Alice's Adventures in Wonderland (30) - off with his head!

I have seen a few adaptations of Alice's Adventures in Wonderland, by Lewis Carroll on screen, but had never actually read the original work itself. It starts off great - Alice, intrigued by a glimpse of a rabbit who appears to be muttering to himself - falls down a hole, and keeps falling and falling and falling - but remarkably, she isn't at all scared. What begins, as she falls, is an internal dialogue that I found highly entertaining. She bucks herself up and gives herself a good talking to at times, and then at others, pats herself on the back when she realises she understands a tricky word or situation. However, Alice isn't a totally lovable character and her impatience comes out - you can almost feel her stamping her foot in frustration at times - just like a real little girl. This book is a total flight of fancy - with talking creatures such as the white rabbit, the mad hatter and the dormouse, and of course, the royal household of Wonderland - a pack of cards - which has the unenviable task of dealing with the despotic Queen of Hearts who is forever instructing her minions to chop the head off yet another unfortunate soul. Alice finds herself meeting all sorts of creatures in this strange land and manages to keep her head before finding herself back where she started. I found much of this classic children's fantasy amusing, and although I felt it lost its way a little about halfway through, I did enjoy it on the whole, although as the Kindle version I read was just the plain text, I felt I missed out on the glorious illustrations of the print copy.

My STAR rating: THREE.

Length: 160 print pages.
Price I paid: free.
Formats available: print; abridged audio CD; unabridged audio download; ebook.

Dune (39), by Frank Herbert - sand, worms and fights

Dune is probably one of the most famous science fiction novels ever, but for some reason, I've never thought of reading it - and probably wouldn't have done so if it hadn't featured as one of the books in my challenge this year. However, I would have missed out on an epic tale of treachery, mysticism, love, power and sand! The action centres on a desert planet called Arrakis, and a young 15-year-old called Paul Atreides whose father is a Duke of the Noble House of Atreides. The Duke is made the steward of the planet by the Emperor - a move not enjoyed by House Harkonnen who had previously ruled there. The planet is harsh and not many would chose to live ther if it weren't for it's unique resource - Melange - which enables interstellar travel as well as granting psychic powers and longevity to people who consume it. And so, House Harkonnen plot to get back their position. First Paul's father is killed and then Paul and his mother are cast out into the desert to an assumed death. However, Paul comes across the Fremen, a tribe of desert dwellers who teach him how to survive and he not only becomes one of them but is slowly revealed as much more than a usurped duke. They start to see him as a Messiah when he displays amazing abilities ... abilities that are the result of a very long-term genetic experiment designed to breed a superhuman - an experiment designed by a secretive order of women, one of whom is his mother. His struggle comes to a head (of course) with the big players coming together for a final showdown which will determine the future of the planet and the Empire itself. This really is an epic and is full of intrigues and twists and turns and very large worms! A really good read that transports you to a completely different place, but which, at the root, is full of classic themes. Well worth the effort - and in the audio format I read, which used different voices for the main characters, a real treat!

My STAR rating: FOUR

Length: 624 print pages.
Price I paid: £7.99
Formats available: print; unabridged audio CD; unabridged audio download; ebook.

The Secret Garden (51) - a book of delights

Who would have thought that such an unprepossessing book as The Secret Garden, by Frances Hodgson Burnett would prove to be such a delight to read! The action starts in India, just at the point when an unloved and unlikeable child, called Mary, loses both her parents to cholera. She is shipped back to England to stay at the large but gloomy house of her uncle - but he doesn't seem to want her either. Left to her own devices, she explores the vast gardens and is intrigued by a walled garden to which there is no entrance. Determined to get her own way (which is what usually happens) she sets out to find a way in, even though she has been told that it is forbidden  - her uncle closed the garden up following the death of his wife. Into Mary's insular world enters a grizzled and grumpy gardener called Ned, a local boy (Dickon) who seems to be able to charm animals, a friendly robin and then, quite unexpectedly, her cousin Colin - who is just as unlikeable and unloved as she is. When they find a way into the secret garden, both it and the unlikely companions start to work a kind of magic on the cousins, who seem to blossom in parallel to the plants and flowers they tend. This is a great book, with a message for everyone - don't brood on dark thoughts, as they will eat away at you and stop you living a full life. Focus on something a little lighter ... and you may just find that suddenly, you are not worrying and festering amongst the darkness anymore and that anything is possible! I so enjoyed this book and I hope that if you haven't read it - you will - definitely worth a few hours of your time.

My STAR rating: FIVE

Length: 288 print pages.
Price I paid: Free on Kindle.
Formats available: print; audio CD; audio download; ebook.

Black Beauty (58) - diary of a horse

Not quite sure what to make of Black Beauty, by Anna Sewell, which I read in print. It's written from the point of view of the horse - Black Beauty - starting when he is a foal and having an idyllic life with his mother. When he is sold to a gentleman, all goes well - he is superbly looked after and works hard for his master and mistress, and makes friends in the stable with a flighty horse called Ginger, and a solid pony called Merryweather. However, nothing lasts for ever and he is moved on, and on and on. He encounters cruelty at times and goodness at others amongst the humans he encounters and the book is certainly a rally cry to improve the lot of the working horse - particularly highlighting how the fashion for certain ways of treating horses could be cruel and could ruin them. Beauty eventually becomes a cab horse in London. He has a great master, but experiences horrific things around him - including a sad end for his old friend Ginger. When his gentle master becomes ill, things take a turn for the worse and he is very nearly sent to the knackers yard. However, a farmer takes a chance on him and nurses him back to health and finds a great final home for Beauty. This is a heart-warming story, but is a bit disjointed for my liking. I can see why youngsters would really enjoy this book, but it's a bit too simplistic for me. If it did anything to improve how horses were regarded and treated in the 1870s (when this book was written), then I applaud it mightily.

My STAR rating: THREE

Length: 263 print pages.
Price I paid: free (borrowed from local library)
Formats available: print; unabridged audio download; abridged audio CD; ebook.

Jane Eyre (10) - reader, we loved it!

Hurrah, I cannot hide my joy at having read this delight of a book. It's Jane Eyre, by Charlotte Bronte, which I read as an audio book with the glorious Juliet Stephenson narrating! What an absolute pleasure it has been to have this book worm its way into my mind through the dulcet tones of this great actress. Our heroine is a strong willed, plain girl who becomes orphaned at an early age and is taken in by her unwilling aunt. The outcome is not good, and she gets shipped to a girls school which is at first harsh, but after a scandal involving the deaths of many of the girls, improves and Jane finds peace there. When it comes time to leave, she applies for a job as a governess in a large house in the country. Jane settles in and eventually meets her employer - Mr Rochester - a strange, unhappy and unattractive man. Over time, they talk and spar and despite her best efforts to resist, Jane develops an affection for this man. However, he is destined to marry a beautiful society lady and Jane concentrates on teaching her young student. But why is it that whenever he gets into trouble (which is quite often), it is Jane he always turns to? And what is at the centre of his sadness and ill temper? Jane is stunned, but overjoyed when he suddenly asks her to marry him. However, disaster strikes on their wedding day ... and she runs away and starts a new life. Will she ever find happiness? You can't help root for Jane who is one of the strongest female characters I think I have ever found in a book. The interplay between her and Mr Rochester sparkles and the book is full of life and twists and turns. It's a joy to read from start to finish and if you can get hold of this particular audio edition you will not be disappointed. Wish I was starting it again!

My STAR rating: FIVE.

Length: 404 print pages.
Price I paid: £3.99.
Formats available: print; unabridged audio download; abridged audio CD; multimedia CD; ebook.

The Great Gatsby (43) - man of mystery

The Great Gatsby, by F Scott Fitzgerald is a little gem. Short, but packed to the gunnels with character and incident, it is narrated by Nick Carraway who has just moved to West Egg, right next door to one Mr Jay Gatsby. Wherever Nick goes, he hears stories about the enigmatic Gatsby ... an Oxford man, he once killed a man, dubious business man ... and on it goes. Eventually, he is invited to one of Gatsby's legendary Saturday night parties - everyone who is anyone goes to the parties, and all talk about Gatsby, but no-one actually seems to really know him. Nick suddenly finds that he is talking to the man himself, and so begins a relationship that is destined for tragedy. It turns out that Gatsby doesn't really have a friend and he adopts Nick as an instant confidante and pal. Slowly, Nick gets to hear about the real Gatsby, and is not exactly comfortable with what he finds out. Gatsby is obsessed with Daisy Buchanan, and is convinced that she loves him back and will ditch her constantly cheating husband, Tom. The action speeds up and it all comes to a head with deadly consequences. This is a great read, full of insights into American "high society" of the 1920's. I really enjoyed it and can recommend it without hesitation. 

My STAR rating: FOUR.

Length: 148 print pages.
Price I paid: free (from local library)
Formats available: print; audio CD abridged; audio download unabridged; ebook.

The Catcher in the Rye (15) ... did I miss something?

So, JD Salinger's book, The Catcher in the Rye, is a book that is talked about on a regular basis. It's one that I kept thinking I should read to see what all the fuss is about and make sure I wasn't missing out on anything. Well, maybe it's just me - but I just don't get what people see in this book. Yes, it's different to anything else I've read - almost like a free form diary of a disgruntled 16 year old boy(Holden Caulfield). He hates and loves at the flick of a switch - fickle in some ways, but deeply loyal in others (to his sister Phoebe). It's written with all the slang of the fifties and the language can be a little fruity. It feels like the unedited thoughts of Holden as he spends a couple of days trying to decide what to do after he is expelled from yet another school. Too afraid to go home to feel the wrath of his father, he wanders around New York encountering people he takes an instant dislike to, or who he thinks he might have a connection with - but that tends to fade quickly. Generally an unhappy, angst-ridden rant against the world he finds himself in and doesn't understand - it's hard to feel any sympathy with Holden who seems to have brought all his woes on his own head. This book irritated me, and I cannot fathom why it seems to have influenced so many people. Maybe I'm too old - and if I'd read it as a teenager with all those hormones running through my veins then perhaps I would feel differently - but I don't think so. A book elevated beyond its content - don't bother reading if you haven't done so.

My STAR rating: TWO.

Length: 192 print pages.
Price I paid: free (borrowed from my local library)
Formats available: print; audio; ebook.