Apr 26
It’s time for another joint review. This time, Book Worm and I both read House of Leaves. We had pretty different reactions to the book. One of us loved it and the other thought it was just okay. Can you guess which one of us loved it? Read more
Apr 19
The Guardian describes Nicola Barker’s latest novel as “unclassifiable genius.” Keep reading to see if I agreed with them. Read more
Apr 6
Jane Steele by Lyndsay Faye
Published in: 2016
Reviewed by: Book Worm
Rating: ★★★
Find it here: Jane Steele
This ARC was provided by Headline (via NetGalley) in exchange for an honest review.
Synopsis from Goodreads: Reader, I murdered him.
A Gothic retelling of Jane Eyre.
Like the heroine of the novel she adores, Jane Steele suffers cruelly at the hands of her aunt and schoolmaster. And like Jane Eyre, they call her wicked – but in her case, she fears the accusation is true. When she flees, she leaves behind the corpses of her tormentors.
A fugitive navigating London’s underbelly, Jane rights wrongs on behalf of the have-nots whilst avoiding the noose. Until an advertisement catches her eye. Her aunt has died and the new master at Highgate House, Mr Thornfield, seeks a governess. Anxious to know if she is Highgate’s true heir, Jane takes the position and is soon caught up in the household’s strange spell. When she falls in love with the mysterious Charles Thornfield, she faces a terrible dilemma: can she possess him – body, soul and secrets – and what if he discovers her murderous past?
Book Worm’s Thoughts: Overall this is a light-hearted, feel-good novel where good triumphs over evil. That said there are some sad moments and I did find myself tearing up occasionally.
Like Jane Eyre, Jane Steele is an orphan sent to a terrible school by her uncaring relatives and she does eventually end up as a governess however that is where the similarities end. Jane Steele is a completely different character to Jane Eyre. She is a tough survivor with a foul mouth and an impressive count of dead bodies behind her. So while, Jane Eyre is a classic novel about right and wrong and true love, the story of Jane Steele is a great romp where Jane rights the wrongs of society in murderous fashion.
I had great fun reading this novel and particularly enjoyed the inclusion of a Sikh household and vanished treasure to add to central storyline. The romance between Jane and Charles is very believable and even though I knew they how it would end, it was still satisfying.
Here are some of my favourite quotes;
“This was the day I learnt that friendship need not be labeled as such in order to be a very similar thing indeed”
“Were I to picture my honour, I imagine it might resemble a less attractive than usual tadpole”
“Some cities bustle, some meander, I have read; London blazes, and it incinerates. London is the wolf’s maw. From the instant I arrived there, I loved it.”
“And I heard you were a governess, but not many of that set can say bugger with quite so much purity of conviction.”
“We had shared the same tastes once, Clarke and I, moved in twin orbits like binary stars”
So who would like this book? I would recommend it to fans of Jane Eyre, steampunk fans (although it is not steampunk), those who need a light-hearted and fun read, and those who love a good romance.
Want to try it for yourself? You can find a copy here: Jane Steele
We want to hear from you! Have you read this book? What did you think? Does it sound like a book you would enjoy?
Apr 5
Book Worm and I review Russell Banks’ epic tale of the Brown family and we disagree. See what we thought of the book and let us know with whom you agree. Read more
Mar 22
The Noise of Time by Julian Barnes is one of the books on our March Book Madness Bracket and was ranked number 1 in the “fiction by non-U.S. born authors. Did you pick it to go all the way? The book doesn’t come out in the U.S. until May but it has been out in the U.K. for a few months. Here’s my review: Read more
Mar 20
Hangover Square by Patrick Hamilton
Published in: 1941
Literary Awards:
Reviewed by: Book Worm
Rating: ★★★
Find it here: Modern Classics Hangover Square
Synopsis from Amazon:
A pitch-black comedy set in London overshadowed by the looming threat of the Second World War.
London, 1939, and in the grimy publands of Earls Court, George Harvey Bone is pursuing a helpless infatuation. Netta is cool, contemptuous and hopelessly desirable to George. George is adrift in a drunken hell, except in his ‘dead’ moments, when something goes click in his head and he realizes, without a doubt, that he must kill her. In the darkly comic Hangover Square Patrick Hamilton brilliantly evokes a seedy, fog-bound world of saloon bars, lodging houses and boozing philosophers, immortalising the slang and conversational tone of a whole generation and capturing the premonitions of doom that pervaded London life in the months before the war.
Book Worm’s Review: Set in Earls Court London in 1939 this is the story of George Harvey Bone a mild mannered, pathetic drunkard who is obsessed with the beautiful but contemptuous Netta.
George seems to suffer from either split personality disorder or schizophrenia as he has 2 very distinct modes of life which he describes as he brain flicking a switch. In his normal life he is the stooge to Netta and her group of admirers while in his “dead mood” real life becomes like a silent film and George’s only purpose is to kill Netta, each life is separate and when inhabiting one he cannot remember the other until late in the book when things begin to cross over.
George is an unlikeable character because he is a drunk, because he is desperate for someone to love him and because he allows Netta and her group to walk all over him, however he is more likeable than every other character (with the exception of one) and so as a reader I found myself routing for him to allow the “dead mood” to take control and for Netta to get what is coming to her.
I enjoyed being inside George’s mind when he was in his “dead mood” and there are humourous moments where he views things that he has arranged as coincidence. I was curious as to how George would rationalize murder and how he would come up with a method as well as being confused by his belief that if he did kill anyone if he got to Maidenhead it would be alright.
This will appeal to those with a dark sense of humour as well as those who enjoy an insight into a single character’s state of mind.
Want to try it for yourself? You can find a copy here: Modern Classics Hangover Square
We want to hear from you! Have you read this book? What did you think?
Mar 18
The Widow by Fiona Barton
Published in: February 2016
Reviewed by: Book Worm
Rating: ★★★
Find it here: The Widow
This ARC was provided by Random House UK (via NetGalley) in exchange for an honest review.
Synopsis from Goodreads: For fans of Gone Girl and The Girl on the Train, an electrifying thriller that will take you into the dark spaces that exist between a husband and a wife.
When the police started asking questions, Jean Taylor turned into a different woman. One who enabled her and her husband to carry on, when more bad things began to happen…
But that woman’s husband died last week. And Jean doesn’t have to be her anymore.
There’s a lot Jean hasn’t said over the years about the crime her husband was suspected of committing. She was too busy being the perfect wife, standing by her man while living with the accusing glares and the anonymous harassment.
Now there’s no reason to stay quiet. There are people who want to hear her story. They want to know what it was like living with that man. She can tell them that there were secrets. There always are in a marriage.
The truth—that’s all anyone wants. But the one lesson Jean has learned in the last few years is that she can make people believe anything…
Book Worm’s Thoughts: This is an interesting character study of one woman, Jean Taylor, and how she stands by her husband when he is accused of a terrible crime. Years later, her husband dies and Jean finds her ordered world falling apart. She is once again the centre of attention and this time she has no one to protect and no reason not to talk.
The novel has multiple narrators and shifts in time from the present to the past. We get to see events from Jean’s point of view, her husband’s point of view, a reporter’s point of view, a victim’s point of view, and the police point of view. Each new chapter gives a new perspective on events and piece by piece they come together to build up a cohesive story.
I liked the shift in narratives and timeframes and how the story was built up slowly as links were revealed. My problem with the book was that I didn’t find Jean convincing as a real person and as she is the central character, that was a real issue for me.
I would also say the comparison with Gone Girl is wrong. This is a much slower narrative and one with very few real plot twists.
So who would like this? I think those who enjoy crime fiction and those who like fiction about relationships with hidden secrets will be drawn to this book. Content warning: This book features child abduction and abuse and although it is never actually explicitly described. However, those who are uncomfortable with these themes should probably avoid this book.
Want to try it for yourself? You can find a copy here.
We want to hear from you! Have you read this book? What did you think? Does it sound like a book you would want to read? Which are your favorite crime fiction writers and/or novels?
Mar 11
Solaris by Stanislaw Lem
Published in: 1961
Reviewed by: Book Worm and Jen
Rating: ★★★★
Find it here: Solaris
Synopsis from Goodreads: A classic work of science fiction by renowned Polish novelist and satirist Stanislaw Lem.
When Kris Kelvin arrives at the planet Solaris to study the ocean that covers its surface, he finds a painful, hitherto unconscious memory embodied in the living physical likeness of a long-dead lover. Others examining the planet, Kelvin learns, are plagued with their own repressed and newly corporeal memories. The Solaris ocean may be a massive brain that creates these incarnate memories, though its purpose in doing so is unknown, forcing the scientists to shift the focus of their quest and wonder if they can truly understand the universe without first understanding what lies within their hearts.
Book Worm’s Thoughts: 4 stars. I read this book after having watched the George Clooney film and I have to say the book is 10 times better. It is a deeper, more philosophical exploration about what it means to be human.
While the book is classed as a sci-fi classic, it reads equally as well as a study of guilt, obsession and sacrifice. That is not to say there is no science in it, there is, a lot. Some readers may be put off by the detailed description of the ocean and the way it behaves especially the long detailed descriptions of the kind of structures it makes. This wasn’t a problem for me as I enjoyed seeing what the author imagined an alien mind could come up with.
The first person narrative gives the story a creepy, edgy kind of feel, it also means that everything we are told comes from one source which means that source can be questionable. This technique works well to convey the isolation of the space station, the claustrophobic feeling of being trapped in one place with no communication with the outside world it also suggests the way the mind can play tricks on you.
I would recommend this to those who enjoy sci-fi and weirdly those who like a good romance.
Jen’s Thoughts: 4 stars. I have often made the claim on this blog that I generally dislike science fiction but perhaps that is because I have read the wrong books (I often wonder if Robert Heinlein has biased me against all science fiction). I really enjoyed Solaris for many of the reasons Book Worm mentioned above. I actually liked the movie which I had seen prior to reading the book although admittedly my tolerance for bad quality movies is quite high. While I may be a snob when it comes to books, I will pretty much watch and enjoy all movies. Yet as Book Worm writes above, the book was superior in all ways to the movie.
Solaris was a very engaging, intelligent, and well-written book. It is described by many as philosophical science fiction and it raises issues about what makes us who we are. It is a book that blur the lines between reality and hallucination bring us to question the very nature of our perception. Maybe it’s no wonder that I liked the book despite it being in the science fiction genre. Lem was never really part of the science fiction establishment. Philp K. Dick accused him of being a communist agent and he was booted out of the Science Fiction Writers Association (Wired magazine, 2002). Lem himself wrote that science fiction was a “whore, prostituting itself with discomfort, disgust, and contrary to its dreams and hopes.”
As Book Worm has warned above, the book is filled to the brim with scientific digressions that at times can be quite dry. These digressions serve a purpose in building the backdrop to the book but they are fairly extensive and may be off-putting to those who don’t like this element in their science fiction books. That said, I enjoyed the book and found it quite thought-provoking. It was a creepy read.
Want to try it for yourself? You can find a copy here: Solaris
We want to hear from you! Have you read this book? What did you think?
Mar 10
At the Edge of the Orchard by Tracy Chevalier
Release date: March 15 2016
Reviewed by: Book Worm
Rating: ★★★
Find it here: At the Edge of the Orchard
This ARC was provided by Penguin Group Viking (via NetGalley) in exchange for an honest review.
Synopsis from Goodreads: From internationally bestselling author Tracy Chevalier, a riveting drama of a pioneer family on the American frontier
1838: James and Sadie Goodenough have settled where their wagon got stuck – in the muddy, stagnant swamps of northwest Ohio. They and their five children work relentlessly to tame their patch of land, buying saplings from a local tree man known as John Appleseed so they can cultivate the fifty apple trees required to stake their claim on the property. But the orchard they plant sows the seeds of a long battle. James loves the apples, reminders of an easier life back in Connecticut; while Sadie prefers the applejack they make, an alcoholic refuge from brutal frontier life. Read more
Mar 4
Castles in the Air by Alison Ripley Cubit
Published in: 2016
Reviewed by: Book Worm
Rating: ★★★
Find it here: Castles in the Air: A Family Memoir of Love and Loss
This ARC was provided by Lambert Nagle Media (via NetGalley) in exchange for an honest review.
Synopsis from Netgalley: An eight-year-old child witnesses her mother’s secret and knows that from that moment life will never be the same.
After Molly, her mother dies, Alison uses her legacy to make a film about Molly’s relationship with a man she had known since she was a teenager. What hold did this man have over her mother? And what other secrets was her mother hiding?
Castles in the Air follows the life of Molly Ripley through the eyes of her daughter Alison. From Molly’s childhood in colonial Hong Kong and Malaya; wartime adventures as a rookie office girl in the far east outpost of Bletchley Park then as a young nurse in the city; tangled romance and marriage… to her challenging middle-age when demons from the past seem set to overwhelm her.
The writer in Alison can’t stop until she reveals the story of Molly’s past. But as a daughter, does she have the courage to face up to the uncomfortable truths of Molly’s seemingly ordinary life?
As she unravels the private self that Molly kept secret, Alison realises that she is trying to find herself through her mother’s story. By trying to make sense of the past, can she move on with her future?
Honest yet unsentimental and told with abundant love and compassion, this is a profoundly moving portrait of a woman’s life, hopes and dreams. We learn not only about Molly, but about mothers and daughters, secrets and love. A story for readers struggling to come to terms with the trauma of losing loved ones.
Book Worm’s Thoughts: I don’t normally read non-fiction, but the description of the book really appealed to me. Molly’s childhood and teenage years are fascinating. She is living through a dangerous period in history, in a culture very different from the one left behind in England. The problem is we don’t really hear about what is going on in the world. Instead we are given highlights of the letters that Molly sent to family friend, Steve — a friend for whom she has deep feelings. The letters themselves are what you would expect from a teenage girl. They are basically written with news updates about people known to both parties and largely contain details about how much Molly is missing Steve. Due to the ongoing war, the letters are censored. So even if she had wanted to, Molly could not tell Steve all the details of in which the family were involved. I would have liked the author to have added more detailed descriptions about what was actually occurring in Malaya, Singapore, and Colombo at the time her mother was living in those places, but the opportunity is missed.
The later sections of the book are told from Alison’s point of view as she recalls the mother she thought she knew and the family life she remembers. We learn about Molly’s life after marriage and about the challenges facing her and her husband– to support their family, to do their best for their children, to grow and function as individuals, and to find happiness together something that becomes increasingly impossible.
Molly is a fascinating character and Alison has an interesting story to tell. However, the way it is written and the introspective focus let book down.
Who would enjoy this book? Anyone with an interest in individual people and how they function in their daily lives within their families.
Want to try it for yourself? You can find a copy here: Castles in the Air: A Family Memoir of Love and Loss
We want to hear from you! Have you read this book? What did you think?
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The Reader's Room 