Book reviews

Book Review – Us by David Nicholls

Posted on by Libby Price

Us David Nicholls

I really enjoyed ‘One Day’ by David Nicholls a few years ago (although have avoided the film, as I think it would be pointless to watch it having read the book) – so I had high expectations of Us.  My only niggle of doubt was it was about 50 somethings rather than 30 somethings this time – and I thought it might be out of my reference points (being such a spring chicken!!)

Here’s the Amazon blurb:

David Nicholls brings to bear all the wit and intelligence that graced ONE DAY in this brilliant, bittersweet novel about love and family, husbands and wives, parents and children. Longlisted for the Man Booker Prize for Fiction 2014.

‘I was looking forward to us growing old together. Me and you, growing old and dying together.’
‘Douglas, who in their right mind would look forward to that?’
Douglas Petersen understands his wife’s need to ‘rediscover herself’ now that their son is leaving home.
He just thought they’d be doing their rediscovering together.
So when Connie announces that she will be leaving, too, he resolves to make their last family holiday into the trip of a lifetime: one that will draw the three of them closer, and win the respect of his son. One that will make Connie fall in love with him all over again.
The hotels are booked, the tickets bought, the itinerary planned and printed.
What could possibly go wrong?

I have to say I really enjoyed this too!  It pretty much fills in Douglas and Connie’s life together – just not in chronological order – jumping from the current story of ‘the trip of a lifetime’ with flashbacks to other times during their marriage. It keeps you hooked right the way through – with teasers about past and future events.

I also realised I am worryingly like Douglas – hatred of glitter, having to have a plan for everything, thinking that trying to name a quiz team is more painful than a minor surgical procedure……

It doesn’t have the blow to the solar plexus ending of One Day – but still is not predictable at all.

I would really recommend this one!

Book Review – The Vintage Summer Wedding by Jenny Oliver

Posted on by Libby Price

A few weeks back I read my first (although her third!) Jenny Oliver book, The Little Christmas Kitchen, and thoroughly enjoyed it

So here is the second one from her back catalogue (although I now realise this is a sequel to her first and I’ve read them in totally the wrong order – but never mind!) – and this time I steered away from festive Christmas fare with The Vintage Summer Wedding.

The Vintage Summer Wedding

Here is what Amazon have to say about it:

“A Vera Wang dress, the reception at a sophisticated London venue, and a guest list that reads like a society gossip column are all the ingredients of Anna Whitehall’s perfect wedding that never was…
Spending the summer uncovering hidden treasures in a vintage shop, Anna can still vividly remember both her childhood dreams; the first was that she’d become a Prima Ballerina, and dance on stage resplendent in a jewel-encrusted tutu. The second was that at her wedding she would walk down the aisle wearing a collective-gasp-from-the-congregation dress.
Years ago Anna pirouetted out of her cosy hometown village in a whirl of ambition…but when both of those fairy-tale dreams came crashing down around her ballet shoes, she and fiancée Seb find themselves back in Nettleton, their wedding and careers postponed indefinitely…
Don’t they say that you can never go home again? Sometimes they don’t get it right… This one summer is showing Anna that your dreams have to grow up with you. And sometimes what you think you wanted is just the opposite of what makes you happy……..”

 

And again I really enjoyed it!  Totally different setting – and totally different feel to it  involving English countryside / amazing food descriptions / casual use of everyday bad language / antiques / Britain’s Got Talent / Bagpuss (my secret phobia!) / bike riding and my absolutely favourite reference ever – the lift from Dirty Dancing!  How can you not love a book with the lift from Dirty Dancing in it?!?  (I should point out that my husband and I *almost* managed to re-enact the lift at my 40th birthday party!  This is shocking for a number of reasons a) he managed to lift me – admittedly on to his shoulder and not above his head, but still pretty good going and b) that my boobs stayed inside my dress and corset – and here’s proof (mine are the boobs on the right) as to why that is shocking.  Sadly there is no photographic evidence of the actual lift …………)

IMG_0029

 

But back to The Vintage Summer Wedding!  It’s a lovely, easy, quick read which I really enjoyed.  Now I need to read the book before (and I’m guessing which characters it involves already).  Here’s hoping to more in the Nettleton saga going forward.

Book Review – The Last Anniversary by Liane Moriarty

Posted on by Libby Price

I don’t even need to read the reviews for Liane Moriarty books now – having loved her back catalogue, including both Little Lies and The Hypnotist’s Love Story, I buy them ready to magically appear on my Kindle on publication date – and that’s what I did for The Last Anniversary.

The Last Anniversary

Here’s the Amazon blurb:

“From Liane Moriarty, million copy selling author of The Husband’s Secret, comes The Last Anniversary, a captivating story laced with mystery.
‘This is your last chance to change your mind, Rose. After today we can’t go back. Ever.’
Seventy-three years have passed since sisters Rose and Connie found an abandoned baby in the only other house on their little island, Scribbly Gum. With both parents vanished without a trace, Rose and Connie made the decision to take the baby in as their own. And since then the ‘Munro Baby Mystery’ has brought them fame and fortune.
But now, with Connie dead and outsider Sophie Honeywell inheriting her home, Rose begins to wonder if they made the right decision all those years ago. With the anniversary looming, and people still trying to solve the mystery, how much longer can they cover up the lie that has sustained their little community for four generations? And what other secrets are about to be revealed?”

As with all Ms Moriarty’s books – there are lots of intertwined plots throughout the book – that all culminate in the final few chapters pulling all the loose ends together.  The island of Scribbly Gum seems almost Famous Five-esque, and the main character – Sophie – is very nearly 40 – so all immediately great points of reference for me.  Throw in new babies, nut allergies, children’s books, dressing up, painting and decorating – and that’s all good too!  As ever, it was a really good read – and I pretended the kids hadn’t gone to sleep for an extra 15 minutes last night so I could finish it!!

Having said all of the loose ends are pulled together – I would still really like to know what happens next to lots of the characters………

Book Review – We Are All Completely Beside Ourselves by Karen Joy Fowler

Posted on by Libby Price

Again – this is a recommendation from a friend (I love that I have so many book loving – I’m not going to put geeky, because we’re far too cool for that, but actually we are – friends!)

We Are All Completely Beside Ourselves

The Amazon blurb is brief:

“By the author of worldwide bestseller The Jane Austen Book Club: you can’t choose your family, but they can make choices for you. Big, life-defining choices.”

Although there are lots of Amazon reviews praising this beneath the blurb. It was also nominated for the Man Booker Prize, and the blurb on there is slightly longer:

“As a child, Rosemary used to talk all the time. So much so that her parents used to tell her to start in the middle if she wanted to tell a story. Now Rosemary has just started college and she barely talks at all. And she definitely doesn’t talk about her family. So we’re not going to tell you too much either: you’ll have to find out for yourself what it is that makes her unhappy family unlike any other. Rosemary is now an only child, but she used to have a sister the same age as her, and an older brother. Both are now gone – vanished from her life. But there’s something unique about Rosemary’s sister, Fern. So now she’s telling her story; a looping narrative that begins towards the end, and then goes back to the beginning. Twice.”

Basically – there is a massive important factor to this book 25% in (can you tell I read it on my Kindle – otherwise it would have been ‘about a quarter of the way through’!) and not giving this away I think is fundamental to the book. The friend who recommended it had been told by her mother about what this twist was – and she thinks therefore made the book less enjoyable for her – hence me not revealing it. (As people who know me in real life will attest – such self restraint is amazing!!)

It is beautifully written, different, believable and keeps you engaged throughout. I could not put this in a specific ‘genre’ – but would definitely recommend you read it!

Book Review – The Little Christmas Kitchen by Jenny Oliver

Posted on by Libby Price

The Little Christmas Kitchen

 

I was recommended this over dinner last week and I went in blind, not reading the Amazon blurb (but here it is for you guys!)

“Christmas at the Davenports’ house was always about one thing: food!
But when sisters Ella and Maddy were split up, Ella to live in London with their Dad, and Maddy staying in Greece with their Mum, mince pies lost their magic.
Now, a cheating husband has thrown Ella a curved snowball…and for the first time in years, all she wants is her mum. So she heads back to Greece, where her family’s taverna holds all the promise of home. Meanwhile, waitress Maddy’s dreams of a white Christmas lead her back to London…and her Dad.
But a big fat festive life-swap isn’t as easy as it sounds! And as the sisters trade one kitchen for another, it suddenly seems that among the cinnamon, cranberries and icing sugar, their recipes for a perfect Christmas might be missing a crucial ingredient: each other.”

It’s basically a festive Mamma Mia / Bridget Jones hybrid (although none of the main characters are as annoying as BJ!) It alternates in location between Greece and London with intertwining stories of 2 sisters. The points of reference were bang on for me – I particularly loved the Sweet Valley High reference (I always wanted to be Jessica although was way more Elizabeth – but in my case Elisabeth!!) and TV viewing references to Strictly / XFactor / The Voice – it just all felt totally relevant to me and I loved that!

Now my friends know I am a bit (ok, a lot!) of a pedant – and I noticed a couple of typos – which always makes me cringe a bit – but it didn’t detract from the lovely story.

This is not a highbrow book – but is a perfect easy read, and even got me – self proclaimed grinch – into the festive spirit!

I have already downloaded Jenny Oliver’s other books to read which shows that I enjoyed it. I’d also love to know what happens to the characters next……..

Book Review – The Paris Time Capsule by Ella Carey

Posted on by Libby Price

I was recommended this book by a friend (whose judgement I totally trust on books) but had not heard anything else about it – sometimes I think that’s the best way – to go in without any preconceived ideas!

The Paris Time Capsule

I found out afterwards that it was loosely based on a true story – which makes it all the more amazing.

Here’s the Amazon blurb:

“Inspired by the fascinating true story of a treasure filled apartment that was abandoned in Paris for seventy years,The Paris Time Capsule is a blend of romance, history and mystery that will take you on a journey through France, from the charms of Paris to Provence’s delectable vineyards and villages …

In 2010, New York photographer Cat Jordan is fighting against her difficult past. But when a stranger dies in Paris, Cat finds herself the sole inheritor of an apartment in the ninth arrondissement that has been abandoned for seventy years, since its mysterious owner, Madame de Florian, fled on the eve of the Nazi invasion in 1940.

A stash of love letters belonging to the owner’s grandmother, the infamous Belle Epoque courtesan Marthe de Florian, and the appearance of the beautiful and mysterious Isabelle de Florian’s grandson, Loic Archer, leads Cat in search of the reasons why Isabelle kept her Paris apartment a secret until her death, and why she left her entire estate to Cat.

As Cat unravels the story, she too embarks on her own journey, realising that the secrets in the apartment may finally unlock the future…

An enchanting tale, inspired by a fascinating true story, filled with unforgettable characters, each caught in the relentless turmoil of their own generation. Ella Carey’s The Paris Time Capsule will linger in your thoughts long after you have finished it.”

So – it centres around a flat in Paris that has been left exactly as it stood and untouched for 70 years. The central character, Cat, who has been left this by a Frenchwoman she didn’t know, then investigates why. It takes you around different areas of France and really evokes the feelings of the different regions. Yet again I’ve read a book about Paris and France that makes me want to go and visit very soon!

It is beautifully written and flows really well. I have to confess to getting a little confused sometimes about some of the historic characters – but I think that’s more my fault for reading it piecemeal whilst trying to get kids to go to bed rather than giving it my undivided attention (the joy of being a reading Mum!)

Overall, a little gem. Easy to read, beautifully evocative, and really ‘nice’.

Book Review – Falling by Emma Kavanagh

Posted on by Libby Price

It appears my love of books has found another source of advanced copies, as I was sent a copy of Falling by Emma Kavanagh to review by the team at Mumsnet Bloggers and Arrow Publishing – ready for the release of the paperback on November 6th 2014.

Falling

Here is what Amazon has to say about it:

“A brilliant debut psychological thriller by a former police psychologist. Perfect for fans of Nicci French, Tana French and S. J. Watson.

A plane falls out of the sky. A woman is murdered. Four people all have something to hide.

Jim is a retired police officer, and worried father. His beloved daughter has disappeared and he knows something is wrong.

Tom has woken up to discover that his wife was on the plane and must break the news to their only son.

Cecilia had packed up and left her family. Now she has survived a tragedy, and sees no way out.

Freya is struggling to cope with the loss of her father. But as she delves into his past, she may not like what she finds.

‘Before the plane crash, after the plane crash, such a short amount of time for the world to turn on its head… ‘”

 

When it arrived I was already reading another book and so didn’t start it right away – so had a slight panic when I had a chasing email for the review with only 10 days left before the deadline – but the reviews of the book already on Amazon (the hardback and kindle versions) had it down as a real page turner – so I decided I’d just have to lock the children away for the rest of half term and start reading!!!

Initially I found it a bit confusing as there are lots of intertwined plots (although this could have been because I started reading it whilst trying to get small children to bed – so was interrupted for milk / wees etc!).  I kept having to check with the blurb on the back (the same as the Amazon quote above) as to who was who!  Once I got into it, I agree that it was a real page turner, and I did want to read ‘just one more chapter’ before lights out!

It was also a bit weird having a character that shared my name – you don’t get many Libbys about (Libby in Neighbours and Libby Purves being the exceptions!  In fact many moons ago an audit partner signed me into a client as Libby Purves as he couldn’t remember my surname #randomfact)

I liked the factual-ness of the information in the book (being a fan of police dramas / Silent Witness) which I guess comes from the author’s background.  I also like that there isn’t a set pattern to the chapters – they are seemingly random as to who comes next, not on a regular rotation basis – which is another element of keeping you guessing – but each is written from the viewpoint of one of the individuals involved.  I think that because of this you don’t feel like you get to know – or are fighting for – any single individual and at the end I wasn’t desperate to know what the future held for each of the characters as I often have been with other books.

The final few chapters tie all of the strands of the plot lines together – so you feel like the book has concluded properly.

I think I would describe this as ‘psychological thriller – lite’.  It’s fine, it’s an easy read, it keeps you interested – but it’s not way up there in terms of suspense / drama / ‘reading through your fingers’ that I’ve had with recent books in the same genre such as ‘I Am Pilgrim‘ by Terry Hayes and ‘Pop Goes The Weasel‘by M J Arlidge.

Now slightly concerned that my new source of books might not be quite so forthcoming after this review…………

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Book Review – The Book of Lost and Found by Lucy Foley

Posted on by Libby Price

I was lucky enough to be given an advanced copy of this to review by my wonderful book industry insider friend. As it was a debut book for Lucy Foley I had no expectations at all – which is often a more exciting way to start a book!

The Book of Lost and Found

This is what Amazon had to say about it:

“In many ways, my life has been rather like a record of the lost and found. Perhaps all lives are like that.

It’s when life started in earnest.
Hertfordshire, 1928 – The paths of Tom and Alice collide against a haze of youthful, carefree exuberance. There’s champagne and excitement, but above all there’s the beginning of a love story that finds its feet by a lake one silvery moonlit evening . . .

It’s when love stories didn’t have happy endings.
Paris, 1939 – Alice is living in the city of light, but the pain of the last decade has already left its mark. Against the shadow that sweeps across Europe, she and Thomas Stafford – now a world famous artist – meet once more . . .

It’s when the story begins.
London, 1986 – Bestowed with an old portrait drawing from her grandmother, Kate Darling can’t possibly imagine the secrets that have been lost to time. Kate’s journey takes her to Corsica, Paris and beyond, and as time melts away she is catapulted into the heart of a love story that’s as epic as it is life changing . . .

Sweeping and heartrending – the perfect read for fans of Victoria Hislop and Kate Morton. ”

Now this book jumps between time periods – as you can see from the above – but it does it in a free flowing, telling of the story kind of way – it is not a regimented one chapter here, one there routine. Also – the chapters vary massively in length – which I love – and adds to the suspense. It is BEAUTIFULLY written, and really evokes the settings of the story – and makes me want to hop on a plane to Paris and Corsica very soon – and the bits in New York reminded me of our recent trip.

I really liked lots of the characters and wanted to see how their paths developed. There are lots of twists and turns but the whole story flows wonderfully – and I think it would make a fabulous film with some amazing backdrops to the story (although actually, maybe a film wouldn’t do it as much justice as the pictures in my own head from the thoughtful and descriptive words).

I have to confess to crying at the end – and the ending wasn’t what I expected – but in retrospect was just perfect.   With about 4 chapters to go I did wonder how it would all  get wrapped up – but it does.

I would definitely recommend pre-ordering this ready for its release in January 2015 – and look forward to more books by Lucy Foley in the future.

Book Review – It’s Not Me It’s You by Mhairi McFarlane

Posted on by Libby Price

I have read, loved and blogged about Mhairi McFarlane’s previous two books ‘You Had Me At Hello‘ and ‘Here’s Looking at You‘.  So imagine my excitement when my lovely friend Emily sent me this photograph by text message saying ‘Look what I’ve got’:

It's not me it's you 2

There was an actual squeal of excitement from me – as the publication date isn’t until next month!  But as reported before, Em  has contacts!  She also scored super highly in the friend’s stakes by dropping it round to me as I was packing to leave that afternoon for a transatlantic trip with the husband (another blog post is brewing for that – don’t fear!)

I started reading ‘It’s Not Me It’s You’ in a bar in Manhattan with an ice bucket of pinot grigio and a husband with a flight of beers and the sport on TV – pretty much perfection! And it was the sampler of this book that turned me into a Mhairi McFarlane obsessive fan, so my expectations were high!!

It's not me it's you

This is the blurb from Amazon, just to set the scene for you (which interestingly has changed since my previous blog post when the sampler came out  – and you can currently download the sampler for free for your Kindle – yay!):

“An achingly funny story about how to be your own hero when life pulls the rug out from under your feet. From the author of the bestselling YOU HAD ME AT HELLO
Delia Moss isn’t quite sure where she went wrong.
When she proposed and discovered her boyfriend was sleeping with someone else – she thought it was her fault.
When she realised life would never be the same again – she thought it was her fault.
And when he wanted her back life nothing had changed – Delia started to wonder if perhaps she was not to blame…
From Newcastle to London and back again, with dodgy jobs, eccentric bosses and annoyingly handsome journalists thrown in, Delia must find out where her old self went – and if she can ever get her back.”

And I was not disappointed at all – in fact I think this could be my favourite Mhairi book yet!

There is a love story (a twisting rollercoaster) accompanied by a bit of mystery solving (think grown up Nancy Drew rather than Detective Chief Inspector Jane Tennison) and all in the style of writing and with perfectly relevant reference points that we’ve come to expect. I really really enjoyed it, and want to be Delia’s friend as she sounds like such a lovely person – normal in a Bridget Jones as a heroine kind of way (but way less annoying!).  Whether you’ve read Mhairi’s other books or not – if you’re a 30 / 40 something female Brit, with a sense of humour, penchant for booze and the occasional potty mouth (that pretty much sums me up!!) you will love this book.

Despite being very kindly sent this uncorrected proof to read – I will most definitely be buying the original, as my copy has pages saying what illustrations are going to be on it – but they aren’t actually drawn in – and I am desperate to see them (told you I was obsessed!!)

Book Review: Daughter by Jane Shemilt

Posted on by Libby Price

For once I don’t think this was a recommendation from a friend – I’m not sure if it was a magazine review in Red – or that I noticed it was a ‘Richard and Judy Bookclub’ book – but I downloaded this to read, and read most of it on a transatlantic flight earlier this week.

Daughter

Here’s what the Amazon blurb says about it:

“When a teenage girl goes missing her mother discovers she doesn’t know her daughter as well as she thought in Jane Shemilt’s haunting debut novel, Daughter.

THE NIGHT OF THE DISAPPEARANCE

She used to tell me everything.
They have a picture. It’ll help.
But it doesn’t show the way her hair shines so brightly it looks like sheets of gold.
She has a tiny mole, just beneath her left eyebrow.
She smells very faintly of lemons.
She bites her nails.
She never cries.
She loves autumn, I wanted to tell them. She collects leaves, like a child does. She is just a child.
FIND HER.

ONE YEAR LATER

Naomi is still missing. Jenny is a mother on the brink of obsession. The Malcolm family is in pieces.
Is finding the truth about Naomi the only way to put them back together?
Or is the truth the thing that will finally tear them apart?

Daughter by Jane Shemilt is an emotional and compelling story about how well you really know those you love most.”

Overall I enjoyed this – the combination of thriller and family drama is often a winner.  The one thing is, and it’s no fault of the writer at all, but I’m getting a bit bored of books that flick backwards and forwards in time each chapter. It seems to be the thing to do at the moment, and frankly – it’s all a bit exhausting!

It made me think a lot about how I juggle family and work life – although thankfully without a missing child thrown into the mix.

Definitely worth a read – and whilst slightly gritty in places, it didn’t have the scariness of ‘I Am Pilgrim’ or ‘Pop Goes The Weasel’ – but maybe the fact it could be more realistic makes it worse?!?  It’s well written – and amazing that the writer juggles being a GP, wife of a neurosurgeon, and mother of 5 (all of which she has utilised in the story to some extent!)