La Belle Sauvage - A little disappointing!

As a massive fan of Philip Pullman's His Dark Materials trilogy, I could not wait to read La Belle Sauvage, The Book of Dust, Volume One, which takes the reader back into the parallel universe inhabited by Lyra Belacqua. In this opening salvo, Lyra is still a baby and is being looked after by the nuns at Godstow Priory. Opposite the priory, on the other side of the River Thames, sits the Trout Inn, where eleven-year-old Malcolm Polstead lives with his parents and, of course, his daemon, Asta. Everyone in this world has a visible entity called a daemon, who takes the form of an animal and accompanies you throughout your life. Malcolm's pride and joy is his canoe - La Belle Sauvage - and he spends many happy hours on the river. His world is turned upside down when he sees a man dropping something, and when Malcolm finds it, intending to return it, he witnesses the man being detained by the authorities. He finds that the item dropped contains a message, which he feels is important, but doesn't understand. When he later learns that the man has been killed, he finds that local scholar, Hannah Reid, may provide some answers via her studies using an alethiometer. An air of menace begins to grow both at school and in the general population, and when Malcolm learns that Lyra is in danger he goes to warn the nuns, but events are overtaken by a flood. He rescues Lyra and, together with Alice, the servant girl from the pub, they try to get her to the safety of her father, Lord Asriel. I loved the first half of this book - it felt like an old friend who had come to visit after many years of being away. Malcolm is an engaging protagonist, though maybe unrealistically wise and more capable than his eleven years would suggest. The ground is laid for the future story to unfold and the action bowled along. I particularly liked the scenes between Malcolm and the nuns. However, during the flood scenes, things started to go awry for me. Yes this is a fantasy novel, but there were faerie-like characters and ethereal scenes that seemed at odds with the rest of the book and I didn't think they added anything to the story. In fact, I would go so far as to say that they were a bit confused and actually interfered with the main action. Maybe they will turn out to be significant further down the line? And so, by the end of the novel, I was feeling a little disappointed, which I almost cannot bear to admit. There is still much to admire and maybe, if you hadn't read His Dark Materials, the book would be more enjoyable. I am keeping my fingers crossed that the next instalment will be better.

POPSUGAR Challenge 2018 prompt 17: A book you borrowed or that was given to you as a gift. 

My STAR rating: FOUR.

Length: 546 print pages.
Price I paid: free, borrowed from local library.
Formats available: print, unabridged audio download, audio CD, ebook.

The Song of Achilles - Tears before bedtime!

So you think you know all there is to know about Greek legend that is Achilles .... think again! In The Song of Achilles, by Madeleine Miller, our narrator is Patroclus, a gentle boy who happens to be the son of a harsh king. When he accidentally kills a bully, he is exiled to the court of King Peleus and meets Achilles for the first time. Achilles is everything Patroclus is not - handsome, athletic, confident and, as if that wasn't enough, he is also half-God - the result of a liaison between Peleus and the sea goddess Thetis! Despite their differences, friendship blossoms and the two become inseperable. When sent to an isolated training camp, they become closer still and they have their first sexual encounter. Initially full of teenage angst and uncertainty about their relationship, their feelings are so strong that they become devoted to each other on all levels. However, Achilles is destined to become a "hero" and his mother, Thetis, will not tolerate anything that threatens this destiny. They are separated for a while and Achilles is secretly married to Deidameia, but even this does not dull their feelings for each other, and when they do find each other again, Patroclus is determined never to leave his side. Eventually, Achilles' destiny comes calling, and so begins the Trojan Wars. Patroclus tries to protect him as much as possible - they both know that it is Achilles fate to die once the Trojan Prince, Hector is slain. But nothing can interfere with destiny for very long (at least not in Greek myths). Despite the background of war and violence, this is a book of incredible tenderness. Using Patroclus as the narrator throughout, gives the book a core of quiet determination - he knows and sees Achilles faults but, like anyone who is in love, he forgives them, even when it hurts. This book is a triumph - all the characters are well defined and the emotions believable. I would highly recommend it - although you may shed a few tears by the end.

POPSUGAR Challenge 2018 prompt 12: A book with an LGBTQ+ protagonist.

My STAR rating: FIVE.

Length: 368 print pages.
Price I paid: £5.99.
Formats available: print, unabridged audio download, audio cassette, ebook.

Just One Damned Thing After Another - So much fun!

What would happen if historians developed the technology that would enable them to travel in time? That is the premise of Just One Damned Thing After Another, by Jodi Taylor, the first full length book in The Chronicles of St Mary's series. And what a start to a series. Madeleine Maxwell, known as Max, is recruited to St Mary's Institute of Historical Research, a secretive organisation that studies the past by actually going there! We follow Max and the other new recruits through their intense training and their first crucial missions. It's not easy, and many fall by the wayside but despite Max seeming to be at the centre of a few mishaps, she finally achieves her goal to literally see history unfold before her very eyes. However, it is not all plain sailing and there is a dangerous undercurrent of threat and betrayal, with colleagues and friends staring to lose trust in each other. It also turns out that being a historian is a dangerous business - history doesn't like to be messed with and if it thinks its path is going to be diverted, then it fights back. The body count starts to rise and the newbies are thrown in at the deep end. Max almost comes to grief during each mission she is on, but somehow manages to survive and start planning her next jaunt. This is such a fun novel - a mix of adventure and history. The characters are very entertaining and it's a joy to see the world through the eye of Max as she goes from rookie to experienced member of the team. There is oodles of action and great descriptions of the different time periods that they visit - everything from World War I to the Cretaceous Period. Even though it's action-packed, there is real heart at the centre of this book, with Max coming out of her shell and experiencing the first meaningful relationships of her life. I read the audio edition, which was highly enjoyable - the narrator giving Max the right amount of attitude and sarcasm. This book is so up my street, and I wish I had written it - I am totally hooked!

POPSUGAR Challenge 2018 prompt 23: A book about time travel.

My STAR rating: FIVE.

Length: 280 print pages.
Price I paid: £5.99.
Formats available: print, unabridged audio download, MP3-CD, ebook.

Sharpe's Devil - A Fond Farewell

And so dear friends, the day I have been putting off for so long has finally arrived. I've just finished reading the very last book in the epic series featuring one of my favourite characters of recent years - Richard Sharpe. In Sharpe's Devil, by Bernard Cornwell, five years have passed since the Battle of Waterloo, but instead of languishing in his hard won peaceful retirement in Normandy, Sharpe is on his way to Chile to find out what has happened to Don Blas Vivar. Vivar, an old friend from his military days, is reported to be dead, killed by rebel forces, but his wife doesn't believe it. She provides Sharpe with a treasure chest of money to find out the truth. Sharpe enlists his old pal Harper to join him and off they sail, via St Helena where he gets to meet the architect of many of his former grief - Napoleon Bonaparte, who is getting fat and frustrated in exile. Once in Chile, it soon becomes apparent that due to corruption and poor leadership, Spanish rule is on the verge of collapse. Thwarted and threatened at every turn, it looks like Sharpe's mission is destined to fail. However, a chance encounter with one of the chief rebels leads to Sharpe to realise that his only chance of ever getting to the bottom of things is to join forces with them. As always, this is an action packed adventure, with Sharpe and Harper surviving scrape after scrape - he certainly has the luck of the devil to come out of this one alive! You can't help but have a good time when you are immersed in the world of Sharpe. History, adventure and larger than life characters all make for an enjoyable read. There was a little bit of repetition on occasion, but maybe that is an indication that it really is time for Sharpe to say goodbye. Still enjoyed it though! I have followed all the highs and lows of this character, and I know I'm going to miss him!

POPSUGAR Challenge 2018 Prompt 3: The next book in a series you started.

My STAR rating: FOUR.

Length: 316 print pages.
Price I paid: £2.50.
Formats available: print, unabridged audio download, audio CD, CD-ROM, ebook.

Lincoln in the Bardo - I've never read anything like it before!

Winner of the Man Booker Prize 2017, Lincoln in the Bardo, by George Saunders is a book that will certainly not be to everyone's taste. Indeed, I was not at all sure about it for quite some time, but I am pleased that I persisted and stuck with it. It is February 1862, and the American Civil War is raging. Willie, the eleven-year-old son of President Lincoln, dies unexpectedly and is buried in a Georgetown cemetery. Grief stricken, the President visits the crypt on several occasions to hold the body of his child. What Lincoln doesn't know, is that the spirit of his son is still there, as are a whole host of others who have been buried in the same cemetery. They are in a kind of purgatory, or transitional state (the bardo of Tibetan tradition), although the spirits (excepting one) are under the impression that they are sick, rather than dead. The spirits are varied in their temperament and habits - some are kindly and compassionate, others are depraved and violent. They have seen what happens to children who do not transition, and when Willie's spirit starts to linger, they come together to try to save his soul. This story is told in a most unusual way, with excerpts from contemporary accounts setting the scene, interspersed with the complete fiction of the activities amongst the spirits in the cemetery. However, the fictional elements are also structured as if they were extracts from personal diaries. One has to admire the research that the author must have done to create this book, which he uses as a springboard to tell this story. I really think Lincoln in the Bardo will stay with me for quite some time. Thought provoking. Emotional. Unnerving. Maybe even a glimpse into what might come - not something many people will want to dwell on. I suspect that there are hints as to how Lincoln's thinking about the war was influenced by the experience of losing his son, but that may be a fanciful thought? This is not an easy book, but finding your way to the last page will, I believe, be a rewarding experience.

POPSUGAR Reading Challenge Prompt 10: A book about death or grief

My STAR rating: FOUR.

Length: 368 print pages.
Price I paid: £0, borrowed from library as an ebook.
Formats available: print, unabridged audio download, unabridged audio CD, ebook.

Norse Mythology - Excellent start to the year!

I am soooo pleased to have started the new reading year with a fab book. In Norse Mythology, author Neil Gaiman gives a tour de force rendition of the great tales of the north. He starts with the creation of the nine worlds and ends with the defeat of the gods at Ragnarok, which leads to the rebirth of a new time and new people. In between these two earth shattering events, we have a series of stories that follow the "life and times" of the Norse deities ... Odin, Thor, Loki and an endless array of others. There are giants, dwarves and some trolls thrown into the mix to keep things interesting. Many of the tales feature the cunning Loki who just cannot help but make mischief. He had many, MANY faults, but he is by far the most entertaining character in the book. Thor is on hand with his famous hammer to bash and batter anything and everything that gets in his way, and even things that aren't in his way, because, quite frankly, that seems to be what he takes most pleasure in. Odin may be wise in many ways, but seems particularly dumb when it comes to keeping Loki under control! In fact, for deities, all of them manage to get duped on a regular basis, and are made to look stupid more times than you would think possible. All of this makes for a funny book, although as the deities are a blood thirsty lot, it is also full of brutality. Action-packed and incredibly entertaining, I would have no hesitation to recommend this book to you - particularly the audio edition which is read by the author himself - fabulous!

This was POPSUGAR Reading Challenge Prompt Number 40: Your favourite prompt from the 2015, 2016 or 2017 POPSUGAR Challenge. I chose "A book that's published in 2017".

My STAR rating: FIVE.

Length: 304 print pages.
Price I paid: £0.99 (and what a bargain!)
Formats available: print, unabridged audio download, ebook.

Welcome to 2018

Happy New Year to one and all. Let's hope for a good one! After two years of trying to clear out my backlog of books that had been gathering dust on shelves and under beds, I felt the need for a new challenge. A couple of days ago, I happened upon The Popsugar Reading Challenge 2018, which contains 40 book prompts designed to broaden your reading. The prompts rang from "a book about feminism" to "a book with alliteration in the title". This list will definitely push me to read titles I wouldn’t usually seek out, which is great, so I have taken the plunge! And if some of the prompts can be filled by any of those tattered tomes still loitering in neglected corners of the house, then I am more than happy to kill two birds with one stone.

So, here we go ...