Claire's book list 2013

[Little Pixie]

I did have a look at the DVD and Blu-ray, but they seemed extremely expensive, so I'll just wait for the repeats!

 

Yes, when I originally looked at the Blu-ray, it was selling for something daft like £80.  It`s now much cheaper on DVD.

 

Erm, don`t know how to link that so I don`t need to put the whole URL in ?

 

Now edited.

Edited July 2, 2013 by Little Pixie

[Janet]

Highlight the words you want to show up as the link words

 

Next, click on the thing in the toolbar that looks like a staple with a green plus sign at the end of it (that's what it looks like to me, anyway!    ).

 

That will open up a box - then simply paste the link in the box and click on OK - which should post the link

 

Hope that helps.

[Little Pixie]

Highlight the words you want to show up as the link words

 

Next, click on the thing in the toolbar that looks like a staple with a green plus sign at the end of it (that's what it looks like to me, anyway!    ).

 

That will open up a box - then simply paste the link in the box and click on OK - which should post the link

 

Hope that helps.

 

Aw, much thanks.

[chesilbeach]

What a lovely bookish day today has been so far!  I've read some more of The Journal of Dora Damage and also received some presents from Kay.

 

I opened the envelope to be presented with these:

 

How beautiful do they look?  The paper is absolutely gorgeous and I'll definitely be keeping it.  I'm a very lucky girl, because when I opened them, they had two fabulous books inside!  The books are The Missing Manuscript of Jane Austen by Syrie James and a lovely Persephone book, Greenery Street by Denis Mackail, so both fit in beautifully with my challenges.

[Athena]

So beautiful!!

[poppyshake]

You are more than welcome Claire  .. I only hope the books turn out to be good reads

 

The book paper came from Mr B's (the very day you introduced me to the shop ) and I'd like to say the Paris paper came from Paris but there was nothing like that to be had there .. it came from St Pancras International    

[Kidsmum]

What lovely pressies & such nice wrapping paper 

[julie]

Beautiful wrapping paper and what better to be inside than books ?

[Janet]

The book paper came from Mr B's (the very day you introduced me to the shop ) 

Awwww, shucks - I wish I'd read this before today - I went into Bath this morning!    I'd love some of that paper! 

 

I wonder if I could persuade my son to pop there in his lunch hour...

[Devi]

Love the paper too!

[chesilbeach]

House of Suns by Alastair Reynolds

 

Synopsis: (from amazon.co.uk)

Six million years ago, at the very dawn of the starfaring era, Abigail Gentian fractured herself into a thousand male and female clones: the shatterlings. Sent out into the galaxy, these shatterlings have stood aloof as they document the rise and fall of countless human empires. They meet every two hundred thousand years, to exchange news and memories of their travels with their siblings.

 

Campion and Purslane are not only late for their thirty-second reunion, but they have brought along an amnesiac golden robot for a guest. But the wayward shatterlings get more than the scolding they expect: they face the discovery that someone has a very serious grudge against the Gentian line, and there is a very real possibility of traitors in their midst. The surviving shatterlings have to dodge exotic weapons while they regroup to try to solve the mystery of who is persecuting them, and why - before their ancient line is wiped out of existence, for ever.

 

Review:

It took me until about half way through this book before I decided whether I was going to finish it. At first I struggled with the unfamiliar words and a lack of comprehension of the scale of the worlds that were being created by the author. In fact, at the beginning, I found it so overwhelming that I didn't realise until at least a couple of hundred pages in, that the narrator of the chapters was switching between Campion and Purslane!

 

However, once I got into it, I was actually quite gripped by the story. It was an exciting and thrilling story and I wanted to find out what was going on. I liked how the start of each section was telling the origins of the lines, but I did occasionally find them a bit tedious to read and wanted to get back to the main thrust of the action.

 

I'm not sure I really followed a lot of the concepts that the author introduced - the transfer of knowledge by being swallowed by the archivist for example, was a bit beyond me. And, although I think I understood the gist of what happened at the conclusion, it was a bit rushed and ended quite abruptly.

 

My favourite character was Hesperus. I loved how ambiguous the author made him. You never knew if he was genuinely suffering from some form of amnesia, or if he was secretly working to his own ends, but gradually, like the shatterlings, I came to trust him, and thought he was brave and courageous, and devoted in his attempts to protect his friends.

 

For my first full on science fiction novel, it definitely felt like an "in at the deep end" sort of book and it took me a long time to read, just because there were so many unfamiliar concepts, but I did enjoy it by the end. I'm still not sure I'd attempt another, but I would no longer rule it out.

[chesilbeach]

The House on the Strand by Daphne Du Maurier

 

Synopsis: (from amazon.co.uk)

Dick Young is lent a house in Cornwall by his friend Professor Magnus Lane. During his stay he agrees to serve as a guinea pig for a new drug that Magnus has discovered in his biochemical researches. The effect of this drug is to transport Dick from the house at Kilmarth to the Cornwall of the 14th century. There, in the manor of Tywardreath, the domain of Sir Henry Champernoune, he witnesses intrigue, adultery and murder. As his time travelling increases, Dick resents more and more the days he must spend in the modern world, longing ever more fervently to get back into his world of centuries before . . .

 

Review:

I didn't read the synopsis on the cover before I started the book, and the only other Du Maurier I've read is Rebecca, so the opening chapter of this book was a bit of a shock. I was so surprised I had to go and find the synopsis to find out what on earth was going on!

 

As I got further into the book, I found I became more and more removed and distanced from the story and the characters. In fact, I didn't like any of the contemporary characters at all. Richard was selfish and obviously manipulated by Magnus, who in turn, showed a lack of respect for his lifelong friend to have made him a guinea pig for his experiments without explaining and knowing the consequences. Vita blew hot and cold, and seemed quite self-involved when it suited her, and her jealousy of Magnus did nothing to make her any more sympathetic a character.

 

And as for the "time travel" … I found it such an odd experience that Richard was a bystander with no interaction in that world, and so many characters who were just names on a page that I couldn't remember who was who.

 

The story itself was unbelievable and I got more and more irritated with it as it went on, BUT the saving grace was Du Maurier's writing which keeps you turning the pages. Her style draws you in and you want to keep reading despite the problems I had with the story itself. I think I was also a bit hopeful that there would be a big twist, just like in Rebecca, and I kept reading to see if it would come. Unfortunately it didn't, but there was nothing that would stop me reading until the end.

 

Definitely not a favourite read, but I still want to read more Du Maurier as she certainly has a way with words.

[Athena]

Nice reviews ! House of Suns is now on my wishlist, Rebecca was already on my wishlist (I'd rather read that one first).

[Karsa Orlong]

Great review of House of Suns, Claire. I pretty much echo most of what you said about it  
 

House of Suns by Alastair Reynolds

And, although I think I understood the gist of what happened at the conclusion, it was a bit rushed and ended quite abruptly.

 
I said almost exactly the same when I read it last year. Although I understood it, it wasn't the ending I was expecting - which should be a good thing, but I felt it didn't really deliver on its earlier promise.  There was a point there where I found it was getting really exciting, and then it kind of fizzled out.

 

 

My favourite character was Hesperus. I loved how ambiguous the author made him.

 

Me too!

 

 

For my first full on science fiction novel, it definitely felt like an "in at the deep end" sort of book

 
And then some!  There are definitely easier places to start than with Alastair Reynolds, but I'm glad you managed to get some enjoyment from it

 

How did it go down with the rest of the book club??

[chesilbeach]

Thanks Steve.  Out of 9 people at the meeting, one person had read it before, one started and didn't finish, and three of us finished - the rest didn't attempt it.  The three of us who read it this time around all felt pretty much the same, and I was surprised that a few of them had actually read more science fiction when they were younger, talking about Arthur C. Clarke and Asimov amongst others.  We even convinced one of the non-readers to give it a try, so that can't be bad!  The person who'd read it before has read a lot of Reynolds work, and she was telling us about one of the short stories which sounded a bit nasty.

[chesilbeach]

The Hand That First Held Mine by Maggie O'Farrell

 

Synopsis: (from amazon.co.uk)

When the sophisticated Innes Kent turns up on her doorstep, Lexie Sinclair realises she cannot wait any longer for her life to begin, and leaves for London. There, at the heart of the 1950s Soho art scene, she carves out a new life. In the present day, Elina and Ted are reeling from the difficult birth of their first child. Elina struggles to reconcile the demands of motherhood with sense of herself as an artist, and Ted is disturbed by memories of his own childhood that don't tally with his parents' version of events. As Ted begins to search for answers, an extraordinary portrait of two women is revealed, separated by fifty years, but connected in ways that neither could ever have expected.

 

Review:

This was a book group read, and everyone in the group had raved about the previous O'Farrell book they'd read (on a meeting I'd missed the book choices being given out), so I was looking forward to this.  The opening chapters of the book with Elina in the present day almost put me off reading the book.  I'm not in the slightest maternal, and didn't enjoy reading about it here.  I also found it a bit unbelievable that Elina could have had such a traumatic birth, and still obviously be suffering from the complications suffered, with no outside help from anyone, but the people in the book group felt that could be valid.

 

However, this is a book of two halves, and I loved reading the early chapters about Lexie's life, the descriptions of the London art scene in the 50s were fascinating, and I loved the development of her story.

 

As the two stories progressed, I felt they both became a bit predictable, but, I did like O'Farrell's writing style, and I was happy to keep reading despite not being particularly interested in motherhood.  Not going to be one of my favourite books, but I would be happy to read another of her books in future.

[chesilbeach]

Peaches for Monsieur le Curé by Joanne Harris

 

Synopsis: (from amazon.co.uk)

It isn't often you receive a letter from the dead.

 

When Vianne Rocher receives a letter from beyond the grave, she allows the wind to blow her back to the village in south-west France where, eight years ago, she opened up a chocolate shop. But Lansquenet is different now: women veiled in black, the scent of spices and peppermint tea, and, on the bank of the river Tannes, facing the church: a minaret.

 

Nor is it only the incomers from North Africa that have brought change. Father Reynaud, Vianne's erstwhile adversary, is disgraced and under threat. Could it be that Vianne is the only one who can save him now?

 

Review:

While I loved Chocolat, I didn't enjoy it's sequel The Lollipop Shoes as much, with the different setting of Paris, and so much focus on magic (as opposed to a more implied feel to the magic in the first book), so I wasn't anticipating reading Peaches for Monsieur le Curé.  In fact, it was only reading Diane's review that encouraged me to try it, and I'm very glad I did.

 

Returning to Lasquenet was the best thing that could have happened as far as I'm concerned.  It was so good to be back in the world of Chocolat and to find out how things have changed, and to see a different relationship between Vianne and Monsieur le Curé.  I loved catching up with the old characters, as well as meeting the new, and I liked the introduction of the immigrants with a case of history repeating itself, but with a different flavour and building to a fabulous conclusion.

 

A very entertaining read, and for any fans of Chocolat, I would highly recommend it.

[chesilbeach]

Death at Victoria Dock by Kerry Greenwood

 

Synopsis: (from amazon.co.uk)

A very young man with muddied hair, a pierced ear and a blue tattoo lies cradled in Phryne's arms. But sadly it's not another scene of glorious seduction - this time it's death.

 

The Honourable Miss Phryne Fisher, beautifully dressed in loose trousers, a cream silk shirt and a red-fox fur has just had her windscreen shot out inches in front of her divine nose. But worse is the fate of the pale young man lying on the road, his body hit by bullets, who draws his final blood-filled breath with Phryne at his side. Outraged by this brutal slaughter, Phryne promises to find out who is responsible. But Phryne doesn't yet know how deeply into the mire she'll have to go - bank robbery, tattoo parlours, pubs, spiritualist halls and the Anarchists.

 

Along this path, Phryne meets Peter, a battle-scarred, sexy Slav, who offers much more to her than just information. But all thoughts of these delights flee from Phryne's mind when her beloved maid, Dot, disappears. There's nothing Phryne won't do to get her back safely.

 

Review:

Another cracking story in this historic crime series from Kerry Greenwood. The action starts on the very first page with Phryne's windscreen being shot out, and immediately she is drawn into the world of the Anarchists. Everyone in Phryne's world gets involved, and the danger is very real for her household, including the girls and Dot. I really enjoy immersing myself in 1920s Melbourne with her bohemian, exciting lifestyle, and the juxtaposition of the wealth versus the poverty is evident again in this story.

 

I have now been able to watch one of the television episodes based on the series, as this was the first I'd managed to read and have recorded. Although I did quite enjoy it, with only 40ish minutes to adapt a full novel, there was so much left out or changed, that I felt it lacked the excitement of the full blown story in the novel. I'm even less of a fan of television crime and detective series than I am of the book version, and it needs to be something very quirky to attract my attention, and I don't think I'll be bothering with any more of the television version of these books. I will definitely be continuing with the book series though!

[chesilbeach]

Where Have All The Boys Gone? by Jenny Colgan

 

Synopsis: (from amazon.co.uk)

Where have all the men gone? Faced with 25, 000 more women than men in London, and gleeful media reports that it's statistically more likely for single women to be murdered than get married, Katie is reached an all-time low. But all is not lost …

 

While Katie's glad it's not a man's world any more, she'd be quite pleased if there were more men in it – or at least single ones, anyway.  More likely to get murdered than married, according to gleeful media reports, Katie resigns herself to the fact there's no sex in the city and heads for the hills – or the Scottish highlands, to be precise.  Despite the fact she's never been a girl for wellies – and Fairlish is in the middle of nowhere – the tiny town does have one major draw: men. Lots of them.

 

But while Katie relishes the chance to do battle with armies of admirers, she's not reckoned on going head to head with her grumpy new boss, Harry, shadowy developers intent on destroying the beautiful countryside and Mrs McClockerty, the least suitable hotelier since Norman Bates.

 

At least there's the local eye-candy to distract her, including gorgeous newshound Iain. But he is at loggerheads with Harry, and Harry despises her. Life in the country might not be one big roll in the hay but can Katie ever turn her back on the delights of Fairlish and return to city life?

 

Review:

I've recently been getting back into more mainstream romcom territory, and so when this book came up on offer, I thought I'd carry on with catching up with Jenny Colgan books.  I think you can probably guess what's going to happen from the extremely long synopsis provided, but then, surprise and suspense isn't exactly what you expect from a romcom, is it?  What you get is a funny, affectionate story or a woman finding a better way to live, a better place to live, and better people to live it with.  Good fun, although maybe a little too long, but I enjoyed the escapism it provided, and I still think Jenny is much better than average in the genre.

[chesilbeach]

Newes from the Dead by Mary Hooper

 

Synopsis: (from amazon.co.uk)

In 1650 Anne Green, a young servant girl, gave birth prematurely to an illegitimate child. Sadly the baby died and poor Anne was falsely accused of infanticide. In front of a large crowd she was hanged and then carried to the College of Physicians to be dissected for medical science. But as Anne's corpse lay on the table and the doctors assembled, a strange rattle was heard in her throat. Could she still be alive?

 

Review:

Although it doesn't tell you this in the synopsis, this book is based on a true story which Mary Hooper has fictionalised, describing how a young girl in the period, working as a servant may have been seduced and found herself pregnant. She then interweaves this story as a series of recollections of Anne who is recalling her life believing she is dead and waiting to arrive in heaven or hell. All the while, her body has been given over to medical science and is due to be dissected, so you also get the history of physicians, giving you an account of the period that is rich in detail, evokes the time and place wonderfully, and gives you a page turner of a story, that will keep you enthralled until the end.

 

I think Hooper is very good at capturing young people on the page, bringing them to life and I became very attached to Anne throughout the book. Likewise, she makes history come alive with her descriptions of the people and places in her stories. This is the second of her books I have read, and I enjoyed this one more than the first. It's a YA book, and I think if I'd read more books like this as a teenager, I might have had more interest in history! I would definitely recommend it to YA readers, for a wonderful historical read.

[chesilbeach]

Bella Summer Takes A Chance by Michele Gorman

 

Synopsis: (from amazon.co.uk)

Bella's career and relationship are her life's foundationwear: not glamorous and perhaps a bit binding, but supportive enough... until she realizes that they are not enough. Her life is sagging badly. She's never been in love with her boyfriend, despite a decade together. And somehow she stopped being a musician-with-a-day-job and became a consultant-who-was-musical. So she takes a terrifying leap of faith, leaving her relationship and resolving to follow her musical dreams no matter what.

 

But the life you walk away from doesn't always let you walk away.

 

With a wonderfully warm and witty cast of friends, all navigating between their ideals and the realities they face, together they'll find out what love and compromise really mean in this empowering tale about grasping life with both hands.

 

 

Review:

This was my third Michele Gorman book, reading her books after she was a featured author here on the forum. Her romcom books are definitely of the more contemporary variety, where it's less happy ever after, and a woman finding her perfect man, and much more about finding a better way of life. In this book, Bella makes a huge decision to walk away from the life she's settled into, when she realises that that is exactly what she's done - settle.

 

The story follows her attempts to break into the music business, a dream she somehow lost along the way, and shows the hand work and determination required to be able to make a living in that world. Alongside that, we get a look at the (rather scary!) world of dating in London today, making for a funny but seemingly truthful look at life through the eyes of Bella. Another good contemporary romcom, and I'll definitely be looking out for more of Michele's books.

[chesilbeach]

No and Me by Delphine De Vigan

 

Synopsis: (from amazon.co.uk)

Lou Bertignac has an IQ of 160 and a good friend called Lucas, who gets her through the school day. At home her father cries in secret in the bathroom and her mother hasn't been out of the house properly for years. But Lou is about to change her life - and that of her parents - for good, all because of a school project she decides to do about the homeless. Through the project Lou meets No, a teenage girl living on the streets. As their friendship grows, Lou cannot bear that No is still on the streets when she goes back home - even if it is to a home that is saddened and desolate. So she asks her parents if No can come to live with them. To her astonishment, her parents - eventually - agree. No's presence forces Lou and her parents to finally face the sadness that has enveloped them. But No has disruptive as well as positive effects. Can this shaky newfound family continue to live together? A tense, brilliant novel tackling the true meaning of home and homelessness.

 

Review:

I've had this on my wish list for ages, so when it was on offer for 99p, it was too good a bargain to miss. The story is an interesting look at homelessness for young people, told from Lou's point of view, from the almost casual way she starts her friendship with No, through to the point where her parents agree to let No come to live with them, the positive and negative affects on all their lives, and that there is no easy solution to the problems of homelessness.

 

I thought it was a good book, but I never really engaged with either No or Lou, and I felt a bit distanced from the story all the way through. Having said that, I did find the story fascinating, and it developed really well, and I liked that there was no happy ending. A good read, but certainly won't be making my favourites by the end of the year.

[chesilbeach]

The Missing Manuscript of Jane Austen by Syrie James

 

Synopsis: (from amazon.co.uk)

The minute I saw the letter, I knew it was hers. There was no mistaking it: the salutation, the tiny, precise handwriting, the date, the content itself, all confirmed its ancient status and authorship…

 

Samantha McDonough cannot believe her eyes--or her luck. Tucked in an uncut page of a two-hundred-year old poetry book is a letter she believes was written by Jane Austen, mentioning with regret a manuscript that "went missing at Greenbriar in Devonshire." Could there really be an undiscovered Jane Austen novel waiting to be found? Could anyone resist the temptation to go looking for it?

 

Making her way to the beautiful, centuries-old Greenbriar estate, Samantha finds it no easy task to sell its owner, the handsome yet uncompromising Anthony Whitaker, on her wild idea of searching for a lost Austen work--until she mentions its possible million dollar value.

 

After discovering the unattributed manuscript, Samantha and Anthony are immediately absorbed in the story of Rebecca Stanhope, daughter of a small town rector, who is about to encounter some bittersweet truths about life and love. As they continue to read the newly discovered tale from the past, a new one unfolds in the present--a story that just might change both of their lives forever.

 

Review:

Thank you, thank you, thank you Kay for giving me this book! I absolutely loved it. Reading the synopsis, it looks a bit like it's going to be a mystery quest to find "the missing manuscript" but what you actually get is only maybe 20% of the book dedicated to this plot, and most of the book is actually the missing manuscript itself. The author cleverly (although fairly obviously) writes her own Jane Austen style story, as if it was written by Austen herself, and designed it so that if Austen had written it, it would have been very early in her novel writing, so has made the story and the characters feel as if they are earlier version of various characters and plot lines in the genuine Austen novels, almost like templates for the characters we know and love. It's not perfect; it doesn't quite get the language of the period right, so you know it's definitely not Austen, and it pulls heavily on the originals to reuse some characters (renamed) and plot lines, but it has enough of the flavour of Austen to make it a lovely story, drawing on similar themes and stories, and I was thoroughly entertained by it.

 

This has fitted beautifully into my Austen challenge, and I've found out that James has written another book on a similar theme, The Lost Memoirs of Jane Austen, but it looks a bit tricky to get hold of, so it'll be a perfect excuse to visit some proper bookshops in order to try and hunt it down!

Edited August 11, 2013 by chesilbeach

[chesilbeach]

High Tide by Hugh Hastings

 

Synopsis: (from amazon.co.uk)

What is so important that a sinister trap is laid for Ella and her brother Archie? Why were they sent away from London? Will Archie remember a very important act? And why does the incredible ‘Uncle Larry’ suddenly appear in their lives? Who is he? 

 

‘High Tide’ is the first adventure of the Lighthouse Gang, bringing together four children into a maelstrom of adventure in a beautiful Cornish seaside town. It’s a sort of MI5 meets Famous Five except that Larry Almasy, the fifth member is an old ex spy, soldier, and adventurer with history. Will engage thrill and entertain ages 8 to 14.

 

Review:

We picked up this book on holiday in Cornwall, as it had a striking cover, it was a signed copy, a local setting, and it looked like a great children's story.  It didn't quite live up to my hopes, unfortunately.  It wasn't bad, but "MI5 meets Famous Five" it was not.  Despite its modern day setting, it felt very dated, and since I've finished it I've looked up the author who seems to be in his late fifties or sixties, and I think that could be part of the problem.  He probably grew up on Famous Five and the like, and I think maybe if he'd set the story in the 1950s, it might have been more successful.

 

I also had a problem with the age of the children - their behaviour seemed to be all over the place with the ages I think they were supposed to be.  I could have placed them anywhere between six and twelve, and as for the book being suitable for 8-14, I would have said more like 8-11 at best.

 

There was also the problem that the four children don't really come together at all.  Although they meet early on in the story, they don't really work together, and their stories do build to the conclusion at the end, it's not like they are friends or relatives, and it's just a bit of a coincidence.

 

I sound like I didn't like the book at all, and although I'm obviously not the target audience, I just felt that even children reading it would perhaps find it felt a bit dated.  I did like reading it, but it did miss the mark as far as I was concerned.

[chesilbeach]

Our Songbirds by Matt Sewell

 

Synopsis: (from amazon.co.uk)

In this beautiful follow-up to 2012's hit, Our Garden Birds, street artist Matt Sewell offers more watercolours and quirky descriptions of British songbirds.

 

In Matt's world, the peewit sings the blues, and the bittern fills his neck 'like a tweed pair of bellows'. Distinctive and enchanting, with a songbird for each week of the year, this delightful gift book will appeal to birders, children and adults, and art and design fans alike.

 

Review:

This is such a delectable little book. Sewell paints beautiful but charmingly naive pictures and writes a cheeky but affectionate little piece about each bird. Not really much you can say about it, but if you love birds and nature, this one would be worth a look at. More of a gift book that perhaps something you'd buy for yourself, but if someone gave this to me for my birthday, I'd be absolutely delighted.