Category Archives: Fiction – Light

March 14, 2014 · 5:24 pm

The Gravity of Birds – Tracy Guzeman

The Gravity of Birds - Tracy Guzeman

The Gravity of Birds – Tracy Guzeman

This is my latest book club selection. I knew nothing about it prior to reading it – quite refreshing really.

Here is the blurb …

Sisters Natalie and Alice Kessler were close, until adolescence wrenched them apart. Natalie is headstrong, manipulative—and beautiful; Alice is a dreamer who loves books and birds. During their family’s summer holiday at the lake, Alice falls under the thrall of a struggling young painter, Thomas Bayber, in whom she finds a kindred spirit. Natalie, however, remains strangely unmoved, sitting for a family portrait with surprising indifference. But by the end of the summer, three lives are shattered.

Decades later, Bayber, now a reclusive, world-renowned artist, unveils a never-before-seen work, Kessler Sisters; a provocative painting depicting the young Thomas, Natalie, and Alice. Bayber asks Dennis Finch, an art history professor, and Stephen Jameson, an eccentric young art authenticator, to sell the painting for him. That task becomes more complicated when the artist requires that they first locate Natalie and Alice, who seem to have vanished. And Finch finds himself wondering why Thomas is suddenly so intent on resurrecting the past.

In The Gravity of Birds histories and memories refuse to stay buried; in the end only the excavation of the past will enable its survivors to love again.

 I found this novel compelling. I read fast to find out what happened next. Did he? Did she? Did they? It is definitely all about the plot I can see it being made into a fast paced movie. I had to keep reminding myself that some of the characters were elderly. I do have a few lingering questions about a couple of things, and is it possible to keep something secret for so long when more than one person is involved in keeping the secret (I feel sure there must be death bed confessions that spill the beans).

More reviews …

http://www.bookreporter.com/reviews/the-gravity-of-birds

http://thewritesofwoman.wordpress.com/2013/08/22/the-gravity-of-birds-tracy-guzeman/

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February 3, 2014 · 10:54 am

London – Edward Rutherfurd

London - Edward Rutherford

London – Edward Rutherford

I read Paris while in Paris and really enjoyed it. I kept looking things up on Google maps to see where the locations were in relation to my location.

Here is the blurb for London …

In the tradition of his phenomenal bestseller “Sarum”, Edward Rutherford now gives readers a sweeping novel of London, a glorious pageant spanning 2,000 years. He brings this vibrant city’s long and noble history alive through the ever-shifting fortunes, fates, and intrigues of half-a-dozen families, from the age of Julius Caesar to the 20th century. Generation after generation, these families embody the passion, struggle, wealth, and verve of the greatest city in the world.

I didn’t enjoy this one as much as Paris I struggled to get to the end. I couldn’t keep track of the characters and just when I started to get interested the story moved to a new generation. However, I do feel that I have learnt something about London’s history and from that point of view it was an easy read.

More reviews …

http://mistlake.wordpress.com/2013/06/21/book-review-edward-rutherfurd-london/

http://www.nytimes.com/books/97/08/03/daily/london-book-review.html

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September 24, 2013 · 11:44 am

The Misinterpretation of Tara Jupp – Eva Rice

The Misinterpretation of Tara Jupp - Eva Rice

The Misinterpretation of Tara Jupp – Eva Rice

I am still writing reviews for the books I read while on holiday in July. I read this one because I enjoyed The Lost Art of Keeping Secrets. This was also lots of fun to read.

Here is the blurb …

Country girl Tara is whisked off to ’60s London to become a star; there she is dressed, she is shown off at Chelsea parties, photographed by the best. She meets songwriters, singers, designers, and records her song. And she falls in love – with two men. Behind the buzz and excitement of her success, the bitterness between her elder sister Lucy and her friend Matilda haunts Tara. Their past friendship is broken and among the secrets and the strangeness of both their marriages, the past keeps on reappearing.

This novel captured the essence of ’60s London. In particular, the music and fashion sections. Some of the characters continue on from The Lost Art of Keeping Secrets although I wouldn’t say this is a sequel. It is a fun, light-hearted novel that has been well researched. And lets face it, it is nice to read something fun with all the angst-ridden novels out there.

I’m looking forward to Ms Rice’s next novel.

More reviews …

http://keepcalmandreadabook.wordpress.com/2013/02/17/the-misinterpretation-of-tara-jupp-eva-rice/

http://sophsophia.blogspot.com.au/2013/01/the-misinterpretation-of-tara-jupp-by.html

 

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September 4, 2013 · 5:09 pm

The Lost Art of Keeping Secrets – Eva Rice

The Lost Art of Keeping Secrets - Eva Rice

The Lost Art of Keeping Secrets – Eva Rice

I read about this novel on Amazon – the bit where it tells you what other people bought who also bought the book you just bought. I find Amazon’s recommendations to be quite handy.

Blurb…

Set in 1950s London, The Lost Art of Keeping Secrets centers around Penelope, the wide- eyed daughter of a legendary beauty, Talitha, who lost her husband to the war. Penelope, with her mother and brother, struggles to maintain their vast and crumbling ancestral home—while postwar London spins toward the next decade’s cultural revolution.

Penelope wants nothing more than to fall in love, and when her new best friend, Charlotte, a free spirit in the young society set, drags Penelope into London with all of its grand parties, she sets in motion great change for them all. Charlotte’s mysterious and attractive brother Harry uses Penelope to make his American ex-girlfriend jealous, with unforeseen consequences, and a dashing, wealthy American movie producer arrives with what might be the key to Penelope’s— and her family’s—future happiness.

Vibrant, witty, and filled with vivid historical detail, The Lost Art of Keeping Secrets is an utterly unique debut novel about a time and place just slipping into history.

This was a fun easy to read novel that reminds me of I Capture the Castle. I liked it so much I went on to read The Misinterpretation of Tara Jupp. This novel was charming – the settings and characters were all believable by which I mean nothing jarred as I was reading. I kept turning the pages despite having a pretty good idea about how it would all turn out.

More reviews …

http://writemeg.com/2009/12/18/book-review-the-lost-art-of-keeping-secrets-by-eva-rice/

http://www.turn-the-page.net/2012/01/28/rewind-and-review-the-lost-art-of-keeping-secrets-by-eva-rice/

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August 26, 2013 · 5:59 pm

Paris – Edward Rutherfurd

Paris - Edward Rutherfurd

Paris – Edward Rutherfurd

I was in Paris I had to buy this one!

Here is the blurb …

City of love. City of splendour. City of terror. City of dreams. Inspired by the haunting, passionate story of the city of lights, this epic novel weaves a gripping tale of four families across the centuries: from the lies that spawn the noble line of de Cygne to the revolutionary Le Sourds who seek their destruction; from the Blanchards whose bourgeois respectability offers scant protection against scandal to the hard-working Gascons and their soaring ambitions. Over hundreds of years, these four families are bound by forbidden loves and marriages of convenience; dogged by vengeance and murderous secrets; torn apart by the irreconcilable differences of birth and faith, and brought together by the tumultuous history of their city. Paris bursts to life in the intrigue, corruption and glory of its people. Beloved author of Sarum, London and New York, Edward Rutherfurd illuminates Paris as only he can: capturing the romance and everyday drama of the men and women who, in two thousand years, transformed a humble trading post on the muddy banks of the Seine into the most celebrated city in the world.

This novel provides a great overview of the history of Paris – I enjoyed using Google maps and seeing the relationship of places. I found the story quite compelling if somewhat contrived. Particularly the section set around World War 2 – you just know it is going to end badly for some of the characters. This novel is long, but I never found it slow or had to force myself to continue. It is an easy way of gaining a bit of historical knowledge and I recommend it to anyone interested in Paris or thinking about travelling to Paris.

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March 12, 2013 · 6:07 pm

A French Affair – Katie Fforde

A French Affair - Katie Fforde

A French Affair – Katie Fforde

Katie Fforde’s new book is out. She has even won an award.

I have read all of Ms Fforde’s novels (like this one or this one) – they’re a light, fun, easy read, but still well-written. This one, to my mind, seems a return to her best form. My copy arrived on Friday and I finished it on Sunday (perfect lazy Sunday reading).

Gina and Sally Makepiece have inherited a stall in the French House – an antiques centre nestled in the heart of the English countryside.

Gina is determined to drag the French House and its grumpy owner into the twenty-first century. Bearing all the attributes of a modern-day Mr Rochester, Matthew Ballinger is less than happy with the whirlwind that has arrived on his doorstep.

The last thing either of them want is to fall in love.

But will a trip to France change their minds?

If you like romance novels (without graphic sex scenes), then this novel is for you.

 

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October 11, 2012 · 1:30 pm

The Casual Vacancy – J K Rowling

I am jumping on The Casual Vacancy bandwagon. I liked it.

Here is the blurb ..

 When Barry Fairweather dies unexpectedly in his early forties, the little town of Pagford is left in shock. Pagford is, seemingly, an English idyll, with a cobbled market square and an ancient abbey, but what lies behind the pretty façade is a town at war. Rich at war with poor, teenagers at war with their parents, wives at war with their husbands, teachers at war with their pupils. Pagford is not what it first seems. And the empty seat left by Barry on the town’s council soon becomes the catalyst for the biggest war the town has yet seen. Who will triumph in an election fraught with passion, duplicity and unexpected revelations?

Blackly comic, thought-provoking and constantly surprising, The Casual Vacancy is J.K. Rowling’s first novel for adults.

However, it is very dark and I would think twice before recommending this book – you don’t want to be feeling a bit fragile while reading this novel. There is abuse of all sorts – I even wondered if J K Rowling had a list and checked them off as she wrote the novel (rape, incest, wife and children beating, drug abuse, neglect, etc.) The characters are a bit unsubtle and a some editing might have made for a tighter novel.  The novel does have important things to say about community and how we look after the vulnerable. As with all of the Harry Potter novels, the creation of this imaginary world is magnificent. I had a real sense of Pagford – the hills and the houses and the fields – in all their grubby squalor.

This is a novel without an obvious hero or really any particularly sympathetic characters and the world wasn’t a better place by the end. Would I have read it if it had been written by someone else? Probably not, but I am glad that I have read it.

There was a great interview with Rowling here.

More reviews …

http://dovegreyreader.typepad.com/dovegreyreader_scribbles/2012/10/tcv-draft.html

http://www.guardian.co.uk/books/2012/sep/27/jk-rowling-casual-vacancy-review

http://www.theaustralian.com.au/news/world/review-the-casual-vacancy-is-a-novel-turn-for-jk-rowling/story-fnb64oi6-1226482554015

 

 

 

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October 8, 2012 · 1:22 am

The Mystery of Mercy Close – Marian Keyes

I’ve always been a Marian Keyes fan – I’ve been a bit disappointed of late – but I was hopeful that her old form would return with another story about the walsh family.

Here’s the blurb …

 Marian Keyes, the No. 1 bestselling author of Rachel’s Holiday, is back with her stunning new novel “The Mystery of Mercy Close” and the return of the legendary and beloved Walsh sisters. Helen Walsh doesn’t believe in fear – it’s just a thing invented by men to get all the money and good jobs – and yet she’s sinking. Her work as a Private Investigator has dried up, her flat has been repossessed and now some old demons have resurfaced. Not least in the form of her charming but dodgy ex-boyfriend Jay Parker, who shows up with a missing persons case. Money is tight and Jay is awash with cash, so Helen is forced to take on the task of finding Wayne Diffney, the ‘Wacky One’ from boyband Laddz. Things ended messily with Jay. And she’s never going back there. Besides she has a new boyfriend now, the very sexy detective Artie Devlin and it’s all going well. But the reappearance of Jay is stirring up all kinds of stuff she thought she’d left behind. Playing by her own rules, Helen is drawn into a dark and glamorous world, where her worst enemy is her own head and where increasingly the only person she feels connected to is Wayne, a man she’s never even met. Utterly compelling, moving and very very funny, “The Mystery of Mercy Close” is unlike any novel you’ve ever read and Helen Walsh – courageous, vulnerable and wasp-tongued – is the perfect heroine for our times.

I enjoyed this novel – read it over a weekend. This time it’s Helen’s turn the last of the Walsh sisters and quite a subdued Helen if you remember her feisty personality from the earlier novels. It is not as light-hearted as Keye’s earlier work – where she dealt with serious issues in a witty way (think of Rachel’s Holiday). There is still laugh out loud moments, but the book has a somber undertone. Having said that it is still a comedy with dramatic moments rather than a drama with the occasional funny bit.

More reviews …

 http://www.independent.co.uk/arts-entertainment/books/reviews/the-mystery-of-mercy-close-by-marian-keyes-8119945.html

http://bookdout.wordpress.com/2012/09/19/review-the-mystery-of-mercy-close-by-marian-keyes/

 

 

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September 19, 2012 · 2:54 am

The Scandal of the Season – Sophie Gee

This was a fun easy read and it provides a bit of background to The Rape of the Lock.

Here is the blurb …

London, 1711. As the rich, young offspring of the city’s most fashionable families fill their days with masquerade balls and clandestine court-ships, Arabella Fermor and Robert, Lord Petre, lead the pursuit of pleasure. Beautiful and vain, Arabella is a clever coquette with a large circle of beaus. Lord Petre, seventh Baron of Ingatestone, is a man-about-town with his choice of mistresses. Drawn together by an overpowering attraction, the two begin an illicit affair.

Alexander Pope, sickly and nearly penniless, is peripheral by birth, yet his uncommon wit and ambition gain him unlikely entrance into high society. Once there, privy to every nuance and drama, he is a ruthless observer. He longs for the success that will cement his place in society; all he needs is one poem grand enough to make his reputation.

As the forbidden passion between Arabella and Lord Petre deepens, an intrigue of a darker nature threatens to overtake them. Fortunes change and reputations — even lives — are imperiled. In the aftermath, Pope discovers the idea for a daring poem that will catapult him to fame and fortune.

I enjoyed this novel. I even googled the characters to find out what happened next! Nothing seemed anachronistic in the story (I’m not an historian so I could be wrong) and I enjoyed the mystery and intrigue (would there be a Jacobite uprising?). It is light and entertaining (and I might have learnt a bit of history). I think fans of historical drama will enjoy this novel.

More reviews …

http://www.smh.com.au/news/book-reviews/the-scandal-of-the-season/2007/06/01/1180205489067.html

http://www.guardian.co.uk/books/2007/sep/15/featuresreviews.guardianreview20

 

 

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August 3, 2012 · 2:56 am

Wicked Business – Janet Evanovich

This is my guilty pleasure. I started reading her books years ago when a friend described them as ‘racy and pacy’ and it’s true.

Here’s the blurb …

 With gluttony safely behind them, DIESEL and LIZZY find themselves in search of LUST. But are they really after LUST, or is it TRUE LOVE? To find out they’ll have to hunt through Boston’s Louisburg Square, the catacombs of the Old North Church, and infiltrate an ancient, secret society, deep within Dartmouth College… all the while battling WULF, his minion, HATCHET, and sweet TEMPTATION.

These are definitely formulaic, but it’s a winning formula. There are laugh out loud moments and despite knowing what happens next I want to keep turning the pages.

I know come November I will be reading Notorious Nineteen …

 

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