The Infinite Wisdom of Harriet Rose by Diana Janney

Synopsis: Harriet Rose, like any other teenager, is naive, overconfident and has always felt she has something important to say. However, unlike most of her peers, her hero is Marcus Aurelius, in imitation of whom she has been composing philosophical reflections on life for some time. When Harriet’s father dies, the urge to write these meditations is greater than ever. Then, on her fourteenth birthday, she receives a unique gift. Her doting mother and grandmother have had her by-now-substantial collection of meditations published. Having appointed themselves roles — Mother: publicist; Nana: sales rep; Harriet: esteemed author — they vow to get the book into the hands of a wide readership. Once this formidable team gets into gear, there’s no holding back, and Harriet is hurled into a lifestyle that not even she, in all her infinite wisdom, could have been prepared for. Bookshop orders soon stack up, and Harriet is plunged into a whirlwind of launch parties, newspaper coverage and television appearances. But is all this attention exactly what she thinks? And, more importantly, can her happiness — or her naivete – last?

Review: This was a delightful read – light and uplifting with touches of humour. It’s an unusual book and Harriet is a wonderful anti-hero; even during her arrogant and misguided moments you find yourself completely onside willing her to overcome the various obstacles she faces. I defy anyone not to have a favourite Harriet Rose meditation by the end of the book.  

LibraryThing rating: *****

Other books I have read by the same author: None but will look out for more.

Review by JudyB

Footprints in the Sand by Sarah Challis

When Emily Kingsley arrives at the church, late and sad, for her Great Aunt Mary’s funeral, she has no idea that her life is about to change completely. Still grieving for her broken relationship with the vain, mean and unfaithful Ted, and trying to come to terms with the cracks which seem to be appearing in her parents’ marriage, she sobs her heart out in the church. At the wake afterwards, however, she and her cousin Clemmie are told that Mary has appointed them executors of part of her Will. They are to transport her ashes to Mali, in western Africa and her final resting place is to be Timadjlalen, in the Saharan desert. And so begins Emily and Clemmie’s adventure — a journey that will be the most important of their lives.
From Amazon

The start of this book, although interesting, seemed to read like most other ‘general fiction’ books that I’ve read. Thankfully that doesn’t last for long, as the girls start their journey. The story strolls along at a leisurely pace, until suddenly I was finding it hard to put it down. It starts to grab hold of you, and by the end, I absolutely loved it, and didn’t want it to end.

The reasoning behind Mary’s wishes remain a mystery until near the end, so you share the girls puzzlement along with them.. although there are some tantalising hints. As her story unfolds, it is interesting to witness the differences between the two time zones.

The ending is possibly slightly predictable, but is still beautifully written, and rather emotional. It was at this point when I realised just how much I had grown to know the two girls,and how I felt I had shared their journey with them.

This is another author that I shall be watching out for!

Out of My Depth by Emily Barr

When Susie decides to invite her old school friends for a reunion she tells herself that it’s just about showing off. It’s about letting Amanda, Izzy and Tamsin, see how well she’s done, with her successful career as an artist, her gorgeous house in France, her deliciously louche boyfriend. But the truth is that this is a dark plan. A plan that could make or break her seemingly perfect life!and she knows it. As the old friends gather at Susie’s for a long weekend of catching up and comparisons, it is clear that despite their lives having taken very different turns, they are all still haunted by a dark and common past. They each know that up until now they have been treading water – waiting for the inevitable moment when they have to face the truth. The question is, now that the time has come, who will sink and who will swim?
From Amazon

I’ve recently read quite a few books about a group of friends, as well as a few about reunions.. so I knew that this one would have to offer me something a little different to stand out, which it did.

The key for me were the characters.. the four friends weren’t stereotypical, but complex, and flawed, and this made them very human, and very believable.

Set in the French countryside, which sounds wonderful, the story flicks back and forth between their school friendship, and the present day reunion, gradually revealing their past secrets, and how that had affected the people they were today. The author doesn’t try to rely on humour, but rather simple good story telling.

I’ve read a few reviews that criticise the ending of this book, but for me it worked just fine, once again offering some rather realistic outcomes.

This is definitely an author that I will be looking out for again.

Shirley by Charlotte Bronte

Date of Publication: 1849

Number of Pages: 599

Synopsis (from back cover of book): Written immediately after Jane Eyre, Shirley is a novel of wider sweep and scope. Its focus is less on individual men and women, although their stories add compulsive drama and tension, than on the individual perceived in close relation with the forces molding society. Charlotte Brontë chose to set in during the Napoleonic Wars – a period of bad harvests, Luddite riots, economic unrest and the oppression of women – in order to grapple with social and political issues. In her story of two contrasting heroines and the men they love can be traced her wish to reconcile the world of romantic love and fulfillment with the gritty realities of suffering, obligation and social duty.

Review: To a reader who had no knowledge of Charlotte Brontë, other than as the author of Jane Eyre, the beginning of this book would present a challenge. Such a reader would be surprised at the depth of the story and its seeming disregard of all romantic notions. Instead of introducing us to some pretty, sweet heroine, we are faced with the dangers of mob violence and the harshness of the main hero, the miller, Robert Moore. Politics also makes an entrance in the first few chapters, and the reader will find that the political and religious differences between the characters play an important role in the story.

This is not to say that Shirley is not a romantic story. There are passages of such longing and despair, and even of the hope of love, that actually made me weep. The romance in this story is not petty or superficial. For those who feel that the object of their love is out of reach or is uncaring, there is utter heartbreak and the danger of wasting away. None of this feels contrived, however. Both the women and the men suffer almost equally, which feels more true to life.

Another focus of this book is the oppression of women. There are many characters, both male and female, that object to the idea of women taking an active role in the public world. Women were confined to the home, and they were thought not to possess the mental capacity for business or politics. The two heroines, Caroline Helstone, the niece of a misogynistic rector, and Shirley Keeldar, the independent owner of substantial property, both, in their own separate ways, rebel against the restrictions that society has put on them. Caroline, rather than waste away in her uncle’s rectory, quietly strives for some purpose in life, and determines to become a governess. Shirley, due to her more elevated place in society, forces the men around her, including Caroline’s uncle and her tenant, Robert Moore, to take her seriously as a participant in the defense of her property, which includes the besieged mill run by Moore. She also rejects several suitable offers of marriage, declaring her intent to marry only for love.

This book definitely does not focus on any one character. Shirley herself isn’t introduced until about halfway into the book, and Caroline, Robert, and other principal characters go missing for chapters at a time. The result is a deeply felt story about a certain place in a volatile time, with all of the uncertainty and danger that the characters faced. There is no lack of character development; indeed, one gets to understand all of them. I recommend this book to any fan of nineteenth century literature, or to any history buff who is interested in learning about the personal side of the economic crisis in England during the Napoleonic Wars.

Rating: 10/10

Reviewed by Sarah

Hallam Foe by Peter Jinks

Title of book: Hallam Foe

Name of author: Peter Jinks

Paperback: 224 pages

Publisher: Headline Review

Synopsis:
Hallam Foe, a confused and sweetly old-fashioned teenager, is in doubt that his father and wicked stepmother are responsible for his mother’s suicide and, subsequently, must be watched at all times. In fact, he may as well spy on everyone else at the same time.

However Hallam’s mastery of treehouses, telescopes and dead badgers arouses suspicsion and, after a rather unfortunately incident, he’s banished to Edinburgh’s medieval Old Town. Set adrift his voyeurism becomes more dangerous. But Hallam is inventive and ceaselessly romantic and soon skylights, drainpipes and curtain rails will have potential beyond his wildest dreams.

Hallam Foe is the story of seventeen year old Hallam Foe, quiet, a little shy and a keen interest in voyeurism. In short Hallam watches everyone. Why does he do it? Because he likes to watch people interact, he likes to see people when they are alone, the need to see the hidden world, a world behind closed doors.

In summary Hallam Foe is a strange character, endearing? yes, likeable? Unfortunately no. I understood to a point why Hallam did what he did, but I did not understand why he was still doing it in his early twenties, I imagined it would be something you would grow out of (but who I am?). I also found the relationship between Hallam Foe and his stepmother, Verity, very unsettling, of course you find out why and it is a good sign that Jinks has showed this brilliantly in his style of writing.

Hallam Foe according to the back of the book is ‘a hero of our times’, I did not see it to be honest, I found him to quite odd and worrying.

On the positive side Hallam Foe is really well written and there are some genuinely funny parts in it, the way Hallam thinks, the way he blurts things out is quite humorous.
A good read in a lot of ways but not a book I can see myself returning to.

Rating: 6/10

I am Legend by Richard Matheson

Date published: 1954

Summary (taken from Dymocks website):
Robert Neville is the last living man on Earth, but he is not alone, for every other man, woman and child on the planet has become a vampire and they are hungry for Neville’s blood. By day he is hunter; by night, the prey. How long can one man survive like this?

Comments:
Often the shortest books can pack the biggest punch, and I am Legend is no exception. It’s quite fast-paced and had me on the edge of my seat several times. I thought Matheson did a great job of exploring the psyche of Robert Neville and a world without people. I found the medical descriptions dull, but knew they were necessary in order for the author to logically explain the appearance of vampires. An ending to a story like this has the potential to be hugely disappointing, but happily this wasn’t the case with I am Legend: the ending was simply brilliant. An excellent read.

Rating: 9/10

Review by Kylie

Reading in Bed by Sue Gee

Synopsis: Opening at the Hay Festival, and ending with the prospect of a spring wedding, Sue Gee’s new novel is a lively story of tangled relationships and the sustaining powers of good books, loyal friends and conversation. Friends since university, with busy working lives behind them, Dido and Georgia have long been looking forward to carefree days of books and conversation, when each finds herself caught up in unexpected domestic drama. Dido, for the first time, has cause to question her marriage; widowed Georgia feels certain her husband will return to her. Meanwhile, an eccentric country cousin goes wildly off the rails, children are unhappy in love, and perfect health is all at once in question. This novel will bring a writer who ‘transforms the stuff of ordinary life into art’ (Philippa Gregory, “The Sunday Times”) to her widest audience yet. (taken from Waterstones website)

Review: Using a narrative that moves from one character to another Sue Gee has created a novel in which you care about the characters so much that you continue to think about them after you have put the book down. Her writing is very poignant – she captures feelings and emotions succinctly – reading about Georgia’s loneliness is quite painful at times and yet this story is not without it’s moments of gentle humour and recognisable family dynamics. I have often shelved The Mysteries of Glass (also by Sue Gee) at work and every time I do it catches my eye – next time I see it I will take it home to read.

LibraryThing rating: *****

Other books I have read by same author: None but will look out for others.

Review by JudyB

Remember Me? by Sophie Kinsella

Title of book: Remember Me?

Name of author:  Sophie Kinsella

Synposis:

Lexi wakes up in a hospital bed after a car accident, thinking it’s 2004 and she’s a twenty-five-year old with crooked teeth and a disastrous love life. But, to her disbelief, she learns it’s actually 2007 – she’s twenty-eight, her teeth are straight, she’s the boss of her department – and she’s married! To a good-looking millionaire! How on earth did she land the dream life??! She can’t believe her luck – especially when she sees her stunning new home. She’s sure she’ll have a fantastic marriage once she gets to know her husband again. He’s drawn up a ‘manual of our marriage’, which should help. But as she learns more about her new self, chinks start to appear in the perfect life. All her old colleagues hate her. A rival is after her job. Then a dishevelled, sexy guy turns up…and lands a new bombshell. What happened to her? Will she ever remember? And what will happen if she does?

‘Remember Me?’ is Sophie Kinsella’s 8th book and I have enjoyed all 7 of them especially the Shopaholic series.

‘Remember Me?’ tells the story of Lexi, its 2004, she is 25 years old and stuck in a pointless job, has a rubbish boyfriend but she does have good friends, then while running for a taxi (well Lexi actually runs up a flight of stairs to try and grab the attention of the taxi, Lexi falls down the stairs and knocks herself unconcious and wakes to a different world, very different in fact, its 2008 and Lexi is married, has a high powered job, her friends hate her and there is a slight chance she is having an affair and she has amnesia and does not remember anything since falling down the stairs.

Unfortunately ‘Remember Me?’ just did not do it for me. I read the book in a day and I only finished it because I had bought this book instead of another book which I know I would have enjoyed, I felt I owed it to the book that I did not buy (dramatic but true).

Its obivious whilst reading that Sophie Kinsella has done a lot of research into amnesia but Lexi as a character annoyed me – alot, her actions during her big change were questionable, her reasons for these changes went against everything you were lead to believe about Lexi.

Lexi is not one of Sophie’s Kinsella’s best characters.

Rating: 4/10

Reviewed by:  Gyre

Persuasion by Jane Austen

Date of Publication: 1818

Number of Pages: 237

Synopsis (from back cover): “All the privilege I claim for my own sex…is that of loving longest, when existence or when hope is gone.”

Anne Elliot’s heartfelt words strike the keynote of Jane Austen’s last completed novel. It features a heroine older and wiser than her predecessors in earlier books, and its tone is more intimate and sober as Jane Austen unfolds a simple love-story with depth and subtlety.

She described her heroine in a letter as “almost too good for me”: Anne Elliot’s goodness is not of the cloying kind, but an unsentimental quality that, combined with stoicism and integrity, enables her to find happiness in love after seven years when it seemed she had for ever put an end to such a prospect.

The settings of Lyme Regis and Bath are evoked no less vividly than the characters who frequent them, and Jane Austen’s achievement is exemplified by Tennyson’s famous remark when visiting Lyme in 1867: “Now take me to the Cobb, and show me the steps from which Louisa Musgrove fell.”

Review: This is my favorite Jane Austen, and I tend to read it when I have that need for some “Austen therapy”. Anne is much older than any other Austen heroine (she is 28 by the end of the book), but that difference in age has made her more wise, thoughtful, intelligent, and sensitive. She has known the pain of disappointed love, and has lived through it. She didn’t “die of a broken heart” or anything like that. She suffered, learned from it, and managed to come out the other side with her senses intact.

Like all Austen heroines, there is nothing sentimental about her or her romance with Captain Wentworth. In fact, their interactions with each other, after an absence of eight years, illustrate how very realistic the story is. Wentworth is angry and resentful, and uses the young, spirited Louisa Musgrove to make Anne see that she has no power over him, even to make her jealous. Most of us have had similar experiences with ex-boyfriends or ex-girlfriends. The book is completely relevant to the lives of modern readers, which is the very thing that keeps Jane Austen fresh after all these years.

Persuasion is also supremely entertaining, with delightful and hilariously vapid characters, such as the vain Sir Walter Elliot, the conniving William Elliot, the the petulant and constantly ill-used Mary Musgrove, and the scheming Mrs. Clay. Any fan of Austen will already have read this book, but any beginner Austen fan, or someone who has not yet ventured to try Austen yet, but is curious, should read this book.

Rating: 10/10

Reviewed by Sarah

The Welsh Girl by Peter Ho Davies

Synopsis: In 1944, a German Jewish refugee is sent to Wales to interview Rudolf Hess; in Snowdonia, a seventeen-year-old girl, the daughter of a fiercely nationalistic shepherd, dreams of the bright lights of an English city; and in a nearby POW camp, a German soldier struggles to reconcile his surrender with his sense of honour. As their lives intersect, all three will come to question where they belong and where their loyalties lie. Peter Ho Davies’ thought-provoking and profoundly moving first novel traces a perilous wartime romance as it explores the bonds of love and duty that hold us to family, country, and ultimately our fellow man. Vividly rooted in history and landscape, “The Welsh Girl” reminds us anew of the pervasive presence of the past, and the startling intimacy of the foreign. (taken from Waterstones website).

Review: I felt very disappointed by this – I’m not really sure what I expected but whatever it was it seemed lacking. It was essentially the way that it was written – I found the style very male. I enjoyed the story about Esther but continued to read really out of a sense of obligation to see it to the end. I feel that this is very much a personal reaction and would not put anyone else off from reading it.

LibraryThing rating: ***

Other books read by this writer: None  

Review by JudyB