Mexicola

Little Women, Louisa May Alcott Started: 11.03.2011 Finished: 03.04.2011 Rating: 4/5 Synopsis (Amazon): Meg, Jo, Amy and Beth - four "little women" enduring hardships and enjoying adventures in Civil War New England The charming story of the March sisters, Little Women has been adored by generations. Readers have rooted for Laurie in his pursuit of Jo's hand, cried over little Beth's death, and dreamed of traveling through Europe with old Aunt March and Amy. Future writers have found inspiration in Jo's devotion to her writing. In this simple, enthralling tale, both parts of which are included here, Louisa May Alcott has created four of American literature's most beloved women. My thoughts: An endearing tale about four sweet sisters or 'little women', all with their own personalities and foibles. I love the prim and proper turn of phrases the sisters use and just how sweet natured they all are (even when in something of a strop!), thanks to the mother's careful and devoted guidance. Recommended read

I'm just about to get lost in Water for Elephants.

Hi bobblybear. Opinion does seem to be divided when it comes to The Long Song. I too loved Small Island, I think that if you go in expecting something in a similar vein to that you might be a little disappointed but if you read it and take it as it is it's a great read Definitely worth a go anyway!

The Rebdreast, Jo Nesbo Started: 04.03.2011 Finished: 11.03.2011 Rating: 4.5/5 Synopsis (Amazon): Harry Hole, drunkard, loner and brilliant detective is reassigned to surveillance after a high profile mistake. He’s bored by his new job until a report of a rare and unusual gun being fired sparks his interest because of its possible links to Neo Nazi activity. Then a former soldier is found with his throat cut. Next Harry’s former partner is murdered. Why had she been trying to reach Harry on the night her head was smashed in? The investigation leads Harry to suspect that the crimes have their roots in the battlefields of Eastern Front during WWII. In a quest that takes him to South Africa and Vienna, Harry finds himself perpetually one step behind the killer. He will be both winner and loser by the novel's nail-biting conclusion. The Redbreast. He’s your judge, jury and executioner… And he must be stopped My thoughts: I've been reading the Harry Hole series all out of order, just cause I'm clever like that This is my second Nesbo read after The Snowman and my favourite so far. I loved the historical delve into World War II action. Also to be enjoyed are the little quirks of Nesbo's novels, such as short transcripts of voicemails left by Harry to another character, comprising whole chapters of the book. Hole is your stereotypical detective - alcoholic, a bit of a rogue, always on the brink of being fired but when a story is so absorbing and a character so well written it's difficult to care!

The Long Song, Andrea Levy Started: 27.02.2011 Finished: 03.03.2011 Rating: 4/5 Synopsis (Amazon): Shortlisted for the Man Booker Prize and longlisted for the Orange Prize, THE LONG SONG is breathtaking, hauntingly beautiful, heartbreaking and unputdownable. You do not know me yet. My son Thomas, who is publishing this book, tells me, it is customary at this place in a novel to give the reader a little taste of the story that is held within these pages. As your storyteller, I am to convey that this tale is set in Jamaica during the last turbulent years of slavery and the early years of freedom that followed. My thoughts: There is great character and narration to be found in Miss July, the protagonist whose life The Long Song describes. Slavery, though a topic of which we're all very aware is brought again to life by Levy and remains as shocking and harrowing as the first time we learnt about it in school. Ultimately the story is an uplifting one and not to be forgotten.

The Fry Chronicles, Stephen Fry Started: 05.02.2011 Finished: 19.02.2011 Rating: 5/5 Synopsis (Amazon): Thirteen years ago, Moab is my Washpot, Stephen Fry’s autobiography of his early years, was published to rave reviews and was a huge bestseller. In those thirteen years since, Stephen Fry has moved into a completely new stratosphere, both as a public figure, and a private man. Now he is not just a multi-award-winning comedian and actor, but also an author, director and presenter. In January 2010, he was awarded the Special Recognition Award at the National Television Awards. Much loved by the public and his peers, Stephen Fry is one of the most influential cultural forces in the country. This dazzling memoir promises to be a courageously frank, honest and poignant read. It will detail some of the most turbulent and least well known years of his life with writing that will excite you, make you laugh uproariously, move you, inform you and, above all, surprise you. My thoughts: Entertaining throughout, sincere and touching. Just when I thought it impossible to have any more admiration and warmth for this man, his very human, unassuming and honest narrative made the impossible possible! I loved reading about Stephen and Hugh Laurie's antics and was quite genuinely moved by Stephen's description of their deep and momentous affection for one another. Bring on book no. 3!

The Well of Lost Plots, Jasper Fforde Started: 29.01.2011 Finished: 05.02..2011 Rating: 3.5/5 Synopsis (Amazon): Leaving Swindon behind her to hide out in the Well of Lost Plots (the place where all fiction is created), Thursday Next, Literary Detective and soon-to-be one parent family, ponders her next move from within an unpublished book of dubious merit entitled 'Caversham Heights'. Landen, her husband, is still eradicated, Aornis Hades is meddling with Thursday's memory, and Miss Havisham - when not sewing up plot-holes in 'Mill on the Floss' - is trying to break the land-speed record on the A409. But something is rotten in the state of Jurisfiction. Perkins is 'accidentally' eaten by the minotaur, and Snell succumbs to the Mispeling Vyrus. As a shadow looms over popular fiction, Thursday must keep her wits about her and discover not only what is going on, but also who she can trust to tell about it ... My thoughts: I was expecting a fun read and The Well of Lost Plots didn't disappoint. It's clever, surreal and I can't get enough of Fforde's many literary references and crazy notions. I'm eager to read the others in the series to see what awaits Thursday next!

Ooh, a saga it is! It's great to have enjoyed something, knowing that there's much more of it just waiting to be devoured isn't it? First volume - ordered My first book purchase of the year! I think it's a slippery slope from here

Hey Kidsmum. I've just added the Forsyte Saga to my wishlist Am I right in thinking it's quite a long book?

This sounds excellent. Thanks for the heads up

Thanks Kylie and poppyshake. I'll give Middlesex another read one day, picking it up with a more relaxed attitude.. I think in the beginning there were a lot of references that I didn't immediately understand and it threw me It also affected the way I read the rest of the first part. Sorry, that probably doesn't make sense outside of my head! poppyshake, the cover for The Winter Ghosts is so nice! I kept shimmering it about under the light I'll look forward to hearing what you think of The Night Watch. I'm enjoying The Well of Lost Plots. Fforde never fails to amuse and impress me with his crazy yet clever ideas. It possibly all gets a little too surreal for me at times though Have you read the series?

The Winter Ghosts, Kate Mosse Started: 28.01.2011 Finished: 29.01.2011 Rating: 2.5/5 Synopsis (Amazon): The Great War took much more than lives. It robbed a generation of friends, lovers and futures. In Freddie Watson's case, it took his beloved brother and, at times, his peace of mind. Unable to cope with his grief, Freddie has spent much of the time since in a sanatorium. In the winter of 1928, still seeking resolution, Freddie is travelling through the French Pyrenees - another region that has seen too much bloodshed over the years. During a snowstorm, his car spins off the mountain road. Shaken, he stumbles into the woods, emerging by a tiny village. There he meets Fabrissa, a beautiful local woman, also mourning a lost generation. Over the course of one night, Fabrissa and Freddie share their stories of remembrance and loss. By the time dawn breaks, he will have stumbled across a tragic mystery that goes back through the centuries. By turns thrilling, poignant and haunting, this is a story of two lives touched by war and transformed by courage. My thoughts: I feel as though I've been a bit harsh giving this book a rating of only 2.5 out of 5. I liked it, but then there's not a whole lot else I can find to say. The story is set in the French countryside and I enjoyed it's descriptions and the atmosphere it evoked. I thought the actual story very basic and lacking; it didn't stir up any big emotions or reactions in me. I'd not previously read any other novels by Kate Mosse and maybe simplicity is her charm, but I'm afraid I don't feel overly compelled to find out.

Middlesex, Jeffrey Eugenides Started: 15.01.2011 Finished: 27.01.2011 Rating: 4/5 Synopsis (Amazon): 'I was born twice: first, as a baby girl, on a remarkably smogless Detroit day of January 1960; and then again, as a teenage boy, in an emergency room near Petoskey, Michigan, in August of l974. My birth certificate lists my name as Calliope Helen Stephanides. My most recent driver's license records my first name simply as Cal.' So begins the breathtaking story of Calliope Stephanides, and three generations of the Greek-American Stephanides family who travel from a tiny village overlooking Mount Olympus in Asia Minor to Prohibition era Detroit, witnessing its glory days as the Motor City, and the race riots of l967, before they move out to the tree-lined streets of suburban Grosse Point, Michigan. To understand why Calliope is not like other girls, she has to uncover a guilty family secret, and the astonishing genetic history that turns Callie into Cal, one of the most audacious and wondrous narrators in contemporary fiction. Lyrical and thrilling, "Middlesex" is an exhilarating reinvention of the American epic. My thoughts: This was a book of two halves for me. The first half I found quite a slog; there were moments when I considered putting Middlesex down for good. However, having heard such rave reviews of the book from many lovely BCF folk, I persevered. Besides, the story had me enticed, I just found the means of telling it rather arduous and long-winded. The second half made me understand why so many people did recommend Middlesex and I couldn't get enough of Cal's incredibly emotive story. I felt sympathy, empathy even for the character and my only regret is that the last part of the story is not as lengthy as the first!