Hannah Morgan-Lewis
Based on Buddhist ideas, this is a deeply philosophical novel that I found rather too intelligent for its own good. The narrative style is unusual in that it diverges in the three narratives, showing different paths that the characters could have taken, which can be a little confusing. All of the narratives are concerning men struggling with homosexuality but I though the author's approach was reminiscent of the kind of morality type novels where the reader is warned that relationships of this kind can only come to a bad or unhappy end! Certainly the relationships are described in the most unerotic ways and skimmed over as much as possible. I found myself getting frustrated by all the padding - too many characters, lack of focus on plot and characters. I think there are much better litfic books out there which are more readable and less likely to make you feel dense and unsatisfied by the end!
A major reappraisal of the life of Catherine Howard, this book explodes how history has portrayed Catherine as an empty-headed flirty bimbo. Here, Catherine is shown as a woman manipulated by men, who did do some silly things but ultimately paid with her life. Russel has gone back to the source material and shows time and again that many of the little ‘facts' about Catherine's life as not actually true. In addition, many of the images previously identified of her are of someone else, as Henry tried to destroy many of the things associated with her. This is meticulously researched and full of references, but I also found the style accessible and it was an interesting read. Fascinating both from Catherine's point of view, and of the ageing lothario she was forced to marry.
A unique novel in the way that some of it is told from the point of view of a tiger, which I thought was very well done. I loved Polly Clark's last book Larchfield and I think she should be far better known. Her books are beautifully written, full of lyrical, poetic language but still completely readable.
Frieda has had to leave her job researching bonobos after a horrific attack. She is still very much healing and not functioning properly. She takes a job as a zookeeper and proves herself competent enough to work with the tigers, much to the disgust of a male co-worker who is obsessed with the tigers and treats her horrifically.She takes care of the Empress, an injured tiger and comes to respect her and to heal in her own way.
In the wilds of Russia, Tomas lives an unhappy life on a nature conservation with his father. They live in the middle of nowhere where they track tigers in the hope of gaining support from Putin. He is disturbed to find that poachers have killed the male tiger and there appears to be a woman living in the forest.
The characters are beautifully, humanely drawn and I loved the way the author told the tiger parts of the novel. The descriptions of the animals and of the wilds of Russia are very well described and it was obvious that Clark had done a huge amount of research about tigers and their habitat.
At this rate I am going to have to start describing myself as a YA reader! I thought this book was fabulous, very well written and gripping.
The story is told by Violet, who is looking back on the events that happened to her and her friends. After a tragic accident which leaves her and her mother alone, she is sent to a girls' school which was the site of witch trials. Violet attracts the attention of Annabel, one of the teachers, who has set up an exclusive club for girls she considers exceptional. Along with her three friends they attend to discuss women through history and through their lessons they become interested in witchcraft themselves. Robin in particular is drawn to performing rituals and they start to believe they have real power.
I thought the witchcraft elements were really well handled and I loved the way the author incorporated elements of mythology into the story. The perils of being a teenager in the 1990s are brilliantly and very accurately described, as is the friendship between the girls. I loved the way that the mystery of the missing girl unfolded and I thought that the plot was quite unexpected. Violet is a great narrator, looking back at her teenage years with some regret. Some of the book gets a bit far fetched at times, but overall, I really enjoyed it.
This book explores little events in history and people who may have been forgotten due to other people being credited with their achievements. The author uses a breezy style, short chapters and plenty of illustrations, making it appealing for readers in search of a light book that can be dipped in an out of. However, for more serious readers and for those in search of the verified fact I wouldn't recommend it as checking the sources at the end I found them mainly to consist of Wikipedia articles and top ten lists from other internet sites. There were some interesting articles but others I knew about or had already read as being refuted elsewhere. A good idea for a book, and certainly use ideas but don't just rehash other articles in your own style without additional research.
A very intriguing premise for a novel. Told from the perspectives of Arty, a teenager who lives in a secluded matriarchal community and a mysterious figure who is being held captive at an unknown point in time. Arty is forced by circumstances to leave her idyllic community and seek her way in the world. I absolutely loved the way the author describes the way that Arty sees and deals with the outside world and it makes the reader think about things that we take for granted such as using phones and social networking. She meets some interesting people on her journey and both her plot and the mystery of the person in captivity keeps the reader gripped. I read this on Pigeonhole and it kept everyone guessing right up until the end. Highly recommended YA, this is not a genre I read often but it is the type of book anyone would enjoy.
I didn't realise initially that this was a bridging novel between two books that explained gaps between gaps, and I think I would have benefited from reading the first book before I read this one, however, it wasn't that difficult to pick up. I thought this was accomplished historical fiction that seemed to be well researched, based on real events and characters, and I would be interested in reading more of the series. Set in Ireland during the reign of Charles iii, the plot centres around Faolan Burke moving into the house of Thomas Wentworth, the Lord Deputy of Ireland. Some well drawn characters, I especially liked how Faolan and Denisa, Wentworth's personal assistant were portrayed. Although this is not a short book, I didn't find it a long read as there was plenty happening and it gave a good sense of the period.
Asylum by Jack Adams
I can't say I've read a great deal of Australian fiction. I thought this was a promising mystery story which switches between two time frames, from the perspective of two boys, Adam and Nate, who live near an Asylum and befriend Joe, an inmate and Adam and Nate as adults investigating into what happened to him. The characters from the asylum are respectfully portrayed and it becomes clear that some dreadful things have happened there, which are harrowing to read about. There are a couple of scenes set inside, but most of the investigation takes place elsewhere. I think I would have liked a bit more description of the place. The central story is good, although I didn't find it gripping. I think that I had a few issues which brought the rating down. This is only my opinion though.
Firstly, a couple of the characters and plot lines. I thought Adam's mother Winsome was a completely pointless addition who slowed the story down at times. I didn't care that his mother was famous, I wanted to know what was going on with the plot, not with a woman who wasn't even in the story! The PA might as well have worn a badge wearing ‘love interest', I found her a disappointing stereotype from the arrival with her diet Coke, low fat cottage cheese and motivational statements. She was supposed to be sassy but just ended up gossiping about the famous mother. However, I found Danielle, the PI much more interesting.
Finally, the writing. It's readable but I didn't think that so much time needed to be spent on describing drinks orders and attracting waitress's attention and other little things that somewhat slowed the narrative down. If the characters are in the middle of a conversation, you don't need to stop to describe how one of them finished their wine and ordered another. Maybe this was trying for realism.
Overall, not a bad mystery, and I can see that this is probably the start of a series.
A lively, well illustrated history of ideas around the Fourth Reich, this covers right from the rebuilding of Germany to the present day, both from the side of people who hoped (and still hope) that the Fourth Reich would mean a resurgence of Nazi ideas about racial purity and empire building, and those who saw it as the complete opposite, more of a utopia far beyond Nazi ideals. I liked that the author covered history, political thought and also how the idea was covered in popular culture, the depiction of Nazis as the enemy in films and the obsession with alternative history. I thought that it is a timely book considering the rise of populist politicians throughout Europe, and the author shows that if we forget the legacy of the far right, we are doomed to repeat the history. I thought that it was an accessible, interesting read and I liked the author's approach. He had obviously done a great deal of research and the book has extensive footnotes and an excellent bibliography.
Drawing comparisons with The Handmaid's Tale, this imagines a present day where in the course of a year, the right wing takes over America completely altering society. Dr. Jean McClellan has gone from a doctor specialising in neurolinguistics researching a cure from a brain condition to living as a bored housewife in an impossible situation. She remembers how a charismatic pastor takes over and forces women to leave work, to wear bracelets limiting their words to 100 a day (or else receive an electric shock), give up passports, money, bank accounts and all reading materials apart from the Bible. Even worse, Jean's children are affected - her daughter is not allowed to read or write or speak over 100 words and s therefore not learning to speak properly and her son has been brainwashed by the school to find all this perfectly normal and right. Her husband has a job at the government so they cannot rebel from this. Reproductive rights are nonexistent, homosexuality is outlawed and anyone caught doing something the state disapproves of is sent to a concentration camp or executed.
I thought this was brilliantly imagined and completely gut wrenching at times, so prescient. I listened to the audiobook and had to turn it off at times as it was making me angry on Jean's behalf and the plot was enthralling. I think that the central message was that we are all responsible for freedom, we can chose to turn a blind eye to injustice or take a stand. As recent events have shown in America, women's rights are being eroded now by the right, this is not just happening in fiction. The characters are very well drawn, particularly the family at the centre of it, and Jean's discussions with her brainwashed son are terrifying.
Subtitled ‘The Secret History of Trump's Women' this book invited anger from the right who fixated on such important issues as whether or not Melania actually finished her architectural degree. I think that was besides the point as what Burleigh manages to do here is portray women who have often lived difficult lives in the spotlight married or related to one of the biggest characters of the modern age, with dignity and humanity.
Starting with the formidable Elizabeth, Donald's grandmother who may have been the actual founder of the Trump organisation, Burleigh shows how the Trump family have often revised history to portray themselves in a different light; decreasing the contribution of Elizabeth and claiming to be Swedish rather than German. For someone so fixated on immigrants, Trump ignores that his grandparents were immigrants, his mother emigrated from Scotland (to work in Andrew Carnegie's house no less) and he has married women who have immigrated.
I was particularly taken with Ivana's story, she seems to have had one of the most difficult lives losing men who meant a great deal to her and suffering from alleged domestic violence from Donald yet still proving to be a great business woman and an icon of the eighties. Trump obviously has problems with staying faithful and has a phobia of menstruation and of pregnancy. He expects women to stay young and beautiful and to provide his dynasty yet never appear in the pregnant state. Women who call him out on sexual harassment are ‘liars' and he has enjoyed sleeping with multiple women As an independent business woman, Burleigh certainly implies that he felt threatened by her acumen.
The tales of Ivana and of his other wives are of women who have been silenced by Trump's lawyers who have threatened them if they talk. The beginning passage of Burleigh meeting at a restaurant with an informant who seems terrified of getting caught was particularly vivid. Burleigh also explores the fears that people have that Melania is unhappy in her marriage, it sounds as if she is particularly unsuited to being married to a public figure and does not always know how to behave. There are also the stories of his sisters and of his daughter Tiffany
Although these women have mostly been silenced, Ivanka is a woman who can't be silenced. She often lives on her own terms and seems to be able to stand up to her father at times, and has recovered from setbacks when they have arisen.
I found this audiobook absolutely fascinating and very well narrated. Burleigh has obviously put a lot of research into it.
This book blends history and literature to explore Western representations of Vice, Crime and Poverty, showing how criminals and the poor were affected by industrialisation. A vast number of the references are to either the United Kingdom or to France, focusing on the work of Dickens and Hugo in particular. I thought that it was well researched and for a scholarly work, very readable to the point that I would have enjoyed reading more. Of particular interest was the origin of the fascinating argot of the underworld, and this book is full of some great characters. Good analysis of the characters in literature, but mainly focused on 19th century
First off, this surprised me that this was a debut novel as the writing is highly accomplished. The scene is set when Stan and his wife Karen drink-driving home from a party knock over a woman whom they take in and Stan's identical twin brother Pickle becomes enamored of. This could have be considered satire, as Stan and Karen belong to a certain class of American with very privileged lives with their architecture business, alcohol problems, dog named THE Doodles and general selfishness, however, I wouldn't really have said this is intended to be funny or to send some sort of message as satire usually does. The characters are very well drawn, but not particularly likeable, although as a reader you do come to understand why at least Karen and Pickle are the way that they are, and I didn't find Karen a stereotype, although I found Stan a bit more difficult to judge as we don't really get inside his head in the same way.
The plot is more of a conundrum, as it starts with a bang with the scene on the bridge and slows down, with Karen and Pickle reminiscing about their lives and their pasts. It becomes a more difficult read as there are not always clear distinctions between the thinking about the present and the future, and not much actually happens in the story. This is all ended in a highly unexpected way, and I'm not sure I agreed with the ending. I would like to do a seperate post just discussing it as I don't want to spoil it for people. All in all, a rather bizarre book but overall it was well written and it did make me think.
Book 6. James's friend Like, who is gay, gets kidnapped after trying to impress his father in Russia. James is so busy mopping about Ryan he doesn't actually notice Like going missing. The kidnapper is a straight Russian mafioso with a grudge against Luke's father, a wealthy scumbag. At first, Like is subjected to beatings and starvation, but Roman realises that he can use Luke to get to his father so moves him to his room. This is not a book I'd put in the angst category, not after reading Sloane's stuff. Roman is surpringly open minded for a homophobic Russian mafioso and encourages Luke to stop thinking about who he should be to please his father. I loved the way Roman and Luke blossom in this book, Roman allows Luke to express his flamboyant side and Luke makes Roman care. However, if dub con is not your thing, or you object to Like looking like a teenager (although he's 23) then this won't be for you.
Number 3 in the series, this moves to the UK for the tale of Gabe, a straight football star obsessed with Jared, his gay physiotherapist. Although Gabe had a girlfriend, he can't be separated from Jared and treats him like an extension of himself, which inevitably messes with Jared's head. Gabe is a bit of a spoilt brat who must have his own way, to the point that he strings Jared along promising a physical relationship without the sex, just kissing and cuddling. I thought this was a slightly weaker story in terms of the erotic content because Gabe spends a long time convincing himself of a physical relationship. And whilst the intense co-dependency is explored, Gabe ultimately doesn't seem to grow as a person, just admits he's gay. I suppose I wanted him to become a little more independent.
A new trilogy set in the mysterious Marquess House in Pembrokeshire, this is part narrated from the point of view of Perdita Rivers, a jewelry expert who inherits the house from her estranged grandmother, and partly from the point of view of Catherine Howard. Whilst I didn't always agree with the portrayal of the historical figures, for example Henry portrayed as a brutal wife beater, I appreciated that whenever the author could she used historical fact, which she explains in the footnote, and she has obviously done her research.
Walsh believes that Catherine was misrepresented by history and was not the airheaded flirt that she has been portrayed as, and I could see her reasoning and wanted to learn more. Of particular note was the idea that she had a cordial relationship with Anne of Cleaves whom she taught to dance. Some of the conspiracy elements seemed a little far-fetched at times, but it did add to the excitement of the novel and I both enjoyed reading it and wanted to read the next in the series. Perdita is an interesting character and I'm looking forward to finding out what is happening with Kit. The Catherine Howard parts were well written from a historical perspective and from the character perspective. You really feel for her as she is forced to marry the repugnant Henry to assist her power grabbing family and it's evident that whether or not he was a wife beater, he did suffer from memory issues. This is available on Kindle Unlimited and I would recommend it for readers who enjoy conspiracy theories, alternative history and historical fiction/contemporary fiction blends.
Number 5 is another slow burner. Gay, closed James has been friends with Zach's brother Ryan forever. Born into a privileged family, he fears to tell his parents about his sexuality and has to watch his best friend and obsession Ryan kissing his girlfriend in front of him. They have a weird relationship where Ryan has a thing about cuddling James like a Teddy bear, but thinks of James as his brother. Poor old James spends much of the book moping, and Ryan's poor girlfriend gets dumped so that James won't stop being Ryan's friend. I have to say, Ryan was right be freaked out by some of James's antics, although at the same time he probably should have let James go or at least stop with the physical stuff if they were going to have a platonic friendship. All that anger and freaking out about the sexual stuff didn't do either of them any good.
Number 4 in the series. Gabe's brother, Tristan is also a top football player at the same club, but he's gay (although hiding it because of his career). Jared's friend Zach is the straight physio assigned to help him, but Tristan is having none of it. He's the enfant terrible of the football club who treats Gabe and his poor assistant like dirt. Zach on the other hand has an open relationship with his fiancé and no intention of putting up with Tristan's nonsense. In the course of the physio they discover that Tristan enjoys being spanked and Zach enjoys spanking him, which was very hot. I probably would have liked more spanking! Zach develops a kind of obsession which he is advised to ‘get out of system' by actually having sex with Tristan which is a rather bad idea. Unethical physio and poor advice aside, I enjoyed it, particularly the introduction of Zach's family. And Tristan does grow as a person.
More LGTBQ+ than the slash fic I often read. This is a serious, often bittersweet romantic novel from the point of view of Frank, a man who has never got over a romantic attachment for a friend and Julio, who is Frank's housemate since he divorced. Poor Frank is in a rather woeful state, locking himself up in his house avoiding Julio, so he is thrown into confusion when Jonathan turns up in his life again planning a wedding to his evil boyfriend Marcus who utterly hates Frank. Julio on the other hand is busy crushing on Marcus at his yoga classes unaware that Marcus is engaged. As a favour for Frank, Julio pretends to be his boyfriend to Jonathan and Marcus.
I liked the characters in this book and the way that the plot kept me guessing, I thought that the first person narrative worked well in the way that the characters were not necessarily what Frank and Julio thought they were. They are all very human and every one of them does things that they are ashamed of (or should be ashamed of!). I loved the way that Frank and Julio grew as people. This is not an explicit book, but I didn't feel like it needed it, this is a beautifully told story.
A book that I would have probably liked better when I was younger. Brandes takes the story of the last few months of the Romanov's lives and adds magic and a romance between Anastasia and a guard called Zash. She had obviously researched the period thoroughly, but I wasn't entirely convinced by the magical elements. To me it felt like an unfortunate hybrid between real history and fantasy. The magic and the secret magical history of Russia wasn't really explained, and it was as if you were diving into a second book in a series. I wanted a bit more world building and description. Why did the Bolsheviks ban magic? However, this may have been a deliberate choice to normalise the magic elements.
The first part takes place in the quarters where the family is held and can be quite dry at times, contrasting with the fast pace of the second part. First part Nastya is actually quite annoying, but I think she's probably quite true to life!
Anyway, I just want to say that whilst this wasn't my cup of tea, it does have some charming elements particularly in the second half and would probably appeal much more to fans of ya fantasy/magic novels with a romantic twist. This is not a genre I tend to read much of though (I am so old and decrepit ya didn't really exist when I was a young adult!).
A history book that uses recently released sources to lay conspiracy theories about the survival of the Romanov family to rest. This is obviously well researched with a full bibliography of sources at the back, and is filled with a surprising number of illustrations for a short book. Cook goes into a great deal of detail about the last few months of the family.
However, I did have reservations about the book. Whilst there is a bibliography of sources divided into themes, I found it strange that there were no proper footnotes or endnotes. Whilst I don't always read all the footnotes, I suppose I find it reassuring to know exactly where the historian has found their information and to tell what angle they are taking with it. Also, I thought this lacked analysis. Most of the book was taken up with the description of what had happened, a small chapter at the end described what was in the newly released documents, then the rest was taken up with the original sources. I felt like I might as well just read the sources direct. The lack of analysis made the history somewhat dry and overall I found this quite an odd book.
I listened to the audiobook of this, which I thought was extremely well done with some really good narrators.
The story centres around a family of three sisters, Althea, Violet and Lilian, and their extended family and how they cope when Althea and her husband are sent to jail for fraud, leaving their two daughters in limbo. Even worse, Althea and Proctor are hated by the community where they live.
The story is narrated first person by the sisters, and in letters from Proctor to Althea. The sisters, along with their brother who is not as prevalent in the story, have all been affected by their unhappy childhood after their mother died leaving them to be looked after by their stern father. Althea has married her childhood sweetheart Procter, and is kind of a pillar of the community until she gets caught, although she has a difficult relationship with her daughter Kim. Lilian lives in the house where she grew up, widowed and caring for her late husband's grandmother. Violet is separated from her wife and struggling with anorexia and bulimia. The brother Joe is the only person who seems to have got off without becoming miserable and he and his wife are pillars of the church. Kim is mixed up and feels like Althea hates her due to her mother's strict attitude to her, and Baby Vi shows signs that she is becoming anorexic as well. Althea refuses to see the girls and Kim feel like it is because she hates her.
Food and hunger is a major theme of the book, as is the imagery of a river that Althea keeps going back to in her mind. The sisters are all forced by circumstances to take responsibility for themselves and their own happiness. The characters are beautifully crafted and you really feel as if you know them and will miss them after the book is finished. Aside from the sisters, I thought the characters in the prison where Althea is incarcerated were great, and Ni Ni the Korea grandmother living in the family home was so fantastically narrated by the voice of Lilian, she really brought her to life. Althea's daughters Kim and Baby Vi also provide pivotal roles to the story.
This was a brilliant book that I really enjoyed listening to, full of beautiful little touches. It explores the history of the characters in detail and why they are the way that they are.
Region 6 by Ian James Krender
Reading alternative history books, a genre I enjoy, the most important thing is to create a believable set up. I think Krender's set up is believable and he creates a vivid dystopian alternative timeline where the Nazis have won the war and have turned 1980s Britain into Region 6, an entirely Nazi controlled outpost where the populace are controlled with water additives to affect behaviour and the people who are not affiliated with the occupiers live and work in dreadful conditions. The story follows Thomas, who is one of the people who lives in a slum and works in a TV factory, and Stephen who has wealthy parents who gift him Nazi party membership for his birthday. Stephen has a good education, living parents and a good life but both men are struggling with forbidden homosexuality. When Thomas becomes involved in a resistance organisation, Stephen is sent to investigate him and the two men form a relationship.
This is not a particularly detailed depiction of their relationship and there are no sex scenes as such. I thought the characters well drawn and their motives well thought out. Thomas in particular is a character who is a bit rough around the edges and seems believable. I liked the way that the resistance fighters were depicted, and it made me think about how we consider terrorists. The plot is good too, although I think the end seemed a little rushed. Overall though I thought this was a very promising novel and I would read morby the author.
Yes, this is not a casual read. The author has experimented with the postmodern idea of avoiding ‘the tyranny of plot', comparing this to the work of Virginia Woolf. There are overarching themes and things that happened, but they are not linked together, this is to give a more naturalistic feel to the story. A series of impressions to give a feeling of what is happening. It particularly suits the settings of post war England and Vienna with the themes of desolation and rebuilding. It's an incredibly lyrical, poetic story which does use some words considered archaic or obscure, but I think it's justified. This is a story about two brothers, one living in England, the other in Vienna.
I thought the parts of the story set in Vienna worked better, particularly due to the character of Millie, who works as some light relief in what could have become rather a heavy story. In contrast, I found Richard's parts a bit more difficult due to his relationship with Helene who is enigmatic to the point that I didn't feel like I could get to grips with either her character or their relationship. I feel like I may have read it a bit too quickly and that maybe Pigeonhole didn't really work as a platform for it. This is the kind of book to savour the language, to re-read and to go back to previous parts to link it all together in your mind. It's not really a page turner, but can anybody really say that postmodern novels are? However, the fear of people giving poor reviews should never put an author off experimenting, else we would all still be reading the proto novels of people like Richardson and Defoe or confining ourselves to the same type of books time and time again.I hope that the poor reviews don't put people off reading it.
Just a Bit Obsessed is the tale of Alexander who is pretty much forced into a threesome with his girlfriend and Christian (friends with Shawn from book 1 of Straight Guys). His girlfriend is bizarre and completely self-obsessed, Alexander REALLY DOESN'T WANT to do a threesome, he has some major issues with his father staying with his mother whilst still dicking around with men. He's a bit of a control freak too. Yet she still forces him into it as she has a crush on Christian. She's majorly turned on when he finally loosens up enough to kiss Christian then is surprised when it all goes sour and he only has eyes for the other man! Good characters, some hot sex and it left me wanting more.