Book reviews

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!)

Film Review – Gone Girl

Posted on by Libby Price

A couple of weeks ago I FINALLY got round to reading Gone Girl – possibly the last person in the entire country to read it!!

Gone Girl

Husband and I are in New York this week (plenty more blog posts about that to come – bet you can’t wait?!) but tonight – having done loads of tourist and shopping stuff, we decided to have a decadent treat and actually go to the cinema to see something we want to see and not a kids film! Slightly mad that we have to come across the Atlantic Ocean to do that – but it felt like a lovely treat none the less.

Having said I was perhaps the last person to have read Gone Girl – I should have clarified that the husband hasn’t! He doesn’t do books – so I thought it would be interesting to see what we both thought afterwards.

It was pretty true to the book – but there were some chunks missing (as is always the case) – and like the book I didn’t particularly like any of the characters – so I guess it shows the actors got that right!! I felt that the film seemed a bit slow – but I wondered if that was because I knew what was coming – so was wishing it away – but having discussed it with the husband, he felt the same. So I guess the film was just kind of slow!!

One thing I did realise – is how much we rely on Sky+ (this was the most wonderful invention between my first pair and second pair of kids – I remember weeping when the oldest was a few months old because ‘I just want to watch Dalziel and Pascoe’ – and back then you watched it in real time, or waited for it all to have been recorded to play back – how retro!) but we quite often utilise the pause facility now to have a brief chat on what’s happening (or more likely for me to explain what’s going on because husband has been working at the same time and not paying full attention!) not being able to do that in the cinema felt a bit disappointing!!

Just like the book, the twists and turns were great – and it would appeal to both sexes.

So all in all – a decent film – but not an amazing film. There endeth my first film review on this blog! Do not fear, there won’t be many – there will be far more book ones!!

Book Review – The Year I Met You by Cecelia Ahern

Posted on by Libby Price

I mentioned a while ago about my friend giving me a book to read before publication (you can read about that here) and this is the review that was embargoed until the release date of 9 October 2014 (hopefully today if the scheduling system on WordPress decides to work?!?)

The book in question is ‘The Year I Met You’ by Cecelia Ahern.

The Year I Met You

This is the publishers blurb from Amazon:

“A thoughtful, captivating and ultimately uplifting novel from this uniquely talented author.
Jasmine loves two things: her sister and her work. And when her work is taken away she has no idea who she is.
Matt loves two things: his family and the booze. Without them, he hits rock bottom.
One New Year’s Eve, two people’s paths collide. Both have time on their hands; both are at a crossroads. But as the year unfolds, through moonlit nights and suburban days, an unlikely friendship slowly starts to blossom.
Sometimes you have to stop still in order to move on…
Original and poignant, The Year I Met You will make you laugh, cry and celebrate life.”

Unfortunately it didn’t make me laugh or cry or particularly want to celebrate life. It was ‘nice’ and ‘an easy read’ but I was not desperate to get back to it to finish it, as I have been with lots of other books I’ve read recently.  It was kind of like Marks & Spencer undies – fine, practical, you know what you’re getting – but not going to set the world on fire.

I know Ms Ahern has a huge fanbase – and I am sure lots of people will love this – but I have to say it’s just a like from me.

I’m glad I didn’t pay for it!!

Book Review – Here’s Looking at You by Mhairi McFarlane

Posted on by Libby Price

A few weeks ago I read and reviewed ‘You Had Me At Hello‘ by Mhairi Mcfarlane and loved it, and the lovely author (whom I must confess I have a bit of a girl crush on) even tweeted back saying she loved my review – eek!!!  She’ll probably block me on Twitter now thinking I’m a crazed stalker….

So – I set about on her next book with high expectations of enjoying it immensely!

Heres looking at you

Here’s the blurb from Amazon:

“The new novel from the bestselling author of You Had Me At Hello.
Anna Alessi – history expert, possessor of a lot of hair and an occasionally filthy mouth – seeks nice man for intelligent conversation and Mills & Boon moments.
Despite the oddballs that keep turning up on her dates, Anna couldn’t be happier. As a 30-something with a job she loves, life has turned out better than she dared dream. However, things weren’t always this way, and her years spent as the ‘Italian Galleon’ of an East London comprehensive are ones she’d rather forget.
So when James Fraser – the architect of Anna’s final humiliation at school – walks back into her life, her world is turned upside down. But James seems a changed man. Polite. Mature. Funny, even. People can change, right? So why does Anna feel like she’s a fool to trust him?
Hilarious and poignant, ‘Here’s Looking At You’ will have you laughing one minute and crying the next.
The new must-read novel from #1 bestseller Mhairi McFarlane.”

And it did not disappoint at all.  I totally agree with the writer of the above review – at times I really was laughing one minute and crying the next (although I do cry very easily – adverts / X Factor / school assemblies all have me reaching for the tissues).

Don’t tell my friend Emily – but I also found the bit where she took the mickey out of Mills & Boon editors quite funny!!!

The historic (1980s / 90s) references are just bang on for a ‘just 40’ year old – and it’s so well written, like chatting with a mate.  After reading Gone Girl and not really giving a toss about any of the characters, it was lovely to read something where you are rooting for the good guys.

Only a month until Mhairi’s next book ‘It’s Not Me, It’s You’ comes out, and the first few chapters are fab.  Now what to read before then…………

Book Review: Gone Girl by Gillian Flynn

Posted on by Libby Price

I know, I know, everyone else read this YEARS ago, I am totally behind the times! Just like the series ‘Breaking Bad’ (which I am still resisting) loads of people have raved about ‘Gone Girl’ by Gillian Flynn and I’ve just never quite got round to it. But with the Hollywood interpretation of it due out next month, I thought I should really get my act together and read it before I see the film. I hate seeing films before reading the books (although often don’t like the film once I’ve read the book, so perhaps I shouldn’t read so much!) Although with 4 children, popping to the cinema is a thing of the past –  like a full night’s sleep and size 12 jeans!

Gone Girl

So I finally started ‘Gone Girl’ last week and I’ve really enjoyed it. The story is widely publicised at the moment, I’ve kept hearing it on the radio in the trailers (which has been a bit weird) – but basically, on Nick and Amy’s 5th wedding anniversary, Amy goes missing and Nick is the prime suspect. It is written from both of their perspectives and has brilliant twists and turns – a real thriller and consequently kept me engaged.  I can’t really say much more about the plot without giving away major spoilers (just in case you’re the only person left in the world who hasn’t read it yet!)

A number of people had told me the ending was rubbish – and perhaps it was because that gave me really low expectations, I didn’t find it as bad as I expected!!  Whilst it’s a good, fast paced, thriller – it isn’t exactly literary genius – but it was very enjoyable.

It will be really interesting to see how the film turns out (but make sure you read the book first!)

Book Review: Pop Goes The Weasel by M J Arlidge

Posted on by Libby Price

Earlier in the year, upon the recommendation of someone I follow on Twitter (and subsequently Richard and Judy) I read ‘Eeny Meeny’ by M J Arlidge. It introduced us to DI Helen Grace (I imagine her as a slightly younger, feistier and even more messed up Jane Tennison / Helen Mirren!) and her crime fighting in Southampton (where I went to University – so I always feel an allegiance to the city / football team) It was a fast moving, graphic, chilling thriller – and I LOVED it! I immediately pre-ordered the sequel ‘Pop Goes The Weasel’ and it magically appeared on my Kindle last week.

Pop goes the weasel

The Amazon blurb says this:

“A man’s body is found in an empty house. His heart has been cut out and delivered to his wife and children.
He is the first victim, and Detective Inspector Helen Grace knows he will not be the last. But why would a happily married man be this far from home in the dead of night?
The media call it Jack the Ripper in reverse: a serial killer preying on family men who lead hidden double lives.
Helen can sense the fury behind the murders. But what she cannot possibly predict is how volatile this killer is – or what is waiting for her at the end of the chase…”

You don’t have to  have read ‘Eeny Meeny’ to read this – but, this has loads of spoilers in it explaining things that happened in the first book, so you couldn’t go back and read the first one afterwards without knowing lots about how it would conclude.

Again I raced through this, really enjoying the fast pace.  The chapters are often quite short – so  ‘just one more’ happens a lot (and before you know it, it’s 1am and you should have turned the light out hours ago!) I have to say I guessed who the killer was pretty early on this time around – although not all of the twists and turns that went with the story.  It was also quite stressful to find the suburb I lived in 20 years ago, Portswood, being described as the red light district – and that students from my University were being forced into prostitution to pay uni fees!!

Having just read up a bit about the author, he has worked in TV for years – and I think that’s quite apparent from the scene setting and excellent descriptions of the areas and characters (surely someone will buy the TV rights for this?)  This is gory – and you need a strong stomach for some of it – but it’s worth it.

Yet again I’m left wanting to find out what happens to DI Grace and the team next – roll on 12 February 2015 when the final book in the trilogy ‘The Doll’s House’ will hit my Kindle.  Suspect it won’t be the perfect Valentine’s read!!