Janet's Log - Stardate 2016

[Janet]

Thanks, Will.    

 

I haven't read any of her books yet, but I've had my eye on that one and also on her book about Charles Dickens.    I'm going to try to read at least one more Hardy book first - I've only read four so far but I've enjoyed them all - I think three have had 5/5 for me.  The last one, The Well-Beloved, which I haven't reviewed yet was good, but not quite as good - I think I scored it 3/5. 

[willoyd]

The Dickens is IMO excellent too (as are the Pepys and Austen, which are the others I've read).  Tomalin is, I think, the biographer who finally revealed the true role that Ellen Ternan played in Dickens's life (she's also written a biography of Ternan called The Invisible Woman, which was made into a film). 

 

From the four I've read, I'd agree with you about Hardy, and the fact that The Well-Beloved is OK but not as good as the others to date.  My favourite so far is Far From The Madding Crowd (one of the English Counties highlights for me).  What are the three you've given 5/5 to?  I must get cracking with more of his novels too.

Edited August 30, 2016 by willoyd

[Janet]

Mrs McGinty’s Dead by Agatha Christie.
 
The ‘blurb’
An old widow is brutally killed in the parlour of her cottage…

Mrs McGinty died from a brutal blow to the back of her head. Suspicion fell immediately on her shifty lodger, James Bentley, whose clothes revealed traces of the victim’s blood and hair. Yet something was amiss: Bentley just didn’t look like a murderer.

Poirot believed he could save the man from the gallows – what he didn’t realise was that his own life was now in great danger…

Poirot is invited by Superintendent Spence to help solve the murder of Mrs McGinty who was apparently murdered by her lodger, James Bentley who was after her life savings. It seems like and open and shut case, but a young woman called Maude Williams who worked with the accused is utterly convinced that he is innocent. Poirot interviews Bentley in prison but the man says little to persuade Poirot of his innocence – but as Poirot is booked into a local guest house he decides to take on the case and investigate properly.

Mrs McGinty had worked as a cleaner in Broadhinny and had therefore been in and out of many houses. When Poirot comes across an old newspaper in the woman’s belongings it seems that she had stumbled on a secret… and this may have been the cause of the murder. Poirot must now use all his little grey cells, with the help of his friend the novelist Ariadne Oliver, to work out the motive, and therefore the murderer, but has he unwittingly put his own life in danger…

After what I felt was the slight dip in quality of the last Poirot we listened to, this one we felt was back on form again. There is some humour in this book (particularly due to the landlady of the guest house Poirot is staying it) and it zipped along at a good pace and we very much enjoyed it.

The paperback edition is 240 pages long and is published by HarperCollins. It was first published in 1952. The ISBN is 9780007121007.

4/5 (A good yarn!)

(Finished 28 June 2016)
 

[Janet]

The Dickens is IMO excellent too (as are the Pepys and Austen, which are the others I've read).  Tomalin is, I think, the biographer who finally revealed the true role that Ellen Ternan played in Dickens's life (she's also written a biography of Ternan called The Invisible Woman, which was made into a film). 

I didn't know she'd uncovered that incident. I thought there was going to be a TV adaptation of The Invisible Woman - I didn't realise it was a film. Pity I missed it - I will have to look out for it.

 

I think I've mentioned it before but I grew up in Higham, which was where Dickens' home, Gad's Hill, is. I've never been in it, but I believe it's open to the public now so next time I'm in Kent I might see if that's the case. Gad's Hill is a girls' public school now - my mother-in-law taught there. I'd love to see it.

 

(Edit - it opens about nine times a year, so maybe next year).  

 

From the four I've read, I'd agree with you about Hardy, and the fact that The Well-Beloved is OK but not as good as the others to date. My favourite so far is Far From The Madding Crowd (one of the English Counties highlights for me). What are the three you've given 5/5 to? I must get cracking with more of his novels too.

I've read The Mayor of Casterbridge (my first, in 2011 on a visit to Dorchester) Tess of the D'Urbervilles and Far from the Madding Crowd.  Although they all scored 5/5 Tess was definitely my favourite. 

[Janet]

Once Upon a Time… in the West Country by Tony Hawks.

The ‘blurb’
Waking in the middle of the night whilst on holiday, Tony Hawks declares an epiphany to his barely conscious partner Fran. Fed up of living in a city where the only contact with his neighbours in three years was a dispute over a boundary fence, his mind has been made up and it's time for a change... of postcode. At the age of 53, Tony is finally ready to renounce his London lifestyle and head for the countryside, and to his enormous surprise, Fran agrees.

Once Upon a Time in the West... Country tells the story of how a series of events lead Tony and Fran to uproot their city lives for a rural alternative in deepest Devon. Full of Tony's trademark mixture of humour, hope, adventure and absurdity, this book will chart their journey as they adapt from the relative ease of city life to the vagaries of a village community. But between organic gardening courses, attending village meetings and the impending birth of his first child, Tony still has time for one last adventure, cycling coast to coast with a mini pig called Titch.

Full of eclectic characters - including the best neighbour in the world - Once Upon a Time in the West... Country is the heartwarming and hilarious tale of Tony Hawks' new life in the country.

Comedian Tony Hawks suggests to his wife that they move from London to Devon and to his surprise, she doesn’t freak out but says she thinks it sounds like a good idea! They head West and purchase a cottage in a small village. Life is pretty idyllic and they soon settle in and before long the couple are expecting their first baby. They have the best neighbours – the man next door (his name escapes me and I’ve returned the book – thanks for the loan, Claire) is especially useful with all sorts of DIY projects.

Tony and Fran throw themselves into village life and soon find themselves joining committees and even participating in a tractor rally!

Devon is the only English county with two coasts – one in the South of the County, and one in the North, and Tony is challenged to travel from one to the other whilst being accompanied by a pig! Never one to eschew a challenge he agrees and soon he and ‘Titch’ are heading off on Tony’s bike – but this challenge is unlike any Tony has taken before – this time he is responsible for another life – the pig’s…!

Apart from the books of his I have read, I only really know only know Tony Hawks from the Radio 4 shows I'm Sorry I Haven't a Clue and Just a Minute. I’ve read a couple now and they’ve been very enjoyable. This one, which Claire (Chesilbeach) was kind enough to lend me was no exception. It’s not laugh-out-loud funny, but I enjoyed the gentle humour Tony injects into his writing and will definitely read more of his books.

The paperback edition is 368 pages long and is published by Hodder Paperbacks. It was first published in 2015. The ISBN is 9781444794809.

4/5 (I enjoyed it)

(Finished 30 June 2016)
 

[Madeleine]

I think those 3 Hardy books are my favourites too, I agree the Well-Beloved isn't quite as good, but I think my least favourites are A Laodicean (sp?) and Desperate Remedies.  But I remember quite enjoying Two on a Tower and the Trumpet Major, and Return of the Native which I re-read a couple of years ago, and his short stories are worth a read too if you fancy something shorter.

 

We stopped off at Dorchester for lunch on the way to Devon the other week, it's a nice little town.

[Janet]

Thanks, Madeleine. 

 

Dorchester is lovely - we went there on Saturday for lunch after a visit to Corfe Castle. 

[Janet]

 

Don’t Tell Alfred by Nancy Mitford.

The ‘blurb’
'I believe it would have been normal for me to have paid a visit to the outgoing ambassadress. However the said ambassadress had set up such an uninhibited wail when she knew she was to leave, proclaiming her misery to all and sundry and refusing so furiously to look on the bright side, that it was felt she might not be very nice to me.'

Fanny is married to absent-minded Oxford don Alfred and content with her role as a plain, tweedy housewife. But overnight her life changes when Alfred is appointed English Ambassador to Paris. In the blink of an eye, Fanny's mixing with royalty, Rothschilds and Dior-clad wives, throwing cocktail parties and having every indiscreet remark printed in tomorrow's papers.

But with the love lives of her new friends to organize, an aristocratic squatter who won't budge and the antics of her maverick sons to thwart, Fanny's far too busy to worry about the diplomatic crisis looming on the horizon. . .

Don't Tell Alfred continues the histories of the characters Nancy Mitford introduced in The Pursuit of Love.

This is the final book of the trilogy narrated by Fanny Wincham (née Logan), and in this book, Fanny’s husband Alfred is now the British Ambassador in Paris. Fanny has to find a way to fit into her new hectic way of life, but fortunately she has help in the form of embassy aide Philip and her cousin Louisa’s daughter Northey whom she appoints as secretary. The action in this book takes place many years after Love in a Cold Climate and Fanny also has to contend with the trials and tribulations of her four sons, with Northey’s difficult love-life and a Parisian Gossip columnist intent on stirring up trouble for Alfred within the columns of the newspaper – the refrain “Don’t Tell Alfred is often heard throughout the Embassy!

This was much slower than the first two books in the series. I really enjoyed the Uncle Matthew parts as he has consistently been my favourite character, so I was pleased he put in an appearance (even if it was only fleeting). I’m glad I finished the series, but it just wasn’t as funny as the first two – it felt as though it ran out of steam. I plan to read something else by Nancy Mitford just to see what it’s like. I don’t know anything about the rest of her books so I’d better get Googling!

The paperback edition is 240 pages long and is published by Penguin. It was first published in 1960. The ISBN is 9780241974704.

3/5 (it was okay)

(Finished 4 July 2016)
 

[Madeleine]

I love Corfe, sounds a lovely day out.

[Janet]

It was our first visit.  We intend going back next year and going on the train too. 

[Janet]

 

One by Sarah Crossan.

 

The ‘blurb’

Grace and Tippi don’t like being stared and sneered at, but they’re used to it. They’re conjoined twins - united in blood and bone.

 

What they want is to be looked at in turn, like they truly are two people. They want real friends. And what about love?

 

But a heart-wrenching decision lies ahead for Tippi and Grace. One that could change their lives more than they ever asked for...

 

This moving and beautifully crafted novel about identity, sisterhood and love ultimately asks one question: what does it mean to want and have a soulmate?

 

I was on a train to Swansea when I saw a poster for this book at Cardiff station; I thought it looked familiar and when I checked my photos on my mobile, sure enough, I had taken a photo of it in a book shop; I looked on Amazon and it was only 99p so buying it seemed like fate!

 

Everyone knows that twins have a special bond and Grace and Tippi are no exception but they have an extra bond in that they’re conjoined. They have been home-schooled, but when their funding is removed they have to attend a mainstream school. All Grace and Tippi want to be is normal teenagers, with normal teenage problems - they want friends and they want boyfriends and they want fun, but when a difficult decision has to be made, everything they have worked so hard to achieve threatens to come tumbling down and their lives will change forever...

 

This Young Adult book is written in blank verse and is unlike anything ever read before. The characters are full of personality and because of style of writing it’s actually a really quick read although the page count is 192 it’s much shorter than that and is easily readable in one or two sittings despite its brevity it really packs a punch!

 

The paperback edition is 192 pages long and is published by Bloomsbury Children. It was first published in 2016. The ISBN is 9781408827215.

 

4/5 (very good)

 

(Finished 5 July 2016)

[Janet]

 

84, Charing Cross Road by Helene Hanff

The ‘blurb’
This book is the very simple story of the love affair between Miss Helene Hanff of New York and Messrs Marks and Co, sellers of rare and second hand books, at 84 Charing Cross Road, London. Told in a series of letters in 84 Charing Cross Road and then in diary form in the second part The Duchess of Bloomsbury Street, this true story has touched the hearts of thousands.

I’ve read this before – back in 2010 - but it was chosen for book club so I thought I’d give it a reread to remind myself of the detail and to see whether my opinion has changed in the last six years. I’m pleased to report that it was equally enjoyable!

Helene Hanff writes to Marks and Co requesting a book. She receives the book and, impressed with the service she orders more books. Soon she is in regular communication with bookseller Frank Doel, and as time goes on, other members of staff start regular correspondence with her too! That first letter was sent in 1949 and as years passed and relationships developed, Hanff provided many food parcels and other rationed items for the staff and their families. This book, the first part of which is in the form of correspondence, the second in diary form is a great read. I haven’t seen the film – I’m definitely going to look out for it.

The paperback edition is 240 pages long and was published by Sphere. It was first published in 1970. The ISBN is 9780751503845.

4/5 (I enjoyed it)

(Finished 12 July 2016)

[Janet]

 

The Memoirs of Sherlock Holmes by Arthur Conan Doyle

The ‘blurb’
‘It is with a heavy heart that I take up my pen to write these the last words in which I shall ever record the singular gifts by which my friend Mr. Sherlock Holmes was distinguished.’

This collection of stories depict Holmes and Watson at their very best and solving some of their most notorious cases, culminating in ‘The Final Problem’. In this infamous tale, Holmes comes face-to-face with his greatest opponent, the criminal mastermind Professor Moriarty, at the Reichenbach Falls.

A collection of twelve stories including The Adventure of the Musgrave Ritual where two of a man’s servants disappear after reading a riddle that has been in the man’s family for generations but has remained unsolved – Holmes must try to solve it to find out what happened to the missing staff members, and The Final Problem where Holmes faces his arch-enemy, Professor Moriarty.

I do like the short stories but I think the first collection, The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes is my favourite. I’m half way through the books now and I’m looking forward to more. On Alex’s recommendation I’m going to leave The Hound of the Baskervilles until last.

The paperback edition is 384 pages long and was published by Oxford University Press. It was first published in 1893. The ISBN is 9780199555482.   I read it on Kindle.

3/5 (I enjoyed it)

(Finished 12 July 2016)
 

[Athena]

I'm glad One was good. I don't own that one but I own a few other books by the same author, one of which is also written in verse. Nice reviews !

[Janet]

Thanks, Gaia.    I hadn't heard of Sarah Crossan before this one.  I might try another of her books at some stage. 

[Janet]

I haven't been around much for a while as we've been away.

 

We had a brilliant week which started with a small wedding and reception in Devon (only 27 guests including the bride, groom and their children - it was the second marriage for both of them), followed by a quick coffee/cake and catch-up with Kay and Alan (Peter thinks it's around two years since he saw them!    ). 

 

We then headed to Newcastle for three nights, stopping overnight near Nottingham on the way and then two nights at a hotel at Scotch Corner in North Yorkshire. 

 

When I was younger my parents and I used to go to Cumbria once or twice a year, which involved my Dad driving overnight (going through central London).  I used to look out for the large hotel on the M1/A66 Junction and when I saw it, I knew we were on the last leg of our journey to my Aunt and Uncle's house!  It was lovely to stay in that hotel - I'm pleased to say it was gorgeous.

 

Instead of our usual Poirot, we listened to an 'Adam Dalgleish' P D James book in the car which we both enjoyed. 

 

I also finished a paper book whilst we were there - Another World by Pat Barker, set in Newcastle and started a Sherlock Holmes book.  I'm still behind with my reviews.  It was ever thus!   

[Athena]

I'm glad you had a great week away !

[Madeleine]

You've certainly been up and down the country!  Hope the journeys weren't too bad.

[Janet]

The Sussex Downs Murder by John Bude

The ‘blurb’
'Already it looked as if the police were up against a carefully planned and cleverly executed murder, and, what was more, a murder without a corpse!' Two brothers, John and William Rother, live together at Chalklands Farm in the beautiful Sussex Downs. Their peaceful rural life is shattered when John Rother disappears and his abandoned car is found. Has he been kidnapped? Or is his disappearance more sinister - connected, perhaps, to his growing rather too friendly with his brother's wife? Superintendent Meredith is called to investigate - and begins to suspect the worst when human bones are discovered on Chalklands farmland. His patient, careful detective method begins slowly to untangle the clues as suspicion shifts from one character to the next. This classic detective novel from the 1930s is now republished for the first time, with an introduction by the award-winning crime writer Martin Edwards.

Brothers John and William live with William’s wife Janet in their family farm, Chalklands, in a quiet Sussex village where nothing much happens. That is until John heads off on holiday, and later his car is found abandoned – there is no sign of John, just traces of blood. At first it seems that the case is one of kidnap until bones are discovered in some lime which is produced on the family’s farm. Inspector Meredith, with the help of local crime writer Aldous Barnet who was a good friend of the deceased, investigates this murder where the suspects include the deceased own family…

This is the third of Bude’s books that I’ve read and I do enjoy the nostalgic stories of a bygone age of detection. The village bobby having to cycle to people’s houses due to the lack of telephones, the flagrant disregard of a crime scene where the thought of putting items of interest into a plastic bag to preserve the evidence… all very old-fashioned by today’s standards, and yet still they make for an enjoyable read. I will definitely be reading more offerings from the British Library publishers.

The paperback edition is 288 pages long and was published by British Library. It was first published in 1936. The ISBN is 9780712357968.

3/5 (I enjoyed it)

(Finished 20 July 2016)
 

[Madeleine]

I love the British Library books, I have all of John Bude's on my tbr pile, glad you can recommend this one!

[Janet]

I'm glad you had a great week away !

You've certainly been up and down the country!  Hope the journeys weren't too bad.

Thanks - we had such a good week and no travel problems either.

 

 

I love the British Library books, I have all of John Bude's on my tbr pile, glad you can recommend this one!

I hope you enjoy them - they're obviously dated now, but good reads.

[Janet]

 

Mrs Dalloway by Virginia Woolf

The ‘blurb’
Clarissa Dalloway is a woman of high-society – vivacious, hospitable and sociable on the surface, yet underneath troubled and dissatisfied with her life in post-war Britain. This disillusionment is an emotion that bubbles under the surface of all of Woolf’s characters in Mrs Dalloway.

Centred around one day in June where Clarissa is preparing for and holding a party, her interior monologue mingles with those of the other central characters in a stream of consciousness, entwining, yet never actually overriding the pervading sense of isolation that haunts each person.

One of Virginia Woolf’s most accomplished novels, Mrs Dalloway is widely regarded as one of the most revolutionary works of the 20th century in its style and the themes that it tackles. The sense that Clarissa has married the wrong person, her past love for another female friend and the death of an intended party guest all serve to amplify this stultifying existence.

Oh Lordy! Well, to steal a phrase that has been used many times before, I was rather Afraid of Virginia Woolf! I'm not going to lie - I found reading this to be rather challenging.

I have read ‘stream of consciousness’ novels before, but none as tricky to follow as this. This may be frowned upon, but I actually did something I haven't done for a long time (since A Level English in 2006 to 2008) - I read the SparkNotes alongside it after I finished each section.

It was difficult to read as the subject matter and characters jumped from subject to subject quite a lot. I don’t consider myself stupid, but this was hard. There are so many five star reviews on Amazon that I really think I was missing something. Someone told me (before I started) that I should aim to read this in one day, but it actually took me nine days. That possibly didn’t help?

Overall I did enjoy it - I suspect it's a novel that would benefit from more than one reading. I might try it again at some stage, but then there are so many other books out there to read, but who knows.

I’m still rather afraid of Virginia Woolf, especially as this is meant to be her most accessible novel! Therefore, I'm not sure if I will read any more of her works – but I guess I should never say never.

The paperback edition is 224 pages long and is published by William Collins. It was first published in 1925. The ISBN is 9780007934409.

3/5 (I enjoyed it)

(Finished 31 July 2016)

 

[Janet]

 
Harry Potter and the Cursed Child - Parts One and Two by J K Rowling, John Tiffany and Jack Thorne

The ‘blurb’
It was always difficult being Harry Potter and it isn’t much easier now that he is an overworked employee of the Ministry of Magic, a husband and father of three school-age children.

While Harry grapples with a past that refuses to stay where it belongs, his youngest son Albus must struggle with the weight of a family legacy he never wanted. As past and present fuse ominously, both father and son learn the uncomfortable truth: sometimes, darkness comes from unexpected places.

It may seem an obvious thing to say, but this book is a play script, so it’s not going to read like a book, and although it’s J K Rowling’s story, the script was actually written by Jack Thorne. Bearing these things in mind, it will be different from the other books in the canon (for those who believe this is canon – and views are divided).

I have loved Harry Potter since I bought …Philosopher’s Stone for my 9 year old nephew in 1997 and took a sneaky peek – I then went and bought my own copy! So I was very excited when they announced that the play script would be released. I very much doubt I’ll get to see the play, especially as it involves two visits to the theatre but I am hopeful that it will be made into a film, especially as Dan Radcliffe has recently said he won’t rule out playing Harry again!

The story is not without its faults (and I didn’t really warm to Harry’s son Albus as I found him a bit too… whiney and self-pitying) but I did enjoy reading it. I didn’t find reading the script a problem. I have read quite a lot of plays over the last ten years. Obviously, I’d have preferred a book written by J K Rowling, but it was so good to revisit Harry et al! I gave it 5/5 – on reflection this might be a bit high perhaps as the 5 stars come from the subject rather than the content!

The hardback edition is 352 pages long and is published by Little, Brown UK. It was first published in 2016. The ISBN is 9780751565355.

5/5 (I loved revisiting Harry’s world)

(Finished 3 August 2016)

[Athena]

I'm glad you enjoyed reading Harry Potter and the Cursed Child. Reviews are pretty mixed I think (in general I mean, not on BCF). I'm glad you enjoyed it . I plan to read it eventually when there is a medium or small sized paperback edition.

[Madeleine]

Yes I might get the pb too, although I still haven't read book 7!