Nicholas Nickleby - epic, but entertaining!

Nicholas Nickleby is a young man who, at the age of 19, has just lost his father and, together with his mother and Kate, his sister, find themselves in need of financial assistance. They seek help from his Uncle Ralph, an unpleasant, miserly London businessman who has no feelings for his new "family". He packs Nicholas off to Yorkshire to tutor in a terrible school run by a tyrannical headmaster called Squeers. Meanwhile, Kate has to find work to make ends meet and support her mother, and Ralph takes the opportunity to use his niece in order to amuse some of his clients who have less than honourable intentions. Meanwhile, Nicholas befriends the much bullied Smike and rebels against Squeers, fleeing the school and taking his new friend with him. They end up joining a theatrical group for a while before finally heading back to London, where he finds work and falls in love (from afar). Ralph's hate for Nicholas grows and grows and the stage is set for much drama, tragedy, comedy and romance - not necessarily in that order. There are, as usual with Mr Dickens, a huge number of characters, which can get a little overwhelming at times, but they each play their part in bringing together a story that rolls along and where you are cheering for the goodies, and booing the baddies. Epic it may be, but Nicholas Nickleby, by Charles Dickens is a great example of his work. It's full of vitality and heart, and is peppered with statements on the state of society at the time of writing (some of which, sadly, still hold true for today). I chose to read an audio edition, narrated by the fabulous Kobna Holbrook-Smith, who really brought the work to life, especially in some of the off-topic passages which Dickens seems to delight in adding - it may just be me, but I sometimes find these sections a little tedious and don't always bring a lot to the story.

My STAR rating: FOUR.

Formats available: print; unabridged audio download; audio CD; ebook.
Length: 800 print pages.
Price I paid: free offer from Audible (if a member).

The Little Book of Hygge - comforting

I have heard about the Danish phenomenon of "hygge" for many years (thank you Sandi Toksvig), but haven't delved too closely into it. So, when The Little Book of Hygge (subtitled The Danish Way To Live Well), by Meik Viking appeared on the January list in my Bibliophile Diary, I decided to select it. Written by the CEO of the Happiness Research Institute in Copenhagen, this book tries to describe what hygge is all about and why we might all benefit from incorporating its elements into our lives. I mean, if it's good enough for the Danes, who are one of the happiest nations in the world, then surely it's worth taking notice of? Hygge is a feeling, a cosiness or comfortable state of being, usually in the company of good friends or family. It's about letting yourself be soothed and relaxed, and at ease with your surroundings. Things to help you reach this state are candles (plenty of them), an open fire, a comfy sofa, a warm drink and maybe a stew (the making of and the eating of), or maybe sitting in a cushioned nook under a snuggly blanket, reading your favourite book. Filled with lovely photographs and illustrations, plus the odd recipe, this is a gentle meander into the hearts and minds of the Danish people. It definitely slowed me down while reading it. Not a taxing read and, at times, a little repetitive (candles, yes, we get it) this is still an antidote for the dark days of winter, and perhaps, with the state of the world today, maybe we could all use a bit more hygge!

My STAR rating: THREE.

Length: 288 print pages.
Formats available: print; audio download; ebook.
Price I paid: free from library as an ebook.

War of the Wolf - smashed it!

Partly due to a nasty virus that laid me low over the Christmas period, I felt in need of some TLC and treated myself to one of my favourite authors ... Bernard Cornwell, and so I reached out for the 11th instalment in The Last Kingdom series. War of the Wolf sees Lord Uhtred, now having reached the grand age of 60, looking forward to enjoying life after winning back his ancestral home at Bebbanberg. But with enemies on all sides - some old and some new - the chances of a quiet time with the family are very slim indeed. When Uhtred is called to come to the aid of the beseiged Lord Aethelstan, he has no choice but to stick to his old oath of protecting him - but when he discovers that Aethelstan wasn't in any real danger, it becomes clear that this was a mere ruse to get him away from Bebbanberg and out into the open. And as if the politics of the Saxons who surround the ailing King Edward aren't enough, Uhtred has a new Viking foe to face, led by a formidable leader who has already killed his beloved daughter. Uhtred may have lost some of his strength and speed, but it is always dangerous to underestimate someone whose cunning and courage have never waned. This is a cracking story and I raced through it at a great rate of knots. Yes, after the 11th outing for Uhtred, the story arc may feel a little familiar, but that's almost part of the charm. When you can't face anything too heavy, and you need a bit of escapism, it's a comfort to know that there's an author out there who never fails to deliver ... as long as you don't mind a bit of gore!

My STAR rating: FOUR.

Formats available: print; unabridged audio download; audio CD; ebook.
Length: 352 print pages.
Price I paid: free, borrowed from library.

How is it already 2020?

Happy New Year to one and all.

I, for one, am glad to see the back of 2019 which was not my (or indeed the world's) best year by a long chalk. My challenge over the last 12 months was to reduce the pile of unread books that have been sitting on shelves and under beds for some time, and while I have got through a few, there are still several year's worth of stories still waiting for me. So, this year, I will continue to work my way through them, but also, as an additional challenge, I'll select a book from the lists compiled at the start of each month in my new Bibliophile Diary (thank you hubby). I am hoping that this will open up new topics and authors that I may not otherwise have discovered.

So, here we go ...

The Librarian - the joy of reading!

Fresh out of library school, Sylvia Blackwell takes a job as a children's librarian in a small market town. The library is pretty run down, but she is determined to get the youngsters of East Mole not only reading, but to be enthusiastic about reading. It doesn't take long for her to befriend some of the local children, including the incredibly smart son of her neighbour, her landlady's neglected grandchild and the daughter of the local doctor. Just as it seems her efforts are starting to be rewarded, she falls for the doctor and beings an affair, even though he is married. This begins to impact on her life and work, which, together with her unpopularity with certain members of the community - including her boss at the library who doesn't like change - leads her to spinning out of control. Alongside this, the children she has become close to become embroiled in some serious mischief, which has a lifelong impact on their lives. I found The Librarian, by Salley Vickers, easy to read and enjoyable for the most part, although I became frustrated with Sylvia as I just couldn't understand why she fell for the doctor who seemed to have almost no redeeming features. However, I enjoyed the interaction between Sylvia and the children and felt that these sections were particularly well observed. Full of nostalgia and tinged with heartbreak, the unfairness and small mindedness of the time it's set in (1958) is hard to take. Strangely relevant for today, where libraries are being decimated at an alarming rate of knots and the value of reading and expanding one's mind on something other than celebrities does not seem to be recognised. All hail the library!

My STAR rating: FOUR.

Formats available: print; unabridged audio download; ebook.
Length: 400 print pages.
Price I paid: free, borrowed from my mum.

The Falls - a little bit spooky!

In the twelfth outing for John Rebus, Edinburgh's grumpy and self-destructive police detective, the action begins with a student going missing. There is very little to go on, but when a carved wooden doll in a tiny coffin appears not far from the family home, Rebus starts to make links to other instances where carved coffins have been discovered in the past - all the way back to a seat of 16 found in a hillside in 1836. His colleagues think he's barking up the wrong tree, so when another lead emerges to do with an Internet role-playing game that the missing girl was involved in - that becomes the focus for his long time mentee, Siobhan Clarke. The Falls, by Ian Rankin is a real cat-and-mouse crime novel, with lots of red herrings and peril along the way. Rebus is dogged in his belief that the coffins hold clues, and, as usual, this gets him into trouble with his superiors. Along the way, he forms a personal relationship with a local historian, so there is a little love interest - but Rebus doesn't have a good history when it comes to mixing his work with his home life, especially when his capacity to seek solace at the bottom of a pint glass overwhelms him. Always enjoyable and full of interesting detail, Ian Rankin's creation rarely disappoints - and this is no exception.

My STAR rating: FOUR.

Formats available: print; audio CD; unabridged audio download; ebook.
Length: 479 print pages.
Price I paid: free, borrowed from my husband.

The Binding - ignorance is bliss?

Emmett Farmer, a young man living with his family is recovering from a mysterious illness, about which he remembers almost nothing, when a letter arrives, summoning him to an apprenticeship with a Binder named Seredith. Here he learns the skills needed to bind a book - a trade that is reviled and feared in equal measure - for what's within that binding is more than just a bedtime story. A Binder can remove the unwanted memories of a person and trap them inside a book. Reputable Binders keep that book safe while the person goes on with their life, unaware of what's happened. However, disreputable Binders take memories from the poor and destitute, and then sell those books they create to wealthy people looking for entertainment. But when Seredith dies and Emmett is taken on by another Binder, his life starts to spin out of control, especially when he keeps being drawn to a wealthy young man who seems to dog his steps. When Emmett discovers that there is a book with his own name on it, he manages to find and destroy it - and the memories come flooding back. The Binding, by Bridget Collins is a book that sucks you in from the first page. It's a fascinating premise - what would you do if you could erase a terrible memory - would it be like giving up part of your soul and turn you into something you are not? Emmett is a likeable character and is ably supported by a solid cast of others, many of whom sit on the darker side of life. A mix of love story, thriller and cracking good yarn, I read the audio edition which I can highly recommend. This was verging towards a five-star review, but I felt that some sections slowed the story too much and could have used a little bit of editing to keep them as sharp as the majority of the book - but that could be just me!

My STAR rating: FOUR.

Formats available: print; unabridged audio download; ebook.
Length: 384 print pages.
Price I paid: £5.84.