Disgrace by J.M.Coetzee (our latest Book Club read) This Booker Prize winning novel is beautifully written. The prose flows effortlessly making it very easy to read. The subject matter however is not an easy read. I disliked the main character intensely. The attack is horrific. The aftermath uncomfortable. The themes in this book are very unattractive and I did not enjoy reading it at all. My Book Club friends had similar opinions, particularly regarding the quality of the writing and our dislike for the sexual predator David. We spent a long time discussing how the book reflected on post Apartheid South Africa and the struggle for both sides of the divide to adjust to their new social positions. No-one could understand Lucy's post attack decisions and felt we could not relate to her character, possibly because we only see the situation from David's point if view. Overall we were all pleased it was a short book! 2/5 (5/5 for the superb writing style) I'll Be Watching You by Beverley Barton Judge Ella Porter starts receiving disturbing letters hand delivered to her office. The main suspect is Reed Conway, imprisioned for 15yrs for a crime he claims he did not commit. Her father, Senator Porter, prosecuted the case and is adament he is a threat to her safety. But something about Reed's claims ring true with Ella. Is he dangerous? And if not who is sending the letters? This book was very fast paced and I really enjoyed the suspense storyline and the surprising twist ending. But it was rather racy! I wasn't expecting it to be so hot under the collar but it worked well building tension in the relationship between Ella and Reed. I found the very end a little too sickly though and would have preferred it not to have been wrapped up with a bow. 3.5/5 I am currently reading: Dead Man Walking by Paul Finch (God I am loving this book!) This post is linked to #ThisMonthIRead with mutteringmummy.wordpress.com #readwithme at mamamummymum.co.uk #triedtested with myfamilyfever.co.uk and goingonanadventure.co.uk #pocolo with vevivos.com and AllAboutYou with mama-andmore.com
2 Comments
Back in May I reviewed a fantastic new ebook, Falling, by debut author Emma Kavanagh. Due to it's phenomenal success, a paperback version has been released this month. Hurrah! As much as I love the convenience of reading electronically, nothing quite beats the feel of a real book! To celebrate the release, Emma has written this guest post sharing her thoughts on motherhood as part of her blog tour.
Motherhood is never easy - no-one ever said it would be. And I am luckier than most, able to design my working day around my children’s needs. But there is a downside to that. It means that there is rarely a time when I am completely off work. My second son is now seven weeks old and I am writing this stretched across his sleeping form. It’s fine. He’s dressed in a panda suit, so there’s an awful lot of cuteness going on here. My children bring me so much joy and so much exasperation, and even though there are times when I fantasise about escaping to an isolated cabin where no-one is touching me or wearing my underwear as a hat (what is with that?!), I know that I would last about 20 minutes before I needed those sticky cuddles again. Falling by Emma Kavanagh, published by Arrow, at £6.99 You can follow Emma on Twitter @EmmaLK I am the final stop on Emma's tour so you can hop over to the other blog stops right now! Linking to #pocolo at vevivos.com #brilliantblogposts at honestmum.com and #readwithme at mamamummymum.co.uk
Night feeds are well and truly over so my reading has lapsed back to half an hour when I get into bed. But despite this I managed to finish a few books I have had on the go for a while during September and October The Alchemist's Secret by Scott Mariani Overall 4/5 The Girl Who Saved The King of Sweden by Jonas Jonasson 'The statistical probability that an illiterate in 1970s Soweto will grow up and one day find herself confined in a potato truck with the Swedish King and prime minister is 1 in 45,766,212,810. According to the calculations of the aforementioned illiterate herself.' This book was my choice for our mummy book club. I enjoyed The 100 year old man who Man who Climbed out of the Window and Disappeared so much it was an easy choice to pick Jonasson's next novel. Whilst it did not quite live up to The 100 year old Man, it did not disappoint. An illiterate sewage worker, chinese sisters, twins which don't exist, a potato farmer and the King of Sweden (plus the Prime Minister) are all thrown together in the oddest of tales. The farcical, deadpan style is perfectly executed as expected but the story isn't quite as gripping. Possibly because The 100 year old Man is set over a few days, this book covered a whole lifetime making it a much slower, somewhat clunkier read. The real jewel in this book is the main character Nombeko. It is impossible not to like and respect her. The storyline had a nuclear weapons theme again which surprised me as I did now expect Jonasson to return to the same subject so soon but it created the pivotal storyline and showcased Nombeko's talents. Book club was divided over this book. Half really enjoyed it and half despised it, mainly due to the writing style. I think this is personal preference. If you don't like farce you are never going to like a Jonasson book. Overall 3.5/4 Life Sentences by Laura Lippman Author Cassandra Fallows has found success through publishing memoirs of her life with an eccentric father and ex husbands. But when her latest book, a stab at writing fiction, flops Cassandra turns back to her past to find her next bestseller. The tragic, intriguing story of an old school friend seems the perfect hook but she soon finds obstacles thrown in her path and questions surrounding the validity of her memoirs raised. Whilst this book is very well written, the subject matter is a bit mundane making it a little flat. Despite this I liked the writing style and felt pulled through the book at a good pace so it has intrigued me to read more of her novels. In fact they are all already downloaded on my Kindle! Overall 3/5 On the Kindle app I am reading A Reason to Kill by Michael Kerr (I'm considering giving up on this one) This post is linked to #ThisMonthIRead with mutteringmummy.wordpress.com #readwithme at mamamummymum.co.uk #triedtested with myfamilyfever.co.uk and goingonanadventure.co.uk and AllAboutYou with mama-andmore.com The Half Life of Hannah by Nick Alexander 38yr old Hannah, her husband Cliff and son Luke are on a family holiday in France when old secrets surface threatening their stable, predictable life back home. This book was something and nothing. The storyline is weak with an even weaker main character. I couldn't feel empathy or sympathy for her and I just wanted her to stop moaning! The ending needs serious reworking. Overall very disappointing and I won't be racing to try his other books. Just discovered a sequel - I think I'll just find a summary on Good Reads and leave it to that! 2/5 Where There's Smoke by Jodi Picoult This short story introduces the character of Serenity Jones, a genuine psychic with her own hit TV show. But riding high gets the better of her and she suffers a very public fall from grace when she upsets her spirit guides and to make matters worse she has angered a poltergeist... This free story is perfectly crafted and hooks you into the character, building the story of Serenity, leaving you eager to find out what happens next... Which of course you can in her next full length book! Lol! I will definitely be buying that one. Very well written. 4/5 For Book Club I am still reading my choice of book The Girl Who Saved The King of Sweden by Jonas Jonasson On iBooks I am reading The Alchemist's Secret by Scott Marinari On the Kindle app I am reading A Reason to Kill by Michael Kerr This post is linked to #ThisMonthIRead with mutteringmummy.wordpress.com #readwithme at mamamummymum.co.uk #triedtested with myfamilyfever.co.uk and goingonanadventure.co.uk and AllAboutYou with mama-andmore.com Poorly baby this month so lots of sitting up in the night with her reading. The Husband's Secret by Liane Moriarty Celia Fitzpatrick has the perfect life. Doting husband, 3 beautiful girls and a booming tupperware business. Things couldn't be better. Until one day she finds an envelope in a dusty shoe box in her loft with the message 'For my Wife - to be opened only in the event of my death' on the front and her whole world is turned upside down. I absolutely loved this book. It isn't a masterpiece of literature but the storyline is perfectly crafted and even in the last few chapters I had no idea how the storylines were going to pull together for an ending. But they do in spectacularly heartbreaking style and the final few pages looking back at what could have been are a real triumph. Definitely one I'll be recommending. 4/5 Bite by Nick Loath When his girlfriend, Erica, disappears into the night Max Carver is desperate to find her and becomes tangled in a plot to unleash a deadly epidemic on the developed world. Criminal activity, revenge and the politics of the pharmaceutical trade all set the scene for a shocking revelation in Erica's diary, linking her to the conspiracy and worse. I am a bit of a medical thriller fan and enjoyed a good Michael Crichton or Robin Cook book growing up. This book had the same pace and style to the writing. I liked the diary entry style flashbacks which built the backstory hinting at who may be behind the outbreak without giving the game away too early in the book. The story moved along very fast keeping me turning the pages and eager to read just one more chapter before putting it down. Always an indicator of a good read. 4/5 Make my wish come true by Fiona Harper Juliet and Gemma. Two sisters who ouldn't be more different. Juliet a divorced single mum of four with a compulsion for routine and perfection. Gemma, a free spirit who won't be tied down with a job that takes her round the world. So when Juliet finally buckles under her misson to plan the perfect Christmas, Gemma offers her the chance to swap lives for 2 weeks. And both sisters discover their perception of the other is not what they imagined. Oh and this is a Mills & Boon so there is a dash of romance along the way! I like to read a good chick flick now and then to mix up my reading and this was very easy to read. Unlike a lot of romance novels the female protagonists were actually very believeable and likeable. The romance wasn't too heavy either. 3/5 Soulless the third book in The Girl in the Box series by Robert Sienna Nolan is 17 and hasn't left her house since she was 5. Her mother has kept her prisoner, locking her in a metal box when she steps out of line. One day her mother leaves for work and doesn't return. Two men break into the house and Sienna discovers she has extraordinary powers. She escapes but is pursued by more than one agency whose motives are not clear. She discovers she is a sucumbus who can drain the peoples' souls through touch. She needs to find her mother to get answers and find out who the other agencies chasing her are and what they want from her. These books are pretty short and I read the third installment even quick than the first two. Sienna has managed to control the trapped souls in her mind through the use of drugs but she still needs to find her mother to find out how to control them herself. In the meantime her estranged Aunt has shown up and revealed herself as a sucumbus but with fewer morals than Sienna. As the Directorare send her on her first mission as an agent Sienna and her new friends need to prove they can be trusted alone. The story has picked up a bit in this book taking the action outside the Directorate and introducing new characters. There are a lot of books in this series so I think I'll have a break and pick up again in a few weeks time 3/5 For Book Club we are reading my choice of book The Girl Who Saved The King of Sweden by Jonas Jonasson On my kindle app I am reading The Half Life of Hannah by Nick Alexander This post is linked to #ThisMonthIRead with mutteringmummy.wordpress.com #readwithme at mamamummymum.co.uk #triedtested with myfamilyfever.co.uk and goingonanadventure.co.uk and AllAboutYou with mama-andmore.com Little I has dramatically cut down the length of her feeds and now we only have one 20 minute night feed. As a result my reading has suffered! At best I am managing to read about half an hour a day. So I have less to report this month! My Family and Other Animals by Gerald Durrell - our latest Book Club read. It is 1935. Gerry Durrell is 10 and his well off family consisting of Mother and 3 grown up siblings decide to up sticks and move to Corfu. And so begins Gerry's memoir of their five years on the island told through his encounters with the Greek wildlife. I found this book incredibly funny. The stories of Gerry's latest animal finds causing chaos in the house are hilarious. My favourites include the 'Magenpies' trashing the party table and the water snakes in the bath. Oh and the baby scorpions in the matchbox. And the dog being carried everywhere on a cushion. I could go on... The whole book must be exaggerated as his family seem like charactertures of people rather than real personalities but that only helped make it funnier. At times the book got a little slow with the descriptions of Gerry's encounters with the Greek wildlife but just as he was about to loose you he pulled it back to another hilarious anecdote about the family. Overall the book was very easy to read and I was impressed with the writing and the storytelling. I'd like to know what happened to the family after they left Corfu and luckily there are 4 more books so I can find out! 4/5 Untouched the second book in The Girl in the a Box series by Robert J Crane Sienna Nolan is 17 and hasn't left her house since she was 5. Her mother has kept her prisoner, locking her in a metal box when she steps out of line. One day her mother leaves for work and doesn't return. Two men break into the house and Sienna discovers she has extraordinary powers. She escapes but is pursued by more than one agency whose motives are not clear. What is she? Who is her mother? And who are these people trying to catch her? These books are pretty short and I read the second installment pretty quickly. Sienna's powers fully develop revealing not only her super strength and regeneration powers but she has an exceptional power; she can suck the life force from people via touch (X-men Rogue parallel). Interestingly the soul of the people she kills somehow transfers to her body and she can hear them talking to her in her head. When they start to take control of her body she realises she needs to find her mother quickly to find out how to control this power. The storyline is taking some interesting turns but the lead character is still whiny and annoying. I am finding my enthusiasm waning slightly. Hopefully the third book will pick up a bit. 3/5 On my Kindle app I am reading Soulless the third book in The Girl in the Box series by Robert J Crane In paperback I'm reading The Husband's Secret by Liane Moriarty For Book Club we are reading my choice of book The Girl Who Saved The King of Sweden by Jonas Jonasson This post is linked to #ThisMonthIRead with mutteringmummy.wordpress.com #readwithme at mamamummymum.co.uk #triedtested with thefamilyfever.co.uk and goingonanadventure.co.uk and AllAboutYou with mama-andmore.com Here's a little round up of what I've read this month. I'd love to know what you are currently reading. I have recently joined the website goodreads.com which is amazing! You can link up with me to share what you are reading, username: All about a Mummy. Falling by Emma Kavanagh A murder, a plane crash, a loveless marriage, two grieving families and four people with something to hide. Written by a former police psychologist, this book weaves a story between two seemingly unrelated events slowly building connections leading to a devastating revelation. I read this after a recommendation last month from Muttering Mummy and I was not disappointed. It is very clever and I am amazed it is a debut novel. I read it on my kindle app over three night feeds. My only slight disappointment was that I guessed the twist a little earlier than I'd like but that didn't stop me enjoying the book and I look forward to Emma's next novel. Highly recommended. 4/5 Alone the first book in The Girl in the a Box series by Robert J Crane Sienna Nolan is 17 and hasn't left her house since she was 5. Her mother has kept her prisoner, locking her in a metal box when she steps out of line. One day her mother leaves for work and doesn't return. Two men break into the house and Sienna discovers she has extraordinary powers. She escapes but is pursued by more than one agency whose motives are not clear. What is she? Who is her mother? And who are these people trying to catch her? I picked up the first three books in this series free from the Kindle store but there are about seven books in total. It is a bit of an odd one. It mirrors the Xmen and Heroes themes of genetic mutation, producing humans with unique capabilities, in this case 'meta humans'. I am enjoying it but the writing isn't amazing, the concept isn't particularly original and I can't stand the whiny teenage protagonist. So I should be hating it, but I'm not and I'm quite drawn into the next book to see how the plot develops (and if the lead gets any less whiny). 3/5 City of Glass the third book in The Mortal Instruments series by Cassandra Clare. Oh my goodness I am struggling with this series and it has taken me over 3mths to get through this book! The storyline is quite compelling; demons exist and plague the earth. A race of half human, half angels called Shadowhunters protect the human race and keep the secret of the underworld hidden from the world. Vampires, werewolves and fairies (Downworlders) walk among us in a fragile accord with the Shadowhunters but when one rogue Shadowhunter tries to eliminate the Downworlders the fate of the world hangs in the balance. So we have a compelling storyline but the writing is absolutely dreadful! The characters are constantly telling each other to 'shut up' and the dialogue is atrocious. I put the book down several times in annoyance and vowed never to pick it up but curiosity got the better of me and after a few weeks I reluctantly tried again. There are three more books to complete the series. I don't know if I can cope with reading the rest but I may give it a go. 2/5 On my kindle app I am currently reading My Family and Other Animals by Gerald Durrell which is our latest Book Club read. Also on my Kindle app I am reading Untouched the second book in The Girl in the Box series by Robert J Crane In paperback I'm reading The Husband's Secret by Liane Moriarty This post is linked to #ThisMonthIRead with www.mutteringmummy.wordpress.com and #AllAboutYou with www.mama-andmore.com Continuing with The Alphabet Photography Project this week. B is for books! Reading is my main hobby and Husband is always moaning about random books lying around our home. So I took a wander and gathered up all the books lurking in odd places to make this composition. Linking up to The Alphabet Photography Project (#alphabetphoto)over at podcastdove.com
Here's a round up of the books I have read this month using the time I am up feeding in the wee small hours to multitask! The Hundred-Year-Old Man who Climbed Out of the Window and Disappeared by Jonas Jonasson I absolutely loved this book. It is a proper farcical caper revolving around 100yr old Allan Karlson who, just hours before his birthday party, disappears from his retirement home. We follow Allan as he becomes involved in a complicated, crazy tale involving a suitcase, a biker gang and an elephant. If that doesn't sound mad enough the glimpses into Allan's past are even more surprising and entertaining involving presidents, dictators, spies and atom bombs. The sub-plot showing the confused police force trying to work out what has happened to Allan is comical and the characters we meet on this adventure are rich and instantly believable. Allan is incredibly likable and you find yourself willing him to come out on top of the tale. It is such an unusual book and not one I'd usually read but I haven't enjoyed a book so much for ages. The writing is exceptionally good and the story is paced perfectly. Don't think too much about it, just pick it up or download it and enjoy. Overall score 5/5 Fractured by Dani Atkins This book has become an ebook sensation rocketing to the top of the download charts. The premise is clever: a girl experiences a terrible accident in her late teens which shapes her life. Fast forward five years and after an incident during a visit to her hometown wakes up to find herself suffering from a bizarre form of amnesia where the world around her is not the one she remembers. Overall the book was quite enjoyable but the writing needs work and I think it is quite obviously a first novel. At times the writing was clumsy and childlike. The characters lack depth and I struggled to really connect with any of them or feel empathy with the protagonist who was a bit whiny. I can't actually remember her name which isn't a good sign! The storyline was engaging but not entirely original, very Sliding Doors meets Life on Mars. I found the plot twist obvious and guessed it quite early on once the second half of the story got going. But it was an easy read and definitely a good attempt at a first novel. I also think the title is perfect for the storyline. Overall score 3/5 Thursdays in the Park by Hilary Boyd This is not the kind of book I usually read but it was on special offer in the Kindle store and I liked the look of the front cover! We follow the story of 60yr old Jeanie who is in a controlling marriage with retired George who is forcing her to sell her health food shop and move to the country. Jeanie loves George but only truly feels happy on Thursday when she takes her little Grandaughter to the park for the afternoon. That's where she meets Ray and everything begins to unravel... This book is really well written and despite it's somewhat Chick Lit undertones the story felt more sophisticated and it was quite believeable - unusual for Chick Lit which I usually find completely unlikely. I agonised with Jeanie over the hard decisions she had to make and the characters felt real and solid. I loved the description of the relationship between Jeanie and her Son-in-law Alex. Definitely a good read if you enjoy some good quality chick lit. Overall score 4/5 I am currently reading My Family and Other Animals by Gerald Durrell which is our latest Book Club read. I am also reading Breastfeeding Made Easy by Dr Carlos Gonzalez for a Breastfeeding Essentials post I am planning. And yes, I am still reading City of Glass the third book in The Mortal Instruments series by Cassandra Clare. But I have managed a few more chapters so maybe this month... This post is linked to #ThisMonthIRead with www.mutteringmummy.wordpress.com and #AllAboutYou with www.mama-andmore.com Over the past few weeks we have been reading a very special book. A book which is celebrating it's 10th anniversary this year. A book I cannot believe we didn't already own. How to Catch a Star by Oliver Jeffers. The story is a delightful tale of a boy who loves stars and wishes he had one of his own. He tries everything to catch one, pushing his imagination to the limit and ultimately succeeding in the most unusual way. The story shows children that no dream is too big to follow and with patience, perseverance and imagination you can achieve anything you set your mind to. Oliver Jeffers not only wrote the tale he illustrated it with the most gorgeous watercolours which capture the story perfectly, bringing the boy and his quest to life. It has won numerous awards and become a modern children's classic. Little E loves the simplicity of this book and now she is familiar with the story she has started to tell me about the boy and gets very animated when he catches his 'star' at the end. It is a lovely bedtime read and her new glow in the dark stars which came with our special review kit let her relive the magic of the story every night as they shine down from her ceiling. If you don't already own this book grab a copy and read it with your children to remind yourself that we live in a world of infinite possibilities. Published by Harper Collins, the 10th anniversary edition of How to Catch a Star, £12.99, is available now from www.amazon.co.uk We were sent this book for review purposes but all opinions are our own. Linking up to #triedtested with @lollinski and @familyfever |
Welcome!Artist, Baker and Blogger. Mum to my two beautiful, cheeky girls. Muddling my way through parenthood with equally cheeky Husband. Categories
All
Archives
April 2023
|