Alexi

(Copied from my book log) 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. This is my first Cronin, but I will definitely seek out more of his work.

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)

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)

Thanks guys 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 - so it's all getting a little on top of me at the moment.

Finally finished The Well of Loneliness by Radclyffe Hall. Full of 'literary merit' but what a depressing slog. That's in inverted commas because I can see what a brave novel this would have been to write in 1928 and the debate it created - I don't think it's particularly well-written. I've been reading some non fiction alongside it, but even so it's taken me ages to wade through!

I'm now tempted to swap Misses Mallet for Evelina after reading your review! Even if I don't, I will definitely read it at some point.

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

Not had that much time for reading lately and even less for reviewing Caught up with a few today and also finished The Stars Look Down by A J Cronin for the English Counties Challenge - a bloody brilliant read, much better than my previous one for that challenge (The Dark is Rising).

Oh dear. I seem to have rather different thoughts to the rest of you! I read this some weeks ago but only just getting around to catching up with my reviews.... (Copied from my book log) 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)

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)

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)

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.

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)

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)

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.

Sorry, I laughed at the thought of a book mysteriously vanishing into the ether! How frustrating though. Hope it appears! I've been catching up on your log and as usual enjoyed your reviews. We often have different tastes but I always enjoy reading your thoughts on things.

I'm now very intrigued by The Bloody Chamber following those two posts! Sorry you didn't enjoy Adrian Mole - I loved my rereading of it (rather typically, a few months before we decided on the challenge! I can't decide whether to read the next in the series or something else entirely for Leicestershire). But then I first read it, and the sequel, The Growing Pains of Adrian Mole, as a teenager. I also hate The Office, and although I wouldn't say Adrian is laugh out loud funny, I I do think it's entertaining read. I'm currently battling through The Well of Loneliness, which I think you said was a slog and depressing. There we entirely agree! I'm reading other things alongside it.

I gave Uncle Silas a 3 in the end - and given I can remember extremely little about it that seems fair! I do remember it being repetitive though. I'm nervous about The Darling Buds of May now, which I still have to read.

I feel the same about The Dark is Rising. I'm around 100 pages in and struggling. I've been stuck for about 3 days. Not only is it a counties book but it's a library book so persevere I must!

I hate to disappoint you ladies but I do have a TBR of 334 Not actually sure when I will get to it!

I bought this today. I'm intrigued - guess it's marmite but I hope I will love it (more than I do marmite ) Great review

Thanks guys (On phone, so can't multi quote...) The Cider House Rules looks pretty intimidating I think, both in size and themes, but it's massively rewarding. I didn't think I was a massive fan of classics but I'm starting to come round to them. I really didn't like Far From the Madding Crowd though I thought Wuthering Heights stood up much better than the majority actually - even if the amount of cousin marrying that goes on is a little... Gross by today's standards! Claire - I'm really looking forward to The Dark is Rising now! It's next on the list after The Art of Racing in the Rain.

Great review Like you, I'm wary of 'humorous' books - only a select few appeal and I find the rest forced. So I was a bit worried about this. No longer! Looking forward to it now.

Thanks Claire, that's really useful. I'll try and get hold of it in that case I really enjoyed the series. In fact, I might reread it!

Thanks ladies, I'll try and get hold of that one!