Review of 'Brooklyn by Colm Tóibín. October's Book Club Choice.

Perhaps you would rather see the film before reading the book? To me, the book will always come first and I don't mind knowing the story when I go to see the film.  I will still enjoy the film.  Plus the film is usually not a 100% accurate portrayal of the original story, and I prefer the book every time.  Whatever way around you do it - book then film, film then book or just film or book, I would love to hear your thoughts on Brooklyn.  Here are mine, after a short summing up of the story -

Eilis Lacey has lived in the village of Enniscorthy in County Wexford her whole life. She lives with her widowed mother and her older sister Rose. Her sister Rose is the breadwinner for the family, and there are few prospects for girls in Ireland in the 1950s to have a career. Getting married and having a family are usually the way forward. However Rose has other plans for Eilis, and she, her mother and a well-meaning priest, Father Flood work on a plan for Eilis’s life. Eilis soon discovers that a job and a new life in Brooklyn await. She accepts this with equanimity, although we are to discover that the women in this family never tell each other how they are really feeling and this is the tragedy of this story.

Eilis doesn’t want to go to America, but feels she has no choice but to accept the path laid out for her, Tóibín writes; “She had expected that she would find a job in the town, and then marry someone and give up the job and have children. Now, she felt that she was being singled out for something for which she was not in any way prepared.”

In Brooklyn Eilis is given lodgings with a Mrs Kehoe, along with some other female lodgers. She works on the shop floor of a department store called Bartocci’s. Following an initial period of numbness, followed by a severe case of being homesick, once she realizes the reality of her situation, Eilis settles down to life in Brooklyn and begins studying to become a bookkeeper. After a few months she meets an American called Tony at the local Parish dance organized by Father Flood. Love blossoms and it seems she may have found her happy ever after. However, when she is called back to Ireland following a family tragedy, she must make the ultimate choice between love and duty.

I was a fan of  Colm Tóibín before reading this book, but now I would say I am a super fan! The story will definitely go into my list of favourite reads of all time.  Tóibín portrays the dynamics of family life in Ireland in the fifties with such accuracy and subtlety, that I could almost feel myself there. Eilis respects her mother and sister and behaves accordingly. At times I wanted to scream with frustration that she wouldn’t tell them how she was feeling, and yet I understood how and why she couldn’t. Was the choice she made in America a type of revenge? I don’t believe so. I think it was sincerely done with no thought that she wouldn’t return.

Did she make the right choice? I think it was a choice between the head and the heart, and she made the ultimate sacrifice and went with duty and the head. For me she is a heroine for that reason.

What I loved about this book was how the author shows how place plays such a significant part in our lives. We can live in one place and when we are away from it for a while, it seems like a dream. Eilis states that Tony seems; “part of a dream from which she had woken.” Yet she is emotionally aware that if she returned to Brooklyn, then it would be her life in Enniscorthy that would seem like a dream. It is also a clever working of the plot that it is the nasty Miss Kelly who she worked for in Enniscorthy, before departing for Brooklyn, who discovers her secret and forces her decision.

I found it such a poignant book and found myself crying at several points during the story, sometimes without even realizing there were tears sliding down my face. In particular the author’s description of how it feels to be homesick: "All this came to her like a terrible weight and she felt for a second that she was going to cry. It was as though an ache in her chest was trying to force tears down her cheeks despite her enormous effort to keep them back. She did not give in to whatever it was. She kept thinking, attempting to work out what was causing this new feeling that was like despondency, that was like how she felt when her father died and she watched them closing the coffin, the feeling that he would never see the world again and she would never be able to talk to him again."

It reminded me, I suppose, of my own journeys back and forth from Zambia to Ireland as a child and teenager. Thank goodness I never had to face a choice like she did. I don’t think I would have had the strength.

October's Book Club Choice

October’s Book Club Choice is Brooklyn by Colm Toibin. I specifically chose this  book for two reasons.  Firstly, the film version starring Saoirse Ronan is out on 6th November, and secondly, someone recently reminded me what a fantastic novel it is, and I wanted to read it before the film came out.

Described by the New Statesman as ‘tremendously moving and powerful,’ this is a book not to be missed.   
The story centres around Eilis Lacey, who moves to Brooklyn from Ireland to find work.  Desperately  homesick and miserable, she struggles to fit in.  Then one night at a dance, she meets someone and everything changes.  But when tragic news calls her back to Ireland, she finds herself facing a terrible choice: between love and happiness in the land where she belongs and the promises she must keep on the far side of the ocean.

Brooklyn is considered one of Toibin’s finest works and is a must read!  I can’t wait to hear your views.  Read it BEFORE you see the film! So here’s your link to get you started and I hope you enjoy it.
Brooklyn   

Review of 'The Good Girl' by Fiona Neill

This is Fiona Neill’s fourth novel and I found it a compelling read. If you are the parent of a teenager, I would imagine this novel could leave you feeling more than a little unsettled, if not down right terrified.
Romy is  a straight A student who hopes to go to medical school.  Her mother Ailsa is the new Head of the school she attends in Norfolk.  The family have all recently relocated from London, but the three children in the family, Luke, the eldest son, Romy, who is 17 and the youngest child Ben have not been given a clear answer as to why they had to move.
Romy soon discovers why, and this changes her relationship with her parents forever.  I can say no more than that for fear of spoilers.  This is one strand of the story.  The main plot however centres around the fallout when Romy becomes caught up in a sex scandal at school.   When new neighbours, the Lovedays move in next door, both families lives become irrevocably entwined. The teenagers from both families become embroiled in secrets, scandals and more, while trying to find their place in the world.
This is a novel predominantly about the choices we make in life and the repercussions of those choices.  How one seemingly small decision can change the direction of your life forever.  It is also about the dangers of social media and the manner in which our lives can become so connected to our social media image, and what is known about us online.
The novel is told from the perspectives of both Ailsa and Romy. This highlights  their individual struggles and their beliefs of how others perceive them, which is usually inaccurate.  The family dynamics are portrayed with razor sharp accuracy and small touches of irony and humour.
I thoroughly enjoyed this novel.  Fiona Neill deals with very complex issues such as sexting, pornography, parental responsibility (where does it begin and end??) and much more.   I thought her characters were authentically portrayed and empathetic, and the dynamic between both parents with each of their three children made for fascinating reading.
I would recommend this book and I am now interested in reading more of Fiona Neill’s work.
I would love to hear your views on this book, particularly if you have ever experienced any online trials by social media, or  perhaps you have teenagers of your own and have a view point.

Recently Read Recommendations

I have been doing a lot of reading lately, so I thought I would share some of the books I have read, because I am a giving sort of a gal!

OK, firstly I discovered a totally new writer whilst I was doing research for my first fictional novel.  Her name is Christina McKenna and she hails from a little village in Northern Ireland called Draperstown in County Derry, where my grandfather came from.  She has written a very amusing trilogy of life in the village of ‘Tailorstown’ (fictional but we can guess where it’s based upon!)  I have read the first two books in the trilogy:  ‘The Misremembered Man’ and ‘The Disenchanted Widow.’  I was surprised at how much I enjoyed them.  Her characters are so vivid and typically ‘Norn Ireland’ that you can so identify with their sense of humour, (if you are from this part of the world, and if you are not, you will be introduced to a new type of humour!)  I found the narrative to be lighthearted, witty, but also poignant and touching.  I am looking forward to reading the third book in the trilogy.   You can check out Christine McKenna’s author page here:  Christina McKenna She reminded me a tiny bit of my favourite Northern Irish writer Anne Dunlop, whose books I simply adore and have read several times!

Secondly I read ‘Us’ by David Nicholls.  Now I think this book could be a bit like marmite.   Having loved ‘One Day,’  I was prepared to be underwhelmed, but I must say I adored it.   It is all about a man called Douglas who is desperately trying to keep his wife Connie from leaving him.  His son is about to head off to college, so he plans a trip round Europe for the three of them.  Needless to say, disaster ensues.  I found the character of Douglas to be a bit stereo typically anal (sorry!) and yet I was on his side from the get-go.   Nicholls is a master of good descriptive writing and great characterization, so for me it was a total page turner and  I had it read in a couple of days.  It is a poignant story of desperately trying to hold on to something that is slipping out of your grasp, and consequently you can’t do right for doing wrong, and who among us hasn’t been there?!!

My final recommendation is ‘Americanah’ by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie.  I am reading this for my Third Thursday book club at the Gutter bookshop in Dublin.  I am a big fan of her writing anyway, but so far I am loving this novel about two  young Nigerians, Ifemelu and Obinze.  Ifemelu goes to the USA to university, and is faced with race and identity issues.  Obinze lives a more desperate life in London.  After undergoing life changing events, and being broken apart through circumstances largely beyond their control, they meet up again in Nigeria 15 years later.  So far I am loving this novel.  Her writing is exquisite.
Don’t forget to read September’s Book club choice ‘The Good Girl.’   Also please do share your comments.  I would much rather this was a conversation than a monologue!    Thanks.

Review of 'The Girl on the Train' by Paula Hawkins. The book club choice for August.

Following it’s phenomenal success, I was very much looking forward to reading this book whilst on holiday.  On my flight, the lady beside me was reading it and she didn’t put it down once, which I thought was a great sign!
Now I understand why.   It is, in my opinion, a gripping read – a real page turner.

So, to the story first. We first meet Rachel as she is returning home from work (by train) on a Friday afternoon.  She is the narrator, and we are immediately drawn into her world of drinking and daydreaming.  She has four cans of pre-mixed gin and tonic on the train and that is just for starters.  So, as a narrator, we see that she is pretty unreliable from the off.  However she is also very likable with all her human flaws and I felt I could identify with some of her feelings early on.  Rachel’s journey takes her past the back of her old house, where she lived with her now ex-husband Tom.  We soon discover she is divorced, as a result of her drinking, which is partly as a result of her not being able to conceive a child.

She loves the train journey and she begins a fantasy about a couple she watches as she passes by on the train every day.  She calls them Jason and Jess.  The story unfolds as she is a caught up in the real lives of Jason and Jess, who are actually called Megan and Scott.  The story takes off when Rachel reads in the paper that Megan has vanished, and she decides to tip off the police. She is convinced that Scott, who is the prime suspect,  would never harm his beloved wife.
But due to Rachel’s drinking, which is causing blackouts, irrationality and drunk dialing, the police dismiss her as a time waster. She has also been persecuting her ex-husband Tom and his wife Anna, by bombarding them with offensive messages.  She is an extremely flawed character and her alcoholic lifestyle is tragic, and leads to much confusion, both for herself and others.

As the story develops, and Rachel continues to try and remember what happened on a particular night, her life is intertwined with that of Scott, her ex-husband Tom and his wife Anna.

My thoughts on the book: starting with the good – if you can suspend judgement and get past some very unrealistic facts, this is an engrossing page turner and a perfect holiday read.  The structure is clever, the narrator, although flawed is very human, and I was certainly on her side, although mightily frustrated by her as well.

The bad – I just couldn’t believe how Rachel was seemingly able to give up the drink so easily whenever it suited her, and go from a complete wreck to a competent intelligent woman, running around solving mysteries like a detective. COMING UP, SPOILER ALERT:

I also felt that Tom, as a character, was unrealistically portrayed.  Surely some of the evil side of his character would have been in evidence before the end of the story?  He was overly nice and thus a somewhat unrealistic character in my opinion.   In saying that, I didn’t see it coming, so the author did a good job,by throwing in a few curve balls along the way (such as the red headed guy who was definitely suspicious to me, because I am obviously a bit too gullible!!)

The ugly – I felt the book was over dramatized in places.  There was a lot of biting of lips and wailing and clenching of fists.  I would have preferred a more subtle approach at times, although I do appreciate that the author was building tension.

To summarize, I would recommend this book. If you are willing to suspend judgement on reality and enjoy it for what it is, a great page turner of a thriller.
I look forward to hearing your views.

My thoughts on 'Go Set a Watchman.' One of our book club choices for August

After all the hype and the many conflicting controversial reports on Harper Lee's novel, I prepared to read it on my holidays and decided to try and read it without any  prior  judgement. I ignored the critics and I am glad I did.

I may be one of the few, but I enjoyed this novel very much.  If, for one moment, we see it as independent of 'To Kill a Mockingbird,' I found it a very entertaining, humorous and thought provoking read.   If you don't wish to know what happens, I suggest you stop reading now!
Scout, or Jean-Louise as she is now known, is returning to Maycomb to see her father Atticus Finch, who is now a 70 year old man.  She also has a beau in Maycomb called Henry (Hank).  Jean-Louise goes home and not only discovers how Maycomb and the people there have changed, but she also reflects a lot on the past.  SPOILER ALERT.....

We find out that Jem died suddenly aged 22 and Dill is off travelling.  Jean-Louise reminisces about her childhood and there are some extremely funny stories during this stroll down memory lane.  One relating to a missing bra and the other about Dill dressing up as a ghost and falling into a pond. Jean-Louise clearly misses her brother terribly and she is happy to tell Hank all about her wonderful childhood in Maycomb.
She then discovers that Hank and Atticus are attending meetings which involve some less that moral men and/or subjects, namely the Klan.  Without finding out more, Jean-Louise jumps to the wrong conclusions, (as did the media in my opinion) and assumes that her father has become a racist bigot overnight.  To my mind, those who believe Atticus is a racist in this book, have missed the point of the book entirely.  He is finding out more about what's going on, so he can be prepared for any future trouble, as he tells Jean-Louise repeatedly.

This leads to my favourite part of the book, the moral ending where Jean-Louise and Atticus go at it hammer and tongs.  I felt it was well portrayed and strongly  argued by both characters.  Jean-Louise comes to see that Atticus is not a perfect human being, but he's not a racist either, and that he still maintains and holds all the values that make him so important to her.    I felt she was the flawed character in this book.  She had written Atticus off, without even giving him a chance to defend himself and I hated her for that.  However she did eventually give him a chance to say his piece, and it certainly gave both her and us plenty to think about.   Atticus's love for his daughter is unconditional but her love for him isn't.  She expects him to be the perfect person that she put on that pedestal all those years ago, and she has to realize that he is still a great man, but his opinions and convictions may have changed somewhat with the changing times.    The relationship between them is as dynamic and all encompassing as ever, and I loved that.

OK, so there are many inaccuracies in the book, if you set it alongside Mockingbird.  We are told that Calpurnia, the Finches’ maid, has “run off the place” after Jem’s death; but then a few pages later we actually hear that "she returned to the Quarters in honourable retirement”. The worst offence is when they discuss the trial of Tom Robinson, the guilty verdict has suddenly become an acquittal, which is definitely strange given the outcome of 'To Kill a Mockingbird.'

However, I didn't let that spoil my enjoyment, and as a novel in it's own right I thought it was well worth the read. I understand those who cannot see them as two separate novels, and for that reason they are highly critical of this book.  I do see their point.  In a perfect world 'Go Set a Watchman' would be a flawless sequel, but given the fact it was the original story and how it came to be published, that was highly unlikely.  However  I am glad it was published and I highly recommend it!

Review of 'To Kill a Mockingbird.'

As part of my holiday reading, I said I was going to read 'To Kill a Mockingbird' followed by 'Go Set a Watchman.'  Well, as I have just finished 'To Kill a Mockingbird' I thought I would share my thoughts. 

For those who don't know the story, it is told through the eyes of Scout, a young 8 year old girl who lives with her brother Jem and her father Atticus Finch, in the town of Maycomb in Alabama.   Atticus is a lawyer and a very upright, moral and caring man.  We don't know anything about their mother, other than that she is dead and Scout doesn't remember much about her at all.   Atticus is the lynchpin of the family and although strict, shows great affection and love to his two children.  Atticus is called on to defend Tom Robinson, a black man, who is accussed of raping a girl, Mayella Ewell.   Meanwhile Scout, Jem and their friend Dill, who visits during the summer, are obsessed with childish games and trying to see Boo Radley, the mysterious man who lives down their street, but never appears in public.  As the case of Tom Robinson goes to court, Scout, Jem and Dill are to find their innocence shattered forever and their lives caught up in the evil ways of certain people in their society.

Re-reading this book confirmed for me why Harper Lee is such a phenomenon and why this Pulitzer Prize winning novel is so popular.   The voice of Scout is perfectly pitched.  The novel is full of humour, acute observations about the human spirit and how sincere goodness in a person can have a profound impact on individuals in a society.

I adore the character of Atticus Finch.  A loving father and an upstanding member of society, he quotes some of the most memorable lines of the book such as:

"First of all," he said, "if you can learn a simple trick, Scout, you'll get along a lot better with all kinds of folks. You never really understand a person until you consider things from his point of view […] until you climb into his skin and walk around in it."

During the court case, Atticus shows up the deep racism that exists and how the judgement of a man because of the colour of his skin is entirely wrong.  He is calm, composed and articulate, but he is also realistic, and seems to me almost resigned to the racism that exists in this small town.   For me, Atticus is a hero.  He never falters and in a cynical world he is someone we can all have faith in. 

It was revelatory to read this wonderful novel again.  So many themes to consider, great characters and an engrossing story make this one of my favourite reads of the year.  To anyone who has never read it, I say, do yourself a favour and read it now.   It is a classic for a good reason.

Review of July's book club choice. 'The Storied Life of A.J.Fikry' by Gabrielle Zevin.

This book was recommended to me and having read it, I am delighted I listened and decided to make it a book club choice.  The story revolves around the life of a man, A.J. Fikry, who runs a book shop on an island near Hyannis in Massachusetts.  His bookshop is not doing particularly well and he is a bit of a literary snob, so he isn't great at catering for the masses or indeed making an effort to sell them what they might like. He is at an exceptionally low point in his life when we first meet him.  He is grieving the loss of his wife, who tragically died two years previously. He is drinking too much and he is pretty much one step away from a breakdown.  Only for the support and love of his sister in law, Ismay, he would be sunk.  Life goes from bad to worse, when the only valuable item he owns, a first edition copy of  Edgar Allen Poe's 'Tamerlane' is stolen one night when he is in a drunken stupor.   We forget about this during the telling of the rest of the story, but there is a twist which we are to discover later. We then meet the second main character of the story, Amelia, who is the sales rep for a book company.  When she first meets A.J, he is exceptionally rude to her and it seems they are doomed never to get along.  However as the story develops, so too does their relationship.  But it is when an abandoned baby called Maya is left in his bookstore that A.J.'s life really changes.  
There are moments of tragedy and joy throughout the story, as we follow the lives of A.J., Maya, Amelia and the people surrounding them, such as Daniel, the smug self satisfied writer who is married to A.J's sister-in-law, Ismay.  Their story is secondary to the story of A.J., Amelia and Maya, but is no less interesting for that.   
This book for me was a complete joy from start to finish.  The story is told with humour, warmth and a touching sincerity.  It's all about books, so if you are a bookworm, then it should definitely warm your heart.  I would describe this as the perfect holiday read.  It is lighthearted, takes next to no concentration to read, and leaves you with a warm fuzzy feeling.    Zevin's gift is in her ability to make  you fall in love with the characters, and to feel empathy for A.J. and also Amelia.  You are plugging for them from the start (well I was anyway).   The author also introduces other interesting characters, such as Chief Lambiase, who again, is one of those people you just can't help but like.  The story portrays life on a small island as idyllic, with a close knit community who all know your business, but are there to support you.  At times for me, the story was a little 'too' perfect, but it didn't detract from my enjoyment of it.   I particularly liked the book recommendations for Maya at the beginning of every chapter, and indeed made a note of a couple of the books to read myself!  
I would highly recommend this book as a lighthearted, warm, funny, ideal holiday read.   If you love books and bookshops, it may also just make you want to go and open one! 

Anticipation buliding ahead of Harper Lee book release

I read 'To Kill a Mockingbird' when I was about 15.  I think that is the case, although I honestly can't remember exactly what age I was.  What I do remember is how much I loved the book.  And I mean loved.    However I haven't ever re-read it, and I can't honestly explain why that is the case.  God knows, I have watched the film too many times to admit.   I think the book is better though, as books usually are.  I just have a thing for Gregory Peck! 
Anyway, I am counting the days until her new (!) book 'Go Set a Watchman,' is released and we don't have long to wait.  14th July!  
Go Set a Watchman by Harper Lee.
I found all the controversy surrounding the release of the book slightly disconcerting.  I so hope the lady wasn't taken advantage of.  I like to think she retains some of the spirit I saw her character display in the film Capote.    Well, whatever the truth is, I hope she can at least raise a glass to how much the public loved her characters, and cannot wait to read more!   So on my holidays I will have a copy of 'To Kill a Mockingbird' and 'Go Set a Watchman.'   I will be reading one after the other and enjoying every second of it.  I shall report back on my return.  I would love it, if you are a fan, if you read both and then we could compare notes!   The other book club choice for August is 'The Girl on The Train.' by Paula Hawkins which you can find out more about on The Monthly Book Club page.

The Monthly Book Club choice for August is
The Girl on the Train by Paula Hawkins

 
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Paula Hawkins was born and brought up in Zimbabwe.  She moved to London in 1989.  She worked as a journalist for 15 years before writing this, her first book.  A psychological thriller, it has become a bestseller and has been described in the following way:

"Really great suspense novel. Kept me up most of the night. The alcoholic narrator is dead perfect." (STEPHEN KING)
"A complex and increasingly chilling tale courtesy of a number of first-person narratives that will wrong-foot even the most experienced of crime fiction readers" (Irish Times).

Enjoy, and see my home page for additional information regarding August's book club (more book choices, as it is holiday month!).

Review of 'H is for Hawk' by Helen Macdonald. Book Club Choice for June.

Helen with her goshawk Mabel.
Photo courtesy of The New Yorker Magazine.

H is for Hawk is a memoir written by Helen Macdonald, a third year research fellow at Cambridge University. Her father dies suddenly of a heart attack. She was very close to her father and she used to go on outings with him, when he worked as a professional photographer.  Helen Macdonald had been interested in falconry from childhood, and by this point in her life she is a very experienced falconer. She has read (and written one) numerous books on the subject. Following her father’s death, she buys a goshawk for £800 and sets about trying to tame her.
This book is about her training the goshawk, who she calls Mabel, and coming to terms with the loss of her father. But in my opinion it is so much more than that.

I was attracted to this book by some deep instinct. Every time I went into the book shop I kept looking at the cover and I didn’t know why. When I picked it up, it sounded like the last book I would be interested in reading, and yet, it kept calling to me. So I made it the book club choice and here we are.
Well my instincts were right. For me personally, it was not an easy book to read, but from the start I found it riveting, mesmerizing and fascinating. I don’t think I have ever read such beautiful and raw descriptions of nature anywhere before. I found the writing almost hypnotic. I would stay awake reading it till two in the morning, which if you know me, never ever happens. In saying that, as I previously mentioned, I didn’t find it an easy read and at times it was actually difficult to read, but no less enjoyable for that. So what made is so captivating?

The language is complex, original and describes the countryside around England in a way that I have never heard before. Macdonald knows every tree, every hedge and every flower she passes. Nothing escapes her eye when she is out in nature. Her descriptions astounded me.

She describes the depths of her feelings with a refreshing bluntness and honesty that I loved. Her grief for her father is so palpable, and having gone through losing my own father, there were several parts of the book where I broke down and cried with empathy and understanding.
For example, on page 150, she writes:
 

‘On the way home, I felt a great and simple sadness, I missed my dad. I missed him very much.’
 

Well that was all I needed to read to set me off, and it fitted perfectly in context, as did every word in this book, in my opinion.

There is a parallel strand to the narrative as the author describes a book she is reading by a man called T. H. White who also trained a Hawk back in the 1930s. As the author trains her own goshawk she relives the life of White and his difficulties and obsession with his own hawk. Although I wasn’t as interested in this part of the book, it works, as she comes to understand her own complexities through his experiences and draws solace from his failures and successes.
 

I grew fascinated by the goshawk’s actions and training. I had absolutely no idea about hawks at the start of this memoir and the descriptions of Mabel killing her prey I found very hard to stomach. It was the only part of the book I didn’t like so much, but it was still described superbly.

Sometimes you come across a book that’s a bit of a challenge. In day’s past I wouldn’t have persevered, I would have just put it down. I didn’t have to persevere at all with this book, I loved it, but I can see how some might. I would beg you to stick with it though, if only for the incredible talent the author has for language. It is simply sublime. This book will take pride of place on my bookshelf and I have no doubt it is a book I will re-read in a couple of years.

Conversations with my Father: Jack Kyle

At the beginning of 2013 I set out on a journey of discovery.  A discovery of the story of my father's life.  I thought I knew pretty much all there was to know.  I was wrong.  Over the course of the next six months, every few weekends we would sit down together and he would tell me about his life and I would listen.  I then put together, over time, what became our book entitled:
Conversations with my Father: Jack Kyle.
I know I am obviously biased, but there is no denying that he was an exceptional man.  I still want to say 'is'.  Sadly he died last November and I am still grieving.  I miss him so much it feels like I've got a cage around my heart and it is being squeezed tight.  
I am so blessed that I got to spend so much quality time talking to him and listening to his fascinating stories.   If you know nothing about him, in brief, he played rugby for Ireland and the British and Irish Lions in the 1940s and 50s.  He travelled a huge amount, ending up working in Zambia as a surgeon for over 34 years.  He was an exceptionally talented sportsman, a humanitarian who cared so much about people, and to boot he was funny, kind, warm and wise.   This book is a tribute to a man who lived in a bygone era when men were gentlemen and sport was not all about money.   There's something for everyone in this book even a bit of poetry.   Check it out at this link:  Conversations with My Father.

And the Winner is.....

Thank you to those of you who have voted.  The winner of the People’s choice for the July book club is….drum roll please:
‘The Storied Life of A.J. Fikry’ by Gabrielle Zevin.
From what I have already heard this is an excellent choice.  I have put a brief summary and link to the book on Amazon under The Monthly Book Club page, so please go there for further details.
In other news I am hoping to add a lot more content to the site over the coming weeks and to recruit some more followers.  If you know of any book lovers, I would be most grateful if you would tell them about the site and encourage them to share their thoughts.
I will be attending The West Cork Literary Festival in July and will let you all know how I get on there, as well as more book reviews and recommendations.  I am desperately trying to find a bit more time to read, so if any of you have any tips for stealing some reading time, perhaps you could share your thoughts.  Do you read in chunks of time?  Or do you read every night, or perhaps you travel by public transport and you have time to read then?  How much do you read?  I am struggling to read more than one book a month at present, which really isn’t enough.  I know I could read more.  I am torn between time I want to use for reading and the time I use to write.  Anyway, it’s all good!   Oh, and if you haven’t finished reading (or started) ‘H is for Hawk’ by Helen Macdonald, which was June’s book club choice, you still have plenty of time.  I won’t be putting up my review until the last week of June.   If you have read it feel free to share your thoughts anytime.   That’s all for now.  Happy Reading!

Book Club Choice for July. The People's Choice.

I hope you are all enjoying the book club choice for June which is 'H is for Hawk' by Helen MacDonald.    I am finding it mesmerizing and engrossing.  I am nearly finished.  As it was a rather unusual choice, I thought I would put July's book choice out to the people by way of a democratic vote.   I am going to put up three choices of very different books and the one with the most votes will be July's book club choice.  That's how we do it in the other book club I attend, and I must say I think it is very fair!   So, here goes:

1.  The Secret History by Donna Tartt. 
"It starts with a murder, is obsessed with ancient Greece and creates the delicious illusion of being admitted to the most dangerous of confidences."  The Guardian.

2.  The Lives of Women by Christine Dwyer Hickey. "  A streetwise tale of sex and scandal in Middle America."  The Independent.

3.  The Storied Life of A.J Fikry by Gabrielle Zevin (already recommended to me by a book club follower and I have read it praised by other writers.) “This novel has humor, romance, a touch of suspense, but most of all love--love of books and bookish people and, really, all of humanity in its imperfect glory.” -- Eowyn Ivey, author of The Snow Child.

I look forward to hearing your votes!  Just put a comment at the bottom of this post with your vote on it.  Thanks so much.  I will publish the chosen book on Monday 8th June.   Happy Reading! 

Review of ‘I am Pilgrim’ By Terry Hayes.

This book was recommended by two lovely followers of this website, so I decided to make it the Book club choice of the month for May.  The thriller genre is not one I would usually read, and I found it interesting that it was recommended to me by two women.  That may sound immediately sexist, but from my initial introduction to the book I felt it was definitely a book more suited to men.  So it was good that I shattered both my aversion to thrillers and my sexist thoughts, by thoroughly enjoying it.

For a brief summary I will turn to my friend Amazon: ‘Pilgrim is the codename for a man who doesn’t exist. The adopted son of a wealthy American family, he once headed up a secret espionage unit for US intelligence. Before he disappeared into anonymous retirement, he wrote the definitive book on forensic criminal investigation.’

That is a very brief summary of an altogether more complex set of plots and sub plots. The main story goes as follows: A secret intelligence agent, who becomes known as Pilgrim, has entered the world of espionage partly as a result of a very insecure upbringing – he was adopted by wealthy parents, but he didn’t have any kind of a relationship with his mother and he had a difficult relationship with his father. As the story progresses, we discover that his relationship with his adopted father forms an important and meaningful part of the story, as he realizes his father did care very much for him and Pilgrim (also known by several other names earlier on in the book) regrets not treating him with more respect.
As well as investigating two murders, the main plot follows Pilgrim, who is trying to track down a man known as the Saracen, after the discovery that he is about to cause absolute carnage in the USA. (I won’t tell how or why as this forms the crux of the book). The Saracen had become a teenage jihadist after watching his father’s beheading in Saudi Arabia, the crime - disparaging the Royal Family.  The story develops as we read with baited breath to see whether Pilgrim will be able to stop the Saracen’s ruthless plan.  The back story of both the Saracen and Pilgrim are also told in detail, so we understand their motivation, their complete lack of respect for human life and their absolute determination, albeit entirely misguided (in the case of the Saracen anyway.)
 There is also the matter of two other murders, one in New York and one in Bodrun which turn out to be linked and along with another cop (who becomes a friend) called Ben Bradley, Pilgrim sets out to solve these murders as well.
There are several other sub plots and the book is a roller coaster ride of intrigue, mayhem and mystery from the off.   I felt it was the sort of book that would be ideal for a holiday read.  It required time and speedy reading to keep up with what was going on. It was fast paced and although there are some gruesome scenes, I felt the book had enough emotional depth to keep you interested in the characters.  I actually grew to like and care about ‘Pilgrim’ and what happened to him.
Some have argued that it was fanciful, unrealistic and not at all credible.  I beg to differ.  Yes, I felt parts were stretching the realms of the realistic, but it was all part of the thrill and made for an exciting, unputdownable book. I liked the character of Pilgrim, even though he was capable of killing without remorse.  I understood there were reasons for that and he had great loyalty to those he cared about.
As the author was a journalist, the research was thorough and the details added so much to the plot.  Terry Hayes is also a screen writer and it is very evident in this book.  It read so visually and it will make a terrific film, which I am sure is what the author intended.
I would highly recommend this book for anyone looking for ideas for their summer holiday read.  Not my usual choice, but very enjoyable nonetheless. 

Apologies! Book Club Choice for May!

Hello, I have just realized that my post for the May book club for 'I am Pilgrim' by Terry Hayes, was not up on the monthly book club page!  Oops!  Sincere apologies.   It is now up there (scroll down from June) and if you would like to read it and comment on your thoughts, I will not be reviewing it until the end of May!  Happy Reading!

How are you getting on with 'I am Pilgrim' and what else are you reading?

Hello book fans.  Just thought I would check in firstly to thank those who have commented so far on May's book club choice 'I am Pilgrim,' and to ask those of you who may have started it or may be contemplating it, to get  your skates on!

What do you think so far?  Enjoying it?  I have now finished it, but I am not going to put up my review until the last week of May as promised, so if you haven't read it yet, you best get going!  It's not a short read!
If you have finished it, what else are you reading?  I am going to put up June's book club choice on the Monthly Book Club page later today.  If you wish to get started it is called 'H is for Hawk' by Helen Macdonald, and I have to admit this is a very personal choice.  You will see why when you read the summary.  You have plenty of time to read it, as I won't be reviewing it until the end of June. 

So, what I want to know is, what else is everyone reading?  I have a pile of books so high by my bed, it is becoming ridiculous.  Among them are; 'The King's Curse' by Philippa Gregory, 'The Last Empress' by Anchee Min (the sequel to Empress Orchid which I absolutely adored) 'The Sense of Style, The Thinking Person's guide to writing in the 21st Century' by Steven Pinker (non-fiction, started....brilliant so far) and 'The Signature of All Things' by Elizabeth Gilbert.  I feel utterly overwhelmed just looking at them all.   Any tips for which ones I should get on with immediately?!   Anyone read any of them?  Care to comment?

Earlier this year I had a meeting with the people who published my dad's life story that I wrote with him, Hachette Books Ireland.  As I was leaving they said, 'oh would you like some books?' and proceeded to fill two enormous bags with the latest bestsellers.  I can't even look at them, as I break out into a sweat at all the books I have yet to read!  So if you need any books, you know where to come.  At least I won't have to buy a book for at least the next year (maybe two!)

Anyway what are you reading? Please do tell.  I am also having a strange urge presently to read classic novels.  I think it was going to see 'Far from the Madding Crowd' that did it.  I was reminded of what an amazing story teller Hardy was, and I want to dive back into Tess and all his other great stories.   Oh well, I will just have to take it one book at a time and learn how to speed read!

Persephone Books. A Slice of Heaven.

 

I first discovered Persephone Books when my aunt sent me 'Someone at a Distance' by Dorothy Whipple for my birthday one year.  This beautiful package arrived with a book with an elegant grey cover and cream pages, and a lovely book mark.  I was intrigued.  Who on earth was Dorothy Whipple and what was this book all about?  I discovered it had been bought and sent from Persephone Books, a very unique book shop in London I had never heard of.

The founder Nicola Beauman had a vision of printing books by women written during the 1930s and 40s that were now out of print.  Boy did she do it in style!

The website tell us the following about the founder of this treasure trove for book lovers: "The founder of Persephone Books, Nicola Beauman (née Mann), was born in 1944, brought up in London, and read English at Newnham College, Cambridge. She is the author of A Very Great Profession: The Woman’s Novel 1914-39 (1983), Cynthia Asquith (1987), Morgan: a biography of E.M. Forster (1993) and The Other Elizabeth Taylor (2009). She is married with five children and lives in London. She likes brogues, daffodils, mattress ticking and madeira."

As for the books themselves - quality is the order of the day.  Beautifully written stories by women about relationships, domesticity, the appalling tragedies of war and much much more.   I remember my cousin recommending Monica Dickens to me, the great granddaughter of Charles.  Her book 'Mariana' is available and by all accounts is hilarious. There are also books by men now available and the whole collection is sublime.  For a taster I would read their blog recommendations at  Persephone Books Blog
They also stop for tea every day at 4 pm which I think is most civilized!   These books make great presents.  If you have read any of them, or have visited the shop, please let me know as I would love to know your thoughts.  I hope to visit the shop next time I am in London.

Review of Elizabeth is Missing by Emma Healey. Book Club choice for April.

Over-hyped.  For me that was what this book was in a nutshell.  It couldn’t possibly have lived up to my high expectations. From all the quotes extolling it’s magnificence on the cover I was expecting a superb read.

Don’t get me wrong, I certainly enjoyed it.  If you love unreliable narrators, then you will enjoy this book just fine, but for me sadly I just found it frustrating. 

The book begins with the main character Maud having just found the remains of a compact mirror in the garden, which she recognizes and this sets up the twin mysteries of the disappearance of her friend Elizabeth, and a previous mystery – the disappearance of her older sister Sukey, just after the Second World War.

The main character Maud is beautifully portrayed in the first person narrative and I grew in affection and sympathy for her as the book went on.  The descriptions of her descent into dementia were both terrifying and unbearably poignant at times.   Healey’s gift for language is impressive.

Where my frustration set in was with the rambling double storyline. It seemed to have no end in sight and I felt it to be a bit haphazard at times.  Where the bloody hell was Elizabeth?!!  I was getting as frustrated as her daughter Helen, and undoubtedly this was the effect the author intended.   I was also disappointed in the ending.  I won’t actually give it away here, in case someone hasn’t finished reading it yet, but my feeling was ‘I have ploughed through this book for that?’

A beautifully written novel, I loved the character of Maud and her emotional journey, I was just disappointed with the plot.  

I look forward to hearing what you thought. 

Have you Read...? A Few More Recommendations.

I was listening to an Arts Show on the radio last night and they were talking about the short list for the International IMPAC Dublin literary award.  (More details here www.impacdublinaward.ie) They mentioned an author who I hadn't thought of in awhile -  Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie.  She is shorlisted for her book 'Americanah.'

I remembered reading 'Half of a Yellow Sun.'  Have  you read it?  It is an excellent read.  It is about the struggle in Biafra to establish an independent republic in southeastern Nigeria during the late 1960s. We experience this through five unforgettable characters: Ugwu, a thirteen-year-old houseboy who works for Odenigbo, a university professor full of revolutionary zeal; Olanna, the professor’s beautiful young mistress and Richard, a shy young Englishman who is in love with Olanna’s feisty twin sister Kainene.

I found this book gripping from the start.  The characters are so vivid and the depictions of war so brutal.  It is also a love story and all the characters lives are expertly told, so that within a very short time you are completely invested in their stories.  I remember seeing the author on television speaking at the Hay Festival.  She was so beautiful and eloquent.   Nigeria has produced some incredible writers and she is definitely one of them.   I can't wait to read 'Americanah.'

I think I will have to edit my list of 'Top Ten Favourite Books,' as I was thinking about other books last night that I had completely forgotten about.  Two being 'Rebecca' by Daphne du Maurier and 'Stoner.' by John Williams.  If you haven't read 'Stoner,' I cannot recommend it highly enough.  It is one of those books that once you have finished it you sigh and look forward to a time when you can re-read it.  It is a masterpiece of understated brilliance in my opinion.  Happy Reading!

Thoughts on 'A Room of One's Own' and 'Mrs Dalloway,' by Virginia Woolf.

Having finally read two Virginia Woolf classics, I thought I would share my views. Firstly, I am exhausted!  Ms Woolf is most definitely not easy reading (well not for me anyway.) I will start with 'A Room of One's Own.'  This book grew out of a lecture that Virginia Woolf had been invited to give at Girton College Cambridge in 1928.
In the book she begins to contemplate women and fiction and on page two we have one of the best quotes I have ever read: 'A woman must have money and a room of her own if she is to write fiction; and that, as you will see, leaves the great problem of the true nature of woman and the true nature of fiction unsolved.'   What a brilliant piece of observation and how true! Woolf then goes on to discuss women in literature, women in history and the differences between how women are portrayed in fiction and how they actually lived in reality.

I found this book fascinating, beautifully written and a real revelation, in so far as it raised questions about both women and women as writers, that I had never even thought to contemplate before.  Woolf is a master of description and expressing deep personal reflections in exquisite literary form.  Honestly I can't do justice to the book.  There are so many good quotes, you just want to read it all again once you have finished.   As a wannabe writer, I found her advice useful, such as “So long as you write what you wish to write, that is all that matters; and whether it matters for ages or only for hours, nobody can say. ”

I did think she was very hard on women at times.  Near the end of the book she says of women 'you are in my opinion disgracefully ignorant,' but in the context it is a call to arms for all women to shine and step out of the shadows of men. She imagines Shakespeare's sister coming forth as a poet and how we all need to be that poet.   This book is one I feel deserves to be read by women and men alike and re-read several times.  A classic.

Now, moving on to 'Mrs Dalloway'.  How I wish I could have loved this book, but I didn't.  I felt I should have, as there is no doubting it is a work of literary genius. But for me, it was just too hard work.   The book tells the story of Clarissa Dalloway, who is preparing for a party she is to give at her home in London.  We experience her thoughts and feelings as he goes out into London to do her shopping and then returns home to prepare for her party.  We then experience the views and feelings of others about her as they weave in and out of the story.  A former lover Peter Walsh who has returned from India.  Her friend Sally Seton and a few others.   There is a parallel story running alongside that of Clarissa Dalloway - that of Septimus Smith, a war veteran who is descending into madness.  The action takes place over the course of one day and although they never meet, their stories run parallel and intertwine somewhat at the end.

Honestly I just felt the descriptions were too crowded and too many and the interior monologues were too intense at every moment.   I can appreciate the lyricism of her writing and the beauty of her descriptions, but I couldn't care enough about any of the characters and I became worn down with the lack of anything actually happening.   I would love to know your thoughts.  I am not sure I will be picking up any more Virginia Woolf, but if you can persuade me I would love to hear which of her novels you loved, if any.  I am however delighted to have read  'A Room of One's Own.'  

Jeanette Winterson at the Dublin Writers Festival 2012

Following on from talking about 'Why be Happy when you could be Normal?' by Jeanette Winterson, I came across this online video of her giving a talk at the Dublin Writers Festival (as it was then) in 2012.
If you haven't read the book, she reads the first chapter and another chapter too, so it gives you a good idea of whether you wish to read the book or not.
I just find her so funny, intelligent and a brilliant writer.
Hope you enjoy it!

http://ilfdublin.com/video/jeanette-winterson-dwf-2012/

Book Club Choice for April

OK, so no-one read 'The Handsome Man's Deluxe Cafe.'  That's OK, considering the blog was only published last week, you didn't exactly have a lot of time! Of course there's no deadline so comment away if you wish. 

I am hoping for more success with April's choice which you will find under the page entitled 'Monthly Book Club.'   But I will tell you here, because I am nice like that. It is 'Elizabeth is Missing.' by Emma Healey. You will, however, find out more on said page.

I appreciate it will take time to build a little following and enjoy some discussions, but I am one for perseverance, so I hang on, knowing you are out there, having a sneaky peak and then wandering off.
One day I know, you will see/read something that you will feel  inspired to comment on!  I look forward to hearing from you then.

As usual I am overwhelmed with too many books.  I go to my local library every Friday and spend a glorious hour browsing the shelves and trying not to come away with the maximum amount allowed, which I think is 10 books. I try to limit myself to 3, but alas I usually leave with 5 or 6 tucked under my arm.  There is a lovely system with the libraries here, where after 3 weeks if you are not ready to return the books, you can simply renew online.  They even send you a nice little text to remind you, so that you don't have to pay any penalties.   The problem is one of guilt.  I renew and then wonder if someone is desperately waiting for the very book I have sitting unread beside my bed.  It's too much for a girl to cope with, so I often end up returning unread books to the library.  I know - I  need help!

Anyway on my Friday visit I borrowed two books by Virgina Woolf.  'Mrs Dalloway.' and 'A Room of One's Own.'  They are both quite short so I am hoping will not take too long to read, and I plan to enjoy them over Easter, when instead I should be studying for my upcoming journalism exam.   Anyone read any Virginia Woolf?  I felt it was about time the great lady was added to my list of, 'books I really must read for my ongoing literary enjoyment and education.' We shall see.  Till next time. 

Review of Monthly Book Club Choice for March

This month's book club choice was The Handsome Man's De Luxe Cafe by Alexander McCall Smith.

This is the 15th book in the series of the Number 1 Ladies Detective Agency.  I have read them all!
For me this is easy and pleasurable reading at its best.  It's like stepping into a warm bath - comforting, relaxing and you don't want to get out!

McCall Smith describes the beauty of the Botswana landscape and the kindness of the people with such charm and joy that you know he genuinely feels a real affection for them both.

What I love most about this book is the humour.  The characters never fail to be surprised at the wickedness of  others, Mma Makutsi's shoes talk to her and you can visualize her eyes behind her big thick glasses widening in surprise which happens often.

The characters sail through their days drinking redbush tea and commenting on the oddities of life.
The only criticism I would have is that we are now very familiar with all of the characters and many of the themes are becoming a bit repetitive.  I always have a good long break between reading each of the books and only pick it up when I know I need something soothing and ultra light to read.   I think perhaps it may be time for the series to draw to a close?  

Overall though I think the story is pure escapism and I found it a charming book.   What did you think?
Have you read any of the No 1 Ladies Detective Agency?  Do you have a favourite one? 

I promise something totally different for next month!