BookBath

Final Reading of 2011

2012-01-29T13:04:00.000-08:00

I am finally getting around to listing the rest of my reading from 2011 - the books that I finished but just didn't get around to reviewing before the year ended.

Gillespie and I - Jane Harris - My first Jane Harris read and I absolutely loved it - a great suspenseful story

The Observations - Jane Harris - After loving Gillespie and I I was quick to pick up Harris's first book but I have to say, I didn't love it quite as much

The Marriage Plot - Jeffrey Eugenides - Well worth the wait! An introspective book in many ways but I loved the characters musings and stories

Why Be Happy When You Could Be Normal? - Jeanette Winterson - A funny and moving memoir brilliantly written - highly recommended

Norwegian Wood - Haruki Murakami - I tend to have a love/hate relationship with Murakami's books and this one was no different - loved some parts and others just frustrated the hell out of me!

The Witches - Roald Dahl - A fun re-read to end the year

Getting My Mojo Back...

2012-01-22T22:25:00.000-08:00

The first month of 2012 is already nearing its end - I'm not really sure how that happened!! Unfortunately I am still struggling to get my reading and blogging groove back - and I hate that feeling!
I decided that a clear "To Do List" might be the way to go - I've always responded well to structure and organisation in the past... So here it goes, my Blogging To Do List

1. Add the rest of my 2011 reads to the side bar (I may have to forgo reviews for these in the interests of moving on...)
2. Do a quick review post of my favourite 2011 reads
3. Start reviewing my 2012 reads - there is only 1 so far but hopefully that number will grow
4. Make time to read my favourite blogs and make comments
5. Get back into my "Week That Was" posts
6. Complete my "Unravelling The Year Ahead" worksheet courtesy of Susannah
7. Clean up my TBR pile - this is an ongoing work in progress!

I would be more than happy to hear from any of you about other rituals/tasks etc... you have engaged in as the year new has come around to get into your reading and blogging year.

The Month That Has Been....

2012-01-07T16:58:00.000-08:00

I was not really planning on having over a months break from blogging but work and illness and the hectic silly season all combined to keep me away from the blogging world. I'm feeling very out of the loop! I have a stack of books left over from my 2011 reading that might not make it to review stage and the obsessive compulsive part of my personality is not coping well with that! So, to ease my way back in I thought I would simply post some photos that reflect my past month - I'm looking forward to catching up with everyone and seeing what everyone is reading in the new year.

The Week That Was...

2011-11-29T13:43:00.000-08:00

Advent with Austen

2011-11-27T12:45:00.000-08:00

Yvann over at Reading, Fuelled by Tea and others have had a brilliant idea of reading and celebrating Jane Austen during Advent. I think any time is a perfect time to celebrate Austen and her work so I am definitely in for this one! This year celebrates a very specific Austen event - the 200th anniversary of the publication of Sense and Sensibility and so, even though I have to admit it is not one of my favourite of Austen's books, I will be starting my Advent with this. Hopefully this re-reading will bring a new appreciation for Sense and Sensibility...

The Week That Was...

2011-11-22T13:57:00.000-08:00

I am running a little behind with my weekly photo post this week. My boy and I just got back from a lovely long weekend in sunny Brisbane and it is taking me a while to get back into reality I think...

The Week That Was...

2011-11-13T19:35:00.000-08:00

Ruby Blues - Jessica Rudd

2011-11-11T23:43:00.000-08:00

After reading and enjoying Jessica Rudd's debut novel, Campaign Ruby, last year I wondered at the end of my review if a sequel would be in the future - I'm not sure if I was the catalyst but a sequel has indeed just been released.
Ruby Blues starts 2 years after the end of the previous book. Ruby has been working for the Prime Minister, Max Masters, since his election win and she has also been in a relationship with his previous Chief of Staff, Luke. Unfortunately for Ruby, but fortunately for the reader, all is not well in her political or personal worlds. The glow of the election win is starting to wear off the government and Ruby's boss looks very much like losing his job at the next election if some major image and policy readjustment does not take place. Ruby's relationship with Luke is also travelling poorly in the polls with Ruby's busy schedule keeping them apart more often than not. Of course these tensions are just what is needed to drive the story along and give the reader something to care about and follow.
Rudd's writing is sharp, witty and engaging. As with the first book there are definitely quite a few plot twists that can seem a little on the coincidental side but somehow Rudd pulls them off without the book falling into the farcical zone.
Ruby herself is funny, energetic and at times just a tad annoying - but lovable all the same. Some new characters enter this book - with my favourite having to be political intern, Bettina who feels the need to express herself primarily in acronyms much to the disgust of Ruby.
A really enjoyable, fun read.

The Week That Was...

2011-11-06T13:37:00.000-08:00

Death Comes To Pemberley - P.D. James

2011-11-03T00:44:00.000-07:00

It was pretty much a given that as soon as I saw this book at the shops over the weekend that it was coming home with me - I was looking for something light and comforting in the reading department and my Jane Austen obsession hadn't been fed in quite a while.
Death Comes To Pemberley is set in 1803, six years after the end of Pride and Prejudice and the double wedding of Darcy and Elizabeth and Jane and Bingley. The two couples live not far from each other in their rambling, magnificent estates and when the book starts preparations are under way for the annual ball at Pemberley. The book scans the main characters that are well know to Austen's readers and introduces a few new ones who will become more prominent in this sequel.
In her author's note at the start of the book P.D. James writes:

I owe an apology to the shade of Jane Austen for involving her beloved Elizabeth in the trauma of a murder investigation....

No doubt she would have replied to my apology by saying that, had she wished to dwell on such odious subjects, she would have written this story herself, and done it better.

After finishing the book there is no doubt in my mind that Austen herself would have done a far better job - but I wonder if she would have wanted to attempt it? I have not read any of P.D.James's non-Austen related crime novels so I admit I have nothing to really compare her work to - as I don't think it is fair to compare her to Austen herself.

The story starts well enough, the scene is set, the tension is built and the crime occurs. For me there was never really any element of mystery to the plot - I had taken a pretty good guess at what was going on in the story very early on and as it turns out I was spot on in my guesses. The development of Austen's original characters was threadbare and one dimensional - I never really thought I was reading about Austen's characters, their names were merely being used. All in all this book was a little disappointing - and a reminder that only Austen can truly pull off an Austen story.

The Week That Was

2011-10-30T17:39:00.000-07:00

Another week, and looking back over my photos it seems to have been quite food focused...

The Hare with Amber Eyes - Edmund de Waal

2011-10-25T18:56:00.000-07:00

The Hare with Amber Eyes is one of those books I have been hearing/reading/seeing lots of little tid bits about but I hadn't actually read a comprehensive review of the book when I picked it up for myself. After finishing it I can imagine it being one of those books that you either fall in love with - or you don't. I am definitely in the "fallen" category!
The Hare with Amber Eyes is the story of a collection of netsuke - small, ornamental Japanese carvings which were originally collected by a member of the author's family in Paris in the 1800's. The book tells the story of how the netsuke collection were handed down among the generations of the family until the author himself came across them in the home of his great uncle in Tokyo in the 1960's. I actually first thought the premise of the book sounded a little dull - how much story could there really be behind a collection of figurines?? It turns out - quite a big one. de Waal writes beautifully about the history of his family during two world wars, Hitler's rise to power and the persecution of the Jewish people and how the family hangs on to the netsuke, a final symbol of their wealth and prosperity. The geographic range of the story helps to make the book even more captivating as you are taken through Paris, Vienna and Tokyo.
The beginning and ending are definitely the strongest parts of the book and although some of the middle bits sagged a little for me I was still hooked by this story and the way in which it was told.

The Week That Was...

2011-10-24T00:19:00.000-07:00

I can't believe how fast the weeks are flying by - I've already had invitations for Christmas celebrations with some friends and all the gift brochures are starting to arrive in the mail...

Despite the Christmas craziness starting to kick into gear I have had some time for tea drinking and reading and the past weekend was the first one in ages that my boy and I had to ourselves. We went out for breakfast, went shopping, drank wine and generally lazed around - just perfect!

Annabel - Kathleen Winter

2011-10-18T01:31:00.000-07:00

Annabel was, in my view deservedly so, shortlisted for this years Orange Prize for Fiction, a prize eventually won by The Tiger's Wife (again, a book I thought definitely deserved to be there). It is also one of those books that has been languishing in my "To Be Blogged About" pile so I fear this will be less of a review and more of a reflection on my feelings about the book.
To put it simply - I loved it. It was a challenging book in many respects, content and style being up there but I felt that Winter held the reader's hand (and not in a patronising way) as she leads us through her vision for this book.
The book starts in 1968 in the remote coastal community of Labrador in the far north-east of Canada. Like Sarah Moss in Night Waking Winter does a brilliant job of setting the scene of a remote and isolated landscape which is so important for the story. In this community Jacinta Blake gives birth to her first baby, a baby that has no clear male or female sexual organs. Jacinta and her husband, Treadway, make a decision to raise their baby as a boy - Wayne - but, particularly for Jacinta, there are always flashes of the little girl Wayne might have been. As Wayne reaches puberty his body starts to change in ways which awaken his dreams and thoughts about who he is, and his place in his family and his community.
I found this to be an amazing book, thought provoking and beautiful - I am definitely looking forward to Winter's next piece of fiction.

Reading Madame Bovary - Amanda Lohrey

2011-10-17T00:21:00.000-07:00

I fully admit to being drawn to this book by it's title and the gorgeous cover. I have said it before, but I will say it again - I am a publishers dream!
Reading Madame Bovary is a collection of short stories by Australian author, Amanda Lohrey, published last year and read oh so long ago by me but only now being dug out from the "to be reviewed on blog" pile.
The book is pitched as a collection which "explores the dilemmas of modern life" and I found something in almost every story and character that I was able to relate to in some way.
Each of the stories is written impeccably - they feel timed just right. Lohrey talks about the stories being quite long for the traditional short story form and how she envisaged some of the stories actually being written as novels. This depth of characterisation and plot development is obvious - I found myself wishing that some of the stories were novel length - I just didn't want them to end.
For anyone who thinks you may be interested in reading this one I recommend you listen to the interview, or read the transcript of Lohrey talking on The Book Show for ABC Radio National - reading this interview has made me want to go back and read these stories all over again. A beautiful collection.

The Week That Was...

2011-10-16T16:17:00.000-07:00

Pigeon English - Stephen Kelman

2011-10-15T22:50:00.000-07:00

Pigeon English is one of the shortlisted book for this years Man Booker Prize and it would have to be the first book from the list that I have been disappointed in.
Pigeon English has been compared to Room (which I was also disappointed in) and The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night Time (which I loved completely) so I went into the read thinking I had a 50/50 chance of coming out with a winner. I think the only real reason for the comparison between the three books is that they all use a child as the key narrator.
The narrator of Pigeon English is Harrison Opuku, a year 7 student living in the housing projects of London. Harrison, his mother and older sister Lydia have immigrated to England from Ghana and the rest of their family, including their father and 1 year old sister remain in Ghana. The book opens with the murder of a boy who Harrison knew in a distant way:

Me and the dead boy were only half friends, I didn't see him very much because he was older and he didn't go to my school. He could ride his bike with no hands and you never even wanted him to fall off. I said a prayer for him inside my head. It just said sorry.

Harrison and one of his friends become fixated on trying to work out who killed the boy through the use of their amateur detectives skills and knowledge. Harrison introduces us to his neighbourhood, his friends and his enemies at school and his family. It is through his often naive, trusting and young eyes that we begin to see what may have happened to the boy who died and what might be going on in Harrison's own family that he is not aware of. The pigeon of the title is in fact a pigeon that lives around Harrison's tower complex, Harrison sees the pigeon as a friend and ally and the pigeon (who can speak english as the title suggests) sees itself as a type of guardian for Harrison.

I loved Harrison and his voice in this book - I loved hearing from him and about him and I loved seeing his perspective of the world. For some reason though this was not enough for me to fall in love with this book and be carried away by the story. I found myself feeling bored in places, and then extremely engaged and interested in others - maybe it was this lack of consistency that made this book a little disappointing for me.

The Week That Was...

2011-10-10T14:44:00.000-07:00

Stasiland - Anna Funder

2011-10-09T17:26:00.000-07:00

I am definitely going through a German reading phase at the moment so if any one has any suggestions for great books set in this country could you please send them my way.
Stasiland is a book I have had on my shelf for quite a while - since it was first published actually. I had caught the author doing a radio interview as part of her tour for the books release and I was fascinated by the subject area but also the way Funder spoke about her research for and her process of writing the book. I eagerly rushed out to buy a copy but then like so many other books, it was pushed aside for other reading choices - a victim of the "so many books, not enough time" dilemma we face on a daily basis.
Luckily for me Stasiland was one of the required reads for a course I was doing this semester on creative non-fiction as part of my masters so it has finally made it to the read pile of my bookshelves.
Stasiland tells several personal stories of the devasting impact of the Stasi (the East German secret service) in the life of the German Democratic Republic. Funder has interviewed people from all sides of the story, GDR citizens who were affected by the regime and Stasi informants and members who carried out the work.
In the 1990's Funder was working for a television station in Germany when she became interested in the stories of the people who had been ruled by the Stasi:

Later, Frau Hollitzer told me about Miriam, a young woman whose husband has died in a Stasi remand cell nearby. It was rumoured the Stasi orchestrated the funeral, to the point of substituting an empty coffin for a full one, and cremating the body to destroy any evidence of the cause of death. I imagined paid-off pallbearers pretending to struggle under the weight of an empty coffin, or perhaps genuinely struggling beneath a coffin filled with eighty kilos of old newspapers and stones. I imagined not knowing whether your husband hanged himself, or whether someone you now pass in the street killed him. I thought I would like to speak with Miriam, before my imaginings set like false memories.

The transparency of Funder's research and interviews are shown through out the book - Funder herself is very much present as a character in the book and her emotions of shock, anger, frustration and sadness echo those that we are feeling as a reader as we hear about the atrocious acts committed against the East German people under the Stasi. There is also a strong tone of resilience and hope to the book which helps to balance it and adds to the feeling of authenticity and genuineness.

Funder's writing style is engaging, honest and lively - you can clearly see each of the people as they tell their stories and Funder has a lovely sense of humour which comes across as nice relief in some stages of the book.

I would recommend this book to anyone that has a slight interest in this period of history - it has certainly added to my knowledge and understand and has only left me wanting to learn more.

The Week That Was....

2011-10-02T16:42:00.000-07:00

I can't believe it is October already! Where has 2011 gone?? I have had my head in the books this past week - both for pleasure and for study purposes. My last two assignments for the year are due in over the next two weeks - then it will be on to more of the pleasure kind of reading! Spring is supposed to have arrived here on the east coast of Australia - and it did peep it's head in for a little while - and then it crept away again to leave us with an awful, wintery long weekend. Here's hoping for more sun this week!

Past The Shallows - Favel Parrett

2011-09-30T01:55:00.000-07:00

There was so much about Past The Shallows that I just couldn't go past. The title for a start, so simple, so beautiful, so tempting. The fact that this is the first novel of a young, female Australian author - a group of writers I like to support whenever I can. The cover, gloriously colourful and yet discreet at the same time. And then there is the author's name - how gorgeous and unique is it?? You will be pleased to know that after all that the content did not let me down.
Past The Shallows is the story of Harry, the youngest of three brothers living with their father on the remote south coast of Tasmania after the death of their mother. Harry is the observer and recorder of the family history - it is through his eyes that we learn of the difficulties in his family, how much his father is struggling, emotionally and financially and how the three brothers are each trying to carve out an existence in an isolated family and environment.
The sea is a constant presence in the story - it is the way Harry's father earns a living and it is also a big source of comfort and pleasure for each of the boys in some way. Parrett is obviously extremely knowledgeable about this landscape and the essence of the water and the way each character interacts with and responds to it comes across clearly in the story.
The characters all came across strongly in the story but Harry was especially powerful, It was interesting to read Parrett talk about the character of Harry in an interview after the book was published;

"I love Harry very much. Sometimes it still makes me cry when I think about him. He is a very special character to me - some kind of gift really"

It is so lovely to hear an author speak this way about a character she has created - and this passion certainly comes through in the character of Harry and the story he creates.

In some ways this is such a simple book - in its structure and prose - but in other ways it is deeply complex - and definitely very moving.

State of Wonder - Ann Patchett

2011-09-29T01:10:00.000-07:00

State of Wonder is one of the books from my overflowing review pile - read oh so long ago now.
State of Wonder is my first Ann Patchett read - I did start Bel Canto a few years ago and stopped - not so much because I wasn't liking it - more of the wrong book at the wrong time kind of feeling.
I did actually have to put State of Wonder aside for a little while during my reading of it - for personal reasons and not because I was not enjoying the book. The book focuses on a research and discovery trip to the Amazon by a group of scientists and at one stage the main character, Marina is preparing to make the trip herself after the death of her research partner in the jungle from some unknown illness. Marina is taking anti-malaria medication and preparing for a long flight into the unknown - at exactly the same time as I was reading this my partner was preparing to make his own trip for work purposes into some regional areas of Africa - taking the same medication as Marina! I just couldn't face the similarities and decided I would pick the book up again when my partner returned home.
Marina works for a pharmaceutical company that has provided extensive funding and resources to a well known doctor and researcher, Dr Annick Swenson. Dr Swenson is a bit of a renegade in her field - she likes to do things her own way, and in her own time. The pharmaceutical company has decided that Dr Swenson's time is a little on the slow and protracted side for them so that is when they send Anders Eckman - Marina's friend and colleague - to check up on her work. After his sudden and unexpected death Marina is then sent to the isolated Amazon to finish the job Anders was unable to complete. The trip crosses many personal and professional boundaries for Marina who feels in some ways responsible for Anders death and feels an obligation to his widow to discover more about the circumstances in which Anders died as well as feeling obligated to her employer who she is also engaging in a personal affair with. Marina's past with Dr Swenson is also discovered as the novel moves along adding even more to the depth of Marina's story and the context in which the research in the Amazon is taking place.
I was completely taken in by this story and the characters within it. Each of the settings and characters are deeply explored - back stories are convincingly given and even in places where the story could have become a little far fetched and difficult to believe in I kept my interest and my engagement with the characters and their stories - Patchett had me in a "state of wonder"!

All That I Am - Anna Funder

2011-09-27T19:35:00.000-07:00

I am not really sure how this has happened but I have a pile of books waiting to be reviewed - some that I finished reading months ago - so I have made a vow that I will get through them in the next couple of weeks in order to free the clutter that is currently consuming my mind - so many book thoughts!!

All That I Am is a book I had been eagerly awaiting as soon as I found out the author would be releasing her first novel. I am currently reading my way through Funder's first book, her non fiction work, Stasiland, and I am completely absorbed by her writing. I was so excited to see that her skill flowed over into the fiction genre as All That I Am turned out to be just, if not more, captivating than Stasiland.
All That I Am is a novel based on real people and events - although I have to say that I was not familiar with these people before reading this book. Funder explains a little about the creation of the novel and how she has intertwined real stories and people with other characters and events in the acknowledgements at the end of the book.
I was hooked from the first line of the book;

When Hitler came to power I was in the bath.

I just love it! So brief and simple and yet so powerful and evocative at the same time. The book goes on to tell the story of Hitler's rise to power in post WW1 Germany from the perspective of Ruth Becker, a young revolutionary opposed to Hitler's politics and his vision for her country. Ruth's older cousin, Dora and her husband, Hans are also involved in dangerous political and social activities and they are soon forced to flee Germany for London so as to ensure their safety. Another member of their activist group is the German playwright, Ernst Toller whom makes contact with Ruth through his writings many years later when she is living in Australia.

Funder has obviously done meticulous research for this book - not that the novel comes across as dull or research based - rather as clear, informed and authentic. Each of the characters are fully formed and explored - although secrets and new observations arise as the novel progresses.

The language and the writing style are engaging and intelligent - I fell totally in love with the structure of this book and the story it was portraying. I would definitely recommend this to any reader interested in the period prior to and during WW2 but also readers who love a novel driven by characters and their internal and external conflicts. Am amazing read.

Jamrach's Menagerie - Carol Birch

2011-09-26T01:38:00.000-07:00

Yet another book shortlisted for the 2011 Man Booker Prize that has completely blown me away - and, again, it was a book I would never have picked up in a million years if I was not working my way through this prize list determined to read them all!
Jamrach's Menagerie had three things against it when it came to drawing me in as a reader, firstly, it's cover. Without getting too technical, I just don't like it! I need a cover to be inviting and enticing and for some reason this cover does neither of those things for me - I would walk straight past it if I saw it on a shelf. Secondly, the title - again, does nothing for me (and even after finishing the book I'm not sure that it is completely right for the book). Last, but not least, the description of the book mentions a ship. I have nothing against ships themselves (although my rampant tendency to sea sickness does mean that I generally steer clear of them) but books set on boats/ships/life on the sea tend to bore me.
So, as you can see, Jamrach's Menagerie was up against some pretty set prejudices from the very beginning with me! But in the end I was completely won over.
The book begins in 1857 in London's East End, 8 year old Jaffy Brown has a chance encounter with a tiger that leads to his employment with Mr Jamarch, a local animal poacher, importer and trader. Jaffy loves his work with Jamarch and his contact with all breeds of animals - he becomes known for his animal handling skills. Jaffy strikes up a tentative friendship with an older boy working with Jamarch, Tim Linver and through Tim his twin sister, Ishbel. When the chance comes up to be a part of a mission sailing off to the Dutch East Indies to catch a "dragon" both Jaffy and Tim volunteer - seeking fame, fortune and adventure.
The front of this book has a quote from A. S. Byatt describing this as "One of the best stories I've ever read" and I think this captures this book perfectly for me. It is an amazing story of adventure, friendship, loss and triumph told with incredible skill. Birch's writing evokes perfectly the scenes she is describing - I could feel myself walking through the streets of 1850's London with Jaffy, I could smell the decay and rot of the alleys and the stench from the animals in their cages. Just as the scenes set on the ship had me feeling queasy at times with "reading seasickness".

I am now feeling so confused with my Man Booker Prize favourite! It seems that each book I read from the shortlist quickly becomes my favourite of the moment!

The Week That Was...

2011-09-25T02:18:00.000-07:00

This week has gone so fast and has been so full, partly by choice and partly by obligation, that I have had very little time to process it, let alone blog about it.

Work, study, a trip to Sydney for training and then a weekend full of running training has kept my mind and body busy but I have still had time for...

Here's looking towards a slightly slower week coming up...

The Sisters Brothers - Patrick De Witt

2011-09-18T00:55:00.000-07:00

The Sisters Brothers is another one of my recent reads from the so far (for me at least) excellent Man Booker Prize shortlist for 2011. This is probably the one book from the list I was least excited about - it has been called a "homage to the classic western" - a genre that isn't really one I would turn to by choice but this book may just have changed my mind...
The Sisters Brothers of the title are Charlie and Eli Sisters - two henchmen working for one of the wild wests powerful boss men, The Commodore. The Commodore has sent Charlie and Eli on their latest mission from Oregon City to the gold fields outside Sacramento to kill Hermann Kermit Warm (got to love that name!) for some indiscretion he has committed against The Commodore.
The story is told by Eli - the more gentle and reflective of the brothers - and it reminded me a lot of the Academy Award nominated film, True Grit, which I watched, and loved, last year. Like True Grit The Sisters Brothers is the story of an actual physical journey but is in some ways more about the emotional and psychological journey that the brothers take while on their horses. I loved the journey I was taken on as a reader and this has made The Sisters Brothers my favourite 2011 Booker Prize book so far.

Half Blood Blues - Esi Edugyan

2011-09-13T18:14:00.000-07:00

Half Blood Blues is one of the books recently named on The Man Booker Prize shortlist for this year. Like many of the books on this list I don't think I would have come across it without that particular publicity and recognition - one of the reasons I do keep an eye on the various writing awards - whether a book wins or not is really inconsequential to me - I just like to keep adding to my pile of wonderful reads!
Half Blood Blues tells the story of a group of American and German jazz musicians caught up in Berlin and Paris just prior to and during World War 2. As black musicians in Europe at this time they have a lot to offer the cultural community but they are inevitably singled out as enemies and risks with the rise of the Nazi regime. Two of the Americans, Sid and Chip are introduced to Hieronymous Falk, a young black trumpet player being hailed as the new Louis Armstrong. Hiero forms part of their band and when tension in Germany escalates the group are forced to flee to Paris with the assistance of Delilah Brown, a talented jazz singer and associate of Armstrong's who offers the group the chance to play and record tracks with their hero.
This book strongly evokes a sense of its place and its characters - the language and dialogue feel particularly genuine and believable and the tension rising within Europe at the time is also found in the escalating tension between and within the characters. I am not a big fan of jazz music but in reading this book I found a new appreciation of the role it might play for musicians and audiences, particularly in times of turmoil. The descriptions of the impacts of the music on the characters was especially powerful:

It made even me sound solar. Hot in a simmering, other-worldly way. And all at once I understood what the kid was to me. That only playing with him was I pulled out of my own sound. Alone, I wasn't nothing. Just a stiff line, just a regular keeper of the beat. But the kid, hell, his horn somehow push all that forward too, he shove me on up into the front sound with him. Like he was holding me in time.

I certainly felt held in the time and place of this story while reading this book - a wonderful addition to the Man Booker shortlist for 2011.

Cold Earth - Sarah Moss

2011-09-10T16:16:00.000-07:00

Sarah Moss has quickly become one of my favourite authors. After reading her latest book, Night Waking, a few weeks ago I rushed to pick up her first novel Cold Earth and while it is a very different book in many ways, the style and tension that I had loved so much in Night Waking was still there.
Cold Earth is the story of a group of archaeologists who are on a study/research dig at one of the lost Viking settlements in Greenland. The use of place and setting in Moss' writing is integral to her story and she sets up the starkness of the Greenland countryside beautifully. The setting is contrasted with the isolation and internal struggles of each of the characters and the way the book is written - with alternate chapters told from the perspective of each of them - allows us to see into their thoughts while at the same time seeing different viewpoints and reactions to the same events. The tension in the story comes from the news that was received by the group just prior to leaving for Greenland. A lethal virus has been identified in America and is seemingly spreading across the globe. While the group are in Greenland they have limited access to news from the outside world and when this is unexpectedly cut off each character starts to reflect on what might be happening to their own family and friends left behind.
This was an amazing story to be caught up in - Moss builds the tension perfectly while at the same time staying true to each of the characters and their back stories. One of the reasons I love her writing so much is the depth she attributes to each of her characters - I could read a separate book about each of the characters in Cold Earth - they are that well written and established. Looking forward to much more from Moss in the future.

Your Voice in my Head - Emma Forrest

2011-09-09T17:53:00.000-07:00

Your Voice in my Head was probably a strange choice of reading for a day when I was home sick from my job as a mental health worker but I am trying to read a lot of memoir styles for my university work at the moment so I thought I would give it a try.
I had heard Emma Forrest speak at the Sydney Writers Festival earlier this year and I was really impressed and intrigued hearing her talk about the process she went through in writing this book - and the fall out from it being published.
Your Voice in my Head is Emma's story of her experience with bipolar disorder, depression and suicidality. Emma writes very openly and honestly about her experiences with alternating low moods and mania and the times in which things have become so desperate she has attempted to take her life. Following one serious suicide attempt Emma begins a therapeutic relationship with Dr R - it is a relationship that, as she states, will help to save her life.
This book is often self indulgent in its style and content - but I was expecting that from a memoir about such a deeply personal and affecting experience and in this case I think it only added to the genuineness and authenticity of the book. There are some lighter, and very funny, moments in the book too and this helped to break up some of the deep reflective segments. At the end there is a definite strong sense of hope - Emma continues to battle with her illness but she now has on board significant skills and resources to help her.

Derby Day - D.J. Taylor

2011-09-06T01:56:00.000-07:00

Not long now until the short list for the 2011 Man Booker Prize is announced so I thought I would get in quick with my thoughts on one of long listed books.
Like most of the books on the list Derby Day was a complete unknown to me - I picked it up with no preconceptions or expectations, apart from the statement across the front of the book telling me quite clearly it was "A Victorian Mystery". I had an inkling I would enjoy the book from the title - the sport of horse racing is something I have grown up with in Australia and even though things were a little different back in the 1860's in England the essence of the sport and all that surrounds it was still recognisable to me in the story.
Derby Day tells the story of several characters leading up to the day of the Derby at Epsom Downs. Mr Happerton has recently acquired one of the favourite horses for the event, Tiberius, as well as a new wife in the form of upper middle class society want to be, Rebecca Gresham. The acquisition of both have interesting back stories which are told with effect in the novel. The racing industry in all its glory and infamy is described and shown beautifully throughout the book - the betting scene and how it can be manipulated is a core part of the mystery embedded within the story. The characters are all vividly written - they jump off the page and into your imagination - I was sad to see them leave when I had finished the book. This book was one of the most interesting, entertaining and engaging stories I have read in the longest time - I enjoyed it totally and am now on the look out for more of Taylor's work.

The Sense of an Ending - Julian Barnes

2011-09-05T03:32:00.000-07:00

The Sense of an Ending (can I just say how much I love this title!!) is another of my recent reads that has been long listed for the 2011 Man Booker Prize.
The book is told from the perspective of Tony Webster who as a man aged in his 60's is now looking back over his life, friendships and relationships - in particular a friendship he formed in high school with Adrian and his first serious relationship with a girl, Veronica, whom he meets and dates while in college.
This is quite a short novel (150 pages) and it is one of those books that you just want to devour in one sitting.
From the very beginning there is a sense of a mystery and tension building and even though as the reader you are completely in the hands of the narrator and how he chooses to tell his story he is constantly letting you know that he may not be able to be trusted:

If I can't be sure of the actual events any more, I can at least be true to the impressions those facts left. That's the best I can manage.

As the reader I felt I was reminiscing along with Tony - as he is going back through his memories I had a small sense of feeling as though I could have been there too - I think this is the skill of the author in constructing a story that moves and grows through the reading of it. The concept of time and how it is used, how it is remembered and how it moves is a big theme of this novel. Tony reflects on this quite a lot, one of my favourite paragraphs is this:

But time...how time first grounds us and then confounds us. We thought we were being mature when we were only being safe. We imagined we were being responsible but were only being cowardly. What we called realism turned out to be a way of avoiding things rather than facing them. Time... give us enough time and our best-supported decisions will seem wobbly, our certainties whimsical.

The ending of Tony's story is what the book is building to - and I have to say I did not see it coming, I was too caught up in the narrative itself. When I had finished the book I was in shock - I couldn't believe such a small book where seemingly not a lot of action took place could have such an impact on me!

The Stranger's Child - Alan Hollinghurst

2011-09-03T23:10:00.000-07:00

I have not read any of Hollinghurst’s work before so I came to The Stranger’s Child as a complete novice to his writing.

The Stranger’s Child has been long listed for the 2011 Man Booker Prize and already is quite a favourite to take out the prize with Hollinghurst’s previous best seller The Line of Beauty already taking out that award.
For me this book had the advantage of primarily being set in England in the period just before and just after WW1 – a favourite area of reading history for me. It also had plenty of descriptions of gorgeous English countryside homes and manors, costumes and habits so I was pretty much satisfied with the inclusion of those aspects! The story hinges on strong characterisation. I can honestly say that I didn’t really like or warm to any of the characters in the book – but I loved reading about them all. One of the main characters, although he remains physically distant or removed for most of the book, is Cecil Valance, a vivacious society man of the time with a talent for writing poetry and making people, both male and female, fall hopelessly in love with him. As a young man Cecil is rather full of himself – we don’t really get the chance to see how this trait will develop or change into the future which means that Cecil’s character is forever set by the memories of his friends and family. This is shown throughout the book by introducing several characters who are intent on writing a history or biography of Cecil and telling their own truths in the process.
The book is structured and told around specific times in the history of the characters and this means that the author jumps many years between each section of the narrative. I didn’t feel lost however as I felt each section was detailed enough to allow me to work out what had taken place in the intervening years that are not actually written about.
I really enjoyed reading this book although at the end of it I am left with the feeling that I haven’t really “got it”. The message I have taken away from my reading is one of the different types of truths that can exist simultaneously – there is no one right memory in existence – and how this fact can impact on different people. Also, the power of memory and how it can be constructed or deconstructed according to the needs or wants of the person remembering. For me this book was about the characters, the story itself was incidental and was more a tool for allowing the characters to come to light.

The August Break #31

2011-08-31T03:05:00.000-07:00

And so we come to the end of The August Break for 2011, and what a trip it has been. At the start of August I was struggling with my "lifeload" - work, assignments, committments, thoughts, worries etc.... were all starting to pile up. I love my blogging and I wanted to devote more time to it but I just didn't have the energy, or brain power. Enter The August Break! Thank you so much to Susannah for putting this month long event together. I achieved my goal of posting at least one photo each day and along the way I have chilled out a little in regards to my blogging! I'm now looking forward to using words again- and not feeling pressured to have the perfect thing to say when I set out to write a post.

Farewell The August Break - I will be back!

The August Break #30

2011-08-30T02:15:00.000-07:00

The August Break #29

2011-08-29T02:54:00.000-07:00

The August Break #28

2011-08-28T01:02:00.000-07:00

The Weekend...

The August Break #27

2011-08-27T17:38:00.001-07:00

The August Break #26

2011-08-26T16:26:00.000-07:00

The August Break #25

2011-08-25T02:24:00.000-07:00

The August Break #24

2011-08-24T01:37:00.000-07:00

The August Break #23

2011-08-23T01:56:00.001-07:00

The August Break #22

2011-08-22T02:34:00.001-07:00

The August Break #21

2011-08-21T01:25:00.000-07:00

The August Break #20

2011-08-20T17:16:00.000-07:00

The Weekend...

The August Break #19

2011-08-19T01:30:00.000-07:00

The August Break #18

2011-08-18T04:36:00.000-07:00

The August Break #17

2011-08-17T02:35:00.000-07:00

The August Break #16

2011-08-16T16:00:00.001-07:00

The August Break #15

2011-08-15T02:19:00.000-07:00

Planning...

The August Break #14

2011-08-14T22:00:00.001-07:00

The August Break #13

2011-08-13T15:19:00.000-07:00

The August Break #12

2011-08-12T00:46:00.000-07:00

Reviews to come...

The August Break #11

2011-08-11T01:28:00.000-07:00

The August Break #10

2011-08-10T02:17:00.000-07:00

The August Break #9

2011-08-09T01:01:00.000-07:00

The August Break #8

2011-08-08T01:14:00.000-07:00

Happy Birthday to my boy flying in Africa today...

The August Break #7

2011-08-07T01:19:00.000-07:00

New Books...

The August Break #6

2011-08-06T18:26:00.000-07:00

The Weekend...

The August Break #5

2011-08-05T22:49:00.000-07:00

The August Break #4

2011-08-04T01:50:00.000-07:00

Looking forward to...

The August Break #3

2011-08-03T01:22:00.000-07:00

The August Break #2

2011-08-02T01:53:00.001-07:00

The August Break begins...

2011-08-01T02:33:00.000-07:00

Head over to Susannah's beautiful blog to read more about The August Break - a blogging project that involves posting a photo - just a photo - every day for the month of August. I'm totally loving this idea right now - I feel I want to contribute to my blogging more but there is a lot going on work, study and life wise at the moment that The August Break feels like the perfect way to blog but also take some time away. For my first photo, my current read...

Paris in July 2011 - Au Revoir

2011-07-31T23:18:00.000-07:00

I can't believe how quickly this month has flown (I know I keep saying this but it is just so true I feel it needs repeating!) - now here we are at the end of Paris in July 2011.
Tamara and I would like to thank each and every one of you who have embraced Paris in July and joined in for the ride. We are overwhelmed by the amount of interest that has been shown by the blogging community - we knew that there were many others out there who shared our love of Paris and all things French but we didn't realise it would be quite this big! We are seriously contemplating taking time off from our jobs next year to run this event!
Thank you for all of your posts and comments along the way. We would love to hear from you all about what you would like included for next years event so please feel free to comment away on this post - we are more than happy to hear constructive criticism and ideas - the more the better!
Once again Tamara has taken some time from her busy travelling and studying schedule in France to do a wrap up of posts from this final week (she stresses this might not be exhaustive):

Books
- Lunch in Paris, Elizabeth Bard - A Bookish Way of Life 29/7/11 & Beauty is a Sleeping Cat 19/7/11

- The Vendetta, Honore de Balzac - A Work in Progress 19/7/11, & Book around the corner 19/7/11,

- The Virgin Blue, Tracey Chevalier - An Adventure in Reading 25/7/11

- Brodecks Report, Philippe Claidel - Another Cookie Crumble 29/7/11

- Writers in Paris, David Bourke - Beauty is a sleeping Cat 22/7/11

- Cheri, Colette - Bibliothas 25/7/11

- Pot luck, Emile Zola - Books and Chocolates 27/7/11

- Incidents in the Rue Laugier, Anita Brooker - Books and Chocolate 16/7/11

- Only Connext: Julia and Hadley - Books as Food 24/7/11

- The Provence Cure for the Brokenhearted, Bridget Asher- Books as Food 22/7/11, & Curling up 28/7/11

- the Chalk Circle Man, Fred Vargas - Books as Food 21/7/11

- The Suicide Shop, Jean Teule - Chasing Bawa 21/7/11

- Paris Album 1900-1914, Jean Cocteau - Chasing Bawa 30/7/11

- the Beast of the Camargue, Xavier-Marie Bonnot - Curiosity 22/7/11

- The Paris Wife, Hemingway - Dolce Bellezza 24/7/11

- 13, rue Therese, Elena Mauli Shapiro - Fleur Fisher 24/7/11

- Memoirs of a Dutiful Daughter, Simone de Beauvoir - Naked without books 24/7/11

- A Pedestrian in Paris, John Baxter - Packabook

- Madame Tussaurd by Michelle Moran - tell me a story 31/7/11

-Lunch in Paris, Elizabeth Bard - Adventure of an intrepid reader 30/7/11

- No and Me, Delphine de Vigan - the Novel World 25/7/11

- Man Ray in Paris, rin Garcia - Truth Beauty and freedom, 26/7/11

Music

- Nouvelle Vague "dance with me" - Fleur Fisher 27/7/11

- Lucienne Deyle - Not sophisticated 30/7/11

Food

- La Cuisine Francaise - Just one more thing, 30/7/11

- Paris breakfasts - adventure of an intrepid reader 23/7/11

- Pizza Baguette - the Novel World 30/7/11

Movies

- Delicatessen - Literary relish 21/7/11

- the Diving Bell & the Butterfly - Sawcat 24/7/11

- Midnight in Paris - The Story Girl, 25/7/11

- L'etaile de Mer, Directed by Man Ray - Truth Beauty and Freedom 26/7/11

Others

- Inauguration of Poincare, Paris (Photo) - Curiosity 27/7/11

- French Beaches - Curling up

-Fraily and Endurance - Flowersandstripes 29/7/11

- more Hemingway - Lakeside Musings 21/7/11

- Day 7, Rue Montorgueil and Pompidou Centre - My cosy book nook, 30/7/11

- Au revoir Paris (review of food, movies, books etc) Only Orangery 31/7/11

- of weather, tour de france and other things - Third Storey Winder 24/7

And now on to our prize winners for this final week, they are:

Molly - My Cozy Book Nook
and
Caroline - Beauty is a Sleeping Cat

Congratulations to all of our prize winners - I hope to have the prizes out in the mail to you over the next couple of weeks.
For now it is au revoir from Paris in July - we hope to see you all back next year but until then - Happy Reading!

Night Waking - Sarah Moss

2011-07-27T16:48:00.000-07:00

A big thank you to Samantha for drawing my attention to this one - I agree with you completely about loving this book - what a find! Night Waking is the second book by British author Sarah Moss (I am now eagerly tracking down her first novel after loving this one so much) and tells the story of Anna Bennett, historian, academic, researcher, mother and wife who is currently spending the summer on an isolated Scottish island with her husband, Giles and her two young sons, Raph and Moth. The island is actually owned by Giles's family and has come into his hands following the death of his father one year ago. As an ecologist Giles is drawn to the island to study the puffin population while Sarah is struggling to finish her book on the history of childhood and institutions in eighteenth century Britain while caring for her two boys. The story is told from Anna's perspective with interwoven chapters told in letter format by May Moberley, a young nurse who came to the island in 1878 to try and reduce the high infant mortality rate. The narratives of Anna and May intersect when Anna and her son come across the bones of a baby buried in the back yard of their house leading Anna to start researching the local history - forcing her to look back at her own choices.
The strength of this book lies in Anna - she is a perfectly flawed, funny, intelligent character who I had nothing but empathy for. I am not a mother myself but I found her reflections on motherhood honest and believable.
I was interested to read on Sarah Moss's website about her interest in literature and place because the environment and the essence of the location is strongly present in Night Waking - the island is like a character all of its own and it clearly has an impact on the plot of the novel.
A brilliantly written and paced book - can't wait to read more from this author.

Paris in July - Week 3

2011-07-24T18:46:00.000-07:00

Reflecting on week 3 of Paris in July - and I can't believe we are almost at the end of the month! I haven't "spoken" with Tamara today but I know she will be somewhere in Paris madly celebrating this win!
I must admit I have spent a lot of this past week dreaming of travel and thinking about when I might be able to get back to Paris myself - hopefully it will not be too far in the future. In the meantime I have had Paris in July to fuel my dreams. Tamara has sent me an email summarising what people have been doing during this week:

Books

- La Traversee, Phillipe Labro - Kelly

- 13 rue Therese, Elena Shapiro

- The sweet life, David Lebovitz - Kristens booknook, my cosy book nook

- Paris was ours, Penelope Rowlands - Lakeside

- The belly of Paris, Emile Zola - Lakeside

- A moveable feast, Hemingway - Lakside

- Carmen, prosper merimee - Literary Relish

- My life in france, Julia Childs - my cosy booknook

- Mastering the art of french cooking - my cosy booknook

- Paris by the moon, adam gopnik - cosy booknook

- The gourmet rhapsody, Muriel Barbery - only orangery

- Leaving home, Anita Brookner - a book sanctuary

- The Chatelet Apprentice - a work in progress

- Quiet corners of Paris - Paris au Calme by Jean-Christophe Napias (2006), beauty is a sleeping

- L'homme aux cerdes blues (the chalk man) Fred Vargas (1996) - book around the corner

- Rue Laudier, Anita Brookner - books and chocolate

- French Leave, Anna Gavalda - books as food

- Monsieur Linh and His Child, Philippe Claidel - curiosity

- Biography of Louuis Pasteur (1882 - 1895) - curling up

- French Lessons, Ellen Sussman - curling up & kelly

- The sharper your knife, the less you cry, Kathleen flinn (2007) - elle-lit

- The hare with amber eyes, edmund de waal - gondal-gal

- My life in france, julia child & alex prud'homme - gudruns tights

- Gigi, Collette - gudruns tights

Films

- A very long engagement - only orangery

- French Kiss (1995) Megan Ryan....- gabriel reads
Music

- Aicha, cheb khaled - not too sophisticated.

- 'juste toi et moi' by Indochine - gabriel reads

- Also Paris, Mano Solo - gabriel reads

Others

- a few of my favourite french things - Kelly

- croque-monsieur, french sandwich - only orangery

- pictures of PARIS - Rikkis teliedescope

- Paris Fashion - curiosity

- Top 12 French reads - curling up

- Bastile Day - Curling up

- Parisian Pillows - curling up

- Champagne - Flowers and stripes

- Gallic stripes (fashion) - Flowers and stripes

- Francophone Friday - Gabriel reads

Thank you to everyone for all your fantastic contributions and now onto this weeks winners, they are:

JoAnn - Lakeside Musing
and
Marg - The Adventures of an Intrepid Reader

I will pop over to your blogs to leave you a message and let you know how to get in touch with me to claim your prize!
I hope everyone enjoys the last week of Paris in July 2011 - please leave the links to your posts for this final week in the comments section of this post. Tamara and I would also love to hear your ideas, comments, suggestions etc... for next years event. We are so excited by how many people are interested in joining in this event that we really want to put some thought into making it even better next year.

No and Me - Delphine De Vigan

2011-07-23T22:02:00.000-07:00

My read for Paris in July this week took me to another side of Paris - the side that as a tourist you might come face to face with but not necessarily think a lot about - or do anything to help - the issue of homelessness.
No and Me is the story of 13 year old Lou Bertignac - a bright Paris school girl dealing with the collapse of her family after the sudden death of her baby sister. Lou is extremely intelligent but struggles at school when it comes to making friends and fitting in. As part of a social sciences project for school Lou starts to conduct interviews with a young girl she has met at one of the metro stations. No is an adolescent who has been homeless for some years following the break down of her family life. She has established a tough exterior in order to survive on the streets but inside she is a teenager with hopes and fears. Lou and No tentatively build their friendship until Lou approaches her parents to ask them if No can come and live with them.
This was wonderful, if at times sad, story of the connection between the two girls but it also had a much broader message about the issue of homelessness in Paris (and the world in general) and through the character of Lou the social conscience of the book is able to come through;

I thought to myself that if everyone took in a homeless person, if everyone decided to look after just one person, to help them and be with them, perhaps there'd be fewer of them in the streets. My father told me that wouldn't work. Things are always more complicated than they seem. Things are what they are, and there are lots of things you can't do anything about. You probably have to accept that if you want to become an adult. We can send supersonic planes and rockets into space, and identify a criminal from a hair or a tiny flake of skin, and grow a tomato you can keep in the fridge for three weeks without it getting a wrinkle, and store millions of pieces of information on a tiny chip. Yet we're capable of letting people die in the street.

Extremely Loud & Incredibly Close - Jonathan Safran Foer

2011-07-20T02:39:00.000-07:00

I have to thank the lovely Claire for leading me to Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close - it had been on my reading radar for a while but I wasn't truly tempted to pick it up until I had read her review. This is an amazing book to read but it is also a work of art - the narrative interspersed with photos, drawings and print techniques which add, rather than detract from the story.
The main character of the story is nine year old Oskar Schell - a bright, intelligent and curious boy living in post 9/11 New York with his mother with his grandmother across the street. Oskar's father was killed in the 9/11 attacks on the World Trade Centre and the story focuses on Oskar's attempt to somehow come to terms with the loss of his father and the huge impact his death has had on his family.
The character of Oskar is really the key to the success of this story - this is a boy who you can't help but empathise with - his pain is so acute and yet his humour and intelligence are still thriving - you want Oskar to somehow survive this trauma and make it out the other side.
I finished reading this book so long ago now that my memories of the intricacies of the plot have faded a little - but what hasn't dimmed is the emotional reaction I had while reading this book - sadness at the story being told but joy at the reading pleasure I was experience. You have to read this one for yourself.

My Last Duchess - Daisy Goodwin

2011-07-19T02:04:00.000-07:00

Series 1 of Downton Abbey has just finished in Australia and I am already suffering withdrawal symptoms. The costumes, the sets, the language, the pomp and ceremony were all filling my Sunday nights beautifully so in trying to keep the feeling alive I turned to My Last Duchess. The book is set a bit earlier than Downton Abbey but it had a lot of the same elements in terms of characters and situations so I was kept pretty happy!
My Last Duchess is the story of Cora Cash (not sure if the author was going for the pun with that name but I loved it all the same) an extremely wealthy only child of American industrialists and New York society try hards in the 1890's. Cora has just come of age and her society climbing mother is determined to see her married into the English upper classes so that her money can be joined with a family title. They travel to England and the obligatory Duke is found - all Cora has to do is fall in love it seems and the deal will be done. Of course it isn't quite as easy as all that and there are some love triangles and a side story that focuses on the love life of the ladies maid to get through. There are definitely elements of The Shuttle present in this story but I didn't feel My Last Duchess was quite as dark and foreboding in terms of the outcome for the American heiress.
I'm not sure if it was just the fact that I was hungry for any story that slightly resembled Downton Abbey but I really enjoyed this book. For me it was the details that did it - the story and its setting felt genuine and authentic and while Cora wasn't always my favourite character I don't think that necessarily mattered all that much. Looking forward to more from this author if it focuses on the same time period.

Paris in July - Week 2

2011-07-17T21:13:00.000-07:00

Well, here we are at the half way mark in Paris in July 2011 - I can't believe how fast it is going! I have included in this post some photos of French themed things I have been engaging in this week as part of my Paris in July celebration. Head over to Tamara's blog to hear about her adventures.

Thank you to everyone who is participating in Paris in July this year - I have said it before but Tamara and I are just blown away by the many amazing people and bloggers who are interested in being a part of this event. I encourage you all to stop by the blogs on the list to the right and check out the variety in posts - there is so much inspiration to be had!

Now, onto the winners for this week. There are actually 3 winners this week - Tamara has chosen a winner from last week and we have each chosen one for this week and they are:
- Jeanie - The Marmelade Gypsy
- Ellie - Curiosity Killed the Bookworm
- Bibliolathas

Congratulations! I will be heading over to your blogs to let you know how to receive your prizes.
Have fun during week 3 everybody - you can leave your links to your week 3 posts in the comments section of this post.

Therese Raquin - Emile Zola

2011-07-13T03:22:00.000-07:00

My second read for Paris in July was much more successful than my first (see below). I had actually purchased this copy of Therese Raquin for last years Paris in July event but did not get around to reading it - I am so glad that I managed to get to it this year.
Therese Raquin is the infamous novel of adultery by French author Emilie Zola. The book was first published in 1867 and caused quite a bit of a scandal because of the content it portrayed (having read it I can't really see why - I think it paints such a horrible picture of adultery - so much so that surely people would be turned away from it!!).
Therese Raquin is sent to live with her aunt and sickly cousin, Camille, as a young child. She grows up in the shadow of Camille's illnesses and neediness and it is arranged by Camille's mother that the two will marry - with the absence of love or devotion on behalf of Therese. The family move to Paris and take up residence in a dingy apartment where Therese starts to drown in misery and hopelessness. Enter Laurent, a work colleague and friend of Camille's who soon starts to spend a great deal of time at the Raquin's home, taking a fancy to Therese - more as a distraction and a bit of fun as opposed to a great love. Therese and Laurent start a passionate, physical affair which leads them to believe they are madly in love and in need of only each other. Decisions are made by the two that lead the story in a particular direction that seals their fate as a couple and as individuals.
I simply loved this book - the story and the characters were completing absorbing and the way the narrative flowed made the reader feel as though they were inside the heads of Therese and Laurent - not always very nice places to be but it made for fantastic reading! The book reminded me a lot of another French favourite, Madame Bovary and apparently Zola was a huge fan of Flaubert.

Now onto my next Paris in July read - I only hope my next read will be as good!

Paris Times Eight - Deirdre Kelly

2011-07-12T01:08:00.001-07:00

Paris Times Eight is my first completed read for Paris in July 2011. As I said in my post yesterday I had started out reading Consolation by Anna Gavalda but I just found it way too depressing - it wasn't helping me enjoy the Paris in July ride at all! So, rather than push on I decided to change tracks.
Paris Times Eight is Deirdre Kelly's story of her connections with Paris through the eight very different visits she has made there from a young woman just leaving school to a mother with two children of her own. This book was definitely a lovely trip through the main tourist areas of Paris told from the viewpoint of the author but it didn't really seem to go too far beyond that for me. The author clearly had another agenda in writing the book - to explore and review the complex relationship she had/has with her mother but it was hard to see how this fitted into the author's experiences and love of Paris.
The writing was solid and the parts of the book that looked directly at Paris were enjoyable but the rest for me felt like a poor mother/daughter memoir. Nevertheless, good to be back in Paris!
My next read, Therese Raquin, is looking at a different time and aspect of Paris - and so far I am loving it...

Please leave your links to your posts for this week in the comments section of this post - looking forward to seeing and hearing about what you are indulging in...

Paris In July - Week 1

2011-07-10T22:14:00.000-07:00

We are already into the second week of Paris in July - time flies when you are travelling!

Thank you so much for all of your links and posts - it sounds like everyone is having a wonderful time - not only with their own Paris in July journey but also reading about what everyone is is doing to celebrate the month. If you would like to read some of the posts from the first week please see the comments section on the this post of mine or just go to the sidebar to the right and work your way through the wonderful blogs participating this year.

I have had an email from Tamara this morning - she is in France and having a wonderful time but is having some trouble with internet connections and posting/blogging - she will join us just as soon as she can. I know she has been reading many of the participants blogs and soaking up all the thoughts and reflections on Paris.

I started out my Paris in July adventure with the book Consolation but I have to say I have abandoned it for the moment (just way too depressing I'm afraid!). I can handle sadness but depression for my first read for the month was just not what I was looking for at all!

I moved on to Paris Times Eight: Finding Myself in the City of Dreams which was a lot lighter - my review will follow soon.

Now, onto the prize winners for this first week - Tamara and I will both choose a winner so we will have to wait to hear from Tamara for her choice but the winner from me for this week is Her Royal Orangeness from Only Orangery - if you haven't already please head over to her blog to read her reviews on the movie Midnight in Paris (which, thanks to many of you I am now dying to see) and the books Suite Francaise (one of my all time favourites), Just Like Tomorrow and Flowers for Mrs Harris.

Thank you to all of you for making this a great first week of Paris in July - now onto week 2!

Paris Memories

2011-07-03T22:52:00.001-07:00

Paris in July has given me the opportunity to reflect on my one and only trip (so far!) to Paris in 2009. To say I fell in love with the city at first sight is an over used cliche I know - but it is oh so true! I was completely blown away by the architecture, the style, the food, the art - even the light seemed amazing in Paris. I actually cried when we had to leave after four days (even though we were going to London - another one of my favourite places in the world). My trip to Paris helped to open up a whole new world of literature for me as well - I had never really been interested in French literature before my trip but I find myself drawn to it now - and even though my knowledge of the language is virtually non existent I feel that my knowledge of the history and culture is growing all the time with my reading.

So, I will be using this time during Paris in July to remember my first time in Paris but also to discover new ways of experiencing the French capital from my eastern Australian home.

Bonjour! Welcome to Paris in July

2011-07-02T00:25:00.000-07:00

It is finally here - the month of French festivities and blogging that we have all been waiting for - Paris in July! We now have over 60 people signed up and ready to read/watch/cook and listen along - Tamara and I are really excited by the amount of interest there has been this year and we are looking forward to a fun filled month.

If you post about your Paris themed reading, watching, listening or doing over the next week please leave a link to your post in the comments to this start up post to be included in the prize draw for the week. It's also never too late to join in so if you would like me to add your name to the list on the right please just let me know by commenting to this post.

I still haven't chosen by very first read for the month (I know - I'm leaving it a little late!) but it will come from the selection in the photo above, Metrostop Paris, Paris Metro Tales, My Life in France and Consolation.

Paris In July - It's Almost Time!

2011-06-25T03:08:00.000-07:00

I can't believe how the time is flying - we are half way through the year and it is almost time for Paris In July to start! We have 53 people signed up and ready to participate which is fantastic but it is not too late to join in the fun - just leave a comment on this post and I will add your name to our list.

I have to admit to being quite busy over the past few weeks and I haven't had a lot of spare head space to start thinking about the books and movies I am planning to enjoy for the month - this weekend might allow some time for that I hope. I have pulled one of my books off the shelf in preparation, Shannon Bennett's Paris looks like the perfect option to start the month with. What are other people going to be starting off with??

I will be back on the 1st July to officially kick the month off. After that there will be weekly wrap up posts, prizes to be given away as we go along and posts from Tamara as she winds her away around France. Looking forward to all of the Paris themed fun.

The Orange Winner...

2011-06-08T18:24:00.000-07:00

The winner of the 2011 Orange Prize has been announced and it is The Tiger's Wife by Tea Obreht and I can't say that I am all that surprised or disappointed. My reaction to the book is here. It is such a unique and beautiful book - I think it deserves all of the praise and recognition is it getting.

Overall I felt this years short list was very strong - I have really loved all of the books I have read from it so far with the exception of Room which I thought was great but not something that grabbed me as much as I thought it would. I still have Annabel and Grace Williams Says It Loud to read...

A Red Herring Without Mustard - Alan Bradley

2011-06-01T03:28:00.000-07:00

A Red Herring Without Mustard is the third and latest book in the Flavia de Luce mystery series. I loved the first book in the series, The Sweetness at the Bottom of the Pie but the second book didn't quite have the same magic for me - thankfully I stuck with Flavia (I just love that name!) because the latest book was much more enjoyable. There is definitely a formula at play here - something that would normally put me off a book/series - but in this case it is what I look out for - Flavia's precocious personality drawing her into the mysteries of her local village, Bishop's Lacey, and her blend of intelligence, curiosity and stubbornness leading her on to solving the crime. This novel starts to go even further into the personal life of Flavia and her family - and in particular the sudden and tragic death of her mother, Harriet when Flavia was just a baby. I feel this is only the beginning in regards to this particular part of the story and that future books are going to explore this more - something that will only add to the overall narrative and enjoyment for readers.

These books are light and easy to read - the perfect escape from a busy day. Apparently book number four is going to be out in time for Christmas this year so not long to wait for the next installment.

To Be Challenged... Or Not to Be?

2011-05-31T01:21:00.000-07:00

One of the events I attended at the recent Sydney Writers' Festival has got me thinking about my reading habits and choices. The event was a talk by Australian author Gail Jones and she was speaking about the influences and processes involved in the writing of her most recent book Five Bells which I reviewed here. Jones was a beautiful speaker to listen to - lyrical and passionate (just like her book) and at one point she was speaking about the importance of reading in offering us a challenge - that we should be reading novels and other works that challenge us with their construction their language and their ideas.

I must admit I am not always reaching for the challenging in my reading - after a day full of work where I am emotionally and intellectually drained sometimes I just want to reach for that 'easy' read - something that will allow me to tune out and not have to think too deeply. Having said that I know I do often challenge myself in terms of the content of the books I choose to read - reading in areas I might not necessarily know anything about, or choosing a book that has particularly difficult emotional material to get through. The books I don't often challenge myself with are those that are difficult to grasp in terms of language - I started Dr Zhivago on the weekend and while I am loving the story so far I am struggling with the number of Russian names to get my tongue around and the differences in language and expression. I have found myself resorting to my 'easier' reads now that the work and study week has resumed.

I guess the idea of a challenging read will be different for everyone but I am wondering what reading challenges you - and how have you overcome the challenge to enrich your reading even further? What books have been worth the challenge?

The Memory of Love - Aminatta Forna

2011-05-30T02:05:00.001-07:00

Each book I read from the Orange Prize shortlist for 2011 just seems to improve on the last. The Memory of Love is no exception and I think it has now become my favourite read from the list. Not only has it been shortlisted for the Orange Prize this year but The Memory of Love was also recently named as the winner of the Commonwealth Writers' Prize and I was lucky enough to hear Aminatta Forna speak at the Sydney Writers' Festival a couple of weeks ago - not only about this book but more broadly about the life she has led as a fighter for rights for the country in which she grew up, Sierra Leone.

The Memory of Love is set in a nameless African country although it is a country that resembles Sierra Leone in many ways - it is a country that has been consumed by war and trauma and the effects that has left on its people are indelible. The book has three main characters (although a fourth character that connects these three could also be counted as "main") and is told in alternating chapters that are narrated by the different characters - this is done in a seamless way - you always know where you are as the reader in terms of the structure of the story.

Adrian Lockheart is an English psychologist who is running away from a life with his wife and child in the UK which he no longer feels connected to. He has arrived in Africa with a rather aimless goal of "doing good" - he is passionate and committed but to what exactly he is not sure. Through his work in the local hospital Adrian meets and becomes friends with a local surgeon, Kai Mansaray - another man deeply committed to his work but also using it as a way to escape from personal memories and pain. One of Adrian's patients is an elderly man, Elias Cole, dying of an incurable lung disease and wanting to talk to an empathic stranger about his past life and decisions he has made that still play on his conscience.

I can not praise this book and the impact it has on me as a reader highly enough. The themes of trauma, memory, love, betrayal and connection are portrayed so well and so passionately I felt as though I knew these characters inside and out. The impact of trauma on an individual, a family and a community is also a powerful part of this book - one that had me in tears at several places. If you have not read this book already I would certainly recommend that you do - it is a book that I will be passing on to all of my friends.

Paris in July - Join in the Fun!

2011-05-29T02:04:00.000-07:00

We now have 28 people signed on for the 2011 Paris in July event. If you head over to Tamara's blog you will see that she is offering an early prize before we even get under way on the 1st July.

I have created a side bar to the right with all of the participants so far - please let me know if your name is not there or I have made a mistake with the link to your blog etc...

It is never too late to join in so if you are interested at all just leave a comment in this post - you can check out all about the event here.

Looking forward to the 1st July!

Sydney Writers' Festival - 2011

2011-05-24T01:49:00.000-07:00

One of the highlights of my reading year is the annual trip to the Sydney Writers Festival which I went to this past weekend in the glorious Walsh Bay area of Sydney under THAT bridge!
I attended some great events and heard some amazing authors and women (yes, all of the events I went to this year were delivered from the perspective of female authors) speak about their work and the way their lives have impacted their writing and vice-versa.
In one event I heard two writers, Kate Holden and Emma Forrest talk about the memoirs they have written with honesty and gusto. Kate's first memoir, In My Skin, tells the story of the time in her life when she was addicted to heroin and working as a prostitute in Australia. At the risk of placing people into stereotypes - Kate does not come across as your typical past drug user and sex worker - she is articulate, humorous, intelligent and generous in giving of her story to complete strangers. Hearing her speak was a reminder to myself to never place people in boxes - let people tell their stories and do not judge. I have not read her book as yet but it is waiting on my shelf and after hearing Kate speak about her experiences in writing and publishing the book I can't wait. Emma Forrest's recently released memoir Your Voice in My Head is the story of her experiences with severe depression and the psychiatrist she found to work with who helped her through this time in her life and again, although I haven't read her book as yet that will soon be rectified. Attending this session was another great experience in how hearing authors speak about their work (especially such personal books as these) can help a reader to connect with a book in a totally different way.
My favourite, and most inspirational event, of the festival was a session entitled Family Politics where the three speakers were Fatima Bhutto, Ingrid Betancourt and Aminatta Forna.I had heard of all three of the women before attending the event but I had only read the work of Forna having just finished her award winning novel The Memory of Love the day before the festival (review to come soon - enough to say for now that I simply LOVED it). The Memory of Love has recently been named as the winner of the 2011 Commonwealth Writer's Prize and it is on the short list for the 2011 Orange Prize - the winner to be announced on the 8th June .
This event was amazing - hearing from three such intelligent and passionate women about the significant and traumatic events that have occured in their lives as well as what drives them to keep going in the fight for freedom in their countries. You can listen to some of the events from the festival here.

Paris in July - 2011

2011-05-16T00:56:00.000-07:00

For the second year Tamara from Thyme For Tea and I have decided to come together to host "Paris in July" a month long blogging experience to celebrate our love of all things French and Parisian. We had such a great time last year we can't wait to do it all over again!

For those of you who participated last year the guidelines for the event will be pretty much the same (Tamara and I reserve the right to throw in some surprises here and there1). Paris in July will run from the 1st - 31st July 2011 and the aim of the month is to celebrate our French experiences through reading, watching, listening to, observing, cooking and eating all things French.

Tamara will actually be in France during July this year so she will be able to take us to the heart of things with her posts. Some welcome words from Tamara;

I'm so excited to be joining Karen again in co-hosting the 2011 Paris in July event. This year I will be the French Correspondent, actually on location in France for the month of July. While this will make for interesting administrative arrangements, I am committed to fulfilling my part of co-hosting in this, our second year of Paris in July. My travel plans include some time in Paris, then actually riding my bike along with the Tour de France through the Pyrenees and the Alps from July 11 - 24th then I will be in Montpellier for two weeks attending an intensive French language program. This means I will be able to post on regional cuisine, art, culture and local history and geography. I will also be able to investigate or research any questions participants choose to send me during the month... Imagine what fun we can have with that!

There will be no rules or targets in terms of how much you need to do or complete in order to be a part of Paris in July - just blog about anything French and you can join in. Some ideas for the month might include:

- Reading a French book - fiction or non-fiction

- Watching a French movie

- Listening to French music

- Cooking French food

- Experiencing French art, architecture or travel (lucky Tamara!)

- Or anything else French inspired you can think of...

If you are interested in being a part of this experience leave a comment on this post and we will put together a side bar showing all of the participants. There will be weekly French themed prizes during the month for which we will randomly draw the winners from all the French themed posts of that week that link back to us. We will be writing weekly wrap up posts for you to link your posts to.

We have designed a couple of images to represent our Paris in July experience so feel free to add these to your blog if you are joining us. We will write posts leading up to the start of Paris in July to give you some ideas about what you might like to include and to share the books, films, music etc... that we are planning to experience ourselves during the month.

Looking forward to travelling to Paris with you in July!

The Novel in the Viola - Natasha Solomons

2011-05-15T01:08:00.000-07:00

The Novel in the Viola was my comfort read from last week. I was in the mood for a good, sweet story that I didn't need to do too much thinking with - and this book partly filled my needs.

I still have not read the authors first book, Mr Rosenblum's List, but my best friend has and she didn't rave about it- a "nice" book but nothing fantastic was pretty much her verdict. That is probably a similar rating I would give to The Novel in the Viola.

The book starts off strongly with the author setting the scene and introducing the main character, 19 year old Elise Landau, an Austrian Jewish woman who is about to be torn away from her family and her home to go and live in England as a domestic service in the lead up to World War 2.

The first half of this book worked really well for me - I believed in the character of Elise - but then things just started to become too neat, formulaic and predictable. That's not to say I wasn't enjoying the read, because I was - but it certainly wasn't challenging or even very believable in any way.

The author talks about her inspiration for writing this book - the true story of an English village that is requisitioned by the government during World War 2 to be used as a training location for the army. I think this sounds like a fascinating story but unfortunately the essence of this story just didn't come through in the novel for me.

Solar - Ian McEwan

2011-05-10T17:31:00.000-07:00

I would rate Ian McEwan as one of my favourite authors - but like many others Solar would not be one of my favourite of his books. That's not to say I didn't enjoy the read - it is classic McEwan in so many ways - great characterisation and gloriously detailed and descriptive writing are two of the traits that I love so much in his writing. But overall it just wasn't a story that grabbed me.

Solar is the story of British physicist Michael Beard - truly one of the most unlikeable and disgusting characters I have ever read! When the story opens Michael is in turmoil as his beloved fifth wife is having an affair - and as it is Michael that usually engages in affairs in his marriages the whole situation has thrown him out a bit. Michael is also having some trouble at his workplace - a newly developed research centre exploring different energy sources for human consumption. Michael's personal and professional lives come together in a totally unexpected way and the event sets Michael on a new career path (not entirely of his making) to look at the utilisation of solar energy.

As is the norm in McEwan's books he goes into extreme detail about the science involved in his story line - this would normally bore me completely if any other author tried it but McEwan always makes this work for me. Even though I was not a fan of Michael Beard as a person I did enjoy reading about his as a character - I think part of me was just reading to see if he got what was coming to him at the end!

One Book, Two Book, Three Book, Four...and Five...

2011-05-09T01:09:00.000-07:00

Thanks to Simon for this lovely meme which a few of us seem to be grabbing hold of at the moment...

1. The Book I am currently reading:

The Novel in the Viola by Natasha Solomons - totally sweet and beautiful - not a book I was expecting to pick up and enjoy but I am loving it so far...

2. The Last book I finished:

Solar by Ian McEwan - a novel with one of the most unlikeable main characters I have ever read about! Review to come soon.

3. The Next book I want to Read:

A Jane Austen Education by William Deresiewicz - It just arrived in my mail box this afternoon and I want to discard all of my other reading to jump straight to it!

4. The last book I Bought:

Tucked In: For Everyone Having a Doona Day by Meredith Gaston - just too cute to ignore really!

5. The Last Book I was Given:

Breakfast at Tiffany's: The Official 50th Anniversary Companion Book by Sarah Gristwood - A gorgeous Birthday present from my best friend - she knows me too well!

The Tiger's Wife - Tea Obreht

2011-05-03T23:10:00.000-07:00

I am continuing my way through the list for the Orange Prize 2011 with my most recent read being the shortlisted The Tiger's Wife by debut novelist Tea Obreht.

I must admit I had my doubts about this book - not necessarily about the greatness of the writing - more about it not really being "my type" of book. But, this book was for me a perfect example of why I should constantly try and stretch my reading - because the reward is finding absolute gems like The Tiger's Wife.

The Tiger's Wife is the first novel by Yugoslavian/American writer Tea Obreht who is making a lot of news in the publishing world and is already receiving huge accolades for her work. I am greatly looking forward to hearing her speak at the upcoming Sydney Writers' Festival.

The book is written through a series of stories, almost myths, that have been told to the main character, Natalia by her grandfather as she was growing up. The stories come from her grandfather's childhood and beyond and the stories form a bond between the two that carries on into Natalia's adulthood. As an adult Natalia has become a doctor (just like her grandfather) in an unnamed Balkan country and it is on a trip into a small village to provide immunisations to orphan children that Natalia learns of the death of her grandfather in a neighbouring village. It is the news of his death that prompts Natalia into remembering the stories he has passed down to her and connecting her to his death and the journey she must now take to retrieve his belongings.

For me this book was like reading one huge fairytale/children's story/mythical tale - but in a very adult and sophisticated way. I was initially turned off reading this book by mention of the term "magical realism" but I felt as though The Tiger's Wife was very much grounded in reality - even though some parts of the story do seem to come from a mythical and magical place. I believed very much in the characters and the events taking place and this is what made the book work for me.

The writing was brilliant - this woman knows how to engage an audience and tell a story.

My heart was wanting Great House to win The Orange Prize but now I am not so sure...

Caleb's Crossing - Geraldine Brooks

2011-05-01T03:14:00.000-07:00

A new Geraldine Brooks novel is something to be savoured and lingered over - I so look forward to a new novel by her and each time I promise myself that I am going to take my time with her words and not rush through to the end of the story - and each time I fail. Caleb's Crossing was no exception.

I bought the book as soon as it came out and started reading it over the easter long weekend, staying up late and getting up early to delve back in to the story. I finished it this morning with mixed feelings - contentment over reading such a great story but sadness for knowing I will never be able to experience it for the first time again!

Caleb's Crossing tells the story of Caleb Cheeshahteaumauk, a member of the Wopanaak tribe of Martha's Vineyard, born around 1646 and the first Native American to graduate from Harvard College. Although Caleb was a real person Brooks has taken what few facts are known of Caleb's life and created a fictional account of his story, including creating a fully fictional character, Bethia Mayfield to narrate the story.

Bethia is the 12 year old daughter of a minister in a strict English puritan settlement on Martha's Vineyard when she first meets the young Caleb and begins to form a friendship with him - each learning of the other's culture and language. Bethia's father is intent on educating and reforming the Native Indians to the English way of life - including it's strict faith and ways of worship - and Caleb becomes one of his pupils much to the disgust of his uncle who is a leader in his tribe.

As in all of her novels it is clear that Brooks has done extensive research and it shows in the way she is able to bring the voices of the characters and the picture of the landscapes across so cleatly to the reader - I really felt as though I was being brought into the time of the 1660's in rural America.

I am still unclear as to why Brooks has used the character of Bethia to narrate Caleb's story (although she does discuss this a little in the afterward of the book). Brooks talks about wanting to give a voice to Caleb and his story in some way and I would have felt a better way to this would have been to enable Caleb (or at least the fictional character) to tell his own story. I thought the character of Bethia was wonderful and I enjoyed reading about her and from her but at times it really felt as though the book should have been titled "Bethia's Crossing".

Don't let that deter you from reading this though - it is a wonderful story that is a joy to read - a brilliant writer telling a fantastic story - what more could a reader want?

The Swimmer - Roma Tearne

2011-04-24T18:29:00.000-07:00

The Swimmer is yet another read I found through the Orange Prize Long List for 2011 and as I loved it so much I am relieved to see that it is the author's fourth novel - so I will now be able to go back and read her earlier books.

In some ways The Swimmer focuses intensely and directly on the lives of a few people but one of the things I loved about it was the way in which the author broadened her focus to allow the book to say so much more about important global issues such as fear, war, racism and the plight of refugee people.

One of the stories in The Swimmer is the story of 43 year old poet, Ria. Ria lives in a small English coastal village - separated from her husband after they were unable to have a child Ria is grieving the loss of her relationship and her sense of self while trying to write her next book of poetry. The house she lives in is a bequest from an uncle and aunt and is the cause of much conflict between her and her younger brother Jack who would like to see Ria sell the home and share the profits with him. Ria is tied to the home by her love for her uncle and aunt and her much beloved father who died when Ria was a child. The home is much more than a house to Ria - it brings her a sense of comfort and sanctuary. The house is also the place where Ria first meets Ben, a Sri Lankan doctor who has escaped the violence of his home country to come to England in the hope of building a peaceful and productive life for himself only to find that violence and prejudice has found him in this new country.

A tender, beautiful and tentative relationship begins to form between Ria and Ben and we learn more about each of their pasts through their getting to know each other.

I won't say anymore about the book for fear of ruining the drama for those of you who would like to read it for yourselves - and I would definitely encourage you to do this.

I felt this book carried so many powerful messages - on reflecting maybe it tried to cover too much for one small book but at the same time I felt that the narrative and the story itself never lost it's intensity or its purpose - a wonderful read.

The Pleasure Seekers - Tishani Doshi

2011-04-18T01:06:00.000-07:00

The Pleasure Seekers is another book that was long listed for the 2011 Orange Prize but did not make it to the short list. Unlike with Whatever You Love I would have liked to have seen this book make the short list - I'm not sure if I really have any idea about the criteria judges use to take a book to the next level (surely it must be subjective to some degree??) but I felt this was a beautiful story told brilliantly.

The story starts in India in 1968 when Babo Patel, the eldest son of Prem Kumar Patel and his wife Trishala, is about to set out for London to continue his studies, make a success of himself in business and return to India to marry a nice Indian girl of the Jain faith. This plan is all set to succeed until Babo meets and falls in love with Welsh girl, Sian.

On many levels this is an ordinary story about an ordinary family going about the ordinary tasks and events of daily life - love, study, employment, death, trauma, conflict, happiness. What makes this book special is the way in which the story is told. These ordinary events which could be told in a fleeting, superficial way become rich stories of character - you feel in some ways as though you are a member of the Patel family too, living the story along with them. This is true skill in a writer for me - I could have read about this family for another 500 pages easily and not become disinterested.

A beautiful story with memorable characters (the character of Babo's daughter Bean would have to be one of the richest, most fully developed characters I have read in a long time - loved her!) - one to savour and read again.

Whatever You Love - Louise Doughty

2011-04-15T00:06:00.000-07:00

Whatever You Love was named on the Orange Prize Long list for 2011 but I see it has not made it to the short list. I'm not sure how I feel about that - I think this book deserves a lot of praise and recognition but on the other hand I'm not sure that it is "short list worthy" (whatever that may entail!).

Whatever You Love is the story of Laura, her relationship with David and their two young children, Betty and Rees, and the moment her world comes crashing down when 9 year old Betty is killed after being hit by a car.

This book is intense in topic and feeling - the raw grief being demonstrated by Laura following Betty's sudden death felt empathic, gut wrenching and real. I have worked with families in a hospital setting following the sudden death of someone they loved and I don't think I have ever read a piece of fiction that more accurately captured that intense grief and pain that is expressed soon after the death.

The novel follows Laura trying to function in her day to day life after Betty's death. David had left the relationship some time ago (not in an amicable way) and has a new partner and baby - Laura is still grieving the loss of their relationship and "perfect family" when Betty's death occurs. Laura is also focused on gathering more information about the person who was driving the car that hit Betty and exacting some sort of revenge on them.

It was this part of the book that didn't ring as true for me. I could certainly empathise with and understand Laura's feeling of wanting to gain revenge for her loss - but the way her character went about it felt a little false - everything in the book up until this point had felt so true to life.

Aside from this disappointment I still found this book extremely moving and rich - not an easy read in terms of the feelings it can bring up but certainly a rewarding one.

When God was a Rabbit - Sarah Winman

2011-04-11T00:37:00.000-07:00

When God Was A Rabbit is the type of book you would be drawn to just from its title alone - quirky, cute and a little bizarre! The title is clearly explained in the course of the story so I won't ruin it for you here...

When God Was A Rabbit is narrated by Elly and starts with her birth in 1968. Elly describes the key relationships in her life, with her parents, a beloved aunt, neighbours but the two most significant connections in her life are with her older brother, Joe and her childhood friend, Jenny Penny. It is through these two relationships especially that we see Elly's life evolve and develop.

This book is simply magic - the writing is authentic and intense - I felt a connection with Elly at every stage of her life's journey and I felt the writing and events described related well to Elly at that particular stage of her life. The story was believable while at the same time having a sense of being somehow just out of reach of normality.

Elly's is a family that goes through some pretty eventful experiences - at one point I remember thinking "not something else surely!" but having said this - nothing ever felt forced or written in just for the sake of it.

I realise I haven't given any real specific detail of the plot and that's because I truly think this is one of those books that you just have to experience and interpret for yourself. I will say that I absolutely loved it - it had me hooked from beginning to end.

A Suitable Boy - Vikram Seth

2011-04-05T00:52:00.000-07:00

A reading goal I have had for a few years now has finally been accomplished. This afternoon I finished A Suitable Boy after 3 months of (not constant) reading.

The question I am now left with is - was it worth it?

The short answer to that question would have to be "yes" but I think this book is so huge - in both length and depth that I feel my reading has not done it justice in so many ways. By this afternoon I just wanted to get the book read - I am looking forward to giving the space in my head over to some other reading now!

So many people rave about this book - and it is an incredible piece of writing - but as a novel for pleasure and entertainment it certainly wasn't perfect for me. I was in love with the beginning and end sections (although I have to say I didn't "like" the ending I could appreciate it - if that makes sense?!) but the overly large middle section did drag for me. The book is incredibly detailed (as you can imagine) and I certainly feel more informed about Indian politics and social history of this time period but I just wanted to engage further with the characters and although a certain amount of contextual information is required in order for this to happen I could have survived quite happily with a lot less!

An amazing piece of literature and I think when I have had some time to get some distance from it I will look back and be glad that I have read it.

The Paris Wife - Paula McLain

2011-03-31T02:05:00.000-07:00

I did not know much about Ernest Hemingway apart from the legends and I have never read any of his books so I came to The Paris Wife with a little bit of a blank slate - although I have to say my feminist ideals soon kicked in!

The Paris Wife is a fictionalised account of Hemingway's relationship with his first wife, Hadley Richardson whom he met in the United States as a young man and ended up moving to Paris with soon after their marriage.

The book is told mainly from the perspective of Hadley although there are a few small sections where Hemingway's voice speaks for himself.

Ernest and Hadley move to Paris in the early 1920's - the "Jazz Age" and they meet and befriend people such as Gertrude Stein, Ezra Pound and F. Scott and Zelda Fitzgerald. Hemingway's obsession with his writing is evident from early on but it soon starts to intrude heavily on the marriage and we are able to see how it might have been for an intelligent, independent woman such as Hadley - as her wishes and needs always seemed to come second to the great author (although at that stage Hemingway was still establishing himself as the writer he would come to be known as).

I really enjoyed this book - I thought it was told in a way that captured my attention and kept it - it wasn't a book I wanted to be away from for long. And although my compassion tends to lean all the way in Hadley's direction in regards to the relationship between herself and Ernest I am very interested now in finding some of his novels and reading them for myself.

The Summer Without Men - Siri Hustvedt

2011-03-28T01:50:00.000-07:00

Firstly, can I just say how much I love the cover of this book - so simple and yet very effective. I found myself turning to look at it at random times throughout my reading. Which is not to say that the book is not an absorbing read!

The Summer Without Men is the story of Mia - a middle aged woman whose husband has just told her he would like to take a "pause" in their 30 year marriage to explore a relationship with a much younger colleague. Mia does not take the announcement well and she spends some time in a psychiatric hospital after Boris's decision sends her into a psychotic depression.

When Mia leaves hospital she decides to temporarily move to the town where she grew up as a child to get some distance from her life with Boris and to continue to write and teach poetry. While in the small town of Bonden Mia spends time with her ageing mother and her variety of friends, she teaches the craft of poetry and life lessons to a group of adolescent girls and she connects with a young mother and her two children living in the house next door to her. Mia refers to this part of her life as "the Yawn between Crazed Winter and Sane Fall".

The book is told from Mia's perspective and at times it can feel very insular and indulgent - I didn't particularly find the sections where Mia shares some of her poetry very enlightening for example. But the parts of the book where Mia talks about her relationships and the new connections she is making (especially with the woman next door and her mother) I could have read so much more of. There is a growth and a discovery process going on for Mia over the the course of the novel and it is great to be able to see this take place - the narrative form of the book almost makes it feel as though you are a part of this process also.

I loved this story for it's focus on women and the relationships we form - both good and not so good.

Into The Woods - Anna Krien

2011-03-19T15:47:00.001-07:00

Into The Woods was one of the books on the recommended reading list for one of the courses I am currently taking looking at creative non-fiction. I can't say that I was all that excited about picking it up at first - the environment and nature are not things that I normally enjoy reading about, I know that is probably the most un-politically correct thing you could say in this day and age but I've said it!

I think it is a major strength of the author and the book she has written that I am now much more interested in this topic - and I have noticed myself not automatically tuning out when stories like this are presented in the media.

Into The Woods covers the story of the Tasmanian forests and the battle that is currently taking place (and has been taking place for some time now) between various groups interested in the forests for one reason or another. Krien has looked at the issue from every angle and has talked to key people from the different interest groups - environmentalists and conservationists, loggers and logging businesses, the government, local community members and she has included her own views and thoughts throughout the book.

The book is so well researched that I found myself diving into all sections of it - even the sections that quote numerous facts, figures and statistics. These sections are well balanced by the voices of the people Krien speaks with along the way. Although Krien's leanings and her own position are displayed at times this book feels balanced and fair - I felt very much as though the information was being put in front of me for me to make my own decision.

This book is a brilliant combination of fact and emotion - I am in complete awe of Krien's abilities as a writer and I would recommend this book to anyone who is interested in the craft of non fiction writing.

We Had it So Good - Linda Grant

2011-03-17T00:25:00.000-07:00

It has been so long since I finished this book now that I hope my ever failing memory can do it justice!

My memory of some of the intricacies of the plot may be poor but I definitely remember the feeling of really enjoying the read and getting totally immersed in the characters Grant had written.

We Had it So Good is the story of Stephen Newman, an American born to immigrant parents who moves from sunny Los Angeles to attend university in England - and ends up staying.

The crux of the novel is the relationships Stephen has with the various people in his life but especially his wife, Andrea and his father. Through the book Stephen reflects on key moments and decisions in his life, trying to put together why he is where he is now.

I know I'm probably not making this sounds very interesting or intriguing but it truly is! Each of the characters are full of depth and complexity and I felt the novel was rich in ideas and plot.

This is the first fiction from Grant I have read but if her style is similar in her other works of fiction I will be seeking them out.

Left Neglected - Lisa Genova

2011-03-08T22:19:00.001-08:00

I read Lisa Genova's first novel, Still Alice last year and really liked it -I didn't think it was a perfect novel in any way but it had an emotional impact on me - it lingered.

I'm afraid to say that Genova's second novel, Left Neglected will not be lingering with me in the same way.

Left Neglected tells the story of 37 year old high flying business woman, wife and mother, Sarah Nickerson who is involved in a serious car accident while driving to her workplace one morning.

Sarah survives the accident but is left with a brain injury and a neurological condition referred to as "Left Neglect" which basically means that Sarah is unaware of the existence of "left". The left side of her body, the left side of a page in a book, the left side of a room just don't register for Sarah after the accident and the majority of the book is spent detailing her rehabilitation - both physical and psychological.

The main problem with this book for me was Sarah herself - I didn't like her or have any emotional connection with her. She felt like a cardboard cutout and I felt she was often displaying "text book" responses to certain situations. There was no depth there for me.

Another issue for me was once again Genova has chosen to tell her story through an upper middle class, educated and resourceful character. I also had a problem with this in Still Alice but in that book I could overlook this device whereas in Left Neglected I just had the feeling that I had read this exact same story before - except with a new health concern being the vehicle for the story.

For me this book was all formula and no heart - pretty disappointing.

The Thoughtful Dresser - Linda Grant

2011-03-07T00:31:00.000-08:00

I may not have mentioned it on this blog before but I have a totally materialistic and deep love of clothes and fashion. I am far from a fashionista (I don't have the budget or the sense of style unfortunately!) but I love to gaze longingly through fashion magazines and plan what I would dress myself in if I had half the chance. I think long and hard about what I am going to wear each morning - I attribute this mostly to my job. I work in an emotionally draining and often challenging work area and what I wear can often give me a spark for the day.
I was so glad to hear Linda Grant talk about this passion and desire for nice clothing and the psychological impact it can have on us in The Thoughtful Dresser.
This book is one part Grant's personal reflection on the clothes that have been, and are, an important part of her life and the meaning she has attributed to them and one part social commentary on the way clothes are perceived in our (mostly western) society.
I especially loved the first chapter of the book "In Which a Woman Buys a Pair of Shoes" about Grant's mission on one particular day to hunt down and purchase the perfect pair of shoes:

One day last summer, at the moment of waking, I knew that I had to go out at once and buy new shoes. Shoes which fulfilled another function apart from walking. I wanted high heeled shoes. Ridiculous, sexy, I don't care how much they cost, I have to have them shoes.

Grant also talks about how the clothes we have worn throughout our lives contribute to the story of who we are:

Clothes as text, clothes as narration, clothes as a story. Clothes as the story of our lives. And if you were to gather all the clothes you have ever owned in all your life, each baby shoe and winter coat and wedding dress, you would have your autobiography.

I absolutely adored this book and Grant's take on the history and sociology of clothes and dressing - with some red high heels thrown in!

An Object of Beauty - Steve Martin

2011-03-02T00:00:00.000-08:00

I was tossing and turning about whether or not I would read this one but then I read Nadia's review which praises the book pretty highly so thanks to that I bit the bullet and jumped in!

An Object of Beauty is a novel that focuses on the art scene in New York from the 1980's to modern day. The main character is the feisty and ambitious Lacey Yeager, a young woman intent on moving her way up in the art scene from back room packing girl to high flying dealer and gallery owner - sometimes making some dubious moves and decisions along the way.

I was grabbed by this book from the very beginning - something about the writing that is really captivating, even though at times you really feel like an outsider looking into a completely different world.

The book is very informative and quite detailed in relation to the in's and out's of the art world in New York and more broadly and I think a reader who wasn't so interested in this subject area might find the book a little boring - but then again, it was not necessarily an area I thought I was all that interested in and I found myself wanting even more information. I especially liked how the book included photos of some of the pieces of art being talked about.

Lacey Yeager is not the most likeable character but she certainly makes up for that in being an interesting and engaging character - without her the book may have fell flat for me but with her in it I found it to be a great read.