General Chat

Persephone, I was pretty sure who the killer was too. Just wondered if the girls would ever be able to meet, make-up and persuade each other that they were innocent.

Tess

Thank you for all the reviews. Back from my weekend away now so will get on with the suggestions votes.

My book was the same as Helen's, you flip it over.. I have given it to a friend to read and pass on.

Tess.... whilst when reading Ice-cream girls I guessed who had committed the crime but this obsession that Serena had with knives kept me doubting my intuition.

I think Borodale was very thorough in her fireworks presentation.... I could practically feel the filth and the stench of the meat... and then on Saturday night I watched a documentary on the Filthy streets of London and how bad it was... showing meat and maggots etc.. so went through it all again.

I haven't read a Dean Koontz in awhile... I like his thrillers but am not keen on his horror books at all.

Persie

Have now read all the reviews. The Happenstance ones were very interesting.

Bridget, not sure if I want to read YOUR Happenstance book or not!

My book had the husbands story firsy, followedby the wife's .

I hadn't thought of reading them the other way round.
What a shame it wasn't printed the same way as Helen's copy.

It seems a good idea to read the stories in a different order, and printing the book that way certainly encourages that.

In my copy of the book, the husbands story came first. My sympathy's were more with him.
I will read this book again, this time reading the wife's story first.


Tess

I am blaming my grandsons for this late review!

Went to the library with full list of suggestions ('winners' were marked with a star).

Managed to get a few of the books, and ordered the 'winners'.

The Husband by Dean Koentz

A good read. I won't go into details in case it is a 'winner' at another time.

Happenstance by Carol Shields

I enjoyed this novel, will look for more books by this author ( I see that other people have reviewed this book but haven't read the reviews yet).

Light on Snow by Anita Shreve.

Anita Shreve does not disappoint with this offering. Nicky Dillon makes an ideal narroator, kept me by her side throughout and bought out my maternal instinct.

At times it was edge of the seat stuff - a gripping pale well told. I felt sympathy towards Charlotte, Waren too turned out to be a good guy.

it was not so much a 'Who done it' as "Why" An emotional story of loss and abandonment.

The Ice Cream Girls by Dorothy Koomson.

A sad, sad story of abuse and aftermath. An explanation of how grooming works.
it gave a feeling of helplessness and hopelessness.

The girls lost such a lot and struggled to regain that lost part of themselves.
Well worth reading, but have your tissues with you.


The Book of Fires by Jane Borodale.

I felt that I was beside Agnes, in her panic to rescue herself from her secrets.
I read this at a rate of knots almost in a panic.
Now feel that I should reread it, so that I can get to know John Blacklock.

I also want to understand the relationship between the main charectors.

Tess

I am still waiting for Water for Elephants... You might get my review around Christmas time at this rate.

I agree Ann, I turned over the next page of Light on Snow expecting more and it wasn't there. Sort of brought the story to an abrupt halt.

Well I have finished "Water for Elephants" which finally arrived last week. I thought it was really sad - the casual abuse of animals and humans and the belief that everything is disposable. I actually shed a couple of tears at the end.

The story of what the great circuses were like in the '30's was really interesting, it's something I have never thought about before. The desperate hand to mouth existence of many of the workers mirrors the world economic events of the depression, I think.

But I liked Jacob, I loved Bobbo and Rosie, Walter and Camel and I was impressed by the way in which everyone made the best of what little they had. And that they still shared.

The happy ending that Jacob experienced with Marlena was lovely - although only alluded to in the story. What I thought was really touching was how Jacob got himself to the circus at the end, at the age of 93, and was allowed to stay. Now's that's people sticking together, something that I really approve of. xx

Can't believe it I managed to read 4 this time

Happenstance

Not my favourite kind of book- I haven't read so much navel-contemplating since I tried (and failed again) to read James Joyce's 'Ulysses' for the third time! The premise was clever, the way the two sides of the story were woven together even though they were recorded separately but I just wanted to give them both a good shake and tell them to grow up.

The Ice Cream Girls

I didn't enjoy this book as much as the last Koomson we read (My Best Friend's Girl)There was a feeling of doom hanging over the story, sometimes during soap opera's I have to go and do the washing up because I know something bad is going to happen and I had the same feeling with this book. However as usual it was well written and I did enjoy most of it.

Light on Snow by Anita Shreeve

Nicky and her father appeared to have been living emotionally separate lives since the accident, their lives seemingly frozen in snow. Towards the end of the book hope grew that eventually they could live 'normal' lives when they made an emotional connection and it almost seemed to point a way forward for Nicky, with her eye for beauty you could imagine her growing up to become a famous 'art' photographer

The Book of Fires

Great descriptions in this book (some not for the squeamish like the pig killing). I found it really interesting to find how fireworks were made. I had not realised there was so much science and complexity involved. I loved the way Agnes linked her memories of the countryside to describe the fireworks. It was an intriguing story but I am not sure I believed entirely in John Blackstock's motivation, however I will look out for more of Borodale's books (it is her first so theoretically her next should be even better). My favourite of the four.

Sorry I am late, I had long ago turned my laptop off and then looked at my diary... and thought good heavens I have to do my reviews.

Well it is 12.30am here, but at least I can go to bed guilt free now.

Persie zzzzzzzzzzzz

Light as Snow by Anita Shreve

Funny thing about Anita Shreve, I remember Oprah raving about "The Pilot's Wife" well it didn't do a lot for me. But Shreve writes in an easy to read style and I did like this book. Writing about a family that had lost two members and them finding the baby was an interesting slant and one did wonder at the beginning were they going to ask if they could look after "Doris." I don't think the FBI would have left it that Charlotte could make her way to Nicky and her father Robert's place.. it seemed a bit too contrived. Maybe they did not think the perpetrator would return to the scene of the "crime" but I would believe they would still keep an eye on the Motel, the area where the baby was left and Robert's place since the story was in the papers. However, without that fact the story would not have unfolded like it did.I would find it hard to find Charlotte guilty of anything if I was on the jury of her trial but America has it's own style of justice. Nicky seemed to have the normal behaviour of a 12 year old girl and the father's reclusive lifestyle after losing his wife and younger daughter rang true. So yes a good, quick and easy read.

Happenstance by Carol Shields

I read the woman's story first... I found myself thinking is Brenda going to play it safe or not. She was actually very comfortable with the fact that she was out of her comfort zone if you know what I mean. Okay so we knew Verna would have her coat and we had to play along with the story until Verna finally turned up (what else did she wear - a whole week with her clothes in a suitcase.) I liked Brenda's side of things and then I was of a mind not to read his side of what went on for him during the same week. It took me awhile to get into his story but I found that what went on with him and the family was far more interesting. While Brenda was away at a
conference that she really did not seem to attend all that much, Jack was facing all sorts of crisis and was coping with them by disappearing into his own little dreamworld. He was very good at the art of procrastination and he convinced himself that his book would never make it to closure. He learnt that his father was an amateur manicurist (ha ha) - I liked that bit. During his story there were lots of little subtle goings on and you were left wondering just what did Bernie get up to if at all with Janey next door. It wasn't bodice ripping, no one got killed, no race against time (well the suicide attempt might have been) it all just flowed well and seemed believable. I think it was all the little things that happened like treking through the snow and having to tie his boot tops with string and then
having the string break, made it collectively a good story. Haven't we all had weeks like that.

The Book of Fires by Jane Borodale

I haven't been one to read historical fiction for sometime now... maybe because I do enough history in my ancestral searches and their histories. I have enjoyed them in the past, Jane Austen automatically comes to mind. This story about Agnes was intriguing, the author's knowledge/research on pyrotechnology excellent stuff. I have never given much thought to when fireworks started in Britain and the obvious delight that people had in having firework displays at parties. In NZ we are restricted re purchasing and displaying of Fireworks because of so many terrifying accidents with them. I would not have liked to live in the 1700s... I probably would have not survived long - could easily have been hung for a minor misdemeanour that I did not commit. Times haven't changed there, people still locked away/on death row etc for crimes they did not do. You read this and have to think here is a woman who has entered a field that women would not have normally ventured into. What was there for women then... maids, cooks, shop assistants, prostitution (how easily she could have fallen prey to this last occupation). Or in the right social setting they would be
either the "Miss Bennets" of this world in search of suitors etc. The story unfolds well, Agnes exemplifies a certain amount of courage (one night with mice scratching around would be enough for me) and a great deal of staying power to put up with the likes of Mrs Blight and her contradictory habits. This book is certainly different from the norms of what one expects when reading of this period in history.

A good choice and once again a change from what I normally read.

I'll be back in the morning (NZ) time, my internet connection keeps dropping every 60 seconds tonight :-P

Goodness me, how many books have the name Happenstance, or am I missing the point?? Maybe it is my age, but I hope not!!
Bridget hiding in the house because it is bl...y hot here today

The Ice Cream Girls
This held my interest all the way through, but I was disappointed with the ending. I had guessed part-way through, but felt some proof would be found. I don’t think I could serve twenty years for something I didn’t do, then just walk away and put it behind me. After Poppy wanting her parents to believe in her for so long, she changed once she found others who loved her unconditionally.

Happenstance
This is about an ordinary family whose Mum decides to exhibit her quilt at a convention. This means that she has to leave the family for a few days and it shows how she and her husband use the time to think about themselves – their lives, and each other – also friends past and present... The book is very descriptive. In fact, a little too descriptive for me. I felt that there was too much description and not enough action.

OK Bridget, it did make me laugh though.

Ann,I am so glad that my reply made you laugh!! :-D

I think that the book I found was not the one you meant
I suspect that your one Is the one about the butterfly etc which is also a film.
Well you all know that I have difficulty getting English books,,,trust me to find something on the dark side!! Oh well it made someone laugh

I no longer have the book as it had to be given back will try to recall the authors name, I think?...?

Now I will see if I can find one of the next books recommended

Bridget in Spain

Bridget, it doesn't sound as if your book was the same as mine at all!! Who is Winterbach? The translator? About as bad as the book I got from the library last time that was in a different language!

Bridget, that really made me laugh. Thank you for a great critique and I am glad that I didn't choose to read it.

(I apologise if you were not expecting to make people laugh, but the critique was really good...... and really funny.

I managed to find this book Happenstance through a friend who had visitors who left it behind. Now I know why!! An English Translation of a
book which was written in Afrikaans.

So I chose it as my book for this month.
I read it during the night when for one reason or another I could not sleep.

For me a good read asks the question "What did you think"?

To be honest I found this a very boring book and several times I was tempted to close it for good!



I can hear you asking"why was it boring?"

Well for a start the story in itself this dull. Little happens in it, and what does occur doesn't amount to much.

Some of it seems pretty random, too--and while I sometimes can appreciate an author who can bend reality to the mundane, Winterbach shows more taste than for this story. Happenstance.

I guess the title of this book Happenstance could be taken as an open disclaimer to the original?? But I could not be bothered enough to find out!

Maybe the translation does not do this book justice.
The narrator spends a lot of time talking about words that are no longer widely used--if at all--in Afrikaans.

Could this be a narrator's day-job: assist a linguist who wishes to compile a dictionary of "lost" words in Afrikaans. ????

I enjoy learning new words should they be weird, esoteric etc;
when I come across them, I try to use them in daily speech or writing but got nothing at all from this book, in fact I wish that I had never started it!!!


The narrator brings up some of the themes that the words evoke for her, and then uses them in situations that she finds herself in. When this happens the translation fails to convey any weight.
It could be that Winterbach's narrator actually starts to employ these lost words in her narrative (the character is a writer, after all), and to give them life in her present. Unfortunately, I have no idea if this is the case, because--bingo--this is an English translation.

If this is the case--and the translation loses some of the meaning in the original--then the book suffers greatly for it. Because the fact is that the story that Winterbach tells is lackluster and difficult to attend to. Throughout, her narrator ponders a complicated relationship with her family; various paramours; the why and how behind the mysterious theft of some sea shells that she collected over the years; her infatuation with her boss; and the where and the how behind all of the big questions in life, such as, How did life begin? Altogether, Winterbach tells a story about an ordinary person going through some ordinary difficulties, and the resulting story is so ordinary that I felt like I was watching a tv documentary about a next door neighbor.

No wonder the visitors left it behind!!!

Bridget in Spain :-\