Noll's 2016 Books and Cross-Stitch

[Nollaig]

Because You'll Never Meet Me sounds interesting. I have Miss Peregrine's Home For Peculiar Children on my TBR (but I don't own the other two in the series). Great reviews . It's nice you enjoyed both books so much!

 

 

I've been debating whether to read Miss Peregrine's Home For Peculiar Children for a while, it does seem to be one of those books that some people think is amazing and others hate. Based on your review though I think I should give it a try! 

 

 

Great reviews! I must read Miss Peregrine's Home For Peculiar Children!!! I've heard so many things about it, I just need to get on with it.

 

I hope you all like Peregrine if/when ye get to it! I've got the second book now and might start it tomorrow

[Nollaig]

#27 Long Time, No See - Dermot Healy

 

Genre: Irish Culture/Fiction
Synopsis: 'Long Time, No See' introduces us to the unforgettable world of Mister Psyche. In the coastal townland of Ballintra in Ireland, recent school-leaver, occasional worker, full-time companion and Malibu-provider to Uncle Joe-Joe and his friend, the Blackbird, Psyche is a boy on the cusp of adulthood, undone by a recent traumatic event.

*** 

Review: While this novel was beautifully written, that's largely all I can say for it. It was so beautifully written that it was still enough of a pleasure to read that I can say I actually liked it, even though it was a bit of a slog towards the end and I couldn't wait to finish it. I'm glad I've read it, but I'll never read it again - it's one of those sorts of book. 

I'm not sure whether the story is some big allegory or metaphor for something, whether there's any bigger picture meant to emerge from the sum total of the individual events and interactions, but if there is, it was utterly lost on me. Maybe there was no greater purpose, and I'm okay with that sometimes, in a book, if the journey of reading it is a satisfying one in and of itself. While reading the book, especially initially, was somewhat enjoyable, it wasn't a satisfying read. I found the characters fairly lifeless - the 'relationship' beween Psyche and his alleged girlfriend Anna is basically non-existent, the apparent untimely death of Psyche's friend (before the book begins) has no apparent impact on him. Perhaps the other characters are only rendered lifeless through his emotional detachment - I do feel there could have been a good story surrounding his uncle and uncle's friend, but it was hardly touched upon.

There is a tendency in Irish writing to be poetic and lyrical, I think it's just in our nature, but only some authors can pull it off well. Additionally, as seems to be common in lyrical Irish novels, there was a needless exclusion of speech punctuation marks. This was also the case in The Black Snow, another lyrical Irish novel I recently read and loved, so I'm not sure why it grates on me in some books and not others. I haven't been put off reading anything else by Healy - maybe this book just didn't resonate with me. But I wouldn't recommend it either I'm afraid.

Rating: ★★★✰✰ (I liked it)

[Alexi]

Because You'll Never Meet Me sounds very intriguing - another for the wishlist!

 

I keep umming and aahing about Miss Peregrine...

 

Fantastic reviews as ever, Noll. I really enjoy reading yours.

[Nollaig]

Because You'll Never Meet Me sounds very intriguing - another for the wishlist!

 

I keep umming and aahing about Miss Peregrine...

 

Fantastic reviews as ever, Noll. I really enjoy reading yours.

 

Thanks Alexi, very much appreciated. I only write them for myself but it really makes me so happy when someone else enjoys them too

 

Hope you enjoy Because You'll Never Meet Me when you get to it and I think Miss Peregrine is worth a chance, if it sounds like it could be your thing.

[Nollaig]

#28 The Herbalist - Niamh Boyce

 

Genre: Irish Culture/Historical Fiction

Synopsis: When the herbalist appears out of nowhere and sets out his stall in the market square he brings excitement to Emily's dull midlands town. The teenager is enchanted - the glamorous visitor can be a Clark Gable to her Jean Harlow, a Fred to her Ginger, a man to make her forget her lowly status in this place where respectability is everything. However, Emily has competition for the herbalist's attentions. The women of the town - the women from the big houses and their maids, the shopkeepers and their serving girls, those of easy virtue and their pious sisters - all seem mesmerised by this visitor who, they say, can perform miracles. The Herbalist is a riveting story about the shadow side of Irish life - the snobbery, the fear of sex, the tragedy of women destroyed by social convention and the bravery of those who defied it.

*** 

Review: What a fabulous book! When I was initially seeking out titles for my Irish Counties Challenge, this one immediately jumped out at me, both because of the synopsis and the beautiful cover. I'm delighted its lived up to my hopes for it. Short chapters alternate in viewpoints between several characters - mainly Carmel, Sarah, Emily and occasionally Aggie. Each girl or woman comes from a different background or place in society, and the day to day life of each becomes inextricably interwoven with the others over the course of the novel, resulting in a complex, multi-faceted illustration of life for women in 1930s Ireland.

In 1930s Ireland, maintaining (or failing to maintain) respectability by adhering to social convention was something that could make or break a woman and throughout the novel all of these women deal with potentially damning issues behind closed doors - often behind the Herbalist's doors. These days, while the judgemental nature of Irish society is not so overt or all-encompassing, a lot about this book actually feels very familiar -  the attitude to women, pregnancy, unwanted children and reputation is largely unchanged, although it is being challenged by modern debates over the persisting illegality of abortion in Ireland.

It is also an accurate depiction of a small town in Ireland, in which everyone knows everyone else's business and almost delights in gossiping about scandals - the only release for a repressed nation, another familiar association I make with my own small hometown. I'm no expert on 1930s Ireland, but this book feels very authentic to me - except, in hindsight, having read other reviews - the lack of a Catholic church presence in the form of a local priest seems like an unusual omission.

It is a gently-paced, slow moving story which is with soft, lyrical prose - difficult to believe it's a debut novel. Each of the characters is believable and nuanced, with a distinct voice that makes it easy to differentiate between narrators as they alternate from chapter to chapter. Though the novel meanders somewhat, it grows quite dark, moving in a direction that I should probably have seen coming (though I did not). Much in the way all gossip is whispered in these small communities, the author never outright states the details of what is happening, instead making observations from the perspective of our narrators and leaving the reader to fill in the gaps. What ultimately comes of this is a horrifying tragedy which is all the more horrific for never being spoken of.

Maybe a little slow to start, but don't let that put you off. An easy, though unsettling, and gorgeously written gem. I eagerly await Niamh's next novel!

Rating: ★★★★★ (it was amazing)

[chaliepud]

 

#28 The Herbalist - Niamh Boyce

 

Genre: Irish Culture/Historical Fiction

Synopsis: When the herbalist appears out of nowhere and sets out his stall in the market square he brings excitement to Emily's dull midlands town. The teenager is enchanted - the glamorous visitor can be a Clark Gable to her Jean Harlow, a Fred to her Ginger, a man to make her forget her lowly status in this place where respectability is everything. However, Emily has competition for the herbalist's attentions. The women of the town - the women from the big houses and their maids, the shopkeepers and their serving girls, those of easy virtue and their pious sisters - all seem mesmerised by this visitor who, they say, can perform miracles. The Herbalist is a riveting story about the shadow side of Irish life - the snobbery, the fear of sex, the tragedy of women destroyed by social convention and the bravery of those who defied it.

*** 

 

Review: What a fabulous book! When I was initially seeking out titles for my Irish Counties Challenge, this one immediately jumped out at me, both because of the synopsis and the beautiful cover. I'm delighted its lived up to my hopes for it. Short chapters alternate in viewpoints between several characters - mainly Carmel, Sarah, Emily and occasionally Aggie. Each girl or woman comes from a different background or place in society, and the day to day life of each becomes inextricably interwoven with the others over the course of the novel, resulting in a complex, multi-faceted illustration of life for women in 1930s Ireland.

 

In 1930s Ireland, maintaining (or failing to maintain) respectability by adhering to social convention was something that could make or break a woman and throughout the novel all of these women deal with potentially damning issues behind closed doors - often behind the Herbalist's doors. These days, while the judgemental nature of Irish society is not so overt or all-encompassing, a lot about this book actually feels very familiar -  the attitude to women, pregnancy, unwanted children and reputation is largely unchanged, although it is being challenged by modern debates over the persisting illegality of abortion in Ireland.

 

It is also an accurate depiction of a small town in Ireland, in which everyone knows everyone else's business and almost delights in gossiping about scandals - the only release for a repressed nation, another familiar association I make with my own small hometown. I'm no expert on 1930s Ireland, but this book feels very authentic to me - except, in hindsight, having read other reviews - the lack of a Catholic church presence in the form of a local priest seems like an unusual omission.

 

It is a gently-paced, slow moving story which is with soft, lyrical prose - difficult to believe it's a debut novel. Each of the characters is believable and nuanced, with a distinct voice that makes it easy to differentiate between narrators as they alternate from chapter to chapter. Though the novel meanders somewhat, it grows quite dark, moving in a direction that I should probably have seen coming (though I did not). Much in the way all gossip is whispered in these small communities, the author never outright states the details of what is happening, instead making observations from the perspective of our narrators and leaving the reader to fill in the gaps. What ultimately comes of this is a horrifying tragedy which is all the more horrific for never being spoken of.

 

Maybe a little slow to start, but don't let that put you off. An easy, though unsettling, and gorgeously written gem. I eagerly await Niamh's next novel!

Rating: ★★★★★ (it was amazing)

 

This sounds like a book I would line, another one for the wish list!  Great review! 

[Nollaig]

This sounds like a book I would line, another one for the wish list!  Great review! 

 

I really hope you enjoy it if you read it!

[Nollaig]

#29 The Spinning Heart - Donal Ryan

Genre: Irish Fiction/Culture

Synopsis: In the aftermath of Ireland's financial collapse, dangerous tensions surface in an Irish town. As violence flares, the characters face a battle between public persona and inner desires. Through a chorus of unique voices, each struggling to tell their own kind of truth, a single authentic tale unfolds. The Spinning Heart speaks for contemporary Ireland like no other novel. Wry, vulnerable, all-too human, it captures the language and spirit of rural Ireland and with uncanny perception articulates the words and thoughts of a generation. Technically daring and evocative of Patrick McCabe and J.M. Synge, this novel of small-town life is witty, dark and sweetly poignant.

*** 

Review: I'd been putting off both of Donal's books for a while now, and I'm not sure why. Perhaps because so many people have been raving about them that I was almost afraid I wouldn't like them. I needed haven't worried about this one, anyway. Each short chapter of this novel is told from the perspective of a different character living in a small Irish town. Through the 20 or so characters, a picture of life for individual people from different backgrounds slowly builds up, while we also get a broader picture of social life in a small town and the knock on effects of the financial collapse.

Donal definitely has an ability to capture every type of Irish character there is - more than once I found myself smirking at the perfect depiction of a thoroughly Irish trait - such as one woman bitching endlessly about a co-worker/friend for an entire chapter, and then adding that sure she loves her anyway. Other aspects of the Irish psyche are captured in a state of turmoil - men confused by emotions they've been taught never to express, young people facing the uncertainty of emigration and undefined futures. The reason that I loved this book is that the characters are so authentically Irish. It's impressive that Donal can both evoke so many distinct personalities in one book and also that he can convey them in a single chapter apiece.

The reason I gave the book four stars, rather than five, is that while I admired the characterisation wrought in these short chapters, I did not like the myriad perspectives as a narrative device. The plot was largely obscured by all the voices, and a few times it took me longer than it probably should have to work out who people were referring to. The two main dramatic elements of the plot both seem somewhat unlikely, and fairly undramatic as a result of being indirectly depicted. However, while I didn't think much of the plot, my problems with it didn't detract too much from my enjoyment of the novel.

Definitely going to check out anything else he writes.

Rating: ★★★★✰ (I loved it)

[Nollaig]

I'm actually skipping three other book reviews to post this - I'll come back to them, I just had to get this out.

 

#30 Radiance - Catherynne M. Valente

 

Genre: Sci-Fi/Fantasy/Alt History/Space Opera
Synopsis:  Severin Unck’s father is a famous director of Gothic romances in an alternate 1986 in which talking movies are still a daring innovation due to the patent-hoarding Edison family. Rebelling against her father’s films of passion, intrigue, and spirits from beyond, Severin starts making documentaries, travelling through space and investigating the levitator cults of Neptune and the lawless saloons of Mars.  Severin is a realist in a fantastic universe. But her latest film, which investigates the disappearance of a diving colony on a watery Venus populated by island-sized alien creatures, will be her last. Though her crew limps home to earth and her story is preserved by the colony’s last survivor, Severin will never return. Radiance is a solar system-spanning story of love, exploration, family, loss, quantum physics, and silent film.

*** 

Review: Every now and then, a book comes along, which poses great demands on your attention and maybe even your patience. You wade in slowly at first, correctly anticipating something dense and drawn out, but you become so compelled by the need for answers that you start to tear through the story, at the risk of missing some vital detail. In the end it turns out that this approach - having all the seemingly incongruent pieces freshly fluttering around your mind -  is the most perfect way to achieve that moment of coherence, where all the pieces suddenly click into a broad frame. You have your structure, and all that's left is the delight of focusing the shot to reveal the final picture.  That has been, for me, the experience of reading Radiance.

It took me a few hours to process this book, and I'll freely admit that it took me a while to figure out whether I genuinely loved it, or if I was simply dazzled by the complex construction of - what seems to me to be - a largely simple plot. I think it is safe to say that there are layers to this novel I have missed out on - Shakespearean and mythological references which mean nothing to me. I also have zero familiarity with pulp sci-fi, space operas, alt history novels... you get the picture. But despite the convoluted, multi-faceted structure, and possibly layers I've missed, the plot is as simple as the synopsis suggests. The beauty - and only potential challenge - of this novel is in perceiving how the elaborate and achronological trappings layer upon each other to, ultimately, exemplify the very ideas the novel conveys.

Told in the form of interviews, adverts, radio shows, home movies, audio transcripts, film scripts/ revisions, critics' reviews, and spanning several decades as well as several planets, the novel explores a real life mystery - the destruction of Adonis on Venus, and the subsequent disappearance of Severin Unck - through the lens of a camera, through the revelry of Hollywood, through the human inclination to answer unanswerable questions by creating stories to fill the gaps. Broadly speaking, there are two threads - firstly, what actually happened to Severin, the few facts of which are documented in interviews and the few remaining segments of her final documentary. Secondly, what might have happened to Severin; endless possibilities written and rewritten by her father in an attempt to deal with her loss, do her existence justice, derive comfort from some kind of explanation for the simply unknowable truth of her disappearance.

I adored the character of Severin. In a lot of ways, I adored her father too. He, a revered film-maker of dramatic, gothic romances, and she, seeking only to illustrate fact and truth. I admired Severin more as I am normally the kind of person who wants a clean cut purpose and ending - a clear truth that can be pinned down and illuminated and pointed to - like Severin does. Venus, Adonis, the Callowhales. The mystery of these called to me in the exact same way it called to Severin, and honestly that is the core of the novel for me. I drove through all the excess and speculation to get to a truth that neither I nor Severin nor anyone will ever actually be privy to, and somewhere along the way I learned to be okay with that. I like to think Severin did too. All the same, I like to think the proposed resolution was true. It's beautiful and satisfying. What use would our stories be if we could not believe them?

This is a gorgeous, accomplished work of art. Intricate writing, vast and detailed world-building which could only be born of immense imagination. I'm not going to say this book was flawless - it was somewhat self-indulgent, overwrought and occasionally redundant for a plot and a concept that is ultimately relatively simple, but in the end that didn't matter, for me. There is so much more that I could say, that I could attempt to break down and convey (in a non-spoilery manner). But I've chosen the angles and shots that I feel best capture the story as I read it, and I've edited them into this final cut. Catherynne Valente, I am in awe.

Rating: ★★★★★

 

ETA: Cookie for anyone who actually wades through this wall of text! 

[Athena]

Great review . I'm glad you really enjoyed this book. It shall go on my 'recommended' list .

[Hayley]

 

 

ETA: Cookie for anyone who actually wades through this wall of text! 

 

 

Thanks for the cookie  . I would never have picked up Radiant based on the synopsis but your review makes it sound brilliant so I'm now adding it to my list!

[Nollaig]

Great review . I'm glad you really enjoyed this book. It shall go on my 'recommended' list .

 

Thanks for the cookie  . I would never have picked up Radiant based on the synopsis but your review makes it sound brilliant so I'm now adding it to my list!

 

I hope you both enjoy it if ye decide to read it. It is very much fantastical pulp sci-fi and space opera told through movie scripts. I feel like I have to emphasize that, because they are not things I myself like. But... I still loved this book. So who knows, hopefully ye will too!

[bobblybear]

I shall add Radiance to my Wishlist. I'm not totally sure if it's my kind of book, but your enthusiasm is catching!!

[Nollaig]

I really can't vouch for it for anyone else - it's so quirky and strange and demanding that it would be unfair to suggest anyone else SHOULD read it. But if you're brave enough to give it a go, I *really* hope you like it!

[Nollaig]

#31 Hollow City - Ransom Riggs

 

Genre:Young Adult/Fantasy/Historical Fiction
Synopsis: This second novel begins in 1940, immediately after the first book ended. Having escaped Miss Peregrine’s island by the skin of their teeth, Jacob and his new friends must journey to London, the peculiar capital of the world. Along the way, they encounter new allies, a menagerie of peculiar animals, and other unexpected surprises. Complete with dozens of newly discovered (and thoroughly mesmerizing) vintage photographs, this new adventure will delight readers of all ages.

*** 

Review: I'm not going to give this a full review, as I never do for series books beyond the first. Instead, I'll compare my enjoyment of this with the first.

Obviously, since this got only 3 stars versus the first installment's 5, I didn't like this one as much. For the most part, it was quite good, but there was a heavily fantasy-based section early on which I couldn't stand at all (and which I felt was actually very out of place in the novel). Aside from that, I had two major issues with the book.

1. The photos. In the first book, most of the photos are portraits, which makes sense - photos of the kids in their house/surroundings. In the second book, there are photos illustrating scenery at moments of actual life-threatening danger, and I'm sitting here thinking, 'oh so someone is coming to kill you but you're just gonna photograph this. Cool I'll wait.' No. Sorry. Didn't work.

2. Repetition. Endless circling of the same dilemma over and over by Jacob. Without any credible resolution in the end, either.

Aside from those issues, I thought the story broadly progressed well, and had a pretty awesome twist or two. I've heard the third book is better than this one, but I can't honestly say I'll be rushing out to get it.

Rating: ★★★✰✰ (I liked it)

[Nollaig]

#32 Bogmail - Patrick McGinley

Genre: Irish Culture/Crime/Comedic/Mystery
Synopsis: In a comic Irish mystery worthy of Kingsley Amis or Peter Ustinov, Roarty, a pub owner, kills his teenage daughter's lover, drops the body into a bog, and returns to his pub, only to find he is the object of blackmailer's attentions. 

*** 

Review: This book started off absolutely fantastically, and for a solid third of it I was convinced it was going to rack up five stars. It's darkly funny and beautifully written. The description of rural Irish landscapes found here I can only compare with the likes of Seamus Heaney - the first man to make me think of a bog as something that could be, if not beautiful, then something to be appreciated. I really liked Roarty - even though he is a murderer and I don't agree with him, his logic is darkly amusing and does not make him an unlikeable character. I liked many of the other characters too, as well as the insight provided into rural Irish life.

My biggest issue with this novel was that the focus seemed to shift almost indiscernably from being about Roarty, to being about his prime suspect, an Englishman spending a few months living in the area and attempting to integrate with the tightly knit local community. Potter's story revolved a lot more around a past relationship by comparison with a relationship he strikes up in the community, and comparing life in England with Ireland. Basically it bore no relation to the other main plot about a guy being blackmailed for murder. In the end, the blackmailing was only a minor feature with a very unsatisfying resolution.

Had this novel focus much more heavily on the actual bogmailer and Roarty, I think it could have been fantastic. As it was, it felt disjointed. That said, the writing was articulate, intelligent and often beautiful, so I haven't been put off trying another by McGinley.

Rating: ★★★✰✰ (I liked it)

[Nollaig]

#33 A Parachute in the Lime Tree - Annemarie Neary

 

Genre: Irish Culture/Historical Fiction
Synopsis: April 1941, neutral Ireland. Kitty awakes in remote Dunkerin to find a German parachute caught in one of the trees in her garden. When she discovers Oskar, injured and foraging for food, he becomes a rare and exciting secret. But Ireland during the Emergency is an uneasy place, and news of the parachute soon spreads.

*** 

Review: I wanted so much to love this book, but it fell a bit short for me. Literally, I think being too short was actually the problem.

The three main characters didn't really have time to develop and then way too much time was spent giving a detailed epilogue for each of the stories we barely get a glimpse of to begin with. I also found the initial part, set in Germany, a bit of a slog. Once Oskar got to Ireland and Kitty and Elsa became more involved, I began to enjoy both the 'present day' settings and the glimpses into the pasts of Elsa and Oskar. I found Kitty and Elsa to be far more interesting than Oskar, though - while the book is pretty evenly split between three - I feel like he should have been the central focus and strongest character, tying the two girls together. A fourth character, Charlie, was likeable and tied in nicely with Elsa. I'd liked to have seen a lot more about the two of them.

I'm honestly not sure what else to say, about it. While it was enjoyable, an easy read, and interesting for the most part, it did little to convey the sense of life in either Ireland or Germany in that time period. I never really felt all that invested in the characters or story. By the end of it, I felt like I had read a broad first draft of a main plotline, before detail and subplots had been added.

Haven't been put off trying more by the author, but would love to see something a bit more substantial.

Rating: ★★★✰✰ (I liked it)

[Nollaig]

#34 The Ice Twins - S. K. Treymane

 

Genre: Thriller/Dark Fiction

Synopsis: A year after one of their identical twin daughters, Lydia, dies in an accident, Angus and Sarah Moorcraft move to the tiny Scottish island Angus inherited from his grandmother, hoping to put together the pieces of their shattered lives. But when their surviving daughter, Kirstie, claims they have mistaken her identity—that she, in fact, is Lydia—their world comes crashing down once again. As winter encroaches, Angus is forced to travel away from the island for work, Sarah is feeling isolated, and Kirstie (or is it Lydia?) is growing more disturbed. When a violent storm leaves Sarah and her daughter stranded, Sarah finds herself tortured by the past—what really happened on that fateful day one of her daughters died? 

*** 

Review: Even though I thought this book was... pretty bad, 1 star still feels a little harsh. I am, however, going by the Goodreads rating system, and 2 stars would mean 'it was okay'. It was not okay.

I had read so many rave reviews about this book that I thought I was in for a real treat. I really liked the concept behind it - the idea of not knowing which daughter is alive - and I was interested to see whether it would go down the supernatural route or the psychological route. That was ultimately answered, but everything was just so weakly executed that it didn't make for a particularly exciting revelation.

The main thing that annoyed me about this novel was how extreme and unlikely everything was. I understand wanting a clean break after a life-altering tragedy - moving to a run-down rural island is probably a bad way to do it. The remaining twin had absolutely zero personality outside of her abnormal behavior - I really didn't care which twin it was. As for her parents, their personalities were insanely mismatched and the only thing they seemed to have in common was the occasional desire for sex. Beyond that, most of the book is spent with each parent speculating about the thought process going on in the other's head and jumping to extremely dramatic conclusions, without ever actually communicating with each other. Angus, particularly, seemed somewhat sociopathic.

In short, I found the whole thing flimsy and far-fetched. Couldn't honestly recommend it.

Rating: ★✰✰✰✰ (I did not like it)

[Nollaig]

#35  Time Present and Time Past - Deirdre Madden

 

Genre: Fiction/Irish
Synopsis: Fintan Buckley is a pleasant, rather conventional and unimaginative man, who works as a legal adviser in an import/export firm in Dublin. He lives in Howth and is married to Colette. They have two sons who are at university, and a small daughter. As he goes about his life, working and spending time with his family, Fintan begins to experience states of altered consciousness and auditory hallucinations, which seem to take him out of a linear experience of time. He becomes interested in how we remember or imagine the past, an interest trigged by becoming aware of early photography, particularly early colour photography. Time Present and Time Past, Deirdre Madden's eighth novel for adults, is about time: about how not just daily life and one's own, or one's family's past, intersect with each other.

*** 

Review: I'm afraid I may not have given enough time to this book. I thoroughly enjoyed it, and I feel like if I read it again it may even go up to a four star rating. I read it pretty quickly, easy to read as it was, and it's possible I didn't fully absorb it.

There's no real point to this novel, I don't think, beyond an examination of the broader timeline of one's life, past and present, and how the former influences the latter and ultimately, the future. Fintan considers his past, his memories, and how, when revisited, things are not necessarily as we remember them. He also ponders the future, what will become of his children. Essentially, it's one guy feeling a little troubled by the idea of the 'bigger picture', something that seems a little like a mid-life crisis. There's no questions posed about this idea and no answers offered, is it merely stepping outside the box of 'here and now', a contemplation of where a small group of people have come from and where they will end up.

The characters are diverse and well-written, believable and typically Irish. It is entirely focused on the relationships between members of an extended family, and set in Ireland just before the economic boom. This 'present', this specific snapshot of typical, day-to-day Irish life is beautifully portrayed, gentle, interesting to read despite being largely unremarkable. I suppose the best way to describe this is a meditation on the concepts of family, memory and time, as experienced through the eyes of one ordinary man. This is the first book I have read by Madden, and I definitely want to read more - though I think I'll take my time with the next one.

Rating: ★★★✰✰ (I liked it)

[Nollaig]

Whew, I just quickly wrote and posted five reviews. I'm only one behind now - but I'm heading to Dublin this afternoon so I'll be reading on the train and I'll probably be up to three reviews to write by Monday!

[Athena]

Great reviews ! It's a shame none of the books were that brilliant for you though. I hope you'll read some more enjoyable books soon . Have fun in Dublin!

[Anna Begins]

Shame you aren't around today, I was going to use you . I'm on the hunt for something weird and strange today, though you could help lol

 

Have a great time in Dublin!

[Kylie]

1. The photos. In the first book, most of the photos are portraits, which makes sense - photos of the kids in their house/surroundings. In the second book, there are photos illustrating scenery at moments of actual life-threatening danger, and I'm sitting here thinking, 'oh so someone is coming to kill you but you're just gonna photograph this. Cool I'll wait.' No. Sorry. Didn't work.

 

I could be wrong, but I think it was because Riggs was able to write a story around the photographs he already had in his collection for the first book, but for the second book he had to try to find photos to match where he was going with the story. I think it shows, given some of the directions the plot took! But it didn't bother me too much. I can't remember whether this improved or was the same in book 3, but the story itself was very good, I thought.

[Michelle]

Wow - I quite liked The Ice Twins! We do seem to disagree on books quite often! 

[bobblybear]

Nice reviews! While I was reading the synopsis of The Ice Twins, I was thinking 'This sounds brilliant!', so I was surprised to see you gave it one star. I'll add it to my wishlist anyway, though it will probably be years before I ever get to it.