Poppy's Paperbacks 2011

[poppyshake]

That's a definite for my wish list Poppy, I'm not a big biography fan but this looks like it could be an exception, thank you.

Thanks chaliepud It's not a book to enjoy obviously but it's a real eye opener .. I learnt so much (to be very thankful .. for a start )

Lovely review Poppy. It's a while since I read the book, but your comments reflect very much what I remember of it.

Thanks Willoyd I think the book will stick in my head for a long time and it's made me want to read more so I'm hoping to come across Siegfrieds books on my travels and all their poetry books too. If you know of any other well written war memoirs, I'd be grateful for recommendations.

[frankie]

Just a quick post: I was taking down some notes for my thesis, which is about stuff in Margaret Drabble's The Millstone. Anyhow, when I was going through the bibliography of this one reference book, I found a title which definitely caught my attention. It's written by Drabble herself, and it's called How Not To Be Afraid of Woolf (it's also been published as Virginia Woolf: A Personal Debt). Apparently Drabble is quite big on Woolf, Woolf was mentioned to be Drabble's literary mother or something similar in the book I was going through. Shows how small a world it is, and how everything is connected. And how everything eventually leads back to Woolf

[poppyshake]

She is so admired by everybody, I am forever reading her name (she's been mentioned in 'Reading Lolita in Tehran' albeit briefly.) The latest piece of Woolf news I heard was that there is at least one song on the new Florence & the Machine album that's inspired by Virginia. Apparently Florence made a visit to her house and the infamous river and wrote a song called 'What the Water Gave Me' (which is a reference not only to Virginia but also to a Frida Kahlo painting.)

 

Thanks for the reference Frankie, I will look the book up and add it to my list of Woolf books which if I actually purchase will probably bankrupt me and make my house fall down Imagine having a whole bookcase filled with nothing but books by and about Virginia? Lord it would be a fearful sight, people would quake in it's presence.

[willoyd]

Imagine having a whole bookcase filled with nothing but books by and about Virginia? Lord it would be a fearful sight, people would quake in it's presence.

Not a bookcase, but two shelves worth - I find it quite calming!

[poppyshake]

Not a bookcase, but two shelves worth - I find it quite calming!

I am impressed .. I've only got half a shelf so far.

[poppyshake]

 

This is the extent of my 'read but needs reviewing' pile! It's giving me sleepless nights and knots in my heads.

 

Look at it Poppyshake and feel ashamed

[poppyshake]

I am going to make a start but instead of the normal chronological approach I am taking the quicker, lazier approach and reviewing the easy one's first.

 

 

Henrietta's War - Joyce Dennys

 

Amazon Synopsis: Spirited Henrietta wishes she was the kind of doctor's wife who knew exactly how to deal with the daily upheavals of war. But then, everyone in her close-knit Devonshire village seems to find different ways to cope: there's the indomitable Lady B, who writes to Hitler every night to tell him precisely what she thinks of him; the terrifyingly efficient Mrs Savernack, who relishes the opportunity to sit on umpteen committees and boss everyone around; flighty, flirtatious Faith who is utterly preoccupied with the latest hats and flashing her shapely legs; and then there's Charles, Henrietta's hard-working husband who manages to sleep through a bomb landing in their neighbour's garden. With life turned upside down under the shadow of war, Henrietta chronicles the dramas, squabbles and loyal friendships that unfold in her affectionate letters to her 'dear childhood friend' Robert. Warm, witty and perfectly observed, Henrietta's War brings to life a sparkling community of determined troupers who pull together to fight the good fight with patriotic fervour and good humour. Henrietta's War is part of The Bloomsbury Group, a new library of books from the early twentieth-century chosen by readers for readers.

 

Review: These were originally a set of articles written by Joyce and published in Sketch magazine during the Second World War. Joyce found them again when she was spring cleaning in the 1980's (it's enough to make you want to don your rubber gloves and get cracking .. except I'm pretty sure I haven't got any unpublished manuscripts hidden away.) She sent them off to a publisher and this book, along with the follow up, 'Henrietta Sees it Through' is the result.

 

Henrietta is very capable and although she is quite self deprecating and writes with a view to playing down her efforts you get the feeling that she's the sort of woman you could rely on in a crisis. She writes these letters to Robert ('her Childhoods Friend') in order to cheer him up at the front. The object is not to talk about what's going on with him (indeed we are only given the barest of information about where Robert is and what he's doing) but to tell Robert all about life back at home. She's a doctors wife and has two grown up children. They live down in Devon where everything is fairly peaceful and Henrietta feels quite ashamed to be in such a safe area but she says they have a belligerent community to make up for it.

 

'Mrs Savernack, that woman of action, took out a gun licence. If she can't get meat at the butcher's, she will go out and shoot it. The rabbits which for years gambolled happily in the fields at the back of the Savernacks' house have received a rude awakening, and Mrs Savernack, flushed with success, has begun to turn her thoughts to bigger game. Farmer Barnes, wisely perhaps, has moved his cows to another field. But the one who is really enjoying the meat rationing is Mrs Whinebite. Not that it actually makes any difference to her, for she and the unhappy Julius have been vegetarians of the most violent order for years, but it gives her a chance to show off in the way vegetarians are so fond of doing. She wanders about the countryside, singing folk songs, with her hair coming down and her hands full of the most revolting fungi'

 

Henrietta would like to be able to prove herself a bit more but this is what the war must have felt like for thousands of British citizens, women especially. Although they were very involved in helping the war effort, digging for victory, taking in evacuees, sewing hot water bottle covers and knitting themselves into a knot and such like, and they also felt the hardships bought on by rationing and the blackout etc, they had no experiences of bombing or air raids (and though acutely aware of this the ladies of the village get a little fed up when the evacuated 'London Lady' keeps belittling their efforts and basically telling them that they've been having a cushy time of it.) Wherever they live though, the one thing they all fear is invasion .. Mrs B hopes to ward off an attack by lining up all the useless old women on the beach each with a large stone ... 'we might do some damage' ... when told that the only time she was observed throwing a stone it went over her shoulder, she says she will stand with her back to the Germans

 

It's a very easy read, I rationed it a bit to make it last longer but it's something that you can polish off in no time. It's quite reminiscent of Mollie Panter-Downes's short stories, very humorous and gossipy in tone and with some lovely little illustrations. I didn't enjoy it quite as much as the other Bloomsbury books I've read, it wasn't as unusual as they were .. but it's just the sort of read to cheer you up on a dull day.

 

8/10

Edited December 29, 2011 by poppyshake

[ladymacbeth]

That looks like a great book.

[poppyshake]

That looks like a great book.

It was and it kept me smiling

 

 

[poppyshake]

 

Red Dust Road - Jackie Kay

 

Synopsis: From the moment when, as a little girl, she realizes that her skin is a different colour from that of her beloved mum and dad, to the tracing and finding of her birth parents, her Highland mother and Nigerian father, the journey that Jackie Kay undertakes in "Red Dust Road" is full of unexpected twists, turns and deep emotions. In a book shining with warmth, humour and compassion, she discovers that inheritance is about much more than genes: that we are shaped by songs as much as by cells, and that our internal landscapes are as important as those through which we move. Taking the reader from Glasgow to Lagos and beyond, "Red Dust Road" is revelatory, redemptive and courageous, unique in its voice and universal in its reach. It is a heart-stopping story of parents and siblings, friends and strangers, belonging and beliefs, biology and destiny and love.

 

Review: Jackie has a great way with words, as you would expect from a poet/novelist, and this is both a very moving and a very funny account of her search for her birth parents. Her story is told in alternating chapters, one focusing on the here and now and the other reflecting back, with the help of her adoptive parents, on what life was like for a mixed race child growing up in Scotland. Her Nigerian birth father, Jonathan, is unintentionally hilarious .. Jackie was not sure what to expect but whatever pre conceived ideas she has (and Sidney Poitier comes to mind whenever she thinks about him) nothing prepares her for what she finds. One thing's for sure, since Jackie was illegitimately born forty odd years before, Jonathan has found religion in rather a big way ... 'I shift uneasily in my seat. Christ Almighty, my father is barking mad. He spins and dances and sings some more, singing in the most God-awful flat voice, really off-key. The singing sounds like a mixture of African chanting and hymns. Its a shock. Despite the fact that he can't sing, his performance is captivating. I watch his bare feet dance around the room and recognise my own toes.'

 

Her birth mother, Elizabeth, is the complete opposite, small, white and vulnerable looking, but she too has sought comfort in religion and is a member of the local Mormon church (through which she has come to believe that adopted people ask to be adopted whilst still in the womb.) Jackie realises that Elizabeth has memory problems when five birthday cards turn up one year and also five Christmas cards each containing a voucher and there's a heartbreaking little visit where Elizabeth tries to take Jackie to a church lunch but after they set off she can't remember where it is ... 'All over the living room little pink Post-It notes, reminding her of things, were stuck to every conceivable surface. "Check cooker. Milk. Phone Aisha. Church Homework. Jackie. Lock door. Check door. Turn off Tap"

 

There are so many obstacles to overcome, neither of her birth parents have told their families about Jackie, Elizabeth is keen to do it but Jonathan is dead against telling any of his. She's not really able to find out much about how she came to be because Jonathan doesn't really want to talk about it and Elizabeth's mind is becoming increasingly muddled. Jackie is also worried about what Jonathan will make of the fact that she's gay but to her surprise he takes it in his stride ... 'Oh-oh, oh oh ... you mean you are lesbian? ... which one of you is the man? .... I don't mind the women, God doesn't mind the women. It is the men he minds ... Stay away from men .. they will only give you aids' ... and to top it all he starts asking inappropriate questions about her sex life. Also, though he is incredibly supportive, you can tell that her adoptive father is finding the reality of his daughter seeking out her birth parents a little more difficult that he thought it would be.

 

On reflection, Jackie was incredibly fortunate to have been given up for adoption. Her adoptive parents are marvellous. Radical, principled and encouraging, they brought both Jackie and her brother up to be confident, well rounded, free thinking individuals. She really couldn't have picked better parents if she had been given a catalogue of the worlds finest and she knows this, but it's only natural to wonder about your roots and to be curious about those that came before you and when Jackie travels to Africa, it's not only the people that tug at her heartstrings and stir her blood but the place itself.

 

I enjoyed it, it's warm, funny and interesting but it didn't stop me in my tracks, it just lacked that certain something to make it extraordinary but all the same, it's a great read.

 

7/10

Edited December 29, 2011 by poppyshake

[willoyd]

I am impressed .. I've only got half a shelf so far.

 

They're mostly taken up with a 6 volume set of her letters which I bought on ebay, along with 4 of the 6 volumes of her essays, all in hardback, again mostly bought through abebooks and ebay. Quite bulky, but brilliant for dipping into - I think her nonfiction might be even better than her fiction.

 

I like the look of Henrietta's War. Having just read Blackout/All Clear and Westwood, and bought Juliet Gardiner's book on life during the Blitz, I'm going through a short phase of reading about that period, so that would fit in very neatly. I need something fairly light to read!

Edited September 17, 2011 by willoyd

[willoyd]

I like the look of Henrietta's War. Having just read Blackout/All Clear and Westwood, and bought Juliet Gardiner's book on life during the Blitz, I'm going through a short phase of reading about that period, so that would fit in very neatly. I need something fairly light to read!

 

Went and bought this whilst indulging in some retail therapy in Leeds today.

[vodkafan]

I knew I shouldn't have came on here poppy....I want to read those last two books you reviewed now

[poppy]

I have just GOT to read 'Henrietta's War' after reading, 'But the one who is really enjoying the meat rationing is Mrs Whinebite. Not that it actually makes any difference to her, for she and the unhappy Julius have been vegetarians of the most violent order for years, but it gives her a chance to show off in the way vegetarians are so fond of doing. She wanders about the countryside, singing folk songs, with her hair coming down and her hands full of the most revolting fungi'

 

Great review Poppyshake and as luck would have it, it's in my local library!

 

Talking of the Bloomsbury Group, I've just finished a book called Mansfield by CK Stead, a novel about Katherine Mansfield, who I think was one of this group. She was certainly friends with DH Lawrence, Bertrand Russell, TS Eliot and Virginia Woolf. Virginia Woolf wrote, 'It was the only writing I was ever jealous of.' I've got a collection of her short stories now. She was a very interesting person and very unconventional for her time. Just thought you might be interested

Edited September 18, 2011 by poppy

[poppyshake]

Went and bought this whilst indulging in some retail therapy in Leeds today.

Hehe .. I do like spending other people's money Hope you enjoy it willoyd .. it's not taxing but you said you wanted a light read so hopefully it will fit the bill. I'm not really buying books at the moment ... unless they come from charity shops. I had the devils own job getting hold of 'Reading Lolita in Tehran' but of course, after I bought it in Oxfam, I saw it everywhere. I only go into Waterstones to lick the books these days and they have all sorts of books I want on three for two .. hopefully they will remain on the offer for a while (though I heard they're doing away with it) and I can point at them in a 'this is what I'd like for Christmas' sort of way.

 

I knew I shouldn't have came on here poppy....I want to read those last two books you reviewed now

 

I'm glad you popped in VF and I'll take it as a compliment that you've been tempted .. don't stray into Kylie's or Frankie's though .. their lists alone are enough to make me lie sobbing in a darkened room clutching my empty purse

 

 

[poppyshake]

I have just GOT to read 'Henrietta's War' after reading, 'But the one who is really enjoying the meat rationing is Mrs Whinebite. Not that it actually makes any difference to her, for she and the unhappy Julius have been vegetarians of the most violent order for years, but it gives her a chance to show off in the way vegetarians are so fond of doing. She wanders about the countryside, singing folk songs, with her hair coming down and her hands full of the most revolting fungi'

 

Great review Poppyshake and as luck would have it, it's in my local library!

Thanks Poppy hope you enjoy it.

 

Talking of the Bloomsbury Group, I've just finished a book called Mansfield by CK Stead, a novel about Katherine Mansfield, who I think was one of this group. She was certainly friends with DH Lawrence, Bertrand Russell, TS Eliot and Virginia Woolf. Virginia Woolf wrote, 'It was the only writing I was ever jealous of.' I've got a collection of her short stories now. She was a very interesting person and very unconventional for her time. Just thought you might be interested

I am definitely interested and will now toddle off to Goodreads to see what I can add of hers to my list. Thanks Poppy .. though you are leading me into temptation you know I'm not going to be as lucky as you with my library though .. it's terrible ... I think I've said this before but on it's 'read something new' stand it had 'Being Jordan' by Katie Price .. I mean, in one way they are right, it would be new to me but really, you expect some sort of encouragement to improve your mind from the local library. I can read all about being Jordan in the OK magazine each week .. just by looking at the cover.

[poppyshake]

 

Love Letters of Great Men - Edited by Ursula Doyle

 

Waterstones Synopsis: From the private papers of Mark Twain and Mozart to those of Robert Browning and Nelson, Love Letters of Great Men collects together some of the most romantic letters in history. For some of these great men, love is a 'delicious poison' (William Congreve); for others, 'a nice soft wife on a sofa with good fire, & books & music' (Charles Darwin). Love can scorch like the heat of the sun (Henry VIII), or penetrate the depths of one's heart like a cooling rain (Flaubert). Every shade of love is here, from the exquisite eloquence of Oscar Wilde and the simple devotion of Robert Browning, to the wonderfully modern misery of the Roman Pliny the Younger, losing himself in work to forget how much he misses his beloved wife, Calpurnia. Taken together, these Love Letters of Great Men show that perhaps men haven't changed so very much over the last 2,000 years; passion, jealousy, hope and longing are all represented here as is the simple pleasure of sending a letter to, and receiving one from, the person you love most.

 

Review: For all romantics everywhere, this collection harks back to a time before telephones were invented and the only way of saying those three little words to anyone was to write them down and send them. Oh the joy of picking these up off the mat (or the silver salver) instead of bills, it would certainly cheer up your Monday morning.

 

All things considered, it's hard to think that Henry VIII was ever soft hearted enough to write love letters. The one included here is to Anne Boleyn, and you can't help thinking that she would have been better off selling it on Ebay and using the proceeds to buy a one way ticket to farawayland. He included this little epistle with a gift, but before you start thinking he was nothing but a slushy old bear .. the gift was his own image set in a bracelet Credit to him though for knowing that a necklace wouldn't be much good to her (sorry .. that was below the belt .. or above it .. oh dear, I'll move on.)

 

Napoleon's letters are a touch accusatory, it seems that whilst he was off fighting wars, Josephine was a bit lax at keeping in touch .. he writes 'what do you do all day, Madame?' and also 'do not put yourself out; run after pleasures; happiness is made for you. the entire world is too glad to be able to please you and only your husband is very, very unhappy'. A lot of the letters are comical but some are also quite sad.

 

Amongst my favourites were those sent by John Keats to his love Fanny Brawne (and that he could write such tender letters to someone called Fanny Brawne raises him in my estimation .. if you introduced yourself as that nowadays the man would never stop laughing .. mind you I'm having trouble.) John writes lovely things like 'I have been a walk this morning with a book in my hand, but as usual I have been occupied with nothing but you' *sigh* ... however he is a touch jealous and goes on to say that he resents 'my heart having been made a football'.

 

Other contributors include Mark Twain, Oscar Wilde, Lord Nelson, Lord Byron, Robbie Burns, Victor Hugo and Gustave Flaubert. Surprisingly there are none here from Winston Churchill who wrote many tender letters to his dear Clemmie but the last letter here was written in 1918 so perhaps his were just a little too late for inclusion.

 

I didn't read them all at once, I just sort of dipped in every now and then (though I have read them all now.) It does make you long for the days of quills and sealing wax and it can make you get a bit sniffy when your husband leaves you a note telling you not to forget cat food, but it also makes you feel all warm and squidgy like fudge cake.

 

7/10 (just because I'm greedy and would have liked more of them and more variety.)

Edited December 29, 2011 by poppyshake

[poppyshake]

 

Grace Williams Says it Loud - Emma Henderson

 

Waterstones Synopsis: The doctors said no more could be done and advised Grace's parents to put her away. On her first day at the Briar Mental Institute, Grace, aged eleven, meets Daniel. Debonair Daniel, an epileptic who can type with his feet, sees a different Grace: someone to share secrets and canoodle with, someone to fight for. A deeply affecting, spirit-soaring story of love against the odds.

 

Review: A triumph, I absolutely loved it. Grace is profoundly disabled and as such I don't think I've ever read a book from that perspective before. Outwardly Grace is all drools, incoherent speech and twisted body (the doctor's describe her as a 'complete imbecile' ... 'there's something so ghastly - so animal about them isn't there nurse?') but inside her mind is quick, vibrant and teeming with thoughts and ideas. It's brave and it doesn't shy away from the uncomfortable ... Grace hasn't got full control of her bodily functions (that's an understatement, but then again sometimes she actively encourages them to let loose .. as an act of rebellion) and within the institution she is a victim of sexual, physical and emotional abuse. All of this is told with spirit but always in Grace's matter of fact, candid style. In another persons hands it could be gloomy but in fact it's not at all, there are parts that will make you feel sad and at the begining I found I had to shift my ideas a bit because I wasn't so sure that I wanted to face the realities of her world but I soon got over it and taken as a whole I found it quite joyous. Along with the devils there are also a few angels, those that actively want to help and bring happiness. Also Gracie finds a kindred spirit in Daniel - a sandy haired epileptic with no arms. He see's through her outward wrapping to the inner person, they sneak around together behaving like naughty children, lovesick teenagers and partners in crime, sharing secrets and stories, plotting, canoodling and exploring. They don't need words (though Daniel is a complete chatterbox) .. he understands her intuitively.

 

You won't find it an easy read, it can be both disturbing and shocking and it will constantly make you angry. Also Grace's streams of consciousness can sometimes be challenging, but you'll be rewarded by a totally original story that positively rings with vitality and authenticity. I've read a lot of books lately that were alright but nothing more, this one stood out above the rest.

 

'Sitting beside Daniel on the coach or train, swapping sandwiches - meat paste for Marmite - sticky thighs, itchy heads, scorching hard windows, and the nurses quick hands as they helped out. The flighty, sweaty heat of them. They always asked permission to leave their uniforms behind. It was always refused. Nevertheless, there was a mufti lightness in their step, a saucy brightness in their eyes, and even Matron sometimes smiled. Look. The sea, the sea, there was the sea. Often because it was low season June or early October, livid and full of heaving, breaking waves. A spray-shock on my face, eye-sting - cold - and a surprised tongue of salt, making me mashmack my lips and spew with my mouth. Daniel said he didn't like the sea - it made him claustrophobic. He said the sea was a grave, and a watery one at that. Drowning is meant to be a pleasant, painless way to die, Daniel said, but he believed it must be like being buried alive, only worse. Imagine the pressure of all that water - the airlessness and then, when your body and all your insides are nothing but silence and dark, that terrible sinking feeling. I knew that feeling, but I didn't agree - and anyway - hip hip hooray - Daniel liked the other sides of the sea. He liked the seaside. Like everybody.'

 

It's not really a beach book at all, though I ended up reading it on the beach because I quickly finished the one I had taken with me but it was perfect because it absorbed me so much that the noisy beach life going on all around me just disappeared.

 

I know a lot of people have struggled with it but like Gracie I'm going to say it loud ... I LOVED THIS BOOK .. in actual fact I loved it so much I wrote a message in pebbles to prove it.

 

 

I borrowed a library copy but I must get one of my own, even if I never read it again because I love to see favourite stories on the shelf. I am a bit worried about recommending it though because I've read a lot of negative reviews, so perhaps anyone interested should take the precaution of borrowing it from the library.

 

10/10

Edited December 29, 2011 by poppyshake

[poppy]

Grace Williams Says it Loud - Emma Henderson

 

 

Poppyshake, I'm going to have to stop coming here!! I want this one now and once again my library has it. I love the sound of the books you read and you do such great reviews. I'll head straight here when I'm stuck for my next book to read but in the meantime ....must not .... must not ..... don't .....look at Poppy's Paperbacks

 

[vodkafan]

She's done it to me again

[poppyshake]

Oh dear, I hope you both like it if you ever get around to reading it, there are some other reviews on here which aren't quite so positive. Getting it from the library is an excellent notion Poppy, you'll probably know within a couple of chapters whether it's for you or not. Don't go spending your hard earned money on it VF ... I'd never forgive myself if you hated it AND was forced to live on beans for a week. I'm going to scout the charity shops for a copy ... you never know your luck.

 

Please don't abandon me Poppy ... you know what happens to people who start talking to themselves

[poppyshake]

 

Pastoralia - George Saunders

 

Waterstones Synopsis: 'Saunders is an astoundingly tuned voice - graceful, dark, authentic and funny - telling just the kind of stories we need to get us through these times' Thomas Pynchon In PASTORALIA elements of contemporary life are twisted, merged and amplified into a slightly skewed version of modern America. A couple live and work in a caveman theme-park, where speaking is an instantly punishable offence. A born loser attends a self-help seminar where he is encouraged to rid himself of all the people who are 'crapping in your oatmeal'. And a male exotic dancer and his family are terrorised by their decomposing aunt who visits them with a solemn message from beyond the grave. With an uncanny combination of deadpan naturalism and uproarious humour, George Saunders creates a world that is both indelibly original and yet hauntingly familiar.

 

Review: I didn't realise for a while that this was a short story collection (I didn't read the blurb and the first story is quite long) and in a way I was disappointed because I was enjoying the first one so much. It's called 'Pastoralia' and it's about a man who works in a caveman theme park where authenticity it taken to rather a startling level. The highlight of the day is finding a goat in their 'Big Slot' and some matches in their 'Little Slot' because otherwise all they have is 'Reserve Crackers'. His co-worker has personal problems and is not absolutely focused on the job in hand (ie she talks instead of grunts and she keeps trying to initiate conversations) .. on his 'Daily Partner Performance Evaluation Form' our caveman tries to cover up for her but the management are not buying it ... 'you know what it's like to me?' he says. 'The Bible. Remember that part in the Bible when Christ or God says that any group or organization of two or more of us is a body? I think that is so true. Our body has a rotten toe by the name of Janet, who is turning black and stinking up the joint, and next to that bad stinking toe lives her friend the good nonstinker toe, who for some reason, insists on holding its tongue, if a toe can be said to have a tongue. Speak up, little toe, let the brain know the state of the rot, so we can rush down what is necessary to stop Janet from stinking. What will be needed? We do not yet know. Maybe some antiseptic, maybe a nice sharp saw with which to lop off Janet. For us to know, what must you do? Tell the truth.'

 

Another favourite was a story called 'Sea Oak' which is about an aunt who comes back from the dead. Her view is that she's back to make up for the rubbish life she led whilst alive, she's also got some rather startling advice for her family. She died a virgin and that's one thing she wants to change, she's also turned into a bit of a potty mouth. Unfortunately though she's decomposing and bits soon start dropping off and oozing.

 

This is a weird and wonderful set of stories, set in modern America where consumerism and corporate speak rule. It's laugh out loud funny in places, crude though and littered with bad language. If you've got a bit of a bizarre, dark, sick, cynical sense of humour then these stories are for you. I didn't think I had but it made me laugh lots so what do I know. The only downside is that it's a bit repetitive in a 'life is sh*t' type of way and relentlessly grim so you tend not to want to read them all in one go .. there's only so much cynicism you can take in one sitting.

 

8/10

Edited December 29, 2011 by poppyshake

[poppyshake]

 

The Girl Who Chased the Moon - Sarah Addison Allen

 

Waterstones Synopsis: Emily Benedict came to Mullaby, North Carolina, hoping to solve at least some of the riddles surrounding her mother's life. But the moment Emily enters the house where her mother grew up and meets the grandfather she never knew, she realises that mysteries aren't solved in Mullaby, they're a way of life. Here are rooms where the wallpaper changes to suit your mood. Unexplained lights skip across the yard at midnight. And a neighbour, Julia Winterson, bakes hope in the form of cakes, offering them to satisfy the town's sweet tooth - but also in the hope of rekindling a love she fears might be lost forever. Can a hummingbird cake really bring back a lost love? Is there really a ghost dancing in Emily's backyard? The answers are never what you expect. But in this town of lovable misfits, the unexpected fits right in.

 

Review: This book was very easy get into, it's not too involved but it's quirky enough to stand out from the crowd. It's quite mystical, the wallpaper in Emily's bedroom changes according to her mood, there are strange lights that seem to beckon, a mysterious family that never appear at night, and a notion that baking can summon a lost love or rekindle fond memories. I enjoyed it at first but as it went along, it seemed to ingest too much of it's own sweetness and it became too saccharine and obvious. The male characters were a little bit cardboard too, I never quite believed in them and I didn't warm to Emily much either preferring it when the narrative was with her neighbour Julia. Having said that it is well written and engaging, I liked the setting and the sense of mystery which pervades the story and keeps you wondering, it just needed that extra something to nudge it into being really memorable.

 

Perfect reading for when you don't want to have to think that hard but ultimately disappointing .. like a jam doughnut that's not heavy enough on the jam. A good beach or garden book though.

 

7/10

Edited December 29, 2011 by poppyshake

[poppy]

Poppyshake, I've just finished Henrietta's War, it was absolutely delightful, a real heart-warming, amusing little book. Now I've started another of your recommendations 'Grace Williams Says It Loud', and I know I'm going to love it too. I have a daughter with an intellectual disabilty, so this book is close to home. I am so grateful she was born in the 90's not the 40's or 50's, when this book was set and children inevitably ended up in care.

 

Thank you for your great recommendations

Edited October 6, 2011 by poppy

[Kylie]

Talking of the Bloomsbury Group, I've just finished a book called Mansfield by CK Stead, a novel about Katherine Mansfield, who I think was one of this group. She was certainly friends with DH Lawrence, Bertrand Russell, TS Eliot and Virginia Woolf. Virginia Woolf wrote, 'It was the only writing I was ever jealous of.' I've got a collection of her short stories now. She was a very interesting person and very unconventional for her time. Just thought you might be interested

 

Is Katherine Mansfield from New Zealand? I bought her collected short stories recently. I can't wait to get stuck into them.

 

I've also been buying a few books on Virginia Woolf and the Bloomsbury group recently. Willoyd, Poppyshake and Frankie, it's all your fault!

 

I only go into Waterstones to lick the books these days

 

Do you lick them In a 'if I can't have them, no-one can' sort of way? If so, I approve!

 

I'm glad you popped in VF and I'll take it as a compliment that you've been tempted .. don't stray into Kylie's or Frankie's though .. their lists alone are enough to make me lie sobbing in a darkened room clutching my empty purse

 

I have the same reaction when I look at my reading list. My poor neglected books from the Canberra book fair haven't been catalogued and shelved, and I have more books arriving in the mail a couple of times a week. I haven't read a thing for days! (Well, not for pleasure.)

 

ultimately disappointing .. like a jam doughnut that's not heavy enough on the jam.

 

Poppyshake, you have truly missed your calling in life (reviewer, in case I haven't mentioned it before). I love your one-liners so much! Wodehouse would be proud.

 

I think I might use you to get rich one day; I'll collect all your brilliant one-liners together in a book and publish it (I'm sure there'll be multiple volumes). We'll be rich I tells ya!

 

I loved your review of Grace Williams Says it Loud so much that I immediately went to the BD to add it to my wish list, only I ended up ordering it when I saw it was <$5. Bargain!

Edited October 6, 2011 by Kylie