Week 36: No new books, but have discovered croquet!

I've got two books on the go at the moment - Little Women by Louisa May Alcott, and A Fraction of the  Whole by Steve Toltz. I feel like I've been reading the latter, on audio, for ages, as it's a bit of a chunky beast of a story about a father and son relationship, set in Australia. Sometimes it's hard reading and at others it's laugh out loud funny. An odd mixture of a book but I think it's going to be worth the effort. Little Women, on the other hand is a classic novel that I'd heard was a must read, but I was feeling a bit ambivalent and a tad disappointed for a good few chapters until quite unexpectedly, I have been sucked in and am both interested in, and rooting for, the four sisters and their mother. Two completely different books - one very modern in tone and language, and the other, using language that wouldn't upset a nun - but their central themes are similar in that it's all about family and relationships! Who would have thought!

My weekends are usually big reading opportunities, but this last one has been different. My big sister is 50 and we had a "bit of a do" at her house! The clan gathered and had a loud and giggly and please no more food time. Excellent times and a great set of photo's have been taken by my brother-in-law that will help keep a record of our daft family for the younger generation to be able to look at in years ahead when mine is even more decrepit! Anyhow - one of the highlights was having my first ever game of croquet. This was unexpectedly difficult but excellent fun. Whilst I'm sure more experienced players would have been appalled at our loose interpretation of the rules, let alone the rather bumpy pitch, we became hooked - especially my youngest niece who turned out to be a bit of a star player. Just might have to find out if there is a local club. Who would have believed that whacking a ball around with a mallet through hoops could be so much fun! Thanks sis for thinking of hiring the croquet set for the weekend and thanks for everything else too - but boy have you set a high standard for 50th birthday celebrations ... but then you always have been a hard act to follow.

Borrowing a book on Malta - yes please!

Thanks Jonathan, I'd love to borrow your book and find out more about Malta during the war, as it sounds like something we should all recognise and understand and not just think of Malta as a holiday destination.

I'm posting a new entry in the blog rather than trying to post a comment - for some reason, over the last couple of months I cannot post a comment on my own blog! Am not alone - on a blogger forum, there were quite a few messages and queries about this - but we haven't had an answer as yet ... if any of you have a solution, I'm all ears.

Week 35: War time thriller with a twist! (book 39)

Just finished a really good book - one of those that once I'd got half way through, I just couldn't wait for the next opportunity to carry on reading it. Definitely a page-turner! The book was The Information Officer, by Mark Mills which I read in print. Set in Malta during the second world war, we discover a part of world history that many might never have heard about. Max Chadwick is the "Information Officer" whose job is to help keep the morale of the island upbeat despite it being under constant siege by the German Luftwaffe. While the bombs are falling and tensions start to build between the locals and the British "defenders", Max discovers that there could be a serial killer on the loose, who is using the cover of the bombing raids to hide his tracks. Can Max find out the truth and stop any further killings and, as if that wasn't enough to be getting on with, can he finally admit his feelings to the woman he loves? This is a well written novel, which hooks you in to the main characters quickly. There are twists and turns as you would expect, and I could really see this as a film. It has also made me want to find out more about life on Malta during the second world war, which became one of the most intensively bombed places during the war, as the two sides fought for control over this strategically placed hunk of rock.

My star rating: FOUR stars

The stats bit:
Length: 400 pages in print.
Price I paid: £0.50 (at local church fete)
Other formats available: Audio CD; Audio download; Ebook (Kindle).

18 August 2011 - Varifocals and reading!

My eyesight has deteriorated substantially in the last year and the time has finally come for me to try to get to grips with varifocals. I have just picked up my new glasses today and am giving them a go around the house. Can really see the difference for the telly, but haven't yet done much reading. How will I get on with them ... only time will tell. I'm certainly hoping they'll help with my reading - which was starting to become awkward as I kept having to hold my books at arms length. With my Kindle, it wasn't so bad, because I could increase the size of the text to compensate for lack of focus on things within 2 feet of my face! Some people have huge problems with varifocals - including two of my sisters - but others just take to them instantly. Fingers crossed I'm in the second category. Will let you know how it goes ... as long as I don't fall down the stairs as I miss a step between focuses! TTFN 

Week 34 - Wading Home: A Novel of New Orleans (book 38)

Wading Home: A Novel of New Orleans, by Rosalyn Story - which I read as an Ebook on my Kindle - is a novel which uses the backdrop of hurricane Katrina to weave a tale of fathers and sons, home-coming, food and, of course, Jazz! When Simon Fortier, chef and stalwart of the community, goes missing after hurricane Katrina, Julian, his jazz-trumpeter son comes home from New York to try and find out what's happened to him. We follow Julian as he tries to come to terms with the devastation left behind by the hurricane, the apparent lack of timely support by the authorities and his guilt over the last conversation he'd had with his father.  He finds comfort in the music of the city, the homely food that somehow finds its way to the table when more than two locals meet, and the friends he had virtually abandoned when he'd left New Orleans to find fame and fortune across the world. Will he find his father and will he be able to understand how the city maintains its hold over a community that has been ripped apart. This is a really good read - and the writing evokes the sounds, smells, tastes and sights of New Orleans and the people who are trying to rebuild their homes and maintain their own particular culture.

My star rating: FOUR stars

The stats bit:
Length: 306 pages in print.
Price I paid: £0.00 (was free when I downloaded it, but it isn't now)
Other formats available:  Print.

Week 33 - I am Number Four (Book 37)

Growing up is hard to do at the best of times - but when you move house and change names every 3-6 months, never getting a chance to make friends, and your father keeps warning you to take care and don't do anything that will get you noticed - it makes it extra tough. But in I am Number Four, by Pittacus Lore, that's just the situation John Smith finds himself in as he moves to a new place yet again - Paradise, Ohio. You see, John is an alien, from a distant planet who escaped to earth with nine other children, each accompanied by a guardian. And they are being hunted down, one by one ... and John is number four! When number three is murdered, John knows he is next, but for once in his life, he's found both love and a best friend and he can't bear to leave again - and now that his "legacies" or super powers to you and me and starting to manifest themselves - maybe it's time to make a stand and fight! This story has all the general angst of being a 15 year old trying to find your way in the world, but with the uber-intense backdrop of constant peril! I really enjoyed this book, which I read in audio format, although the voicing of the female character was a bit on the wet side. This has been made into a film and I can see it working well in that format. The book worked best for me in the moments between John and his guardian, Henri - whose relationship is loving and combative. And look out for Bernie Cozar (no idea on spelling as I read this in audio) - the beagle who attaches himself to John very early on and becomes a bit of a hero!    

My star rating: FOUR.

The stats bit:
Length: 390 print pages.
Price I paid: £6.82 (Audible download)
Other formats available: Print; Ebook (Kindle)