Review: Full Dark, No Stars by Stephen King

Full Dark, No Stars is a collection of four short stories by one of my favourite authors, the legendary Stephen King.  The first in the collection is entitled 1922 and is an unsettling story about a husband who believes he has no choice but to murder his wife.  The theme of retribution is ever present, however the main character is haunted by his actions and there's a good morale here.  There were some quite memorable visual descriptions throughout the tale, and some gave me the shivers.  Not gory so much as creepy, and let's face it, that's why King is King!

In the second story Big Driver, we meet Tess, a single, middle-aged cat owner and well-known author who is raped and left for dead.  I was amazed at King's skill and ability to capture the essence and emotions of a middle-aged female character under extreme duress so exceptionally well.  The main characters in 1922 and Big Driver couldn't be more different, and it really highlights King's skill as a writer.

The third story in the collection, Fair Extension was the one I enjoyed the least, however was still an interesting concept.  Streeter - suffering from terminal cancer - purchases an 'extension' of life from a salesperson on the side of the road in exchange for passing on the name of someone he hates.  The consequences of the purchase and what happens to the person he named seem anything but fair, or do they?

The final story is A Good Marriage, and this was gripping reading.  In the beginning, Darcy and Bob appear to have a loving and solid marriage.  After years and years together and raising two children, they know each other inside out, irritating habits and all; until one day when Bob is away on business Darcy discovers he has been hiding something.  My favourite character in the entire collection was the retired Detective in A Good Marriage, so well drawn, and completely unforgettable!

All in all, a very entertaining read here from Stephen King.  No supernatural themes or monsters here, just the monsters lurking deep within some of us.

My rating = ****

Carpe Librum!

Interview with Paul Salvette, author of America Goes On: A Novella

Paul Salvette

Paul is the author of America Goes On: A Novella.  He lives in Bangkok with his wife Lisa and daughter Monica, and has taken some time out this week to answer some questions: 


Tell us about the inspiration behind America Goes On: A Novella?
I came up with the idea for America Goes On while I was serving in Baghdad from 2007-2008. Being cooped up in the relatively luxurious Green Zone as a staff officer, I felt a bit of guilt for the guys and gals who were out patrolling the streets every day. A story, in my humble opinion, was the best way I could bring a small bit of attention to their struggles and reality to my countrymen and internationally. 


There have only been a few great novels and films about modern veterans, and we need more. A lot of the media's depiction of veterans focuses on the "crazed vet" Rambo-type that's going to get their PTSD all over you, and it's really much more complicated than that. Looking at the issues most concerning my fellow Americans at the time, it seemed that people wanted to ignore what was happening in Iraq and turn on American Idol instead. It is dangerous for a country to exist where people involved in the current war effort is less than 1% of the population, and it is a very frustrating for many of us.


What can you tell us about your own time as an Officer in the US Navy?
The Navy is great place to be from, but not to be at. You probably understand that very well as a fellow veteran. I served from 2002-2009 with numerous years in the submarine force and a one-year stint in Iraq. My time in the Navy was classified by 98% boredom and paperwork, 1% fearing for my life, and 1% having fun on liberty; although, the bad memories are fading and the good memories remain. I'm very grateful for the friends I made during my time in the Navy, and I had some great leaders along the way. However, I could never have done it for the full 20 years required for retirement, and I have a lot of respect for those who stay in for the long haul to serve their country.


How has America Goes On been received by your Navy colleagues?
So far so good, and my old Navy buddies are enjoying it. A lot of them couldn't believe I wrote a damn book, but with the self-publishing revolution that's taking place, I don't see how you could not write a book. America Goes On has been passed along to some Marine buddies as well, and I'm hoping for some good feedback from them. It's my first novella, so I really need to keep improving on my writing and the feedback. I've got a ways to go to get my one million words in, but the journey has been really fun so far.


Have you always wanted to be a writer, or was it the furthest thing from your mind while you were in the US Navy?
It never occurred to me that I would want to be a writer when I finished my time in the Navy. Honestly, you get so bogged down in your day-to-day routine, you never think about long-term goals for your life. Once I got out, I had to start making decisions for myself. Now, I'm married in Thailand with a daughter--it's funny how life works. I started writing, because I pretty much in quarantined in the house with the new baby, and I thought I could make a little bit of money while having some fun. Hopefully, I can make a full-time living at writing, but I've got a ways to go.


What are you working on at the moment?
Currently I'm putting together a technical How To guide that focuses on eBook formatting. It's not the sexiest thing in the world, but I think there is a strong need for this knowledge in the self-publishing community. It will be released soon, so stay tuned. Also, I've just finished the first draft of a sci-fi novella. I gave it to my editor, but he just started law school, so it might be a while before I hear back from him. I hope that the writing is an improvement over my last one, because that's what important at this point.


What kind of books do you like to read yourself?
Books can come in all sorts of flavours for me. Now that I've "converted" to the Almighty eBook religion, I've found myself reading 2-3 books a month rather than just one every few months. I enjoy both indie and established authors in the genres of thriller, sci-fi, horror, and everything else. Non-fiction is also pretty enjoyable, and I admit to reading Dick Cheney's memoirs right now, mostly because I wanted to see what all the controversy was about.


Do you read to your daughter?
Baby seems to be most interested in pooping herself and crying for milk, but I have tried reading Goodnight Moon to her, and we even got a smile out of her. I want her to grow up learning to enjoy the written word. In Thailand, it's difficult to get print books in English, because the cost is the same price as the West, but the average salary is much lower. With the advent of low-cost technology, we hope to be able to purchase a lot of children's books with a few clicks and a few bucks.


Anything else you'd like to add?
Thank you very much to Tracey for giving my self-published novella, America Goes On, the time of day. We're all in this together, and it's comforting that there are book reviewers interested in indie authors. Please keep up the great work at My Four Bucks.


Thanks for your time Paul.  You can visit Paul at his website www.paulsalvette.com or follow him on Twitter at www.twitter.com/PaulSalvette.

Review: Treasure Island by Robert Louis Stevenson

Today is International Talk Like a Pirate Day and the perfect opportunity to review Treasure Island by Robert Louis Stevenson. 

The narrator and young hero of the book, Jim Hawkins is a very likeable character and I can definitely understand why this book was so popular with boys; who wouldn't want to be young Jim?

It was interesting to finally meet the characters of Captain Flint and Long John Silver and I enjoyed the pirate dialogue by thunder!

I was somewhat surprised to find the plot a little more layered than I expected, being written for young boys. I can definitely imagine a young reader enjoying the adventure the first time through, but discovering and understanding more about the nature of men on the second read, perhaps several years later.

I confess I feel a little late to the party - only reading Treasure Island in my 30s - but it's never too late to catch up on a classic. Having read it now, I can't rightly say what makes Treasure Island a classic though, or why it has endured. It was first published in 1883, but is still popular today. What are your thoughts?

My rating = ***

Carpe Librum!

Review: America Goes On - A Novella by Paul Salvette

* From the author for review *

This novella (short novel) follows the journey of a young veteran who spent time in Iraq and who has just recently become a civilian.

He has no idea what his future holds, and so for now he is driving across the US while contemplating the past and coming to terms with what happened in Iraq. He is visiting old friends and trying to make sense of American attitudes towards the US involvement in Iraq.

However the highlight of the novella is definitely the ending. This novella had an ending that caught me by surprise and I never saw it coming. I hesitate to say it had a 'twist' because that will have readers searching for a twist from the beginning, but I was certainly impressed by the ending. I'll say no more though, because I don't want to spoil the best part.

My rating = ***1/2

Carpe Librum!

Review: Three Men in a Boat by Jerome K. Jerome

Published in 1889, Three Men in a Boat by Jerome K. Jerome is a Penguin Classic, and a book I've been wanting to read for quite some time now. It's a slim read at only 185 pages but it's an absolute hoot to read and I completely fell in love with it.

Essentially it's the story of three men and their trip up the river Thames in a boat. We meet them early on complaining about their health, and J, the narrator, claims to have all of the ailments in a medical reference book with the exception of housemaid's knee. When they decide to take a boat trip to escape their troubles, I began to wonder how they'd cope, but that's just when the fun begins.

I was laughing and chuckling on almost every page, and this book was just such a joy to read, I found myself wanting to read it aloud to anyone who would listen (mostly my husband). Here's an excerpt from page 36:

"Now, I'm not like that. I can't sit still and see another man slaving and working. I want to get up and superintend, and walk round with my hands in my pockets, and tell him what to do. It is my energetic nature. I can't help it."

Another of my favourite sections in the book happens when the narrator J accidentally falls into the river, after the others turn down the idea of going for a swim, on page 102:

'By Jove ! old J.'s gone in,' I heard Harris say, as I came blowing to the surface. 'I didn't think he'd have the pluck to do it. Did you?'
'Is it all right?' sang out George.
'Lovely,' I spluttered back. 'You are duffers not to come in. I wouldn't have missed this for worlds. Why don't you try it? It only wants a little determination.'

I haven't laughed so much since reading A Confederacy of Dunces by John Kennedy Toole, which is one of my favourite books of all time. I wouldn't say Three Men in a Boat is good enough to join my all time favourites, however it was a quick read and very enjoyable. The snippets above are indicative of the style of humour, so if you enjoyed those, then you'll enjoy the book. I couldn't recommend it more highly.

My rating = *****

Carpe Librum!

Publishing News - Good Reading Magazine

Review published in
Good Reading Magazine
(middle, right)

I'm really excited to share some publishing news with fellow book-lovers and readers.  My favourite magazine, Good Reading Magazine, published a book review of mine in their August 2011 edition. Woohoo!!

I've been a loyal subscriber for many years now, and I guess it's always been a private goal of mine to have a review published, but for some reason I didn't submit one until this year.  

It was such a joy to have it accepted right away, and then seeing my review in print in the 'What You're Reading' article (right) alongside all the other reader reviews was a real buzz.

September 2011 edition

If that wasn't enough excitement for one year, it was closely followed by an appearance in the September 2011 edition of Good Reading Magazine. Unbelievable huh? Selected as one of six readers to feature in their 'Caught Reading' article, I was positively over the moon and even managed to include reference to my blog My Four Bucks. It was a dream come true.  

Melbournians are going crazy for football around this time of year, but like many of you, I prefer books and reading, and thanks to GR Magazine, I've had a pleasant distraction.

Have you had a review published? Or written a letter to an editor of a newspaper or magazine?

Interview with Stephen Ayers, author of The Taba Convention

Stephen Ayers

Stephen Ayers is the author of The Taba Convention, which is a fast paced thriller set in the Middle East.  I recently reviewed it giving it 4 stars and I thoroughly recommend it.  Stephen has taken some time out from his writing and busy hotel management career to participate in an interview with My Four Bucks.

Early on in the novel, the main character Jordan Kline listens to the music of Enigma.  I love Enigma, so I have to ask, do you listen to Enigma when you're writing?  

Do you have a favourite Album?

I love the music of Enigma, and listened to it for hours when we lived in Eilat. I love the album MCMXC A.D., amazingly soothing.  By the way, did you know that the wife of the founder of Enigma is a great singer called Sandra?  She also had a few hits way back.  However, when I write I just like to write surrounded by the sounds of everyday life, the street sounds.  When I write I am fortunate in that I am ‘transported’ to the place that I am writing about, so I travel the world on a free ticket while sitting at my desk!

Being in the hotel business yourself, how much of yourself do you draw on when writing the character of Jordan Kline?

Actually quite a lot.  The daily business of running a hotel is described in the book, and taken in large part from my experiences as a general manager.  The anecdotes, including ‘The Eiffel Tower’ story are true and happened in the hotels I managed.  I find that hotel life is fascinating and I wanted to create a ‘different’ kind of hero and convey his new, interesting life in contrast to his violent past.  I wanted to ‘paint’ a passive ‘hotelier’ Jordan opposite the ‘violent’ Jordan reluctantly drawn back into the world he wants so desperately to leave behind. 

How often do you review your work?

When I write I write.  I do not go back and check anything until I am through with the session.  I do not want to interrupt the flow of my thoughts while writing.  However, once I am done I will go over and over the draft text.  I review all of what I have written after each writing session.  I then review the whole book perhaps ten times before manuscript submission for editing, and then again after that a good few times.

Do you believe a peace agreement in the Middle East - like the Taba Convention - is possible?

I have always believed that a peace agreement is possible.  However, it must take into account the acute security interests of Israel.  Look at what is happening in the Arab world these days.  Israel does not want the occupied territories, but the borders must be defensible.  Look what happened after they gave back Gaza.  As one clever politician put it, “If the Arabs put down their arms there will be peace, if Israel puts down its arms there may be no Israel.”

Are you worried about any backlash from political or religious groups in regard to the content of The Taba Convention?  

Not at all. It is purely fiction. I wrote Taba to be purely a thrill action read. I do not think that there is any content that is abusive to any degree at all. It is not a book that is making any political statements.  If readers of Taba are entertained for a few hours, and it takes them away from the stress of daily life for a short while, I will have done my job.

What will Jordan Kline get up to next?

Wow! The next Jordan Kline in the series is The Righteous Within.  It is the story of a Nazi plot, hatched by German Generals long in their grave that threatens to bring annihilation to Israel at the beginning of this century.  The deadly plan was hatched towards the end of The Second World War, when Berlin burned and the Thousand Year Reich was crumbling with the approaching defeat. The plot even frightened me!

I wrote the series so that my readers can follow Jordan as he lives his life. By that I mean that in Taba he lives with Irit his girlfriend, in The Righteous Within he is married to her, and in The Kharta Conspiracy I introduce their young daughter Noah. I think that the ‘progression’ of their lives adds a different angle and lots of interest for those that will read all three, while they are also of course ‘stand alone’ novels too. Irit is very much involved in all three novels.

What are you reading at the moment?

I am reading A Prisoner of Birth by Jeffrey Archer.  He is a master storyteller, his books amazing, the read keeps you spellbound.  The book is a modern ‘remake’ of The Count of Monte Cristo………I strongly urge everyone to read it! 

Thanks so much for your time Stephen, it's been a pleasure having you on My Four Bucks!

Review: The Taba Convention by Stephen Ayers

* From the author for review *

In the beginning of The Taba Convention, Jordan Kline rushes to the aid of a car accident victim, only to hear the dying words of ex-colleague Josh. Jordan served with Josh in the Mossad 10 years ago, but left that life behind him long ago. Jordan Kline is now the General Manager of the Sands Hotel and happily living with his girlfriend Irit in Eilat on the Red Sea.

Kline is troubled by Josh's last words and begins to dig a little into his death and begins to uncover a dangerous and deadly plot to upset the Taba Convention; an attempt to sign a peace agreement in the Middle East.

Author Stephen Ayers has taken a risk writing a political thriller with a peace convention in the Middle East at it's centre; but regardless of current events, his novel The Taba Convention still 'works'.

If you are the type to judge a book by its cover, you might assume this is a book geared towards engaging male readers. I can honestly tell you that Kline's occupation as General Manager of a Hotel makes him accessible to all readers and sets him apart from the main characters found in other action thriller novels on the market.

Ayers does a magnificent job transporting the reader to the dusty sands of the Middle East and in particular: Eilat, Tel Aviv and Jerusalem, and I enjoyed seeing the landscape through Kline's eyes.  The Taba Convention sets a cracking pace and I enjoyed this novel immensely. In fact, if I could have ordered room service from the Sands Hotel while reading, I would have!

My rating = ****

Carpe Librum!

Review: A Lifetime in the Building - The Extraordinary Story of May Savidge and the House She Moved by Christine Adams

This is the true story of Miss May Savidge and her determination to prevent her historic house in Hertfordshire from being bulldozed in the name of progress. She attended numerous council meetings, wrote thousands of letters and when the council would not budge, she decided to save it by painstakingly dismantling it piece by piece and slowly reassembling it in a new location in Norfolk.

Being an engineer and brought up in hard times, May did most of the construction work herself, but it meant that progress was slow, and months ran into years. Conducting business by written correspondence as well as dealing with unreliable tradesmen didn't help the matter.

Sadly May didn't live to see the finish of her house, although author and daughter-in-law Christine Adams made a promise to May in her final moments and saw to it that the house was finished. (May bequeathed the house to Christine and she now runs it as a Bed & Breakfast).

May Savidge was a hoarder and Christine was amazed, astonished and overwhelmed at the stuff May accumulated over the years. Not a single bus ticket or newspaper had been thrown away, but even more than that, the belongings had been carefully and accurately filed away. May had made copies of her letters and kept notes regarding the progress of the construction of her house.

Christine remembers these years with a pang of guilt, and wishes she had offered to help but May was stubborn and wouldn't accept any help. May's story received attention in several newspapers which generated a lot of mail and it seems she made an effort to answer each and every letter.

After her passing, her house generated interest when a member from the Antiques Roadshow came to look at an antique desk. The staff member became more interested in the history of the house and May Savidge than the desk. The interest in May and her house snowballed and Christine agreed to write a book, and now we have: A Lifetime in the Building - The Extraordinary Story of May Savidge and the House She Moved.

I thoroughly enjoyed this biography, and found Miss May Savidge to be a courageous, persistent and patient woman. I could not have willingly chosen the living conditions and hardships she put up with year in and year out; although from time to time I also found the whole situation a little frustrating. I wish she'd had some help and had time to enjoy it when she was alive, but it wasn't to be. A great read.

My rating = ***1/2

Carpe Librum!

Interview with Edward Medina, author of Mathias Bootmaker and the Keepers of the Sandbox

Edward Medina is the author of Mathias Bootmaker and the Keepers of the Sandbox, Book One: It is Said and was excited to participate in the following interview.

What inspired you to write Mathias Bootmaker and the Keepers of the Sandbox, Book One: It is Said?

Many years ago I was a New York theatre director, working on several shows and getting ready for my first film project. I was on the ‘A’ train heading into the city with a friend when there was a delay. There we were stuck in a tunnel. It took a while. My friend asked me if I would ever work on a project for a younger audience. At the time I said no. I just wasn’t interested. She pushed her point and asked me to apply my imagination to the task. I thought about it and started to lay out a story based on a world were all things for imagination come from.

The story always stayed with me and continued to grow. It finally became the Mathias Bootmaker Trilogy. Now it’s a story with a very deep message for people of all ages.

With your book being likened to a blend of [Lewis] Carroll and [Stephen] King, were you influenced by these authors as a youngster or as a writer?

I was always a reader from a very young age. I read Dracula and Frankenstein when I was seven. I went to a Jesuit high school and the summer before my freshman year they gave each student a list of one hundred books. We had to pick twenty and read them before the first day of classes. The Alice books were on that list. I was mesmerized by the depth of his worlds.

I discovered Stephen King years later. The Stand was my first. I loved it so much that I just started devouring his work. I love the rhythm of his writing. It was the first time I discovered that a writer could have a voice. It was as if he was whispering his tales in my ear. People that have read my work say I have a similar tone and sound. I’ll take that compliment anytime.

(I would have loved to have been given a list of 100 books, at that age. By comparison, I think compulsory reading at my school included less than 4 books each year).

Being a fan of author Stephen King myself, I have to ask, what are some of your favorite books by Stephen King?

Well there are a lot of them that I love. The Stand is at the top of the list. Carrie is brilliant and the story goes that he hated it and threw it away. His wife found it in the garbage, read it, gave it back to him and told him to rework it and get it out there. Best ever killer clown in history is in IT. Best killer car is in Christine. That is an amazing book for a lot of reasons. Pile on those any and all of his short story anthologies and I’m a happy puppy. King fans will say… but what about… and I would say… I know, I love that one too.

When do you do your best writing?

Whenever and wherever the muse strikes and the words flow. Usually late at night when the world around me is asleep.

Do you like to listen to music when you write?

Yes, I do. The choice of music usually depends on what I’m working on and it could be just about anything. I have rather eclectic tastes when it comes to music. But most times when I write I’ll have some great movie on TV playing quietly in the background. I was a latch key kid so I would come home and do my homework with the television on. That habit stuck.

What advice would you give writers in the fantasy genre?

Don’t hold your imagination back. Don’t limit your world to conventional thinking. Read what everyone else is doing then do something else. Read the great fantasy writers of the past. They knew what they were doing and they had lessons to teach us about the world we live in.

When will Book Two in the series be published, and what's the title?

Book two of the Mathias Bootmaker Trilogy is titled, The Academy Darke. No spoilers here if you haven’t read the first. You’ll enter the mysterious castle with the terrible past and spend some time there learning a great deal more of the world I created and the haunting that exist there. Target release date is December of this year. I like to think of it as a spooky holiday gift to my readers. (Sounds exciting).

What are you working on at the moment?

Right now I’m working on a few things all at once.

There’s a preview I’m releasing for one of my books coming out in 2012 called X Pirates: Nightthorn’s Revenge. The preview of this very different pirate adventure, is in the form of a prologue that tells the origin tale of the books villain, Benjamin Nightthorn. The prologue itself is called A Murder of Crows.

The other book I’m working on at the moment is a tale that is very near and dear to my heart. The Upiies of Isla Mona is a very special little story about a very special little family that live on a very special little island.

Your followers should head on over to my authors page for previews and samples of my current and upcoming works Edward Medina I’ll be there to meet them and answer any and all questions.

Anything else you'd like to add?

Just this… Thank you, to you and your followers for taking the time to get to know me. Now it’s time for them to go just a bit further down the rabbit hole…

Thanks for your time Ed!

Review: Mathias Bootmaker and the Keepers of The Sandbox by Edward Medina

* From author for review *

Marketed as a blend of [Lewis] Carroll and [Stephen] King I was excited and looking forward to 'journeying down the rabbit hole' with author Edward Medina in Mathias Bootmaker and the Keepers of the Sandbox, Book One: It is Said.

I must confess though, I felt a little lost in the beginning, although so does the main character Mathias Bootmaker, as he finds himself in a mysterious world without all of his memory.

I immediately understood the references to Lewis Carroll and I'm assuming Alice in Wonderland, as my imagination was assaulted from every angle by strange concepts and characters and I struggled to make sense of it all. Medina has created a new and modern wonderland, but like Mathias, I didn't quite know how to navigate my way around.

Some of the concepts were very clever and thought provoking. I loved the concept of the stories and the pile of books (I'll say no more though, I don't want to spoil it for other readers). I will share a small snippet though. My favourite character in the early part of the book was a rabbit who liked to sit on his master's shoulder like a parrot. The rabbit would communicate by writing notes and showing them to his master, who would then read them aloud and eat them. Classic!

The turning point for me in the book was when the Darke family was introduced. This is where I felt in my element; I was back in familiar reading territory and as Mathias began his quest to free the kidnapped children from the Darke Academy I was completely immersed in the novel and felt the suspense building. This is where the Stephen King references will have been made, so it's no surprise I enjoyed this part of the book the most, being such a big King fan.

I didn't want the book to finish before I'd discovered more about the Castle and it's inhabitants, but it finished on a cliffhanger, paving the way for the next in the series.

If the book had started with Mathias on his quest to the cursed castle to free the kidnapped children from the Darke Academy and face the dreaded Oracle Darke and continued beyond the point of the cliffhanger ending (into what will now be Book Two) it probably would have earned an extra star from this reviewer.

Edward Medina has been kind enough to participate in an author interview, so I hope you enjoy reading the interview and the inspiration behind Mathias Bootmaker and the Keepers of the Sandbox, Book One: It is Said.

My rating = ***

Carpe Librum!

5 Pillars, 7 Sins by Paul McDonnold is now available for FREE!

Paul McDonnold's e-book 5 Pillars, 7 Sins: A Novella is now available to download for FREE!

Earlier this year I reviewed The Economics of Ego Surplus - A Novel of Economic Terrorism by Paul McDonnold and he also participated in an author interview. In the interview he mentioned he was working on 5 Pillars, 7 Sins: A Novella, and that it's a prequel to The Economics of Ego Surplus - A Novel of Economic Terrorism and introduces the main character Kyle Linwood.

I haven't read it myself yet (I've got a bit of a backlog of books at the moment) but I'm sure it'll be good if The Economics of Ego Surplus is anything to go by (I gave it 4 stars in my review). So feel free to download it, and let me know how you get on.

You can download it free in PDF format or find a variety of eReader formats on Smashwords.

Free e-book? Gotta love that! Happy reading.


That's my four bucks!

Review: London Under by Peter Ackroyd

If you've ever been intrigued by what lurks beneath the road or the footpath, then this is the book for you. Peter Ackroyd takes the reader beneath the surface in London Under and investigates the murky depths of tunnels, sewers, hidden rivers and streams and the history of long ago London.

History buffs will relish the chapter on the locations of old wells and springs, and their relevance in the naming of streets. I was surprised to find that precise access points to tunnels, sewers and even old war bunkers are referenced and described in the book; to the point I began to consider whether this information could be a security risk.

Nevertheless, Ackroyd provides the reader with an amazing insight into the building of the first tunnel beneath the Thames River and I found myself easily visualising the first journey through the tunnel in horse and carriage. I also enjoyed reading more about the Fleet Street 'ditch', the Roman history beneath London, the development of the Tube and the use of the Underground during the War.

London Under is a short read at around 210 pages (including sketches), however in addition to the facts and history, I was hoping for a little bit of a shock or a scare. I was hoping to read about animals or deformed creatures living underground (real or tales) or information on homeless population living underground. Ackroyd did explain that the Church wasn't in favour of tunnelling underground for public transport, as they were of the opinion that the underground was the devil's territory. But for the most part, London Under is a well-structured and sensible book about the history and services located beneath the surface of London.

My rating = ***

Carpe Librum!

Review: The Observations by Jane Harris

It's 1863 in Scotland and Bessy is running away from her past towards an unknown future in Edinburgh. On the way, she has a chance encounter with the Lady of the house at Castle Haivers and accepts a job as her housemaid after it is revealed she can read and write.

Bessy is the only housemaid inside the isolated country house - it's hardly a castle - and the Lady of the house, Arabella, soon begins to make some odd requests of her. Bessy is narrating the story and her dialect - attributable to her upbringing, location and it being 1863 of course - makes her instantly endearing to the reader.

By her own admission Bessy is wicked, however she's always trying to improve and she'll do anything for Missus; until she finds out her secret that is. Then everything begins to fall apart and Bessy will do anything to take it all back and tries to apologise to master James.

The Observations is a unique mystery, complete with a creaking attic, a locked drawer, hidden journals and family secrets. I always enjoy these elements in a novel, but in this case, the plot seemed unique and took a different direction than I had been expecting, which was quite refreshing. Bessy also adds a touch of humour to every page and I thoroughly enjoyed her clever but somewhat naive charm.

I was pleased to discover The Observations contains enough gothic elements to qualify as a gothic novel (according to gothicreadingchallenge.blogspot.com) which means this qualifies as one of the books for the Gothic Reading Challenge - I signed up to read 5 by the end of 2011, and this makes #2.

I also have to comment on the cover art, I absolutely adore the cover of this book, it's evocative and powerful and relevant to the story. Visually stunning, I love it!

My rating = ***

Carpe Librum!

Review: Immortal Last Words, History's Most Memorable Dying Remarks, Deathbed Declarations and Final Farewells by Terry Breverton

This is an interesting non-fiction collection of last words, comments, epitaphs, suicide notes, diary entries, letters, poems and much more belonging to famous and some not so famous people.

Each phrase, remark or statement is presented in date order, with one page devoted to each entry. Each entry contains the person's name, their date of birth and date of death, the remark, statement or deathbed declaration chosen by the author, and a short bio of the person. The short bio provides enough background for the reader to understand the person's place in history, including how they passed.

This is a perfect book to dip into from time to time; you don't need to remember where you're up to and you can flip back and forth as each page can be read in isolation. It's also a terrific way to absorb historical facts and information.

Some of the phrases or quotes were familiar to me: "It's better to burn out than to fade away" attributed to Kurt Cobain, and

"If the Persians [Medes] darken the sun with their arrows, we shall have our fight in the shade" spoken by Dieneces the Spartan in 480 BCE.

Others were new to me: "I am ready to meet my Maker. Whether my Maker is ready for the ordeal of meeting me is another matter." This was said by Sir Winston Churchill on his seventy-fifth birthday in 1949; he wasn't to die until 1965.

My favourite excerpt from the book were the last words spoken by Pancho Villa: "Don't let it end like this. Tell them I said something."

Some statements and comments were funny, others were inspiring and some were reflective. I definitely recommend this book; I laughed, I learned and I was inspired.

My rating = ****

Carpe Librum!

Review: Curtains, Adventures of an Undertaker in Training by Tom Jokinen

With a teaser like this:

"If Bill Bryson were to join a funeral home as an apprentice, and if he searched for the meaning of life and death while he was at it, you'd have Curtains."

I was really looking forward to reading Curtains - Adventures of an Undertaker in Training by author Tom Jokinen. Tom tells it like it is, and writes about the funeral industry and the inner workings of one particular funeral home that he works in.

Tom works as an assistant in all duties performed in the funeral home, from driving the hearse, collecting deceased and assisting in the embalming process to dressing corpses, selling coffins, operating the cremating oven and sifting and sorting the ashes.

In between describing the ins and outs of these processes and giving readers the inside scoop, Jokinen comments on death and grief and the ways in which we do and don't cope / deal with it. He also writes about the increased preference for cremation in place of burial, and how families and loved ones choose to remember their dear departed.

I found this a curious but sometimes depressing topic and I could only read a little at a time. Curtains satisfied a morbid curiosity I had to find out what happens in a funeral home, however it was a little repetitive towards the end and I began to feel that my curiosity had been satisfied and I wanted to shrug off the morbid topic and move onto a more livelier book.

Nevertheless, an interesting book to dip into, but I didn't finish it through to the end.

My rating = **

Carpe Librum!

Review: Earthing, The Most Important Health Discovery Ever? by Clinton Ober

Clinton Ober is the author of Earthing, The Most Important Health Discovery Ever? Simply put, earthing is the term Ober has given to describe the phenomenon when humans make a connection to the earth with their bare skin.

Given our bodies are somewhat electrical - our brain, heart, muscles cells and body systems function electrically - and the earth resonates with its own energy levels, when our body comes in direct contact with the earth, it equalizes to the same energy level as the earth. Ober also calls this grounding and being grounded.

Ober claims that most people no longer have regular contact with the earth; many of us live in high rise apartments and work in towers of glass and concrete. We walk around wearing shoes made of rubber and plastics and many of us don't have regular contact with the earth, walking barefoot in the grass, or on the beach etc. I for one live in an apartment building, don't have a backyard, and need to go for a walk or drive in the car to find somewhere to take my shoes off and put my feet in some grass.

Ober is convinced that this loss of connection with the earth, could be partially responsible for the increase in the number of patients with illnesses, diseases and chronic pain. I must admit I did get a little lost in much of the science and medicine behind the theory of earthing - which was the fault of the reader, not the author - however, what I did take away from the book was his claim that earthing reduces inflammation, and by earthing and reducing inflammation, patients suffering from some illnesses, injuries and chronic pain can be helped and healed.

The book contains many case studies, testimonials and articles from Doctors and specialists, including the two co-authors. I was interested to read for instance that teams from the Tour de France had been sleeping in Ober's earthing bags since 2007 and had reported dramatic increased recovery rates.

I've purchased two earthing products from an Australian company and am trialling them myself in the hope of improving my own health and well-being. Ober understands that this discovery is still relatively new, and the health industry will require study after study before it is universally accepted as a means of treatment.

Personally, I think earthing will eventually be categorised as a method of alternative medicine or healing (like acupuncture) if it isn't already. Big pharmaceutical companies certainly won't want Doctors telling their patients there is an alternative to drugs and surgery that is free and available to every person, regardless of their financial or socioeconomic background. There is a lot of money to be made preying on the sick and the infirm, particularly if their condition is ongoing.

I was excited by Earthing, The Most Important Health Discovery Ever? for personal reasons, and it seemed to make sense to me, but I'll let you make up your own mind about it.

My rating = ****

Carpe Librum!

Interview with Nadine Larter, author of Coffee at Little Angels

Today I'm interviewing Nadine Larter, author of Coffee at Little Angels. She's living in South Africa, so we're conversing by email.

What was the inspiration behind Coffee At Little Angels?

A couple of years ago (and by a couple I think I might mean as many as six or seven, but I can't be sure) I lost an old high school friend in a car accident. I was devastated of course. This boy gave me my first kiss, he bruised my heart a couple of times, he provided wonderful friendship, endless headshakes, a friend and I even fought over him constantly - all those silly small-town dynamics were there. He had the most beautiful blue eyes you have ever encountered. He was sweet. He was charming. And he is possibly the only person who ever made me swear to him that I would never change. And then he died. And that just seemed ridiculous because..well..death is just kind of ridiculous, isn't it? Someone who used to be there just isn't anymore. And I couldn't escape the fact that he didn't really have to be dead for me. He could just be in my past. Like a whole bunch of other people who I never see anymore, but who I care about as people who were once upon a time part of my life. If I didn't think about how I would never see him again, then it wouldn't be so terrible. At least not for me.

The book is not about him. The relationships you find in that book are not relationships that ever existed. But it was just the idea. The idea of how much harder it would have been if he had died just a couple of years earlier. Really it was just an idea that came out of trying to process something that I wasn't sure how to respond to at the time.

The characters in your novel are well drawn, how closely do they represent people from your past or people you've known?

My sister is the only other person who has asked me this question. She asked before she read my book though and was mock offended that I never based anyone on her. These characters don't represent anyone from my past. I think perhaps when I picture Phil, I picture my friend, but the character is not the same as my friend. Just the hair and eyes.

I don't know if it's the same for other authors, but I like to create my own characters. If I create someone based on another person it is only very loosely. And when I say loosely, I might borrow a certain character trait here and there. But characters really do develop on their own. They decide on their own personalities as they go along. It's all very well and fine if you think to yourself "Oh this character is my friend Charlie" but if you don't let that character be who he wants to be and instead insist on making him the splitting image of "Charlie" I think you're almost doing your character an injustice. He knows who he wants to be. Let him be that person.

What's life like as an author in South Africa?

Can you ask me that again in a year? Or maybe ask someone else? Because I don't know yet. Thanks to the internet I know a few South African authors, and I must say I have grown to love them without even meeting them in person because I am so happy that there seems to be a community of "just writers" popping up. I love it.

I come from a small town where my education was really...well..I never learnt anything about literature at school! And I never got to jet off to university because it just wasn't financially viable when I finished high school. When it comes to "South African writers" my idea was always that we have some sort of obscure duty to make sense of apartheid for the rest of the world so that they can all understand what a dreadful and hideous thing it is blah blah blah. Now this is obviously a ridiculous assumption but it is one that has stunted and plagued me for a long time. I sort of got this idea in my head that if I wanted to be a writer I had to be very serious. I don't do very serious too well.

And then along came this wonderfully talented man called John van De Ruit and he changed everything for me. He wrote with humour and pure himselfness. And his novels have been so ridiculously successful. I think I cried through the first one thinking "Yes, John, this is how we must write!" After the first Spud book came out I stopped worrying about being an apartheid guru. I know nothing about it anyway! I didn't live through it. Things were like they were and it sucks. But I refuse to sell South Africa as an oppressed country. Are there problems? Hell yes! And some might make their way into my future novels, and that is fine. But you know what? My why-South-Africa-is-awesome list is a lot longer than my why-South-Africa-sucks list is. As for what it is like, I really just don't know yet.

Where do you like to write and can you describe your working space? Is it a mess or do you need a clean environment to write in?
I hate getting this question because it really feels as though I should come up with some sort of inspiring thing to tell you. Honestly? I write on my lap. In the lounge. In front of the TV! And what is on the TV? Barney...

Why do I work like this? Because my son bugs me less if I hang out in the same room as him! So, I know all the words to every single Barney song ever written. I know how to block him out of my head. And I have come to learn that if I have to write one sentence at a time between being told to clap (lots of clapping in Barney!) or dance, well that is just how it has to be. I imagine that once my kid starts preschool I will quickly get used to and take advantage of a few hours of quiet, but until then I just do what I can when I can. And why do I not send him to day care, I hear you ask. Well, I will send him to day care as soon as he can talk properly. If he can't tell me that there is something wrong then I want him home with me where I know what's going on in his life. That may be the scary single mom in me... but I can't help it!

Anyway, as long as there is no tension I can work. If people are sulking or angry at each other I can't work. Chaos stresses me out. And ringing phones and doorbells! They mess with my mojo. But my son and I have developed a symbiotic existence. When it's just the two of us (and Barney) we do just fine.

How do you prioritise your writing between emails, admin, blogs (given you are involved in 3) and novel writing?

*curls up into a ball and sobs*

I haven't figured out how to do it yet. I am constantly swamped with all sorts of things. I took the weekend off last weekend, and woke up on Monday with flu and 122 emails to respond to. I nearly cried. Sometimes all I want to do is skip this part and just go back to writing. But at the same time I am loving every minute. I am loving meeting reviewers. I am loving the response to my work. I am loving doing the marketing and learning about printing and all sorts of things that I knew nothing about before. Every step has been an achievement for me. And that is quite a thing when it is something you care about. I have never felt this way about a job before. Once I have a pile of novels on my lounge floor I am going to have to take a break and re-assess everything. Figure out how to fit it all in. I am certainly my father's child in that I can work 18 hour days without blinking, but the family is not always so pleased about that! So I will have to figure a few things out. For now I am juggling and trying not to beat myself up about the balls that get dropped from time-to-time.

Are you working on a new novel at the moment, or are you focusing on your blogs?

My blogs are really at the mercy of my whimsy most of the time. I contribute to them when I have something to say. I don't really force things as far as they are concerned. My poetry blog needs some serious TLC and I will soon be trying to sort it all out. I am going to have to bring on someone new to help keep things running smoothly. I do have someone in mind. I just need to give myself the time to focus on it all properly. Otherwise I have a completed novel that needs to be shredded and rewritten. It's called The Tequila Thursday Writing Club and I am very eager to get back to it.

If you had 20 words to convince a reader to read your book, what would they be?

You know what the best part about my book is? It's short! Perfect for moms!

What's the best book you've read so far this year?

Geek Love by Katherine Dunn, I think. What insanity! I loved it! Or We Need to Talk About Kevin by Lionel Shriver. Both were brilliant. I think I possibly have a thing for sociopaths...

Thank you so much Nadine, and best of luck with your next novel.

Review: Coffee at Little Angels by Nadine Rose Larter

* From the author for review *

Coffee at Little Angels has an intriguing opening line:

"I went jogging on the morning I died".

It was this first line that primarily convinced me to read this book from author Nadine Larter, and I'm glad I did. It was a voice I wanted to know more about.

The jogger was Phil, and his hit-and-run death in his small town in the beginning of the book, brings his old high school friends back to town for his funeral.

However, it's been many years since they were all together, and much has changed since then; or has it? Although this isn't an original plot mechanism, the friction and drama that unfolded was engaging enough to keep me reading into the night.

I enjoyed the bitchy dialogue and peeling back the emotional relationship layers of several characters. The theme of love and heartbreak was a considerable focus and I enjoyed exploring this across the different characters and dynamics. I'd recommend this novel for any reader who enjoys reading contemporary drama or chic lit!

I'll be interviewing the author soon, so watch this space!

My rating = ***

Carpe Librum!