Things in Jars by Jess Kidd

Things in Jars atop a Piano in Lews Castle

Somehow or other I’ve read 3 mermaid or “people of the sea” stories this year. It’s not a genre I specifically seek out, but I guess coincidences happen. After the first two: The Mermaid and Mrs Hancock and Pisces, I decided that maybe I just didn’t like mermaid stories, cause I HATED those two. (To be fair they both contained some pretty atrocious sex scenes and a lot of very unlikeable characters.)

Then along came Things in Jars to prove me wrong.

Bridie Devine is a Victorian era detective, interested in figuring out how things work and helping people that most would overlook. Having risen from an Irish Street rat to a doctor’s apprentice and now an independent woman who advocates for the less privileged, Bridie’s reputation is still recovering from her last case. Which is why a Baron with something…fishy to hide feels confident that she’ll keep his case confidential. So Bridie and her 7 foot tall ferocious maid, Cora get drafted in to find Christabel Berwick; a missing child that no one was supposed to know even existed, and who has a little something of Kirstin Dunst’s “butter wouldn’t melt/oh so vicious” character from Interview with a Vampire about her. Oh and Bridie absolutely doesn’t believe in anything inexplainable or supernatural. She DEFINITELY doesn’t believe in ghosts, and definitely isn’t developing feelings for the really handsome half dressed spectre from her past who just so happens to be following her everywhere.

What Jess Kidd has produced here is a book full of warmth, heart and genuinely hilarious quirks. It’s a Victorian detective story, but with a folklore twist and loveable characters. So loveable that I found myself digging my heels in as I neared the ending (which fair warning, is inevitably bittersweet) and desperate for the ability to spend more time with Bridie and Cora. The fact that these characters aren’t in a series is a travesty and if I’m ever fortunate enough to meet Kidd I’ll be on my knees begging for more of them.

The plot is mesmerising while you try and fit all the inricate pieces together. There is a little violence and some gore but it’s generally treated very sensitively, what’s more likely to leave you shaken is the emotional resonance and implications of past events on present (in book timeline) events.

An absolute must read: this is how a historical folklore mystery should be done!

Things in Jars by Jess Kidd is out now and is published by Canongate Books.

Sherlock Holmes and the Christmas Demon by James Lovegrove

With humor set to wry, hypocrisies abounding and the usual great assumptive leaps masked as logic, Holmes and his world weary and slightly befuddled friend Watson are back for a new seasonal adventure.

Having been approached in a coffee shop by Eve Allerthorpe, eldest daughter of a wealthy and entirely batshit crazy Yorkshire family who live in a gothic black castle in the middle of a lake, Holmes and Watson are engaged to investigate the mysterious myth of the Black Thurrick; an evil side kick to Father Christmas who likes to leave bunches of Birch sticks around and snack on naughty children.

Eve’s interest in the myth is in part thanks to re-gailings of the myth from her recently deceased mother and to some weird goings on and supernatural sightings around her creepy and not at all cosy home. Of course she’s due a substantial inheritance on her 21st birthday on Christmas Eve, on one condition; that she has managed to retain control of her mental faculties by then. But while investigating out of curiosity, a far more serious crime occurs almost in front of Holmes and Watson.
So has local folklore come to life or is someone trying to drive Eve mad? Who would dare try and pull the wool over Holmes and Watson’s eyes? And can the grumpiest and most eccentric family in England make it through a holiday season in one piece?

This is a highly entertaining and enjoyably ludicrous Tale. Holme’s eccentricity and Watson’s sarcasm are set off perfectly by being surrounded by like-minded and similarly oddball members of the upper classes. There a moments of slapstick and exquisite arguments of the absurd where Holmes again proves his ability to always be right is pure luck, but is nothing compared to his unparalleled confidence in himself. And beneath it all the story and central mystery is beautifully written and imagined.

The book is stunning as well and has one of those covers you can’t stop running your hands over – it really would be a great addition in anyone’s stocking.

Sherlock Holmes and the Christmas Demon is on sale from 22nd October 2019 and is published by Titan Books.

Dark Designs – Book Review

Dark Designs by Stefan Petrucha

It’s 2005 and Captain America has finally gotten some semblance of a life back, but following routine tests after a mission, it’s discovered that within his body Cap carries an extinction level virus. Why it’s not currently active, and what might trigger it is anyone’s guess, but to protect humanity Rogers has to head back to the deep freeze until a cure can be found.

However, old nemesis Red Skull is back, in a body cloned from Captain America himself, so he also carries the virus, except that he has become symptomatic. Knowing the end is insight, and without the selfless gene that is sending Rogers into cryogenic sleep, Red Skull sets about fulfilling his bucket list; specifically ending Captain America, with the aid of some hidden old Nazi Tech. Can Rogers fight off giant killer Nazi robots and a psychopathic enemy with a bug that makes Ebola look like a cold all while he’s technically in quarantine?

What follows is a rollicking good adventure which explores the extremes of Steve’s moral code, and what sets him apart from other heroes. Philosophical questions are thrown into the mix like challenges which Steve side steps with ease.

What’s really interesting however is that aside from Steve and red skull there is a second good/evil battle going on that you won’t even spot. The real villain of the piece is signposted quite early on, and you’ll see them coming, as you’re meant to, but the real hero of the piece is a genuine surprise which you won’t realise until the epilogue, and in true hero form it’s one which you’ve been underestimating all along.

A good addition to the Marvel novel universe. Not quite as intriguing as the stand alone Thanos title which was released earlier this year, but definitely worth a read.

Thanks to @titanbooks for the review copy in exchange for an honest review. Dark Designs is out tomorrow (15 October 2019)

A Titanic story for young readers

The Titanic Detective Agency – Book Review

Trembling with excitement, Bertha Watt sets out on the adventure of a lifetime: her and her mother leaving behind their old life in Aberdeen to meet up with her father in Oregon and start a new life full of promise and opportunity and, if she behaves herself, a pony.

Facing several boring days crossing the Atlantic onboard a ship, she and her new friend, Madge, decide to emulate Holmes and Watson and set up The Collyer-Watt Detective Agency. They quickly stumble across two intriguing mysteries, one involving treasure and another involving a mysterious family with a shady father. Along the way, Bertha befriends Johan, a 3^rd class passenger with a desperate passion to reunite his family. But something even more ominous is lurking over the horizon: It’s April 1912 and Bertha, her family and her friends are sailing to America aboard the Titanic’s maiden voyage.

The Titanic Detective Agency by Lindsay Littleson is a tale of two halves. The first; a look at the innocent and nostalgic childhood from the early twentieth century – both that of the privileged, and the heavier responsibilities of those in poverty. The second half is wrought with tangible horror and heartbreak, as the ending that you almost forgot was looming comes to fruition.

Littleson has done her research, and although the narrative is fiction, all the characters are based on true-life passengers aboard the doomed Ocean liner with some of the more out there twists and turns being based on fact – truth is often stranger than fiction after all.

It’s a challenging introduction for its target audience of 8 to 11 year olds. One which focuses on the humanity involved in the maritime tragedy, but it’s all the more worthwhile for this focus, The Titanic Detective Agency doesn’t shy away from the horror and lasting impact the accident had on the few survivors.

It’s well written, engaging and doesn’t talk down to younger readers. More than that it brings a hundred and seven year old tragedy to life. And just look at that cover – it’s beautiful!

February Reading Round Up

One of these days I will get one of these out on time…For now, I count four days into March pretty good going (I’ve just started TWO new jobs, so the fact I remember any of my passwords for this site, let alone what I read last month, is a bloody miracle!)

When they call you a terrorist : A Black Lives Matter Memoir by Patrisse Khan-Cullors and asha bandele

Patrisse Khan Cullors grew up in a poor neighbourhood in Los Angeles and witnessed first-hand the structural oppression and institutional racism upon which America, and most western countries are built on. It’s no wonder that she grew up inflamed and ready to fight for freedoms that the privileged take for granted, such as the right to support, care and love and the right not to be removed from your bed in the middle of the night by police teams in full riot gear on a fishing expedition.

What is surprising is that she grew up fighting for these things from a place of love rather than hatred. The atrocities to which she, her family and her community have been subjected, which she details in searing, harrowing detail, would be enough to fill up anyone’s fuel tank with anger, but Khan-Cullors has found ways in which she can process. This then forms the basis and the ethos of the Black Lives Matter movement, a movement which she co-founded and which believes that until everyone has equality, no one has equality.

When They Call you a terrorist is a memoir of two halves, albeit they flow together seemlessly. In the first, Khan-Cullors details her experiences growing up, from kind and loving parents who were fighting simply to keep their heads above water against overwhelming forces trying to push them under, to a brother punished horrifically for daring to be a black man with a mental illness. In the second, she describes the rolling snowball that became the Black Lives Matter movement and all it stands for. This is an absolute must read.

The Penelopiad by Margaret Atwood

Viewing the events of the Trojan wars and Odysseus’ adventures from Penelope’s point of view, Atwood’s re-examination of the myths of ancient Greece is a clear influencer on the more recent Circe by Madeline Miller. The novel gives ancient myth a feminist slant as the ‘quiet’ and ‘obedient’ trope of Penelope as the doting wife is flipped on its head and she is given agency over the events which have historically been done to her as well as a modern critique of the crimes waged against women by men trying to protect their egos. It provides a fantastic and interesting new entry point to well known tales which allow you to engage critically in the classics.

Bookshop memories by Patrick Bruskiewich

A very short play based on an equally short story from George Orwell about his memories of working in a bookshop. Sardonic and insightful, you will either recognise the customers Orwell describes, or identify with them. An entertaining and thoughtful assessment which will hopefully provide you with a little more empathy for your own local book wranglers, in particular second hand bookshop owners.

And the Rest is History by Jodi Taylor

An Argumentation of historians by Jodi Taylor

The Long and Short of it by Jodi Taylor

I am now up to date on this series, including all the short stories, so those of you that are not interested in the St Mary’s Chronicles series will be relieved to know that these will not be appearing on any further round up lists (until the next one is published or I decide to re-read them that is!)

But for this last grouping I have one description – OUCH. And the Rest is History is a brutal entry into the series whereby it opens with a glimmer of hope as Ronan approaches St Mary’s with the offer of a truce and then everything rapidly goes downhill from there, leading to long lasting and heartbreaking repercussions. I’m not sure I can stand much more heartbreak for Max, and in the author’s note for An Argumentation of Historians, even Taylor jokes that her publishers begged for something a little cheerier; which thankfully she delivers. It is still tinged with sadness after the events of And the Rest is History, but it is a much happier edition and a return to more of the carefree spirit exhibited in earlier books.

And the Long and Short of it is a lovely series of, mostly, comedic one shots which generally happen around Christmas time and should be read interspersed with the full length novels (there are helpful guides online to show where to read them in the series). There is no requirement to read them, but events in these stories are occasionally referred to in the novels so they do fill in some blanks.

Nemesis by Jo Nesbo

Detective Harry Hole is your typical grumpy, anti-social detective struggling with personal and professional issues which are exacerbated by alcoholism. In some ways it’s as though Nesbo got a list of detective story clichés and ensured he ticked off every last one of them, but Hole is still entertaining.

In Nemesis Hole is assigned to the investigation team for a series of bank robberies which include the death of a bank teller (hence Harry’s presence despite specialising in 20190224_123903 murders). At the same time, an old girlfriend who recently made contact is found dead on the very night that she and Harry meet up and he blacks out. After her death is ruled a suicide, Harry sets out on his own private investigation, as much to reassure himself that he didn’t do it as to find the true culprit.

Nothing is truly surprising in Nemesis, although it is a decent read and I’ll certainly continue to read Jo Nesbo books, but it feels rather like brain popcorn: light but moreish.

The Librarian by Salley Vickers

Sylvia Blackwell is starting out on her career as a Librarian and accepts the post of Children’s Librarian in East Mole. She is young, enthusiastic, and eager to set out on the adventure of life. Unfortunately, at the same time as she has life-changing impacts on the children of the village, she also begins a passionate and ill-advised affair with the local married Doctor. Both Sylvia and her lover seriously underestimate the power of small town gossip.

There was nothing offensive about The Librarian. Perhaps that was the problem, it felt very safe and a little twee. The characters were not particularly endearing, either for their virtues or their transgressions and I found myself rather underwhelmed by the whole thing. The doctor that Sylvia begins her affair with is completely unlikeable, and so Sylvia becomes unsympathetic as it becomes hard to identify what she sees in him to risk so much. Even she doesn’t seem that keen on him most of the time, and seems to find the idea of an affair more enticing that the actual event. This shakes the foundations for sympathy which might have existed otherwise.

The Mermaid and Mrs Hancock by Imogen Hermes Gowar

Mr Hancock is a small shipping merchant. Angelica Neal is a London Escort who is trying to maintain her independence and resist the lure back into her Madam’s house. One night in 1775 one of Hancock’s captains returns having exchanged his boat for the corpse of a mermaid which Hancock is forced to begin displaying in an attempt to recoup his loses. Finding himself in London social circles which he has never experienced, and which make him feel deeply uncomfortable, Hancock and Neal are thrown together and begin a friendship and, eventually, a romance which is shaken to the core when Hancock brings the curse of a second mermaid down on them.

I was so looking forward to this. For a long time. And I really struggled with it. So much of the book is told from Angelica’s point of view, and until about three quarters of the way through she is pretty shallow and unlikeable. Hancock, while nice is bumbling and naïve. The writing is fantastic and the atmosphere is tangible, but it’s not always a pleasant atmosphere to be so immersed in. Characters are well drawn, but rarely sympathetic. The last quarter when Angelica and John finally start communicating is a little more enjoyable, but it takes effort to get there.

The Book of Joan by Lidia Yuknavitch

In a dystopian future, where the elite and last survivors of humanity have moved to a resource sucking Earth-orbiting Space Station operated by the shady CIEL and it’s once-a-celebrity leader Jean de Men, Christine is a Skin Graft artist who has become disenchanted with humanity and idolises the rebel and heretic Joan de Dirt. Meanwhile Joan and her soul mate have survived the geocatastrophes that destroyed Earth and now roam its barren landscape trying to survive.

I love Sci-fi. I love dystopian sci-fi. And I LOVED the concept of this book, but I was so lost with this. I felt like I was reading a really complex poem in glass in a hall of mirrors. I glimmered snatches of plot and bits of character, especially around Joan (everyone else was pretty obscure) but mostly it was filled with grandiose motifs and ruminations on philosophical lessons in snatches and grabs making it very hard to hang my interest on any one thing. I’m not totally beyond metaphysical books, but this one felt fairly incomprehensible and rather nightmarish. By reviews online it seems to be a bit of a marmite book, either getting 5 stars or scoring lowly, so it’s a book that some will love, but I loathed.

Pick of the month: When They call you a Terrorist

Dud of the Month: The Book of Joan

Thank you to Canongate books for When They call you a Terrorist and The Book of Joan which I was sent in exchange for an honest review.

Do you believe in fairies?

What I don’t know about the online Book Community could, I suspect, fill a small country, but I’m learning. Slowly but surely, I’m learning. And the thing I have learnt about in the last couple of weeks has made me giddily excited – Book Fairies.

The Book Fairy movement combines two things that I think there should always be more of in the world: books and random acts of kindness and generosity.

The Book Fairy initiative launched in March 2017 and currently boasts nearly 9000 book fairies in over 100 countries. Book Fairies gather up books which they’ve enjoyed and then set about sharing the book love by hiding them in places to be discovered. I learnt about it quite by accident when the Western Isles Book Fairy account (@bookfairies_eileansiar) followed me on Instagram and as I snooped around their page I squealed with delight, free books and a community intent on sharing some happiness around? Sign me up!

So I did. Sign up I mean. And I hid my first book earlier this week (It was very hard not to hide behind a car and wait until someone found it, but I decided that might be a smidge too creepy.)

img_20190119_104618_106

Anyone can become a book fairy and you don’t need anything special to do it. You can package up a book you think would give someone pleasure and hide it as a surprise for someone to come across, usually with a note to assure whoever finds it that it’s a free book for them to take away and enjoy. But you can also order official stickers, among other things, off the website if you want that little extra glimmer of officialdom to get you started.

I have yet to be lucky enough to find one of the books hidden by the official Book Fairies Eilean Siar account, but I’m going to be keeping my eyes peeled, and now I’ve found an exciting new way to make room on my shelves for more books without feeling like I’m just abandoning books I love – sharing them out to hopefully give someone a little boost on a gloomy winter’s day.

If you want to find out more about Book Fairies go to www.ibelieveinbookfairies.com

All I want for Christmas…

Willoughby-Book-Club-14.3.17 109

…is more books! The best present I have ever received was a book subscription. Over the years I have had every kind of subscription there is: Magazines to Baby gift boxes, food to Lootcrates and a wide variety in between. Living on the periphery of civilisation it’s a great way to get your hands on products that you don’t always have access to, but it’s also a great way to fill up your house with tat very very quickly. I found that, on average, I used or wanted only about half of what I received in boxes and so each eventually fell by the wayside. But then I discovered the book subscription. A book gift every month? Yes please! I will never run out of space for books. (Husband disagrees, but what does he know?) It’s the one subscription service I can see myself keeping long term. But it’s so hard to pick from the variety of products that are out there and unless you’re a multi-millionaire a choice has to be made (Still haven’t won the lottery for those keeping track).

So in the lead up to Christmas, here is my round up of book subscription services available to bibliophiles in the UK. If your nearest and dearest love books and haven’t yet discovered the wonder of book subscriptions then this is what you need to get for them. Immediately.

There are two types of Book Subscription; the mystery subscription and the curated subscription and some companies offer both. Here is a small selection of some of the best ones I’ve found.

Book and a Brew

This is a gross generalisation, but one I’m reasonably confident in making: If you like reading and you live in the UK, chances are high that you probably like curling up with a cup of tea as well; so I think Book and a Brew is fairly ingenious. Every month you receive a fantastic Book (for a pot luck subscription service Book and a Brew has one of the best general book selections I’ve seen) and a packet of intriguing and often unusual tea to tantalise your taste buds. It’s £12.99 a month, but you can also buy older boxes (with the ability to choose from available texts) as a one off for £9.99 which is a nice way to either test if it’s for you or give a single month gift. Check it out at www.bookandabrew.com

The Willoughby Book Club

The Willoughby Book Club has been going since 2012 and is partnered with Book Aid International, so for every subscription sold a book is donated, allowing you to share your love of reading with partner libraries across Africa. Willoughby Book Club has one of the largest selection of different subscription options available, including babies, toddlers and young adults, Contemporary fiction and cookery book subscriptions and all come with the options of 3, 6 or 12 month subscriptions. Their most popular club is the Bespoke club where the team picks books based on recipients personal reading tastes. If you can’t find what you want here you even have the option of tailoring your own themed package under the Anything Else category. It really is a one stop shop for your book subscription needs! Prices start at £29.99 for a 3 month subscription. Check out www.willoughbybookclub.co.uk for more information.

Big Green Bookshop

The Big Green Bookshop is an independent bookshop based in London which offers either a children’s or adult’s bespoke book subscription. The owners have a brilliant sense of humour (this was the bunch that invested in tweeting the whole of Harry Potter to Piers Morgan when he made a snarky comment about it.) and fantastic customer service. A survey asking about your top 3 books and anything you’ve struggled to read is sent out for either you or your gift recipient to complete and as soon as you’ve returned it your choices will begin being sent to you. This service offers different options for length of subscription as well which makes it a great option for smaller gifts, short term affordability and simply just testing if a book subscription is for you. I have bought a 3 month subscription from here for a friend before and it went down a treat. Find them at www.biggreenbookshop.com Prices start at £30 for a 3 month children’s subscription.

Heywood Hill

voucher1

I’ve been very spoilt and was lucky enough to receive the Heywood Hill ‘A Year in Books’ subscription for my birthday this year. It is one of the more expensive on the list, but luxury oozes out of every molecule of it; unwrapping each beautifully wrapped book is a gift in itself. Based in Mayfair, Heywood Hill is an independent bookshop where booksellers are some of the best in the business, and have been offering this service for longer than most others. On selecting a Book Subscription, choosing from Paperback or Hardback alternatives and whether you want them monthly or bi-monthly (there’s also an option for children’s books), you are sent a beautiful voucher inviting the recipient to complete a questionnaire, either online or over the phone. You are then assigned your own personal bookseller who selects your books for you, and mine has yet to put a foot wrong. I have been sent books which I would never have picked up myself and at least two out of the 6 have set me on a frantic reading frenzy of previously undiscovered series (If Heywood Hill are reading this and they can track down a copy of the second in the St Mary’s Chronicles series I’d be very grateful!) Bookmarks-and-Books and the monthly book marks have allowed me to finally ditch my hodgepodge of receipts and post its that I used previously. And if you already have the book you can arrange a certain number of swaps each year. This is the epitome of a Bibliophile’s dream gift. Prices start at £125 for a 6 book children’s subscription. You can find out more at www.heywoodhill.com

The Abominable Book Club

If Horror is your thing then the Abominable Book Blub sends out crates with three reads in each, including a new book and a second hand classic. On alternate months a bi-monthly magazine subscription is included and on the months without a magazine, they include an ebook from an independent author. Based in Wales the company also includes locally sourced treats and bonuses. This is a reasonably new venture compared to others, but the horror community is a supportive one and horror is a seriously underserved genre in book subscription land, so I hope it will go from strength to strength. The Club can be found at https://theabominablebookclub.cratejoy.com and prices start at £22.

Chocolate and a Book

Need I say more than the title of this subscription? The genre choices on this site are what really sell it to me, with the ability to pick between Romance and Sci-fi/fantasy (which is a rare genre subscription to come across) among others. Books are selected from the last 12 months and are carefully matched with chocolate and a hot beverage. Vegetarian and Vegan options are available and they try to cater for any allergies you may have. Prices start at £14.99 a month and more information can be found at http://www.chocolateandbook.com

Whatever your taste in books, there is a subscription service available out there for you and most offer additional perks. It’s completely worth it: they will have to wrench my subscription from my cold dead hands!

I have not been paid or asked to write this.

Spooktober reading

Yes, I know, it is a week since the end of October and I’m only just doing a monthly round up now, but in all fairness; I’ve only just decided that this is something I want to do, so consider this a practice run.

This has been a big reading month for me, so I promise that there won’t be this amount of content in every monthly round up, but in October I managed 12 books. Phew, no wonder I’m tired! A lot of this level of reading has something to do with an ongoing bout of insomnia: and a lot of my insomnia might have something to do with picking up books way too close to bedtime. Whoever advised that you should read before going to sleep at night to help relax was clearly reading very different sorts of books.

Anyway, moving on. At the end of each month I plan to rank the books I’ve read that month – best at the top. I’m really shocked to notice that my two best books from October are non-fiction as I’m normally purely a fiction kind of girl (Real life has too many sharp edges).

The Guilty Feminist: From our noble goals to our worst hypocrisies by Deborah Frances White

Anyone who uses podcasts should be listening to the Guilty Feminist podcast. Thought-provoking, educational, intersectional and always striving to be better while admitting to those little niggles that might undermine your best intentions, the Guilty Feminist community is a glorious community filled with laughter, hope and righteous anger when it’s required. It’s fair to say I love it, so when a friend sent me a signed copy of Deborah Frances White’s new book, which deals with the same themes, I immediately promoted her to best friend and gave her my children in my will. (I didn’t do that; She would never have forgiven me. She’s getting the cat.)

I am also stealing her review of the book because I haven’t thought of anything better and I’m shameless: “It’s a self-help book for people who hate self-help books.” And it is. I found it empowering, inspirational, funny and challenging. If you want to know how and why you should check your privilege, why you take every opportunity to make your voice heard or even why it’s ok to like Say Yes to the Dress and how Dirty Dancing is a feminist text, then this is the book for you. Bugger that, this is a book for everyone and everyone should read it now.

As you Wish: Inconceivable Tales from the Making of the Princess Bride by Cary Ewles, Joe Layden and Rob Reiner

Look there’s no getting round it, I am a MASSIVE fan of the Princess Bride and have been for a very long time so picking this book to read was a no-brainer for me. An account of the Princess Bride from the perspective of a very young and green Cary Ewles with contributions from every other major player who is currently still alive, this book is as charming, innocent and full of love and nostalgia as the film itself. In fact it made me desperate to go and watch it again – which is what all good accounts should do. It feels a little bit too lovey at times, and the dismissive way everyone just accepts Robin Wright’s role boosting the male characters despite being the titular character is a little disappointing, but If you like the Princess Bride, this is a must read.

The Humans by Matt Haig

Matt Haig has been a bit of a discovery for me this year. I know he’s been around and doing his thing for ages, but I’ve only just fallen in love with his style and imagination. The Humans feels like a mix between non-fiction and high fantasy. Ostensibly the story of an alien assassin sent to earth to impersonate a mathematician and remove any and all evidence of his latest groundbreaking discovery (seriously, what’s not to love about that concept?), the tale is actually a study of what makes us human, what connects us and how, given all our apparent cruelty, barbarism and hypocrisies, do we retain our optimism and earn our place in the Universe. It’s a lovely story full of heart in the face of apparent darkness. You will need to be able to suspend your cynicism and allow yourself to be swept along in the story, as Matt Haig’s writing works best on the emotive level.

First Among Sequels, Something Rotten and The Well of Lost Plots by Jasper Fforde

Somewhat unfairly I am writing a review for all three of these books together as they are all part of the same “Thursday Next” Series, which is suitably intricate so I would recommend starting at the beginning and working your way through. Even then you may find some of the more fantastical mechanics of how the bookworld operates confusing but the rollicking adventure more than makes up for it, and as Fforde points out through his characters “Some people like the technical stuff”.

Thursday Next is a literary detective for the Swindon division of Spec Ops in an alternate world where Dodos, Mammoths and time travel are all prevalent. Not only that but Thursday has discovered the ability to jump in and out of the “bookworld” which consists of any type of writing. Including washing instructions. If you are still with me then this is definitely a series to pick up. I’ve enjoyed them all so far, even the bits I didn’t fully follow. The world building is suitably whimsical and meta that it probably covers no end of narrative sins. Some characters are jarring, but few stick around for long and there’s endless fun to be had with spotting all the literary references.

Little Fires Everywhere by Celeste Ng

Mia Warren and her 15 year old daughter Pearl live a nomadic lifestyle, but as they arrive in Shaker Heights they intend to bring that to an end, allowing Pearl to invest in making friends and hopes for the future for the first time. Their arrival however sends ripples throughout the rigid suburban community and particularly the tidy life of their IMG_20181018_183028_411 landlady Mrs Richardson.

With a little space from this book I’m now torn. I enjoyed it while I was reading it, and the characters were well drawn. I didn’t spot a lot of the twists and turns or how well some of the sub-plot characters would connect with me and the “little fires” that are lit are absolutely needed to subvert the suppression. But I’m not jumping up and down with excitement about it. I’m glad I read it but I’m not rushing to recommend it to anyone as a must read, although I suspect it would make some people question their life choices.

The Haunting of Hill House by Shirley Jackson and Laura Miller

I picked this up because I was looking for something with a spooky atmosphere. I loved the film from the 1960s and along with half the world’s population it seems, I’m currently hiding behind pillows watching the new TV show on Netflix (Which has very little to do with the book except for a few name checks and nods.). Focused on 4 people: 2 women with varying supernatural experiences, a young man who is set to inherit the house and Dr Montague who invites them to stay one summer and see what they can uncover within the supposedly haunted house, the narrative stays pretty close to Eleanor’s viewpoint. It does so so subtly that it is only as the book itself decends into madness alongside Eleanor that you realise how linked you are to her perspective. A nice read with plenty of atmosphere, it feels tame in comparison to even the 1960s film, let alone the current series.

False Lights by K.J. Whittaker

I received this book as part of my book subscription and absolutely would not have chosen this by myself, so going into it with fairly low expectations meant I was pleasantly surprised. Set in an alternate universe where Napoleon won the battle of waterloo and England is now under occupation by the French, this historical romance novel follows the adventures of Hester Harewood. The daughter of a black sea captain and a disowned aristocrat, she has to avenge the murder of her father, tame her new husband who is suffering from PTSD and save her home, the Duke of Wellington and England itself, all while carrying the weight of society’s haughty disdain fuelled by racism. It’s a pretty heavy load, but luckily she’s a compelling heroine. So why so low on the list? I think because it feels so niche and while I was interested in what happened I don’t think I actually emotionally connected with anyone. For a start I loathed Jack Crowlas and so the fact that Hester was so drawn to him held me back from committing to her totally. If you like historical romance I think you’d love this. If you don’t, maybe steer clear.

The end we start from by Megan Hunter

In the near future London floods catastrophically, resulting in a mass exodus of refugees into the rest of Britain. On the same day, a London woman gives birth to a baby and she and her family have to flee the disaster area, suddenly displaced and lost. The narrative unfolds in short flashes of memory from the mother’s point of view as she tries to not only survive, but create some semblance of a life for her new child. This story was an odd one. I finished it in about 2 hours: I couldn’t put it down but the characters annoyed me so much with their choices, particularly towards the end that I was just left frustrated. It’s an unusual book, and certainly a memorable exploration of the “What if” dystopia scenario but beware feeling an anger that the protagonist is all too willing to forgive a pretty big wrong done to her.

Can you Hear Me? By Elena Varvello

An Italian man reflects on his 16^th summer in a sleepy rural town where he started to discover some of life’s pleasures courtesy of his best friend’s mother, while his father spirals into a mental health breakdown that has catastrophic repercussions for his family. I found this to be a tough read, not simply because of the looming foreboding of Elia’s father. His mother suffers horrifically and has her efforts to protect Elia and hold her family together largely ignored. There are secrets hinted at and never revealed and the whole tale ends on a note of despondent acceptance. It was an effective story but I definitely needed something cheerier to read afterwards!

Green Arrow: The Longbow Hunters by Mike Grell Lurene Haines

Yeah not a fan. The artwork was lovely, Oliver and Dinah were great. The story even had an emotional dimension that I welcome in my superhero stories. But I have a real problem with how they chose to victimise Dinah without giving her a substantial story (Other than the repercussions of her investigation, her story is mainly conducted off panel) all for a pay off in future comics. Word to the wise, if you have to dedicate a section in your intro as to WHY you feel you had to abuse the female lead then you’re writing your female characters wrong. Moreover Oliver felt like a passenger in his own Green Arrow story. It’s all set up and very little pay off, and in a graphic novel that is considered a classic I expect more.

IMG_20181020_115237_913

Pick of the month: The Guilty Feminist: From our noble goals to our worst hypocrisies by Deborah Frances White

Dud of the month: Green Arrow: The Longbow Hunters by Mike Grell and Lurene Haines et all

Once Upon a Time…

Hebridean Reader There was a woman named Laura and she was a lifelong book addict. From the time she was little she read multiple books at a time: one in every room and one for on the move. She read her favourites over and over again, and grieved finishing books for days after closing the cover. Her nose was always in a book and it helped her weather life’s obstacles over and over again. One day she realised that she wanted to share her love for stories with other people who loved stories. But she couldn’t afford to open a bookshop because the lottery gods refused to smile on her so she took her, frankly awesome, name for a bookshop and made a book blog instead. Then one day, you found her blog and this made her smile, because you like books too and that means you are Good People. Welcome to the Book Attic. There are a huge number of book blogs out there, and most of them are exceptional, so thank you for taking some time to reading this one.

I’m (Yes I’m dropping the third person, cause frankly I’d be an arsehole if I kept that up) planning on covering everything book related here: from reviews to my foray into the world of book clubs; from book lists to book related products, and as I love film it may even cover book adaptations – we’ll see how we get on!

My knowledge of the publishing industry is limited, and I have no burning ambitions to be an author. I will try reading absolutely anything, and I tend to err on the side of optimism – things need to be bad before I walk away. Really bad. So reviews will generally find the positive and give the benefit of the doubt.

My reading loves are Terry Pratchett, Jane Austen, Maya Angelou and Matt Haig, which should give you a little understanding of the hodge podge of literary taste you are now engaging with, but I will warm to anything that has a sense of humour or a single likeable character. Seriously, there just needs to be one. There are a surprising number of books that can’t manage this.

I live in the Outer Hebrides in Scotland, which is a dream for a reader. In the summer there are stunning vistas and suntraps for outdoor reading and in winter there are forceful gales which make hunkering down with a good book feel like a luxurious pleasure, but access to books is limited. I also have two young sons, and I like to use them as an excuse to read kid’s books, although let’s be honest: mostly I read kid’s books because they have some of the best stories!

Please stick around and talk to me about books whenever you can and I will try and create some interesting content for you about the life of a Hebridean Reader.