Hey June – June Book Round Up

Stardust by Neil Gaiman ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

For years after reading American Gods I, slightly shamefully, claimed that I wasn’t a huge fan of Neil Gaiman’s writing. I thought that my love of Good Omens must come from Pratchett’s involvement, but in the last 6 months I have (thankfully) been completely disabused of that notion and now I have discovered two new favourite FAVOURITE books: The Ocean at the End of the Lane which I reviewed previously, and Stardust.
Set in the human town of Wall and the contrasting multi-coloured world of Faerie, this is a more intelligent, thoughtful and hypnotic take on the two-world trope made famous by the Wizard of Oz – where you identify with the muted world but you desperately want to stay in the brighter dreamlike land beyond the confines of the story.
Our hero, Tristran Thorn, is a child of two worlds (unbeknown to him), who’s first experience of love sets him on a quest for a fallen star. Along the way, he encounters goblins, unicorns, witches and sentient forests based on Tori Amos, but more importantly he grows into the man he should be and comes to rectify youthful mistakes while maintaining his almost naive optimism.
This is a grown-up fairy tale full of hope and growth and magic, where the very prose makes you feel like you are coated in Stardust. I loved every word.

The Record Keeper by Agnes Gomillion ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

Arika of House Cobane has spent her life identifying as a ‘First Brother’ of Kongo and training to be an elite Record Keeper, perhaps even a senator, for her region. She lives in a society built out of the ashes of old earth following a World War that left most of the planet uninhabitable, and the remains of humanity scraping their survival out of the charred earth. With the survival of the species on the line, the three surviving tribes: The Kongo, Clayskins and English have each accepted responsibility for one facet of continuing life and each race must pull its weight for everyone to survive. Or so Arika believes. In reality the new structure is built as much on oppression and racism as the old world structure was, but obedience is guaranteed through the mirage of equality.

As a child Arika had her streak of rebellion and fight brutally stripped from her ‘for the greater good’, but it simmers beneath and the Record Keeper charts her reawakening as she is forced to confront the truth which she has been sheltered from, including her own privilege and oppression of her own people. It is a challenging, powerful and empowering read, as it becomes clear that the more things change, the more they are kept the same, until we confront our power structures and stand up and enforce change, all while set in a future dystopia that is frighteningly like our current world.

Hope for the Best (the Chronicles of St Mary’s) by Jodi Taylor ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

The latest book in one of my favourite book series’, the Chronicles of St Mary’s by Jodi Taylor continues the story of a group of chaotic, beautiful tea loving historians who investigate events in contemporary time (time travel to you and me). Hope for the Best is the 10th book in the series, and continues to follow the adventures of Max, Leon, Matthew and Dr Bairstow among others. 20190611_193927
I love these books, they’re funny, engaging and usually reasonably light (except for book 8 which I’m STILL traumatised by, but begrudgingly accept) and speed through different time periods and adventure sequences. I’m a sucker for time travel stories but I’m ready to be done with Ronan and increasingly the Time Police, who I’ve never quite warmed too after the sudden alternative world flip (and don’t mention their behaviour over Matthew). I am always happy to reread these over and over and over again.

Weird Things Customers Say in Bookshops By Jen Campbell ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

Does what it says on the tin, a collection from Bookshop owners all over the world which gathers together some of the more questionable conversations had with customers or overheard between friends and families. Everyone has moments of ditziness and comes out with something absurd but when they are gathered together in one book it is eye-wateringly funny. I tore through this in about two hours and was wheezing by the end, but it could easily be used as a Dip in and out read.

Green Valley by Louis Greenberg ⭐⭐⭐⭐

After finally reaching it on my TBR pile, I tore through Green Valley in the 24 hours. A very special example of Techno-Terror, a Sci-fi/Horror blend about a future city split between two extremes: A technology drenched walled-in city, Green Valley, where people have chosen to live in a virtual world utopia and their reality is a mystery; and the rest of the country where a total Technology ban exists in order.

After children riddled with nano tech are found dead, the murder investigation leads to Green Valley where Lucie Sterling’s niece, who she only met once before the wall went up, has also gone missing. Louis Greenburg manages to explore humanity’s relationship with technology without ever being preachy – and with a bloody terrifying ram thrown into the mix. It is creepy and intriguing and raises questions about why humanity is so driven to seek out extremes. 20190618_130519

Thanks to @Titanbooks for the review copy. And the nightmares!

Celestial Bodies by Jokha Alharthi ⭐⭐⭐⭐

The Winner of the International Man Booker Prize 2019: Celestial Bodies by Jokha Alharthi is a dense, sprawling, epic, which covers the lives of multiple generations of families, in particular 3 families, in the village of al-Awafi in Oman, in just under 250 pages.

It is poetic, and sometimes difficult to navigate, but completely hypnotic and engaging. It covers the trauma and joy of being a woman in a country undergoing massive cultural shifts, and beautifully illustrates generational differences in culture and expectation.

Confessions of a Bad Mother – The Teenage Years by Stephanie Calman ⭐⭐⭐⭐

A book which will speak to the heart of any parent; Confessions beautifully encapsulates the bittersweet frustration of your children growing up and simultaneously pulling away from you, the dichotomy of pride in their achievements and their ability to overtake you and pain as they make it clear they no longer need you. The book covers a mother’s journey from her children being 7 (yes, some teenage attitudes start this young) to leaving home. Well written and well observed, it’s a good warning for what I’ve got ahead of me! (my eldest has turned 7 and is already displaying some of these tendencies).

Girl in a cage by Jane Yolen ⭐⭐⭐

Girl in a Cage follows the story of 11 year old Marjorie Bruce, Robert the Bruce’s 20190617_084756 daughter and future mother of the Stewart dynasty, as she is captured and held hostage by Edward Longshanks during the Scottish wars for Independence. Simultaenously describing the first two weeks of her capture alongside the 8 months leading up to it, where her father took up the crown, resulting in his family having to flee across Scotland as fugitives, this is a story aimed at 8 to 11 year olds.

Over the last couple of years @Cranachanbooks has established a reputation for bringing a human perspective to historical lessons, and rendering them identifiable and interesting to younger readers, and so it is with Girl in a Cage by Jane Yolen Robert Harris (he of Talisman fame). It’s a winning formula, and one that really brings history to life.

The Girl in Red by Christina Henry ⭐⭐⭐

A post-apocalyptic retelling of Red Riding Hood with a dash of The Walking Dead and Cormac McCarthy’s The Road thrown in, albeit with a little more optimism and a prosthetic equipped, mixed-race feminist heroine who suffers no fools. This was an interesting and compelling re-imagining but, for me, there were a few too many elements chucked in the mix without adequate explanation.

I get that Red is just a ‘normal’ citizen and not a ‘chosen one’ who is looking for answers, but when there are genetically created monsters (aliens?), AND an apocalyptic croatoan type sickness creating havoc around the globe at the same time but with no clear or confirmed link then I need a few answers even if she doesn’t. This, combined with a time jump ending, made it feel like Henry had an interesting idea but got bored towards the end and couldn’t find a way to link it all. That being said, Red was a great grumpy heroine and I’ll definitely check out more of Henry’s re-tellings. Thanks to @titanbooks for this preview copy.

Love Nina: Despatches from Family Life by Nina Stibbes ⭐⭐⭐

20190617_084557 My Book subscription book this month was something which I would never have picked up, but it was ok. A tame, humourous look at life among the London Literrati in the 80s. Funny and sweet in places, and with some great references and famous playwrights popping up and behaving ‘just like us’ but with more eccentricity. It was a little plodding, just like looking at someone else’s holiday snaps.

This month I did something which I never do. I refused to finish a book (and believe me I’ve read some dross) I do wonder however if it was just me as it has got incredible reviews elsewhere, so if you’re a horror fan don’t take my word for it, but my DNF was Growing Things by Paul Tremblay. An anthology of horror tales, I managed just 3 so can’t speak to the overarching themes. The stories themselves all started promisingly and with intriguing concepts, and then I’d lose what was going on. I didn’t find them creepy (as my husband suggested), just confusing, and given the promise each one held I just found it disappointing.

Pick of the Month: Stardust by Neil Gaiman 20190627_214651

Dud of the Month: DNF Growing Things by Paul Tremblay

May the Books be with you – May Round Up

The Priory of the Orange Tree by Samantha Shannon

Look, if you are reading a book blog, the chances are high that you’ve either heard of this and it’s on your TBR pile or you’ve discounted it as not your thing (or, some have said, too intimidating in size), so you don’t need me banging on about it. But I’m going to anyway. Cause I loved it and I want to talk about it!

Fantasy can sometimes be a struggle to get into, particularly if it’s done well – you’re learning a whole new world of names, geography and systems as well as new characters and it can seem bamboozling until you get into it. On top of that it is often loooooooong. Game of Thrones is 5 books long and came into existence in 1996 and still isn’t finished. Priory itself is an 800 page behemoth which my friend brought up from Glasgow for me and joked (Maybe not so much a joke) that it put her over her weight allowance. However the secret which lovers of fantasy are privy too is that no matter how long a fantasy book is it’s never enough. These books are so densely packed with rich detail and complex characters that the immersion is like nothing else. 20190507_181343

Priory comes with handy maps (which I used a lot) as well as a character list and glossary which are tucked at the back and I didn’t find until the end so I can’t speak to how useful they are as I didn’t use them. But more than that it comes as a beautiful, fantasy balm, like a warm hug and a cosy blanket.

That’s not to say that there’s not tragedy and violence and genuine stakes – there is. But these things are not included just for the sake of brutality. This is a character driven story which follows Ead Duryan, an undercover mage, in the West and Tane, an ambitious Dragonrider, in the East as the end of a thousand year rule by the House of Berethnet threatens to awaken Draconian rule. It is complex and deep, part mystery thriller, part high level adventure, and infused throughout with genuine warmth and consideration for the characters and their choices. I can’t fault it. It’s a beautiful book, and a gorgeous story.

Sonny and Me by Ross Sayers

Any book I read after The Priory of the Orange Tree was going to have a very hard act to follow, so when I picked this up directly after it I thought it didn’t stand a chance. And then Sonny opened his mouth and I burst out laughing and Sonny and Billy had won me over.

This is the story of Sonny and Billy Daughter, two Stirlingshire lads who go to Battlefield High; A made up secondary school in a very real and tangible location. Written in broad Scots, Sonny and Daughter are real, identifiable and typical teenage boys (though perhaps a little more woke and tolerant than the ones I went to school with). The book is chocful of good Scottish Humour, and a little teenage idiocy as Sonny and Daughter stumble on a potential murder while trying to clear the name of Billy’s favourite teacher and pass National 5 Maths. And yet, despite the insane plot, every choice, every scenario is logical and entirely believable. In fact I can’t believe more teenage boys don’t find themselves in this situation!

Another young adult book that’s for everyone.

Grief is the Thing with Feathers by Max Porter

Told from two points of view, this is the tale of a widower and his two young sons facing the sudden and tragic death of their wife and mother. During the days following her death, they are visited by Crow, a tricky character who challenges and provides comfort in equal measure, and insists on staying until they no longer make them. Tragic and darkly funny, this book captures the immediacy of grief and the challenge of the healing process and a family re-finding each other in the wake of tragedy. It’s a strange and engaging parable which anyone who has lost someone will relate to deeply.

The Dry by Jane Harper

20190602_164457 (1) After the untimely death of his friend and first love, Aaron Falk fled his hometown of Kiewarra with his father, a pick up truck of their most valuable possessions and a dark cloud of suspicion. 20 years later he is pulled back when Luke, another of his childhood friends, committs a horrific act of murder/suicide against his own family. But in a run down town suffering from the Australian drought, Aaron’s attendance at the funeral brings up historical suspicions and questions about what really happened to Ellie 20 years previously and Luke and the Hadler family today.

It’s easy to dismiss this as a typical whodunnit thriller, and on one hand it definitely fits my “popcorn for the brain” criteria, but it’s also smarter and more engaging than the normal crime thriller. Written with a typical eye on potential cinematic adaptations (the Flashbacks reek of cinematic structure) the story is genuinely intriguing and unpredictable. I was kept guessing as to what had happened with both crimes right until the end, and on occasion even doubted the protagonist. The end was satisfying, logical and yet hadn’t been telegraphed too early. Really enjoyed this.

The Calculating Stars by Mary Robinette Kowal

A prequel novel set in the “Lady Astronaut” series, The Calculating Stars covers a period in an alternate 1950s which follows the impact of a catastrophic meteorite. Mathematician, Dr Elma York and her husband, manage to escape the immediate repercussions of the impact only to discover that it is a slow burn extinction level event which will lead to unsurvivable temperatures on Earth, and demands international co-operation to colonise the stars in order to ensure the survival of the human race. Battling misogyny at every term and facing her own privilege while witnessing her friends’ battle with racism, The Calculating Stars takes a high concept scenario and uses it to explore historical and contemporary issues from our own world. Elma York is an intriguing protagonist, battling to earn her due, and insisting on rocking the boat while simultaneously trying to work for the greater good. I’m looking forward to reading the rest of this series and seeing where it goes.

Kingdom Cons by Yuri Herrera Translated by Lisa Dillman

A dense and tightly woven narrative focused on Lobo, a musician whose talent earns him entry to the court of the charming and magnetic King, a local drug baron. Once there, Lobo finds himself getting got up in the power and egos of the “court” while also falling in love with the King’s Step-daughter, a girl desperate to escape the corruption that surrounds them.

The Carer by Deborah Moggach

The author of The Best Marigold Hotel returns this July with The Carer, the story of Phoebe and Robert, a brother and sister who are trying so hard to maintain the lives they’ve constructed to seek their parent’s approval that they have to hand the care of their elderly father, James, over to an in house carer. When Mandy turns up it feels like the answer to all their prayers, but slowly family secrets start to unravel and Phoebe and Robert begin to question all their choices.

This feels like two different stories, the first a sinister and creeping thriller where Mandy has questionable motives. I felt like I was heading for a prescient tale of elderly abuse. And then the reveal comes, which I admit I didn’t spot, and it became a very different story about questioning my own motives, privilege and choices. An interesting tale about priorities and being true to yourself as you get older.

Octavio’s Journey by Miguel Bonnefoy

Don Octavio is an illiterate gentle giant living in the slums of Venezuela. After a chance encounter with a vibrant woman named after the country itself, Octavio finds himself learning how to read and being split between his life with the Brotherhood gang and a woman he loves. Events conspire to mean that he has to leave both behind and journey across the Venezulan jungle on a journey which blends myth and reality and allows Octavio to find a true sense of peace and purpose.

This was a grand novel which managed to pack a life into a mere 95 pages and never felt like it was skimping. Jam packed with nature, the prose is poetical and hypnotic – a melodic ode to one man’s sense of self discovery. However the occasional flurries of myth sometimes jarred as they were woven abruptly into such a short narrative. Worth a read but not for everyone.

The Bone Season by Samantha Shannon

After reading Priory (yes it entirely dominated my reading direction and thoughts this month) I raced out to get Shannon’s first ever book. The Bone Season is the first in a proposed seven book series about clairvoyants and general super powered people who gain their powers from either manipulating or communicating with the Aether (spirit world) around them. As with her later work it displays a commitment to world building and complexity that is astounding, but this is a clumsier affair altogether.

Paige is a rare and coveted Dreamwalker who works for a criminal underground syndicate. Her role? To hack into the dreamscapes of other unnaturals. After an unfortunate incident where her power surges forward in self-defence she is captured and handed to an alien race which has set up base in what used to be Oxford. There she and other unnaturals are used as slaves, and the ruthless alien in charge has their eye on Paige and her unusual powers, while the royal consort, Warden, is interested in her as a potential rebel leader. It’s an interesting concept, but the love stories feel convoluted and unnecessary, while it takes a while to really comprehend what’s going on and the tale is, by necessity, very exposition heavy. It was intriguing, but not enough that I’m running out to get the sequels, although there are plenty of people who swear by this so it might just be me.

Pick of the Month: The Priory of the Orange Tree by Samantha Shannon

Dud of the Month: The Bone Season by Samantha Shannan

Sonny and Me by Ross Sayers

Book Review

After spending a week of my life immersed in my new favourite novel I picked up Sonny and Me by Ross Sayers to review, stealing myself that it just wasn’t going to be as good but “I’d better give it a chance”. And something amazing happened; it completely blew me over and stormed into my heart.

Set in Battlefield High in Stirlingshire, Sonny and Me follows two teenage boys; Sonny and Billy Daughter, best friends just trying to make it through secondary school with their dignity intact, when Daughter’s favourite school teacher, Miss Baird, is summarily 20190521_183953 (1) kicked out of school and his hopes of making it through his Maths National 5 are dashed. Being a good Scots lad, Daughter is not willing to let this stand and he and Billy set about sticking their noses in and trying to unravel the web of gossip and intrigue that permeates their school. Is Miss Baird a home-wrecking villain, or is something more sinister going on?

The description of Sonny and Me doesn’t begin to touch on the warmth and humour that characterise this book. Sonny and Daughter are so well drawn, so recognisable and relatable, that I would willingly read about them watching paint dry; because I guarantee that their take on it would make me laugh. From the first time Sonny opens his beautifully naive mouth on page 1 I was laughing. These are two young boys who may not always have everything sorted, but deal with unrequited love, coming out and criminals with the same compassion, twinkle of wit and groan inducing jokes. Who express their “wokeness” with moral integrity but also a strong sense of Scottish mischief. Who, if my sons grew to be anything like them, I would be intensely proud; even while pulling my hair out with stress and despair. They feel like a true and honest depiction of kind and full of trouble teenage boys.

Around them the plot flows, always grounded in believability, even as it weaves its way through its mad cap revelations at the end (perhaps the one exception is the headmistress who feels a little pantomime villain in her boo-hiss evilness, but that is real nit picking.). Every step and choice the boys make is logical and relatable and often hilariously funny.

Maybe it’s because I spent four years in Stirling and so the geographical references made me feel like I’d come home, but Sonny and Me is so full of heart, humour and a rollicking good plot that reading it feels like hanging out with your best friends. This is a story targeted at young adults but endlessly enjoyable and highly recommended for everyone. Mature, thoughtful and genuinely laugh out loud funny.

Book Giveaway!

Snakeskins by Tim Major

20190513_172732 (1) Set in an alternate timeline, where a mysterious meteor shower known as “The Fall” hit Britain in the 1800s, leaving behind a lasting impact on the inhabitants of a nearby village and its descendants, Snakeskins is an intriguing exploration of what it means to be human and the absolute corruption of power.

As a result of the impact, a subsection of the British population known as “Charmers” now have skin shedding ceremonies every seven years, where they produce a conscious but very brief clone of themselves known as a Snakeskin, giving the original extended youth and lives. The snakeskin then dusts back into the atmosphere. But what are they really? Fully realised people or ghostly copies of their original? With Caitlin Hext’s first shedding ceremony coming up, a right of passage for charmers, she finds herself naturally curious to find out more.

This is an intriguing SciFi conspiracy novel which, as with all good SciFi, uses high concept ideas to explore prescient issues about our society’s treatment of people, and it’s bloody good too. From high powered political games, to everyday bullying it covers society’s complex push and pull in shaping its institutions for the benefit of the few.

Thanks to my friends over at “TitanBooks I have a copy of this to give away. All you have to do is head over to Instagram or Twitter and do the following:

Instagram: @HebrideanReader Follow and Like the Snakeskins post, and comment on why you would like a copy.

Twitter: @HebrideanReader Follow, Like and Retweet the competition tweet.

The competition is open until 10pm on Wednesday 15 May 2019 when I will pick a winner at random. The competition is open to UK/Ireland/US and Canada only. Good luck!

April showers allow reading for hours

April Reading Round-Up

This is a bit of an unfair month; nothing I read was a particular DUD, although there were a lot of “average” reads. However nothing fell below 3 stars (out of 5). That said, there were a lot of very specialised genre books, so bare in mind that although I enjoyed them all, they are definitely not all for everyone.

The Library Book by Susan Orlean

This was my surprise of the month. An impulse pick up from the Library display, it felt like Kismet and it was. Orlean is a staff writer for the New Yorker, who previously wrote the Orchid Thief, which I’ve heard of but yet to read. In The Library Book she re-discovers her love of libraries through her son’s school project and sets her journalistic eye on the history and depths of the Los Angeles Central Library which suffered a cataclysmic fire in 1986.

Part History book, part mystery investigation and part sociology study of the Microcosm of the Library’s clientele, no description can do this book justice. Try and tell someone what it’s about and it just sounds archaic, but like the libraries it waxes lyrical about, it 20190411_085121 has hidden fathoms. It’s beautiful; atmosphere and quotes dripping from every page, and not only have I not stopped talking about it since I read it, but I’ve immediately had to go out and buy my own copy. Seriously, give it a try, if you love books I dare you not to fall further in love with libraries and librarians after reading this.

Feminists Don’t Wear Pink and other lies, curated by Scarlett Curtis

A collection of essays from activists, actresses, and women wanting to shout their autonomy from the hills, FDWP is a must read for anyone beginning their Feminist journey, or simply wanting to shore up their battle weary heart after another day of fighting the patriarchy. As with all essays, you may not agree with everything written here, but the book makes clear that you don’t have too. Everyone’s interpretation of Feminism is going to be slightly different, and each is equally valid. It’s about listening to all view points, educating yourself on experiences you may not directly 20190404_152104 have had and supporting other women in their own battlefields, and all the proceeds go to Girl Up a United Nations Foundation Initiative, so you’re helping others while reading!

I found it inspirational and funny and I think if you come to it willing to learn then you’ll definitely gain something from it.

Snakeskins by Tim Major

I’m not going to say much about this, because I have book giveaway and fuller review coming later in the month – but it’s definitely worth it. An excellent and intriguing Sci-fi novel which deals with themes of humanity, empathy and power and which I could not predict even down to the last couple of chapters.

Death Sentence by Stuart Moore (Published 2 May 2019)

I have an Avengers itch that needs scratched (It’s not on in the cinema here until the 24^th of May. Avoiding spoilers is HARD), so this came along at the right time. Thanos is my Ultimate villain right now and so getting a book looking at his internal motivations has the same feel as reading a serial killer psychological study…who says Marvel fans take things too seriously?

This book is NOT set in the cinematic universe, but it is close enough to scratch that itch for me. Having suffered a final defeat at the hands of the Avengers Thanos begs his beloved Mistress Death for a final chance to prove his devotion and she puts him through an afterlife walkabout that steadily reveals hidden depths to Thanos and his motivations, as well as some welcome cameos from more heroic characters.

The Titanic Detective Agency by Lindsay Littleson (Published 15 May 2019)

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 set up The Collyer-Watt Detective Agency. 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. An excellent introduction to the Titanic for younger readers.

The Psychology of Time Travel by Kate Macarenhas

In the 60s four female scientists make a landmark breakthrough that will transform the world – Time travel. But their paths soon diverge as one of them has a shakey temporary reaction and is unashamedly pushed out in order not to tarnish the project. Meanwhile, in the present a mysterious and unidentified dead body appears in a locked room, but without any way to identify it how can the case be solved.

I am a SUCKER for Time Travel. It doesn’t need to make sense for me, I just love the different narrative options it can open up for a story – it feels like a sandbox of possibilities for me. So when this fell through my letterbox courtesy of my monthly book subscription I was giddy. It was a dark exploration of how power corrupts and that we should be careful what we wish for, alongside a healthy dose or mystery thriller, and female lead to boot. My only complaint was that it felt a little like it was playing it safe to appeal to the mainstream market and that it could have let loose and gone even darker.

Blood Orange by Harriet Tyce

Alison is a high flying London Barrister deep in a guilt ridden affair and who’s family life is falling apart, her husband Carl systematically pulling away and taking their daughter with him. When Alison is handed her first murder by her lover, things start to come to a head. But who is really manipulating who and can Alison find her way back from the brink to the life she really wants?

It’s a typical mystery thriller, well-written but fairly predictable, and with a messy alcoholic female protaganist. A must read for anyone who loved Girl on a train and Anatomy of a Murder, but still a mystery thriller by numbers.

The Farm by Joanne Ramos (Published 7 June 2019)

Le Sigh. I enjoyed The Farm; it was a good read but it simply didn’t live up to expectations. It was sold as a feminist almost dystopian tale, and while all the main characters are complex women, it is much more focused on current world issues which we’re grappling with and moral and ethical questions around surrogacy and potential exploitation. While these are interesting and prescient topics and the characters were engaging and well written, the ending felt like a cop out. I’m not sure it ever really reached a conclusion. I was happy for the outcome for most characters, but it felt like it dodged the overarching issues and complexities in order to wrap everything up in a nice little bow, without ever truly delving that deeply into the issues of exploitation and racism that it hinted at.
A good read but not as world shattering as had been implied.

Supernatural – Children of Anubis by Tim Waggoner

I’m a Supernatural Fan. For a brief period I was even part of the Fandom. I’m on my third full rewatch and I will absolutely feel like something is missing when the show ends next year (God help me, those boys BETTER get a happy ending!..although I’m not holding out much hope), so I jumped up and down with excitement when I was offered this for a preview, and I did enjoy it. But it did not feel like a Sam and Dean story.

20190422_163153 Introducing a new monster after so many seasons is impressive, and this story, which is set during season 12 introduces a family of Jackals, a monster that has generally stayed off the radar of hunters by not rocking the boat and only harvesting after natural deaths. However they do rub Werewolves up the wrong way, and this unfortunate pack find themselves in a town already marked as the territory of a particularly aggressive pack of werewolves. So begins a turf war which is essentially a bloodier version of Westside Story, or Romeo and Juliet to go back to the original. And Turf wars Definitely attract the attention of hunters. So enter Sam and Dean and a couple of other fan favourites, but the story still belongs to the Jackals. And it’s engaging, and the characters are excellent so I’d definitely pick up another one. But that still doesn’t mask the disappointment that this wasn’t a story focused on Sam and Dean, despite some illuminating flashbacks.

All My Colours by David Quantick (Published 16 May 2019)

Todd Milstead is a jackass; barely tolerated by a few close friends who love his whiskey more than him and loathed by almost everybody else, his arrogance and self-satisfaction mark him for a comeuppance well overdue. Until one night when he discovers that he can recall a book, word for word, that no one else has ever heard of – the titular All My Colors. Being a wannabe writer who, until this moment hasn’t managed to construct enough narrative to fit on a napkin, Todd decides that this is his chance, and while fending off an acrimonious divorce sets about writing the next Great American Novel.

All My Colors is the latest novel from David Quantick, who this time takes a twisty look at the Publishing industry and the pain of trying to write something, sometimes anything, that might help you leave a mark. In this case it comes with a high price for Todd and his long suffering friends, proving a cautionary tale at chasing your dreams at any cost, and serving up an end reminiscent of an episode of Tales from the Crypt – weird but deserved and with a cackley twinkle.

All My Colors is dark and twisty and has a horrible protagonist, even in his nicer moments and so-called reformation. While the end feels a little bit too rushed and the atmosphere is all over the place, it carries enough threads of curiosity through it to keep you turning the pages and wondering how they can all be tied together.

A Titanic story for young readers

The Titanic Detective Agency – Book Review

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.

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!

All My Colors – Review

After all, if no one else can remember the book, then surely it’s his for the taking? And that’s when the weird starts.

IMG_20190416_205803_984 All My Colors is the latest novel from the writer of Veep and The Thick of It, David Quantick, who this time takes a twisty look at the Publishing industry and the pain of trying to write something, sometimes anything, that might help you leave a mark. In this case it comes with a high price for Todd and his long suffering friends, proving a cautionary tale at chasing your dreams at any cost, and serving up an end reminiscent of an episode of Tales from the Crypt – weird but deserved and with a cackley twinkle.

Titan Books is promoting this to fans of Chuck Palahniuck and I can’t think of a more appropriate comparison. All My Colors is dark and twisty and has a horrible protagonist, even in his nicer moments and so-called reformation. While the end feels a little bit too rushed and the atmosphere is all over the place, it carries enough threads of curiosity through it to keep you turning the pages and wondering how they can all be tied together. Has Todd really witnessed what he thought he witnessed? Is he going mad? Or is something more malevolent at work? And will it all be worth it in the end?

I was provided a copy of All My Colors for a fair and honest review. I’d give it about 3 and a half stars (out of 5). It’s not average, but it’s not shot to the top of my must read lists either.

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.

The God of All Small Boys – Author Interview

As the last stop for the Book Blog tour for The God of All Small Boys (review posted below) I have the immense privilege of being able to publish an interview with Joseph Lamb, the author.

I have interviewed authors before in a previous career as a journalist, and with some of them it’s like wringing blood from a stone. Not Joe. He was gracious, funny and provided more than I could have hoped for. So please find below what I think was a great interview – entirely due to him! And if you enjoy it, or the review has whetted your appetite, then you can get a copy of The God of All Small Boys at local bookshops or at Cranachan Publishing’s own website here.

https://spark.adobe.com/video/4c5FsjETiJbea/embed

Where did the inspiration for The God of All Small Boys come from?The book began life as a short story, which I wrote in the mid ‘80s, about a few slightly fictionalised events from my own childhood.
I’d always felt that it could stand being expanded into a full length novel, but, thanks to one thing and another, it wasn’t written until 2014 for the Dundee Great War Children’s Book Prize – for which it became one of only three shortlisted.For the extended novel, I suppose my inspiration was simply my own family. Many of my immediate family make an appearance in the book, and the characters of James Gunning and Christina ‘Teeny’ Robbins are named after my maternal Grandparents – who would have been around the same age in 1917.At the risk of sounding cheesy – it’s a bit of a love letter to my family.

What sort of research did you do for The God of all Small Boys?

A ton!
As a professional actor (which I was for around 30 years) I wrote a lot of Historical Dramas which played all around the country. What I very quickly discovered was that, if you get something wrong – someone will notice. So, whenever I write anything at all, (even non-historical) there is usual some sort of research required.For The God of All Small Boys, being set just over 100 years ago, there was an awful lot of research to be done. Within Lochee (a part of Dundee where the bulk of the book is set) I spoke with The Headmistress and ex Headmaster of St Mary’s school, I also spoke with the resident priest in St Mary’s Church, as well as the Manager of the Lochee swimming baths. Some of the incidents in the book (False-Line payday!) are taken directly from somethings which happened to my grandmother! I had to research the make-up of the Camperdown Mill (of which the Chimney remains, and some of the buildings (now flats)), the cost of stamps, where trams ran to, the placements of rail and tram depots that don’t exist anymore, when gas lamps went out of fashion, what kind of cars existed in 1917 (and how much they cost)…

Here’s a thing…
At one point in the book, it is mentioned that a soldier called William Hill was killed on June 12^th. This was included as, when looking at the casualties in Dundee for WWI, I found the grave of that very soldier. It struck at me, because June 12^th is my birthday. I felt it fitting to commemorate him in the story.

But, one thing that I would urge anyone looking to write historical literature – don’t put all of your faith in one source. Literally, right up to the very last fine-tooth edit, I had a particular type of match box mentioned (and really nicely illustrated by my daughter , Charlotte). But, (and I don’t know why I did this), I decided to check this matchbox again, and found more sources stating it was not in use until 1930… so I had to change the type of box and Charlotte, thankfully, was able to illustrate the new one – unfortunately, we both think that type of box is not nearly as interesting to look at than the one I first had.

In the book, James and his friends have to face a great deal of tragedy, loss and trauma, how important is it to include these themes in children’s fiction?

I felt that, in a book about WWI, it would be remiss of me not to include the harsh realities of war, as seen from the children’s point of view. (And the difference in reaction from those who did not have a parent off fighting in it.) I also think that it is something of a dis-service to avoid such topics as, sadly, these things still happen. Even in some of the classics these themes are found: Gandalf falling to the Balrog, Aslan sacrificed by Jadis, Fred Weasley, Severus Snape, A great many rabbits in Watership Down. Charlotte, scuttling into the shadows across her web…
Realistic fiction should never be afraid to touch on these subjects, as children will always know when they are being ‘spoken down’ to.

James and his friends live a childhood that very few children will be able to recognise these days, with freedom and independence, but they pay a steep price. Do you think children you don’t experience this kind of childhood are missing out or are they better off now?

I honestly feel that there is something missing from childhood these days. And the perceived lack of independence, unfortunately, has not shown any sign of ending such tragedies. There is an argument to be made, I suppose, that social media is (ironically) responsible for this, and that children don’t need a physical hang out to call their own to be with their friends, as they can have exactly that in a gaming chat room, or whats app group, or any number of others. But, to me, nothing has ever bettered lying on a patch of wild grass, in the blazing sun, and reading a pile of comics with my pals. Yes, we did a number of stupid things, but they were experiences to treasure. I worry that children are losing those opportunities.

If you could predict where the children end up after the book finishes, where do you see them?

Ah well…
The sad truth is that they would probably both eventually have been conscripted into the army during the 2^nd World War, as they would only be in their early 30’s. Ever since I wrote the first draft of The God of All Small Boys, a kind of sequel has been buzzing around my head, but I always see it as being set a good 10 years on (around 1927), but I haven’t developed anything on it. What I will say is, James does go to WWII, becomes an officer, takes a bullet in the nose (sideways on) and marries Teeny. Billy becomes a policeman – and might not actually have to go to WW2 because of that.
I suppose, if TGoASB does well enough to warrant it, (and Cranachan are interested) I could always flip the scenario and have Billy coming to live with James for a while! J I feel that one would be more of a romp, however!

What drew you to Cranachan Books as a publishing house and how have you found the experience of working with a smaller publisher?

Since The God of All Small Boys was shortlisted I took a leap of faith and decided that maybe I could find someone interested in publishing it. What I was determined was, if possible, that the publisher should be based in Scotland. (I’m a very proud Scot!) I actually became aware of Cranachan through a tiny article about independent Scottish publishers. I went to their website to find it ‘under construction’ and so kept an eye on it every day until it was open for business. I wrote to them immediately and the rest, as they say, is history!

Here’s the thing about Cranachan. There’s a little hashtag that you might see every now and again of #ClanCranachan. Now, for most other, big-name publishers, that might be a frivolous little phrase, but, with Cranachan, it’s a truism. The amount of support from the authors, given to the other authors, is staggering. On a personal level, it wasn’t until I worked with Anne Glennie that I realised some dreadful habits I had developed in my own writing and I can’t thank her enough for her belief and trust in both my story and my development to bring TGoASB to life.

As anyone who is looking to be published should know, you don’t go into this game for fame and fortune. And I doubt that a ‘larger’ company would have given the time Anne did. It has coloured my way of writing, and (being ridiculously loyal!) I would rather see my work put out by Cranachan than anyone else… I just hope I can repeat the process with some of the other manuscripts I am developing. (Obviously, without quite so much direct input being required!)

Are you able to tell me anything about what your next writing project will be, or what you would like it to be?

Well, as The God of All Small Boys was written in 2014, I’ve had a lot of time to develop and draft out a few ideas. I have around five or six full manuscripts – two of which I am going through again using what I learned during my time editing TGoASB with Anne. Another which is slightly more YA in theme (Vikings!) and a Sci-Fi/Spy comic trilogy which isn’t really in any way historical, but I’m hoping Cranachan will maybe look to be publishing some lighter titles in the future! I am also putting some ideas together for… something I can’t really talk about!

Where was your favourite den as a child?

Exactly where it was in The God of All Small Boys!

Who are your writing influences?

Without doubt, Ray Bradbury. But unless you are Ray Bradbury, I don’t think many companies would publish anything written in his style these days. (Which I see as a sad indictment.) He had a fluidity of prose which could read like poetry at times. (I strongly recommend The Halloween Tree to anyone. I literally read this every year at Halloween.) Others who I think may have influenced my style would be Isaac Asimov, Lewis Carroll, CS Lewis and, to a certain extent, Stephen King. (And a touch of Ed McBain). Read them ALL!

What is your writing process like?

Because, like most writers, I also have a job, it can be a very slow process. I also have two young boys in the household (Murray and Finlay) who are always needing taxied to football or swimming etc, etc – so my time to write is quite limited. But insofar as the process itself is concerned I usually have some sort of vision of what the ‘end’ looks like. Then I wonder how it might all have started, and then I fill in the space in between! I can knock out a 1^st draft quite quickly. (And if I have one piece of advice to give to any aspiring writer it is this… Just WRITE!) I don’t worry about mistakes or word count until I have the full story out, because it is too easy to bog yourself down worrying about craft and losing focus on the story.
Get the story down first, and then fix it. (Because you can’t fix a story you haven’t written!)

What was the first thing you remember writing? Were you pleased with it?

I always wrote daft little stories when I was young, but when I was around 14 (1977) heavily influenced by Star Wars, I wrote a small novella called “Rebellion” – populated by some of my friends, including dear ol’ John McLintock who appears in everything I’ve ever written.. and (spoilers!) dies in most of them! It was set in my own school and was very sci-fi. I remember the story, but unfortunately the book which I created has gone missing through the years. What’s worse was… I re-wrote it… and that went missing too!

Did I like it? Yes… I do have a very soft spot for it. Maybe I should revisit it again?

If you were to recommend one book to someone, what would it be?

~~The God of All Small Boys by Joseph Lamb~~ (ahem…)
It has to be Alice in Wonderland, closely followed by the Narnia Chronicles, closely followed by The Halloween Tree.
These books have been with me all my life, and I’m not a bit sorry for that.
(BUT, if you can find copies of the ‘Nigel Molesworth’ books by Geoffrey Willans and Ronald Searle, get them!)

(I know, I know, that’s more than one… but that’s a total Sophie’s Choice question!!)

The God of All Small Boys – Review

The God of all small boys back inside cover image

Childhood is a mixture of joy and trauma, and throughout the bittersweet rollercoaster it is our friends that can provide the stability that allows us to keep getting up and fighting.

So it is with James who, having lost his mother at a young age, now watches his father ship off to join the front in the Great War, and is himself whipped from a relatively privileged life to overcrowded tenement living with his cousins in Dundee.

But the God of all Small Boys, the one who lets little boys bounce when they fall out of trees, and find the perfect conker, is looking after James, and after a rocky start with a distrustful cousin, he finds himself the key to facing this avalanche of challenges; a family of friends who will last a lifetime.

Through thick and thin and a love of dens, the boys embark on a summer which will force them to grow up in ways they hadn’t bargained for.

Sprinkled with nostalgia and laughter, tragedy and sorrow, this latest book from Cranachan, is a story that makes childhood tangible again. The characters are, for the most part, a group of 11 year old boys for whom local problems, such as the school bullies, are much more real than the war raging in a far off country, but who are also waiting with bated breath for the international troubles to brush against their lives.

Some younger readers may need to talk through what happens in the book, both the (to this generation) alien freedoms and the emotional fallout from a number of events but it provides the perfect access point on issues such as war; bullying; family loss and safety in play.

Highly recommended for 7 to 11 year olds, and any age which realises that sometimes the best stories are the ones contained in children’s books.

Come back later for an interview with the author, Joseph Lamb.