chesilbeach Posted September 20, 2015 Author Share Posted September 20, 2015 The Awakening of Miss Prim by Natalia Sanmartin Fenollera. Synopsis: Prudencia Prim is a young woman of intelligence and achievement, with a deep knowledge of literature and several letters after her name. But when she accepts the post of private librarian in the village of San Ireneo de Arnois, she is unprepared for what she encounters there. Her employer, a book-loving intellectual, is dashing yet contrarian, always ready with a critique of her cherished Jane Austen and Louisa May Alcott. The neighbours, too, are capable of charm and eccentricity in equal measure, determined as they are to preserve their singular little community from the modern world outside. Prudencia hoped for friendship in San Ireneo but she didn't suspect that she might find love - nor that the course of her new life would run quite so rocky, would offer challenge and heartache as well as joy, discovery and fireside debate. The Awakening of Miss Prim is a distinctive and delightfully entertaining tale of literature, philosophy and the search for happiness. Review: I asked for this for Christmas as I was intrigued by the title and the synopsis, and the cover of the copy I have is beautiful, so I thought, it had a good shot of being a good read. On the whole, it was pretty good, but as it went on, I began to have doubts about the message it was giving about women and their role in society, and by the end, I was even more doubtful. In fact, the conclusion was wholly unsatisfactory to me, to such an extent that it has actually spoiled the experience of reading of the rest of the book for me. I still wonder if maybe I've not really taken on board something in the text, as I almost can't believe the conclusions I've drawn from it! Maybe I need to re-read it, and see if I've missed something … but then again, maybe not. We'll see. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chesilbeach Posted September 20, 2015 Author Share Posted September 20, 2015 Darkmere by Helen Maslin. Synopsis: Kate and her friends are spending the summer at Darkmere Castle in Devon - which she thinks will be a perfect opportunity for her to get together with Leo. But instead, she's drawn into the dark story of a nineteenth-century girl who haunts the tunnels and towers of the house ... and whose curse now hangs over them all. Review: One of my favourite authors raved about this YA book on Twitter after reading it, so when I saw it in an offer in Waterstone's, I couldn't resist. I absolutely loved it. Fantastic story, with teenagers who felt real to me, mixed in with the historical story of how the house came to be cursed thrown into the mix, this ghostly story was nicely creepy and chilling … I'm glad I read it on a bright summers day! Very atmospheric, I could definitely picture the house on the coast in my head, it made for a very satisfying read. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chesilbeach Posted September 22, 2015 Author Share Posted September 22, 2015 The Mangle Street Murders and The Curse of the House of Foskett by M. R. C. Kasasian Synopsis:Funny, fresh and sharply plotted Victorian crime starring a detective duo to rival Holmes and Watson. Gower Street, London, 1882: Sidney Grice, London's most famous personal detective, is expecting a visitor. He drains his fifth pot of morning tea, and glances outside, where a young, plain woman picks her way between the piles of horse-dung towards his front door. Sidney Grice shudders. For heaven's sake - she is wearing brown shoes. Set between the refined buildings of Victorian Bloomsbury and the stinking streets of London's East End, THE MANGLE STREET MURDERS is for those who like their crime original, atmospheric, and very, very funny. Review:I'm going to review the first two books of this series together. I loved the idea of these books, and I wanted to settle down to a new series that I could get my teeth into. I did enjoy the first one, but there's something about both March and Sidney that doesn't quite ring true for me, and I'm not quite sure why. I didn't find myself warming to either of them, and the letters that are gradually revealing March's past don't really seem to be adding anything to my understanding of her character. The problem with Sidney is that, to me, he's already too established as this amazing detective, and yet he seems a bit too arrogant and at times, almost an outsider to the story, rather than being at the forefront, and I feel like I wanted to come into his timeline earlier and find out how he became the masterful detective we meet at the beginning of the first book. The crime stories themselves are good, they kept my interest, and I was happy with how they were resolved by the end. However, after reading the second book, I think this might be the end of the line for me and this series, there's just too much else I'm more interested in reading. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chesilbeach Posted September 22, 2015 Author Share Posted September 22, 2015 Ayoade on Ayoade: A Cinematic Oddysey by Richard Ayoade. Synopsis: In this book Richard Ayoade - actor, writer, director, and amateur dentist - reflects on his cinematic legacy as only he can: in conversation with himself. Over ten brilliantly insightful and often erotic interviews, Ayoade examines himself fully and without mercy, leading a breathless investigation into this once-in-a-generation visionary. Only Ayoade can appreciate Ayoade's unique methodology. Only Ayoade can recognise Ayoade's talent. Only Ayoade can withstand Ayoade's peculiar scent. Only Ayoade can truly get inside Ayoade. They have called their book Ayoade on Ayoade: A Cinematic Odyssey. Take the journey, and your life will never be the same again. Ayoade on Ayoade captures the director in his own words: pompous, vain, angry and very, very funny. Review: This book is definitely one for Ayoade fans. If you don't know who he is, or his sense of humour, I think you might wonder what on earth you were reading, and I'm not sure you'd get on with it. On the other hand, if you've heard or seen him talking about the films he's directed, or even like his work on programmes such as Gadget Man, then you'll have an inkling of what to expect, and it's full on Ayoade. It's funny, very, very funny, and I loved it. I don't really know what else to say other than I had to suppress laughter in the office while I was reading it on my lunch break, and when I got home and picked it up again, I guffawed out loud a few times. It's as much about comedy as it is about film, but it is essentially about his work in films, at least in his own idiosyncratic way. Just a note on the format ... I was lucky in that I read in on my Kindle paperwhite, and each footnote is linked with the text, so when you click on them, they appear in a popup window which you close and you're immediately back at the same place. I'm not sure how it works in the paperback version, or on older Kindles, but if you have to keep going forward and backwards, it might become a bit wearing. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chesilbeach Posted September 22, 2015 Author Share Posted September 22, 2015 Hippy Dinners by Abbie Ross. Synopsis: In 1972 Abbie Ross’s cosmopolitan parents move the family from London to rural North Wales, exchanging a town house in Islington for a remote farmhouse on a hill. Abbie’s Liverpudlian grandparents – dedicated followers of Liberace, sleek in scented mohair and patent leather – are sure they’ve lost their minds. For Abbie, though, the only cloud on the horizon is the nearby hippy commune and its inhabitants. There are worrying signs that this is the sort of ‘better life’ that her parents have in mind. Brilliantly evoking a particular time and place, Abbie’s memoir re-creates a world of dens and pineapple chunks, of John Craven’s Newsround and fishing for sticklebacks – and the joy but also the burning powerlessness of being a child. Disgusted by her father’s ‘yogic flying’ and her mother’s taste for brown bread and billowing cheesecloth (with no bra), Abbie is desperate not to be different. Far better, she thinks, to fit in with shouting, pathologically nosy Sara across the fields,or stay close to Philip next door – paralysingly shy and with a preference for orange food and no trousers (‘nice to have a bit of air’) ... Review: i don't know why, but this book took me ages to read. Set in the 1970s, there were plenty of pop culture references I could pick up on and associate with, and on the whole it was a nice read. It's almost damning with faint praise, which isn't really fair. It was fun to read, a nostalgia piece for those of us of a certain age who remember the period, but for some reason, it just seemed to go on forever! I'm glad I read it, and if you grew up in the UK in the 1970s, I'm sure you'll enjoy it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chesilbeach Posted September 22, 2015 Author Share Posted September 22, 2015 The Curvy Girls Baby Club by Michele Gorman.Review:No synopsis as it will give away plot points from the first book (The Curvy Girls Club), but this short novella carries on where the first story left off. I'm not normally a fan of romcom writers going into baby writing, but I do like Michele Gorman's books, and it was good to catch up with the characters from the first book and see where life was taking them, and to look at how pregnancy and motherhood can affect womens lives and careers in society today. Not my favourite of hers because of the subject matter, but I still like her writing, and a good follow up to the original book. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chesilbeach Posted September 22, 2015 Author Share Posted September 22, 2015 The Lie Tree by Frances Hardinge. Synopsis: Faith's father has been found dead under mysterious circumstances, and as she is searching through his belongings for clues she discovers a strange tree. The tree only grows healthy and bears fruit if you whisper a lie to it. The fruit of the tree, when eaten, will deliver a hidden truth to the person who consumes it. The bigger the lie, the more people who believe it, the bigger the truth that is uncovered. The girl realizes that she is good at lying and that the tree might hold the key to her father's murder, so she begins to spread untruths far and wide across her small island community. But as her tales spiral out of control, she discovers that where lies seduce, truths shatter . . . Review: Another recommendation from an author on Twitter, I bought this in Waterstone's and got home to find it was actually a signed copy! This YA story is brilliantly set up, incredibly atmospheric, and the story itself was original and compelling. It's historical setting allows the heroine to challenge feminine stereotypes as well as the society rules of the time, and adds an eeriness to the story. I absolutely loved it … a real corker! Will definitely be looking up more of Hardinge's work, especially as Noll has read another of her books recently and rated it very highly. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chesilbeach Posted September 22, 2015 Author Share Posted September 22, 2015 The Tent, The Bucket and Me by Emma Kennedy. Synopsis: For the 70s child, summer holidays didn't mean the joy of CentreParcs or the sophistication of a Tuscan villa. They meant being crammed into a car with Grandma and heading to the coast. With just a tent for a home and a bucket for the necessities, we would set off on new adventures each year stoically resolving to enjoy ourselves. For Emma Kennedy, and her mum and dad, disaster always came along for the ride no matter where they went. Whether it was being swept away by a force ten gale on the Welsh coast or suffering copious amounts of food poisoning on a brave trip to the south of France, family holidays always left them battered and bruised. But they never gave up. Emma's memoir, The Tent, The Bucket and Me, is a painfully funny reminder of just what it was like to spend your summer holidays cold, damp but with sand between your toes. Review: Another journey back to the 1970s, but this time, it's mostly looking at camping holidays. This really hit the right note for me, as until I was teenager, almost all our family holidays were camping or caravanning, and so many of the stories recounted here rang a bell in my memory. I've read Emma Kennedy's children books (the Wilma Tenderfoot series) which I adored - very funny and charming, but this was the first of her memoirs I've read, and I was absolutely delighted to fall in love with it. Like me, Emma was an only child, which meant I associated even more with her stories, having to make friends with other children to play with, and spending rain-soaked afternoons playing board games with your parents. There will be a television series starting soon on the BBC called The Kennedys which will be loosely based on the book but focusing on Emma's family in general, rather than their holidaying, but I can't wait to see it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Janet Posted September 22, 2015 Share Posted September 22, 2015 I've got The Tent, The Bucket and Me on my wish list because, like you, I'm, an only child and spent many a holiday camping with my parents. I also have Verdigris Deep by Frances Hardinge on my wish list - it's been on there for several years now after I read a review of it in a paper. I'm half keeping an eye out for it second hand. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nollaig Posted September 23, 2015 Share Posted September 23, 2015 Wheeeee I'm so glad you loved The Lie Tree, I haven't read that one yet but it's good to know it's gonna be good when I get to it. Genuinely delighted you want to read more by her, I think she's wonderful. Also glad to hear Ayoade's book is good - I probably won't get to it for a while as I don't read a lot of non-fiction but I do love him! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Janet Posted September 23, 2015 Share Posted September 23, 2015 It was so good to see you today, Claire. Didn't the time just whizz by?! I've just watched GBBO and thought of you! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
poppyshake Posted September 23, 2015 Share Posted September 23, 2015 Haha .. just watched GBBO too .. very happy with that result! Lovely to see you today Claire, thanks for the coffee xx Hope you had a good journey back home again ... here's to the next BCF meeting xx Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chesilbeach Posted September 24, 2015 Author Share Posted September 24, 2015 It was definitely the right result for GBBO last night … his time to go. Had to look up what a religieuese à l'ancienne should look like and found some pictures from the French version of Bake Off where they had to do them as a technical challenge, but they looked much worse than our bakers attempts! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chesilbeach Posted October 27, 2015 Author Share Posted October 27, 2015 Went to the nearest Waterstone's to me yesterday, to find they're having a refit, and there's now a Waterstone's café in there … this could be disastrous now my own local café has closed! The way they've changed the layout, I don't think they've got any less space for books, and with the new light wood shelving gradually replacing the old black stuff and a nice new floor, it's actually a lot brighter and more welcoming than before. Only part way through at the moment, and they have lots of books packed away and were shelving them as each section is completed (can't exactly do this when they're closed anymore, now we have shops open 7 days a week), but I love the new look and feel so will be going back again to have a decent wander around when it's finished. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
poppyshake Posted October 27, 2015 Share Posted October 27, 2015 Went to the nearest Waterstone's to me yesterday, to find they're having a refit, and there's now a Waterstone's café in there … this could be disastrous now my own local café has closed! The way they've changed the layout, I don't think they've got any less space for books, and with the new light wood shelving gradually replacing the old black stuff and a nice new floor, it's actually a lot brighter and more welcoming than before. Only part way through at the moment, and they have lots of books packed away and were shelving them as each section is completed (can't exactly do this when they're closed anymore, now we have shops open 7 days a week), but I love the new look and feel so will be going back again to have a decent wander around when it's finished. Ooh .. sounds marvellous. Definitely a future meeting place Claire Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Anna Begins Posted October 27, 2015 Share Posted October 27, 2015 Went to the nearest Waterstone's to me yesterday, to find they're having a refit, and there's now a Waterstone's café in there … this could be disastrous now my own local café has closed! The way they've changed the layout, I don't think they've got any less space for books, and with the new light wood shelving gradually replacing the old black stuff and a nice new floor, it's actually a lot brighter and more welcoming than before. Only part way through at the moment, and they have lots of books packed away and were shelving them as each section is completed (can't exactly do this when they're closed anymore, now we have shops open 7 days a week), but I love the new look and feel so will be going back again to have a decent wander around when it's finished. That sounds awesome- we have very few bookstores here. I am sure there are lots in San Francisco though, City Lights Bookstore is a big one (started in the 50's!) and made its name with the Beat Poets. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chesilbeach Posted October 27, 2015 Author Share Posted October 27, 2015 Ooh .. sounds marvellous. Definitely a future meeting place Claire Would be perfect! It was still a bit new yesterday … they only opened the café at the weekend, and I'm sure I heard they had been giving away free coffee while they got used to the new machinery! They hadn't had any cakes or other food delivered, but did try one of the cookies, and when they tried to make my coffee, realised they still didn't have any saucers as they hadn't been delivered. Then while I was there, they had a milk delivery and their fridge was already full, so they had nowhere to store the delivery … a bit of chaos all in all! lol: That sounds awesome- we have very few bookstores here. I am sure there are lots in San Francisco though, City Lights Bookstore is a big one (started in the 50's!) and made its name with the Beat Poets. Fortunately, it's not too close to home, so it'll be a weekly visit at most, but probably less frequent than that, otherwise I could see far too many books entering the house! I've read about City Lights in The Yellow-Lighted Bookshop by Lewis Buzbee Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Athena Posted October 27, 2015 Share Posted October 27, 2015 The café sounds great . I don't think we have too many book shops in the Netherlands that involve cafés, or at least not near here. I can totally see it being very tempting to go for a cup of coffee or tea and then buy a book.. or more.. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Anna Begins Posted October 27, 2015 Share Posted October 27, 2015 Fortunately, it's not too close to home, so it'll be a weekly visit at most, but probably less frequent than that, otherwise I could see far too many books entering the house! I've read about City Lights in The Yellow-Lighted Bookshop by Lewis Buzbee I had to do a history report on Lawrence Ferlinghetti (the owner). I've never been, but a friend says its awesome. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
frankie Posted October 28, 2015 Share Posted October 28, 2015 Delighted to see that Robin Stevens series of books have been optioned for television and film adaptation! I've loved the three books in the series so far, and think they could be great on screen. http://www.thebookseller.com/news/stevens-boarding-school-mysteries-set-big-screen-310183 I remember you and Kay talking about this series and the first book on it went on my wishlist some time ago, and I'm now pleased to inform you that the local library has acquired a copy of it, so I can now borrow it and read it! Rather exciting new! The Peculiar Life of a Lonely Postman by Denis Thériault (translated by Liedewy Hawke) I love the sound of this! Going on my wishlist Somehow reminds me of Reader on the 6.27 by Jean-Paul Didierlaurent which I read and loved this summer. A book you might enjoy, too! Balzac and the Little Chinese Seamstress by Dai Sijie I'm so dead chuffed you liked this so much!! Such a big and great story in such a short novel. Magic! In the Orchard, The Swallows by Peter Hobbs Going on my wishlist! Oddly enough, the description of this novel reminds me of Balzac and the Little Chinese Seamstress Clay by Melissa Harrison. Synopsis: Eight-year-old TC skips school to explore the city's overgrown, forgotten corners. Sophia, seventy-eight, watches with concern as he slips past her window, through the little park she loves. She's writing to her granddaughter, Daisy, whose privileged upbringing means she exists in a different world from TC - though the two children live less than a mile apart. Jozef spends his days doing house clearances, his nights working in a takeaway. He can't forget the farm he left behind in Poland, its woods and fields still a part of him, although he is a thousand miles away. When he meets TC he finds a kindred spirit: both lonely, both looking for something, both lost. Review: This book is special. The writing is completely wonderful, particularly the wildlife and nature sections. A small story of three seemingly unrelated characters but as their paths cross, the drama of their stories is beautifully described on the pages. The book is set around a small park in London, we are treated to a year in the life of the ecosystem in the park, and how nature can affect those in urban areas. The descriptive sections of each chapter that chronicles the life of the park itself are fantastic. I don't remember the last time I read such beautiful nature writing in fiction, and I sincerely hope that Harrison will continue with this as a theme in future novels. As far as the story of the characters who meet in the park, there's an honesty about them - it definitely rings true - and at times is hard to read. I felt empathy for the characters, TC's story broke my heart, and Sophia and Jozef became real people in my head, and I wanted to be able to intervene in their lives and try to help others understand them. This book has stayed with me for a long time, and I've genuinely thought about it most days since I first read it. I don't often re-read, but I think I will with this book, and so far, it's one of the best books I've read this year. Highly, highly recommended. This one's also going on my wishlist! So odd, though. When I was reading the synopsis provided by you, it made me think I've read a similar book... I started wondering if I'm confused and I've read your review earlier. But no. It was Lost & Found by Brooke Davis I was thinking about. A young girl, an old woman, and a man, and lives come together somehow. Queerly similar!! The Wimbledon Poisoner by Nigel Williams. I like the sound of this, going on my wishlist! The Robot in the Garden by Deborah Install. Synopsis: Warm-hearted fable of a stay-at-home husband who learns an important lesson in life when an unusual creature enters his life. ... and this one, too... The Lie Tree by Frances Hardinge. ... as well as this one... The Tent, The Bucket and Me by Emma Kennedy. ... and this one. Your reading log is so, so dangerous!!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chesilbeach Posted October 29, 2015 Author Share Posted October 29, 2015 I remember you and Kay talking about this series and the first book on it went on my wishlist some time ago, and I'm now pleased to inform you that the local library has acquired a copy of it, so I can now borrow it and read it! Rather exciting new! Excellent! I hope you enjoy it as much as we did Your post really tickled me, frankie, and here's why ... I love the sound of this! Going on my wishlist Somehow reminds me of Reader on the 6.27 by Jean-Paul Didierlaurent which I read and loved this summer. A book you might enjoy, too! I've already got Reader on the 6.27 on my wishlist after reading your review. This one's also going on my wishlist! So odd, though. When I was reading the synopsis provided by you, it made me think I've read a similar book... I started wondering if I'm confused and I've read your review earlier. But no. It was Lost & Found by Brooke Davis I was thinking about. A young girl, an old woman, and a man, and lives come together somehow. Queerly similar!! And I've got Lost & Found on my wish list after your review … Your reading log is so, so dangerous!!! So it's not just my reading log that's dangerous … yours has already done some damage to!!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
frankie Posted November 3, 2015 Share Posted November 3, 2015 (edited) Your post really tickled me, frankie, and here's why ...[/font] I've already got Reader on the 6.27 on my wishlist after reading your review. And I've got Lost & Found on my wish list after your review … So it's not just my reading log that's dangerous … yours has already done some damage to!!! Well I'm glad to have made you pay for it already, in advance Also gotta love the sync in minds and books that happened there Edited November 3, 2015 by frankie Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
poppyshake Posted November 26, 2015 Share Posted November 26, 2015 Great to see you yesterday Claire I wish the time wouldn't whizz by quite so much .. we'd only just touched on books and Strictly Already looking forward to seeing you in December .. hope we can make it happen xx I managed to lose an earring! (yes .. even after we'd talked about it!!!) Oh God!! I shouldn't be allowed out Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chesilbeach Posted December 17, 2015 Author Share Posted December 17, 2015 Sorry it's taken me so long to respond, Kay. My new phone had arrived when I got home, and ended up engrossed in setting it up and playing around with it and then had loads of work to catch up on when I got back to the office, and now I've been poorly for the last couple of weeks and haven't felt up to much. We did have a lovely catch up, didn't we? The Waterstones cafe wasn't as exposed as I thought it would be, and it's lovely to be able to chat in amongst all those books! I'm almost back to normal now, but still not 100% and haven't wanted to spread my germs among everyone else, so might not be able to meet up this month, but I'm sure we'll sort something out soon. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chesilbeach Posted December 26, 2015 Author Share Posted December 26, 2015 I was a very lucky girl and received lots of lovely books for Christmas. Demolition Dad by Phil Earle Sunshine on Scotland Street by Alexander McCall Smith Cuckoo Song by Frances Hardinge The Winter Wedding by Abby Clements The Boy Who Drew The Future by Rhian Ivory Beswitched by Kate Saunders Puppy Academy: Scout and the Sausage Thief by Gill Lewis Puppy Academy: Star on Stormy Mountain by Gill Lewis The Sound of Whales by Kerr Thomson The Star of Kazan by Eva Ibbotson A Boy Called Christmas by Matt Haig Heartsong by Kevin Crossley-Holland and Jane Ray The Astounding Broccoli Boy by Frank Cotterell Boyce As You Wish by Cary Elwes I've been catching up with updating all my book lists this morning, and I'm almost up to date now. Now that Strictly is over, I'll have more time for my bookish activity, but I've realised just how far behind I am with my book reviews, so I think I might have to try and get some sorted this week, and try and catch up before the end of the year. Would love to have a nice clean start to the new year! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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