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Claire's book list 2013


chesilbeach

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^ I've got that one on my wishlist and your review has made me want to read it more. :smile: The main part that got my attention is the mystery of the store, but it's not encouraging that it ends like a 'damp squib'. :giggle2: It still sounds like it would be my kind of book.

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^ I've got that one on my wishlist and your review has made me want to read it more. :smile: The main part that got my attention is the mystery of the store, but it's not encouraging that it ends like a 'damp squib'. :giggle2: It still sounds like it would be my kind of book.

I've been thinking about it again today, and I think maybe that was a bit harsh, it's just that the end seems like a bit of an anti-climax, but on the positive side, it doesn't go off into flights of fancy. I would love you to read it bobblybear, as I'd love to see someone else's thought on it :D

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Yes, petering out is sometimes good and preferable, as you say, to an over the top ending (anything which can visually be represented by ticker tape and/or crowds cheering and whooping for example ;)) I think I will definitely give it a go at some point. Thanks Claire, great review :)

 

Happy Reading in 2013 Claire :) I will be visiting lots and hopefully we can get together frequently in 2013 too .. for books chats and coffee (and possibly cake ;))

Edited by poppyshake
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Tomorrow, When The War Began by John Marsden

 

Synopsis (from amazon.co.uk):

When their country is invaded and their families are taken, eight high school teenagers band together to fight. Seventeen-year-old Ellie Linton wants one final adventure with her friends before the school holidays are over. Packed in Ellie's parents' land rover they drive to the famously isolated rock pool Eden dubbed 'Hell' by the locals. Returning to their home town of Wirrawee, the seven teenagers realize that something is seriously wrong. Power to the houses has been cut, pets and livestock have been left dead or dying, and most alarmingly of all, everyone's family has vanished. When the hostile armed forces discover that the teenagers are lying low in the vicinity, Ellie and her friends must band together to escape, outwit and strike back against the mysterious enemy that has seized control of their town and imprisoned their friends and loved ones...

 

Review:

Unusually for me, I actually saw the film before I read this book, but Kylie reminded me it was book first, so I had to read it, especially when I found out it the was the start of a series, as I wanted to know what happened next as soon as I'd finished watching the film.

 

Anyway, as far as the book was concerned, I wasn't disappointed. It's a very interesting premise - while the teenagers have been away for a few days in the mountains, Australia has been invaded and their town is close to one of the main ports the occupying forces have used for entry into the country. Told in the form of a reported story by Ellie, recalling the events that have led them to their living as resistance fighters.

 

The characters really grab you, and you can identify with their emotions and actions throughout the story, from their initial carefree life as ordinary teenagers, through finding the families missing, then the realisation that the country is at war. I think the author writes the teenagers very well, they feel authentic enough to be realistic, but talk in a way that isn't alienating to older readers, or would feel dated quickly. There are some upsetting scenes, particularly when they initially return home after their trip, but it's never too graphically horrific, but the theme itself would mean it's for mid-teens onwards.

 

I already have the second book in the series downloaded, and I think I'm going to enjoy carry on the story to see what happens next.

 

Just a final word about the adaptation to the screen. The screenplay has made a few changes to the story, but they were pretty minor and make sense in terms of working better on screen, and also from the fact that technology has moved on since the book was originally written (even though it's not that old!).

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Qissat: Short Stories by Palestinian Women

 

Synopsis (from amazon.co.uk):

These fascinating and diverse stories reflect the everyday concerns of Palestinians living under occupation. Writers who were children during the first intifada appear alongside those who remember the outbreak of the Lebanese civil war. In this volume, Palestinian women offer compassionate, often critical, insight into their society in times of hardship and turmoil, yet look beyond to the warmth of human relations and the hope that better times will come. The contributors include authors from the occupied territories, Palestinians with Israeli citizenship, and writers from the Palestinian Diaspora.

 

Review:

I haven't read any short stories in the longest time, and this was one of my discoveries on my last visit to my favourite indie bookshop. It was good to get back to some short fiction, especially from authors I've never come across before, and giving a varied and fascinating collection of tales set in a land I know very little about. You get to find out about the lives of women in a country with strict religious rules, their experiences of war, and the similarities to the lives of women everywhere.

 

I don't often read anthologies of short stories, as I prefer to read a collection by a single author, but in this case, I think I preferred that they were all different, and had the chance to hear so many voices. Some were more successful than others, but on the whole, I enjoyed the collection.

 

In the front of the book, there is a list of short story collections that the publishers have produced, all based on writing from women in a particular country, so I will be looking up more of these in the future.

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Sightlines by Kathleen Jamie

 

Synopsis (from amazon.co.uk):

The outer world flew open like a door, and I wondered - what is it that we're just not seeing? In this greatly anticipated sequel to Findings, prize-winning poet and renowned nature writer Kathleen Jamie takes a fresh look at her native Scottish landscapes, before sailing north into iceberg-strewn seas. Her gaze swoops vertiginously too; from a countryside of cells beneath a hospital microscope, to killer whales rounding a headland, to the constellations of satellites that belie our sense of the remote. Written with her hallmark precision and delicacy, and marked by moments in her own life, Sightlines offers a rare invitation to pause and to pay heed to our surroundings.

 

Review:

It's difficult to try and pigeon hole this book. Is it travel? Is it natural history? Is it memoir? Yes, yes and yes! It's a combination of all three, but told in a poetic yet down to earth style, with some fascinating accounts of the authors various journeys both within her own country and abroad to northern lands, as well as encounters with nature from her own home.

 

Jamie's previous book Findings was one of my favourite reads of last year, so I'd decided to make this follow up my first read of this year. It was soon clear, however, that this was one to savour, so I rationed myself to one chapter per day.

 

The writing is so wonderful, her powers of descriptions bring the landscape and her experiences to life. In one chapter, she tells of her first experience of an archaeological dig, a summer away from home after her exams. I'm not usually that interested in archaeology as a subject, but this will give you an example of how immersive her style is, with a tactile quality to it, talking about her trowel:

 

"In the right hands it was a sensitive tool - you learned to feel, or hear, the grind of an earth-hidden stone or pottery shard before you saw it. Sometimes a little pebble tumbled away as the trowel edge passed over it, but a larger stone, as yet hidden, just beginning to emerge, sent a tiny seismic thrill along your arm."

 

In another favourite chapter about watching a lunar eclipse, there is a beautiful, contemplative passage about the passing of time, and you can't help stop and consider time, and our tiny experience of it in the lifespan of the universe.

 

An absolutely wonderful book, and I'll be very surprised if this isn't among my top five by the end of the year.

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  • 2 weeks later...

Ciao Bella: In Search of New Relatives and Dante in Italy by Helena Frith Powell

 

Synopsis (from amazon.co.uk):

Helena Frith Powell grew up in Newbury as a shy girl, oblivious of her extrovert Italian family. But, at the age of 14, she was suddenly rudely awakened to the truth, when her real father wrote to her and invited her to come to Italy. Her Italian-style adolescence is guided by her Lothario father, her lying aunt and her doting grandmother. While writing this memoir fourteen years later, she reestablishes contact with her father, who ran out of her wedding, and finally finds their common ground. In this funny, moving and entertaining journey to the places she visited with her father, Helena combines descriptions of Italy, its food, fashion, culture and people to get to grips with a foreign culture that is genetically her own.

 

Review:

A mixture of travel and memoir, this was a fabulous read. Florence is one of my favourite cities in the world, and the book starts there, and it was a journey of discovery and rediscovery for both the author and myself, as she remembers the city of her adolescence and how it has changed today. Lots of places and observations struck a chord with me, and made me want to go back again! I wish we'd travelled to Italy more, and I'd love to go back again in the future, and as she travels around some of the cities, my interest was rekindled more than ever. (I even took evening classes in Italian for a couple of years after our trip to Florence, although I've forgotten most of it now. :( This book made me wonder if I ought to try again!)

 

What makes this so much more than just a travel book, is the story of the Helena's family life. There are certainly some characters in her Italian family, but I felt she told the story of her relationships with them with affection and honesty, so I sorry to see in the afterword that it has caused discord between her and her aunt.

 

A thoroughly enjoyable book. :smile2:

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The Sweet Life in Paris by David Lebovitz

 

Synopsis (from amazon.co.uk):

Like so many others, David Lebovitz dreamed about living in Paris ever since he first visited the city in the 1980s. Finally, after a nearly two-decade career as a pastry chef and cookbook author, he moved to Paris to start a new life. Having crammed all his worldly belongings into three suitcases, he arrived, hopes high, at his new apartment in the lively Bastille neighborhood.

 

But he soon discovered it's a different world en France.

 

From learning the ironclad rules of social conduct to the mysteries of men's footwear, from shopkeepers who work so hard not to sell you anything to the etiquette of working the right way around the cheese plate, here is David's story of how he came to fall in love with—and even understand—this glorious, yet sometimes maddening, city.

 

When did he realize he had morphed into un vrai parisien? It might have been when he found himself considering a purchase of men's dress socks with cartoon characters on them. Or perhaps the time he went to a bank with 135 euros in hand to make a 134-euro payment, was told the bank had no change that day, and thought it was completely normal. Or when he found himself dressing up to take out the garbage because he had come to accept that in Paris appearances and image mean everything.

 

The more than fifty original recipes, for dishes both savory and sweet, such as Pork Loin with Brown Sugar–Bourbon Glaze, Braised Turkey in Beaujolais Nouveau with Prunes, Bacon and Bleu Cheese Cake, Chocolate-Coconut Marshmallows, Chocolate Spice Bread, Lemon-Glazed Madeleines, and Mocha–Crème Fraîche Cake, will have readers running to the kitchen once they stop laughing.

 

The Sweet Life in Paris is a deliciously funny, offbeat, and irreverent look at the city of lights, cheese, chocolate, and other confections.

 

Review:

This was a Christmas present, and I've been looking forward to reading it, and needing a paperback instead of my Kindle (I didn't want to slip on the ice and break my Kindle ;)), I picked it up last Saturday.

 

A mixture of travel and food, and most of that cakes, ice cream and chocolate :smile2: this was an absolute joy to read. Funny and true observations of Parisians, fish out of water tales of an American in France, and delicious descriptions of food shopping in the patisserie capital of the world, this made me laugh and made me salivate in equal measures!

 

And then at the end of every chapter, there are mouthwatering recipes, although a slight problem in that they're in American measures, and I'm not sure that all the ingredients are readily available to me, but still, I've got a few I definitely want to try and have found more on the authors website, another valuable resource to add to my baking journey.

 

If, like me, you enjoy reading stories of people moving abroad to start a new life, or you love reading about food, then I would highly recommend this book!

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Glad you enjoyed it Claire :) You might also like Lunch in Paris which is also by an American ex-pat (and with recipes, one for a chocolate mousse which I made a note of and must make .. when my zips do up again :D). I would loan it to you but I read a library copy. So sorry to hear that you're not enjoying The 100 Year Old Man Who Climbed Out the Window and Disappeared (I'm not enjoying typing it out each time I can tell you ;)) I feel bad now for recommending it :( I hope it was cheap :D

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It wasn't only you that recommended it, so don't worry on that count, and fortunately, I bought it when Michelle spotted the Kindle edition was just 20p, and as you can't even buy a Kit-Kat for that money, it really doesn't matter! I do often wonder if there's something wrong with me though - there are quite a few books which were widely loved by everyone on the forum that I didn't enjoy, or at least not as much as everyone else! :hide:

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I've added Ciao Bella and The Sweet Life in Paris to my wish list!

Edited by Devi
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Claire

I don't think there's anything wrong with you if you don't enjoy a book that everyone else loves. We each have our own taste in books, so it doesn't make you a bad judge of a book if your opinion doesn't match other's .

 

I tend to be influenced by books that win some type of award ,or they have a great review from an author I like. sometimes I wonder how it got all the great praises,but we are all searching for different things as we read .. :)

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I've added Ciao Bella and The Sweet Life in Paris to my wish list!

 

:smile2: I hope you enjoy them Devi!

 

 

Claire

I don't think there's anything wrong with you if you don't enjoy a book that everyone else loves. We each have our own taste in books, so it doesn't make you a bad judge of a book if your opinion doesn't match other's .

 

I tend to be influenced by books that win some type of award ,or they have a great review from an author I like. sometimes I wonder how it got all the great praises,but we are all searching for different things as we read .. :)

 

To be honest, Julie, I was being a bit tongue in cheek, but it does amuse me sometimes! :D There's one particular book that is universally loved on the forum, and I still see people talking about how much they loved it, and although I thought it was ok, it wasn't a stand out book for me. Every time I see someone recommend it, I want to say "No! It's not *that* great", but I keep quiet, and leave everyone in peace :lol:

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A universally loved book on the forum :confused: Is it ... The Book Thief? ... :o you're going to have to tell us because we'll just guess until you do :D It doesn't matter and you should never feel like you can't say, varied opinions are what's needed on a forum. Go on .. tell us .. we promise not to march on your town with torches and pitchforks :giggle2: I didn't like Frankenstein and there was no point in saying different, it would've shown on my face :lol:

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Ok, you've dragged it out of me. Yes, it was The Book Thief It's not that *hated* it, but I definitely didn't love it. :hide:

 

This was my review from a few years ago ...

I was actually slightly underwhelmed by it. It was a good plot, an interesting take on the subject, and I thought the idea of Death as the narrator was unusual. However, I did feel it was too long, and there were sections I personally, would have edited down. I also wasn't convinced by the development of some of the relationships, and I don't think all the characters were well developed. I don't want to sound too negative, as it was readable and I did want to finish it to see how the author finished the story, but I'm not sure I would recommend it to anyone else.

 

There, are you all satisfied now? I will now be the forum pariah :drama:

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:boogie: Yes, I win, I win :boogie::cows: .. what's my prize? :D

 

Now, just be sure to jump in next time someone (and I fear it might be me Claire :D) is going on about how brilliant it is .. because there might be others feeling the same but not wanting to say. It wasn't what chesilbeach likes best .. nothing wrong with that and I'm sure we can have civilised discussions about it :hissyfit::Tantrum::D

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  • 2 weeks later...

The Dead of the Night by John Marsden

 

ETA: I've taken out the synopsis as it does reveal plot spoilers about the first book.

 

Review:

The second book picks up where we left the story at the end of the first instalment. I loved that there was quite a slow start to the book after the big emotional end to the first book. There are ups and downs, both in terms of action and emotions, but what I love is how through the different characters, the author explores the moral side of war, and how the teenagers feel about the acts of violence they have committed. There is no black or white, or condemnation of what they have had to do, and there is a brutal honesty in both Ellie's thoughts and the discussions with the others. I also like that Marsden introduced other Australians who are waging their own campaign against the invading army, and you get to see how different people are coping with this devastating upheaval in their lives.

 

A thoroughly absorbing read, and I will definitely continue with the series.

Edited by chesilbeach
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The Hundred-Year-Old Man Who Climbed Out of the Window and Disappeared by Jonas Jonasson

 

Synopsis (from amazon.co.uk):

It all starts on the one-hundredth birthday of Allan Karlsson. Sitting quietly in his room in an old people's home, he is waiting for the party he-never-wanted-anyway to begin. The mayor is going to be there. The press is going to be there. But, as it turns out, Allan is not...Slowly but surely Allan climbs out of his bedroom window, into the flowerbed (in his slippers) and makes his getaway. And so begins his picaresque and unlikely journey involving criminals, several murders, a suitcase full of cash, and incompetent police. As his escapades unfold, we learn something of Allan's earlier life in which - remarkably - he helped to make the atom bomb, became friends with American presidents, Russian tyrants, and Chinese leaders, and was a participant behind the scenes in many key events of the twentieth century.

 

Review:

I've already mentioned on other threads that I wasn't as enamoured with this book as others. There are two threads of narration threaded through the story, with Allan's journey in the present day and the story of his life interspersed. I found the modern day story to be far fetched and unbelievable, while the historical thread seemed to lack credibility and just be a device to weave the history of the last century through the story.

 

I didn't really engage with any of the characters either, but I think the reason was due to my perception of the way they were written. I'm not sure if I can describe this very well, but I quickly found it was becoming annoying the way all the characters were referred to by their name constantly. I don't even know if it was as bad as I thought and I'm not sure how it's different in other books, but it regulalry jumped out at me that the full name of the characters was being used, or sometimes their character description (e.g. Director Alice), and I found it got more irritating the more I read.

 

I did like it at the start, but actually stopped reading it for a couple of days at one point, and when I restarted, I realised I hadn't missed it at all. I almost stopped reading it, but decided to keep going, and I'm glad I finished it, but have to say that was a week ago, and since then I've thought less and less fondly of it, which has resulted in this very negative review. I think if I'd reviewed it immediately, I might have been a bit more generous, but as I'm writing this and remembering it, I'm liking it less and less. Still, at 20p for the Kindle version, I'm not going to worry too much about it, and you have to find books you don't enjoy in order to appreciate the ones you do better!

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