Ferney/The Lives She Left Behind - by James Long

For anyone that knows me, they would know that any book emblazoned with the phrase “a novel for anyone that believes in love” is a guaranteed turn off. I’m not a lovey dovey person, nor am I a particularly romantic person. Despite the fact that many of my favourite books happen to feature a love story, I need more than that to make it a good book. A good story, believable characters, and a gifted storyteller who can weave the bits together to make a good story. Love, to me, is part of the story, not a reason for reading the story. A second turn off is anything that goes by the tag of “master piece” or “classic novel”. If it’s that classic, I’ll have read it already. So when I got my HUGE parcel through from real readers, which contained not one but TWO books, it wasn’t long before I was feeling slightly nervous. The editions I had were beautiful. No honestly, they were amazing. Hardback, with a lovely illustration on the dust wrapper and the edition of Ferney was limited, only 500 being printed. It even contained a message from the author. Yes, dear blog reader, this is how shallow I am. I was so excited about the book’s coverings (yes, I do judge) that I put aside my misgivings and my fears (I can handle a love story or two) and got reading…..

Ferney:
Ferney is, according to the blurb “A story of love and self-discovery that resonates across the ages” (NICHOLAS EVANS, author of 'The Horse Whisperer') So I’m expecting a classic novel, of times gone by, of people meeting and parting, and holding on to cherished memories and all the classic clichés. Or maybe something more romantic – “Time Travellers Wife” manages to pluck at the heartstrings like never before.
And this really, is where I felt the book fell down. Because although it sells itself as a love story, clearly defined on the front of the book and the blurb on the back, once you open the book, there is a conflict going on. James Long, according to the brief description, also writes historical novels. Why he chose to write this love story, I couldn’t say. Maybe he felt that he wanted to write it, and just forgot that people who read love stories don’t always want a history text book. Or maybe he felt the two could be mixed together and he was trying an experiment. My personal theory is that he really couldn’t make his mind up about what he preferred. At times he goes into long stories about the past. I learned an awful lot about the Danes and the monks and the power of sowing oats has on a community (seriously, fascinating stuff). Obviously the story being about two people who have been reincarnated again and again, you would expect a little history to come into it. But there were so many different stories and historical periods that were mentioned, that the main story became tangled and confused in all the other bits and pieces. The modern day love story became buried in the mire of the past. And whilst, ironically, this is part of the story they were telling, it also led to the reader becoming bogged down with the weight of the past. I love history and I found it to be incredibly interesting. But it detracted from the story, and became, to me part history text book, part Mills and Boon.
To cut a long story short, and to enable me to get onto the sequel of the novel, Ferney is about Ferney and Gally. Ferney is an old man who has lived in the village of Pen Selwood for a long time. In fact several times over. Gally is his love, his true love, who has lived with him in his previous lives. They were separated many years ago and he had searched for her, only for her to drive into the village one day in search of a cottage. The only snag being that Gally has no memory of who she was and she is happily married to Mike, a history lecturer from London.
I’m not giving any massive plot lines away here, as most of what I’m about to say next is either predictable or explained anyway. The reincarnation of Gally and Ferney is introduced quite early on and gathers momentum throughout the novel. I get the impression that the reader is somehow expected to automatically believe the reincarnation, and to support the growing relationship between Gally and Ferney. But for me, I kept feeling for poor old Mike. It’s not just that his beloved (although slightly crazy) wife suddenly discovers her true soul mate is an old man who she has lived with before in previous lives. He suddenly becomes side-lined and even the author seems to bore of him as he keeps getting sent off to London. His only purpose in the book seems to be arguing with Gally or delivering history lectures. (and don’t expect him to get treated better in the next book either)
I found that the book, with warts and all, was actually a good read. I did want to keep reading it and I found the style of writing was easy to follow and easy to get into. And the final chapters were incredibly compelling. To the point that the final chapter was read in a state of shock. I even ran upstairs to get the next book. Oh dear, how I wish I had stopped there…..

The Lives She Left Behind
(or as I have re-titled it, the book I wish I’d left behind)
After such an exciting ending of the previous book, I read with anticipation the first few chapters of the new novel. Taking aside the fact that from the very first page it’s more than obvious who Joanne really is, from such a fast paced ending, the new book raced into a slow, plodding waddle that really never regained it’s former speed.
Don’t expect any surprises in the new book. In many ways it follows the same format as Ferney. Expect lots of history lectures and insights into the past which we may or may not enjoy. Lots of strange things happen which I think I was expected to marvel at, or enjoy, or possibly wonder at. But it was more than obvious who Ferney and Gally are in this modern age, and aside from wanting to know what happened to the Gally we knew at the end of the first book, there seemed little new information to be gained. Mike is still in the novel, and oh poor Mike. Honestly, this guy does not get a break. Not only does he get treated like rubbish in the first book, now he’s subject to police enquiries.
I found much of the book was going over what had been previously covered in the first book. Here was a scene were “Gally” remembers something sad. Here is a scene where Ferney tells her something happy. Here is a scene where Mike is left to pick up the pieces again. Oh a new character, let’s update them with who is who. I quickly became bored with what was becoming a repetitious story with no hope of an ending. My only salvation was to keep reading and hope that the ending would save me. However it would appear I hoped against hope. The ending was a damp squib. Whilst it wasn’t a surprise, and I can’t tell you how I did want it to end, I felt that the ending left me asking the question about what the point was in it all? Why hurt so many other people, just for that? Yes I really am a cynic and this book did not dent that opinion at all!
The relationship between Gally and Ferney seemed to me, to be incredibly selfish. Again and again we are reminded that it has always been the two of them. To the extent that no one else matters (Mike, Mike who?) I found it so selfish, I wasn't drawn into their affair and so found it hard to want them to be together. My attitude being that if they've been together before, they'll do it again in the next life.

Taking the books together, overall, they’re not necessarily bad books. And there are people out there who are more romantic than me, who may enjoy that aspect of the book more than me. So I wouldn’t dismiss the books at all. But really and truly, I don’t feel my life was massively enriched by the second book. The first book would have sufficed. And if I’m totally honest, it could have been one story, just without as much history.
So overall I would say if you’re looking for a love story, carry on down the bookshelves. If you’re looking for a historical read, hover and flick through but don’t linger. However if you’re less fussy about genre and looking for something a little bit different, to make you think, then go ahead. It’s not a bad read. And at least you won’t have to read it again, and again and again. At least not in this life……

The Girl You Left Behind by Jojo Moyes

Having only recently finished Jojo Moye’s beautiful but weepy “Me Before You”, I was at first uncertain as to whether “The Girl You Left Behind” would be able to match it. My copy from Real Readers arrived on my doorstep though, and I was instantly drawn in by the story. Needless to say, I shouldn’t have worried and that her latest novel is just as fascinating and compelling, if not possibly better.

The book starts off in France, during the First World War. The village of St Peronne has been taken over by German soldiers and its residents forced to starve away in their homes, not knowing what’s happening even in the next village. Sophie Lefevre has moved back to the village with her sister and her sister’s three children, and together they are trying to keep themselves alive. Sophie’s husband is a painter and her prized possession is a portrait of her, that she keeps to remind her of him whilst he fights at the front. The German Kommandant in charge of the occupying forces sees the painting and tries to become friends with Sophie despite the war. When she gets news that her husband has been captured, Sophie fears that she will never see him again, and makes a decision to try and save him whatever it may take.

Fast forward to modern days and Liv Halston is living inside the house her architect husband build and designed, before he died four years ago. Liv is still grieving for him and her most precious possession and reminder of him is the painting that hangs on her bedroom wall, “The girl you left behind”.

Enter Paul, an ex cop from America. He works for a company that specialises in tracking down art works that had been stolen from families in the two world wars. He receives a request from a member of the Lefevre family, asking for his help in finding a painting which went missing after Sophie Lefevre was taken away by the Germans in 1916 and is believed to have been stolen by the German Kommandant.

The twists and turns of this novel had me reading far later into the night than I should have been, but I just didn’t want to put it down. It didn’t take long for me to become emotionally involved with the characters. Sophie’s world is dark and bleak and the suffering in the village is described so realistically, it was hard not to imagine the sound of soldier’s boots on cobbled stones. Sophie is full of life, and love for her husband, and it’s understandable she finds herself in a situation where she believes there is nothing else to do but to try and save him. When the book moves forward to modern times, the reader is still none the wiser as to the painting’s final resting place. This means that as the reader, I found out about Sophie’s ending, at the same time as Liv did. And despite a large amount of predictability in the earlier parts of the book, I was not expecting the ending I did. The whole novel was paced just right, with the story leaping about in time without it being too onerous or confusing. Letters and journals helped add to Sophie’s voice in the 21st century.

Liv has to make a difficult choice as well, for her, she wants to fight for a painting she believes is hers. It opens up an interesting debate about the restoration of lost pieces of art work, and cleverly blurs the line of right and wrong. After all, Liv and her husband did not steal the painting, so why should she be punished? Yet again I feel Jojo Moyes cleverly takes a subject matter and presents it in such a way you can see all sides of the story, and leaves you feeling completely absorbed by the plot.

Overall, this is another brilliant and excellent piece of writing from an author who has very quickly become one of my favourites. The only down side, is I am now getting through too many tissues when reading her books!

Trust Your Eyes by Lindwood Barclay

I love the idea behind this book. In particular because it’s something which has been talked about a lot in real life. There have been incidents in the news where images seen on Google Streetview have triggered searches for possible murder victims, or that have later been removed and of course there have been some incidents of peoples’ infidelity being caught out. So the idea of someone finding something dark – like someone being murdered, is incredibly appealing.

Thomas Kilbride believes he will be recruited by the CIA to help them in the future. Thomas has a unique gift that means he has a photographic memory. He is currently using the internet to explore the world and memorise the towns and cities. According to Thomas, one day in the future all the electronic maps will disappear, and he will be required to help produce maps using his recollections. Whilst researching New York, Thomas comes across an image in a window – it looks like someone being smothered. He sends his brother to New York to check out the building and sets in motion a series of events that will change everyone’s lives.

Switching from the present to an event taking place previously (there is little mention of how long ago this could have been), the reader is allowed to follow the events taking place, and has the position of knowing what really did happen, while watching the characters investigate for themselves. This omniscience doesn’t allow the reader to relax however, as there are a few twists and turns along the way, which make for plenty of page turning.

The characters were well written and were believable. At times the story is told from each of their points of view, and this fitted into the story. It wasn’t too sudden when the narration changed, and as it was told in the third person, it meant it didn’t create too many different voices to follow. I felt Thomas in particular must have been a difficult character to write, but it was done well, and it was done in a way that he did come across as different, even in his speech, whilst at the same time, sounding like a real person might. I did wonder at the schizophrenia diagnosis as earlier in the book I had assumed he was autistic but I suppose ultimately that’s not a massive issue.

I found the pace of the storyline was just right. It moved along nicely and kept you hooked for more, without revealing too much too soon. Nor did it then fizzle out once the drama had been concluded. It was finished nicely, and the story was concluded well…. With a little twist at the end, just to make sure you are paying attention.

The only downside to this book, was that whirl360 is blatantly Google. And I’m sure that there are legal reasons why this was changed, and obviously it is a work of fiction etc. It is only a small niggle, but still annoyed me. I had previously read one of Linwood’s books and whilst I had enjoyed it, I had found that the pace of the book was a little too hectic and ended up running out of steam. This is only the second book of his I have read, and a few years on I have to say his narration and story telling have definitely improved. I will now be seeking out his other books in the hope of being Just as enthralled!

Held up by Christopher Radmann

Paul Van NieKerk is proudly driving his brand new BMW home, when he is held up at gunpoint. Forced out of the car, Paul is forced to stand by and watch the hijackers drive off with his new car. It is only at this point that he remembers his 9 month old daughter Chantal is still in the back of his car. This is South Africa, where hijacking is a way of life and where whites and blacks live side by side in opposing worlds. Held up focuses on the raw grief and pain suffered by Paul and his wife Clara as they attempt to come to terms with what has happened. With a lack of interest or effort from the police, Paul is forced to believe the only way to find his daughter is to search for her himself. This search, at times bloody and violent, leads him into the poorest slums of South Africa and ultimately into the darkest recesses of his mind.

Held up is a book which is not given justice by the blurb on the back. On the surface, it looks like an ordinary, run of the mill action/thriller. I wondered if it had been a film, based on reading the short description. But the reality of the book is very much different. The story remains as described but what wasn’t, nor can’t be, portrayed, is the beautiful, at times poetic, use of language throughout the book.

What I had been expecting, alongside the standard thriller text, was a sub text based on South Africa. Not a country I know a great deal about, I had been looking forward to reading more about the politics, the day to day lives of people within such a troubled and confused country. We do get some insight into South Africa and the people who live there, but only through the eyes of the main character, Paul and so this viewpoint is, naturally, flawed and is based more on his experiences throughout the book rather than anything more descriptive. As a result, I did find it hard to get into at first, purely because it wasn’t what I was expecting. However, once I had got over this and was able to focus more on the book itself, I found I was able to relax more and get into the story.

Overall, this was a book that I am glad I have read. I hesitate to use the word enjoy, purely because the subject matter, and the ending, are hardly things I can say I have enjoyed. I am glad I stuck it out and I did enjoy the use of language and descriptions portrayed in the book. I would definitely look at reading more of this author’s works in the future.

Be warned, this is not an easy read, partly due to the content of the book and partly due to the language used. And don’t expect a happy ending. Held up is a bleak and painful book, showing just how far people will sink when they are floundering.

On the Island by Tracey Garvis Graves - Perfect Summer Love Story

On The Island – where do I start? From the very minute that I opened up my Real Readers parcel to discover this book, I was literally beside myself. I blame my English teacher, as after being forced to read Lord of the Flies at school, I have been ever so slightly obsessed with “castaway” stories ever since. And with a love story to boot, I was literally on cloud nine. I got it several days before I went on holiday, so I was (somehow) able to hold back my eagerness and waited a whole 48 hours before I gave in and read it.

I was hoping that my expectations and my anticipation would be rewarded, and dear blog reader, I can confirm, it very definitely did. I literally devoured this book from cover to cover in less than a day. And I really didn’t want it to end. I loved it from start to finish, and whilst it wasn’t necessarily the story I thought it would be, it worked out better than I could have thought. For this little old cynic to be moved by a love story, it has to be pretty special!!

Anna has been hired for the summer as a tutor for T.J, a teenager who needs help with his school work due to having been ill earlier in the year. On the flight to his family’s holiday home in the Maldives, the pilot has a heart attack and Anna and T.J crash land in the ocean. At 17, T.J is more worldly than some teenagers as a result of his serious illness, but he still has a lot of growing up to do. And it seems, with no one knowing where they are, time is one thing that Anna and T.J have in abundance.

The book starts at the airport and tends to focus on the present rather than providing the reader with flashbacks. Although we learn a little about Anna and T.J and their friends and family, the main focus is on the relationship between the two. Prior to the crash, Anna and T.J don’t know anything about each other and so not only are they forced to rely on each other , they have to work together to survive the dangers on the island. The narration switches between Anna and T.J, so we get to see the story develop through both of their eyes. As the story progresses, it’s hard to know how the story will end – will they get rescued, and if they do return to “civilisation”, what will happen to the two of them? Without spoiling anything, I was pleasantly surprised by, and happy with, the ending.

On The Island is, in many ways, the perfect summer holiday book, as it is light to read, and doesn’t drag too much in the descriptions. Without meaning to be critical of the author, the language is nothing fancy, nor is it particularly literary prose. But that means you can focus purely on the story, and a simple story like this doesn’t need flowery text. The language style works brilliantly with the story and carries it through to the end. This doesn’t downplay the interesting concepts the book arises. Topics of thought are touched upon (what are the rights and wrongs of Anna and T.J’s relationship?) but aren’t turned into a debate or a main focus, which would have detracted from the story. What would I do if I was on a desert island, and what would happen if I was Anna, and on the island with TJ?

This is very definitely a book to pack on your holidays (although maybe not if you’re flying over the Maldives)!

Me Before You by Jojo Moyles

I had a vague recollection of having read Jojo Moyle’s books before, and I think I liked them but nothing could spring to mind for definite. Me before you on the other hand, is one of those books I will never forget having read.

Will was an active young man, who went on adventure holidays and who loved nothing more than pushing his body to extremes. Until one day, when a chance accident leaves him not only in a wheelchair but completely paralysed. Now living at home with his parents, he has surrounded by anything and everything that he could possibly wish for, apart from the one thing he wants – his freedom.

Lou still lives at home with her parents and works in the local café. She loves to dress up in eclectic clothes and has no idea of where she wants to go in life. After the café, which has been her job for a number of years, closes, she struggles to find a job which she would enjoy. In desperation she attends an interview for a carer for Will. Her job it seems is to act as a companion to him, which would be easy if it wasn’t for the obvious fact that he seems to hate her and doesn’t even want her in the same room.



A few chapters into the book and I began to feel smug – I know where this is going. Even when the characters start to drop hints that Will has attempted suicide recently and needs to be under close surveillance, I still felt confidently I knew where this book was heading. Will and Lou will gradually learn to like each other and to become friends. Then there will be a slight romance and maybe even something more. Perhaps a medical breakthrough as well? And it will all end happily ever after.

And in some ways I was right. Will gradually becomes accustomed to Lou and her crazy ways. Lou gradually begins to understand Will and together the two start to become friends. Then Lou overhears a chance conversation between Will’s mum and sister and I realised how wrong I could be. Will has asked to die. After his failed suicide attempt, he started look at a specialist clinic in Switzerland, designed to help people end their lives, and has asked his parents to take him there. Initially horrified and disgusted by the idea, his parents have no choice but to consider his request, as the option is to live with the threat of him trying to kill himself again and again. As a compromise, they have given Will 6 months. After that, if he still wishes, they will take him to Switzerland. Lou is horrified and unable to understand that she has been brought in to try and offer Will hope, and to try and change his mind.

It is at that point that I realised not only had I completely mis-judged this book and the story but that ultimately, there are only a few directions that this story can take. Either he goes or he stays. He either lives or dies.

This must have been an incredibly difficult book to write and it is very very hard to read. There have been a few high profile cases in the media of assisted suicide and the clinic in Switzerland has come under focus of TV documentaries and newspapers. A reader coming to the book may already have their beliefs in place. They might believe suicide is wrong under any circumstances. They may believe it is wrong but in some circumstances it is right. They might even be able to identify with the characters and their dilemmas. But none of this can prepare you for the emotional impact of seeing life through Will’s eyes and seeing it through Lou’s. And nothing could have prepared me for reading the final chapter of the book. It really wasn’t what I was expecting. And no one else in my family was prepared for the crying that went on for some time after having read it.

This book is sad, it’s poignant, it’s funny and it’s real. Will himself maybe a figment of Jojo’s imagination but there are countless cases of people in similar situations to him and there are sadly many families and friends in the UK who are having to make a similar decision to Will’s family. There is no attempt at starting a debate on assisted suicide in the Uk. Jojo wisely makes the decision not to focus on the legal side of things, and doesn’t use the book as a platform to try and change people’s minds or to open up a discussion. But this book is still desperately compelling and never have I ever felt so confused at an ending before. Because by the end of the book, you don’t know how you feel about it all either.

Separate Lives by Kathryn Flett

There are two kinds of chick-lit books – the first focuses on the twenty somethings and their trials and tribulations. The second is more for the thirty/forty somethings – the yummy mummies if you like, married with children.

Separate lives falls into the latter category of chick lit and focuses on the lives of Susie and Alex, together for ten years with two children and Pippa, divorced with one son. Told through Susie and Pippa, with a few emails from Alex, the story follows their lives and the direction they take.

The book starts as Susie reads a text message on Alex’s phone that reads 'Start living a different kind of life ... P :-) xxx'. Susie doesn’t know anyone called P and doesn’t know why her partner has received this text. I personally loved this opening paragraph. It had me hooked with the line “if you dared look me in the eye and tell me you had never done the same thing, I wouldn’t believe you, because we all have”. As my friend said, when I showed her the book, it was so completely true, you had to laugh! And with that candidly honest opening, it's hard not to like Susie as she begins to tell you about how she realised her partner was being unfaithful.
BR> And yet at the same time, what is interesting, is that Susie begins to flesh out and as the book progresses you realise that she’s not the holier-than-thou person you think she is. The text message turns out not to be as clear cut as you’d think, but neither is Susie. She’s been having an affair too and ironically that’s the reason that Alex and Pippa get together. The real affairs and imagined affairs twist and turn beautifully around the characters to the point that it’s hard to know who started what when. It definitely isn’t what you think it will be that’s for sure.

The characters in the book are very well written and are brought to life through their narration. What I enjoyed most was the twists in the characters as you discover something about them you didn’t realise. The author uses the now familiar trick of multiple narration from characters and yet it somehow seems to feel new and fresh in this book. I also liked the way she would write about an event from one person’s perspective and wasn’t afraid to leap back in time and write again from someone else’s point of view. Again, this isn’t a new style of writing but it doesn’t feel clichéd in this book and it works well.

Not only does this book tick all of the chick lit clichés (laugher – yes, tears –yes, shock – yes, cheesy ending – yes) but it highlights the best of the genre. In some ways it is exactly what you would expect, and in others, not at all – in particular the depth of character the author has added to Susie and Pippa.

Despite tending to normally prefer the younger focus of chick lit books, I found this book highly enjoyable. The story flows well and despite the frequent changes of author, maintains the pace of the novel and the storyline flows well. The differences in narration between Pippa and Susie are subtle but enough to feel each character. Alex’s narration is carried out through emails to his twin brother, and this difference helps to highlight his character versus Susie.

Stay Close by Harlan Coben

17 years ago a man disappeared. The police have yet to find out where he is or what happened to him. Now, on the anniversary of his disappearance, another local man has disappeared and Detective Broome is beginning to suspect a possible pattern. Megan is a mum with two kids and a husband and is happily playing at being a soccer mum. Her family don’t know about her past though and despite her best efforts, this may all be about to change. Ray, a one-time documentary maker and now in a dead end job, happened to take a photo of a local beauty spot and accidently got a picture of the missing man, mere hours before he disappeared. Now the police want to know what he was doing there and why.

I read this book pretty much within a few days and I struggled to put it down, wanting to know what was going to happen next. I found the book was gripping and the story was told well. It moved at a fast pace, but not too fast and it allowed you to get your head around the twists and turns before moving on. The ending was suitably shocking and I certainly didn’t guess the ending, which always makes a book more enjoyable. It contained less actual violence and more hints of violence, for example the activities of Barbie and Ken, the preppy torturers, are hinted at and suggested, rather than given in graphic detail. Which cleverly makes them seem even more chilling. I’m not again violence as such but it made a change not to have to read gruesome accounts of torture and killing.

My one criticism, and the reason I haven’t given more stars, was that I couldn’t really engage with the characters. I didn’t really like, nor care particularly about their actions and whilst it wasn’t enough to detract from me wanting to carry on reading, it did mean I wasn’t quite so bothered about what happened to Megan and Ray. The characters seemed to be more stereotypes, a little more 2D than 3D and I found it hard to picture them as real people. I was very aware that this was merely a book and they were part of it, rather than being able to see it as more alive. I’ve not read any of Harlan’s other books but I am now certainly interested in picking them up to see if they are as good.

Island of Bones by Imogen Robertson

Island of Bones is the third novel in a series set in the 1780s. Harriet Westerman and Gabriel Crowther are called to the Lake District to investigate a dead body found in the tomb of the Earl of Greta. The Earl’s tomb resided on the Island of Bones, which was previously owned by Crowther’s family. His own family has a violent and murky past and Gabriel, formerly the Baron of Keswick, renounced his title after his brother was hung for the murder of their father in 1751. Crowther has not returned home since giving up his title and it is a difficult and painful journey for him to return to his family home. Ghosts of his past seem to be present everywhere in Keswick and he will need to overcome his emotions in order to solve the mystery of the dead body. As the body count climbs higher, Westerman and Crowther seem to be fighting against the odds to resolve an ancient crime. This book was a delight to read. Despite my misgivings about it being the third in a series which I hadn’t read, the novel flowed easily and previous events were referred in a way that the reader felt they hadn’t missed out on anything. The events were cleverly described so that new readers would be able to go back and read the previous books without too much of the story being given away, and at the same time, readers who had read the previous books weren’t too bored with the recap.

The two main characters Harriet Westerman and Gabriel Crowther are written really well. I liked Harriet and she came across as a very warm and friendly character. She was feisty enough to be a suitable heroine, without stepping out of the times she lived in too much. She was a believable woman of society in 1783. Crowther is just as well described, and comes across as a recluse and a hermit who is more interested in the dead rather than the living. I felt the historical side of the story fitted in excellently. The author has clearly gone to a great deal of research and the descriptions feel authentic, without it reading like a history lesson. I felt the author had opened a window into the past and I was able to experience it at close hand. The setting of the Lake District was interesting as this is an area I know well but it was a very different place in the 1780s and it was fascinating to see how different the area was then. Whilst capturing the mood of the times and the history, the sheer beauty of Keswick and Derwent Water manages to shine through at all times.

The story itself is full of twists and turns. There are several characters all interlinked and some relationships take a while to be revealed. I felt some of those relationships were easy to see, for example I felt it was quite obvious who Miss Hurt’s husband was, but this didn’t detract from the story. One of the final reveals was so unexpected I did find myself open mouthed at one point.

Overall this was an excellent book, beautifully fitting in my love of crime, regency novels and the Lake District! I will definitely be seeking out the first two books in the series and just as eagerly expecting future instalments.

The tent, the bucket and me by Emma Kennedy

For anyone that’s ever had to under go the dreaded “family holiday” then this book is for you. Emma Kennedy and her parents have suffered quite possibly the worst luck on a family holiday again and again and again. There is a gruesome satisfaction in reading about each year’s attempts at a family holiday and waiting for that moment when it goes horribly wrong! From their first holiday in the 1970s (where the tent and the bucket first meet our intrepid author Emma) onwards, Emma and her parents seem dogged by bad weather, near death experiences, car troubles and more excrement than you can shake a bucket at! Not for the faint hearted, this book is for those who have had to huddle in their tent in a thunderstorm, who have had to pee in a bucket and who have ever been camping in France.

I admire Emma for being so brutally honest in her descriptions of her family holidays. Aside from the trauma of recounting her families inability to enjoy a family holiday without some form of disaster, Emma seems to come off worst in the majority of the stories. In particular her first visit to France which leaves a strong smell in the air! thunderstorm, who have had to pee in a bucket and who have ever been camping in France.

This book holds the distinction of being the funniest book in the world. Or at least the funniest book I’ve ever read (and I’ve read a few). I’ve read books which have made me smile, or laugh inside my head. There’s books where I’ve sniggered outloud, and books where I’ve laughed outloud, even when on the bus (Thanks Danny Wallace!) but this book had me laughing so hard that I couldn’t speak or breathe. I was laughing so hard that the book fell out of my hands, and tears rolled down my face. My mum walked in and thought I was crying. And due to my inability to talk, and the fact the book had fallen by the side of my chair, it was a full five minutes before we established that I was laughing at a book. And the best thing of all, was that this was after the first few chapters. thunderstorm, who have had to pee in a bucket and who have ever been camping in France.

Needless to say, after this experience, I wasn’t popular for a while. Especially since the book continued to get funnier. I actually thought I would need hospital treatment after finishing the book. In fact even now….. yup… I’m laughing again.

The Book of Summers by Emylia Hall

I think everyone must have memories of that one perfect summer. The one where you look back and the sun was always shining, the sky always blue and everything was just perfect. Beth had seven perfect summers spent in Hungary and then, she chose to forget them. That is until her father brings her a package, sent from Hungary. The package contains a book entitled “The book of summers” and contains photos and memories from her 7 childhood summers, from the age of 9 to 16. After years of forgetting and pushing back the memories, Beth needs to go through the book to confront her past.
The highest praise I can give is that this book is a pure delight to read from beginning to end. The story moves along at a steady pace, encouraging the reader and drawing you in further and further with each summer that is remembered. From the very start you know that it is building up to something and the author keeps the tension just right, with just a few hints of foreboding, so that when the conclusion comes, along with the shock, is the relief of the knowing. Rather like a summer thunderstorm.
One of the things I enjoyed the most about the book was the author’s colourful descriptions of summers spent in Hungary versus the grey and bland life in Devon. This not only vividly brings Beth’s memories to life but allows the reader to feel and see what Beth experienced and helps to understand the division between her “Hungarian Summers” and the rest of her life in between. All the characters are described beautifully and come to life within the pages of the book. The author doesn’t drag out the memories or the act of remembering them. Instead it’s a quick breather between each summer and then the next, which means the story keeps its flow. This was another page turner for me, and the only consolation my family has is that now I’ve stopped reading and raving about it, they get to read it to see what all the fuss is all about.

Hector & the Serets of Love, by Francois Lelord

The idea behind the book is Hector is on the search for a previous colleague who has gone missing whilst researching a pill that helps you fall in love. He sets off across the world, leaving his girlfriend behind, and his quest takes him into Asia and the arms of Vayla. According to the blurb, it's a book designed to give us insightful thoughts into the human desire to find love. I was subjected to the less insightful thought that I would be a happier person without this book and without Hector in my life. I really can’t tell you a great deal more about the plot because the above two sentences actually sum up ¾ of the book. It seems to take the author an awful long time to write not very much. Or for not very much to happen. In case you can’t tell - I really really disliked this book. From the very start, I did not like Hector, which is a major issue since the book is told from Hector’s point of view. We are given a great deal of insight into Hector’s thoughts and feelings and his contemplation of the age old question “what is love”. Unfortunately, despite the blurb on the back, I don’t feel I gained any insigh I did not like the way the book was written and I did not like the style of language that was used. Although the book was quite clearly for adults, it was written in a tone of voice as though someone very clever was talking down to someone they considered not so clever. And all in all, I felt patronised and irritated by the novel. And just for the record, I read a lot of books written for and aimed at children, and I rarely feel as patronised and as belittled as I did whilst reading this book. Even taking the style of the novel into account, and taking into account the fact there had been a previous book (Hector's search for happiness) which I hadn't read (and will never read) - the story itself was ridiculous and really not my cup of tea at all. It’s hard to find anything to like about Hector (who has to be the most boring character I’ve ever met) and I really couldn’t have cared less about his quest. It’s very rare I dislike a book so much, and whilst I have read some boring books in my time, I tend to think at least it’s a book ticked off my to-read list and at least it means I won’t have to read it again. In this case, I wish I had never wasted my time reading it in the first place.

Room by Emma Donoghue

Room is one of those rare reads that not only lives up to expectations but exceeded them.  This book was just so utterly compelling and fascinating that I read it in one day more or less.  I had initially been interested in the book when it came out, but after the hype and having read a few good reviews, I was nervous of reading it, in case it didn’t live up to the hype.  The first few pages of the book were difficult to get into but it didn’t take long before I was drawn into the story.

The story itself is, sadly, a familiar one, played out in the news and media, especially recently with events in Austria with the Fritzl case and in America with the kidnapping of Jaycee Lee Dugard.  It’s also not a new story in terms of publishing, with Flowers in the Attic still selling strongly today.  However what is new is that this story is told through the eyes of Jack, who at the start of the book is five years old.  He was born in Room and the book and the events are told purely through his eyes and through his comprehension of his world. 

The book is interesting on so many levels; it makes for a thoughtful read.  On the one hand the book focuses on the world seen through a small boy’s eyes and makes you realise just how much of “normal” life, we take for granted.  Things which we do, say or see and assume are part of our world are missing or different in Jack’s life.  The whole thing is fascinating to see played out.  The relationship between Jack and his Ma, claustrophobic and yet essential to the novel is another part of the book that is hard to escape.  They are the only two people in Room and Jack and his Ma are inseparable and rely solely on each other.

The language of the book mirrors that of a small child, and whilst it takes a little while to get used to (for me anyway as I don’t know many children of that age and how they speak) it helps to keep Jack alive in your imagination.

I found it interesting to hear different people’s perspectives on the book.  I found Jack’s world a wonderful place, and I looked at how he viewed things very differently sometimes to his mum, and how that was portrayed in the novel.  My mum found the interaction between Jack and his Ma interesting and said she enjoyed the details of their day to day life together amazing. 

The book is tinged with sadness, and as an adult reading the book, it’s easy to see the sadness in the mother and her life and yet J sees things very differently.  The events that unfold and the conclusion of the book are both upsetting and positive at the same time.  It is a book that I find hard to escape from even now.  Whilst reading the book I was in Room, and after reading the book, it’s hard for me to escape it.  It’s chilling, and yet one of the best books I have read in a long time.  Definitely worth a read.