My Latest Review is The Homecoming of Samuel Lake by Jenny Wingfield

This is my latest review for Newbooks and is one of the best debut books I have read for a while.

Jaffa enjoyed it but wasn't too keen on the treatment of some of the cats in the story - that made him cross enough to have a hissie fit.....

The Homecoming of Samuel Lake by Jenny Wingfield

My rating: 5 of 5 stars

jaffa's rating 5paws

Homespun America in 1950’s is beautifully described in this accomplished debut novel which interweaves the lives of the Lake and Moses family. Samuel Lake is a preacher without a congregation and without any hope of a ministry of his own he is forced to return to his wife’s family farm in Arkansas with his eccentrically named offspring. Of his three children, it is eleven year old Swan Lake who is the formidable ringleader, who is tomboy enough to run wild through the rural landscape, and yet has a heart bigger than the Arkansas sky.
Reminiscent of Harper Lee’s To Kill a Mocking Bird, this emotionally charged book reveals a story that is at times dark and dirty, and yet has a theme of faith, and family that transcends pure evil. There is an abundance of rich and varied characters who bring the story to life, from grandmother Calla who tends her flowers, and dispenses wholesome wisdom, through to the bravery of Uncle Toy who keeps the bar at ‘Never Closes’, and who loves the Lake children as he would his own.
I stayed up late and long in order to finish reading this story, it made me laugh, it made me cry and ultimately, it made me believe in the power of storytelling.
This is storytelling at its absolute best, and I would recommend this novel wholeheartedly to my book group. If I could give it more than five stars I would do so without hesitation.
Read it if you can.

Yippee - A new author for me .....!

Trick of the Dark by Val McDermid

My rating: 4 of 5 stars

jaffa's rating 4paws

I've not read any of Val McDermid's books before and recently acquired this latest book , which is a stand alone story, and so not part of any established series.

At the beginning of the story we know that someone has been murdered , we even have two suspects facing trial for the crime but what then follows throughout the rest of the book, is the story of how, why, and what happened, not just to the murder victim, but also what happened to those who were intimately involved in the crime.

Overall, I enjoyed it and thought that the book was cleverly layered, with some interesting, though, not very likeable characters, and felt the story had just enough cliffhangers to keep me reading to find out what happened next. The plot isn't as gritty or as graphic as some murder / mysteries I enjoy, but there were some interesting observations, and I have to acknowledge that Val McDermid is obviously very adept at her craft.

Perhaps I have found me a new author - don't you just love it when that happens ?

Books in my Month...

It's that time of the month again when I round up the books I have read and enjoyed this month -

Here they are :

Pride and Premiership ~ Michelle Gayle. Aimed at the YA market - it's a story about a young girl who wants to be a WAG, and marry a premier league footballer. Nicely written and with a subtle warning that we should be careful what we wish for. I am sure that teenage girls will enjoy this one.

Deliverance from Evil ~ Frances Hill. - it's a story about the Salem witch trial of 1692 and adds some new insight into this difficult time in American history. I enjoyed the second half of the book rather more than the first,as it took a while to get to know all the characters.

Alice Bliss ~ Laura Harrington - It's a story about love, and military loss -sensitively told through the eyes of 15yr old Alice Bliss. I thought that this book covered a very sad subject very well and conveyed an important message that those we love are never really lost to us.

The Stonehenge Legacy ~ Sam Christer - It's a story about a secret cult, murder and mystery with Stonehenge at it's heart. If you suspend belief at times this story develops into a really exciting romp and I enjoyed it right to the very end.

That's Another Story ~ Julie Walters - a rather interesting autobiography from this talented actress

Florence and Giles ~ John Harding - it's a chilly little story -reminiscient of Henry James' Turn of the Screw

The Absolutist ~ John Boyne - a beautifully written book about WW1 and is MY BOOK Of THE MONTH. I have written about this book already - it's such a poignant and emotive story which has stayed with me , and I suspect it will remain with me for a while.

The Secrets between us ~ Lousie Graham - It's a story about an unsolved mystery, and obsessive love, set in beautiful Somerset

Sisters ~ Rosamund Lupton- It's a murder/mystery with an unexpected twist at the end, which to be honest I didn't see coming at all.

The Midwife's Confession ~ Diane Chamberlain- it's a story about secrets and lies, and the way we never really "know" someone

The Confessions of Catherine de Medici ~ C W Gortner - It's a good look at the life of this fascinating Queen.

Chasing Fire ~ Nora Roberts - It's a story about Smoke Jumpers in Montana, with a hint of suspense and romance. Nora Roberts can write a good story and this one certainly kept me turning the pages. I sort of guessed who dunnit , but that didn't spoil the ending at all.

Happy Tuesday...

I've been occupied with Knitting over the last few days as I wanted to add the finishing touches to some baby clothes I have been making for my daughter's friend's baby - I finished the last baby hat yesterday afternoon just in time ,as baby Isabella arrived safely last night.

I can always find time to read, and coincidentally have been reading The Midwife's Confession by Diane Chamberlain -which is a multi layered story about secrets, lies and the enduring friendship of strong women.

The Midwife's Confession by Diane Chamberlain

My rating: 5 of 5 stars

jaffa's rating 5paws

When midwife Noelle commits suicide at the start of the book, her death unleashes a series of secrets that she has kept from her close friends. Tara and Emerson were friends with Noelle since their college days - Noelle was there when they were having their babies, they trusted her implicitly, and yet when it came down to the minutiae of Noelle's life, none of them really knew her at all.

The story is beautifully written, the characters come quickly to life and stay with you long after the last page is turned. Diane Chamberlain's writing just gets better and better, and this one particularly struck a chord with me as I worked in midwifery. From the opening chapter I was hooked, and in order to find out what happened next , I just had to read a "little bit more".

If you pick up this book be prepared to do nothing until you have finished it.

I'm now looking forward to Diane Chamberlain's next book ~ The Shadow Wife which is a reissue of her 2002 book Cypress Point, and is due out in the UK 19 August...

Review of The Secrets Between Us by Louise Douglas

I was asked to review this book for newbooks http://www.newbooksmag.com/home.php

The Secrets Between Us by Louise Douglas

My rating: 5 of 5 stars

jaffa's rating 5paws

Sarah has escaped on holiday to Sicily to recuperate following a traumatic event, and whilst there she meets the enigmatic Alexander, and his young son Jamie. Against the better judgement of her family, Sarah follows Alexander to his home in a small Somerset village, and becomes his lover, his housekeeper, and nanny to Jamie. This idyll, however, is marred by the continuing mystery of the disappearance of Alexander’s beautiful wife, Genevieve.

Reminiscent of the Gothic splendour of a modern day Wuthering Heights and Jane Eyre, I thought that this was a really accomplished novel. Louise Douglas certainly knows how to write a good story and involves the reader in an imaginative and consuming way. The plot is twisted and convoluted right to the very end, and yet is beautifully atmospheric, with some genuinely creepy moments. The characterisation is subtle, and yet all consuming as we begin genuinely to care for Alexander who is flawed and vulnerable, Jamie who is damaged and precocious, and Sarah, who whilst fighting her own demons, must try and keep this family together.

The Secrets between Us is a haunting and passionate love story, which will entertain and keep you guessing from the opening page.

I've now read all of Louise Douglas's books and this is by far my favourite, it's dark, creepy and wonderfully atmospheric.....read it when you can.

Stunningly good.....

I have loved all of John Boyne's books - The Boy in the Striped Pyjamas has to be one of my all time favourite reads - so I knew, when I started this book yesterday, that I was in for real treat and, wow ....what a treat it was to read...

So, here's my review :

The Absolutist by John Boyne

My rating: 5 of 5 stars

jaffa's rating 5paws - he kept very still the whole time we were reading....

From the start of The Absolutist, I was engrossed in Tristan and Will's story, and found myself really hurrying the pages to see what happened next.

The description of the time in the trenches is poignant, desperately sad, and hugely horrific, but never without tender philosophy.I loved both characters, and wanted everything to work out for them - but like all those who fought and died in the Great war, nothing would ever be the same again.

John Boyne is a master storyteller, who manages in a few short sentences to convey a complete world, and a time and place that really exists in your subconscious, with characters that come to life, and who live on in your memory, long after the last page is turned.

I stayed up long and late to finish this book, reading all 309 precious pages in a day, simply because I could not put it down. I loved every word of it , and it has to be up there in my Top Ten reads for 2011.

Read it if you can .....

Taking advantage of the Amazon Kindle sale, I am delighted to review this little gem of a book. Having heard good reviews from my bookish friends - I started this book yesterday afternoon, and finished it late last night - having read the whole book in one sitting.

Florence and Giles by John Harding

My rating: 5 of 5 stars

jaffa's rating 5 paws

1891 - and little girls are seen but not not heard.

Orphans 12 year old Florence, and her younger brother, Giles are abandoned by their guardian, and left in the care of servants, in a crumbling Gothic manor house, in New England.When Florence is banned an education by her mysterious guardian, she teaches herself to read by visiting the forbidden library, and develops her own unique language. Fiercely protective of her brother, Florence senses a malevolent spirit pervading the character of their new governess, Miss Taylor.

I loved the story and was very quickly immersed in Florence's life, the activity within the house is expertly described. Deliciously gothic,and eerily creepy, this story, reminiscent of Henry James's novella - The Turn of the Screw - will stay with me for quite a while.