Review: The Keep by Jennifer Egan

With a teaser like this: "In the wilds of Eastern Europe there is a mysterious castle that has stood for hundreds of years, steeped in blood lore and family pride" I just had to read it.

However I was disappointed to find that this 'gripping and ghostly gothic tale' was really not at all gripping. The story line was set up really well and had a lot of promise, however I think it became to surreal and I think Egan complicated the plot unnecessarily.

The ending was hazy and left a lot of unanswered questions, and I hate that!

My rating = **

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Review: The Scarlet Letter by Nathaniel Hawthorne

I read some of Nathaniel Hawthorne's works at University, and I always wanted to read The Scarlet Letter. Published in 1850, I was eager to discover why this is such an American Classic. I found it to be a very rich and rewarding piece of writing, and an amazing glimpse into the daily lives of the Puritans living in Boston in the seventeenth century.

Hawthorne manages to paint the characters in such a light that the reader can see into their very souls, and I can't remember ever having such character insight before.

Hawthorne was also quite a visionary in terms of recognising the inequalities women faced in society at the time. The main character Hester Prynne was a sinner and therefore couldn't bring herself to be the Prophetess to bring about the change.

I enjoyed the language, with treats along the way such as: "His gourmandism was a highly agreeable trait". Ultimately I enjoyed this American Classic and would recommend it to anyone not afraid of tackling a level of rich and complex writing.

My rating = ****

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Review: The Lovely Bones by Alice Sebold

I'd seen this book around before but had never picked it up or knew what it was about until it was recommended to me by a friend.

The Lovely Bones is the story of a fourteen year old girl who was brutally murdered in 1973. What is different about this book is that the narrator is the little girl and the book begins with her murder and she takes you on a journey with her in the years following her death. She tells us about 'her heaven' and she watches her family members deal with her death and try to keep living themselves.

This was a very touching and moving book and so different from anything I've read before.

I thoroughly enjoyed it.

My rating = *****

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Review: The Song of a Dark Angel by Paul Doherty, P.C. Doherty

It's 1302 and Hugh Corbett, King Edward I's Keeper of the Secret Seal, is sent to Norfolk to investigate a series of murders. Again, this novel is based on fact and has been well researched.

The Pastoureaux (or Shepherds Movement) of France are part of the plot, and the Children's Crusade is also mentioned. A dark but fascinating part of history I wasn't aware of prior to reading this book and was inspired to research afterwards.

The loss of King Johns treasure at the Wash in 1216 is also a large part of the plot, as rumours and myths surrounding the treasure are rife and some characters devote their lives to searching to uncovering the mystery.

Overall, another satisfying medieval mystery. I thought I was close to the end of the series, but just learned that there are another 8 in the series, so I'm really only half way.

My rating = ****

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Review: Christ the Lord - The Road to Cana by Anne Rice

To all those who know me, it goes without saying that I'm a huge Anne Rice fan and simply must read any new book she publishes. This series however couldn't be further from the Vampire Chronicles or the Mayfair Witch stories.

Rice has meticulously researched the life of Christ, and this is the second in her series bringing to life Yeshua Bar Joseph. I found her first book in the series Christ the Lord Out of Egypt difficult to get into, as it was quite heavy going. However I thoroughly enjoyed the second installation in the series, and the story is really picking up pace now. I was still a little overwhelmed by all the family members, and how they were all related, but persisted through it all!

I'm really looking forward to the next book, although it will probably be another 12 months in the making. It's also difficult to know if this will be the last in the series.

I probably wouldn't recommend this book to Anne Rice fans, as it's nothing like her other works. However if you enjoy historical fiction and have an interest in religion then this is a great book.

My rating = ***

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Review: The Assassin in the Greenwood by Paul Doherty, P.C Doherty

This is another of the medieval mysteries featuring Hugh Corbett and I'm happy to say the books are improving as the series progresses.

This one is set in 1302 and includes a plot featuring Robin Hood. In the acknowledgements the author clarifies the true events the book is based on, and his research appears to be extremely thorough, referencing Folio Numbers from the British Library and records from the Public Office. His level of research and detail is precisely the reason I'm enjoying this historical fiction series so much.

My rating = ****

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Review: Behind the Bestsellers by Jenny Bond & Chris Sheedy

This non-fiction book was published in Australia, and provides an insight into 50 well-known books. It was really interesting to read the history behind some very famous books and learn about the struggle their authors often faced in their lives or in writing their novels.

Behind the Bestsellers by Jenny Bond & Chris Sheedy also includes some non-fiction books and overall was an insightful and rewarding read.

I thoroughly recommend this book to anyone who loves writing or reading and also to those who want a brief overview of the classics without having to read them in full.

My rating = *****

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Facelift

I thought it was time to give my blog a facelift, so hope you all like the new template!!!

I'm certainly in the mood for change and I love it!

That's my four bucks!

Review: Second Chance by Jane Green

This book was recommended to be by someone at work, and I'm not looking forward to telling her I hated it! 

Second Chance was essentially about the following: a group of school friends lose touch, two of them marry the wrong man, one of the friends in the group dies prompting a get together. They all are having a mid life crisis of some kind, one of which involves adultery, one of which involves alcoholism, another involving an accidental pregnancy and another a divorce. At the end of the book, all the main characters have a happy ending and the book is all neatly tied up. Hardly realistic, and definitely not my sort of book. I don't enjoy romance books (elements of that here), I don't enjoy books where the character commits adultery (tick), and I don't enjoy books about regular people living their lives but having a nice happy ending written for them. Boring!

Having said all of that, I've noticed that Jane Green is a 'best selling author' and what I have gained from reading this book is the knowledge that I don't like her style and won't be picking up another of her books.

My rating = * (half a star)

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Review: The Chronicles of Narnia by C.S. Lewis

I received this book as a Christmas gift several years ago, and I've always wanted to read it, so why has it taken me so long to pick it up? Well for a start, it's quite big, as it contains all 7 books in the Narnia series, including The Lion, The Witch and the Wardrobe and Prince Caspian. The second reason is that I assumed that being a children's classic, it would be difficult to read, in the same way that I found Lord of the Rings difficult.

Well, I decided it was a perfect book to take on the honeymoon, given I would have two weeks to get stuck into the story. Wow, what a shock!! I was hooked from the very first page, and enchanted by the author's writing style and the introduction of Narnia. It's very difficult not to compare it to the Harry Potter series, because the simple language and easy writing style is great for kids, and the imagination of the author is really sublime.

I was totally immersed in the story and enjoyed all the adventures. I realised after reading it that the religious undercurrent that this book is renowned for is there for the reader if they wish to delve deep, however they form part of the story and I very much doubt younger readers would even notice. In the same way that The Simpsons contains jokes for adults that can often go right over the head of children, so it is with the religious references in this classic.

Each of the 7 adventures incorporates a battle of good (usually in the name of Aslan the Lion who created Narnia) and evil, and it is really only at the end of the series that the religious overtones become quite obvious. I was quite moved at the end of the last book when I realised that the characters weren't in a new world, they were in Heaven, and the process that got them there was fascinating. The message I gained from Lewis was that if you lead a good life then your actions are in the name of the 'Good God' you will be accepted in Heaven regardless of whether you have worshipped that God in life.

You really have to read it to understand, but ultimately I can see why this book is a classic, and I can definitely see why it has captivated so many readers, children and adults alike.

I loved this book and can't recommend it highly enough to any reader.

My rating = *****

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Review: Murder Wears a Cowl by Paul Doherty, P.C. Doherty

I did a fair bit of reading on the honeymoon, and managed to finish off another of the Hugh Corbett medieval mysteries. This story was set in 1302 and based on real events at Westminster Abbey. I thoroughly enjoyed this book and the character development of Ranulf, Corbett's manservant.

I'm about half way through this series now, and looking forward to reading the next one.

My rating = ****

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Review: Stealing Shadows by Kay Hooper

Stealing Shadows was recommended to me by a friend, and I really enjoyed it. It is about a psychic who tries to help the police solve crimes by connecting to the minds of the killers. It was really well written and I enjoyed the quick pace and reading about the main character Cassie, the psychic.

I'd certainly read another of her books, my only problem now is deciding whether to add her remaining books to my TBR (to be read) pile.

I thoroughly recommend this book to anyone who enjoys TV shows such as Medium or who enjoys reading crime with a psychic or paranormal twist.

My rating = ****

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Review: The Celestine Prophecy by James Redfield

The Celestine Prophecy has been on my 'must read' list for many years, and I'm pleased to say I finally got around to it! It was very different to what I was expecting and was a thoroughly enjoying and spiritually moving read.

This book is similar to The Alchemist in that it's an adventure story surrounding a spiritual journey. The book begins with the discovery of a manuscript containing nine spiritual insights, which the reader learns as the story develops.

I found the nine insights fascinating and realistic in terms of spirituality and science. In fact, if humans on earth could live their lives according to these insights, we would see world peace and a sustainable life for the future. I found this book inspiring and uplifting, and I will try to apply the lessons I learned from Redfield's pages in my every day life.

My rating = *****

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Review: Shatter by Michael Robotham

I was pleased to come across this Australian author while watching the ABC TV Show First Tuesday Book Club. Robotham was a guest and he mentioned something to the effect that his wife wouldn't speak to him after reading his last book as it was so 'scary'.

That was enough for me to hit the net and google his book Shatter and I came across the following passage:

"There is a moment when all hell disappears, all pride is gone, all expectation, all faith, all desire. I own that moment. It belongs to me. That's when I hear the sound, the sound of a mind breaking. It's not a loud crack like when bones shatter or a spine fractures or a skull collapses. And it's not something soft and wet like a heart breaking. It's a sound that makes you wonder how much pain a person can endure; a sound that shatters memories and lets the past leak into the present; a sound so high that only the hounds of hell can hear it."

Well, I've finished the book and I can say that this was above all the best passage, and one that I won't forget in a long time. However the remainder of the novel had all the ingredients of a best selling thriller by Koontz or Patterson but with a new writing style that I really enjoyed. The main character had Parkinson's disease which was interesting although the book sped along towards a predictable ending without any real twists. I would have liked to read more about the background of the 'killer' but I guess 'snippets' of information are what build the suspense.

All in all, I enjoyed my introduction to this Australian author, and I would certainly enjoy reading one of his novels over a James Patterson any day. I hope his popularity amongst book lovers continues to increase.

(I'm going to give him an extra star for the passage above).

My rating = ****

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Review: The Death Chamber by Sarah Rayne

I found out about this author in Good Reading Magazine and I was so glad I did! What appealed to me was that every book by this author has a haunting, creepy historical building, and she brings it to life in the book. This was very true in The Death Chamber where the focus of the story was Calvary Gaol.

The blurb on the back of the book doesn't really do it any justice. I enjoyed multiple plots interwoven with many twists and turns and a few surprises. I was left wanting to follow each of the plots further, but that was what kept me turning the pages into the night. In fact, one of the surprises had me going back to the start to read over a particular section. (In the same way you want to watch Sixth Sense again when you know the twist).

Based on the title of the book, you could be mistaken in thinking that this book will be full of bloodshed and carnage, but in fact it's not. Trust me, you don't need that to make you jump. Rayne does a magnificent job of describing the gaol, you almost feel like you're there.

I can't wait to read another of her books.

My rating = ****

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Review: The Prince of Darkness by Paul Doherty, P.C. Doherty

This is another in the series of medieval mysteries featuring Hugh Corbett. Set in 1301 Hugh Corbett is sent by King Edward to investigate the murder of Lady Belmont. With assassins and spies on his trail, Corbett is able to unravel the mystery and avoid triggering a civil war between King Edward and his son the Prince of Wales.

All the usual suspects are here, and this was another enjoyable 'whodunnit'. Highly recommended for anyone who enjoys reading historical fiction.

My rating = ***

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Review: Ghostwalk by Rebecca Stott

Firstly, let me make myself absolutely clear on this one: I hated this book!!

I was lured by promises of the 'seventeenth century and the story of Isaac Newton as an alchemist' the 'ghost-writing of an unfinished book', 'unexplained seventeenth-century deaths, a network of alchemists and a ghostly figure'.

I bought this hook, line and sinker and was really looking forward to an exciting read. Wow, what a disappointment. 

The narrator was addressing the story to a lover in the past tense (I think) and it kept jumping to the past and present, not including the visits to the seventeenth century. The attempt to make this story a thriller was a failure as far as I'm concerned. 

The basic plot idea was to insinuate that an acquaintance of Isaac Newton had fellows at Trinity College in Cambridge 'murdered' to allow Isaac to gain a fellowship. The book was going to publish this theory, and change history. As a result of a ghostly figure and her relationship with her lover, (who was married by the way, and I hate books containing adultery), she changed the ending and published a 'safer version'. Ugh, what a disappointment!

Ultimately a really crappy book, and a H-U-G-E disappointment. No wonder it took me so long to finish it.

My rating = *

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Review: White Tiger by Kylie Chan

White Tiger was recommended to me by a friend, and I have to admit it's not one I would have selected myself. I don't know why, but I rarely read books that contain martial arts. Given that this book has a woman performing martial arts on the cover accompanied by Chinese lettering, I never would have picked it up.

Having said all of that though, I enjoyed White Tiger by Kylie Chan. What drew me in were the 'supernatural themes' and it was a surprise to me to find that I enjoyed the martial arts segments the most. Good and evil faced off in the form of gods and demons based on Chinese history and I enjoyed this aspect of the novel immensely.

I desperately wish Chan hadn't written in a romantic interest between the two main characters, ugh! The romance was unbelievable at times and disrupted the rhythm for me in an otherwise very exciting story.

This is the first novel in the Dark Heavens series by Chan, and although I'm very keen to find out what happens in the war, what will happen when Mr Chen takes true form and what happens when the ring 'wakes up', I'm hoping my friend will tell me so I can get on to the next book on my list.

My rating = ***

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Review: The Witch's Trinity by Erika Mailman

I was able to do a lot of reading on the plane to and from Fiji, and I finished The Witch's Trinity on the way home to Melbourne.

This book is set in Germany in the 1500's during a period of great famine. It is about a woman who is caught up in a 'witch hunt' and it was unfortunately very easy to see how the 'witch hunt' could get completely out of control.

The book was a little confronting at times, but I really enjoyed reading about the day to day chores and way of life during this period. I also found it interesting to see how paganism, superstition and religion were practiced by the people in the village.

I really enjoyed this book.

My rating = ****

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Review: Dracula by Bram Stoker

Dracula has been on my list of books to read for many years now, primarily because it's a 'horror' classic. Having read all of the vampire books by Anne Rice and being a huge fan of her writing style and her version of 'vampires' I have been reluctant to read any other books about vampires.

I know that Bram Stoker is the inspiration behind many of the vampire books today, but I imagined the book was going to be outdated and as unbearable as the old black and white film Dracula. In the way that Edgar Allan Poe was well known for his 'ghost stories' in his time, when you read his stories now, they're far from spooky. So you can imagine that I was shocked and excited to discover that despite being published in 1897, the novel is still quite creepy by today's standards.

I also didn't know that this classic novel is a compilation of letters and journal entries from the main characters. I thought that jumping from character to character and letter to journal without a sole narrator could hamper the pace of the plot but it actually enhanced the story and helped to build the suspense.

All in all, I really enjoyed Bram Stoker's Dracula, and I can certainly understand why it is a 'classic'.

I started this book before our trip to Fiji, and it didn't seem like quite the right book to read in the tropics, however I was so engrossed in the book I just had to pack it with me and finished it early on in the trip.

My rating = *****

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