Ben's Book Bonanza, 2013.

[Alexi]

I bought that last week, so will eagerly await your thoughts!

[Ben]

That does sound interesting, Ben.  Looking forward to hearing your thoughts on it.

 

It really caught my attention creatively.. I was just thinking of the possibilities of where you could go with an idea like that, before I'd even started.

 

I bought that last week, so will eagerly await your thoughts!

 

Well I hope it's great then - will get back to you soon.

[Ben]

According to Goodreads I'm 15 books behind schedule for the year. *gulp* That's some serious catching up..

[tunn300]

Ben I am looking forward to hearing your thoughts on 'The Age of Miracles' as I had it in my hands at WH Smiths yesterday and was debating buying it. I have also seen it is very cheap on Kindle at the moment too but the large number of poor reviews have slightly put me off so far.

 

I am very tempted as the idea behind the story (The Earths rotation slowing) sounds very interesting but most of the negative reviews I have read about the book say that this is really just a backdrop and not ever really fully explained or discussed. Looking forward to your thoughts.

Edited June 1, 2013 by tunn300

[Ben]

Ben I am looking forward to hearing your thoughts on 'The Age of Miracles' as I had it in my hands at WH Smiths yesterday and was debating buying it. I have also seen it is very cheap on Kindle at the moment too but the large number of poor reviews have slightly put me off so far.

 

I am very tempted as the idea behind the story (The Earths rotation slowing) sounds very interesting but most of the negative reviews I have read about the book say that this is really just a backdrop and not ever really fully explained or discussed. Looking forward to your thoughts.

 

Interesting that it has been received negatively. I mean, the majority of the reviews are three or four stars, which isn't bad at all, but I definitely seem to have enjoyed it more than most. I can see the complaints, though; the idea of the actual apocalypse taking second stage to Julia's thoughts and emotions is true. Yet at the same time I think that it's important that she explores how relations (both friendships and marriage) are strained, and how there seems to be this strange problem hanging over life.

 

I think that it's important to remember that this isn't the traditional apocalypse-style novel. It's less about how all the buildings are falling down, the cracks are appearing in the ground and whatever. The truth of the matter is that the people can adapt to what's happening and in some senses  the dangers don't seem as real as you would see in say, the film 2012. Yet it hangs over their lives, affects every decision - it's impossible to keep their lives ordinary.

 

So, like I said I can see why people would be frustrated that we're given an account of this young girls journey into adolescence - training bras, first loves, etc. - but I think that's kind of the point. As much as it seems impossible, life would gradually go on (if not being the same) if something like this happened. This kind of narrative may put some people off, but it endeared it to me.

 

I've wrote more here in response to your question, as it happens, but I'm going to post a more vague mini-review in the next post (which doesn't cover the complains about the novel, as such). I'd like to write a fully expansive review of this at some point, so I may get around to it after the weekend is done.

Edited June 1, 2013 by Ben

[Ben]

So I couldn't sleep through last night and managed to entirely finish the book I bought yesterday - Karen Thompson Walker's The Age of Miracles. I personally thought it was great, and I'll probably get to writing a more comprehensive review at a later date.

 

Mini-review

 

The Age of Miracles is Karen Walker's début novel, and it glitters with the promise and talent she has. It is an apocalypse-style story, but far from the clichés of running through burning buildings, seeing cracks in the ground, etc. Instead, a refreshing and fascinating concept: the earth has begun to slow its rotation, the hours are lengthening in the day. The scientists and experts are clueless, the government are trying to keep everyone calm - but already the population is divided on opinion, and it seems like the whole world is slowly, piece by piece, starting to unravel.

 

With the world adapting around her, eleven-year-old Julia is struggling with her own journey out of childhood. The long-haired Seth Mereno, skateboard in hand at the bus stop - the object of her attentions. Friendships are changing and fading away all around her as flocks of people begin to move away in an attempt to form new colonies and civilizations. The light problems are affecting food growth, and the earth's magnetic field begins to shift. Danger lurks.

 

Walker's novel is one of love, death and betrayal. She writes beautifully, capturing an authentic feel of how the world would actually react in a situation like this - something quite difficult to do when it never has. In some ways it's a sad and haunting novel, one which really makes you think about the future and how dependant we are upon certain things. Overall, The Age of Miracles is a wonderfully written début and I eagerly await Karen Walker's next novel.

 

★★★★☆.

Edited June 1, 2013 by Ben

[Ben]

Decided to go with Richard Montanari's The Rosary Girls as my next read. It's been ooh, a good four years or so since I last read a Montanari book (The Skin Gods) but I remember how much I enjoyed it and there hasn't really been a reason why I haven't picked another of his up. I have this, Broken Angels and Kiss of Evil all to read so going to get cracking with this.

 

Synopsis:

In the most brutal killing crusade that Philadelphia has seen in years, a series of young Catholic women are found dead, their bodies mutilated and their hands bolted together. Each clutches a rosary in her lifeless grasp.

 

Veteran cop Kevin Byrne and his rookie partner Jessica Balzano set out to hunt down the elusive killer, who leads them deeper and deeper into the abyss of a madman's depravity. Suspects appear before them like bad dreams - and vanish just as quickly. While the body count rises, Easter is fast approaching: the day of the resurrection and of the last rosary to be counted..

 

--

 

I haven't really dipped into crime novels for a while actually, so will be interested to see where this goes.

[Athena]

The Age of Miracles sounds quite interesting! I haven't yet decided if I should put it on the wishlist or not, there was one review on GoodReads that said he/she would've liked more science into it, as to why the earth is slowing down. I don't know yet if this would bother me or not. If I see if cheap sometime I may be tempted either way XD.

 

Nice reviews .

[Ben]

The Age of Miracles sounds quite interesting! I haven't yet decided if I should put it on the wishlist or not, there was one review on GoodReads that said he/she would've liked more science into it, as to why the earth is slowing down. I don't know yet if this would bother me or not. If I see if cheap sometime I may be tempted either way XD.

 

Nice reviews .

 

Thanks Athena.

 

There has been a few complaints about the lack of explanation, but personally I thought it didn't detract from the story. It was more a tale about a young girl suffering through the problems of childhood with this horrible threat hanging over all their heads. No science as such, but the feeling and emotion of the situation was still spot on.

[Ben]

Another (*sigh*) sleepless night got me through The Rosary Girls by Richard Montanari last night and I'm disappointed I've left his books for so long. I need to remember to dip into a crime/thriller/'whodunnit' now and again, because if they're done right its great fun. Won't bother giving this one a full review, but I will write down some of my thoughts below.

 

Mini-review

 

The Rosary Girls introduces us to veteran cop Kevin Byrne and his new partner Jessica Balzano; the first book in a series that has already spanned six books and has a seventh coming in July with The Stolen Ones. This is good news, as the two have an instant and easy-going camaraderie. Recently split from her husband Vincent, Jessica must juggle her three year old daughter Sophie with her job. A job that from day one apparently isn't going to be easy - they've found a girl dead in an abandoned house, and with the circumstances that surround it, the death is the least of their problems.

 

There is a serial killer on the loose. Cold, calculating, logical, he's taunting Homicide with each move, leaving the bodies of young, Catholic girls in his path. A rosary on each of the dead girls, mysterious clues such as a Dante painting and a lamb's leg - teasing the department, always one step ahead. Kevin, at the same time, faces his own demons of the past; forced to take pills just to ease the pain and the visions. One thing is for certain: Jessica, Kevin and the rest of the detectives on the case are running out of time to catch this cold-blooded killer before he kills again.

 

Montanari's strength is in keeping you guessing as the plot moves at a furious pace. Throughout the novel, clues begin to unravel, hints are dropped - even if they're just clues that we get, not the detectives. You scrutinise every character, believe nobody, question all motives and explanations. No wonder this is a real page-turner of a thriller - like any good reveal, the answers lay in the novels final pages, when you think you have already solved the mysteries.

 

The Rosary Girls is dark always, and at times particularly gruesome. The author keeps you utterly hooked in your quest for answers, and he flips and twists the narrative expertly as he goes. It has all the elements of a good thriller, and the main characters are likeable. With this, it seems very likely that I'll pick up another of Montanari's books in the near future.

 

★★★★☆.

[Ben]

Next up Neil Gaiman's Stardust. This has been on my to-read pile for a long time too. Have seen the film and enjoyed it but have always (as usual) wanted to read the source material.

 

Synopsis:

A breathtaking and magical novel from master storyteller Neil Gaiman. Life moves at a leisurely pace in the tiny town of Wall - named after the imposing stone barrier which separates the town from a grassy meadow. Here, young Tristran Thorn has lost his heart to the beautiful Victoria Forester and for the coveted prize of her hand, Tristran vows to retrieve a fallen star and deliver it to his beloved. It is an oath that sends him over the ancient wall and into a world that is dangerous and strange beyond imagining..

 

Doesn't sound like something I'd normally read but Gaiman is magical so I'll here him out.

[tunn300]

So I couldn't sleep through last night and managed to entirely finish the book I bought yesterday - Karen Thompson Walker's The Age of Miracles. I personally thought it was great, and I'll probably get to writing a more comprehensive review at a later date.

 

Mini-review

 

The Age of Miracles is Karen Walker's début novel, and it glitters with the promise and talent she has. It is an apocalypse-style story, but far from the clichés of running through burning buildings, seeing cracks in the ground, etc. Instead, a refreshing and fascinating concept: the earth has begun to slow its rotation, the hours are lengthening in the day. The scientists and experts are clueless, the government are trying to keep everyone calm - but already the population is divided on opinion, and it seems like the whole world is slowly, piece by piece, starting to unravel.

 

With the world adapting around her, eleven-year-old Julia is struggling with her own journey out of childhood. The long-haired Seth Mereno, skateboard in hand at the bus stop - the object of her attentions. Friendships are changing and fading away all around her as flocks of people begin to move away in an attempt to form new colonies and civilizations. The light problems are affecting food growth, and the earth's magnetic field begins to shift. Danger lurks.

 

Walker's novel is one of love, death and betrayal. She writes beautifully, capturing an authentic feel of how the world would actually react in a situation like this - something quite difficult to do when it never has. In some ways it's a sad and haunting novel, one which really makes you think about the future and how dependant we are upon certain things. Overall, The Age of Miracles is a wonderfully written début and I eagerly await Karen Walker's next novel.

 

★★★★☆.

 

Well your review has convinced me to pick this book up and give it a go. I think I will start it when I finish my current book.

 

Another (*sigh*) sleepless night got me through The Rosary Girls by Richard Montanari last night and I'm disappointed I've left his books for so long. I need to remember to dip into a crime/thriller/'whodunnit' now and again, because if they're done right its great fun. Won't bother giving this one a full review, but I will write down some of my thoughts below.

 

Mini-review

 

The Rosary Girls introduces us to veteran cop Kevin Byrne and his new partner Jessica Balzano; the first book in a series that has already spanned six books and has a seventh coming in July with The Stolen Ones. This is good news, as the two have an instant and easy-going camaraderie. Recently split from her husband Vincent, Jessica must juggle her three year old daughter Sophie with her job. A job that from day one apparently isn't going to be easy - they've found a girl dead in an abandoned house, and with the circumstances that surround it, the death is the least of their problems.

 

There is a serial killer on the loose. Cold, calculating, logical, he's taunting Homicide with each move, leaving the bodies of young, Catholic girls in his path. A rosary on each of the dead girls, mysterious clues such as a Dante painting and a lamb's leg - teasing the department, always one step ahead. Kevin, at the same time, faces his own demons of the past; forced to take pills just to ease the pain and the visions. One thing is for certain: Jessica, Kevin and the rest of the detectives on the case are running out of time to catch this cold-blooded killer before he kills again.

 

Montanari's strength is in keeping you guessing as the plot moves at a furious pace. Throughout the novel, clues begin to unravel, hints are dropped - even if they're just clues that we get, not the detectives. You scrutinise every character, believe nobody, question all motives and explanations. No wonder this is a real page-turner of a thriller - like any good reveal, the answers lay in the novels final pages, when you think you have already solved the mysteries.

 

The Rosary Girls is dark always, and at times particularly gruesome. The author keeps you utterly hooked in your quest for answers, and he flips and twists the narrative expertly as he goes. It has all the elements of a good thriller, and the main characters are likeable. With this, it seems very likely that I'll pick up another of Montanari's books in the near future.

 

★★★★☆.

 

This also sounds very interesting. I am a big fan of this genre but have also never read a Montanari before, so will look out for this and give it a go. 

 

Thanks for the reviews Ben.

[Athena]

Next up Neil Gaiman's Stardust. This has been on my to-read pile for a long time too. Have seen the film and enjoyed it but have always (as usual) wanted to read the source material.

 

Synopsis:

A breathtaking and magical novel from master storyteller Neil Gaiman. Life moves at a leisurely pace in the tiny town of Wall - named after the imposing stone barrier which separates the town from a grassy meadow. Here, young Tristran Thorn has lost his heart to the beautiful Victoria Forester and for the coveted prize of her hand, Tristran vows to retrieve a fallen star and deliver it to his beloved. It is an oath that sends him over the ancient wall and into a world that is dangerous and strange beyond imagining..

 

Doesn't sound like something I'd normally read but Gaiman is magical so I'll here him out.

x

This book is on my wishlist, I look forward to hear what you think of it!

[Ben]

Well your review has convinced me to pick this book up and give it a go. I think I will start it when I finish my current book.

 

This also sounds very interesting. I am a big fan of this genre but have also never read a Montanari before, so will look out for this and give it a go. 

 

Thanks for the reviews Ben.

 

Ooh, I'm glad to be of service. I do hope you enjoy both of the books. In the case of The Rosary Girls if you're a fan of this genre you should have absolutely no problems with Montanari's novels. I'm not a huge reader of crime/thriller, and certainly no expert, but I get the impression this guy certainly knows a thing or two about writing in this genre.

 

x

This book is on my wishlist, I look forward to hear what you think of it!

 

Just finished it. Shall type up some thoughts properly later tomorrow *laughs* but Gaiman has such a wonderful talent. So magical and effortless. American Gods had already convinced me of this, but this little gem of a novel reasserts the fact in its own way. I'd definitely recommend as a quick read that isn't too taxing but at the same time is full of delights.

[Athena]

That sounds good! American Gods is on my wishlist, I thought it was on there before but apparently not.

[Ben]

That sounds good! American Gods is on my wishlist, I thought it was on there before but apparently not.

 

American Gods is a wonderful book. Also, Good Omens co-wrote with Terry Pratchett is a cracker if you haven't read that already.

[Athena]

I have it on my shelf but haven't read it yet. For some reason I thought I should read the Discworld books first, but now that I think about it that makes no sense!

[Ben]

I have it on my shelf but haven't read it yet. For some reason I thought I should read the Discworld books first, but now that I think about it that makes no sense!

 

Definitely don't need to read the Discworld novels first, Good Omens is a stand-alone and certainly isn't set in the same world (although in my humble opinion it's just as daring, witty and hilarious as Pratchett's books).

[Ben]

Finished On the Road by Jack Kerouac earlier (if you cast your mind's back you may just about remember me starting it in the distant past, but because of exams and whatnot it's remained unfinished until now). Hundreds of people have already wrote everything there possibly is to say on Kerouac's text, but anyway..

 

Now, I can see why this is a marmite-type book *laughs* - the free-flowing, 'stream-of-consciousness'-style narrative is not to everyone's liking, and I can understand that. However, this furiously-paced, sprawling narrative - covering the length and breadth of 1950s America - is a quite splendid exploration of frivolity and adventure (at least, it was to this reader). Energetic, jazz-inspired, random, we're treated to pulsating images of crazy hitch-hiking, wild, sleepless nights, drunken antics and a seemingly never-ending high-speed journey across the great winding roads of America.

 

I personally enjoyed it. Kerouac's writing style isn't easy to grasp by any means, but once you allow yourself to submit to it, it's easy to lose yourself (in the same way that I feel our protagonist Sal Paradise has the potential to be a simple, unadventurous writer but submits to the lunacy of Dean Moriarty). I wouldn't recommend this to everyone, as it can sometimes be a struggle and definitely isn't to everyone's tastes. Yet I'd recommend everyone to try it. It's fun, carefree, and for me it was at times laugh-out-loud hilarious. Overall an entertaining exploration of travelling without a single care in the world.

 

★★★★☆.

[Ben]

I think I'm going to resume my Sherlock Holmes challenge which admittedly didn't get very far last year. I've only ever read the first collection of tales The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes and the novel The Hound of the Baskervilles - both of which are great. I want to get through some more of Sir Arthur Conan Doyle's splendid tales, and have decided to thrown myself in at the beginning with the first novel A Study in Scarlet.

 

Synopsis:

A Study in Scarlet is the genre-defining work with which popular crime fiction was born. A potent mix of serial murder, suspense, cryptic clues, red herrings and revenge, the novel introduces us to the world-famous characters of Sherlock Holmes, Dr Watson and Inspector Lestrade and sees Sherlock and Dr Watson meet and join forces for the first time as they track a mysterious killer that stalks London's streets.

 

--

 

Interested to read how it all started off, and how it'll compare to the BBC's first episode of the series Sherlock. I mean, obviously it'll be completely different because the television series was a contemporary updating, but I'm still interested nevertheless. At least I know that when I enjoy it (bound to!) there's plenty more stories with our pipe-smoking detective left for me to get my teeth into..

[Ben]

Finished A Study in Scarlet by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle. Short read, nothing taxing (but what do you expect when Holmes is their to do all the work).

 

Thoughts:

 

A Study in Scarlet is the novel that introduced the world to our favourite pipe-smoking, consulting detective (well, he is the only one after all) and his side-kick Dr John Watson. Sherlock Holmes, of course - that cold, calculating, logical, violin-playing genius who can observe what others do not see. A wealth of knowledge on certain subjects, but happily ignorant with minor details - such as knowing the earth orbits around the sun - Watson quickly learns that Sherlock Holmes is no ordinary fellow lodger. When a man is found dead with the word RACHE written in blood upon the wall, and the detectives come to Sherlock for help, John will soon learn the true extent of his new acquaintance's capabilities.

 

Now, as I already knew this story for the BBC's excellent adaptation in the first series of Sherlock, I was already expecting the story to be ruined for me. Of course, in a way, it was: the result for the most part is the same, it is just the particulars that differ. Obviously with a contemporary updating, Moffat does not follow Doyle's text to the letter, but instead cleverly picks from it throughout. It's evident that the producers knew their source material, but that's enough about Moffat, he gets enough of my praises at the best of times.

 

In the middle of A Study in Scarlet we are offered a change in pacing; a pause in the narrative just as we're on the verge of having our questions answered and the mystery resolved. Interestingly, I have heard people say they have skipped the middle section of 'history' that we're given, but I think that is utterly daft. It is possible, and it wouldn't ruin the conclusion, but it ruins the bigger picture. It offers a clever back-story, a motivation, and sets up the conclusion much better than it would if it wasn't included.

 

Conan Doyle is a master of the detective fiction (not that I have read much of that genre, I just have a feeling he is *shrugs*) and this is an entertaining nudge into the world of Sherlock Holmes. The novel is cleverly written (of course) and I would recommend anyone that hasn't already attempted to read a Holmes story, to do so in the foreseeable future. I mean, the BBC adaptations are good - okay, great - but the source material is brilliant too, and well worth the read.

 

★★★★☆.

[bookmonkey]

I read A Study in Scarlet recently.  When I got to the middle section I thought I'd accidentally opened another book.  I was reading it on my kindle, and it was the first one I'd read on there, so I thought I'd done something wrong.  I persisted with it though, and I agree with you.  That section does add to the whole book.  I really enjoyed it and I'm looking forward to reading more Sherlock Holmes.

 

I've also read a Montanari, but I can't remember which one.  I do know I liked it, so I've added him to my list of authors to look out for.

[Ben]

I read A Study in Scarlet recently.  When I got to the middle section I thought I'd accidentally opened another book.  I was reading it on my kindle, and it was the first one I'd read on there, so I thought I'd done something wrong.  I persisted with it though, and I agree with you.  That section does add to the whole book.  I really enjoyed it and I'm looking forward to reading more Sherlock Holmes.

 

I've also read a Montanari, but I can't remember which one.  I do know I liked it, so I've added him to my list of authors to look out for.

 

I did the same. I was reading it on my Kindle so for a moment I thought that there had somehow been a problem with my download *laughs*. I'm glad I persisted, it's a clever little narrative pause. Apparently he doesn't employ the technique very often (in the other stories) so that's interesting..

 

Montanari is excellent. I've just started Broken Angels and I'm desperately trying to keep all the suspects in my mind already.

[Ben]

Decided on another one of Montanari's books, Broken Angels, as I so very much enjoyed the last couple.

 

Synopsis:

When the first body is found, mutilated and strangled on the riverbanks, Philadelphia homicide detectives Kevin Byrne and Jessica Balzano suspect yet another case of random urban violence. Then it happens again. And again. Carefully dressed and posed, each victim seems to tell a story so gruesome that Byrne and Balzano struggle at first to make sense of the killer's dark and twisted imagination. But when they stumble upon a collection of old fairy tales, the fragile link between the murders suddenly becomes clear - and with it the terrifying conclusion of the killer's plan. Desperately, they try to anticipate the madman's next move, but as the body count rises, the killing spree spirals out of control ...

 

Sounds delightfully gruesome and intriguing once again. *tries to keep mental notes of all suspects as he reads*

Edited June 4, 2013 by Ben

[Ben]

Already finished Broken Angels. I think that's all you need to know about the pulling power of Montanari's novel - once again completely unable to put it down and I read rapt all night. If I'm honest, I can't be bothered reviewing this one, but it was another taut, pacey thriller that had me gripped and guessing throughout. Once again my theories were all totally wrong.. next time I'm carrying a notepad with me while I read so I can write down a character list. That way I'll eventually get one right.

 

Will be buying and reading more of the Kevin Byrne and Jessica Balzano novels when I eventually get this TBR pile down a little (sorry Montanari my friend, that could take a while).