The Book Whisperer

jottings, musings and recommendations of an incurable bookaholic

Who fancies a little nosey at my bookshelves? July 30, 2010

Filed under: Charlotte Bronte,Comfort Reading,Ellen Wood,Joanne Harris,John Fowles,Kate Atkinson,Tracy Chevalier,Wilkie Collins,Yann Martel — The Book Whisperer @ 12:38 pm

Welcome to my crib

I thought I’d take you on a little tour of my lovely books and their homes. I recently bought two new bookscases as Mr Whisperer was getting fed up of seeing toppling piles of books at every corner and books behind books behind books on my creaking shelves. 

Up the stairs and two huge bookshelves greet me at the top

These are the two new ones which had to go at the top of the stairs as there isn’t enough room anywhere else. It’s a good job we have the house on the market as we’re running out of room. This view is coming up the staircase. 

Ta daaaaaa!

And here are the bookcases themselves. I had hours of fun piling, sorting and re-sorting my books onto these. They may look like randomly placed books but believe me, they make perfect sense to me. 

Choices, choices….

These are my two shelves full of books that have been sent to me by publishers and authors that haven’t been read yet. Actually, these photos were taken a couple of weeks ago so there is more to add. I hesitated about including this photo in case publishers think I have enough and don’t send me any more so here’s a little caviat…”There is no such thing as too many books! What doesn’t get read today may well get read tomorrow so keep ‘em coming!” :)  

My review copies.......all screaming for attention!

I heart Richard Parker

Check it! *flicks fingers* 

Ever since reading Life of Pi I have become obsessed with tigers hence my collection of lovelies on top of the two book cases in my office.  

The three bottom shelves on the left-hand case are all books I have on readitswapit.com where I get loads of my books from. I only swap out the ones I don’t want to keep (i.e. haven’t enjoyed, have enjoyed but won’t re-read etc). I have had some great swaps on that site. 

Bookcases in my office & my beloved Richard Parkers!

Books and a Turkish wall-hanging

  This was my original bookcase from when I lived in a one-bedroom flat years ago and didn’t have any more room. Now it lives in the hallway under my gorgeous wall-hanging from Turkey and an orchid from my parents-in-law. 

Bookcase in the hall

Pride of place

Some of my faves on display

These are the books that are in my living room and I expect guests to gasp and coo at (frankly, if they don’t they’re not welcome in my house anyway. Tsk.) These are some of my favourite ever books: classics like Jane Eyre, The Woman in White and East Lynne on there and also some of my faves like The Secret History, The Magus, Wild Swans, Five Quarters of the Orange, Memoirs of a Geisha, Girl with a Pearl Earring etc and others that are just downright good reads like We Need to Talk About Kevin, Behind the Scenes at the Museum, The Time Travelers Wife etc etc.

 

Did you enjoy your tour of Chez Whisperer?

 

 

Book Review: The Whisperer by Donato Carrisi July 29, 2010

Filed under: Authors,Crime/Mystery/Thriller,Donato Carrisi — The Book Whisperer @ 1:05 pm

The Blurb:

“Six buried arms. Six missing girls. A team led by Captain Roche and internationally renowned criminologist Goran Gavila are on the trail of a serial killer whose ferocity seems to have no limits. And he seems to be taunting them, leading them to discover each small corpse in turn; but the clues on the bodies point to several different killers. Roche and Gavila bring in Mila Vasquez, a specialist in cases involving children, and Mila discovers that the real killer is one who has never lifted a finger against the girls – but merely psychologically instructs others to do his work: a ‘subliminal killer’ – the hardest to catch.”

(source: Amazon)

 

What I thought:

I was recommended this book by a bookseller in Waterstones while browsing in the crime section the other week. He told me that it was original and although he prides himself on guessing the culprit pretty early on, he didn’t get this one. Sounds interesting, I thought. Plus, the title is The Whisperer! It must be a sign. Thank you Waterstones man!

The Whisperer  opens with who little boys and their dog finding an arm buried in the woods and the police are called in. When the discover 5 more arms in shallow gaves next to them, the police are sure that they have found the 5 missing girls, all aged between 7 and 13 that have been kidnapped in the last few weeks. They are about to get down to business when one of the team unearths a sixth arm – but only 5 girls have been reported missing.

The investigating  team draft in Mila Vasquez, an expert in finding missing children and  Goran Gavila, a criminologist who helps to profile serial killers for the police. They set off to find their killer but are stumped at every turn when it appears that there is more than one killer at work.

I loved the paciness of this book; there were twists at every corner and just when the team thought they had got their man, they would be proved otherwise. There is some major suspension of disbelief required for this book, but then there is for most crime books – that’s what’s needed for a great page-turning plot. A quote on the front cover of the book asks the question “Is this the most eagerly awaited thriller in the world?” In my opinion, no, but I would still recommend as a damn good crime fic read if you like your twists and turns.

 

 

Book Review: Beatrice and Virgil July 27, 2010

Filed under: Authors,Globe Trotting,Yann Martel — The Book Whisperer @ 9:56 am

The Blurb:

“Fate takes many forms …When Henry receives a letter from an elderly taxidermist, it poses a puzzle that he cannot resist. As he is pulling into the world of this strange and calculating man, Henry becomes increasingly involved with the lives of a donkey and a howler monkey – named Beatrice and Virgil – and the epic journey they undertake together. With all the spirit and orginality that made Life of Pi so treasured, this brilliant new novel takes the reader on a haunting odyssey. On the way, Martel asks profound questions about life and art, truth and deception, responsibility and complicity.”

(source: Amazon)

 

What I thought:

I barely know where to start with this book. I actually finished it over a week ago but wanted to wait a while to collect my thoughts about it and see if they are any clearer after some consideration. They aren’t: I am just as confused.

I was so desperate to get my mitts on this book: Life of Pi is one of my all-time favourites and I have developed a huge crush on tigers since reading the book. When I saw the cover and the blurb for Beatrice and Virgil I was practically cartwheeling round the room in anticipation of my my brand new crush on donkeys and howler monkeys. It’s by Yann Martel. It’s got animals in it. What’s not to love?

I will attempt to describe the plot now: There is an author called Henry who has had two really successful books out and he has just written a third which gets panned by his publishers. In the first 20 pages of this book I learned more about flip books than I ever realised I cared (and am assured that I still don’t). Henry throws his toys out of the pram and moves to another (unamed) city to live off his previous royalties and do things like join an orchestra and a drama group without writing another thing. One day he ets a strange letter from a man also called Henry. The letter contains a chapter of a play that Henry #2 has written and asks Henry #1 for help. Coincidentally, Henry #2 lives in the same city where Henry #1 has just moved to so Henry #1 decides to pay him a visit and finds that Henry #2 lives and works as a taxidermist. The rest of the book flits between the play that Henry #2 has written which is about a donkey called Beatrice and a howler monkey called Virgil who live on a striped shirt, and the two Henry’s meeting to discuss the play.

I have to be honest that if a) I hadn’t loved Life of Pi so much and b) been kindly sent my copy by the publisher for review I’m not sure that I would have wanted to carry on reading after the first 50 pages. I say wouldn’t have wanted to, but even so I probably would have as I felt strangely compelled to keep reading. The play with the animals was a very obvious metaphor for the holocaust and there were times when I felt like I was being beaten over the head with them. The ending too: I can’t decide whether I was being blatantly manipulated or whether Martel has just done a really good job of making me feel what the holocaust was ultimately all about – I was heartbroken at the end, both with the ending of the play and with the Games for Gustav which was a series of “Sophie’s choice”-like questions about what would you do in this situation?

I think that this is possibly the first time I have been so unsure how to score a book. It certainly wasn’t a book I necessarily enjoyed but was it a good book? I really don’t know whether it’s complete trash or absolute genius. Having said that, I do still keep thinking about it.

 

Have you read it? What did you think? I’d love to hear what others thoughts are on this book – it would certainly make a great discussion.

 

Farm Lane Books  had this to say: Overall I found that the whole book made my blood boil with rage.

(my copy of this book was sent to me for review from Canongate – thank you).

 

 

Book Review: Before We Say Goodbye by Gabriella Ambrosio July 25, 2010

Filed under: Authors,Gabriella Ambrosio,Middle East,Uncategorized — The Book Whisperer @ 12:52 pm

The Blurb:

“Jerusalem, 2002. Where one young Palestinian is about to make the greatest sacrifice of all…In the style of the acclaimed TV drama 24, each chapter covers an hour in the day leading up to the suicide bombing. Written in filmic, dramatic language, this is both pacy and thought-provoking and will appeal to young adults and adults alike. It is endorsed by Amnesty International UK as contributing to a better understanding of human rights and the values that underpin them.”

(source: Waterstones.com)

 

What I thought:

Anyone who knows me or knows my blog by now will know how much I love books set in Israel. Having lived there for two years back in the early ’90′s my love for the country, the people and the cultures still has as big a place in my heart as it did back then.

Before I Say Goodbye is the story Jerusalem one rainy morning and those who woke up, each ready to go about their daily routines as they do every morning….

Myriam is an 18 year old Isreali Jew who is still in shock after losing her best friend, Michael, to a suicide bomber only two months ago. She is trying to make sense of the world she lives in and on this day she makes a decision – to choose life.

Dima is an 18 year old Palestinian girl who is top of her class and about to get married. She is also disillusion with life and can see no future for her or her people and she makes a decision – to choose death.

Abraham is an Israeli Jew, married with children and works as a security guard. On this morning he recieves his job from the agency – a post in a local supermarket.

Ghassan is a 23 year old Palestinian expolsives expert. Today he is scouting for a place for his latest recruit (an 18 year old girl) to blow up – he chooses a supermarket.

The book starts at 7am that morning and each short chapter follows each of the characters about their daily business, hour by hour, and discovers their thoughts, feelings and experiences of living in Jerusalem. Not a word is wasted; the narrative is clear, concise and striking. I don’t claim to know much about translating but whatever the original italian was like, translator Alastair mcEwan has done a wonderful job. I felt involved in the story.

What I particularly like about this book is that it doesn’t take sides. There is no bias, no judgement; just a beautifully written account of one of the saddest and oldest conflicts in the world. It’s an important subject, beautifully executed in a way that makes it accessible to everyone. Politics and history aren’t prevalent but human emotion is.

What makes it all the more poignant is that is is based on a true story – one of two girls who died in the same place and were mistaken for sisters.

I highly recommend this book.

(I recieved my copy for review from Waterstones – thank you)

 

 

 

*”There’s been a murder…” July 23, 2010

Filed under: Crime/Mystery/Thriller — The Book Whisperer @ 4:34 pm

The Crime:

*(said in best Taggart voice)

Stepping over the body-shaped white tape in the hotel forecourt, I entered the Crown Hotel in Harrogate donning my “press” badge (yes that did make me giggle) and my camera round my neck I assumed my new identity of Boof, Roving Reporter and mingled with the cream of crime fiction – Val MacDermid, R J Ellory, Reginald Hill, Ian Rankin to name but a few. 

The Theakstons Old Peculiar Crime Writing Festival (the Oscars of the crime fiction world) is Europe’s largest event dedicated to the celebration of crime fiction. Taking place annually over four days each July, the Festival programmes over 70 best-selling UK and international crime authors and over 20 events. This year there were over 8,000 tickets sold and it has now become the biggest crime literature festival in the world. It is also the only crime award where the winner is voted for by the public and this years short-list included two debut authors. 

 Last night was the opening event where the winner of the Theakstons Old Peculiar Crime Novel of the Year Award was crowned. I was invited to go by the lovely ladies at Riot Communications and reported for duty (as Paparazzi Boof) with my mum (Mummy Whisperer) who is also a massive crime fiction fan. Quaffing our welcome glass of champagne (darling) the award ceremony began. 

The Suspects:

The shortlised authors for the Theakstons Old Peculiar Crime Fiction Award were as follows:

·         In the Dark by Mark Billingham (Little, Brown)
·         The Surrogate by Tania Carver (Little, Brown)
·         A Simple Act of Violence by R.J. Ellory (Orion)
·         The Crossing Places by Elly Griffiths (Quercus)
·         Dead Tomorrow by Peter James (Pan Books)
·         Gallows Lane by Brian McGilloway (Pan Macmillan)
·         Doors Open by Ian Rankin (Orion)
·         Child 44 by Tom Rob Smith (Simon & Schuster) 

 

The Pointed finger (or paw) of suspision:

The awards were presented by Mark Lawson, journalist and presenter (who was very funny). Mark told us that in the absence of Paul the Octopus, he had enlisted the help of Mystic Fred (his children’s dog) to predict the winner of the award.   

  
 
 

Mystic Fred hard at work

Feeling the vibes.......yep, this one!

  Mystic Fred chose R J Ellory’s A Simple Act of Violence. But did he get it right? 

  

   The Evidence:

Mark Billingham

Mark was asked about the twists he manages to come up with in his books and claimed that he never pre-plans them, they usually just come to him in the night. 

  
 
 

Tania Carver and Ian Rankin

 Tania Carver is in fact the name of the authors wife, and the husband and wife wrote their debut novel together. The real Tania Carver is currently in hospital so couldn’t attend the event. I really liked the look of their book, The Surrogate, and plan to read it at some point soon.  

Ian Rankin, author of the hugely successful Inspector Rebus series as well as stand-alones, spoke about his book Doors Open by saying that it was like Oceans Eleven but set in Edinburgh. He also said the Scottish Art Gallery are now extremely worried about copy cats! 

 
 
 

R J Ellory

Roger spoke about getting stopped by immigration when trying to enter America after the publication of A Simple Act of Violence (as it’s about the CIA). They were apparantly rather suspicious of his motives for wanting to enter the States. 

Brian McGilloway and Elly Griffiths

Brian McGilloway, despite writing his third novel last year is also a full time teacher in Northern Ireland. He joked that working in a school with 1600 pupils it’s easy to select victims for his book! 

Elly Griffiths is married to an archaeologist and that is what gave her the idea for her debut book The Crossing Places which is claims is as layered as the bones you find in the ground. 

  

Peter James

Peter James, said that the secret to his success was that if readers like his characters then he has to keep them alive. Peter  has now been nominated for this award every year since it started. Is this his lucky year? 

  

Tom Rob Smith

Tom Rob Smith is one of the few writers who have been shortlisted for literary awards as well as just in crime fiction. He said that he likes to write about how a society reacts to crime rather than just the crime itself. 

The Culprit:  

Yay! I won!

And the winner is…….. R J Ellory  

 Mystic Fred was right!!!!!! Who’da thunk? 

Roger Jon Ellory won for his novel A Simple Act of Violence. He is well known for his book A Quiet Belief in Angels which was a Richard and Judy read about 4 years ago and has since been published in 23 languages. Roger said he was taken aback, overwhelmed and profoundly grateful to have won this award. He has been nominated lots of times for awards but never won until now. He said it was nice to be acknowledged for writing something slightly left of centre. 

I spoke to Roger after the ceremony and he couldn’t have been nicer! He signed a copy of his book for my dad (Daddy Whisperer) as he is a huge fan and he has agreed to be interviewed on my blog so keep your eyes pealed for that (I’m very excited!) I am going to read A Simple Act of Violence in the next few weeks first and then ask some questions – if any of you have any burning questions you’d like me to ask or have read any of his books and want to comment please let me know! He also said that he knew my blog – I nearly fell through the floor! I also have an awful feeling that I may have giggled! I have come to the conclusion that he must be thinking of someone else – that can’t be right: do authors actually look at our blogs?  

   

He’s old and he’s peculiar:

  

Reginald Hill

 Reginald Hill won the other award of the evening – the first ever outstanding contribution to crime fiction award. Hill has been writing crime ficiton for 40 years, his first novel A Clubbable Woman having been published in 1970. He is most well know for his Dalziel and Pascoe series but has also had a large number of stand alone books, the latest of which, The Woodcutter, was released yesterday and I plan on reading it. Reginald was very funny in his speach and said that he couldn’t think of a more appropriate award as he is “old” and “peculiar” so who else could they give it to? 

  

The Confession:

Later that evening, doing my Paparazzi Boof  impression (of which I’m crap at by the way – rather than jumping out from behind curtains and sliding along the floor, I was rather more sedate in my approach which was something along the lines of “erm, excuse me, would you mind awfully if I just took your photo?”) I spotted one of my favourite authors, crime or otherwise – Val MacDermid and became a teensy bit star-struck! After hovering for several minutes I eventually tripped over my tongue while gushing that I was a huge fan and I had read all her books. After taking her photo I pucked up the courage to ask if she would do an interview on my blog to which she agreed! Arrrrgggghhhhhhhhh!!!! Val is going to let me interview her about her new Tony Hill and Carol Jordan series book which comes out next year (I know it’s ages away but already I can’t wait!). 

 

Val MacDermid

The verdict:   

What a great night! I really enjoyed my first role as Boof, Roving Reporter. I got to meet some great authors and havesecured interviews with two of them whos books I have read and loved. And not only that, but before it started Mummy Whisperer took me to Betty’s in Harrogate from a cream tea – YUM! 

 Have you read any books by the authors mentioned above? What crime fiction authors or individual books are your favourites?

 

Book Review: The Likeness by Tana French July 19, 2010

Filed under: Authors,Comfort Reading,Crime/Mystery/Thriller,Tana French — The Book Whisperer @ 5:11 pm

The Blurb:

“‘I knew her from somewhere, I’d seen that face a million times before. Then the whole world went silent, frozen, darkness roaring in from the edges and only the girl’s face blazing white at the centre; because it was me, blue-lipped and still, with shadows like dark bruises under my eyes.’

Still traumatised by her brush with a psychopath, Detective Cassie Maddox transfers out of the Murder squad and starts a relationship with fellow detective Sam O’Neill. When he calls her to the scene of his new case, she is shocked to find that the murdered girl is her double. What’s more, her ID shows she is Lexie Madison – the identity Cassie used, years ago, as an undercover detective.

With no leads, no suspects and no clues to Lexie’s real identity, Cassie’s old boss spots the opportunity of a lifetime: send Cassie undercover in her place, to tempt the killer out of hiding to finish the job.”

 

What I thought:

When several people whom I know and like and have similar taste in books to me start raving about a book, it is never long before I make it my mission to get my paws on a copy and that’s exactly what happened with The Likeness. Once I had my squeeky new copy at home, I thought I’d just have a flick through the first few pages and before I knew it I had read all 700 pages in 3 days. It is one of my favourite reads this year!

The story is narrated by Cassie Maddox, a Detective in Dublin’s Domestic Violence Unit. She is called out to the scene of a crime in a derelict cottage in the countryside early one morning where a young lady has been stabbed to death. It doesn’t take Cassie long to work out why she, personally, has been summoned – the dead girl is the spitting image of herself. Not only that, but the girl is ID’d as one Lexie Maddison which is the invented name that Cassie had been given several years ago on an undercover job. The girl, by the looks of all the evidence that is presented to the team, has been living as Lexie Maddison for the last 3 years in Dublin and nobody knows where she came from or who she really is.

Lexie had been living in an old manor house in the village where she was found for just 6 months with 4 of her student friends (one of whom had inherited the house from his deceased uncle). After considerable prersuasion Casssie agrees to become part of a plan to infiltrate the manor house and out the killer. By telling the 4 house-mates that Lexie didn’t die that night, Cassie then spends the next week preparing for her new role by watching videos of the 5 housemates together, learning all about Lexie’s life, mannerisms, and her friends and then she is ready to step into her new life…….

I was on the edge of my seat wondering if Cassie could pull it off and if one of the housemates had anything to do with her death or whether it is someone from Lexie’s unknown past come back to find her, or even someone thinking that they had murdered the original Lexie (from Cassie’s undercover role). One thing is for sure though: the housemates are hiding something.

I just loved this book, I found that I couldn’t and put it down, nor did I want to. Despite the size of the book, I never once felt like it was too long; on the contrary I could have gone on reading for several hundred more. I became like Cassie – so engrossed in Lexie’s life that I felt like I knew the housemates and was living there with them. I love a god thriller, but this felt like more than that to me – it is a pyschoogical thriller and even had shades of The Secret History by Donna Tartt  (which is one of my all-time favourite books) or Red Leaves by Paulina Simons (another great college thriller).

The characters in this book are brilliantly drawn: Detective Frank Mackey (Cassie’s undercover boss) is perfect for his role (and I have heard that French’s next book Faithful Place will be narrated by him which I am excited about) as are the characters of the housemates (posh, lying around listening to classical music and reading 18th century poets for relaxation).

This book has turned out to be one of my absolute favourites of the year so far and I intend to dive into In The Woods (the first book) and Faithful Place very soon. If Tana French grabs my attention in these books as much as she has done in The Likeness then she is on her way to becoming one of my favourite authors!

 

Have you read it yet? Are you going to?

 

 

 

Book Review: The Bed I Made by Lucie Whitehouse July 18, 2010

Filed under: Authors,Lucie Whitehouse,Summer Reads — The Book Whisperer @ 7:20 pm

The Blurb:

“I haven’t given up on you and I’m not going to. It’s time to stop playing hard to get now. When Kate meets a dark, enigmatic man in a Soho bar, she doesn’t hesitate long before going home with him. There is something undeniably attractive about Richard – and irresistibly dangerous, too. Now, after eighteen exhilarating but fraught months, Kate knows she has to finish their relationship and hopes that will be the end of it. But it is only just the beginning. Fleeing London for the wintry Isle of Wight, she is determined to ignore the flood of calls and emails from an increasingly insistent Richard. But what began as a nuisance becomes an ever more threatening game of cat and mouse.”

 

  What I thought:

This book, the 4th offering in The TV Book Club, and the verdict was: great book! I did really enjoy this one, but I’ll be honest – I didn’t love it.

The book is centred around Kate who has left London in a hurry to rent a tiny cottage on The Isle of Wight where only 3 people in the whole world know where she is (her Dad, brother and best friend Helen). It is clear from the beginning that Kate is running away from something or someone and that someone is her boyfriend Richard. The story alternates between now (as Kate tries to rebuild her life on this small and deserted holiday island in the winter) and her meeting and subsequent relationship with Richard in London. We are left with the question of why she ran away? What did Richard do to her?

What I felt the author got right are  the island of The Isle of Wight itself and the loneliness that Kate felt, both in London and surrounded by people and also on the island. Kate’s loneliness was palpable and it was also evident that you can infact feel lonely in a crowded city. The Isle of Wight was as much a character as any other in this book: it was deserted, bleak, foggy, all the ingredients for a great setting for someone who wants to slip under the radar.

What I felt that the author didn’t get quite right was the building of tension towards finding out what Kate was running from. It was pretty obvious that something was going to happen at the end but I did feel that it was dragged out a little too long and that it then ended with a whimper rather than a bang. It felt a little rushed and clichéd to me.

In summary – a good summer read. The TV Book Club panel enjoyed it and so do most of the reviewers on Amazon. It was an enjoyable book – just not one I will particularly remember in a month or two.

 

Has anyone else read this? What did you think?

 

 

 

Book Review: Deceptions by Rebecca Frayn July 15, 2010

Filed under: Authors,Crime/Mystery/Thriller,Rebecca Frayn — The Book Whisperer @ 7:06 pm

The Blurb:

“Julian and Annie have only just announced their forthcoming marriage, when Annie’s twelve-year old son Dan mysteriously fails to come home from school. Despite an extensive police investigation, the days turn into weeks and it is as if he has vanished into thin air. Over the next three years, Annie refuses to give up hope that somewhere her son is alive and will one day return home. Julian, meanwhile, can’t help but yearn for Annie to put the past behind her and move on. Then, out of the blue, a call from Glasgow brings shocking news of Dan’s fate. And far from being over, it seems the mystery of his disappearance is only just beginning…”

 

What I thought:

When I finish a book I sometimes gather together several more books and spread them out in a big fan and ask either the cat or Mr Whisperer to decide what I should read next. With the cat finding what was in her bowl more interesting that my spread of lovelies, I resorted to interupting Mr Whisperer’s DVD and asking him what he was feeling about these particular six. After rolling his eyes to the ceiling before realising that I wasn’t going to go away so he may as well get it over with, he scanned his eyes back and forth, back and forth before pointing at Deceptions. “This one,” he said. “But, I only got this sent in the post today so are you sure?” I replied. “Yep! I’m feeling the vibes. Go with this one.” Alas, he is a wize Mr Whisperer indeed!

Pretty much from page one of this book I was hooked. It is a sparsely and tightly written book with no unecessary padding and the book leaps straight in. The story is narrated by Justin, the fiancé of Annie who is widowed with two children, 12 year old Dan and 8 year old Rachel. Justin and Annie have just become engaged and life is finally settling down for the couple when….bam! Dan doesn’t return home from school. Being narrated by Justin really worked, in my opinion: Dan wasn’t his child, and much as Justin loved Annie and Rachel he hadn’t quite managed to make the relationship with Dan work yet so there is a sort of remoteness and detatchment as we see Annie fall apart through his eyes rather than going through the angst of what the parent must be going through. While time goes on Annie still hasn’t given up hope of Dan being found whereas Julian wants to move on with their lives now and believes that Dan may be dead.

During the course of the book, the reader is made privvy to circumstances that may actually imply that Dan ran away from home, rather than was abducted as Annie thinks. Annie, as would be completely natural I would assume, can’t believe that there would be any reasons that her son would want to leave home and defends his every action, even the fact that since starting the local secondary comp (at her decision – she wanted him to mix with different people and gain experience of other people and culutres) he has fallen in with a dubi0us crowd and his clothes, walk and accent had started to change in recent months.

Half way through this book, Dan’s fate is actually revealed and the rest of the book follows the aftermath of that phone call that Annie recieves out of the blue. I can’t reveal the outcome here as it will spoil the book, but suffice to say that it may be one you’re not expecting.

I read this book in a day; it was very “moorish”. The narrative was so slick in its simplicity that you never feel you are being given information you don’t need but, despite the almost remote feel of it, all the main characters are sufficiently fleshed out that they feel whole and three-dimensional and you want to continue with them to the end of the book and the resolution. 

I would highly recommend this book. Has anyone else read it yet?

You can read Kim from Reading Matters review here. 

 

 

“Please let those be books, please let those be books…” July 14, 2010

Filed under: Uncategorized — The Book Whisperer @ 11:02 am

 Not a pretty sight 

 

 

Me before my morning coffee

This morning I was most rudely awoken at the ungodly hour of 8.15am! Yes, I know – it’s outrageous! When I work from home my alarm goes off at 9am when I literally crawl down the corridor from bedroom to office to log on (through slitted eyes) before making my way down the stairs looking like an extra from Shaun of the Dead for very strong coffee! Anything before 9am on home-days is midnight to me. So, as I was saying , 8.15am arrives and……no, it’s not a dream….somebody really does have the audacity to knock (very loudly) on my front door. Snatching up my dressing gown and slinking down the stairs while grumbling under my breath that this had “better be worth it!”…….I stop. I can see something through the glass. I squint. What looks like a postman carrying a huge brown package is standing at the door. I open the door. What looked like said postman with huge brown package actually is a postman with huge brown package! Holy moly! I look at him and he looks at me and a stupid grin spreads across my face. “Please let those be books, please let those be books, please let those be books…” I chant to myself while snatching it out of his hands.  

   

Christmas has come early!

Ripping open the package, out flies 6 books and a bag from Simon & Schuster. Oh my!  

 

 

 

Big black bag

 

After parading round, cat-walk style, with my bag and telling Mr Whisperer that I will be taking it on holiday to Turkey in September he promptly rolled his eyes and exclaimed that there will be no one to impress on a beach in a Turkish holiday resort as none of them will even know who it is unless the bag says “Primark” on it. Not to be deterred, I replied that in that case I shall have much fun turning my nose up at the un-read riff raff and spend all my holiday judging!

Anyway, I realised then that I haven’t posted for a while about my latest aqcuisitions so that gave me a chance to round up my beauties (while admiring them all the more). 

Review copies

Review copies

Thank you to the following publishers and authors for sending me the above: Simon & Schuster, Orion, Headline, Canongate, Oxford University Classics, Mantle, Mitchell J Kaplan (author) and Hodder & Stroughton:

Pictures of Lily by Paige Toon (one of my fave chicklit authors so very happy!)

Summer of the Bear by Bella Pollen

By Fire, By Water by Mitchell Kaplan

Before I Fall by Lauren Oliver

Captured by Neil Cross

Wicked Games by Sasha Wagstaff

White Woman on a Green Bicycle by Monique Raffey

Bad Day in Blackrock by Kevin Power

Cold Kiss by John Rector

Thank You for The Days by Mark Radcliffe

The Summer House by Marcia Willett

Deceptions by Rebecca Frayn (just read & review coming this week)

Beatrice & Virgil by Yann Martel (Life of Pi is one of my favourite ever books!)

Ghost Light by Joseph O’Connor

The Heart of the Night by Judith Lennox

Serena by Ron Rash

The Legacy by Katherine Webb (just reviewed here. Brilliant book!)

The Wind in the Willows by Kenneth Grahame

The Strain by Guillermo del Torro and Chuck Hogan

 

Books I’ve swapped

These are the books that I have swapped using readitswapit.com:

Someone at a Distance by Dorothy Wipple (Yay! Been wanting this one since I saw it in the Persephone shop)

Fear the Worst by Linwood Barclay (love a good, pacey whodunnit)

Three Cups of Tea by Greg Mortensen

In The Woods by Tana French (I am reading The Likeness right now and loving it! It’s Chasing Bawa’s fault! ;) )

  

Books I couldn’t resist

Well, I had some books to take back to the shop to exchange so technically I didn’t actually even “buy” these but I am just as excited as they are ones that I have either heard great things about from other bloggers or they were calling me from the shelves:

New York by Edward Rutherford (my favourite city!)

The Passage by Justin Cronin (Savidge Reads and Novel Insights fault!)

The Bed I Made by Lucie Whitehouse (already read and review coming this week)

One Moment, One Morning by Sarah Rayner

The City and The City by China Miéville (Farm Lane Books fault!)

Peyton Place by Grace Metalious (Savidge Reads and Novel Insights fault! – Again!)

  

I’m one happy girl! Have you read any of these? Which ones do you recommend I get to sooner?

 

 

 

 

Book Review: The Lagacy by Katherine Webb July 12, 2010

Filed under: Authors,Comfort Reading,Katherine Webb,Summer Reads — The Book Whisperer @ 11:04 am

The Blurb:

“In the depths of a harsh winter, following the death of their grandmother, Erica Calcott and her sister Beth return to Storton Manor, a grand and imposing Wiltshire house where they spent their summer holidays as children. When Erica begins to sort through her grandmother’s belongings, she is flooded with memories of her childhood – and of her cousin, Henry, whose disappearance from the manor tore the family apart. Erica sets out to discover what happened to Henry, so that the past can be laid to rest, and her sister, Beth, might finally find some peace. Gradually, as Erica begins to sift through remnants of the past, a secret family history emerges; one that stretches all the way back to turn-of-the-century America, to a beautiful society heiress and a haunting, savage land. As past and present converge, Erica and Beth must come to terms with two terrible acts of betrayal – and the heart-breaking legacy left behind. THE LEGACY is an unforgettable, deeply satisfying story that will stay with you long after the last page has been turned.”

What I thought:

This book is the third book for discussion on TV Book Club and the show was aired last night. After finishing this book I couldn’t wait to hear what the panel and others thought and I am delighted to report that they all felt the same way as me: they loved it!

The Legacy opens in 1905 with Caroline Calcott, Lady of Stourton Manor in Wiltshire, hurredly leaving the house and making her way through the grounds and into the woods, carrying a white pillowcase over her shoulder which (unbeknown to the maids who watch her in surprise from the window) holds a small child.

The story then fast forwards to the current day and passes to Erica Calcott, Caroline’s Great-Granddaughter. Erica and her sister Beth have come back to Stourton Manor after 23 years of being kept away as their Grandmother, Meredith, has passed away and left them the property in her will. The two sisters haven’t been to the Manor since 1986 when their cousin Henry, who also used to stay at the house with them every summer during their childhood, vanished without trace never to be heard of again. Erica can’t remember what happened on that day and Beth won’t talk about it.

The story then goes further back in time to 1902 when Caroline was still living in New York and falls in love with a young cattle rancher from Oklahoma and once married, makes her way to her new life in the vast open prairies and overwhelming heat. From here, the book alternated between the stories of Caroline and Erica and while we start to put tiny pieces of the puzzle together to find out the fates of both children the pages just turn themselves.

I have read books before with dual narratives and I have often found that I prefer one story to the other, even to the stage where I will skim over the less favoured. Not so with The Legacy. Both stories are so compelling and end on cliff-hangers (of sorts) which makes the book even more pacey and page-turning. In the contemporary story, themes of depression, discovery, nostaligia and deception are dealt with and with Caroline’s turn of the century story there is loneliness, longing, desperation and envy which all built up to an act so impulsive and shocking that its repercussion  imprint themselves on the future generations of the Calcott family, including Erica’s.

Within this book of  long hot summers, secrets and deception there are two mysteries to solve too: the fate of both children. This is what gives the book its tremendous forward momentum. As the pages turn, we get closer and closer to the truth of what happened in both 1905 and 1986 but I have to admit that I was stunned with one of the conclusions. As a huge mystery/thriller fan I like to pride myself on being able to guess “whodunnit” early but……I didn not see this one coming! Don’t get me wrong, this isn’t a thriller book, but the fact that the book steers us towards the truth through the pages means that it is one cracking, fast-paced read.

In summary, The Legacy is a wonderfully crafted, beautifully written, skillfully interwoven book that is perfect for a summer read. I highly recommend and look forward to seeing other reviews of this book.

 

Has anyone else read it? Are you going to?

(this book was sent to me by Orion Publishing – thank you)

 

 

 

Book Blogger Appreciation Week (BBAW) July 7, 2010

Filed under: Uncategorized — The Book Whisperer @ 9:31 pm

 

OK, I’ve bitten the bullet and entered (is it just me or is it a little scary to stick your hand in the air and say “look at my awesome blog!” ?) Ah well, I love books, I love writing about books and I love chatting with all you guys about books so why the hell not!

 

I have entered three categories:

 

 

Best Most Humorous Blog

Can you spot the difference?

Guilty as charged, Mi’ Lord!

I’m Freaking out!

Do you really NEED that book?

Yippppeeeeeeee!!! I’m going on holiday!

 

Best New Blog

Curl up with The Victorians 

Curl up with Enid Blyton 

The Best 11 Book Club Reads……EVER!!!

Can you spot the difference?

Guilty as charged, Mi’ Lord!

 

Best Author Interview

Interview with Leanna Renee Hieber

Interview with Kathryn Stockett 

Interview with Thomas J Rice 

Interview with Susan Abulhawa

Interview with Mary Higgins Clark

Good luck everyone!

 

 

Half Year Review July 7, 2010

Filed under: Authors,Ellen Wood,Jo Nesbo,Susan Fletcher — The Book Whisperer @ 8:48 am
Tags:

Instead of the normal end of month review I have decided to do a half year review this time as I have now been blogging for 6 months so this is a bit of a milestone for me.

  January
1) Invisible I (The Amanda Project) by Stella Larson
2) The Diaries of Adam and Eve by Mark Twain
3) The Cradle Will Fall by Mary Higgins Clark
4) Soulless by Gail Carriger
5) Alice I Have Been by Melanie Benjamin
6) Corrag by Susan Fletcher
7) Shakespeare’s Truth by Rex Richards 

February
8) Mornings in Jenin by Susan Abulhawa
9) The Little Stranger by Sarah Waters
10) All Pets Go To Heaven by Sylvia Browne
 
March
11) The Hanging Valley by Peter Robinson
12) Far From The Land by Thomas J Rice
13) You Belong to Me by Mary Higgins Clark
14) In a Dry Season by Peter Robinson
15) East Lynne by Ellen Wood
16) The Snowman by Jo Nesbo
17) The Victorian Chaise-Longue by Marhganita Laski
18) Let me Call You Sweetheart by Mary Higgins Clark
 
April
19)Blueeyedboy by Joanne Harris
20) A Woman’s Life by Guy de Maupassant
21) Moonlight Becomes You by Mary Higgins Clark
22) Retribution by Jilliane Hoffman
23) Fever of the Bone by Val McDermid
24) Part of the Furniture by Mary Wesley
25) Say Goodbye by Lisa Gardner
 
May
26) The Little Boy Lost by Marghanisa Laski
27) Sunlight on Cold Water by Francoise Sagan
28) North and South by Elizabeth Gaskell
29) The Second Time Around by Mary Higgins Clark
30) The Shadow of Your Smile by Mary Higgins Clark
31) The Land of the Living by Nicci French
32) The Japanese Lover by Rani Manicka
33) Pygmalion by George Bernard Shaw
34) The Camomile Lawn by Mary Wesely
 
June 
35) Day and Night by Anita Diamant
36) Caedmon’s Song by Peter Robinson
37) The Help by Kathryn Stockett
38) Caught by Harlan Coben
39) The Book of Negroes by Lawrence Hill
40) The Weight of Silence by Heather Gudenkauf
41) True Things About Me by Deborah Kay Davies
42) The Weight of Water by Penelope Evans
 

Most looked at book reviews

Mornings in Jenin by Susan Abulhawa

Blueeyedboy by Joanne Harris

The Shopaholic Series by Sophie Kinsella

 

The most looked at Author Interviews  

Gail Carriger (author of Souless, Changeless & Blameless)

Becca Fitzpatrick (author of Hush Hush and Crescendo)

Kathryn Stockett (author of The Help)

 

The most looked at general posts

The Best Book Club Reads EVER!!!

Guilty as charged, Mi’ Lord!

Can you spot the difference?

 

My favourite books in the last 6 months

This was so hard to do! I have read quite a lot of great books so far this year and I have loved them for different reasons. After much deliberation and trying to pick 3 from different genres (literary, classics, crime/thriller) I have come up with the following. All three were amazing and I can highly recommend them all:

Corrag - Susan Fletcher

Corrag by Susan Fletcher

East Lynne - Ellen Wood

East Lynne by Ellen Wood

The Snowman - Jo Nesbo

The Snowman by Jo Nesbo

 

What have beenyour favourite books so far this year?

 

 

Book Review: True Things About Me by Deborah Kay Davies July 6, 2010

Filed under: Uncategorized — The Book Whisperer @ 5:50 am

The Blurb:

“This is the story of a woman brave enough to risk it all. She understands better than most the things that we keep hidden. She comes to learn how the heart is usually stronger than the head. And she cannot help, despite her better instincts, being drawn into a sexually charged and highly volatile relationship. True Things About Me is a brilliantly written novel of survival that reveals simultaneously the strength and vulnerability of one ordinary woman. With great honesty and unexpected humour, Deborah Kay Davies takes us deep into the mind of her unforgettable protagonist and in doing so asks us to consider seriously what we might sacrifice for our desires.”

 

What I thought:

When I first finished this book I wanted to collect my thoughts together as I felt that I had been left with a multitude of feelings about it and I was having trouble gathering them all together. I wrote down everything that came into my head and revisisted it  few days later. Here is what I wrote:

disturbing, humorous, obsession, abuse, non-functioning, care, love, worry, friendship, concern, free-falling, depression, nervous breakdown.

I found this book to be a fast-paced page-turner about a very disturning subject. Although it was disturbing, it is injected with dashes of humour which is why I think it allows the reader to follow the protagonists free-fall into depression and obsession without it teetering on the edge of being too much. The way I interpreted the book was that how it was written meant that it was about the subject of breaking down and spiralling out of control itself, rather than about a paticular person. We don’t get to see too much of the narrators background (we only really know that she works in some sort of claims office and that her parents are middle class and tight-knit). It left me thinking that it could be me or it could be you.

The narrative starts at work in a benefits office where our narrator serves a good looking, tall, blonde man who has just been released from prison. He is waiting for her after work and within minutes he has her up against a wall in an underground carpark. From this point on: the no showing at work, the disgust felt, the tracking him down, the control he has over her is shocking in the sense that you become so concerned about how the hell she ended up in this state. Her friend Alison and her parents are at a loss of what to do to help her and as a reader you are looking to these charaters to bring the protagonist to her senses.

I have thought a lot about this book since reading it (I like it when a book has the power to make you think and deliberate). I can’t say that I liked the subject matter in terms of the book being about abuse and control and depression etc but it is very powreful and very well written and I have to say that I did enjoy reading it. The humour certainly helps lighten the tone and without this it would have been a very different book.

I would love to hear what others think about this book. Has anyone else read it yet? I would be keen to read Davies’ short story collection now too.

(Thank you to Anwen at Riot Communications for my review copy of this book)

 

 

Bonjour mes amis! July 4, 2010

Filed under: Uncategorized — The Book Whisperer @ 7:55 pm
 
Reading heaven

Here’s my plan….

…..I am going to win the lottery and move to France and live in the countryside in an old house with its own pool and library and I am going to wander down to the local village every day for a café au lait and a pain au chocolat and sit at a little table in the square and watch the world go by while listening to the fountain and the bird song in the sun while writing or reading a book.   

Really, I don’t think that’s too much to ask. All I need to do now is buy a lottery ticket and cross my fingers and my master-plan is complete. 

A litte slice of heaven

So I’m back from my week away in the Dordogne and I’ve fallen in love. From the moment I stepped off the plane I felt like I could breathe again and by the time we had to fly back yesterday, Mr Whisperer had to crowbar me off the sunlounger.  

The Dordogne is full of the quaintest little villages with stone buit houses and castles at every turn: every corner rounded was accompanied by “oooh’s” and “ahhhh’s”.   

Rocamadour - a village built into the rock

The village of Belves

We stayed in the tiny hamlet of St Cirq in a private gite with its own pool set in acres of land. We had the whole place to ourselves!   

     

Our gite

Ahhhhhhhhhhhhhh!!!!

 

Pool, pinkies and pages

I managed to read three books during the week which wasn’t bad considering we spent a good half of the week sight-seeing. I read:

True Things About Me by Deborah Kay Davies

The Weight of Water by Penelope Evans

The Bed I Made by Lucie Whitehouse

I will post my reviews over the next week.

Mr Whisperer snapped me having a cheeky 5 minutes with my book while out on a trip

 

I hope you’ve all had good weeks and read some great books. I look forward to popping onto blogs etc over the next week and do some catching up.

 

 
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