Brian's 2012 Book Log

[Brian.]

Great reviews Brian. I've added Alone in Berlin to my immediate wish list (!) and I know I'd like to tackle Tolstoy some day, not least to complete the 1001 challenge, and those novellas definitely seem like a sensible place to start.

 

I have the Snowman by Jo Nesbo on my TBR pile, and everything I read about these books seems to suggest I should tackle it soon!

 

You won't regret Alone in Berlin, it is fantastic. The novella route to start with Tolstoy is the way to go in my opinion. Like many people I get a bit intimidated by large books from the Russian greats so a novella or two is a good way to see if you like his style etc. The Jo Nesbo books are great but are you aware that The Snowman is number 5 in the series that has been translated into English?

 

I would recommend reading them in order as there are some parts that carry over from book to book. It won't completely spoil it if you read them out of sequence but it will make more sense if you read them in order. The order for the translated book are as follows

• The Redbreast
  
• Nemesis
  
• The Devil's Star
  
• The Redeemer
  
• The Snowman
  
• The Leopard
  

[Alexi]

Ugh, I must concentrate more when posting! I have the Redbreast on my TBR pile, the reason the Snowman is on my mind is because it's what my Mum is currently reading.

 

I always feel it's a big commitment starting a series! I still haven't read the Girl Who Kicked the Hornet's Nest despite loving the other two because I get distracted so much by other things.

 

I also downloaded the Death of Ivan Ilyich to my iPad - I mean to get to it fairly soon but the pile of tree books is so distracting... I think I have a sickness.

[Brian.]

I also downloaded the Death of Ivan Ilyich to my iPad - I mean to get to it fairly soon but the pile of tree books is so distracting... I think I have a sickness.

 

It's a common illness. I have loads of books on my kindle and yet when deciding what to read next the tree books win.

[Karsa Orlong]

I have loads of books on my kindle and yet when deciding what to read next the tree books win.

 

Same here

[Brian.]

Finished The Devil's Star by Jo Nesbo. I'm at work all weekend so a full review will come when I get a bit of time to do one. What an ending.

[Brian.]

The Devil's Star by Jo Nesbo

 

 

 

 

Synopsis

A young woman is murdered in her Oslo flat. One finger has been severed from her left hand, and behind her eyelid is secreted a tiny red diamond in the shape of a five-pointed star - a pentagram, the devil's star.

 

Detective Harry Hole is assigned to the case with his long-time adversary Tom Waaler and initially wants no part in it. But Harry is already on notice to quit the force and is left with little alternative but to drag himself out of his alcoholic stupor and get to work.

 

A wave of similar murders is on the horizon. An emerging pattern suggests that Oslo has a serial killer on its hands, and the five-pointed devil's star is key to solving the riddle.

(Taken from Amazon)

 

 

My Thoughts

Onto book book number 3 in the Harry Hole series and I was really looking forward to getting stuck into this one. There is something comforting about reading the next book in a series. It feels familiar but not in a bad way, it feels like home. So the big question is, 'would it let me down?'

 

The murders are fairly typical serial killer fare down to the signature, a five pointed star. It felt as though they were needed to give the rest of the stories (Prince, Harry's relationship etc) something to anchor onto. Its not that this part of the book was poor, in fact it had some great parts to it but it just seemed lacking a bit. Knowing there are more books in the series also spoiled the fact that Harry was on notice, it's very obvious that he won't be kicked out of the police force.

 

The best part of the book by far is the continuation of the conflict with Tom Waaler. Waaler is a fantastic character and in someways over shadows everyone else in the series. I think this is important because although Harry is likeable there are aspects to his personality which become tiresome after a while. His self destructive drinking and that way he is constantly causing problems in his relationship with Rakel can get repetitive. I am hoping that in the books to come this is toned down a little and he doesn't just go off on his drinking benders and ruin things over again.

 

I was hoping that the character of Beate Lonn would be developed more than it was. There was some good stuff in there and her past is revealed a little more but I still felt as though something was missing. I think some of that may be down to the fact that Ellen was a more impulsive character and kept Harry in check and I feel like Beate is missing that.

 

The following will have spoilers so I'm going to hide it away so as not to spoil anything for anyone.

 

 

 

Tom Waaler being killed off was a great storyline and a very brave move. He always jumped off the page to me and the temptation to keep the story going must have been very strong. Although I wanted his to get what he deserved I know that I will miss him in further books. I just hope that the next enemy is as formidable as he is and maybe someone else higher up the organisation that Waaler worked for. Although he is a murder detective I would be good to have a whole book (last in the series perhaps) dedicated to him smashing the gang.

 

I also really liked the way that it took more than one person to end Waaler and that it was done in way not just using a shoot out.

 

 

 

This book was my least favourite out of the three but not by much. If the others were 4+ star rating this would be 4- if that makes sense.

 

4/5 (I really liked it).

Edited July 26, 2012 by Brian.

[Brian.]

Ive just finished reading Norwegian Wood by Haruki Murakami. I am a bit lost for words to be honest, its really got into my soul but I dont know why.Im gonna have to think on it a bit before I write a proper review.

[Brian.]

The Infiltrators by Philip Etienne & Martin Maynard

 

 

 

 

Synopsis

Philip and Martin are two of London's most successful villains. They specialize mainly in drugs, but also deal in guns, stolen cars, credit cards and pretty much everything else that comes their way.

 

And business is booming. Martin drives a top-of-the-range BMW and Philip a slick Merc. When they hit town their wallets are fat with banknotes. If a deal looks good, money's not a problem.

 

Tough, streetwise and professional, they're the kind of men other crooks like to deal with.

 

And that's just the idea, because both Philip and Martin are undercover cops.

 

Revealed for the first time, this is the explosive true story of the Met's covert operations by two men from the front line where any mistake could have been their last.

 

(Taken from Amazon)

 

 

 

My Thoughts

I picked this up for £1 at a local book charity shop as the cover caught my eye. I quite like the odd true crime book especially from the point of view of parts of law enforcement you don't hear about often. The blurb on the back sounded really interesting as there are very few books about police working under cover.

 

The book starts off by detailing SO10, a part of the police force in the UK that is so secretive it isn't mentioned on the police website. SO10 is part of the special operations section of the Met and is detailed with under cover work of varying degrees with the aim of infiltrating criminal networks. Once selected they are given access to vast amounts of cash and a fleet of flash high powered cars keeping in with the image they want to present.

 

Sounds great so far but there are a number of issues. They have to remain on the books as a usual CID officer and also do normal police work when they are not working for SO10. This often involves a political tug of war between the leader of SO10 and the officer's commanding officer back at his or her station. There are also the constraints of gathering evidence, they must be very careful to not break the law themselves and not to entrap the people they are pursuing. As you can imagine this often leads to very stressful situations which are very life threatening.

 

The book covers a handful of operations that Martin & Philip are involved in, the majority being the infiltration of drug gangs. The book is fascinating as they talk about how the wires they sometimes wear are clunky and fraught with danger. A world a way from the kind of thing you would expect to be in use. How they go about blending in is also fascinating. They must drive around in flash cars, be violent when the situation commands it and act like a bit time drug dealer. At the same time they must be careful to not be over the top. This can lead to them calling off deals because they can't be seen to be too keen as this is suspicious.

 

This is a fascinating book which is very easy to read, anyone who has an interest in UK true crime would really enjoy it.

 

 

 

3/5 (I liked it).

Edited July 27, 2012 by Brian.

[Brian.]

Norwegian Wood by Haruki Murakami

 

 

 

 

 

Synopsis

Toru, a quiet and preternaturally serious young college student in Tokyo, is devoted to Naoko, a beautiful and introspective young woman, but their mutual passion is marked by the tragic death of their best friend years before. Toru begins to adapt to campus life and the loneliness and isolation he faces there, but Naoko finds the pressures and responsibilities of life unbearable. As she retreats further into her own world, Toru finds himself reaching out to others and drawn to a fiercely independent and sexually liberated young woman.

 

A poignant story of one college student's romantic coming-of-age, Norwegian Wood takes us to that distant place of a young man's first, hopeless, and heroic love.

(Taken from Goodreads)

 

 

My Thoughts

Prior to reading this book the only Murakami I had read was his non-fiction book What I Talk About When I Talk About Running. I had read in various places including this forum that his fiction work is loved by some and left others feeling disappointed. I have a copy of Kafka on the Shore but I decided I wanted to start a little bit more gently with something a little less surreal and Norwegian Wood seemed to fit the bill.

 

I knew little of the plot prior to reading this book and it's probably just as well. I don't think I would have read this had I known the plot more thoroughly, love stories are just not my thing. There is also a theme of suicide that runs throughout the book which really adds a dark edge to things.

 

I'm still not sure how he did it but Murakami managed to reach into my head and do something with it. I absolutely adored this book and yet I can't quite put my finger on why or how he managed this.

 

The characters are very captivating and I found myself really liking Toru. In the book he is often compared to Holden Caulfied, a character who I never really got on with. Perhaps this is down to the fact that I read Catcher in the Rye as an adult. If Caulfield had the effect on readers that Toru had on me I can see why he is put on a pedestal.

 

All the female characters are fascinating. Reiko is massively likeable and like a knowledgeable village elder, albeit one who had her own emotion issues to deal with. Naoko and Midori are more captivating than instantly likeable but I felt myself rooting for each one when they entered the scene. When Toru is with Naoko I felt he should choose her and vice versa when he was with Midori.

 

I have noticed that Murakami has a writing style which is loved by some and disliked by others. I firmly fall into the first camp, I really love the style. He has a way of leaving big spaces in descriptions which leave your imagination to fill in the gaps. This helps to create a really magical feel to things, something I think is especially important when the subject is being looked at in a nostalgic manner.

 

I found myself thinking about this book every time I put it down, it really got to me. Did I find anything about the book not to my liking?

 

Occasionally the speech is a little off in places. That could be down to the fact it is translated or that I don't get Japanese culture. However it is only occasional and it never becomes and issue. I knew what was going to happen the Naoko before it happened but again this wasn't an issue because I don't think it was meant to be a big surprise.

 

To sum this up, I loved the writing and I loved the book. This means that I now have to read everything Murakami has written so my postman will be busy when I've been paid. This book is right up there with Alone in Berlin for the amount of love I have for it.

 

 

5/5 (It was amazing).

[Brian.]

Skunk Works by Ben Rich

 

 

 

 

 

 

Synopsis

From the development of the U-2 to the Stealth fighter, the never-before-told story behind America's high-stakes quest to dominate the skies Skunk Works is the true story of America's most secret and successful aerospace operation. As recounted by Benjamin Robert Rich (6/18/25–1/5/95), the operation's brilliant boss for nearly two decades, the chronicle of Lockheed's legendary Skunk Works is a drama of cold war confrontations and Gulf War air combat, of extraordinary feats of engineering and human achievement against fantastic odds. Here are up-close portraits of the maverick band of scientists and engineers who made the Skunk Works so renowned. Filled with telling personal anecdotes and high adventure, with narratives from the CIA and from Air Force pilots who flew the many classified, risky missions, this book is a riveting portrait of the most spectacular aviation triumphs of the twentieth century.

(Taken from Goodreads)

 

 

My Thoughts

I was lent this book by a work colleague and by the time I got it, it had been read by quite a few people. Everyone said it was a good read and it helps that working on aircraft we have an appreciation for some of the more technical things mentioned in the book.

 

The book is written by Ben Rich, the one time boss of Skunkworks, a secretive aircraft builder which was a part of Lockheed. The book mainly covers the development of the SR-71 Blackbird, U2 Spy Plane and F-117 Nighthawk. All three were huge leaps forward in technology and being able to see what went on behind the scenes is great. Fortunately the technological detail is kept at a level which will appeal to everyone. From an engineering point of view I probably have a bit of a better appreciation of some of the problems they faced that others would not but it still remains very readable and easy to understand.

 

It is not all about the technical detail either, there is a lot coverage given to the government situation they had to deal with. In the early days they had far less intrusion from the end user than they faced in the later days. Some of this was probably down to the fact that the CIA were the agency involved with the U2 and although they knew what they wanted they didn't have any technical specialist on board. In later times the USAF were involved and they had very knowledgeable engineers and designers themselves.

 

The most interesting part of the books for me was how the projects tied in with the cold war. The fact that the SR-71 was tracked by the USSR but they could not shoot it down was something I never knew about. The SR-71 simply flew far too high for them to intercept.

 

The only downside to the book is that Ben Rich can get very preachy at times. The final few chapters he deals with how money can be saved by the defense industry and how aviation companies should be run. Although some of the points are very valid, many of them consist of any government or defense official not being involved in any way. This is something that is just not possible in the modern aviation industry. He also rarely mentions any merit in the design of any of their competitors, both domestically and from the USSR. The Su-27 in particular is never mentioned despite the fact that it remains one of the most agile aircraft ever built.

 

Anyone having an interest in aviation, the cold war or engineering will find this book to be a good read.

 

3/5 (I liked it).

[Brian.]

I think my book for the week(end) is going to be A Short History of Tractors in Ukrainian by Marina Lewycka. It's in the '1001' books list and has sold over 1 million copies so hopefully I am in for a treat.

[poppyshake]

It's very funny Brian .. hope you think so too

[Brian.]

It's very funny Brian .. hope you think so too

 

I am about 1/3 of the way through so far and I am finding it pretty funny. I don't think it is going to live up to the last few fiction books that I have read though, they have been superb.

[karen.d]

It's very funny Brian .. hope you think so too

 

I agree, this is a very funny, quirky book.

[Brian.]

A Short History of Tractors in Ukrainian by Marina Lewycka

 

 

 

 

Synopsis

When their recently widowed father announces that he plans to remarry, sisters Vera and Nadezhda realize that they must learn to put aside a lifetime of bitter rivalry in order to save him. The new woman in his life is Valentina, a voluptuous gold-digger from Ukraine, fifty years his junior, with fabulous breasts and a proclivity for green satin underwear and boil-in-the-bag cuisine, who will stop at nothing in her single-minded pursuit of the luxurious Western lifestyle she dreams of. But separating their addled and annoyingly lecherous dad from his new love will prove to be no easy feat-in terms of sheer cold-eyed ruthlessness, the two sisters swiftly realize that they are rank amateurs. As Hurricane Valentina turns the old family house upside down, all the old secrets come falling out, including the most deeply buried one of them all, from the war, the one that explains much about why Nadezhda and Vera are so different. In the meantime, oblivious to it all, their father carries on with the great work of his dotage-a grand history of the tractor and its role in human progress, giving due credit to the crucial Ukrainian contribution. The story carries us back to pre-revolutionary Ukraine, through wartime Germany, to contemporary England, taking in love and suffering, tanks and tractors, bitchiness, sibling rivalry, and, above all, the joys of growing old disgracefully.

(Taken from Goodreads)

 

 

My Thoughts

This book has been on my radar for a while now. It features in the '1001' books list and has also won a few prizes, when I spotted it was available for £3 from my local Waterstones I decided I shouldn't leave without it.

 

The story revolves around the battle 2 sisters have trying to save their father who is in his 80's from a woman he is to marry who is in her early 30's. It quickly becomes obvious that the woman, Valentina does not have good intentions and that the old man is besotted by the notion of rescuing her from a life in Ukraine. He also is quite clear a boobs man. Along the way the family past is revealed and the two sisters attempt to settle their differences.

 

There is a lot of quite dark humour throughout the book and for me this was it's saving grace. I can't say that I didn't like the book but it never really moved me aside from the laughs. Valentina is quite an amusing caricature as far as her description goes and her loose command of the English language leads to some quite amusing exchanges.

 

None of the characters are particularly likeable, neither Nadezdha or Vera moved me in any way. They are presented as polar opposite personalities but I just found them to be fairly wooden at times. I also found the plot a bit... all over the shop. It's not that it was hard to follow it just felt very messy.

 

It is a very easy book to read though, I read most of it in one leisurely Sunday which is not something I can say for many books. It is easy to dip in and out of I just feel that a stricter editor would have improved the book somewhat. This review may sound very negative but it is not a bad book, it just didn't move me. Perhaps that fact that I have read some great books recently didn't help it.

 

One final word of warning, the old man poops himself a lot.

 

3/5 (I liked it).

[Brian.]

Oh dear, I seem to have picked up a right lemon of a book, SAS Warlord by Tom Siegriste. The blurb on the back details an elite unit detailed to take out IRA targets at the start of 'the troubles' in the 1970's. The blurb got me interested as I had read a few bits and pieces about this kind of thing being real but very much swept under the carpet. The existence of a Military Reaction Force (MRF) has been proven to be real, their role is still under a lot of debate.

 

I read a book many years ago called The Nemesis File by Paul Bruce which covers a very similar story, a secret SAS hit squad. At the time it didn't sit right with me and has since been proven to be a complete fabrication. Sadly SAS Warlord is, in my opinion a similar work of total fabrication. Within about 15 pages I had sussed it out as being full of wild inaccuracies as well as being very badly written. I decided to give it a chance but once I got to the 3rd chapter I couldn't take anymore and had to stop.

 

This is a shocking military memoir and I have little doubt that it is actually a work of fiction. How it got through the publishing process is beyond me. Utter garbage and I am glad it only cost me £1 and that the money went to my local charity bookshop.

 

Avoid at all costs.

[vodkafan]

Thanks Brian I also hate this kind of made up tosh passing as fact

[Brian.]

Like I said, I am totally bewildered as to how it got through the publishing process.

 

After dumping that I've decided to read both Breakfast at Tiffan"y's by Truman Capote and Live & Let Die by Ian Fleming. I had to get Breakfast at Tiffany's from my local library in an attempt to curtail my book spending which has started to escalate again.

[Brian.]

Breakfast at Tiffany's by Truman Capote

 

 

 

 

Synopsis

Holly Golightly, glittering socialite traveller, generally upwards, sometimes sideways and once in a while down. She's up all night drinking cocktails and breaking hearts. She's a shoplifter, a delight, a drifter, a tease. She hasn't got a past.She doesn't want to belong to anything or anyone. Not to 'Rusty' Trawler, the blue-chinned, cuff-shooting millionaire man about women about town. Not to Salvatore 'Sally' Tomato, the Mafia sugar-daddy doing life in Sing Sing. Not to a starving writer. Not even to her one-eyed rag-bag pirate of a cat. One day Holly might find somewhere she belongs. Until then she's travelling.

(Taken from Amazon)

 

 

My Thoughts

I've been looking for a copy of this for a while to read but none of my local shops had one. I could have and maybe should have got it via Amazon but I prefer to use shops where possible. While wandering through my library I spotted it on the shelf and was annoyed that I hadn't thought of reserving it earlier.

 

This book appears in the '1001' books list and I was also aware that a very successful movie was made. I haven't seen the movie but of course have seen the images of Audrey Hepburn as Holly. Initially I was surprised at how short the story is, I expected it to be a few hundred pages and I suspect that because of this, the edition I read had a few short stories also added in.

 

I found Holly to be an odd character, I didn't like her but I also liked her at the same time. The fact that she basically lived off other people is something that initially grated with me but her flighty nature and innocent charm won me over. As the story develops and we find where she came from it also helped cement her charm.

 

The story had a few twists along the way and although I found it ok it never really sucked me in. The characters make it work rather than the plot. I am a bit of a sucker for post war New York, I really love books based in this era and this one has its own type of charm.

 

At no point was I ever completely won over by the book but I did enjoy it none the less.

 

 

3/5 (I liked it).

[Alexi]

I also gave it a 3/5 Brian, never really getting sucked in is the perfect phrase

 

Of the short stories, The Diamond Guitar was my favourite.

[Brian.]

I also gave it a 3/5 Brian, never really getting sucked in is the perfect phrase

 

Of the short stories, The Diamond Guitar was my favourite.

 

The Diamond Guitar was a great short story and I also really liked the ending to A Christmas Memory. I found the short stories to be a bit Hemingway-esque in their feel.

[vodkafan]

I have Breakfast at Tiffany's on my kindle I am keen to read it but never seem to get around to it (Big Daughter has hijacked my kindle anyway while I am finishing off my tree books)

[Brian.]

Live and Let Die by Ian Fleming

 

 

 

 

Synopsis

"Her hair was black and fell to her shoulders. She had high cheekbones and a sensual mouth, and wore a dress of white silk. Her eyes were blue, alight and disdainful, but, as they gazed into his with a touch of humour, Bond realized that they contained a message. Solitaire watched his eyes on her and nonchalantly drew her forearms together so that the valley between her breasts deepened. The message was unmistakable."

Beautiful, fortune-telling Solitaire is the prisoner (and tool) of Mr Big—master of fear, artist in crime and Voodoo Baron of Death. James Bond has no time for superstition—he knows that this criminal heavy hitter is also a top SMERSH operative and a real threat. More than that, after tracking him through the jazz joints of Harlem, to the everglades and on to the Caribbean, 007 has realized that Big is one of the most dangerous men that he has ever faced. And no-one, not even the mysterious Solitaire, can be sure how their battle of wills is going to end…

(Taken from Goodreads)

 

 

My Thoughts

Having read Casino Royale earlier this year I decided it was time for book number 2 in the Bond series. Fortunately I managed to pick up a copy for cheap from a charity shop along with the next 3 in the series.

 

The first thing that really jumped out was the fact that Fleming uses a hell of a lot of racial slurs in this book. I was prepared for some but not as much as there ended up being in the book. I had decided before hand to let it be what it was but to be honest I found it a little difficult.

 

That aside, the story is a great one even though it is not quite up to the level reached by Casino Royale. There is a lot of detail wound into the story and there is a vulnerability about Bond which is simply ignored in the movies. The Bond in the movies is one who makes women weak at the knees and is so very smooth and suave. He is also far more injury prone than the movie, he regularly gets a pasting and is hurting a lot. There is also a fair chuck of nakedness.

 

I enjoyed this book but it wasn't quite up to Casino Royale.

 

 

3/5 (I liked it).

[Brian.]

I started Last Exit to Brooklyn but for some reason I just wasn't feeling it so I returned it to the library. I picked up After Dark by Haruki Murakami which I had reserved so hopefully that will re-ignite my reading as my mojo has been pretty low this past week.

[Brian.]

After Dark by Haruki Murakami

 

 

 

 

Synopsis

A short, sleek novel of encounters set in Tokyo during the witching hours between midnight and dawn, and every bit as gripping as Haruki Murakami’s masterworks The Wind-Up Bird Chronicle and Kafka on the Shore.

 

At its center are two sisters—Eri, a fashion model slumbering her way into oblivion, and Mari, a young student soon led from solitary reading at an anonymous Denny’s toward people whose lives are radically alien to her own: a jazz trombonist who claims they’ve met before, a burly female “love hotel” manager and her maid staff, and a Chinese prostitute savagely brutalized by a businessman. These “night people” are haunted by secrets and needs that draw them together more powerfully than the differing circumstances that might keep them apart, and it soon becomes clear that Eri’s slumber—mysteriously tied to the businessman plagued by the mark of his crime—will either restore or annihilate her.

(Taken from Goodreads)

 

 

My Thoughts

I picked this up from my local library after reserving it. To be honest it couldn't really have come at a better time because my mojo was fading a bit. I had started Last Exit to Brooklyn by Hubert Selby Jr but for some reason it I just wasn't feeling it so I decided to return it for another day. It would seem that Murakami just does it for some people and not others. I definitely sit in the 'does it' camp. I saw a review where the reviewer said that Murakami makes connection in his brain that no other author does and I think that sums up how I feel about his work pretty well.

 

Like his other books that I have read, his characters make me feel for them on a emotional level that few others do. His writing creates a very visual and magical world in my head. I find it quite difficult to put into words how this feels to me but I suspect that some people will know what I mean.

 

The story happens at night, a time when most people are in bed and as a consequence night time has its own feel and energy. Murakami portrays this very well, its a time when things go on that remain unseen to most and also when the oddest of people are drawn together in equally unusual ways. As important as the things which are described in minute detail are the things that go unexplained. For example, the whole situation with Mari and the way it is handled is very unusual and yet it works really well.

 

The only reason why I didn't give this a 5 is that I wanted it to last a little longer. At 201 pages it is a pretty short book, I feel that another 50 pages would have allowed some of the story to be tidied up into a more complete ending. The mystery of it all is part of its charm though I suppose. I have already reserved 2 more Murakami books and I cant wait to get stuck into them.

 

4/5 (I really liked it).