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24 May 2014
Title
|
Sister
|
Author
| Rosamund Lupton |
Publisher
| Piatkus |
Publication Date
|
2 Sep 2010
|
Pages
| 358 |
Genre
| Crime, Psychological |
Blurb:
Nothing can break the bond between sisters… When Beatrice gets a frantic call in the middle of Sunday lunch to say that her younger sister Tess is missing, she boards the first flight home to London. But as she learns about the circumstances surrounding Tess's disappearance, she is stunned to discover how little she actually knows of her sister's life - and unprepared for the terrifying truths she must now face.
The police, Beatrice's fiancé and even their mother accept they have lost Tess, but Beatrice refuses to give up on her. She embarks on a dangerous journey to discover the truth, no matter the cost.
My review:
If you love crime and psychological thriller with a good twist, give this book a try. I loved it and it left me pondering at the end for a while.
Beatrice and Tess are very different. Whereas Beatrice is somewhat more settled with a good job abroad and a finance, her much younger sister Tess is an artist, bohemian, erratic. But the two are close and Beatrice looks out for her younger sister even after moving to the US and the two sister exchange long and intimate letters.
I don't think I will give a major plot away when I reveal that Tess sadly gets found dead, in a toilet in Hyde Park. But her sister Bee (as Tess had always called her) can't believe what the police is saying - that Tess committed suicide, brought on by postnatal depression and the death of her baby shortly after birth. Bee is more than shocked - she didn't even know Tess was pregnant and can't believe Tess would not have told her. She is convinced that Tess was murdered and sets out to find out the truth. Bee continues to live in Tess' s flat in London and even takes up a job in the same cafe where Tess worked to get to find out as much as possible. And it doesn't take long before Bee discovers that Tess had an affair with her married professor who made it clear he was not interested in the baby. And there is more. Bee also finds out that Tess, as a carrier for Cystic Fibrosis, took park in a medical research program on unborn babies, and the more Bee looks into it, the more this research doesn't sound right. Tess was also followed by an obsessed fellow student. And there is a masked stalker. Or is he one of the others and just wanted to scare Tess?
The book is written with Beatrice as the narrator, in the form of a letter she writes to Tess. In a way, it is a good old-fashioned 'who-dunnit', with a lot in between to keep you completely entertained. I kept guessing and couldn't figure it out, and I certainly couldn't have guessed the ending.
This will be a great book to read with friends / in a book club do discuss afterwards to see what each of you thought, and I bet you get different opinions, especially on the ending. I'm still undecided!
This was Lupton's debut novel which should establish her within the genre of psychological crime thrillers.
Author Bio
Rosamund Lupton read English Literature at Cambridge University. After a variety of jobs in London, including copywriting and reviewing for the Literary Review, she was a winner of Carlton Television's new writers' competition and was selected by the BBC for a place on their new writers' course. She was also invited to join the Royal Court Theatre's writers group. Before becoming a novelist, she was a script-writer for television and film, writing original screenplays. She lives in London with her husband, two children and Tango, a large ginger cat. (From the publisher.)
Feature and Follow is a blog hop hosted by Parajunkee and Alison Can Read. Head over to their blogs to check them out.
Feature and Follow is exactly what it says… a weekly feature of two chosen blogs, and a question or a task for us to participate in.
This week's featured blogs are : Orange Owls and Books and Geeky Chiquitas
so check them out as well
The aim is to get new followers to your blog and, of course, follow other blogs out there and get to know other bloggers, browse their blogs, leave comments and find stuff which interests you. For me, apart from books of course, this is what book blogging is all about - connect with others and chat about our favourite hobby.
The rules are all explained here in detail by Parajunkee.
And this week's question:
Have you ever convinced someone to read a book, a series, or a whole genre? What book(s) and who was it? Did they like it?
It's quite sad really, but no-one in my family is an avid reader. Hubby doesn't read, but he is a big movie geek (which I'm not, I hardly watch TV and don't have the patience for a 1,5 hour movie, in fact I will probably take a book out whilst watching LOL). My two boys (aged 20 and 18) are not great readers. The younger one is dyslexic as well, though he did try Lord of the Rings because he loves the movies and I'm trying to get him to read Game of Thrones because he loves the series- massive books unfortunately. My 15 year old daughter would read occasionally, I keep giving her books LOL. She is into music a lot and plays guitar/violin and sings in a band so she tells me :Mum I've got no time for it :(
My place of work is not very big (all together, there is 15 permanent staff members and about 10 occasional workers) but at least one of my colleagues loves to read crime. I did give her Apple Tree Yard which she is reading at the moment, but she didn't like Gone Girl (says she gave up after 3 chapters …)
So, all in all, I'm not very successful at convincing!
Yours,
Peggy x
21 May 2014
Title
|
Dreamcatcher
|
Author
| Stephen King |
Publisher
| Scribner |
Publication Date
|
20 March 2001
|
Pages
| 900 |
Genre
| Sci-Fi |
Blurb:
In Derry, Maine, four young boys once stood together and did a brave thing. something that changed them in ways they hardly understand.
A quarter of a century later, the boys are men who have gone their separate ways. Though they still get together once a year, to go hunting in the north woods of Maine. But this time is different. This time a man comes stumbling into their camp, lost, disorientated and muttering about lights in the sky.
Before long, these old friends will be plunged into the most remarkable events of their lives as they struggle with a terrible create from another world. Their only chance of survival is locked in their shared past - and in the Dreamcatcher.
My review:
Yes, this book is advertised as a sci-fi story and yes, there are 'aliens' and strange creatures who land in the woods and start to mess around with people, but for me, this book really is about lifelong friendship.
The story starts off again in Derry / Maine (the fictional town where many of Stephen King's books are based). As teenagers, Gary '"Jonesy" Jones, Pete Moore, Joe "Beaver" Clarendon and Henry Devlin rescue teen Douglas "Duddits" Cavell, who has Down's Syndrome, from sadistic bullies. All five become firm friends. The four boys move away from Derry and only Duddits remains there. However, they do meet up once a year to hunt in the Maine Woods. Only this time it's different. Alien species who landed in the woods who are infecting all humans and animals in the woods. 'Shit Weasel' (as the boys call it because it excites the human from the back passage and killing the human in the process) is an alien worm escaped / launched from the spacecraft. Than there is Colonel Kurtz and the Army - it seems the authorities are aware of this spacecraft and the trouble it causes. And they are determined to get rid of all the humans who were in the woods and potential witnesses.
There are flashbacks where the boys reveal each their individual stories and demons they have to cope with. Duddits, who is not with them on this trip, can feel they are in trouble. Duddits has always been able to 'see' things which others can't and he is the only one who can safe all.
The German translation of the book is called Duddits, which I find quite appropriate as he is the hero in this story. Him, and the lasting friendship and connections between the boys / men. It is reported that King wrote this book when recovering from his serious car accident in 1999, and that the book was finished in 1/2 year. It is a large book - 900 pages. In my opinion, King is in fine form again here with this sci-fi alien-inspired story. Aliens and invasion are indeed not a very common topic in King's books (I can't think of any other apart from The Tommyknockers?)
Criticism? I maybe found that it dragged a little bit in the middle. But, hey, there aren't too many books where a person with Down's syndrome is the hero and rescues the world :)
quote:
(Just to show why I love King's writing style so much - not so much of a teaser for this book :)
To Say that Beaver's marriage didn't work would be like saying that the launch of the Challenger space shuttle went a little bit wrong. Joe 'Beaver' Clarendon and Laurie Sue Kenopensky make it through eight months and then kapow, there goes my baby, somebody help me pick up the fuckin pieces.
20 May 2014
This is a Meme hosted by The Broke and The Bookish
Lists and books/Bloggers just go together, don't they? I certainly do like lists of all kinds. On this Meme, we can post our Top Ten of whatever topic is chose that week, please see here for a preview of the coming weeks.
Books about Friendship
(links will take you to Amazon where appropriate)
Here is my choice:
(published in the book Different Seasons and famously made into the movie Stand by Me)
For me, the ultimate book about growing up and friendship!
Famous quote:
“I never had any friends later on like the ones I had when I was 12 - Jesus, did you?"
These students are up to no good! Excellent book on a very different kind of friendship between a group of College Students and their enigmatic professor.
The ultimate weepy girls! The friendship of two woman over a lifetime.
Friendship in Kabul between two young boys growing up in the war-torn country. Heartbreaking.
Sorry for throwing in another SK book - can you tell I'm a fan? Sci-Fi alien/UFO story but what stands out for me is the friendship of the four boys, and especially 'Duddies' who has Down's Syndrome and steals the show here.
For a bit of variety, here is a classic for you to show that friendship in books have been going strong for a long time.
A Book I read recently - sex, yes, but mostly also about male friendship in NYC.
Men's best friend - canine.
Another one for the girls about friendship, and knitting. Different women all meet in a Friday Night Knitting Club in a yarn shop, all have their stories - wonderfully told. Tissues ready again!!
Looks like rabbit culture is not so much different from us humans.
19 May 2014
Title
|
Walk It Off
|
Author
| Emily Stanford |
Publisher
| Amazon |
Publication Date
| |
Pages
| 43 |
Genre
| Sport, Lifestyle |
Product Description from Amazon
Who Else Wants To Lose Weight Walking and Keep It Off Forever -- Without Dieting? Forget joining a gym and wasting your money. Stop to ponder before you sign up for raquetball, beach volleyball, or even baseball. And if you think you need to run, or at the very least -- jog -- think again. Running and jogging are tough on the joints. It is crucial that you exercise regularly. But you don't need any sports, athletic facilities, or fancy (and expensive) equipment. You can forget about all of that stuff to still lose weight surely and systematically over time.
All you need to do is start walking -- the right way -- and do it every day. Do this and you can forget about those ridiculous diets forever. If you're like me, it seems like you've tried them all, but you have little or nothing to show for your efforts -- at least not over the long term. Fortunately, there IS a better way. Walking to lose weight is the simple answer. It's been there all along. But like a lot of things in life, we tend to take walking for granted. And most people just don't realize how effective walking can be for anyone who is fed up with diets yet wants to lose weight finally and forever.
Walking is the easiest, cheapest and most convenient form of exercise there is. Once we learn how to walk, we never forget it. But it seems that with each generation, we walk even less than the previous one. It's easy to overlook the value of walking as we strive to save time and maximize comfort levels. But the result is that many of us are overweight today. There's a simple solution to weight loss -- walking. And that's what I share with you in WALK IT OFF: Walking To Lose Weight - Simple Tips and Techniques to Lose Weight Walking and Keep It Off For Good - Without Dieting
Losing weight doesn't have to be difficult. It doesn't have to hurt. And it should never ever leave you feeling deprived. Walking is easy -- and it works. If you're looking for a realistic and simple activity that can help you lose weight -- walking is your answer -- and this short book will tell you all you need to know. Are you ready to have the body you always wanted? If so, Pick up your Kindle edition of WALK IT OFF: Walking To Lose Weight -- Simple Tips and Techniques To Melt Away Fat and Keep It Off For Good – Without Dieting TODAY!
My Review
This is quite a small book (43 pages) and can be read in an hour or so. I got this as a Freebie on Amazon, so couldn't really go wrong here.
The book is aimed at the amateur who is thinking of taking up walking as a hobby / as an aid to weight loss. The following is covered:
- why choose walking
- calories / lets look at the numbers
- how to loose even more calories
- techniques and right postures
- set goals
- track your progress
- how to start and finish your walk
While a lot of it is common sense, I think this book can serve as a great starting point and motivation to get you up and going and keep at it. It provides us with the basics and I did find the information about calories and techniques / postures most interesting. I picked up some very good tips, i.e. plan your route and fruit is a good thing to eat before and after. Most important is to develop a routine. At the end, you can read all the books you want, but you have to keep at it.
One thing I would disagree though, and this is with the claim in the product description that you can lose weight by walking without diet. Whilst this is probably strictly speaking true, I think it is important to point out that a sensible diet is also required. It is mentioned within the book, just not in the product description and I think this is actually wrong.
18 May 2014
This is is Meme hosted by Kimba @ Caffeinated Book Reviewer and here are the rules.
It is your chance to re-cap your bookish week, what did your review last week, any new purchases, what will be coming up in your blog next week or generally anything you feel you would like to share with the blogging community.
So, what did I do last week?
The weather is finally getting better here, and we had temperatures in the low 70's at the end of the week. I have taking up walking again now after my vacation break, and now try to do a 'power walk' for about 20 mins in the evening, basically before I go to bed. So, instead of putting my night attire on, I put on my walking shoes and off I go around the houses. Didn't manage every day, and probably isn't a very powerful power-walk :) but hey, it's a start.
The family are all fine. My eldest son (he is 20) has been offered a full-time position where he works now part-time. He works in one of those expensive, luxury goods department-store (not one where I would shop LOL). He had been offered full-time before, but always turned it down… I guess he has realised now that more hours work = more money coming in and he will have to leave the lazy teenage-years behind him.
Reading-wise, I started a new review book which is not my usual genre (Sci-Fi) so it took me a while to get into it, but I'm loving it now. Resisted a purchase in the book shop when we went shopping today, but I still had a good old browse ('What do you do browsing for 20 mins in a book shop?')
And here is something I found which made me smile :)
On the Blog last week
Reviews:
- The Complete Guide to Weight Loss Motivation by Bill Rockwell
- Trial of Love by Christina Ow
- The Gunslinger by Stephen King
- Apple Tree Yard by Louise Doughty
Memes/ Features:
Finish / Start
Finish
Trial of Love by Christina Ow
Start
This changes everything by Sally Ember
2 interesting posts / discussions I found from Ashley at Nose Graze
- Why are people deleting old posts?
- Do you let your family and friends read your blog? (I do, but there are not really any passionate readers in my inner circle :) My mum doesn't speak English. A few of my colleagues read and they know I've got a blog.
And here a 'blogger help' type post I found on Herding Cats and Burning Soup:
- Creating a Permanent Blog Post Template in Blogger (I will definitely do this when I have a quiet weekend or a day off!)
Added to my stash
As mentioned earlier, didn't purchase anything and no Freebies either! I've been a good girl. Have been approached by independent publishers for 3 books for review and will have a good look at the descriptions today to see if they are suitable for me. Yes, I have come to that conclusion now that I simple cannot accept everything, as much as I want to! Yes, I know that's exactly what all the 'old' book bloggers have been saying right from the beginning…. you will receive loads and the point will come pretty quickly where you have to be selective. The point is here. Just too many books and too less time. ohhhhhh…. Could have worse problems in my life I suppose :)
What I'm planning on the blog for next week
Reviews:
Walk it off by Emily Stanford
Dreamcatcher by Stephen King
(continuing my weekly Stephen King feature)
Sister by Rosamund Lupton
Memes/ Features:
- I am participating in a (for me) new Meme this week - yeah for mixing it up a bit :)Top Ten Tuesday hosted by The Broke and The Bookish
This weeks topic: Top 10 books about friendship
- Feature and Follow hosted by Parajunkee and Alison Can Read: Next week's question:Have you ever convinced someone to read a book, a series, or a whole genre? What book(s) and who was it? Did they like it?
Have a great week everyone and Happy Reading
Peggy xx
17 May 2014
Title
|
Apple Tree Yard
|
Author
| Louise Doughty |
Publisher
| Faber & Faber |
Publication Date
|
06 June 2013
|
Pages
| 368 |
Genre
| Psychological Thriller |
Blurb:
Yvonne Carmichel has a high-flying career, a beautiful home and a good marriage. But when she meets a stranger she is drawn into a passionate affair. Keeping the two halves of her life separate seems easy at first. But she can't control what happens next.
I loved, loved, loved this book.
The story is narrated by Yvonne and starts with her standing trial at the Old Bailey (Court in London, usually dealing with serious murder cases). But neither her crime nor any of the circumstances are initially revealed.
Yvonne than tells us her story. She is a highly respected scientist in her 50's who is even advising the government and attends parliament, and an examiner/adviser in University in her field of genetics. Her husband is also a scientist, and I got the impression of those two, whilst not necessarily deeply unhappy in their relationship, seem to be living alongside each other rather than being a couple who is still happy. Yvonne than mets a mysterious man whilst attending an advisory session at parliament and is straight away completely drawn to him, and follows him - yes, within a few minutes of meeting him, into an empty room to have sex. Strange, weird, something missing in her life?
The two start an affair, and he remains mysterious and does not reveal to much about himself, in fact Yvonne does not even get to know his name. But he does make it clear from the beginning that he is married as well. And she doesn't question…He likes the danger of outdoor sex and the fear of being discovered adds to it for him and Yvonne seems to be swept along by this affair.
And now it is hard to continue telling you about this book without giving away the plot. A horrendous experience for Yvonne which will change all their lives forever and will end up with her being in court accused of murder.
The plot in this book is fantastic and I read it (and that is all 368 pages of it) within 48 hrs - and I'm not a fast reader. I took to Yvonne - maybe because her age / occupational status is not too far removed from mine? There is more in her past which explains why she acts the way she does which is revealed slowly throughout the story. I also like the way we know almost nothing about her lover at the beginning (a bit like Yvonne really), and his story is also unravelled. Another pleasantly surprising plus for me was that I recognised many of the places this novel plays out in London Westminster (but I have yet to find THE Apple Tree Yard)
I can honestly say that it is one of the best books in this genre I've read in a long time.
Anything I didn't like?
Well, it's not so much the ending (that is fine), but I think the book 'goes on' a bit for me after the story has finished - in a kind of 'what we all do now' fashion. But do not let this put you off, it's maybe the final 20 pages or so in my opinion.
I purchased this book.
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