The Book Whisperer

jottings, musings and recommendations of an incurable bookaholic

Me Before You by Jojo Moyes May 21, 2012

Filed under: Chick Lit,Jojo Moyes,Laugh Out Loud,Tear-jerkers — The Book Whisperer @ 7:28 am
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In three words:

Beautiful, funny, heart-breaking

What I thought:

Many years ago I read a book called The Ship of Brides by Jojo Moyes and I loved it. Why then has it taken me this long to pick another of her books up? If I loved Ship of Brides then I ADORED this!

Me Before You stars a young, eccentricly dressed young woman called Lou Clark who has lost her job at the local cafe and has to make a choice about her next job betweenworking in a chicken factory or being a carer to a disabled man. At the time, neither seem appealing but Lou opts for the role of carer which is where she meets Will Trayor. Will is in his mid thirties and up until his accident he was a high-flying, adrenaline-junkie, career-minded business man with a great appartment in London and a gorgeous girlfriend. Since the accident which left Will quadriplegic, he is now living with, and being cared for by, his parents and hating every second of it. The first meeting between Lou and Will is anything but comfortable and Lou begins to wonder what she has let herself in for. Before long though, Lou has decided to try to make Will’s life a happy one again and show him that it might just be worth living afterall.

What is amazing about this book is that despite dealing with a serious subject matter such as the right to die, Me Beofre You is infused with humour and comic relief that had me howling at parts. Believe me, the humour is needed and Will is one of the funniest characters I have read for a while. Moyes never sugar-coats Will’s condition and this and his sarcastic sense of humour are what makes him so human

Now a warning: Do not read this book in public! I am not kidding when I say that I sobbed my way through the last 50 or so pages, and from reading other reviews I am not alone. You would have to have a heart of stone not to be moved by this book.

Verdict: Highly, highly recommended. I was so invested in this small cast of characters that I felt as though I had lost friends when I finished this book. The growing friendship between Lou and Will is one of the most touching and heart-breaking I have ever read and I found myself willing them on at every turn of the page:  I still find myself thinking about them now.

 

  Have you read this book or anything else by Jojo Moyes? What did you think?

 

 

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.

 

A Life Without Limits by Chrissie Wellington May 16, 2012

Filed under: Biography / Memoirs,Chrissie Wellington,Sport — The Book Whisperer @ 7:58 am
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In three words:

Inspirational, passionate, engaging

 

 

What I thought:

I admit – I had never heard of Chrissie Wellington. I am a recent conver to cycling and swimming in particular and I kept coming across this book so I was intrigued to find out why so many glowing reviews.

Chrissie Wellington is an extraordinary woman – she never started out life wanting to be a sportswoman, despite being a member of the local swimming club. What is aparant from her early life, though, is her passion and dedication to everything she cares about: Chrissie does nothing at half measures and sets out to win at pretty much everything she does (academic, career or sport). Not only that, but Chrissie came to this sport late – not even competing in her first race until she was in her 30′s.

What is fantastic about this book is that it grips you from the beginning and doesn’t let you go. Chrissie takes the reader through her younger life and early career to show us how she came to be the winner of so many Ironman triathlons. Her early travels and career which took her all over the world, pretty much, were just as intersting to me as the “sports bits” as it really shows us the sort of person that she is. Cycling with friends though Nepal was also a grounding for her future career in competing triathlons and I loved hearing about the rides and adventures she went on there as well as New Zealand, Argentina and so many other places. Chrissie’s passion for the charities she worked for shone through too and I am sure it is this dogged determination that has seen her win so many races since.

Verdict: Whether you are a lover of sport or not, I would highly recommend this book. It is engaging, interesting, passionate and a gripping read. And even if you haven’t even got on a bike in the last 20 years (like I hadn’t until recently) I guarantee you’ll be wanting to enter an Ironman after reading this…

 

  What do you think about sports biographies? Have you read any others that you can recommend?

 

 

Dead Scared by S J Bolton May 13, 2012

Filed under: Authors,Crime/Mystery/Thriller,S J Bolton — The Book Whisperer @ 9:34 pm
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In three words:

Cambridge, nightmares, scared

 

 

What I thought:

Just over a year ago I discovered S J Bolton’s books, starting with Sacrife which I absolutely loved. Since then I have gone on to read three more of her books and this latest book is every bit as good as all the others.

Dead Scared is the second book featuring Detectives Lacey Flint and Mark Joesbury and this time they are in Cambridge investigating an unusually high number of student suicides at the University over the last 5 years. Lacey is sent undercover to live as student Laura Farrow at the Universtity and only days into her “new life” she discovers that the suicides aren’t quite what they first seem. The students, usually female and pretty, are killing themselves in increasingly violent ways after complaing of nightmares and being terrified for weeks  beforehand. Lacey/Laura delves deeper into the lives and histories of the student deaths with the help of University Psychiatrist Evi Oliver (who is apparantly a character from Blood Harvest which is the only obe of Boltons books that I haven’t read yet – to be rectified VERY soon!). Evi is the person who alerted the police to her concerns about the high suicide rate in Cambridge and soon finds that  not only is she suffering from nightmares herself but strange and very scary things are starting to happen to her in her own home too.

Despite this being the second book to star Flint and Joesbury, I don’t think that it is at all necessary to have read the first in the series, Now You See Me. There are a few references to things that happened in that first book but I was really pleased to note that Bolton didn’t give away any of the plot that would spoil it for readers who haven’t picked that one up yet. Also, the way that this book ends means that surely there is a next in the series to come. YES!

Verdict: Highly recommended. I found this book absolutely fantastic and had trouble putting it down. It had me hooked from page one (which has been something pretty rare recently as I have struggled to get into a few books), and it was an intelligent and fast-paced thriller with genuinely creepy moments and if you are of a nervous disposition I would heartily recommend that you don’t read this book alone in the dark….

 

  Have you read any of S J Bolton’s books. If not, are you going to?

 

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

 

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! :)

 

 

 

Is this the best cake in the world? April 9, 2012

Filed under: Frances Hodgson Burnett — The Book Whisperer @ 11:32 am
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How much do you love this cake?

It was my niece Sophie’s 9th birthday last week and this is the cake that my super-talented sister-in-law made for her. Sophie is  a bookworm too – she loves reading pretty much anything she can get her hands on and for her birthday her mum and dad got her a brand new big bookcase to home her expanding collection (much to her huge delight). That’s my girl! :)

Six delicious cakey books

Cover of The Secret Garden which Sophie has just read this year

 

The back of David Walliams' book Mr Stink

 

 

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

Filed under: Uncategorized — The Book Whisperer @ 6:18 pm
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The Literary Giveaway Blog Hop February 18, 2012

Filed under: Classics,Elizabeth Gaskell,Louisa May Alcott,The Victorians,Thomas Hardy — The Book Whisperer @ 9:55 am
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Welcome to the fourth literary giveaway blog hop hosted by Judith at Leeswammes where there are a whole buncg of blogs giving away books! Hurrah! The last ones were a great success with lots of blogs joining in the fun and this year there are even more (make sure you pop over to see who else is giving lovely books away). What better way to start the weekend than to have a little mosey at all those lovely books being given away and trying to win some (or all) of them! Good luck!

 

The Rules

Please pick ONE of the following books and tell me why you would like to read that one in the comments box below. The winner will be picked by random.org on 22nd February (at 8am GMT – sorry I have to finish in the morning but I am going on holiday that day so I won’t be around to pick later on). This giveaway is open internationally and I will send you a brand shiny new copy from either Amazon or The Book Depository.

I have selected three books that I have really enjoyed in recent months and hope you will too. This time I’m going with the classics:

 

Book #1

The Mayor of Casterbridge by Thomas Hardy

“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.” You can read my full review here.

 

Book #2

Little Women by Louisa May Alcott

“Think of it like a tonic or a soothing balm on your frazzled nerves. Lovely.” You can read my full review here.

 

Book #3

North and South by Elizabeth Gaskell

“This book has it all: class conflict, politics, religion, women’s rights and passion! It makes you think, it makes you reflect on what was and it makes you ponder how we got from there to where we are now. We smile with them, we cry with them.” See my full review here.

 

 

Now pop along to all these other lovely blogs and see what else you can snap up. Good luck! :)

 
  1. Leeswammes
  2. Curiosity Killed The Bookworm
  3. Lit Endeavors (US)
  4. The Book Whisperer
  5. Rikki’s Teleidoscope
  6. 2606 Books and Counting
  7. The Parrish Lantern
  8. Sam Still Reading
  9. Bookworm with a view
  10. Breieninpeking (Dutch readers)
  11. Seaside Book Nook
  12. Elle Lit (US)
  13. Nishita’s Rants and Raves
  14. Tell Me A Story
  15. Living, Learning, and Loving Life (US)
  16. Book’d Out
  17. Uniflame Creates
  18. Tiny Library (UK)
  19. An Armchair by the Sea (UK)
  20. bibliosue
  21. Lena Sledge’s Blog (US)
  22. Roof Beam Reader
  23. Misprinted Pages
  24. Mevrouw Kinderboek (Dutch readers)
  25. Under My Apple Tree (US)
  26. Indie Reader Houston
  27. Book Clutter
  28. I Am A Reader, Not A Writer (US)
  29. Lizzy’s Literary Life
  30. Sweeping Me
  1. Caribousmom (US)
  2. Minding Spot (US)
  3. Curled Up With a Good Book and a Cup of Tea
  4. The Book Diva’s Reads
  5. The Blue Bookcase
  6. Thinking About Loud!
  7. write meg! (US)
  8. Devouring Texts
  9. Thirty Creative Studio (US)
  10. The Book Stop
  11. Dolce Bellezza (US)
  12. Simple Clockwork
  13. Chocolate and Croissants
  14. The Scarlet Letter (US)
  15. Reflections from the Hinterland (N. America)
  16. De Boekblogger (Europe, Dutch readers)
  17. Readerbuzz (US)
  18. Must Read Faster (N. America)
  19. Burgandy Ice @ Colorimetry
  20. carolinareti
  21. MaeGal
  22. Ephemeral Digest
  23. Scattered Figments (UK)
  24. Bibliophile By the Sea
  25. The Blog of Litwits (US)
  26. Kate Austin
  27. Alice Anderson (US)
  28. Always Cooking up Something
 

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?

 

 

The Christmas Note by Donna van Liere December 23, 2011

Filed under: Authors,Christmas,Comfort Reading,Donna Van Liere — The Book Whisperer @ 9:39 am
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In three words:

Heartwarming, sweet, festive

 

What I thought:

These books aren’t on sales in the UK shops (not that I have seen anyway). The first time I came across a Donna van Liere book was on a visit to the USA a few years ago in December; we were at a little village in New Jersey with my American family and browsing in a Christmas shop when I saw a pile of these little books on a table and I just had to have them – they looked so welcoming and delicious. I read the first three while in NYC over the next 2 days and I have read them several times since. I ordered this latest book online and read it this weekend and it still had the exact same magic of all the others.

Gretchen has moved to Grandon (the setting of all her books) with her two small children to be closer to her Mum. While unpacking she meets the very odd and reclusive Melissa, her new next-door-neighbour, who is determined to be unwelcoming and succeeds. Melissa had a horrible childhood with a drunk, uncaring mother and when she finds out that her mother has died, Melissa doesn’t feel anything except relief and rebuffs Gretchens offer of help to clean out her mothers appartment. Once she gives in though, she finds a half fisnished note from her mother to herself that opens up a whole new world to her…

These books wouldn’t be for everyone, I accept that. They are very sweet and some may find them too sweet. I just adore them though; they are full of hope and kindness and salvation and magic and they have the most gorgeous covers ever. I have loved every one of Donna van Liere’s Christmas books and reading this latest one has made me want to go back to my shelf and read the others all over again.

Verdict: If you are feeling bah humbug at Christmas, these books cannot fail to cheer you up. Just lovely.

 

The Greatest of Expectations December 21, 2011

Filed under: Authors,Charles Dickens,The Victorians — The Book Whisperer @ 8:17 am
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Once upon a time…

…back in the mid 80′s when I was slightly more interested in boys and ra-ra skirts that great literature, I was made to read Great Expectations by Charles Dickens for English lessons. I hated it! I came to dreaad those lessons where we would be expected to disect this book to within an inch of its life and gained no enjoyment from it whatsoever – in fact the only thing I did gain was  an aversion to anything Dickens-related for the next twenty years!

About four years ago, I was browsing in Borders (ahhhh, remember those days?) when I came across a copy of Great Expectations: it was staring at me from the shelf. I half-smiled as I picked it up for old times sake and flipped to the front page. Within 5 minutes I found myself sunk into one of the comfy chairs and completely and utterly engrossed in this wonderful (and so FUNNY!) tale. How did I miss the fact that Dickens was a comedy genius? Perhaps it was because we (the class) were trying to work out if the colour of Pip’s underware was a reflection on Dickens’ mood (or some such nonsense). Seriously, who’da thunk? That copy of Great Expectations found its way home with me that day and in the days ahead it had me howling with laughter at all the stuff I had missed all those years before.

That year I went on to read A Christmas Carol (while snuggled up on the sofa on Christmas Eve) which rapidly became one of all-time favourite books. I remember being so in awe of Dickens and his ability to suck me into the book so entirely that it was often a surprise to surface for a moment and realise that I wasn’t flying through the air hand-in-hand with a ghost and was, in fact, still in my front room.

So why haven’t I read any more Dickens since? THAT is a very good question! I actually don’t know. The only reason I can come up with is that most of his books are soooo long that I know I will have to sacrifice at least 4 other books in the time it would take me to read one of his.

A month or so ago, I received a gorgeous hardback copy of Clare Tomalin’s new Dickens biography - Charles Dickens: A Life - from the lovely Riot Communications girls (they know my love of Victorian lit) and I have been dipping in and out of it ever since. I haven’t read the whole thing yet so I can’t do a proper review but it was awakened my passion for wanting to read more Dickens – and soon!

Also, I am so looking forward to the new Great Expectations drama from BBC that is coming out in the UK on 27th December. It looks like it’s going to be fantastic – and the brilliant Gillian Anderson as Miss Haversham is sure to steal the show once again. This is definitely one show I will be settling down to with a glass of mulled wine and plate of mince pies.

It must be because it’s Dickens’ 200th birthday in February but it does look like 2012 is going to be the year of all thing Dickens. It appears that the BBC will also be doing The Mystery of Edwin Drood (the book he never quite finished before dying). I haven’t read this book and actually don’t know very much about it so I am excited to see this one too. I wonder what else is in the pipeline? I would love to see some of his longer books made into a series (maybe Our Mutual Friend or Dombey and Son – the ones that don’t seem to get as much attention as the others).

The Mystery of Edwin Drood

   Dickens in 2012

I am going to make an extra special effort to read more Dickens in 2012. I keep meaning to pick up Oliver Twist or David Copperfield but are there any others that you recommend or insist that I absolutely MUST read?

 

 

 

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! :)

 

 

The Snow Child by Eowyn Ivey December 7, 2011

Filed under: Authors,Eowyn Ivey — The Book Whisperer @ 5:29 pm
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In three words:

Magical, spellbinding, beautiful

 

 

What I thought:

This book is truly magical. It hooked me from page one and did not let me go until I closed the final pages, and it was with a heavy heart that I said goodbye to this wonderful place and its small cast of characters.

Jack and Mabel arrive in Alaska in 1920 to make a new home for themselves and to get away from the terrible heartache of losing their only child at birth ten years before. Their sense of loss and grief is palpable and their sadness at realising that they are also losing each other is felt clearly through those opening pages. Just as things seem to be coming to a head, Jack and Mabel – in a rare moment of companionship – build a snowgirl together when the first snows of that winter arrive at their homestead. They dress it in mittens and a scarf and use the juice of berries to give some colour to its lips. The next morning, not only is their snowgirl gone, but there are little footprints leading away from the mound of snow and the couple start to be convinced that they have seen a little girl in a blue coat dashing between the trees in the snow, followed by a red fox.

What follows is a truly captivating and spell-binding tale of a little girl, who we come to find out is called Faina, and her place in the rebuilding of the lives of Jack and Mabel. As the elderly couple open their hearts once again, Mabel remembers a book that her father used to read to her when she was a child: a snow child that appears at the house of a childless couple and, despite many re-tellings and different endings over the years, always ends with the little girl melting back into the snow, and Mabel comes to dread the day that Faina will leave them too.  Faina herself is not quite tamable and always slightly out of reach of the couple and it is through her that the reader is treated to such a feast of beauty and nature and landscape. Just wondferful.

Istill can’t quite believe that this is a debut novel and beacuse of this, I cannot wait to see what else she comes up with in the future. The Snow Child isn’t released until 12th February 2012 but I just had to review it right now and yell that you MUST, MUST, MUST get yourself a copy of this book when it is out - run to the shops!  

Verdict: Wow, just wow. My favourite book of 2011 and I am head over heels in love with it.

 

(Source: I received a review copy of this book from Amazon Vine)

 

 

 

Love You More by Lisa Gardner November 28, 2011

Filed under: Crime/Mystery/Thriller,Lisa Gardner — The Book Whisperer @ 8:14 am
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In three words:

Gripping, unreliable, thrilling

 

 

What I thought:

I have been a fan of Lisa Gardner’s books for a while now, but for some reason she doesn’t seem to be as well known in the UK as other crime writers. I hope that changes soon as her books really are great!  I am especially loving this series starring Detective D.D. Warren who is one of Boston’s top homicide Detectives.

Love You More is a gripping thriller that opens with State Tropper Tessa Leoni being arrested for the murder of her husband and the disappearance of her 6 year old daughter. Tessa’s narrative takes the reader back and forth through her relationship with Brian and their last moments together and it becomes clear early on that she may not be a reliable narrator, as her story often changes, but why does she do this? The reason does become apparant nearer the end – and it’s a good one! Interspersing Tessa’s story is Detective D. D. Warren and her race to find missing six-year-old Sophie. D.D. is a great character – she’s fiesty, funny (without trying) and kick-ass; I love her. The switching between the two perspectives keeps the plot fast-paced and interesting too, espcially as you are wondering who to believe most of the time.

Verdict: As with all the previous books of Gardner that I have read, this one is equally as addictive and has twists and turns a-plenty.

  Have you read any of the D.D. Warren series yet? Or any of her other books?

(Source: this book was sent to me from Headline Rerview who have just taken over as Lisa Gardner’s publishers and this edition is available on 2nd Feb 2012)

 

 

Perfect People by Peter James October 30, 2011

Filed under: Authors,Crime/Mystery/Thriller,Peter James — The Book Whisperer @ 8:21 pm
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In three words:

Creepy, chilling, thought-provoking

 

 

What I thought:

The first thing that attracted me to this book was the cover: It looked eerie and intriguing. Perfect People is a stand-alone thriller which was a perfect place for me to start with Peter James’ books as I have yet to pick up one of the Roy Grace series (more on that later).

According to the blurb, this book has been 10 years in the planning. When the idea first came to James about writing a book about designer babies, it was just that – an idea. Now it is a reality. That makes reading this book all the scarier – we may just be looking at our future.

John and Naomi Klaesson live in California and have lost their 4 year old son to a rare genetic disorder which made them watch him die a slow and horrible death. Still young and desperate for another child, the Klaesson’s opt for paying a huge sum of money to geneticist Dr Leo Dettore who has promised them that he can prevent this child from being born with the same disorder that killed their son. What soon become apparant is that Dr Dettore can also offer them so much more scope in “designing” their next child.

This book poses so many questions and will undoubtedly make you think about what you would do in the same situation. Being faced with the option to make your child more empathetic (but would that make them a playground bully target?) or allow them to survive on only a few hours per night like many CEOs and politicians do (but would that mean that they may have sociopathic tendancies?) what would you decide? These are the dilemas that also face the Klaessons when going through page after page of tick-box options. The Klaessons are normal people, they have normal jobs, they live in a normal house and they only thing they really want is a disease-free child…but does that mean that they can’t be tempted by anything else?

What makes this book so compelling is that it becomes apparant pretty early on that something isn’t quite right. It’s so difficult for me to be say anything more about the plot as it really would spoil it, but what I will say is that with fairly short chapters that have a tendancy to end at a point where you can’t possibly put the book down, then this makes for one migthy page-turner.

Verdict: An amazing thriller. One that will make you question what you would do, one that will make the hairs on the back of your neck stand up and one that has sufficient twists to keep you on your toes and not get too comfortable…

 

As I said earlier, this is the first Peter James book I have read (call myself a crime fiction fan? Pah.) I have been meaning to read one for ages after I saw Peter at the Theakstones Crime Awards in Harrogate in 2010. Despite already haveing a legion of fans, he is also incredibly polite on Twitter and Facebook and really seems to interact with his readers. I am going to make a special effort to read the Inspector Roy Grace series really soon - they have been on my radar for so long and after popping my cherry with Perfect People I have a feeling I am in for a real treat.

 

(Book source: Thank you to Midas for sending me my copy of this book for review).

 

 

 

World Book Night 2012 List Announced October 24, 2011

Filed under: Authors — The Book Whisperer @ 6:09 pm
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The brand new list of books for 2o12′s World Book Night has just been announced and this year there is an even bigger selection.

 I have read 10 of the 20 books listed so now I need to pick wich of those ten I want to give out. At the moment I am having trouble narrowing it down between I Capture the Castle, The Book Thief,The Secret Dreamworld of a Shopaholic , The Vanishing Act of Esme Lennox, The Road and The Time Travellers Wife. Sigh. For those who remember WBN 2011 earlier this year here is my first outing as a Secret Book Santa which was great fun.

 

The List

Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen
The Player of Games by Iain M Banks
Sleepyhead by Mark Billingham
Notes from a Small Island by Bill Bryson
The Alchemist by Paulo Coelho
The Take by Martina Cole
Harlequin by Bernard Cornwell
Someone Like You by Roald Dahl
A Tale of Two Cities by Charles Dickens
Room by Emma Donoghue
Rebecca by Daphne du Maurier
The Remains of the Day by Kazuo Ishiguro
Misery by Stephen King
The Secret Dreamworld of a Shopaholic by Sophie Kinsella
Small Island by Andrea Levy
Let the Right One In by John Ajvde Lindqvist
The Road by Cormac McCarthy
The Time Traveler’s Wife by Audrey Niffenegger
The Vanishing Act of Esme Lennox by Maggie O’Farrell
The Damned Utd by David Peace
Good Omens by Terry Pratchett & Neil Gaiman
How I Live Now by Meg Rosoff
Touching the Void by Joe Simpson
I Capture the Castle by Dodie Smith
The Book Thief by Markus Zuzak

 

 

  What do you think to the list?

  Will you be taking part in the next World Book Night?

  Which book will you pick?

 

 

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 39 – A book I expected to hate but loved October 8, 2011

Filed under: Crime/Mystery/Thriller,Val McDermid — The Book Whisperer @ 10:27 am
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Love me, love me not, love me…

When I was younger I read and loved Agatha Christie books but that was probably as near as I got to crime fiction until James Patterson which I used to read in a single sitting on holiday. Then back in about 2004, our chosen book club book was layed out on the table and I remember picking it up tentitively and wrinkling my nose at the title. That book was The Torment of Others by Val McDermid.

I remember being almost so sure that I wouldn’t enjoy it (it sounded gory and hardcore and the cover wasn’t as nice as the new one shown below) that I nearly didn’t even buy it that night. Once home, however, curiosity got the better of me and I ended up flying through the chapters, completely enthralled by the twisted tale before me. It was brilliant!

The Torment of Others wasn’t the first book in McDermid’s Tony Hill & Carol Jordan (it’s the fourth I think) but it didn’t matter. Once I had read that book, I went right back to the beginning and read them all in order, pretty much back to back (just like I did when I discovered Gerritsen’s Rizzoli & Isles series). McDermid is one very clever author – I love the twists and turns, not just of the stories themselves but of the killers minds; I loved being alongside Tony Hill as he tries to fathom out their motives and what they’ll do next.

 

  Have you ever expected to dislike a book and had a pleasant surprise?

 

 

Day 38 – An author crush October 7, 2011

Filed under: Anne Bronte,Authors,Charlotte Bronte,Classics,Emily Bronte,The Victorians — The Book Whisperer @ 7:22 am
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Reader, I heart them…

Is it cheating to bundle these into one (especially as only a week or so ago I did a post about not being able to read Wuthering Heights)? If I had to pick only one sister then it would be Charlotte but how can I leave out poor neglected Anne and yes, even Emily? Yep, I have a crush on them all – thoses feisty, weather-worn Yorkshire lasses who like to roam around on moors and pen stories by candlelight.

I am lucky enough to only live about a 45 minute drive from Haworth where the Bronte sisters grew up with the Vicar father, brother Branwell and their Aunt once their mother and other sisters had all passed away in their childhoods. The Parsonage is still there today and is now a museum and I have wandered though their home on several occasions, looking at the chair Charlotte sat on to write or the sofa that Emily died on (determined to the last hour that she was OK and wanted to get up).

 

Wonder why their books had that gothic feel?

 

Bleak, bleak, bleak! Love it!

 

Haworth Village - cute little town with lovely book shops :)

 
Charlotte is my main crush, having penned my favourite book of all-time – Jane Eyre – and also the wonderful Villette (which I know some people find a challenging read); both books had me in awe and I didn’t want either of them to end. I still have Shirley and The Proffesor to read (and I also have a lovely copy of The Tales of Angria which she wrote as a child). I have also read Charlotte Bronte’s Letters in which she writtes to her friend, nurse, sisters and even William Thackaray and Elizabeth Gaskell!
 
I have read and loved both of Anne’s books too, and although I did enjoy Agnes Grey it didn’t have the magnitude of The Tenant of Wildfell Hall which was way before its time and I would love to know what sort of a reception it got back then (a woman not towing the line? Pffft!) .
 
I have made my feelings of Wuthering Heights clear before but despite having had 3 attempts at it, I still don’t feel ready to stop trying. Is it because she’s a Bronte? Probably.
 
So, there you have my author crush(es).
 

  Who is yours?

 

 

Day 37 – A book that I still think about years after having read it October 6, 2011

Filed under: Arthur Golden,Comfort Reading,Globe Trotting,Japan,Tear-jerkers — The Book Whisperer @ 11:38 am
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Memoirs of a smitten reader…

There are many books that don’t want to seem to let me go after I have finished those final pages; books that I can’t stop thinking about or that haunt my thoughts for days, even weeks afterwards. I love those books – the ones that get under your skin. However, how many of those book do I still remember years later? Yes, there are books that I look back fondly, even passionately upon, but it is a really special book that stays in my mind so vividly years and years later that every now and then I will be taken completely unawares when one of the characters sneeks into my head and waves hello.

One such book that has that effect on my is Memoirs of a Geisha which I read in the summer of 2003. I can clearly remember entering the Japanese tea houses and walking under the cherry blossom trees so much so that whenever I looked up from my book I was surprised to find myself still sat on a sofa in a house in Yorkshire. I was so emmersed in sayuri’s life for the few days that it took me to read it that I actually felt as though I’ve lost a friend once I had finished: I felt lost without her and her world. Even now, every now and then,  I find myself thinking about not only Sayuri but also Mameha, the Chairman, Nobu and even Hatsumomo and wondering what became of them.

Memoirs of a Gesiha is a breathtakingly beautiful book and one that will stay with me for a long, long time. And when I stop remembering…..I will read it again.

 

  Which books have you been able to let go of even years later?

 

 

Day 36 – A favourite book recommended by another book blogger October 5, 2011

Filed under: Authors,Crime/Mystery/Thriller,Tana French — The Book Whisperer @ 7:40 am
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What does “need” have to do with it?…

Where to even begin! Since I began blogging my shelves have more than quadrupled in size, my floorboards are creaking under the weight and my husband nearly has a stroke every time he comes near my office and sees piles of books all over the floor! I keep trying to tell him it’s not my fault – it’s all the other book bloggers who keep reading things that make me need to read them too to which he tried to argue that I don’t “need” them. Oh but I do!!!!!

Anyhoo, after much deliberation I have chosen The Likeness by Tana French which ended up in my top 10 of last year. I saw a review of this book written by Sakura of Chasing Bawa book blog and just knew I would love it and I did. If you haven’t been over to Sakuras blog yet, make sure you do – she has a fantastic blog (one of my favourites). If you haven’t been acquainted with this book yet then take a look at my review here and then buy or borrow it! :)

 

  Have you ever been recommended a book by another blogger and loved it?

 

 

Day 35 – The longest book I have ever read October 4, 2011

Filed under: Alexandre Dumas,France,Globe Trotting,Italy,The Victorians — The Book Whisperer @ 7:01 am
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Count how many pages…

I’m not really one for long books. I wish I was – there are so many I want to read! It’s the size that puts me off even picking most of them up: what if it takes too long to read when there are so many other books out there waiting to be read? I am easily distracted by things that drop through my letter box and books that have been on my shelf for a long time can be overlooked.

I would love to read more though including Charles Dickens (David Copperfield, Bleak House, Our Mutual Friend to name just a few), Gone With the Wind, The Passage, The Crimson Petal and the White, Quincunx, Shantaram, Shogun and A Suitable Boy are all on my shelves, staring sadly at me every time I pass them.

Despite saying that, I have read some long books and I almost always love them when I do (although part of me wonders if I love them so much becasue I am so rapturous of  having got through them!). The longest book I have read so far is The Count of Monte Cristo which I loved. Swashbuckling, dramatic and thrilling!

 

  Which is the longest book you have read and was it worth it?

 

 

Day 34 – A book I wish I had written October 3, 2011

Filed under: Authors,Kate Atkinson,Laugh Out Loud — The Book Whisperer @ 7:52 am
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Coulda, shoulda, woulda…

To be honest, I never actually get to the end of a book and I wish I had written it; if I did then I should have been an author. What I do do at the end of a great book is close it in awe and admiration and respect for an author that can conjour up a world so real that I have actually been there, lived through what the characters have lived and been gutted to leave them behind at the end. If I were to name books that had that effect on me I would include favourites such as The Secret History, The Magus and The Hunger Games as those are books I truly envy the author their imaginations. However, I am going to chose abook that I absolutely loved, lived and laughed through and that book is….

Behind The Scenes At The Museum by Kate Atkinson. Atkinson is probably better known for her Case Histories series books with Jackson Brodie (Started Early, Took My Dog was the latest) but BTSATM is one of her stand-alone books and I remember reading it on holiday in Morocco: I fell in love almost from the first line of the book and it never let me go from then on. Not only was it laugh-out-loud funny in many places (and I love funny books!) but it was also quirky, magnetic, nostalgic and emotional. If I had written a book I would love it to be something like this one.

 

  Do you ever finish a book and wish you’d written it yourself?

 

 

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!)

 

Day 31 – A book that everyone else seems to love except me September 30, 2011

Filed under: Emily Bronte,The Victorians — The Book Whisperer @ 8:42 am
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Let me in at your window…

Actually,  the fact that I am the only one who doesn’t love this book isn’t strictly true as I know others who have struggled with it too, but the reason I have picked it is because I sort of feel I ought to love it: it’s written by a Bronte (√), it’s set in Yorkshire (√), it’s set on windswept moors (√), it’s gothic (√), it’s a love story (√). So why then don’t I love the damn thing? This book has all the ingredients for the perfect book for me! It’s not for lack of trying either: I have attempted to read Wuthering Height at least three times and each time I can’t even get past 100 pages.

 

The big question is:

  Do I keep trying? Is it worth it? Or should I just accept that Wuthering Heights and I don’t   get along and move on?

 

 

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)

 

 

 
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