The Night Rainbow by Claire King #50books2013

I'm pretty sure that any review I write is not going to do this book justice. In fact, any plot summary is going to sound desperately miserable. Poor, neglected Peony - a depressed, pregnant mother who has already lost one baby, a father who has died leaving them both bereft and grieving - what's to enjoy? But I'm telling you, I don't like miserable books, and I LOVED this one.

The author captures Pea's voice so perfectly. I'm not sure I've ever read a book where the narrator was so beautifully created. Narrating an entire novel from the perspective of a 5 year old is never going to be easy - or so you'd think - but King makes it seem effortless.

If you've ever visited the French countryside, or stayed in a Gite, you'll be gripped by the beautiful descriptions. Pea is restricted to the area immediately surrounding her house, but this is an entire fantasy world she explores with her playmate Margot. They run wild, collecting 'specimins', doing their best to do housework and getting into minor (and not so minor) scrapes.

Scary-looking Claude and his magical dog, Merlin who hears for him. Witchy Josette. These are fairytale characters in a real world, and we learn all about them through Pea's innocent eyes.

I was, simply, captivated by this novel - perhaps it helped that I was reading it during a heatwave, echoing the hot, steamy atmosphere of the story, but I'd recommend it to anyone.

#50books2013 Capital - John Lancaster

This book is pretty fat, and although I usually like fat books I was a bit concerned that in my current state of mind I would find it tricky to stick with. When I read the back of the book I was still concerned - the residents on 'Pepys Road' in London receive mysterious postcards simply with the words 'We want what you have' on the back. Sounded like a prolonged, and prehaps not particularly interesting 'whodunit'.

I should have had more faith. Despite not being much of a reader himself, my husband always seems to choose books I will enjoy and this was no exception. Of course, by then end of the novel you do find out 'whodunit', but not before you get completely sucked into the lives of the residents of Pepys Road. You get an interesting insight into the lives of a banker and his wife in the midst of the baking crisis; drawn into the familial relationships of the Indian family who own the shop and gripped by the growing relationship between the Polish builder and Hungarian nanny. Alongside these stories a Banksy-esque artist called Smitty and his grandmother tell their own intriguing stories. I found I couldn't put the book down. Although I sometimes became a little entangled and confused by the sheer number of characters (again, I blame my flaky state of mind at the time), I found many of them endearing and I loved the insight into many different elements of London - and British - society.

I'd really recommend this novel for an interesting, thought provoking and just simply good read.

#50books2013 Salmon Fishing in the Yemen Review

Mama Owl has inspired me to try to keep a record of the books I have read over the year. I'm pretty sure I read more than 50 books last year (among others I read the entire Cherub series and the Power of 5 Series!) but not all of them were 'good' books - I enjoy lots of teen/young adult fiction. I would love to keep track of what I read and when though, so this is a nice opportunity.

A book I recently finished reading was Salmon Fishing in the Yemen by Paul Torday. The novel is based around the story of a British Fisheries Scientist who is asked to participate in the seemingly impossible (and, he thinks, ridiculous) task of introducing Salmon fishing in the Yemen. Now, I'm not much interested in Salmon Fishing (or any fishing to be honest!) and I have been educated by this book, now knowing a little bit more about it! I'll be honest, I hadn't realised the true 'ridiculous' nature of the title until I started reading. I'm sure if I'd thought about it I would have realised that Salmon are generally found in - um - rather colder climes than the Middle East!

Of course, the point of the novel is not solely to educate us on the finer points of fly fishing though. In fact, Torday is seeking to explore some of the delicate political interplays between Britain and the Far East, as well as opening up his characters (some of whom are, at least, likeable and believable) to the scrutiny of the reader. I quite enjoyed the narrative style - the story is told through a collection of diaries, letters, emails, TV scripts, Newspaper Articles - pretty much any type of text you can think of. This does have the benefit of allowing the reader into the brains of multiple characters - however, it can occasionally feel a little clumsy.

Unfortunately, I a write this review, I am struggling to find anything to enthuse about with this novel. Yes, it's an unusual subject matter, yes, I enjoyed a different style of writing. But did I love the book? No, I'm afraid not. It wasn't for me. I didn't find myself 'caring' about the characters, which is something I want from a novel, and I wasn't hooked. I read through to the end because I felt I should, not because I wanted to. And that is not the sign of a book I loved.

Book Review - One Hundred Names (Cecelia Ahern)

I have to admit it - I have a not-so-secret fondness for Cecelia Ahern's novels. I'm not quite sure why - on the face of it they should be everything I hate - they have romantic, chick-lit leanings and largely feature young, attractive women as the protagonist. However, I do find them more thought-provoking than many novels usually pigeon-holed as 'similar' - I particularly like the novels she has written with a magic-realist leaning. I really enjoyed 'The Time of My Life' that I was given for Christmas last year. And there, I've hit on part of the main appeal - conveniently Ahern brings out a new novel just in time for my Christmas wishlist. In fact, it doesn't even need to make it on to my wishlist any more as my darling husband is bound to notice and buy it for me anyway. There's not much better than snuggling up on the sofa when there are doting family about to look after those young, distracting things known as my children and have an indulgent read. The book seldom lasts longer than a day - a little longer this year as Archie is still rather demanding of me as his main source of nutrition.

The premise of One Hundred Names is simple, a journalist - Kitty -  is left what is bound to be the scoop of her life by her editor, a good friend, who passes away. Only problem is that her editor dies before she is able to divulge exactly what that 'scoop' is and leaves Kitty with an envelope containing only a list of - you guessed it - 100 names. Kitty's challenge is to, first of all, find these individuals and then to discover what the link is between them - finally she has to write the story. All this must be completed in a ridiculously tight deadline imposed by the acting editor who doesn't really have much faith on her (understandable since she is the-most-hated-journalist-ever due to a mistake she made on a previous story).

It's a nice premise for a story, and I do like Ahern's characters. They are a perfect mix of eccentric and endearing. Of course, the novel is a life-affirming journey for Kitty and some of the other characters involved. There isn't much of the magical aspect I have enjoyed in some of her previous novels (aside from a bloke who can hear the prayers of others), but it was a fun read nonetheless. I also like the descriptions of Dublin prevalent in many of Ahern's novels - reminding me of a particularly lovely break we had there some years ago. All these ingredients go together to make what is really an enjoyable read. It's not 'great literature' but it's fun, easy and cheers up my winter. And that's what Christmas gifts are all about!

Book Review - The Power of 5 Series - Anthony Horowitz

A few weeks before Christmas I realised that the final book of Anthony Horowitz's Power of 5 series had finally been published this year, I was so excited, I have been waiting literally years for this book to come out! I had the first book at a talking book back when I was doing a postgraduate course at Southampton University and I needed something to listen to on the walk down to the train station.

Horowitz is most famous for his Alex Rider books - a film was even made of the first book 'Stormbreaker' a few years ago. They are good, but not my favourite examples of his writing. I do find him a great writer, and have often used his short stories in school when teaching - particularly 'The Man With the Yellow Face' which is a brilliantly constructed text. His writing has a gritty, realistic style, and he connects extremely well with teenagers. The Power of 5 series is no exception. However, it has the addition of a magical fantasy aspect to the novels, which I really enjoy. I love a good Young Adult novel, and I don't think there is any shame in reading a 'children's' book at all.

The Power of 5 series is about a group of 5 children who have the power to save the world from the 'Old Ones', a mysterious force that's only desire is to create misery and pain. The series is cleverly constructed - in the first novel 'Raven's Gate', you meet the character of Matt, a troubled teen put into a fostering programme that brings him face to face with supporters of the Old Ones - the rest of the series builds up until in the final novel all 5 teenagers are pitted against the evil force.

The final novel, 'Oblivion' is an apocalyptic novel that I found extremely emotional to read at times. Horowitz has really imagined what it would be like if human beings were pushed right to the limit. The descriptions of famous cities (including London, Dubai and New York) and what they have been reduced to are particularly evocative, and, as always, Horowitz kept me gripped until the very end.

I really enjoyed reading the first 4 books in the run up to Christmas and couldn't wait to get my hands on Oblivion, which I finished as soon as I possibly could - I'd recommend these books to people who have enjoyed books such as the Cherub series (Muchamore) and The Hunger Games.

The Legacy - Katherine Webb

I've not been reading much recently, it seems like life takes over sometimes. But truthfully there's nothing better than snuggling up with a good book, and my mum lent me a few whilst I was down in Cornwall with the boys. She keeps a notebook where she writes down all the books she reads for her bookclub and their house is full to the brim of books, so it's brilliant to go down there and pick out a few choice reads. I hope that one day we might be able to have our very own 'library' in a spare room which I can alphabetise to my heart's desire - a room with bookcases all around the walls (my dream is something like the one from Beauty and the Beast - we can all have dreams, right?)

The first from the pile mum gave me was 'The Legacy' by Katherine Webb. Two sisters inherit a manor house from their unlikeable aunt - but they can only keep it if they live together. The book jumps between Beth and 'Rick' (Erica) in the present day - following their experience as they delve into a half-remembered past over Christmas - and Caroline, their great- great- grandmother in the 1900s.

Erica, the narrator of the modern half of the novel is a likeable and believable character. She is fighting to get Beth, her sister to tell her the truth about the disappearance of their cousin Henry who disappeared when they were children visiting the house. Her desire to uncover the mysteries of the house and their family history stems from a need to try to 'fix' Beth who is suffering from depression, and who has attempted suicide, risking losing custody of her son Eddie.

The mysteries and twists are gradually uncovered in both narratives, gradually drawing the two stories together. It doesn't take a genius to see the truths, but they are quite cleverly woven into the story, and I particularly liked the fact that Erica never *quite* finds out the truth - the reader does, as we see both ends of the story, but Erica has to try to fill in the gaps for herself. This makes it rather more believable than if the author had somehow had her find out everything, whilst still allowing the reader to have full closure.

I really enjoyed reading the book, it transports you to another place and time well - I particularly liked the sections about the America Prairie, and Caroline's story is, at times, heart wrenching. The setting of the manor house is close to where we live, near Devizes, so it was nice to be able to picture the countryside and the house too. I'd recommend it to anyone who likes a bit of mystery and tension, but it's also a very easy and pleasant read.

Bob's Top 5 - Non Fiction Books

Any non-fiction book with even a tenuous link to vehicles is a good book in Bob's world. In fact these are the books we turn to time and time again, he loves to learn about exactly how things work and what the world around us does.

1. 'Busy Airport: A lift-the-flap learning book' - This book has so much detail on every page that there will always be something to talk about. Harry has always particularly liked one man with a grey beard who he calls 'Ho ho'! You can follow the passengers through the airport and see them each step of the way so little ones can be well prepared for a plane journey. My only problem is that the copy we have is pretty large for fitting in hand luggage as I'd like to take it to the airport with us. I have seen other books in the same series in a smaller size though so you could probably get it smaller.

2. This is My Tractor (Mega Machine Drivers) - This is a pretty old book, I picked it up in the library book sale for 20p! It's definitely paid for itself many times over though. The book has lots of interesting facts about Charlie and his tractor (a John Deere, no less!) and it has a really appropriate amount of detail for Harry's age right now, pointing out all the different parts of the tractor and what they are used for.

3. The Usborne Big Book of Big Trucks - We bought this for Harry as a birthday present as it s quite expensive. It's a massive book though, with loads and loads of interesting facts and features of each truck and massive fold out pages. We've actually bought him a similar book for Christmas (shh, don't tell him) as we were so impressed with this one. It will definitely last for years, as there are lots of 'Guiness Book of World Records' style facts in it to keep him engrossed.

 

4. 'Cars' (Michelin I spy book) - This book has been a godsend for us, although it may not appeal to other toddlers Harry's age. It's nice and small and often gets thrown in my bag with a couple of toy cars if we are going out and about somewhere we might need distractions. Harry is absolutely obsessed with cars, and before his 2nd birthday could name lots of car brands from their logo or even just the shape of the car. We got this book so we could learn even more car brands with him, and we also use it to compare to his little toy cars to see which models he has. He can now name every single brand in this book when he sees them out on the road as well as some more unusual brands that aren't even included! He knows lots of specific car models too. Now he is keen on road signs, so we are looking out for a similar book!

 

5. Thomas the Tank Engine Haynes Manual - We don't actually own this book, but I'd really recommend it for any Thomas lovers out there. We got a copy out from my mum and dad's local library whilst we were on holiday there and I have learned so much! Like the difference between a tank engine and a tender engine, why Percy is chubbier around the middle (he didn't eat all the pies, he's a saddle tank engine, doncha know!). It's full of interesting facts and I have recently seen it in our local library too, so I'm sure we will borrow it again!

Bob's Top 5 - Fiction Books

Books (in no particular order):

1. Bizzy Bear books - these super-sturdy books have a variety of moving parts that have stood up to the most vigorous toddler action! The text flows well, and there are lots of things to spot in the pictures and talk about. We have two - 'Off We Go!' and 'Let's Get to Work!'. I'm not planning on getting any more or I might never get to read any other books again!

2. Meg and Mog books - these books have great bright pictures and interesting adventures that Meg, Mog and Owl get up to. The stories are very short and simple and thus appeal to little ones. I can see Bob really enjoying reading these to himself when he gets a bit bigger as they are quite comic-like with sounds and actions a key part of the illustrations.

3. Aliens Love Underpants - I pretty much know this book off by heart now from reading it many many times as Bob sits on the potty (please don't ask about potty training, that's a whole post of its own!) It has just the right amount of 'silly' and 'ridiculous' to appeal to little boys. I have a feeling this book is just the start of that sort of thing - anticipating Bob diving into the 'Wimpy Kid' favouries when he gets older.

4. The Gruffalo - Finally we are at the stage where Harry enjoys 'proper' stories, and not just books about tractors with a few words on each page! The Gruffalo is a big favourite with both Harry and Daddy - nothing at all to do with my silly voices, I'm sure! They particularly like it when I say 'Gruffalo Crumble' - although Harry seems to think that is his name - First name 'Gruffalo', second name 'Crumble'. We regularly have Gruffalo searches both in the woods and the supermarket (no, I don't know why either). We're meeting him for real this week at our new library!

5. Peace at Last - OK, so this is *my* favourite. I think this story is just the right length - not too many things happen - and it has noises as well as an easily understanable story with a nice ending. I think Harry kind of likes that there is a Harry bear but no Archie bear, ha ha.

One Day - Book Review

One Day is one of those books you just can't put down. I was gripped from the start, although it's not the sort of book I might have thought I would find so addictive, as I normally find books that focus on 'relationships' a little boring.

The characters aren't that inspiring - Dexter is particularly irritating - I guess he comes under the 'loveable rogue' type of character, and you do find yourself wanting to shake Emma (who gets reduced to 'Em' by Dexter) at times for being a bit pathetic. However, they are very 'real' and this really adds to their charm. I certainly found I could relate to the move in Emma from university 'lefty idealist' to someone who seems to get a bit stuck as your average middle class thirty-something.

Nicholls' style of writing is amazing; as I was reading I was thinking 'I wish I could write like this!' - his attention to the minutiae of every day life was so gripping and meant that you felt like you were experiencing the lives of the characters alongside them.

The idea of visiting the characters on a certain day was a stroke of genius - I paticularly liked the way it jumped over some 'key' events in the characters' lives (deaths, births etc) and therefore focused more on the impact of these events rather than dramatising them for their own sake. It was a great tool to use to demonstrate the development of the characters.

Another great literary tool was the use of letters and correspondence between the two characters. The way Nicholls manages to shift the narrative between them is very clever, and he manages it ina seamless fashion, even when the characters were on different continents.

However, on a personal note I do feel that novels that follow the lives of the characters in this way really can only ever have one direction. I felt so happy when the characters achieved goals and made progress - however, I felt the inevitable was always just around the corner and during Emma's bike ride I felt like I knew exactly what was going to happen. (I'm trying not to give away too much here!) I was sat there wishing for a different ending, hoping that Nicholls wasn't going to take the predictable route, but I was disappointed.

So a great, readable book - recommended. I think lots of people would love it. Although personally I wish some things ended up differently, I'm sure that's the bittersweet effect Nicholls was after.