Quite Ugly One Morning by Christopher Brookmyre

 

Christopher Brookmyre stands alone on my shelf, and I’m sure on all other shelves in the world; I don’t know any books quite like his. He is uniquely unsettling, warped, funny and mind bogglingly clever in his writing of crime fiction (a genre that I would normally never pick up).

 

Quite Ugly One Morning is the first book containing Scottish detective Jack Parlabane. It is a fulfilling murder mystery, with scenes so twisted it will have you grimacing through your fingers, trying to work out the case. This book is a departure from the books I would normally read however it was thoroughly captivating and joyfully horrible! I wholeheartedly recommend Christopher Brookmyre to anyone that likes to figure out the story and that has a very dark sense of humour (and strong constitution!).

 

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Quite-Ugly-Morning-Christopher-Brookmyre/dp/0349108854

Hidden Words: Collected Poems by Spike Milligan

I’ve been reading this little by little over the last few weeks and have been really enjoying it. I love Spike Milligan anyway, his silly rhymes have always made me chuckle but this book reflects the other side of Spikes personality. The poems carry you through some of the darker periods in Spike’s life and explore his depression. These are certainly not the light quirky poetry you would be used to from him, they are all very moving and demonstrate the sadness that he had struggled with throughout his life.

God bless Spike Milligan, may he have finally found peace xx

Shooting Butterflies by Marika Cobbold

I have to say that I loved this book. I cannot say that it is a heart warming journey, every page filled with life affirming goodness that everyone should read, but I can say that I was truly touched by the words on the pages. Every time I turned the page I found something so inextricably true that I am, on this rare occasion, moved by the openness and honesty of a very brave author. It seems to me that Marika Cobbold has laid down some of her innermost thoughts and feelings that most of us would not be inclined to admit to even our closest friends, let alone put them in print for the world to read (it is hard enough admitting them to ourselves!). It is the unflinching reality of her words that make this book such an absorbing and refreshing read.

This contemporary novel tells the story of Grace Shield, a successful photographer who has given up on her career and now leads a quiet and uneventful life. That is until an unexpected package and a newspaper article written about her life, lead Grace down a pathway of remembrance of her own past, and the discovery of hidden histories.

The book is set during the here and now of Grace seeking answers about her untimely gift. Cobbold uses the journalist’s article as an original way of allowing flashbacks into Grace’s past, letting the reader ‘remember’ the events as Grace’s memories are triggered by the journalist’s words. This mechanism gives the book a very natural flow and creates a closeness with Grace and an insight into her internal responses to situations which may not have otherwise been achieved. We follow her through her difficult childhood, her first love affair, a marriage and plenty of heartache along the way (and there is a lot of heartache).

In order to find out more about her package, Grace seeks out an old acquaintance, Louisa Blackstaff, who reveals her own history to Grace. These discussions are written in Louisa’s own words as she tells her story to Grace. Again, this feels like incredibly natural way for the story to unfold and allows the reader a connection with Louisa and a much greater understanding of her character. She talks us through her unhappy marriage, stifled dreams and a forbidden love affair.

Shooting Butterflies is a great commentary on human relationships, from Grace’s bond with her Step Mother, Mrs Shield, to the attachment to her first love, Jefferson and the affection for her husband and in-laws. When Grace was having difficulties with her marriage, the excerpt ‘‘She pretended to be asleep and he pretended to believe her” really sums up to me what it is like to be living with someone when there is tension. It’s this kind of delicate observation of human nature that I admire in this book. Furthermore, when describing the thoughts of meeting an old friend that she hasn’t seen for a long time, she thinks “I don’t know if you are married, if you have children, I don’t know what you do for a living, how you decorate your home, yet I’ve hugged you when you cried. I know that shellfish makes you puke and once, when we were scared, we shared a bed”. This captures perfectly to me the bond between old friends and the unspoken knowledge that despite being out of touch, and no matter where you are in life you still share these things.

As I mentioned before, this is not a heart warming journey filled with tenderness; in places it is very dark and very bleak; “the worst thing is losing someone you love and I don’t have that worry any more; I’ve lost them already”. Cobbold’s words had me sobbing into my pillow for about ten solid minutes one night, so raw is the pain that is portrayed. But, for me, underlying everything in the book is romance and emotion. Not just romance between a man and a woman, but real romance of thought and of the soul; for example, when thinking of her miscarriages “She fervently hoped there was such a thing as reincarnation and that her incomplete babies had been able to return to base to be told, with a smile and a slap on the back, ‘Better luck next time’”. This to me is a romantic and hopeful way of looking at a terrible situation.

Overall this book to me is perfect (I mean it, I loved it!). As a main character, Grace is not a wishy washy romantic heroine, she is flawed and has a very black outlook, and this non-traditional characterisation really appeals to me (not being a fan of traditional romantic novels). The emotion is real and raw in places, but not over the top, enough that you can really ‘feel’ the heart of story. There is a dusting of witticisms to lighten the air, and there is enough of a mystery to make you want to find out what happens next. Having just picking this book at random from the shelves at my local bookshop, I am now a full supporter of judging a book by its cover! I will definitely be reading Marika Cobbold’s other books.

Eragon by Christopher Paolini

Dragons, swords, Elves, Dwarfs, magic, mountains, spirits and an epic struggle between good and evil – what will book 2 bring!

Wow! This is book is my answer to Harry Potter! Don’t get me wrong, I thoroughly enjoy the Harry Potter novels, but they didn’t capture my imagination in the same way that they seem to have for other people; Eragon does.

Eragon is a young boy, whose story begins on his uncle’s farm, where his whole mundane future is mapped out for him; that is, until fate brings a dragon hatchling his way that turns his existence upside down. The presence of the dragon draws enemies to the quiet village, the consequences of which are the destruction of everything that Eragon holds dear. Eragon and his dragon stead, Saphira, begin an epic journey of revenge and discovery which lands them right in the middle of a historic struggle of power across the Empire.

Christopher Paolini has created a wonderful universe, where magic, ancient languages and mystical creatures reside. The realm of Alagaesia contains the lands through which the journey takes place, Paolini’s vivid descriptions of the areas through which Eragon passes help to completely immerse the reader in this magical universe. With every new landscape or town that was visited Paolini managed to always capture the essence of the place, allowing you to see the dangers and hardships that each new area brings; providing a fuller understanding of Eragon’s plight.

The characters are very real, with their own back stories and secrets just waiting to be discovered. I found each character to have their own interesting personality and its fun to try and work out where each of their motivations really lie (I’m still not sure with some!). The relationships between the characters are also very real and touching in places, giving the book that extra edge as you can identify with their feelings (even if it’s difficult to imagine life with a dragon!). I love the special bond between Eragon and Saphira, their protectiveness over each other and the way that they are growing together; I can’t wait to see how their relationship develops in the next book.

Others have noted troubles with some of the language and names used in the book; something which immediately put me off (having stopped reading the Hobbit for the very same reason), but I persevered. Paolini created an ancient language to add weight to the magical nature of this book; an even though you have no hope of understanding these words (unless you look them up in the glossary), it doesn’t hinder the story in any way. There are only a small number of characters with unusual names to remember, and I was happy to read without looking up the ancient words. They are used on the most part in order to cast spells, and do not in any way stop you from understanding what is happening. I just read them as magical words like abracadabra (I’m sure Paolini would be mortified!); saying that, now that I’ve finished the book I may look back over it and see what they really mean (you never know – I may have missed out on something after all!!).

There are places in which you can recognise the influences, but I see this book as only adding to the magical lands created in the likes of the Lord of the Rings (I’ve never read it, but from watching the films, there are places where the similarities are pronounced  ); it is a great book in its own right. The crossovers with other novels, such as Harry Potter, are also there, but I feel this is likely to happen as they are both coming of age stories crafted within a magical universe.

All in all, I would rate this book very highly; I would list it among my all time favourites. It is a totally absorbing, easy read, with enough danger, mystery and heart to pull you along to the last page without a struggle. In addition, I find Christopher Paolini and his family completely inspiring (have peek on his website www.alagaesia.com ). He began work on this novel as a teenager, and through a couple of years of hard work and dedication, with support from his family (who published the book in the first instance), he has created a top selling novel and blockbuster movie to boot. His story makes me want to be a better person, I’m sure we all have it in us!

The Mermaid Chair by Sue Monk Kidd

From the author of The Secret Life of Bees comes another vividly descriptive book, The Mermaid Chair.

The novel details a tempestuous time in the life of Jessie Sullivan, dependable wife and mother. At a time when she was feeling trapped in her settled and routine life with her husband; Jessie welcomed the opportunity to go home to Egret Island, after her mother has an ‘accident’. Upon returning to the island, after five and half years of being away, Jessie embarks on an emotional journey; as her soul re-awakens.

In a drastic departure from her quiet married life, Jessie begins a torrid affair with a Benedictine Monk, revelling in her new immense feelings of sexual desire, freedom and longing; and releasing her to find the real Jessie that had got buried during her marriage. The question of whether her marriage will survive the end of the book is one that kept me in agony, knowing how she felt about both the men in her life. I also really felt for both the male characters as the author gave enough depth to their characters to make me care what happened to them.

The sub-plot of her mother provides an equally emotional distraction to Jessie’s unfaithfulness. Her mother’s instability and the secrets surrounding her father’s death give an air of mystery to the novel which peaked my interest to try and discover the truth.

As with The Secret Life of Bees, this book is incredibly descriptive. It is set on an island for which Sue Monk Kidd has beautifully created the look, feel and smell of each scene; and for me, it perfectly captured the feeling of time spent by the sea. As an example…”…the aroma of the island penetrated, a powerful brew of silt, old crab pots, salted air, and black, gooey mudflats alive and crawling with pungent creatures”. Even now, I can close my eyes and picture the sights and sounds of Egret Island.

The Mermaid Chair has a nice easy pace and is very easy to read, with enough going on to pull you through and keep you interested. It explores themes of religion, faith, love, relationships and the strong bonds between female friends. I wouldn’t rank this book as one of my all time favourites, but it was an enjoyable read. I loved the self discovery aspect of the novel and how Jessie became a whole person again, taking control of her own life. I did find it a little too emotional at times for my taste (I don’t cope well with story lines of unfaithfulness), and also some of the scenes involving the mother were sometimes a little strong; but on the whole I would recommend this book.

Shopgirl by Steve Martin

Steve Martin, comedy actor, pulls a surprise out of the bag with his touching novella, Shopgirl. The name ‘Steve Martin’ conjures up images of slapstick moments, hilarious gurning and perfect comedy timing; not penetrating insights into the soul and delicate melancholy which this story delivers in abundance. Not knowing anything of Steve Martin the person and only judging him on his movies, it was an unexpected pleasure to read this book.

This contemporary tale follows Mirabelle, a lowly shop assistant working in the almost forgotten glove department of a major department store in Los Angeles. Mirabelle is not a traditional heroine, she has a very quiet life, no real friends, two cats (only one of which will socialise with her) and she struggles to keep depression at bay. She has an interest in art and draws dark etchings from time to time, and even manages to sell a few to local galleries. The highlight of her week is when there is an opening at a gallery and she can spend a few hours outside of her normal life, being the kind of person that she wants to be. Mirabelle’s life is uneventful, unexciting and unchanging, that is, until Mr Ray Porter makes her the object of his desire.

Martin submerges the reader deep into Mirabelle’s world; we hear the narration not only of our heroine’s life, but also from the perspective of other key players; which gives a well rounded understanding of each character’s motivations and failings.

I found the perception of beauty to be a long running theme throughout Shopgirl. Being set in Los Angeles, Martin often compares the mystery and allure of a natural beauty (Mirabelle) against the seduction of cosmetically enhanced women, with the latter often shown to have the weaker attraction of the two. Mirabelle encompasses the appeal of subtlety; she has a number of admirers for whom a well put together outfit or an unnoticed glimpse of supposed to be hidden flesh will peak their desire and maintain their interest. This unassuming attraction is in direct opposition to Lisa, a sexual predator and rival Shopgirl at the department store. Lisa has an enhanced appearance and preens her assets into the most desirable manifestation she can conjure, in order to snare the attraction of everyman in the room. She uses her beauty and sexual prowess as an instrumental tool in becoming the epitome of lust which, to her, increases her personal worth and substantiates her existence. In a world where perfection is revered, are we correct to idolise the enhanced?

Steve Martin provides an accurate commentary on personality traits, exploring insecurities and desires. The over-riding feeling that I got from this book was not to let depression be a barrier to your hopes and dreams. I found Shopgirl to be a surprising and insightful read, and one which I would pick up again if I need a little inspiration. It seems there is more to this zany comedian than meets the eye!

Eternals by Neil Gaiman

I picked this up firstly because it was recommended, and secondly (or predominantly) because Neil Gaiman is the author. I have scarcely devoted any time to reading Neil Gaiman’s graphic novels (where as I love his novels) so I thought I would give this one a go!

I’m not familiar with the original Marvel comic series of the Eternals and I think that this actually helps when reading this book. The reader gets to discover the hidden histories of these ancient characters as the characters themselves realise their lives are not all they appear to be. It is a cleverly unfolding story and each issue provides equal measure of questions and answers to peak your interest.

This book contains the collected first seven issues and it does very much feel like a beginning and back story to greater things to come – I look forward to the action really starting!

Blindness by Jose Saramago

This is definitely a hard book to pick up (even if you can get hold of it from the bookshop), I had difficulties gaining the energy to read it as it’s not a particularly appealing subject matter; in fact, after hearing the synopsis I really didn’t want to read it at all. However I pushed through that feeling as I wanted to join in with a reading circle, and have been blown away!

The book is a contemporary tale of a plague of blindness that affects the population, and the chaos that ensues. The story predominantly follows an eye doctor and his wife as they are affected and put into quarantine by a panicking Government trying to control the outbreak. The novel is not for the faint of heart, it is a difficult book to read as there are many quite horrific scenes, however, it is incredibly unusual and ultimately rewarding.

It is such an interesting and very different book to anything I have ever read. The whole way in which it is constructed, the writing style, the lack of real visual descriptives (on the most part) and the lack of grammar really do leave you feeling a bit sensory deprived yourself. Which is a really unusual thing to feel whilst reading, and I imagine it must have been very difficult to write (or else Saramago is a very clever man!). I did find myself looking up from the book, testing my vision from time to time, which is just bizarre! Even when I think about the book now, I don’t have any real sense of visuals (I normally can picture scenes and characters after reading) but not with this one, it’s all a bit fuzzy around the edges! The unusual writing style does make the book somehow even more compelling; a lack of grammar makes you concentrate more on who is speaking (which you would if you could not see). Also, the neglect of character names and lack of visual descriptions all add to the feeling disorientation and deprivation that the characters feel.

It is not a traditionally scary book; the writer’s style seems to be quite matter of fact, purely just explaining what’s going on, so the reader is spared of the tense build up leading to horrible events, however the subject matter is scary enough in itself!

I did feel very much close to the action, like I was peering in through windows or listening in to conversations. I guess that’s the magic of Saramago’s writing, subtly bringing me in without me even noticing. All in all, it was a very enjoyable read (sometimes hard going because of the harshness of the realities of life), but well worth it as it is such an interesting and unusual book. It really was something like I’ve never read before; I think that’s really what made it so good! Blindness is very grim indeed, but at the end, I found it quite uplifting somehow, that the people had to go on this journey in order to gain understanding and greater appreciate what they have. It was a true test of survival, strength and survival instinct. It showed how people can adapt and that everything that was once important (cars, homes, family, material possessions) were taken out of the equation and replaced with new values; it shows the real strength of the human spirit.

This is a difficult but ultimately rewarding and thought provoking read – highly recommended.

The Ladies of Grace Adieu and Other Stories by Susanna Clarke

I have just finished reading ‘The Ladies of Grace Adieu’ by Susanna Clarke.  It’s a collection of short stories mostly all based in the same world as her last book ‘Jonathan Strange and Mr Norrell’.  It is set in the 19th Century, and contains lots of magic and fairies, but the language is very much that of a Jane Austin novel.  I found this to be a really enjoyable read.

Susanna dabbles with different writing styles in this book.  One story in particular stands out, ‘On Lickerish Hill’, which is written in the style of ‘John Aubrey’ (incidentally whom I’ve never read).  I really enjoyed the rambliness of it: “My mother was mayde and cook to Dr Quince, an ancient and learned gentleman (face, very uglie like the picture of a horse not well done; dry, scantie beard; moist, pale eyes)” and this mixture of styles helps to keep the book interesting and fun. 

Another story ‘The Duke of Wellington Misplaces his horse’ is set in the village of Wall, which is a fictional village from the Neil Gaiman ’Stardust’ (and my favourite book).  So I couldn’t wait to read this story and it didn’t disappoint.  Susanna managed to capture the feeling of the village and the mood of Stardust as I remember it.  

My favourite story in the collection by far was ‘Mrs Mabb’, which tells the story of a love lost to another.  This story really pulled on my heart strings and is one that I can envisage reading time and time again.   

Although the stories are set in the world of Jonathan Strange, I really don’t think it would spoil her first novel if you were to read this first.  It doesn’t relate to what happened in that book; however, you may not get all of the references or understand the characters (Mr Strange is featured in one of the stories) if you haven’t read Jonathan Strange first.  So I personally think that to get the most out of the books, I would definitely recommend reading them in the right order.

The short stories are a little longer than most short stories, but perfect to read one a day, to and from work on the tube.  I would definitely recommend if you want a break from a full length novel.