April - May books

Its been a slow couple of months on the book front, so there are only a few:

March by Geraldine Brooks

The March in question is the missing Mr March from Little Women. Here his experiences away from his girls fighting in the civil war are vividly imagined. In stark constrast to the sweet and gentle Little Women of Louisa Alcott's story, March sees and experiences the worst that humanity has to offer during the bloody conflict. Based around letters and diaries of Louisa Alcotts father, this is at times unsettling, but very readable. 8/10

The Night Watch by Sarah Waters

Following the lives of four people as they live in London during WW2, this book tells the story backwards - starting in 1947 and working back to 1941. Whilst featuring intriguing characters and some clear insights into people's psyche, this didn't really work for me and I felt it ended very abruptly. I still read itquite quickly though, as once I started there were elements of the story I had to get to the bottom of. 5/10

The Mango Orchard by Robin Bayley

Robin's Great Grandfather lived and worked in Mexico around the turn of the 20th century. a hundred years later, Robin follows in his footsteps with a vague feeling there is something to find 'in a small town, near a small town near Guadalajara.' Undertaking a long and winding journey into the unknown, Robin encounters bandits, guerilla fighters and witches as he travels around South and Latin America eventually finding all he was looking for and more.

Witty, fascinating and very entertaining, this is deeply evocative of the sights and smells of Mexico, making me want to visit despite his brushes with bandits and the like. An excellent read. 9/10

Oliver Twist by Charles Dickens

The more old classics I read, the more surprised I become at how many are not quite what I thought. There is more to this book than can possibly be put into any film and its definitely worth reading the original. It also provides some fascinating insights into how our perception has changed over time, particularly with regard to attitudes to the poor and needy. Well deserving of its classic status. 9/10

Her Fearful Symmetry by Audrey Niffenegger

The story of the people who occupy three flats overlooking Highgate Cemetery in London, revolving around the twin girls who are bequeathed the middle floor after their aunt dies. Niffenegger writes in a truly beautiful way, and in both her books focus' on the relationships between people rather than the circumstance they find themselves in. She is extraordinarily good at putting feelings into words. This book has some absolutely beautiful passages, but while it started amazingly well, I didn't really like the ending. There were far too many unanswered questions for me. 7/10

The Great Gatsby by F Scott Fitzgerald

I first read this when I was a teenager, and my first clue is that I didn't remember it at all. I re-read for my book club and as we discussed it we realised why its so popular in schools - there are so many themes that can be pulled out of it and turned into essays. However, for me, as a straight read, I wasn't that bothered and didn't really get that into it. 6/10

Girl with A Pearl Earring by Tracy Chevalier

The picture on the cover is a painting by Johannes Vermeer by the same name as the novel. The book is an imagined story of how that painting came into being, featuring a young girl who goes to work as a maid in the house of Vermeer. The actual origins of the painting remain a mystery, and this is informative on a period and country I knew nothing about. Interesting. 6/10

rest of march reads

Year of Wonders by Geraldine Brooks

Based on a true story, this story tells of the small Derbyshire village of Eyam, from 1665-1666. The village fell victim to the plague, which came to them in infected cloth from London. Under the direction of the young Reverend, the villagers took the extraordinary decision to quarantine themselves and seal off the village until the plague had gone. With some disturbing moments, this really brings to life the realities of the figures you see of the mortality rate. With all the panic, pain and grief brought vividly to life, this is a great read.

It prompted me to visit the real village and learn more about the real life heartache behind this story. A great book. 8/10

The Time Traveler's Wife by Audrey Niffenegger

Clare has known Henry almost her whole life, because Henry time travels. this story is about relationships and the effort to achieve normality in the face of overwhelming odds. Its beautiful and insightful, and totally let down by bad language which jumped off the page at me towards the end. Unnecessary and annoying, it ruined my enjoyment of an otherwise great novel. 2 points removed for that - 6/10.

The Five People You Meet in Heaven by Mitch Albom

Starting at the end of his life, this is the story of Eddie's death and the people he meets in heaven who explain what his life meant and how their lives inter-related, even if Eddie didn't know it. Beautiful idea, movingly written. 8/10

Madame Bovary by Gustave Flaubert

Considered a classic, this is the story of Emma Bovary, wife of a small town doctor in rural France. She has adulterous affairs and lives extravagantly beyond her means to escape the boredom and emptiness of her life. Voted by contemporary authors as one of the most influential books ever written, I personally can't see the attraction. I felt no empathy or understanding for Emma or any other character, so it seemed vain and vacuous to me. 3/10

Frankenstein by Mary Shelley

You should read this, its not the story you think it is. Profound, and insightful, this can be interpreted so many ways. It surprised me, I expected a horror story and this is far from that. I found it an intelligent work on responsibilities. Easy to read, and worth every moment. 9/10

February to March reads

After I did this for January, I thought I should keep it up as a record of the books that I have read. Next time I won't leave it so long, cos this is just February to 10th March!

Wolf Hall by Hilary Mantel

Excellent for those interested in Tudor history, the protagonist of this is Thomas Cromwell, who rose to become Henry VIII's Lord Chancellor. It won the Man Booker prize, but don't let that put you off. Brilliantly descriptive and powerfully evocative of the sights, sounds and smells of Tudor England, it is only let down by a slightly bizarre writing style of referring to Cromwell as 'he' all the way through the book, despite the confusion this leads to on occasion. Provided the reader recognises this and assumes 'he' means the protagonist, you'll be fine. I would have rated it 8/10 but it loses a point for the awkward writing style. 7/10

The Picture of Dorian Gray by Oscar Wilde

A beautiful young man gazes upon a picture of himself and wishes he could always stay that beautiful. He receives his wish, and the picture ages and decays instead of him. He lives a debauched life and watches in horror as the picture progressively portrays his internal ugliness. This was a fascinating read, with some real insights on how we judge people on their appearance. There are some challenging passages too though. Definitely worth persevering with. 6/10

The Historian by Elizabeth Kostova

A blend of Bram Stoker's Dracula and Dan Brown's DaVinci Code, this uses historical writing and architecture (as in Dan Brown) to solve the mystery of the life and afterlife of Vlad 'The Impaler' Tepes - Dracula. Despite my complete lack of interest in vampires, this book was a strong enough story to keep my interest and wanting to turn the pages. Don't expect your Twilight style romantic hero vampire here though, Dracula is a real nasty piece of work, but with a peculiar penchant for librarians. Containing a few disturbing historical facts, this has some passages that made me wince, all the more for being real history. A good read. 7/10

Sister by Rosamund Lupton

Beatrice races home to London from New York when she hears her younger sister Tess is missing. Despite the thriller/mystery aspect what happened to her, this book really is about the relationship between the sisters. I read it within 24 hours, it was a real page turner. Beautifully insightful and honest, with a twist I didn't see coming despite guessing who was responsible about half way through. Compelling. 8/10

One Day by David Nicholls

Starting the day they graduate, this looks at Emma and Dexter on the same day for the next twenty years. A great premise, this didn't really deliver for me. I didn't relate to the characters, found them both quite cliched and stereotyped, and I didn't quite believe their story. 5/10

The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society by Mary Ann Shaffer and Anne Barrows

I always forget that a part of the British Isles was occupied by the Germans during WW2, and this story vividly brought the experience to life. Written as a series of letters, it is by turns witty, charming, insightful, educational and heart-breakingly sad. An easy and quick read, I highly recommend it. 9/10

Holes by Louis Sachar

Aimed at the youth market, this delighful book is absolutely worth a couple of hours of anyone's time. A miscarriage of justice sends Stanley Yelnats to a young offenders place on a dry lake bed, where they spend all day every day digging holes. Beautifully written, with a neat wrap to the story. Fabulous. 9/10

Longitude by Dava Sobel

The true story of the man who effectively invented the pocket watch, plus a whole array of other devices we still use, to try and help ships with the problem of knowing longitude. Fascinating, and entertaining. 8/10

Memoirs of a Geisha by Arthur Golden

A fictional account of the life of geisha Sayuri, it nevertheless relies heavily on real accounts and accurate historical fact. Beautifully evocative of life in the pleasure distict of Gion in Kyoto, this book is gut-wrenchingly matter of fact of the worst elements of the life that a geisha had and shows the sometime ugliness behind the mask of beauty. It appeals greatly to my interest in Japan and Japanese history, and I loved it. 8/10

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book reviews

the books i've read this year so

far:
The Help - Kathryn Stockett

Set in 1960s Mississippi, The Help is the story of the lives and friendship of three women in the midst of racism and segregation. Heartwarming and at times heart breaking, this is an excellent page-turner that cuts through some of the stereotypes surrounding relationships in the deep south. 9/10

The Handmaid's Tale - Margaret Atwood
A harsh story set in a dystopian future where women are deprived of all rights, the focus is on Offred, whose only function is to breed. The loneliness and hopelessness of her situation is marked by her memories of what she has lost. Somewhat disturbing, but definitely thought provoking this novel could serve as a warning. I'd like to think it could never happen, but you only have to look to existing countries to see that the author apparently had the gift of foresight. 8/10

The Book Thief - Markus Zusak
Narrated by death, this is the story of 13 year old Liesel in Germany during WW2. As she sees the death and destruction all around her, Liesel discovers the power of words and reading, and helps her adoptive family hide a Jew in the basement. We see all the shades of humanity, from the committed nazis to those who risk themselves standing up for what is right. Beautifully told, this insightful story is a must-read. 10/10

Mister Pip - Lloyd Jones
The wartorn island of Bougainville in Papua New Guinea is the setting for Mister Pip. Jones, who covered the civil war in Bougainville, never shies from the brutal realities and violence of war as he tells the tale of a village that has never really seen civilisation. The only white man left in the village takes over running the school and introduces the children to Dickens' Great Expectations. there is great constrast between the solace and delight the central character of Matilda takes in the book, and the terrible events surrounding the village. Somewhat flawed, and slightly irritating in parts, this is nevertheless worth a read. 7/10

my cross-dressing baby!

those who read this blog regularly may well remember this picture from earlier this year when our delightful boy put on a dress and twirled around the kitchen. unfortunately this has not been an isolated incident....

dressed as a fairy princess - this time in public!!

with proper make up on (admittedly on halloween and i didn't have any face paint so i used my industrial strength stuff)

but there is no excuse for this one! and there have been other occasions when i was not quick enough with the camera.

my baby is a cross dresser!!!!!!

english countryside

we went for a walk one sunday afternoon in october near our house and these are some of the photos. i just think we are lucky to have such beautiful countryside so close to us.

even if it has a dirty great road stuck in the middle of it... the other side is fields and meadows and streams and is great for walking in.

see! told you it was gorgeous!

the house in the middle of this photo is ours! i love the view from the top of our street, with all the trees and the church on top of the hill. love it!!