Feb
01
2010

January books

514OIN5YZRL._BO2,204,203,200_PIsitb-sticker-arrow-click,TopRight,35,-76_AA240_SH20_OU02_Songs of the Humpback Whale by Jodi Picoult is one hell of a confusing book. A story of Jane who leaves her oceanographer husband Oliver and takes her 15 year old daughter Rebecca with her. Rebecca nearly died in a plane crash when she was 5 years old and part of this story is about them reliving this experience. The reason this book is so confusing is that it is told through 5 narrators, and to make it even more confusing Rebecca tells the story back to front! I usually really like Picoult’s novels, but it is clear that this is an early example of her writings, but I have to say it isn’t very good and is terribly confusing. Not worth the effort to be honest!

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412Z42GAW8L._SL500_AA240_Shape of Snakes by Minette Walters is a reasonable enough offering. In the 70’s Mrs Ranelagh finds her neighbour “Mad Annie” battered and lying in the gutter. The police pass it off as her dying after being hit by a lorry when she was drunk but Mrs Ranelagh is convinced that she has been murdered, and prior to her death that she was robbed. The book covers twenty years with letters and articles showing how she has reached these conclusions. It was an OK book but reasonably difficult to feel any sympathy for the lead character who shows a great deal of sympathy for Mad Annie, but not very much for her husband who has put up with her all these years.

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41V8d8pdPkL._SL500_AA240_They Also Serve by Hilary Green was a rather protracted book, for a couple of reasons. I listened to it on CD, but it took me a long time to get through it because I was driving Up North and then went home for Christmas and didn’t carry on listening until the New Year. Secondly, it is a rather protracted book in terms of the story. Set in the Second World War it features several characters who were previously involved in the theater, whether as dancers, singers or mucisians. When war hits and they are fored to sign up this book follows their separate journeys, and how it affects their relationships with each other. Quite a nice book and easy enough to listen to with long gaps in between.

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51yUGA06gkL._SL500_AA240_Titanic Survivor: Memoirs of Violet Jessop Stewardess is a fascinating book. Violet was born on 2 October 1887 in Argentina to Irish immigrant parents. She survived several childhood illnesses and went on to be a stewardess on some of the most famous ships in the world, including the Titanic. She survived three sinkings and her memoirs offer a fascinating account of life at sea. I really enjoyed this, the Titanic episode is a relatively small part of the book but nonetheless if you are interested in boats and life at sea then this would definitely be of interest.

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418p4jNih0L._BO2,204,203,200_PIsitb-sticker-arrow-click,TopRight,35,-76_AA240_SH20_OU02_The Falls by Ian Rankin is a cracking John Rebus book. A young female student goes missing in Edinburgh, and what initially seems to be a runaway take a somewhat darker tone when some strange miniature coffins are found which seem to be reminiscent of some murders from many years ago. Add to the that the discovery that the missing student was playing an online game with a Quizmaster and you get an excellent novel with a strong plot and even stronger characters.

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41T3G2GABJL._SL500_AA240_Death of a Blue Movie Star by Jeffrey Deaver is about a wannabe filmaker called Rune. When a local porn theatre is bombed she sets out to make a film about a porn artist. Inevitably she ends up dead and Rune spends her time putting herself in danger to try and get to the bottom of the story. Not a bad read, but not one of Deaver’s best.

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51Dzum1qi5L._SL500_AA240_Eat, Pray, Love: One Woman’s Search for Everything by Elizabeth Noble is an audio book I have had in the car.

Journalist Elizabeth Gilbert went through a messay divrce which left her emotionally wrecked. As a result she left her job and set out to travel for one year, spending 4 months in Rome in Italy (Eat), 4 months in India at an Ashram (Pray) and 4 months in Bali in Indonesia (Love). Her hope was that she would find some sort of balance in her life and a means to be happy again. I laughed throughout this book, especially at the stories of Italy. Her love of food was amazing and she made me want to eat pasta and pizza and lots of it!

This book made me laugh and made me think. A lot. One of the nicest things about this storybook is that it is read by the author. The inflections she puts on words and the stories makes it all seem more real, and more… authentic. (Listening to her read this book also really reminded me of my friend Peterson and that made me smile as well!!!) Her take on theology and God fascinated me and Ioved it when she said that when asked what sort of God she believed in she described him as a ‘Magnificent God’. Her pursuit of solitude and reconciliation with her past and her future was both comforting and challenging.

I love this book. Also, I was listening to this when I was driving back after being at our new house for the weekend. Something about the pursuit of a new future really rang true with me and every time I listened to her words I felt a new song starting in me too.

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51PES306CBL._BO2,204,203,200_PIsitb-sticker-arrow-click,TopRight,35,-76_AA240_SH20_OU02_Breakfast With Tiffany: An Uncle’s memoir by Edwin John Wintle is a lovely memoir. Forty-something gay New Yorker Eddie, or Uncle Eddie as he becomes known is asked to take on Tiffany, his 13-year-old wayward niece who has been creating havoc at home. He agrees readily but the reality of taking on a teenager is much more challenging than he realises.

This is a truly lovely story of a the relationship between Ed and Tiffany. The way he handles her tantrums are at times completely drama-queen and over the top and yet the love he demonstrates for her her is touching and the meaning Tiffany provides to his life is utterly charming. I loved this book. It kind of reminded me of my friend Jessica when she totally went of the rails and moved in with her grandparents, and I also loved it because it seemed really real.

Nice read. It made me happy.

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Le it Bleed by Ian Rankin is a John Rebus novel. Now, usually I love the Rebus novels, but this one was sloooow. Lots about Police and political corruption, all of which made a slightly disappointing read. Oh well…. NEXT!!!

Written by Anna Williams in: Uncategorized | Tags: ,

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