Bobblybear's Book List - 2016

[bobblybear]

Great reviews! I'm glad you liked Finders Keepers.

 

Thanks. I'm still trying to catch up on them all!

[bobblybear]

Dearly Devoted Dexter - Jeff Lindsay

 

This is the second book from the Dexter series, which is about a serial killer working as a blood spatter analyst for the Miami Police Department.

 

In this book, one of Dexter's co-workers, Sergeant Doakes, gets the sense that something is not right with Dexter, and decides to tail him relentlessly. Dexter who is haunted by the urge to kill, is rapidly getting sick of Doakes, who is standing in his way of doing what he really wants. Things are further complicated when a current murder case forces the two of them to work closely together.
 

Unfortunately I didn't think this was as good as the first book. It is down to two main reasons, which I can't spell out because they would be pretty big spoilers! But it comes down to not liking what happens to one character, and not liking what is likely to happen to another character in future books. It strained credulity a bit and I know it's just supposed to be a fun read, but I felt uncomfortable reading about it.

 

The book was very, very gory, far more than the first book, and some parts were extremely stomach churning. It's told in a black humour, tongue-in-cheek manner, but it's still pretty gross.
 

I will continue with the series, but I think I might take a break from it for a while. I think I need something a bit more uplifting and positive!

 

3/6

[bobblybear]

The Silent Sister - Diane Chamberlain

 

Riley's father has just passed away and she returns to her childhood home in order to sort out his affairs. While going through some paperwork, she finds evidence that her sister Lisa – who was believed to have committed suicide 20 years ago – is very much alive.
 

This is classic Diane Chamberlain and it didn't disappoint. She really knows how to weave an intriguing story, and there is always a great deal of mystery with a few twists thrown in for good measure.

 

Unfortunately, I can't remember much else about the book so I will have to leave it at that.    I just remember enjoying it.

 

4/6

[Athena]

I'm glad you enjoyed The Silent Sister . Great reviews!

[Nollaig]

Unfortunately, I can't remember much else about the book so I will have to leave it at that.    I just remember enjoying it.

 

That happens to me all the time when I fall behind on reviews

[Anna Begins]

I liked Mr. Mercedes, I wasn't drawn to Finders Keepers, but I see I should read it. (I got distracted by your review of Poisonwood Bible )

[bobblybear]

This Must Be The Place - Maggie O'Farrell

 

This is the latest Maggie O'Farrell book, which was released earlier this year. I'm a massive fan and have read (and enjoyed) all her books, so I had high hopes for this one. I'm happy to say I wasn't disappointed.

 

Daniel Sullivan is an American, now living in Ireland. He is married to a once famous but now very reclusive film star, Claudette Wells. They have two young children together, and he also has another two children from his first marriage who live in America.

 

Daniel has moved on from his life in America, with Claudette. However, by sheer chance he catches a radio broadcast excerpt delivered by a woman he knew back in the 1980s. This and a few other events leads him to travel to America to unravel the mystery surrounding this woman.

 

There were a lot of characters to keep track of, and I got a bit confused with the constant jumping from one country to another and the timelines. A lot of her books are like that, come to think of it, but I think this one had more characters than usual.

 

I didn't like Claudette. She wasn't meant to be unlikeable but I simply couldn't warm to her, however that didn't detract from my enjoyment of the book.

 

It's a very non-linear story that jumps around in time, from the 1980s when Daniel was a young man living in America, and Claudette's career just starting, to 2013 when Daniel is trying to resolve issues from his past.

 

It's wonderfully written, and though it's a fairly decent size I read it pretty quickly. Another win for O'Farrell.

 

5/6

[bobblybear]

Chocolate Wars - Deborah Cadbury

 

Deborah Cadbury is a distant relative of the famous Cadbury's brothers who built up the famous chocolate brand. She's an author of 6 other books (on a variety of topics – I enjoyed her The Dinosaur Hunters, about the early years of fossil discoveries), so she's an author in her own right, but I guess she was very well suited to write this one, given her family connections.

 

This was a very detailed book and I found it so interesting to read about the history of so many of these giant confectionery companies (Rowntree's and Fry are mentioned throughout in plenty of detail) and how they got started and built up together. I was fascinated by the Quaker history and ideology that they built into their business, though funnily enough Cadbury's business took off when they went against Quaker principles, and decided to place advertisements for their products.

 

It surprised me how charitable these businesses were, and how they genuinely cared for their employees. They even had a rural home set aside for any employees who felt they needed to get away and have a break from everything.

 

It also covered the growth of Nestle, Hershey and Mars in a fair amount of detail.

 

It took us up to the recent takeover by Kraft. I wished there was a bit more about this, but I guess it was early days when the book was written.

 

The book has plenty of old photographs of key people, as well as the old factories and this provided a wonderful insight into this era.

 

Recommended.

 

4.5/6

[bobblybear]

Nod - Adrian Barnes (abandoned)

 

A strange illness has swept the world preventing millions from sleeping. Our narrator is one of the few who has no problems sleeping, but his partner is one of those people suffering from lack of sleep. Over the next few days, normal living begins to deteriorate as the effects of this illness spreads through society.

 

I wanted to like this so much, but in the end I had to abandon it about halfway through. It wasn't half as interesting as the premise sounded, and I didn't like the way it was written. I thought there was too much emphasis on certain characters, and rather than look at the impact on society as a whole, it became about a cult obsessed with one irrational man who claimed to have all the answers.

 

It's a pretty short book – maybe a bit over 200 pages – but even so I couldn't finish it.

 

2/6 (even though I couldn't finish it, I somehow feel it deserves more than 1/6. )

[bobblybear]

Forensics - Val McDermid

 

I'm always interested in books on forensics, and I'd had this on my wishlist for a while, but was very surprised to see it at the local library. I haven't read any of Val McDermid's fiction books (I'm open to recommendations)...not sure why as I've seen them around, but I just haven't got around to trying them out.
 

This is a very comprehsive look at all aspects of forensics. It covers the usual areas of blood spatter analysis, fingerprinting and DNA profiling. But it also delves a bit deeper into the history of how these sciences became refined, including many cases of injustice in the long ago past, when forensic science was still in it's infancy. It also looks at more modern computer based techniques which have assisted in tracking criminals online.
 

There are some illustrations as well, but nothing too gory.

 

The version I read was a hardback, and every page had a lifesize picture of a fly somewhere on the margin, which caught me off guard more times than I care to remember.

 

If you have any interest in forensics, then I would highly recommend this one as a very good overall view on all aspects of it.

 

5/6

[Athena]

Three great reads out of the four reviews, that's pretty good . Great reviews!

[bobblybear]

Thanks!   Yeah, I've been fortunate in my recent reads. Let's hope the trend continues!!

[Nollaig]

Literally all of these books sound interesting, except maybe the Maggie O'Farrell one. I have no idea if I'd like her books, I'm quite fussy about books that are basically just familial/social/romantic dramas.

 

Huge shame about Nod, it does sound really interesting!

[bobblybear]

The Maggie O'Farrell may not be for you then, as it is basically a familial/social/romantic drama.

 

You may enjoy Nod....it was shortlisted for the Arthur C Clarke award, so it can't be all bad. It just wasn't my cup of tea.

[Nollaig]

I do like some, there's Anna McPartlin whose books I love and they're basically that kind of drama too. Those kinds of books just rely very heavily on excellent characters and credibility, I think. Still, O'Farrell is a name I've heard around here a few times so I may give her a go I'll probably check out all those others too

[Anna Begins]

I'm stalking you lol. Don't know if you saw, but in the 5 or 10 thread, Finders Keepers and Prodigal Summer are two of the books I want to read this year- mostly because of you! I had no interest in Finders Keepers til your review and you gave me the push with Prodigal Summer

[bobblybear]

Oh cool! Hope you enjoy them.   Definitely stick with Prodigal Summer in spite of the dreadful opening chapter. I borrowed Flight Behaviour (also by Kingsolver) last weekend, so I'm looking forward to giving that one a read.

[bobblybear]

Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone - JK Rowling

 

This is a re-read for me. I fancied reading the series again, especially after enjoying The Casual Vacancy so much. For those who don't know (and I don't think that is anyone), this is the first book in the mega popular series about Harry Potter, boy wizard.

 

At the start of the book, Harry thinks he is just an ordinary boy who was dumped on the doorstep of his not-very-welcoming uncle and aunt as a baby. However, a few odd things have been happening around Harry lately and he is about to discover what he is and to be thrust into the new world (and school) of wizardry.

 

I enjoyed it. Even though it's a short book (compared to the others at least), the story is complex and detailed. I loved the way it was written – very easy to read, but enough depth in there for adults to enjoy it - and can see why people of all ages have lapped this up.

 

After finishing this one, I ended up buying the complete collection on Kindle, so I can now read them at my leisure.

 

5/6

[bobblybear]

The Bees - Laline Paull

 

Flora 717 is a lowly sanitation worker bee, but she was born a bit larger than her sisters, which sets her apart from them. This catches the attention of one of the 'wardens' who moves her into a different area role within the hive. From there, Flora moves through several positions within the hive, and eventually gets a role assisting the Queen. But then something happens which results in Flora breaking one of the most important rules of the hive, and she must struggle to hide her secret from the other bees.

 

This made me think of Margaret Atwood's The Handmaid's Tale, though I can't exactly put my finger on why. I think it's the general feel of the story, where the females are allocated to set roles, and live in an environment of constant conflict and betrayal. It was very interesting reading about hive politics and it's obviously well researched from the few things I have read online.

 

It's a very brutal, and graphic read....not a soft friendly tale about cute bees. Protect, Obey, Serve is their mantra and this is repeated throughout. There is a strict hierarchy amongst the bees and any bee doesn't follow the rules then they will be subject to the Kindness (which actually isn't very kind at all ).
 

I found it very easy to lose myself in the world of the hive, and at times I forgot that I was reading a completely fictional story about bees!!

 

Highly recommended, if you fancy something different and a bit on the dark side.

 

5/6

[bobblybear]

Smoke Gets In Your Eyes - Caitlin Doughty

 

This is a very detailed look about all that happens in a funeral home, with a focus on cremation. The author has known from a very young age that she wanted to work with dead bodies, and everything she did in her early years was to fulfil that dream. She got her first job in the field when she was 23 – and this is where the book starts.

 

At first, I was very put off by the first chapter. It was too jocular and casual, and I did wonder about what goes on in the head of someone who genuinely wants to work in a crematorium (especially at that young age). However, as the author opens up a bit more about her personal life, she begins to reveal what piqued her interest in death and her first experience of it (which led to her later suffering from PTSD). These revelations made her seem a bit more human with a genuine concern, rather than some morbid gore-fanatic.

 

It follows her through the first days of her career, which involved collecting bodies and being involved in getting them presentable for relatives and loved ones. She describes what they look like in their natural form, what happens during viewings through to cremation or burial, and covers other stories involving her co-workers experiences as well.

 

She also describes how death is treated in other cultures, some of which was fairly stomach-churning.

 

There is a fair bit of black humour, and I laughed a few times but felt guilty doing so. Some of it was a tad on the tasteless side, and I think she could have been a bit more sensitive in describing what happens to deceased babies, but that is my only criticism.

 

She has a fascinating You Tube channel called Ask A Mortician, which expands on topics covered in the book.

 

Highly recommended if you are into that sort of thing.

 

5/6

[bobblybear]

Ham On Rye - Charles Bukowski

 

This was my first Bukowski and I really enjoyed it. It is said to be the most closely autobiographical of his books, but I don't know too much about him, so can't comment. I have since read a few things about him online, and this book does seem to follow his experiences quite closely, covering things like his severe case of acne and the impact it had on him growing up.

 

He writes through the character Henry Chinaski, who at the start of the book is in early high school, and we follow him through a reasonably difficult childhood to his early adult year. Unfortunately, I can't remember many of the details which is what tends to happen when you wait for months to write a review.

 

However, I do recall enjoying it all the way through.....I don't remember struggling at any point to read it. There's a bit of language and some graphic scenes, but nothing that I recall as being overly offensive.

 

5/6

[bobblybear]

The Hills Is Lonely - Lillian Beckwith

 

This is an autobiographical book from the author who is sent to Bruach in the Hebrides for a period of convalescence (not sure from what illness). It started off gently humorous and I enjoying reading about her adventures, as it was very different from life in London. Even the opening chapter of getting off the boat and into her new landlady's home during a bit of a squall was very funny. However, about half way through I started to struggle. There was no plot to speak of, with no progression of the characters. It just became a series of chapters about different events, and while interesting, it wasn't very motivating as there wasn't going to be a 'conclusion' to the book.
 

For this reason, I won't be reading any of the others, as I prefer a story with a character arc and some kind of pay-off at the end.

 

2.5/6

[bobblybear]

Cell - Stephen King

 

This was a re-read as I'm going through a Stephen King phase (when I can fit it in). However, it was not as good as I 'd hoped. I recall doing a fair bit of skimming the first time around, but I thought it just may have been the mood at the time, and that a re-read would be more engaging. Sadly, not the case.

 

A 'pulse' goes off which infects anyone who is using a cell phone or within hearing distance of one. This 'pulse' turns ordinary people into violent, flesh-eating 'zombies'.

 

Clay Riddell is an artist and is on cloud-nine after a successful interview. He is outside planning his journey home when the pulse hits and sees the effects immediately. His primary concern is his 14 year old son back home (quite a way aways) and his somewhat estranged wife. He bands up with a couple of survivors – Tom and Alice – and they slowly make their way out of the city.

 

This was extremely bloated, and after a promising start it just deteriorated into farcical events. I did struggle through to the end and can confidently say that it didn't get any better.
 

One to avoid unfortunately. The premise was interesting, but what happens after the pulse hits took the story off into a direction that just didn't get my interest.

 

2/6

[bobblybear]

This Is Life - Dan Rhodes

 

Aurelie Renard, is a young student in Paris, who is trying to find motivation for an art project. She comes across an idea of throwing a stone into a crowd, and filming the response. Unfortunately, the stone hits a baby in the head, and through a series of very strange events, Aurelie agrees to look after this baby for a week.

 

From this, we follow Aurelie as she struggles with this big change in her life, whilst trying to hide the truth from neighbours/friends for fear of the trouble it will bring.

 

In parallel to this, Le Machine is back in town. Le Machine is an artist, who tours the world staging an exhibition where he puts himself on display for a week or so, stark naked, and everyone can come and watch this process of 'life' through him. There is an awful lot of fascination with his various bodily functions as well.

 

The book follows the two main characters (as well as a handful of anciliary ones) through this one week of their lives, finding what drives and motivates and changes them.

 

It was perhaps a touch too quirky for me, and I couldn't fully lose myself in the story. I mean, I enjoyed it but it didn't grab me like it has other people.

 

3/6

 

 

[bobblybear]

The Book of Strange New Things - Michel Faber

 

I went into this book without reading any reviews or knowing anything about it. All I knew was that is was to be Faber's last book, as he felt he could no longer write following his wife's death.

 

I'm glad that I had no earlier knowledge of what the book was about, as there is a wonderful and subtle twist (well, I think of it as a twist, but it is openly mentioned in reviews) that really took me by surprise, and added another dimension to the story.

 

I was a bit worried about the subject matter as on the face of it, it didn't interest me. But having loved two of Faber's other books, I felt I should give it a go, and I'm so glad I did.

 

Peter is a missionary, who 'auditions' to be one of the select few chosen to spread the word of the bible. He is successful and has to say farewell to his beloved wife Bea, whom he will not have any contact for, for many months.

 

This was a story which was beautifully written. The start of each chapter is headed in bold with a partial sentence, which I soon learned was a part of the final sentence of that chapter. It probably sounds a bit gimmicky, but I enjoyed it because it gave a bit of a flavour of what was to come. The author uses different characters (they look hand-drawn) to symbolise how the people he is visiting speak the letters 's' and 't'. This just added to the uniqueness of the book.

 

It's a fairly long book - just under 600 pages - but it never dragged and I enjoyed every word. The story is mostly around Peter and his experiences, but also looks at what is happening with Bea, and whether their relationship is strong enough to withstand the distance between them.

 

The ending is fairly open, which is a bit of a disappointment, but at the same time I don't think a concrete ending would have worked. I was also somewhat puzzled by the ages of Peter and Bea. They read like a much older couple (say in their 50s) than their actual age which was mid-30s.
 

This is one of my favourite books of the year so far, and I wholly recommend it. I'd also suggest that you not read any reviews online beforehand, so you can get the element of surprise like I did.

 

5.5/6