Monday, September 22, 2014
Monday, August 25, 2014
Wednesday, August 20, 2014
WWW Wednesdays
WWW Wednesdays is a weekly meme hosted by Miz B of Should Be Reading
To play along, just answer the following three questions:
• What are you currently reading?
• What did you recently finish reading?
• What do you think you’ll read next?
What are you currently reading?
Perhaps the question should be, what am I not currently reading. The pile of books on my bedside table is growing at an alarming rate and I have so many on the go - I just need to commit to one. However, I am looking forward to picking up the new Alexander McCall Smith one tonight.
What did you recently finish reading?
I've just finished The Little Coffee Shop of Kabul and had a great discussion about it at bookclub last night, over cupcakes and cocktails. I've already written a review about it here.
What do you think you'll read next?
At the top of my pile is A Girl is a Half-formed Thing but a bookmark is currently sitting about a quarter of the way in to The Unlikely Pilgrimage of Harbold Fry so I may opt for that one. Monday, August 18, 2014
Saturday, August 16, 2014
The Little Coffee Shop of Kabul
It's been years (I'm not kidding) since I last wrote a book review but what better book to get back into it than this one. What a sweet, sweet story.
I'd seen this book lying around on the shelves of bookshops, charity shops and supermarkets for a while but had never picked up it. Don't ask me why, though having a 16-month-old in the house has put a blight on reading over the last, well, 16 months!!!
However, the lure of a book club discussion, held in a venue that serves cocktails and cupcakes, was too good to refuse so The Little Coffee Shop of Kabul made it onto my reading list.
And I loved it! An easy read, a wonderful collection of characters, each with their own story to share (and a secret to reveal), a lovely tone and a fabulous setting. I'm not one to pick up non-fiction to learn about a particular area of the world - that's too much like hard work. But to be able to read stories that give you an insight into another country, another culture- like this one does - is certainly my cup of tea (I don't drink coffee!)
It's not a mind-blowing story by any means, nor is it all that gripping - I didn't get to the end of each chapter desperate to know what was going to happen to the characters in the next - but it was the perfect book to curl up with on an English summer's evening when a hot drink and a blanket are needed to keep warm!
I think for me, it was knowing a bit about the author - herself an expat having lived in Kabul - that really gave something of a compelling angle to the story. I'm now looking forward to picking up Deborah Rodriguez' bestselling memoir, The Kabul Beauty School.
I'll be interested to hear what the rest of the readers of the bookclub this week think of it - and what cocktails and cupcakes are on the menu!
I'd seen this book lying around on the shelves of bookshops, charity shops and supermarkets for a while but had never picked up it. Don't ask me why, though having a 16-month-old in the house has put a blight on reading over the last, well, 16 months!!!
However, the lure of a book club discussion, held in a venue that serves cocktails and cupcakes, was too good to refuse so The Little Coffee Shop of Kabul made it onto my reading list.
It's not a mind-blowing story by any means, nor is it all that gripping - I didn't get to the end of each chapter desperate to know what was going to happen to the characters in the next - but it was the perfect book to curl up with on an English summer's evening when a hot drink and a blanket are needed to keep warm!
I think for me, it was knowing a bit about the author - herself an expat having lived in Kabul - that really gave something of a compelling angle to the story. I'm now looking forward to picking up Deborah Rodriguez' bestselling memoir, The Kabul Beauty School.
I'll be interested to hear what the rest of the readers of the bookclub this week think of it - and what cocktails and cupcakes are on the menu!
Friday, May 9, 2014
Friday, March 9, 2012
I'm in need of a new challenge
2012 came about pretty quickly; now we're fast approaching the first quarter mark and I'm still trying to get my year sorted! With each 12 month period disappearing faster than before I think we need to introduce a "sort your sh*t out" month in between so I can at least update my diary, register everyone's birthdays for the year ahead, plan holidays and of course, suss out the reading challenges for the year ahead.
As you'll see, I'm a bit behind on that last resolution. My reading challenges are still of 2011 vintage and dare I say it most of them are sadly incomplete. The planning of holidays on the other hand has been sorted (London last month, Tokyo this month) so at least I have set aside time too read.
But I'm now on the search for 2012 challenges. And given that most of you will already have started a few I wonder if I could be so cheeky as to ask for some recommendations. Have you signed up to a fabulous challenge for 2012 that is still accepting new members? Or do you have a challenging your hosting that I could join. I'm open to anything and everything... so put your challenge forward!
As you'll see, I'm a bit behind on that last resolution. My reading challenges are still of 2011 vintage and dare I say it most of them are sadly incomplete. The planning of holidays on the other hand has been sorted (London last month, Tokyo this month) so at least I have set aside time too read.
But I'm now on the search for 2012 challenges. And given that most of you will already have started a few I wonder if I could be so cheeky as to ask for some recommendations. Have you signed up to a fabulous challenge for 2012 that is still accepting new members? Or do you have a challenging your hosting that I could join. I'm open to anything and everything... so put your challenge forward!
Wednesday, March 7, 2012
Book Review: Bride of New France
It's a National Bestseller, described as the best piece of historical fiction one reviewer has read in a long time while another describes it as a moody, beautiful piece of historical fiction.
But I'm really sorry, I just didn't enjoy Bride of New France, by Suzanne Desrochers. It was painful. I felt totally removed throughout the entire 288 pages and when I read an historical novel I want to be drawn in, travelling with the characters, living and breathing the experiences along with them, crying when they're upset, struggling or heartbroken and I didn't feel a thing for this novel at all.
I tried. I really did try and I so wanted to enjoy it, but more often than not I'd find myself reading four or five pages and not taking a word in!
It was a first novel, and it was written by an academic researcher, not a writer, which the author readily admits. As such the descriptions were incredibly vivid. Obviously a result of meticulous research, which has been commented on: "A meticulously researched, lyrical tale... Bride of New France succeeds in bringing history to life" (National Post) but I just wanted more feeling. I wanted the main character Laure to really come into her own.
From the back cover
"Laure Beausejour has grown up in a dormitory in Paris surrounded by prostitutes, the insane, and other forgotten woman. Despite numerous hardships, she dreams of using her needlework skills to beome a seamstress and one day marry a nobleman. But in 1669. Laure's dreams are cruelly dashed when she is sent across the Atlantic to New France as a fill du roi. Powerful and haunting, Bride of New France, is a remarkable tale of a French girl and her struggle to survive in a brutal place and time."
Laure had spark - after all, she survives and given the hardship of the time, only those with incredible inner strength and determination would do so - but I never felt as if her character was really allowed to shine through. It was almost as if the author was too concerned about getting the historical facts correct to give her full attention to her main character.
However, on the plus side, it was a novel like none I had read before - which is always a welcome change. And it certainly opened my eyes to a period of history that I hadn't encountered before. It has also piqued my interest to find out more about this period of Canadian history which isn't a bad thing. And I genuinely admire any new author who has the ability to put pen to paper and craft a novel from such extensive research.
Unfortunately, this just wasn't the book for me. I'd still give it 3 out of 5 stars but it was certainly hard work!
But I'm really sorry, I just didn't enjoy Bride of New France, by Suzanne Desrochers. It was painful. I felt totally removed throughout the entire 288 pages and when I read an historical novel I want to be drawn in, travelling with the characters, living and breathing the experiences along with them, crying when they're upset, struggling or heartbroken and I didn't feel a thing for this novel at all.I tried. I really did try and I so wanted to enjoy it, but more often than not I'd find myself reading four or five pages and not taking a word in!
It was a first novel, and it was written by an academic researcher, not a writer, which the author readily admits. As such the descriptions were incredibly vivid. Obviously a result of meticulous research, which has been commented on: "A meticulously researched, lyrical tale... Bride of New France succeeds in bringing history to life" (National Post) but I just wanted more feeling. I wanted the main character Laure to really come into her own.
From the back cover
"Laure Beausejour has grown up in a dormitory in Paris surrounded by prostitutes, the insane, and other forgotten woman. Despite numerous hardships, she dreams of using her needlework skills to beome a seamstress and one day marry a nobleman. But in 1669. Laure's dreams are cruelly dashed when she is sent across the Atlantic to New France as a fill du roi. Powerful and haunting, Bride of New France, is a remarkable tale of a French girl and her struggle to survive in a brutal place and time."
Laure had spark - after all, she survives and given the hardship of the time, only those with incredible inner strength and determination would do so - but I never felt as if her character was really allowed to shine through. It was almost as if the author was too concerned about getting the historical facts correct to give her full attention to her main character.
However, on the plus side, it was a novel like none I had read before - which is always a welcome change. And it certainly opened my eyes to a period of history that I hadn't encountered before. It has also piqued my interest to find out more about this period of Canadian history which isn't a bad thing. And I genuinely admire any new author who has the ability to put pen to paper and craft a novel from such extensive research.
Unfortunately, this just wasn't the book for me. I'd still give it 3 out of 5 stars but it was certainly hard work!
Thursday, March 1, 2012
What makes a good bookclub?
I joined a bookclub this week. Despite being a book gatherer, avid reader and a regular bookshop customer, I've never once belonged to a bookclub. And to be honest I'm not actually all that familiar with "bookclub protocol".
I began looking for a bookclub to join at the beginning of the year, but that was a challenge in itself! It seems bookclub membership is very hard to come by! Why is that I wonder? One reply told me they didn't have any places available - is there a limit to the number of members a bookclub can have?
That's not to say the bookclub meeting I attended this week wasn't worth the wait. Although discussion about the book was a little on the subdued side - none of us really took a liking to it! - it was a pleasant hour spent discussing, constructively criticising and musing about the story within.
However it's got me thinking and wondering what are the elements you need to make a good bookclub? Is it the people? The number of members? The choice of literature? The venue? The coffee?
So, fellow book loving bloggers, whether you're a member of a bookclub or not, what would you say makes a good bookclub (and what doesn't!)?
I began looking for a bookclub to join at the beginning of the year, but that was a challenge in itself! It seems bookclub membership is very hard to come by! Why is that I wonder? One reply told me they didn't have any places available - is there a limit to the number of members a bookclub can have?
That's not to say the bookclub meeting I attended this week wasn't worth the wait. Although discussion about the book was a little on the subdued side - none of us really took a liking to it! - it was a pleasant hour spent discussing, constructively criticising and musing about the story within.
However it's got me thinking and wondering what are the elements you need to make a good bookclub? Is it the people? The number of members? The choice of literature? The venue? The coffee?
So, fellow book loving bloggers, whether you're a member of a bookclub or not, what would you say makes a good bookclub (and what doesn't!)?
Wednesday, February 29, 2012
WWW Wednesdays
WWW Wednesdays is a weekly meme hosted by Miz B of Should Be Reading
To play along, just answer the following three questions:
• What are you currently reading?
• What did you recently finish reading?
• What do you think you’ll read next?
What are you currently reading?
I currently have bookmarks in books all over the place but the one I picked up last night (and am just about to pick up again this morning) is Beyond the Sunset, by Anna Jacobs. It's the second book in a trilogy about four English sisters who emigrate to Australia in the 1860s.
What did you recently finish reading?
I spent yesterday afternoon curled up reading Bride of New France, by Suzanne Desroches (it's handy working from home ;) It wasn't quite as good as I'd hoped, but I felt somewhat comforted by the fact that others at bookclub last night were a little disappointed in it as well. As one member said, "great story, not great writing!
What do you think you'll read next?
Possibly, Destiny's Path, by Anna Jacobs which is the third book in the trilogy but I've also got The Sisters Brothers, by Patrick deWitt that is awaiting my attention and I don't think I can resist that cover any longer. It intrigues me!
Thursday, January 12, 2012
Step into the magic of this bookstore!
Check out this little bookstore in Toronto. I think this just goes to show that nothing can beat the magic of a book!
Tuesday, January 3, 2012
2011... well that was a challenge
Reading 111 books was a challenge - and one that beat me! Only 96 this year. Might have to come back stronger in 2012! Congratulations to all the other bookworms for their reading challenges in 2011!
Thursday, December 15, 2011
Decision time... and Book #62: Fly Away Home
It's always a challenge to write a review long after reading a book and as I sit here frantically trying to recall what on earth Book #62 of the year was, and what it was about, I once again wish my powers of procrastination weren't so, well... powerful!
But a quick check on Amazon (where would we be without Amazon) and the story of Fly Away Home, by Jennifer Weiner is slowly coming back to me... but only just.
I'd read my first Jennifer Weiner novel, Good In Bed, earlier this year and to be honest was slightly disappointed with it (review here. Fortunately I had a glass of wine to sob into while getting through it!). I was expecting a new Jill Mansell (my favourite chicklit author of all time) or a Sophie Kinsella, but not to be. However, thanks to A Few More Pages' 2nds challenge, I decided to give her another go and she redeemed herself.... to a certain extent.
Only problem is, I read Fly Away Home back in the summer and I can't for the life of me remember what it was all about. Obviously not one that left a lasting impression!
The plot goes something like this: regular family, husband in politics, has an affair, wife finds out and leaves him. Meanwhile, two grown daughters, each battling their own inner - and outer - demons suddenly come to realise what their mother is going through. Everything comes together in the end - just how, I can't remember!
So, decision time. Is it third time lucky for Jennifer Weiner and I, or do I cut my losses and allow other Jennifer fans to continue to enjoy her books while me and Jill pick up where we left off?
But a quick check on Amazon (where would we be without Amazon) and the story of Fly Away Home, by Jennifer Weiner is slowly coming back to me... but only just.
I'd read my first Jennifer Weiner novel, Good In Bed, earlier this year and to be honest was slightly disappointed with it (review here. Fortunately I had a glass of wine to sob into while getting through it!). I was expecting a new Jill Mansell (my favourite chicklit author of all time) or a Sophie Kinsella, but not to be. However, thanks to A Few More Pages' 2nds challenge, I decided to give her another go and she redeemed herself.... to a certain extent.
Only problem is, I read Fly Away Home back in the summer and I can't for the life of me remember what it was all about. Obviously not one that left a lasting impression!
The plot goes something like this: regular family, husband in politics, has an affair, wife finds out and leaves him. Meanwhile, two grown daughters, each battling their own inner - and outer - demons suddenly come to realise what their mother is going through. Everything comes together in the end - just how, I can't remember!
So, decision time. Is it third time lucky for Jennifer Weiner and I, or do I cut my losses and allow other Jennifer fans to continue to enjoy her books while me and Jill pick up where we left off?
Wednesday, December 14, 2011
Book #61: The Little Giant of Aberdeen County
I love it when you get on a roll and read one great book after another. The Little Giant of Aberdeen County, by Tiffany Baker was the second one in a row and I was caught between wanting to read it as quickly as possible to see what happens, and trying to make it last to savour this lovely, sweet, yet sorrowful story.
(I also loved having it on the bedside table - who wouldn't with a cover like that!)
The Little Giant's real name is Truly. She's the younger sister of Serena-Jane - the beauty of the family, and the youngest daughter to a father who becomes widowed upon Truly's birth. It seems life is difficult right from the start for Truly as her father, and indeed the community, aren't quite sure what to do with this 'little giant'.
Yet Truly has a big heart and while she may not have a big personality, she's kind, gentle and loving to those around her. However, not all deserve it. As she forms special bonds and relationships with the other outcasts of the village, then takes on the responsibility of bringing up her only nephew, Truly comes across a secret power that she never knew she had.
The story is a slightly unusual one, but it draws you in and Truly really is a beautiful character you want the best to happen to. She's captivating, enchanting and loveable all in one and deserves to be truly happy as a result!
(I also loved having it on the bedside table - who wouldn't with a cover like that!)
The Little Giant's real name is Truly. She's the younger sister of Serena-Jane - the beauty of the family, and the youngest daughter to a father who becomes widowed upon Truly's birth. It seems life is difficult right from the start for Truly as her father, and indeed the community, aren't quite sure what to do with this 'little giant'.
Yet Truly has a big heart and while she may not have a big personality, she's kind, gentle and loving to those around her. However, not all deserve it. As she forms special bonds and relationships with the other outcasts of the village, then takes on the responsibility of bringing up her only nephew, Truly comes across a secret power that she never knew she had.
The story is a slightly unusual one, but it draws you in and Truly really is a beautiful character you want the best to happen to. She's captivating, enchanting and loveable all in one and deserves to be truly happy as a result!
WWW Wednesdays
WWW Wednesdays is a weekly meme hosted by Miz B of Should Be Reading
To play along, just answer the following three questions:
• What are you currently reading?
• What did you recently finish reading?
• What do you think you’ll read next?
What are you currently reading?
I'm halfway through La's Orchestra Saves the World, by Alexander McCall Smith. I haven't read one of his books in ages and have to say I've been missing them. This one is proving to be a great read so far. I can see another late night on the horizon!
What did you recently finish reading?
I've had a spate of great books recently and managed to get through some of the best of the year I think. Most recently was The Girl in the Red Coat, by Roma Ligocka, a memoir about her time as a young girl growing up in World War ll Poland. Absolutely fascinating! I now have very itchy feet!
What do you think you'll read next?
That age-old classic, Animal Farm, by George Orwell is sitting on my bedside at the moment, but so too is a half finished Harry Potter so it may well depend on the mood I am in!
Book #60: When God Was A Rabbit
With a title as unusual as this, it was no wonder that Sarah Winman's debut novel caught my eye earlier this year. I was mooching around the bookstore (as one does!) and was instantly drawn to the cover. "What on earth could this book possibly be about?" I wondered.
It has an absolutely beautiful cover design, this intriguing title - yet neither really provide any clue as to what this story contains. A quick skim of the blurb and I find out it's the tale of a brother and a sister. Perfect - that's what my family consisted of.
As the story unfolds, there's a definite relationship between the two characters - an inquisitive and curious younger sister and a protective older brother. Yet they don't come across as close. That said, there's certainly a great deal of love between the two. We're introduced to both characters as children but then the story skips ahead in time to New York and 9/11.
Although various events occur throughout the story, none of these are written about in great detail and nor do they have to be. It's not the events of the story that shape these two, but rather their sibling relationship and all that it entails.
I recently read a magazine article which listed the top 100 books of 2011. Shamefully I hadn't even read a half of them, but When God Was A Rabbit featured and I was able to put a tick beside it. As the year ends, this book still stands out as one of my favourite reads of the year. It's gentle, unassuming and a novel so different from any I've read before.
I always love finding a book like this and even better when it's an author's first one. That certainly bodes well for 2012!
It has an absolutely beautiful cover design, this intriguing title - yet neither really provide any clue as to what this story contains. A quick skim of the blurb and I find out it's the tale of a brother and a sister. Perfect - that's what my family consisted of.As the story unfolds, there's a definite relationship between the two characters - an inquisitive and curious younger sister and a protective older brother. Yet they don't come across as close. That said, there's certainly a great deal of love between the two. We're introduced to both characters as children but then the story skips ahead in time to New York and 9/11.
Although various events occur throughout the story, none of these are written about in great detail and nor do they have to be. It's not the events of the story that shape these two, but rather their sibling relationship and all that it entails.
I recently read a magazine article which listed the top 100 books of 2011. Shamefully I hadn't even read a half of them, but When God Was A Rabbit featured and I was able to put a tick beside it. As the year ends, this book still stands out as one of my favourite reads of the year. It's gentle, unassuming and a novel so different from any I've read before.
I always love finding a book like this and even better when it's an author's first one. That certainly bodes well for 2012!
Monday, December 12, 2011
A bookworm's best Christmas present
Hhhmmm, yes, well suffice it to say I've neglected this blog somewhat during the second half of the year. And despite travel, moving, more travel and settling into a new home, I've no excuse really - particularly in this day and age of communication.
But I am still determined to read 111 books in 2011 and although time is now of the essence, I have a feeling I may just make it. It certainly helps that the chilly Northern Hemisphere temperatures have arrived and that the best place to be at the moment is inside, curled up on the couch with a steaming hot chocolate and a good book!
And I've read some fabulous books of late - all of which are deserving of a review, so in addition to reading the final 21 books needed of my challenge (in less than 21 days!!) I'm going to make a concerted effort to dedicate time to the blog as well.
First of all though I wanted to share this awesome Christmas present for all booklovers and bookworms. Someone who knows me too well gave this to me earlier in the year and I love it!
There are pages for books read and reviewed, novel ideas, books to read and a place for those all important lists we could do without!
You can get your own copy here at Amazon, or even cheaper, here at Barnes & Noble.
But I am still determined to read 111 books in 2011 and although time is now of the essence, I have a feeling I may just make it. It certainly helps that the chilly Northern Hemisphere temperatures have arrived and that the best place to be at the moment is inside, curled up on the couch with a steaming hot chocolate and a good book!And I've read some fabulous books of late - all of which are deserving of a review, so in addition to reading the final 21 books needed of my challenge (in less than 21 days!!) I'm going to make a concerted effort to dedicate time to the blog as well.
First of all though I wanted to share this awesome Christmas present for all booklovers and bookworms. Someone who knows me too well gave this to me earlier in the year and I love it!
There are pages for books read and reviewed, novel ideas, books to read and a place for those all important lists we could do without!
You can get your own copy here at Amazon, or even cheaper, here at Barnes & Noble.
Thursday, September 22, 2011
MIA... and I haven't had my nose in a book either!
Oh dear - I have been well and truly missing in action. The Book Gatherer has totally neglected all things books these past few weeks - and although I want to blame a weekend in Las Vegas 'baby' (I can't help but put baby after Las Vegas every time I either write or say it - somebody stop me quick!), visitors, moving, work, and the last days of summer, I'm going to have to be honest and put it down to procrastination, poor time management, and a lack of self discipline. Sad but true!
What's worse, is that I haven't even had my nose in a book! I'm still currently reading Harry Potter number 3, although I also have The Writing on my Forehead by Nafisa Haji on the go as well - enjoying the latter a little more at this stage, but I'm getting really rather confused with all the characters! So as of today - no make that now! - the Book Gatherer is back on track.
She's just managed to send an article off before deadline, and while she may have boxes to pack and dinner to cook, she's going to be totally and utterly indulgent and simply curl up with a book instead! Should have done that a long time ago.
What's worse, is that I haven't even had my nose in a book! I'm still currently reading Harry Potter number 3, although I also have The Writing on my Forehead by Nafisa Haji on the go as well - enjoying the latter a little more at this stage, but I'm getting really rather confused with all the characters! So as of today - no make that now! - the Book Gatherer is back on track.
She's just managed to send an article off before deadline, and while she may have boxes to pack and dinner to cook, she's going to be totally and utterly indulgent and simply curl up with a book instead! Should have done that a long time ago.
Tuesday, September 6, 2011
Teaser Tuesdays
--Open to a random page
--share two “teaser” sentences from somewhere on that page
Be sure NOT TO INCLUDE SPOILERS! (Make sure that what you share doesn’t give too much away! You don’t want to ruin the book for others!)
--Share the title and author, too, so that other TT participants can add the book to their TBR lists if they like your teasers!
p43, Ellis Island, by Kate Kerrigan
Friday, September 2, 2011
Book Blogger Hop
Book Blogger Hop is hosted by Jen at Crazy-For-Books.
This week's question is:
What are you most looking forward to this fall/autumn season?
Autumn is my favourite season, whichever hemisphere I'm in, although the Northern Hemisphere does do the seasons better. I love that beautiful rusty, orange of the leaves and the crunch of them under foot on the pavements.
But this autumn I'm also looking forward to an abundance of travel. The suitcase hasn't been used since the beginning of the year so first up is a weekend in Vegas, followed by a trip to London, a week in Jordan, a move to Vancouver then a trip home to New Zealand - all before Christmas!
And all that time in airports and on aeroplanes means lots of reading time - top of the list is The Wild Rose by Jennifer Donnelly.
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