Nollaig's Reading Challenge

[Kylie]

What a lovely review, Roxi.

[Nollaig]

Awh, thank you

[Nollaig]

Jenny Downham

Before I Die

(2007)

 

Genre: Young Adult

Synopsis: Tessa has just a few months to live. Fighting back against hospital visits, endless tests, drugs with excruciating side-effects, Tessa compiles a list. It's her To Do Before I Die list. And number one is sex. Released from the constraints of 'normal' life, Tessa tastes new experiences to make her feel alive while her failing body struggles to keep up. Tessa's feelings, her relationships with her father and brother, her estranged mother, her best friend, her new boyfriend, all are painfully crystallized in the precious weeks before Tessa's time finally runs out.

 

In-Depth Ramble: This novel is described on the back cover as being 'life-affirming, uplifting, joyous.' I'm not sure who described it as such, but they weren't reading the same book as me. A lot about the book points to the author's being in possession of some degree of talent - the general structuring of the book, the easy readability and quite often the use of language. It's the sort of novel that will leave you scribbing down quotes for future reference, because the author really does display a certain way with words. The structuring of the ending is absolutely superb, and reading the 300 pages prior to it is almost worth it just to get caught up in how the end is portrayed. Unfortunately however, the novel suffers from a distinct lack of character depth. In some parts, it also lacks serious credibility. These are pretty major problems for a book that's trying to be heart-wrenching about a dying girl.

 

The main character, 16-year-old Tessa, is already suffering from something that the vast majority of readers aren't going to be able to relate to - terminal illness. So the trick with Tessa is to portray a girl who is in every other way possible to relate to, so that the reader can to some degree join in her suffering and mourn her loss. That's not really what happens, however. Tessa has serious moodswings (understandably, though not necessarily relatably) and generally ends up wishing the worst on everybody around her at some point. It's very difficult to feel sympathy for a hateful person, even when they're dying. But beyond that, Tessa never really seems to develop a personality of her own. Yes, the language used in much of the novel seems beautiful, but it never seems to be coming from a sixteen-year-old girl, so it's difficult to attribute it to her. The novel also notes on it's back cover that, 'sometimes the most unexpected things become important.' Yeah, when you can't out of your bed, and realise 'oh **** I'm really going to die.' It's hard to like a person whose death has to be pretty much upon them for them to realise what actually matters in life - most people figure it out a bit sooner.

 

The next best thing would have been to create secondary characters so loveable that even if the reader doesn't mourn Tessa's passing, that they would feel a degree of sympathy for the loss suffered by her family and friends. This doesn't really happen either. The characters all seem abstract, incomplete. They seem to have no real personality, and serve only to move the plot forward. Tessa's relationship with Adam seems completely unlikely and unbelieveable, we don't get a real sense of the difficulty the father has, the awkwardness of the mum, or any kind of comprehension from the little brother that his big sister is dying. In the end, what becomes saddening about the whole affair is not WHO is dying or WHO is being left behind, but rather that anybody is dying at all. So while the novel is readable, flowery in places and has a successful ending, it's not the sort of thing I would recommend to anybody to run out and buy - give it a glance if you've a few hours to spare.

 

Rating: 6/10

Edited June 6, 2009 by Nollaig

[Nollaig]

 

Derailed

James Siegel

(2003)

 

Genre: Thriller

Synopsis:

Advertising director Charles Schine is just another New York commuter, regularly catching the 8.43 to work. But the day he misses his train is the day that changes his life. Catching the 9.05 instead, he can't help but be drawn by the sight of the person opposite. Lucinda Harris: Charming, beautiful and a seductively good listener, Charles finds himself instantly attracted. Their journeys into work become lunch dates and eventually lead to a rented room in a seedy hotel. They both know the risks they are taking, but suddenly their temptation turns horrifically sour, and their illicit liaison becomes caught up in something bigger, more dangerous, more brutally violent. Unable to talk to his partner or the police, Charles finds himself trapped in a world of dark conspiracy and psychological games.

 

Long Ramble: Derailed is a fast paced action thriller which is easy and read and you'll find yourself simply unable to put it down. The suspence does not let up for a moment, evoking a sense of a clock counting down towards whatever fate awaits Charles Schine - a fate which becomes increasingly bleak as his life unravels in a spectacularly gripping way. While the book begins in third person, it soon moves over to first person narrative. I'm not entirely sure why this method was employed, nor what purpose it really serves, except for a slight dissociation between characters it might encourage so as not to spoil part of the ending too early. Either way, the first person narrative works wonders in this text; the whole story is a reminiscience on past events which are highly unlikely (and thus exciting to read.) The air of disbelief and irony permeating the narrator's tone as he decants to the reader the particulars of his experience allows for way to believe the events in the story he tells. You need not suspend disbelief to engage with this surreal thriller, because the author voices that disbelief for you, and makes it a part of the story. Any reader couldn't help but get wrapped up in the tale Charley Schine has to tell.

 

The other characters, (who, understandably are not a central focus in the mind of a man whose world is falling apart) are not neglected and while I didn't necessarily care for many of them to any great degree, they certainly weren't a hinderance to the book. On reflection, this is probably another testament to the writing ability of the author. Charles' estranged wife Deanna seems distant and hard to get to know - understandably, she is after all estranged from the voice of narration. His daughter, Anna, terminally ill and undergoing treatments at home, is one of the initial sources of unhappiness that leads Charles to his doom, in turning his attention away from his stressful family to the lovely Lucinda. While I didn't dislike Anna, I could certainly feel Charles' burden and almost empathize with his need to look elsewhere for comfort. Everything about the novel is crafted to perfection into the mind of Charles Schine. For the small role he plays, I still think Winston is probably my favourite character - especially in the movie. Watch out for him.

 

I had seen the movie Derailed (Clive Owen and Jennifer Aniston) prior to reading this book. As such, I already knew what was going to happen - and given that the book relies as much on it's twisting plot as on it's captivating characters, I was naturally wary that the book might be spoiled to some degree for me. And while I am disappointed I didn't get to read it without knowing what happens, it's certainly a credit to the author's ability that I thoroughly enjoyed the experience of just reading the book anyway - it's just THAT well written. A note for those who have read the book but not seen the movie - watch it. While Jennifer Aniston may not be the most perfect Lucinda, she does a great job and regardless, Clive Owen simply IS Charley Schine. The only problem I had with the book at all in fact was how dragged out the ending was. The actual events are a great wrap-up, but I think the movie cut the scenes to perfection, where the book simply rambled on a little too much. Perhaps it was just because I knew what was going to happen, and it took it's time getting there, but I still feel 20-30 pages less would have been good. All the same, it in no way detracts from the quality of the book as whole, which I would recommend to any fan of action thrillers.

 

9/10

Edited June 14, 2009 by Nollaig

[Nollaig]

This is just a post-it so I remember titles:

 

General Books:

 

Palimpsest - Catherynne Valente

Death At Intervals - Jose Saramago

Under The Skin - Michael Faber

Symphony - Jude Morgan

The Illustrated Man - Ray Bradbury

Leeway Cottage by Beth Gutcheon

The Lone Ranger & Tonto Fistfight In Heaven - Sherman Alexie

 

Ones Not So Important:

The Glass Books of the Dream Eaters - G. W. Dahlquist

Generation Dead - Daniel Waters

The Tempestuous Voyage o Hopewell Shakespeare - Sophie Masson

The Ghost Writer - John Harwood

Prospero's Children - Jan Siegel

The Eyre Affair - Jasper Fforde

Daemon - Daniel Suarez

Drood - Dan Simmons

World's End - Mark Chadbourn

The Somnambulist - Jonathon Barnes

The Wilderness - Samantha Harvey

Walking With God - Ginni Otto

Phantom - Susan Kay

 

Doppelganger thread books:

 

The Book Of Flying - Keith Miller

The Book Of Doppelgangers - Ed. Robert Sterling

Sophie's World - Jostein Gaarder

 

 

**************

Edited March 18, 2010 by Nollaig

[Nollaig]

 

Synopsis from back cover:

Alexandra O’Rourke, aged 16, is not a happy camper. It’s New Year’s Eve. She should be partying in San Diego with her friends, but instead she is stuck in Boston, with just her younger sister, Jackie, for company. As if that wasn’t bad enough, she is being haunted by Sarah, the ghost of a seventeenth century Puritan. Oh, and there is the small matter of the charge of witchcraft to be sorted out. Armed only with big shiny buttons and a helping of Boston Cream Pie, the sisters set out to restore the Natural Order. Can Alex solve the mystery of the Devil’s Book? Can Jackie help Sarah beat the sorcery rap? And can they do it before the fireworks display at midnight?

‘First Night’ is a highly original, quirky arrangement of humor, intelligence, research and a dash of courtroom drama. What first drew my attention to this novel was the level of history it appeared to draw upon, classing it in my mind as Historical Fiction for young adults. Indeed, it doesn’t disappoint. The author’s passion for history and love of the city are quite clear in the depth of research applied. Each chapter begins with a photo of an actual building, monument etc. in Boston, and a historical quote, which are often related to the central focus of that chapter. This supernatural story is firmly rooted in facts, and offers an abudance of information about Puritan life, customs and witch trials. This adds a level of realism and appeal which struck a chord with the adult in me, while my inner child was entertained by the witty, quick fire exchanges which highlight an action packed adventure of mystery and suspence.

 

First Night reads like a Young Adult novel – which is precisely what it is; it’s a fast paced, easy read which never gets overly involved. Well defined (but slightly underdeveloped) characters and a short although deep plot never quite allow you to forget that it is, in essence, aimed at a younger audience. Despite this, I found myself slightly disappointed that it is a Young Adult novel, as the standard of writing and concepts it explores surpass any typical Young Adult novel I’ve read. The language is precise, at times sarcastic, and above all highly intelligent. With regard to concepts, this novel doesn’t treat it’s audience as something to be merely entertained, but also as something to be educated, and provoked to deliberation about various ideas in the process.

 

The story starts out light-hearted and humorous, but gradually, layer by layer, it escalates into the realms of moral contemplation, as the mystery surrounding Sarah Pemberton’s trial becomes unraveled and exposed. It contains philosophical and sociological infusions contrasting two time periods, which are seperated by 300 years worth of change in culture and perception. Perhaps the only downside is how rushed the ending is. It isn’t by any means forced, in fact it’s a superb ending, but it struggles to express itself within the page limit. By the end, I almost wished it had been a 500 page adult novel with more detail. All the same, if more authors wrote like this for teenagers, they’d be a lucky bunch. Overall, this is a carefully crafted gem for knowledge-seekers. Impossible to put down, I’d recommend this to anybody, teen or adult alike, who wants a bit of light-hearted, but intellectual substance in their reading.

 

Rating: 8/10

[Nollaig]

 

 

Synopsis from Amazon:

The Demons have woken, the Dreaming has begun…

When a young man goes missing from the Fen village of Crow Haven, Inspector Jack Trent is sent to investigate. He finds an isolated, insular community which harbours a shocking secret. A secret he has already glimpsed in his dreams. Now, in a race against time, Jack must piece together the mystery surrounding Dr Elijah Mendicant and the ancient Darkness of Crow Haven. He must save the life of an innocent child and stop an ageless evil from rising once more.

But doubt remains. Can Jack overcome the demons from his past? And what will he make of the Doctor’s final, devastating revelation?

The Doctor will see you now…

This novels features an immense depth of fictional history, that of persons and places and evil. Even for 440 pages, this novel condenses several life stories and then some – but it never loses coherency. As much as you’ll want to devour it, it’s carefully thought out and designed to be ingested slowly; mulled over in order to fully appreciate it’s multi-layered content. It features a little bit of everything – emotional intelligence, the everyday trials of parenthood and relationships, the working tribulations of a day on the police force; all alongside an exploration of more philosphical concepts. Personal demons – both physical and figurative, human fear, and strength and weakness all beg contemplation in this well-rounded novel which transcends it’s categorization as mere ‘horror’.

 

Complemented by an artist’s hand, the characters are the backbone of this story. Good and evil (and where does one draw the line?) alike, they’re credibly complex. Even the secondary characters have careful attention paid to them – though not necessarily integral to the plot, or even frequently encountered, they each have their own likeable (or unlikeable) personalities – particularly Jarski. Jack’s boss allows some laugh out loud moments, as well as retaining a level of reality amidst the un-reality of supernatural. The demon-plauged anti-hero himself, Jack Trent, is a character worthy of his own series of novels, just to discover how these all-too-real demons have determined the intricacies of his less than normal existence. By the heart-wrenching, soul-satisfying twists at the end of the novel, it will take you by surprise just how emotionally attached this character you’ve become.

 

All in all, it’s a very visual book, surprisingly graphic in parts and disturbingly dark in others – Hussey’s being hailed as the new Clive Barker is greatly justified. It journeys right to the edge of all things grotesque and psychologically horrifying – and then goes just a little further. It is not for the faint of heart, but it’s also not gratuitously explicit – it’s substantiated by a rich story, a subtle address of complex characters and an artistic grasp on the language that’ll make you cringe and wince as it unfolds. At times it’s a heavy read, but it’s highly original in it’s exploration of the truly terrifying, and a most rewarding read. All in all this isn’t just another cliched scary story, it’s an absolutely stunning introduction to the newest master of horror.

 

 

10/10

[Nollaig]

 

The Wrecking Ball by Christiana Spens

 

Synopsis from the back cover:

The Wrecking Ball intimately follows four friends as their summer reaches a crescendo of music, heat and hedonism. Rich and degenerate, Alice, Harry, Rose and Hugo traverse the clubs and crevices of London, music festivals disturbing the English countryside, parties in Manhattan and break-downs in hotel rooms. A satirical glimpse into a world of excess and distress, The Wrecking Ball is an invitation into an intoxicating swirl of parties, trips and debauchery. As the jet-set crash and madness dominates the glaring summer, the dream of decadence becomes a nightmare of consequential decay. The Wrecking Ball is the low-down on the comedown of a generation: what happens when the party ends?

The Wrecking Ball is a highly intimate but artistic view of a fast paced high life spiralling inevitably downward for four young people caught up in a world of fashion, parties and abuse. The novel each of the four narrators as they describe their constant attempt to mentally break free from the confines of the pressures of society, becoming oblivious to the world through the physical abuse of drugs and alcohol. They sweep along moment by moment, surviving the lows only by making it to the next high, and disregarding the accumulating, inevitable conesquences of living dangerously. Surprisingly, if not disturbingly honest, Spens

[Nollaig]

 

 

The Absence by Bill Hussey

 

 

Synopsis from Beautiful Books:

It was a tragic accident. That’s what his family told Joe Nightingale, but the boy is tormented by sinister visions of his mother s death.

Seven months after the fatal car crash, the Nightingales learn they have inherited an old house from a distant relative, the reclusive Muriel Sutton. Hoping to escape the shadows of the past, they decide to spend the summer at Daecher’s Mill. But darker shadows await them…

Who are the guests that have been brought here over the years? Why did the late Muriel Sutton murder her little sister, Alice? And what is the connection between Joe and this lonely Fenland millhouse? Something is moving in the attic. It looks and sounds like a little girl, but its eyes are old and its voice runs like water…

It is a weaver of shadows. A creature of Absence…

After the success that was Bill Hussey’s debut novel, Through A Glass, Darkly (TAGD), one might have wondered how exactly he might follow it up in this, his second offering.

 

 

His writing has developed and become more focused since his debut. Rather than taking a wholly supernatural spin on things, it emphasizes real guilt and the fears that people suffer. These are recreated by a supernatural force, creating immensely frightening scenarios from the sorts of everyday emotional conflicts everybody experiences. Possibly the best aspect of Hussey’s first novel was his ability to make the grey area between good and bad in his characters prominant, and he brings this to new depths in The Absence. Hussey explores alcoholism, suicide, the guilt inherent in the destruction of one’s own life, family or friend’s lives. The darker side of the Nightingale family is the focal point of the story, their secrets, their pasts, become the very things they fear the most. The story is layered with supernatural events and an ancient being at their roots, but the tools of it’s trade are natural human fears, expanded and realised in terrifying ways.

 

 

Several aspects of the novel reflect aspects found in TAGD. The most obvious is the initial return to the chilling setting of the Fens, the equivilant of settling (or unsettling!) into familiar territory and knowing you’re in for a treat. Additionally, it’s richly layered with character histories, ominous atmospheres, and interspersed with interludes which highlight realistic attention to detail; overall Hussey’s distinctive style has created yet another novel that’s pretty much impossible to put down. There is a constant, almost morbid fascination inspired in the reader, with the stories these characters have to tell, and a desire to learn the fate that awaits them. Several stories are gradually interwoven into a larger picture which culminates in a fast paced, aptly chilling ending.

 

 

Hussey’s style consists partially in an awareness that it’s often difficult to pin down a true villian, and in The Absence really explores the idea that there is no strict embodiment of good and evil, there are only fears and perspectives. All in all, while wrought of the same raw talent, the novel’s execution is arguably more concise and even a little sharper than it’s predecessor, a sure sign that Hussey is on the up and up.

 

 

 

9/10

[Charm]

Excellent review Roxi!

 

The Abscence sounds like a fantastic story, is it like a haunting type of read?

[Nollaig]

Yeah, it's actually very Japanese. Think The Grudge, only with substance. His writing has a very 'alternative' feel to it. I preferred his first book though.

[Charm]

Sounds like a good spooky type read, I think I'll add it to my wishlist right under the first one!

[Nollaig]

 

The Wakening by Paul Stewart

Synopsis from back cover:

"One is dead, but not forgotten,

A name lived on when the body was rotten..."

 

Sam is scared - more scared than he's ever been before. Each night, when he goes to sleep, he dreams he is going to the same place - a dark, silent forest, choked with dense undergrowth. And then the voices begin...

First he hears children chanting - as if they are playing some old game. Then, in the centre of the forest, a hand claws it's way out of the ground. Someone - or something - has been brought back to life. What's more, it's come with an astonishing message that Sam cannot afford to ignore...

 

The Wakening is a fantastic introduction to the horror genre for children aged 8-11. It's arguably even quite scary for that age group (with the only review on Amazon being from a parent whose 11 year old had nightmares after it.) It's a fairly quick and easy read - impossible to put down, and while short at under 200 pages it's story is quite dense and well constructed. (Okay, so the ending is a liiiiiittle OTT, but hey, it's a kid's book!) Be it's reader 10 or 20, it's a gripping and satisfying book.

 

The novel focuses on Sam, a young boy whose family are struggling to get by, who is bullied at school, and who has had to grow up a little too fast. He has a recurring nightmare he can't quite recall upon waking, only leaving him with the metallic taste of something rotten. Over time, bits and pieces begin to come back to him, words, images of a circle burnt in the wood, and children running screaming from some thing...

The creature which slowly comes back to life is trying to communicate a message to Sam - but what? And can it be trusted? Speaking only in riddles and rhyme, appearing in different forms and eventually materialising outside of nightmares, on radios and tvs, the creature is actually quite charismatic. Sam teams up with Jordy, the new girl at school whose grandmother is an expert in old children's games, and the legends of boogeymen that spawn them. Scary or not, the reader can't help but want to learn as much as Sam what this particular creature wants to comunicate to the world, who he really was, and what happened to him to create his legend.

 

It features a thoroughly explained and arguably realistic backstory dating back over a century, and explores the origins of a local, almost forgotten boogeyman. Being a children's book, the themes aren't exactly subtle but they're also not preachy - dealing with things like 'appearances can be deceptive,' and to an extent the idea of being poor and the divides money can create in society. This second one isn't touched upon as directly, but interlinks with the first to layer the story. All in all, I enjoyed re-reading this at 21 as much as I did the first time I read it when I was 11 - I'd recommend it to any young teen and even readers up to my own age with an interest in children's stories.

 

10/10 (I don't normally give this to any book, but I've loved this story for so many years! )

[Nollaig]

Just finished reading R. L. Stine's 'Phantom Of The Auditorium' which I loved as a kid. It was one of my two favourite Goosebumps books, the other also being by Stine ('Welcome To Dead House'.) I'm not going to write a review on it, as it's a Goosebumps book, what can you say about a Goosebumps book? But I did enjoy rereading it. It's funny how little things in books can jolt your memory - I couldn't remember the plot of the story except for that

a kid in school was actually the phantom

, but as soon as the

night janitor

was mentioned, I immediately remembered

he was a guy living under the stage, trying to scare the kids away and mistaken for the phantom.

I also particularly love Stine's method of ending every chapter on a sort of cliffhanger, even though each chapter is only about 4 pages long He would, as a friend of mine said, manage to make a character walking to the shop into this dramatic chapter-ending event. Still, it's easy to see why I loved reading these books as a kid

Edited September 9, 2009 by Nollaig

[Nollaig]

 

Over Sea, Under Stone by Susan Cooper

 

Synopsis from Amazon:

Three children on vacation in Cornwall find an ancient manuscript which sends them on a dangerous quest that entraps them in the eternal battle between the forces of the Light and the Dark.

(Very helpful, Amazon. Not.)

 

I started reading Over Sea, Under Stone tentatively, knowing last time I tried was over 15 years ago and that I didn't like it then. Boy am I glad I decided to give it another go! I fortunately didn't remember a single thing about the story, and starting it I had no idea that it loosely ties into some Arthurian legend (Cornwall - shoulda figured) but once I realised where it was going I was hooked. Admittedly I'm immediately sold on anything associated with Arthurian legends, but even if you're not this is still a pretty charming book which I think will appeal to a wide age group.

 

It starts out very similarly to a traditional Enid Blyton-esque British treasure hunt story, but it is far more detailed, carefully laid out, mature and even more realistic than anything Blyton wrote. (On a scale of Blyton to Tolkien, I'd rate it just left of centre, leaning more towards Blyton.) Either way, while it's clearly a children's story, it certainly had me captivated from the very first chapter. The characters aren't exactly the the deepest souls in the literary spectrum, but we can forgive that when it is in essence a children's adventure story. There is virtually no magic and little direct allusion to legend (I have heard this first book is very out of sync with the remaining four, Over Sea, Under Stone being the most grounded in reality versus the magic and lore of rest of the saga.) However, the settings are beautifully described, the characters are traditionally black and white and it's easy to get caught up in the successful if not formulaic approach Cooper uses.

 

One of the best things about this book is the realism. None of this famous five, 'our cousin's family owns a whole island' business, just good old fashioned exploring and stumbling upon something exciting. The treasure map and clues are intelligent, the events are a little over the top, but nothing extraordinary unlikely (apart from, of course, the treasure) not all your questions are answered, and never is there any magic. This meant that in the end, the absolute icing on the cake for me was Uncle Merry. What a wonderfully understated character - merely a guardian and guiding body throughout the book, (at one point, I suspected him of being an agent of the Dark!) However, just when you get to the final pages and think maybe legends are just legends, Barney has a sudden realisation that casts a whole new magical light on everything, especially Uncle Merry, and paves the way into the fantasy world of the remaining four books. Delightful, simple read which will appeal to the adventurous child in anyone. I'm looking forward to seeing how the series develops!

 

8/10

[Nollaig]

 

The Titanic Experience

Beau Riffenburgh

(2008)

 

Synopsis:

Nearly a century on, the fate of the Titanic remains the worst disaster in seafaring history. Dozens of books have charted the all-too-short life of the Titanic but this is the first to contain 30 fascinating facsimile items of Titanic memorabilia. These give the reader a unique and compelling insight into life on board the Titanic as she ventured out into the icy seas of the North Atlantic in April 1912

Review: When such a wealth of information as regards the legend of Titanic exists, it's difficult to know where to begin reading. While the selling point of The Titanic Experience seems to be the 20+ facsimile documents included, I can without hesitation recommend this as one of the most comprehensive general texts available. Although only 63 pages long, it covers in considerable detail the competitive development in ocean liners during the 1800s which led to the concept of Titantic and her sister ships, Olympic and Britannic; right through the construction, launch, sinking, rediscovery and representation in books, movies and on stage of the ill-fated ship. Heavily (if not melancholically and beautifully)illustrated by paintings, posters, and, in particular, photographs, the book brings a level of realism to the tragedy I had not before encountered, and also to the many crew and passengers, famous and anonymous, survivors and dead. Small fact boxes documenting statistics and figures (including food and cutlery brought aboard, estimated departmental crew figures etc)accentuate the more general overview of the main text.

 

Many key figures are traced throughout the events with regard to their actions, famous people(Molly Brown, the band that went on playing etc)but also slightly lesser known persons such as Harold Bride. Bride was the Junior Wireless Officer aboard Titanic and as the book chronologically documents the disaster, his story is gradually told. Recipient of some ice warnings throughout the 13th April, the officer who relayed distress calls to the Carpathia, who went down with his ship; surviving 45 minutes trapped under a lifeboat in an air pocket with all but his feet in tact, the man who spent the night with another Harold, (Cottam, the Wireless Officer aboard the Carpathia) relaying the names of survivors until his arrival in New York where, unable to walk, he was carried away. His is but one of many stories chronologically interwoven with the likes of Stanley Lord, captain of the Californian, J. Bruce Ismay, Managing Director of the White Star Line, Captain Smith, and many unknowns.

 

The facsimilies include blueprints, posters, advertisements, the telegrams exchanged between the Carpathia and Titanic the night of the disaster, later propositions for new lifeboats and safety measures; arguably my favourite is the four page letter handwritten by Captain Stanley Lord attempting to clear his name of the fabricated accusation that the Califorian was the infamous Mystery Ship seen by Titanic which sailed into the night without offering aid. My second favourite is a typed letter from the sons of Ismay and Lord regarding the inaccurate portrayal of their fathers in the 1958 film "A Night To Remember". Later pages include the details of aftershock of the event, the impact on sea travel developments, on the survivors lives and the controversy surrounding recovered artefacts from the wreckage.

 

All in all, the book spans over 150 years of information relevant to the creation, destruction and subsequent legend of Titanic. A condensed and concise modern text, it's suitable for both the new Titantic explorer or old enthusiast. It comes complete with a list of recommended further reading, including books written by survivors of the disaster, and a list of related websites, making it the perfect base resource for further study. Highly, highly recommended.

 

Rating: 10/10

[Janet]

This sounds great, Noll!

 

My second favourite is a typed letter from the sons of Ismay and Lord regarding the inaccurate portrayal of their fathers in the 1958 film "A Night To Remember".

I have the book of that on my Amazon wishlist - I haven't seen the film.

[Nollaig]

I want to read the book too, Janet! I now have a Titanic reading list as well as an Oscar Wilde Reading list I should probably add those to my 2010 thread

 

Beau's whole series looks great - the exploration one (more generalized) comes with a cd-rom of maps as well as over 30 facsimiles.

[Nollaig]

Totals for 2009:

 

® Review Books: 10

(ATW) Around The World Challenge: 5

(CF) Childhood Favourites 'Challenge': 7

Read: 54

Pages: 18,270