Friday Recommends...

Penguin
Michale Joseph
April 11 2013

 The Rosie Project

by

Graeme Simsion

Don Tillman, by his own admission, is a bit of an oddball. He likes his life to be structured and organised, so when he sets out on the quest to find a suitable life partner, he uses his skill as a professor of genetics to construct a sixteen-page scientifically produced document with the intention of finding the perfect partner. When Rosie Jarman enters Don’s life, she is everything that Don dislikes about women, she certainly doesn't fulfil the criteria of his questionnaire, but when she enlists his help in searching out her real father, Don finds himself drawn into the quest which becomes known as The Rosie Project.

From the beginning of the novel it is implied that Don has some form of autism, he’s like the proverbial round peg in a square hole, fiercely intelligent and strangely captivating, and yet when Rosie turns his life upside down, there is an observed sensitivity about Don, which is as charming as it is poignant.

Overall, I thought that the book was really nicely done; the story was easy to read, with a warm and witty dialogue which had me laughing out loud in places, and yet there was an underlying compassion which revealed Don’s inner sensitivity. I thought Rosie was a great character, she’s quirky, completely off the wall at times, but the interaction between her and Don is lovely to observe. 

The Rosie Project is a unique reminder that love comes in many different guises, and with or without a sixteen-page questionnaire, most of us seem to get it right, at least once.

5*****

My thanks to Real Readers for an Advance Reading Copy of this book.

Wishlist Wednesday...

I am delighted to be part of wishlist Wednesday which is hosted by Dani at pen to paper

The idea is to post about one book each week that has been on your wishlist for some time, or maybe just added.

So what do you need to do to join in?

Follow Pen to Paper as host of the meme.

Pick a book from your wishlist that you are dying to get to put on your shelves.

Do a post telling your readers about the book and why it's on your wishlist.

Add your blog to the linky at the bottom of her post.

Put a link back to pen to paper (http://vogue-pentopaper.blogspot.com) somewhere in your post.

The Heretics (John Shakespeare, Book 5)

by

Rory Clements

John Murray (28 Feb 2013)

Synopsis




England may have survived the Armada threat of 1588, but when Spanish galleys land troops in Cornwall on a lightning raid seven years later, is it a dry-run for a new invasion? Or is there, perhaps, a more sinister motive? The Queen is speechless with rage. But as intelligencer John Shakespeare tries to get a grip on events, one by one his network of spies is horribly murdered. What has all this to do with Thomasyn Jade, a girl driven to the edge of madness by the foul rituals of exorcism? And what is the link to a group of priests held prisoner in bleak Wisbech Castle?


From the pain-wracked torture rooms of the Inquisition in Seville to the marshy wastes of fenland, from the wild coasts of Cornwall to the sweat and sawdust of the Elizabethan playhouses, and from the condemned cell at Newgate to the devilish fantasies of a fanatic, THE HERETICS builds to a terrifying climax that threatens the life of the Queen herself.


I've been a huge fan of this series of books since Rory Clements first novel to feature John Shakespeare, Martyr, came to my notice in 2009. Since then I have gone on to read each successive story, only to find that they get better and better.


I still have Traitor to read which is book 4, but am relieved to know that Book 5 isn't too far away !


**Whenever I read these books I think of my lovely book friend Elaine, who was a real fan of the series and we shared copies of these books and had great discussions about the merits of John Shakespeare.

I miss your book chat, lovely lady.**

Review - A Teaspoon of Earth and Sea by Dina Nayeri

Allen & Unwin
4 April 2013
(Paperback)

A Teaspoon of Earth and Sea 

by

Dina Nayeri

Post-revolutionary Iran in the 1980s is not a place to be taken lightly, and as eleven year old Saba Hafezi tries to come to terms with devastating loss, she finds reassurance in contraband copies of western books and music. Living alone with her father, Saba struggles with the limited choices that are open to her, but with remarkable spirit and a refusal to conform she learns how to draw a protective shield of make- believe around the limitations of her life.

At times A Teaspoon of Earth and Sea is a difficult book to read, but Dina Nayeri has written a narrative of such convincing honesty that only someone who is intimately familiar with this way of life could have written with spellbinding accuracy about a regime which treated its women as commodities to be bartered and sold. And even as you rail against the politics which keep women very firmly in their place, there is much comfort to be found in the warmth of shared friendship and a sense of sisterhood pervades even in the darkest of circumstances.

Rich in the tradition of Eastern storytelling, the story unfolds so softly, that even as you gather the chador closely around you, and with the scent of opium and hashish lingering in the air, you can sense the shadows of the bold and courageous women who simply tried to make their voices heard, and even as their bravery leaves an indelible stain on your heart, you remember that “A beautiful girl always manages to break some rule.”

5*****

My thanks to Lovereading.co.uk for a review copy of this book.

Review ~ Lucia on Holiday by Guy Fraser- Sampson

Elliot & Thompson Ltd
March 2012

Lucia on Holiday

by

Guy Fraser-Sampson

The beloved E. F Benson’s, Mapp & Lucia series of stories has been recreated by Guy Fraser-Sampson in this new rendition, and is based on the enduring character partnership between arch rivals Emmeline Lucas and Elizabeth Mapp-Flint. In Lucia on Holiday, the social satire continues with a wry look at the English abroad, which is largely overshadowed by the rivalry which exists between the two main protagonists.

I am a newcomer to this series of stories, and so I enter into the discussion with no preconception of how the story should or should not flow, or indeed whether the essence of characterisation has been sustained, however, what I can deduce from reading the story is that the dialogue is both witty and stylised, and quirkily reminiscent of a bygone era. The larger than life characters, comparable at times to the farcical nature of P. G Wodehouse, kept me completely entertained. The droll humour is quite refreshing, and I found myself laughing out loud at the social commentary, which is wryly observed.

It is never easy to take on the mantle of a much beloved series, and I am sure that the Benson enthusiasts will be slightly more critical of this attempt to recreate a master’s work, but if like me you are a new recruit to this writing genre, then you may well be encouraged to simply enjoy Lucia on Holiday as a well written and amusing social satire.

4****

My thanks to Lovereading.co.uk for a review copy of this book.

Friday Recommends...

ALLISON & BUSBY (28 Jan 2013)

The Firebird 

by

Susanna Kearsley

Nicola Marter has the unique ability to be able to hold an object and see into its past. This exceptional gift is something that in her professional life in London, as a Russian antiquities dealer, she attempts to hide, but when she is allowed to touch a beautiful wooden carving of a Russian firebird she is instantly aware of the history surrounding it. Nicola’s boss Sebastian convinces the seller of the firebird that it is worthless, but Nicola realising how precious the firebird is to the seller, is determined to find out more about its history. Travelling to Scotland, Nicola recruits the help of her friend, Rob McMorran, who also has this special psychic gift, and together they set out on a quest, which will take them from Scotland, to Belgium and finally, to St Petersburg in Russia.

There is not a single minute of wasted reading time in this book as the story line is compelling. The dual time narrative is seamless and captivates throughout in a story which is rich in emotion and strong on historical detail. There is no doubt that Susanna Kearsley is a master story teller, her ability to weave written magic is present in every word of her dialogue and in the way in which she effortlessly crosses time to create an unshakeable emotional bond with all her characters.

The added inclusion of references to a couple of her previous novels, adds a nice touch of continuity, but it’s really not essential to have read either The Shadowy Horses or Sophia’s Secret, as The Firebird is more than capable of standing alone.

I have now read all of Susanna Kearsley’s books to date and without doubt The Firebird is one of my favourites.

5 *****

Valentine's Day...

Happy Valentine's Day

Here are my favourite Fictional Romantic Couples

Jamie and Claire Fraser from Cross Stitch

Scarlett O'Hara and Rhett Butler from Gone with the Wind

Esther Summerson and Alan Woodcourt from Bleak House

Oliver Barrett IV and Jenny Cavalleri from Love Story 

Gabriel Oak and Bathsheba Everdene from Far from the Madding Crowd. 

Bridget Jones and Mark Darcy from Bridget Jones Diary

Wishlist Wednesday...

I am delighted to be part of wishlist Wednesday which is hosted by Dani at pen to paper

The idea is to post about one book each week that has been on your wishlist for some time, or maybe just added.

So what do you need to do to join in?

Follow Pen to Paper as host of the meme.

Pick a book from your wishlist that you are dying to get to put on your shelves.

Do a post telling your readers about the book and why it's on your wishlist.

Add your blog to the linky at the bottom of her post.

Put a link back to pen to paper (http://vogue-pentopaper.blogspot.com) somewhere in your post.

The Shadow Prince

by

Terence Morgan

Published 2013

From Goodreads

Perkin Warbeck is an ordinary young man in fifteenth-century Tournai. The son of a port official, he loves nothing more than swimming, singing and fishing with his father. But Perkin has a secret. His real name is Richard, and he is the rightful Prince of England. Thought to have been murdered with his brother, Edward, in the Tower of London, he was covertly taken to the continent and placed with an adoptive family under an assumed identity. But when his enemies seek him out he must flee, and embarks on a new life of derring-do, sailing the high seas with the era's greatest adventurers. But Richard cannot avoid his fate forever. He knows he must return to England, to assume the throne that is his birthright. But what for Richard is a homecoming, for the new king, Henry Tudor, is nothing less than an invasion, and 'Perkin' slowly comes to learn that the price of his goal is the blood of innocent men.

 Based on painstaking research, and peopled by some of the most extraordinary characters of an extraordinary period, Perkin's tale is a vivid, authentic, and hugely entertaining historical adventure.

Terence Morgan is also the author of

The Master of Bruges

A love story and political thriller full of exquisite descriptions of 15th century London, this tale is based on the life of one of Europe's most brilliant and enigmatic painters who found himself at the heart of a political storm

Master painter Hans Memling is without peer in the artistic world of 15th-century Bruges. But when he falls in love with the Princess Marie, daughter of his powerful patron, the Duke of Burgundy, his life begins to unravel. Made reckless by his passion for Marie, Hans accepts an invitation to visit old allies in London. But there he will find himself plunged into the final stages of the War of the Roses and embroiled in one of the greatest political mysteries of all time, as he plays a crucial role in the fate of the Princes in the Tower.