I Need More Time to Read!!

I have got so many unread books on my Kindle and lent to me by friends (who share my taste) .... Add to that all the books which I couldn't resist buying when I organised a 2nd hand book sale at work, and you may get an idea of my problem!!

I am in the middle of several other-worldly series at the moment, so whenever I see a book in a 'deal' which will add to my collection, I cannot pass up the opportunity to down-load or buy!!

• The Mortal Instruments 
• The Shiver trilogy [more]
• Anita Blake Vampire Hunter 
• The Sookie Stackhouse series
• The House of Night series
• The Hush Hush saga [more]
• The Det.Sup. Roy Grace mysteries ...

I am like a kid in a sweet shop ... and I so stockpile the novels so that I can read them when I want a change of genre!!

I confess, I am a Bibliophile!!  -   an individual who loves books. A bookworm (sometimes pejorative) is someone who loves books for their content, or who otherwise loves reading

The Brightest Star in the Sky

Marian Keyes' Homepage

The Genre of book which I have just finished is chick lit, it is a romantic book and it is choc full of interesting characters with an unashamedly strong 'irish' voice ... well it is by Marian Keyes!  There is no other word for it, this book is NICE!!  But that's not to say it is overly sweet or predictable, none of that!!  There are some quite prickly characters, people who you dont like at first but who grow on you as you get to know them.  The chapters are very short, each time one ends you stop learning about 1 character and move onto another 'player' in this colourful tale.  Sometimes you may feel frustrated by this, "I wanted to know more about xxx!!" but don't fret, you will forget this feeling immediately as you are instantly invested in the threads you have just picked up of the next character's tapestry.

In the Brightest Star very few of the 'cast' know each others at the start, you move from vingette to vingette learning about the players and their back story but soon the stories start to become inter-connected and overlap. There is a hint of magic in this lovely story, and lots of  'relationship tangles'.  Marian has a wonderfully spellbinding style and a keen eye for observation, if you like Maeve Binchy you will like Marian, and vice versa.  Both authors either set their stories in Ireland, or have a strongly celtic cast list, and if you want a book that leaves you feeling uplifted, and as if you have had a lovely long gossip with a good friend, this fits the bill.

Read this if you enjoyed 31 Dream Street by Lisa Jewell, you will definitely feel a similar 'vibe'.

However, having read this book, I now want a total change of pace ... I could read  a gritty thriller or detective book - perhaps Dead Simple - the book which starts the Detective Superintendent Roy Grace series, or maybe Dark Matter by Michelle Paver which sounds like a powerfully suspenseful ghost story.

February's Post

I seem to have read a lot recently but posted nothing ... so I had better give you the highlights of February's literature before the month is over!!

The Hunger Games - Suzanne Collins  www.suzannecollinsbooks.com/‎

This book deserves all the hype it got - it is a refreshing concept, a twist in reality which could easily happen. I am not someone who enjoys fly on the wall shows like Big Brother, and yet in a strange way I like this - real people forced to fight in a gladiator-like scenario, to kill all their opposing competitors, to keep themselves alive, to keep their families fed & out of prison, purely for the entertainment of the vapid people of the Capitol and to prove to the population that the government is in control at all times.  

The central character Katniss is feisty, trusts almost no-one and is incredibly resourceful, and yet there is a naive side to her, she doesn't realise the effect she has on people, how she charms them and inspires them. She has honed her skills hunting & poaching to keep her family fed, and she is thrown into the games when her little sister is picked as a competitor & Katniss volunteers go in her place. There is a Romeo & Juliet thread to the story, modern though it is (this tale surely qualifies as science fiction) and as it blossoms into book 2 : Catching Fire I find I cannot stop reading because the elements of secrecy and rebellion which unfold are so compelling.

Friends & Rivals :  Tilly Bagshawe

www.tillybagshawe.com

This book revolves around the music industry, both in USA & the UK.  It somehow manages to channel Jackie Collins' rich, glitzy bitching style whilst also weaving in some good old fashioned family values, village life & insecurities about love and life 'a la' Jilly Cooper.  It was a great big romantic, saucy & glamorous read, which would be ideal for taking on holiday to lose yourself in whilst lazing by the pool.

It is written with authority, it is very current and there are plenty of characters in it who are thinly veiled versions of real music industry celebrities.  If "bonkbuster" is still a genre, this book fits it - the characters are not very likable but if you love to read about rivalry & squabbling, you will enjoy this!

I have previously read another of Tilly's books "Fame" which is equally escapist, racy & fun but which revolves round the film industry - I can recommend that too!

Sex or Love - Would Either of These Drive You to Kill?

City of Angels #4 in the Mortal Instruments Series : Cassandra Clare

Wow!  What a book!  I am sure I often review books as being page turners or that I couldn't put them down - well this book is a turbo-charged version of that!  Obviously I would recommend that you read the books in order, as they follow on quite closely from one another and the characters develop skills & abilities,  fall in/out of love, or  get wounded/ killed,   so the sequence IS important.  This book was as good as all the others - the character who gets the most attention in this particular storyline is Simon - a teenager who has (quite accidentally) become a vampire, Simon is still adjusting to the enormity of this change of circumstance.  He is an unusual vampire in that he is a 'Daywalker' i.e. sunlight does not burn him and this seems to make him powerful and desirable as an ally to other vampires - and there is definitely a power struggle going on within their heirarchy.

The love between Jace & Clary is still not plain sailing - she is always doubting that he can possibly love someone as ordinary as her (does this ring a bell Twilight fans?) and he is convinced that his love for her is dangerous to her health/safety (more parallels with Twilight  & Beautiful Creatures) and dark forces seem to be circling around this golden couple trying to throw obstacles in the way of their love (aint that always the way?!)

We meet some new characters - a kick-ass new werewolf,  a very ancient, cunning vampire and the mother of all demons ... but I don't want to spoil the impact of the story.  If you are reading this series you wont want to miss this book, if you love reading other-worldly books that are well crafted and thoughtfully written, I cannot imagine that this series will disappoint.  I have already got #5 lined up, and later I can go back and read the prequels (The Infernal Devices) - starting with Clockwork Angel.  Already on my Kindle (Tick! Happy days!)

Death by Hollywood : Steven Bochco

This book reads like a film - it is wonderful the way you see it in your head as you read, and perhaps this is because Steven Bochco writes for television - a 10-time Emmy winner for his work on Hill Street Blues, L.A. Law and NYPD Blue.  He writes with knowledge of the industry (who panders to who, whose egos need massaging, where the glitterati eat out - he knows it all).

The plotline follows a screenwriter who has hit a wall, is unable to write and his marriage is struggling, until one evening he is watching through his telescope and sees a murder committed (yeah, shades of Rear Window).  He decides this is his new writing material, but to get authenticity he insinuates himself in with the murderer and the detective to get information from all angles, and this is really where his good idea goes bad, because he gives himself away.

Again I don't want to be a 'spoiler' so I wont elaborate further on the plot or the characters, but I will say how interesting it is every time the story 'digresses' - it frequently wanders off into sub-plots, a lot like Ronnie Corbett telling one of his rambling jokes from the comfy chair.  At first you think "Tsk! get back to the action!" but if you kick back and relax you will always enjoy getting to the destination via the scenic route, and sometimes the side story will have a direct influence on the way the main plot pans out.  The other speciality of this book is the way the author has his finger on the pulse of his character's motivations, not only why would a wife start an affair? but why wouldn't her husband confront her about it? why simple honesty makes a sexy, self assured woman-of-the-world drop her barriers ... it's like visiting a shrink without having to bare your soul or pay a penny!  What's not to enjoy about that?

I highly recommend this book - for once I am speaking directly to the male audience - it not being one of my usual selections: chick lit, rom com or young adult storylines, and anyone who enjoys a good detective novel will  surely want this in their library.

In Between the Christmas Shopping & Gift Wrapping ... Snuggle up with a Great Read

The Diviners - Libba Bray   libbabray.com/‎

What a brilliant book this was - well worth the wait (it's been on my reading list for about 16 months) - it was a riveting combination of:

• history  it's set in America in the roaring twenties 
• spooky  it has ouija boards & undead spirits
• magical  several characters have special powers which they do not totally understand

The central character is Evie O'Neil who's a young girl who has been sent away from her home town because her parents cant handle her - her uncle has no idea how to manage her either, but in the main he treats her like an adult which suits Evie just fine.  There are parties and speak-easys which she wants to go to, her uncle is busy helping the police solve a string of crimes with a supernatural twist and  soon Evie is assisting him with his enquiries and trying to keep 1 step ahead of the trouble which seems to follow her and her colourful group of friends.  Danger is very much closer than Evie and her uncle could possibly imagine.

As it is a novel for young adults there is romance & yearning, but it doesn't get too heavy.  The tone of book is chilling rather than horror, and the story is well crafted with a vivid tapestry of interesting characters who are well developed, but the reader is left feeling that there will be more to discover as the series continues.  I could not put this book down, I took my Kindle everywhere with me and stole any moment I could to read it.

Readers who enjoyed Beautiful Creatures &  New Girl would enjoy this book I am sure!  Libba has written other novels - most recently I enjoyed A Great & Terrible Beauty which is book 1 of a trilogy.

West End Girls  Jenny Colgan    www.jennycolgan.com/

This book is chick lit at its best - real girls (unidentical twin sisters) who bicker and argue as well as larger than life 2 dimensional characters to make you laugh out loud!  One sister, Penny, has always coasted on her looks - they should be her ticket out of her life of drudgery and duff boyfriends.  The other sister, Lizzie, has always looked out for Penny (which generally gets her into trouble) and squashed her sorrows with food, she isn't looking for adventure, she is looking for a quiet life.  When life throws these sisters the opportunity to live rent free in a flat in Chelsea, how will they fare in such different surroundings?

What follows are their attempts to get jobs, get a rich boyfriend (Penny) visit the places they have only read about in magazines (Penny again!), make friends and make a new life for themselves. Some of their adventures are crazy and madcap, some of the situations are uncomfortable but you will keep turning the pages wanting to know what happens next - who finds love and who just finds out what really matters in this life.

Jenny Colgan never disappoints - and she is very clever at finding different voices for herself in the novels she writes.  If you  like this book, you will quite likely enjoy the works of Jojo Moyes, Lisa Jewell, Judy Astley & Sophie Kinsella.

I Just Had to Read it!!!!

Death Comes to Pemberley - PD James  http://www.randomhouse.com/features/pdjames/

Last winter I saw PD James being interviewed on TV about writing this book. It seems it has always been an ambition of hers to write something in the style of Jane Austen / as a tribute to her. I too am a big JA fan and I was thrilled by the idea of a book which picks up sometime after the "happily ever after" of Darcy marrying Elizabeth Bennett - and even more exciting - taking it down the route of a murder mystery!!  What's not to like??  PD James is in her 90s, but she is still so spry and quick witted and, once you read the book, there is no denying so much skill in her writing.  She has found something quite close to JA's voice,  although I felt as if she slipped out of it a little as the story wore on, but this could also be attributed to the  details of the crime scene, evidence & trial - which is so unlike the drawing room manners &  etiquette which JA's tales are usually built around.  She gives us a fascinating glimpse into the (fairly primitive) detective skills and justice system of the regency period.

I recommend this book, as I really enjoyed it, I felt torn away when I wasn't reading it and was very happy with it's revelations and conclusion, but I am not sure I liked having Darcy explain (in PDJ's book) what he meant by his words & actions in JA's book - and I think other Austen fans might get infuriated by this too. Look out for the TV adaptation of this which I believe is being screened this winter.

Alison Wonderland - Helen Smith

This was an e-book which I just had to download - the reviews for it made me so curious!!  Alison is a sleuth living in London, she has a psychic postman, she has an eccentric best friend who believes in magic, a neighbor who writes her love poems ... it is all very odd but beautifully written.  Helen paints vivid, detailed pictures and there is conspiracy and oddness all around her central character Alison, yet she carries on as if it is normal and 'goes about her day job'.

If you have read anything by Faye Weldon, you may notice a similarity of style.  This was an intriguing book, and I don't regret reading it, but I probably wouldn't pick out another of Helen's books to read, it wasn't my type of story.

Film : Sunshine on Leith

I loved loved this film!!  I went along expecting a comedy, which it delivered, but in a milder, feelgood way.  There are fabulous anthems in this film (I ... who only knew 2 Proclaimers songs loved the music), there is pathos which makes the 'happy' more heightened and the dramatic backdrop of Edinburgh is awesome!  I feel sure this beautiful city will have more tourists as a result of this film.  I knew Jane Horrocks could sing, but I was really impressed (as a big fan of Misfits) with Antonia Thomas's singing.  Heartily recommend this.

Try these Books for Size!

New Girl by Paige Harbison

I make myself a promise  that there are certain classics that I will read - and Rebecca is one such book - when I read the blurb about this teen novel which is  based on the plot of this classic I was very keen to give it some time - & it was really a satisfying read.  It very successfully gets 'in the headspace' of a teenager trying to fit in at a new school.  It is hard to tell you how good the book is without spoiling the plot - but as well as the usual bitchy cliquey girl interactions, and the "omg he is so cute, does he even know I exist?" eternal question that girls ask themselves when they like a boy, there is a very strong thread of mystery going on - a pupil is missing.  Our girl has never met the missing girl - Becca, but plenty of her classmates talk about her and compare her with Becca and all associations with her have a negative impact on those left behind at the school.

If you followed my last recommendation of "Never Have I Ever" the Lying Game novel and enjoyed it, I think you will love this book too.  I had to read it all day - couldn't put it down!

I cannot say how it compares with the original story (as it is still on my 'to read' list) but even if the author has just taken the 'nuggets' of the plot and re-written it with a modern teenage slant, it worked for me (although the heroine takes things at face value and sees a lot more good in people than most of us would be prepared to!

Striker by Michelle Betham

I am not a big football fan (don’t like sports much at all tbh) so you might be surprised to find I am reading a book at present which is all about over-paid and over-sexed footballers (Yikes!) and ex-football stars turned managers / pundits a delightfully flawed female sports reporter and all the shenanigans which result! It is reminding me a lot of Jackie Collins’ style of writing, being very relationship driven, with characters who have a very high libido <wink wink!>

It is book one of a trilogy, so if you enjoy it as much as I am so far (70% of the way through) there are others to read featuring the same characters. Even better! (bargain hunter that I am) it is under £2 to download from Amazon at the time of writing!

Thursdays in the Park by Hilary Boyd

In complete contrast, another book which I read recently has as its central character a lovely lady who is nearing retirement age, but does not want to be settling down in the country or giving up her beloved health food shop. Her husband, who is older, has been retired for years, and is keen for her to join him – is he jealous that her life is still so fulfilling? Their daughter lives nearby, with her artist husband and Ellie, her grandchild. The book’s title ‘Thursdays in the Park’ stems from the pattern of Jeannie caring for her granddaughter every week.

I don’t want to spoil the plot, but once again this is a very character driven story; Jeannie has a wonderful best friend she confides in, quite a sharp colleague who works in her shop, a slightly bumpy relationship with her daughter and son-in law and she makes a new friend through her ‘park’ days with Ellie. Her life is on the cusp of a change - but what will she find out about herself and her loved ones as she decides which things she wants to take forward in her life and which she will leave behind?  [Another bargain - this is available to download from Amazon for 99p!]