The Books
Reviews & Thoughts on the Books we've read
Emergency Sex (And Other Desperate Measures), by Kenneth Cain, Heidi Postlewait & Andrew Thomson
I read this book years ago at the recommendation of my mother and was not excited about it enough to want to re-read it again for book club. For those who had it fresh in their minds, they enjoyed the book, but I seem to remember feeling nervous about the true nature of these aid workers I had previously hero worshipped. There's a lot of immaturity from the girl in the book. Also a lot of adrenaline - they become war junkies and home is just not exciting enough.
But my cynicism aside, it tackles some meaty subjects from a very personal viewpoint. Is the west exporting democracy? How can a country be at war one day and not the next? What does it take to remain optimistic in disaster zones? Worth a read and a ponder.
I am The Messenger, by Markus Zusak
I must admit that while reading this book, I had the nagging sensation that I had already read it. Because I'm almost certain I haven't, I'm putting it down to it's similarity to other books - it had the same feeling as The Boy in the Striped Pyjamas or The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time - do you know what I'm talking about? Simple language, naive/dumb-ish characters, but beautifully poignant, poetic, lovely one-liners, tidy, all plot lines wrap neatly into one singular message, humourous, PLUS(!) - happy ending (I'm a sucker for them - except in One Day where she had to die, what else was there for it?).
I don'd want to give too much away, but the thing that makes this book better than all the rest is the ending: boy what a cracker! At first it makes you mad, then you think about it for a long time, then slowly you smile, and finally you smile so much you almost cry.
You had me at goodbye. Read it NOW.
Please note: this book is officially aimed at Young Adults - hogswash.
One Day, by David Nicholls
The structure was clever; each chapter was the same day one year on and followed the lives of the two main characters; Emma & Dexter over 25 years.
The characters were fun; good mix of down-to-earth (you could be friends with them) and desirable (careers as TV presenter and author).
It wasn't overly angst-y or frustrating despite drug problems and unrequited love (I often find these sorts of issues are just irritating - you're just waiting for the end). And it even made me laugh a few times!
It was also a good choice for book club; we had some great discussion about the nature of friendship and changes over time. And of course whether men and women can ever truly, just be friends.
If I had to pick a negative I'd say that the ending was a little predictable, but what else was Nicholls going to do? He'd backed himself into a corner.
But dont take (just) my word for it; here's a review from the Guardian:
http://www.guardian.co.uk/books/2009/jul/04/one-day-david-nicholls-review
Wedding Babylon, by Imogen Edwards-Jones & Anon.
OK OK, for the sake of a balanced argument, let's look at the positives: it's light hearted and easy to read. That is all.
The worst of it is that I am the exact target market for this book as I am in the process of planning my own wedding. I should have loved this book. But apart from now wanting to have Chinese lanterns at my wedding, I mostly just feel that the whole wedding thing is for idiots. So maybe I'm not the target market, maybe its for the idiots themselves.
Notes from a Small Island, by Bill Bryson
The other thing to note - having now read 3 or 4 of Bryson's travelogues - is that they mostly appeal to residents of the country he's in. He doesn't sell a country to potential visitors, but he so brilliant captures the quirks, the idioms, the good the bad and the ugly of the nation that it truly makes you smile. In A Sunburnt Country (or Down Under as its know outside of Australia) was definitely my favourite for exactly this reason.
Why you are Australian - A Letter to My Children, by Nikki Gemmel
A Fine Balance, by Rohinton Mistry
But don't be put off. It is a beautifully written book, romantic, wistful writing that makes you smile. There are moments of simple, everyday insight that hit right to core. When Chachi's wife dies he observes: "When my Mumtaz was alive, I would sit all day alone, sewing or reading. And she would be by herself in the back... but there was no loneliness... just knowing she was there was enough. And now I miss her so much".
And I think that kind of sums the book up for me: a bit morbid, but beautiful all the same. Worth the read.
The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo, by Stieg Larsson
...Hmmm, trying to find a review isn't about the movie (no, I haven't seen it) and that doesn't totally give away the entire plot; try this one from The Independent here.
WARNING: the second and third parts of the Trilogy are not as good.
The Secret Life of Bees, by Sue Monk Kidd
I'm not sure what else to say about this book. It was nice. I think maybe I would have to classify this book as I did The Piano Teacher; a good holiday read. Although I would say this book was better; it did have a plot; it had more depth and was better written. I would not recommend this book for a book club because there is nothing to discuss. Enjoy reading it on your next summer holiday.
You Can Heal Your Life, by Louise Hay
Louise Hay really just talks through the principles of cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT) and how you can use this psychological method to change your life. What makes it interesting is that this book came out before CBT did. Impressive. But maybe she lays it on a bit thick?
I don't even think I can talk about the last section of the book that connects physical illness with mental problems because we'll be here all day. I'm open to the idea that physical problems are a manifestation of mental issues but not sure I would go as far as to say that having Cerebal Palsy comes from a need to unite your family in an action of love.
Scar Tissue, by Anthony Kiedis
But drugs aside - which is not easy with the quantity he goes through in this book - I loved reading about how the members met, how the band formed, and reformed over the years. I loved reading about how my favourite Chilli Peppers songs were written and what they relate to. I loved reading about the early years before they were famous, the various creative process the guys go through in their different ways, and of course, the endless stream of Anthony's girlfriends; all of them 'loves of his life' of course. Not a man who does things in halves.
Unsurprisingly, this book has made me love them more. I was out last night when Under The Bridge started up in the background and all I could was sing-along. This book is a must for anyone who remotely likes the Chilli Peppers, not sure about those who aren't, but I think it would be a safe bet given the influence the band has had over such a long period. Good book for guys too if you ask me.
Around the World in 80 Days, by Jules Verne
In terms of the storyline, the consensus with the group was that travelling without taking in your surroundings was a bit of an oddity, but we were glad for the descriptions that were included. The fact that the International Date Line did not exist at the time the book was written puts the twist ending in context and I think makes Verne somewhat of a mastermind! But my favourite comment of all was that the best thing about the book was the title - and all the ideas and images that come to mind when you say "Around the World in 80 Days" - how exciting!
PS In case you were wondering, "phelgmatic" (as Phileas Fogg was often described) means 1) of, or relating to phlegm 2) having or suggesting a calm, sluggish temperament 3) not easily excited. Yes, that makes sense.
God's Callgirl, by Carla Van Raay
Despite all this, the most interesting part of the book for me to discuss was the way the church ruled while she was a nun. I must confess myself ignorant of just how recently the Christain church opened up to become the church it is now - but thank goodness it did. The decisions made at the Second Vatican Council would make excellent supplementary reading... why dont you start here at my fav, wikipedia.
The Elegance of the Hedgehog, by Muriel Barbery
Love in the Time of Cholera, by Gabriel Garcia Marquez
The Piano Teacher, by Janice Lee
However, with the negative out of the way there are two things that I did really love about this book. Firstly, I loved the descriptions of Hong Kong. The cultural mish mash, the heat, the colonial style setting - all fabulous. I could feel exactly what she was saying, very nice. Second, the fabulously exotic character of Trudy. May have been a bit cliché but she was just so ALIVE it was a pleasure to read.
So, some good bits and bad bits. Easy to read though so do it if you've got a relaxing holiday coming up. For the always more professional review, click here to go to New York times review.
Eat. Pray. Love, by Elizabeth Gilbert
This is a great book for women, and nearly every female I know has read this book... and no men. It is the autobiography of Elizabeth who decides to take a year off travelling to find herself. The story is of her time in Italy, India and Bali, Indonesia with each place representing a new focus in her life (Eat, Pray and Love respectively). I read this book about 9 months ago on holiday to NZ and loved reading it - there are some beautifully quirky sections - it also made me want to go on my own holiday to find myself (which I am currently on funnily enough), but be prepared as it's very heavy on the whole spiritual thing... I only wish my spiritual experience in India was the same: my meditation session in Varanasi was donimated by a dead leg and trying to conrol urges to giggle - although apart from this I did find Varanasi to be quite the amazing spiritual centre.
My only other complaint with this book was Elizabeth herself. I know its an autobiography but she really was very self indulgent, it's all a bit perfect. 9 months out and the feeling is wearing off now; perhaps I was too harsh... I mean she was meant to be finding herself; she has to be self indulgent, right? To tell you the truth I just feel completely unqualified to talk about this book as I didn't feel as strongly as many of the others did. Maybe you have some better thoughts? Email me or check out the NY Times review by clicking here. x Lou
She's Come Undone, by Wally Lamb
This book reminded me a bit of The Glass Castle, except a bit more disturbing. This is one seriously messed up individual; disappearing father, crazy mother, conservative grandmother, bullied at school, raped as a teenager, becomes hugely overweight, tips over the edge after a lesbian experience, 7 years in mental institution, stalks lies and marries exboyfriend of her old college roomate... the list goes on. But it wasn't neccessarily the events of the book that were despressing, it was the tone. It made me feel like there was no hope - the charaters, the environment, the connections... I felt a sense of doom throughout the novel. I actually did like this book despite many uncomfortable moments throughout the book. The characters are very human and so are the relationships (although not always positive). Not sure that I would recommend this book to others, but I don't regret having read it myself. One final note: I remember being even more disturbed when I discovered that the novel is entirely fictional (who makes stuff like this up?!) x Lou
Brave New World, by Aldous Huxley
I've wanted to choose a classic for book club ever since we started nearly 4 years ago. And ever since we've started most have hated the idea - I assume because it brings back terrifying English class memories from high school. But finally here we are. And I think Brave New World is an ideal classic to choose - its not too long, the language is easy to understand, the story is interesting and compelling and the ideas are great for discussion at book club. But that's just my opinion - I am a bit of an escapist reader so I love books that take us out of the ordinary. I am also interested in human behaviour (what an odd thing to say - who isn't?) and this books makes you ponder this. My only criticism was that I didn't feel that John the Savage was complete or right. I guess I saw him as our voice of reason and therefore we wanted him to be perfect and he certainly wasn't. Huxley reworked his original Brave New World before the end of his life - he criticised the original for only having two options for the future - orderly, drug-induced happiness or primitive, self-flagellating madness - both of which were undesirable. I haven't read it, but maybe in the end he wanted the happy ending that I did? If you like this book also read 1984, by George Orwell and The Time Machine, by H.G. Wells.
Again, for a more comprehensive overview, see Clare's opinion in the London Blog or discuss on the forums page. x Lou
The Life of Pi, by Yann Martel
This book was a winner, easily recommended to anyone, and especially as a book club choice. This was my second reading of the book and I enjoyed just as much the second time as I did the first. Beautiful writing, quirky observations, interesting narrative, likeable characters - for me there wasn't much that didn't appeal and I now seek out other Man Booker Prize book winners as a result of reading this one (2002 winner). My only difficulty was in figuring out the connection between the two parts of the story (religious one v the boat one) - something we discussed at length during our meeting and which is exactly what the author probably wanted us all to do
Although I will admit that some people I've spoke to thought it was a ridiculous book, that it didn't make any sense. To avoid any confusion, I'm going to (unfairly) label those people close minded. For anyone who loved The Alchemist, by Paulo Coelho, this one is for you. x Lou
Water for Elephants, by Sara Gruen
Why do I feel as though we have read a lot of books recently with circus folk in them? Whether this is entirely true or not I cannot say, but this one has lots of circus folk. I originally listened to this book as an audio book and wasn't that keen on it, but did a 180 once I acually read the book. And I don't want this review to be about audio versus written books, but leaving things up to the imagination is by far the better option. I hated the voices in the audio book and couldn't see past that when trying to understand the characters. Without that bias on me when reading I got much more invovled. I liked the main character and it was a far out story which is usually my kind of thing... and it was. Didn't leave strong lasting impressions, but thoroughly enjoyed the read.
Still, I have an unfounded belief that circuses are dirty places and feel like a shower just thinking about it... x Lou
The Household Guide to Dying, by Debra Adelaide
A quaint little book; sometimes beautiful, sometimes a bit dull. A traditional homemaker prepares for her own death by organising her family & home and by facing her mysterious past life. Loved the quirkiness and homeliness of the main story line, but found the "mysterious past" thing not that mysterious and not that interesting - I often found myself skimming these sections. So to concentrate on the Suzie Homemaker aspect of the story... I found myself internally struggling with whether I loved or hated Delia for her traditional views - part of me thought she was stuck in the past and the other part of me wanted to be like her. I really liked the snippets of her column as light relief throughout the book and was scandalously outraged with the raunchiness of the ending (anyone with me on that one?!?). Overall a light, enjoyable read - I heard some had tears at the end but my eyes remained dry... although I did have a strong urge to go out and buy some pet chickens. x Lou
We Need to Talk about Kevin, by Lionel Shriver
This book blew my mind. It was awesome. Yes ok, not the most pleasant of topics - the ramblings of a mother whose son murdered several of his classmates - and at the beginning it was a bit of a tough slog to read. But it was just so interesting and insightful, it really got inside me and I couldn't put it down. I think Clare is right when she says its not a book you could say you "loved" because that would just make you a psycho, but this is definitely up there as one of my all time best reads. The book is written as a series of letters from Eva to her estranged husband Franklin about, well, Kevin (appropriate title) - the letters reflect back on their life and Kevin's in an effort to understand what they did wrong, whether they did anything wrong and how this happened. The thing is, so much of what Eva and Franklin goes through is very understandable, issues all parents would presumably face - some is completely out there - but geez, very close for comfort. Recommend this to anyone who doesn't mind a bit of a dark story. GREAT choice Weens! x Lou
Clare asks some great questions about the book in The London Blog
A Short History of Tractors in Ukrainian, by Marina Lewycka
Laura wanted a nice pleasant easy read after a run of quite intense books (esp that Las Vegas one!) and this was a good choice. A story of how 2 daughters manage when their 84 year old father falls for a 36 year old woman. I read it quickly and enjoyed it; I like the side story about the secret family history best as I thought the main plot line was a little stereotypical which was dissapointing. And I did start hating the father after a while, I am very intolerant of these "drama queen" people... grrrr; but I was overruled in our meeting, with most people finding him charming. I had to admit, that if I was going to be any character in this book it would have been the party-pooper big-sis. How depressing. I'd say give this one a read, but that's mostly becuase I'm worried I've been panning to many of our choices recently and I dont want to be too negative. I didn't hate it.
Clare's first blog for the London crew really gave a good analysis of the book actually, check it out here x Lou
Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas by Hunter S. Thompson
This book was a blah blah blah... I didn't read it. I'm very sorry about it now too, but I never set out to read this month's book club book (I have to ask myself what kind of example I am setting here). I heard this book was pretty screwed up and by the sounds of it, it was - in a sex, drugs and rock'n'roll, VEGAS kinda way. Not that it's a bad thing, I LOVE Vegas; I just didn't think I would like to read about a guy whacked out on drugs and rambling incoherently in Vegas that's all. However, luckily Jackie read the books and has written us a nice little review which is much much better than mine. My main impression from fellow book clubbers was that it gave everyone weird dreams...?
To read a review by Jackie, who actually read the book, click here. x Lou
The Time Traveler's Wife, by Audrey Niffenegger
I finally understand what it means when book reviewers talk about certain books being "great holiday reads"; it means that while they are not necessarily the greatest works of literature, they are still entertaining and you tend not to be able to put them down. For me, The Time Traveler's Wife was exactly that - I read this book more quickly than I read most books, and it was just fine...
It took a few of us a while to understand exactly what was happening (hint: the title gives it away) but overall the book is a very interesting twist on your romance novel. Fun for all the girls on this one, and not a bad choice for book club as there was invariably one area of the book that each of us did not follow properly. Biggest negative was the sometimes over the top romance that just had to be written by a woman - no matter how much of a time travelling SNAG he might be. Highlight was the double drop of the c-bomb; who else noticed?!? x Lou
A Sunday at the pool in Kigali, by Gil Coutemanche
This is one of the first book club books I didn't finish but wanted to. I must admit I definately had trouble getting started wtih this book, maybe because I felt so far removed from it. Or because reading about civil war in Rwanda was just not appealing as bedtime reading. But as time started running out, I started getting into it. Now I wonder if you can critique a book about civil war. Please note that I am not trying to diminish the severity of the situation in Rwanda, I am only looking at the book! The brutality was gruesome, the government ridiculously corrupt, the characters all with their own "special" story - all as you would expect from a book of this type. For me it was the AIDS aspect that was different as I have not read much about AIDS in Africa, except that it is rampant. This book paints a good picture. I also liked how the Rwandans talked about their war (they were so aware of the futility) and the way Valcourt talks about Western involvement (also aware of the futility) - anyway, enough from someone who only got halfway through...
Read a far more articluate account from Laura here. x Lou
The Boy in the Striped Pyjamas, by John Boyne
Thanks to the owner of the Blue's Point Bookshop for this selection, it WAS a good book club book. I was initially attracted by the ambiguity of the cover and blurb - not giving anything away! My dream book! (Little did I know that there was another cover version that gave the full story away...? They just can't help themselves) But my thoughts? Firstly, it reminded me a lot of The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-time, my last selection; but not as good. I read a great review of this book from the Telegraph which really summed things up for me:
"There is something exploitative about this book. It requires a reader who is either ignorant of modern European History (and so will get a nasty shock at the end, without understanding what has happened), or one who is willing to play along with the conceit (and must suspend disbelief at the idea of a commandant's son who hasn't a clue about the Nazis)" For the full Telegraph review click here.
However, the ending of this book is its saving grace. Spectacular! It makes the quick easy read worthwhile. x Lou
The Five People you meet in Heaven, by Mitch Albom
This book seemed to polarise our two groups; the Londoners loved it and the Sydneysiders were unmoved. Since I'm in the Sydneysiders group and I agree with them, you are unfortuantely going to get the negative side. Firstly, I'm convinced the only reason this book sold well was becuase Albom's first book, Tuesday's with Morrie was so great. The Five People you meet in Heaven, however, just did not ring true. It felt like it was trying too hard. It was an easy read though; writen in a nice, simple language - but even that felt forced in places. It failed to touch us as readers in the same way Tuesday's with Morrie and therefore fell short of our expectations. I wont be reading his other books after reading this one... I guess I'd better check if Lou wants to write something more positive... x Lou
OK, CLARE DOESN'T AGREE (I knew someone wouldn't), CLICK HERE TO READ THE OTHER SIDE OF THE STORY
Marley & Me, by John Grogan
Ahh... the simple life, the good life, surburban hell. Whatever you want to call it, Marley & Me was SUCH a feel good book. It even made me want a dog... and a husband... and kids! But I must confess I am not really a dog person, I find them too smelly and too demanding. I prefer cats; they are loving and friendly but can look after themselves - and they are generally not smelly. The exception to this rule was my late cat Meow who - bless her cotton socks - developed kidney failure towards the end of her life.
But I digress! I am meant to be talking about Marley, not Meow. And herein lies the beautiful simplicity of Grogans book; he tapped into sentiments that nearly everyone can identify with - living with a pet. Who doesn't have warm fuzzy memories?
The only downside to this book was a limited discussion for bookclub, not a lot of talking points in this one - better to take it away with you as a good holiday read. x Lou
CLICK HERE FOR SARAH'S REVIEW
The Kite Runner, by Khaled Hosseini
All the praise you hear about this book is absolutely true - it IS an amazing book. When I first had the book handed to me I expected it to be a book that would at least help me understand a little about what is happening in Afganistan - it all seemed a bit complicated to me (sorry, I know I SHOULD know, but I dont really). But Hosseini created such a powerful human tale in Amir; a 12 year old boy desperate for his fathers approval and carrying a guilt too heavy for a boy so young. All I can say is that this book is POWERFUL - for me it has all the right elements for a good book - an engaging story, an educational background and beautiful writing. In fact, the story was so good I found this book unputdownable and I am now reading his next book A Thousand Splendid Suns which is turning out to be just as good. Good choice Soph! x Lou
The Secret River, by Kate Grenville
A convict book, Australia's first settlers - SO many negative connotations, don't you think? And tough to get traction with so many busy girls. BUT it was an appropriate choice for our first dual Sydney - London book club. I cant pretend that it overcame all the negative connotations I associate with a story like this, but there are some good elements. Number one for me was the beauty of the writing; the harsh and unforgiving convict world is made almost poetic through the free flowing elegance of Grenville's writing. Number two is the interaction between the settlers and the aboriginals and the slow but relentless build up of tension between the two groups. The Age Newspaper mentions the word "tragedy" in its review of the book (see it here) and I think this is exactly how I would describe the book myself. Grenville called the book The Secret River in reference to the secret river of blood that runs through the history of Australia. Pretty powerful sentiment. Clare thinks we should ask ourselves "what would we have done in the same situation?" and I think this question is what makes this book is an important read for all Australians. We all know the story, but this book brings the abstract faces of Australia's first settlers into crisp focus; its easier to imagine ourselves facing the same difficult decisions. Not the most enjoyable book, not the most exciting, but it should be read. x Lou
FOR CLARE'S FABULOUS REVIEW CLICK HERE
What is the What, by Dave Eggers
"What is the What tells the story of a refugee from the second Sudanese civil war (1983 - 2005), on the the 20,000 so-called Lost Boys who walked thousands of miles from their decimated villages (their homes burned by Arab Militiamen, most of the adults slaughtered) to relative safety in Ethiopia and later Kenya.
Laura's book choice for August was obviously close to her heart, teaching Sudanese children has brought her more and more involved with the Sudanese refugee community in Sydney, and this book was a chance for us all to share & understand what she does. x Lou
FOR THE FULL REVIEW CLICK HERE
Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows by J.K. Rowling
The final installment of the Harry Potter series was much anticipated by some members, and thoroughly ignored by others. The group was thrown open for a special "All in" meeting to celebrate the final release. Of course everyone enjoyed the book - the coming together of so many plot threads over the past 6 books, as well as all the usual action and intrigue. However, the style did feel a little different; there were elements of Lord Of the Rings and Da Vinci Code seeming to come through in between a more familiar JKR style. Favourite scenes included the chilling opening featuring Snape and Voldemort as well McGonagall bringing the Hogwarts castle to life in preparation for the final battle. A very sad goodbye to one of my favourite characters Snape, and congratulations to JKR for bringing so many people, young and old, back to the wonderful world of reading. x Lou
The Memory Keeper's Daughter, by Kim Edwards
This was an interesting read... OK, it wasn't that interesting. I thought it was well written, I thought it raised some great discussion topics for the meeting (which we never got round to asking), but on the whole it was one of those books which was a little painful to read. In the same way I loved The Glass Castle for not making us think "God, when will this stop? Just sort it out already!" - the whole point of The Memory Keeper's Daughter centres on this feeling. I guess these types of books are just not for me.
Background; it is the 1950s and late one snowy night, a new doctor-husband delivers his wife's new born twins before she passes out. One healthy son and one daughter whom he recognises as having down syndrome. So he tells his wife the baby is dead and sends her off to an "institution" with his nurse. Inevitably, the nurse keeps the baby, a daughter she has always wanted, and raises her in secret. The rest of the book is spent waiting for the secret to be discovered - in the meantime all the topical issues that are raised as a result of the doctors decisions are examined. x Lou
The Glass Castle by Jeanette Walls
The Glass Castle was, for me, the biggest surprise read of all the books we have chosen so far. With no disrespect to Chris, I had geared myself up to read a sad, depressing book about the life of a young girl growing up with an alcoholic father. Instead, I read an amazingly uplifting book about the life of a young girl growing up with an alcoholic father. The fantasical scenarios and powerful imagery used by Walls to recreate the extraordinary and unusual life of this family almost made it sound fun in parts; which was, I guess, the author's intent - for most of the girl's life she always admired her father, despite his addiction. And just when you thought you couldn't take anymore, you dont! No overload of unbearable pain that can make reading a drag, just a great tale. I am not sure how true this story is; it doesn't seem like it can be described as a typical life for families in similar situations, but perhaps it is and I am just enjoying another moment of the blissful ignorance gained from being raised in a normal, middle class family? x Lou
A Town Like Alice by Nevil Shute
Another great tale, but I must warn any readers to not expect to see much of Alice Springs! Through the eyes of our English lawyer narrator we learn of the life and love of Jean Pagget - through Japanese occupation of Malaya, living alone in post war England and her later travels back to Asia and finally to Australia. This is a love story, and I just can't resist a good love story... and this is a goody. The star of the book for me was the irresistably charming Australian soldier playing the male role followed closely by the endearing old narrator. In fact, the only damper on this tale was Jean herself, who had the unfortunate flaw of being brilliant at absolutely everything. As a result, of course, no one liked her much. Call it Austalian tall-poppy syndrome? Regardless, a great read, well worth it! The contrast of war torn Malaya with industrialised London and finally barren Australia was stark; I was totally suckered in - loved it. x Lou
Restless by William Boyd
Its not a book I would have picked up off the shelf (what does that mean anyway? I'm not even sure what type of book I would pick up off the shelf...), but I do like books about spies, and that is what this book is. As a spy book, this is an awesome tale. Apparently, it was very well researched by Boyd - that particlar group of spies to which the story centres is quite a unique group of which little was known. And when you read the book, I'm sure you will understand why - imagine being British spies in America during WWII; yes, you read that correctly - British spies in America during WWII, very intriguing and worth the read. Spies aside, the book is also very much a mother-daughter relationship story, but its such an unusual relationship that I'm sure no-one could relate to the characters (I couldn't anyway) and best ignored as a side plot. x Lou
The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-time by Mark Haddon
This book was my choice, and I had read it before. I liked it because of the way it was written and the way the story was told. It reminded me a bit of the movie Fifteen with Guy Pearce - you can never anticipate or pre-empt what might happen next! A character so devoid of emotion yet you end up competely emotionally attached to him. So infuriating and loveable within sentences of each other. No wonder his parents were screwed up! I loved and hated them as much as I loved and hated him - but all with that familial affection that makes everything OK (if you know what I mean). It was just such a simple, short, neat story that was so jammed full of amazing personal connections both between characters and between the reader and the characters that I found it unputdownable. I know this book has recieved a lot of praise and I can definately understand why. Dont go expecting some sort of change-your-life book though, as I said, its beautiful in its simplicity. Oh, not to mention an amazing learning into Aspergers/Autism. (I dont sound bias because it was my choice do I? Of course I was going to like it!) x Lou