recommended it. As I never got further than page 50 in Cloud Atlas, I was a little apprehensive.
However, I have thoroughly enjoyed the book. The action takes place over 17-18 years at end of the 18th and start of the 19th century, when Japan was still very much a closed country. It is the tale of more than one lot of "unrequited" love. The residents of Dejima were to all intents and purposes exiles, only having contact with their homeland through the island of Batavia. Jacob de Zoet is an honorable man who manages to resist the corruption that the others fall prey to.
A little slow to start, but soon captures the reader in Japan of the late 1700s, early 1800s.
After reading this I think i should go back and give Cloud Atlas another try.

The Gathering by Anne Enright

2011-01-03T08:23:00.002-06:00

The Gathering follows Veronica through the days after her elder brother, Liam's, suicide. There is less than 12 months between the two, so they spent a lot of time together whilst growing. Saying that it is a novel about family life does not do it justice. The narrator tries to piece together family history, etc in an attempt to make sense of her own life. Dealing with a close sibling's suicide brings her to question where her own life is going.

Since late August!

2010-12-31T06:25:00.003-06:00

I'll list them and add a brief note about each.

Season of the Witch by Natasha Mostert. Brilliant book, NOT the book of the film just about to be released, this is set in the present.
The Selected Works of T.S.Spivet by Reif Larsen. Good book, but unwieldy to read as it is a larger size book with very soft covers, kept flopping around.
Stalin's Ghost by Martin Cruz Smith. I should read more of Cruz Smith's books as I thoroughly enjoy them.
Notes from an exhibition by Patrick Gale. A non linear timeline novel that might frustrate some readers, but I loved it.
The Quickening Maze by Adam Foulds. A novel based on real events in the 1840s, couldn't put it down.
The Resurrectionist by James Bradley. The story of how Gabriel Swift falls easily into the job of resurrectionist after being "let go" from his apprenticeship with a surgeon. Intriguing.
The Visible World by Mark Slouka. I know I loved this book, but can't remember why in particular.
The Glass Books of the Dream Eaters by G.W.Dahlquist. This is a fantastic book, it's a huge 753 pages long. It reminded me in parts of several of Philip Pullman's books, both the His Dark Materials trilogy and the Sally Lockheart series. Well worth a read, there is a sequel that I really must read.
The things we do for love by Imogen Parker. A family novel, on ther surface. However it seems to have taken certain events in recent history and shrunk them down from events that touch everyone's life to events that just touch a small number of lives. To the people involved, the events don't become any less, just their national importance does.
Poison Study by Maria V.Snyder. A novel idea shapes the plot of this novel, that being, in place of being excecuted the condemned Yelena is given a job, but not just any job. She is given the job of food taster to the Commander of Ixia. A very intriguing idea makes for a very good novel.
The Witches of Eastwick by John Updike. I bought this after seeing the film for the "don't know howmanyth" time. To me it is much better than the film, but then again most books that are made into films are better in book form, in my opinion.....but I like to read.
A Black Englishman by Carolyn Slaughter. A complex, interesting novel set in 1920s India exploring the love of a white woman for a man she presumes to be Indian, but turns out , despite his colour to be more English than she is, [she's Welsh actually.] A brilliant novel.
Testimony by Anita Shreve. An engaging novel that I just couldn't put down.
Room by Emma Donoghue. I can see exactly why Room made it onto the Man Booker shortlist. Told by Jack, a five year old boy who's whole life has been lived in Room. Although it has not been based on any true life events, the concept is quite well thought out. "What if you lived your whole life in one room, and only ever saw two other people, one living in the room with you, the other a frequent visitor? Then one day the visitor does not come." A brilliant thought provoking book, that, as it says on the cover, "you can read in one sitting", just because you are so completely drawn in.
In the Woods by Tana French. A crime thriller, carefully crafted with some good red herrings and twists to the tale.
The Thirteenth Tale by Dianne Setterfield. This is another book I could easily have read cover to cover in one sitting. At first glance it seems that it is just a standard family saga with the odd hidden secret, however there is one secret only a few people know, and it is only when this secret comes to light are the strange events explained fully.
How to talk to a Widower by Jonathan Tropper. At 29 Doug is widowed, after only three years marriage to Hailey. He is left with a teenage stepson, and an inability to make sense of life any more. Not as maudlin as the plot outline would make some people think. It answers one of those "what if?" questions we all hope we'll never have to find out the answer to.
Brick Lane by Monica Ali. In short, what life was like in the Tower Hamlets area of London, from the Asian point of view, in the 1980s- 1990s.
Knots and crosses by Ian Rankin. Crime thriller, with Rebus in the role of detective.
The Merlin Conspiracy by Dianna Wynne Jones. A teenage fantasy novel set in Medieval Britain.
The Outcast by Sadie Jones. A brilliant novel, another one that really didn't want to be put down.
Digging to America by Anne Tyler. Two families from the same town, with different lifestyles each adopt a Korean child, and their lives become closely entwined.
The Private Lives of Pippa Lee by Rebecca Miller. So long since I read this one, all I really remember is I thoroughly enjoyed it.
Embers by Sandor Marai. The novel is all told over an evening, as two old acquaintances meet up. The story also involves a third person, the one person who is missing from the room. Very enthralling, and very well translated, as I have found some books translated from their native language sometimes lose meaning.
Minarette by Leila Aboulela. A subtle love story is entwined through the story of Najwa, a Muslim woman, originally from Khartoum, now living in London

And that is me up-to-date, I am currently halfway through The Gathering by Anne Enright which is just beginning to grip me, about 1/2 way through the book.

I will update..honest!

2010-12-28T19:30:00.001-06:00

On Wednesday 29th December2010 I will bring you up to date with all the books I have read since late August.
I need to before the pile topples over and permanently injures someone!

Since I last posted here!

2010-10-31T20:16:00.002-05:00

I have read an awful lot of books since my last post...unless I thought them noteworthy I will just list the titles and authors....not cos I'm lazy.. but because I have been ill..and reading is about all I could do
I hope to make this post tomorrow...the first of November 2010

Oscar and Lucinda by Peter Carey

2010-08-18T12:50:00.003-05:00

I'd got this for a couple of quid when I bought True History of the Kelly Gang, by the same author. I wasn't altogether sure what to expect, the back cover of my copy gives nothing away about the plot.

Daring, original, intense and bizarre, Oscar and Lucinda is a brilliant achievement - a moving love story and historical tour de force that is also powerfully contemporary.

Is the only indication on the back cover of what the story is about....but it is no over-sentimental, slushy, love story, it's more of an adventure, following Oscar and Lucinda's lives from life changing points early on, until the end of one of them. I had no trouble picturing Oscar who is a very quirky and strong character. Lucinda also stands out from the crowd in her mid Victorian world.
The novel won the Booker prize in 1988
The cover of my copy is very unimposing, and skillfully masked the gem within the covers.

The Others ..another catch up

2010-08-14T02:30:00.005-05:00

Here are the rest of the books that I have read since June this year.

Forms of Water by Andrea Barrett. Another family story with a twist. Uncle Brendan is head of a fragmented family, his niece, Wiloma, member of a weird religious sect, wants to take him into her home to live his final days. Brendan wants none of this and asks his nephew, Henry, to take him to visit his childhood home. He gulls Henry into believing he has permission for the trip and to borrow the nursing home's transport. What ensues is what could be looked at as a crazy chase across some USA states,as Brendan urges Henry to their destination, Henry being unaware of the train of people following them, wonders from time to time about his uncle's urgency. The novel is well balanced and doesn't fall into the farce or the maudlin, as it could very easily have done. I enjoyed it.

The Adventures of Captain Alatriste by Arturo Perez-Reverte. Madrid in the 1620s. Captain Alatriste hires himself out as a swordsman. He is approached by two masked me to attack a pair of travellers. The job is no ordinary job, and Alatriste gets into to some sticky situations. Told by the son of a dead colleague, who is now acting as Alatriste's apprentice, the story is entertaining , with just the right amount of "hero worship" from Inigo Balboa. An entertaining read.

The Kingdom of the Golden Dragon by Isabel Allende. This is a "teen" novel, and I found out the second about Alex Cold and Nadia, and Alex's grandmother, Kate.

Not having read the previous book is no detriment.

A mysterious stranger, called "The Collector" is plotting to steal the Golden Dragon from an isolated hidden high land in the Himalayas. It has all the excitement of this type of novel, and is told in a way that makes it accessible to both teen and adult alike.

The Tenderness of Wolves by Stef Penney. A man has been brutally murdered, and a woman sets out on a quest to find her son, who everyone thinks committed the murder, as he disappeared at the same time. She is convinced that he is following the murderer. In the course of clearing his name some uncomfortable truths come to light. A great read.
The Awakening by S.J.Bolton. Clara, a vet, finds herself called to the local hospital, when a man dies from what appears to be a snake bite. this is not a freak accident, but something far deeper is going on. The plot unfolds at a satisfactory pace, as did the plot in S.J.Bolton's first novel, The Sacrifice. A brilliant second novel, full of suspense and mystery. A brilliant read.
On Green Dolphin Street by Sebastian Faulks. This is the first Faulks book I have ever read, and was so absorbed I know I will be reading others by him.This novel is set in USA 1959, a little later than previous books. His characters were believable, although I did start to feel annoyance towards Charlie, the husband, but I think this was what Faulks expected of his readers. It's the first book I read after Blonde Bombshell so a little hazy now, but I remember enjoying it.
As for the other two books I mentioned previously being unable to "get into", one I gave away to someone I knew would enjoy it, and the other is being slowly read.

more catch up!

2010-08-12T17:43:00.004-05:00

I haven't yet said anything about the other books I have read.
Here goes....
The Adventures of Captain Alatriste by Arturo Perez-Reverte.
Captain Alatriste is asked to take on a "simple" task...it is more involved than he firstly anticipates...maybe there are more books by the same author...it was different, engrossing and individual!
Forms of Water by Andrea Barrett.
A family story...old uncle wants to see site of his home...it has been flooded to make way for a reservoir...a heart catching story of loss and family disputes.
Kingdom of the Golden Dragon by Isabelle Allende.
Two teenagers embark on a journey into the Himalayas. As this is a teen book..there is adventure, etc...but it is a thoroughly good read.
The Tenderness of Wolves by Stef Penney.
This novel is essentially a "quest" novel.....Beautifully written, and really has to be read to be appreciated. I loved it!
Awakening by S.J.Bolton.
For me the plot of this novel is stuff of nightmares....Poisonous snakes roaming freely in peoples homes..causing death...It seems at first to be random...but the heroine..Clara Benning, a vet, finds herself drawn deeper into the mystery.
A brilliant suspense/mystery book..well in keeping with S.J.Bolton's first foray into fiction.
On Green Dolphin Street by Sebastian Faulks.
A brilliant book....not as engrossing as some of the previous one's in this blog entry...but a really good read.

A lot of books

2010-08-12T10:52:00.005-05:00

Since I last posted here I have read rather a lot of books.
I'll just list them and add a short comment on each.
Notes on a Scandal by Zoe Heller. A very absorbing read about the progress and immediate aftermath of an illicit affair. It is written by a confidant of one of the two in the affair.
Dark Fire by C J Sansom. The second book by Sansom about Matthew Shardlake, a solicitor in the time of Henry VIII. He is employed by Thomas Cromwell to discover where the "Dark Fire" Cromwell has been told he could have has gone to. At the same time Shardlake is trying to investigate why a young girl is being accused of murder. There are several historical facts explained as part of the story. I thoroughly enjoyed it.
The Devil's Graveyard by Anonymous. Another book, the third, involving the Bourbon Kid, every bit as amusing as the last two, my only complaint is that I've finished it. A quote from the front of this particular book "This particular Anonymous has decided to take a fistful of drugs and gone on a literary genre-buster...A lot of fun" That is from Daily Sport, but don't let where the quote comes from put you off.
Handle with Care by Jodi Picoult. I make no excuses for liking Picoult's writing. She takes a moral dilemma and puts a "normal" American family in the midst of the dilemma, then she explores what reaction a family could have. This one particularly saddened me at the end, but I won't say why. The ending is VERY poignant.
Hunting Unicorns by Bella Pollen. This novel explores the clash between American thirst for facts about people, and sensationalising them, and the dying breed of the English Upper Class. The clash is quite alarming, and the American journalist is quite happy to film fading upper classes, until she finds out one the families she has filmed is the family of the man who has been arranging visits. An intriguing book.
Brother and Sister by Joanna Trollope. Trollope's novels all seem to deal with females who have got to a certain stage in their lives when they need to find out "who they" are. This particular one explores what happens when two adopted grown-ups decide to try and trace their birth mothers.
The City of Dreaming Books by Walter Moers. Another helping of Zamonian madness from Walter Moers. A young Zamonian, Optimus Yarnspinner, sets of to find the author of an unknown manuscript. The reader gets swept away into magical world where Optimus has a great adventure, and finds out that sometimes books can kill. I love Moers writing, and this one didn't disappoint.

I'll catch up with the others that I have read tomorrow.

Try to catch up

2010-06-06T16:40:00.002-05:00

I'll blog about the latest three books I have read here soon. Also, I have been trying to read one of the books I mentioned not so long back that I was struggling with

Blonde Bombshell by Tom Holt

2010-05-23T16:49:00.000-05:00

http://www.alternative-worlds.com/index.php?s=blonde+bombshell

This is a bit of a departure for Holt, but then again, it isn't. Anyone who is a fan of Tom Holt's books will know what I mean. The departure is from Holt's "supernatural/natural office" setting to an entirely plausible scenario, where we are "not alone!"
I won't spoil it, but the novel works very well, and I am sure other Tom Holt fans will agree.
I loved it, and wonder if there will be other novels with Lucy, Mark and George featuring?

The Bonfire of the Vanities by Tom Wolfe

2010-05-16T11:12:00.002-05:00

At first the sheer size of this novel put me off, however I started to read it and was immediately pulled into the world of Sherman McCoy, Thomas Killan, and Larry Kramer.
centered around the boomtime of the 80s, this novel explores how a seemingly perfect existence, where a person wants for nothing, and can seem to do nothing wrong, can be brought down around their heads by a freak occurrence. And perhaps the same still applies today, if you play a game of "risk", be prepared to lose everything!
I thought Tom Wolfe's descriptions were brilliant.

A rear door opened, and a Greek wearing a white uniform came staggering in carrying a prodigious tray full of coffee and soda containers, boxes of doughnuts, cheese Danishes, onion rolls, crullers, every variety of muck and lard known to the takeout food business, and half the room deserted the computer consoles and descended upon him, rooting about the tray like starving weevils.

This attention to detail with description is present throughout the novel, and makes the reader feel as if they are present.

A huge book to read, but well worth it.

The Shadow of the Wind by Carlos Ruiz Zafon

2010-04-25T10:37:00.002-05:00

for the book back blurb, click here!
AT long last I got around to reading this book, I do tend to buy several books at once, and work my way through them.
Because of all the hype around it I expected it to be a difficult book to read, I have found several critically acclaimed books to be like wading through treacle.
This one however, was a great book to read, I really couldn't "put it down", in fact I have sat and finished the remaining 100 and odd pages today, I just had to know what happened. I love the circular feel of the book, and the fact that events in Daniel's life echo those of Julian Carax, but in this case...more a true echo, where it is never exactly the same as the first noise, the echo is always softer, not as harsh.
I loved this book, and if anyone else is wondering whether to read or not, and is put off by the hype, don't be, it is as good if not better than the advertising and reviews claim.

North Child by Edith Pattou

2010-04-18T17:19:00.003-05:00

I just looked for a link to this book, and found out that it has a different title in USA. There it is called East.
It is a sort of Beauty and the beast type story, but it is told through the eyes of several of the characters. It is a young adult book, and the "North Child" herself, Rose, is a very strong minded courageous character. I feel if someone told her she couldn't do something, she'd find a way to do it, just because of her strong determination.
I enjoyed this as a bit of light relief from some of the books I've been reading lately. I think everyone should relax with a good adventure story every now and again.

The Accidental by Ali Smith

2010-04-15T09:25:00.002-05:00

Ali Smith is classed as a contemporary writer.
I enjoy her writing, even though it is challenging to the reader. Until I was well into this book, I had completely forgotten that I had read Hotel World. The Accidental, like Hotel World, is all told by internal dialogue of the characters involved. However, it is not as difficult to read as Virginia Woolf's, To The Lighthouse.
Not an easy read, but an entertaining one, and not being in the best of health right now, it was also a quick read.
To learn more about the novel click here

It revolves around a family of four who are all at critical points in their lives, the stranger, Amber, enters their lives and changes each family members life. The reader is still no wiser at the end of the novel as at the start, exactly who Amber is, where she is going, where she's been, but she acts as a catalyst.

Regeneration by Pat Barker

2010-04-11T08:36:00.006-05:00

I will admit that when I first got this book I picked it up by mistake. I'd just finished and thoroughly enjoyed Darkmans By Nicola Barker, and just saw the surname Barker. Upon discussing this book with a colleague at school I was a little put off reading Regeneration, as I was told that it is used for A Level and pupils find it very hard work.
So I put off reading it for a while. I have almost finished reading it now, and am enjoying it, mind you, I have read and studied some of the people mentioned in the novel, which makes it more accessible. I have also read quite a few books focused on the Great War. So to me the fact the A level students find it tough going is not detracting from Pat Barker's writing, but the fact that these days pupils rarely pick an adult book until,they start their GCSEs, and then they HAVE to study set authors, which closes their minds. No one likes being obliged to do a thing.
Having studied contemporary writers at university I would say that Pat Barker is a good example of a contemporary author.
For a little bit more about the book click here!

Another small pile of books!

2010-04-10T10:42:00.003-05:00

Not been in the best of health lately, so I haven't been on pc so much, but I have read quite a bit. Since last time I blogged here I have read another 5 books. Clicking on the titles takes you straight to an author link for the particular book.

Eve Green by Susan Fletcher.
I enjoyed this book imensely, was a little disappointed that the mystery of Rosie's disappearance is not answered, but found although the abduction gave the story more meaning, it didn't have to be solved in this case.

The Good Man Jesus and the Scoundrel Christ by Philip Pullman.
I had this on pre-order, and received it as soon as it was released. On the back of the book it says in gold lettering " This is a STORY." Part of the myths series from Canongate. As with all of Pullman's novels it makes the reader think about what they are reading. No doubt there will be some people offended by his version, but as is clearly stated on the back cover, it's a story, and as a story, and part of the myth series should be taken as just that, just another take on a particular myth. I loved it, but I am a big fan of Philip Pullman's work.

Ritual by Mo Hayder.
I'd bought this, and the next at Asda on their 2 for £7 deal. It was the only one that appealed to me in any way to buy with the next book listed.
However, the book is very engrossing, and one of the main characters belongs to a branch of the Police force that is often over looked, the main male character DI Jack Caffery seems to be a maverick who gets results. I will look for other books by Mo Hayder having read this one.

The Point of Rescue by Sophie Hannah.
This was a definite in the deal I mentioned above. I have previously read Hurting Distance by Sophie Hannah and thoroughly enjoyed it.

"Sally is watching the news with her husband when she hears a name she ought not to recognise: Mark Bretherick."

That line has the reader hooked, how does she know him, why shouldn't she know the name, why does it worry her? You can click on the link to find out more, but believe me, if you like mysteries, and have read other books by the same author, this one is worth reading.

Living on a Prayer by Sheila Quigley.

I read Bad Moon Rising by the same author, enjoyed it, so picked this one. I do enjoy a good mystery, especially if it has a little menace in it, this has it. DI Lorraine Hunt is dealing with several case that all seem unconnected, but slowly and surely the links become apparent, and the net closes on a particularly nasty person. If this was a film you'd be sat on the edge of your seat. I don't know if there are any plans to televise or make into film, but I would definitely watch either. Quigley builds the suspense expertly...and I was almost cheering the police on as the novel closed.

Two books I can't get on with, and one I loved.

2010-03-27T17:18:00.002-05:00

I won't name the two books I just couldn't read.
One is a biography, but I didn't realise it was until I opened it. I will read it, but probably only very slowly. The other, just doesn't grip me at all. I think I will possibly try to read it again in the future. It explores various aspects of "office life", but it bored me, probably because I have read so many really interesting books lately.
However, I have just finished On Green Dolphin Street by Sebastian Faulks, it was a very engrossing read, and I kept finding time to read it rather than do anything else. This is the first Sebastian Faulks book I have read. I like his style of writing, after reading the books I have previously, then this, I have possibly been "spoiled" and could not enjoy the two I have mentioned briefly. I have just started to read a Sophie Hannah book, and can't put that down, perhaps it's where I am in myself at the moment that makes some books difficult to read.

A catch up...of many books

2010-03-21T13:55:00.006-05:00

I haven't been feeling so well lately, so although reading loads, I haven't had the energy to want to blog so much.

I have read 8 books since I last blogged, and am a good two thirds through a 9th one.

I'll just give a quick comment about each one.

Brother Grimm by Craig Russell is a very tense murder story about a serial killer. It is every bit as good as Blood Eagle, and when I looked on his author site, I noticed he has written quite a few more :).

Shades of Grey by Jasper Fforde is a light-hearted vision of a possible future. Fforde's vision of democracy being replaced with a Colourotcracy is full of his usual good humour, and the start of a new series of books from Fforde.

And Another Thing by Eion Colfer is the sixth part of Douglas Adams's HitchHikers Guide to the Galaxy. And before you start complaining that it can't be...if you are a true Douglas Adams fan you will know that Eion Colfer was chosen to write And Another Thing by Douglas Adams's widow, and he wrote it using the notes left for it by Adams himself. The book is in keeping with the rest of the "trilogy".

The Secret Life of E.Robert Pendleton by Michael Collins had been sat on the bookshelf for a while, and the cover of my copy is quite bland. It shows part of page 34 of my copy with a lock of hair in a display box on top of it. I don't know why, but the actual title was why it had been left unread, I really don't know why, and I'm glad to say I ignored it as I read the book. It has short snappy chapters the keep you reading. I was pleasantly surprised when I read it, and just kicked myself for not reading it sooner.

The Firemaster's Mistress by Christie Dickason is an exploration of the Gunpowder Plot. It involves spies, traitors, and a love story and family story , a very good read.

A Beginner's Guide to Acting English by Shappi Khorsandi is a departure for me, as I rarely read biographies, but this has all the wit of Shappi Khorsandi's stand up. It doesn't seem like a biography, that's probably why I enjoyed it so much.

Blood Canticle by Anne Rice is the last of the Vampire Chronicles, unfortunately. I thoroughly enjoyed it just as much as the others.

May contain Traces of Magic by Tom Holt has the same sort of madcap humour as in his other books. As more and more people become reliant on their Sat Navs, Holt explores the possibility that that they "may contain traces of magic". Another typical Tom Holt book that I couldn't bear to put down.

Resumption of normal service

2010-03-02T18:02:00.002-06:00

I'm sorry..I haven't been in the best of health lately.
Normal service will be resumed soon.
I have read 5 books since I last posted, and am more than halfway through the sixth!.
I will try to blog at weekend at the latest! :D

Quicksilver by Neal Stephenson

2010-01-20T18:16:00.002-06:00

How to describe this book?
It encompasses 927 pages....explores the lives of several influential scientists, follows the right of succession in the UK. Yet at the same time it entertains the reader, encouraging them to read on.
I had bought "Confusion" which is the second book in the "Baroque Cycle" by Neal Stephenson...and soon realised I needed to read "Quicksilver" first!
Anyone who has any interest in Science would possibly find this book enthralling

To find out more about this book click here

the book is enthralling, to those who are interested in History and Science, but it also has an appeal to other readers quite simply as a meaty novel.

The Devil's Feather by Minette Walters

2010-01-05T03:38:00.002-06:00

I read through this book a few weeks ago. I think it took me three days to read.
If you've read any of Minette Walters' books, you'll know that she's a very good author, writing about crime, usually with a psychological twist. This is not from the detective's viewpoint, the main character being a Reuters correspondent., she is in contact with the police, but the novel is not a police led one.
This novel left me wondering, but that is not a bad thing in this case.
For a link to the author's website click here

The Other Hand by Chris Cleave

2010-01-05T03:29:00.002-06:00

The cover of this book gives very little away, and it was refreshing not to be told what happens.
The bumph from the cover is brief and intriguing. And all I will add to it is, the book is very engrossing, and well worth a read.

We don't want to tell you what happens in this book. It is a truly special story and we don't want to spoil it.

Nevertheless, you need to know enough to buy it so we will say this:

This is a story of two women.

Their lives collide one fateful day, and one of them has to make a terrible choice.

Two years later, they meet again - the story starts there....

Once you have read it, you'll want to tell your friends about it. When you do, please don't tell them what happens either. The magic is in how it unfolds.

Gods Behaving Badly by Marie Phillips

2009-12-26T17:59:00.003-06:00

Yes!!!!
One from my to be read list..at long last
The writing is very quirky, but then again, so is the fictional situation. Think of modern day London, think of the Tinkerbell potential death scene in Peter Pan, and you get the idea.
The ancient Greek gods are now living in central London, there are less and less people believing in them, so their power is diminishing. Into this mix walks "human" Alice...freelance cleaner...employed by Artemis...from there things go slightly off kilter.
The fact that that the human heroine is called Alice...and escapes.....unscathed from her adventures also has echos of Alice in Wonderland.
A hugely enjoyable novel.
If I say much more it might reveal the plot....this book is worth reading.

Fire Gospel by Michel Faber

2009-11-24T17:03:00.004-06:00

OK! I should apologise...Michel Faber is one of my favourite authors, and I just sped through this book. I will probably re-read in the future, as I re-read "Under the Skin", and find new things each time I read.
Faber is a brilliant author, and probably a "best kept secret", because if I say I love his books I usually get a blank look.
Fire Gospel is nowhere near the same subject matter as "Under the Skin", but he has given a potential idea the same weight. The novel is just as "urgent" to read...it only took me two days.
As yet I have liked all Faber's work
Here's the "bumph" from the back cover of the book.

when Theo Griepenkerl happens upon the fifth Gospel in a war-torn Iraqi museum, he can't believe his luck. Driven by greed and a lust for fame, he capitalises on his find by publishing it. His book is a sensation. But he can hardly imagine the incendiary consequences his discovery will have for Christians, Arabs, homicidal maniacs and Amazon customers alike.

for more information on Michel Faber, click here
this is one of the "Myths" series of books published by Canongate.

Anna Karenina by Leo Tolstoy

2009-11-23T15:20:00.002-06:00

I finished this last night....I just had to...I only had 40+ pages to read
To me the novel is very insightful, knowing what went on several years later. Tolstoy could not have foreseen the revolution.
Anna is a "tragic" character, she falls for someone whilst married, in a society that gives everything to the man....whatever.
She leaves he husband to set up home with her lover, also the father of her daughter, but as she is still officially married to her husband, it his name that claims Anna and her lover's child.
The end of part seven is very tragic, and part eight seems to me to be devoted to tying up all the ends neatly.
Anyone who knows their Russian history will spot that this might be the beginning of the rot.
The novel is worth reading, and once you sort out the naming in your head, fairly easy to follow.
I have the good luck to have read several Russian based novels, and understand the various names.
But.....let's be honest...who ever you are reading this...you are someones child, someones sibling, maybe someones spouse...without taking into consideration any other social circumstances...you might have three ways of address.
The Russian way of naming is not so odd...the endings point to the relationships.

Update on Anna Karenina by Leo Tolstoy

2009-11-17T12:27:00.003-06:00

I now have less than 200 pages to read of AK......It has become a book where I just want to read to the end of the next chapter. I am familiar with all the characters now, and am thoroughly enjoying. When I bought Anna Karenina, it was part of a set of seven published by Penguin as "wonders of the World". Maybe the others are as good, I did read one of them around halfway through whilst doing my degree, that's why I never finished it. Perhaps after you persevere through the first few chapters they all get easy?

Sword Song by Bernard Cornwell

2009-11-14T16:00:00.000-06:00

The year is 885 and England is at peace, divided between the Danish kingdom to the north and the Saxon kingdom of Wessex in the south. Warrior by instinct and Viking by nature, Uhtred, the dispossessed son of a Northumbrian lord, has land, a wife and children – and a duty to King Alfred to hold the frontier on the Thames. But a dead man has risen, and new Vikings have invaded the decayed Roman city of London with dreams of conquering Wessex … with Uhtred’s help. Suddenly forced to weigh his oath to the king against the dangerous turning tide of shifting allegiances and deadly power struggles, Uhtred – Alfred’s sharpest sword – must now make the choice that will determine England’s future.

While it may seem that the introduction of such a dreaded concept as peace into any of Bernard Cornwell’s writing to be a bad thing, he still manages to make peace exciting. All of Cornwell’s books are infused enough action to be a literary equivalent of the best action movie one can imagine. But as brutal a time as he writes about here, it’s never something that is off-putting. You read and understand that this was a way of life. So even peace can be eventful.
Highly recommended as are all of Cornwell’s books.

posted by Sea on behalf of Blue

Anna Karenina and other huge books

2009-10-27T18:00:00.003-05:00

I have been reading AK slowly but surely. The main complaint of most readers doesn't bother me. I have read several books based in Russia and know that one family member can have many different names, depending on who is talking about them/addressing them. It isn't as strange as you think, our own language has many different ways of addressing people. If you are talking to a family member you use their given name, but if you talk about a family member, you give their relationship as well as their name. If you know the person well there may be a nickname you use, and then parents rarely call their offspring their given names, but shorten them or use "pet names". OK....keeping that in mind...embark on Anna Karenina and the naming is not as odd as people first think..
I have only got as far as where Levin has found out that Vronsky has not proposed to Kitty, and Kitty has gone into a decline. The book is much easier to read than I thought it would be, however, I am only reading in 10-20 page chunks.
I had also started a book called "The Confusion" by Neal Stephenson, only to realise that it is the second book of a huge trilogy. So, yesterday I found a copy of "Quicksilver", the first in the trilogy, and am reading that.....all 900+ pages of it.
Bearing that in mind, please forgive me if I don't post for a while, as I am working my way through two ENORMOUS books.

The Book of Unholy Mischief by Elle Newmark

2009-10-26T16:45:00.003-05:00

The bumph is so good I bought this twice. Then gave the second copy...when I realised what I had done, to one of the English teachers at school.
Anyway...yes..so good I bought it twice?
Well actually..it is another book that just wanted to be read!
Luciano is a street child, living by his wits. One day "the chef" catches him stealing a pomegranate, and instead of turning him in to the "authorities" he gives him a job in his kitchen. "The Chef" is chef to the Doge of Venice in a time where there is corruption everywhere. Many are searching for answers to various questions, such as eternal life, beating ageing, turning base metals into gold. "The chef" has a copy of "the book"....but what is contained within the pages is not what the searchers are looking for. However, they do not know this, and the Doge, the Pope, and several other influential persons initiate a search for "the book". This puts "the chef" and Luciano's life in danger.
If I say more I will spoil the plot. If what you have read has caught your interest...look for this book, set in 1498, prior to the mass production of printed matter...the masses were expected to follow whatever "priests" told the to follow......like sheep...this novel explores the beginnings of the masses thinking for themselves.

And here's a link to the author's site http://www.ellenewmark.com/book.php

The 19th Wife by David Ebershoff

2009-10-18T11:36:00.002-05:00

http://www.19thwife.com/
I will admit when I picked this book up I didn't read the back, the short bit on the front had me hooked.
One Sect, many secrets....and murder
I didn't realise it was about Mormons, and polygamy, I thought it was about a "Bluebeard" type man.
Another brilliant book, with the two tales intertwining throughout. In my eyes, one without the other would possibly have made a weaker novel, but both woven together made for very interesting reading.
If you are a very strong feminist this book will make you angry, how the children are treated is not so good either in my eyes. The indoctrination of the Mormon women of the sect is particularly shocking.

Beyond Black by Hilary Mantell

2009-10-18T11:29:00.002-05:00

I finished this just before the winner of the Man Booker prize was announced, and I said to Blue that if Wolf Hall was as good it would win. Don't you ever wish you'd been brave enough to put a bet on?
http://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/0007157762/ref=cm_rdp_product_img
Will give you a bumph and what other readers think about Beyond Black. I found it another fast paced book, with a great big dollop of "black" humour. The loneliness of Alison's childhood sets her apart from other people and she finds she has a gift ...she's a medium, but not one of the fly-by-night charlatans, she is a genuine medium. Mantell infuses the serious passages with the right amount of humour lifting what could be a very very dark book, as Alison is increasingly visited by the spirits of men from her past.

The Stone Gods by Jeanette Winterson

2009-10-18T11:17:00.003-05:00

I thought this was a novel, but it isn't, it is 4 linked stories, not quite in the same way as the tales in The Passion are linked. To me ....as I finished I could have justified myself going back to the start of the first story and starting all over again. Makes you think which comes first.

The world may be slowly coming to an end, but for Billie and Spike it's just beginning. Sent into space to explore the Blue Planet - a strange but habitable new world where leaves are as big as cities, birds nest in shells and humanity could have a second chance - they start to fall in love. But what will they discover in their newfound land? As they whirl into the future, through new lifetimes, different identities and dazzling stories, will they ever truly find a home?

For more about Jeanette Winterson visit her author website.

The Light of Day by Graham Swift

2009-10-18T10:58:00.002-05:00

I read one of Swift's books for my degree, and have since read "Tomorrow". What can I say about Swift's books in general, my Mum wouldn't like them as they are not told in the regular linear timeline, with the main character sometimes relating the present, sometimes the past, however, they all tie up together. The Light of Day is told along these lines. There's a a murderer, a detective, the police, and a lot of memories. As with the other two books I have read of Graham Swift's I thoroughly enjoyed this one, it being quite face paced, with short succinct chapters. However, it did left me wondering if Sarah had actually murdered her husband, as George reveals that on his way home Bob, Sarah's husband deliberately ran a red light having a very close shave with a HGV. This, however, did not disappoint me as I like books to make me think.
For more about Graham Swift, click below, I think the link is a little out of date, but is a reliable one.
http://www.contemporarywriters.com/authors/?p=auth93

Catch up time

2009-10-18T05:22:00.002-05:00

I am still reading Anna Karenina, slowly but surely and am enjoying it. Since I last posted I have read 4 books. I'll update you on those.
I have been treating myself to some new knitting books as well. When I try out the patterns from them I will post the results over on Fidgetty Fingers.

The Eye of the Moon by Anonymous

2009-09-20T17:18:00.003-05:00

This is the sequel to "The Book with No Name". Again we meet Sanchez the bartender, Dante and Kacy, Peto the Monk, and the Bourbon Kid.
At the start of this book, we find out why the Bourbon Kid is so "mean"Dante is being a gullible fool, as in the last book. Peto is undercover.
Anonymous has again written about vampires, werewolves, and the undead in his/her own unmistakable style. I couldn't put it down, and thoroughly enjoyed it. So much so that I have checked online in case there is a third novel
Probably a bit too soon, maybe early next year.
Click here to read the bumph!

There are a few newspaper reviews on the back of the novel. This one is possibly the most accurate.

This particular Anonymous has decided to take a fistful of drugs and gone on a literary

genre-bender..... a slightly strange experience but a lot of fun. Daily Sport

After reading this I am more inclined to accept that this particular Anonymous could be Walter Moers, although there is nothing to suggest that the novel has been translated into English from German anywhere.

The Time Traveler's Wife by Audery Niffenegger

2009-09-13T10:29:00.002-05:00

Another book that has languished on my bookshelf for a long time.
This book, made me laugh, cry, be happy, be sad.
It is a complex story, with no useless information in it. Everything in it is relevant to the plot. So I realised that when Henry tells the reader about his fear of "the cage", sooner or later it would become significant. The last few pages made me cry, so if you like happy endings, don't read this book, but it is a very good book.
I will wait for the DVD to come out to watch the film, and am very interested to see how they will cope with the time travelling.
To me there is a possibility of a sequel, but unless the plot is significantly different, it may just read as part 2.
To find out more, click here. I prefer to used author websites where possible, but in this case Wiki is very thorough.

The Better Mousetrap by Tom Holt

2009-08-31T16:29:00.003-05:00

Am glad I went out and bought this for myself. Hinting that I would like a certain book doesn't seem to help very much, or music, come to think of it.
What can I say? I love Tom Holt's off the wall sense of humour, it appeals to me, probably because he seems to go off at tangents like I do.
You want to know what the book is about? I'll put a link at the bottom of this to Tom Holt's website.
Magic and mayhem as usual, with what can only be called a reluctant "hero", and a feisty major female character. Dennis Tanner and his Mum pop up, in true Goblin fashion. There are dastardly plots afoot, but what self respecting Tom Holt novel would be without these things?
By the way....whilst hunting for books for my Mum in a secondhand book shop I found a Tom Holt I don't have.....I do now....it was in brilliant condition, a hardback copy, and only £3...cheaper than the paperback would be if I ordered it.
As promised....click here for Tom Holt's website

Forgot to add....this book had a bonus! The first two chapters of another book, looks promising, think I'll be looking for it. The Accidental Sourcer by K. E.Mills....who just happens to be Karen Miller. I love Karen Miller's books.

Knitting New Scarves by Lynne Barr

2009-08-28T16:17:00.002-05:00

This is not a novel, but a knitting book. I thought would give it a quick mention here, as I think it is a really good book. It encourages the knitter to experiment with yarn. Exploring different techniques, to make amazing scarves. There is a blog devoted to knitters who have used this book, it is called, Knitting New Scarves Knitalong, where you can see some of the scarves that knitters have made following the patterns.

Missing by Susan Lewis

2009-08-28T09:59:00.003-05:00

This book can be forgiven for looking like the fluffy sort of book that is packed for holidays. It is despite it's fluffy appearance a very well thought out novel with some good twists to it. The "Missing" person, is included briefly at the start of the novel, then she goes "missing" until about half way through. It is narrated by an omniscient narrator, which works very well, as there are many people affected by the disappearance of Jacqueline Avery.
It did not however answer, or attempt to answer one of the plotlines, but I think that was deliberate. The cover of my copy is a little misleading, as it shows a toddler , beside an old fashioned swing slung from a tree. It is quite a while before the significance of the toddler is revealed. The publisher classes this novel as fiction, which it is, but it is also a mystery. An engrossing read.
Susan Lewis has written quite a few books, for a read of the cover bumph from Missing, click here, click on home when you get there if you wish to find out more about the author and her books.

In another place as well.

2009-08-28T06:39:00.002-05:00

This book blog cann also be found on wordpress, under the same name, Book Addicts Anonymous.

Falls the Shadow, Sharon Kay Penman

2009-08-26T11:34:00.010-05:00

Simon de Montfort was a man ahead of his time in the thirteenth century, a disinherited Frenchman who talked his way into an English earldom and marriage with a sister of the English king, Henry III. A charismatic, obstinate leader, Simon soon lost patience with the king’s incompetence and inability to keep his word, and found himself the champion of the common people.

This is his story, and the story of Henry III, as weak and changeable as Simon was brash and unbending. It is a tale of opposing wills that would eventually clash in a storm of violence and betrayal—an irresistible saga that brings the pages of history completely, provocatively, and magnificently alive.

~~~~~~~~~

When I first started reading this book, I quickly discovered it had little to do with Wales and everything to do with Simon de Montfort, who wasn't Welsh by any stretch of the imagination. I almost put it aside for good, but then I caught the author's note at the back wherein she explained why she chose to dedicate all of the book to de Montfort's life. It made sense so I stuck with it and found de Montfort to be a very admirable man and his wife someone I would have loved to meet. Of course reality might not have been as 'fab' as history makes her out to be. LOL

As always, Penman is able to bring to life history's saints and sinners in a vibrant way. She breathes new and refreshing life into what many consider a boring topic.

Two books at once

2009-08-23T05:38:00.002-05:00

Yes, I am reading two books at once, as I realise that Anna Karenina is a fairly difficult book, and I might need a little "light relief" from it.
Saying that, what I have read so far is pretty straightforward, and flows better than Middlemarch, but then again, I never finished reading Middlemarch. [One of the few books I have abandoned.]

The Company by Arabella Edge

2009-08-23T05:24:00.002-05:00

Be warned, if you pick this book up and expect a "nice read" about a shipwreck, you won't get it. This is not a Swiss Family Robinson, or Robinson Crusoe for adults. The main character Jeronimus Cornelisz is a desperately flawed character, who in The Accomplice by Kathryn Hayman comes across as evil, and he doesn't come across any differently in this novel. However the novel is told from Cornelisz' viewpoint. He is a man given to sadistic pleasure, even from and early age, and he makes no excuse for it. In fact he sees his pleasures as entirely natural. This doesn't make him likable by any means, but the actions that he takes are entirely in keeping with his warped character. Having read The Accomplice, I knew what the book had in store, and wasn't horrified. I do wonder if the story may have inspired, in part William Golding's Lord of the Flies.
The Company is a good read, but not for those of a delicate constitution.
http://www.panmacmillan.com/displayPage.asp?PageID=2557

The extract above gives a potential reader an insight into the novel.

Nineteen Eighty-Four by George Orwell.

2009-08-18T10:03:00.003-05:00

Oliver bought this book while he was on his way back from his trip around Europe. Now I've finished it, and we've talked about it. We both agree that is a very depressing book.
I'm sorry, I didn't really like it for that reason, and the fact that the internal monologue passages are far too long for my liking, perhaps if the subject was less depressing I could have enjoyed it, but then it wouldn't be 1984. I am glad however Orwell's bleak outlook of the future has not happened.
I much prefer Animal Farm.
http://www.penguin.co.uk/nf/Book/BookDisplay/0,,9780141187761,00.html?strSrchSql=1984/Nineteen_Eighty-Four_George_Orwell

The Birthing House by Christopher Ransom

2009-08-13T06:32:00.002-05:00

"The scariest novel since Stephen King's The Shining, The Birthing House grips from the first line to the final terrifying twist." That is what it says on the back cover. With that in mind I sat and read the last 100 or so pages in broad daylight.
The story is indeed griping, and you just want to read on. I've never read The Shining, so can't equate. The last 100 or so pages the story took on a nightmare-ish quality that made me want to keep on reading, rather than put the book down.
The story starts out quite positively, but then things start to go wrong, and the main character seems to become obsessed by the house. I was however disappointed that the snakes the main character keeps were not made more use of, as they could have added a sinister twist to the story, yet another one.
The story is well constructed, and I could see that with very little alteration it would be able to be made into a film.
To read more about the book and author, click here.

Zorro, the novel by Isabel Allende

2009-08-12T11:27:00.003-05:00

Isn't it funny how you pick up novels and don't want to put them down, but also every so often there seems to a be "theme", the last three I have read the main character(s) have travelled around, and the last two have been translations. I used to shy away from translations, but after reading "The 13 and 1/2 lives of Captain Bluebear" by Walter Moers, I stopped avoiding them.

Most people have seen at least one Zorro film. Bearing that in mind, the man who is revealed to be Zorro in this book doesn't ring the same, but I prefer to think that Zorro would be like Diego de la Vega in Allende's novel. What better way to put people off thinking a person is Zorro, than be an effeminate fop? Following Diego around in the story, from the New world, to the Old World, and back again, Allende fills in the background of Zorro, how he came to be the man he was in legend.
After reading this book, I would happily read another of Allende's books. For more about her, and some bumph about the book, click here.

The Laments by George Hagen

2009-08-12T11:08:00.004-05:00

The quote from Roddy Doyle on the front cover of my copy is not misleading. "Hugely entertaining and very, very funny." That does sum up this book, but also leaves out much.

Meet the Laments: the wilful, beguiling family who will lead you from 1950s Rhodesia to the Persian Gulf, England and 1970s New Jersey on their relentless search for the perfect place to settle. Howard is an engineer and dreamer, his wife Julia a fiery-spirited artist. Both are determined to shake off their colonial heritage and find a better society in which to raise their children: the anarchic twins, Julius and Marcus, and their older brother Will, who was secretly adopted as a baby. As will grows up, he struggles to find his place in the family, yet when their constant uprootings and successive mishaps begin to pull the Laments apart, it is Will who strives to hold them together.

The above bumph outlines the story, but gives little away, from the outset the reader is aware that Will is adopted, but Will is kept in the dark for much of the story. Julia's mother is aware that something is being kept from her, but she has no idea what exactly. There are many places where this book made me laugh, and some made me wince, as Julia tries to bring up her boys without them getting into too many scrapes. As a mother it is easy to identify with Julia's reaction to the antics of her sons. Towards the end of the story the author depicts Howard as a man struggling with his own self worth in the face of being unemployed, and Julia becoming the breadwinner for the family. The story is very well told.
For information about the author, click here.

Fault Lines by Nancy Huston

2009-08-11T16:45:00.003-05:00

This novel is narrated by four children....all aged 6 or thereabouts. Each child is trying to make sense of their situation, yet fails, as they are only 6!
The story retreats in time from present day California to Munich during the second world war, with stops on the way.
Each child's voice is pure and confused.
The novel covers things I didn't know happened during the second world war.......and perhaps most people are unaware. The consequences of the actions are in this case far reaching but settled within the novel.
This novel makes the reader think, which is not a bad thing.

Nancy Huston is a French speaking Canadian, this novel was originally written in French. Nancy Huston translates her own books.

Little Monsters by Charles Lambert

2009-07-27T05:15:00.002-05:00

This novel is heartrending in places, with a split time narrative by Carol, the main character, recounting her present and a significant time in her past. Little Monster is how her aunt describes her, and is a fitting description for the child in the present part of the narrative. The fact that this child has taken the name of a cartoon character didn't scape me from early on in the novel, although it took Carol a while to make the connection. The character the girl has called herself after is a fairly nasty character.
I agree with the comment from "Time Out" 'Lambert reads like a writer at the height of his game rather than one just starting out'.

When I was thirteen, my father killed my mother.....

How do you recover from something like that? Carol never quite does. Sent to live with an aunt who barely tolerates her presence, life would be unbearable were it not for Uncle Joey. Years later, he's also the man with whom she builds a home and a future - but when Carol helps to rescue a young refugee from the sea, all that threatens to unravel, just as surely as it did when she was thirteen.

This book had me hooked, and again, I didn't want to put it down.

Charles Lambert's blog is here

What I was by Meg Rosoff

2009-07-27T04:50:00.003-05:00

A first person narrated novel. Mostly internal recollection, but when the main character talks to someone it is reported as first person narrative. It isn't until almost then end of the novel we learn the main character's name, and unless the name hadn't been used by the other character, in place of their own, it probably would never have been revealed. In that respect I found the novel rather like Rebecca, in that we are shown things through the eyes of a character who we don't know the name of.
The whole of the novel is the reminiscences of the narrator.

In the early sixties on an East Anglian beach a fragile wooden hut is harried daily by the sea. It is ignored by the boys from the nearby boarding school who stumble past on their birch-enforced runs. Until the day one sixteen-year-old boy stops and comes face to face with the hut's owner: enigmatic, beguiling, beautiful Finn. The hut and the beach - but most of all Finn - provide a haven away from petty rules and bullies. But they also hold a mysterious, fragile secret. A secret that will be tested by friendship, growing adolescent love and the terrifying fury of the sea. . .

This novel is a lovely lyrical recollection of the narrator's youth, a particular fondly remembered episode.
To find out more about Meg Rosoff and her books, click here

Sharp Objects by Gillian Flynn

2009-07-22T15:55:00.002-05:00

After the previous abandoned book, this one was a pleasant surprise. It is Flynn's debut novel, but don't let that put you off. The plot is sufficiently complex to keep the reader busy. The timeline, is mostly straightforward, although there are times when the main character, Camille, remembers past events. I was completely hooked, and I know it's a cliche, but I really couldn't put it down. I look forward to seeing more from Gillian Flynn.

When two little girls are abducted and killed in Missouri, reporter Camille Preaker is sent to her home town to investigate. Camille has been estranged from her neurotic mother for years. Now she find herself installed in her family home, reacquainting herself with her half-sister, a precocious thirteen-year-old who holds a disquieting grip on the town.

Working alongside the police, Camille tries to untangle the mystery of who killed these little girls and why.

But there are deeper psychological puzzles: why does Camille identify so strongly with the dead girls?

and how is this connected to the earlier death of her sister years earlier?

A link to Flynn's website is here, so you can find out more, and maybe read an extract for yourself. At the end of this book there was something that I have noticed appearing in many books these days, that is a section on points to consider if using this book with a book group/club.

Ablutions by Patrick de Witt

2009-07-17T16:28:00.003-05:00

Am around a third of the way through this book. I don't normally blog about a book until I have finished it. This book is subtitled, "Notes for a Novel". I know it is a first novel, but after reading as far as I have, I would rather read the novel the notes are for than the book I am reading.
I hope I see this book through to the end, and may be able to add something more positive, but at the moment I keep looking how many more pages there are left .....until I can start something else.
I KNOW that no-one is looking over my shoulder, and I KNOW that I do not have to write an essay focused on this book, but I really just keep hoping it will improve, although 65 pages into a 164/5 page book...I think I might be reading in vain.
I hate giving up on a book, but think I just might with this one, despite it's brevity.

18/7/09
I've read to p 94 now, and am getting heartily fed up with this book. The series of incidents are driving me mad. I'm afraid this book is going to be abandonded, and quite possibly given away.

What was Lost by Catherine O'Flynn

2009-07-15T10:17:00.003-05:00

This book won the Costa First Novel Award.
It drew me in, and just had to keep reading. I felt an empathy with Kate, and the other two main characters also evoke the sympathy of the reader.

A lost little girl with her notebook and toy monkey appears on the CCTV screens of Green Oaks shopping centre, evoking memories of junior detective, Kate Meaney, missing for 20 years. Kurt, a security guard with a sleep disorder and Lisa, a disenchanted deputy manager at Your Music, follow her through the centre's endless corridors - welcome relief from the behaviour of customers, colleagues and the Green Oaks mystery shopper. But as this after-hours friendship grows in intensity, it brings new loss and new longing to light.

Part ghost story, part observation of the tedium of the main characters lives "What was Lost" is engaging from the first to last page. For a little more about the book and author, click here. I would say that Catherine O'Flynn is an author to look out for.

The Last Witchfinder by James Morrow

2009-07-15T09:52:00.003-05:00

I loved this book, but some may not do, as the book itself "talks" to the reader at intervals throughout the book. These passages are quite clearly the book talking, but I can appreciate it may un-nerve some.
The main character, Jennet Stearne is a very strong willed girl/woman, who has a grasp of many things that are usually the province of men at the time. I think the bumph probably tells it better than me.

In the spring of 1688, Walter Stearne, Witchfinder-General for Mercia and East Anglia, roams the countryside in search of heretics. His daughter Jennet is left behind in the care of her Aunt Isobel, who schools her in the New Philosophy expounded by Isaac Newton. But her aunt's style of scientific enquiry soon attracts the attention of the witchfinders.

To save her aunt, Jennet travels to Cambridge to seek the help of Newton himself. On the way, she meets Dr. Barnaby Cavendish and his "Museum of Wondrous Prodigies" including the Bird-Child of Bath and the Sussex Rat Baby. Jennet's masterplan is ultimately doomed, but in Isobel's dying moments, Jennet agrees to devote her life to overturning the Parliamentary Witchcraft Act. It is a task that will lead her to picaresque adventures: to the witch trials of Salem; to capture by Algonquin Indians; to an affair with Benjamin Franklin; to a shipwreck; and to the great final showdown between old superstition and new science.

Jennet's father and brother are merciless in their witchfinding quest, but Jennet withstands all her trials. James Morrow weaves a spell binding tale. Apologies for the lousy pun. :)

The Book with No Name by Anonymous

2009-07-15T09:06:00.003-05:00

No, I'm not pulling your leg, neither was I pulling the assistant's leg in the bookshop when I ordered it.
I was looking to see what other books Walter Moers had written, and came across this one. It is thought that he might have written it, but to date no-one has claimed author-ship of this novel.

The book is fast paced, made up of short chapters, following the various characters as the plot lines converge. I thoroughly enjoyed the book, I wish I knew who the author is. It could be Walter Moers, as it is a humourous as his books.

Whatever you do, don't read the Book with No Name.

An untitled book by an anonymous author brings death to anyone who reads it.

"The Eye of the Moon" - a mysterious blue stone - has gone missing.

And in Santa Mondega, all hell is about to break loose. Literally.

Sanchez the bartender, El Santino the crime boss, several bounty hunters and a hitman dressed as Elvis, two hard-as -nails monks, a detective from the Department of Supernatural Investigations, a retired cop who can't let go, a bare-knuckle fighter on a chopped Harley, and a whole bunch of low-lifes are going to meet on the violent streets of Santa Mondega. A total eclipse will soon cast the town into darkness, and it's gonna get bloody.

Because let's not forget the Bourbon Kid....

It is some weeks since I read the book, and I'm still alive....mind you I don't expect to live forever....so in a way the first bit of the bumfh is correct. For more reviews, etc, click here. I couldn't find an author page, due to the author being anonymous.

City Of Thieves by David Benioff

2009-07-15T08:36:00.004-05:00

This novel is set in the siege of Leningrad during the second world war. It has some similarities to Helen Dunmore's "The Siege", but is altogether a different story. It has a certain humour that lifts the reader, but gently reminds them at the same time that the situation of the main characters is dire. The book had a "wrap" on it...saying the reader would enjoy, or they could claim two other books from the publisher. I did enjoy, so won't be chasing that offer up.

In the coldest winter in history, in a starving city under siege, two prisoners are thrown together on a desperate adventure.
Lev, a shy, chess-loving teenager and Kolya, a charismatic chancer.
They are given one week to complete an extraordinary mission: to scour the ravaged countryside and find a dozen eggs.
Or come back empty-handed and die.

The novel follows Lev and Kolya on their hunt for the eggs, which takes them behind enemy lines and into danger. If they manage to find eggs, they still need to negotiate their way back into Leningrad with them. Along the way they encounter difficulties, and manage to do something unexpected.
The novel has been very well researched but the author doesn't bludgeon you with the facts, as some are wont to do.

How to be Lost by Amanda Eyre Ward

2009-06-22T11:26:00.003-05:00

When I picked this up I was a little sceptical, as it had a sticker on it saying, "As good as Lovely Bones or your money back."
Am a little wary of claims like that. However, it looked interesting, so I bought it.
Caroline Winters lives in New Orleans, her mother and sister live in New York, not far from where they lived as children.
The story starts with Caroline in New Orleans, she's trying to think how she can turn down the Christmas invitation to New York. However, she goes. An event in Caroline and her family's past comes up for discussion. There was a younger sister, but she disappeared some years previously, aged 5, and there is speculation that she might have been murdered by someone just about to stand trial for another murder, same sort of circumstances. For the man to be charged with Ellie, the missing sister's murder, she has to be declared dead. Both Caroline and her mother can not bring themselves to do this, the other sister Madeline is quite annoyed, and tells them she can declare Ellie dead herself, but she doesn't.
Caroline and her mother discuss Ellie, and her mother shows Caroline a picture that looks as if it could be Ellie. Caroline promises her mother she will look for Ellie. By New Year Caroline has lost her job and her mother. After the funeral she's determined to find Ellie, and goes to where the picture was taken.
Alongside this narrative is the story of how Ellie came to disappear, and how the family coped with it, then there are letters to an Alaskan called Johan, from Agnes.
I won't spoil the end, but it does end well, yet Amanda Eyre Ward leaves a lot for the reader to surmise, she doesn't give you the bare facts.
It was a very interesting book, and I don't want my money back.

The Geographer's Library by Jon Fasman

2009-06-21T06:42:00.003-05:00

On the front of this book there's a quote from author Manda Scott.

"enticing, inspiring...marries the immediacy of THE DA VINCI CODE with the intellectual rigour of THE RULE OF FOUR"

I haven't read either of those books, but there was definitely something about this one that just hooked me.
Like quite a few books I have read lately it has narratives in different times.
Paul Tomm, the main character has the makings of an investigative reporter, when asked to write an obituary about recently deceased history professor Jaan Puhapaev, he finds mystery surrounds him, and the further he he looks for facts, the more mysterious Jaan Puhapaev appears. Paul Tomm does have a naivety that makes you sometimes want to yell at him in pantomime fashion, "behind you", as he gets himself into some very difficult situations, that it seems to the reader could have been avoided. Yet this is part of his charm as a character. The narrative about Paul Tomm researching is interspersed with the histories of fifteen arcane objects, and the collecting together of them. In this narrative there is a "master of disguises", who at one point is called Abulfaz Akhundov, yet at another has an entirely different name, this man is instrumental in collecting together the objects, and is very ruthless in his methods.
All in all the book is fascinating, and I ended up just sitting reading to finish it, as I was so engrossed.
Then again I knew I was in for a good book when I picked it up, as it is published by Penguin, a publisher that seems to host many good authors.

For further information about Jon Fasman click here. There are more deatils about The Geographer's Library, and his newer book , The Unpossessed City, along with a biography.

Here Be Dragons, Sharon Kay Penman

2009-06-15T08:07:00.007-05:00

Set in the 13th Century, Here Be Dragons is the story of King John and his England. A paradoxical man, he was charming, generous, clever -- and he was unstable and brutal. He was capable of great kindnesses, but he butchered child hostages. He was the youngest son and favorite of Henry Plantagenet, but he would betray his father in order to seize the throne of England. For centuries, history recorded him as a bad king, upon whom the Magna Carta was forced. Yet history also tells us he was intent on bringing a measure of justice to his realm in the face of his greedy barons' refusal to accept the law.

But Here Be Dragons is also the story of Llewelyn the Great of Wales. At 14, he began a civil war; by 21, he held all North Wales. He was John's vassal -- and most bitter enemy. His dream of a free and united Wales, unencumbered by English laws or lords, was to spur a lifelong crusade that left little time for peace or pleasure.

And, at its heart, Here Be Dragons is the story of Joanna: daughter to one, wife to the other. Bastard-born, hidden from her father until her embittered mother's death, then brought, a bewildered five-year-old, to John's court. He would cherish her, cosset her, and yet use her as a political pawn, marrying her off at fifteen to a wild Welsh prince She was terrified, but he was the father she adored and obeyed. Wife to Llewelyn, whom she came to love, daughter to John, whom she worshipped, Joanna was trapped in the crossfire of their implacable enmity.

After reading another of Penman's books - Time and Chance - I knew that I wanted to know more about the Welsh people. Prior to reading T&C, my knowledge of the Welsh was vague at best. Through members of the historical fiction forum I am a member of, I discovered Penman had written a Welsh trilogy. So I managed to buy the three books over the last 7 months and have finally gotten around to reading them.

Overall the book was a good read. Penman does well in her presentation, though I know of at least one other author who might say she portrayed Joanna in too good a light. I cannot argue the point as I'm not well versed in that era of English history, but I do not feel that misinterpreted portrayal takes away from the story. The core of the story is Joanna's struggle between loyalty to her father - who gave her a loving home when she lost her mother at five - and loyalty to her husband.

The only thing negative I can say about the book is something probably most would argue about. I was hoping for a story more focused on Wales. I realise that the history of Wales is inescapably tied to England, I feel that Penman is more than capable of pulling off a more Welsh-centric story than she has. I know she is capable of it because there are chunks of Time and Chance where one of her characters lives in Wales and though related to the monarch, knows little of what is going on outside of Wales.

Still, I would recommend this book to any Penman fan.

Blood Eagle by Craig Russell

2009-06-14T11:51:00.004-05:00

Two women are killed in the same horrific, ritualistic manner. The murderer taunts the police with e-mails. It seems clear that a serial killer is at work, selecting victims at random and living out some twisted fantasy.

But, as Jan Fabel and his murder team investigate further, nothing is at it first seems. They are drawn into a dark half-world of Viking myth and legend, of obscure religious cults, of political intrigue and of a violent struggle to seize control of the city.

And as Fabel desperately races to track down the killer before more killings take place, he and his team come face-to-face with a cold, brutal menace they could never have predicted.

A greater evil than they could ever have imagined.

This is a very well written book, the only difficulty I had was the various rank in the German police hierarchy, but these are explained before the story begins. It definitely was one of those books I have difficulty putting down, and found myself reading in preference to watching TV.
The end was conclusive, but inconclusive, leaving it wide open for another story about Jan Fabel and his team. I will give one word of warning however, there are parts of the story where there are some very blunt descriptions, so it isn't for you if you tend to be squeamish.

Serious Things by Gregory Norminton.

2009-06-08T15:43:00.002-05:00

This was a difficult book to get my teeth into at first. I kept putting it down, then all of a sudden the plot opened up and swallowed me in. I think the fact the narrative is set in two time frames, Bruno, the main character's present, and his time at boarding school. As a narrator he seems to be brutally frank about himself, but as the narration is first person, there is always a shadow of a doubt as to whether the narrator is reliable or not, I think in this case Bruno is, due to his very frank statements about himself.
The title of the book "Serious Things" seems an odd choice at first, until you realise that Bruno has "Serious Things" on his mind, whilst his old school friend seems to have left one institution for another, [boarding school- university- marriage,] letting other people think for him, despite his apparent confidence with life. Anthony is only as self-important as his "audience" allows him to be, and he chooses carefully.
Anyway, those are just my thoughts on finishing it about the two main characters.

At boarding school, in the early nineties, shy and lonely Bruno is desperate for friendship; egotistical Anthony needs an admirer. Their unlikely alliance is strengthened further when they are singled out by a young, idealistic teacher. But when he drops them, the outcome is more destructive than any of them could have imagined.

Years later, Bruno thinks he has buried the past until a chance encounter with Anthony forces him to confront it. He must decide how far he is prepared to go to assuage his guilt - and how far Anthony will let him.

www.gregorynorminton.co.uk

Labryrinth by Kate Mosse

2009-06-05T17:59:00.003-05:00

Why this book has sat unread on my bookcase for so long I really don't know.
On the front cover of my copy..it says "Three secrets, two women, one grail"
I really don't know if that encompasses the novel enough
Throughout the narrative is split between Alice in the 20th Century, and Alais in the late 13th century, the novel is not confusing in the slightest.
I found that I really couldn't put the book down, staying up late into the night to finish it.
I know Blue has also read this novel, pre-blog set up. I also know she enjoyed it as well, as she loves "grail" novels.

http://www.katemosse.com/content/labryrinth.asp?id=dsc

I will say that I am looking forward to reading Sepulchre soon.

I'm just going to muscle my way into Sea's post to add my own bit about this book. I read it several months ago, possibly even a year ago now, but never got around to blogging about it. *rolls eyes* I have enjoyed all of the various books I've read involving the Knights Templar and any of the related topics - such as this - and Labyrinth was no exception. I know others from HFO have wall-slammed the book for whatever reason, but I am one of the few who have truly enjoyed it.

As Sea stated above, it was not difficult to follow jumping back and forth between centuries because it was mostly broken up along chapter lines. This is one of those books which shed light more on the Cathars and how they came to be related with the Knights Templar. It's a very moving book about people who stood strong in their faith, which I think anyone should respect.

The Story of Forgetting by Stefan Merrill Block

2009-05-29T11:10:00.004-05:00

I was going to buy this book anyway, but it was also Waterstone's book circle book of the month for March. OK, it's taken until May to get around to reading it, but...lol...I read Firmin, their April choice before they nominated it. :D
Anyway, back to the book, bumph first;

Fifteen year old Seth Waller is devastated when his mother is diagnosed with a rare, early-onset from of Alzheimer's. When he was growing up, his mother always brushed aside questions about her past and family, and Seth realises that soon he will lose his chance to find out any more. He decides to uncover the truth about her life, their family history and the condition and what he discovers is more surprising than he could ever have imagined.

Inspired partly by the Author's own family history, The Story of Forgetting is a moving and exhilarating novel of love, loss, hope and genetic destiny.

The novel switches narrative from Seth, to Abel and back again, with genetic history, and tales of an imaginary land called Isidora, helping knit the strands together. Abel is an old man by the end of the novel, but we have a "most important events" type narrative from him to start off with, Seth is determined to find out more about his mother's condition, which means uncovering here history that for reasons of her own she has never discussed. As Set finds out more about the progress and transmission of EOA [early onset Alzheimer's] the more he realises he must find out more about his mother's family. There is also a point where he realises that by his Mum's age he may develop the condition, he actually has the blood taken, then takes it from the nurse and bins it, not wanting to know at this point in time. The novel is poignant, but in places a little tough going, usually on the genetic history sections, but stick with it, as they are all relevant to the story. For more about Stefan Merrill Block, click here.

The Boar Stone by Jules Watson

2009-05-27T09:13:00.002-05:00

Roman England, 366 AD

Minna, a Roman serving girl, loses family and home and is flung out into the brutal world to fend for herself. Desperate to reach her soldier brother at the northern frontier, she falls in with acrobat Cian, a tribeless youth with no loyalty to anyone but himself.

A terrible mistake sees them thrust into the wilds of barbarian Scotland, a land in chaos. The Romans send scouts north from their frontier, seeking to subdue Scotland by any means possible. The dark Picts attack back, raiding and pillaging Roman farms.

And caught in the middle is Cahir, King of the Dalriadans in Scotland. Year by year he has watched his people fall under the Roman yoke, and wounded by shame, his power dwindles.
At Dunadd, Cahir's fort, Cian and Minna must struggle to survive. Cian retreats into the pain of his hidden past, while Minna has an entirely unexpected path open before her. For what are the visions and dreams of Scotland that plague her, full of battles and bloodshed?

Compelled by an ancient prophecy, Minna's visions reveal a destiny that she shares with the wounded king Cahir, a path as seer and healer. Yet her journey to save them both has far-reaching consequences even she cannot foresee.

Love gained and lost.
The truth of who she really is.
And a war that will free Scotland from the Roman invaders forever.

This, as with all other writings of Jules Watson, left me utterly breathless. I could never possibly say enough great things about this amazing author. Her words grab you and suck you back in time, making you feel as though you're breathing the very air that surrounds her characters. You want to know these characters and feel as though you do by the time the book comes to a close. Though a historical novel in the sense of the time period it was set, the characters are purely fictional, yet everything felt so real. As though I was really there.

The Story of a Marriage by Andrew Sean Greer

2009-05-27T09:01:00.004-05:00

Well, I finished the previous book on the bus on the way to the bookshop, so had nothing to read on the journey back, apart from the new books in my bag. I started this one straight away.

It is 1953, and in San Francisco Pearlie, a dutiful housewife finds herself caring for both her husband's fragile health and her polio afflicted son. The one Saturday morning someone from her husband's past appears on their doorstep.
His arrival throws all the certainties by which Pearlie has lived into doubt, and she is brought face to face with the desperate measures people are prepared to take to escape the conflict of their lives.

At first glance from the bumph, it looks like a normal story that will progress into the story of an affair, and the way the three characters cope with it, but all is far from what it seems. A lot of "moral/legal" questions are thrown up, some which didn't even cross my mind until they were stated in black and white. I don't like spoiling books, so I will keep quiet about what surprised me, apart from the fact this particular novel continued to surprise from start to finish.

http://andrewseangreer.com/ for more details about the author and his books.

The Gargoyle, by Andrew Davidson

2009-05-27T08:56:00.002-05:00

On a burn ward, a man lies between living and dying, so disfigured that no one from his past life would even recognize him. His only comfort comes from imagining various inventive ways to end his misery. Then a woman named Marianne Engel walks into his hospital room, a wild-haired, schizophrenic sculptress on the lam from the psych ward upstairs, who insists that she knows him – that she has known him, in fact, for seven hundred years. She remembers vividly when they met, in another hospital ward at a convent in medieval Germany, when she was a nun and he was a wounded mercenary left to die. If he has forgotten this, he is not to worry: she will prove it to him.

And so Marianne Engel begins to tell him their story, carving away his disbelief and slowly drawing him into the orbit and power of a word he'd never uttered: love.

The opening of this novel was intense and graphic, neither of which put me off from reading it. I don't know how Mr Davidson managed to convey so explicitly an experience that he's never had, but he manages to pull it off in a truly believable way.

However, once the main character - whose name is never revealed - leaves the hospital and begins his life as a recovering burn victim out in the world the story, for me, took a plumet. The plot never really progressed as I would have expected it to. We merely jump back and forth in time, which isn't difficult to keep up with, just boring. It was a long drawn out story which lost me as a reader about 3/4 into the book.

I'm sure you're wondering how I managed to get through 3/4 of the book and not finish. By that point it started to feel like a chore to read. Nothing really happened. Marianne and the main character lived out their lives and she told him stories of their past. I could not bring myself to care about the characters so it was easy for me to ditch them.

The History of Love by Nicole Kraus

2009-05-27T08:20:00.003-05:00

I don't normally go for books with "love" in the title, had enough slushy stuff to last me a lifetime, plus it is an unrealistic view of life in so called "love stories".....BUT....this isn't really a book about slushy "romantic" love, it's about the love families have for each other, even in strained circumstances.
There, at first, appears to be just two narratives in the novel, but there is a third one quietly weaving the two main narratives together. A further one helps bring the novel to conclusion.
For me, the narrators are Leo, Alma, Bird and Zvi.

"When I was born my mother named me after every girl in the book my father gave her called The History of Love...."

Fourteen year old Alma Singer is trying to find a cure for her mother's loneliness. Believing she might discover it in an old book her mother is lovingly translating, she sets out in search of its author.

Across New York an old man called Leo Gursky is trying to survive a little bit longer. He spends his days dreaming of the lost love that sixty years ago in Poland inspired him to write a book. And although he doesn't know it yet, that book also survive: crossing oceans and generations, and changing lives.....

The novel starts off with Leo and his very strange, almost bizarre ways of ensuring that although he is old, and lives alone, he won't be one of those lonely dead people who are discovered days, sometimes weeks after they have finally died. Although comic, it is probably true, Krauss has him going out every day and doing unpredictable things in public places, such as knocking over stack of cans in a supermarket. A bittersweet condemnation of society today.

Alma's quest to find the "cure" for her mother's loneliness is also sad, but heart warming, not in a mushy way though. I had put off reading this book for quiet a while presuming it would be all hearts and flowers, it's anything but that, and a very good read.

http://nymag.com/nymetro/arts/books/reviews/11916/

Sacrifice by S.J Bolton

2009-05-27T07:51:00.002-05:00

Sharon J Bolton's first novel tackles a subject, albeit in a disguised way, that once brought to mind, I found difficult to forget. I won't spoil it, but the novel gives nothing at all away about this particular thread of the plot.
Part thriller,part medical, part investigative is what springs to find on reading the bumph. I did find myself telling the heroine "don't do that" several times, but as you know, the heroine....no doing would lead to a very short dull book.
I enjoyed the various twists and turns of the plot, and wasn't able to predict a couple of them. The setting, of the novel is crucial to the plot, it really couldn't happen elsewhere, [other than other remote islands,] as is revealed towards the end of the novel.
Sacrifice is a first novel from a past Waterstone's "New Voices" promotion, S.J.Bolton having now written a second novel, and her website says she's working on a third.
I'll not type out the bumph here, visit Sharon Bolton's website to read more about Sacrifice, her newest release Awakening, and the book still being written.

www.sjbolton.com

The Front by Patricia Cornwell

2009-05-11T16:23:00.002-05:00

This is the second Win Garano novel I have read by Cornwell, and to me Win Garano is not quite as enigmatic as Kay Scarpetta. That aside, the novel is very accessible, but this one had a rather confusing conclusion, to me. I will probably read more in this series because of the author, but they are no way as engrossing as the Kay Scarpetta books.

Broken Biscuits by Liz Kettle

2009-05-11T15:54:00.003-05:00

I discovered this book thanks to Waterstone's Books Quarterly. It was one of their...if you like this book, you will like this one too, books. The link in this case was Poppy Shakespeare, which I haven't read as yet, but have watched the TV dramatisation
However, the title of this book also intrigued me. "Broken Biscuits".....when I was young......Mum would buy broken biscuits from the market. They were cheaper, and many biscuits that were beyond my parents weekly budget would be in the broken biscuit mix. I don't know if Liz Kettle meant readers to make this connection, but I did. My sister would shake the biscuit tin, deliberately before choosing her biscuits, as we were under strict instructions to "eat the broken biscuits first"....the implication of this being, if guests came, they could choose the whole biscuits. As I said, I have no idea if this is the link Liz Kettle made when choosing the title, but the characters in the novel are both damaged in some way.
The novel could be confusing, as Aggie's narrative goes backwards, and Jodie's goes forwards, but both women are struggling to make sense of their worlds. I really enjoyed this book, despite it's unsettling subject matter....after all...no-one likes to think they might loose their marbles.

Persepolis by Marjane Satrapi

2009-05-07T16:35:00.002-05:00

When I bought this book...I didn't realise that it was a graphic novel...however...I read it quite quickly. The underlying message from this novel is......I suppose...don't judge a book by it's cover.
Throughout the text Marjane tries to "fit in" to other cultures/ and indeed her own, she is displaced, and left adrift. Her extreme actions are expected, in my book.

The novel is a very good way of reminding US....that there are other cultures...and they should be taken into consideration.

Bumph;
www.randomhouse.com/pantheon/graphicnovels/satrapi.hmtl

The Mercy of Thin Air by Ronlyn Domingue

2009-05-03T11:24:00.003-05:00

This is one of those books that has been in my "stash" of books for a while, and I'll be honest, I forgot what it was about, until I picked it off the bookshelf. It's a perfect contrast to the insanity of the previous book, but not deadly serious.
I have seen a review of this book comparing it to Lovely Bones, as this book is also told through the eyes of someone who we learn is dead.
The characters are very believable, and Razi is a very gutsy young woman. Just why she is "haunting" the couple, Amy and Scott, seems random, until things start to tie together. What at first seems like two random plot lines becomes one through which both Razi and Amy learn something very important.

In 1920s New Orleans, Raziela Nolan is in the throes of a magnificent love affair when suddenly she dies in an accident. Immediately after her death, she chooses to stay between - a realm that exists after life and before whatever lies beyond. From this remarkable vantage point, Razi narrates the story of their lost love, as well as the relationship of Scott and Amy, a young couple whose house she haunts 70 years later. Their trials finally compel Razi to slowly unravel the mystery of what happened to her first and only love, Andrew, and to confront a long-hidden secret.

Entwining two tragic and redemptive love stories that echo across three generations, The Mercy of Thin Air is a striking novel that beautifully captures the nature of love and memory and their ability to transcend all barriers - even death.

Although the bumph does say that this is a love story, I wouldn't let that fool you. It is not mushy and sentimental at all, it explores the depths of feelings people can still have for each other, even after death. When Domingue tied things up at the end of the book, I thought back and there was a pointer to one thing that was a mystery all through. Razi's first and only love could really only have settled for one other person in the book.

The link above takes you to Domingue's website, to date this her only full-length novel. It does say she was working on a second, but has shelved it for the time being, and is working on another.

Yay! Carol Ann Duffy is the new Poet Laureate

2009-05-01T08:35:00.004-05:00

The new Poet Laureate is Carol Ann Duffy. Her job will entail creating poems for Royal Occasions.
Carol is the first ever female holder of the post, it used to be for life, but Tony Blair made the post one with a ten year tenure in 1999.
I think this is brilliant news as alongside Simon Armitage, Carol Ann Duffy is one of my favourite poets. I wonder if her lovely wry sense of humour will creep into any poems she writes for special occasions.

I'd just like to offer my congratulations to Ms Duffy on her appointment.
To read more about Ms Duffy, click here

Rumo and his miraculous adventures by Walter Moers

2009-04-26T15:27:00.003-05:00

This is the second book I have read by Walter Moers. The previous one being The 13 and 1/2 lives of Captain Bluebear. I bought this one on the strength of my enjoyment of the other.
I wasn't disappointed. Rumo is just as crazy as Captain Bluebear. I pity the poor translator, as the book was originally written in German, it must have been a surreal experience, translating something so humourous, although perhaps that is just my mad tangential thoughts.

Anyway, the bumph from the back of the book;

Rumo is a little Wolperting who will one day become the greatest hero in the history of Zamonia.

Armed with Dandelion, his talking sword, he fights his way across the Overworld and Netherworld, two very different worlds chock-full of adventures, dangers, and unforgetable characters: including Rala, the beautiful Wolperting who cultivates a hazardous relationship with death; Gerenal Ticktock, the evil commander of the Copper Killers; Ushan DeLucca, the finest most weather-sensitive swordsman in Zamonia; Professor Nightingale, the inventor of the Chest-of-Drawers Oracle; and worse luck, the deadly Metal Maiden.

Although a huge book, both in size, [large paperback size,] and number of pages, 688, it only took me just under two weeks to read, as it is so engrossing. The book is also illustrated by line drawings done by Moers himself. If you like humour it is worth giving this book a try.
For information on other books by Moers click here

Harlequin by Bernard Cornwell

2009-04-13T08:35:00.002-05:00

At dawn on Easter morning 1343, a marauding band of French raiders arrives by boat to ambush the coastal English village of Hookton. To brave young Thomas, the only survivor, the horror of the attack is epitomized in the casual savagery of a particular black-clad knight, whose flag -- three yellow hawks on a blue field -- presides over the bloody affair. As the killers sail away, Thomas vows to avenge the murder of his townspeople and to recapture a holy treasure that the black knight stole from the church.

To do this, Thomas of Hookton must first make his way to France; So in 1343 he joins the army of King Edward III as it is about to invade the continent -- the beginning of the Hundred Years War. A preternaturally gifted bowman, Thomas quickly becomes recognized as one of England's most deadly archers in King Edward's march across France. Yet he never stops scanning the horizon for his true enemy's flag.

When Thomas saves a young Frenchwoman from a bloodthirsty crowd, her father -- French nobleman Sir Guillaume d'Evecque -- rewards his bravery by joining him in the hunt for the mysterious dark knight and the stolen holy relic. What begins as a search for vengeance will soon prove the beginning of an even higher purpose: the quest for the Holy Grail itself.

As a pre-established fan of Bernard Cornwell, this is definitely a trilogy I looked forward to reading. If you are interested in reading it, though, and live in the US, you will find it released here as The Archer's Tale. Sea sent me her copy which, of course, is a UK print.

While I am a fan of Cornwell, I'm not interested in reading all that he has published. His massive Sharpe series has not piqued my interest at all. But this was one I wanted to read because I've read a lot of stories about the Knight's Templar and am interested in most anything related to them, as the Holy Grail has been linked to them.

I enjoyed this story first and foremost because Thomas is a reluctant hero. No matter how many times he's faced with someone prodding him to search for this relic or how often circumstances push him in that direction, he stubbornly refuses, insisting that all he wants to be is an archer for the King of England. This makes for a refreshing turn from the numerous stories where people have learnt of their 'destiny' to find the Grail and charged right into the unknown on blind faith.

The five people you meet in heaven by Mitch Albom

2009-04-12T09:12:00.003-05:00

I am just about to read this. I ignored it in the past as I thought it was a religious book, however when my son gave it to me for Mother's Day I turned it over to read the bumph, and there on the lower right corner it said "fiction". I truly hope it is, or I know it will go unfinished.

13th April 2009
Yes, I've finished already.
This is definitely one of those books you can't put down, you just have to know what happens next.
I'll not spoil it for anyone. I'll just give you the blurb from the back cover.

On his 83rd birthday, Eddie, a lonely war veteran, dies in a tragic accident trying to save a little girl from a falling cart. With his final breath, he feels two small hands in his - and then nothing. He awakens in the afterlife, where he learns that heaven is not a lush Garden of Eden but a place where your earthly life is explained to you by five people who were in it. These people may have been loved ones or distant strangers. Yet each of them has changed your path forever.

http://mitchalbom.com