Ours Poetry Anthology

A collection of poems from professional and non-professional contributors on the theme of 'Motherland'.  10% of sales go to the WorldWide Orphans Foundation.  My talented cousin, Frances Andrews, has a poem published in this anthology.

The Last Letter from your Lover by JoJo Moyes

A while back I read Me Before You by JoJo Moyes, which I thoroughly enjoyed.  Unfortunately I didn’t enjoy The Last Letter as much.  It was an easy read, but it jumped too frequently between the past (1960) and the present (2003) and the characters didn’t engage me enough.  It is about a love that is lost and then found.  

The Steep Approach to Garbadale by Iain Banks

This is the first novel by Iain Banks that I have read and I enjoyed it. Although the main narrator is Alban Wopuld the story opens from the point of view of his cousin, Fielding.  The Wopuld family made their fortune on a board game called Empire.  After working for the family firm for a number of years Alban has turned his back on his family to seek a different route in life.  He is still haunted by his mother’s suicide, which happened when he was a baby.  He is also trying to escape his infatuation with his cousin Sophie who was his first love.  Fielding persuades Alban to return to the family’s highland estate, Garbadale for the company’s Extraordinary General Meeting and the 80^th Birthday of his grandmother.   I thought all the different points of view would annoy me, but each character has their own unique voice and hearing their views and thoughts helped to build a picture of Alban.  All the action is saved for the end.  

The Little Stranger by Sarah Waters

This was shortlisted for the Man Booker Price 2009.  I don’t normally read ghost stories, but this one caught my eye.  The prose is beautiful and the characters realistically drawn.  The story centres around a crumbling Georgian mansion called Hundreds Hall in rural Warwickshire.  Its owners, mother, son and daughter are struggling to keep the house running.  Times are changing, this is post war Britain and the once grand house is now in steep decline.  Dr Faraday is called out to the house to see a servant girl who has been taken ill.  He has visited the house once before, on Empire Day Fete, when he was ten years old.  His mother used to work at the house many years before.   He is shocked by the state of the house and its inhabitants.  Then mysterious things start to happen and Dr Faraday gets more and more entwined with the family’s lives.   I won’t spoil it for you!  Well worth a read and one of those stories that stays with you.   

Foreign & Far Away by Writers Abroad

This is the fourth anthology published by Writers Abroad.  It is a collection of fiction/non-fiction short stories and poetry.  Author Amanda Hodgkinson has written the foreword.  There are some wonderful examples of evocative writing exploring the relationship between people and the places in which they live.   I am delighted that one of my stories appears in the anthology.  It is an ideal book for dipping into from time to time.  All proceeds from the sale of the book will go to Book Aid International.  

On Writing By Stephen King

Part memoir and part writing manual I found this book extremely readable.  It is written in a no-nonsense, witty and interesting way.  Even if you are not an aspiring writer it gives you an understanding of the writer’s craft.  It also gives you an insight into the mind of one of the bestselling writers in the world.  It is an account of his early life and how these episodes influenced his writing.   It finishes with the horror of his near fatal accident in 1999, when he was mowed down by a van driver and how writing helped him to recover.     

A Moment of War by Laurie Lee

This is the last book in Laurie Lee’s Autobiographical trilogy.  In December 1937 Laurie Lee crossed the Pyrenees from France to join the Republicans in the Spanish Civil War.  He joined the war as part of the International Brigade.  The International Brigades were military units made up of volunteers from different countries.  He didn’t see much action as he spent a lot of his time in the training camp in Albacete and in Tarazona, waiting for orders.   The winter of 1937 was extremely harsh.   He was eventually deployed to Teruel and found himself fighting just when the Republicans were being forced to retreat.  The prose is full of vivid descriptions, but he doesn’t gloss over the cruelty and senselessness of war.  It’s a short book and one which I will read again.

Invisible Thread by Maree Giles

This is a story about a young girl in Sydney, Australia in 1970 and the dreadful Parramatta Girls’ Training School.  The main character is fourteen-year-old Ellen Russell who has been living with her boyfriend Robbie and as such, is deemed to have put herself in moral danger.  For this reason, Ellen is arrested and sent to Parramatta Girls' Training School.  She is pregnant and her baby is forcibly taken from her at birth.  I expected the story to concentrate on Ellen’s time in the Girls' Training School, but the main focus is on the loss of her baby and how Ellen struggles to come to terms with this.     In writing the novel, which was published in 2001, Maree Giles called on her real life experience of the Parramatta Girls’ Training School where she was incarcerated for several months as a sixteen-year-old.  

Bruno Chief of Police by Martin Walker

Bruno Courreges is such a successful character that Martin Walker has now written six books in the series.  Martin’s love of the Perigord area of France shines through in his writing.  I found myself chuckling at the way some of the characters were portrayed, especially Bruno.    The story gently unravels as the reader is introduced to the charming town of St Denis and the local inhabitants.  Then the body of an old Algerian man is discovered shattering the peace of St Denis.  The story-line touches on the days of the Resistance and Vichy France.  The book was an entertaining read.  There is a fun website too:- http://www.brunochiefofpolice.com/

Seven-Week Itch by Victoria Corby

The Seven-Week Itch was a fun read.  It is not your usual chick lit as it has a plot with a twist.  The story opens at Rose’s wedding and Susie, who is Rose’s best friend and chief bridesmaid, is the narrator. Rose is a self-absorbed character whom I detested, but I loved the character of Susie from the start.  The other characters were full of life and colour.  I wasn’t sure if this was going to be my kind of book, but in the end I couldn’t put the book down.  I have now sent off for “Up To No Good” on Kindle!   

22 Britannia Road by Amanda Hodgkinson

I thoroughly enjoyed this book.  The story alternates between the present and past.   It is about the survival of a Polish family during and after the Second World War.   It tells the story of Janusz, Silvana and their son Aurek, separated at the start of the war and reunited seen years later in England.  The chapters alternate between their life at 22 Britannia Road, Ipswich and their separate ordeals during the war.  This structure works well and we get to hear both Janusz and Silvana’s individual voices.     I guessed early on what Silvana’s secret was, but that didn’t stop me wanting to read on as I cared enough about the characters to find out what was going to happen.  I loved the author’s attention to detail and the beautiful descriptions.  I look forward to reading more from this author. 

Amanda Hodgkinson is one of the authors appearing at the Parisot Literary Festival and I'm looking forward to going along and hearing her talk about her book.

 (Festival news can be found on festlitt.blogspot.fr/

The Magpies by Mark Edwards

I like a psychological thriller and this was a fast paced one.  The story follows Jamie and Kirsty as they settle in to their first new home together and start to plan their future.  Things soon turn sinister and their neighbours turn out to be the cause, although I did wonder if it was going to be more than that.  I enjoyed the book, but the ending seemed rushed and I was left asking many questions the main one being:- why didn’t Jamie go and speak to his other neighbours about the problems he was having.   I was waiting for a twist, which never happened!    

Toast by Nigel Slater

I knew Nigel Slater was a talented cook, but had no idea that he is also a talented writer.  His memoir, Toast, is based on a short story that was originally commissioned for the Observer.  It is a  wonderful portrayal of food in sixties suburban England.  He writes in an honest way, with nothing being “glossed” over.  At times his writing made me laugh, sigh and cringe!   Written in the form of short stories, each story uses a particular food as a framework and depicts his childhood and teenage years.  The descriptions are great – I particularly like the following (and I’m not even a big fan of bread and butter pudding!)  “You can’t smell a hug.  You can’t hear a cuddle.  But if you could, I reckon it would smell and sound of warm bread-and-butter pudding.” 

Winter in Madrid by C J Sansom

I found this an excellent and interesting read.  The author manages to convey a grim picture of Madrid following the Spanish civil war and the harshness of Franco’s reign in an atmospheric and realistic way.  It was a bit slow to start, but I persevered and was hooked.   The story follows the main character Harry Brett as he is recruited to spy on one of his old public school friends in Madrid.  It is part spy story and part love story. The characters were well drawn, if a little stereotypical.   I had no idea of the lengths that Britain went to in keeping Spain from joining the war against Britain.   It’s left me wanting to read more about this period in Spanish history.  

The Lantern by Deborah Lawrenson

I enjoyed this book.  The story follows Eve who meets Dom and, after a whirlwind romance, moves with him to the crumbling hamlet of Les Genevriers in Provence.  As they settle in to their new home all is rosy until Eve starts to question what happened to Dom’s ex-wife Rachel.  At the same time, strange things start to happen in the house.  The story also follows the life of Benedicte, a former inhabitant of Les Genevriers.  The chapters, which are very short, alternate between the present day with Eve and the past with Benedicte.    For me Benedicte’s story didn’t flow as well.  I found Eve’s story much more interesting and was thoroughly engrossed as she searched for the answers to Dom’s secrets.  The descriptions of Provence and perfume are rich and evocative.    

Foreign Bodies By Cynthia Ozick

Hmm not sure what I thought about this. The novel was shortlisted for the Orange Price for Fiction 2012.  The story is set in the 1950's and switches between New York and Paris.  It follows Bea Nightingale as she goes to Paris to “rescue” a nephew she barely knows at the request of her estranged brother.  Cynthia Ozick has a unique style and her characters all have distinct voices.  It is well written with lots of descriptive prose.  I liked the character of Bea, although at times I wanted to shake her.  There are rave reviews for this book, but I’m not sure her particular style is for me.  

Poets of 2012 - The UK Poetry Library

I was given this book as a present.  It contains some beautiful poetry.  It’s a compilation of the works submitted to The UK Poetry Library over the past year and brings together poets from all over the world.  It is the first book produced by the UK Poetry Library.  If you are an aspiring poet, take a look at their website:  www.ukpoetrylibrary.co.  It is a great website and you will see that, as well as presenting some wonderful poetry, it is also possible to submit some of your own poetry.

What are you reading?

At the moment I am reading Ghosts of Spain by Giles Tremlett.  It is not one of my usual reads, but I want to learn more about the Spanish Civil War.  

As I Walked Out One Midsummer Morning By Laurie Lee

At the moment I am reading As I Walked Out One Midsummer Morning, By Laurie Lee.  It is the second in his autobiographical trilogy, the first being Cider with Rosie and the third A Moment of War.  

As I Walked Out One Midsummer Morning sees him leaving his Gloucestershire home at the age of 19 to walk to London.  It is the mid 1930s.  Then, knowing one Spanish phrase he decides to travel to Spain.  For a year he walks through a country which is on the verge of civil war.  It is full of vivid descriptions such as:-  ‘Around its rocky site curled the track of the Douro, a leathery arm of wrinkled mud, laced down the middle with a vein of green water………’ 

I first read the book many years ago and it is a pleasure to be reading it again.  I find it is taking me longer to read than my usual reading fodder though, probably on account of the many descriptive passages.  It is not a book that can be hurried.

Sister by Rosamund Lupton

This book spent fourteen weeks on the Sunday Times bestseller list and was the fastest selling debut of 2010 by a British author.  I found it a compelling read and I really liked Rosamund Lupton’s style of writing.  It is at times dark, just what you need for a psychological thriller.  The story is about Beatrice as she searches for the truth about the disappearance of her younger sister Tess.  It is written in the form of a letter from Beatrice to Tess.   It is a powerful technique as the reader glimpses the emotional depth to the sister’s relationship. As Beatrice pieces together the puzzle of Tess's disappearance, she is amazed to discover how little she really knew about her sister’s life.  The letter form of narrative is interspersed with narrative in the present tense as Beatrice is interviewed by Mr Wright, a Crown Prosecution Service lawyer.  The narrative techniques used enhance the overall effect of the story.  I was a little disappointed with the ending.

I can't wait to read Rosamund Lupton's next novel, Afterwards.

More Than You Can Say by Paul Torday

I have read a lot of Paul Torday’s books and for me nothing beats his first one, Salmon Fishing in the Yemen.  More Than You Can Say touches on the harrowing experience of ex-soldier Richard Gaunt who is home after a tour of duty in Iraq and Afghanistan.  The book gets off to a good start with Richard accepting a bet, being knocked down and then meeting the mysterious Mr Khan who makes him an offer he can’t refuse – all in the first chapter.  I did enjoy the book, which was written in Paul Torday’s usual easy reading style, but I felt some of the characters were a bit contrived, especially the hapless Emma, whom I hated.  The last paragraph left me feeling a little depressed for Richard Gaunt and his future.

Gone Girl

There was an interesting article on Gillian Flynn's Gone Girl in the Telegraph  - click for the link.

More reviews

GONE GIRL 

By Gillian Flynn

I saw a quote from the book advertised on the London Underground and that made me want to read it.  I like the technique the author uses to make both narrators seem believable.  Each had their own unique voice.  I started off feeling sympathetic towards one character only to find that this completely changed and left me questioning my own judgement - very clever.  I don't want to say too much about the story as I don't want to ruin it for anyone who hasn't read it.  A real page turner.  I hate the title though!

THE HELP 

By Kathryn Stockett

When I read the first few pages I wasn't sure if I was going to enjoy this book because of the style of dialogue. In the end I found the dialogue really helped to define the characters and it was a real feat by the author to keep the "voices" of the characters consistent and real throughout. The story is narrated from the points of view of three very different main characters. I enjoyed this style. I also liked the way that as one chapter ended the next chapter sometimes started off from the same point, but from another narrative point of view so you got to see the same situation from two different perspectives. The characters were believable and I especially liked the character of Minny. My only niggle is I would have liked to have heard more about Celia towards the end. After the first chapter, I couldn't put it down and didn't want the book to end. It gave me an insight into life in 1960s Mississippi. I will be looking out for more from this author.

THE RETURN 

By Victoria Hislop

An enjoyable read, although I found her style sometimes annoyed me as there seemed to be a lot of ‘overwriting’.  I found the characters a bit flat, but I thought the sense of place was well drawn. I enjoyed the second section of the book more than the first and thought that the horrors of civil war were well depicted, although I found the odd switch back to present day clumsy.  I guessed at the ending long before it came.  I think the ending was far-fetched, but that’s the beauty of fiction.  I enjoyed it more than The Island, but I'm not sure I'll be reading any more books by Victoria Hislop.

The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society

I have just finished reading The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society by Mary Ann Shaffer and Annie Barrows.  I was enjoying the story so much that I didn't want it to end.  It is at times both funny and extremely moving.  It is written in the form of letters.  Set in 1946 and depicting the harshness of war-time existence in occupied Guernsey.  Each individual character leaps from the page as the story develops, although some of the characters do feel a bit cliched. It was a delightful read and I found myself thinking about it long after I had finished it.  I urge you to read this!

Have you read any good books lately?