book review

The Song of Achilles – Madeline Miller

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AchillesEven with all the hype surrounding Madeline Miller’s debut novel, I was sure that I would not be disappointed when I read The Song of Achilles. And I’m relieved to say that I wasn’t!

As I mentioned in my post about Roger Lancelyn Green’s Tales of the Greek Heroes, I only have a vague knowledge of the Greek myths. So I opened The Song of Achilles not really knowing what to expect.

The book is narrated by Patroclus, an unlucky young prince who is banished by his own father to live in the court of King Peleus and his brilliant son Achilles. Achilles is a demigod destined to grow up to be a hero, and at first Patroclus resents him. Why couldn’t he be as perfect as Achilles? His resentment leads to a confused admiration, friendship and eventually the two become lovers. Continue reading →

Black Hearts in Battersea – Joan Aiken

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Black Hearts in BatterseaAs promised in my recent post about The Wolves of Willoughby Chase, I have re-read the next book in the series.

Black Hearts in Battersea follows kind-hearted Simon, the goose boy from the previous book. When he arrives in London to enrol at an art school, he finds that his friend Dr Field is missing. His new home, where Dr Field is supposed to be living, smells oddly of the doctor’s paints, but otherwise there is no trace of him, and the landlords swear that they have never even heard of him. There’s something fishy about the landlords. The Twites are a fantastic family; they are loud and dirty, rude and untrustworthy and Simon is sure that they have something to do with Dr Field’s disappearance. That doesn’t stop him from making friends with the youngest Twite, Dido.

Continue reading →

Sold – Patricia McCormick

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sold PM I bought Sold from Pilgrims Book House in Kathmandu for my 24 hour journey back home. I started the book in a courtyard café, where we planned to spend the day before catching our flight in the afternoon. I finished it on the first flight that evening.

Sold is simply, but poetically written and extremely absorbing which is why it took me no time at all to read. However, the topics it covers are by no means easy. Twelve year old Lakshmi lives with her mother, baby brother and step father in a small village in Nepal.

It is a simple life with lots of difficulties, but she is much loved by her mother and together, they find joys in the smaller things in life, when they can get it. Continue reading →

The Wolves of Willoughby Chase – Joan Aiken

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the wolves of willoughby chaseI was ill a few weeks ago and couldn’t concentrate on my current book, so picked up this old favourite of mine from my childhood instead.

The Wolves of Willoughby Chase is packed with all of the right ingredients to make a smashing children’s adventure. When Sir Willoughby and his wife leave for a long trip abroad, they arrange for their daughter and niece to be looked after by a distant relative, the perfectly named Miss Slighcarp. With a name like that, it’s no surprise when the stern governess turns out to be a villainous and scheming woman with a plot to steal all of Sir Willoughby’s money. The two girls, Bonnie and Sylvia suffer much cruelty at the hands of their ghastly governess and later in a nearby orphanage workhouse. However, the girls are resourceful and with the help of Simon, a goose boy who lives in the woods, they plan their escape.  Continue reading →

The Music Room – William Fiennes

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The Music Room

When I was younger, I remember wishing desperately that I lived in a castle like Cassandra from I Capture the Castle. All those wishes flooded back to me when I read The Music Room. Although very different from the dreamy diary of a teenage girl, this book still made me think about how wonderful it would have been to grow up in a seven hundred year old moated castle.

Fiennes’ memoir is a gentle reflection of life growing up in a castle, with the odd disturbances from an older brother who suffers from severe epilepsy. Continue reading →

The History of Love – Nicole Krauss

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The History of Love

I won this book in a competition – Thanks Ragdoll Books! (Make sure you check out her blog, it’s great!) When Jennifer at Ragdoll Books wrote that The History of Love was up there with her favourite books of the year – if not all time, I was very excited to get a copy! You can read her review here.

But was Nicole Krauss’ book up there with my favourite books? I’m afraid not. In fact, I found it a bit of a disappointment. I really hate it when I don’t get on with a book that other people absolutely love, especially when the recommendation comes from a trusted someone with good taste in books!

I really wanted to love this book. Unfortunately, from almost the very start, The History of Love was not for me. Continue reading →

The Little Friend – Donna Tartt

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Donna Tartt Little Friend

Donna Tartt’s second novel has been a favourite of mine since I first read it at the age of sixteen. It was a challenge back then, and I do remember struggling through some lengthy chapters. This time round, I didn’t struggle and most certainly didn’t get bored.

Although not as intellectually challenging as the first time round, emotionally The Little Friend was still quite exhausting. This is certainly not a book to pick up if you’re already feeling down. But I have always been drawn to dark and morbid books, so perhaps that is why I liked The Little Friend so much. Continue reading →

Somewhere a Cat is Waiting – Derek Tangye

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Somewhere a Cat is Waiting

Yet again, I have to say a big thank you to the book and cat lover at Literary Relish for introducing me to this book. (You can read her review here).

Somewhere a Cat is Waiting is a gentle book. Everything about it makes the reader feel peaceful and calm. And that is exactly what Derek and his wife Jeannie want from their lives; peace. They move from their busy London jobs to the tranquillity of Minack in Cornwall to grow flowers and enjoy life. Reading this book makes you want to drop everything, buy a cat (and a couple of donkeys) and run off to Cornwall. Continue reading →

Tell Me A Tale – Various Authors

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tell_me_a_tale

Last year I helped Fluster Magazine organise a short story competition. Twenty winning stories were chosen to be published in an anthology by Armida Publications. For about two months, I watched whilst stories upon stories sped into my inbox, and spent countless sunny afternoons reading through them all. Judging the entries was a lot harder than I had anticipated. To me, there were a few very clear winners, but there were many stories that I simply could not choose between!

Helping with the Tell Us A Tale competition was such a privilege and seeing the finished anthology made me swell with pride. All of the hard work and almost impossible choices were worth it in the end!  Continue reading →

North and South – Elizabeth Gaskell

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I loved everything about the BBC adaptation of North and South (especially Richard Armitage as Mr. Thornton!) so I was very eager to read the book by Elizabeth Gaskell. Possibly watching the series first was a mistake, as it definitely made me biased towards certain characters. I believe that I would feel very differently about the book if I had read it first.

Margaret Hale, who has spent much of her life in London is returning to her family home in Helstone. When Gaskell describes the southern hamlet that Margaret loves so much, it sounds like heaven. Unfortunately for Margaret, her stay in Helstone is not to be permanent due to her father, the local pastor, refusing to renew his vows. The family leave behind their peaceful life in Helstone and move to the grimy, dirty and noisy industrial town of Milton, where Mr. Hale plans to become a tutor. Continue reading →