Ooshie's Reading List 2010

[Weave]

Her Fearful Symmetry by Audrey Niffenegger

 

I am really not quite sure how to summarise the plot of this book, so I will cheat and use the blurb from the back of the book!

 

"When Elspeth Noblin dies she leaves her beautiful flat overlooking Highgate Cemetery to her twin nieces, Julia and Valentina Poole, on the condition that their mother is never allowed to cross the threshold. But until the solicitor's letter falls through the door of their suburban American home, neither Julia nor Valentina knew their aunt existed. The twins hope that in London their own, separate lives can finally begin but they have no idea that they have been summoned into a tangle of fraying lives, from the obsessive-compulsive crossword setter who lives above them to their aunt's mysterious and elusive lover, who lives below them and works in the cemetery itself.

 

As the twins unravel the secrets of their aunt, who doesn't seem quite ready to leave her flat, even after death, Niffenegger weaves together a delicious and deadly ghost story about love, loss and identity."

 

A thoroughly enjoyable read, full of ghosts and family secrets, I half wish I had saved it for reading on cold winter's nights in front of the fire. Or maybe Hallowe'en, with its great descriptions of Highgate Cemetery and its inhabitants! Very atmospheric and intriguing.

 

Oh I have this on my tbr, I might move it up somewhat, thanks Ooshie

[Ooshie]

Thanks Weave, I hope you enjoy Her Fearful Symmetry, I know it has divided opinion a bit.

 

pontalba, I was getting on quite well with The Sound and the Fury, but by using what is perhaps an unconventional method - I read up on the book using SparkNotes so I had a reasonable idea of what was going on, and then just "experienced" the book itself (I'm not quite sure how else to describe it - I just allowed the text to flow through my mind without consciously trying to place any of it in context!). I had finished the first two sections, and so still have two sections to go, but think I need to revive my reading mojo a bit and will leave it for a while to go back to those.

 

The only Doris Lessing books I had read previously were The Fifth Child, which was excellent, and its sequel Ben, in the World, which was also very good although slightly less so I thought. The summary of The Fifth Child on Wikipedia is as follows:

 

"The book describes the changes in the happy life of a married couple, Harriet and David Lovatt, which occur as a consequence of the birth of Ben, their fifth child.

 

The novel is in some senses a traditional "gothic novel", but is tackles a variety of themes encompassing childhood development, the nuclear family, the difficulties of pregnancy, and the treatment of disabled children . The novel's most significant passages play uppon universal human rears of the unknown, in the ein of much great horror fiction.The text attempts to address and question the notion of the family as something natural or inherently human, instead of a construct of dominant patriarchal culture. Harriet is marginalized by her own family for being the bearer of a thing of otherness (Ben)."

 

 

Edited October 24, 2010 by Ooshie

[Ooshie]

Confessions of a Fallen Angel by Ronan O'Brien

 

After having a near-death experience during an accident while playing football, a young boy finds that he has dreams which seem to prophecy the deaths of people close to him. These dreams continue on throughout his life; the dilemma is, should he intervene to try to thwart fate?

 

I very much enjoyed this book. It was quite a quick read, not difficult at all, and just what I needed to entertain me in the bath! It is very poignant in places, darkly comedic in others, and I enjoyed the tale from beginning to end.

[Ooshie]

Vanity Fair by W M Thackeray

 

A satirical novel of manners and society in early 19th century Britain, originally published as a serial, I read this book for this month's BCF Reading Circle - and shamlessly steal Kylie's summary of the story:

 

"No one is better equipped in the struggle for wealth and worldly success than the alluring and ruthless Becky Sharp, who defies her impoverished background to clamber up the class ladder. Her sentimental companion amelia, however, longs only for caddish soldier George. As the two heroines make their way through the tawdry glamour of Regency society, battles - military and domestic - are fought, fortunes made and lost. The one steadfast and honourable figure in this corrupt world is Dobbin with his devotion to Amelia, bringing pathos and depth to Thackeray's gloriously satirical epic of love and social adventure."

 

I have two feelings about this novel that are difficult to reconcile.

 

On the one hand, I found it well written, and there were only a couple of short parts of a few pages each that I actually found boring and skipped over. On the other hand, I found it just too long for the relatively light story-line (obviously a result of the serial format), and by near the end was totally fed up and didn't care at all what happened to any of the characters any more.

 

I would say that overall I enjoyed the book, but it has left me with my reading mojo sidling off towards the horizon and definitely needing some TLC to revive it!

 

See what I mean? Two completely opposing feelings! Maybe I just need a lie down with a cold compress on my head...or a big drink...

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[Mac]

Hnnnnnnng....POP....chink blub blub blub blub slurrrrp aaaaahhhhhhhhh

 

Delivered from the Supporter's HotTub!

[Ooshie]

Oh, Mac,

 

Just what I needed!

[Ooshie]

The English Patient by Michael Ondaatje

 

In this book, the story gradually reveals the histories of several people (including the burns victim the book is named after, and his nurse) who are living in a damaged Italian villa as the Second World War draws to a close. All have complex tales in their backgrounds, and these are very cleverly interwoven.

 

I finished this book around a week ago, but the story and the people in it are still with me. Beautifully written, it brings both the people and their circumstances to life most fully. The descriptions it contains are amazing, from the nerve-shredding tension of bomb disposal to the harsh beauty of the desert environment.

 

In case you haven't guessed, I loved it!

 

I read the book credited in the Acknowledgements regarding the nature of particular winds, Heaven's Breath by Lyall Watson, many years ago, and recommend it to anyone interested in an easy-to-read natural history of the wind written by a scientist.

[Ooshie]

Into the Blue by Robert Goddard

 

Unwilling to return to England, middle-aged Harry Barnett lives a quiet life on Rhodes, working in a bar and acting as caretaker of a friend's villa. Then a young female guest invites Harry to spend the day with her, and disappears without trace while they are on a mountain walk. Wrong-doing is feared and Harry, the obvious suspect, is forced to act to try and prove his innocence.

 

It's quite a few years since I have read any of Robert Goddard's books, and this is one of his earlier works which was lent to me by a friend who had enjoyed it enormously. While not being quite as keen on it as she was, it was a good mystery with twists which I didn't guess, and moved along nice and quickly. A good read for when you want something entertaining that's not hard going.

[Ooshie]

 

The Chrysalids by John Wyndham

 

David, a child telepath, lives in the farming community of Waknuk. Following The Tribulation (a catastrophe which has blighted land and caused mutations in people, animals and plants) the ruling fundamentalists regard even the smallest deviation from the norm as the work of the devil which must be destroyed. Usually these deviations are physically obvious, leading to crops and animals being destroyed and people sterilised and driven out of their communities, but as he grows up David realises that his own difference might lead to danger for himself and others.

 

A post-apocalyptic, science fiction novel, this was written with humour and extremely thought-provoking; it kept me gripped from beginning to end. A great read!

Edited November 5, 2010 by Ooshie

[Ooshie]

Well, I'm totally behind with my reviews again! And, of course, the longer I leave it the harder it gets to make myself get on with it. So, I'm going to post the titles just now and definitely (well, hopefully ) get them done this weekend.

 

The Small Hand by Susan Hill

 

Adam, an antiquarian book dealer, becomes lost while commuting back to London after meeting a client. He comes across driveway with a sign saying `garden closed' and, thinking there must be a large house there, decides to ask for directions. He finds that the house appears empty and verging on derelict and, as he turns to go back to his car, a small hand takes hold of his - only there is no one to be seen.

 

I thoroughly enjoyed this short book; while not overtly horrific, the tension builds gradually throughout the story and I found myself thoroughly engrossed in it. I enjoyed it all the more for the main character being an antiquarian book dealer!

 

The Redbreast by Jo Nesbo

 

Detective Harry Hold is having a rough time. Reassigned, having caused a high-profile embarrassment, he finds himself lumbered with surveillance duties. But working alone is just the way Harry likes it and it's not long before he discovers that a rare, high-calibre rifle, a type favoured by assassins, has been smuggled into the country.

When a former WW2 Nazi sympathiser is found with his throat slit, Harry suspects a connection. As his investigation unfolds and the bodies mount up, it becomes clear that the killer is hell-bent on serving his own justice. But who is he? And what is the link to events that took place over 50 years ago? One thing is for certain; he must be stopped.

I had bought this book after having read several others on BCF recommend his writing, and I wasn't disappointed! A really good thriller which kept me engaged from beginning to end - although II did have to concentrate a bit in order to keep straight in my mind which character was which.

 

O Pioneers! by Willa Cather

 

O Pioneers! (1913) was Willa Cather's first great novel, and to many it remains her unchallenged masterpiece. No other work of fiction so faithfully conveys both the sharp physical realities and the mythic sweep of the transformation of the American frontier-and the transformation of the people who settled it. Cather's heroine is Alexandra Bergson, who arrives on the wind-blasted prairie of Hanover, Nebraska, as a girl and grows up to make it a prosperous farm. But this archetypal success story is darkened by loss, and Alexandra's devotion to the land may come at the cost of love itself.

 

A good story, intertwining descriptions of the land and the lives, loves and hardships of the characters. I didn't actually enjoy it quite as much as the other books by Willa Cather that I have read, but still wasn't disappointed in it.

 

HMS Surprise by Patrick O'Brian

 

H.M.S. Surprise follows the variable fortunes of Captain Jack Aubrey's career in Nelson's navy as he attempts to hold his ground against admirals, colleagues and the enemy, accepting a mission to convey a British ambassador to the East Indies. The voyage takes him and his friend Stephen Maturin to the strange sights and smells of the Indian sub-continent, and through the archipelago of spice islands where the French have a near-overwhelming superiority. Rarely has a novel managed to convey more vividly the fragility of a sailing ship in a wild sea.

 

The third book in the Aubrey-Maturin series, this was another thoroughly engaging tale. Although each of the books could be read on its own, they always seem to me just like chapters of a longer story and I have had to be very firm with myself and not go straight on to the next one!

 

The Lion, The Witch and the Wardrobe by C S Lewis

 

Narnia ... a land frozen in eternal winter ... a country waiting to be set free. Four adventurers step through a wardrobe door and into the land of Narnia - a land enslaved by the power of the White Witch. But when almost all hope is lost, the return of the Great Lion, Aslan, signals a great change ... and a great sacrifice.

I have loved this book since I was a child, and was very glad to re-read it for December's BCF Reading Group, although it seemed much shorter and more simplistic reading it as an adult! (Yes, I know I should have expected that... )

 

Before the Storm by Diane Chamberlain

 

When the local church is razed to the ground, dozens of trapped children manage to escape - many helped by fifteen-year-old Andy Lockwood. Born with Foetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder, Andy is more like a little boy than a teenager, but in the eyes of the people he saved, he's a hero.

 

Laurel lost her son once through neglect and has spent the rest of her life determined to make up for her mistakees. Yet when suspicion of arson is cast upon Andy, Laurel must ask herself how well she really knows her son - and how far she'll go to protect him.

 

Very similar to Jodi Picoult's books in many ways - for example, the narration switches between the characters and there are in-depth explorations of family relationships. However, speaking as a Picoult fan, I have to say that I actually enjoyed this book more than I have enjoyed the last Picoult offerings. In fact, if I wasn't trying so hard not to buy any more books just now, then I would have Diane Chamberlain's other books in my Amazon basket right now!

Edited December 5, 2010 by Ooshie

[Ooshie]

The Snow by Adam Roberts

 

The snow started falling on the sixth of September, soft, noiseless flakes filling the sky like a swarm of white moths, or like static interference on your TV screen - whichever metaphor, nature or technology, you find the more evocative. Snow everywhere, all through the air, with that distinctive sense of hurrying that a vigorous snowfall brings with it. Everything in a rush, busy-busy snowflakes. And, simultaneously, paradoxically, everything is hushed, calm, as quiet as cancer, as white as death.

 

And at the beginning people were happy.

 

But the snow doesn't stop. It falls and falls and falls. Until it lies three miles thich across the whole of the earth. Six billion people have died. Perhaps 150,000 survive.

 

But those 150,000 need help, they need support, they need organising, governing. And so the lies begin. Lies about how the snow started. Lies about who is to blame. Lies about who is left. Lies about what really lies beneath.

 

I enjoy both science fiction and post-apocalyptic tales so I was really looking forward to reading this book and, for the first 50 pages or so, I wasn't disappointed. After that, however, the book is consists of a series of interviews and government papers. I found this way of presenting the story very dry and dull, and it definitely wasn't helped by the fact that the interviews etc were presented as having been censored, so the protagonists names were mostly replaced by [blank]. This made it not just uninteresting, but intensely irritating, too!

 

I still like the idea behind the book, but can't say I really enjoyed it.

 

 

[Ooshie]

The Big Snow by David Park

 

Northern Ireland, 1963. In a house with windows flung defiantly wide, a wife dies before her husband can make his confession. Elsewhere, an old woman searches desperately for a wedding dress in her dream of love. And in the very heart of the city, the purity of snow is tainted by the murder of a young woman, leaving one man in a race against time - to find the murderer before the snow melts.

 

This is the story of a time muffled and made claustrophic by unprecedented snow falls. Suddenly shaken free from the normal patterns of their lives by the extremity of the weather, people find their intimate desires thrown into sharp relief and David Park shows this flawed slice of humanity to be somehow glorious.

 

I thought this book was beautifully written, and the characterisations were excellent; however, I hadn't realised that it was really short stories joined only by the common backdrop of the snow - to the very end of the book I was waiting to find out how the characters were linked! I will enjoy it even more next time I read it, now that I know to savour each story on its own.

Edited December 30, 2010 by Ooshie

[frankie]

Looks like you've been a busy little bee, Ooshie! Thanks for your review on The Small Hand, it's on my wishlist but now I'm all the more keen on reading it

Edited December 30, 2010 by frankie

[Ooshie]

 

The Folio Book of Christmas Ghost Stories

 

This is a really lovely book, with twenty short stories by various different authors and fifteen beautiful illustrations. The authors include Charles Dickens, Edith Wharton, G K Chesterton and Muriel Spark, and almost every story left with me with a shiver up my spine as I read them at night in bed! Well worth a read for any fans of a ghost story at Christmas.

 

Looks like you've been a busy little bee, Ooshie! Thanks for your review on The Small Hand, it's on my wishlist but now I'm all the more keen on reading it

 

It's well worth reading frankie - I hope you enjoy it (although, do I have to apologise for having added to your lists??)

[frankie]

It's well worth reading frankie - I hope you enjoy it (although, do I have to apologise for having added to your lists??)

 

No you don't Fortunately for you I already had it on my wishlist. But you'd better think again about writing all the great reviews next year, or I'll might just have to start asking you for money for all the books