Mr Toppit by Charles Elton

Mr Toppit

Mr Toppit was recently published by Penguin, with the emphasis being on the Mr Toppit of the title.. a marketing push which caught my eye. The book, however, tells the story of an author, his family, and one of his greatest fans.

The author of the story is Arthur Hayman, a screenwriter who writes a series of books which feature his son Luke. These books are collectively known as the Hayseed Chronicles, and if you remove the dustcover of this hardback version, their is an old looking cover depicting this.

However, it’s only after Arthur’s death that these books gain popularity, and the book deals with the effects of this, on Luke, his family, and Laurie.. an American stranger who is with Arthur as he dies.

We see most of the story through the eyes of Luke, caught up in the popularity of the books, even though this isn’t something he welcomes. Luke has a wonderfully dysfunctional family, all dealing with their own issues and histories. I personally wasn’t so keen on the part of the book in which Luke visits Laurie in America, but it is part of the overall tale.

It’s a difficult book to categorise, but it explores family relationships, fame, and dealing with past secrets. The characters are all well written, if not always totally likeable, and I wonder how long it will be before we see Penguin publish the actual Hayseed Chronicles!

Published by Penguin 5/2/09
Hardback £12.99

Buy at amazon.co.uk

Shopaholic Abroad by Sophie Kinsella

This is also known as: Shopaholic Takes Manhattan

Synopsis:

Will travel broaden the mind…or just loosen the purse strings?

For Rebecca Bloomwood, life is peachy. She has a job on morning TV, her bank manager is actually being nice to her, and when it comes to spending money, her new motto is Buy Only What You Need – and she’s really (sort of) sticking to it. The icing on the brioche is that she’s been offered a chance to work in New York.

New York! The Museum of Modern Art! The Guggenheim! The Metropolitan Opera House! And Becky does mean to go to them all. Honestly. It’s just that it seems silly not to check out a few other places first. Like Saks. And Bloomingdales. And Barneys. And one of those fantastic sample sales where you can get a Prada dress for $10. Or was it $100? Is Becky too dazzled to care?

Shopaholic Abroad – for the biggest culture shop of your life.

This is the second installment of the Shopaholic Series, and just as fabulous as the first. However, it is very similar to the first book. Does that spoil the story? Not at all! Becky is taken to New York by Luke, and ends up spending a ton. She is in a whole heap of debt – and soon her secrets become known to everyone when the Daily World exposes her.

This story is full of all the usual antics – shopping, friends, Luke, embarrassment, love and debt. The storyline is similar to Confessions of a Shopaholic and how Becky spends too much shopping, and has to work her way out of debt. There is a lot of time spent in London too, which I was surprised about – in fact, most of the storyline was based in London, which is one of the downsides of this book. However, I love this series! Becky is self-obsessed and a bit irritating but I still didn’t want anything bad to happen to her and rallied behind her when horrid things happened to her. And I loved Suze – I want a flatmate like her! She is so lovely, looking out for Becky as well as pursueing her own career.

I enjoyed the story – it was fast-paced, predictible and fun. I love Kinsella’s writing, fluid and enjoyable. Yes it is chessy and very girly, but I loved it! This is an easy read – and I highly recommend it. And I love the ending! I am looking forward to the next installment!

9/10

The Color Purple by Alice Walker

This story is set in the deep American south, and the narrator (through a series of letters to God and her sister) is Celie, a poor black girl who is raped by her mother’s husband and has her two children taken away.  She is later forced into an unhappy marriage and separated from her beloved sister Nettie.  Life is hard for Celie, and then she meets Shug Avery, a strong woman who shows Celie that she can take control of her destiny, and that she has unrealised strength.

This is a wonderful and moving book.  Celie’s story is heartbreaking in itself, but as well as centering on her personal life, the story also explores the treatment of black people in the South at that time, and, through a series of letters from Nettie, the exploitation of certain tribes in Africa.

Celie’s written English is understandably poor, and often in books, this irritates me, but in this case it really didn’t.  Had Celie been able to write perfect English, it would not have seemed believeable.  The difference between her and Nettie’s lives is shown in Nettie’s considerably more eloquent letters to Celie.

There are a number of characters who feature prominently in the book, and each and every one of them is entirely believeable and well depicted.  The author demonstrates through Celie’s letters why certain characters behave in a certain way, and resists judging them – instead showing how good people do bad things sometimes and vice versa.

Celie is a character who I really cared about during the reading of the book and she will stay with me for a long time.  More than anything, this is a book that made me think – and that is never a bad thing.

A recommended read.

The Tales of Beedle the Bard by J.K. Rowling

Synopsis from Amazon:

‘You’ve never heard of The Tales of Beedle the Bard?’ said Ron incredulously. ‘You’re kidding, right?’ (From Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows) Published by the Children’s High Level Group in association with Bloomsbury Publishing Plc, The Tales of Beedle the Bard is the first new book from J. K. Rowling since the publication of Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows. The Tales of Beedle the Bard played a crucial role in assisting Harry, with his friends Ron and Hermione, to finally defeat Lord Voldemort. Fans will be thrilled to have this opportunity to read the tales in full. An exciting addition to the canon of Harry Potter, the tales reveal the wonderful versatility of the author, as she tackles with relish the structure and varying tones of a classic fairy tale. There are five tales: ‘The Tale of the Three Brothers’, recounted in Deathly Hallows, plus ‘The Fountain of Fair Fortune’, ‘The Warlock’s Hairy Heart’, ‘The Wizard and the Hopping Pot’, and ‘Babbitty Rabbitty and her Cackling Stump’. Each has its own magical character and will bring delight, laughter and the thrill of mortal peril. Translated from the original runes by Hermione Granger, the tales are introduced and illustrated by J. K. Rowling. Also included are notes by Professor Albus Dumbledore, which appear by kind permission of the Hogwarts Headmasters’ Archive. CHLG is a charity co-founded by J. K. Rowling and Emma Nicholson MEP and campaigns to protect and promote children’s rights and make life better for vulnerable young people. The Children’s High Level Group is a charity established under English law. Registered Charity Number: 1112575.

If you are a Harry Potter fan, this book is for you. It contains five wizard fairytales, and notes made by the Professor Albus Dumbledore. Like with Muggle fairytales, they contain moral messages and words of wisdom to the budding wizard. They are short and thoroughly enjoyable. The notes made by Dumbledore had me chuckling – what a great character! I loved how the books linked back to the Harry Potter series, making the book a must-have for Potter fans.

My favourite Tale was “Babbitty Rabbitty and her Cackling Stump“- very funny. A great washer woman. A fiery character who taught a valuable lesson and had a genius laugh.

As ever, Rowling writes in an engaging and fun way, and although this is predominantly a child’s book, adults will appreciate the book too, with some subtle adult humour and comments. This was a gripping and fun book to read, and I loved the illustrations, done by Rowling herself. This is a great companion to the much-loved Harry Potter books, and I highly recommend this little gem.

10/10

Stardust by Neil Gaiman

Date of Publication: 1999, Harper Perennial

Number of Pages: 250

Synopsis (from back cover): Young Tristan Thorn will do anything to win the cold heart of beautiful Victoria – even fetch her the star they watch fall from the night sky. But to do so, he must enter the unexplored lands on the other side of the ancient wall that gives their tiny village its name. Beyond that old stone wall, Tristan learns, lies Faerie – where nothing, not even a fallen star, is what he imagined.

Review: Stardust is a superb story, hearkening back to both ancient fairy tales and to Tolkien’s beloved works. It pulls you in to its magical world and makes you believe in it without question. At the same time, there is a sense of modernism to the story that adds a complex element to the story. Many of the characters, even the magical ones, are recognizable as the heroes and heroines of modern stories, as well as the fairy tales we all heard as children. The love that drives Tristan Thorn to journey through Faerie, looking for his beloved’s star, is at once timeless and innocent. He remains an innocent throughout the story, just like the young adventurers in the old stories.

Everyone pursuing the star does so for a different, but elemental reason. Tristan seeks the star for love. Septimus and Primus, heirs to the throne of Stormhold, pursue the star for power. And the old witch searches for the star to regain her youth. All of these things – love, power, and youth (health) – are sought everyday by all people in their different ways, meaning that the reader is able to connect with this story on many levels.

In terms of simple storytelling, Gaiman once again delivers. The language is flawless, and it is here that I could sense the influence of Tolkien, which is more than appropriate for the story. The characters are engaging, funny, terrifying, and real. The setting comes alive on every page. This book made it into my dreams as I read, and for me, that alone is proof of its magnificence. I would recommend this book to all fans of fantasy and adventure.

Rating: 10/10

Reviewed by Sarah

Eclipse by Stephenie Meyer (Twilight Saga 3)

Eclipse by Stephenie Meyer (Twilight Saga 3)
Synopsis:
As Seattle is ravaged by a string of mysterious killings and a malicious vampire continues her quest for revenge, Bella once again finds herself surrounded by danger. In the midst of it all, she is forced to choose between her love for Edward and her friendship with Jacob – knowing that her decision has the potential to ignite the ageless struggle between vampire and werewolf. With her graduation approaching, Bella has one more decision to make: life or death. But which is which? Following the international bestsellers Twilight and New Moon, Eclipse is the much-anticipated third book in Stephenie Meyer’s captivating saga of vampire romance.

My thoughts:
Although still every bit as predictable as the previous two books, I actually enjoyed this one more – more action; more bang for your buck! There are also several situations coming to a head that make for breakneck pacing and sends you hurtling through the book lickety-split!

Although I was still gagging a fair bit over the lovey-doviness of Bella and Edward, Jacob came more to the fore this time round and meant that Bella had a major dilemma to contemplate, and the back-and-forth nature of exchanges made for more interesting reading than the previous novels in the series.

Alice also seemed to play a greater role this time round and, although she was too sweet to be true, I didn’t find her at all annoying – rather she endeared herself to me in a way that no other character has done (although Jacob came closer than any of the others). It was also great getting a little more of the background stories of the rest of the Cullens, as well as some more of the Quileute history/legends.

It was worth reading the other two books just in order to get to this one, and hopefully Breaking Dawn will prove to be worth the wait too.

Rating: 8/10

Review by Kell Smurthwaite

Facing the Storm by Tim Keegan

This is a great historical source. Keegan has travelled to South Africa and interviewed four Africans who suffered under Segregation and Apartheid. The stories are all different and give an excellent insight into what life was like in South Africa during the twentieth century. All of them suffered different degrees of racism, yet survived in different ways. Some made a name for themselves, starting their own business, whilst others just worked on white farms. This is oral history at its best. This book gives such an incredible insight into how contradictory the Segregation and Apartheid laws were, and how because of that the laws could be manipulated and exploited to enable a higher quality of life. In the latter half of the book Keegan evaluates what he has heard and explains the historical important of this source.

I found this book easy to read and enthalling. Sometimes the hardships were difficult to read, and the level of racism is sometimes shocking – too shocking for words, but it was inspiring to read how they overcame their difficulties. This is an unique book and important historical source, and a really good read. It is short – only 170 pages, and full of truely amazing stories.

10/10

Pyramids by Terry Pratchett

Synopsis:

Being trained by the Assassin’s Guild in Ankh-Morpork did not fit Teppic for the task assigned to him by fate. He inherited the throne of the desert kingdom of Djelibeybi rather earlier than he expected (his father wasn’t too happy about it either), but that was only the beginning of his problems…”Pyramids” (the book of going forth) is the seventh Discworld novel – and the most outrageously funny to date.

This Discworld novel follows Teppic as he trains as an assassin (yep, I thought that was funny too) and then becomes king of the pyramid country that is Djelibeybi (pronouced De- Jelly-Baby, another that made me laugh). The problem beginnings when Teppic has to build a pyramid for his father, something they both think seems a ridiculous idea. The book sees exploding pyramids, crazy priests and gods going mad. And of course, a visit from Death.

So far, this has been the worst Discworld novel in my opinion. I felt it took a little while to get going, and there were some times I found myself tuning out. However, towards the end, the action picks up and it is fair to say the book is exciting and hilarious. It was definitely worth persevering for.

As ever, Pratchett transported me to a different area of the Discworld, and I was happy to go. The descriptions were such that I could clearly picture the area and the characters were as funny as usual. My favourite was probably Teppic’s father, as he watched himself being mummified and listening to him chat to people who couldn’t hear him. His journey of self-discovery in death was very humorous.

Although I eventually enjoyed this book, it has not been my favourite. However, I am eager to get to the next one in the series.

7/10

The Secret Shopper’s Revenge by Kate Harrison

Synopsis:

New mum Emily wants revenge on the stick-thin assistants who laugh at her post-baby tummy and post-baby budget. But frumpiness has its advantages when you’re wielding a secret camera – and sending the damning footage straight to head office. Store manager Sandie has a lifelong love of the world of retail – the glitz, the glamour, the stockroom. Then she’s fitted up by an ambitious assistant and secret shopping is the only way to keep her one passion alive. Glamorous widow Grazia can’t leave behind the high life, despite her chronically low bank balance. The more she’s buying – and spying – the less time she has to mourn her husband or her fair-weather friends who’ve dumped her. They’re Charlie’s Shopping Angels, controlled by a mysterious figure who sends them assignments. But when they’re sent to stitch up a doomed shop owned by Will, the angels begin to feel divided loyalties . . .

What a great idea for a book! As someone who has worked in shops, I know all about secret shoppers, so to read a book following three of them was wonderful! The story follows Emily, with her gorgeous baby boy Freddie, who has been left by her husband Duncan, but who still tries to control and manipulate her; Sandie, who loved her job in retail until Marsha set out to destroy everything for her – including the loss of her job, her replacement job and flat; and Grazia, a widow with an artist husband who left no will but a mountain of debt. She faces the choice – how will she survive, sell the house or the paintings? All three embark on secret shopping, as Charlie’s Shopping Angels, where they meet the lovely Will…

Well I really enjoyed this book. All the angels were great, I liked all three of them and wanted the best for all of them. Of course, my favourite character was baby Freddie, he just seemed adorable, especially when he started walking and talking. I loved how friendships were formed and how plans were plotted to help each other. And I loved the ending. Predictible but fantastic I even loathed some of the horrid characters, including Duncan and Marsha. I wanted karma to come and get them. For me, a sign of a good book is when I get involved with the characters and develop feelings for them – whether positive or negative, and that happened in this book.

I felt the idea of “Charlie and his Angels” – including how he chose to communicate with them – in disguise through a web-cam was a little cheesy, but that was my only complaint.

We see endless amounts of shopping, strength of character, friendships develop, secrets revealed, revenge taken and people falling into love. An all round great book – especially if you like shopping!

9/10

Brideshead Revisited, by Evelyn Waugh

The story opens with Captain Charles Ryder and his troops, who at the end of Word War II, arrive at an old house which has been converted into an army barracks.  Upon learning of the name of the house, Ryder realises that it is Brideshead, a house where he spent a considerable amount of his youth…

Ryder starts to recount his life as an under-graduate at Oxford, who becomes infatuated with the charming but immature Sebastian Flyte, a beautiful fellow student.  As Sebastian introduces Charles to his family at Brideshead (the family home), he becomes fascinated with the unusual family, and particularly later on, with Sebastian’s sister Julia.

I feel almost guilty that while the story itself is full of promise, this book left me cold.  I thought it might be that none of the characters is particular sympathetic or even likeable (with the sole exception of the Sebastian’s younger sister Cordelia), but on reflection, I don’t believe that that was what put me off.  The writing is undoubtedly eloquent and at time comedic, but the book did not stir any emotion in me.

Sebastian’s family are Catholic, and Catholicism is a strong theme throughout the book.  Sebastian and Julia both struggle with their religion – although both turn to it in times of anguish – while their mother and their siblings, Cordelia and Brideshead, seem more at ease with it.  Religious versus secular love, and the conflict which this can cause, is portrayed well, as is the changes which came about in Britain during the years the book is set in, where the aristocracy is starting to mean less, and people are looking for different values.

I wish I had enjoyed this book more – I expected to, and I wanted to – but in the end I simply felt a mild sense of relief at finishing it.  That said, I have read many many reviews of this book, and most seem to rate it extremely highly, so I would not wish to discourage others from reading it; I would just hope that they get more out of it than I did.