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Kate

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    Randolph's One Bedroom By Andrew Oberg

    in General Fiction

    Posted

    Author's description of the book:

     

    “Randolph’s One Bedroom” is a bit like watching TV, I suppose; all the stories revolve around one central character and setting, but are not necessarily related to each other. The book has been described to me as, “Coffee shop stories short enough for one latte” and “Kind of a cross between ‘Seinfeld’ and ‘Twin Peaks’”. I think both of those descriptions are great and wish I had come up with at least one of them.

     

    This is a book that consists of 20 short stories, all of which revolve around Randolph. They are random and quirky, but funny! The stories are not all linked in one linear story line, they are just glimpses or episodes in Randolph's life. He works in a coffee shop, so a lot of what occurs take place in that setting, although some of the stories are set in his home. Randolph lives in a place where it is winter for the majority of the year. This means people are trapped indoors and weird things happen as people suffer from cabin fever.

     

    I liked Randolph. He seemed like an ordinary bloke that just comes across strange things - such as the Neanderthal man buried by the rubbish bins outside work. He smokes, swears, drinks and dabbles in drugs - but these aren't the main things about him. He is a funny guy - he has wit and he isn't afraid to say what he thinks, even if it is inappropriate.

     

    My favourite character wasn't Randolph however. As the majority of the book is set in the coffee shop there are other regular characters. My favourite was Dave - the new assistant manager who got his position by sleeping with his superior. He is not all there, a bit odd, struggles under pressure and is nosey. He was so funny to read. His actions and words just made me laugh, and I can see why Oberg enjoyed writing him the most. The other character I loved was the Pastor. If he didn't get his way or didn't like something he damned everyone to hell. He just made me laugh!

     

    I don't think I have a favourite story, I liked them all. The crazy lady who lived upstairs was funny, as were most of the scenes in the coffee shop. Anything that involved Dave was great - especially when the shop was being robbed and even then he couldn't do what was being asked of him!

     

    This book is not long, and neither are the stories. They are funny and enjoyable. I didn't like the swearing or the pot smoking but other than that this is a great book. I read it in one day - I just couldn't put it down. This comedy fiction at its best and I recommend it to everyone.

     

    4/5

    Old School Ties by Kate Harrison

    in Women's Fiction / Chick Lit

    Posted

    ost%20new%20cover.jpgSynopsis:

    Friends - and enemies - reunited! They say your school days are the best days of your life and Tracey Mortimer would agree. Sixteen years ago she ruled! She was the most popular girl in school, had her own gang and was dating the cutest guy in her year. Now she's 32, stuck in a dull marriage that's only tolerable because her philandering builder husband is rarely at home. And though Tracey loves her two kids, a daily diet of alphabetti spaghetti and the Tweenies, isn't exactly thrilling...Then Tracey spots an ad from a TV company wanting to make a reality-style show on a perfect school reunion. She jumps at the chance to relive the 'good old days'. Only some of Tracey's classmates don't remember their schooldays as fondly...Suzanne Sharp is more interested in revenge than a reunion. Tracey made her teenage years a misery and what better way to lay the past to rest than to get payback on national television. Especially as there are a few old school secrets that Tracey probably wouldn't want broadcast on national TV, not least of which is Tracey's affair with her old form tutor...

    This is the second Kate Harrison novel I have completed, and I really enjoyed it. I read it in a day as I was eager to know what was going to happen. The protagonist, Tracey, is looking for more enjoyment in her life. Stuck at home with two small children and a husband who is often away, and often playing away from home. When a chance to get on TV and host a class reunion comes up Tracey jumps at the chance. Her memory of school is different from others - she remembers being popular and cool, whilst others, like Suzanne Sharp remember her as a bully, and Gary remembers having his heart broken by her when he discovers that she has an affair with her form tutor.

    This is an interesting book in that I didn't favour any of the characters, but I liked the story and kept reading for that reason. It was a book I couldn't put down - what a great storyline! It makes me wonder how people I went to school with remember our time there. Mind you - I was just a normal girl with a close group of friends, I wasn't bullied in secondary school and I wasn't the most popular. Tracey however, seemed to be both popular and the bully. I was interested to see how her memories differed from others. Gary didn't want to see her and Suzanne wanted revenge. Watching the story unfold was great! It was like watching reality TV! I felt a bit sorry for Tracey when things started to crumble, but I wasn't too gutted for her because she wasn't the best character.

    I found it fascinating reading how different people think they are received, and how they actually are. Tracey bugged me if I'm going to be honest. When she realised how she treated people she seemed to find excuses. She blamed her friend Melanie - if she hadn't hung around with her Tracey would have been nice. I didn't know what to make of Suzanne. She was lovely with the children but I wanted to tell her to "get over it". She was holding onto a grudge that I thought she should let go of. I didn't like Dave, Tracey's husband. He cheated on his wife and didn't really like his children. I got angry reading his character - he was just a horrible man. Although I didn't have a favourite character, I did have feelings towards to the characters and engaged with them, which makes for a good read.

    The ending was not a whole surprising but I liked how Harrison played out the reunion. It seemed realistic enough - with people remembering events and people in different ways. It was a fascinating read and an interesting look at society. There were some parts of the story that could have been focused on more, such as Tracey and her form tutor, and I think Harrison took the easy route there. Overall, however, this was a good read. This is fun chick-lit and I enjoyed it. I would give it 4/5 and will be reading more of her books in the future.

    Kate's Reading in 2010

    in Past Book Logs

    Posted

    I really liked that one Kate. I think it's his best book really (although there are a couple I haven't read)

     

    I really enjoyed this book too. I was surprised how similar the film is to the book as well (except the ending). It was great :D

     

    This week I have finished:

     

    - Maximum Ride Book 1: The Angel Experiment by James Patterson

    - Sarah Dessen: Along For The Ride

    Both I loved!

    Candide or Optimism by Voltaire

    in The Classics

    Posted

    19380.jpgSynopsis:

    A flamboyant and controversial personality of enormous wit and intelligence, Voltaire is one of the most intriguing figures of the eighteenth century Enlightenment. His masterpiece is Candide, a brilliant satire on the theory that 'the world is the best of all possible worlds.' The book traces the picaresque adventures of the guileless Candide, who is forced into the army, flogged, shipwrecked, betrayed, robbed, separated from his beloved Cunegonde, tortured by the Inquisition, etc., all without losing his resilience and will to live.

    I don't know what to say about this novel, except that is was very strange! The story follows Candide on his journey through life to find love and such life. However, he often finds himself in mischief or witness to some extraordinary stories. None of this puts him off his mission though.

    This is truly bizarre. I read it as it is on The Rory Gilmore list, and as I sit and reflect on the novel I just don't know what to say. There are elements of this story that will stay with me for a long time - such as the woman with one buttock or the ladies who entertained themselves with monkeys. These things are just odd. I've read other reviews of this book and found that people laughed all the through - I didn't, I was more bemused than anything. I didn't know what to think.

    For me, this wasn't a book that was about liking the characters. I think I only finished it because I wanted to know what other crazy scenarios Voltaire could think up. This book contains rape, murder, theft, slavery and a whole host of other things. This is not my usual read and thankfully it isn't very long - less than 200 pages. I don't think I enjoyed this book, I finished it just to see what else would come out the woodwork. Only 3/5 for me.

    Alice's Adventures In Wonderland by Lewis Carroll

    in Previous Reading Circle Books

    Posted

    1. Who was your favourite character and why?

    I didn't have a favourite character I don't think. I found Alice a bit irritating - I thought she was a bit pompous. I found the Queen funny, with her continual "off with their head!" She was just amusing. I was surprised by the fact I quite liked the Cheshire Cat. In the Disney film it freaked me out, but he was quite pleasant in the book.

     

     

    2. Was there a particular part you enjoyed/disliked more than the rest?

     

    I liked the tea party. It is one of the parts that has stayed with me. I was entertained by the idea of the game of crotchet, with live animals. The thought of them escaping did have me chuckling. I didn't like the swimming in the pool of tears though. I found that depressing to read.

     

     

    3. Was this the first book you've read in this genre/by this author, has it encouraged you to read more?

    I love children's classics and am hoping to read through the Wordsworth list. Although I only found this book "OK" it hasn't put me off. I prefer the books by Francis Hodgson Bennett to Carroll however I just love this genre. I don't think you can ever be too old for children's books.

     

     

    4. Were there any parts/ideas you struggled with?

     

    Again it is the idea of the pool of tears. That is something not in the film so it took me by surprise and I just didn't like it. Why was it there? It was so odd. And the animals all running away from her...I just found it a bit strange.

     

     

    5. Overall, was reading the book an enjoyable experience?

     

    It was an OK read. I would give it 3/5 I think. I won't be rushing to read it again. It wasn't as eccentric as I was expecting, and like I've said, I had no real favourites but it was a pleasant read, and not very long.

    Your Book Activity Today - Thread 12

    in General Book Discussions

    Posted

    In the post I received Randolph's One Bedroom by Andrew Oberg and from netGallery I received:

     

    - Miss Foster's Folly by Alice Gaines

    - Hunger by Jackie Morse Kessler

    - Presumed Dead by Shirley Wells

    - Betrayed by Claire Robyns

    - Karma Bites by Stacy Kramer and Valerie Thomas

     

    I'm currently listening to The Angel Experiment by James Patterson

    The Bell Jar

    in General Fiction

    Posted

    774308.jpgSynopsis:

    The Bell Jar
    tells the story of a gifted young woman's mental breakdown beginning during a summer internship as a junior editor at a magazine in New York City in the early 1950s. The real Plath committed suicide in 1963 and left behind this scathingly sad, honest and perfectly-written book, which remains one of the best-told tales of a woman's descent into insanity.

    I chose to read this book because it is on the Rory Gilmore Reading List. I wasn't sure what to expect as this is a hard subject to sensitively write about. However, I think Sylvia Plath did a super job. Of course, that might be because she did really commit suicide.

    The book is about Esther, a girl who moves to New York to work as a junior editor at a magazine. She experiences all sorts in New York, from the realisation that not all men are nice, to extreme food poisoning, by someone set on killing the magazine staff. Her downward spiral starts here, but gets worse when she moves home and can't get a job. She is stuck at home, sharing a bedroom with her always-pleasant mother. It is here that Esther has her breakdown, and tries to kill herself. The result is her ending up in hospital, where she experiences shock-therapy and has to cope with the death of people she knows.

    This book is enjoyable - if that is the right word. It is unsettling, and will haunt me for a long time I think. There are some images which will be hard to erase, but that does not spoil the book. It is not an easy topic to read but it is well written and I found myself wanting to keep reading more, to find out what happened.

    Esther was a character I found myself liking, and I didn't like watching her slip down the road of depression and suicide. I really wanted her to be OK. There were aspects of her situation I found myself relating to, and a few years ago I would not have been able to read this book. I wasn't bothered by the other characters - it was all about Esther and what happened to her for me.

    This is a very sensitive issue and I would approach this book with caution if mental health issues are close to you. That said, in my current mindset I enjoyed this book.

    4/5

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