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Alex's 2016 Reading


Alexi

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Hi Frankie! 

 

Your experience of Du Maurier is basically the opposite to mine then! I think Rebecca is fabulous, but I also love the suspense she creates in Jamaica Inn. This one just didn't stack up for me unfortunately. 

 

I've been reading lately but struggling to find time for reviews. Health wise I'm not too great at the moment and I'm working a lot. Also I'm at the age where wedding season is now upon us. I'm going on my second hen do of the year this weekend! 

 

So I am behind and I'm going to start to rectify that here, although some of the reviews may be a little...half arsed. 

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Glory for Sale by Jon Morgan

 

Synopsis: On November 6, 1995, Art Modell made it official: He would finally get his state-of-the-art stadium, but to do so, he'd have to move his beloved Cleveland Browns to Baltimore.While one old-guard National Football League (NFL) city mourned the loss of its rich Sunday tradition and another celebrated, a national uproar ensued. Fans, taxpayers, players, owners, and media responded to the move with anger, disbelief, and heated debate.

In today's NFL, franchises like the Browns are dangled before sports-hungry cities and states like golden carrots. Los Angeles, Chicago, Houston, Nashville, New York, Boston, and St. Louis are just a few of the cities affected by the "new" NFL, one in which big money and stadium economics have replaced fan allegiance and gridiron heroics. "Glory" now has its price.

Morgan takes you inside the deals that have changed the face of the NFL, and profiles the powerful men who've pulled them off. By examining the politics, economics, and drama behind the Browns' move to Baltimore, Glory for Sale raises two important questions that go right to the heart of modern professional football: Who wins? Who loses? (From Goodreads) 

 

Thoughts: I adore the sport of NFL and am an avid watcher, but I'm also British, and to us the idea of franchises moving across the country is a total horror. Football is the easiest comparison, and our clubs here are rooted in the geographical surroundings, where 50 years ago people used to walk to their local ground and get in for pennies. 

 

Or so my Grandad would tell you. ;)

 

The modern game has obviously changed a little bit and new stadiums have moved some clubs out onto industrial parks but essentially they remain part of the fabric of their community. The uproar when Wimbledon moved from south London to Milton Keynes and became MK Dons still lingers, and the worst insult we can imagine for them is to call them Franchise FC. 

 

So then to this book, which although written in the mid-1990s remains relevant today as the St Louis Rams, Oakland Raiders and San Diego Chargers battled this off season for the right to relocate to Los Angeles. 

 

Morgan is very good at explaining the issues, weaving economics and local politics seemlessly in with sport. I still think the idea of them moving hundreds of miles across the country is abhorrent (and realistically, MK Dons are probably not much further from Wimbledon than the San Francisco 49ers are from the centre of San Fran!) but I now have a much better understanding of why it happens and the machinations for how. 

 

And somehow he manages to present this in a readable way. Good stuff. 

 

4/5 (I really liked it)

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The Art of Racing in the Rain by Garth Stein

 

Synopsis; Enzo knows he is different from other dogs: a philosopher with a nearly human soul (and an obsession with opposable thumbs), he has educated himself by watching television extensively, and by listening very closely to the words of his master, Denny Swift, an up-and-coming race car driver.

Through Denny, Enzo has gained tremendous insight into the human condition, and he sees that life, like racing, isn't simply about going fast. (From Goodreads)

 

Thoughts: Deep breath. 

 

I wanted to love this, I really did. I know it's popular on here. But... Something just didn't click for me. Don't get me wrong, it's not a BAD read, I just didn't get the fuss. 

 

It took me a while to get into and I only really started to enjoy picking it up when the court case came into the picture. What an abhorrent way to treat your child, her husband and your grandchild. But it instantly gave the book a lift, and a purpose in my eyes. 

 

And then came the ending. Sentimental, sappy, and to be honest a little bit odd!

 

Maybe it's because I have cats, but although I enjoyed reading it and it didn't take long, there wasn't much emotional hold in this one for me, so I can't score it above a 3. 

 

3/5 (I liked it) 

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Hillsborough: The Truth by Phil Scraton

 

I cannot and will not assign this book a rating. The subject matter and the book itself is too powerful for that. This details the completely unavoidable deaths of 96 people, and the huge suffering their families went through afterwards as the names of their loved ones were soiled by the media and the government. 

 

It's a harrowing, painful read, but a necessary one. 

 

This happened to innocent football fans - and with the way football fans were treated in 1989 that's no real surprise, with literal pens locking them in like cattle as they were treated as criminals by the authorities who had learned no lessons from similar, but less tragic, incidents in earlier years. 

 

But the cover up by the authorities and the government was so total it makes you realise this could have happened to any sector of society if the credibility of those authorities had the potential to be challenged. 

 

Scraton takes you through all the myths and busts straight through them. He explains, in terrifying detail, what the survivors and the families of the victims were forced to go through by police and the justice system. And he places it in the context of Britain the the 1980s and the wider implications for sport and society as a whole. 

 

A ten-year-old, lying dead, having his blood tested for alcohol so his death could fit the narrative. Mothers being denied the chance to see and hug their children for the very last time by authorities only interested in clearing their own names. 

 

It's thought-provoking, it's emotional and it deals very well with a hugely controversial, emotive subject. 

 

In the light of the recent rulings and what we now know, I still found it a harrowing, eye-opening read. 

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Paris by Edward Rutherfurd

 

Synopsis: From Edward Rutherfurd, the grand master of the historical novel, comes a dazzling epic about the magnificent city of Paris. Moving back and forth in time, the story unfolds through intimate and thrilling tales of self-discovery, divided loyalty, and long-kept secrets. As various characters come of age, seek their fortunes, and fall in and out of love, the novel follows nobles who claim descent from the hero of the celebrated poem The Song of Roland; a humble family that embodies the ideals of the French Revolution; a pair of brothers from the slums behind Montmartre, one of whom works on the Eiffel Tower as the other joins the underworld near the Moulin Rouge; and merchants who lose everything during the reign of Louis XV, rise again in the age of Napoleon, and help establish Paris as the great center of art and culture that it is today. With Rutherfurd’s unrivaled blend of impeccable research and narrative verve, this bold novel brings the sights, scents, and tastes of the City of Light to brilliant life. (From Goodreads)

 

Thoughts: I read and enjoyed New York by the same author, a historical epic that takes us through from New York's beginnings when only Native Americans resided there through to 2001 and September 11. It was a magnificent read and I wanted more of the same from this. 

 

And I didn't get it. 

 

Whereas New York follows, largely, one family down the generations this follows three back and forth through time which can make it tricky to keep track of who is who and where exactly they came from. It also makes the historical arc difficult to follow and leaves a broken sense of momentum rather than how events and history build together. 

 

Whereas New York never dragged for one of its 900 pages, this felt like it could do with some editing down. 

 

Whereas New York dealt with the rich history of that city through the family, and we saw revolution, war, and the changing society through their eyes, this felt like romance was the main aim. We went through pages of pages of one love affair around World War I, yet the Black Death wasn't really touched upon. 

 

And the majority of the book takes place in the late 1800s and early 1900s. Paris isn't New York, it has a much longer time span so he had to try something different, but this city has a wonderful, rich history that seemed to go by the wayside in favour of some love affairs in the 1890s. 

 

It seems however that this is the work that even regular readers of Rutherfurd consider his weakest, and I shall give him another go with London or Sarum at some point in the future.

 

2/5 (It was okay)

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The Dark is Rising  by Susan Cooper

 

Synopsis: "When the Dark comes rising, six shall turn it back, Three from the circle, three from the track; Wood, bronze, iron; water, fire, stone; Five will return, and one go alone." Will Stanton turns 11 and learns from Merriman Lyon, the Lady, and Circle of Old Ones, that he must find six Sign symbols and battle the Black Rider, blizzard and flood. (From Goodreads)

 

Thoughts: I only read this because it is on the English Counties list. It's a children's book that never really appealed when I was of the target age range. 

 

However, I listened to the prequel, Over Sea, Under Stone, in preparation and got on really well with it so I had reasonable hopes for this one. 

 

I actually think listening to the prequel was a mistake. Not only does it feature different characters, there is an entirely different feel to it. I don't read much fantasy, but the first one is fantasy rooted clearly in reality. The children do not possess magical powers and the world doesn't suddenly start rotating on its axis. Everything takes place in a world we recognise. 

 

Not so The Dark is Rising and it annoyed me all the way through. 

 

I'm not a fantasy reader, but I like fantasy worlds to make sense in my own head. I don't want to be suddenly surprised 3/4 of the way through by something else the world can suddenly do to get the protagonist out of trouble. I want it to make sense in own head early on so I can get to grips with it. 

 

This is obviously a personal preference and these books are apparently hugely popular but it never ever engaged me and I found the final 50 pages a massive slog. 

 

2/5 (Meh)

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Health wise I'm not too great at the moment and I'm working a lot.

I'm very sorry to hear you're under the weather, Alex.  I hope you're soon on the mend.  :hug:

 

I'm sorry to hear you didn't like My Cousin Rachel very much - that's a shame.  I really enjoyed it.   I also enjoyed The Dark is Rising, although that's another that I think I slightly over-marked at the time.

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Health wise I'm not too great at the moment and I'm working a lot.

I hope you feel better soon :(

 

Shame you didn't like The Art of Racing in the Rain as much as others on here (including me). I've got several books by Edward Rutherfurd on my TBR (though not Paris), shame Paris wasn't so good. I have The Dark is Rising on my TBR, shame you didn't enjoy it so much. I hope your next reads will be more enjoyable.

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I want to read Rutherford's Russka, I hope to get to it sometime this year. I hear Sarum, about London is really good. I knew you liked New York, so bad you didn't have the same experience with Paris. Also disappointing as his books are so long!

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I'm very sorry to hear you're under the weather, Alex.  I hope you're soon on the mend.  :hug:

 

I'm sorry to hear you didn't like My Cousin Rachel very much - that's a shame.  I really enjoyed it.   I also enjoyed The Dark is Rising, although that's another that I think I slightly over-marked at the time.

  

 

Thanks J :) I don't think Yhe Dark is Rising would ever have really been my thing, but the prequel set me up for something entirely different to what it was, and I think that tainted it for me. Without that I think it might have got a 3, but we shall never know!

 

Just wanted to say hi *waves* I hope you feel better soon :)

  

 

Thanks lovely :hug:

 

I hope you feel better soon :(. Shame you didn't like The Art of Racing in the Rain as much as others on here (including me). I've got several books by Edward Rutherfurd on my TBR (though not Paris), shame Paris wasn't so good. I have The Dark is Rising on my TBR, shame you didn't enjoy it so much. I hope your next reads will be more enjoyable.

 

 

Thanks Athena! I've just finished a four star read, just haven't had time to renew it yet so there is hope! I had a very strong start to the year and it's taken until April for me to rate a book below 3, so I was probably due ;)

 

 

I want to read Rutherford's Russka, I hope to get to it sometime this year. I hear Sarum, about London is really good. I knew you liked New York, so bad you didn't have the same experience with Paris. Also disappointing as his books are so long!

Ha - I know! It's a long time to invest in "meh". I hear Sarum and Russka are both great, and reading the reviews Paris seemed to disappoint a few Rutherfurd fans so maybe just one to avoid. I love New York so that helped, but Paris is a wonderful city too with a fascinating history and I didn't feel it ever did it justice unfortunately.

 

  

Sorry to hear you're not feeling great, hope you fee better soon. And find more 4 and 5 star books! :D

Thanks Noll! Now I've got my run of 2s and 3s out of the way, I hope better is around the corner...

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Hope you feel better soon!

 

I loved The Art of Racing in the Rain, but then again, I'm very much a dog person. :D

 

I've yet to read any Edward Rutherford books. I've always been put off by the size of them, and have heard many mixed reviews. I'm sure I'll get to them eventually, but probably not when my TBR pile is as ridiculously big as it is now. :blush2:

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  • 2 weeks later...
  • 2 weeks later...

Thanks guys :hug: As you know J, I had a brilliant holiday(s), but it's meant I've been super busy without much time for reading. Even less for visiting here, and pretty much none for reviewing ;) 

 

But life does get in the way. We're currently trying to make a fairly major life decision as well - more major than the wedding :o - so it's all getting a little on top of me at the moment. 

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The Sign of the Four by Arthur Conan Doyle

 

Synopsis: As a dense yellow fog swirls through the streets of London, a deep melancholy has descended on Sherlock Holmes, who sits in a cocaine-induced haze at 221B Baker Street. His mood is only lifted by a visit from a beautiful but distressed young woman - Mary Morstan, whose father vanished ten years before. Four years later she began to receive an exquisite gift every year: a large, lustrous pearl. Now she has had an intriguing invitation to meet her unknown benefactor and urges Holmes and Watson to accompany her. And in the ensuing investigation - which involves a wronged woman, a stolen hoard of Indian treasure, a wooden-legged ruffian, a helpful dog and a love affair - even the jaded Holmes is moved to exclaim, 'Isn't it gorgeous!' (From Goodreads)

 

Thoughts: I have been listening to the complete works of Sherlock Holmes on audiobook in the car. I have read all but two novels before, but I'm listening in publication order so recovering old ground for most of it. This one is new to me though. 

 

I'm listening to the narration of Simon Vance and that really adds to it, he was born to narrate Sherlock! 

 

This reminded me that the long(ish) novels are far weaker than the short stories. Very much the exception for me when it comes to reading but there you go. 

 

Ultimately, he takes too long to set up the case for the relatively uninspiring denouement. And the racism, oh the racism. I know it's of its time, but it's still difficult to stomach.

 

However, I'm enjoying listening to them in the order they were published and I do love the rapport between Holmes and Watson. I'm not sure what mark this wold have got if I had read it rather than listened to the excellent Vance, but he bumps this up a bit. 

 

3/5 (I liked it)

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The Stars Look Down by A J Cronin

 

Synopsis: Robert Fenwick is a miner, and so are his three sons. His wife is proud that all her four men go down the mines. But David, the youngest, is determined that somehow he will educate himself and work to ameliorate the lives of his comrades who ruin their health to dig the nation's coal. (From Goodreads)

 

Thoughts: I hadn't heard of this novel before it was picked for the English Counties Challenge, but I bumped it up the list following Janet's excellent review. 

 

This starts just before World War I and continues into the 1930s, but so much of it resonates in today's society. 

 

A mining town in the North East where boys know from birth that their destiny is to go down the mines, with no other career option open to them. Except for our main character, who goes into teaching and then into politics with the aim of changing things for the better for his fellow workers.

 

The themes of capitalism and socialism are strong here, with the author clearly an advocate for the latter. But this isn't a preachy read, it's an absorbing one - and a very frustrating one as well, with the downtrodden workers struggling to exert any influence for themselves or secure safety measures. Ultimately, they just want to work and earn their crust, and it's sad when you realise how far the system has control over this little patch of the North East. 

 

And how that still resonates today in deprived areas.

 

Set against this are the ne'er-do-wells, those who take advantage of the situation for their own ends, both rich and (originally!) poor. Not everyone gets their just desserts come the end, and while you can take that as a quite depressing indictment of society, this doesn't feel like a depressing slog. The characters leap off the page and let us into their world. In this world, justice isn't always served. It's a slice of realism, but a thoroughly absorbing, dare I say enjoyable one. 

 

4/5 (I really enjoyed it)

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Ultimately, he takes too long to set up the case for the relatively uninspiring denouement. And the racism, oh the racism. I know it's of its time, but it's still difficult to stomach.

Wow, I had no idea the Sherlock Holmes books had racism, this is the first I've heard of it! Strange how not many people mention it. I can imagine it's difficult to stomach, it would bother me too.

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They were written 100 years ago - the books do unfortunately reflect how society was then.

 

But every black person is described as "savage". Ugh.

 

It's probably not mentioned much because non-whites very rarely pop up. I'm currently listening to The Adventures of, which is a revisit from a while ago and bar an indirect brush with the Ku Klux Klan, we haven't really come across anyone else from other races. (Although I did find it interesting that the initials KKK wouldn't have been an immediate clue to the mystery in 1902!).

 

In that story one of the victims is clearly racist, but it isn't a view overtly mentioned by any of the other characters so it doesn't jar as much - a Florida landowner in the 1800s was most probably racist, it is the descriptions put forward by Conan Doyle that reveal his own racism that turns the stomach.

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Thanks guys :hug: As you know J, I had a brilliant holiday(s), but it's meant I've been super busy without much time for reading. Even less for visiting here, and pretty much none for reviewing ;)

 

But life does get in the way. We're currently trying to make a fairly major life decision as well - more major than the wedding :o - so it's all getting a little on top of me at the moment.

I'm sure you'll come to the right decision for you - I hope it doesn't take too long to work out what's right for you. :hug:

 

Your trips away looked lovely   :)  We've got a busy time ahead too.  We're away next weekend for Peter's birthday (he doesn't know where we're going) and then I'm away in Swansea with some friends - coming back on Sunday and being picked up from Bristol by Peter and then we're heading to Kent overnight for a friend's funeral and then the following weekend we're away again for a week!  :D

 

The Stars Look Down by A J Cronin

 

4/5 (I really enjoyed it)

I'm very pleased you enjoyed this. :D

 

I'm *so* behind with my reviews.  :(  Every so often I come to one which I struggle with, and instead of either just writing a short review or moving on with the next one (for some reason I hate doing them out of order.  :blush:  ), I keep opening the file, I stare at the screen for ages and then go and do something else! 

 

Peter and I listened to The Sign of the Four in the car at the start of May.  I haven't reviewed it yet (I expect it's one I'll struggle with) but we also commented about the racist nature of it. 

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They were written 100 years ago - the books do unfortunately reflect how society was then.

 

[...]

 

In that story one of the victims is clearly racist, but it isn't a view overtly mentioned by any of the other characters so it doesn't jar as much - a Florida landowner in the 1800s was most probably racist, it is the descriptions put forward by Conan Doyle that reveal his own racism that turns the stomach.

 

This makes a lot of sense. 

 

Your trips away looked lovely   :)  We've got a busy time ahead too.  We're away next weekend for Peter's birthday (he doesn't know where we're going) and then I'm away in Swansea with some friends - coming back on Sunday and being picked up from Bristol by Peter and then we're heading to Kent overnight for a friend's funeral and then the following weekend we're away again for a week!  :D

I wish you lots of fun Janet :).

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Fear and Loathing in La Liga by Sid Lowe

 

Synopsis: Fear and Loathing in La Liga is the definitive history of the greatest rivalry in world sport: FC Barcelona vs. Real Madrid. It’s Messi vs. Ronaldo, Guardiola vs. Mourinho, the nation against the state, freedom fighters vs. Franco’s fascists, plus majestic goals and mesmerizing skills. It’s the best two teams on the planet going head-to-head. It’s more than a game. It’s a war. It’s El Clásico. (From Goodreads)

 

Thoughts: I'm a sports nut, and read quite a lot of sporting non fiction - but I shy away from the more 'traditional' reads. You won't find my shelves bulging with footballer autobiographies - although there are a couple in that genre worth reading. 

 

This is something a little different. Sid Lowe writes about Spanish football for the Guardian and various others, and he's an excellent writer. Here, he tells us the story of the two biggest clubs in Spain, and their unique rivalry. 

 

But this isn't just a list of football games - although they obviously do play their part! We see the rivalry through the prism of Spanish society itself, and this is where it is such a hit for me. I'm a history geek, so to see how this fits into the civil war, Francoism, World War II, and the question of Catalan identity is fascinating. Lowe is a historian himself as well as a football fan and writer, and it shows.

 

4/5 (I really enjoyed it)

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