Tuesday 31 May 2011
A worn out jaffa...
Monday 30 May 2011
Latest reviews...
So here are our reviews of books we have managed to read since we last got together..
Our History week proved to be a great success..we went from 13C England to Elizabethan London, and from ancient Rome to the early 20C brothels of London, Paris and New Orleans.....and all without leaving our armchair- such is the tremendous power of reading.
I have total admiration for an author who can recreate a world so entirely that as you read, you can feel the hairs on the back of your neck stand up, and when you are forced back to the 21C ,the smell of wood smoke still lingers in the air, and you can almost imagine you are still there......
Loved every word.
jaffa's rating: 5paws
I enjoyed the intricacies of the plot, and look forward to the next instalment in John Shakespeare's eventful life..
Can't wait to read the next two books in the series.
I've not read many books by Lesley Pearse but I have always enjoyed the ones I have read, and this latest offering is no exception.I am pleased that there will be a sequel next year entitled "Belle's War".
Friday 20 May 2011
Book for today...
Wednesday 18 May 2011
Wow....!!
Tuesday 17 May 2011
Hurrah for Libraries...
I have a great respect for my local library, and sincerely hope that the outreach service that visits my local area every two weeks is allowed to continue. I guess in these dark days of local government cutbacks , it would be all too easy to dispense with this vital service - but it would cause such upset...particularly for those who can't travel very far, or who can't afford to buy the books they want to read...
- The Gallows Curse by Karen Maitland - I'm a huge fan of this talented writer, and have devoured her previous two books - reviews from my book loving friends are good - so I think I shall make this a priority read.
- Belle by Leslie Pearse - I have only heard good things about this book, and whilst I haven't read too many by this author, I am looking forward to this one.
- Catching the Tide by Judith Lennox - I love her books -they are great escapism - huge family sagas that hold your attention from the first page.
- Major Pettigrew's Last Stand by Helen Simondson - I love books about books, and this one has had good reviews - I'm looking forward to reading it.
Monday 16 May 2011
History week...
As the weather appears be settling into a rainy sort of week, it will be my chance to read a fine selection of historical fiction - and there's nothing that Jaffa and I love more than curling up with a good history book, lost in the mist of time.
Sunday 15 May 2011
Weekly Reviews...
The Hand That First Held Mine by Maggie O'Farrell
My rating: 5 of 5 stars
Lexie and Innes - Ted and Elina - are very different people, living in different eras, yet each are bound together in a story that slowly unfolds with ultimate precision. Lexie and Innes try to make their way in 60's Bohemian London, whilst modern day Ted and Elina need to discover how to survive the exhaustion of new parenthood.
At first you don't quite know how the story will come together, but with Maggie O'Farrell's usual assurance, the gulf between these two worlds is bridged, with an ending that leaves you wanting more.
I devoured the book in a day or so - simply because I could't put it down - this is Maggie O'Farrell at her best.
Wen's sister Lili believes him to be dead, and arrives in London in order to come to terms with his death, thus begins a catalogue of events that will have catastrophic consequences.
Told in a sympathetic manner, this story explores what it feels like to be a misplaced person, and how the overwhelming need for survival prevails, and that the power of love, however unlikely, will overcome all things.
I enjoyed this story and thought that Betsy Tobin captured the spirit perfectly, and brought some fascinating characters to life.
Blue Monday by Nicci French
My rating: 5 of 5 stars
This tense, psychological thriller hits the ground running with a bleak tale of missing children. When similarities turn up in cases that are separated by twenty two years, the police are just as mystified as their predecessors at the lack of clues. It’s only when psychoanalyst Frieda Klein becomes suspicious, that alarm bells start to ring. What then follows is a tight psychological game between the perpetrator and the police.
There is an abundance of characters from the eccentric, to the downright creepy, all are seamlessly woven into the plot, and soon become an integral part of the story. Klein’s character is quirkily different, and at times she seems to be more of a hindrance to the police than a help, but her eccentricity is part of her charm , and this is certainly worth exploring in future novels, which I’m sure will follow this excellent start. The conclusion is well thought out, and definitely had the “oh, my goodness” factor. This is definitely one of those books that I shall recommend to my friends.
The Weight of Silence by Heather Gudenkauf
My rating: 4 of 5 stars
Calli and Petra are best friends. When they go missing within hours of each other, their families assume foul play is the cause of their disappearance. However, the search for the girls uncovers much more than two missing children.
The characters are allowed their own voice in separate chapters, and each is a clever mixture of adult, and child. These accounts work well in order to draw all the strands of the story together.
Ultimately, the story is about the nuances of family life, and the secrets that can so easily just hover below the surface of normality.
I enjoyed it, and look forward to more by this author.
Quite a heart warming story, no pun intended, this story explores the possibly of genetic memory in a very sensitive and utterly believable way - after a slow start, I rather enjoyed it.
Saturday 14 May 2011
The weekend's here...
My pick for the weekend is another book from my bookshelf - Second Hand Heart by Catherine Ryan Hyde, originally purchased way back in October 2010. I remember buying the book because it looked like a 'Jodi Picoult' type read - and as she's one of my favourite authors, I thought that it was worth trying. When I looked more closely at the author , I realised that I had read one of her previous books - Love in the Present Tense - which if I'm honest, I didn't really rate very highly - but everyone deserves a second chance -and I'm always in awe of anyone who has the ability to write and be published...
Thursday 12 May 2011
One from the shelf...
Wednesday 11 May 2011
My Life in Books...
Tuesday 10 May 2011
My own little world...
Monday 9 May 2011
Blue Monday...
"This tense, psychological thriller hits the ground running with a bleak tale of missing children. When similarities turn up in cases that are separated by twenty two years, the police are just as mystified as their predecessors at the lack of clues. It’s only when psychoanalyst Frieda Klein becomes suspicious, that alarm bells start to ring. What then follows is a tight psychological game between the perpetrator and the police.
There is an abundance of characters from the eccentric, to the downright creepy, all are seamlessly woven into the plot, and soon become an integral part of the story. Klein’s character is quirkily different, and at times she seems to be more of a hindrance to the police than a help, but her eccentricity is part of her charm , and this is certainly worth exploring in future novels, which I'm sure will follow this excellent start. The conclusion is well thought out, and definitely had the “oh, my goodness” factor. This is definitely one of those books that I shall recommend to my friends."
It was so good that I've already passed the book on to one of my book loving friends - should be popping through another letterbox any time soon.....
I'm always more than happy to share my books - it's what makes my world go round....
Sunday 8 May 2011
One click, two clicks...
Saturday 7 May 2011
One small step for a new blogger....
Since I eat , drink, and sleep thinking about books - I think I may as well try to write about books in a sort of half grown up way...