The Magician's Apprentice

The Magician's Apprentice
by Trudi Canavan

First published in Great Britain in 2009.

I was introduced to Trudi Canavan by my boyfriend.  He reads a lot of high fantasy and suggested Trudi Canavan to me because her main characters tend to be strong females and the stories are more to do with daily life than violent wars, for the most part.  When I got the book and saw it had a glossary at the back and maps at the front, I was pretty much sold.

The Magician's Apprentice is set one hundred years before The Black Magician Trilogy, and is a great introduction to her writing.  The main character is Tessia, a healer's daughter from peaceful Kyralia who helps her father with his work.  One day they are at the local magician's house, attending to a sick slave who belongs to a visiting Sachakan magician from the neighbouring country of Sachaka.  Whilst there, the Sachakan master attacks Tessia and she responds with magic she didn't know she possessed.  As she is a natural, the Lord (who is also a magician) takes it upon himself to train her to be a full magician.  As her training progresses tensions are rising with Sachaka, with rumours that Sachakan magicians are going to invade Kyralia.

The story is interspersed with that of Stara, a young woman who is moving to Sachaka to live with her father.  Although not a magician, Stara has learnt some magic from a friend and hopes to use this to help her father with his trade.  However when she arrives, she learns that he intends to marry her off so she will provide him with an heir.  As she struggles to adapt to Sachakan life she is taught higher magic in secret and becomes an integral part of the close circle of local women who plan to leave Sachaka.

There are also parts focusing on the Sachakan magicians as they attempt to invade Kyralia.  Their intense malice is a strong contrast to the morals of the Kyralians and gives a feeling of unease as you read.

I really like both Tessia and Stara.  They are both strong women who have to deal with difficult situations.  I find Tessia's story more interesting as she travels with the magicians and grows from a confused girl to a confident woman.  She is the only female apprentice and she copes with this with strength and humour.
Stara's story mainly focuses on her relationships - with her slave, her father, and the other women she meets in Sachaka.  Her struggle is with her family's expectations of her.  However with the invasions comes a different responsibility for her and Stara really comes into her own and seems the most sensible of the women at times.

The war is believable in that it builds slowly, with small events that have knock on effects, just like in reality.  I really cared about the characters, and felt the sadness that they felt when their villages were attacked.  The writing hints at the evilness of the Sachakans without being overly emotional.

The whole world is really well created, down to the smallest details.  There are a fair few different words for things but most are understandable just from the context (there is a short glossary at the back of the book as well).  The maps at the front of the book are a great help to see where each character is at each part of the story.  I get totally lost in the story, thanks to the detailed descriptions.  It is easy to put yourself in the rooms with the characters, which is always important to me.

The book is an excellent prequel to The Black Magician trilogy - it tells the reader how things like the wasteland and the Magician's Guild were created.  It's a bit like reading the history of the Black Magician world.  If you like high fantasy and want a book with more detail of everyday life too then add this to your bookcase.  Then get The Black Magician trilogy and The Traitor Spy trilogy.  I have yet to read Canavan's Age Of The Five but it's on the list!

Where Rainbows End - a Guest Post

Where Rainbows End
by Celia Ahern

First published in 2004.

This is a guest post by the lovely Jemma Fletcher, a friend of mine who loves a good book as much as I do.
Be sure to check out her blog as she's a brilliant writer, and if you'd like to do a guest post on this blog get in touch!


I don't often remember when and where I bought a book but as this is one of my absolute favourites, I can tell you that it in was in June 2005 at Manchester Airport on my way to Cyprus.

The combination of sun, sea, sand and another ten years of moving all over the place has resulted in my copy now looking like this...

Where Rainbows End is a story told through letters, emails and instant messages about the ever-changing relationship between the two main characters Rosie Dunne and Alex Stewart.

Rosie and Alex are close friends from childhood, but one day they are suddenly separated when Alex and his family move from Dublin to Boston.

The book guides us through their relationship as it continues to change due to distance, new relationships and circumstances which seem determined to keep them apart.

It can be frustrating to read as I know that they're meant to be together, but something always gets in the way which leaves me feeling a little deflated as perhaps there isn't a grand master plan for us all, and instead we are responsible for our own happiness. On the other hand, I can't help but maintain a bubbling optimism throughout that it will eventually go their way and that everything happens in its own time. I guess this story really divides the glass half empty people from those who believe that the glass is half full.

It's not just correspondence between Rosie and Alex either; we read conversations between them and their friends, family and colleagues. These outside sources build up a context around them which helps the storyline flow, and it's nice to read other people's perspective on what's happening in their lives.

I recently found out that there's a movie coming out next month based on this book, with a name change to Love, Rosie. I've watched the trailer and I honestly hate it; small things like Rosie and Alex are Irish yet they have British accents, and it looks like they have cut the timeline down way too much. However, I am willing to give it a chance so we shall see!

I have my own lifestyle blog coming soon at www.hercupoftea.com

Jemma

Little Women

Little Women
by Louisa May Alcott

First published in the USA in 1868.

This is a book I come back to again and again.  I can't even remember the first time I read it, but I now have the series on my bookcase, including a separate book of 'Little Women' and 'Good Wives' (I still have the two books separately as well because who can get rid of a favourite book??)  It might be an older story by now, and one a lot of people say isn't relevant nowadays, but I find it always cheers me up and I take different things from the story now than I did when I was younger.

Meg, Jo, Amy and Beth are the March sisters, who live with their mother; their father is away at war.  They are not a rich family and we meet the girls in winter as the girls ponder a Christmas without presents.  Beth says that they have 'father and mother and each other' and so should be happy, and that is a main theme of the book.  The girls make their own fun by putting on plays written by Jo and make friends with their neighbour Laurie.  The book series follows them as the grow from 'little women' to ladies with their own families.  Some of it is a bit slow going and not a lot seems to happen, but then there are moments when I always cheer or cry or want to shake the characters.

The writing is very straightforward and easy to read; there is the occasional word or phrase which is no longer used but it is easy enough to work out the meaning from the context.  With four sisters all on different journeys there is one that everyone can relate to, from Meg (the eldest), through Jo and Beth to Amy.

When I first read this I found Meg really annoying but as I have grown up I understand her more, though my favourite (along with most readers) is Jo.  Jo is confident, outgoing and wishes to be a boy but has to be content with shortening her full name 'Josephine'.  She looks after her sisters and refuses to wear her hair tied up or act 'ladylike'.  This is usually to the despair of Meg, who's main concern is how they look in society and who they will marry.  To me these two sisters show different sides of growing up, and the way they interact with the younger two is believable -  they find them annoying yet are protective at the same time.

I know this book isn't going to be one for everyone, a lot of people find it irritatingly old-fashioned, but if you do like a classic family drama then add the series to your shelf.

Extremely Loud & Incredibly Close

Extremely Loud & Incredibly Close
by Safran Foer

First published in Great Britain in 2005.

I have read this book many times and each time I cry.  I should say here that I am a bit of a crier anyway, but this one gives me a lump in my throat at different parts every time I read it, which to me shows how good the story is.

Oskar is a nine year old boy who lives in New York with his Mum.  The book blurb tells us that Oskar's dad died in 9/11.  This is only explicitly said towards the end of the book, but the way in which Oskar drops odd thoughts about the attack into his speech is more heart wrenching than if it were said outright, for example 'if you're on the ninety-fifth floor, and a plane hits below you, the building could take you to the ground, and everyone could be safe'.  Oskar finds a key in a vase in his Dad's room, and sets out to find what it opens.  He only has an envelope with 'Black' written on it to help him and so decides to go and meet everyone called Black in New York in the hope they knew his Dad or about the key.

Running parallel to Oskar's story is a letter which his grandmother wrote to him.  It is her life story, and tells about her childhood and meeting Oskar's grandfather.  The first time I read this book I felt that the grandmother's story was a bit in the way of Oskar's but having re-read it, I feel that it gives an insight into an otherwise quiet character.  The two stories complement each other.

Oskar is a great character.  He is bold, confident and clever.  He confronts people in a very straightforward way.  At the same time, he knows what he is afraid of and seems to have lost some childhood innocence from losing his Dad.  He clearly struggles with trying to protect his Mum, who at the same time is trying to keep her sadness from Oskar.

Oskar's Mum does not seem to play a large role for most of the book.  Oskar mainly focuses on her new friendship with a man he doesn't like, and doesn't tell her anything about his mission with the key.  She seems quite cold, simply because we only see her from Oskar's perspective, and it is only towards the end of the book that Oskar, and we, find out that she has actually been helping him all along.

The grandmother is a sweet person.  She lives across the street from Oskar and they talk via walkie talkies.  She is everyone's idea of a grandmother and cares deeply about Oskar.  Her life story is interesting as her childhood was very different to Oskar's, and yet it is easy to relate to from the feelings she writes about. Her story is sad, and she often tells Oskar not to love anyone as much as she has, as it is painful.

This could just be a really sad book, and it is in obvious ways.  However, the people Oskar meets all become part of his story and bring a happiness to it.  They let him into their lives without asking too many questions, and try to help him as much as they can.  The simple acts of kindness lift the book out of constant sadness.

One of my favourite chapters is The Sixth Borough.  Oskar's Dad is telling him a bedtime story about the (imaginary) sixth borough of New York.  It is a great little story, and well placed in the book to give readers a happy picture of Oskar remembering time with his father.

A line which stuck with me the most from this book is 'You cannot protect yourself from sadness without protecting yourself from happiness'.  To me, this sums the book up in a few words and conveys Oskar's journey of trying to protect his Mum and himself from feeling too sad about his Dad.  Through meeting all the people on his mission he learns that everyone has sadness, but that if you block yourself from feeling sadness, you also block yourself from feeling happiness.

Extremely Loud & Incredibly Close is an excellent book.  It takes a bit of time to get into, because of the way it is written, but once you figure out which parts are who, it will stay with you for a long time.  I look forward to reading this one again and seeing it in another, new way.

The Year Of The Flood

The Year Of The Flood
by Margaret Atwood

First published in Great Britain in 2009.

The Year Of The Flood is the second in the post-apocalyptic trilogy by Margaret Atwood which begins with Oryx And Crake and ends with MaddAddam.  The trilogy is set in the future, after a man-made plague has wiped out the majority of humans and left only a few survivors.  I generally enjoy post-apocalyptic books and films, and this was particularly good because it seemed like a realistic possibility.  The characters talk about how mankind was using up the Earth's resources without thinking of the consequences, and seemed fitting for today's 'global warming' society.  Thunderstorms are a daily occurrence and people have to be fully covered to protect from the fierce midday sun.

Oryx And Crake focuses on one of these men, who calls himself Snowman and looks after a group of man-made people called the Crakers.  The Year Of The Flood is set alongside the first book, but is about two woman called Ren and Toby who have both (seperately) survived the plague.

The story alternates chapters about each of the women and includes flashbacks to give us more detail about the so called 'Waterless Flood' and God's Gardeners - a group of humans who were self-sufficient and believed that one day mankind would ruin itself.  Both Ren and Toby were in the Gardeners and use a lot of their foraging and recycling skills to survive.

Ren is trapped in the upmarket sex club where she worked as a dancer and is slowly running out of food.  Whilst waiting for her friend Amanda to reach her, she tells us about her life with the Gardeners and how she ended up working in the club.  Toby is older and has managed to survive in the AnooYoo spa.  She reveals how she came to live with the Gardeners and her life before the 'Waterless Flood'.

I definitely preferred Toby to Ren, mainly because Toby is older and I could relate to her more.  Ren is quite needy, which is expected for her age, especially in the post-apocalyptic situation she finds herself in, but I just wanted to see her try to do more to ensure her survival.  When Amanda finds her they spend an evening drinking champagne and doing their nails.  This made me smile in a sad way because I could imagine two teenagers doing this and trying to hold on to their old lives.

Toby is very practical.  She doesn't show emotion and just gets on with what needs to be done.  She is a strong woman but clearly has thoughts about what might eventually happen to her.  I would find it difficult to carry on as she does, living alone and surviving day-to-day with just a belief that things will get better, but I found this true to her character and well written.

The writing is a bit difficult to get into and I had to keep track of which year I was reading about.  After getting into the book I felt that it worked well to have the long flashbacks as it gave a lot of detail and answers.

This book is great in that it made me think about how we live and how we don't always think too far into the future.  As much as the book is fictional and the plague is man-made, a lot of the smaller details seem possible, which is one of Atwood's great skills.

Get these books on your bookcase!

Neither Here Not There - Travels In Europe

Neither Here Nor There - Travels In Europe
by Bill Bryson

First published in Great Britain in 1991.

Having just returned from a holiday I felt this was a fitting book to review.  I don't read many travel books, aside from a bit of a guidebook to wherever I'm going, but I think Bill Bryson is brilliant (oh I love alliteration).  His books are hilarious - I often laugh out loud while reading - but also interesting.  Bryson has written books about history, science and language plus a memoir.  I haven't read these but if they're anything like his travel writing they'll be excellent.

Neither Here Nor There is about Bryson's travels around Europe by train.  He went when he was a young man and fifteen years later decides to go again.  This book is written from Bryson's point of view and he compares his trips as he travels.

This book is great because of Bryson's chatty writing.  At times he goes on little rants, but includes interesting facts which keeps it relevant.  As I read it I can easily imagine him sat opposite me on a train, trundling through some fantastic European countryside, telling me his tales of adventure (being pick-pocketed in Florence is particularly well told).
Bryson travelled without the use of the internet and simply jumped off a train in a city and searched for a hotel on arrival, with varying results.  It makes me glad that I can research trips thoroughly in advance but does put that adventurous spark in my mind every time I read this book.

The book is split into chapters with one for each city.  These are listed at the front so you can dip in and out or read it all.  As the book was published twenty-three years ago it's not a particularly useful guidebook as a lot of the information isn't valid anymore (he visits Yugoslavia, for example), but to me this adds charm and interest to the stories; I love seeing how things have changed when I go to the places he went.  It also adds a sense of history and of a not-so-distant past that at times seems quite unimaginable now.

For me, the ending sums up exactly how I feel at the end of a holiday.  Bryson is in Istanbul and has the sudden urge to keep going and go to Asia.  Naturally, reality intervenes and he decides to go home instead, but I could really relate to wanting to never go back to your everyday life.  Ofcourse if you did this then 'holiday' would become your everyday life, but I digress (maybe this is why I like Bryson so much - the sometimes random tangents he goes off on).

Bryson has written about nearly every continent, and I would recommend that you all at least read the book that is about yours.  'Notes From A Small Island' and 'Down Under' are particularly good.  I warn you, he will make you want to jump on the next plane/train/boat and see the world.

The Chronicles Of Narnia

The Chronicles Of Narnia
by C.S. Lewis

First published in Great Britain between 1950 and 1956.

Made up of seven excellent books, The Chronicles Of Narnia was a series I grew up with.  I started (as most kids seem to) with The Lion, The Witch and The Wardrobe when I was about seven and then borrowed the others from the library.  I was going to choose just one of the books to write about, but decided that they all deserve some blog time as they have all been my favourite at one time or another.

I like the fact that C.S. Lewis has recommended a reading order for the Chronicles which is different to the order in which he wrote them.

The Magician's Nephew is first in his recommendation, and this is a wonderful story to introduce readers to Narnia.  In it we meet Digory, a young  boy who comes to London to live with his quirky uncle and becomes friends with a young girl named Polly.  Together, and with the help of magic rings, they enter another world and witness Aslan the lion creating the beginning of Narnia.  After several adventures the story ends with a brilliant link to the next - The Lion, The Witch and The Wardrobe.

Set long after The Magician's Nephew, The Lion, The Witch and The Wardrobe introduce us to Peter, Susan, Edmund and Lucy Pevensie.  These four children are evacuated to the countryside during the second World War and get into Narnia through a wardrobe.  Whilst there, they find that Narnia has been under an evil spell and is in a constant winter.  Slowly they gain allies and end up fighting the White Witch.  In the end they take their places at the palace at Cair Paravel and are named as Kings and Queens of Narnia forever.  This is perhaps one of the best known Narnia stories and the same characters are featured in two further stories.

The third book is probably my least favourite.  The Horse And His Boy follows on chronologically from The Lion, The Witch And The Wardrobe, but is set in a different area of the magical world.  We meet Shasta, a boy who rescues a horse who can talk.  Shasta and the horse, Bree, flee north and meet princes and hermits.  They eventually reach Narnia but discover that Calerman (one area of their world) is planning a raid on Narnia's neighbour, Archenland.  For me, as well as this book is written it didn't add as much to the overall Chronicles as the others.  It paints a picture of Narnian life in good times, and so there are less obstacles for the characters.

The next two books are Prince Caspian and The Voyage Of The Dawn Treader.  The first of these feature Peter, Susan, Edmund and Lucy when they are called back to Narnia to help Prince Caspian.  The Voyage Of The Dawn Treader is set mainly onboard a ship, and follows Edmund, Lucy and their cousin as they journey to find Narnian lords who have been put under a spell.  Whilst trying to make things right again the cousins come across a dragon, some Dufflepuds and meet Prince Caspian again.

The Silver Chair features Eustace again, but this time he is joined by a girl called Jill.  They get into Narnia and are given a task to find a lost prince.  I found Jill to be rather difficult to like - I'm not sure why, but I think I just feel more connected to the Pevensie children, having read their stories first.  I found the Silver Chair harder to get into, and found myself wishing the Pevensies would pop up again.

The Chronicles end with The Last Battle.  This is a book that does what it says on the tin, as it were.  The Calermenes have taken over Cair Paravel and so all allies of Narnia have been called together.  Eustace and Jill are called into Narnia to help, and end up fighting in the ultimate final battle.  The end of this book is a great tie up of everyone's stories and is one which I enjoy reading every time.

The entire series is so detailed that it is a great introduction to high fantasy for younger readers.  I remember the first time I read The Lion, The Witch And The Wardrobe, I was overwhelmed by the amount of detail in the characters, the geography and the history of Narnia, and how each stories was connected to another in some way.  I really like the endings to each book, they give a touch of suspense and lead brilliantly into the next one.  The adventures are all aimed at defeating evil and working together to save Narnia, and although the Narnians are a bit overly nice and chummy, it is an idealised world at the end of the day.  The books are full of metaphors and stories told within them, which help them to not be too simplistic.

Even though they are aimed at children, I would tell any readers to read these books.  The writing is not patronising at all; rather I feel I understand the layered meanings better as I have gotten older.  If you read them when you were younger I can promise that you will feel the same innocent excitement reading them again.  If you haven't read them, then do and give your imagination the perfect setting to go wild.

The Gate To Women's Country

The Gate To Women’s Country

by Sheri S. Tepper

First published in Great Britain in 1988.

The Gate to Women’s Country is one of my favourite books.  I feel like I say that a lot but I have a lot of favourites depending what mood I’m in.  This one is for when I’m in an ‘I wonder what the world would be like if women ruled and there were hardly any men’ mood.  I can’t remember how this book came to be on my bookcase – I can remember buying it but have no idea what led me to do so.

The story is about Women’s Country, where (as you might guess) women rule.  It is set three hundred years in the future, after a nuclear war has destroyed most of humanity and the United States has split into several different, new areas.  In Women’s Country the females live inside the city walls and educate themselves, with science and the arts flourishing.  They keep some men for servants, but most of the men live outside the walls in barracks and are the women’s army.

The main character is Stavia, a thirty-seven year old woman who we meet when she is summoned to meet her fifteen-year old son at the Defender’s Gate.  After a discussion in which her son decides to stay with the Warriors instead of returning home, Stavia tells us her life story from when she was ten and living with her older sister and mother.  As the story progresses we learn more about the separation of mother and son when the child is handed to the men outside the walls at age five.

Stavia is an interesting character.  She has always lived in Women’s Country, growing up with her doctor mother.  Her mother takes her along when she tests the gypsies who travel around in the wild for diseases, and Stavia is aware of her brother who was given to the Warriors.  With an older sister too, Stavia shows all sides to life in Women’s Country including that of their servant Joshua.  When Stavia meets a Warrior boy, Chernon, she has to make up her mind about how she feels about the rules she is supposed to obey.  I thought that Stavia was well-written and was relatable, even in a situation I couldn’t easily imagine.  She progresses from a child following rules ingrained into her, to questioning those rules and then following in her mother’s medical footsteps.

I found Stavia’s mother to be rather annoying at times – probably because I felt so much for Stavia as she tried to understand her family and why the city is how it is.  Her mother sometimes seemed quite cold, and it was the servant Joshua who was the most caring person for Stavia to turn to.  In this way it was as if the ‘traditional’ gender roles are reversed, with the few men providing the most support.

Although the men are shut outside the city, they stand together and bond as Warriors.  We get more details of the past from the men’s conversations than the women’s and learn that they have previously gone to war with other armies, with mixed results.  I found the men’s lives really interesting as they have to decide whether or not to return home.  By doing so they lose all respect, but by staying in the garrison they are more likely to die young.

Tepper’s future is not one that I found easy to imagine – for me it is set too far ahead in time.  I generally prefer books set ahead in time just enough for the world to be different, but still hold onto some parts of our present day so that I can picture the stories actually happening.  With this one I had to use my imagination a bit more, and try not to fixate on filling in the three hundred years between our now and Tepper’s future.  However once I got into the book the setting fit well and was simple enough to create a strong mental picture.  I particularly liked how even the towns were names after women, for example Marthaville, Susantown and Melissaville.  Everything the women could take charge of they had done, and done so explicitly.

Overall this is a book I enjoyed reading.  The story is great, the characters are developed and the message behind the plot is one which can be taken seriously in any time or place.  It’s one of those that leaves you wondering ‘what if?’  Oh, and there is a brilliant ending that I had to reread a few times to believe!

The Help

The Help
by Kathryn Stockett

First published in Great Britain in 2009.

This is one of those books that you know you should read when it comes out.  It's one of those that everyone talks about and tells you to read.  Then the film is released a couple of years later and the hype is refreshed.  This is pretty much exactly as it happened for me, and I ended up buying the book to read before someone lent me the film.

The story is set in Mississippi in 1962 and follows a group of black maids dealing with their lives as second-class citizens and Skeeter, a young, white woman who comes home from college to find that the maid who brought her up has gone.  As she tries to find out what happened, Skeeter uncovers the horrendous way the 'help' is treated behind the closed doors of her neighbours and family's friends and decides to write an anonymous book about it all.  As more and more maids find their voices and come forward to add their stories, tensions in the town rise.

The Help is narrated in turn by Skeeter, Aibileen (a maid who is bringing up her seventeenth white child) and Minny (a maid who struggles to keep jobs because of her temper).  These three women are tied together by the risk they take in starting the book project - if they are discovered the maids will be fired and Skeeter's writing dream will be shattered.

Minny and Aibileen are each dealing with problems with their husbands and children at home, yet still have to endure the terrible unfairness of life as a black maid.  I really liked Minny and her wicked temper, but felt more of a connection to Aibileen with her gentler ways.  Although she is not happy with her situation, she concentrates on the child in her care and tries not to let the injustices she faces upset her.
Skeeter is an interesting character; she is the only white person in her town who takes the time to ask why the maids are treated as they are, and in doing so makes several enemies.  This does not stop her, rather it empowers her to reveal the truth.  Saying that, she does struggle with going against her family and friends at first.

It took me a while to get into this book, not because of the story, but because when the maids are narrating it is written in their dialect.  I thought this was a clever way to really get into the mindset of the characters but it also divided theirs and Skeeters sections and, I felt, represented their division in life.  It may take a chapter or two, but once you hear the voices in your head it is difficult to stop them!

The story itself is excellent.  It captures the Mississippi way of life in the sixties without skimping on the details.  Other writers may have hinted at the maids experiences, but Stockett exposes them fully.  That being said, this is not a tragic tale.  It is one of hope and courage, and shows that any lines can be crossed, no matter how ingrained they are.

If you want a book that has a deep message without being preachy, get your hands on this one.

Before I Go To Sleep

Before I Go To Sleep
by S J Watson

First published in Great Britain in 2011.

Imagine if every morning when you woke up you had no idea who you were, where you were or how you got there.  This is the reality that Christine faces every day since she had an accident that left her with memory problems.  Most things she learns while awake become forgotten as she sleeps.

Before I Go To Sleep is a brilliant thriller about Christine's day to day life as she tries to come to terms with her accident with the help of her husband Ben, and her doctor.  She keeps a journal to try to jog her memory and has photographs and notes all over the house, and each morning Ben has to calm her down and show her scrapbooks of their life together.  As the story progresses there is an underlying feeling of unease and then a great twist hits that I did not see coming.  It does end on a bit of a cliff hanger, but it fits with the story and allows readers to decide what they think would happen next, which I actually liked in this case.

Christine is a forty-seven year old, but can only remember being in her early twenties.  Although I have not been in Christine's situation, she was written well and I felt a connection to her.  She is desperate, upset, angry and strong throughout the story, which was all very realistic and how I imagined I would feel.
I felt sorry for her husband, Ben, as every day he has to explain about his life with Christine to her and allow her to be scared and confused.  He deals so well with it, though you can tell it affects him too.

The story is easy to read and a definite page turner; I felt myself reading increasingly feverishly at one point when Christine reads her journal.  S J Watson's writing is exciting, detailed and doesn't skimp on the thrill factor.  I was also glad that the story didn't have Christine as a together, strong character who is getting on with her life despite her adversities.  As uplifting as those stories can be, in Christine's situation I know I would be panicking, and therefore felt the emotions were much more realistic.

Reading this book made me really think about and appreciate the importance of memories and how they shape us.  I couldn't imagine not being able to remember whole chunks of my life, especially if this included major events such as getting married, as in Christine's case.  It made me realise how vulnerable you are without your memories, with Christine having to rely on Ben and her doctor to explain her life to her.

This would be a great holiday read, but I can't promise you'll be able to put it down!
As an extra bonus, the Black Swan edition I have has some great 'reading group' questions at the end.

The Night Circus

The Night Circus
by Erin Morgenstern

First published in Great Britain in 2011.

This book is wonderful.  It is magical.  It is mysterious.  It entices you into a dream world and wraps you in its secrets.

The first time I read this book I was enthralled with the language and imagery.  The characters were so well written that they stayed with me long after I finished reading.  I know that sounds like such a cliché but I honestly don't think it happens all that often.

The story is set in the late nineteenth century, and centres around a circus which appears with no warning and only opens at night.  It becomes an international sensation, with people travelling to visit it.  Behind the scenes are a group of performers, including contortionists and magicians.  Two of these magicians are Celia and Marco.  Magically tied to each other before they even know of the others existence, each is trained by a mentor in the magical arts.  Their mentors are playing a game, the circus is their playing field and Celia and Marco their pawns.  Although on the surface the circus is a wondrous surprise, the game takes a sinister turn as it becomes clear that there can only be one winner.

The book intersperses chapters from different characters points of view with chapters written in the second person.  These place the reader in the story as a visitor to the circus and makes you feel as though you are meeting the people in each chapter.  Rather than following a straighforward structure, the plot switches between times, characters and places.  This fits well with the idea of the circus being an endless group of circles of tents and winding paths; I felt as if I were wandering through the story, at times rather dreamily and with a page-turning urgency at others.

Celia and Marco are becoming two of my favourite literary characters.  Individually they are intriguing, but together they are a fierce power couple to be reckoned with.  Without giving too much away, yes there is a love story here, but it is so beautifully written that I would dare anyone not to champion them.
Herr Thiessen is a seemingly small character who grows with the story, and is one I was particularly drawn to.  He is a clockmaker who makes the circus's amazing clock and becomes a 'revêur', a follower of the circus.  I imagined myself to be friends with him if I were in the story.

Like the visitors to the circus, each time I read this book I find myself drawn to a different aspect of it.  If you want a brilliantly told story with a magical aspect then add this to your bookcase.

The Little Old Lady Who Broke All The Rules

The Little Old Lady Who Broke All The Rules
by Catharina Ingelman-Sundberg

First published in Great Britain in 2014.

The Little Old Lady Who Broke All The Rules caught my eye because of the bright purple cover.  The illustration of a 'little old lady' with a zimmer frame piqued my interest and upon reading the blurb, I bought the book.

79 year old Martha Andersson lives at a care home but dreams of escaping the plasticky meals and strict early bedtimes.  Along with her four friends - who call themselves the League Of Pensioners (I love this name) - she comes up with a plan to get them all arrested and put in prison, where they know they will be more comfortable and better looked after than in their cost-cutting care home.  Thus begins the friends embark on adventures to art galleries, hotels, prisons, banks and cruise ships.  The story is a lighthearted, funny and at times touching look at how the older generation live in our modern world.

Martha is a strong character who cares deeply about her friends.  She reminded me of my grandma with her adventurous spirit and straight-talking attitude.  As the ringleader she regularly holds meetings in her room with her friends and shares her secret stash of cloudberry liqueur.
Brains, so nicknamed for his ingenuity, is an older gentleman who becomes close to Martha.  I really enjoyed reading their relationship, as it slowly developed.  It was not rushed or corny, rather it was sweet and believable.
The three others, Christina, Rake and Anna-Greta all play their parts in the story convincingly.  I particularly liked Anna-Greta, who uses the internet for online shopping and banking, much to the surprise and confusion of the others.

Plot-wise, I felt the story began strongly, and I was reading eagerly, until about two thirds of the way through.  It then lost its pace a bit for me, but got back on track for a great ending.  It did make me think about getting old and imagine what I'll be like - hopefully a part of my grandma's spirit will come out in me.

The story was a funny one but with a slightly serious undertone.  It may have been a bit of a joke in the book that the Swedish prison was comfier than the care home, but it did make me think about the care we give our elderly.  Although the story was set in Sweden it translated well and there was nothing which only Swedish readers would understand - infact a lot of the time I forgot it wasn't set in England.

I laughed, I cried and I thought about life - what more could you want from a book?  For a sweet, funny look at growing old disgracefully, read this and look forward to old age.

Perfect

Perfect
by Rachel Joyce

First published in Great Britain in 2013.

If you've been following this blog you will know that earlier this year I read The Unlikely Pilgrimage Of Harold Fry by Rachel Joyce.  I loved it and told everyone to read it.  When I walked past a bookshop and saw Perfect in the window, I immediately recognised the style of the cover as being similar to 'Harold Fry' and saw it was the next book from the author.  After I quick read of the blurb I bought it and eagerly started to read.

The story is that of Byron, an eleven-year-old in the summer of 1972, who finds out that two seconds are being added to time and struggles with this fact.  On the way to school one day, his watch seemingly shows the two seconds being added.  Whilst showing his mother, there is a terrible accident and Byron's world is turned upside down.  Blaming himself, Byron and his best friend come up with 'Operation Perfect' - a plan to save his mother.

Along side this story, and alternated in chapters, is one set in the present day.  In this one we meet Jim, a middle-aged man who struggles with OCD and has rituals he must perform every night in the van he lives in.  While he wipes tables in a supermarket cafe at his day job we are let in to his thoughts and slowly find out about his past and time spent in a psychiatric units.

I found that I didn't connect with Byron and James as much as I did with Jim, which surprised me.  Byron was just too simpering at times and so attached to James that even something as natural as James going through puberty shocks him.  James was a lot more likeable, having a sweet schoolboy crush on Byron's mother and having good ideas but then it seemed than Byron just didn't come up with the results.  Maybe in my mind Byron was older than eleven, but I wanted to go in to his house and tell him what he was doing wrong a lot of the time.

Jim was an interesting character and one who showed me that you never really know what people are going through.  I wanted to go and have a chat and a biscuit with.  There are enough details about his past that you feel a protectiveness towards him, but not too much that it detracts from the present day.

Throughout the story there is a feeling that the two stories are connected, but it is not clear how until towards the end of the book.  The chapter it is revealed in is very well written (I did cry) and it came at a time when I was basically plodding through just to get to the end.

The writing is very similar to that of Harold Fry, and the author clearly has a certain, strong style, which is good, but I just didn't love this one.  Part of me thinks that if I hadn't read Harold Fry first I might have liked this more, but to me Harold was a stronger character than any in this book and evoked more emotion from me.  I think part of the reason for this is the alternating chapters and joint stories in Perfect.  If the book had been longer there would have been more time spent with each character, but as it is I didn't get to know any of them enough.

I did like the idea of the two seconds being added being used as a plot point, as I didn't know this happened before reading this book.  It does make you realise the importance of time and that sometimes it only takes a few seconds for everything to change.

The Secret Dreamworld Of A Shopaholic

The Secret Dreamworld Of A Shopaholic
by Sophie Kinsella

First published in Great Britain in 2000.

I'm the first to confess that several of my teenage years were spent reading cheesy books about romance, shopping, holidays and other female-related dramas; in short 'chick lit'.  As I have grown and expanded my reading, most of the chick lit has been donated to charity shops, however there is one series which has survived and kept it's place on my bookcase.  The Secret Dreamworld Of A Shopaholic is the first in Sophie Kinsella's (as of April 2014) six book series.

Rebecca (Becky) Bloomwood is a finance journalist with a shopping problem.  She indulges in retail therapy without checking her bank statements and dreads getting her credit card bills.  Although Rebecca knows she should stop, she fails at both 'Cutting Back' and 'Making More Money'.  The first book follows Rebecca as she lives with her best friend Suze, tries different jobs and meets a Mr Luke Brandon, all the while telling her bank manager she is ill or on holiday to avoid seeing him.

The story is rather lightweight and easy to read, but is one which will always be relevant.  The struggle Becky faces with her bills is one a lot of people will relate to, although nowadays the idea of getting into debt through clothes shopping seems pretty silly.  The financial jargon is minimal, and the fact that most readers (unless you're a financial business person) will have a minimal understanding adds to the lack of understanding Becky has in her job and her lifestyle.

Becky is a strong character with emotions every woman can relate to, and although she is a bit annoying at times, she always redeems herself.  She manages to get herself into tangles of fibs and messes, but comes through at the last minute.  I do despair at times, but the writing is so funny that it is easy to see past Becky constantly falling back into her shopping habits and see the good heart underneath.  There are not many books which make me laugh out loud, but this series is definitely one.

The rest of the series is Shopaholic Abroad, Shopaholic Ties The Knot, Shopaholic And Sister, Shopaholic And Baby and Mini Shopaholic.  Even with Becky going through different stages and events in her life she stays true to herself and what she knows to be right.  I feel that readers will relate to each book differently, depending on where they are at in their own lives, and I know I'll be re-reading them in the future.

On a side note, there was a film released in 2009 based on the first book, but the books are definitely better.   (Don't even get me started on them making Becky American!)

Marianne Dreams

Marianne Dreams
by Catherine Storr

First published in Great Britain in 1958.

Although this is classed as a children’s book I found it really creepy when I read it as a child, and having re-read it as a teenager and an adult my feeling haven’t changed.  However it is a good read, and creates strong images in your mind.  If you’re interested in lesser known children’s novels or in stories about dreams and the influence they can have on life, then make sure you read this.

Marianne is a ten year old, who suddenly falls ill on her tenth birthday and is bed bound.  When Marianne becomes bored she looks in her mother’s workbox and finds a pencil. With this pencil she draws a house in a field.  That night she dreams and finds herself in the field looking at the house, but she cannot get inside as there is no-one to let her in.  When she awakes the next day she draws a person in the house, and in her following dreams she meets him.  This boy turns out to be Mark – a boy who is also ill in real life, although they never meet except in her dreams.  As Marianne draws more in the daytime, her dreams turn frightening and she and Mark must work out how to escape.

Marianne is a strong character, who develops from a frustrated, bed bound girl to a fierce, adventurous friend.  She shows the natural fear we all feel in strange dreams and is easy to relate to, even as an older reader.  As I have grown up and re-read I feel the unease Marianne feels in her dreams can be likened to all the worries everybody feels as they change in life.

Mark is a strange character, because he what he says and does is essentially a reaction to what Marianne draws.  He is around the same age as Marianne but more emotional.   He is scared that he doesn’t understand what is happening and angry at Marianne for being able to leave when he is seemingly always in the house she has drawn.

The basic story is one which appeals to younger readers – an ill child who is transported to her imaginary world and makes a friend.  Along with the magic of a drawing pencil the story has all you would want.  However there is an ongoing eeriness and as the story progresses it becomes outright creepy, and thus I feel it is a tricky one to attach an audience to.  

Persuasion

Persuasion
by Jane Austen

First published in Great Britain in 1818.

I'll start with a confession.  As much as I love reading, before Persuasion I had only read Austen's Pride & Prejudice.  I always liked the idea of reading Austen, but I always seemed to have a book on the go already.  However I bought Persuasion after a recommendation from a certain Miss Sandra Bullock (well, her character in 'The Lakehouse') and put it at the top of my 'to-read' list.

The story follows twenty-seven year old Anne Elliot, who broke off her engagement to Frederick Wentworth eight years earlier.  Set in the fashionable societies of Lyme and Bath, we meet many different family members and friends who all have opinions on the gossip of the day, particularly which eligible bachelor will choose which girl.  When Anne suddenly meets Wentworth again after all this time, it is tinged with the heartache of the missed opportunity.  The story is full of morning calls, theatre trips, visits to the seaside and other such social events.  As the story progresses it is tinged with the love that Anne still feels for Wentworth and there is an overriding wonder of 'will they, won't they?'

I liked Anne - she is funny and doesn't give in to the whole society aspect of life as much as the rest of the characters, which gives her a great independent streak.  I felt for her and the heartache she felt.  I could not imagine being persuaded to break an engagement and then have to spend time with the man years later, and Austen's writing was sad at times but hopefully optimistic.

Wentworth was a quiet character for most of the story, as it is told from Anne's point of view, and so we are never sure how he feels until the second to last chapter.  He comes across as a bit aloof but if you know Austen you'll quickly see that this is the usual 'he's actually deeply in love with her' style.

The main issue I have with the writing here is that is it long-winded.  I appreciate classic language, and don't mind flicking to the notes at the end to find meanings, but I find that it stops me from getting as emotionanally involved in the story.  At the end of this book, I felt like I should have been crying, but the fact was that it had taken me so long to read and understand the sentences full of commas that my heart wasn't properly engaged.  Perhaps this was because it was the first reading, but I hate to skip over words or phrases that are new to me.  On the other hand, the writing being so detailed makes it easy to imagine the clothes, houses and atmosphere and I did feel like I was in another time.

This isn't a book for everyone, and you definitely have to be in the right frame of mind to read it, but if you're settled in with chocolate and hope in your heart, it is pretty wonderful.

The Flame Alphabet

The Flame Alphabet

By Ben Marcus

First published in Great Britain in 2012.

This is a brilliant book, but takes some persistence to read and appreciate the message.  I’d leave it at that but I can imagine the comments you’d leave, so here are a few paragraphs of me trying to tempt you to read this book.

The Flame Alphabet tells the story of a terrible epidemic that makes the speech of children toxic to adults.  Sam and his wife Claire have to decide whether to stay with their teenage daughter and waste away, or escape to the quarantine centre.  The story follows their journey into the unknown and the people they meet, including a strange scientist named Le Bov who seems to be trying to create a cure.  Sam soon becomes involved in attempts to make a new alphabet which does not infect adults, as even reading letters kill people.

I bought this book because the idea of language making people ill intrigued me.  I could not imagine a world where any sort of human interaction, through speech, facial expression or reading was fatal.  As I read the book it raised more questions than gave answers, and really made me think about what would happen if speech were dangerous.  At one point Sam wonders what the point is of having an idea if you cannot share it with someone and this really stuck with me.

Character wise, I didn’t feel anybody was particularly developed.  I was interested in Sam’s situation but did not feel much emotion towards him.  For me, the book’s emotion was brought about by the plot rather than the characters.  Saying that, Le Bov did make me quite uncomfortable as he is an untrustworthy oddball who has a worrying power over people.  To me he represented corporations who would take advantage of the public’s desperation in a terrifying situation.

 As a dystopian novel it was not one I felt as attached to as others, for example The Handmaid’s Tale, as it did not seem as plausible, but it was a truly interesting idea.  The story is slow at times and meanders along, however I thought that in the context of the toxic speech killing slowly it works.  

I would say you need some patience when reading this one, and I definitely didn’t take in all the layers of meaning on the first go, but stick with it and it will make you appreciate language and speech in new ways.

Jamrach's Menagerie

Jamrach's Menagerie

by Carol Birch

First published in Great Britain in 2011.

Jamrach's Menagerie was a book I had not heard of before buying it.  I saw it on the shelf and was drawn to the shiny cover (I can be somewhat like a magpie at times).  Upon reading the blurb I decided to add it to my collection, and it was definitely a good decision.  As the story progressed it twisted into something unexpected, but brilliant.

Set in 19^th century London, the story introduces us to eight year old Jaffy Brown.  He lives with his mother in a crowded house in Watney Street, with the smell of the sea in the air, making his living by running errands in the market lanes.  One day his life changes when Jaffy meets a tiger, owned by Mr Charles Jamrach – Naturalist and Importer of Animals, Birds and Shells.  Jaffy goes to see Mr Jamrach in his menagerie and is soon helping to look after the exotic animals with his friend Tim.

When Jaffy is fifteen, he signs up to join the crew of a ship called the Lysander, which is setting sail to find a dragon.  This journey will test Jaffy’s friendship and when they are shipwrecked they must all cling to every faith in themselves, and each other, to survive.

Jaffy is a strong character.  He is well-written and the author gives a clear insight into the mind of an eight year old, and then a fifteen year old.  He deals with love, family and friendship everyday, and enters into the ship’s adventure with all the excited innocence of a young person.  As the story progresses, his innocence is lost forever and the choices he makes clearly effect him.  He grows up faster than he should and is forced to face the world from a different perspective.  I wasn’t sure how I would relate to Jaffy – most of my books feature female characters – but as I read I found myself cheering him on and crying with him.  As the youngest on board the ship he seems to have the most to learn, but it is he who really seems to hold the group together.

Tim is Jaffy’s dearest friend, and sticks by him through the menagerie and the ship’s adventures.  They take care of each other, and the bond is totally believable – they are like brothers.

Mr Jamrach is a mysterious man, who is infact hardly in the book.  He is there to bring Jaffy into the world of exotic animals and light the spark of interest in the wider world.  He brings an exciting edge to Jaffy’s life and reminded me of Willy Wonka – though not as over the top.

The other men on the boat are all tied together in their quest to first find the dragon, and then to survive.  Enough is told about each that you care what happens, but they are essentially side characters helping Jaffy to grow and learn about himself.

This book is one which changes from what you’re expecting, and it gets intense very quickly.  I felt like I was on the boat with the crew and could not get off.  It was a book which I enjoyed, but at the same time I did find it hard to read when the characters were stranded and struggling to survive.  It was great to be surprised by a book and for it to be completely different to my expectations.

Read this book if you want to be transported to the past and live an experience you won't get in real life.

The BFG

The BFG
by Roald Dahl

First published in Great Britain in 1982.

As it was World Book Day on Thursday I decided to review one of my favourite books from my childhood this week.  When I was at school World Book Day wasn't about dressing up, it was a chance to get a new book with my voucher.  A lot of the books on offer were by Roald Dahl and he became one of my favourite authors.

I fully believe that growing up reading Roald Dahl gave me a brilliant imagination and a love for reading that has stayed with me.  He also gave me the confidence to believe in myself, even as a small child, as all of his books feature children doing amazing things as the main character.  I remember wanting to write to him when I was about eight, only to find out he had died six years earlier.  Nevertheless I still re-read his books when I want a bit of comfort and escapism.  On a side note, Quentin Blake's illustrations are also brilliant.

It was so difficult choosing just one of his books to review, but I decided on The BFG.  It is one of the first that I remember reading, especially at bedtime.

The story is that of Sophie, a young orphan who can't sleep one night.  She goes to her orphanage window and sees a Giant outside.  Sophie jumps back into bed but she soon feels the Giant's hand picking her up, in her blanket, and taking her out the window.  He carries her away to his home in a cave in a canyon.  There, he introduces himself as the Big Friendly Giant, or BFG, and promises he won't eat her.  She sees the other Giants who live around the canyon, and who are called names such as The Bloodbottler, The Fleshlumpeater and The Childchewer.  While Sophie is with the BFG, he introduces her to eating snozzcumbers, making whizzpoppers and the magic of dreams.  When the other Giants go off to eat children, Sophie decides she must stop them, and comes up with the idea of telling the Queen.  Together, she and the BFG make a plan to meet the Queen and stop the Giants.  What follows is a brilliantly written meeting and an imaginative ending.

Sophie is a brilliant protagonist.  Although she is an orphan and seems to be alone in the world, she is brave and friendly towards the BFG.  Her caring nature creates a strong bond with the BFG and shows that if you are kind, people are kind back.

The BFG is a funny, loveable character who teaches us not to judge by appearance.  He cares about Sophie, even saying that he feels bad taking her away from her parents, to which Sophie replies that she is an orphan.  He is a loner in his cave and just wants to be accepted.

I think reading this as a child, and indeed all of Dahl's books, teach you not to be afraid of situations out of your control, and that even though you may be small you are still important.  The BFG has the right amount of scary writing that younger readers enjoy, but to me the main theme is friendship.  It taught me that the best friendships can come from the most unlikely places.

So tell me, what was your favourite book as a child?

Atonement

Atonement
by Ian McEwan

First published in Great Britain in 2001.

Atonement is a story of guilt, love, shame and anger.  It tells of the consequences of actions and how a seemingly small event can affect many lives.

The story begins in a big country house in the summer of 1935, where we are introduced to thirteen year old Briony who lives with her family, including older sister Cecilia.  She fancies herself a writer and is writing a play, to be performed with her cousins.  One hot day, a visit from family friend Robbie brings a shock when Briony accuses him of a crime he did not commit - an accusation which she will spend the rest of her life trying to atone (hence the title).

Mostly told from Briony’s point of view, the story follows her from being thirteen to an old lady.  Through her life she is constantly thinking of that summer in 1935 and what her terrible, childish mistake cost her.  Although we are seeing events through her eyes, I never liked Briony.  This is not necessarily a bad thing, as she is a difficult character to like, and I think this is the idea.  As she struggles to atone with her sister, so she struggles to atone with the reader.

Cecelia and Robbie are a classic love story; from different backgrounds they resist the attraction until they cannot any longer, only to have their love cut short by war.  Still they are not overly soppy, just quietly waiting for their time together.  Robbie is always thinking of Cecilia, and from his part of the story we see the horrors of war, which are a stark opposite to the carefree time before.

The book is in three parts.  Part one tells of the 1935 summer.  Part two switches to Robbie in the war.  It is an abrupt change, with no immediate explanation of the time in between, so as a reader you need to stick with it to find out what happened.  The third and shortest part brings us to London, 1999.  In this final part, the now seventy-seven year old Briony is returning to the country house to see a performance of the play she wrote at thirteen.  The old lady finally reveals what she has been covering up all these years, and the revelations make me cry every time I read the paragraphs.  This final part touches on the power of writing, and  the choice between writing reality or writing the lives you wish for your characters.

Atonement is a bit of a slow burner.  It stays with you long after reading but you really need the time to sit and fully immerse yourself in it.  Even now that I know the plot, and therefore read the story differently with this knowledge, I still enjoy it, in particular the excellent writing and tense descriptions.

Never Let Me Go

Never Let Me Go
by Kazuo Ishiguro

First published in Great Britain in 2005.

Before I start, let me say that this was a very difficult review to write without giving away any spoilers, so apologies for the lack of plot detail.

Never Let Me Go is a book that I don't read often, but really enjoy when I do.  It's not the easiest read and is another 'makes you think' story.  I went to see the film with my mum and bought the book the next day.  I knew that although I liked the film, it was one of those that the book improves on a lot (like every film adaptation, I know, but this film in particular had a lot of 'staring-into-the-distance' that I knew would come across better in my mind while reading).

So then, the plot.  Kathy, Ruth and Tommy are three friends who grew up together at a boarding school in the English countryside called Hailsham.  Their childhood seems very idyllic but there is a huge secret that their school is hiding.  A secret that will change everything they think they know.  As they grow up they learn their fate and must come to terms with it

The story is set in an alternate England in the 1990s.  It is a sort of dystopian past which is so well put together that it seems real, even reading it today.  Part of this is in the small details which generally are the same as our reality - there are recognisable cars, jobs, streets, houses - and yet over all of these is an uncomfortable difference.

Kathy is the main character and we meet her as a 31 year old carer.  The story is told from her point of view as she recounts her school days, from the teacher who mysteriously left after a dramatic lesson, to the art classes that were so important.  The book is very well written, with the reader never totally sure what is going on until it is made explicit.  By only getting Kathy's point of view we are put in the classrooms with her, and make the discoveries as she does.  Kathy is a strong character who thinks a lot about her own humanity and that of the people around her, and often seems older than she is.

Kathy has a lot of love for her friends.  Ruth is carefree and accepting of her life.  Tommy, on the other hand, wants answers and struggles with his feelings a lot.  The three are tied together in a love triangle for most of the book but is not an annoying one.

Overall I would recommend this book if you like thought-provoking stories with a twist.  This is not a book you will only read once.  At times it can be a bit slow-going and there is a lot of description, which seems unnecessary, but stick with it and let's have a discussion.

The Unlikely Pilgrimage Of Harold Fry

The Unlikely Pilgrimage Of Harold Fry
by Rachel Joyce

First published in Great Britain in 2012.

You know that saying - 'never judge a book by it's cover'?  Well, I was on a bus one day and it stopped at a stop which had this book advertised on the side of it.  I got off the bus, went into a bookshop and bought the book.  I did have a quick flick through and read the blurb, but essentially I was drawn to this one because of the cover.  It worked.  The book is wonderful.

Harold Fry is a elderly man who is retired and lives with his wife Maureen on the south coast of England.  One ordinary morning he receives a postcard from Berwick-Upon-Tweed, the northernmost town in the country.  The postcard is from Queenie Hennessy, an old friend, telling Harold she is dying from cancer and saying goodbye.  This comes as a complete shock to Harold, who struggles to write a reply.  When he has done so, he leaves to post the letter...and carries on walking.  His journey with no map, waterproof or mobile phone and wearing only boating shoes takes him the length of the country.
Along the way he meets lots of different people who all help him somehow, whilst Maureen is left at home wondering what has happened to her husband.

Joyce writes in quite a simplistic style, which lends itself very well to Harold's way of thinking - to him, he has to walk so that Queenie lives.   The chapter in which he meets a silver-haired gentlemen is so full of emotion that I get a lump in my throat every time I read it.

Harold is a kind, gentle man who finds it difficult to express his feelings to his wife, but easy to talk to strangers. At one point other people join in his walk (think of the running scene in Forrest Gump), but he refuses to get caught up in the publicity.
As well as Harold's journey, we also see Maureen's side of the story.  From her worrying to her confused acceptance, it's obvious that she loves Harold above all else but doesn't quite know what to do outside of her country garden.

The story is quintessentially English, with the plot taking us through some of England's best known cities and places.  The geography doesn't overpower the story but rather shows the affinity that the characters have for the country.  My copy has a map of Harold's journey at the end, which I kept flipping to as I read so I could place where I was up to.

This book made me smile, cry, and smile again.  It gave me a faith in people doing the right thing and made me want to help people.  It's not the most fast-paced of books but it's a great one for reading on a train, a bus, or while dreaming about travelling.

The Shadow Of The Wind

The Shadow Of The Wind
by Carlos Ruiz Zafon

First published in Great Britain in 2004.

This book is brilliant.  It is one of those books that you don't want to finish because you are enjoying reading it so much, but it's a complete page turner at the same time.  My friend Ella told me to read it when I told her I was reading The Book Thief at the time.  The copy I bought includes a 'Shadow of the Wind tour of Barcelona', which is a great little extra and has made me want to go there again and follow the story.

In brief, and without giving anything away, the story is that of Daniel, who lives in Barcelona with his bookshop-owner father.  When he is ten, his father takes him to the Cemetery of Forgotten Books.  There, Daniel is told to choose one book that he must look after for the rest of his life.  He chooses 'The Shadow of the Wind' by Julian Carax and soon learns that this is the last of Carax's books still in existence - the others have been burnt and destroyed by a strange man.  From then on finds himself trying to find out the truth about Carax's life and death.  Along the way he meets many people who are all strangely interested in, and connected to, the book he chose.  From tracking down Carax's old friends and finding out secrets, to running from the law, this story is a serious page-turner.

Barcelona is a character as well as the setting, and the descriptive language is so detailed that you feel you are walking the streets with Daniel.  The language in the book is at times so magical; an example - 'in my schoolboy reveries, we were always two fugitives riding on the spine of a book, eager to escape into worlds of fiction and secondhand dreams'.  I love the image that brings to my mind, and to me this is how a book should make the reader feel.

Character wise, Daniel starts off briefly as a ten year old, grows into a teenager and then into a man.  He is very well developed; we feel his emotions change particularly in his love life, from lust and intimidation to desperation.  He reflects the reader's confusion at times, and our want to discover the hidden secrets of Carax's life.

Daniel's father is a wise old man, who tries to be the best father he can.  He seems to be replaced by Fermin as Daniel grows up and keeps secrets from him, which was sad to read.
Fermin was my favourite character in this story.  He got a great introduction and progressed from an old homeless man to a passionate and practical friend.  Fermin is a guide to both Daniel and the reader.

The other characters, including Nuria, Bea, Clara, Fumero and Miquel are all linked in ways that are slowly uncovered.  Just when you think you have them all understood the plot twists in a way you never saw coming.

The Shadow Of The Wind is a thriller, a mystery, a love story and a literary adventure.  Now go and read it.

My Sister's Keeper

My Sister's Keeper
by Jodi Picoult

First published in Great Britain in 2004.

I was introduced to Jodi Picoult by my mum.  We would read the same book and then talk for days about it and what we would have done in the situation.  My Sister's Keeper was the first of Picoult's books I read and has stayed my favourite of hers.

It tells the story of a mother Sara, whose daughter Kate is diagnosed with a rare form of leukemia when she is just two.  Sara and her husband Brian decide to create a baby perfectly matched with Kate, to provide much-needed bone marrow.  This is Anna.  Then, when Anna is thirteen, she decides she no longer wants to help her sister and sues her parents for the rights to her own body.
This decision and consequences of it, both obvious and secondary, form the plot of the book.

It is told from each person's perspective, including Anna and Kate's brother Jesse, Anna's lawyer Campbell and her guardian ad litem Julia.  As a reader you get the whole story from all sides, which makes it quite difficult at times to choose who you agree with.

As characters go, these are really thought through, and ones who stay with you long after the last page.  Anna is, at times, a sterotypical teenager - she gets angry and has arguments, but is obviously mature for her age, due mostly to the situation with her sister she has been in since birth.  At times I forgot how young she was, but then she would do something like offer to polish Campbell's doorknobs to help pay him to be her lawyer, and it was obvious.

Sara and Brian provide the opposing sides of the argument from a parental perspective, and we also get to see how Anna's decision, in a less obvious way, affects Jesse.  Through it all Kate is trying to keep everybody happy and stay out of the arguments, and I did find myself wishing she would stick up for Anna more at times - especially later in the book.

The courtroom and law talk can get a bit full-on, and it's clear that lots of research has gone into the case, but Campbell and Julia keep it as layman friendly as possible, without being patronising.

As a bit of a side not, don't watch the film first (preferably don't watch it at all).  I saw it after reading the book, and it just made me angry.

Overall I would highly recommend this if you want a book that leaves you asking yourself 'what would I do?'
All of Picoult's books are like this, so they can get a bit samey if you read them soon after each other.  Others of hers I would recommend are Nineteen Minutes and Keeping Faith.

The Painted Garden

The Painted Garden
by Noel Streatfeild

First published in 1949.

This was one of my favourite books growing up and I re-read it at least once a year.  The Painted Shoes is also known as Movie Shoes, and is part of Noel Streatfeild's 'Shoes' series, which started with Ballet Shoes.  These books are essentially all pretty similar - they usually include several children in a family who each have a different talent or personality trait, and have to help each other to overcome some difficulty or achieve their dreams.  The Painted Garden is my favourite, as it incorporates film-making and travel, which I found exciting when I was younger and still find interesting now.

The Winters family from London are made up of the Mum, Dad, oldest daughter Rachel, middle child Jane and youngest son Tim.  Rachel is a ballet dancer, Tim plays the piano but Jane is descibed as plain, with no talent.  This makes her somewhat sullen and angry towards her siblings, as people often ask what she does.

The family get the opportunity to go to California when they are left some money, and the story follows them as they travel across the ocean and then across America.  While they are in California, Jane is discovered by a film director and producer, who cast her as Mary in their film of 'The Secret Garden'.
The story tells of Jane going to filming, costume fittings and school on set, as well as the characters she meets whilst doing so, including other child actors.  At the same time, Tim finds himself a piano and some Italian friends.

I particularly like Rachel's part, as Streatfeild brings in Posy and Pauline Fossil from Ballet Shoes to help her get to dancing lessons in California.  Having read Ballet Shoes I thought this was a clever way to let readers know what happened to the Fossil girls after their book finished.

Apart from Jane, the characters in this story are developed just enough for us to care about, but essentially they are there to help Jane grow and find what she is good at.  Although she becomes friendlier with the other children in the film, she never completely loses her 'black-doggishness', which for me is what makes her unique.  I think the story could have been too soppy and cheesy, but she keeps it from going too far.

It might not be the best-known of Streatfeild's work, but it's definitely worth a read if you want a behind-the-scenes look at a film set in the fourties.  It's a true classic of my childhood and will be on my bookcase for many years yet.

The Road

The Road
by Cormac McCarthy

First published in Great Britain in 2006.


The Road first came into my life as the film adaptation.  I went to see it whilst at university and bought the book soon after.
My copy was published by Picador and to me the cover is very well-matched to the story.  It is in shades of white and grey with black splatters, and has a slightly rough texture.

The story begins with a male, known only as 'he', waking in a wood with a child sleeping next to him.  We follow the man and boy along their journey through a burned and ravaged America, as they head for the coast.  They only have a cart of food, the clothes they have on and a pistol.  The story is written from the man's point of view, and includes his memories of his wife.

It is clear that some apocalyptic event has taken place, but we are never fully told the details.  Instead, the focus is on the 'here and now' and the daily struggles and dangers the man and boy face.  These range from finding food, to hiding from men stalking the road.

A bit about the way the book is written now - I won't always write about this but this particular book was different to any others I had read in this respect.

There are no speech marks in the book; instead it reads much like a continuous train of thought.  Also there are no chapters.  This makes the story, although not actually long, seem everlasting and without breaks, much like the characters' slow journey.  Even though it made it harder than the plot already did to stop reading, I thought it was set out brilliantly.

There are only two main characters, and by not giving the man or boy names, the author creates people that could be anybody in any reader's life.  The man is focused and strong-willed yet caring towards the boy.  As a young child, the boy is obviously terrified a lot of the time, and shows the emotional side of the human personality.

I would say this is one to read if you are in a thoughtful, and probably quite a bleak, mood.  It sticks with you long after the last page and I can honestly say I went through pretty much every emotion whilst reading.  It's not often the same book that made me smile that also made me scared, cry, and really think about the human strength.

You will definitely be thinking what you would do in the same situation, and no doubt ask others what they would do.