Tiny Library

Jamrach's Menagerie by Carol Birch

2012-02-24T12:30:00.000-08:00

Myself and any books short-listed for the Booker prize usually don't get on so I was a bit hesitant to read Jamrach's Menagerie at first. But it has so many elements I was interested in that I had to eventually give it a go; Victorian London - check, wild animals - check, adventure - check, focusing on squalor rather than riches - check. Plus, I am from the East End of London myself and all of these features combined made me excited to start this book.

It's the tale of Jaffy Brown, a young boy who one day encounters a tiger walking down the street. Despite being carried in the jaws of the the tiger, he is unharmed and his bravery catches the eye of Jamrach, wild animal dealer. Soon Jaffy's life is transformed as he is offered steady work and opportunities start to come his way. He accepts a position on a whaling ship hunting down rumours of a dragon but has no idea of what lies in store for him...

Above all else, Jamrach's Menagerie is a good, old-fashioned, rip-roaring adventure story and I loved it. From the very first lines I was transported back to Victorian London in all the filth and stench of the docks areas and working class population. The sights, smells and tastes were so evocative that sometimes I had to look up from the book and physically remind myself of what the here and now actually is. That rich writing continued all throughout the book, even when Jaffy is at sea. The beautiful sunsets, tropical islands and acres of space are described so cleverly by Birch that I almost feel as though I know what it would be like to be a sailor.

At times, this descriptive writing takes you to places you would rather not go to. I went into this book without knowing what the shocking element of it was (and if you don't know, I'm not going to spoil it), so was completely captivated when events at sea started to unfold. I didn't realise how invested I was in Jaffy as a character until things started to go wrong for him and it's not an exaggeration to say that I was on the edge of my seat, turning the pages of the book as fast as I could. I lost sleep in order to find out what would happen next, and I'm someone who needs sleep to function.

I've seen reviews of this book stating that it didn't 'deserve' to be on the Booker short-list, that it was all about controversy and that's what caught the eye of the judges. I can't comment on the Booker selection, but what this book is is a well-written, well-paced, fascinating adventure story with some sensational elements. It's a lot fun to read, in the same way Treasure Island or King Solomon's Mines are and it's the perfect book to completely lose yourself in.

I borrowed this book from the library, but will be purchasing a copy so I can reread it in the future.

Verdict: Fun adventure story that will keep you gripped. Highly recommended.

Source: Library

First Published: 2011

Score: 5 out of 5

Miss Peregrine's Home For Peculiar Children by Ransom Riggs

2012-02-21T11:50:00.000-08:00

This book had been on my radar for quite some time but it took a friend lending me his copy to inspire me to finally read it. Told using text and vintage photographs, it's the story of Jacob, who has grown up disbelieving the creepy stories his grandfather has told him about monsters and children with special gifts. But when Jacob witnesses something scary himself and voyages to the children's home in Wales his grandfather stayed in, he soon learns that perhaps the stories weren't so far-fetched after all...

This novel was hit and miss for me. I'll start with the 'hits' - I liked the concept of the home for children with special abilities and as a fan of epistolary novels, I loved the idea of including more than just text. And for the most part, the photos worked well and did add a creepy element to the story. I thought the inclusion of the handwritten letters was a nice touch too.

Unfortunately, there were more 'misses' than 'hits'. The core problem I had was that I didn't buy the fantasy elements, especially concerning the bad guys. Whilst I appreciated the idea of the children's home being a refuge, I didn't find what they had to hide from all that creepy or well thought-out; the fantasy behind it seemed a bit shallow. I also don't see the need for this book to be part one of a series, when there was such a good opportunity for the story to be wrapped up in one novel. Why are so many YA books part of a series now? It's one of my pet peeves and also one of the key reasons I don't read much YA.

I also had a problem with some of the vintage photos. In some parts of the novel they added to the story well (when Riggs introduces the children, for example), but in others it felt as though Riggs really had to stretch the story in one direction or another to fit with the photos. It reminded me of a game we play in my class, where I give the children a series of words or images and they have to come up with a story using the prompts. It was like Riggs had done that; changed his story for the images rather than let the story tell itself.

Verdict: A mixed reading experience. I won't be hunting down the sequel.

Source: Borrowed from a friend.

First Published: 2011

Score: 2.5 out of 5

The Secret Garden by Frances Hodgson Burnett (reread)

2012-02-18T23:58:00.001-08:00

There's nothing quite like settling down with one of your favourite books, is there? The Secret Garden has been a favourite of mine since childhood and I've lost count of the number of times I have read it. It's the story of Mary Lennox, a spolit and sullen ten year old girl who lives in India until her parents die of cholera. Sent to England to live in a large, neglected house under the care of her grieving uncle, Mary learns to look after herself for the first time and discovers a beautiful secret garden that is key to her development.

I just love this book, and I think the reason I love it so much is Mary herself. She is introduced to us on page two as "as tyrannical and selfish a little pig as ever lived." To say Mary is spoiled is an understatement; she can't even dress herself as she is so used to servants tending to her. She doesn't hesitate to slap her servants round the face when they displease her. She is stubborn, selfish, sullen, headstrong, outspoken and downright rude. And I like that, I like that Burnett has created a character who isn't perfect and yet somehow still makes you root for her and cheer her on when she starts to change. Mary is refreshingly flawed, a product of her upbringing.

And I think one of the other reasons I liked this book so much as a child was the same as the reason I liked Roald Dahl; Burnett doesn't talk down to or patronise her readers. From a modern perspective, Mary is neglected both by her parents and her uncle. There's some passages that deal quite frankly with grief and the prospect of dying young (Mary's cousin, Colin, another delightfully spoiled character). And Burnett offers no easy solution to any of the problems of the novel and we see that only time and small changes really change or heal any of the characters.

"Thoughts - mere thoughts - are as powerful as electric batteries - as good for one as sunlight is, as bad for one as poison. To let a sad thought or a bad one get into your mind is as dangerous as letting a scarlet fever germ get into your body. If you let it stay there after it has got in you may never get over it as long as you live." p321

Rereading The Secret Garden as an adult, I couldn't help but analyse the story a lot more and identify the key themes; the idealisation of the working poor, theories on how to bring up children, attitudes towards other races, the sneering at the medical profession, a bit of anti-intelligence, the role of servants. One thing that bothered me this read was how much Martha and her family are held up as a shining light of happiness. Mrs Sowerby has twelve children living in a three bedroom cottage and there's not enough food for everyone, but yet the whole family (especially Martha and Dickon) are constantly shown as happy and carefree. I know money doesn't buy happiness, but Burnett seems to gloss over the hardships of being poor at that time in order to prevent some kind of rural idyll.

But even as I was anaylsing the book and it's messages, I was kicking myself for doing it, as I never did this as a child - I just got lost in the story. What is it about being adults that makes us lose the ability to do this? Anyway, The Secret Garden is a magical story that I would recommend to everyone, even if you haven't read it as a child. At it's core, it's about simple pleasures and finding happiness.

Source: Personal copy

First Published: 1911

Score: 5 out of 5

The Peach Keeper by Sarah Addison Allen

2012-02-17T09:50:00.000-08:00

Sarah Addison Allen is a new author to me and The Peach Keeper is a book I chose purely after reading reviews of it on other blogs; I would never have heard of it otherwise. It tells the story of two very different women, Willa and Paxton, in the fictional town of Walls of Water, North Carolina. Willa is trying to escape from her small town roots and past without actually moving away and Paxton looks like she has the perfect life but is a mess of anxieties underneath. When a human skeleton is uncovered under a peach tree on the grounds of a house they are both connected to, the two women are thrown together and discover a lot about themselves and their family histories.

I don't think I am the right reader for this book. There was technically nothing wrong with it, it's light but well written and the story skips along at a pleasant pace. There are elements of magical realism but they are on the whole well done and there is decent character development. Despite this, I came away from this book overwhelmed by the sweetness of the whole thing.

It's the same feeling I got after reading The Secret Life Of Bees, there was just too much that was cliche, too much sisterhood and female bonding and far too many happily ever afters. Too much sentiment for this particular reader. The male characters seemed to exist solely for the reason to make the female characters happy (but of course only at the end of the novel). The plot developments were predictable and as the tone didn't mesh with me, there wasn't much pleasure in watching them unravel.

I've just reread that last paragraph and it does sound very harsh. Don't take just my word for it, there are plenty of reviews I've seen praising this book highly. As I said, it's not poorly written and there are elements I enjoyed; it's just not my kind of book. If you don't mind a bit of sentimentality with your escapism then it could be the book for you.

Verdict: Well written story of two women in small town America with magical elements, unfortunately too sweet for me.

Source: Library

First Published: March 2011

Score: 2.5 out of 5

The Book Of Human Skin by Michelle Lovric (Venice In February)

2012-02-16T06:25:00.004-08:00

The Book Of Human Skin is an epic, sensationalist and gripping tale of sibling rivalry taken to the extreme. Born in 18th century Venice, Minguillo Fasan has already dispatched of his older sister by the time his younger sister, Marcella, is born. What follows is the account of his attempts to ruin her life and disinherit her; involving lunatic asylums, nunneries in Peru and much physical and emotional torture. Told by five different narrators, The Book of Human Skin spans continents and decades and contains some of the most delightfully wicked characters I've read in a long time.

The Book Of Human Skin may not be literature of the highest quality, but it is a fun roller-coaster ride of a read full of sensational elements and cliff-hangers that keep you turning the pages. My favourite characters were the two evil ones, Minguillo himself and the crazy nun, Sor Loreta. Whereas Minguillo knew he was committing evil acts and indeed revelled in it, Sor Loreta attempted to hide her evil deeds under the guise of religious fanaticism and a penchant for self-mutilation. She scourges, burns, cuts and otherwise disfigures herself as a mark of her devotion to God and flies into self-induced religious 'rages' where she punishes the other nuns for not living up to her expectations. She was such a fascinating character (did she know she was bad, or was she deluding even herself?) that I didn't want her sections of the book to end. I was even more fascinated to read the after-word and learn that some nuns at that time did indeed drink the pus of small-pox victims and have visions about licking the blood from the wounds of Jesus after his crucifixion. Creepy. And don't even get me started on the nun that would only break her fast for food covered in cat vomit, so she would be sure not to enjoy her meal.

But the central story is that of Minguillo and Marcella, and as a reader you can't help but feel sorry for Marcella as she can't seem to get a break. She is crippled and made incontinent, and that's only in childhood. Throughout the story she gradually becomes accustomed to the torture that has been her lot since birth and trades her fighting spirit for passive acceptance. Despite the help of many other characters, Marcella seems destined to always be in the hands of the sociopathic Minguillo. Although Minguillo is a clear-cut villain without many shades of grey, he is nethertheless very fun to read about. Lovric encourages complicity in the reader by writing his sections directly to the audience and making them in this way involved in what is going on. As soon as Minguillo said 'This is going to be a little uncomfortable....' to anyone, I learned to expect something gory.

The most powerful image in the novel was skin. Minguillo becomes fascinated with books bound in human skin and spends all of his money adding to his collection (the passage where he talks about the binding softening from the heat and grease of his hands made me feel queasy). Marcella learns about the pain that can come from the skin. Sor Loreta disfigures hers. The doctor, Santo, becomes interested in diseases of the skin and falls in love with Marcella due to the luminous quality of hers. We even learn about the state of Napoleon's skin diseases.

However, there are a few criticisms to make of this book. After all the gothic evil-ness of the book, I was disappointed with the ending. It's also true that the characters are very black-or-white, good or bad. Would Marcella really stay that nice and forgiving after everything she had gone through? Whilst this kind of characterisation would usually bother me in a novel, I didn't mind it so much in this one as the whole tale had elements of a gothic fairy-tale about it. Think Patrick Suskind's Perfume meets Hansel and Gretel. Not a story full of realism, but one to enjoy for it's fairy-tale elements, wonderful characters, pure escapism and sensationalism. I'll be looking out for the rest of Lovric's books.

Source: Kindle (owned)
First published: 2011
Score: 4 out of 5

The Apple: Crimson Petal Stories by Michel Faber

2012-02-14T07:47:00.000-08:00

Michel Faber's The Crimson Petal and The White is one of my favourite books (see my review). It's a Victorian-style gothic tale about Sugar, an angry prostitute that manages to rise through society by making a wealthy man fall in love with her. But it's more than that too - it's a panoramic of London in the Victorian times, in all its squalor, filth and inequality. When I closed the book back in December 2010, I wanted more as Faber's style was just so distinctive and captivating. So I was excited to read The Apple, a collection of short stories set before, during and after Crimson Petal, featuring both main and secondary characters from the original novel.

Once again, the best thing about this collection was the way Faber wrote about Victorian London and the people on the seedier side of it. I knew I was going to love the writing from the very first lines;

"Close your eyes. Lose track of time for a moment - just long enough to be overtaken by a hundred and thirty years. It's December 1872. Feathery snow is falling on that dubious part of London between Regent Street and Soho, a hodgepodge of shops and houses crammed between the opulent avenues of the well-to-do and the festering warrens of the poor."

Aside from the vividness of the writing, it was nice to be able to read from the point of view of some of the more minor characters from Crimson Petal. For that reason, my favourite story in the collection was 'Clara and the Rat Man', about a maid who, having lost her job, is forced into prostitution and must deal with a very unusual client. As I read each of the stories, I found myself mainly wishing that I had read this collection soon after finishing Crimson Petal, and I also found myself wanting to reread it. I was happy to find out a little bit about what happened to Sugar and Sophie after the end of the novel.

My only criticism of the book was concerning the longest story, 'A Mighty Horde of Women in Very Big Hats, Advancing'. It takes place quite some time after the events of the novel and the setting of quite wealthy women in Edwardian time fighting for women's rights didn't click as well with Faber's writing as Victorian London. But I still enjoyed the story for the element of finding out what happened to certain characters. I think that only people that have read Crimson Petal would enjoy this collection, as it would lack a lot of emotional impact and connection to the characters without that background.

Verdict: Good collection, go and read Crimson Petal first if you haven't already!

Source: Kindle

Score: 4 out of 5

Sunday Salon: I Hate Abridgements!

2012-02-12T03:05:00.000-08:00

Last week, I was in the mood for revisiting a favourite book, so I took down my childhood copy of Little Women from my shelves. I have had this copy since I was about eight or nine and it's rather dog-eared as both my sister and I loved the book and read it numerous times between us. I was all ready to settle down and read it when, as I was looking up what year it was published in out of curiosity, I saw the dreaded words abridged by in tiny letters.

And I just hate abridgements! The whole time I've been saying that Little Women is one of my favourite books and it turns out I haven't really read it at all! I do feel that if a book is an abridgement, it should say so on the front or back covers, not just in tiny writing buried behind the title page. So of course I started wondering what had been left out of my copy, what I have missed and decided that I had to buy a 'proper' copy right away.

After much rooting around on various websites, I found this gorgeous copy. It's part of the Penguin Threads range, and is just stunning. It's not released yet, so I pre-ordered it and am expecting my copy to arrive in early May. The Penguin Threads range was designed by Jillian Tamaki and the protoype books were hand-stitched. Unfortunately the range is small at the moment, but I'm hoping it will expand in future as all of them are beautiful.

As we all know, one purchase leads to another and I found myself ordering the Penguin threads version of Emma, as I only have a tatty mass market paperback copy of it. I also treated myself to two of the Puffin Hardback children's classics; Peter Pan and The Secret Garden. The Secret Garden is one of my favourite books, but I've never actually read the original Peter Pan. Now I will have the perfect excuse.

More and more I'm finding that if I love a book, I want a nice copy that I can treasure and reread. I very rarely purchase any books I've not already read as I have a fabulous library system near me. Books have to earn their spots on my shelves, especially as space is limited.

How do you feel about abridgements? And are you willing to spend more on beautiful copies of books you love?

The Book Of Unholy Mischief by Elle Newmark (Venice In February)

2012-02-11T08:19:00.000-08:00

So the first book I read for Venice in February was a bit of a disappointment. I had high hopes for it too, since I very much enjoyed Newmark's later novel, The Sandalwood Tree. The Book Of Unholy Mischief tells the story of Luciano, a street thief who is lucky enough to become the apprentice to a top chef in Venice in 1498, just as it is being swept up in mania over a mysterious book, that apparently contains a formula for eternal life as well as the secrets of alchemy. But why has he been chosen above so many others?

To focus first on what I did like about this novel, I was pleasantly surprised at how in-depth the culinary theme was. As someone who likes cooking, I enjoyed reading about all the different dishes the chefs prepared and how the busy kitchen worked. I also liked that the mystery was in some way tied to cooking and cook books (without giving anything away), as this seemed a novel approach. Some of the dishes sounded absolutely delicious too.

The description of Venice itself was very evocative. Newmark's Venice is one of secret corners, torture dungeons, dark alleyways and silently moving gondolas. I could easily imagine the maze of streets and was transported back to the vision of Venice Newmark created;

"Over that bridge, the Cappa Nere conducted criminals and heretics to dark underwater caves where the poor wretches lay chained in dank cells listening to the plash of oars as gondolas passed freely overhead." p66.

Despite this positive aspects of the book, it had two fundamental problems. The first was the lack of connection I felt with the characters and events of the story. The main character, Luciano, was a bit of an everyman and the cast of secondary characters were indistinct from each other to the point where it was hard for me to keep them apart in my mind. The only characters that were memorable were the chef, and the main villain of the piece. This disconnect meant that it was a struggle for me to get through this book - it took me a week to read it, unheard of for a book I am enjoying.

The other problem was the mystery itself. There was so much build up in the initial stages of the novel about what might be contained in the mysterious book (eternal life? alchemy?), that when the secret was revealed, I couldn't help but be a bit let down. There also wasn't that frantic pace towards the end that I associate with a good mystery or thriller, everything moved much too slowly.

For me, these two problems were much larger than the other, positive aspects of the book. I can appreciate that it was well written and that the historical setting was very vivid, I just didn't enjoy reading it. One I am glad I borrowed from the library rather than purchased.

Source: Library
First Published: 2008
Score: 2.5 out of 5

Howards End Is On The Landing by Susan Hill

2012-02-07T12:36:00.000-08:00

One thing most bibliophiles love is books about books and Howards End Is On The Landing is one of the best I've read. British author Susan Hill decides to spend a year rediscovering and rereading the books she already owns, and Howards End documents her thoughts during this period. Loosely organised into short chapters, it is a manifesto for reading for total pleasure and for reading without any guilt or pressure. Susan Hill believes you should read what you want to, when you want to.

This book will only appeal to certain kinds of readers. If you are a very organised reader who always has a list of what is going to be read when and perfectly alphabetised shelves, this probably isn't the book for you. In fact, the rambling style will almost certainly put you off. But if you are more of a spur of the moment reader, you'll find yourself nodding your head to many of the points Susan raises.

A lot of themes of the book seemed to coincide with things that we as book bloggers think and worry about. Hill cautions against getting caught up by new releases, against not taking the time to reread favourites and worries about the rise of e-readers. My favourite part was when she writes about people who want to read as many books as they can in the shortest possible amount of time;

"A strange competitiveness has emerged among some readers in the last few years. I have known book-bloggers boast of getting through twenty books plus a week, as if they were trying for a place in the Guinness Book of World Records. Why has reading turned into a form of speed dating?"

I think most of us (myself included) are guilty of that a little bit, the urge and pressure to read as much as you can so as to always have new content up on our blogs. Howards End is a gentle reminder of why we like reading in the first place and to not change our reading habits too much. It was a timely reminder for me, as I can get so caught up in review deadlines and new releases that I forget to both read the books I want to read, and reread the ones I loved. I used to do that all the time before I started blogging.

Much like the arguments it is making, the book is written in an unorganised, quite rambling style. It comes across as Hill writing down her thoughts about reading as and when they strike her. This took me quite a while to get used to, but I definitely appreciated the laid back approach by the end. But this may not work for anyone - if you like clear structure, this isn't the book for you. The only other thing that was hard for me was that many of the books Hill refers to are not popular now, meaning I couldn't always relate to the stories of her reading. But this didn't bother me too much, as the arguments of the book were so clear.

Verdict: A well written, persuasive manifesto for reading without restriction.

Source: Library

First published: 2009

Score: 4 out of 5

Sunday Salon: Venice In February

2012-02-05T03:53:00.000-08:00

Now that it's February, it means that it is time for the only reading challenge I am taking part in this year, Venice in February. Hosted by Dolce Bellezza and Ally from Snow Feathers, the aim is simply to read books set in Venice, as many or as few as you feel the urge to. There's a review site where people have already started to link their reviews. I feel comfortable participating in this challenge as there are no deadlines and definitely no pressure. I have a good idea of how many books I would like to read for it, but if I don't read them all, it won't be the end of the world.

I started my Venice in February reading this morning, with The Book Of Unholy Mischief by Elle Newmark. Having read and loved The Sandalwood Tree (my review), I have high hopes for it. I also have a copy of Crossing The Bridge of Sighs sent to me by the author, that I'm hoping to read over the next two weeks. Beyond that, I already own a copy of Miss Garnet's Angel and there's always the two Shakespeare plays: Othello and The Merchant of Venice, neither of which I have ever read before. Plenty to keep me busy!

Are you participating in Venice in February this year? If so, what's on your reading list?

The History Of Love by Nicole Krauss

2012-02-04T05:41:00.000-08:00

The History of Love is about loneliness. An old man called Leo Gursky lives alone and spends his days deliberately creating chaos in shops and cafes so someone, anyone will remember him if he dies. Fourteen-year-old Alma Singer is desperately trying to cure the loneliness of her mother, who has lived in a fantasy world ever since her father died. Alongside these two main characters resides a cast of secondary characters; Alma's brother Bird, who thinks he is the Jewish Messiah, Leo's childhood sweetheart, Alma's friend Misha. All are tied together in very clever ways by a manuscript Leo wrote before the Holocaust called The History Of Love.

I so wanted to love this book. When I mentioned that I had owned it for ages but not yet read it, lots of bloggers told me to read it as they had loved it themselves. And I did like it, I just didn't love it.

There was lots to like. Krauss experiments a lot with writing structure and different narrative devices (especially the use of short sentences to convey emotion) and in general, it works. Her writing feels fresh and exciting and she manages to make each of her characters distinct, despite writing from multiple perspectives. The characters themselves are original and a bit quirky, different from anything I have read before. Some of the writing is just beautiful;

"Once upon a time there was a boy who loved a girl, and her laughter was a question he wanted to spend his whole life answering. When they were ten he asked her to marry him. Their love was a secret they told no one. He promised he would never love another girl as long as he lived. What if I die? she asked. Even then, he said."

But despite all of this, I just didn't love The History of Love. I thought it was interesting and clever and well written but I didn't connect to any of the characters apart from Leo. Leo was the only one I felt for and rooted for and because of this, some of the other sections dragged. I know that I was supposed to be guessing and working out the connections between the characters as I progressed through the book, but I didn't want to as I didn't connect enough with the book. Some of the characters and styles were so quirky that it felt as though Krauss were being deliberately 'different' and 'literary' and that's always a turn off for me.

But don't take just my opinion on this. Plenty of other people have read and loved this book a lot more than I did.

Source: Personal copy

First Published: 2005

Score: 3 out of 5

Paris, My Sweet by Amy Thomas

2012-01-31T22:44:00.000-08:00

Paris My Sweet is a memoir of a year in the life of thirty-six year old sweet-addict Amy, who gets the chance to work for Louis Vuitton in the city she has always dreamed about. Part guide book to the best bakeries in town, part love letter to Paris, part almost mid-life crisis, Amy must learn to live as an American ex-pat in an utterly foreign city. For readers with a sweet-tooth, there are many mouth-watering descriptions of the various pastries and cakes she tries, along with recommendations and information about famous chefs and pastry trends.

Paris My Sweet is a light, cosy read. Although it is a well-written memoir, it's written with a light tone that makes it easy to breeze through and escape into. I must admit to not being a massive dessert fan myself (I'm more into savoury snacks), but I did enjoy the descriptions of all the food and imagine that someone who enjoys cakes would love them even more. My favourite part was the passion and joy with which Amy wrote about Paris, I've visited Paris only once and her descriptions made me want to visit again. After reading this book, you too will want to cycle along the Champs D'Elysses, stopping at cute patissiers whenever the mood strikes you.

The parts that I felt didn't work as well were the parts when things became tough for Amy and she starts to feel very isolated living alone in a foreign city. Her feelings are definitely understandable, but the tone of the book is so light (it's like a chick-lit memoir) that it's hard to connect with Amy and really understand what she is going through. The writing jumps from loneliness to cupcakes too quickly to have any real impact. There's also a lot about the ticking of biological clocks that again feels a bit shallow. Paris My Sweet was more about the cakes and the wonderful setting than it was about any real identification with the author.

Still, this is a fun read that's perfect for any armchair traveller or pastry enthusiast. It's quick, breezy and will make you want to travel to Paris and gorge on cake immediately.

Source: From the publisher via NetGalley

Score: 3.5 out of 5

Paris My Sweet is published on the 1st February 2012.

Annabel by Kathleen Winter

2012-01-28T08:18:00.000-08:00

It's rural Canada in the 1960s and Jacinta Blake gives birth to a child that has features of the both the male and the female. Advised by doctors who have never seen a true hermaphrodite before, the child is bought up as Wayne around parents that are always anxiously watching him for any signs of 'girlishness'. When he hits his teenage years, Wayne has problems with hormones and self-identity and must slowly come to terms with being who he is, even if that person is very different from those around him. Annabel was short-listed for the Orange Prize.

Annabel is a beautiful, haunting book and I can't say how much I enjoyed it. Winter explores the concept of gender thoroughly - is it biological? Social? Hormonal? I really liked the inter-play of how, having decided that Wayne would be a boy, his parents were constantly on alert and paranoid about normal childhood behaviours - is he being too girly? Is it normal for a boy to like this? Is his voice deep enough? They had the constant fear that Wayne's 'secret' would be discovered and he would turn into the victim of abuse and prejudice. In this way, Annabel also said a lot about life in small rural communities.

One of the things I appreciated most about this book was the characters. At points told from multiple persepectives, all of the characters had real depth about them. My favourite was Wayne's father, Treadway, who at first seemed stereotypically 'manly' but actually had a lot of acceptance and simplicity about him. All three characters who knew about Wayne's birth (his parents and Jacinta's friend, Thomasina), were in some way destroyed by the information, the keeping of the secret, and the damage that might be happening to Wayne. Their stories were just as interesting as the story of Wayne himself.

But what I liked most about Annabel was that it offered no real answers. There was no happy ending where Wayne finally discovered he was a boy or a girl, there was just compromise and probably difficulties still to come. Hermaphroditism is a pretty sensationalist issue to write about, but Winter doesn't glamorise it or set out to shock people, she gives a sensitive account of what it might be like to have to accept that about yourself. She also completely draws you into the world of the book to the extent that you have to take a few seconds to acclimatise yourself to the here and now when you put the book down.

Highly recommended.

Source: Library (reserved)

First Published: 2010

Score: 5 out of 5

The Keys Of Egypt: The Race To Read The Hieroglyphs by Lesley & Roy Adkins

2012-01-24T11:31:00.000-08:00

I was always going to love this book about deciphering hieroglyphics. During my time at university I took a few modules on linguistics, I love Ancient Egypt and I have visited the Rosetta Stone many times at the British Museum - I could hardly wait to open the cover of this one! Mainly a biography of the person to finally crack the code, Jean-Francoise Champollion, The Keys Of Egypt places Champollion's extraordinary discovery in context, explaining exactly why it took the world so long to be able to read hieroglyphics and the reaction of the academic community at the time.

The Keys of Egypt is engagingly written, but it's not the best example of entertaining non-fiction out there. The pace of events is quite brisk at the beginning of the book but definitely tapers throughout the middle onwards, finally ending with a long description of Champollion's time in Egypt including many page-length quotes from his personal letters. This meant that the last fifty or so pages did feel like a bit of a slog; I was happy that Champollion had finally achieved his dream of seeing Egypt, I just didn't want to read all of his letters! Therefore, this non-fiction book probably falls in a category with the vast majority of non-fiction titles; fascinating if you are interested in the subject, a bit tedious if you aren't.

One thing I really appreciated about The Keys Of Egypt was how the authors put Champollion's achievements in their proper historical context. There was a section on Napoleon's troops discovering the Rosetta stone, several on the political aftermath of the French Revolution and a comparison with the work of Champollion's main rival, Young. Reading about all the events going on in Champollion's life and his personal hardships (he was born into poverty and never really left it), the Adkins' managed to create a real sense of how big his achievement was and how much he was able to accomplish through hard work and sheer determination.

There were also some strong themes throughout the book. Champollion was very close to his older brother and the theme of sibling love/respect was a thread throughout all of the sections. Despite being an academic himself and therefore at high risk of becoming jealous of his younger brother, Jacques-Joseph Champollion often sacrificed his own goals and dreams in order to help Jean-Francoise. The snobbery and resistance to change of the academic community was another theme - Champollion really had to fight to have his achievements acknowledged, and there were also some sore losers who resorted to plagiarism claims. It's only really since his death that his accomplishments are freely recognised.

Whilst I loved this book (and will be giving it a high rating), I can see that it wouldn't be a book for everyone, only for big fans of Ancient Egypt and/or linguistics. If you are after only a brief introduction to the life of Champollion and the decoding of the Rosetta stone (as well as the discovery of many of Egypt's monuments), I would recommend Joyce Tyldesley's Egypt: How A Lost Civilisation Was Rediscovered and the excellent BBC series that went with it.

Source: Library (reserved)

First Published: September 2000

Score: 4 out of 5

The Thirteenth Tale by Diane Setterfield

2012-01-21T10:14:00.000-08:00

I went into this book not entirely sure what to expect. I knew it was a gothic tale inspired by books such as Jane Eyre, The Woman in White and Wuthering Heights, and I knew that it was partly about loving books, but I didn't know it was going to be a mystery. Margaret Lea, the reclusive daughter of a bookshop owner, is summoned to write the biography of the nation's favourite writer, Vida Winter. But Vida's compulsive storytelling makes it hard to separate fact from fiction and Margaret is soon drawn into a world of stormy weather, moors, desperate love, violence and feral children. Just what is the truth behind the stories?

There was much I enjoyed about The Thirteenth Tale. I just adored the beginning section describing Margaret's life in the bookshop and her passion for reading (many quotes were copied out of the book) and found Vida Winter to be a fascinating character. The writing just glides across the page and I found myself trying to read faster and faster in order to find out what would happen next. I don't read many mysteries and didn't solve the mystery before the reveal, but I loved looking back and thinking about all of the clever clues I had missed, as well as solving what Setterfield had left deliberately obscure.

Being a bibliophile, I also appreciated the references to some of my favourite books, although they could have been a bit more subtle. I haven't read The Turn of the Screw, but I did catch the homages to Wuthering Heights (wild love), Jane Eyre (madness, governesses) and The Woman in White. I tend to enjoy books that attempt to write in the style of these classics (The Historian) and this was no exception. Of course the writing didn't live up to the standard of the original novels, but I thought it a fitting tribute.

There were parts of this novel I didn't like as much. The constant reference to twins as the central motif grated on me as the book went on. There's only so many times I wanted to read about Margaret looking at her 'other self' in a mirror or windowpane, especially as it was described in the same way each time. I felt the middle sections lagged in comparison with the rapid pace of the end of the book, and I wanted more about Margaret's Mum, who could have been a fascinating character if she appeared in the book for a longer period of time.

I would recommend this to anyone who enjoys the gothic classics, or a good mystery, or who likes reading books about books. I'm going to end this review with my favourite quote from the book;

" In the background is the hiss of the gas heater; we hear the sound without hearing it for, side by side, together and miles apart, we are deep in our books."

Source: Library

First Published: 2006

Score: 4 out of 5

The Baker's Daughter by Sarah McCoy

2012-01-17T10:34:00.000-08:00

It's 1945 in Germany and teenager Elsie Schmidt is keeping out of trouble by helping out at her family's bakery and dating SS officer Josef Hub. But her first experience of a Nazi party is not all that she thought it would be and it's only the presence of a captive Jewish boy that saves her from a horrific experience. When that same boy turns up on her doorstep later, she feels she has no choice but to help him in any way that she can. Sixty years later, Elsie is running a German bakery in El Paso, Texas, and journalist Reba Adams arrives looking for an easy festive story. But Elsie's life is anything but and Reba is soon drawn in by her tale enough to start questioning her own life and values.

The Baker's Daughter took me by surprise. Quite simply, I was not expecting it to be as hard-hitting as it was. I was anticipating a somewhat cosy read but instead The Baker's Daughter confronts some harrowing issues head on. The story of Elsie's life is captivating and McCoy writes her with such depth that as the reader, you are soon rooting for her. There's also an interesting side plot about the Lebensborn Program, where unmarried 'racially pure' German girls were basically prostituted out to SS officers to repopulate the Reich. Elsie's sister Hazel is selected for the program and some of the letters she writes home about her life there and the disabled son she gives birth to are very powerful.

As with any dual-narrative story, one of the narratives was stronger and in this case it was Elsie's story that dominated. Just under half of the story is devoted to the present day and Reba's struggle to come to terms with her own family history and relationships. I felt that this part of the story was weaker and could have been made a bit more concise. Reba just wasn't a fascinating character in the way that Elsie was. I found Reba's boyfriend Riki and his role in deporting illegal Mexican immigrants (and the parallels to Elsie's life) more compelling than Reba herself.

The Baker's Daughter spans a lot of time and in this case I was glad of that as I appreciated the closure on certain issues raised in the book and I wanted to find out what happened to some of the characters. Even so, the ending section was quite winding and the book did lose a bit of steam towards the end. Despite this, The Baker's Daughter was a book that made me think long after I closed it each night and it drew me completely in. I would highly recommend it to anyone interested in historical fiction.

Source: From the publisher via NetGalley.

Score: 4 out of 5

The Baker's Daughter is published on the 24th January 2012.

Be My Friend On Goodreads!

2012-01-16T12:47:00.000-08:00

At the weekend, I finally passed a landmark in my quest to be more organised and you know, actually know what books I own. I finished cataloguing everything on goodreads, something I have been working on for months. And by everything, I mean everything - kindle books, netgalley requests and all.

Now that I am all set up, I would love it if you hopped over to my profile and added me as a friend. I love seeing all the reading updates and little comments on goodreads. Just don't spend too much time looking the size of my to-read shelf!

My link: here

Sweet Mandarin by Helen Tse

2012-01-15T03:40:00.000-08:00

Sweet Mandarin is a memoir about the lives of three generations of the same Chinese family; Helen herself, her mother Mabel and grandmother Lily. Although all three women are mentioned throughout the course of the book, the focus is on Lily, the one who left a hard life in Hong Kong behind to start afresh in the UK. After working non-stop only to find that her husband has drained all of her money for gambling, Lily grabs the chance when her British employers invite her to join them in the UK as a carer. Her love of cooking leads her to eventually start a restaurant, and this love of Chinese cuisine and catering is the link between the three generations. Helen Tse and her two sisters own a restaurant in Manchester called Sweet Mandarin.

Sweet Mandarin was very successful as a memoir. It gave just enough historical detail to enable the reader to put the family in context, but the real story was the story of the three women. Lily's life had many twists and turns and she had to rebuild things from scratch numerous times both in Hong Kong and the UK. The admiration that Helen feels for her grandmother clearly came through in the text and as a reader it was easy to empathise with Lily and want her to succeed as no matter what happened to her, she never gave up.

Tse also portrays Chinese culture very well. She doesn't ever explain that Chinese culture is x, y or z but instead it permeates the whole book. Some parts about the value of men over women and the role of wives were difficult for me to relate to but fascinating to read about. The Chinese village that Lily comes from and Helen eventually visits almost jumps off the page and the description of food in particular was very vivid.

This is quite a brief memoir and not one to read if you want in-depth historical observations (try Jung Chang's Wild Swans for that) but the lives of the women are interesting and well told. Recommended to anyone who wants to learn more about another culture.

Source: Library (reserved)

First Published: 2007

Score: 4 out of 5

The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald

2012-01-13T00:21:00.000-08:00

My ongoing quest to discover American literature continues. So far I've discovered that Hemingway is probably not for me but Willa Cather more than likely is. The Great Gatsby is my first time reading Fitzgerald and all I knew before starting it was that he famously wrote about the glamour and decadence of the jazz age in 1920s America.

The Great Gatsby is the tale of Jay Gatsby, a self-made man who lives in comfort in a large mansion and holds the kind of parties that people come to from miles around. Despite having all the luxuries money can buy, he longs only for Daisy Buchanan, an ex of his who is now married. His neighbour, Nick Carraway, witnesses the tragic consequences of Jay and Daisy's affair.

A few days after reading this book, I'm still not sure whether I liked it or not. There's no question that Fitzgerald is a very talented writer and he makes remarkably perceptive insights about the characters and events in his book. I enjoyed his writing so much that I found myself deliberately slowing down my pace and rereading certain sections throughout. The Great Gatsby is short and very tightly constructed; no word is wasted. The central character of Jay Gatsby was intriguing and Fitzgerald managed to show his loneliness despite always surrounding himself with people.

I think what threw me off with this book was the author's ambivalence towards the decadence he was writing about. At some points Gatsby is portrayed as 'living the dream' and Fitzgerald certainly seems to approve but in other sections he makes it clear that the party-goers are drifting loose from their moral fibres and that the lifestyle doesn't lead to happiness. These parts read as a commentary on the corruption of the American dream and how it had been ruined by too much money, alcohol, greed and selfishness. I got the impression that Fitzgerald both loved and hated the themes and characters in his novel.

My other quibbles with the book are minor. Reading it in 2012, the wild parties don't seem as wild as they might have done to a 1925 audience. I thought the ending was a bit too dramatic. But The Great Gatsby is well worth reading if only for the beautiful prose;

"In his blue gardens men and girls came and went like moths among the whispering and the champagne and the stars."

I got this book as part of a set with Tender is the Night and The Beautiful and the Damned. I will be definitely be reading both at some point in the future.

Verdict: Beautifully written classic novel about the Jazz Age.

Source: Owned

First Published: 1925

Score: 3.5 out of 5

The Winter Palace by Eva Stachnaik

2012-01-09T10:54:00.000-08:00

Although the subtitle of The Winter Palace is 'a novel of Catherine the Great', it's really a novel about a young Polish woman called Barbara (Varvara when she arrives in Russia). The daughter of a bookbinder, she is orphaned and left in the care of Empress Elizabeth's Court in the Winter Palace of St Petersburg. Initially a lowly seamstress, her intelligence and quick wit catches the eye of Chancellor Bestuzhev and she is trained as a 'tongue', or spy for a variety of masters. Eventually, she throws in her lot with Princess Sophie of Anhalt-Zerbst, the future Catherine the Great and becomes entangled in many plots and intrigues.

The Winter Palace was a well written book, the kind of historical fiction that I enjoy. It was obvious upon reading it that Stachniak had done her research and was keen to share this with the reader. Aside from the lives of the main characters, there were lots of smaller facts and details that made it easy to imagine the court and the cast of secondary characters. There was also a romance about the Russia Stachniak set her story in; she has Varvara at one point feeling homesick for;

"January nights, white not from the sun that refuses to set but from the silver light of the moon. For ice floes screeching as they rub again against one another, for rocks in which precious stones look like frozen drops of blood. For sacred places where, in a solemn moment, you can peek into the other world."

Russia itself was almost another character in the novel and the Russian winter was always intruding on the lives of the protagonists. I loved this element of the writing.

Despite all of this, I didn't love The Winter Palace. Although I enjoy detailed historical fiction, I felt as though this novel was over-long in parts. For whole sections of the text, Varvara is away from the Court and the royal characters and these sections could have been shortened. I was interested in what she did during these times, I just wanted to get back to the main action as well. And whilst Varvara was a wonderfully drawn character, the royal characters did feel a bit one-dimensional. It's only in the closing sections that we get a glimpse of the ruthlessness Catherine the Great was famous for, and Peter III comes across as childish, rather than the unpleasant character he really was.

Still, at the end of this novel I felt as though I had learned a lot about a period of history relatively unknown to me. Fans of Juliet Grey's Becoming Marie Antoinette will definitely enjoy this one.

Verdict: Well written historical fiction with the unusual setting of the Russian court.

Source: From the publisher, via NetGalley

Score: 3.5 out of 5

The Winter Palace is published tomorrow, January 10th 2012.

Why Do I Buy Great Books And Then Not Read Them?

2012-01-07T13:04:00.000-08:00

Something that I do too frequently and am trying not to do in 2012 is buy books that I've heard great things about and then proceed to ignore them in favour of books that aren't as good. I don't know why I do this, but I possess many books that are either critically acclaimed or the subject of much positive hype that are simply sitting collecting dust. I buy them and can't wait to read them - and then just don't.

Part of the problem in the last year has been review commitments. It's easy to get caught up in the excitement of review copies, especially when you can actually access the good books from the good publishers on NetGalley, but it does meant that the books I own are getting less love. I have quite a few to review early in the year but I'm being much stricter with myself and refusing more this year.

Another problem is the hype itself. Often I see a book reviewed positively so many times that I almost don't want to read it myself - what if I don't like it? What if it isn't as good as it is supposed to be? It's easier in a way for me to read more obscure books or books that are not as loved. I can also be fickle - if I don't read a book very soon after purchasing it, it gets overshadowed by more recently bought books later on.

But this year as a personal goal I want to read some of these great books sitting on my shelf. I have some review commitments to clear first then I hope to get back to my own books. I haven't included my Christmas gifts of The Marriage Plot and The Night Circus in this list, as I'm hoping they won't fall victim to dust-gathering. The books I already own that I really want to read this year are the following (links take you to goodreads):

1. The Shadow Of The Wind by Carlos Ruiz Zafron

2. The Help by Kathryn Stockett

3. Major Pettigrew's Last Stand by Helen Simonson
4. A Suitable Boy by Vikram Seth
5. Between Shades Of Grey by Rutya Sepetys
6. The Tiger's Wife by Tea Obreht
7. The Thousand Autumns Of Jacob De Zoet by David Mitchell
8. The History Of Love by Nicole Krauss
9. Water For Elephants by Sara Gruen
10. The Memory Of Love by Aminatta Forna
11. Room by Emma Donoghue
12. The Red Tent by Anita Diamant

Realistically, I am not going to read everything on this list as I also want to read more classics and reread some of my favourites, but I want to make at least a dent in this list.

Am I the only one who does this, buys great books and then doesn't read them? If you do it too, why do you think this is?

The Girl With Three Legs by Soraya Mire

2012-01-05T12:37:00.000-08:00

The Girl With Three Legs is a brutally honest memoir about the horror that is female genital mutilation (FGM). At age thirteen, Soraya starts being teased by her friends for having 'three legs'. When she goes to ask her mother what the nickname means, her mother tells her that she is going to receive a 'gift'. Soraya's flesh is cut off (she describes hearing the sound of the scissors cutting her) and sewn up, leaving her with an opening just the size of a cotton bud/Q-tip. The memoir describes frankly the medical problems that this caused and the long recovery period Soraya faced when she moved away from Somalia to Europe. It also covers Mire's later career as an activist, campaigning for the end of FGM.

The Girl With Three Legs is a very successful memoir in that it shines a light on an issue that is important and could do with more attention. The scenes where Soraya is mutilated and when she faces pain and complications afterwards are graphic and I found myself wincing in horror. Mire also successfully shows how ingrained the attitudes leading to FGM are in the certain cultures and how it is often women doing this to their daughters for fear of their daughters being seen as unclean. When Soraya becomes an activist in her later life, she faces opposition from her native culture and even ostracism from her own family.

That being said, The Girl With Three Legs isn't the most well-written memoir I have read. It seems to jump around a lot and in certain places was hard to follow, especially when Mire describes the Somalian culture at the beginning of the book. There are also sections when Soraya is going through an incredibly tough time after the surgery that are hard to follow; her descriptions blur into each other and it's hard to always know what she is referring to. The chapters about Soraya becoming an activist could have been edited down a little.

I am glad I read this book. FGM does occur in Western countries, where immigrants send their daughters back to Somalia or Egypt for the treatment in their school holidays, or even find a private doctor willing to carry it out for them. The Girl With Three Legs shows why this is always unacceptable, no matter how tolerant of other cultures we want to be.

Verdict: Memoir about an important issue that is hard to follow in places.

Published: 2011

Source: From the publisher via NetGalley

Score: 3 out of 5

Wordless Wednesday

2012-01-04T11:04:00.000-08:00

Dreams Of Joy by Lisa See

2012-01-02T06:29:00.000-08:00

Dreams of Joy is the sequel to Shanghai Girls, which I read and loved back in August. Those of you who have read Shanghai Girls will remember that Joy had just found out that her mother Pearl isn't really her mother at all but her aunt, and that her biological father is an artist still living in China. With the impulsiveness and surety of youth, Joy gives up her American life and travels to Communist China to 'help build the New China'. Looking at everything through rose-tinted glasses, she thinks she has found a rural idyll and a simple life far away from the consumerism and prejudice she has experienced in America. So she thinks nothing of surrendering her passport, of losing her ability to travel around China, of falling in love with a man from the village (now Dandelion Commune number eight). Pearl, with the wisdom of experience, can see the trouble her daughter is involving herself with and also abandons everything to travel to China in an attempt to bring her home.

I was apprehensive about reading Dreams of Joy, as I enjoyed Shanghai Girls so much, but I shouldn't have worried - I loved it. Throughout the whole first half of the book, as Joy embraced Communist China and commune life and all it stood for I wanted to reach through the book and shake her. Having studied The Great Leap Forward and Communist China, I had a great sense of foreboding and was waiting for the other shoe to drop. Joy is so headstrong and so determined to love everything about China and village life that she is beyond being made to see otherwise, and at a certain point, Pearl has to let her make her own mistakes. Other reviewers have complained of Joy's naivety for thinking everything is charming and perfect in the communes, but I thought it fit with her character - when you are so determined for something to be right, you simply don't see the bad.

In the second half of the book, the other shoe drops as See starts describing the effects of The Great Leap Forward. Communes were led by leaders that had no clue about farming, leading to mistakes in planting and harvesting and consequently a radical drop in food production. At the same time, the pressure was on to have higher and higher yields leading to a massive famine, with some estimates putting it at 45 million dead. People started to abandon and even eat their own babies and children out of desperation. I thought See effectively conveyed the suffering of people that had been made to abandon the farming practises that they knew worked, for those that they knew wouldn't, but were unable to speak up due to terrible consequences for those that did. Starving must be truly a terrible way to die. Other aspects of Communist China are touched upon - meetings where 'rightist elements' are denounced, internal travel restrictions, cruelty towards anyone who had been well off before communism, unrealistic targets and announcements. As always, See had done her research and wrote about these topics knowledgeably.

Some parts of the plot did require a bit of suspension of belief in the way that the characters were able to move around the country and make plans to leave whilst remaining undetected. I also missed the character of May, who stayed in America and was only in the novel in the form of letters she wrote to Pearl. The dynamic between the two sisters was something I enjoyed about Shanghai Girls and this was missing in Dreams of Joy. But these are minor criticisms compared to how much I enjoyed reading the book - in the final chapters I was reading as fast as I could as I was desperate to see what would happen to Joy and Pearl. Highly recommended.

Verdict: Excellent sequel to Shanghai Girls that illuminates Chinese suffering during the Great Leap Forward.

Source: Library (reservation)

First Published: 2011

Score: 5 out of 5

Smut by Alan Bennett

2012-01-01T06:12:00.000-08:00

I'm going to start this review by stating that I am a big Alan Bennett fan (The Uncommon Reader is amongst my favourite books), so I had high expectations for this collection of two new novellas and jumped at the chance to read and review them via NetGalley. Smut contains the stories "The Greening of Mrs Donaldson" and "The Shielding of Mrs Forbes" and both are about the secrets behind the net curtains of middle-class England.

The Greening of Mrs Donaldson is about a widower who takes on a job as a 'demonstrator' at the local hospital, which involves her pretending to have various illnesses so that medical students can practise their diagnostic skills. She also rents out a room in her house to students and this signals a kind of sexual awakening/liberation. The Shielding of Mrs Forbes, the novella I preferred, is about a middle class, middle aged woman who believes that everything in her family is normal, despite having a gay married son who is being harassed by a police officer and a daughter in law that's having a secret affair with her husband, and who isn't as stupid as Mrs Forbes believes.

Smut was a big disappointment for me. While there were elements of satire and humour in both novellas, Bennett's writing felt flat, not razor sharp like it usually does. Neither story really hooked me in and whilst I could take a stab at inferring all of the themes that Alan Bennett was covering in the novellas, this lack of an interesting and engaging story was too big of a flaw for me to get past. The things that happened in the stories seemed random, especially in The Greening of Mrs Donaldson. I probably wouldn't be as harsh in my review if not for that fact that I really am an Alan Bennett fan, and have read much better from him. I would advise readers new to Bennett to start somewhere else.

Verdict: For me, a disappointing collection of two novellas lacking the satire and humour of the author's previous works.

Source: From NetGalley, in exchange for an honest review.

Score: 2 out of 5

Smut is released in the US on the 3rd January 2012. It is already available in the UK.

Thoughts on 2011

2011-12-30T14:19:00.000-08:00

Books and Blog:
I'm pleased that I've continued to enjoy reading and blogging throughout 2011. As the year has gone past, I've become less worried about number of followers and frequency of posts and the types of books I review and I've just settled in and enjoyed it more. There are a number of bloggers that I feel like I've developed friendships with this year, so thank you to all of you who keep visiting and commenting :)

I've also managed to meet my own vague personal goal of reading 100 books, which I am chuffed with. I'm going for the same next year, but without any pressure. All I want in terms of reading is to read and enjoy some great books, then share my thoughts on them.

Personal:
On a more personal level, 2011 has been the most intense year of my life so far. There have been so many good and even wonderful things about it and a share of bad too, and it feels in some ways that someone pressed a fast forward button on my life this year. I don't usually discuss personal things on my blog, because it's a book blog, but I wanted to share some things that happened in 2011 for me:

At the start of the year I had proper health problems for the first time. I actually ended 2010 in hospital and spent a lot of 2011 at hospital appointments and having diagnostic tests. Luckily things are well under control now and I feel better than I have done in ages, but I never really realised how important good health was, and how much not having it can effect everything in your life until this year.

And then in April we moved house. Wasn't planning to so soon, but we are so glad we did now as we moved from a flat to a proper house with a garden (still renting, when is the housing market going to settle?) and we're both happy here. After April all my time was taken up with wedding planning as I got married at the end of July. All of August was spent having the most wonderful honeymoon touring the southern states of the USA. That was definitely my favourite part of the year and we're planning to go back to New Orleans at some point in the future.

September was a difficult time. The new school year started and I had some new things at work to get used to. My granddad also passed away at the end of this month, which I haven't felt OK typing about until now. My grandparents lived in the house opposite us during all of my childhood and teenage years and I'm lucky to have so many happy memories. He had been ill for a very long time, but it was still hard. I'm getting there now.

And then in December, a welcome happy event as my big sister got married. My poor parents - both daughters married during the same year, I'm sure it was a challenging year for them too! It was nice to be so involved with the ceremony (I was a bridesmaid) without the pressure of making all of the decisions.

Thankfully, my Christmas holidays have been relaxing and low-key. I'm planning a quiet New Years Eve, cooking a curry for my husband and parents and staying in. I hope to have a quieter 2012, and to have time to take pleasure in the simple things. And read a great many good books of course!

Happy New Year Everyone!
Are you happy or sad to see the end of 2011?

Before I Fall by Lauren Oliver

2011-12-30T02:42:00.000-08:00

Regular readers will know that I don't read much YA, but every now again I like to pick up a YA book from the library and see what I am missing. Before I Fall is the story of high-school student Sam, who is killed in a car accident whilst being driven home from a late-night house party (not a spoiler, it happens right at the beginning). But rather than moving on, she finds herself reliving the day of her death over and over again in a Groundhog-day type scenario. As she starts the same day afresh every morning, Sam must learn that every action and even inaction that she takes has consequences for those around her.

I liked the main character of Sam in this book. At the beginning, she was not a very nice person - not the sort to start bullying others but the kind that will readily join in without feeling guilty. She's distant from her parents and has cut her best childhood friend out of her life in order to be seen as popular. She's obsessed with wearing the right thing, saying the right thing and even eating the right thing at lunch-time. She's self-absored in the way that only teenagers can be, and Oliver wrote this part beautifully. But then as the book went on, I got to see Sam slowly change and mature. Of course the whole process was sped up by the groundhog day scenario, but it read like a real reflection on the growing up process that happens to all of us. I appreciated that Oliver didn't create a perfect main character (like I've seen in a lot of YA books) but instead let us watch her develop throughout the course of the story.

When I was reading Before I Fall, I felt as though I had gone back to my own teenage years, as Oliver perfectly captures what it is like to be a teenager when you aren't sure of yourself and the world of school and your relationships with other teenagers are the most important things in the world. At points I wanted to reach into the book and shake the characters, saying "it does get better when you get to the real world." And that's the essential problem for me with this book and with YA books in general - I don't always want to be transported back to my teenage years. In fact, I'm quite happy to be out of them.

But Before I Fall is definitely one of the best YA books I've read for a long time. It's addictive, hard to put down, well written and contains a cast of decently developed secondary characters. There are no stereotypical teens present in Oliver's book. As the story goes on, you do find yourself rooting for Sam and hoping that she will be able to change herself into a better person. I would recommend this book to anyone who likes YA, or anyone who wants to be reminded of what it is like to be a teenager.

Verdict: A good YA book about a teenage girl in a ground hog day scenario who must learn to be a better person.

First Published: March 2010

Source: Library (random browsing)

Score: As YA, 4.5 out of 5. For me overall, 3 out of 5.

The Ruins Of Us by Keija Parssinen

2011-12-29T04:39:00.000-08:00

The Ruins of Us hits the ground running. Rosalie, an American woman married to a Saudi man, Abdullah, is shopping for a gift for her daughter when the shop-keeper casually asks if she enjoyed the anniversary gift her husband bought recently. Knowing that the gift was not for her, it doesn't take Rosalie long to find out that her husband has secretly taken a second wife, Isra. The after-shocks of this revelation are the real meat of the story as everyone in the family is affected. Rosalie must decide what to do whilst Abdullah hides behind the shield of tradition. Their daughter feels oppressed by the contradiction between her upbringing and the rigid rules for Saudi women but it is their son, Faisal, who is holding a deep resentment against his mother and her American-ness. As he becomes further drawn into extremist activity, events start to spin out of control.

The Ruins of Us is an impressive novel that straddled several genres comfortably. Different chapters in the book are told from the different perspectives of each of the main characters and Parssinen managed to make each voice distinct. I was particularly drawn to the story of Faisal as he became radicalised and this remained undetected by his family. Parssinen did a fantastic job of showing how bored, wealthy young men are often easy targets for extremists- in the news here it's not unusual to hear of young men from moderate, successful families ending up in terrorist training camps abroad, and I felt that this part of the story showed real insight. Faisal's guilt at being half-American was easily manipulated and used against him as he was desperate to become more Saudi and more Muslim. As his family struggled to deal with their own issues, no one noticed what was happening to him as he started to idealise poverty and suffering and rebel against his wealthy upbringing.

Parssinen also successfully showed the emotions that each family member went through as they came to terms with Abdullah taking a second wife. I felt for Rosalie, even if I couldn't understand her choices. Having grown up on an oil reserve in Saudi Arabia, she was as much in love with the country as she was with Abdullah. There was also some good examination about what it means to truly belong somewhere, and to be caught between two very different cultures.

One criticism I will make is that I wanted to hear more from Rosalie and Abdullah's daughter, Mariam. Whereas Faisal was rebelling by becoming more extremist, Mariam was busy fighting the strict rules for women in Saudi Arabia by decorating her abaya (outer covering worn by Saudi women) and writing an anonymous blog. These issues about life for women in Saudi Arabia were just touched upon through the characters of Mariam and Rosalie and I would have liked to see some more examination. But this is just a minor criticism - I thoroughly enjoyed this book and will look out for more by the author in the future.

Verdict: Good examination of family dynamics and culture clash in modern-day Saudi Arabia.

Source: From the publisher via NetGalley

Score: 4 out of 5

The Ruins of Us is published on January 17th 2012.

Christmas Loot!

2011-12-28T06:57:00.000-08:00

I'm having a relaxing day today after a busy Christmas. I have had a lovely few days and thoroughly enjoyed my first Christmas as a married person, as well as the first Christmas in our house (last year we were in a tiny, poky flat so it's a definite upgrade). The majority of my presents were not books as the fact that I own a lot of books is well known and generally puts people off buying any more for me. However, I did receive some books that I'm very happy with ....

The Night Circus was a gift from my parents. I bought the same book for my sister as a gift and when it came in the post I read the first chapter. That was enough to get me hooked and I added it to my own Christmas list straight away. My parents always get me a beautiful hardback book for Christmas - last year it was The Passage and the year before, Jonathan Strange and Mr Norrell.

The Marriage Plot was a gift from my husband, and he had specific instructions about which book I wanted! I've been desperate to read this ever since I started seeing reviews pop up on other people's blogs. I am a big fan of both The Virgin Suicides and Middlesex, so fingers crossed I will enjoy this one too.

My final bookish gift was a wonderful surprise present from my in-laws - a hardback collection of the Penguin classic editions of Arabian Nights! I read the Burton translation of Arabian Nights earlier in the year and loved it so much that at the time I did mention to a few people that I would like a beautiful copy to keep on my shelf. These are going to look great on my bookcase next to my other hardback Penguin Classic editions. I can feel the urge to collect coming on....

Each of the three books has a different cover. The paper inside is just beautiful too.

My favourite.

So I have lots of reading to keep me busy over the next few months! I want to dive straight into my new books but I do have some review deadlines coming up as well as some books on hold at the library that I need to finish before the return date. I will have to practise restraint...

All in all, a great Christmas. Did you receive any books as gifts?

The Oracle of Stamboul by Michael David Lukas

2011-12-27T08:06:00.000-08:00

The Oracle of Stamboul is a charming fairytale about nine year old Eleonora Cohen, who is precociously intelligent. She can memorise anything she is given to read and converse in seven different languages. When her carpet-seller father leaves for Stamboul (Istanbul) on business, Eleonora secretly follows him. But her intelligence and gifts can not stay secret for long, and she soon finds herself wrapped up in the Sultan's court.

I have to admit that I chose this book purely because it is set in Istanbul during Ottoman times. The Ottoman Empire is one of my favourite parts of history and I'm always looking out for new books about this period. Where I think Lukas definitely succeeded with this novel was in the way he described the city and the Sultan; he really captured the exotic, other-worldliness that we as Westerners often think of when we imagine Istanbul at that time. I wouldn't have been surprised if at some point a flying carpet or a genie appeared. There were spice markets and mosques and tiled mosiacs and the call to prayer and at some points I wanted to climb right in through the pages.

The setting was so wonderfully described that at times the story was secondary to it. The basic story line of a gifted child and a worried Sultan was a good one, but it is Stamboul itself I will remember from this book. The story was told in the way you would a fairytale, which I am not usually a fan of, but it did work well in this case. Because of this method of storytelling, the magical elements did not seem out of place and they didn't bother me at all. In much the same way the secondary characters were slightly underdeveloped, but again it didn't matter as the whole novel was like a fairytale.

The Oracle of Stamboul is a quick, charming read which I liked but didn't love. It's perfect for a cosy Sunday afternoon in front of the fire but it's not one I will reread or remember for years to come.

Source: Library

First Published: 2011

Score: 3.5 out of 5

Best of 2011: Part The Third.

2011-12-24T06:55:00.000-08:00

Part One: Jan - April

Part Two: May - August

Welcome back to my Best Of 2011 posts, where I am highlighting my favourite book from each month of the year.

September:

The Sandalwood Tree by Elle Newmark

The Sandalwood Tree is the story of two Western women in India at different times. American Evie has moved to India in 1947 with her scholar husband Martin, and whilst she is there she finds a cache of letters written by two Victorian women, Felicity and Adela. This is a very evocative book and both stories are delightful. You'll definitely want to visit India after reading this one. Recommended for armchair travellers and fans of historical fiction.

My Review

October:

Cleopatra: A Life by Stacy Schiff

This is hands-down the best history book I've read all year, the one that has the best balance between being readable and satisfying history buffs. It's full of great little facts and manages to place Cleopatra's life in the context of the time in which she lived, rather than mythologising her. A good introduction to reading non-fiction if you're not a regular reader.

My Review

November

The Cellist of Sarajevo by Stephen Galloway

This is simply a beautiful book about normal people and normal life during the worst siege of modern times. When death becomes a random act and the person next to you is gunned down by a sniper whilst you survive, how can you continue to live as normal? Quite a philosophical book, it still has a story that is devastating in places.

My Review

December:

Purge by Sofi Oksanen

There's not much I can say about this book apart from: it's amazing and go and buy a copy right now. It's a harrowing story about the abuse of two Estonian women during the late twentieth century, but it also has lots of elements of a psychological thriller and one of the creepiest characters I've read about in a long time. Go and read it!

My Review

I hope you've enjoyed this run-down of my favourite books of the year, I've certainly enjoyed reading the lists on other people's blogs. I'll be celebrating Christmas with my family over the next few days, so see you all on the 27th...Merry Christmas!

The Calligrapher's Daughter by Eugenia Kim

2011-12-22T05:48:00.000-08:00

Najin Han is born in Korea just as it becomes a colony of Japan in 1910 and grows up in a country that is mourning the loss of its freedom and age-old traditions. Her father clings on to traditional views and customs in the face of rapid change and discrimination, making it hard for Najin to gain an education and employment. As the rule of Japan becomes more oppressive and opportunities for Koreans narrow, Najin must do all she can to support her family and balance her traditional upbringing with Japanese rule and the reality of modern Korea.

The Calligrapher's Daughter is a leisurely read packed full of lovely description. From the winter snow to the rustle of clothes to the smell of cooking, I felt as though Kim had transported me back in time and half way around the world to Korea. Unlike a lot of historical fiction, she used showing rather than telling as her main literary device. Despite not being explicitly told that 'yangban' meant a respected class of people in former Korea, it was easy to guess this through the use of the word. And there was a lot of this trust in the reader to work things out for themselves, which I really liked as it made me feel like an observer to the story, rather than the main reason the story is being told.

Najin was a likeable main character and it was hard as a modern woman not to sympathise with her struggles against her father's traditional views. Najin goes through hardships and good times during the course of the novel and I definitely empathised with her when things were rough. A lot of the story is apparently based on the story of Eugenia Kim's family, which added a bit of weight to the story and my reaction to it.

I do think there were some pacing issues with this novel. It starts with a very slow, leisurely pace which I personally enjoyed as it was like being immersed in Korea at the time and I love the little details in historical fiction. This slow pace continues through most of the book. By the last third, I was used the characters spending time thinking about the events of the novel when suddenly things sped up. I don't know if Kim wanted to finish the book quickly, or convey some kind of urgency, but I found the change in pace and the swiftness of the ending unsettling when compared with the rest of the novel. I still very much enjoyed it, but I felt a bit unsettled after the end.

Verdict: Intriguing novel set in Korea during Japanese rule; a portrait of a country struggling to balance traditional beliefs with a more modern world.

First Published: 2009

Source: Library

Score: 4 out of 5

Best of 2011 Part Two: May To August

2011-12-21T06:28:00.000-08:00

Best of 2011 Part One: January - April

Welcome back to my Best Of 2011 posts, where I am highlighting my favourite book from each month of the year.

May

Middlesex by Jeffrey Eugenides

I went into this book expecting a story about a hermaphrodite, and it is that, but it's also so much more. It's an epic family saga of three generations of a Greek-American family and each story is distinct. My favourite was the story of Cal's parents, who immigrated to America from Greece, and who shouldn't have fallen in love with each other. I was expecting to be disappointed with this book as The Virgin Suicides is one of my all time favourites, but I loved it. Recommended for literary fiction fans.

My Review

June

Tiger, Tiger by Margaux Fragoso

Tiger, Tiger is a controversial book. It's the true story of a relationship between a fifty-one year old man and a seven year old girl. It's also brutally honest, to the extent that many reviews I've read of this book have been a bit victim-blaming, as Fragoso perfectly describes the process of grooming and how she eventually became the instigator. It's a disturbing read, especially as many of the adults around Margaux do seem to be aware to some level of what is going on, but unwilling to face the horrible truth. Recommended especially for anyone who works with young children.

My Review

July

On Chesil Beach by Ian McEwan

On Chesil Beach is the story of newly-weds Florence and Edward on the day of their wedding. Both nervous about the intimacy that is to follow, for different reasons they are apprehensive about their wedding night. Edward has performance anxiety but Florence is repulsed by the very idea of sexual contact. Unable to communicate effectively, as a reader you watch as they effectively throw away their love for each other. This is a short book but packed full of astute observations about being human and relationships. Recommended for anyone who has ever felt awkward.

My Review

August

Pigeon English by Stephen Kelman

This was my pick for the Booker prize. Eleven year old Harri arrives in London from Ghana with his Mum and sister and is overwhelmed by the new sights and experiences. Without realising exactly what he is doing, he soon becomes caught up with local gangs and the murder of a teenager. I loved this as you completely get inside Harri's head and it's a perfect examination of how growing up in an inner-city area like the one in the book can destroy childhood. Recommended for anyone who wants to escape themselves, or has connections with the inner-city.

My Review

Next time, the last installment: September - December.

I'm really enjoying looking back over all of the books I have read this year.

Talking About Jane Austen in Baghdad by Bee Rowlatt and May Witwit

2011-12-20T05:44:00.000-08:00

Talking About Jane Austen in Baghdad is a true story told in a collection of emails exchanged between two women, Bee and May. Bee is a Londoner who needs to find an English-speaking Iraqi to interview for her job with the BBC world service. After she interviews May, a university professor from Baghdad, the two remain in contact and become close friends. Bee shares details about life in London and her family and May responds with the brutality and horror of the Iraq invasion. As things become worse for May, Bee does everything she can to try to help her escape the country for good.

I enjoyed this book at first. It was interesting reading the actual emails the two women shared as their friendship developed and progressed. These initial emails contained lots of information about family history, everyday life and current events - it was a good way to get to know the two women. But as the book continued I found myself getting irritated with the fact that every single email ever written between them had been included. This made things very repetitive at times, especially when May is trying several ways to obtain a visa for the UK and in my opinion, a sensitive editor could have avoided this problem completely. Some emails could have been cut without the overall effect of the book being diminished.

I also found myself getting a bit annoyed with the English woman, Bee. She often writes cheerful emails full of family news in an attempt to cheer up May, but this does at times come across as insensitive. Bee obviously comes from a well-off family and her constant chat about weeks away, holidays and complaining about having to train a new au-pair whilst May is being shot at in the street seems a bit tactless. At times she is also very blunt with May, and I cringed whilst reading the sections where Bee tells May in no uncertain terms that she won't financially support her when she arrives in England.

May's emails, on the other hand, perfectly convey how hopeless and frustrated she feels with the situation in her country. During the periods where her and her husband are basically prisoners in their own home due to the danger, I really empathised with their depression and loneliness. I was rooting for May throughout the whole book and did become emotionally invested in her. This was the key strength of the book and I felt it would have been improved by focusing less on Bee and more on May, rather than including every single email written between them.

Verdict: Interesting true story told through emails that could have benefited from a sensitive editor.

Source: Owned

Score: 3 out of 5

Best of 2011: Part One

2011-12-19T06:43:00.000-08:00

Believe it or not, 2011 is the first year in which I have kept a record of every single book I have read and as of today, 19th December, I have read exactly 100 books. I'm thrilled with that and still hope to finish a few more before the start of 2012. Having kept such a record for the first time, it has been easy for me to look back and see what books I have very much enjoyed this year. I've highlighted one favourite book from each month to share with you all over a series of posts. Today's post covers Jan - April:

January:

The Good Man Jesus and the Scoundrel Christ by Philip Pullman

This retelling of the life of Jesus is a thoughtful examination of how stories change depending on who is telling them and on the role of the church in creating and shaping myth. Pullman separates Jesus into two characters - Jesus (in the Jewish tradition) and Christ (who starts to create the new Christian ideas). Despite it attracting a lot of controversy, I found that most of Pullman's anger was directed at the institution of the Church, not religion itself. A great book for anyone who likes to be made to think.

My Review

February:

Half of a Yellow Sun by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie

This is all about human lives against the backdrop of civil war in Nigeria. This book was my first introduction to Adichie, and since then I have read all of her published books this year. Adichie alternates sections about the war and sections about life before the war to show how the war has altered everything and how everyday concerns just vanish in the face of extreme difficulty. Recommended for fans of historical fiction, literary fiction and armchair travellers.

My Review

March:

Anna Karenina by Leo Tolstoy

OK, OK - this one is in here partially because I am proud of myself for completing it, but mainly because I am proud of myself for enjoying it. I hadn't read much classic Russian literature before trying this book and I was pleasantly surprised by how accessible and soap-opera-ish it was. It's a true epic with many interweaving characters and stories threaded together by Tolstoy's wonderfully perceptive observations about what it is to be a human. Recommended for fans of classics, even if you think you can't do it.

My Review

April

People of the Book by Geraldine Brooks

People of the Book is historical fiction at it's finest. Hanna works as a book conservationist and is sent to war-torn Sarajevo to restore an immensely valuable Jewish Haggadah. Through the use of many characters in settings such as Spain at the time of the Spanish Inquisition, Venice and Yugoslavia, Brooks lets us see the journey of the book and the factors contributing to it's survival. Recommended for historical fiction fans and general book lovers.

My Review

Next time: May - August, including some non-fiction as well as fiction.

Interestingly, three out of these four books were library books. I use the library a lot more than I really should, given the amount of unread books I actually own, but I have been introduced to some great authors through randomly picking books up off the shelves.

Cain by Jose Saramago

2011-12-17T07:53:00.000-08:00

Cain is the last book written by Nobel Prize for Literature winning author Jose Saramago, published after his recent death. It is essentially a retelling of the Old Testament through the eyes of Cain, who was marked forever for murdering his brother Abel. Cursed by God to wander, the Cain of Saramago's book witnesses Abraham almost killing Isaac, the destruction of the Tower of Babel, Sodom and Gomorrah, the trials of Job and the building of Noah's Ark.

Throughout all of this Cain is a stand-in for scepticism and the desire of humanity to argue with God. How many people, even Christians, have wanted to be able to argue with God, just for one minute? Cain gets to do so on a regular basis and he exposes some flaws in God, who is painted by Saramago as the Old-Testament God of vengeance rather than the New-Testament God of love. At times in this book God miscalculates (he instructs Noah to build the Ark in the wrong place), doesn't take time to punish only the guilty (Sodom and Gomorrah) and displays poor time-keeping (Cain has to rescue Isaac as God's angel is going to be too late). Saramago does seem to want to shock, and I think this book would be offensive if you are a fundamentalist sort of Christian, but more than that he wants to poke fun in a gently mocking sort of way.

The story is told in a folksy style that has more in common with oral language than spoken language. I thought this worked well with the subject matter. Cain is the first Saramago I have read so I was immediately struck by the run on sentences, the eight page paragraphs, the lack of capitals and the complete absence of speech marks. Apparently this is common of his work and whilst I am all in favour of being experimental with narrative, the lack of paragraph breaks irritated me and I wanted proper grammar. I had to use much more attention than usual to keep track of who was speaking at what moment.

Whilst I did like this book, it didn't blow me away. I felt like Philip Pullman's The Good Man Jesus and The Scoundrel Christ was a better and more thought-provoking re-examination of biblical stories. Cain passed the time nicely but it didn't really make me think in the way that perhaps the author intended.

Verdict: Retelling of Old Testament stories from a sceptical Cain, in a sometimes hard to follow style.

Source: From the publisher via NetGalley

Score: 3 out of 5

BBC Documentary: Books - The Last Chapter?

2011-12-15T12:55:00.000-08:00

If you live in the UK, there is a nice documentary on iplayer at the moment called Books - The Last Chapter? (here) It's mainly about whether e-readers will ever take over from printed books but it's also a nice story of why we all love books so much, with a presenter that is clearly a bibliophile.

I don't know yet where I stand on the issue of e-readers. I will always be a lover of printed books, especially beautiful editions such as the Penguin hardback classics, but I also appreciate the convenience of my kindle. If I'm going to buy a standard paperback, I'll probably buy a digital version. It's likely to be cheaper, it saves space in my house and I can access it instantly.

In the future, I can see my library of digital books growing and my library of printed books shrinking to much loved childhood editions and 'special' books that I will always cherish. I have some battered copies of childhood classics like Little Women and A Little Princess that I will never be parted from, likewise my hardback adult favourites like Jonathan Strange and Mr Norrell, but for my three star rated books, I'm indifferent whether they are printed, from the library or on my kindle.

How about you? Do you have any strong views either way?

Purge by Sofi Oksanen

2011-12-12T11:28:00.000-08:00

I first heard about Sofi Oksanen's Purge through Willa's blog, and as soon as I read her review of it I knew I had to read it for myself. Finally, almost four months later, I managed to get my hands on a copy. Set in Estonia during the 1940s and 1990s, it is the story of two women who have both suffered abuse.

Aliide Truu is living an old-fashioned life in rural Estonia, cut off from all her neighbours. She is happy being self-sufficient until she finds Zara, a badly beaten woman, in her garden. As Aliide begins to help Zara, she is forced to look back on her own past and involvement with both the Estonian Nationalist Movement and the Soviet state. Zara is a young Russian-Estonian girl who is visited by a friend and promised a luxurious life in the west, only to be sold as a sex slave and kept captive.

Purge is not an easy story to read. Both women go through experiences that you could only describe as horrific and some of the things that happen to Zara in particular will make your stomach churn. Aliide's story doesn't hide from the use of rape as an interrogation technique by Soviet forces. These experiences are described graphically but not gratuitously by Oksanen, and you really feel for both women.

I went into the story knowing that there would be descriptions of sexual abuse, but for me the most disturbing thing about this book was the character of Aliide herself. Oksanen slowly reveals more and more about her and her thought processes with the result that she has created a wonderfully three dimensional and distasteful character; at times I felt very sorry for Aliide but at other times I felt disgusted with her. I didn't guess the revelation about her that comes in the closing section, and I felt that this was very clever of Oksanen.

Despite dealing with difficult subjects, Purge is definitely a worthwhile read. I finished it a few days ago and yet my mind is still buzzing with thoughts about it. It has illuminated a chapter of European history I knew very little about. Purge is also a page turner, I found it almost impossible to put this book down as I was desperate to find out what would happen to Zara and why Aliide was the way she was. It's a book that has a great impact and I would strongly recommend it.

Verdict: Powerful story of the abuse of two women in Estonia.

Source: Library

Score: 5 out of 5

A Beginner's Guide to Acting English by Shappi Khorsandi

2011-12-10T08:38:00.000-08:00

Shappi Khorsandi is an Iranian born comedian who is quite well known here in the UK due to her performances on Live At The Apollo and as a panellist on shows such as 8 out of 10 Cats. A Beginners Guide To Acting English is a memoir of her childhood during the Iranian revolution. The family originally left Iran as her father had a job opportunity in London, but when he later tries to return after the rise of the Ayatollah Khomeini, he only just manages to escape with his life. Unable to go home, the family must come to terms with becoming refugees and getting used to the English way of life.

A Beginners Guide To Acting English is a well written memoir. It is written with a light and humorous touch, which make the occasional 'heavy' moments more profound. Stories of learning English and getting to grips with English food are interspersed with worry about family members left in Iran and the constant fear that Shappi's father will be targeted by radicals, even in London. The emotional anchor of the book is really the later sections in which the family must enter police protection for a time to keep them safe. Shappi describes the all-consuming fear she felt realistically and also manages to do so from the point of view of the child she was at the time, who didn't really understand everything that was going on.

That said, there were things about A Beginners Guide To Acting English that didn't work as well. Whilst I thought it was interesting to read about family members left in Iran, Shappi's technique of writing them in the first person didn't really work. All these other family members ended up speaking in the same voice, which dulled any impact they might have had in the memoir. I also think the title is a bit misleading; there wasn't too much about the culture shock of moving to England, and more about events in Iran and lives of other Iranians in exile. I did find this interesting, but the title does lead you to think this memoir is about things it isn't.

Overall, this was an average memoir. It passed the time nicely but I probably wouldn't recommend it to others. For me, Persepolis is a much better memoir of the Iranian revolution and life in exile.

Source: Library

First Published: 2009

Score: 3 out of 5

The Secret Countess by Eva Ibbotson

2011-12-08T10:17:00.000-08:00

Winter is the perfect time for reading fairytales. In The Secret Countess, Anna Grazinsky, a Russian Countess, has to flee to England with her family after the Russian Revolution. With all her money lost, Anna takes on a job as a servant in the house of the Earl of Westerholmes and tries her best to fit in with the staff. But it's soon obvious that she is different to the other servants and matters become even more complicated when she starts to fall in love with the Earl, Rupert, who happens to be already engaged.

The Secret Countess is an enchanting, magical book. Ibbotson certainly has a way with words and this simple plot caught me up in it's web within the first few pages. Even though I knew what was going to happen, I couldn't put it down. I loved the glamour of the Russian characters, the cosiness of the English country house setting and the understatement of the love story. Although the romance is a central part of the plot, it is written with a light touch and shown rather than told, making it more powerful.

It is true that Ibbotson's characters are either very good or very bad. Although Anna goes through some tough times, she remains impossible bright, vivacious and full of life. Her counterfoil, Rupert's fiancee Muriel is all bad; she believes in eugenics, is cruel to the staff for very little reason and can be very spiteful. Usually I would have a problem with these all-good, all-bad characters, but within the fairytale like elements of the setting and plot, it made sense. After all, no one complains that the evil witch in Hansel and Gretel lacks good characteristics alongside her evil ones.

The Secret Countess was a perfect escapist read, like watching an old-fashioned film. It didn't challenge me intellectually or introduce any new ideas but it did whisk me away to a stylised version of early twentieth century England and caught me up in it's story. I will be reading more by Ibbotson soon.

Verdict: A cosy, escapist read for a Sunday afternoon.

Source: Library

First Published: 1981

Score: 4.5 out of 5

The Lovely Bones by Alice Sebold

2011-12-06T12:17:00.000-08:00

I usually don't read books that attract a lot of hype. When they are in the middle of that bubble of buzz, my expectations are raised so high that rarely does the book actually live up to it. I've found that if I let the hype subside with time and read the book as just another book, I have more chance of enjoying it. So it was probably about time that I dusted off my copy of The Lovely Bones and gave it a shot.

Susie Salmon is a normal high school girl who is brutally raped and murdered at the age of fourteen. Unable to leave her family and friends, she watches their lives afterwards, desperate both the see how the world carries on without her and for them to realise who the murderer is.

I should start this review by stating that I enjoyed the first half of this book very much. I liked that Sebold reveals who the murderer is straight away and instead focuses on Susie's family and how they try to carry on with life after her death. The emotions and actions of the characters at this point felt realistic and the impact was occasionally powerful. I liked the scene where Susie's sister, Lindsey, is forced to sit through an interview where her principle expresses his condolences and the way she looks through people to avoid having an emotional reaction.

I also enjoyed some of the characters, especially Susie's glamorous Grandmother, who tries to help the family carry on functioning. Some of the other characters I could have done with seeing less of, particularly Ruth, the child-genius-lesbian who could sense death; I felt that she was very cliche and predictable.

So there I was, enjoying my reading - until I got to the end of the book. I'm not going to give away the ending in case some of you haven't read the book, but something very silly and unbelievable happened and it completely ruined the book for me. Took away all credibility from the story and I felt annoyed to have invested so much time in the book only for this paranormal inspired ending to happen. I know I'm supposed to feel touched and moved, but I completely didn't. I was just annoyed.

Verdict: Good first half, shame about the silly ending.

Source: Owned

Score: 2 out of 5 (2 points for the beginning sections).

Sunday Salon: My Sister Got Married Yesterday!

2011-12-04T05:30:00.000-08:00

Apologies for my blogging absence over the last few days but yesterday was a wonderful day as my older sister got married. Because I am a proud sister, I just wanted to share a few photos.

(L-R): Me, the groom, my sister, Mum and Dad.

Hope everyone has had a wonderful weekend too. I'm looking forward to catching up with you all over the next few days.

Theodora: Actress, Empress, Whore by Stella Duffy

2011-11-30T08:28:00.000-08:00

Theodora of Constantinople was the daughter of a bear trainer who became a dancer, actress, prostitute, religious convert, mistress, Empress and finally Saint of the Orthodox Church. In Theodora: Actress, Empress, Whore, Stella Duffy provides a fictional biography of the first part of her life, from when the death of her father forces her on the stage to the moment she becomes Empress. A sequel is planned.

I found this book to be underwhelming. Theodora certainly had an interesting life, and it was obvious that Duffy had done a great deal of research into her character, setting and time period, but this novel was just an average piece of historical fiction for me. It was one of those books I was anxious to finish so that I could get on to something else.

I think part of the problem was the way the characters, especially Theodora herself, spoke to each other. I have nothing against swearing or crude language, but it was all done with modern phrasing. Didn't the Ancients have their own swear words and phrases? It was jarring for me as a reader to be transported back in time only to have the characters come out with very modern dialogue.

What I enjoyed most about Theodora: Actress, Empress, Whore was the settings. Constantinople and Alexandria were written vividly and I could easily imagine what it would have been like to live in them. The sights and smells were all invoked skilfully.

Verdict: Average piece of historical fiction about a woman with a fascinating life.

First published: 2011

Source: From the publisher via NetGalley

Score: 2.5 out of 5

Sunday Salon: How Far Ahead Do You Plan Your Reading?

2011-11-27T07:07:00.000-08:00

One thing I've noticed since starting this blog is that I am a very unorganised reader. When I finish a book, I have no idea what I'll be reading next or even no clear idea of what books I actually own. I have a goodreads account (add me!) but I'm only about a fifth of the way through adding my physical books and I've not even made a dent in adding my kindle library. I buy books on a whim at different times, put them in all different places and forget I have them until a few months later. This means a lot of them just don't get read and my TBR is out of control, to say the least.

I know other people are not like this. It's the time of the year when sign-up posts for challenges start appearing and I've noticed that some bloggers are very organised with their reading plans to the extent that they know which books they will be reading and in which month. I don't know what I'm reading next, let alone what I am reading in 2012. I also don't have a dedicated TBR pile of books that I want to read soon, all of my books are mixed in together.

I think the reason I am like this is that my inner rebel doesn't like having a schedule or time deadline for reading, I like to just read on a whim based on whatever takes my fancy that day. I like that I have such a stock of unread books, because I have an available book for any genre or mood. I like rediscovering books that I have forgotten I bought and I like the feeling of finally reading a book that I have owned for many years, because the time and my mood are right.

How about you? What are your reading plans and how far ahead can you list what you will be reading? Are you unorganised like me, or strictly organised?

The Cellist of Sarajevo by Stephen Galloway

2011-11-23T13:07:00.000-08:00

The Cellist of Sarajevo is an extraordinary novel about ordinary people caught up in a war they did not want and have no control over. The siege of Sarajevo is the longest running siege in modern history, lasting from April 1992 to February 1996 and killing around ten thousand people. An average of 329 shells hit the city every day and snipers in the surrounding hills targeted civilians, making everyday tasks like a game of Russian Roulette. When the difference between life and death becomes totally random and out of your control and the person walking next to you can be shot down whilst you survive, life becomes unimaginable.

The Cellist of Sarajevo follows three characters. Dragan has managed to get his wife and son to safety but was unable to leave the city he loves himself. Kenan must make several dangerous journeys to find fresh water for his family. And Arrow has joined forces with the counter-snipers, trying to defend her city. All of them are struggling to come to terms with what happens when civilisation as you know it melts away.

Despite all of this, it is not a novel of despair. There are moments of humanity and hope amidst all of the destruction, such as people coming under sniper attacks themselves in order to save strangers. All three of the main characters struggle with how much humanity and civilisation they are going to allow the snipers to take away from them, and for one of them the simple act of walking with your head held high and greeting passers-by becomes an act of defiance;

"He will behave now as he hopes everyone will someday behave. Because civilisation isn't a thing that you build and then there it is, you have it forever. It needs to be built constantly, recreated daily. It vanishes far more quickly than he ever would have thought possible." p216

The most powerful part of the book for me was how random death had become for the inhabitants of Sarajevo. At one point Dragan is waiting to cross an intersection and he witnesses some people cross without incident whilst others are gunned down and tries to figure out why some are targeted. But there is no answer and I can't imagine having to come to terms with that.

I was very impressed with Galloway's writing. Considering it is quite a slim book, he didn't need many words to create a powerful impact. The ending was extremely powerful and it's a book that I've carried on thinking about long after I put it down.

Verdict: Profound portrayal of the impact of war on ordinary people. Highly recommended.

Source: Owned

First Published: 2008

Score: 5 out of 5

Venice in February - Help Me Pick!

2011-11-21T12:17:00.000-08:00

Regular readers will know that I'm not one for reading challenges. I don't work well with the pressure of reading certain books at certain times, which is also a reason as to why you won't see too many ARC reviews on my blog either. I'm an eclectic reader and I like to be free to choose my next book on a whim, rather than based on how many challenge boxes I can tick.

When I saw the Venice in February challenge on Dolce Bellezza's blog, I thought 'that sounds nice' and I was all prepared to move on until I saw the selected titles and I was hooked! I had no idea how many wonderful sounding books are set in Venice! Please do visit Dolce Bellezza or Snow Feathers and check out the reading suggestions.

At the moment, I'm torn between the following:

A Thousand Days in Venice by Marlene di Blasi

A travelogue of sorts from a woman who transformed her life by following a man she loved to Venice.

A Venetian Affair by Andrea Di Robilant

A forbidden romance in 18th century Venice, based on a cache of real life letters. I love good historical fiction.

Casanova by Ian Kelly

Historical biography. This one is very tempting.

In The Company of the Courtesan by Sarah Dunant

16th century historical fiction about Roman courtesans who flee to Venice.

Othello by William Shakespeare

This one needs no introduction. I am a big Shakespeare fan, but have never read Othello.

The Four Seasons by Laurel Corona

Another historical fiction, it's becoming clear I like this genre! This one is the story of two sisters, one of whom is taught by Vivaldi.

So help me choose - which one(s) would you read? I am hoping to read at least two of these books, but won't have time to read them all. If you were me, what would you pick and why?

Next To Love by Ellen Feldman

2011-11-19T08:29:00.001-08:00

Next to Love is the story of three American women caught up with World War Two. Babe, Millie and Grace are left at home whilst their husbands go to war and must deal with both the waiting and not knowing and the reality of life after the war ends, a life that will never be the same again for any of them. Broad and sweeping, Next to Love follows the lives of the three women and their children for many years and deals with a multitude of issues including bereavement, anti-semitism, grief, madness, adultery, snobbery, women in the workforce and the creation of a consumerist society.

Next to Love was one of those novels that was fun to read but that didn't make a big impression on me. The writing was smooth and flowing and I read through it quickly, but I think it suffered from trying to deal with so many issues at once. For me, all of the power and impact of the story was in the opening sections dealing with the actual war and the immediacy of grief. Some of these parts were heart-breaking to read and the subsequent chapters dealing with everything that happened years later just lacked in impact compared to that. I wanted Feldman to concentrate on just the one thing.

The multiple perspective changes could also be confusing at times. I don't know if this was just because I had a review copy on my kindle, but perspective changed a lot within chapters without any warning, which was confusing at first. I like each chapter to be from the same perspective. I also felt that the voices of the three women were distinct, but not distinct enough to warrant a lot of the perspective shifts. The voice of Babe stood out more than the voices of Grace and Millie.

Despite these issues I had with the book, reading it was an enjoyable experience. Feldman created the atmosphere of WWII America well and there were lots of nice touches, like a section dealing with the creation of the credit card and everyone being confused by it first of all. I also very much liked the ending of the story (which I didn't see coming), as it allowed me to look back on the book in a different way.

Verdict: Issue-packed story of three American women affected by WWII that loses steam towards the end.

Source: From the publisher via NetGalley

First Published: 2011

Score: 3 out of 5

My Antonia by Willa Cather

2011-11-13T08:06:00.001-08:00

I have to admit to not knowing much about American Literature. I know lots about English Literature but the only real American Literature I've read is Hemingway's A Farewell To Arms and I didn't like it much. Fitzgerald and Hawthorne are strangers to me, as are Zane Grey, Henry James and Melville. I never even read Little House on the Prairie whilst growing up.

My Antonia was a first attempt at rectifying this situation. Jim Burden, a lawyer, recounts his childhood on the plains of Nebraska and particularly his friendship with a Bohemian immigrant girl called Antonia. Rich in detail, it is a love letter to a way of living that has since been lost and a poem to American midwest.

I liked My Antonia as a coming of age tale. I've read other reviews where the major complaint is that not much happens in the novel, but I enjoyed the cosy, lazy Sunday afternoon pace and the descriptions of a childhood spent in the great outdoors. At certain times it did feel as though Cather was romanticising her own experiences of growing up on a farm, as none of the hardships ever felt particularly real. In their first winter in America, Antonia's family are caught unprepared and have little in the way of food or warm clothes. Antonia runs about barefoot in the snow in only a cotton dress, but even this is looked back on in a nostalgic sort of way.

Behind the cosy narrative, a lot of powerful themes were lurking. I read this as a tale of immigrant experience, of the separate classes that grew up of 'Americans' and 'foreigners'. In My Antonia this whole system is mocked as the foreigners are the resourceful, enterprising ones who by doing things that the Americans find distasteful, such as sending their daughters to work, are able to become more successful in the long run. But the boundaries between the two groups remain firm; Antonia and Jim could never have married.

There was also a lot on the theme of gender. Antonia and Jim were both androgynous characters, with Antonia taking on classically masculine characteristics such as physical strength and Jim having a lot of feminine elements. Throughout the book, the female characters are the strong ones. I thought this was interesting in the light of Cather's sexuality and how she herself used to dress as a man whilst she was growing up. It was nice to read a book in a rural setting where the women do more than keep the house and prepare meals.

Overall, My Antonia was a well written coming of age story that kept my interest. It had a cast of lively characters and evoked life on the plains very well. I would recommend it as a good example of American literature.

Source: Library

First Published: 1918

Score: 3.5 out of 5

The Shadow Of The Sun by Ryszard Kapuscinski

2011-11-11T12:35:00.001-08:00

I love the Penguin Celebrations series. With this latest acquisition, I now have sixteen out of thirty-six, which is not bad, and every single one I have read has been enjoyable. This one is from the travel and adventure range and is a series of dispatches from Africa written by the Polish journalist Ryszard Kapuscinski. Arriving in Ghana in 1957, when many African countries were just throwing off the shackles of colonialism, his reports cover a range of countries in sub-Saharan Africa from the 1950s to the 1990s and is as much of a love letter to Africa and it's people as it is a travel journal.

Kapuscinski has the good fortune to often be in the right place at the right time. He witnesses a coup in Zanzibar, the action of child soldiers in Liberia, another coup in Nigeria, meets key players such as Mugabe and generally witnesses history in the making. His constant quest to experience the 'real' Africa and not remain sheltered in European areas makes for some dangerous episodes too; at times you feel as though you could be reading the plot for the next Indiana Jones film. Kapuscinki also catches a nasty bout of malaria and when he refuses to go back to Europe, he contracts TB, which almost kills him. He drives head first through a herd of buffalo on the Serengeti plains, gets caught in a monsoon storm whilst trying to escape in a small boat off the coast of Zanzibar and becomes delirious with thirst when his truck breaks down in the middle of the Sahara desert.

These adventures add a bit of spice to his writing and keep the pace brisk. What I liked most about this book was the balance between factual reporting and personal impressions. Kapuscinski does give you the background on the political situations of each country, but he also writes about what it is like to be there in the blinding heat and describes as best he can his experiences with the local people and wildlife. This meant it wasn't unbiased reporting, but I very much enjoyed the personal touch as it gave me more of a sense of what Africa is like.

The writing itself was gorgeous too, and the love Kapuscinski felt for Africa came across in every sentence. I'm going to end this review with my favourite quote;

"More than anything, one is struck by the light. Light everywhere. Brightness everywhere. Everywhere, the sun."

Verdict: Engrossing travel journal of Africa during a momentous time in it's history. Recommended.

Source: Owned

First Published: 1998

Score: 4 out of 5

The Thing Around Your Neck by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie

2011-11-06T10:13:00.000-08:00

The Thing Around Your Neck is a short story collection by one of my favourite authors, Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie. Having previously read and loved Purple Hibiscus (my review) and especially Half of a Yellow Sun (my review - go and get a copy now if you haven't read it), I couldn't wait to get my hands on this collection, her only work published in book form that I had yet to read. And I wasn't disappointed.

The Thing Around Your Neck is a short story collection about women, the immigrant experience, things not working out the way they should and homesickness. All of the women in the stories have a connection of some kind with Nigeria; some are on their way to America to marry Nigerian men who have already made it, some are caught up in violence, some are writing about it and some are missing it with every bone in their body. Nigeria appears as almost a character in it's own right - a whirl of colours, smells, sound and vibrancy compared with a grey, bland, tasteless America.

Aside from that, the other major theme that I could identify was disappointment and expectations not being met. The stories are full of Nigerian women who have moved to America anticipating a land of milk and honey and found themselves disappointed, both with their new country and their new husbands. In The Arrangers of Marriage, Chinaza is encouraged by her husband to cook only American food, change her name and be as American as possible, resulting in a deep homesickness. She can't write home about her misery as her relatives all assume she will have a big house, a car and all the perks of living in America.

I had several favourite stories from the collection. One was A Private Experience, a story of an unlikely friendship between a Hausa Muslim and Igbo Christian during race riots in Nigeria. Another was On Monday of Last Week, about the loneliness of a woman working as a nanny for an American family. Although Tomorrow is Too Far didn't really fit in with the themes of the rest of the collection, it was a very creepy story about sibling rivalry.

But my favourite story was Jumping Monkey Hill, about a group of upcoming African writers invited to a safari lodge in South Africa for a writing seminar by a white sponsor. It seemed as though Adichie had used this story to vent all of her frustrations about the attitude towards and labels given to African writers as most of the stories the Africans write are disparaged by the white sponsor. He wants them only to write of war, desperation, hunger and stereotypes, not the truth of their experiences and countries.

To sum up, I would highly recommend this well written collection, especially if you are interested in the immigrant experience.

Source: Library
First published: 2009
Score: 4.5 out of 5

Bookish Acquisitions

2011-11-02T13:34:00.000-07:00

During our trip to Derby and the Peak District last week, I managed to acquire some great new books!

One of the places we visited was Chatsworth House, Mr Darcy's house in the BBC adaptation of Pride and Prejudice. Of course it has many other features too, but from a bookish perspective it was great to visit Mr Darcy's home. The gift shop had a great selection of Jane Austen books, sequels by other authors and non-fiction books all about the world of Austen. I managed to find Talking About Jane Austen in Baghdad.

Synopsis from goodreads:

May's a tough-talking, hard-smoking, lecturer in English. She's also an Iraqi from a Sunni-Shi'ite background living in Baghdad, dodging bullets before breakfast, bargaining for high heels in bombed-out bazaars and battling through blockades to reach her class of Jane Austen-studying girls. Bee, on the other hand, is a London mum of three, busy fighting off PTA meetings and chicken pox, dealing with dead cats and generally juggling work and family while squabbling with her globe-trotting husband over the socks he leaves lying around the house. They should have nothing in common. But when a simple email brings them together, they discover a friendship that overcomes all their differences of culture, religion and age. "Talking About Jane Austen in Baghdad" is the story of two women who share laughter and tears, and swap their confidences, dreams and fears. And, between the grenades, the gossip, the jokes and the secrets, they also hatch an ingenious plan to help May escape the bombings of Baghdad...

I'm hoping it'll be a nice cosy read.

And then we found a nice independent bookshop and my husband bought me two book from the Penguin Classics hardcover series that I've been coveting for the longest time. They are both beautiful, bound editions with page markers.

Dracula by Bram Stoker.

I already own this book, but it's one of my favourite books and I wanted a nice edition to keep.

Sense and Sensibility by Jane Austen.

Believe it or not, I haven't read this one yet. How gorgeous are the patterning and covers on this book?

What I love about the Penguin editions is that the pages are nice and thick, the font is just the right size and type and there are page markers included. One day I will have a whole shelf of Penguin Classic Hardcovers....

Have you acquired any great books or bookish treats lately?

84 Charing Cross Road by Helene Hanff

2011-10-31T13:17:00.000-07:00

I've lost track just how many people and blogs had recommended this cosy volume of letters between an American book lover and a second hand book shop in London's Charing Cross Road to me. Helene lives in New York but is a devoted Anglophile who makes a connection with England through the Marks & Co bookshop, who begin to send her books in the late 1940s. Over time she develops a close friendship with the chief buyer of the shop, Frank Doel, and their letters become both more personal and an important part of both of their lives. The volume I read also contained The Duchess of Bloomsbury, Helene's journal from when she finally got to visit London after 84 Charing Cross Road was published.

This book was just what I thought it would be - a cosy feel-good read. It was a bit like watching a Richard Curtis film, Love Actually or something like that. The London in the letters and diary entries felt like that fictionalised London that tourists want to see rather than the real thing. Everyone was nice and went out of their way to be kind to Helene, a total stranger. And that was the best part of the book; as it all actually happened it reminded me of the capacity for good and kindness that we all have inside of us. And who doesn't need reminding of that now and again?

I much preferred 84 Charing Cross Road to The Duchess of Bloomsbury. I just liked the letter format more than the diary one and the contrast between straight-forward and somewhat brash Helene and the typically-English, typically-reserved Frank. Compared to the sparky letters the diary entries dragged and were overly detailed. I was happy to learn that Helene finally got to make her trip, though, and it was nice to learn what had happened to Frank's family. I just didn't want that much detail.

Verdict: A perfect Sunday afternoon read.

Source: Library

First Published: 1976

Score: For just 84 Charing Cross Road, 4 out of 5. For both books combined, 3.5 out of 5

A Mountain of Crumbs by Elena Gorokhova

2011-10-30T08:47:00.000-07:00

A Mountain of Crumbs is a memoir about growing up in the Soviet Union in the period after Stalin but before its collapse. Born to a physician mother and much older father, Elena grows up in a strictly controlled country where even wanting to learn the English language can be a dangerous act. Perceptive early on to the concept of vranyo, the idea of pretending everything is wonderful even when it is not, she soon grows tired of the restrictions and contradictions - when she earns real money, there is nothing in the shops to spend it on - she manages to leave by marrying an American man she isn't sure she loves and starts a new life in the USA.

A Mountain of Crumbs was a very well written memoir. Gorokhova's intelligence and perceptiveness come across in every single page and she manages to transport the reader both back in time and to a system that no longer exists. The small details were the ones I really savoured - the school friend who was the only girl with a proper hair cut, the people lining up for toilet roll, the girl humiliated in assembly for writing a love letter. Gorokhova's voice in this memoir reminded me a lot of Sylvia Plath's in The Bell Jar; obviously the two books are not similar in content but there was the same perceptiveness, self awareness and a sense of not fitting with the surroundings.

One thing I did like about this memoir was that it was neither a whitewashed, sentimental account of her childhood or a harsh condemnation of the Soviet Union. Gorokhova managed to create a balance; some passages were recounted with nostalgia but in other parts you can tall that Gorokhova was very glad to have made it out to the US. This balance existed with her personal life too - the mother-daughter relationship is written very realistically (especially when Elena is a teenager) and she is honest about the fact that she largely got married as a passport out of the country.

But despite all of this and the fact that I knew I was reading a good book, I just couldn't connect with it or get swept away by it. Although I admired Gorokhova's writing, it had a detached quality that made it hard for me to connect with her personally, something that I think is crucial for a very good memoir. I enjoyed A Mountain of Crumbs whilst I was reading it, but I was never really in a hurry to pick it back up.

Verdict: Well written but impersonal memoir about growing up in the Soviet Union.
Source: Library
First Published: 2010
Score: 3.5 out of 5

Vlad: The Last Confession by C.C Humphreys

2011-10-27T05:24:00.000-07:00

Everyone knows Dracula as a blood-sucking vampire, but in real life Vlad Dracula was the Prince of Wallachia, a lawless region bearing the brunt of Ottoman expansion into Eastern Europe. In Vlad: The Last Confession, C.C. Humphreys uses three characters close to Dracula to tell his tale: his mistress, his priest and his closest friend.

And an interesting life it was too. Taken into captivity in Edirne at a young age by the Ottomans to secure his father's loyalty, Vlad grew up amongst the Turks, fostering a life-long hatred. This is also where he first witnessed impaling, his speciality method of punishment in later years. Whilst Vlad's brother converted to Islam and chose to stay in the Ottoman Empire, Vlad himself returned to rule Wallachia sporadically before finally being captured by his Christian allies, the Hungarians. When he was finally killed, his head was reportedly displayed at the entrance to Constantinople to show the strength of the Ottomans.

I was familiar with lots of this information before reading, being a big fan of Elizabeth Kostova's The Historian, but I do feel that Humphreys did a great job at making the novel both engagingly written and factually accurate. Humphreys also succeeded in placing Vlad in context, and judging him against the period he was living in, rather than against modern standards. Yes, Vlad killed tens of thousands of people, and lots of them were impaled, but he inherited a lawless place that was in many ways the buffer region between Christian Europe and the Muslim Ottoman Empire. He had to show massive strength to get his boyars (lords) to obey him. Vlad's brutal methods did work to a certain degree as reports of impalment and turbans nailed to heads apparently put the Ottoman leader, Mehmet, off attacking Wallachia directly.

The sections of the book dealing with impaling were quite graphic and not for readers with weak stomachs; I was glad to not be eating whilst reading them! Aside from that, the only criticism I can make of this book is the device of some of the characters posthumously 'judging' Vlad. This meant that the narrative was disrupted every now and again with asides from characters I didn't really care about, jarring the flow of the book. Personally, I think it would have been better told as a straight fictional biography rather than with the 'confession' device.

This one comes highly recommended from me, especially for fans of The Historian or epic adventure/war novels.

Verdict: Thoroughly researched and engaging novel about the life of the real Dracula.
Source: Library
Score: 4.5 out of 5

Wonderful Wednesdays #8 (Gothic Reads)

2011-10-25T09:24:00.000-07:00

Wonderful Wednesdays is a meme about spotlighting and recommending some of our most loved books, even if we haven't read them recently. Each week will have a different theme or genre.

In honour of halloween approaching, this week's theme is gothic reads.

Gothic fiction is one of my favourite genres, so it's been a tough choice for me. As much as I adore gothic classics such as Wuthering Heights, The Picture of Dorian Gray, Dracula and anything by Edgar Allen Poe, I've decided to spotlight a more modern book with elements of gothic style, despite it not being a horror story.

My choice is Michel Faber's excellent The Crimson Petal and the White. It's the story of Sugar, a prostitute in late 19th century London who rises up through society when she catches the attention of a wealthy business man. Victorian London is bought to life in all it's filthiness and grime, opium dens and brothels and the reader is introduced to a wealth of characters from all walks of life. From stark poverty to home brewed contraceptives to abandoned children to graphic but very unappealing sex scenes, Faber's novel is all about the grimier side of life. It's a long read, at over eight hundred pages, but they just whizz by and the imagery is just so vivid.

If you like gothic literature at all, you should read this book! My full length review of it from last December can be found here.

How about you?
I want to hear all about your favourite gothic reads. Grab the image above, make a blog post and then sign up to the linky below so we can all hop between blogs. Thanks in advance to those that do take part.

Sunday Salon: Half Term At Last!

2011-10-23T03:03:00.000-07:00

Here in the UK it's finally time for the half term break (we get a week off during the mid-point of the autumn term) and for me it's not a moment too soon. It's been a hard half term for me in many ways and I'm currently nursing a bad cold that means I haven't been able to speak without croaking for about three days now.

But the good news is that tomorrow, we are heading off to the Peak District for three days of some much needed rest and relaxation. We're staying in Derby, visiting Chatsworth House (Mr Darcy's house in the BBC version of Pride & Prejudice) and off course walking in the national park, which neither of us have been to before. I hope to sleep in, eat lots of good food and relax in the countryside with some good books.

I'm not planning on using the internet at all during my mini-break as I want to get away from everything, but I have scheduled a Wonderful Wednesday post for next Wednesday. As we are getting very near to Halloween, the theme is gothic reads, be they spooky or not. I'll look forward to coming home Wednesday night and looking at the posts :)

Have you got some rest and relaxation planned soon?

The Little Women Letters by Gabrielle Donnelly

2011-10-21T12:48:00.000-07:00

As a rule, I don't read much chick lit. But when I heard about Gabrielle Donnelly's The Little Women Letters, based on the idea of descendants of the March sisters, I knew I would have to read it. And as a fun, cosy, cold night read it didn't disappoint.

Emma, Lulu and Sophie Atwater are three sisters living in modern London. Emma is getting married, Sophie is trying to become an actress and middle-sister Lulu is just trying to figure out what she wants to do with her life. When Lulu finds a stash of letters written by her Great-Great-Great-Grandmother Jo in the loft, she finds that Jo's story and the story of all the March girls has surprising relevance to all of their lives.

Where I felt that this book excelled was the portrayal of the relationships between the female characters, and especially between the sisters. I have an older sister I am very close too and I thought that Donnelly did a great job of portraying how close that relationship can be and how your sister can annoy you more than anyone else! The mother-daughter relationships were well written too.

Contrastingly, a lot of the male characters fell a bit flat. The Dad was one-dimensional and reduced to a few jokes about secretly yearning for a more traditional woman. Emma's fiance was too nice. Sophie's best friend Jamie was the stereotype long suffering best friend. Compared to the female characters, there was no real character development; I know this is chick lit, but I do like strong male characters too.

As with a lot of chick lit, everything was tied up neatly at the end, and to be honest it was a bit too neat for me. Characters were introduced simply to make other characters happy, something that wouldn't happen in real life. Everyone was happy. Now that's nice to read about every now and again, but overall I prefer chick lit written by the likes of Marian Keyes, where there is just a touch more grit.

All of this is not to say that I didn't enjoy this book. I did. It was a cute, fun read that I enjoyed picking up after a long day. And the idea of being descended from Jo March is undeniably cool.

Verdict: Chick lit that does what it says on the tin.
Source: Library
Score: 3 out of 5

Wonderful Wednesdays #7 (Favourite Authors)

2011-10-18T09:56:00.000-07:00

Wonderful Wednesdays is a meme about spotlighting and recommending some of our most loved books, even if we haven't read them recently. Each week will have a different genre or theme.

This weeks theme is favourite authors.

Usually I choose books based on their individual themes and reviews, rather than based on who wrote them. Even if I love a book written by a certain author, I don't usually seek out that author's other books. But there are particular authors I make exceptions for, particular authors I will read anything by and get ridiculously excited if anything new comes out.

My first choice is Philip Pullman. I became a fan as a teenager with the His Dark Materials trilogy, books that I have read many times and will read many more. I love the world building, the characters, the quirky daemons and the fact that deeper topics are considered too. I'm also a big fan of the Sally Lockhart Mysteries, set in Victorian England.

And then earlier this year, I finally got my hands on The Good Man Jesus and the Scoundrel Christ, which I found to be a thoughtful examination on the difference between Jesus and the Christian church. These books are from different genres and age ranges, which is the main reason why I love Pullman - he is so versatile.

My second choice is Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie. My first introduction to her work was Half of a Yellow Sun, a powerful and epic tale of Nigerian civil war. This led me on to Purple Hibiscus, about a family living in the shadow of their abusive father, known as an upstanding Christian man in his own community.

And sitting on my shelf upstairs is a copy of her short story collection That Thing Around Your Neck, which I've been saving for my week off work next week. I love Adichie for the simple but powerful writing, the way she writes about Nigeria and her characters.

How about you?
I want to hear all about your favourite authors, whatever genre they come from. Grab the image above, make a blog post and then sign up to the linky below so we can all hop between blogs. Thanks to those that do take part.

The Bishop's Man by Linden MacIntyre

2011-10-16T07:30:00.000-07:00

Father MacAskill is known as 'The Exorcist' as it's his job to deal with instances of child-abuse and priests that break their vows of celibacy. Directed to keep such events hidden from the eyes of the media and the world, he becomes an expert in shunting priests sideways to other parishes and persuading victims to not seek retribution. But when he is hidden in a rural Nova Scotia parish to avoid a public scandal, he is forced to reflect on his life, his career and whether his faith can sustain him.

The Bishop's Man started out as a quiet, leisurely read with a pace that switched up several gears as events swirled out of Father MacAskill's control. I'm not a big fan of thrillers or mysteries, so wasn't interested in 'solving' the book, but I did think that MacIntyre cleverly weaved in deeper issues such as whether celibacy is a reasonable aim for priests and whether suicide is ever acceptable for Catholics. It was a book to make you think.

The topic of child abuse in the Catholic church was always going to be a sensitive one but I think MacIntyre handled it sensitively; from the families who were angry but still do what MacAskill tells them to do, to the priests that offer their explanations, to MacAskill himself, who never gets the closure or reasons he is looking for. The Bishop was an especially interesting character, only interested in preserving the church from scandal and not in helping the victims he refuses to acknowledge;

"They'll get over it. They're young. If it wasn't this, it would be something else. The dope. The cars. The promiscuity. Life is damaging, but never forget the healing power of the Sacraments. The Sacraments mitigate the damage. We can't let a bunch of misfits and complainers undermine the Sacraments." p128

This novel was really my first experience of Canadian literature. It was recommended by a Canadian blogger friend (I wish I could remember who) and I was lucky enough to find a copy of it in my library. And aside from the themes of the novel, the Nova Scotia landscape was almost a character in itself in the book. I was swept away to the disintegrating fishing village full of men with nothing to do and the long, bleak winters where everyone knows each other.

Overall, I would recommend this book. It was a well written, sensitive examination of the topic of child abuse by Catholic priests. The mystery and thriller elements were perhaps not for me, but I could still appreciate the writing and the story.

Source: Library
Score: 3.5 out of 5

A Good Trip To The Library

2011-10-14T13:31:00.000-07:00

I'm in for a busy time reading over the next few weeks as several items I had on reserve at the library all came in at once. Today I took home with me (summaries from Goodreads):

A Mountain of Crumbs by Elena Gorokhova

Elena Gorokhova grows up in 1960's Leningrad where she discovers that beauty and passion can be found in unexpected places in Soviet Russia.
A Mountain of Crumbs is the moving story of a young Soviet girl's discovery of the hidden truths of adulthood and her country's profound political deception.

84 Charing Cross Road by Helene Hanff

It all began with a letter inquiring about second-hand books, written by Helene Hanff in New York, and posted to a bookshop at 84, Charing Cross Road in London. As Helene's sarcastic and witty letters are responded to by the stodgy and proper Frank Doel of 84, Charing Cross Road, a relationship blossoms into a warm and charming long-distance friendship lasting many years.

The Little Women Letters by Gabrielle Donnelly

Vibrant, fresh, and intelligent, The Little Women Letters explores the imagined lives of Jo March’s descendants—three sisters who are both thoroughly modern and thoroughly March.

Vlad: The Last Confession by C.C. Humphreys
(as recommended by Coffee and a Book Chick)

Dracula. A name of horror and depravity.

His tale is told by those who knew him best. The only woman he ever loved...and whom he had to sacrifice. His closest comrade...and traitor. And his priest, betraying the secrets of the confessional to reveal the mind of the man history would forever remember as The Impaler. This is the story of the man behind the legend...as it has never been told before.

An eclectic mix of books - I can't wait to get started! Have you read any of them? If so, what did you think?

Wonderful Wednesdays #6 (Historical Fiction)

2011-10-11T12:08:00.000-07:00

Wonderful Wednesdays is a meme about spotlighting and recommending some of our most loved books, even if we haven't read them recently. Each week will have a different genre or theme.

This weeks theme is historical fiction.

Which stories set in the past do you really love? This one was a tough one for me because lots of my favourite historical fiction I have reviewed recently (Shanghai Girls, Remarkable Creatures, The Mistress of Nothing, The Sandalwood Tree). In the end I decided to go with a book I first read in my teens. There have been controversies over whether or not it is a fiction book at all, being based on extensive research, but I decided in the end that if the Booker committee think it's fiction, then that's good enough for me.

My choice is Schindler's Ark by Thomas Keneally (published as Schindler's List in the US). Oskar Schindler shelters many Jews during the Nazi Holocaust at considerable risk to himself and comes very close to being caught at times. The reason I love this book, aside from the wonderful writing, is that Schindler is morally ambiguous. This book shows that you don't have to be a wonderful person to do great things. Schindler likes a drink and is an awful husband but when it comes down to it, he does something great. Schindler's Ark also asks the question of whether good things can be done through evil methods, and whether you should 'shake hands with the devil' if it's going to save lives.

If you've not read it, I do recommend it. The film is good, but nowhere near as good as the book.

How about you?
I want to hear all about your favourite pieces of historical fiction. Grab the image above, make a blog post and then sign up to the linky below so we can all hop between blogs. Thanks to those that do take part.

Cleopatra: A Life by Stacy Schiff

2011-10-10T12:47:00.000-07:00

Most of us live out peaceful, boring, uneventful lives that start and end in obscurity and make no mark on history. But even by the standards of historical figures, Cleopatra had an amazingly eventful and important life - she had children with two of the most powerful Romans, ruled Egypt single-handedly and with her suicide the ancient era was said to be over. In Cleopatra: A Life, Stacy Schiff seeks to separate the fact from the myth and provide an unbiased account of what we actually know about Cleopatra and what we can reasonably deduce.

The basic premise of the book is that Cleopatra has had somewhat of a bad rep over the years. Far from being a scheming, adulterous seductress who destroyed Mark Anthony, Schiff portrays her instead as a woman who was always ready to make the most of her situation, using her considerable ambition, intellect and wit. Schiff argues that it was easier for history (and her Roman biographers) to dismiss her as lustful rather than acknowledge that she, a woman, was capable of using her intellect to persuade men and influence events.

Given the lack of primary sources and historical record about Cleopatra's life, Schiff's account is mainly in the business of providing context and details about Alexandria and Rome at the time. The civil war between Octavian and Mark Anthony is also extensively explained. As someone who loves all of the little details and quirky facts (did you know Cleopatra was the only Ptolemaic ruler to bother to learn Egyptian? Or that Cleopatra had such a monopoly on Egypt's produce that she forced farmers to sell to her at 50% tax and then sold on for an astounding 300% profit, making her worth $98bn in today's money?), I appreciated all the context and back story. If you want to read only about her life, the detail might be off-putting.

I did enjoy Schiff's writing. It remained lively throughout, and I could tell the amount of research and passion that had gone into the book from the way it was written. Schiff was telling a story rather than providing a dry account of facts, and sometime she had so much she wanted to tell us that she had to use footnotes. I did find that the account of the Roman civil war dragged a bit when Cleopatra wasn't involved and no battles were taking place, but I could see the relevance to Cleopatra's story.

To be honest, there wasn't anything I didn't like about this book. I thought it was a prime example of good, engaging non-fiction writing that will appeal to a wide audience while still satisying history buffs.

Verdict: Engaging biography of Cleopatra that attempts to separate myth from fact.
Source: Owned
Score: 5 out of 5

Sunday Salon: Memes

2011-10-09T04:31:00.000-07:00

Those of you that stopped by my blog in the week will know that I'm trying to revive the meme I started almost a year ago: Wonderful Wednesdays. The reason for this is mainly that my reading pace has slowed dramatically compared to the summer holidays. I know this is true for a lot of us too - we're all back at work or school, and in the run up to Christmas as well there just isn't as much time for reading.

Wonderful Wednesdays is supposed to be a way around that, as it lets us discuss books without reading any new books. It highlights books that we've read in the past, possibly pre-blogging and each post should be a discussion of a book we have enjoyed (rather than just a list or a brief comment). I also think that with all the new books that we read, ARC copies and ones with buzz, it's nice to step back and revisit some old faves.

Maria from Fly High visited my blog during the week and pointed out that it might be useful if people knew in advance what the topic for each Wonderful Wednesday is going to be, so they have a chance to think about it and decide what to write about, or maybe even schedule a post. So I've added a picture on my right sidebar with next week's topic written underneath. Next Wednesday, I (and anyone else who wants to join me!) will be writing about our favourite books in the historical fiction genre, literary or not.

I'm hoping that this meme will become a way to discuss great books and get new recommendations every week. I hope it stays small scale but in-depth, with a group of people that ending reading and commenting on each others blogs. Anyone who wants to take part is more than welcome (the more the merrier!), and I'm also open to topic ideas too. If I use your topic idea one week, I will of course credit you and link to your blog.

So who's with me?

Balzac And The Little Chinese Seamstress by Dai Sijie

2011-10-07T14:08:00.000-07:00

Imagine living in society where you can only read state-sanctioned literature. Sijie takes us back to Communist-era China during the Cultural Revolution in Balzac and the Little Chinese Seamstress. Two young men are sent to the countryside to be 're-educated' out of their urban, bourgeoisie ways by the local peasants. Between horrible tasks such as transporting animal waste, they discover a hidden stash of Western literature and this experience changes them and those around them in a multitude of ways.

I was so excited to read this book. I've been interested in Chinese Communism for years, so knew quite a lot of the background, and I always enjoy books that are about the power of reading. But unfortunately this one just didn't click for me.

My first issue was the length. Balzac and the Little Chinese Seamstress is more of a novella than a novel, which I don't mind in general but it felt as though it was short due to Sijie's deliberately bare writing style. I know this is a question of personal taste, but very minimalist writing like this doesn't do anything for me. I didn't feel connected with the characters or with their experiences. I also thought that anyone who approached this book without knowing anything about Chinese Communism wouldn't be able to appreciate the context of this novel, and thus the real power of its message.

I do think Sijie did a fantastic job of showing the harsh reality of life for the peasants and I appreciated how the Little Seamstress herself changed through second-hand exposure to the literature, as well as the two boys themselves changing. For this reason I enjoyed the later sections of the book and the ending.

But ultimately I just didn't connect with this book in the way that I had hoped I would. I felt as though the message and power of the book was hindered by the minimalistic/realistic style chosen by the author. I know others loved the book for the same reason that I didn't enjoy it.

Verdict: Interesting idea, disappointing execution.
Source: Won in a giveaway!
Score: 2.5 out of 5

Wonderful Wednesdays #5 (Escapism)

2011-10-05T03:36:00.000-07:00

Back in Jan and Feb, I had my own little meme going called Wonderful Wednesdays, in which we highlighted some of our favourite books each Wednesday. It was doing well for a fledgling meme, but then life took over and I never really developed it. I've decided it's time to give it another shot, so it's back with a revamped logo and new theme.

Wonderful Wednesdays #5

Wonderful Wednesdays is a meme about spotlighting and recommending some of our most loved books, even if we haven't read them recently. Each week will have a different genre or theme.

This weeks theme is escapism.

What books do you read when you are having a tough time of it in real life and need to forget all of your worries? What books do you trust to take you far away from reality?

I've chosen two books for this theme, one fiction and one non-fiction, both of which I have read multiple times and make me forget everything else. A few years ago, my answer would have definitely have been Harry Potter, without a shadow of a doubt, but times change:

Choice 1: The Historian by Elizabeth Kostova

For those not familiar with this book, it's a retelling of Dracula based on the premise that Dracula survived and continued to create havoc up until the present day. A young woman finds a cache of letters and an ancient book and this sets her on the trial of Dracula throughout history.

This one is pure escapism for me both for the plot and the setting. As a Dracula fan, I like imagining his history through time and as an armchair traveller, I adore the descriptions of the places, cultures and food. I defy anyone to read this and not want to immediately visit Eastern Europe and Istanbul!

Choice 2: In Arabian Nights by Tahir Shah

This choice is a non-fiction book, in which the author has moved to Morocco. In beautiful and poetic language, he describes his experiences in Marrakech, the Sahara desert and interactions with Moroccans. It's all threaded through with his passion for storytelling, and the local stories passed down through the generations.

This book is a real gem that I don't think gets enough recognition. It's the only account of Morocco or the Middle East that portrays how different it is without making it overly exotic and romantic. You can tell that Shah truly loves Morocco, it's people and traditions. Whenever I read it, I'm completely swept up in the sights, sounds and smells of Morocco and it's not a bad place to be. England and real life certainly seem a long way away.

How about you?

I want to hear all about your favourite escapist reads, be they fiction or non-fiction, or whatever genre they come from. If you want to take part, grab the button above and make a post in your blog. Then link your post below, so I can read and comment on all your lovely entries!

Girl In Translation by Jean Kwok

2011-10-03T12:32:00.000-07:00

Kimberly Chang and her mother move to New York from Hong Kong when Kim is only eleven. Kept in debt by an aunt who can't forget the price she paid to get them there, Kim and her Mum live in a roach infested apartment with no windowpanes or heating. Every free moment is taken up with illegal work in a sweatshop. And even school, the one thing Kim has always been good at, offers no comfort as Kim understands little English.

This is definitely not a happy book. Kim and her Mum go through many hardships, especially during the winter months when they must keep their oven on and the door constantly open to stop their floor from freezing over. They have to raid rubbish bins to find fabric to keep them warm. It's a lonely life as even when Kim becomes more fluent in English, she feels cut off from all of those around her. But Kwok manages to keep the book from being a depressing read by inserting moments of humour, mainly through the phoneticised spellings of English words. When she meets her new teacher for the first time, he says "Our new student, eye-pre-zoom." This really takes the reader into Kim's head and provides much needed light heartedness.

The book is also kept from being too melancholy by Kim's ambition and determination. You always feel that she will succeed and are not surprised when she does. The contrast between the life she lives at home and at the factory compared the world of the elite prep school she gains a scholarship to makes for interesting reading. Kim literally lives a double life, and has many secrets out of necessity, secrets that her friends from both parts of her life would never understand. And because of this, she doesn't really fit anywhere.

I felt as though the real talent in Kwok's novel was how she took me right into the head of Kim, and in this way Girl In Translation reminded me of Pigeon English or The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-time. The writing was bare but somehow also descriptive and captured the immigrant experience wonderfully. You end up admiring Kim for her bravery, or at least her sheer determination.

Up until the last chapter and the epilogue, this was hands down one of the best books I've read all year. But unfortunately I felt like the epilogue was unnecessary and some of the plot developments introduced too quickly and without any real reason. I understand that Kwok was trying to make the point that for Kim, happiness would always come with cost, whatever her choices, but I think the novel would have been better left at one of the turning points in her life.

Verdict: Fascinating insight into the mind of a young immigrant in America.
Source: Library
Published: 2010
Score: 4.5 out of 5

From Demons To Dracula by Matthew Beresford

2011-10-02T03:39:00.000-07:00

Anyone who has read this blog for a while will know that I have a weakness for vampires. And not the paranormal romance variety - the proper, old-fashioned, murderous, bloodsucking variety. Two of my favourite books are Dracula and The Historian. So I was excited to find this non-fiction history of the creation of the modern vampire myth at my library.

Happily, I wasn't disappointed with it. From Demons to Dracula is a chronological history of the vampire through time, touching on ancient beliefs, middle age myths, Transylvania and peasant superstition, Vlad Tepes and the vampire in modern media. As with any history like this, some chapters were more interesting than others. I most enjoyed reading about the 'historical' Dracula (Vlad the Impaler) and the Romanian superstitions. It was fascinating to see how the old myths had become twisted over time into the vampire that we all think of now - in Romanian folklore, vampires don't drink blood and they are born, not made. Reading about classic vampire literature made me want to go out and immediately read Carmilla and The Vampyre.

Although the subject matter was excellent, the writing was a bit hit and miss throughout the course of the book. In the beginning few chapters, I felt as though I was reading Beresford's PhD dissertation rather than a published book, but luckily the writing began to feel more natural towards the half way point of the book. I found some of the conclusions Beresford was making a bit far-fetched; the vampire myth being related to suckling being a good example of this, but there is no denying that he had completed a great deal of research and presented lots of interesting information well.

In conclusion, I would recommend this book to anyone interested in vampires, myths or folklore, purely for the information inside of it. There is also an excellent biography included, from which I have added quite a few books to my wishlist.

Verdict: Fascinating history of vampires.
Source: Library
Published: 2008
Score: 4 out of 5

Song Of The Nile by Stephanie Dray

2011-09-28T10:49:00.000-07:00

Song of the Nile is part two in Stephanie Dray's historical fiction series about Selene, Cleopatra's daughter. I read part one, Lily of the Nile, recently (review) and Song of the Nile picks up the story with Selene's marriage to Juba, which leads to her becoming Queen of Mauritania. But her ultimate ambition is still to become Queen of Egypt and Selene must plot harder than ever if she is to have any chance of achieving it.

Having Lily of the Nile fresh in my mind meant that it was easy for me to make comparisons between the two. I felt that both the writing and the characterisations were much stronger in Song of the Nile. Selene goes through some quite unpleasant experiences during the course of this book, and I thought Dray did a good job of capturing the emotions that would arise. The court politics and intrigue were dealt with realistically.

I also very much enjoyed Selene's characterisation. Too often I read historical fiction novels in which the royal characters are depressingly normal and humble. But Selene was a proper Queen; she was haughty, spoilt, ambitious, demanding and not afraid to show it. It was refreshing because that's probably how she was in real life.

Despite the good writing and characterisations, I did have some issues with the story. Dray states in her introduction that this is more a work of fiction than a fictional biography, but I found some of the events unbelievable. And I'm not talking about the supernatural devices, but the remarkable coincidences to bring some of the main characters together at the right time. I just don't believe that Helios would have always been able to find Selene. When I feel that way about a book, it's hard for me to get over it and enjoy the other elements.

So this is a bit of a mixed review. I thought the book started off strong but soon become a bit over the top. I do think Dray is a good writer with a talent for characters, but ultimately this wasn't the book for me.

Score: 2.5 out of 5
Source: From the author, in exchange for an honest review.

Sunday Salon: Eating Fresh Food

2011-09-25T11:32:00.000-07:00

This Sunday Salon is almost completely unrelated to books, being all about eating fresh food. I'm not ashamed to admit that when I left home for good (university doesn't count), at the age of 23, I was a fussy eater and unable to cook anything from scratch. The husband (then boyfriend) and I subsided on pasta sauces out of jars, pre-made chilli sauces and a lot of toast, not having the money to eat out. We didn't eat ready meals, but nothing was freshly cooked from scratch and eating wasn't a great pleasure.

Then my friend Emma lent me her copy of Jamie Oliver's Ministry of Food cookbook, written for complete beginners. I started with the basics: spicy tomato sauce, spaghetti bolognese, chicken fajitas, hearty soups and beef pie. I soon found that not only could I cook if I had a decent recipe, but that my food tasted good, so much better than the processed junk I had been eating before. I learned how satisfying it is when you cook something and someone else visibly enjoys it.

And after that, nothing could stop me really. I moved on to other cook books and different cuisines and was soon eating far more than I had before. I discovered that I really do like fish, as long as it's not of the oily variety. I learned the power of a good salad dressing to transform boring old veg. I started making curries from scratch and experimenting with different cuts of meat - lamb shoulder, pork belly. Thomasina Mier's Mexican Food Made Simple inspired in me a love of proper Mexican food, not just chillies and fajitas. I bought a blender and started replacing my fizzy drinks with fresh smoothies.

The latest step in my fresh food journey has been signing up for an Abel and Cole fruit and veg box. I now get fresh, organic, seasonal fruit and vegetables delivered to me every Wednesday and plan my meals around these. My goal is to not have anything left each week. Thanks to this box, I've tried many things that I hadn't in my previous life as a salad-dodger. I've discovered a new love for chard, asparagus and the more unusual varieties of British grown apples. I've eaten cauliflower cooked about ten ways, and more types of stir fry than I can count.

But the point of it all is that I'm better for it. I have more energy and my taste buds are more alive. I'm not opposed to the odd take-out but if I eat processed food out of a can or jar, it just tastes so bland and sugary to me now. It is more time-consuming than heating up a jar of pasta sauce, but now that I'm used to taking the time and eating properly, it doesn't seem like a hassle anymore.

So I guess you could say that fresh food is one of my soap box issues now. It drives me mad to see people existing on take-out or claiming that they don't have the time or money to cook properly. Lacking the skill I can understand, I was there too, but making a fresh pasta sauce takes minutes and a stir fry not much more. My husband and I both work full time and from home in the evenings too but we make the time for cooking because it's important to us to eat properly and enjoy what we are eating. We still eat junk every now and again and chocolate does feature in our cupboards, but it's all about balance.

What about you? Do you think a lot about the food you eat? And does anyone have any amazing cookbook recommendations?

The Obscure Logic Of The Heart by Priya Basil

2011-09-24T06:13:00.000-07:00

The Obscure Logic of the Heart is about the clash between love and religion, religion and personal desires, personal desires and family obligations. Muslim Lina meets Sikh Anil at university and the pair fall in love. Her world is broadened through knowing him and he arranges work placements that lead to her starting a career as a human rights activist for the UN. But their relationship must always remain a secret, and when Lina's parents discover the truth, she is constantly torn in a conflict with no right answer. Should she choose for herself or her parents? Tied up amongst all of this is the corruption of the Kenyan government and the effects of the illegal arms trade in Sudan.

Basil's book was a great read. I rushed through it as I was so caught up in the story and the characters. What I liked the most about it was that Basil didn't present any simple solutions or any great message of 'love will conquer all'. By allowing us to see the thoughts of all the main characters, we could see that Lina and Anil's relationship was causing pain for all around them. At one point the narrative got to a stage where there was no longer any decision that Lina could make that could fix everything, and that seemed realistic. It was therefore an in-depth look at the issue and I found it affecting. Even though I couldn't understand the attitude of Lina's parents, not being religious myself, I felt for them as their relationship with their daughter deteriorated.

I also enjoyed the selection of letters interspersed with the main story, about a relationship between a Muslim man and white British woman during the 1960s. I was naturally curious as to how Basil would tie them to the main narrative and thought she did so in a touching way that made the actions of certain characters a lot more understandable. The writing in these letters, and in the main story to a lesser extent, was lyrical. Basil wrote the conflicts within Lina's family especially well, and the dialogue between Lina and her father at certain points was very powerful.

The backdrop of Lina's work with the UN in Sudan and the illegal arms trade from Kenya was interesting too. At one point near the end of the story, Lina comes to realise that personal suffering can overwhelm concern for any global issue, and I think that is true. This section of the story also concentrated on the role of our principles in our decisions. If you love someone, can you still be with them if their family is involved in something morally repungnant?

I haven't any major criticisms to make of The Obscure Logic of the Heart. It wasn't a happy book, but it wasn't exactly a sad book either. I found it to be thoughtful and powerful, and a good take on the conflicts that can arise between religion, family and personal choice.

Verdict: A powerful examination on love between people of two different religions.
Source: Transworld Book Group Challenge
Published: 2010
Score: 4 out of 5

Villette by Charlotte Bronte

2011-09-20T12:47:00.000-07:00

Have you ever had one of those days where everything goes wrong? For Lucy Snowe, the narrator of Villette, her entire life is like one of those days. Having lost her family at a young age due to mysterious circumstances never quite revealed, she journeys alone to Villette where she becomes a governess for school-owner Madame Beck. Excelling at her work, she progresses to the station of teacher and has some emotionally fraught entanglements with the people around her.

In many ways, Villette was a difficult book to read. Lucy was a secretive narrator, holding some information back only to reveal it later and giving the reader few clues about her feelings. This meant I had to be paying close attention at all times to really get the best out of the book. But by the time I was half-way through, I was enjoying Lucy's reserve as it made any flashes of real feeling much more profound. I could also relate to this characteristic of hers; her pride and self-protection.

Another difficulty was the odd conversations written in French. I understand this adds authenticity but as someone who has never studied French (my school did German and Spanish), I worried that I missed some things. Bronte did provide just enough English in these sections for me to follow what was going on and it was only occasionally that French was used, but it was tricky for me.

So yes, this was a difficult book and it required much mental exertion but boy, was it worth it. Bronte's characterisation was simply flawless - very subtle but powerful. Somehow, without explicitly telling me much about each character, I felt as though I knew them as well as my friends. From Ginevra, Lucy's self-indulged and lively friend, to Madame Beck, a sneaky puppet-master with her eye at every keyhole, each character was fully formed. My favourite was Monsieur Paul, the literature teacher.

Bronte's wonderful writing meant I was connected to the characters, especially Lucy. So at certain points in the book, I was heartbroken right along with her. And this I think was the true power of the book - Bronte pulls you in and takes you right along with Lucy. All the other stuff faded into the background for me; the theological discussions, the morality and the pedagogy of teaching. That was all interesting too, but I was too busy living the book alongside Lucy.

Verdict: Not an easy read, but Villette repays any effort that you put into it.
Source: Kindle
Score: 4.5 out of 5

Sunday Salon: Back to Work / Villette

2011-09-18T02:40:00.000-07:00

You may have noticed that my posting rate has slowed considerably lately, and the reason for this is that I went back to work two weeks ago. After six long weeks of honeymooning and reading as much as I wanted to, it's been quite an adjustment getting back into the swing of busy every day life.

I've had a good start to this academic year. I have a new class, a new classroom to set up and I'm teaching in a year group that I've never taught in before. All this results in work being more time-demanding than it was last year, when I had a new class but in the same year group in the same classroom. It is nice to have a change and a bit of a challenge but it does encroach on my reading time.

Given that I've been so busy and my thoughts are all tied up with school, I don't really know why I decided that now would be the perfect time to read Charlotte Bronte's Villette. I'm making slow progress with it (my kindle declares I am now 69% done) but very much enjoying it so far. It's very deep and heart-felt, and it makes Jane Austen's books look positively light and fluffy. But after I finish it, I'm definitely up for something a bit easier to read.

Work should be settling down over the next few weeks as I get more used to my new working schedule, so I'm looking forward to reading and posting lots more soon.

The Hundred Foot Journey by Richard C Morais

2011-09-10T04:45:00.000-07:00

This book suffered from my high expectations because as soon as I got it out of the library, I couldn't wait to read it. Telling the fictional story of an Indian immigrant to first England, then France, who rises from kitchen apprentice to celebrated three-star Michelin chef, it ticked all of my reading boxes. Food - tick, other cultures - tick, immigrant experience - tick, faux-memoir -tick.

But unfortunately it was a mediocre book in many regards. I did like the central storyline but the book couldn't seem to decide whether it wanted to be a realistic 'autobiography' or a fairytale. As a result some of the situations felt very contrived and the main character, Hassan, had far too much luck to make the story credible.

Everything was much too happy too. There are some minor instances of prejudice but for the most part Hassan and his family fit in with rural France incredibly quickly and never miss home. Hassan gives up his native Indian cuisine in order to be a French chef without a second thought as he accepts immediately that French cooking is 'better'.

The characters were caricatures too. We had the old-fashioned grumpy French chef who didn't want to accept that an Indian person can cook better than she can. We had the nasty Michelin inspectors. We had angry chefs. We had a stereotypically large and boisterous Indian family. Which is why I think this novel would have worked much better with a touch of the fantastical, a touch of fairytale. It could have been a magical book that way.

Despite all of my criticisms, I never wanted to stop reading this book and it did pass the time enjoyably. The setting of rural France in the first half of the book was described absolutely beautifully and as someone who loves her food, I loved all of the cooking and restaurant sections. It's clear that Morais loves his food too and did a good amount of research into both French and Indian cuisine. But overall it just lacked that specialness.

Verdict: Interesting plotline but situations are too contrived and characters too stereotypical.
Source: Library
Published: 2011
Score: 2.5 out of 5

Back To The Books Giveaway Hop WINNER

2011-09-08T09:27:00.000-07:00

Using random.org, my winner is:

Linda Kish

who chose to receive Notes On A Scandal. I've contacted her by email, she has 48 hours to respond.

Wherever You Go by Joan Leegant

2011-09-06T12:20:00.000-07:00

Wherever You Go is a beautifully complex novel about three Americans in Israel. Yona wants to reconnect with her sister, a settler involved in extremist politics. Greenglass is an orthodox teacher but having problems with his faith. Aaron is a college drop-out with family problems who is looking for a way to prove himself or something he can belong to.

Leegant weaves these three very separate lives together throughout the course of the novel and builds up to a dramatic finale. I found the most interesting character to be Dena, Yona's sister, who had completely devoted her life to one interpretation of her faith and for most of the book was unable to see anything else, including the person she had once been. I am non-religious so it was fascinating to be given a glimpse of life so led by religion and the different reasons people turn to religion.

For me, the best thing about this novel was how Leegant managed to portray such a broad spectrum of opinion about religion and politics in Israel, and by doing so demonstrated how complex the country is. I'm not Jewish or Israeli or even American and perhaps have been guilty of oversimplifying Israel and the Middle East in general, thinking things such as "Israelis think that...." or "Israelis are..." and Leegant's book reminded how just how complicated the situation is.

Leegant's book would be a great pick for a book group because it gave me so much to think about and so many questions to ask myself - At what point does religion become fundamentalist? Why do people turn to religion in bad times rather than good? Can people with opposing ideologies ever live together in peace? Can you ever redeem yourself from certain acts? What issues or causes would you devote your life to?

But I don't want you all to think this was just a stuffy, 'issues' book as it was also a story that was enjoyable to read with characters I came to care about. I would recommend it.

Source: From the author, in exchange for an honest review. Wherever You Go is already available in America and is released in the UK on September 17th.
Score: 4.5 out of 5

Don't forget to enter my Back To The Books Giveaway HERE!
Tomorrow is your last chance to enter.

The Sandalwood Tree by Elle Newmark

2011-09-04T03:30:00.000-07:00

The Sandalwood Tree tells two entwining stories of Western women in India at different times. The main story is that of American woman Evie, living in India in 1947 with her Fulbright scholar husband Martin and son Billy. A veteran of liberating the concentration camps in WW2, Martin is suffering from shell shock and their marriage is under strain. As India edges towards partition and the withdrawal of the British, the situation becomes increasingly volatile.

The other story, told around the main one, is a gem of a story about two unconventional Victorian women who grew up reading biographies of intrepid female explorers. Born in India, Felicity Chadwick takes the unusual step of living on her own, speaking Hindi and becoming involved in charity work. Seeking escape from the prospect of marriage, her friend Adela soon joins her and the two women become estranged from their fellow British settlers.

This was a book to read slowly and treasure. Both stories were fascinating, although I have to admit I preferred the Victorian story and would have liked to see a few more chapters about Felicity and Adela. Even though this was a historical fiction novel set in a different time and place, Newmark retained a strong focus on character and plot first. The book was really about love in all it's different forms, and the story of Martin and Evie trying to overcome his war experiences was touching.

There was also a vivid sense of place. Newmark visited India twice whilst writing this book and her writing is full of the sights and smells of the different locations. I enjoyed being transported away whilst reading and the descriptions of all of the different foods made me crave a curry! In fact, there was nothing I didn't enjoy about this book and it's one of my top reads of the year so far.

Verdict: A joy to read, highly recommended.
Source: Transworld Book Group Reading Challenge
Published: 2011
Score: 5 out of 5

Don't forget to enter my Back To The Books Giveaway HERE. It closes September 7th.

Lily Of The Nile by Stephanie Dray

2011-09-02T02:28:00.000-07:00

Lily Of The Nile is part one in a series of books about the life of Cleopatra's daughter Selene. Born and raised in Alexandria as the daughter of Cleopatra and Mark Anthony, she lives a privileged life in a place where women are free to be as intelligent as men. After Cleopatra is defeated by Octavian, Selene is sent to Rome with her brothers and must learn to comply with the strict rules of Roman life, whilst coming to term with the loss of her parents, her throne and her country.

I love historical fiction but was slightly apprehensive about reading this book as I have read Michelle Moran's Cleopatra's Daughter, and liked her portrayal of Selene. But I shouldn't have worried - Dray's Selene is a strong character, heartsick over what has happened to her but determined to do all she can to make the best of her new situation. I liked all of the politics in this book and how Selene was able to use her intellect to manoeuvre something beneficial to her out of the emperor.

I also enjoyed the character of Selene's twin brother Helios, and liked how Dray used the two of them to show the reader two contrasting reactions to being defeated by the emperor - Selene chooses compliance in the hope of getting what she wants later on, but Helios chooses to fight. I would say that characterisation for me was the strength of this novel; Dray bought the historical figures to life and made each distinct. I particularly enjoyed Julia, the headstrong daughter of the emperor, and Octavia, the former wife of Mark Anthony who becomes devoted to helping his children.

The one thing that stopped me from really loving this book was the fantasy element of it. I enjoyed reading about the cult of Isis, especially the worship Selene witnesses in the temple, but I wasn't sold on the whole magic thing. I can believe that Selene believed that Isis could carve hieroglyphics on her arms, but not that it could actually happen.

Verdict: An enjoyable read more on the fiction side of historical fiction with a strong leading character.
Source: From the author in exchange for an honest review.
Score: 3.5 out of 5

And don't forget to enter my Back to the Books giveaway HERE.

Back To The Books Blog Hop

2011-08-31T08:28:00.000-07:00

I Am A Reader Not a Writer and Buried In Books are hosting a giveaway hop from September 1st through September 7th. I've decided to giveaway a copy of a book that I read and loved before starting book blogging. The choices are:

Jonathan Strange & Mr Norrell by Susanna Clarke.

About rival wizards in historical England, this one is a cosy gothic-style read.

The Lacuna by Barbara Kingsolver.

Boy raised in Mexico meets Trotsky and Frida Kahlo, before coming under suspicion in McCarthy era America.

Inkheart by Cornelia Funke.

Who hasn't wanted to go into the pages of their favourite book?

Notes On A Scandal by Zoe Heller.

A female teacher having an affair with one of her pupils is in the power of a creepy 'friend'.

The rules are simple:

* This is an international giveaway. As long as the Book Depository can ship to you, you can enter.

* I like new followers :)

* One entry for everyone.

* Winner will be selected using random.org and the winner will be announced on September 8th.

Fill out the form to enter:

&lt;p&gt;&amp;amp;amp;amp;lt;p&amp;amp;amp;amp;gt;Loading...&amp;amp;amp;amp;lt;/p&amp;amp;amp;amp;gt;&lt;/p&gt;

List of Participating Blogs:

Rereading Gone With The Wind by Margaret Mitchell

2011-08-31T07:59:00.000-07:00

I first read Gone With The Wind when I was sixteen and I knew next to nothing about the Civil War or Reconstruction (I’m not American, but that’s not an excuse). When I read it, I was all about the romance and whether Scarlett would wake up and realise that she should be with Rhett and not Ashley. Since then I have seen and enjoyed the film a few times but not revisited the book.

Visiting the Margaret Mitchell house in Atlanta inspired me to reread, and I’m so glad I did because I got a completely different and much deeper reading experience the second time round. I feel like I only skimmed the surface of the book the first time and missed out on so much of what is wonderful about it. So rather than providing a synopsis or a typical review, I wanted to write about what extra I got out of it on the reread.

I found that it was almost impossible to pin down what Margaret Mitchell actually thought about a range of issues. Like Rhett, she both mocks and romanticises the old Southern society, making her true feelings hard to work out. This is also true of the main character Scarlett; Mitchell both builds her up and tears her down, at some points applauding her for breaking out of the prim world of women and at others mocking her for her greed and lack of morals.

One question I thought about was – can a book be racist if it is only portraying the ideas of people living at the time? The patronising way Scarlett and other Southern characters talked about their slaves did grate on me after a while, but maybe that was the point? Although I do have to admit the way Mitchell wrote about the Ku Klux Klan as merely disgruntled Southern gentlemen making a point against oppressive Northern rule, almost as if it has nothing to do with race, was hard to swallow.

Another question– can a woman like Scarlett be called a strong women if she sometimes gets her way by fluttering her eyelashes and relying on the men?

I enjoyed how there are no simple answers to any of these questions in the book, just as in real life it’s not easy to point out right vs. wrong. Mitchell did a good job of showing how complex the Civil War and reconstruction was, and how difficult life was at that time for everyone caught up in it. If you haven’t read it yet, I would highly recommend it.

Score: 5 out of 5

Source: Bookshelf

Sunday Salon: Blogging Balance

2011-08-28T08:17:00.000-07:00

I think something we all struggle with on our blogs is balance; whether that's balance between reviews and memes/features or balance between bookish things and other things. Personally, I tend to post mainly reviews, as that's the reason why I started this blog and the content that I like to read on other people's blogs. I love nothing more than reading a good review about either a book I have read myself, or one that I really want to get my hands on.

But lately I've been thinking about the kinds of blogs I like to read, and I've found that the ones I really enjoy and always visit have a bit more personality. There might be some personal photos, or posts that are not just reviews or the same old memes that I see everywhere else. And for that reason, I've decided to spice up my own blog a bit.

It is a bit trickier for me as I work as a teacher and am not allowed to post anything to identify my school or reveal anything about my job or opinions about it. I also don't want to post anything publicly that I wouldn't want anyone to be able to know about me or that would be awkward if a parent was to find my blog.

So what I've decided to do is try to take one photo each day that I would be able to share with anyone, a photo that sums up how things are going for me at the moment. It might be vegetables freshly picked from my garden, a photo of my cat curled up asleep on a lazy Sunday, or of the clock when I'm working late and under pressure. Each Sunday, I will post the selection of photos from the week before. Hopefully this way I can share a bit more about me but not get myself in trouble!

What about you? How do you try to provide balance on your blog between reviews and everything else, and do you think you succeed? Does your personality come through on your blog?

Mary and Elizabeth by Emily Purdy

2011-08-27T05:45:00.000-07:00

Also published as The Tudor Throne by Brandy Purdy.

This book was an impulse buy. I was in the supermarket and there was a 2 for £7 offer going on. As I am a fan of historical fiction, I got it. From the cover and the synopsis on the back cover it promised to be about the sisterly relationship between Mary and Elizabeth Tudor as they grow up and England changes. I hadn't heard of the author and had read none of her work before.

I saved this book for the plane ride on the way home, thinking it would be a nice light read to pass the time. And it was, but it was also a lesson against impulse purchases. Starting with the death of Henry VIII, it follows Mary and Elizabeth through the reign of their brother Edward, through Mary's reign and ends as Elizabeth becomes Queen. Written in the first person, each chapter tells the point of view of an alternate sister, meaning that we get to read both sides of the story.

This novel was not for me. I like my historical fiction to stay relatively close to fact, although I can understand a little artistic license. But this book was the most sensational piece of historical fiction I have ever read. Every rumour about the Tudor period was treated as fact and the pages were filled with scandal after scandal. And because of this, I really didn't like the way Purdy wrote the two central characters. Elizabeth was man-hungry and slept with practically everyone; Mary was a silly immature girl who was happy to betray her country in order to sleep with her new husband. Now, I'm no prude and I know history only tells us the boring bits, but Purdy took it way too far.

The only good thing I could get out of all of the sensationalism was by telling myself that maybe Purdy was making a point about the power play between men and women and how women had to resort to their sexuality to gain power. And how men held all the power in intimate relationships as well as in society.

I didn't think the writing was bad, and I liked how we got to see the viewpoints of both the women, I just think this book could have been a lot more than it was. Plenty of interesting topics were just glossed over - their differences in religion, Mary's experiences growing up cut out of the succession and forced to be Elizabeth's maid, Elizabeth's role in the plots against Mary, Mary's treatment of Protestants during her reign. I would have liked to read more about these, and about the relationship between the two sisters, and less about sex and scandal.

Verdict: A sensational story that strays too far from fact.
Score: 2 out of 5
Source: Bookshelf