The Missing One – Lucy Atkins

WOW.

This is a must read.

I haven’t said that one in a while. Lucy Atkins has provided a twisty novel with a gripping journey, try to predict the ending and you will no doubt get it wrong – my mum and I both did!

The novel focuses on the disjointed family life of Kali McKenzie (Halstrom) and the secrets slowly revealed by the death of her mother. Having had a tempestuous relationship with her mother throughout her life Kali craves further knowledge to get closure on her mother’s unknown and distant personality.

Prior to her mother’s death Kali finds texts on her husbands phone that leads her to believe he has been cheating on her – but all is not what it seems – with her world turned upside down she makes the impulsive decision to take herself and her little boy Finn halfway around the world in search of answers.

Kali soon finds out that what she believed is in fact true – she knew very little about her mother. Whilst we, the reader, know slightly more with the intertextuality provided by her mothers diary extracts  it is intriguing to learn further about her mothers Orca studies and why she abandoned them.

Whilst in Vancouver Kali meets her mothers long lost friend Susannah and suddenly her whole family history unravels in front of her. Not knowing Susannah is incredibly sick Kali pushes her for more and more information before she snaps and does the unthinkable – but I won’t divulge what happens, you will just have to read it yourself!

 

Pages: 569

To Buy: http://www.amazon.co.uk/Missing-One-Lucy-Atkins/dp/184866320X/ref=sr_1_sc_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1398198173&sr=1-1-spell&keywords=the+missing+onee £2 what a bargain!!

Author: http://www.lucyatkins.com/

The Shock of the Fall – Nathan Filer

WEIRD.

That was how I described this novel the entire way through reading it. Peculiar.

I felt similarly about this book as I did when I read Heart of Darkness, i’ve read the entire story but I am still unsure of what I have read.

The novel is the journey of schizophrenic protagonist Matt Homes (he isn’t named for quite some time!) whom introduces us to his brother first and foremost saying that whilst we will like little Simon Homes he will be dead in a few pages.

Filer focuses on the journey Matt goes through after losing his brother, a death he blames himself for, whilst it has an interesting element in terms of looking at a schizophrenic’s life it is a bizarre read. Sure a schizophrenic’s head is going to be all over the place and thus the novel follows this structure but I have to say I struggled to follow this story – thus I struggled to read it.

Saying that it won last years Costa Coffee Book Award so it cannot be all bad! Just my opinion it seems.

On to the next novel!!

Apple Tree Yard – Louise Doughty

It’s been a while, I feel like books are starting to take me a little longer to read due to work and the fact I can drive. This may sound random but I have only been driving for two months and prior to this I could read on the bus. That means for up to an hour a day (sometimes more) I was getting the opportunity to jump out of my life and into someone else’s.

My mum sold this book as ‘could not put down’ she literally wanted to finish it in about two days. However, I have to say, and this is down to different tastes (although we do share A LOT of books), that I do not agree. I am not saying it was bad as that would be unfair but I certainly wasn’t chomping at the bit for my lunch break, or bath(!) to read further.

Anyway ‘Apple Tree Yard’ is a cryptic book which leaves you to make your own assumptions about the second protagonist for about two thirds of the tale. He is for the most part, an unnamed entity. The novel features a geneticist called Yvonne who indulges in an extra marital affair – something she has never considered before.

Whilst as the reader I did not dislike her husband and I didn’t have particularly strong feelings towards her lover the way in which Yvonne goes about starting the affair seems almost farcical. Upon meeting the gentlemen in question, and I use that word lightly, she has sex with him. This alone would make a rather boring novel however, her ‘friend’ is cryptic. Yvonne thinks he is a spook – but is he?

When Yvonne’s life takes a turn for the worse and she finds herself in a dangerous position the two of them find themselves in court. It is then the novel draws your attention. You learn that Yvonne’s mysterious friend is not what she expected and she ends up feeling cheated. Ironic hey?

Although I wasn’t amazed by the story it wasn’t horrendous. I would recommend it as a read, especially as my mum found it so enthralling (to me that means that many others would!).

We got it from our local library but if you would like to buy it you can find it here: http://www.amazon.co.uk/Apple-Tree-Yard-Louise-Doughty/dp/0571278647/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1396712228&sr=8-1&keywords=apple+tree+yard

My Animals and Other Family – Clare Balding

Clare Balding is quite a name in this house. We aren’t sports lovers (well I am but it’s motor racing), we wouldn’t avidly watch everything with Balding on it, but we adore the lady that is Clare Balding. One of the reasons for this – we have something in common with her – a naughty Tibetan Terrier.

I’ve encountered Clare Balding a couple of times in the past through events but never quite got the chance to speak to her, nonetheless I think she has got the most lovely personality given her background.

‘My Animals and Other Family’ is Balding’s autobiography. For me autobiographies are notoriously hard to read, for someone as nosy as I am I have to say I really struggling reading people’s life stories. However, Balding’s was different.

Based more on the animals than her family itself Balding gives a new take (to me anyway) on how to write autobiographies. Each animal comes with a personality and with that Balding introduces us first to the animals and then her family.

I think the first chapter ‘Candy’ was one of my favourites. Her mother’s dog was so incredibly in love with Balding that she jumped out of a window when she thought Clare was being abducted by her mother. It broke my heart when Balding later revealed she had died at the kennels when they had gone away.

It is clear in the book that it isn’t just Balding’s animals who have great personalities but also her family. Her dad might not be the best father in the world, far from it in fact, but his skills in the world of horse training sound incredible. He knows what he wants and how to get it. Although this makes her family sound tough and harsh I can’t help but wonder if Balding would be half the woman she is now without them.

I don’t think I’d like her grandmother l, I find it bizarre to read of a woman who quite frankly seems to hate her own gender. I’m far from a feminist but Balding’s grandmother seemed to think women were inept at most things in life.
The two slightly warmer family members were her mother and brother. Clare and Andrew seemed to have a brilliant relationship all things considered in their family and her mother seemed to warm as the tale went on. Balding’s mother seems like a less vicious version of her mother.

All in all it was excellent and an autobiography I read with fair speed. I would recommend it to both animal lovers and those who have ever liked any of Balding’s work. Enjoy!!

The Storyteller – Jodi Picoult

When I was younger the library was everything to me. A place to grab the latest must read, to chat in the warmth with friends and as a boredom buster in the summer. Without the local library I would have been lost.

Libraries now do not get enough support, far from it, most are being threatened with closure and I have to admit I’m not as dedicated as I should be. It’s so easy now to go on Amazon and buy the latest addition by your favourite author by a couple of pounds. I’m an awful offender for this, university meant I had to own my own copies of novels and since then I have fallen into the trap of buying rather than borrowing. There’s two reasons for this – I can pick what I want – and I hate Kindle’s. I have to have a book.

Anyway, around 2 weeks ago my mum decided to make an impromptu visit to the library (just across from our house – lucky huh?) and asked if I wanted to come. Mum and I have quite similar taste in novels which is beneficial on the occasions I do buy them, at least they get read more than once!

One of the novels we picked up was Jodi Picoult’s ‘The Storyteller’. In the past I have both loved and been left frustrated with Picoult’s narratives. They can be incredibly detailed and with an air of the unknown whilst others can be a predictable as they come.

This has been part of the reason I’d taken a break from Picoult’s novels but wow what a bang to come back on.

The story follows Sage, a non religious Jewish baker who stumbles across a gentleman in her community that knows more about her families past than she does.

Sage is a particularly complex character in that she hides from the public predominantly due to an accident leaving her with facial scarring. Sage has no parents, a tentative relationship with her siblings and a married boyfriend. Yet when Josef arrives on the scene her life is turned upside down.

Josef is a pillar of the community, he has done everything possible to be helpful yet when him and Sage become friends and Josef asks Sage to help him die he causes a conflict of interests. Josef is hiding his darkest secret – he once once a member of the SS and therefore responsible for numerous deaths of Jews.

Whilst Sage battles with her conscience and opens a case against Josef her grandmother (Minka) is being dragged back through her past in Auschwitz. Interlinked with Sage and Minka’s narrative is Minka’s story written both before and during Auschwitz. It is both creepy and endearing and a crucial element of the journey the characters go on.

With one final twist – a somewhat predictable one I believe – the novel end on a sad note with the read asking the question, Are monsters really monsters? Each villain in this text has seemed in a sense compassionate and still humane. Go figure.

I think my love for history also peaked my interest in this, all throughout school history was a big factor – two of my favourite teachers were in this subject. The novel is set in the modern day reflecting on the Second World War and thus the concentration camps, a major part of my A Levels.

All in all I’d urge you to go to your nearest library and take a copy out or failing that buy it! This is one of my favourite books of recent months.

Pride and Prejudice and Zombies – Jane Austen and Seth Grahame-Smith

A bit of background about me first. Prior to university I had no time for classics and I have still only read those on our curriculum so I have to admit I have not read Pride and Prejudice, as of yet.

As you may remember I am attempting (though it is taking me a while) to read through novels I had to buy for university that I never got round to reading, unfortunately for me the above book was part of this.

My mind boggles on how a series can exist of adapted classics. The classics are classics for a reason they have been canonised over the years by numerous literary greats. Yet there is some unknown reason why the author has been allowed to fiddle with these.

The introduction of zombies into a classic is random at best. Now personally I do not enjoy anything to do with horror anyway so this was already on the back foot. Having not read the original I was intrigued in what the novel could offer, I know little about the story except a woman falls in love with a ‘Mr Darcy’.

In ‘Pride and Prejudice and Zombies’ Elizabeth Bennet and her family as well as Mr Darcy and his are Zombie combatants – trained soldiers. Not the dainty English socialites of old.

There is nothing dainty or ladylike about the protagonists in this novel as they are usually in full combat mode at any given moment. Whilst the attraction to men and the urge to marry (especially their mothers wish) remains strong the focus is totally on the Zombies and their impact on society.

The one saving grace of this novel was the quite intriguing drawings included. It reminded me of my childhood somewhat as it’s been a while since a novel had pictures within.

Despite this there is no way I would read it again and that is why it has been added to the charity shop pile, it’s getting quite big!

Till We Meet Again – Lesley Pearse

For Christmas last year my sister and I decided to create a gift bag/lucky dip esque present for our mum. As you may have already noticed from previous blogs Lesley Pearse has become a family favourite author in this household, therefore the hard task began of selecting a novel we hadn’t already read.

I deliberately went back to some of Pearse’s earlier work, though not so early that it is a single name.

‘Till We Meet Again’ is surprisingly from 2003 though it looks coherent within her recent work (I’m not sure if that’s a refurb thing looks wise or if the design has always stayed the same).

‘Till We Meet Again’ focuses on two childhood friends separated by life that are drawn back together on one fateful day. Susan and Beth knew each other when they were ten years old but were  torn apart by the various abuse of their respective families. Susan is at the mercy of her loveless and empty father in the same way that Beth has hidden her fathers physically abusive past to further her career.

In this narrative Susan is a supposed killer and Beth the lawyer that must get her off – but is everything what it seems?

There is an air of predictability later on in the novel but it in no way takes away from the overall twist of the story.  The two friends spend the duration of the novel reliving their hard pasts, remembering who they once were and how they got to be the person they are in the modern day.

The reader will sympathise with both characters for many reasons, one of which is the fact they can no longer be friends in a world of pain and hardships. Life has dealt Susan a bad hand as Beth manages to finally get control of her life.

It is a sweet novel whilst being a thrilling story in its entirety. Yet again Pearse has written a winner in our eyes.

Jorge Lorenzo – My Story So Far

Sometimes when you pick a book to read you can automatically be on the back foot and have reservations about the subject matter.

Jorge Lorenzo has always been something of an enigma to me, like Dani Pedrosa he portrays this cool and frosty image that seems hard to warm to. Unlike Pedrosa, since I started watching the MotoGP I have thought, or did think, that Lorenzo was arrogant. That’s not to say arrogance is always a bad thing but in this instance it was somewhat overbearing.

Anyway, Lorenzo over the past year or two has seemingly thawed his image and has become a warmer character in my opinion so I chose to read his book. Not only had my previous opinion tainted my outlook slightly but I was told when I bought it that.. well quite frankly it wasn’t very good!

I have to say I am partly inclined to agree. I like biographies to be in chronological order – especially when I am lacking thorough background knowledge on the subject. This biography jumped all over the place rather than being straight forward and clear. I suppose I could say a bit like the man himself.

Despite this the overall detail was great. The arrogance I had noticed at the beginning of his MotoGP career was mere remnants of his personality prior to becoming a ‘celebrity sportsman’ and it is something that ‘Jorge’ appears to work on every time he speaks.

He has been more successful than I ever realised and made a quick jump to the GP something very rare now – unless you’re Marquez and the rules get reversed!

One of the main things I did enjoy about ‘My Story So Far’ were the anecdotes added by his friends and the team around him. It is through these that you get to know the real ‘Jorge’ opposed to the ‘Lorenzo’ he had been presenting.

However, as I have said before in other blogs riders are 100% entitled to present whatever image they wish, they do not have to be anything like Rossi who embraces the character, but it is starting to look that many have realised that showing a warmth and humour is beneficial.

All in all it wasn’t the best book but it was certainly a decent enough insight into the man that is double world champion.

The Tennis Party – Madeleine Wickham (AKA Sophie Kinsella)

Sophie Kinsella is probably one of the most well known female writers in recent ‘chic lit’ history for her ‘Tales of a Shopaholic’ series.

However, Kinsella is a pseudonym for writer Madeleine Wickham. Wickham has produced a few books since becoming ‘known’ in the literary world prior to her choice of pseudonym.

I was quite a fan of Kinsella in the past yet her books written under the name ‘Wickham’ leave much to be desired. I bought a pack of three books on my first pay day and have only just finished the third as I have been distracted by better things!

The Tennis Party was possibly the most exciting of the three read which is why I have chosen to focus on this one – that and I have just finished it.

It focuses on a variable group of friends that are both wealthy and poor but the point stands that they all come from the same place which is near to rock bottom.

Patrick, Caroline and Georgina are the hosts of this delightful party and whilst they are not quite satisfied with their lot in life by the end of the novel it is clear that the love and adoration of the couple remains whilst striving for a good life for their only daughter. Patrick is a salesman in all his glory, although he now sells life policies he cannot knock off the sense of the salesman during his party and threatens to annihilate all friendships. Caroline is a fantastic character in a somewhat slow book, her sarcasm and bitterness did make me smile I have to admit.

Annie, Stephen, Nicola and Toby (Toby isn’t much of a character) were the loveable yet poor couple. The ones who stood to lose everything from Patrick’s underhanded salesmen tactics. The also have the added sympathy element as their daughter has had a stroke.

Charles and Cressida are the couple are on the way to nothing. Charles who appears to have married Cressida for her money is a vile creature that proceeds to cheat on her with the women he divorced. Cressida whilst being financially stupid becomes quite a warm character close to the end.

All in all it wasn’t awful but nor was it the best book i’ve ever read – i’m afraid this one is destined for the charity shop.

True Blood – The Sookie Stackhouse collection – Charlaine Harris

It’s been a while since a really good book series came out – although I have to confess as per usual I am late to the party. But the True Blood series is really something else.

I’ve been watching the tv series for a while (renowned for being SO different to the novels) and whilst i’d considered the books multiple times I had never quite got there, cue my birthday.

You can buy the first 10 of the series from The Book People for next to nothing and I couldn’t put them down – a HUGE benefit to being so behind on the latest must read, Harris released the last novel in October.

As you may have already guessed I read my way through the 13 book series as quickly as it takes Miss Stackhouse to get attacked!!

So instead of focusing on each book individually I am going to focus more on the characters and a few thoughts across the series.

Sookie Stackhouse
Have you ever encountered a woman so lucky and unlucky in a heart beat? She beds two vampires, a weretiger and a shifter yet she is getting attacked nearly every 100 pages it seems. She has the promise of protection from no end of supernatural beings as well as her friends, yet this does not stop her being abducted around 20 pages from the end of the last novel. I have to say I don’t particularly sympathise with her and I wonder whether she is meant to be a ‘moral’ from Harris about being an individual and not being ruled by a man.

Eric Northman
Here’s the kicker with watching the TV show first.. you get to imagine the very handsome Alexander Skarsgard instead of Harris’ long haired Viking – terrible I know. Eric, even in his most bitter and manipulative mood was and is my favourite character across both narratives. It thoroughly irritates me that the supposed happily ever after could not have been crafted to feature the devious vampire.

Sam Merlotte
Yawn… He’s a shifter and I just find him boring. This story ends with the age old tale of the heroine falling for the man always by her side. Is this a supernatural Disneyesque classic?

Bill Compton
Here’s where the program is irritating – Sookie still seems to hold on to Bill. In the book they are simply friends in the end. Yes Bill is nearly as horrendous as Eric yet the help he later provides appears to rectify all wrongdoings. Bill is just a good character – nothing overly amazing but nothing terrible either.

Pam Ravenscroft
Pam’s character had me smiling a lot, I love the strong sense of sarcasm you get with her every action yet Sookie encourages the human element of her. I am glad Harris’ left her as sheriff and I would like to see a series or novel on its own regarding Pam’s new position.

The Humans
There are so many Bon Temps characters introduced that it is hard to remember all of them. Jason is the typical Jock who then settles down whilst Tara is the not quite balanced best friend. Although she’s technically a witch I think Amelia was my favourite, I would have liked her to have closure with her father though.

I could go on forever but overall I liked the balance of characters throughout and I adored the tension of the relationship Sookie and Eric kept. However, saying that I think that is where the last book is severely let down. I personally expected Sookie to end up with Eric after fighting for him so hard, whether that was as a human or as a vampire herself.

In terms of the last book narrative there was too much action shoved to the end (for anyone who’s also read 50 Shades of Grey this is a fairly similar example). I felt the kidnapping of Sookie whilst closing the book, didn’t need to be immediately followed by a wedding and a happy ever after. It felt liked i’d blinked and missed it.

Finally if you like the TV show then read the books, they are almost nothing alike and treating them as such will lead you to a great book series and a fantastic TV show.

I hope you enjoy and i’d love to know what you think?