Review: Others by James Herbert

This is my second novel by James Herbert, and I'm proud to say this one gave me a nightmare. Why am I proud to say this? I read a lot of Koontz and King and love a good thriller and naturally enjoy a bit of a fright! It's hard for a writer to make the reader 'jump' or 'get the creeps' and for me it's the mark of a great author and an excellent book! It certainly gets the adrenalin pumping and the mind racing into the wee hours.

It follows that there is a skill in making a reader cry but first and foremost, I don't really enjoy deeply depressing stories, or stories that are going to upset me for days and days afterwards. Secondly, it's rare for me to cry during a movie, so for a book, this state is almost unattainable. Besides, I'd rather be scared out of my wits, or contemplating the dark side of human nature in a way that is removed from my daily life and therefore 'safe'.

Okay, now onto the book. Dismas is a private investigator in the Others and is born into the world disfigured. The character development and insight here is phenomenal and a little painful at times which deepens the story even further. Dismas is asked to investigate a missing baby supposedly declared dead following the birth, and thus begins a course of events involving babies born with hideous deformities. Without ruining the story-line, I was really creeped out one night reading about the hospital at 'Perfect Rest' although it sounds completely harmless, doesn't it?

The theme of redemption is echoed throughout the novel, and I thoroughly enjoyed following the character's journey and learning about the fate of the Others.

I recommend Others to anyone who enjoys a good fright, or is a fan of either Stephen King or Dean Koontz.

My rating = ****

Carpe Librum!

Review: The Minutes of the Lazarus Club by Tony Pollard

I picked up this little gem for $8 and I think I got more than my money's worth on this one. Set in London in the 1850s, this is a period piece, with the main character being Dr Phillips, a surgeon in a hospital. Dr Phillips is soon befriended by Brunel, the Engineer behind the building of the 'Great Eastern' steam ship, and a connection to the secret society of the Lazarus Club begins to emerge.

Interestingly enough, Pollard takes several well-known historical figures and weaves them into his story, e.g. Charles Darwin, Florence Nightingale. More interesting than that though was the concept of the Lazarus Club, where like minded genius' and great thinkers gather to discuss science, innovation and share their expertise. At each meeting, a guest is invited or chosen from a different field of expertise to make a speech to the members present. Minutes are kept from these meetings, hence the name of the book, however the minutes themselves didn't play a large role in the novel. The concept of the Lazarus Club alone could have kept my attention, learning about the content and nature of the different speeches and how they were received by the members at the time and why they had to remain so secretive.

The building of the massive steam ship 'SS Great Eastern' and its launch into the Thames was equally fascinating throughout the book. I guess when I think of giant ships, I don't imagine a ship with sails, funnels and paddle wheels! Amazing! The mystery of the murdered prostitutes introduced a minor crime thread into the novel, although I didn't think this was necessary to the plot development.

Without giving too much away, an additional sub-plot involving the design of an artificial organ for the body was very interesting for it's time, and who doesn't like a little grave robbery thrown into the mix? I admire the precision with which Pollard brought London alive for this period, and I was completely taken by the sights and smells of the river and the streets and the daily minutiae of the era.

The Minutes of the Lazarus Club is Tony Pollard's first novel, and I'll certainly be on the look out for his next. I recommend this book to anyone who enjoys a little historical fiction, science, anatomy, ship building and a good river chase!

My rating = ***1/2

Carpe Librum!

Review: Mark of the Demon by Diana Rowland

Given to me by a friend, this book has been on my shelf for a couple of months now, just waiting for the right time to be read. Oddly enough, straight after finishing Great Expectations I decided it was time. I think I was in the mood for something light and a significant departure from the classics after spending time with Dickens.

The main character in Mark of the Demon is Kara, who happens to be a Detective and a conjurer of demons. The demons in this urban fantasy novel are beings from another realm, who live according to a strict honour code and can provide information that can assist Kara solve her crimes.

A number of murders attributed to the Symbol Man start piling up, and Kara is made lead Detective on the case. She receives some help from a FBI Agent who believes in the arcane, and finds herself unexpectedly involved in a complicated relationship with a Demon Lord during the investigation.

This was an enjoyable and quick read, and I enjoyed the mix of crime/police procedural with the paranormal. I wanted to give it 3 stars, but after having given Great Expectations this rating, I just couldn't bring myself to rate them as equals. Ridiculous I know, but there you have it.

My rating = **1/2

Carpe Librum!

Review: Great Expectations by Charles Dickens

As long as I can remember, I've always felt guilty about never having read Great Expectations by Charles Dickens. I started this book as a youngster, but never really got beyond the first chapter, then failed to pick it up again..... until now.

It's a cliche of course, but I had great expectations of this book given its status as a classic and the fact that it's always included in various Top 100 lists. So, how did I like it? Well, I really enjoyed the writing style and enjoyed a few chuckle-worthy moments and also a few poignant lines which made me want to flag them on the page (despite my aversion to writing in books).

I wanted to fall in love with this book, but unfortunately I couldn't. The language was a pleasure, and I could certainly recognise the quality on the page, but overall, the greater plot and story line just didn't lure me all the way in.

My rating = ***

Carpe Librum!

Review: The Girl Who Kicked The Hornets' Nest by Stieg Larsson

This was the final book in the Millennium trilogy written by the late Stieg Larsson which has been in the Top 10 Australian bestseller lists for months now. This didn't have the pace and excitement of the first two novels in the series and contained a lot of background and procedural type back story. Whilst this was interesting to a certain extent, I was hoping for the emergence of an exciting climax to cap off the end of the series, however this was never forthcoming.

I enjoyed the 'trial' and there were some enjoyable moments during the Defence. Without giving too much away regarding the outcome, I was in a state of anticipation every time Salander was featured, waiting for some unexpected excitement or shocking revelation, but was largely disappointed.

The reader certainly gained 'closure' by the end of the book though, and all lines of interest were neatly tied up by the last page. I could have done without the career divergence of Berger throughout the book, which was largely unimportant and irrelevant in my opinion.

After reading the first two books in the series, this book is a must, if nothing else but for the closure, but it certainly isn't a book to 'rave' about. You have my permission to shuffle it further down the TBR pile for now, or better still, borrow it from a friend when the popularity of the series is long since forgotten.

My rating = ***

Carpe Librum!

Review: The Waxman Murders - Paul Doherty

I'm still reading the medieval mystery series starring Hugh Corbett, although I'm almost up to date, woohoo!!! This is the 15th in the series and was another great medieval 'whodunnit', published in 2007.

This time the historical fiction was set in 1300 - 1303 and the plot involved the legend of a buried treasure, pirates as well as numerous murders and assassinations.

The regular characters were all in attendance; Sir Hugh Corbett, Ranulf and Chanson, and as usual the plot kept me guessing until close to the end. In my opinion this novel had a well stocked plot filled with much detail and interest in comparison so some of his earlier work in this series.

I enjoyed it and am looking forward to the latest publication in the series Nightshade, published in 2008.

My rating = ***

Carpe Librum!

Review: The Book of Illumination by Maureen Foley & Mary Ann Winkowski

This book is written by Maureen Foley and Mary Ann Winkowski (the real life inspiration behind the tv show The Ghost Whisperer). I loved Mary Ann Winkowski's first book When Ghosts Speak which is an autobiographical account of her life as a medium. I was so excited to hear she had teamed up with another writer to publish a novel that I had to buy it right away. I savoured the sight of it on my bookshelf until I couldn't wait any longer and I dove right in.

The novel has so many cool elements: a character who can see and communicate with ghosts, two characters who are bookbinders by trade, ancient manuscripts, medieval monks, a rich family with a massive mansion and a butler, and a crime that needs solving.

I had such high expectations for the book that I couldn't help but be a little disappointed at the end result. I definitely believe too much time was spent on the main character's son and family arrangements (boring and not key to the plot) and I definitely wanted to read more about her ability to communicate with ghosts and how she decided to use this gift in her every day life.

In my opinion, the plot line was too complicated for these authors to successfully tackle in their first novel together, and the book would have worked better if they'd kept it simple instead of aiming so high.

Will I read any of their work in the future? Of course I will! Mary Ann Winkowski is the kind of author I will follow blindly, and I hope she hones her style and gains the confidence to write novels on her own. I'm confident she can do it and I'll support her work all the way.

My rating = **1/2

Carpe Librum!

Review: The Twenty Thousand Thieves by Eric Lambert

This book formed part of the compulsory reading list for my War Literature course at University more than 14 years ago. I'm embarrassed to admit I didn't finish reading it back then, in fact, I didn't even get half way through.

I've always wanted to pick this book up again and read it to the end, and it's been on my shelf ever since, reminding me of this fact and taunting me. Well, I've finally been in the right mind set and the right mood to pick it up again, and now can't think what all the fuss was about.

This is an excellent Australian War Classic, with a forward from Weary Dunlop, and provides a look at the lives of several Australian soldiers in the Second World War. I enjoyed joining them in this era, and making sense of their lingo and turns of phrase. I recognised their love of women and beer and was touched by their individual reflections on war and the situations they found themselves in.

I understood many of their observations from my own time in Defence and this book certainly rings true in so many ways. However by the end of the book, I would be surprised if any reader came to the conclusion that war is a good thing. In fact, I wonder how I would have felt if I'd finished reading this at ADFA and how I would have reconciled the anti-war nature of this book with the fact that I was training to be an Officer in the Defence Force.

Interesting stuff.

My rating = ***1/2

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Review: The Forgotten Garden by Kate Morton

I absolutely loved this book and was hooked from the very beginning. In 1913 a four year old girl is told to hide on the deck of a ship bound from London to Australia. When she arrives in Australia she finds herself all alone, forming the beginning of a book rich in Victorian mystery and intrigue. The book switches back and forth in time to pick up each of the family threads leading to this point and to the present day with the granddaughter of the little girl seeking her own answers to her ancestry.

I thoroughly enjoyed the twists and turns through the family history and the secrets revealed along the way. The suspense was maintained throughout the book and each time a new secret or piece of the puzzle came to life, I just wanted more! I loved the authoress and her fairytales, the mansion, the maze, the brooch and of course the 'secret garden'.

This book came highly recommended, and I'm so proud in the knowledge Kate Morton is an Australian author. This is a terrific piece of writing.

Highly recommended.

My rating = *****

Carpe Librum!

Bookmark Day

Being an avid collector of bookmarks, of course I was interested to learn about Bookmark Day, but forgot to share with you in time, sorry!

Created by the author of 'The Bibliophilic Book Blog', you can join in the fun here:
You can also find her Facebook page by the same name, and I hope we can enjoy this next year too!!!
That's my four bucks!

Review: I Can See You by Karen Rose

I've read so much crime fiction over the years that they can start to become formulaic, but I was pleased to lay my hands on my first Karen Rose book as it appeared to have a slightly new angle. The killer in this novel stalks avatars in an online game, gets to know them and their fears and then kills them in the real world, staging their murders as a suicide.

Eve is a survivor of attempted murder by a serial killer many years ago and is working on a thesis around victims using online worlds as a form of therapy and confidence building with the aim of eventually re-joining the outside world.

Detective Webster is investigating the murders and Eve approaches him after realising there may be a connection to the deaths and the subjects in her study. The action and suspense keep the book moving along, however the romance and sex scenes detract a little from the exciting stuff.

I must admit that I picked the serial killer before the big reveal, which was satisfying to me in a way. So many reviewers claim to know who the killer is half way through a book and I never do, so this was a small victory.

I found the use of the online gaming world to be quite interesting, especially when the killer re-writes the code for his avatar victims in the game, staging their house exactly like the crime scene, and placing a black wreath on the front door. Creepy!!

My rating = ***

Carpe Librum!

Review: The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Society by Mary Ann Shaffer & Annie Barrows

I usually don't read books with what I classify as a 'stupid title'. When I see a book with a stupid title I'm instantly turned off. I see it as an attention seeking device, so I respond by ignoring it completely. I know this is stubborn, but there are so many books out there that you have to have some sort of screening processes in place.

Needless to say, this was one of the books I ignored up until now due to it's ridiculously long title and the attention grabbing 'potato peel' mention, which is supposed to make the reader ask "wow, what could that be about, I'd love to find out so I'd better buy/borrow this book". To me it's just annoying. Other annoying titles (while we're on the subject), include The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time and Porcupines and China Dolls.

On this one I was sticking to my guns, however I didn't fail to notice it's increasing popularity and it's movement up the Best Sellers list. I finally bowed to the pressure when it was reviewed by a staff member from my favourite bookshop Reader's Feast in Melbourne as 'her favourite book of 2009' and a friend highly recommended it to me via Visual Bookshelf on Facebook.

Of course I was pleasantly surprised, as the book had no direction to go other than upwards from my first impressions. The format surprised me and instantly reminded me of the classic Dracula in it's compilation of letters. I enjoyed the subject matter and also fell in love with the characters from Guernsey and their plight during the German occupation. I felt it was a light, easy and swiftly moving book, and due to the short sections I often read for longer than I would a regular book with standard chapter lengths.

I'm glad it lived up to the hype and I've now decided it's definitely worthy of the rave book reviews. Usually I steer clear of 'hyped up books' or the book of the moment, however I'm glad I dived in on this one.

My rating = *****

Carpe Librum!

Review: The Angel's Game by Carlos Ruiz Zafon

This novel is the sequel to The Shadow of the Wind and although I'd heard several poor reviews, I had high hopes for this book. It didn't quite reach the lofty heights of the first for me, but it was still a very gripping read.

The Cemetary of Forgotten Books made another appearance and the writing and plot style were extremely similar to the first. The plot featured a dilapidated old mansion, broken hearts, broken dreams, mysterious characters, hardship and books.

There was a strong religious theme throughout the novel, and I don't believe the author really quite explained the purpose of the story line within this area of the book to the full satisfaction of the reader. Was the mysterious publisher Andreas Corelli a vampire or the devil or just your weird run of the mill immortal being? I never handle ambiguity well, so this was frustrating.

A very enjoyable read, however my hopes were so high after reading The Shadow of the Wind that I almost held my breath hoping this would come close to the same absorbing quality. I was impressed and felt blessed to be able to gain access again to the gothic setting and of course the Cemetary of Forgotten Books.

My rating = ****

Carpe Librum!

Review: Under The Dome by Stephen King

I've been procrastinating for several weeks now about writing the review for this book. So much so, that I'm now 4 book reviews behind, argh! So what's the problem then? Well, I just don't know how to capture this book in words. It was so unlike any book I've read in the last few years, I hardly know how to explain the impact it had on me as I was reading, but here goes.

I truly believe Stephen King has invented a new genre with his latest offering of Under The Dome. King started writing this book decades ago, but abandoned it, only to resume writing and finally publish at the end of last year. It's a hefty tome at close to 900 pages, and I can appreciate the undertaking and effort it must have taken to develop.

It's no secret the book is about a small town in USA, and what happens when a dome mysteriously comes down onto the town. What happens to the inhabitants within the dome and how they behave in their newfound environment is the essence of the novel. Although this seems like a simple premise, Stephen King takes it to an entirely different and almost unimaginable level.

I've never had so many 'groan out loud' moments when reading a book. So many times when I was reading in bed I stamped my feet in my doona in frustration at the way King moved the plot away from what I was hoping would happen. Just when you're hoping for a certain outcome, he rips it out from underneath you and replaces it with an undesirable outcome.

Some of the sub plots were enough to sustain an entire novel within themselves, but here they received just a few pages. The book is full of characters and King weaves his tale effortlessly, never allowing the reader to relax. In fact I felt as though my senses were assaulted and I was slapped silly, never being allowed to enjoy the direction the plot was headed. Constant cries of "noooooo" filled the bedroom into the early hours.

I must admit that I didn't really care about the reason for the dome, and didn't really believe the explanation was going to be all that impressive, so I checked my expectations in at the door on that one. However my husband was disappointed at the 'big reveal' regarding the dome, so I can understand his point, but that's not really what I believe was the main focus of the book. The dome is just a ruse to provide the environment for the characters to play out the complex and disturbing events King has spent decades planning.

The behaviours of some of the characters in the novel were quite disturbing because they demonstrated both the 'good and evil' in human beings. This book is so 'big' that I believe it should be categorised in a whole new genre of 'amplified fiction' as it is without a doubt fiction aggrandized.

My rating = *****

Carpe Librum!

Review: Life Among the Dead by Lisa Williams

Lisa Williams is a medium, psychic and clairvoyant and when I came across her TV show Life Among the Dead on Foxtel I was hooked. I was instantly drawn to her warm personality and watched every episode I could, as she met with people and passed on messages from loved ones who had passed away.

I was so excited when I learned she was touring Australia however her tour sold out before I could get tickets. The next time she toured the country I bought tickets straight away and went with a friend to see her show at Hamer Hall. Now, I'm a true believer in her gift and was touched by her ability to accurately communicate messages, names, places and other information that she couldn't otherwise have known.

When I learned Lisa had written a book, I just had to read it. This is an autobiography of sorts, and I thoroughly enjoyed it. I've read several books by mediums and others have contained explanations of their gift, views on the afterlife and examples of readings that have stayed with them or touched them in some way.

This book is essentially Lisa's life story from childhood to the astonishing success of her hit TV show in LA. It contains a lot of details of her social life that readers looking for the meaning of life will find dull and uninteresting. I didn't, and that's because I really like her and didn't mind reading about her personal life, her love life, her battle with cancer and her journey as a psychic.

Although I've got to say I struggled with how long it took for her to recognise her gift and start to have faith - pardon the pun - in her ability to help people and begin to develop her gift into a full-time occupation. She has now achieved this end and has changed many lives around the world with her abilities and her love and warm character.

Fans of the show will enjoy this book, it was a nice easy read.

My rating = ***

Carpe Librum!

Review: Out of the Shadows by Kay Hooper

Having read the first two in the Shadows series by Kay Hooper, Stealing Shadows and Hiding in the Shadows, I was really disappointed when I'd finished reading Out of the Shadows. This novel was nowhere near the same standard of writing as the first or second. Sheriff Miranda Knight is psychic and has escaped to a small town in America, where she has changed her name to escape her past.

Miranda's past is referred to throughout the book, however the complete story came far too late and after waiting so long to find out, it was almost an anti-climax.

The tension/romance between FBI Agent Bishop and Sheriff Miranda Knight annoyingly detracted from the plot in which young people were being murdered in the town. The snow storm was a cliche and I found myself rolling my eyes at the predictability of certain points.

I read about the hunt for the murderer with interest and the ending was satisfying, however in general this was an average read. I would enjoy reading about further cases featuring this team of FBI Agents made up of psychics and those with special abilities, so I'll leave myself open to reading further books by Kay Hooper in the future.

My rating = **

Carpe Librum!

Review: The Magician's Death by Paul Doherty

This is the fourteenth book in the medieval mystery series featuring Sir Hugh Corbett. As in every book in the series, Doherty weaves fact into his story, making it a convincing historical fiction.

This time Corbett and his retinue are called to Corfe Castle in England to discuss Roger Bacon's Book of Secrets. I enjoyed the premise of this story immensely, and found reference to the works of the controversial scholar quite intriguing. Roger Bacon imagined inventions such as the aeroplane and submarine and this book by Doherty has inspired me to investigate this further at some point in the future.

However, it's not long before murder reaches Corfe Castle and Corbett is almost assassinated by the killer. His investigative skills are put to the test again as young women from the Castle are found slain and two French scholars who are also gathered in an attempt to decipher the code in The Book of Secrets, seem to have had suffered fatal accidents.

I'm still enjoying these historical fiction mysteries set in 1300s England however this has been the longest series I've ever read from start to finish. I'll enjoy 'catching up' to the most current one so to speak and really enjoyed this one.

My rating = ***1/2

Carpe Librum!

Review: The Sign of Four by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle

I don't know why, but up until now, I've never read any of the books written by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle featuring the celebrated character Sherlock Holmes. When considering my reading goals for 2010, Sherlock Holmes didn't rate a mention and I guess it was only that someone else brought one into the house that I became interested at all (thanks Brett).

And so it was that I came to read The Sign of Four. I warmed to Sherlock Holmes and Dr Watson much quicker than I ever thought possible. This is probably a result of my ignorance and assumptions I'd made over the years as to the dynamic between them and just what type of character Holmes was. I didn't find Dr Watson to be dumb or dopey in any way, although he is readily portrayed as such in many circles. I didn't realise that Holmes was such a genius when it came to observing the detail in a fashion that even Simon Baker's character from The Mentalist tv show would be proud. Holmes was in no way stuffy or old-fashioned, and I was shocked to learn of this character's involvement with drugs that are now illegal.

I did find the romance between Dr Watson and the leading female character to be totally unrealistic for the modern reader, but who knows, perhaps it was completely believable at the time of publication.

I thoroughly enjoyed reading the explanations of logic Holmes provides Watson and the setting in London in the 1880s is immediately appealing. In fact, it's hard to believe the author was writing these mystery novels more than 130 years ago, and I can now understand how the Sherlock Holmes series of books can endure all this time, and why they're a treasured classic!

If you haven't read any Sherlock Holmes, I encourage you to get onboard, I'm sure you'll be pleasantly surprised!

My rating = ****

Carpe Librum!

Review: Relentless by Dean Koontz

I love when authors write about 'writers' in their novels and that's exactly what we find in Relentless.

The main character in this book is 'Cubby' who happens to be a writer, his wife is a children's book author and their six year old son is a prodigy. When Cubby (I found this nickname somewhat annoying throughout the book for what it's worth) receives a poor review of his latest work by Shearman Waxx, well known book critic, Cubby can't 'let it go'. He pursues Waxx to find out more about the reclusive critic, however soon wishes he had followed everybody's advice to 'let it go'.

Shearman Waxx turns out to be psychotic and begins hunting Cubby and his family and trying to kill them. Cubby does some investigative work while on the run, and learns that other authors who received poor reviews from Waxx have been killed or are in hiding.

The book moves along at a great pace, and for once the main character seems to think ahead and make all the right moves. It's frustrating in books when the characters make stupid decisions and you know it's going to result in their death and you feel like yelling out at them.

Cubby's son Milo is extraordinarily gifted and is working on a device that he cannot explain to his parents but which the reader knows will save them in the end. This is a little predictable and unbelievable at times but if you can 'go along with it' then it doesn't interfere with the pace of the book.

Koontz loves to write about dogs with special powers and children who are intelligent and mature beyond their years and Relentless is no exception. Familiar themes, a terrifying nemesis and much murder and mayhem means that I really enjoyed this book.

Recommended for any Dean Koontz fans or those who enjoy a thriller but who are willing to submit a little to some of the sub plots.

My rating = ***1/2

Carpe Librum!

New Year, New Decade

It's a new year and a new decade, and who knows what the future holds for any of us. One thing that will remain stable and that is my love for books and reading, and I'll continue to share my thoughts with you here.

Having said that, I have 3 book reviews to catch up on (whoops), so I'd better get typing.

That's my four bucks!