3.5 Stars
I'm not really surprised this is the last in the series as it felt like Budbury had run it's course and there was nothing really new to add to the story of this bizarre and charming little town. This was an okay read but it somehow felt a little flat and damp squibbish compared to the others in the series. Maybe there just wasn't enough of the enigmatic Cherie Moon to lift it.
Whilst I enjoyed Auburn's story there were few surprises after the initial revelation during the "hen do". Do you know, I can't even remember who it was getting married - I want to say Kate and Matt but I'm really not too sure (admittedly I finished this book 3 weeks before writing the review). What's more I remember little about the wedding apart from the fact it had a Zombie theme - typical Budbury off the wall choice there.
This was a holiday read and it fitted in well to the relaxed atmosphere of a hotel room and the general feeling of "lots of day and no plans". This would probably have had a much lower rating if I'd read it at home between the normal frenzy of shift work and general day to day. I'm wracking my brains to remember anything outstanding about the story and I really can't - somehow the love triangle with Auburn at it's centre failed to captivate me and there really wasn't enough of the other characters in this one for them to stand out either. So zombie wedding and love triangle is what stays with me (to be honest some of that was jarred loose by a quick read through some other reviews). However, my notebook shows I rated this 3/4 * so I'll stick with that.
Monday, 30 September 2019
The Museum Of Broken Promises by Elizabeth Buchan
This is a deceptive book as the initial chapters lead you to believe that the bulk of the story will take place within The Museum of Broken Promises in Paris. The reader is already aware there is a backstory for Laure, after all the prologue makes this abundantly clear. What the reader is not initially aware of is that the backstory is the actual story and that rather than employ a flashback technique to the story the author has made it more of a flashforward to the present day with the majority of the tale being set in late 1980s Czechoslovakia. Somehow this left me feeling almost cheated - the title of the novel, the opening chapters, all drew me in to this world and I found myself becoming captivated by the museum and it's strange collection of artifacts. Unfortunately, little time is spent here.
Despite having been very much alive and fairly cognisant of the world during the time period this novel is set, I found myself having little knowledge of the communist world. I was aware of East Berlin, I was aware of the cold war might of the USSR, but I had only the vaguest notion that Czechoslovakia was part of it all. It does feel strange now that Prague, the main setting for this book, is now such a popular city break location and yet has such a dark and tainted past - a past that will be all too real for a high proportion of it's current residents.
Despite the author's best efforts I never felt that I got to understand our main protagonist, Laure Carlyle. Somehow she remains fairly ephemeral on the page and this prevented me from really managing to stir up any concern for her or to hope that there would be some happiness in her future. I was intrigued by her host family and the way they interacted with each other and her - Petr and Eva have such a peculiar relationship and the nature of Eva's "illness" is never explained, leaving the reader with more questions than answers (undoubtedly this is deliberate).
I also found Laure's naivety hard to cope with. Yes, she is young. Yes, she is hurting after the loss of her father. Yes, she seems to have been sheltered in her upbringing and have no idea how the world can betray you. Fairly normal for a girl just out of her teenage years and stepping in to adulthood but what could have been seen as touching merely served to irritate me. The older, museum curator Laure is a slightly more intriguing character having been forged through her experiences but she still has an almost childlike wonder to her that I found grating.
This novel was not what I expected. Normally, this is something I tout as a good thing. However, in this case I feel slightly like a victim of a bait and switch. It started so well and I understand the need to explain Laure's backstory and how the museum came in to being. However, I just couldn't get invested in her Prague experiences or her Berlin experiences (which are mercifully brief) and as Prague is good 70% of the book that kind of spoilt it for me.
Despite having been very much alive and fairly cognisant of the world during the time period this novel is set, I found myself having little knowledge of the communist world. I was aware of East Berlin, I was aware of the cold war might of the USSR, but I had only the vaguest notion that Czechoslovakia was part of it all. It does feel strange now that Prague, the main setting for this book, is now such a popular city break location and yet has such a dark and tainted past - a past that will be all too real for a high proportion of it's current residents.
Despite the author's best efforts I never felt that I got to understand our main protagonist, Laure Carlyle. Somehow she remains fairly ephemeral on the page and this prevented me from really managing to stir up any concern for her or to hope that there would be some happiness in her future. I was intrigued by her host family and the way they interacted with each other and her - Petr and Eva have such a peculiar relationship and the nature of Eva's "illness" is never explained, leaving the reader with more questions than answers (undoubtedly this is deliberate).
I also found Laure's naivety hard to cope with. Yes, she is young. Yes, she is hurting after the loss of her father. Yes, she seems to have been sheltered in her upbringing and have no idea how the world can betray you. Fairly normal for a girl just out of her teenage years and stepping in to adulthood but what could have been seen as touching merely served to irritate me. The older, museum curator Laure is a slightly more intriguing character having been forged through her experiences but she still has an almost childlike wonder to her that I found grating.
This novel was not what I expected. Normally, this is something I tout as a good thing. However, in this case I feel slightly like a victim of a bait and switch. It started so well and I understand the need to explain Laure's backstory and how the museum came in to being. However, I just couldn't get invested in her Prague experiences or her Berlin experiences (which are mercifully brief) and as Prague is good 70% of the book that kind of spoilt it for me.
Acts Of Love by Talulah Riley
I tried with this one, I honestly did but our heroine, Bernadette, is such a thoroughly nasty character that it was a real struggle to finish the book. There is not one redeeming personality trait for this woman; even worse her supposed mortal enemy, Elizabeth, is so saccharine sweet it defies belief. The inability to have a normal person enter the proceedings even extends to the men that make brief appearances as arm fodder for the women. I appreciate that normality is extremely subjective but every single person within these pages has no depth, no subtlety to their character; they are painted in the broadest of black and white strokes with no co-mingling to the grey area that makes each of us interesting.
Couple this with a plot at times both pedestrian and so far fetched as to be almost fantasy and you can probably see why I struggled finishing this one. Unfortunately, this was a promotional copy that the publishers were kind enough to disseminate so I did feel a duty to swallow down the despair picking the book up caused my reading muscles and managed to power through to the end. Well, where the printed word stopped because there is no nice little ending to this book, everything is left hanging in what is supposed to be a tantalising manner.
The worst thing about the whole thing is that I *think* I get where the author is trying to go with this. Showing how outside influences can damage us seemingly irreparably - in Bernadette's case first her father and then her ill-fated relationship with the MP. However, there is hope, we can change ourselves and others can be instrumental in easing the letting go of destructive habits. The problem with that is that it requires a subtle touch and more than a textbook understanding of psychology. In short, the characters aren't people they are a set of closely defined traits to signify one particular personality issue.
Having finished the book I am unable to recommend this to anyone. Honestly, I am convinced that my copy must have fallen through a wormhole from another dimension when I compare my reading experience to that of some of the other reviewers.
THIS IS AN HONEST AND UNBIASED REVIEW OF A FREE COPY OF THE BOOK RECEIVED VIA THE PUBLISHER.
Couple this with a plot at times both pedestrian and so far fetched as to be almost fantasy and you can probably see why I struggled finishing this one. Unfortunately, this was a promotional copy that the publishers were kind enough to disseminate so I did feel a duty to swallow down the despair picking the book up caused my reading muscles and managed to power through to the end. Well, where the printed word stopped because there is no nice little ending to this book, everything is left hanging in what is supposed to be a tantalising manner.
The worst thing about the whole thing is that I *think* I get where the author is trying to go with this. Showing how outside influences can damage us seemingly irreparably - in Bernadette's case first her father and then her ill-fated relationship with the MP. However, there is hope, we can change ourselves and others can be instrumental in easing the letting go of destructive habits. The problem with that is that it requires a subtle touch and more than a textbook understanding of psychology. In short, the characters aren't people they are a set of closely defined traits to signify one particular personality issue.
Having finished the book I am unable to recommend this to anyone. Honestly, I am convinced that my copy must have fallen through a wormhole from another dimension when I compare my reading experience to that of some of the other reviewers.
THIS IS AN HONEST AND UNBIASED REVIEW OF A FREE COPY OF THE BOOK RECEIVED VIA THE PUBLISHER.
Monday, 23 September 2019
Rosie's Travelling Tea Shop by Rebecca Raisin
Oh those inebriated online purchases - always fun when the delivery comes and you can start berating yourself for buying some useless piece of rubbish. Fortunately for Rosie, her piece of drunken shopping turns out to be a gorgeous vintage camper van called Poppy. I suppose that's one of the perks of working as a sous chef in a michelin starred restaurant - you never get chance to spend anything left over after paying the bills as you are far too busy working; leaves you a nice chunk of disposable income for those drunken purchase moments. Also, it apparently leaves you with a decent chunk to fund a travelling lifestyle. I did find it very hard to believe that you could (A) cook enough baked goods in a campervan to make a profit, however small (B) that said campervan would pass health and safety inspection as a food preparation area.
Setting aside those practical and real world concerns, the fictional world that Ms Raisin creates is entirely bucolic. Yes, we have the nasty husband who leaves Rosie for a younger model precipitating the adventure. Yes, we have Rosie's controlling nature and need to plan to the last second to deal with. Yes, we have a supporting cast of eccentric characters who are all too ready to admit a stranger in to their midst and become instant friends with. Yes, we have a shady sounding "penpal" encouraging and luring Rosie in to the lifestyle. Yes, we have the misunderstood rugged hero that provides a will-they-won't they- for Rosie.
Basically, everything you expect from this genre is tucked away in there in various guises. Not that this is necessarily a bad thing - certain things are expected but it is how you deliver them that is important. Fortunately, Ms Raisin delivers them with a verve that makes things seem as fresh as the dew on the festival fields. None of it really stands up to close scrutiny but who really pays close attention to if this would work in reality - we read to escape reality. Although, I am sure this would provide inspiration for someone already on the edge of making the decision to try van life for a while.
It is humorous but falls short of being genuinely funny, certainly not a laugh out loud book - although very, very few are. I do have a sense of humour, quite an overdeveloped one but this raised nothing more than the occasional smirk and those were in places that I am pretty sure were unintended by the author.
Overall, this is a good solid holiday read. Nothing too challenging, nothing too dramatic or heart rending but a heroine you want to get behind and a lifestyle straight from Enid Blyton - what could be better?
Setting aside those practical and real world concerns, the fictional world that Ms Raisin creates is entirely bucolic. Yes, we have the nasty husband who leaves Rosie for a younger model precipitating the adventure. Yes, we have Rosie's controlling nature and need to plan to the last second to deal with. Yes, we have a supporting cast of eccentric characters who are all too ready to admit a stranger in to their midst and become instant friends with. Yes, we have a shady sounding "penpal" encouraging and luring Rosie in to the lifestyle. Yes, we have the misunderstood rugged hero that provides a will-they-won't they- for Rosie.
Basically, everything you expect from this genre is tucked away in there in various guises. Not that this is necessarily a bad thing - certain things are expected but it is how you deliver them that is important. Fortunately, Ms Raisin delivers them with a verve that makes things seem as fresh as the dew on the festival fields. None of it really stands up to close scrutiny but who really pays close attention to if this would work in reality - we read to escape reality. Although, I am sure this would provide inspiration for someone already on the edge of making the decision to try van life for a while.
It is humorous but falls short of being genuinely funny, certainly not a laugh out loud book - although very, very few are. I do have a sense of humour, quite an overdeveloped one but this raised nothing more than the occasional smirk and those were in places that I am pretty sure were unintended by the author.
Overall, this is a good solid holiday read. Nothing too challenging, nothing too dramatic or heart rending but a heroine you want to get behind and a lifestyle straight from Enid Blyton - what could be better?
Sunday, 22 September 2019
Time And Time Again by Ben Elton
If you could go back and change one event in history what would that be?
This is what the Companions Of Chronos have to decide on and the clock is ticking. According to a letter left by Sir Isaac Newton they have one chance of making a difference, one moment in time where past and present overlap allowing them to step back in time. Okay, I'm with it so far and it does follow a fairly logical pattern if you accept the theory that past, present and future all exist at the same moment and that time is now a straight line but much more fluid. However, there is no mention that this one snapshot in the supposed present the traveller(s) could also move in to the future - if the maths is correct for going back in time then it would also be correct for going forward.
Anyway, back to the book.
The Cambridge elite decide that the worst thing that happened was the start of the First World War so they decide that they are going to sabotage the assassination of the Archduke Ferdinand. But who do they send? Who better than the all-action Hugh "Guts" Stanton, former alumni at Trinity and tutored by the Master of the college herself. He has no ties to the present as his wife and children died in a tragic accident, has superb survival skills and also some limited knowledge of languages other than English. The one thing they don't think through is what the ramifications of changing the path of history would mean. How will the world reshape itself? Will things really be better or will they be worse?
The pacing is a little slow in places and on occassion there seems to be a strange dwelling on location descriptions in place of moving the tale forward. At first I wondered if there was some knowledge, some foreshadowing that the reader should pick up on that Hugh misses in his confusion from being in a largely unknown time. Sadly, it seems that wasn't the case, a little editing was needed to sort the wheat from the chaff. Some of the historical detail feels entirely genuine and some rather more fictional but, on the whole, it works.
There is a LOT that goes on in this novel and some of it you will miss until it is explained later in the book. In fact, it never struck me that as soon as Hugh leaves for 1914 Istanbul then he irrevocably changes the present day so every time the set date and time comes around in the new present a new traveller can be sent over to right any wrongs done by previous travellers. Of course, this is an obvious result of meddling with time that exists in all states at all moments. If you try and think about it for too long your brain starts to hurt.
I thoroughly enjoyed this book. However, if you want a truly exemplary book about Time Travel then I would strongly recommend 11.22.63 by Stephen King - it has the same moral as this book and much of the same set up and premise but is infinitely more accessible.
This is what the Companions Of Chronos have to decide on and the clock is ticking. According to a letter left by Sir Isaac Newton they have one chance of making a difference, one moment in time where past and present overlap allowing them to step back in time. Okay, I'm with it so far and it does follow a fairly logical pattern if you accept the theory that past, present and future all exist at the same moment and that time is now a straight line but much more fluid. However, there is no mention that this one snapshot in the supposed present the traveller(s) could also move in to the future - if the maths is correct for going back in time then it would also be correct for going forward.
Anyway, back to the book.
The Cambridge elite decide that the worst thing that happened was the start of the First World War so they decide that they are going to sabotage the assassination of the Archduke Ferdinand. But who do they send? Who better than the all-action Hugh "Guts" Stanton, former alumni at Trinity and tutored by the Master of the college herself. He has no ties to the present as his wife and children died in a tragic accident, has superb survival skills and also some limited knowledge of languages other than English. The one thing they don't think through is what the ramifications of changing the path of history would mean. How will the world reshape itself? Will things really be better or will they be worse?
The pacing is a little slow in places and on occassion there seems to be a strange dwelling on location descriptions in place of moving the tale forward. At first I wondered if there was some knowledge, some foreshadowing that the reader should pick up on that Hugh misses in his confusion from being in a largely unknown time. Sadly, it seems that wasn't the case, a little editing was needed to sort the wheat from the chaff. Some of the historical detail feels entirely genuine and some rather more fictional but, on the whole, it works.
There is a LOT that goes on in this novel and some of it you will miss until it is explained later in the book. In fact, it never struck me that as soon as Hugh leaves for 1914 Istanbul then he irrevocably changes the present day so every time the set date and time comes around in the new present a new traveller can be sent over to right any wrongs done by previous travellers. Of course, this is an obvious result of meddling with time that exists in all states at all moments. If you try and think about it for too long your brain starts to hurt.
I thoroughly enjoyed this book. However, if you want a truly exemplary book about Time Travel then I would strongly recommend 11.22.63 by Stephen King - it has the same moral as this book and much of the same set up and premise but is infinitely more accessible.
A Vintage Summer by Cathy Bramley
This gives you everything that you expect from a Cathy Bromley novel, a warm and friendly heroine, a life changing situation for her and a support network that we all wish we have. For this book she threw in a little homegrown wine (and not pea-pod burgundy you will be pleased to hear), a couple of eccentric old ladies and of course a romatic hero. What would this genre be without a romantic hero?
My only real issue was with the growing of wine quality grapes so far North in the United Kingdom; the soil conditions and temperature (even allowing for Global Warming) make it a little too far fetched for this reader. It is explained as the winery being on the same latitude as a sister winery in France that is within the Champagne region but it still seemed a little too far of a reach for me.
Other than that it is just what I want from a Cathy Bramley book. Lottie is bright and warm, despite the opening portion of the novel being set around her abusive relationship she still has a vibrancy that engages the reader. From her interactions at the crematorium with visitors, to her brief phone conversations the reader gets a good insight in to her character. This means that as soon as she moves back home the reader is rooting for everything to work out well for her. Even though, you already know that this is going to be how things shakeout; getting there is certainly fun.
Nothing about this book feels overly unrealistic; as oftentimes happens in the genre. Whilst there is the expected will-they-won't-they romance element, it does not overpower the story and it does feel realistic. Everything about their relationship feels like it progresses to a beat that chimes with how society and people operate - a little bit of romantic hyperbole never hurt anyone after all.
With the exception of Lottie's boyfriend in London all the characters are fully rounded and more or less believable; he is a little bit of a one-dimensional "baddie". Fortunately, he takes up very little of the novel so you get to enjoy the rustic setting and the relationships that unfold. So much so, I have to admit I can't remember his name (admittedly it is almost a month between finishing the novel and penning this review).
If you like a good bit of chick lit, this is an excellent example and will pair very well with a hot chocolate or cup of coffee as a glass of wine.
My only real issue was with the growing of wine quality grapes so far North in the United Kingdom; the soil conditions and temperature (even allowing for Global Warming) make it a little too far fetched for this reader. It is explained as the winery being on the same latitude as a sister winery in France that is within the Champagne region but it still seemed a little too far of a reach for me.
Other than that it is just what I want from a Cathy Bramley book. Lottie is bright and warm, despite the opening portion of the novel being set around her abusive relationship she still has a vibrancy that engages the reader. From her interactions at the crematorium with visitors, to her brief phone conversations the reader gets a good insight in to her character. This means that as soon as she moves back home the reader is rooting for everything to work out well for her. Even though, you already know that this is going to be how things shakeout; getting there is certainly fun.
Nothing about this book feels overly unrealistic; as oftentimes happens in the genre. Whilst there is the expected will-they-won't-they romance element, it does not overpower the story and it does feel realistic. Everything about their relationship feels like it progresses to a beat that chimes with how society and people operate - a little bit of romantic hyperbole never hurt anyone after all.
With the exception of Lottie's boyfriend in London all the characters are fully rounded and more or less believable; he is a little bit of a one-dimensional "baddie". Fortunately, he takes up very little of the novel so you get to enjoy the rustic setting and the relationships that unfold. So much so, I have to admit I can't remember his name (admittedly it is almost a month between finishing the novel and penning this review).
If you like a good bit of chick lit, this is an excellent example and will pair very well with a hot chocolate or cup of coffee as a glass of wine.
With The Fire On High by Elizabeth Acevedo
Emoni Santiago is that teenage girl your parents always warned you to keep away from. Her mother is dead and her father is absent so she is being raised by her grandmother and is from a relatively insalubrious neighbourhood. Even worse she got pregnant at 16 and decided to keep the child, even though she is estranged from the baby-daddy. She also had the audacity to stay at her Charter school, wandering the hallways with her protruding belly instead of hiding away from "decent society".
Nothing really changes does it. Heck, I went to secondary school (roughly equivalent to middle and high school) in the early 1980s and in every year that I was there at least 1 girl of 14, 15 or 16 would turn up pregnant (usually 2 or 3). Even worse this was a Catholic High School with nuns as the head and deputy headteachers so you would have thought we would have been morally immune. But no, teenagers are teenagers the world over and it's no different in the 21st century than it was in the 20th.
What Ms Acevedo does with this book is show not to judge a book by it's cover.
Yes Emoni is mixed race, yes she is a teenage mother, yes she is from a cash poor home. All things that the media tells us to fear and to hate.
Yes Emoni is a loyal friend, yes she is a good mother, yes she works hard both in school and at the Burger Joint. All things that the media tells us are to be applauded.
Emoni narrates the book and she is warm and rather wise. She struggles to balance her life and has her failures and her triumphs - in fact she is far more mature than I and I am almost at my half century. From early on in the book it is very hard to escape the pull of her personality and be sucked in to the trivialities of daily life and to really pull for her when things get tough. I never once felt the touch of the author in the book, it felt wholly authentic as the voice of a 17 year old. I wouldn't go so far as to say I laughed and I cried with her; but I was definitely invested in her life.
The only downside in the whole thing for me was Malachi. As a character he is great and probably just what Emoni needs. However, he was a little bit too good to be true for my taste. Even worse I started to find myself humming the Fresh Prince theme tune after finding out his reasons for moving to live with his Aunt (admittedly he only moved across Philly and not to Beverley Hills).
I thoroughly enjoyed this read. It did feel a little "pulled back" in places but maybe this is to do with the target demographic rather than any failing of the authors. Definitely a wonderful story that really does explore the nature of being a human.
THIS IS AN HONEST REVIEW OF A FREE COPY OF THE BOOK RECEIVED FROM READERS FIRST
Nothing really changes does it. Heck, I went to secondary school (roughly equivalent to middle and high school) in the early 1980s and in every year that I was there at least 1 girl of 14, 15 or 16 would turn up pregnant (usually 2 or 3). Even worse this was a Catholic High School with nuns as the head and deputy headteachers so you would have thought we would have been morally immune. But no, teenagers are teenagers the world over and it's no different in the 21st century than it was in the 20th.
What Ms Acevedo does with this book is show not to judge a book by it's cover.
Yes Emoni is mixed race, yes she is a teenage mother, yes she is from a cash poor home. All things that the media tells us to fear and to hate.
Yes Emoni is a loyal friend, yes she is a good mother, yes she works hard both in school and at the Burger Joint. All things that the media tells us are to be applauded.
Emoni narrates the book and she is warm and rather wise. She struggles to balance her life and has her failures and her triumphs - in fact she is far more mature than I and I am almost at my half century. From early on in the book it is very hard to escape the pull of her personality and be sucked in to the trivialities of daily life and to really pull for her when things get tough. I never once felt the touch of the author in the book, it felt wholly authentic as the voice of a 17 year old. I wouldn't go so far as to say I laughed and I cried with her; but I was definitely invested in her life.
The only downside in the whole thing for me was Malachi. As a character he is great and probably just what Emoni needs. However, he was a little bit too good to be true for my taste. Even worse I started to find myself humming the Fresh Prince theme tune after finding out his reasons for moving to live with his Aunt (admittedly he only moved across Philly and not to Beverley Hills).
I thoroughly enjoyed this read. It did feel a little "pulled back" in places but maybe this is to do with the target demographic rather than any failing of the authors. Definitely a wonderful story that really does explore the nature of being a human.
THIS IS AN HONEST REVIEW OF A FREE COPY OF THE BOOK RECEIVED FROM READERS FIRST
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Lego Tony Stark's Sakaarian Iron Man 76194
I know nothing about the "What If" TV show but what I do know is that I absolutely LOVE Mechs and Lego always manage to put somet...
