New meme: Behind the Screen #1

Behind the Screen is a cool new meme hosted by Inga @ Me and Reading It's where we talk about some of the things going on "Behind the Screen" that week. Hop over to her blog to check out her first post!

On the shelf

Well, my bookshelf doesn't quite look like this but it's getting close to it. I've slowly been pottering away at it, trying to tidy it up, rearrange it, and bring some of those books at the back of the shelves (yes I have to double shelf) to the fore - it's just like finding a whole lot of treasure (and dust!)

On the blog

My blog has been a bit neglected of late. I haven't had the headspace to write anything relevant, so I've just stuck to easy peasy memes, but hey, at least that means I'm still blogging right? I've got deadlines coming out my ears at the moment: think articles on investing in antique jewellery, financing business degrees, and sourcing product images for Autumn/Winter interior trends and you'll get an idea of where my attention is going.

On reading

With work and visitors, not only has blogging been put on the backburner, so too has reading (gosh I'm full of excuses this week aren't I!!) But I am now on a roll. Finished my 750page Jeffrey Archer book yesterday, knocked off a couple of sweet 50 page books in between a spot of retail therapy (although I am still feeling very guilty at the length of those books and not sure I can really count them as books towards my goal this year... will see how close I get and whether I need to make up the numbers!). And now I'm back in the flow thanks to Anne of Green Gables.


I think this week is going to be a good one!

It's all on the very last line in Book #44: Sons of Fortune

Years ago, in fact, having just recently had a birthday such a term could now be described as "decades ago", I read First Among Equals, by Jeffrey Archer. It's the story of four ambitious MPs who take their seats at Westminster in the 1960s. The story covers three decades and the quest by each man to become prime minister. I don't remember much about this story, and to be honest, I don't think I truly understood it, nor appreciated it, but I don't think it will be long before I re read it, particularly after devouring another of Jeffrey Archer's novels.


Sons of Fortune captivated me. Absolutely and utterly. I was totally blown away by Archer's story telling and all the research he must do for each and every one of his novels. There are so many characters, so many twists and turns in each of his books, and so many "teasers" throughout, that I was constantly on the edge of my seat (or couch, or lounge chair in the sunshine, or bed!) desperate to find out what happened. 


Set in America, beginning in the 1940s and covering several decades, Sons of Fortune is the story of Nathaniel Cartwright and Fletcher Davenport, twin brothers separated at birth. They're raised in different worlds, but nonetheless, worlds of relative privilege and as such their paths eventually cross as they both vie for significant political power. In what seems to be typical Archer style, each of the chapters alternates between the characters, telling the stories concurrently and eventually intertwining. Which means, one chapter is never enough.


I was engrossed with each of the brothers. I didn't have a favourite, both captured my attention, and each of their stories was as strong as the other... right down to the very last line. And I mean, the last line. Archer delivers the ending to this book, quite literally, at the very end. As I read the last line I was left gobsmacked. I didn't see the ending coming, nor could I have predicted it, but it was the ultimate way to finish this novel.


What's more, if you're one of those people who sneakily peeks at the end of books to see how it all comes together - you won't have any luck with this one, because you need the info throughout the story to really appreciate, not to mention understand, the ending!


This one gets an A++!!

Theme Thursday

Theme Thursdays is a fun weekly event, hosted byReading Between Pages, that will be open from one Thursday to the next. Anyone can participate in it. The rules are simple:

• A theme will be posted each week (on Thursday’s)
• Select a conversation/snippet/sentence from the current book you are reading
• Mention the author and the title of the book along with your post
• It is important that the theme is conveyed in the sentence (you don’t necessarily need to have the word)

This week's theme is "facial parts"

"...an extraordinary observer might have seen that the chin was very pointed and pronounced; that the big eyes were full of spirit and vivacity; that the mouth was sweet-lipped and expressive; that the forehead was broad and full; in short, our discerning extraordinary observer might have concluded that no commonplace soul inhabited the body of this stray woman-child of whom shy Matthew Cuthbert was so ludicrously afraid."

p14, Anne of Green Gables, by L.M. Montgomery

(This week's theme was much easier than last week's fourth of July)!

A short story a day is good for the soul and Book #43: An Elegy for Easterly

I love a good novel, one that you can really become absorbed into the lives of its characters. It needs to be a page turner, with several hundred pages to turn at that. But I also admire the short story. I don't tend to read many of them, but over a month ago now (and yes, that is an indication of just how far behind I am on my reviews!), I got into the rather addictive habit of reading a short story over my bowl of porridge at the breakfast table in the morning.


The short stories in An Elegy for Easterly, by Petina Gappah were just perfect for this. Each of her short stories, all set in Zimbabwe, drew me in from the very first line. The opening few words were often the last I expected and I never could tell just how each of the stories were going to turn out. They were all incredible works of writing on their own - as any good short story is - but this was a whole book of them. Usually, I have a few favourites in a short story collection such as this, but in An Elegy for Easterly, each story was as good as, if not better, than the last.


There was the story of 'The Mupandawana Dancing Champion'
Opening line: When the prices of everything went up ninety-seven times in one year, M'dhara Vitalis Mukaro came out of retirement to make the coffins in which we buried our dead.


And the story of 'Aunt Juliana's Indian'
Opening line: Mr Vaswani of Vaswani Brothers General Dealers was the first Indian that I saw closely enough to count the teeth in his mouth and the buttons on his shirt.


The stories were clever, witty and very entertaining, and at the same time, provided an intriguing insight into the country of Zimbabwe, a place I was fortunate enough to visit when it was safe to do so! And the stories were all of such a length, that I never felt too guilty about reading at the breakfast table. 


I'd definitely recommend An Elegy for Easterly, by Petina Gappah as a different kind of read - it's a book Mums could have in the car while waiting to pick the kids up from school, commuters can have on the tube, or, like me, to have at the breakfast table. My only comment is that each story needs to be read on its  own, so much like an apple a day keeps the doctor away, a short story a day has got to be good for the soul!

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 have just today started Anne of Green Gables - partly inspired, I have to admit, by the royals visit to Canada and their stop off in Prince Edward Island. But I am also ashamed to admit that I have yet to finish Lazy Girls fabulous mini challenge where I had to read something "old" by the end of April - so this is for the April Mini Challenge. Better late than never, right? (She asks hopefully?!)


What did you recently finish reading? I'm a bit late on this post today because I desperately wanted to finish The Fourth Estate, by Jeffrey Archer, and I can report that I have! Didn't enjoy it quite as much as Sons of Fortune, which I read the other month, but still a fabulous read. Archer is quite the story teller!


What do you think you’ll read next? I'm thinking about The Jester of Astapovo,by Rose Tremain and Tangled Web, by Doris Lessing - both are absolutely, beautiful little books, published by the Hay Festival Press. They print a book each year for the festival so I'm starting a collection. Check out their here - it's gorgeous! However, I feel like I'm cheating slightly as they're both only 50 pages in length, but I have just finished a 750 page book so perhaps I'm allowed a light weight read for now.

Teaser Tuesdays

Teaser Tuesday is a weekly bookish meme hosted by MizB of Should Be Reading

Anyone can play along! Just do the following:

--Grab your current read

--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!

Work seems to be getting in the way of blogging time lately...ggrrrr. Fortunately, there is still time to read - even if it is after midnight (she says yawning!). But my book is too good to put down. Here's a teaser from it for this Tuesday:

"It wasn't until Sir Walter climbed into bed that night that his wife explained to him the significance of that final resolution."

p520, The Fourth Estate, by Jeffrey Archer

The thing is, the final sentence of EVERY chapter is a teaser in this book, hence having to stay up past midnight most nights to find out what happens. The Fourth Estate is about two media magnates, vying for ownership of variation publications around the globe in the 1960s. The chapters alternate between the two characters, so just as you get to the end of one chapter - with a teaser of all teasers, you have to read through the next chapter before picking up the story. Ahhh, I love it and hate it at the same time!

Ten Good Things on a Monday... in honour of 4th of July

I experienced my first Canada Day on Friday. Lots of red and white everywhere! And I'm aware that our new neighbours are celebrating 4th of July today, so in honour of the land of stars and stripes, my 10 good things are books relating to the US that I've enjoyed reading (and a few that are on my TBR pile - as always!)

1. The Help, by Kathryn Stockett
Well, this year's 4th of July list has to have this one at the top. For those who have read it, you'll know why. For those that still have it sitting on their TBR pile, then move it up to number 1 spot. It's a great read!

2. Sons of Fortune, by Jeffrey Archer
I finished reading this one a little while ago (yet to review it sorry, but it's on my "to do" list!), and loved it. The story of twin boys, separated at birth, who both grow up in different families, different circles, but their political and business aspirations see them meet again in years to come. An absolutely, riveting story and so cleverly done by the master that is Jeffrey Archer. He had me hanging on until the last line!

3. Snow Falling on Cedars, by David Guterson
This was one of my first books of the year. Such a beautiful story, set during World War ll, and highlighting relationships between the Americans and the Japanese. It's also been made into a film which is just as incredible! Definitely on my favourite books of all time list!

4. The Chief, by David Nasaw
Husband and I first left NZ four years ago and to begin our OE (overseas experience) we flew to LA. First stop Disneyland, followed by a drive up Highway Number 1 in a convertible mustang to San Francisco. Yes, husband was in his element! But along the way we stopped off at Hearst Castle, an incredible architectural feat sitting atop the hills of San Simeon. The money poured into this Castle can only be described as grotesque, but the outcome left me breathless. I was instantly intrigued by media magnate, William Randolph Hearst, and as a result, this book The Chief: The Life of William Randolph Hearst, landed on my bookshelf. It can only be described as a riveting read! Meanwhile, check out Hearst Castle: http://www.hearstcastle.org

5. Cold Mountain, by Charles Frazier
I loved the movie but haven't read the book. It's sitting on my shelf though and having signed up for the Books To Movies challenge, I may just get around to reading it sooner rather than later. But has anyone else read this who can let me know what the book is like compared to the movie?

6. Uncle Tom's Cabin, by Harriet Beecher Stowe
Doing these lists is dangerous - it brings home just how many books I have yet to read - and so many of them are classics!! This is one, having retrieved from the back of my shelf, that is now going firmly onto my TBR pile!

7. The Shipping News, by Annie Proulx
Speaking of classics - I haven't read this one either!

8. Tuesdays With Morrie, by Mitch Albom
This one brings tears to my eyes just thinking about it. One of the best books I've ever read, and could just keep on rereading it over and over and over again. Definitely an all time favourite to be celebrated this 4th of July.

9. The Tea Rose, by Jennifer Donnelly
I'm a sucker for romance and history - and when it all come together in a wonderful historical fiction novel, then you can't beat it. The Tea Rose, by Jennifer Donnelly is the one book I simply can't stop recommending. Although it starts off in London there is certainly enough of the book set in the USA that warrants it being on this list. The same can be said for The Bronze Horseman trilogy, by Paullina Simons - love it!

10. The Colour Purple, by Alice Walker
I'm going to end my top 10 list for this Monday with yet another book I haven't read, but I will... honest!

And despite having a bookshelf full of unread books, and an ever increasing TBR pile - I'm always interested to know of any other American books that come with recommendations!!

Ten Good Things on a Monday is a weekly meme hosted by Nina and Argh.