The Book Whisperer

jottings, musings and recommendations of an incurable bookaholic

The Gambia in photos May 17, 2012

Filed under: Africa,Animals,Sophie Kinsella,Summer Reads,Uncategorized — The Book Whisperer @ 5:59 pm
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Holiday bliss – reading on the beach

The Gambia in photos

Regular readers of my blog will know that travel is one of my passions (I still have to do part 2 and 3 of my trip to Paris yet – sorry I’ve been off the radar for a while but I will get round to it, I promise). Last month, Mr Whisperer and I went to The Gambia on the west coast of Africa and it was one of my favourite holidays.

What I loved about The Gambia:

1) The people – it’s not nickenamed The Smiling Coast of Africa for no reason – the locals are some of the friendliest people I have ever met. They are happy, smiley, chatty and have a great sense of humour.

2) The weather – hot, hot, hot!

3) The animals – we had monkeys and cats on our patio and huge turtles and lizards elsewhere in our hotel grounds. We also went to a crocodile park and I actually got up close and personal with a crocodile (with nothing between me and it). I was expecting its skin to be like armour but it was actually really soft (although as my horrified sister-in-law pointed out, it’s teeth aren’t!)

4) The culture – we went on an open top jeep tour and among other things we visited a local primary school and watched some lessons in progress and also a fishing village in the early evening when the boats were coming back in with the fish. It was crazy and amazing!

5) The relaxation – beaches, palm trees, friendly locals, sun. What more is there?

A holiday to remember

A regular visitor to our patio (usually when there was peanuts or mangos nearby)

The most insane place – the village of Tanje where they bring in the fish each day

Crazy, insane, wonderful!

Trip to see a local primary shcool

Children hanging around the school in the hope of some sweet – luckily we came prepared

Wall art with books – and lots of them :)

The fruit ladies on the beach touting for business

The lovely Fatima who adopted us as “her” customer

Trip down the Gambia River and through the mangroves

The oyster ladies in the mangroves

Chilling with one of my books on the beach – bliss

Band on the beach

I’m watching you!!!

Hanmade batik’s

Our hotel

  Have you ever been to Africa? Where else do you recommend that I add to my “travel hist-list”?

NB/ The above photos belong to me and may not be used without my permission. Thank you.

 

Thanks for bearing with me May 10, 2012

Filed under: Uncategorized — The Book Whisperer @ 11:55 pm
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Thanks for “bearing” with me while I’ve been AWOL

 

I’ve been a naughty girl. Not only have I been missing in action but I didn’t even post to let you know. My reasonsexcuses are that I’ve been on holiday (to The Gambia – amazing place!) and have been unwell recently and am still having to have some time off work (nothing serious, but enough that I have been a mixture of lazy and no energy to post).

I have so much to catch up on including photos of The Gambia and also 12 book reviews which I promise to get round to very soon.

Upcoming reviews will be:

 

Dead Scared by S J Bolton

I’ve Got Your Number by Sophie Kinsella

You Before Me by Jojo Moyes

A Life Without Limits by Chrissie Wellington

Where Angels Fear to Tread by E M Forster

Blind Fury by Lynda La Plante

The Thread by Victoria Hislop

Gillespie and I by Jane Harris

Split Second by Cath Staincliffe

Into the Darkest Corner by Elizabeth Haynes

Tideline by Penny Hancock

Pure by Andrew Miller

 

Thanks for still hanging around – I really appreciate that there have been so many hits on my blog since I did a runner despite there being no new posts for a month.

 

It’s good to be back! :)

 

 

 

Fancy winning £25.00 to spend at Amazon? April 4, 2012

Filed under: Uncategorized — The Book Whisperer @ 10:45 am
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I have not one but TWO lots of  £25 Amazon vouchers to give away!! Yippeee!

 

These vouchers are  courtesy of the 360 degree feedback provider ETS who do employee surveys to judge how your workmates perceive you (have you ever wondered what your colleagues think of you?)

 

The rules:

-          All you need to do to be in with a chance of winning one of these fabulous prizes is to name a book title with a mood in the  title for example  “The happy XX “ “The sad XXX”.

-           Entries will close a 12.00 midday GMT on 10th April 2012. We will choose the two winners using an online random number generator.

-          1. The competition is open to anyone, regardless of where you live (values will be equivalent to £25.00 sterling)

-          2. You can only enter once. Multiple entries will be deleted.

-          3. Please do not repeat titles already mentioned. If you do, your entry will not be eligible for the draw.

-          4. And please note we can’t accept email or Twitter entries. The only entries accepted are the ones in the comment box below.

Good Luck!

 

 

Books set in Africa? March 31, 2012

Filed under: Africa,Uncategorized — The Book Whisperer @ 10:42 am
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Sun and reading

In a little under two weeks Mr Whisperer and I are off to The Gambia in West Africa for a weeks holiday. I have only ever been to north Africa before now (Morocco and Egypt) and I am so excited about exploring a new country. As we are there for only a week I doubt we will get as much touring done as I would like but I’m sure I can content myself with days round the pool and on the beach with some good books :)

 

This is where you come in

Can anyone recommend any books that I absoloutely must read that are set in Africa?

My Mum has been telling me for years to read Roots as it’s one of her favourite ever books and as it is actually set in The Gambia I think maybe I should. However, is it a holiday read?

I really fancy something like a big fat juicy African saga (I’m not fussed on which country in Africa) that really evokes a sense of place. I have also thought about books like The Poisonwood Bible or Things Fall Apart but what else can you recommend? Has anyone read any Wilbur Smith? I have read most of the Lady Detective series and loved those books (just to give you an idea of what I like).

Books that make me think of this please...

 

 

Bikes, Birds and Books March 29, 2012

Filed under: Uncategorized — The Book Whisperer @ 11:18 pm
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A lovely afternoon spent in the sun on my bike with stops for sandwiches and reading :)

 

Pit stop for some sandwiches and a sit down

Making new friends

More new friends

Quite happily chilling with my book and my new friends....

...until a very friendly dog called Bruce came along and wanted to play and couldn't understand where all the birds had gone ;)

 

Couldn’t have put it better myself! March 16, 2012

Filed under: Uncategorized — The Book Whisperer @ 6:18 pm
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The Mayor of Casterbridge by Thomas Hardy January 17, 2012

Filed under: Uncategorized — The Book Whisperer @ 8:18 pm
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In three words:

Drama, excitement, intruige

What I thought:

When I began this book I have to admit that I didn’t think the three words I’d be using to describe it would be drama, excitement and intrigue . In fact, I really had no intention of reading this book at all any time soon as a friend of mine had to study it in school as a teenager and told me it’s the worst book she’s ever read and that had stayed with me and filed into the “don’t bother” part of my brain. So then, just before Christmas I saw or heard something about this book (I forget where and what) and that it was about a man who sells his wife and baby daughter at a fayre and immediately I thought that sounds intriguing and off I popped to pick up a copy. How glad I am that I did – The Mayor of Casterbridge has turned out to be one of my favourite books! I loved it!

Michael Henchard is a young man of twenty-one and walking the countryside of Dorset with his wife, Susan, and their baby girl, Elizabeth-Jane, looking for work. They decide to rest a while in a small village where there is a fayre and several drinks later, Michael starts loudly asking for bidders to buy his wife. After accepting 5 guineas from a sailor he wakes later to realise that they have actually gone and when he realises what he has done he swears not to drink a drop more of alcohol for another 21 years (as long as he has so far lived). He starts to make enquiries about where the sailor and his family may have gone but nobody knows who he is and Michael is too ashamed of his conduct to search too effectively and he sets off on the road once more, alone.

The story then fast-forwards eighteen years and Michael is now the Mayor of Casterbridge (modelled on Dorchester in Dorset). It’s difficult to say more about what happens next as I really don’t want to give it away – this book is much better read if you know nothing about the characters and what is to come yet as there are plenty of twists and turns along the way. The fuller title for The Mayor of Casterbridge is The Life and Death of a Man of Character, and that is really what this book is based around – Michael Henchard and his fall and rise (and fall again). The main cast of characters is small enough that we really get to know them well and care about them: Susan and Elizabeth-Jane become part of the story again as does a Scottish traveller looking for work, Donald Farfrae and a young lady, Lucetta Templeman, who gets caught up in something that will come back to haunt her in a big way later in the book.

Henchard really is a man of character, as the title suggests, and he is prone to jealousy, impulsiveness and malice but in turn he can be caring, warm and reflective meaning that the reader never hates him, but actually feels for him as he is his own harshest critic. What astounded me was Hardy’s understanding of human nature: time and time again I was amazed that he had managed to get it so spot on; to really make me feel as the characters did and understand why they behaved the way they did.

What I really loved about this book, though, was the drama. This is why I love all the Victorian books I have read so far – they’re like watching a soap-opera. The Mayor of Casterbridge has it all – love, hate, greed, jealousy, deceit and repentence. And watch out for a scene involving a skimmington-ride (what the Victorians – and those before them – used to do to humiliate people, particularly adulterous women or women who beat their husbands which involved a very rowdy and public parade with effigies of the persons concerned being ridden through town on the back of donkeys) which has extremely tragic consequences.

I just had to share this quote with you too as it made me laugh:

“The present room was much humbler, but what struck him about it was the abundance of books lying everywhere. The number and quality made the meagre furniture that supported them seem absurdly disproportionate.”

Sound familiar? ;)

 

I loved the fact that there were pictures too

 

Verdict: I heart Thomas Hardy! This is the second book of his that I have read (the first being Tess) and I now fully intend to gorge myself on the rest this year. Forget your pre-conceptions about dry and dull Victorian literature – this book has it all! A firm favourite now and one I will definitely read again at some point.

 

 

  Have you read this book?

  Which Hardy novel should I read next?

This is the first book I have read for the Victorians Challenge 2012

 

Bookish Gifts January 9, 2012

Filed under: Aldous Huxley,Authors,Classics,Elizabeth Gaskell,Knut Hamsun,The Victorians,Thomas Hardy,Uncategorized,Wilkie Collins — The Book Whisperer @ 8:24 am
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 I must have been a good girl this year

After regulsarly complaining that I don’t get bookish gifts for birthdays or Christmas (people assume that I can’t possibly want more when I already have so many – oh but I do!!!), this year I haven’t done too badly.

From my mum and dad I got a lovely book with short Christmas stories by various different authors (both past and present) and a gorgeous address book with quotes about reading (of which I shall be posting some soon) and also a pack of bookmarks (one can never have too many).

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

From my lovely cousin Sara and her family I got Elizabeth Gaskell’s Wives and Daughters which I have been wanting to read for ages as I loved North and South and her Gothic Tales. I also got a note book and a journey planner which I love as we go away a lot and I can now start planning my reading about the places we go:

I am a member for an online group  in Goodreads (there are 15 of us – 2 Brits, one Australian, one Candian and the rest Amreicans) and we have been really close since getting to know each other on one of the larger groups on Goodreads and setting up our own group aside from that about 4 years ago. Every year we do a Secret Santa where we make a list of 5 books each that we really want and then one of the partners of the group send out who has who so it’s a secret to us all and then we send out our gifts. This year we couldn’t open before Christmas as mine and one other package went missing and we were waiting for them to arrive. My Secret Santee, the wonderful Jen from USA, was so worried that mine hadn’t turned up that she sent me another package (with 2 books in it!) and the very next day the first package turned up so I ended up getting three books off my list! We had the grand unveiling last night where we all go online together and open them and it’s really good fun – everybody ripping open their parcels and posting little comments and refreshing to see what other people have put. My husband rolled his eyes when I told him how much fun it is; maybe you just have to be a book-nerd to understand the excitement ;)

Anyway, the fabulous Jen sent me Hunger by Knut Hamsun, Armadale by Wilkie Collins and Brave New World by Aldous Huxley. I also got a book bag and two bookmarks! I love them all. I have been very spoilt!

And finally…

No Christmas is complete without a little treat for oneself ;)

I have almost finished The Mayor of Casterbridge and it is shaping up to be one of my all-time favourites. And I couldn’t resist the Oscar Wilde Complete Short Fiction for reasons I shall explain when I post about it.

Did Santa visit your house too?

 

The good, the bad and the ugly of 2011 January 2, 2012

Filed under: Uncategorized — The Book Whisperer @ 9:10 am
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Click on pic for link to original post

2011 in review

1. Best Book You Read In 2011

The Snow Child by Eowyn Ivey

 

2. Most Disappointing Book/Book You Wish You Loved More Than You Did

Rupture by Simon Lelic. This wasn’t actually the worst book I read last year, but the one that disappointed me the most as I had read great reviews and I kept on reading to find out what all the fuss was about – I never did find out.

 

3. Most surprising (in a good way!) book of 2011

Homeless Rats by Ahmed Fagih

 

4. Book you recommended to people most in 2011?

Probably still Wolf Totem by Jiang Rong although I didn’t actually read it in 2011. It’s my favoiurite book so I am always recommending it.

5. Best series you discovered in 2011?

Definitely Tess Gerritsen’s Rizzoli & Isles series of books (fab, fab, fab!)

 

6. Favorite new authors you discovered in 2011

Tess Gerritsen, S J Bolton, Karen Rose, Santa Montefiore

7. Best book that was out of your comfort zone or was a new genre for you

2011 was the year of comfort reading for me and I don’t think I have actually read anything from a genre that was unfamiliar to me.

 

8. Most thrilling, unputdownable book in 2011

I’ve already mentioned both Tess Gerritsen and S J Boltons books so I will go for S J Watsons’ Before I Go To Sleep – a definite page-turner.

 

9. Book you most anticipated in 2011

I’ll Walk Alone by Mary Higgins Clark – I always look forward to settling down with a good MHC.

 

10. Favorite cover of a book you read in 2011

 

 

I love all the Oxford University Press book covers.

 

11. Most memorable character in 2011

Either Sarah in Sarah’s Key or Jo in Little Women. I still think about Sarah now and Jo is, well, just Jo.

 

12. Most beautifully written book read in 2011

The Snow Child and also The Sound of a Wild Snail Eating by Elisabeth Bailey

 

13. Book that had the greatest impact on you in 2011

Far to Go by Alison Pick – a time during WW2 that I wasn’t aware of and left a lasting impression on me.

 

14. Book you can’t believe you waited UNTIL 2011 to finally read

Little Women by Louisa May Alcott

15. Favorite Passage/Quote From A Book You Read In 2011

Now I’m being really lazy but I can’t remember which books I did and din’t quote from this year without trawling through every single one so I’m passing on this one.

 

16. Book That You Read In 2011 That Would Be Most Likely To Reread In 2012

I’m not sure I’ll re-read them as soon as 2012 but I like to think that I will read The Snow Child and Little Women again some day

 

17. Book That Had A Scene In It That Had You Reeling And Dying To Talk To Somebody About It? (a WTF moment, an epic revelation, a steamy kiss, etc. etc.) Be careful of spoilers!

The Devotion of Suspect X right at the end! I was dying to have someone to go “OMG!” with!

 

  Book Blogging/Reading Life in 2011

1. New favorite book blog you discovered in 2011?

This is a tough one as I have discovered a few new blogs (new to me) this year but if I am only allowed to pick one then I will say Fleur Fisher in Her World. I found her blog through another favourite of mine (She Reads Novels). Jane is the owner of Fleur Fisher in Her World and not only do we have a lot of books in common I have also picked up some recommendations from her reviews. Another bonus is that her dog, Briar, sometimes posts and I always look forward to those :)

 

2. Favorite review that you wrote in 2011

Probably The Attack by Yasmina Khadra. I lived in Israel for two years back in the early 90′s so any books about Israel / Palestine have a massive impact on me and I get very passionate about. Despite it being my favourite, I only got 2 comments on this post (it seems others don’t share my interest).

 

3. Best discussion you had on your blog

I’ve had lots of great discussions on my posts this year but I have chosen Under The Skin by Michael Faber as I really didn’t enjoy this book and I love the fact that different people have different opinions on a book and that’s what reading’s all about.

 

4. Best moment of book blogging in 2011

Probably when I did my 40 day  book challenge in the run up to my 40th birthday – people told me it was like opening an advent calendar window every day :)

 

5. Most Popular Post This Year On Your Blog (whether it be by comments or views)

The Top Eleven Best Book Group Reads….EVER! This has won hands down for the second year in a row.

 

8. Post You Wished Got A Little More Love

Homeless Rats by Ahmed Fagih as it was such a wonderful book.

 

9. Did you complete any reading challenges or goals that you had set for yourself at the beginning of this year

I didn’t opt for any challenges last year (as I haven’t this year either). I did have a list of about 20 books I really wanted to get round to reading but crossed only two off my list (I did tell you that I’m crap at sticking to plans! ;) )

 

   Looking Ahead…

1. One Book You Didn’t Get To In 2011 But Will Be Your Number 1 Priority in 2012

Gone With the Wind – I’m reading it with my online book club in March

 

2. Book You Are Most Anticipating For 2012

Being published in 2012: Elly Griffiths’ latest book, A Room Full of Bones,  Dead Scared by S J Bolton, Recipe for Love by Katie Fforde, I’ve Got Your Number by Sophie Kinsella

3. One Thing You Hope To Accomplish Or Do In Your Reading/Blogging In 2012?

Just to keep going for another year and see where I am then (and not to feel so pressured to review so much – I do have a life outside of blogging which includes a full-time job…boo!!)

 

  What have been your blogging highlights of 2o11?

 

 

2011 in review for The Book Whisperer January 1, 2012

Filed under: Uncategorized — The Book Whisperer @ 12:07 pm

The WordPress.com stats helper monkeys prepared a 2011 annual report for this blog.

Here’s an excerpt:

The Louvre Museum has 8.5 million visitors per year. This blog was viewed about 160,000 times in 2011. If it were an exhibit at the Louvre Museum, it would take about 7 days for that many people to see it.

Click here to see the complete report.

 

Blogging plans for 2012 December 30, 2011

Filed under: Agatha Christie,Authors,Charles Dickens,Charlotte Bronte,Classics,Cormac McCarthy,Daphne du Maurier,Edith Wharton,Elizabeth Gaskell,France,French,George Orwell,Guy de Maupassant,Jose Saramago,Margaret Atwood,Margaret Mitchell,Mary Elizabeth Braddon,Sarah Waters,The Victorians,Uncategorized,Wilkie Collins — The Book Whisperer @ 2:11 pm
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I have noticed something…

…I am rubbish at making plans. OK, not strictly true – I am great a making plans, just rubbish at sticking to them.

After a very murderous 2011, I have an urge for something a little gentler right now and I plan to raid my own shelves in 2012 and read some of what I actually own. This year I have had the absolute best fun reading about serial killers and detectives and crime fiction was all I craved for a long time: I will still be reading crime fic in 2012 as it is one of my favourite genres but at the moment I am craving books that have been sat on my shelves and whispering my name for years.

So, knowing full well that these best-laid plans will fall by the way-side by around mid January, let’s have a little fun pretending for now:

 

  Plan #1 – The Victorians

I am dying to get back to the Victorian classics and have read Little Women and Oscar Wilde’s Complete Short Fiction over Christmas. These are also some authors that I would like to read more of in the new year.

Charlotte Bronte

Jane Eyre and Villette are two of my favourite books of all time and so this year I’d like to read Shirley.

Thomas Hardy

I have only read Tess of the D’Urbervilles and think it’s about time I read some more. I am thinking The Mayor of Casterbridge and Jude the Obscure first.

Charles Dickens

This Master of the Tome has always been slightly daunting to me (despite me loving Great Expectations and A Christmas Carol) but this year I am determined to read at least one more of his and on my hit list are David Copperfield, Oliver Twist and The Old Curiosity Shop.

Mary Elizabeth Braddon

I absolutely loved Lady Audley’s Secret and have heard great things about Aurora Floyd so that will be next. I just love Victorian sensational novels.

Elizabeth Gaskell

I loved North and South and my cousin bought me a copy of Wives and Daughters for Christmas which I have heard great things about.

Wilkie Collins

I have only read The Woman in White so it is high time I picked up more of Collins’ work and next up are Moonstone and Armadale.

 

 

  Plan #2 – The French

I love reading books set in France or by French authors. At the end of February I am going to Paris for 4 days so I plan to read some Paris-based books before I go to get me in the mood:

Emile Zola

I have only read Thérèse Raquin and I am about ¼ of the way through Germinal but I would also like to read The Belly of Paris or The Ladies Paradise this year.

Victor Hugo

I am thinking about joining in the year-long read-a-long of this book, hosted by Kate at Kate’s Library as I have wanted to read it for years and it does seem like a good way to do this, but like I said, I am crap at sticking to plans so let’s see…

Two other authors I would like to read are Ernest Hemingways’ A Moveable Feast and George Orwell’s Down and Out in Paris and London and some shorter stories by Guy de Maupassant.

 

 

  Plan #3 – Authors I want to read more of

I have a habit that goes like this: I read a book by an author, I love it, I buy a tonne of other books by that same author, they sit on my shelves waiting to be picked up.

So, with that in mind, plan #3 entails taking said books down from said shelves, dusting them off and actually reading them. Authors include:

Edith Wharton

Daphne du Maurier

Margaret Atwood

Sarah Waters

John Steinbeck

Cormack McCarthy

Agatha Christie

Jose Saramago

 

 

  Plan #4 – Authors I want to read for the very first time

I also have a habit of buying books by authors I think I should be reading but never get round to. Yes, I’m looking at you

Doris Lessing

Ernest Hemingway

China Melville

Amoz Oz

 

 

  Plan #5 – Books I have waited to read for far too long

There are certain books that have been on my wishlist for reading for so long that I almost cringe out of guilt when I hear them mentioned. Fortunately, two of them are being read this year in my on-line book club: Gone with the Wind and The Grapes of Wrath. Others that look at me longingly from my shelves are: Shantaram, Shogun and My Antonia.

 

 

  Plan #6 – Review Copies

I successfully managed to avoid the great publisher/blogger debate that was doing the rounds last month, and I still intend to. What I will say is that when an unexpected (or expected) package lands on my doormat I still get that feeling like it’s my birthday and Christmas rolled into one. There is not much more exciting than ripping the packaging off something book-shaped. Having said that, I do regularly get overwhelmed with the number of books that drop through my letterbox and my guilt at not reading them all still hounds me, but this year I have decided that I want to concentrate more on the books I already have rather than spending the majority of my reading time on proof copies. It’s a tough one really as despite the fact that  a) I don’t get the time to read them all and b) abandom some pretty quickly, two of the unsolicited copies that arrived at my house this year (and to be honest, I may not have picked up myself in a shop) ended up on my top 10 of 2011 list.

So, there are my current plans for 2012. This may change. In fact, this probably will change. Afterall, when something new and shiny lands on the doormat, what’s a girl to do? ;)

 

 

  Do you have blogging plans for 2012?

 

 

 

Divergent by Veronica Roth December 19, 2011

Filed under: Authors,Dystopia,Uncategorized,Veronica Roth,Young Adult — The Book Whisperer @ 4:05 pm
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In three words:

Dystopian, violent, bravery

 

 

What I thought:

Up until about a week ago I hadn’t even heard of this book. Then I saw that it had won both Best YA book and Best Book of 2011 on Goodreads as voted by the members. I was curious about this book that hadn’t reached my radar yet and upon reading the reviews discovered that it was being hailed as the new Hunger Games (which is one of my all-time favourite books). A day or so later I happened to be in a bookshop (what are the chances? Okay, I jest, I am almost a permanent fixture in bookshops) and saw a copy of Divergent staring out at me from the shelves and I just had to have it.

Before I comment on my thoughts I will briefly outline the plot for those, like I was, are unfamiliar with it: This is a world sometime in the future and set in a city that I believe was once Chicago (as the now-abandoned Sears Tower is based there). Every person in this city belongs to one of five factions: Abnegation (selflessness), Erudite (learning), Amity (kindness), Candor (honesty) or Dauntless (bravery). Beatrice Prior (or Tris as she becomes known) is a member of Abnegation and the book starts with the day that she and every other 16 year old from all factions undergo a test to see which faction they will belong to from then on: if they chose a faction other than the one that they were born into it means betraying their families and potentially never seeing them again). However, Tris’s test doesn’t turn out quite as she had expected as her results mean that she could choose one of 3 factions. She is told in confidence that this is because she is a Divergent but she must not tell anyone, even her family, as this is an extremely dangerous thing to be. On the day of the choosing ceremony, Tris abandons her family to join the Dauntless faction and that is where the adventure starts.

I thought the idea of this was brilliant and I was excited to find out about the factions and how Tris’s choice to join Dauntless would affect her. However, the more I read the more disillusioned I became: I never felt that I got a proper sense of the city or why it was like that or why the factions had come about and I would have liked to have learnt more. Also, as the book moved along I became more and more frustrated at why each person would only fit into one of the factions; afterall I don’t know anyone who is honest but can’t be kind or intelligent with it or brave but can’t be honest etc. I would expect that the majority of people would fit into more than one category – I certainly would; in fact I think I could fit into all of them (except Dauntless ironically – particularly after reading what they had to go through).

As well as some other minor annoyances, I did have one huge dislike too and that was the violence that went on for chapters and chapters. Each faction had to train its new recruits to pass an initiations (and those who fail are kicked out and become known as factionless and have to live on the streets), and despite knowing that the Dauntless faction was all about bravery, I found most of their training completely over the top and unsavoury to read. Fighting each other until someone passes out, throwing knives at each other, almost killing someone to test their mettle: I accept that some of this may have been necessary to show us what they recruits had to go through but for it to go on for so long and to be so brutal left a really bad taste in my mouth.

I would really have liked to know more about the other factions and how the city came to be like this but we got little information about anything outside the Dauntless compound until the end. Is this just in one city? Are there other cities exactly the same with their own compounds and set of factions? None of that was even addressed, never mind answered. I know this is the first book in a trilogy so maybe some of this will be answered in the future books, but even a little teaser or snippets of info would have been good.

Despite my little rants, I sort of enjoyed this book. I understand that it is the debut novel written by a 23 year old and that has to be commended. I hope that the books become tighter and more polished as the series continues and I am curious enough to want to read them to see what happens.

Verdict: Some major disappointments and it certainly is no Hunger Games (not in my mind at least). Aside from my ramblings though, it is still a fast-paced adventure story and should appeal to the masses.

(Source: I bought this book myself)

 

 

A winner and a big thank you! December 14, 2011

Filed under: Uncategorized — The Book Whisperer @ 11:02 am
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What a lovely bunch…

…of people you all are! Just when I was feeling a little overwhelmed with blogging I got so many messages of support and it really is appreciated. The blog shall remain :)

 

 

A winner

And now on to more important matters: I have a winner from my giveaway. I love to giveaway books and if I was a millionaire I would make it my lifes mission to be a Bookish Santa Claus. I’m not a millionaire however, so I have to make do with the odd givaway here and there. And the winner from my blogoversary giveaway is the very lovely

 

Judith at Leeswames Blog

 

I am really pleased that Judith has won as not only is she one of my favourite bloggers, she is also the mastermind behind the Literary Giveaway that is run a few times a year so instead of giving, now she is receiving. A brand new shiny copy of The Snowman is on its way to you, Judith :)

 

Miracle on Regent Street by Ali Harris December 12, 2011

Filed under: Ali Harris,Authors,Chick Lit,Christmas,Comfort Reading,Uncategorized — The Book Whisperer @ 8:04 am
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In three words:

Vintage, magical, nostalgic

What I thought:

♪ ♫ Jingle bells, jingle bells, jingle all the way…♪ ♫

What a wonderful book to read in the run up to Christmas. I have just been swept away on a tide of vintage clothes, soaps and old-school glamour.

Miracle on Regent Street is about Evie Taylor, the stockroom girl at Hardy’s – a 100 year old department store in London – and despite feeling that her talents should lie on the shop floor, she is completely invisible to anyone else who works there (OK, she’s not exactly invisble as oposed to blending into the background so much that the entire staff still call her Sarah which is the name of her predecessor of two years before). One day, right at the beginning of December, Evie overhears a conversation between the owner of Hardy’s and her manager, and it horrified to realise that if Hardy’s fortunes don’t turn around before Boxing Day they will all be out of jobs. What follows is Evie’s secret attempt to turn the shop around before Christmas, with a little help from some rather unexpected corners – Sam the delivery boy, Lily from the tea-shop who still dresses as though she’s going to a tea dance from the good old days, Felix the security guard and a couple of eastern european cleaners. I loved the whole cast of characters in this book, and despite wanting to shout at Evie for not standing up for herself (I’m not one for keeping my mouth shut if something bugs me at work ;) ), I still found her engaging and routed for her and her friends throughout.

One of the things I loved about this book was the wonderful nostalgic trip through a long-ago age where shop assistants spent time with customers, women were made to feel like women and a trip to the department store was a special treat. The transformation of the store through Evie and her secret elves made me long to be part of that world and I could see this wonderful place so clearly in my mind that I wanted to wander round the stalls and browse through the gold compacts, crystal perfume bottles and vintage peep-toe shoes (and this from someone who is not remotely a girly girl!); I wanted to glide down the huge wooden staircase and pick up the handbags, trilbys and corsets and then pop into the tearoom for tea and cake, red lipstick and stockings firmly in place.

I do love a chicklit book now and then, but I have to say that this is one of the most sophisticated that I have read; it didn’t have the cheesiness or sickliness of some and instead it had old fashioned glamour, romance, wit and warmth and it was a delight to read.

Verdict: If you are looking for a christmassy feel-good read then please, please look no further than this book. It is a real treat.

 

(Source: I received this book for review from Simon & Schuster)

 

 

A blogoversary, a giveaway and a decision December 10, 2011

Filed under: Uncategorized — The Book Whisperer @ 10:50 am
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Today I’m two!

It is exactly two years ago today that made my first foray into the world of book blogging and what a journey it’s been since then. I have have fallen in and out of love with my blog at various points but I love being able to look back and see the record I have made of books I have read, conversations I have had and probably the best thing about it is the friends I have made through doing this – some whom I have been lucky enough to meet in real life and others whom I have loved getting to know via our love of books.

Here are a few stats since my time as The Book Whisperer:

A total of 218,000 hits

Most viewed post of all time is The best 11 BooK Club Reads of all time EVER! followed by my interview with the lovely Kathryn Stocket (author of The Help)

The five most looked at book reviews are: The Snowman by Jo Nesbo, Before I Go To Sleep by S J Watson, Mornings in Jenin by Susan Abulhawa, Mini Shopaholic by Sophie Kinsella and The Legacy by Katherine Webb.

I like looking at the search terms that bring people to my blog too as some of them make me laugh. They are ususally terms along the lines of best book club books etc but I have to wonder how peoole searching for Bali sexy girls and scary forrests ended up on my blog!

  A big thank you

Of course, although I love the fact that this blog is keeping a record of my reading that I can look back on in years to come, I still absoloutely love the fact that you all take the time to stop by and read or comment – it really does make my day when people take the time to comment :)

So, as a big thank you for your continuted support I am doing a little giveaway to celebrate my two years running The Book Whisperer:

All you have to do it click on the “reviews” tab on the blue bar at the top of the page, pick any book that I have reviewed here on this blog (there are about 180 to chose from) and post a comment to say which book you would like to win and why. I will then pick a name using random.org and the winner will receive a brand new shiny edition of that book from The Book Depository or Amazon. This competition is internation and you have until midnight (UK time) on Tuesday 13th December to enter and the winner will be informed on here and also by email the next day.

Good luck!

 

  A decision

Now a confession: Last week I considered giving up my blog. Yep, I did that thing that I think most bloggers do at some point or other – I decided it was too much and that I was going to put The Book Whisperer to bed. Then, a day or so later I got a lovely messgae from someone saying that she had been recommended my blog by a librarian as a great place to look for books to read in book groups and how she loved my blog. I immediately remembered why I love doing this so much again. I think maybe I have been so busy lately with a hugely demanding day job (that rarely turns out to be 9-5pm due to my work load) and when I have some free time sometimes I just want to curl up with my book (or even watch TV!) rather than sit and think carefully about what I want to write in a review. I am currently about 6 books behind in my reviews and that had been stressing me out too. When I got that message it reminded me of all the lovely comments and emails I have had in the past about my blog (and I particularly love it when I review a great book and people post that my review has made them want to read it too!). So….after much deliberation, I have decided to carry on…..

Here’s to the next year! :)

 

 

Cage of Bones by Tania Carver November 16, 2011

Filed under: Uncategorized — The Book Whisperer @ 7:05 am

In three words:

Disappointing, farfetched, pacey

 

 

What I thought:

This was my first foray into husband-and-wife-team Tania Carver’s books, the first two which have somehow passed me by and which I now think I should have read first as I had heard good things about them, only to be somewhat let down by Cage of Bones.

The book opens with a couple of builders making their way into a derilict building and being confronted with a small feral child who has been locked up in a cage made out of human bones. The boy is whisked to hospital and the police called in to investigate who he was and how he ended up here. Around the same time, a young woman who has been working as a prostitute is kidnapped and flees her capter only to then be knocked over by an oncoming car. While these cases my seem unrelated, hints are dropped to the reader that all may not be what it seems.

The above paragraph is not what I had a problem with; I was on board with the boy in the cage and the terrified fleeing woman, but where I had a problem was the other part of the story (which I really can’t go into detail about as it would spoil the book). I don’t have a problem suspending my belief, afterall I read enough crime fiction, but this was almost bordering on the ridiculous. Again this part of the plot on its own may have been belivable but linking it back to the boy in the cage didn’t sit well with me at all.

The other problem I had with this book was the narrative: Most sentences started without using he, she, I, they etc for example “Perhaps they would love his work at the demolition company so much he’d be promoted. Move on up the company until he was top man. Cam smiled. Walked on.” It was like this the whole way through the book and really started to irritate me, especially as all the characters talked in exactly the same way – use pronouns damn you all!!

Verdict: Perhaps I’ve read so much crime fiction lately that I am becoming more aware of what is clever crime writing and what is supermarket fodder (and I am disappointed in myself for even saying that as I am a huge supporter of books sold in supermarkets if it brings books to the masses) but this really did feel like that – it felt amateurish and like I wanted to run a big red pen all through it.

(Source: I received a copy of this book for review from Sphere publishing)

 

  Have you read this book or anything else by Tania Carver? What did you think?

 

We apologise for the interuption… November 1, 2011

Filed under: Uncategorized — The Book Whisperer @ 7:00 am
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Remember this dude?

Normal service will resume shortly

 

*waves hello*

I’ve been a little bit lax lately in blogging terms. After my mammoth 40 day challenge (and believe me, some days it was more of a challenge than others) and the fact that I am crazy busy at work at the moment, my blog has become a little sparse in terms of posts recently. I am behind on reviews (I have about 8 to go up which means getting off my backside and writing them) but I am still reading lots and have some more ideas for posts and challenges coming up so watch this space.

 

 

In the meantime, I’ll leave you to ponder whatever happened to these things too…

 

10p per bar and not a penny wasted

Seriously, whatever happened to white dog poo?

Ba bah ba bah ba bah ba bah.....in the days when you could see 2 films in a row and someone would bring icecream to YOU!

 

The Resurrectionists by Kim Wilkins October 23, 2011

Filed under: Authors,Historical,Horror,Kim Wilkins,Paranormal,Spooky,Uncategorized — The Book Whisperer @ 4:39 pm
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In three words:

Spooky, gothic, graveyard

 

What I thought:

I first heard about this book last year when I was doing my Dare You Read It? series over the Halloween period. It was recommended by Helen at She Reads Novels as a spooky / scary book and as I tend to enjoy the a lot of the same books as Helen I decided to hunt down a copy. I managed to find a second hand copy as the book had actually gone out of print, but it is now available on Kindle via Amazon for anyone who wants to give this a read.

This gothic horror starts with Maisie, an Australian musician with a successful career and loving boyfriend, who is disillusioned with life and decides to go to England to see her maternal Grandmother, Sybil, whom she has never met, who lives in a remote cottage in Yorkshire by the coast. Maisie’s mother is dead set against her going and then confesses that her Grandmother actually died 3 months ago which makes Maisie even more determined to go, to find out about where Sybil lived and what she was like.

When she arrives in Solgreve, Yorkshire in the winter, Maisie soon discovers that not only was her Grandmother not at all liked but that, apparently, neither is she. A wall of silence and unfriendlyness greets Maisie in the little village (including a very cold introduction from the village Vicar) so Maisie sets about trying to clear Sybils cottage and discover what she can about her past. The only person that is remotely nice to her is a young man called Sasha (who is part gypsy and used to help Sybil in her garden) whom she meets when he brings Sybils old cat back round.

It’s not long before things begin to go bump in the night in this remote little cottage. Maisie is unnerved by the cat who takes up the same post on top of the washing machine every night to stare out, unblinking into the night, but not so much as when she sees a shadowy figure by the trees at the back of the cottage that is staring straight back at her.

Maisie soon discovers a diary dating back to 1793 that, upon reading it, starts to give her clues to what is going on and what makes the inhabitants of the village of Solgreve behave the way they do.

This book is choc full of chills, thrills and surprises. There was one particular point when Maisie and a friend are alone in the cottage one night when things take a horrifying turn, that literally had me on the edge of my seat. Yes, there were parts of the book where I really had to suspend my disbelief (but then this is horror fiction) but overall it was a great October read and perfect for the RIP challenge.

Verdict: Fans of gothic, horror and suspense are sure to like this book. Don’t expect a literary masterpiece but if it’s thrills and chills you’re after then look no further.

 

I read this book as part of the RIP Challenge

 

Literary Giveaway Blog Hop October 15, 2011

Filed under: Uncategorized — The Book Whisperer @ 4:00 am

Literary Giveaway Blog Hop

It’s time for another literary giveaway blog hop courtesty of Judith at Leeswammes’ Blog. This time there are over 50 book bloggers joining in which means…..even more chances to win something! :)

I’m going to go with a spooky theme this time, what with it being October and the nights drawing in. So, have a little peruse of the books below and then follow:

THE RULES

Please pick ONE book from this list and all you need to do to enter is to comment and tell me which book you have chosen and why you want to read it. How simple is that? Once the competition closes on 19th October I will pick one winner using random.org and I will send you a brand new copy of the book you have chosen using either Amazon or The Book Depository.

Book #1

“Chilling, thrilling, mysterious and very dramatic! A mysterious figure, a woman in white, appears out of nowhere on a London street at midnight – she is running away from someone or something. The only person she meets on that lonely road is Walter Hartright, an Art teacher, and little does he know it but he is about to have his life tured upside down. Mysterious letters, ghostly figures by gravesides, kidnapping and poison all follow through the next 700 pages and not a word is wasted! Narrated by several different characters, all portraying their their own experiences, the reader sees the story unfolding before them.”

 

Book #2

“Spooky goings on and things that go bump in the night at a crumbling old manor house in 1940′s rural England. Dr Farrady  finds explanations for them all, but is there really something more sinister going on in the house or maybe even a member of the household is going slightly mad? You decide.”

 

Book #3

“Throw a huge cemetery, a cold & wintery London, bizzare mirror twins, a ferrel kitten and a recntly dead Aunt into a pot together and the result is a wonderfully quirky, melancholoy, spooky book. Some great surprises in this book and I have to admit that I never saw what happened in the last 50 pages coming at all! It is ultimately a book about love, loss and betrayal with a gothic backdrop of ghosts, cemetaries and enough twists and turns that you never feel completley comfortable.”

 

Now you have chosen your book, pop over to all the other blogs and get entering there too! Good luck!

 

 

And the winner is…. October 12, 2011

Filed under: Crime/Mystery/Thriller,Joanne Harris,Uncategorized — The Book Whisperer @ 6:35 pm
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Thank you to all who dropped by to wish me a Happy Birthday after my mammoth (and trust me, it felt like it) 40 day challenge. There were days when I wondered why I’d commited myself to posting every day but I got so many lovely comments and someone even said it was like opening a new door on an advent calendar every day which really made me smile :)

Anyway, on the final day of my challenege I offered the chance for one person to win their choice of any of the books that I had read and posted about in the previous 40 days (and there were lots to chose from). So, after using random.org I now have a winner….

(drum roll please)

Sabrina

Sabrina blogs at Thinking About Loud and she has chosen Gentlemen and Players by Joanne Harris. It’s a fantastic book, and I hope you enjoy it Sabrina :)

 

 

Day 40 – Win one of my favourite books! October 9, 2011

Filed under: Uncategorized — The Book Whisperer @ 12:24 pm
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♫ ♪Happy Birthday to Me, Happy Birthday to Meeeeeeeee ♪ ♫…..

Well, this is it! I am now officially old! The BIG FOUR-OH has come knocking at my door and I have shuffled over to let it in. Only kidding! (not about being 40, but about the shuffling bit). Age is a state of mind and I still feel 17 (and still act it sometimes too ;) )

My orginal challenge for today was to pick a favourite book about a celebration but I have changed my mind and I’m feeling very generous today so instead I am going to give away one of the books that I have mentioned in this series of post.

 

The Rules

All you have to do is leave a comment below saying which book you would like to receive and why and I will enter you into the draw. I will pick the winner using random.org on Wednesday 12th October at 6pm GMT so you have 3 days to enter. Here is a link to all my 40 posts so happy deciding.

 

Good luck!

 

 

Day 32 – A book that has been on my shelf unread for more than 5 years October 1, 2011

Filed under: Margaret Mitchell,Uncategorized — The Book Whisperer @ 10:17 am
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Frankly my dear, this has been on my shelf far too long….

It has been in my home for years. I want to read it. I really want to read it. So why haven’t I?

Has anyone out there read this and can offer a compelling argument as to why this should be one of my next reads? What is stopping me picking it up? (Or could it have a little something to do with the fact that there are several hundred other books in the same predicament on my shelves too? – Damn those new shiny things that keep dropping through my letterbox!)

 

Homeless Rats by Ahmed Fagih = wonderful book September 29, 2011

Filed under: Ahmed Fagih,Authors,Globe Trotting,Uncategorized — The Book Whisperer @ 3:06 pm
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In three words:

Desert, hunger, battle

 

I read this book some months ago now: I was sent it for review in advance of the publication date and only intended to flick through the first few pages and before I knew it I was ripping through the book, not wanting to put it down. I actually started it on a boiling hot day (yes, unusual for the UK which is precisely why I had set up camp in the back garden) and as I read the first sentence I almost felt I was there in the desert.

Anyone who knows my blog will know that I am a sucker for books with animals in them or narrated by animals (see yesterdays post). The fact that I often have problems reading books narrated by children never seems to transcend to books narrated by a rat or a pig or a dog. Don’t be put off though, only the odd chapter is narrated by (in this case) a jerboa rat, an ant or a spiny-taled lizzard and it’s done in such a way feels necessary for the book and also gives us another angle in which to view the humans whom tell us the rest of the tale.

Homeless Rats is about a group of Bedouins in southern Libya who set off in a large convoy to a place in the desert further north where they are assured of bountious barley that they can eat and sell in the markets. Their home village of Mizda has suffered such drought that they have no option but to move on. Once they arrive in J    they are grief-stricken by the fact that all the barley ears have been taken already. Hungry and knowing they don’t have enough food to go on another journey they weigh up their options. Just as all seems lost, a young boy finds a stash of barley underground in a Jerboa’s home and then all becomes clear – the dessert rats have harvested all the barley ears for themselves to see them through the winter. Thus begins a battle between man and animal.

This book is really clever in making me see both sides equally and feeling empathy for both animal and human. At first I felt sympathy for the animals who had had their homes destroyed by humans and their food stolen. When all the dessert animal kingdom come together to discuss their lost homes and families and what to do next, I was upset with them as they watched everything they knew fall away from them. Once we switch back to the humans, who are literally desperate at one point as they have no food to stay and no food to go on their way, I realised that it was all about survival. It was easy for me to sit in judgement about these people coming and destroying the animal kingdom but they were starving and they were doing what was necessary to survive.

Verdict – Homeless Rats had shades of Watership Down in the desert. I adored this book and highly recommend.

Look how cute I am!

 

(Source: I received my copy of this book for review from Quartet Books)

 

 

Day 29 – A favourite book with animals in it September 28, 2011

Filed under: Ahmed Fagih,Anna Sewell,Authors,Biography / Memoirs,Carolyn Parkhurst,Comfort Reading,Emma Donoghue,Eva Hornung,Fannie Flagg,Garth Stein,George Orwell,James Herriot,Jiang Rong,Sara Gruen,Tear-jerkers,Uncategorized,Yann Martel — The Book Whisperer @ 7:45 am
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Oh but they do talk, James….

This is THEEEE most difficult challenge day yet.  I am a huge animal-lover and I have a real soft spot for books with them, about them or narrated by them. Funnily enough, if a book is supposed to be narrated by a child, unless it is really well done – e.g. ROOM – then they generally make me cringe. However, a book narrated by a dog……well! That’s differnt. It cvan be heartwarming or pure comedy gold.

After umming and ahhhing for ages which book to pick (I don’t want to offend said animals who didn’t quite make it, you see) I have decided to include twelve books today. Yes, TWELVE!

So, in no particular order:

Animal Farm by George Orwell

I read it in one evening and even skipped dinner for this book. I cried my way through half of it and I still think about those animals now. Boxer broke my heart (if you’ve read it you’ll know what I mean :( ).

The Dogs of Babel by Carolyn Parkhurst

This book is actually called Lorelei’s Secret in the UK, but I bought it when I was in NYC on a long weekend about 6 or 7 years ago and read it on the flight home. A man’s wife dies by falling out of an apple tree and the only witness is the couple’s dog, Lorelei, so he tries to teach her to speak to that she can tell him what happened. Loved it.

Life of Pi by Yann Martel

You all know what I think about this book. I fell in love with Richard Parker the bengal tiger. Still love him now.

Wolf Totem by Jiang Rong

My all-time favourite book, and not just because there are animals in it but it’s all the better for them being there. Wolves, horses, foxes, they’re all in there. And if the baby wolf cub doesn’t break your heart, I think it’s possible you may not be human. Sigh.

Water For Elephants by Sara Gruen

Yes, the rather sexy R-Patz stars in the recent movie (always a bonus) but before even he came along, I fell in love with Rosie the elephant and Queenie the dog in this book. Superb book.

A Redbird Christmas by Fannie Flagg

Read this on a plane to Norway one Christmas and it melted my heart. A little girl, Patsy, lives on a trailer site near a little town in Alabama and becomes befriended by some of the residents. She makes friend with a redbird called Jack who becomes her bestfriend. Truly heartwarming.

Black Beauty by Anna Sewell

I didn’t read this book as a child. In fact I read it for the first time two years ago. Black Beauty is a lovley natured horse who has a great life but his owners are forced to sell him and he starts a life of hardship and cruelty. But even among this there are kind, gentle people who want to help him and of course he makes lots of horsey friends. Lovely.

Dog Boy by Eva Hornung

I just loved this book and can’t understand why it’s not better known. In freezing, communist Moscow and 4 year old Ramochka is fending for himself on the streets when he follows a stray dog to its den and becomes one of their pack. This book is all about the bond between human and animal and it affected me so profoundly that I bawled my eyes out. Fantastic book.

The Art of Racing in the Rain by Garth Stein

Enzo is the most loyal and lovable dog in the world and he tells us the story of his family through his eyes. Cry much?

Homeless Rats by Ahmed Fagih

I will be reviewing this book tommorow so keep a look out for it.

If Only They Could Talk by Jame Herriott

And finally, if I absolutely HAD to pick one then the prize would go to the James Herriot series. I have only read the first two out of my boxset and I love knowing that I have all the rest to come. James Herriot is a vet in the Yorkshire Dales and his books are laugh-out-loud funny. James tried to fit into the town of hardened Yorkshire farmers and animals with minds of their own. My fabourite characters were Mrs Pumphrey and her dog Tricki Woo had me bent over double, crying with laughter!

  Do you like books with animals? Which other ones can you recommend to me?

 

Day 28 – A book I loved that nobody else did September 27, 2011

Filed under: Historical,Uncategorized,Valerie Martion — The Book Whisperer @ 7:14 am
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Housekeeping…

Strictly speaking, this can’t be a book that nobody else loved as it won the Orange prize in 2003 but the reason I have picked it is that when we read it at my old book club when it first won, out of the twenty or so members I was the only one who liked this book.

Property is set in the USA deep south in the mid 1800′s and Manon is the wife of an adulterous slave owner which leads to very sad consequences. Despite the subject matter, I found this book a gripping read and I loved the voice of Manon (who had moments of sarcasm which really appealed to my sense of humour). I can’t really remember much more about this book as it is 8 years since I read it but I do remember being really surprised by everyone in my groups reaction.

 

  Have you ever loved a book and been surprised by other peoples negative reaction?

 

 

Day 27 – A book I love that deserves to be better known September 26, 2011

Filed under: Authors,Comfort Reading,Historical,Susan Fletcher,Tear-jerkers,Uncategorized — The Book Whisperer @ 7:30 am
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 Bewitching…

Although I can think of lots of books that I wish more people would read, this challenge was quite an easy one for me as I can’t understand why more people don’t read this book. When I read it in January 2010 it instantly became a favourite and I passed it on to my mum who read it, fell in love with it and has read it again since: in fact it is now her all-time favourite book (and she is as much as a reader and book-lover as I am).

The book I am referring to is called Witch Light, although when I read it in hardback it was called Corrag. Here is my review from back then:

“Rarely does a book bewitch (pardon the pun) and mesmorise me quite so much as this one. It is truly one of the most beautiful and lyrical books I have ever read.

The story is narrated by Corrag, a 16 year old girl who is awaiting being burned at the stake for being a witch in 17th century Scotland. Corrag is visited in jail by Charles Leslie, an Irish Jacobite who wants to prove that the recent massacre in Glencoe was the work of the soldiers under William of Orange. Corrag is English and has run away “north and west” at the command of her mother who is about to be hung for also being a witch. Corrag takes the old and beaten horse of a cruel neighbour, a grey mare who becomes her best and only friend, and spends the next year living off the land and making her way north-west where she arrives in Glencoe. At first the clan is wary of her, but over time they welcome her into the fold although she still lives in her self-made little hut on the moor.

What is magical about this book is Corrage’s voice. She lives, breathes and dreams nature and the land around her. Every tiny thing is spoken of with such love and passion and she notices everything – a dew drop on a leaf, the changing colours of the rocks through the day, the silver sand as the grey mare gallops over beaches in the moonlight. The way she narrates is lyrical and equistite and the world she inhabits makes you feel like you can breathe again. Despite her life so far and her hardships, she has such a capacity for love and kindness for eveyone she meets.

Through her visits from Charles Leslie, Corrag tells her life story from her birth through to the night her friends were slain in a Scottish valley during a blizzard. Each person is wary of the other at the beginning – Leslie returns daily as he is waiting for details on who was behind the massacre (believing it to be the new King) and Corrag is determined that her life will not be forgotten. After several weeks they find a strange comfort in each other and a friendship is born. Corrag has found companionship in her final days and Leslie learns to see whe world through fresh eyes.

I honestly just loved this book. It has now become a firm favourite and I am sorry it has ended. I have never read any of Susan Fletchers other two books but I will now be seeking them out.

Highly, highly recommended!”

I really, really hope that I have persuaded you to read this book – I can’t rave about it enough.

 

  What book do you think we should all be reading?

 

 

Day 26 – A favourite science-fiction book September 25, 2011

Filed under: Authors,John Wyndham,SciFi / Fantasy,Uncategorized — The Book Whisperer @ 11:29 am
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One flew over…

I don’t read much science-fiction at all; it seems to be one of the few genres that I seem to avoid despite having really enjoyed the ones I have read. For that reason, for this challenge I didn’t have much to pick from so it made my job a bit easier. That said, the one I have picked I absolutely LOVED!

The Midwich Cuckoos by John Wyndham (author of The Day of The Triffids) starts as a normal day in a little English village until a bubble forms around the village that makes every single resident fall asleep. When they awake they are unaware of anything that is happened….that is until they discover that every girl or woman of child-bearing age is pregnant! The children of Midwich are the focus of the story as not only do they all look alike and only appear to want to be together and woe betide anyone who crosses them.

 

  Have you read anything by Wyndham? Which other authors might I enjoy?

 

 

Day 25 – A favourite chicklit book September 24, 2011

Filed under: Chick Lit,Christina Jones,Comfort Reading,Laugh Out Loud,Uncategorized — The Book Whisperer @ 10:42 am
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It’s party time!

I do love to read chicklit from time to time – it’s my my way of comforting and soothing the soul or refreshing the palate between heavier reads. Shopping, handbags, office romances, holidays in the sun, I’m not fussy so long as it cheers me up and leaves me with a smile on my face.

I have spoken before about my favourite authors in this genre and Sophie Kinsella and Katie Fforde are my top two but I also really enjoy Jane Fallon, Paige Toon, Jane Green and Adele Parks to name a few more. The book I have chosen to go with, though, is by Christina Jones who is an author I haven’t mentioned on my blog before. Not only did I absolutely adore this book, but it’s also called Happy Birthday (and afterall this is my birthday challenge :) ).

Happy Birthday host a wonderfully quirky cast an quaint English villages with funny names. The story centres on Phoebe, a list-making, highly-oragnised, horoscope reading hairdresser who turned up for her immaculately planned wedding to discover that the groom hasn’t. As Phoebe tries to come to terms with what’s happened and carry on alone, she has to put up with the return of Rocky, her noisy, bad-tempered neighbour as well. Then she meets Essie, a glamorous pensioner who dabbles in something called Happy Birthday magic and that’s when things take a turn…

Happy Birthday  is a wonderful, magical read. I adored all the characters and there is such humour and comedy moments that I laughed out loud in places. Loved, loved, loved it.

  Do you like chicklit books? Which books or authors would you recommend?

 

 

I’m on Facebook! September 21, 2011

Filed under: Uncategorized — The Book Whisperer @ 11:31 am
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Earlier this year, I finally dragged myself into the 21st century (after much nagging from family and friends about my absense) and joined Facebook.

Now I’ve gone one step further and have set up a page for The Book Whisperer (I know – get me!)

So, please stop by and “like” my page and chat etc – would love to see you all there :)

 

Link to my page

 

 

Day 22 – A book I hope to get for my birthday September 21, 2011

Filed under: Uncategorized — The Book Whisperer @ 7:35 am
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Wot, no books?…

OK, there are two problems here:

1) I hardly EVER get books for my birthday or for Christmas (family and friends seem to be under the impression I have too many already – tsk! There’s no such thing!)

2) If I really want a book I will generally buy it / borrow it or be sent it by the publishers if they know I like that author/genre

That may sound like a good enough reason for me not to get books as gifts, but let me tell you – I waaaaaaant them!!!!!

Don’t get me wrong, I can see why people would think that it’s a waste of a gift, but seriously – I have an aholism! Bookaholism! I neeeeeeeeeeeeeeed them books and I need ‘em now!

To answer my own question though I’m not actually sure which book I would like to be bought – I suppose a really beautiful edition of one of my favourites, or books signed by authors I always love too. Or I would love to be given a book by somebody who loved it themselves and wants to give me a copy because it means something to them. Frankly, if I were to be given a book that had come from a second hand shop and that cost 20p I would be over the moon – if somebody had thought about me when buying it then that’s a special book in my eyes. Oh, and book tokens…..can you just imagine spending a couple of hours in a huge bookshop, browing, stopping for coffee, browsing some more. HEAVEN!!!

On the other hand, if a member of my family were to win the lottery then I wouldn’t just be asking for books, I’d be asking for a new house with its own library. Any of the below will do, I’m not overly fussy ;)

 

  Do you get books as presents? Which has been your favourite bookish gift?

 

 

 
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