Once Upon A River - unsettling, yet compelling!

Once Upon A River, by Diane Setterfield felt almost like a fable or some ancient story that has been passed down the generations by word of mouth. This is not surprising, as the scene is set in The Swan, a public house on the Thames, where the locals delight in telling stories to each other. But one midwinter's night, the door bursts open and reveals an injured man holding the corpse of a drowned child. Rita, a local healer, steps in and tends to the injured man and takes the child into another room and stays with her - but then, to everyone's surprise, the child begins to breathe and opens her eyes! She does not speak and is not injured in any way, but nobody knows who the child belongs to. Word spreads about the child, which results in several families making claim to her - announcing her to be the daughter they had previously thought lost or stolen. Even though there is something otherworldly about the child, everyone is drawn to her - including Rita, and the injured man - Henry Daunt - who is a photographer, and saved the child from the river. Time goes by and the child settles in with a young couple who believed she was their child, but that is not the end of it and the claims and counterclaims continue - with greed, grief and opportunity to make money all  playing their part. But what is the real story and where will it lead? This story ebbs and flows, just like the river, around which the story revolves. Full of emotion, fascinating characters and a touch of the supernatural, it takes you on a journey which shows both the best and worst of humanity. Thoroughly enjoyable, though it would have been nice to have a few more lighter moments as there were passages of relentless dourness where the hope of a happy resolution seemed a million miles away. Gripping, despite the lack of "action", I can definitely recommend this book, particularly the audio edition narrated by the incomparable Juliet Stevenson. 

My STAR rating: FOUR.

Length: 544 print pages.

Price I paid: £3.99.

Formats available: print, unabridged audio download, ebook.

Project Hail Mary - Out of This World!

Project Hail Mary, by Andy Weir is a tour-de-force piece of writing ... in my humble opinion! The book opens with Ryland Grace walking up and not really knowing where he is. He assesses his surroundings and soon comes to the realisation that he is in a space craft, travelling through a galaxy he doesn't recognise and that his fellow crew mates are both dead. He knows he has been asleep a long time, the kind of induced deep sleep that can play havoc with your memory. But as he comes to terms with what supplies he has, how to work the equipment, etc, pieces of his former life start to emerge ... and it is exceedingly worrying. It turns out that he has gone from being a science teacher to being sent on mission to save Earth from an extra terrestrial threat. His personal journey, both before and, now, during the mission is funny, intense and scary in equal measures. And when he discovers that he is not actually alone after all, it sets up an amazing first contact story into the bargain! Full of action, heart, and lots of zingers, this is such a thrilling read where the device of his fuzzy memory enables us, the reader,  to discover things at the same time as the main character - both the good, the bad and indeed, the ugly at times. Packed with science too, but explained in such an accessible way, it's a book for anyone - space nerd, thrill seeker or fans of unexpected friendships. Although set in space, it's a very human story too. Can you tell I enjoyed it? I read the audio edition, narrated by Ray Porter, which was fabulous, particularly the communication between Ryland and his unusual ally. Highly, HIGHLY recommended.

My STAR rating: FIVE.

Length: 496 prints pages.

Price I paid: £2.98.

Formats available: print, unabridged audio download, ebook.