Judy's reading list

[happyanddandy]

Judy - I do love the Precious Ramotswe books (don't you just love her name? You can see her right there can't you? In the sweltering heat.) Must push the remaiing ones I haven't read up the TBR pile.

[JudyB]

Just finished A Thousand Splendid Suns by Khaled Hosseini.

 

I just want to shout from the rooftops what an excellent book it's been!

 

It will get 5 stars on my LibraryThing page. I will write a review soon.

[happyanddandy]

Well I just have to get it now and put it on mount TBR!!

[JudyB]

Just finished The Book Thief by Markus Zusak and yet again want to shout from the rooftops how brilliant it was. Thought Splendid Suns would be a very hard act to follow but this novel set in Nazi Germany was as much a human story set against conflict and cruelty as Splendid Suns was and yet it was a different and very original approach. A wonderful heartwarming read - five stars again on LibraryThing.

[JudyB]

Currently reading:-

 

Suite Francaise by Irene Nemirovsky

 

Summary taken from Waterstones

 

In 1941, Irene Nemirovsky sat down to write a book that would convey the magnitude of what she was living through, not in terms of battles and politicians, but by evoking the domestic lives and personal trials of the ordinary citizens of France. She did not live to see her ambition fulfilled, or to know that sixty-five years later, "Suite Francaise" would be published for the first time, and hailed as a masterpiece. Set during a year that begins with France's fall to the Nazis in June 1940 and ends with Germany turning its attention to Russia, "Suite Francaise" falls into two parts. The first is a brilliant depiction of a group of Parisians as they flee the Nazi invasion and make their way through the chaos of France; the second follows the inhabitants of a small rural community under occupation who find themselves thrown together in ways they never expected.

 

Nemirovsky's brilliance as a writer lay in her portrayal of people, and this is a novel that teems with wonderful characters, each more vivid than the next. Haughty aristocrats, bourgeois bankers and snobbish aesthetes rub shoulders with uncouth workers and bolshy farmers. Women variously resist or succumb to the charms of German soldiers. However, amidst the mess of defeat, and all the hypocrisy and compromise, there is hope. True nobility and love exist, but often in surprising places. Irene Nemirovsky conceived of "Suite Francaise" as a four- or five-part novel. It was to be a symphony - her War and Peace. Although only two sections were finished before her tragic death, they form a book that is beautifully complete in itself, and awe-inspiring in its understanding of humanity.

[JudyB]

Reviews:-

 

Suite Francaise by Irene Nemirovsky

Having read Zola and Flaubert I felt that this felt like a French novel - of which I am a fan. It is such a shame that Irene Nemirovsky was unable to complete this novel as the first two parts to it were evocative of a time and situation that most of us can only imagine. It would have been interesting to see the stories conclude but what Irene Nemirovsky was able to write certainly gives us a taste of that time.

 

The House at Riverton by Kate Morton

This was such a compelling and compulsive read that it was both quick and easy despite being 600 pages long. Two stories entwine one revealing another. I guessed at one of the secrets but wasn't sure if that was intention so that we could then witness the main character's ignorance turn to realisation. A good summer read.

 

The Sound of Laughter by Peter Kay

Having just read and thoroughly enjoyed 'The House at Riverton' I was a bit concerned about following it with 'The Sound of Laughter'. Intially I missed a plot, characters etc but by p24 after the Quality Street incident I found myself regularly laughing out loud and whizzing through this. So far, so so funny. Highlights include The Wizard of Oz performance and the France trip. Finished this this afternoon - I laughed all the way to the end.

 

Bee Season by Myla Goldberg

There were parts of this that I enjoyed for example the spelling Bee and parts that I found hard to relate to for example Aaron's quest for a new religion - although I did relate to Aaron's disappointment at being usurped by his sister in his father's attentions. On the whole it was a good read.

[JudyB]

Currently reading:-

 

The Savage Garden by Mark Mills

 

A haunting tale of murder, love and innocence lost set in post-war Tuscany from the award winning author of 'The Whaleboat House'. Behind a villa in the heart of Tuscany lies a Renaissance garden of enchanting beauty. Its grottoes, pagan statues and classical inscriptions seem to have a secret life of their own -- and a secret message, too, for those with eyes to read it. Young scholar Adam Strickland is just such a person. Arriving in 1958, he finds the Docci family, their house and the unique garden as seductive as each other. But post-War Italy is still a strange, even dangerous place, and the Doccis have some dark skeletons hidden away which Adam finds himself compelled to investigate. Before this mysterious and beautiful summer ends, Adam will uncover two stories of love, revenge and murder, separated by 400 years! but is another tragedy about to be added to the villa's cursed past?

 

synopsis taken from Waterstone's website

[JudyB]

I read about a book today that is billed as the next Kite Runner - it's called The Yacoubian Building by Alaa Al Aswany - it's now on my wish list on LibraryThing and I'm going to order it from the library.

 

The Yacoubian Building by Alaa Al Aswany

An international bestseller, 'The Yacoubian Building' is a mesmerising and controversial novel that is at once an impasssioned celebration and a ruthless dissection of a society dominated by bribery and corruption. The Yacoubian Building -- once grand, but now dilapidated -- stands on one of Cairo's main boulevards. Taha, the doorman's son, has aspirations beyond the slum in the skies, and dreams of one day becoming a policeman. He studies hard, and passes all the exams, but when he is rejected because his family is neither rich nor influential, the bitterness sets in. His girlfriend, Busayna, finds herself unable to earn a living without also providing sexual services for the men who hire her. When Taha seeks solace in a student Islamic organisation, the pressure mounts, and he is drawn to actions with devastating consequences. 'The Yacoubian Building' follows Taha's trajectory from innocence to tragedy. The people whose lives orbit his -- the inhabitants of the building -- are also facing their own difficult choices. From those living in squalid and cramped conditions on the rooftops, to the homosexual editor of Le Caire newspaper and a womanising aristocrat, all of the contradictions in Egyptian society are here. Religious feelings live side by side with promiscuity; bribery and exploitation alternate with moments of joy and elation; modernity clashes with the vision of a more ancient society. Alaa Al Aswany's mesmerising novel caused an unprecedented stir when it was published in Egypt. It is at once an impassioned celebration and a ruthless dissection of a society dominated by bribery and corruption.

[JudyB]

Review:-

 

The Savage Garden by Mark Mills

 

I quite enjoyed this - there was enough mystery to keep me reading but it was also lacking in something - not sure what but I wouldn't describe it as a riveting read. One of the better books I've read this year but not one of the best.

[JudyB]

Currently reading:-

 

Winter in Madrid by C J Sansom

 

1940: The Spanish Civil War is over, and Madrid lies ruined, its people starving, while the Germans continue their relentless march through Europe. Britain now stands alone while General Franco considers whether to abandon neutrality and enter the war.

 

Into this uncertain world comes Harry Brett: a traumatised veteran of Dunkirk turned reluctant spy for the British Secret Service. Sent to gain the confidence of old schoolfriend Sandy Forsyth, now a shady Madrid businessman, Harry finds himself involved in a dangerous game

[JudyB]

Review

 

Winter in Madrid by C J Sansom

 

It was the statement 'if you enjoyed Shadow of the Wind then you may enjoy this' that brought this novel to my attention. Reading the blurb on the back cover however, I was concerned that there would be too much emphasis on the spy thriller for my liking. My fears however were unfounded as it revealed itself to be a very human story with characters that you cared about. It's combination with the setting of the Spanish Civil War and the Second World War made it a compelling and informative read. I've learnt so much from reading this. If you enjoyed Shadow of the Wind you will probably enjoy this. An excellent read.

[JudyB]

Review:

 

Cloud Atlas by David Mitchell

 

I found the Adam Ewing entry difficult to get into initially but as I started to connect with it it ended. Enjoyed the Robert Frobisher, Luisa Rey and Timothy Cavendish stories but then lost interest with the Orison of Somni - 451 and Sloosha's Crossing. At that point it was either give up or skim read so that I could be reunited with the other stories and hopefully still pick up on the essence of the book. I skim read until Timothy Cavendish and then read properly until the end of the book. I'm disappointed to say that I think I missed the point despite enjoying the stories - particularly the Luisa Rey one. I feel that somehow I haven't done the book justice - I have a real problem reading fantasy and science fiction (it's like a light goes out) - and therefore probably missed out on some of the book's complexities. I did feel it was well written I just feel disappointed with myself for not coping with sci fi and dystopia.

[Kylie]

Oh, don't feel disappointed with yourself Judy! I struggled a lot with this book and I'm a huge fan of sci-fi/fantasy. And dystopian books are my absolute favourites to read! I wish I'd skim-read Sloosha's Crossing myself; I don't think I would have missed much if I'd done so! I think you should be proud of yourself for persevering with it and finishing it!

[JudyB]

Aaah thanks Kylie - I really enjoyed the bits I did like so I think that's what kept me reading - plus I needed to know what happened in the Luisa Rey Mystery

[JudyB]

Just read:-

 

Set in Stone by Linda Newbery

 

synopsis from Waterstones website

 

When Samuel Godwin, a young and naive art tutor, accepts a job with the Farrow family at Fourwinds, their majestic home, little does he expect to come across such a web of secrets and lies. His two tutees are as different as chalk and cheese - the beautiful younger sister Marianne, full of flightiness and nervous imagination, and Juliana, controlled and sad. With their governess, Charlotte Agnew, Samuel begins to uncover slowly the horrifying truth behind Juliana's sadness and Marianne's emotional fragility. Their discoveries change their perception of life at Fourwinds for ever and none of their lives will ever be the same again. With her usual brilliance and ease, Linda Newbery has written a haunting and faultlessly plotted novel with characters that leap of the page and stay with the reader long after the last page is turned.

 

Review:-

 

For anyone who enjoys a good Victorian mystery this is a light and quick read reminiscent of Wilkie Collins. It's got all the usual ingredients including a few twists and turns.

[happyanddandy]

Thanks for the recommendation Judy - I had deja vu reading the synopsis - perhaps I picked it up and read it in Waterstones

[JudyB]

It's on my LibraryThing list - you might recognise the cover.

[JudyB]

Just read:

 

Desperate Remedies by Thomas Hardy

 

Synopsis: Hardy described "Desperate Remedies" as a tale of 'mystery, entanglement, surprise and moral obliquity'. Cytherea has taken a position as lady's maid to the eccentric arch-intriguer Miss Aldclyffe. On discovering that the man she loves, Edward Springrove, is already engaged to his cousin, Cytherea comes under the influence of Miss Aldclyffe's fascinating, manipulative steward Manston. Blackmail, murder and romance are among the ingredients of Hardy's first published novel, and in it he draws blithely on the 'sensation novel' perfected by Wilkie Collins. Several perceptive critics praised the author as a novelist with a future when Desperate Remedies appeared anonymously in 1871. In its depiction of country life and insight into psychology and sexuality, it already bears the unmistakable imprint of Hardy's genius. (taken from Amazon website)

 

Review: This was Thomas Hardy’s first published novel and it seems that in an attempt to become established he chose the popular genre of sensation. Desperate Remedies has all the ingredients of such a novel - identity fraud, murder, detection, and atmosphere - but felt more like a Wilkie Collins novel than a Hardy. The writing seemed detached and it lacked the poetry and description that made Far From the Madding Crowd such a memorable, absorbing and beautiful novel. However, what Desperate Remedies lacked in Hardy’s usual writing quality it contained in plot and I found it an enjoyable and compulsive read and with the pace picking up during the last 100 pages it left me guessing right to the end. A recommended read.

 

LibraryThing rating: ****

 

Other books read by same author: Far From the Madding Crowd *****, Jude The Obscure ****

[Angel]

Judy - I read Desperate Remedies last year and I really enjoyed it! I agree that it doesn't feel like a 'classic' Hardy but you can sense the talent developing. I love a Hardy book - one of my all time favourite authors

[JudyB]

Nice to see another Hardy fan - glad I spotted this on the shelf at work - I've just ordered my own copy to keep plus Two on a Tower.

[JudyB]

Just read:

 

The Rain Before It Falls by Jonathan Coe

Synopsis: 'What I want you to have, Imogen, above all, is a sense of your own history; a sense of where you come from, and of the forces that made you.' Rosamund lies dying in her remote Shropshire home. But before she does so, she has one last task: to put on tape not just her own story but the story of the young blind girl, her cousin's granddaughter, who turned up mysteriously at her party all those years ago. This is a story of generations, of the relationships within a family - and of what goes to make a child. Called "the best English novelist of his generation" by Nick Hornby, Jonathan Coe extends his range in this magnificent account of a Shropshire family in the last half of the twentieth century.

 

Review: Yet again Jonathan Coe has gripped me through his wonderfully sensitive and compelling writing. The story is told through the tapes recorded by Rosamond prior to her death. We join other characters in the book who are listening to them for the first time and when there is a break in the middle we share the characters' impatience to continue the story. Covering three generations the story reveals events that repeat themselves suggesting that behavioural patterns have consequences for the future. This was a very quick read - it's not a long book, it's easy reading because it flows so well plus once you pick it up it's impossible to put down.

Library Thing rating: *****

Other books read by same author: The Rotters' Club *****, The Closed Circle ****, What a Carve Up ****1/2, The House of Sleep ***1/2

[Renniemist]

Thanks for the good review Judy. I too enjoyed The Rotter

[JudyB]

Thanks Renniemist. If you like socio/political satire with Jonathan Coe's usual human element then I'd recommend What A Carve Up or The Closed Circle which is the sequel to The Rotter's Club. The Rain Before It Falls is very different as while it's a very human story it doesn't have his usual humour/satire. I finished it yesterday and it really gave me food for thought today - I kept thinking about the characters and events and what Jonathan Coe was trying to say - very thought provoking.

[Renniemist]

Thanks Judy. I will put What A Carve Up and The Closed Circle on my Christmas list.

[JudyB]

Just read:-

 

The Yacoubian Building by Alaa Al Aswany

 

Synopsis: The Yacoubian Building holds all that Egypt was and has become over the 75 years since its namesake was built on one of downtown Cairo